text:
Despite the preventative measures implemented by IT departments, it will happen at some point: servers will go down and outages will occur. But even if an organization cannot prevent these issues from occurring, the impact can still be minimized through the use of information gathered by server monitoring services. What exactly is server monitoring? Basic functions include:
Tags: SaaS, server management services
When it comes to provisioning themselves with expert IT support, Philadelphia businesses are increasingly migrating to the SaaS or Software as a Service model. This change in approach brings with it a range of powerful benefits.
Tags: IT company, Outsourced IT, Business Continuity, SaaS
- Tracking CPU usage, memory, and disk usage
- Monitoring the performance and availability of all critical systems and applications
- Monitoring internal workflow to avoid bottlenecks and ensure efficiency
- Determining where the issues lie and address them before it is too late
- Configuring thresholds and broadcast notifications when these thresholds have been crossed
An organization can monitor their server details using SaaS server monitoring or a managed service. Even though they both have a similar end result (ideally), there are several differences between them that can determine which option is better for a business.
A managed service provider provides a software license for each application they are required to run and are responsible for running the software, maintaining it, and installing any necessary upgrades. This model places day-to-day operations with another organization, and thereby creates a strategic method for streamlined, efficient, and affordable operations.
With SaaS server monitoring, the cost for a SaaS application can often be much less than for a managed service application. However, an organization will be charged for the configuration, maintenance and support, seamless upgrades, and customization that a managed service provider generally offers inclusively. A SaaS supplier hosts, maintains, and upgrades its software on its own servers while an organization's employees access it through the Internet. Managed service providers allow for a more comprehensive and flexible operation of business functions, such as security and network monitoring.
Because SaaS applications are not necessarily sold as a software package that an IT department can download or purchase, a business cannot buy a license or or pay for upgrades. Instead, an organization will pay a flat, regularly scheduled, subscription fee. The software resides on the host server from which all users — no matter their organization or where they are located — can access it. The cost is therefore spread across many clients.
Even though SaaS applications can be modified in minor ways — for example, companies can often make changes to how the application is shown and used on a desktop — the code itself cannot be customized for a business and their specific and unique needs, as can be done through a managed service provider.
Finally, an managed service provider (MSP) can provide additional services that SaaS server monitoring cannot, such as troubleshooting issues, providing data backup and storage, and offering server upgrade information. This can leave an IT department available to work on their own tasks and projects.
When weighing one set of server management services against the other, a business will need to consider how integral the software required is to your organization. Make sure that business-critical operational issues are acknowledged and addressed, including exceptions and multiple sources of information.
At iCorps, we offer a range of managed services, starting from the full network assessment to the deployment stage. Contact us for more details about managed server monitoring and other managed services.
Tags: SaaS, server management services
Software-as-a-Service, or SaaS, is a way for businesses to use software that is hosted by a vendor, and that software is then delivered to users through a web browser on the Internet. That same software or piece of code can be used by many users, regardless of where they are located geographically. Because it can be very efficient and low-cost, SaaS has been growing in popularity over the past few years, but there are many thoughts - good and bad - that exist about it.
Tags: SaaS
SaaS, or Software as a Service, has been increasing in usage and popularity recently. It has been around for a while and has changed over the past 15 years. Let's take a look at where it is and where its current path.
First of all: what is SaaS? It is a way that businesses and other interested groups use software that is hosted by its vendor, and that software is delivered to clients through a web browser on the Internet. That same software or piece of code can be used by many users, regardless of where they are situated geographically, because it is hosted in a central location by the vendor. Sometimes, SaaS has been called remotely hosted or on-demand, and earlier on, the software was provided by an ASP (Application Service Provider).
Back in the later 1990s, businesses started using ASP for some of its software needs. However, ASP usage started fizzling out due to its one-to-one architecture, which meant that only businesses with a certain structure could use it, and that same architecture made it difficult for the software to be as flexible as businesses needed it to be.
Based on the needs of potential clients, the original ASP slowly developed into SaaS. Vendors adapted the current technology model to handle a one-to-many architecture, and this, along with other advancements, started making SaaS faster and more flexible. With these changes, those who thought SaaS would also fizzle were wrong – SaaS started to gain a hold in the market, but mostly for small and mid-sized companies.
In the 2000s, as SaaS started to grow, vendors started providing more offerings. But with advancements and flexibility come issues. Clients started to have fears about security – was their data secure, were their networks safe from hacking?
Once again, SaaS providers responded. Not only did they implement greater security mechanisms, but SaaS was commonly used as an anti-virus and anti-spam solution itself. Currently, SaaS has become more customizable and with availability 24/7. It is a great benefit to all because it has no infrastructure costs, no human capital, and it is less risky because less maintenance is needed. Because it is more scalable, it still is well suited for smaller and mid-sized companies.
So what does all of this mean for the technological future of SaaS? Firstly, there are signs that it is becoming more popular: it is continually being updated to be more customizable and available as needed. Additionally, it is verging It is also trying to become more platform independent.
SaaS is also being implemented as part of a cloud computing model, which means no more software to download and install, no hard drive issues as the work is distributed across a set of virtual machines, greater use and efficiency of existing resources, reduced costs, better internal and external service, and reduced maintenance costs. With these benefits, SaaS could gain a greater foothold and possibly expand into non-US markets and possibly being embraced by larger organizations too.
Still, as with all businesses, the need for greater security to alleviate concrete fears is ever-present, particularly when your organization is not in physical control of its data.
Is SaaS a business model that is right for your company? If you need more information, contact a reputable IT company like iCorps. They can assess your current business model to determine if SaaS is a solution that fits with your current business structure and future strategies.
Tags: SaaS
A few worrying financial reports just produced by Microsoft suggest at first sight that they may be losing their grip on the desktop. Coming in the same week as their announcement of the latest updates to their Office suite, you might think that the timing could not have focused any more attention on the product line. A closer look at the financial situation however reveals a slightly different story. If you look at their revenue, you'll see that they have continued to increase at a steady four percent but their results were hit by two items that had been previously announced – one relating to funding upgrades for Windows 8 and the other related to its acquisition of aQuantive as part of its development of online services.
Cashed-strapped IT departments are always looking out for ways to increase efficiency while cutting costs simultaneously. Larger organizations with bigger budgets can adopt new IT technologies with higher price tags, however, companies in survival mode often can't. Small companies are often unable to secure financing to invest large sums of cash on high-end IT technology.
Tags: Cloud Computing, Storage, SaaS
Cloud computing is one of the most exciting tech breakthroughs to come along in quite some time. Unlike some leaps forward that are really only of benefit to firms with revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars, cloud computing seems almost tailor-made to provide the SMB with advantages that were never before possible, like economies of scale, which until now were more or less ruled out for small businesses. There is only really one hitch for the small business owner or manager: being hooked into a cloud computing system.
Tags: Cloud Computing, Storage, SaaS
A relatively new approach to meeting the computing needs of a small or medium-sized business is the phenomenon known as "Software as a Service", most commonly referred to as SaaS. In the SaaS approach, businesses connect with the software they need via cloud computing. This frees them from the necessity to install and maintain their own software. Instead, those responsibilities are handed over to a managed services provider contracted to keep the software updated and maintained.
Tags: Managed Services, Cloud Computing, IT Solutions, Outsourced IT Support, IT company, Remote Connectivity, Outsourced IT, Software, Technology, Data Centers, Servers, Cost Effectiveness, SaaS
Managed services have become such a standard approach to reliable and consistent IT solutions that companies as large as Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Minnesota are now using SaaS (Software as a Service) to accomplish the core competency of claims processing. There is more to managed services, however, than meets the eye. A comprehensive approach to providing IT services from a remote location will include technological feats that most businesses are not well positioned to do for themselves. These advanced uses of managed services include deep packet analysis and netflow analysis.
Tags: Managed Services, IT Solutions, SaaS
Contrary to popular belief, cloud based computing and virtualization is not the same thing. Instead, cloud computing is a set of technologies that can build on top of virtualization in order to make better use of virtualized resources. At its heart, the adoption of a cloud-based architecture allows IT services to be provisioned across business networks on an as needed basis. When such services and resources are not needed by one user in a business, they can be allocated to others since the essence of cloud computing is shared resources.
Tags: Managed Services, Cloud Computing, IT Solutions, SaaS
The rise of SaaS, or software as a service, has meant that businesses no longer have to store rarely used data on site. Instead, they can offshore it to the cloud, thereby freeing up valuable infrastructure resources on the premises for data that is accessed far more frequently. Security experts, however, recommend that companies carefully analyze businesses offering managed services before they offshore certain kinds of data to the cloud.
Tags: Managed Services, Security, Compliance, SaaS
There is no doubt that Software as a Service, also known as SaaS, can help small and medium-sized businesses to improve the use of business intelligence tools. These tools consist of programs that assist managers to use data modeling to identify trends that are relevant to the bottom line. These may include trends among customer preferences and behavior as well as trends related to employees and workflow. Such tools can be implemented as part of a managed services approach, a model that uses hosted IT solutions in order to eliminate much of the physical infrastructure, including software disks that companies used to have to maintain on their own premises.
Tags: IT Consulting, Cloud Computing, SaaS


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Patrick Mullins Selected as the 11th Pick in the 1st Round by New England
Jan 16 2014 - La Fire
Spring Registration
Oct 15 2013 - Blaine Walsh
Patrick Mullins Wins Second Straight MAC Hermann Trophy
Nov 15 2013 - Blaine Walsh
U14 Boys advance at Disney
Nov 30 2013 - La Fire
The U14 Boys won both games today and advance to the semi-finals at Disney!
Good luck Boys!
Andrew Commits to NC State
Nov 26 2013 - Blaine Walsh
Congratulations To Andrew Malinich On His Commitment to NC State...!!!
Congratulations from all at the Fire on this huge achievement.
3v3 Tournament
Oct 09 2013 - Blaine Walsh
Don't Forget to Register your Team NOW..
Space Running out
U6-U15 Boys and Girls Brackets and NEW ADULT BRACKET
Enter a Mom's, Dad's or Coaches Team Now!!!!
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|Audubon Park
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|Lions Fields
|LaSalle Park

subset: commoncrawl


text:
26 July, 2012 | (01 hr)
Sign In to access this Webcast
This webcast reprises one of our most highly rated presentations from our recent Conference Board Social Media Seminars.
As the economy slowly recovers, having an effective talent strategy becomes even more critical in organizations. The ability to attract, recruit, and retain the "right" talent in today's turbulent environment requires new thinking and innovation to capture the attention of current and potential employees—and integrating social media and social networks into your talent strategy can help.
In this session, we'll explore several "best practices" and unique methods that leading companies have incorporated into their talent strategies to effectively compete for talent and win in the current marketplace.
Audience: Join other senior HR executives responsible for talent, recruiting, knowledge management, employee engagement and learning and communication executives responsible for employer branding, internal communication and social media.
Jennifer McClure
Jennifer McClure is President of Unbridled Talent, LLC a Cincinnati based consulting firm providing services to clients in the areas of attracting, recruiting, developing & engaging key talent in their organizations. Jennifer is passionate abo... Full Bio
MaryLee Sachs
MaryLee launched her book, The Changing MO of the CMO – How the Convergence of Brand and Reputation is Affecting Marketers, at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity last June. Since then, she has established Changing MO LLC a... Full Bio


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Student Accounts
Student Tuition Accounts can be viewed by the student on the College BIONIC system under Self-Service/Campus Finances. .
Tuition and fees for the 2015-2016 Academic Year
The Business Office mails tuition bills in July for the fall semester and in December for the spring semester. *In addition to charges for tuition, room and board, Student Association and orientation fees, a $600 deposit is billed each semester against which students can charge bookstore purchases and to cover the cost of other incidental charges such as infirmary charges and auto registration fees.
Orientation Fee: First year students and other new students are charged a one-time fee of $230 to cover the cost of their orientation period, called Customs Week.
Incidental Deposit: A $600 deposit is billed, payable in full, before the beginning of each semester to cover the cost of books charged at the bookstore and other incidental charges that arise during the semester. Each student will begin the term with $600 credit on their OneCard which will be charged for purchases and incidentals. This is a required fee. OneCard information can be found at brynmawr.edu/onecard including a link to the GetFunds site where students can access details of their OneCard activity.
Billing/Payment due dates: Bills for the following semester's tuition, room, board, Student Association fee, and Deposit are rendered in July and December. Tuition and Fees must be paid in full before the beginning of the semester and, to avoid last minute congestion, preferably by wire or mail in advance. Students whose fees are not paid are subject to dismissal from the College. Unpaid accounts are also subject to a 1% per month late fee, cancellation of OneCard privileges and participation in the meal plan, exclusion from Room Draw and the withholding of transcripts. If there are any outstanding charges at the end of the term, no diploma or official transcript will be issued. Transcripts may be withheld at any time for non-payment.
Students are charged full tuition for each of the first eight semesters they are in attendance at the College. Students who finish seven semesters without completing all degree requirements will be required to enroll for a final semester at full tuition if the number of credits needed is more than one. In the event that these students enter their eighth semester at Haverford needing a single credit or less for degree completion as certified by the Dean and Registrar of the College, the tuition charge will be at the Special Student Rate of $6,082.
A ninth-semester student is charged at the Special Student Rate of $6,082 per credit.
Payment Plan: Students who prefer to pay tuition and fees in monthly installments may do so through a plan provided by Higher One. The 10 month plan begins May 15th and concludes February 15th and is offered as an annual plan only. Enrollment is open until August 15th however missed payments must be made at time of enrollment. One half of the annual plan is credited to the Student bill each semester. There is a small enrollment fee. For additional information or to enroll please visit https://tuitionpaymentplan.com. Higher One may also be reached by phone at 800-635-0120.
Financial Aid: Haverford Grants and other confirmed Financial Aid from the College are credited directly to your account, half each semester. Federal Direct Stafford and PLUS loans and outside awards will not be credited to your account until the funds are received by the Business Office. On-campus employment (Federal Work Study) is paid directly to the student once a month by Student Payroll for hours worked. Specific questions regarding Financial Aid including loan applications should be directed to the Financial Aid Office.
Prepaid Tuition: Families may pay for three or four years (six or eight semesters) of tuition at the current rate if the total prepaid amount is paid in full by the first semester's due date in August. Room, board and other fees can not be prepaid. If the student withdraws, a refund of the prepaid tuition for the current term will be made in accordance with the standard refund policy. The family may request a refund of any remaining prepaid tuition in which case the prepaid tuition option is cancelled. Otherwise, the family may choose to continue to participate in the Prepaid Plan if the leave from the College does not exceed one year and the unused prepayment amount remains with the College. Under no circumstances will the College pay interest on any portion of the prepaid tuition amount.
Meal Plans: First year students are required to be on the full board plan both semesters of their first year at the College. Upperclass students are required to be on the full board plan unless they are living at 710 College Ave, the Ira De A. Reid House or the Haverford College Apartments, all housing where there are full kitchens. Residents in these areas may choose to go off the board plan entirely. Those wishing to waive the Full Board plan should, before the beginning of the semester, provide written notification to Barbara Wilson, Student Accounts Supervisor, in the Business Office. A financial penalty will be incurred if notification is made after the semester begins.
Exceptions to the above rules may be made by the Senior Associate Dean of the College under the following conditions: a) For medical reasons known prior to room draw no excuse from the meal plan is permitted; the student should exercise their option at room draw for meal-plan-exempt housing. For medical reasons that arise after room draw, the student's family physician must send a letter to the Director of Health Services specifying the illness, when it appeared, how long it is expected to last, and detailing the prescribed diet. This letter should be on the physician's official stationary. In the event that the Dining Center cannot provide the required diet, the student will be permitted to remain off the meal plan, but he or she will have to move into HCA, Reid House or 710 as soon as space becomes available. Such students will receive top priority for room openings. B) Students who observe the laws of Kashruth may sign an agreement that they may not eat food prepared in the Dining Center because they are obliged to eat only kosher foods. The agreement is available in the Housing Office and it must be signed in accordance with the Honor Code. C) For religious, philosophical or other grounds held prior to room draw no excuse from the meal plan is permitted; the student should exercise their option during room draw for meal-plan-exempt housing. For a conversion to such a position after room draw, the student may be permitted to remain off the meal plan, but he or she will have to move into HCA, Reid House or 710 as soon as space becomes available. Such students will receive top priority for room openings.
Refund Policy: The refund percentage depends upon the date of a student's withdrawal as certified by the Dean's Office. Student withdrawals must have the approval of the Dean. A full refund of tuition, fees, room and board will be made the first day of classes each semester. Thereafter, refunds are subject to the following schedule:
- During week one: 95%
- During week two: 90%
- During week three: 80%
- During week four: 70%
- During week five: 60%
- During week six: 50%
- During week seven: 40%
- During week eight: 30%
- During week nine: 20%
- During week ten: 10%
For academic year 2015-2016, no refunds will be made after November 8, 2015 and April 1, 2016. For purposes of those calculations, each week ends on a Friday and excludes fall and spring break weeks. The refund will then be made to federal loan and grant programs in which the student was involved that semester, in accordance with federal regulations. Any Haverford grant will be reduced by at least the percentage of the tuition refund. If a refund is due to the state, institutional and/or private aid programs, this will be made before any refund is made directly to the student and/or family.
Students who decide to drop from the room and board plans after the first day of classes (without withdrawing from the College) will receive a pro-rata refund less a withdrawal penalty. No such refund is made during the last six weeks of the semester.
Students who receive federal student aid are also subject to a separate federal Title IV funds refund policy.
As a supplement to the college refund schedule, we are pleased to make available an optional insurance program, The Tuition Refund Plan (TRP), offered by A.W.G. Dewar, Inc.
The Tuition Refund Plan, plus the college's refund, provides 100% of your insured tuition and fees if you withdraw from classes due to a personal physical illness or accident. For withdrawals due to psychological illness, benefits will return up to 60% of insured fees. Enrollment forms with complete details are mailed to students in July or an application may be completed online. The TRP provides coverage (according to the terms of the policy) for tuition, fee, room and board charges. Benefits under the Tuition Refund Plan can provide a valuable resource for students who need to withdraw for medical reasons.
Please contact A.W.G. Dewar, Inc., at (617) 774-1555 or you can access their website at www.collegerefund.com for more information or to apply.
Form 1098T: Lifetime Learning Tax Credit and American Opportunity Credit: On or before January 31 the student will receive Form 1098-T from the College. This form will contain the student's name, address and SSN as well as the College's name address and Tax ID. It will include amounts Haverford billed the student for qualified tuition expenses and the student's scholarships and grants total. As permitted by federal regulation, we will not include any information about tuition payments on the 1098-T. Payments made to the College are shown on your tuition bill. Copies of all issued 1098t forms can be found at www.1098t.com.
Both the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit and American Opportunity Credit may reduce the amount of federal tax that may have to be paid..
Please note that none of the above is meant to be construed as tax advice. Please consult your tax advisor for any specific questions about how these credits may apply to your own individual circumstances. Additional current information is available from IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Higher Education which we strongly recommend.
Business Office


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|A component of Microsoft Windows
|Included with
|Windows 95 OSR2
Windows NT 4.0
and all subsequent releases
Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with Direct, such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay, DirectSound, and so forth. The name DirectX was coined as shorthand term for all of these APIs (the X standing in for the particular API names) and soon became the name of the collection. When Microsoft later set out to develop a gaming console, the X was used as the basis of the name Xbox to indicate that the console was based on DirectX technology.[1] The X initial has been carried forward in the naming of APIs designed for the Xbox such as XInput and the Cross-platform Audio Creation Tool (XACT), while the DirectX pattern has been continued for Windows APIs such as Direct2D and DirectWrite.
Direct3D (the 3D graphics API within DirectX) is widely used in the development of video games for Microsoft Windows, Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360, and Microsoft Xbox One. Direct3D is also used by other software applications for visualization and graphics tasks such as CAD/CAM engineering. As Direct3D is the most widely publicized component of DirectX, it is common to see the names "DirectX" and "Direct3D" used interchangeably.
The DirectX software development kit (SDK) consists of runtime libraries in redistributable binary form, along with accompanying documentation and headers for use in coding. Originally, the runtimes were only installed by games or explicitly by the user. Windows 95 did not launch with DirectX, but DirectX was included with Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2.[2] Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0 both shipped with DirectX, as has every version of Windows released since. The SDK is available as a free download. While the runtimes are proprietary, closed-source software, source code is provided for most of the SDK samples. Starting with the release of Windows 8 Developer Preview, DirectX SDK has been integrated into Windows SDK.[3]
Direct3D 9Ex, Direct3D 10, and Direct3D 11 are only available for Windows Vista and newer because each of these new versions was built to depend upon the new Windows Display Driver Model that was introduced with Windows Vista. The new Vista/WDDM graphics architecture includes a new video memory manager supporting virtualization of graphics hardware for various applications and services like the Desktop Window Manager.
Development history[edit]
In late 1994, Microsoft was ready to release Windows 95, its next operating system. An important factor in the value consumers would place on it was the programs that would be able to run on it. Three Microsoft employees—Craig Eisler, Alex St. John, and Eric Engstrom—were concerned because programmers tended to see Microsoft's previous operating system, MS-DOS, as a better platform for game programming, meaning few games would be developed for Windows 95 and the operating system would not be as much of a success.
DOS allowed direct access to video cards, keyboards, mice, sound devices, and all other parts of the system, while Windows 95 - with its protected memory model - restricted access to all of these, working on a much more standardized model. Microsoft needed a quick solution for programmers; the operating system was only months away from being released. Eisler (development lead), St. John, and Engstrom (program manager) worked together to fix this problem, with a solution that they eventually named DirectX.
The first version of DirectX was released in September 1995 as the Windows Games SDK. It was the Win32 replacement for the DCI[4] and WinG APIs for Windows 3.1. DirectX allowed all versions of Microsoft Windows, starting with Windows 95, to incorporate high-performance multimedia. Eisler wrote about the frenzy to build DirectX 1 through 5 in his blog.[5]
Initial adoption of DirectX by game developers was slow.[6] There were fears that DirectX could be replaced as WinG had been, there was a performance penalty in using Windows over DOS, and there were many die-hard DOS programmers.[6]
DirectX 2.0 became a component of Windows itself with the releases of Windows 95 OSR2 and Windows NT 4.0 in mid-1996. Since Windows 95 was itself still new and few games had been released for it, Microsoft engaged in heavy promotion of DirectX to developers who were generally distrustful of Microsoft's ability to build a gaming platform in Windows. Alex St. John, the evangelist for DirectX, staged an elaborate event at the 1996 Computer Game Developers Conference which game developer Jay Barnson described as a Roman theme, including real lions, togas, and something resembling an indoor carnival.[7] It was at this event that Microsoft first introduced Direct3D and DirectPlay, and demonstrated multiplayer MechWarrior 2 being played over the Internet.
The DirectX team faced the challenging task of testing each DirectX release against an array of computer hardware and software. A variety of different graphics cards, audio cards, motherboards, CPUs, input devices, games, and other multimedia applications were tested with each beta and final release. The DirectX team also built and distributed tests that allowed the hardware industry to confirm that new hardware designs and driver releases would be compatible with DirectX.
Prior to DirectX, Microsoft had included OpenGL on their Windows NT platform.[8] At the time, OpenGL required "high-end" hardware and was focused on engineering and CAD uses.[citation needed] Direct3D was intended to be a lightweight partner to OpenGL, focused on game use. As 3D gaming grew, OpenGL developed to include better support for programming techniques for interactive multimedia applications like games, giving developers choice between using OpenGL or Direct3D as the 3D graphics API for their applications. At that point a "battle" began between supporters of the cross-platform OpenGL and the Windows-only Direct3D. Incidentally, OpenGL was supported at Microsoft by the DirectX team. If a developer chose to use OpenGL 3D graphics API, the other APIs of DirectX are often combined with OpenGL in computer games because OpenGL does not include all of DirectX's functionality (such as sound or joystick support).
In a console-specific version, DirectX was used as a basis for Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360 console API. The API was developed jointly between Microsoft and Nvidia, who developed the custom graphics hardware used by the original Xbox. The Xbox API is similar to DirectX version 8.1, but is non-updateable like other console technologies. The Xbox was code named DirectXbox, but this was shortened to Xbox for its commercial name.[9]
In 2002, Microsoft released DirectX 9 with support for the use of much longer shader programs than before with pixel and vertex shader version 2.0. Microsoft has continued to update the DirectX suite since then, introducing Shader Model 3.0 in DirectX 9.0c, released in August 2004.
As of April 2005, DirectShow was removed from DirectX and moved to the Microsoft Platform SDK instead.
DirectX has been confirmed to be present in Microsoft's Windows Phone 8.[10]
|DirectX version
|Version number
|Operating system
|Date released
|DirectX 1.0
|September 30, 1995
|DirectX 2.0
|Was shipped only with a few 3rd party applications
|DirectX 2.0a
|Windows 95 OSR2 and Windows NT 4.0
|June 5, 1996
|DirectX 3.0
|September 15, 1996
|Later package of DirectX 3.0 included Direct3D 4.04.00.0069
|DirectX 3.0a
|Windows NT 4.0 SP3 (and above)
last supported version of DirectX for Windows NT 4.0
|December 1996
|DirectX 3.0b
|This was a very minor update to 3.0a that fixed a cosmetic problem with the Japanese version of Windows 95
|December 1996
|DirectX 4.0
|Never launched
|DirectX 5.0
|Available as a beta for Windows 2000 that would install on Windows NT 4.0
|August 4, 1997
|DirectX 5.2
|DirectX 5.2 release for Windows 95
|May 5, 1998
|Windows 98 exclusive
|June 25, 1998
|DirectX 6.0
|Windows CE as implemented on Dreamcast
|August 7, 1998
|DirectX 6.1
|February 3, 1999
|DirectX 6.1a
|Windows 98 SE exclusive
|May 5, 1999
|DirectX 7.0
|September 22, 1999
|Windows 2000
|February 17, 2000
|DirectX 7.0a
|March 8, 2000
|DirectX 7.1
|Windows Me exclusive
|September 14, 2000
|DirectX 8.0
|November 12, 2000
|DirectX 8.0a
|Last supported version for Windows 95 and last version to have software rendering support[11]
|February 5, 2001
|DirectX 8.1
|Windows XP, Windows XP SP1, Windows Server 2003 and Xbox exclusive
|October 25, 2001
|This version is for the down level operating systems
(Windows 98, Windows Me and Windows 2000)
|November 8, 2001
|DirectX 8.1a
|This release includes an update to Direct3D (D3d8.dll)
|DirectX 8.1b
|This update includes a fix to DirectShow on Windows 2000 (Quartz.dll)
|June 25, 2002
|DirectX 8.2
|Same as the DirectX 8.1b but includes DirectPlay 8.2
|DirectX 9.0
|December 19, 2002
|DirectX 9.0a
|March 26, 2003
|DirectX 9.0b
|August 13, 2003
|DirectX 9.0c[12]
|Windows XP SP2 exclusive
|August 4, 2004
|Xbox 360, Windows XP SP2, SP3*, Windows Server 2003 SP1 and Windows Server 2003 R2
|August 6, 2004 / April 21, 2008*
|DirectX - bimonthly updates
|4.09.00.0904 (RC0 for DX 9.0c)
|The February 9, 2005 release is the first 64-bit capable build.[13] The last build for Windows 98SE/Me is the redistributable from December 13, 2006.[14][15] The last build for Windows 2000 is the redistributable from February 5, 2010.[16] April 2006 is the first official support to Windows Vista[17] and August 2009 is the first official support to Windows 7 and DX11 update[18]
|Released bimonthly from October 2004 to August 2007, and quarterly thereafter; Latest version: June 2010[19]
|DirectX 10
|Windows Vista exclusive
|November 30, 2006
|DirectX 10.1
|Windows Vista SP1, Windows Server 2008
includes Direct3D 10.1
|February 4, 2008
|Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2
includes Direct3D 10.1
|April 28, 2009
|DirectX 11
|Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2
|October 22, 2009
|Windows Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2, through the Platform Update for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008[20]
|October 27, 2009
|Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
|February 16, 2011
|DirectX 11.1
|Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Server 2012
|August 1, 2012
|DirectX 11.2
|Windows 8.1, Windows RT, Windows Server 2012 R2
|October 18, 2013
|DirectX 12.0
|Windows 10, Xbox One
|July 29, 2015
- Notes
- DirectX 4 was never released. Raymond Chen of Microsoft explained in his book, The Old New Thing, that after DirectX 3 was released, Microsoft began developing versions 4 and 5 at the same time. Version 4 was to be a shorter-term release with small features, whereas version 5 would be a more substantial release. The lack of interest from game developers in the features stated for DirectX 4 resulted in it being shelved, and the corpus of documents that already distinguished the two new versions resulted in Microsoft choosing to not re-use version 4 to describe features intended for version 5.[21][22]
- The version number as reported by Microsoft's DxDiag tool (version 4.09.0000.0900 and higher) use the x.xx.xxxx.xxxx format for version numbers. However, the DirectX and Windows XP MSDN page claims that the registry always has been in the x.xx.xx.xxxx format. Put another way, when the above table lists a version as '4.09.00.0904' Microsoft's DxDiag tool may have it as '4.09.0000.0904'.[23]
The original logo resembled a deformed radiation warning symbol. Controversially, the original name for the DirectX project was the "Manhattan Project", a reference to the US nuclear weapons initiative. Alex St. John, head of Microsoft DirectX evangelism at the time, claims[24] that the connotation of the ultimate outcome of the Manhattan Project (the nuclear bombing of Japan) is intentional, and that DirectX and its sister project, the Xbox (which shares a similar logo), were meant to displace Japanese videogame-makers from their dominance of the video-game industry.[25] However, Microsoft publicly denies this account, instead claiming that the logo is merely an artistic design.[25]
DirectX 10[edit]
A major update to DirectX API, DirectX 10 ships with and is only available with Windows Vista and later; previous versions of Windows such as Windows XP are not able to run DirectX 10-exclusive applications. Rather, programs that are run on a Windows XP system with DirectX 10 hardware simply resort to the DirectX 9.0c code path, the latest available for Windows XP computers.[26]
Changes for DirectX 10 were extensive. Many former parts of DirectX API were deprecated in the latest DirectX SDK and are preserved for compatibility only: DirectInput was deprecated in favor of XInput, DirectSound was deprecated in favor of the Cross-platform Audio Creation Tool system (XACT) and additionally lost support for hardware accelerated audio, since the Vista audio stack renders sound in software on the CPU. The DirectPlay DPLAY.DLL was also removed and was replaced with dplayx.dll; games that rely on this DLL must duplicate it and rename it to dplay.dll.
In order to achieve backwards compatibility, DirectX in Windows Vista contains several versions of Direct3D:[27]
- Direct3D 9: emulates Direct3D 9 behavior as it was on Windows XP. Details and advantages of Vista's Windows Display Driver Model are hidden from the application if WDDM drivers are installed. This is the only API available if there are only XP graphic drivers (XDDM) installed, after an upgrade to Vista for example.
- Direct3D 9Ex (known internally during Windows Vista development as 9.0L or 9.L): allows full access to the new capabilities of WDDM (if WDDM drivers are installed) while maintaining compatibility for existing Direct3D applications. The Windows Aero user interface relies on D3D 9Ex.
- Direct3D 10: Designed around the new driver model in Windows Vista and featuring a number of improvements to rendering capabilities and flexibility, including Shader Model 4.
Direct3D 10.1 is an incremental update of Direct3D 10.0 which shipped with, and required, Windows Vista Service Pack 1.[28] This release mainly sets a few more image quality standards for graphics vendors, while giving developers more control over image quality.[29] It also adds support for cube map arrays, separate blend modes per-MRT, coverage mask export from a pixel shader, ability to run pixel shader per sample, access to multi-sampled depth buffers[30] and requires that the video card supports Shader Model 4.1 or higher and 32-bit floating-point operations. Direct3D 10.1 still fully supports Direct3D 10 hardware, but in order to utilize all of the new features, updated hardware is required.[31]
DirectX 11[edit]
Microsoft unveiled DirectX 11 at the Gamefest 08 event in Seattle, with the major scheduled features including GPGPU support (DirectCompute), and Direct3D 11 with tessellation support[32][33] and improved multi-threading support to assist video game developers in developing games that better utilize multi-core processors.[34] Direct3D 11 runs on Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. Parts of the new API such as multi-threaded resource handling can be supported on Direct3D 9/10/10.1-class hardware. Hardware tessellation and Shader Model 5.0 require Direct3D 11 supporting hardware.[35] Microsoft has since released the Direct3D 11 Technical Preview.[36] Direct3D 11 is a strict superset of Direct3D 10.1 — all hardware and API features of version 10.1 are retained, and new features are added only when necessary for exposing new functionality. This helps to keep backwards compatibility with previous versions of DirectX.
Microsoft released the Final Platform Update for Windows Vista on October 27, 2009, which was 5 days after the initial release of Windows 7 (launched with Direct3D 11 as a base standard).
DirectX 11.1 is included in Windows 8. It supports WDDM 1.2 for increased performance, features improved integration of Direct2D (now at version 1.1), Direct3D, and DirectCompute, and includes DirectXMath, XAudio2, and XInput libraries from the XNA framework. It also features stereoscopic 3D support for gaming and video.[37] DirectX 11.1 was also partially backported to Windows 7, via the Windows 7 platform update.[38][39]
DirectX 11.2 is included in Windows 8.1 (including the RT version) and Windows Server 2012 R2.[40] It added some new features to Direct2D like geometry realizations.[41] It also added swap chain composition, which allows some elements of the scene to be rendered at lower resolutions and then composited via hardware overlay with other parts rendered at higher resolution.[42]
DirectX 11.X is a superset of DirectX 11.2 running on the Xbox One.[43] It actually includes some features, such as draw bundles, that were later announced as part of DirectX 12.[44]
DirectX 11.3 was announced along with DirectX 12 at GDC and will be released in 2015. It is meant to complement DirectX 12 as a higher-level alternative.[45]
DirectX 12[edit]
DirectX 12 was announced by Microsoft at GDC on March 20, 2014. The main goal of Direct3D 12 is to reduce driver overhead, similar to AMD's Mantle;[46] in the words of lead developer Max McMullen, the goal is to achieve "console-level efficiency".[47] Windows 10 will ship with DirectX 12.[48]
DirectX 12 will be essentially supported on all Fermi and later Nvidia GPUs, on AMD's GCN-based chips and on Intel's Haswell and later processors' graphics units.[46]
At SIGGRAPH 2014, Intel released a demo showing a computer generated asteroid field, in which DirectX 12 was claimed to be 50%-70% more efficient than DirectX 11 in rendering speed and CPU power consumption.[49][50]
DirectX 12 was launched along with Windows 10 on July 29, 2015. For the first time devs could get samples on Git and view educational videos on an official YouTube channel. [51] [52] [53] [54]
Microsoft encourages the use of these DirectX components:
- Direct3D (D3D): for drawing 3D graphics.
- DXGI: for enumerating adapters and monitors and managing swap chains for Direct3D 10 and up.
- Direct2D: for 2D graphics.
- DirectWrite: for fonts.
- DirectCompute: for GPU Computing.
- DirectSound3D (DS3D): for the playback of 3D sounds.
- DirectX Media: comprising DirectAnimation for 2D/3D[55] web animation, DirectShow for multimedia playback and streaming media, DirectX Transform for web interactivity, and Direct3D Retained Mode for higher level 3D graphics. DirectShow contains DirectX plugins for audio signal processing and DirectX Video Acceleration for accelerated video playback.
- DirectX Diagnostics (DxDiag): a tool for diagnosing and generating reports on components related to DirectX, such as audio, video, and input drivers.
- DirectX Media Objects: support for streaming objects such as encoders, decoders, and effects.
- DirectSetup: for the installation of DirectX components, and the detection of the current DirectX version.
Microsoft has deprecated, but still supports, these DirectX components:
- DirectDraw: for drawing 2D Graphics (raster graphics). Deprecated in favor of Direct2D, though still in use by a number of games and as a video renderer in media applications.
- DirectInput: for interfacing with input devices including keyboards, mice, joysticks, or other game controllers. Deprecated after version 8 in favor of XInput for Xbox 360 controllers or standard WM_INPUT window message processing for keyboard and mouse input.
- DirectPlay: for communication over a local-area or wide-area network. Deprecated after version 8 in favor of Games for Windows Live and Xbox Live.
- DirectSound: for the playback and recording of waveform sounds. Deprecated in favor of the current audio libraries, including XAudio2 (a low-level audio library) and XACT3 (a higher-level audio API).
- DirectMusic: for playback of soundtracks authored in DirectMusic Producer. Deprecated since DirectX 8 in favor of XAudio2 and XACT3.
DirectX functionality is provided in the form of COM-style objects and interfaces. Additionally, while not DirectX components themselves, managed objects have been built on top of some parts of DirectX, such as Managed Direct3D[56] and the XNA graphics library[57] on top of Direct3D 9.
Various releases of Windows have included and supported various versions of DirectX, allowing newer versions of the operating system to continue running applications designed for earlier versions of DirectX until those versions can be gradually phased out in favor of newer APIs, drivers, and hardware.
APIs such as Direct3D and DirectSound need to interact with hardware, and they do this through a device driver. Hardware manufacturers have to write these drivers for a particular DirectX version's device driver interface (or DDI), and test each individual piece of hardware to make them DirectX compatible. Some hardware devices have only DirectX compatible drivers (in other words, one must install DirectX in order to use that hardware). Early versions of DirectX included an up-to-date library of all of the DirectX compatible drivers currently available. This practice was stopped however, in favor of the web-based Windows Update driver-update system, which allowed users to download only the drivers relevant to their hardware, rather than the entire library.
Prior to DirectX 10, DirectX runtime was designed to be backward compatible with older drivers, meaning that newer versions of the APIs were designed to interoperate with older drivers written against a previous version's DDI. The application programmer had to query the available hardware capabilities using a complex system of "cap bits" each tied to a particular hardware feature. Direct3D 7 and earlier would work on any version of the DDI, Direct3D 8 requires a minimum DDI level of 6 and Direct3D 9 requires a minimum DDI level of 7.[58] However, the Direct3D 10 runtime in Windows Vista cannot run on older hardware drivers due to the significantly updated DDI, which requires a unified feature set and abandons the use of "cap bits".
Direct3D 10.1 introduces "feature levels" 10_0 and 10_1, which allow use of only the hardware features defined in the specified version of Direct3D API. Direct3D 11 adds level 11_0 and "10 Level 9" - a subset of the Direct3D 10 API designed to run on Direct3D 9 hardware, which has three feature levels (9_1, 9_2 and 9_3) grouped by common capabilities of "low", "med" and "high-end" video cards; the runtime directly uses Direct3D 9 DDI provided in all WDDM drivers. Feature level 11_1 has been introduced with Direct3D 11.1.
.NET Framework[edit]
In 2002, Microsoft released a version of DirectX compatible with the Microsoft .NET Framework, thus allowing programmers to take advantage of DirectX functionality from within .NET applications using compatible languages such as managed C++ or the use of the C# programming language. This API was known as "Managed DirectX" (or MDX for short), and claimed to operate at 98% of performance of the underlying native DirectX APIs. In December 2005, February 2006, April 2006, and August 2006, Microsoft released successive updates to this library, culminating in a beta version called Managed DirectX 2.0. While Managed DirectX 2.0 consolidated functionality that had previously been scattered over multiple assemblies into a single assembly, thus simplifying dependencies on it for software developers, development on this version has subsequently been discontinued, and it is no longer supported. The Managed DirectX 2.0 library expired on October 5, 2006.
During the GDC 2006, Microsoft presented the XNA Framework, a new managed version of DirectX (similar but not identical to Managed DirectX) that is intended to assist development of games by making it easier to integrate DirectX, High Level Shader Language (HLSL) and other tools in one package. It also supports the execution of managed code on the Xbox 360. The XNA Game Studio Express RTM was made available on December 11, 2006, as a free download for Windows XP. Unlike the DirectX runtime, Managed DirectX, XNA Framework or the Xbox 360 APIs (XInput, XACT etc.) have not shipped as part of Windows. Developers are expected to redistribute the runtime components along with their games or applications.
No Microsoft product including the latest XNA releases provides DirectX 10 support for the .NET Framework.
The other approach for DirectX in managed languages is to use third-party libraries like:
- SlimDX, an open source library for DirectX programming on the .NET Framework
- SharpDX,[59][60] which is an open source project delivering the full DirectX API for .NET on all Windows platforms, allowing the development of high performance game, 2D and 3D graphics rendering as well as real-time sound applications
- DirectShow.NET for the DirectShow subset
- Windows API CodePack for .NET Framework, which is an open source library from Microsoft.
There are alternatives to the DirectX family of APIs, with OpenGL and Mantle having the most features comparable to Direct3D. Examples of other APIs include SDL, Allegro, OpenMAX, OpenML, OpenAL, OpenCL, FMOD, SFML etc. Many of these libraries are cross-platform or have open codebases. There are also alternative implementations that aim to provide the same API, such as the one in Wine. Furthermore, the developers of ReactOS are trying to reimplement DirectX under the name "ReactX".
See also[edit]
- Vulkan (API)
- Simple DirectMedia Layer
- Comparison of OpenGL and Direct3D
- Graphics Device Interface (GDI)
- Graphics pipeline
- DirectX plugin
- ActiveX
- List of games with DirectX 10 support
- List of games with DirectX 11 support
- ^ "Microsoft: The meaning of Xbox - The Economist". The Economist.
- ^ "DirectX Help". computerhope.com.
- ^ "Where is the DirectX SDK?". microsoft.com. Microsoft.
- ^ "54 What is DCI?". stason.org.
- ^ Craig Eisler's blog post about the frenzy to build DirectX 1 through 5 on craig.theeislers.com
- ^ a b Case, Loyd (1999). Building the ultimate game PC. Indianapolis, Ind.: Que. p. 162. ISBN 978-0-7897-2204-1.
- ^ Jay Barnson (July 13, 2006). "Tales of the Rampant Coyote". Archived from the original on July 17, 2006.
- ^ "Windows NT 3.51 Product Overview". Microsoft. 31 October 2006. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
- ^ J. Allard, PC Pro Interview, April 2004
- ^ "Windows Phone 8 adds DirectX, native development, easier app porting". June 20, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
- ^ "3D Graphics Accelerators". ueu.co.
- ^ "Download DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer from Official Microsoft Download Center". microsoft.com. Microsoft.
- ^ Direct link to last pure 32-bit DirectX 9.0c from December 13, 2004 & Direct link to first 64-bit capable DirectX 9.0c from February 9, 2005
- ^ "DirectX End-User Runtimes – December 2006". Download Center. Microsoft. 13 December 2006. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
- ^ "DirectX End-User Runtimes – February 2007". Download Center. Microsoft. 13 February 2007. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
- ^ "Download DirectX End-User Runtimes (February 2010) from Official Microsoft Download Center". microsoft.com. Microsoft.
- ^ "DirectX End-User Runtimes (April 2006) Full Download". Download Center. Microsoft. 6 April 2006. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
- ^ "Download DirectX End-User Runtimes (March 2009) from Official Microsoft Download Center". microsoft.com. Microsoft.
- ^ "Download DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) from Official Microsoft Download Center". microsoft.com. Microsoft.
- ^ "Microsoft upgrades Windows Vista with DirectX 11". pcgameshardware.com.
- ^ Chen, Raymond (2006). "Etymology and History". The Old New Thing (1st edition ed.). Pearson Education. p. 330. ISBN 0-321-44030-7.
- ^ "What happened to DirectX 4? - The Old New Thing - Site Home - MSDN Blogs". Blogs.msdn.com. 2004-01-22. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
- ^ DirectX and Windows XP
- ^ "Alex St John Interview". March 28, 2007. Retrieved August 2011.
- ^ a b David Craddock (March 2007). "Alex St John Interview, page 2". Shack News. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
- ^ "DirectX Frequently Asked Questions". microsoft.com. Microsoft.
- ^ Chuck Walbourn (August 2009). "Graphics APIs in Windows". MSDN. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
- ^ Albanesius, Chloe (2007-08-29). "Microsoft Unleashes First Service Pack for Vista". PC Magazine. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
- ^ "Microsoft Presents DirectX 10.1 Details at SIGGRAPH". 2007-08-07. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
- ^ "Learn Network Inspire" (PDF). AMD. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-17. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
- ^ "DirectX 10.1 Requires No New GPU". Windows Vista: The Complete Guide. 2008-03-05. Archived from the original on 2007-10-29. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
- ^ "What's next for DirectX? A DirectX 11 overview — A DirectX 11 overview". Elite Bastards. September 1, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
- ^ "DirectX 11: A look at what's coming". bit-tech.net. September 17, 2008.
- ^ Windows 7 and D3D 11 release date
- ^ "MSDN Blogs". msdn.com. Microsoft.
- ^ "Download DirectX Software Development Kit from Official Microsoft Download Center". microsoft.com. Microsoft.
- ^ Windows 8 Developer Preview Guide
- ^ "Platform Update for Windows 7 (Windows)". Msdn.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
- ^ Pooya Eimandar (2013). DirectX 11.1 Game Programming. Packt Publishing Ltd. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-84969-481-0.
- ^ "DirectX download page". Microsoft. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
- ^ "Geometry Realizations Overview". microsoft.com. Microsoft.
- ^ Bennett Sorbo (June 26, 2013). "What's New in Direct3D 11.2". Channel9 - BUILD 2013. around 20:00.
- ^ "Microsoft officially turns down Mantle". semiaccurate.com.
- ^ Chris Tector's segment of http://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/DirectX-Developer-Blog/DirectX-Evolving-Microsoft-s-Graphics-Platform (starting approx. 18 minute in.)
- ^ Smith, Ryan (September 18, 2014). "Microsoft Details Direct3D 11.3 & 12 New Rendering Features". AnandTech. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
- ^ a b Ryan Smith. "AnandTech - Microsoft Announces DirectX 12: Low Level Graphics Programming Comes To DirectX". anandtech.com.
- ^ McMullen, Max (2 April 2014). "Direct3D 12 API Preview". Channel 9. Microsoft.
- ^ Langley, Bryan (1 October 2014). "DirectX 12 and Windows 10". DirectX Developer Blog. Microsoft.
- ^ Yeung, Andrew (13 August 2014). "DirectX 12 - High Performance and High Power Savings". DirectX Developer Blog. Microsoft.
- ^ Lauritze, Andrew (11 August 2014). "SIGGRAPH 2014: DirectX 12 on Intel". Developer Zone. Intel.
- ^ https://github.com/Microsoft/DirectX-Graphics-Samples
- ^ https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/Dn899121(v=VS.85).aspx
- ^ https://twitter.com/DirectX12
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiaX2B8XiXR70jaN7NK-FpA
- ^ 3D Animation of SPACE FIGHTER by DIRECT ANIMATION
- ^ "DirectX 9: Using the Managed Direct3D Graphics API in .NET". microsoft.com. Microsoft.
- ^ "Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics Namespace". microsoft.com. Microsoft.
- ^ MSN. "Minimum DDI requirements". Microsoft. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- ^ "SharpDX - Managed DirectX". Retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ^ "sharpdx/SharpDX". GitHub. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
External links[edit]
- Microsoft's DirectX developer site
- DirectX at DMOZ
- The State of DirectX 10 - Image Quality & Performance
- AMD talks about technical changes in DX11


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Rosalea Barnett, age 67, of Tulsa, passed away April 29, 2013. She was born April 21, 1946 in Hugo, to L.V. Boyett and Floradean Boyett. Rosalea was married while in high school but graduated from Rattan High School in 1964 with a scholarship offer to Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant. She had her only child in December of the same year. Rosalea had a strong work ethic and a fierce sense of independence which propelled her to many successes throughout her professional career. Those successes started with the V.A. Hospital, Real Estate Agent/Broker, financial planner and as a postmaster for the U.S. Postal Service. Her final job was with Direct T.V. and despite her illness she continued working while battling cancer . Rosalea loved her family and friends. She was a devout Christian and very active prayer warrior for her church as well as other organizations. Her strong faith was an inspiration to those around her. Rosalea was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, Wesley and Ira Mills and Odis and Eva Boyett, aunts, Lorene Parker and Myrtle Boyett, uncles, Junior Boyett, Jessie Boyett, and Harlan Boyett. She is survived by her son: Billy Alan Barnett and wife, Debra of Tulsa; grandchildren: Lauren, Sarah and Rachel; Great Grandson, Jaxson Killian; her brothers, Howard Boyett and wife, Janice of Rattan, Larry Boyett and wife, Regena of Rattan, Her Sister, Gloria Duncan and husband Nyles of Oklahoma City; Nieces, Larhonda, Tori, Valerie and Cassie; nephews, Jason, Rodney and Joseph as well as many more family members and special friends. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, May 4, 2013 at Victory Assembly of God in Rattan with Bro. Pete Green and Bro David Golf officiating.
Funeral Services were conducted by:
Mills & Miller Funeral Home in Hugo


text:
Polytech Legend finally acquired
Vector Arms AKM Heavy Barrel
Looks like they used a Russian type 3 barrel assembly with the threads turned down and pressed into an East German trunnion. Magpul stock, Vltor tube, CTR grip, Krebs rail, Primary Weapons flash hider, G2 FCG, Ncstar compact mildot 3x9 illuminated reticle. It is my plate gun.
1958 Projectguns built Polish RPD
Very early original Norinco Type 56-S3
Clayco Green Bakelite
1977 Izzy Matching # AKMS
1973 Tula with Zrecto furniture
1970 Izzy with Zrecto furniture
1997 Yugo M90A
1983 Yugo M70AB2
Yugo M70 Milled
Bulgy AK74
Bulgy AK74s
1970 Romy MD63
Hungarian AMMS
Polytech AK47S Triple Underfolder
Norinco 86S
Norinco 84S2 clone
Arsenal SA93 I didn't build it, but I like it.
Updated SA93 with replacement gas block, FSB, and cleaning rod. Still need to thread the muzzle and install the lower tang.
New Updates SA93
Bulgy Type 3 gas block and FSB. Kvar lower stock tang -- not as good as a factory original piece as only one rivet can be mounted inside the receiver instead of two, but it does the job. Roughed out the rear receiver, then hand filed the lower tang recess over a few afternoons. Z-recto magic'ed Polish laminate.
Yugo M70B1
1963 Romy
1981 Romy Pistol
1980 Romy Non-G
1981S Romy G
1983 Romy G
1983 Polish PMKM
1973 Polish PMKMS
Maadi MISR, I didn't build it, but it's nice. Steyr Maadi 30 round mag.
Maadi MISR S/A. Z-recto refinished original Egyptian wood. Steyr buttstock.
Bulgy AK74S
Polish Tantal
1981 Romy G
1971 Romy RPK
Yugo M72 RPK
Maadi RPM Curly maple furniture. Yes, I had a bling phase. 100 rounder
Norinco NHM91 with PKM style stock
Bulgy RPK74
Romy SAR2
Romy SAR3
Romy SAR3 #2
1978 Romy G First build
Hungarian AMD63 #1
Hungarian AMD63 #5
Hungarian AMD65
1979 E.German
Saiga 12 conversion
Saiga 20
Yugo M92
Just finished my Bulgy Krinkov AKS74U
SA85M with AMD65 short gas tube. I couldn't find my kit and broke down and bought the rifle. I still need to find the correct stock and grip...it bugs me.
SA85 build. Thanks to notime for alerting me as to the kit's availability.
I just purchased a VZ58 and I love it!
Type 56 Clone
Norinco NHM90
Saiga 12 #2
Saiga 410
Starting back up:
1981 Romanian G matching numbers
Norinco Hunter
Custom walnut stock (valmet style). Still working on the forearm
ISD Bulgarian SSR85C2 5.45
Arsenal SA M7 Classic
1983 Romanian G Matching numbers
Restoring a SAR2 to AIMS74
1982 Romanian G non matching
1982 Romanian G matching numbers
Stock upgrade makes this very shootable
Valmet M62/S
Restored stock cover
Arsenal SLR 107 CR
Vepr 12


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David L. CloughNovember 29,2012
David L. CloughDavid L. Clough
WILLISTON David Lee Clough, 74, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, at The Arbors in Shelburne following a lengthy illness.
Born on Oct. 31, 1938, in Northfield, he was the son of the late Lee Smith Clough and Olive Robie Clough.
David grew up in Northfield and graduated from Northfield High School in 1956.
He served in the Vermont Army National Guard in both active and reserve status, from January 1958 until September 1960.
On Sept. 6, 1959, David married Jean Pratt Kinney, the daughter of Bryce and Eleanor Kinney, of Montpelier, and they had two sons Daniel, born in 1960, and Mark, in 1963.
In 1962, David graduated from the University of Vermont with a bachelors degree in civil engineering.
After briefly working for an engineering firm in upstate New York, serving as a commissioned officer in the public health service, and earning his professional engineering license, he began a long and distinguished career with the state of Vermont Department of Environmental Quality.
In 1967, he and Jean took up residence in Barre to raise their young family. Jean passed away in 1975, but the union formed between the Kinney and Clough families has remained, and forever will be, strong. Eleven years later, David married Elizabeth Betty Arnold, of St. Albans. They lived happily in Williston the remainder of their lives, enjoying frequent travel together to numerous historically significant areas throughout the eastern United States, retiring from work in the late 1990s. Although Betty passed away before David, she brought a sense of peace and fulfillment to his life, and along with her wonderful family, we shall never forget her grace.
As the director of water quality, Davids many years of dedicated and relentless efforts led to significant improvement in the quality of Vermonts many rivers, streams and lakes. He leaves behind a permanent legacy of environmental awareness, enhancing the lives of all those who share his love for the waters of the state.
David was a lifelong sports fan who loved playing golf, as well as snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, and perhaps above all, roaming the forests of his beloved Vermont. Those who knew him best will fondly recall that whenever possible David could always be found on the highest available ground, his eyes focused intently on the horizon, and with his nose to the wind. An avid history buff, he found true delight in delving into topics ranging from the Civil War to the early days of westward American exploration. He was a profoundly thoughtful man, with a keen intellect and a wonderful dry sense of humor.
David is survived by his sons, Daniel Clough and his wife, Cristina, of Cantonment, Fla., and their children, Christiane, Melissa and Michelle; Mark Clough and his wife, Natalie, of Meridian, Idaho, and his son, Bryce; his brother Mark R. Clough and his wife, Phyllis, of Northfield, and their son, Steven; his brother Peter Clough and his wife, Marie, of Northfield, their son, Brian, and daughter, Diane. In addition to his parents, David was preceded in death by his first wife, Jean, in 1975; his second wife, Elizabeth, in 2010; and his sister, Nancy J. Plastridge, in 1994.
Davids entire family would like to thank the staff of The Arbors in Shelburne for the outstanding care he received there during his stay with them.
Davids memorial service and interment will be held in the spring, attended by his family and close friends. Private messages of condolence to Davids family are welcome at www.healdfuneralhome.com.MORE IN Obituaries0801 RH Obits Caldwell paid photo no flag Full Story0801 RH Obits Kotrady Paid photo flag Full Story0801 RH Obits Fredetee paid photo no flag Full Story
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NEW YORK (September 26, 2012)—Quoting a person familiar with the situation, The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the NFL and its locked-out officials are talking again in an attempt to resolve an impasse that has created a firestorm over the use of replacements refs.
The talks began again Tuesday after both sides met through Monday night, breaking off at 2 a.m.
The person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the discussions were not made public, would not characterize the status of the talks.
Negotiations have been ongoing during the past week, but have taken on a heightened urgency since the "Monday Night Football" game when Seattle beat Green Bay 14-12 on a missed call by an official on the final play.


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Program pairs veterans with private caregiversWritten by Danielle Stanton | | firstname.lastname@example.com
Marty Lipka landed in North Africa as a member of the Army 10th Mountain Division in World War II. A year later, he took an English boat to Italy and fought through to Austria.
For many years after the war, Lipka, 97, worked in the Sears & Roebuck Co. building located where the Oakland Mall now sits.
Today, Lipka lives with caretakers Mike and Yvonne Arnold in their home in Brighton, Michigan, as part of the Medical Foster Home Program with the Veterans Affairs (VA) Ann Arbor Healthcare System.
The program pairs veterans who require round-the-clock care with private caregivers.
This prevents many veterans from entering nursing homes and helps the families of veterans who may be burdened by the constant care.
Currently, there are eight homes in the program — two in Toledo and six in southeast Michigan, serving 12 veterans, said April Bartlett, the program's manager.
Lipka and Mike Arnold, 63, have formed a tight bond since Lipka moved in with the Arnolds two years ago. Arnold has no formal caretaker training, but had taken care of his mother, who suffered from Alzheimer's. He built a house next door to his own in 2007, but she died a year later, leaving him with two homes during the economic crisis.
He sold his home and moved into the newly constructed house. Because it was built for caretaking, he decided to take in Lipka, who was in a nursing home at the time.
"The need was just so great," Arnold said. "Marty was in a nursing home, and he hated it. He couldn't go outside; he couldn't see sunshine. Now he can walk out anytime he wants."
Lipka said he is happy with the Arnolds' care, that he likes to watch TV and sit outside to watch the ducks and geese.
"I'm happy. Most of the time. Mike's OK. I can't trade him for a new one," Lipka said, joking during a recent telephone interview.
"When I brought him home, he went outside," Arnold said. "When I saw that moment, it was just [so touching] and he's not the only [veteran] who has needs. [The need] is real."
Arnold and Lipka have made many trips and visits together. They even went to a Willie Nelson concert in Kalamazoo. The country star signed Lipka's photograph, and Arnold hopes to find tickets for another show as Lipka is looking forward to seeing Nelson again.
In the past, they have visited The Henry Ford Museum to see Titanic exhibit and Detroit to see the Thanksgiving parade. They even went to Oak Grove, Lipka's hometown where they visited the cemetery where his parents are buried and the seven-bedroom farmhouse where he grew up.
Bartlett said the VA is looking for more caregivers like Arnold to join its program. To sign up, a caregiver needs to be at least 21 years of age, have a backup caregiver who must meet requirements, have active CPR certification and live in a home that meets fire and safety standards.
When Bartlett places a veteran with a caregiver, she said she does so with the intention and hope that the placement will last indefinitely. Each home is allowed to take up to three veterans.
"Some veterans have mobility issues, so we prefer to have homes on the ground floor so they don't have to navigate the stairs," Bartlett said. "I'm hoping this will be [their] forever home and [they] will be able to stay indefinitely."
The foster home program combines traditional foster care with a team of caregivers, Bartlett said. Several specialists will visit the home to check up on the veteran, including a nurse manager, social worker, dietitian, physical therapist, recreational therapist, psychologist and pharmacist. Depending on the veteran's care plan, a veteran could be seen two to three times a week by care providers.
The VA doesn't pay for the program. The cost is negotiated between the caregiver and the veteran and is "very reasonable" for the service they are being provided, Bartlett said. The average cost is $2,200-$2,300 a month which includes room and board, 24/7 care, meals, laundry and personal care.
"Those veterans eligible for VA benefits, I'm able to help them apply," Bartlett said. "If eligible and awarded those benefits, they can use that. Primarily, they use their Social Security benefits to help them afford the care."
Bartlett said the program is so successful, it's actually saving taxpayers nationwide a million dollars about every seven days because the program diverts long-term care costs paid by the state Medicaid program.
The foster home program began in 2000 in Little Rock, Arkansas, by two social workers looking for care support for veterans in their own communities. A pilot program was created in 2004. Now there are 114 foster home sites across the country, currently serving 747 veterans, Bartlett said. The program at the Ann Arbor VA has served a total of 21 veterans since beginning three and a half years ago.
"We've seen an improvement in the health of some of our veterans," Bartlett said. "One graduated from the program and was able
to move back home with a family member. We hope that this becomes their forever home, but it was good for him to get back on track."
The foster home program takes the veterans out of institutionalized care and puts them into a family structure, offering the veterans to come and go as they would in a family unit. Arnold says Lipka can sit in his room or come out to discuss something he watched on TV. The relationship is mutually beneficial, he says.
"You do it because you can," Arnold said. "There's sacrifices and trade offs. But when they seem to appreciate it, you just know it's right. And the main thing you know, really, is we're getting older not younger. And we're all going to need more help. Maybe the Lord will send someone to us when we get older."
Tags: Alzheimer's, April Bartlett, Army 10th Mountain Division, Austria, Foster, Italy, Kalamazoo, Marty Lipka, Medical Foster Home Program, Mike Arnold, North Africa, Oak Grove, Oakland Mall, Seniors, VA Foster Care, Veterans Affairs, Willie Nelson, World War II


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Some recent topics on the board seem to have started my creative juices flowing.
After having Aaron, I tried to write about my personal experiences in a journal of sorts, and I did get some of it written, but other things got in the way and I never got back to it. That was difficult to do, though, too because some feelings, etc were really too personal to write.
I don't know if this is going to go anywhere or not...but I am going to try to write a novel-like story about a women with preeclampsia. I think that in this format - - fiction - - I can use my experiences to build a story, but I can pick and choose what to put in it.
I have no idea if I'll get any more written than the 12 pages I did tonight, but I hope I can. And I have never written anything very long, so I don't know if it will be truly readable.....
Well, anyway, that's what I've been up to tonight. Maybe I should have gone to bed earlier instead! [:I]
Wish me luck!
Sharel & Kevin
Aaron - 28 weeker
Born 5/2/02 due to preeclampsia & HELLP
Our miracle boy is doing great!!


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What should Americans look for in the next pope?
Mollie Wilson O'Reilly February 12, 2013 - 11:01am
I admire the courage and humility Pope Benedict shows in stepping down. But looking forward, like any good American, I want to know: how will this change affect us? I took a run at that question for the Guardian, and you can read my answer on their Comment Is Free site today. Short version:
The American church desperately needs some confirmation that the hierarchy "gets it": no more blaming the media for being out to get the church; no more suggesting that the abuse was a matter of too many gay men in the seminaries; no more promoting and protecting compromised leaders. A new pope could stand for accountability.He could remove those hierarchs most implicated in the sex abuse scandal. And he could develop new criteria for bishops, calling for men whose gifts and inclinations are more pastoral than political. The kind of bishops needed in the 21st-century church, especially in the rapidly changing church in America, will be dedicated to repairing divisions, not deepening them.
Read the whole thing here. What are you hoping for?
Commenting Guidelines
Mollie, this is a strong piece. I agree with the need to shore up the credibility of the church's pastors. I would add to your prescription that the church needs to be credible for a reason, and that reason is to proclaim the Gospel. The church needs to present an alternative and compelling vision of what it means to be human, over against the exhausted and futile notions that prevail in the larger, ever-more-secular culture. For better or worse, that does require the church engage on divisive social issues. But I believe we agree that the church should pursue models for that engagement that are likely to be more attractive and persuasive to people who don't live in the "church bubble".
Yes, I'd go with a strong connection to reality. Faith has nothing to fear from reason and evidence, even if it does sometimes butt up against belief. That's just a challenge, not a threat. Reason and evidence are the way humans discover things about God's creation. The Church cant evangelize the modern world unless it absorbs the lessons it has to offer; it cant lead in a world its not willing to understand.
Jeanne Follman,As someone who has read "Fides et Ratio" multiple times, I concur with you that "Faith has nothing to fear from reason and evidence..." The question is who is it that refuses to look at the evidence -- the world or the Church? If the prevailing culture doesn't accept what science affirms about human life (that life begins at conception) how can it have ears to hear what the Church proclaims? If the Zeitgeist refuses to recognize the unique biological complimentarily of the male and female persons, why would it listen to the Church's position on this matter?
Jim,Those issues are divisive because of the way the Church has responded to them. Look at the difference in the way people view the Church on divorce and same-sex marriage. The Church's position on divorce is less popular than its position on same-sex marriage, but no one cares about it because the Church isn't campaigning to force everyone to live by its standards.
This WSJ editorial on 'what the next pope needs to do' has some curious synergies with what Mollie wrote. Somewhat surprising to me.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142412788732488050457829792313964576...
My dream Pope would do a Warren Buffett and give 90% of the Vatican's assets to the poor. This symbolic gesture would so inspire everyone else in the world, that we would all sell off all of our possessions and give to the poor and have our treasure in Heaven like Jesus says.
Maybe Pope Benedict will do this himself in the next two weeks.
Mollie --Fine comment. Thanks.
I am hoping for a Pope who will take the name John XXIV.
What to look for in the new pope? It is clear to everyone even non-Catholics, I think, that a pope needs be a holy man. Than goes without saying. it is always true. But in these particular times a pope especially needs 1) transparency, 2) accountability, 3) enough courage to look at unpleasant and/or threatening facts as they really are, including facts elating to morals, and 4) openness to new ideas in order to accomplish 1, 2, and 3. But a pope needs help with this. He needs an effective Curia. The present Curia, with its secretiveness, and lack of accountability and openness to what is new, has been at the crux of the problems of the two last popes. The new pope has to have the creativity to invent a new one, which undoubtedly requires the sacking of at least some of the people of the old one. Finally, he and his Curia have to listen to the lower clergy and the laity. Without doing that he cannot lead the Church.
"My dream Pope would do a Warren Buffett and give 90% of the Vaticans assets to the poor."Which shows Irene that the popes usually have little to do with Jesus and are into power and glory. The pope you wish for would be an instant martyr.
It is clearly to the shame of John Paul II and Benedict XVI that bishops who courageously confronted an unproductive Curia and insisted on renewal became a group who did not let the Spirit lead them but reverted to the Council of Trent. The Council did bring some confusion but did bring enormous good. The last two monarchical popes restored order and lost much of the Spirit.
An article at La Stampa today points out that within a matter of a few months the heads of most of the major Christian churches will have been replaced, including the leaders at Rome, Canterbury, Antioch, Cairo, and Damascus. Even the patriarch of the Russian orthodox has not been office many years.The article points out that three of the replacements are quite young, and Bartholomew of Constantinople, though he has been in office a while, is a young man.I ask, is the good Lord trying to tell us something? Coincidences do happen, but so many coincidences all at once is really against the odds. Maybe He thinks it's time for the young to bring their insights to bear. Some, though not all, of the new men are very young for their positions. If young outlooks is what is required now, how will this affect those who hate change? And yough doe usually imply change.Wondr hat Nate Silver would say about all this :-)http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/world-news/detail/articolo/benedett...
Good, strong teeth. Well-shaped hooves. Pasterns not too big. A deep chest and a heavily-muscled croup.
I am hoping the next pope will be a lot like me.The Vatican treasures are priceless. They belong to the world. The best thing to do is to leave them in the hands of the Vatican. Does anybody really want to see the Piet auctioned off? It is impossible even to put a price on it. Where else would it go? Does anyone want to privatize the Vatican Library?
In the late 1990s I attended an annual seminar On St. Augustine's writings at Villanova University. One of the regular attendees used to rave about Ratzinger and say, with great conviction and apparent authority, that Ratzinger would be the next pope. We all laughed. Too bad he didn't attend the seminars in the mid 2000's. We would have owed him an apology.I am reading on some American-Catholic blogs a push for Cardinal Burke and I am getting scared.
Since the job itself is an impossible one for any human to fulfill, I would like to see a Pope willing to restructure it, and the rest of the holy governance mess, so the Church has at least a chance of running itself effectively (spiritual leadership aside).Today the Church is governed as a monarchy. The Pope exercises supreme legislative, executive, and judicial power. There are no built-in checks and balances. There is nothing equivalent to a legislature. If the Pope wants to change the Code of Canon Law, he does so without the advice or consent of the bishops. There is also nothing comparable to a separate judiciary; the Pope is considered the supreme ecclesiastical judge, with judicial power exercised by the executive branchs various congregations and tribunals. Such a setup is a recipe for disaster, and thats what weve gotten. Autocracy and dysfunction go hand in hand.The essential problem is that autocracy cannot coexist with representation, checks and balances, accountability, transparency, and modern standards of justice. For example, even today, after 20 years, after all those broken lives, and three billion dollars (and counting), the diocesan sexual abuse review boards (according to the Dallas Charter) still have no control over the records and reports they see and cannot enforce their recommendations. They can only advise. In this and in all other matters, the bishop has first and final say. The situation is inherently irreparable and needs to be recognized as such. You cant add transparency and accountability, etc. to an autocracy. Its structurally impossible. We either tolerate existing governance structures and eat their consequences or reconstitute them from top to bottom.
"The Vatican treasures are priceless. They belong to the world. The best thing to do is to leave them in the hands of the Vatican. Does anybody really want to see the Piet auctioned off? It is impossible even to put a price on it. Where else would it go? Does anyone want to privatize the Vatican Library?"Well, they could sell these things to other museums. And most of us have not actually seen the Pieta, just pictures of it; we'll still have the pictures. And if selling off these "priceless' treasures could save the lives of some people, or even one person, I would say it's worth it.But ultimately, I think our religious leaders should just follow whatever the Gospels say to do with the treasures of this world.
NCR today has a fine piece by a priest, Fr. Daly, that is quite good.
I heartily second John Hayes' idea: a pope who would choose the name of John XXIV.
I agree with David Nickol. The artistic treasures in the Vatican are not for this generation to auction away. They were created by past generations for passing on to future generations. The Vatican are merely the stewards. I don't see how transferring stewardship from the Vatican to the Italian government (or even, God forbid, to private hands, where they might get hidden away and become inaccessible) would help the poor. If the Italian government has money to pay for those treasures, they could instead use that money directly to help the poor.The local government in Paris has recently sold a lot of its historical buildings to private investors, using the proceeds to balance its budget. Part of that budget are the social services. So it's kind of a similar reasoning: get rid of historical assets to help today's poor. How is that a good idea? It's short-sighted and, dare I say, ruinous. In addition there are now a number of historical sites that can no longer be visited because they now belong to private owners. Tour guides show us pictures and comment: "This is the ballroom of what used to be Duke x's private hotel. It was open to the public until ten years ago, but no longer, because now it belongs to the sheik of y." Why are today's elected officials allowed to dilapidate in a few years what had been built over generations? Greece has a humanitarian crisis. They could sell off their antique marble statues, preserved for 2000 years, to help feed this year's poor. Does anyone really think that that would be a good idea?But I am ranting.
Does anyone really think that that would be a good idea?Yes, Claire, I do.
Please do not overlook Dominic Preziosi's thread before this one on Angelo Scola on marriage. Scola is apparently a leading contender for election.What a mess: "The cardinals logic, in fact, seems to be that feminism is responsible for homosexuality, because the more women act like men, the more men are likely to want to have sex with other men."As I wrote, how do you deal with that level of ignorance at that level of the hierarchy? Preziosi has done a great service presenting Luke Timothy Johnson's review of Scola's book on marriage. Read and weep, if not despair.
I think all Americans should get down on their knees and implore the Holy Spirit to NOT allow the election of ANY U.S. Cardinal to the office of pope.Check out the list of those under 80: http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/country/bus8.htmlWith a couple of possible exceptions (DiNardo & O'Malley) can anyone actually think that the rest of them would be of the QUALITY necessary to deal with the mess in which this church finds itself in these days and this age?
But Irene, having a statue going from one pair of hands to another doesn't actually create food. Why should they have to give up some of their national treasures in order for other people to give them food? That does not make sense to me."You want food? Sell me your ancestral land first, and then I'll give you food." I see it as exploitation of the poor by the rich.
Today the Washington Post had an article entitled American Catholicism is at Crossroads by Marc Fisher. I was startled by a comment by Elizabeth Scalia, one of the people interviewed. The world has gone superficial and promiscuous and morally avaricious, and the church is standing against that .I do not intend to present my thoughts on that opinion, since I do not think it would be appropriate on this blog, although I am appalled by the choice of language and the approach expressed.So, in response to the question about I am hoping for in the next pope. I am hoping for a pope who does not reflect such sentiments about the world. I think it would be a disaster.
I could support the election of anyone who would seriously preach -- and enforce -- the notion of subsidiarity, starting at the level of the Roman curia. A good start would be to dissolve the curia and reorganize accordingly.
Helen: she is a Scalia. You expected better, maybe?
Carolyn ==I totally agree. What I had read earlier about Scola was impressive, but his anti-feminism is unbelievable. It is so outlandish that it would be funny if it weren't so out of touch with reality. I'll bet it is the rare man in the Vatican who has ever known a woman well besides his mother, grandmother and sisters. How many have had female friends outside of their families? And yet they get together and tell each other what marriage is. Hmph.
"out of touch with reality." And we circle back to a core problem, the parroting of papal utterance as though it, and only it, reflected reality. Like the USCCB letter on marriage a few years ago - over 100 footnotes, all referencing papal documents. Electing a new pope will not solve that problem. It might change the direction of the wind the bishops will test with their fingers in the air, but the problem will remain. Hence the need for the reform of the nature of the job itself, and it's power.
Helen,I am hoping for a Church that is not superficial, not promiscuous and not "morally avaricious." (not sure what that last is, but sounds bad and I don't want any of the things I can think of for it's meaning) So maybe that is what we do need, a Church that will stand against that. The current version has not been doing too well on those fronts, so an example of repentance from our leaders for our failures would be a great start.Lord, send us a pastor who will lead us into the depths of our selves to find you. Confront our superficiality and promiscuity by fostering a greater respect for you without grasping at what falls from your table. Feed us so that we may feed others who ache from the incessant shallowness they find in life. Help us all to know you in our own depths, and in each other's.
Ann,I am grateful Commonweal has a prominent link to the book review itself at its home page for special coverage of Benedict's resignation http://commonwealmagazine.org/resignation-benedict-xvi The book was published in 2006, and is not even a 35-year old effort from Scola's youth that embarrasses him now.Spread the word about "The Nuptial Mystery" before Scola possibly gets elected. Though the electors themselves might not see anything wrong. http://commonwealmagazine.org/body-beautiful-0
It is becoming more apparent as time goes on that the bench strength of those eligible for the papacy is so filled with me of a rarified background and experience that one needs to despair of the possibility of a new pope who is pastoral rather than bureaucratic and legalistic.I foresee an ever-increasing bleed of people from this church, particularly if the new pope is of the JPII and B16 mold .... and how could he be otherwise?
That s/b "men" and not "me" of rarified ...I know that I am rarified .....
How about the new Filipino Cardinal? Tagle he seems kind of holy and concerned about a lot of the right things. Is he too young?
Jim McCrea:She is not related to the Supreme Court Justice, even by marriage. Scalia is her husband's surname. (Google Search)
Helen: Then she should know better!
Does the article's author call for a disengagement from the "Culture War" against human trafficking, international belligerence, injustice? What is derided is the author's personal choice.Contrary to the article, the Church is not against homosexuality. Can one be against the fact another is born blind? Nearly one Billion years of evolution has resulted in male and female with bodies and minds paired for a logical reason. Unless it is a choice, homosexuality is the disunion of the bodys evolutionary intent and the mind. One should love anyone born with an error in genetic code, because this applies to all. But, society playing lets pretend is a lie even if done out of sympathy.I certainly did not follow the Church on much while in college and that certainly applies to birth control. That said, watching Europe generationally wither away it is hard not to see some wisdom in the Churchs position.May the next Pope follow reason and science on these issues as did Pope Benedict XVI.
I believe Cardinal Tagle is only in his 50s -- younger than John Paul II at his election.
How about Cardinal Rai? He's Maronite. We would go to Rome and hear the Mass in Aramaic. Wouldn't that be fun? Maronite priests are allowed to marry: I wonder if he's married. There would be lots of photo ops for the papal couple.
A Pope Joan II would be a rather pleasant change, don't you think?Cardinal Rai wouldn't be a bishop if he is married. Tainting ordination can go only so far, you know!
collegiality and decentralization
I've sworn off combox comments but David Nickol's quip at 3:29 hits the nail on the head: "I am hoping the next pope will be a lot like me."Ain't it the truth? Have we finally stumbled on an observation we can all agree on?
I would be sorry to see great artistic and historical treasures pass into private hands and become inaccessible, although very few people can afford to travel to see them, wherever they are.But accumulation of vast wealth in the Church does raise important questions. I remember forty or so years ago when the exterior of St. Patrick's Cathedral had a hundred years of grime sandblasted away at a cost of $3 million. The building looked great, but some people wondered what other great things could have been done with that money. Some even wondered if Christians really need cathedrals, with or without grime. I believe St. Paul spoke to the Athenians about that.Great wealth and aristocratic-monarchical governance go together in the Church. There may be a sort of civil service, though not necessarily a meritocracy, for advancement in the Church today, but for centuries the highest offices tended to be reserved for younger sons of noble families, who were accustomed to have the best of everything. Their successors still dress in silks and satins, lace and brocade. They drink from jewel-encrusted golden cups, the likes of which I doubt ever touched Christ's lips. And they live in palaces. No wonder they do not think it necessary to listen to their subjectsexcuse metheir sheep.Church history is certainly not without counterexamples: the poor, quirky, kindly fathers of the desert; that Italian guy who thought a brown robe tied with a length of rope was enough to cover him; Dorothy Day and the people she loved to be with; and of course the Son of Man, who had no place to lay his head.I know that the modern world runs on money, and without it many good works are never attempted. And I'm not asking bishops to live under bridges. I just hope that the Church will meditate once more on the meaning of povertynot destitution, just less vain displayand ask what the words "if thou would be perfect" say to us today.
Karl S,If homosexuality has survived a billion years of evolution, and gay men and women are still among us, peace be with you.
Irene,I agree with you - sell the Vatican treasures and give the money to the poor. The art work can go to other museums where everyone can still see it. Some people have the idea that all the art at the Vatican museums is Christian - it's not, it;s Greek, Egyptian, Etruscan, Asian, etc., as well as Christian - and there's no reason I can imagine that a church needs to run a for-profit museum. My perfect pope would make a lot of changes - he'd make the position of pope time-limited (maybe 9 years like the head of the Episcopal Church), he'd allowed married men and women to be priests, would allow for some form of democracy within the church, would declare an end to the war on LGBT people, would ok divorce/remarriage and contraception, and would spend more time helping others instead of trying to manage them.
I would like a Pope (and a Church) that is more willing to say "We don't really know, but we think these are the key things to consider" rather than "Stay away until you can follow these rules."
Reading David Nickols Im hoping the next pope will be more like me, one recalls the final line of A Hymn to Him in My Fair Lady: "Why cant a [pope] be like me?" (apologies to Lerner and Loewe)


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