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Twelve French wine producers were recently found guilty of selling "million of gallons of fake Pinot Noir" to American wine distributors. The scam ran undetected for years, and was discovered not by discerning wine consumers but by French customs officials. One of the winemaker's lawyers told the BBC: "Not a single American consumer complained." [%comments]
The Good Pinot Noir, or Merely the Mock?
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COMMENTS: 12View All Comments »
Oenophiles, like audiophiles, can be divided into those who actually can discern and quantify subtle differences — this is a vanishingly small group — and those who only think they can. The latter group is ripe for fooling.
The rest of us just know what we enjoy. If you tell me I'm drinking a $40 pinot noir but it's actually a $10 zinfandel, it doesn't change my pleasure (or lack of) one bit.0 0
and to think that no "pinot noir" could ever be sold in France as such… Wine is marketed in France first by origin (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône, Saint-Emillion, and as localised as Gevrey-Chambertin), except for a few reknowned wines, by year, and lastly by cépage. That makes it all the more difficult to actually know what you are going to drink…0 0
"Not a single American consumer complained."
Not directly…but indirectly through our pocketbooks in not buying the product again.0 0
"Not a single American consumer complained."
What a stupid comment. Where would they complain to? If they bought the bottle at a store, they probably just wouldn't buy it again. If they bought at a restaurant, they might complain to the staff, and maybe with enough complaints, the restaurant wouldn't purchase any more of that vintage, but ..does this guy expect that restaurant complaint comments are going to make their way all the way through the supply chain back to HIM? Is this why Americans think the French are arrogant?0 0
Admittedly, it was Gallo wine. Any consumer that can taste the difference would probably be buying something else anyway. What would concern me if I were Gallo was that the winemakers couldn't tell the difference.0 0
I'd bet the entire wine industry can recite the names of the ripoff artists. Why doesn't our media post their names so the rest of us can know and avoid them?0 0
Doug B said: "..does this guy expect that restaurant complaint comments are going to make their way all the way through the supply chain back to HIM? Is this why Americans think the French are arrogant?"
I don't know much about Americans consumers habits, but judging by your comment (and robert's), I'd say there's a big difference in this department between Americans and Italians (don't know about French) consumers, at least in the wine department. I'm pretty sure that if we were served the wrong grapes (of course, considering that the person has the ability to distinguish it, which is NOT something trivial that most people have), we would return the bottle to where we bought it, probably followed by some inelegant comments.
Did I get a precipitated view on Americans wine consumers, or this behavior I just described would be indeed very unlikely to happen among US citizens?
(sorry for the english, still trying to learn)0 0
Well, as one of those American consumers, I'm pretty good at distinguishing a good pinot noir from, say, a good syrah. But as to bad pinot…that's tougher. The nuances that differentiate the varietals can be harder to detect in wines not meant to be lingered over and savored, but gulped (or spat out.)
I can't speak to Red Bicyclette Pinot, Noir but I've tasted their chardonnay and it tastes like oak and fake butter. It's as if Gallo went out of their way to make a mediocre California style wine with not-so-great French grapes, because at that price point consumers expect chardonnay to taste "oaky and buttery. " So if their "pinot" had the same amount of oak chips in it, I'm not surprised consumers could tell. You could probably even substitute Welch's and Everclear.
And why any winemaker would willingly source bulk Pinot Noir from the Languedoc is beyond me- something tells me that fake pinot made from merlot and syrah grapes from that region would probably be more palatable. Yuck!0 0

subset: commoncrawl


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Research Forum autumn Term 2012
Art History and Sound
Workshop series: The Listening Art Historian
Seeing Listening (workshop 1)
Thursday, 6 December 2012
10.00 - 12.00 , Research Forum South Room
Illustration based on: Anon. Aby Warburg, 1912
David Hodge (University of Essex, UK): 'Art By Telephone': Sound, Communication, Conceptual Art and the Social
Samuel Adams (University of Southern California, USA): Seeing Opera, Hearing Art: Set Design in West Germany, 1972-1982
Veronica Carter (Queen's University Kingston, Canada): Hearing the Fan in Impressionist Painting
Alison Criddle (University of Manchester, UK): Sonorous Vision: Listening in to the Pool of Caravaggio's Narcissus
Ticket/entry details: NOW FULLY BOOKED. Please note there is no waiting list for this event, however, should you wish to keep in touch and join the Art History & Sound mailing list please contact email@example.com. In the event of seats becoming available for this workshop we will let you know by email.
Organised by: Irene Noy and Michaela Zöschg with Prof Katie Scott (The Courtauld Institute of Art)
Art historians constantly encounter traces of sound. These can take the form of notes in an illuminated manuscript, a textual echo of past noise and lost voices, or depictions of instruments, singers and dancers, captured on panel, canvas, paper, film or in wood, marble and bronze or spaces that have been specifically designed and built to embrace and amplify sound: pulpits, choir stalls, opera houses, the floor of the stock exchange. The aural is continuously intertwined with visual arts as content or context. In the 20th and 21st centuries especially artists have variously incorporated sounds, live and recorded, in their performances, happenings and multi-media installations putting into question the silence and fixity of visual art.
As a result of the collapse in the Enlightenment of the Renaissance notion of the unity of the arts and the substitution of a modern division of temporal from spatial art forms, art historians have generally limited their research and interpretation exclusively to the visual aspects of art and have disregarded the existence, never mind the significance, of the aural. Despite the recent broadening of art history's disciplinary boundaries to include 'non-traditional' media as well as related fields, art historians are primarily trained to analyse and explain the non-ephemeral dimensions of art. When the visual approaches the transient qualities of the aural it raises problems of methodology and terminology.
This workshop series aims to explore both historical and contemporary instances of sound in art history, as well as some of the theoretical and methodological questions arising from this preoccupation. It is designed to provide an open platform for all art historians concerned with collecting, analysing, interpreting and describing sound(s) to meet and discuss ways of hearing visual art. It will be hosted at the The Courtauld Institute of Art on three different occasions throughout the academic year 2012/13. Each workshop will consist of four papers that will function as catalysts for a subsequent round table discussion, and each workshop will address the dynamics existing between aurality and art historical material, tools and methods from a different angle.
Download programme
Download abstracts
Download report
Programme of the forthcoming workshops (spring and summer term):
Thursday 14 March – Reproducing Sound - Reinventing Image
Can Brett Brehm (Northwestern University, USA): Listening to the Nineteenth-century City
Lauren Applebaum (University of Illinois, USA): Visualising Radio: Teague's Nocturne (1934) and the Façade of Futurity
Andrew Cappetta (City University of New York, USA): Attitude not Aptitude: Behavioralist Art Pedagogy and Underground Music in Britain
Adeena Mey (University of Lausanne and ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne, CH): Listening and Looking beside. On the 'Parasonic' and the 'Paracinematic'.
(Booking will open early January 2013)
Thursday 30 May – Speaking Silence
Nina Ergin (Koç University, Turkey): '...praiseworthy in that great multitude was the silence': Sound/Silence in the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul
John Harvey (Aberystwyth University, UK): Quiet Bell: Seeing Silence in Millet's The Angelus
Asma Neem (University of Maryland, USA): Dewing's A Reading and Gendered Listening in the Gilded Age
Jennifer Walden (University of Portsmouth, UK): A 'Philosophy' of Listening and Art History
(Booking will open early April 2013)
Back to Events Calendar


text:
Miller: Japanese dealers inefficient TOKYO — "Japanese dealerships are grossly inefficient by any standard, from sales per salesperson to service operations," Mazda Motor Corp. President James Miller says. Miller cites a Japanese dealer who complained bitterly about his money-losing service operation, which employed 12 highly skilled, highly paid technicians. A check revealed that 60% of the technicians' time was spent on non-revenue activities; principally picking up vehicles at ...
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In general, to be admitted to KU as an undergraduate, international students must have completed a college preparatory curriculum, as demonstrated by country-specific documents. They must also have fulfilled a 2.5 minimum grade point equivalency on all courses completed, provided official academic records and test scores, met the applicable deadlines, and verified financial support for one academic year.
Specific admission requirements depend upon a student's level (freshman or transfer) and chosen program of study. Via the "Freshmen" and "Transfer" links in the left column, you can find requirements for specific majors under "Requirements by School." If you are undecided on a major, you may apply to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), where you will take general education courses, which apply to most degrees, until you choose a major.
Students who do not meet the admission requirements for direct admission to the School of the Arts; the School of Architecture, Design, and Planning; the School of Business; the School of Engineering; the School of Journalism and Mass Communication; and the School of Music; can be admitted to CLAS to take prerequisite coursework.
In addition to transcripts or marksheets, you must present an official diploma or graduation certificate, official examination results, or other proof of graduation particular to your country. We use equivalent admission criteria for applicants from all countries. Providing the certificate and meeting the 2.5 minimum grade point average on all courses completed does not guarantee admission.
TOEFL/IELTS information in Chinese (pdf)
TOEFL/IELTS English Proficiency Chart (pdf)
KU English Proficiency Requirements
Do I have to send English proficiency scores scores?
Yes. English proficiency scores, such as the TOEFL or IELTS, must be submitted for degree-seeking admission. We will also accept other standardized tests that measure English proficiency. E-mail firstname.lastname@example.com for more details. See the English Requirement Chart for exceptions to the English proficiency test score requirement.
What is the minimum English proficiency score?
None. There is no minimum English proficiency test score requirement for undergraduate admission.
I didn't take the TOEFL or IELTS. Can I come to KU?
We will consider other standardized tests that measure English proficiency. To learn whether your English proficiency test scores are acceptable, e-mail your question to email@example.com. Otherwise, you can apply as a non-degree student through the Applied English Center (AEC). There, you will take English language courses before applying for admission to a degree program.
If you have already submitted an application for KU undergraduate admission but haven't taken an English proficiency test, please e-mail email@example.com and request your application be processed for the KU non-degree seeking intensive English program in the Applied English Center. You do not need to fill out another AEC application form.
Why does KU want my English proficiency test score?
English proficiency test scores are used to estimate how much time applicants might need to spend taking ESL courses in the AEC before starting a degree program. The English Requirement Chart has estimates according to TOEFL and IELTS scores.
Will I have to take ESL courses at KU?
Regardless of their English proficiency test scores, all new international students will be evaluated for English proficiency upon arrival. The evaluation will determine whether you will enroll in full-time intensive English courses, part-time intensive English courses and part-time degree courses, or full-time degree courses.
Because grading scales vary between countries and regions, and some KU programs might have higher grade average requirements, each application is reviewed for admissibility upon receipt of official academic records. We use equivalent admission criteria for applicants from all countries.
Admission to KU is selective. Providing a graduation or completion certificate and meeting the minimum grade average on all courses completed does not guarantee admission. Some programs also have additional course requirements and SAT/ACT score requirements for admission.
Review the credentials and grade requirements particular to your country for admission to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences:
On the typical 10-point grading scale, an average score of 6.5 or higher.
1. Australian Capitol Territory (ACT): Year 12 secondary school certificate with 13 or higher
2. New South Wales: NSW Higher School Certificate with band 3 65 HSC Marks (P) or higher
3. Northern Territory: Year 12 secondary school certificate with a C+ or 65% average or higher
4. Queensland: Queensland Senior Certificate with Sound Achievement (SA), C+, or higher, etc.
1. High School Completion Certificate (Nova Scotia)
2. Statement of graduation on transcript (Saskatchewan and Yukon)
English translations, if applicable.
Grade averages will be assessed according to regional variations and admission requirements for your KU program of study.
If you do not have your Biye Zhengshu at the time of application, a school official must provide an official letter stating the date it will be issued to you.
Upon your arrival, you will be asked to present your original Biye Zhengshu and grade 12 transcript, in Chinese with an English translation, before you are admitted to enroll.
A minimum grade average of 75% on the Chinese grading scale is required for admission to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. High minimum is required for Architecture, Engineering, and other programs.
For students in the HKDSE cohort, Level 3 or higher in Chinese, English, and Liberal Studies AND Level 2 or higher in Math and two or three additional electives fulfilling the remainder of the college preparatory curriculum.
If appliant does not have the HKDSE results certificate at the time of application, a school official must provide a letter stating the applicant's anticipated results and the date the official results will be issued.
Admitted stuents must present official HKDSE before they will be permitted to enroll.
Students who have finished secondary school must submit an attested copy of the Higher Secondary School Certificate or Indian School Certificate Examination (Grade 12).
Admitted students must present original HSC or ISCE before they will be permitted to enroll.
50% or higher grade average on the standard Indian grading scale for admission to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; 60% or higher for admission to KU's School of Engineering or School of Architecture.
3.5 (C+) or higher grade average on the standard Japanese grading scale.
If applicant is still in high school, official final transcript and leaving certificate must be sent by the school, prior to enrollment.
A copy of the Leaving Certificate for Intermediate School, attested by the Ministry of Education, with an English translation. If applicant is still in high school, we require school attested transcripts for grades 9-11, with English translations confirming a minimum 2.5 GPA in all courses completed and the college preparatory curriculum. If applicant has finished Upper Secondary School, a copy of the Secondary School Leaving Certificate in the Science Stream (Shahadat Al-Marhat Al-Thanawiyyat), attested by the Ministry of Education. 75% or higher grade average on the standard Saudi grading scale.
Admitted students must present original Secondary School Leaving Certificate in the Science Stream (Shahadat Al-Marhat Al-Thanawiyyat), with an English translation, before they will be permitted to enroll.


text:
Group Name:
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This group is for young professionals in their 20s who want to lose weight and invest in their future health.
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text:
D.C. GOP quietly backs Adrian Fenty as Republican write-in candidate for mayor
Some D.C. Republicans have a not-so-secret plan to give Mayor Adrian Fenty another shot at staying in office should he lose the Democratic mayoral primary to Council Chairman Vincent Gray.
ABC 7's Stephen Tschida reports a very active group of Republicans worked quietly to get fellow party members to go to the polls Tuesday, even though the GOP did not run a candidate for mayor. The Republicans were encouraged to write in Fenty — a Democrat — as the GOP's mayoral nominee.
"I voted for Mr. Fenty by writing his name in," Tom Melady, a lifetime member of the GOP, told ABC 7 News.
Republicans hope if Fenty wins the GOP primary — and loses the Democratic one, as some polls have predicted — he would accept the GOP nomination, and run in the November general election.
"I've heard a lot of Republicans are, and they are all backing him and supporting him," said Rennee Mosley, a GOP voter. "I hope that he accepts the nomination."
According to D.C. GOP, Fenty could legally accept the Republican nomination. He would have three days to make a decision, according to the Board of Elections and Ethics.
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Since the return of Eric Gordon, the team's primary scorer and premier on-ball defender,
the Hornets are 6-2.
Despite the recent surge, New Orleans is still in the basement of the Southwest Division.
The primary key to earning a victory tonight is defense.
In Monday's win, Boston held Charlotte's four guards to just 18-49 shooting.
They key is not just the guards but the interior defense as well. Stopping penetrations while everyone else rotates to cover up passing lanes is just as crucial as the man on the ball.
During the current win-streak, the Celtics team defense has been sensational. They have done an excellent job communicating, with rotations and rebounding. This has led to easier offense and limiting opponents' second-chances.
A strong defensive performance tonight will likely extend the win-streak to seven games.
The second-key is team-offense.
As of late, Boston has done a good job of testing teams defense. Look for them to continue to work the shot clock and move the ball around, seeking to exploit holes in the Hornets rotations.
The third and final key is the bench. The Celtics depth has been on full-display these past six games and has truly been a blessing for the team. With the likes of Courtney Lee, Jason Terry, Jared Sullinger, and Jeff Green making significant contributions, the team is beginning to prove why they remain one of the top threats in the Eastern Conference.


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Santa Fe gets downright chilly in the
winter, but low-lying Southern New Mexico is much warmer, explaining why it's
the state's chile capital. In the southeast, Ruidoso and Las Cruces are rugged
mountain biking and climbing meccas. Explore the ancient Gila Cliff Dwellings or
go winter wakeboarding and wave-running on Elephant Butte Lake State Park. Don't
miss the numerous regional hot springs near Silver City and Truth or
Stay: Gila's Double E Guest Ranch (five nights, $1,500 per
person) is an all-inclusive family-friendly working cattle ranch.


text:
I'm getting a little antsy myself with college football not that far away, so while surfing the net and picking the brains of a few special friends I've made in the media contingent who cover UK and the SEC, I've come up with what I think may be a few interesting tidbits that if nothing else will produce some conversation for the next few weeks.
1 - Thanks to a uniquely favorable schedule, Louisville will make a run deep into the season and come dangerously close to a BCS championship, but somewhere along the way, probably in November, stub their toe. Then Charlie Strong will pole vault out of town right on the heels of his QB who will take an early entry into the NFL, and right before the Cards enter the new more challenging ACC without a proven QB.
2 - Vanderbilt will return to being Vanderbilt. Three of those five SEC wins last year were against the worst teams UK, Auburn, and Tennessee have fielded in their schools' history, and the Dores did lose their QB who helped them win two other games by two and three points in the last few minutes of the game.
3 - By next Christmas, if not earlier, Tom Jurich will open his arms wide and forgive Bobby Petrino, who will come humbly crawling back to Louisville and tackle the ACC challenge that Charlie Strong feared without a quality QB. That will pole vault Petrino back onto the national scene as early as he could expect.
4 - The BCS champion will come from the south once again, probably Alabama, Florida, Georgia, or Texas A&M, with two solid dark horse candidates being Clemson and Florida State.
5 - There will be a special and very competitive BCS championship game unlike last year's inept Notre Dame embarrassment, probably something like an Alabama vs. Ohio State or (surprise, surprise) a Georgia vs. Florida State match-up.
6 - The coaching change will not affect the Ducks of Oregon; they will be a solid top 10 team.
7 - If Florida State takes a step backward from the last two years' major accomplishments, could we look to Lexington and give more slaps on the back to Mark Stoops and D. J. Elliott.
8 - Barring injury, and that's a big if, it says here Maxwell Smith will be under center against WKU, and either Patrick Towles or Jalen Whitlow will transfer before the WKU game. All three are way too talented to carry a clipboard up and down the sideline, and only one can play.
9 - Kentucky will beat WKU in the season opener. I can't see Maxwell Smith or whoever the UK QB is throwing four picks like last year and basically handing the historic upset win to the Toppers .
10 - UK fans will return to Commonwealth Stadium with energy and help Stoops steal at least one and maybe two SEC wins late in his initial season, after his young and talented receiving corps have time to get a little game-seasoned. UT and Missouri both look beatable, especially at Commonwealth Stadium if UK is not beat up physically by then.
News from western part of the Commonwealth
I just spent a little time preparing for some early football season columns and noticed on the WKU website two items that jumped out at me:
1 - Our ole friend Bobby Petrino has added a new coaching position to his first staff at WKU. He now has an assistant coaching position listed as a character coach. Imagine that!
2 - On the advanced non-conference WKU football schedules, which was listed through 2016, there was no sign of a game with UK. Can you say nine-game SEC schedule on the horizon?


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text:
An excellent single word description of this biography is "detailed." The changes that took place in Germany and the world during these years were enormous. The German nation was united and immediately became a great power, the most powerful in continental Europe. A great war was fought for supremacy in Europe and Germany was defeated, afterwards suffering through great economic deprivation until the rise of the "great pseudo-savior." This led to another war and the dismemberment of the German nation along lines of conflicting ideologies.
The changes in physics during this time were also revolutionary. As instrumentation grew more accurate it was clear that the old models of matter and space were wrong. Relativity and quantum mechanics were new models based on concepts that can best be described as extremely counter-intuitive.
These two tracks were not distinct threads, so this biography is a story of national and international politics revolving around Germany and some local politics based on political subdivisions as well as a story of national and international scientific discoveries with academic politics and local academic politics included. The two threads became one in the Nazi era when the level of your academic position was based more on your adherence to National Socialist dogma and your ancestry than to your scientific achievements.
Loaded with specifics and written with a meticulous attention to historical, scientific and interpersonal details, this is a book that simultaneously deals with the academic and national history of Germany and the life and career of Arnold Sommerfeld.
Charles Ashbacher splits his time between consulting with industry in projects involving math and computers, teaching college classes and co-editing The Journal of Recreational Mathematics. In his spare time, he reads about these things and helps his daughter in her lawn care business.
Prologue.- Königsberg Roots.- Setting the Course.- Klein's Assistant.- Clausthal.- Aachen.- Munich.- Physics in War and Peace.- The Quantum Pope.- Wave Mechanics.- Cultural Ambassador.- Descent.- The Bitter Years.- Carrying On.- Legacy.- Epilogue.- Backmatter.


text:
This is so cool.
Pop/punk band The Summer Set have released a brand new holiday EP titled What Money Can't Buy. All proceeds go to Toys For Tots.
You can head on over to the band's website and purchase a copy of the EP, or you can listen to the songs below and then purchase the EP. We've already bought our own copy


text:
Southern Pines Pilot, Oct 3, 2008
Long Valley Farm: Groups Teaming Up For Conservation Effort
This past spring I stood on decking behind an old gristmill, imagining the rusty wheel laboring on.
Although the mill hasn't operated since the 1960s, it remains intact, ready and waiting to be put back to use. Downstream of the mill, Jumping Run Creek stretches out, calmly meandering off toward the shady woods.
Though clear, the water is dark and tea-colored, typical of black water streams. Darting minnow shadows lurk among the reeds.
This old mill is located on Long Valley Farm. A beautiful old property in Harnett and Cumberland counties, owned since the 1920s by the Rockefeller family. The sprawling clapboard house with its ample porches afforded the family airy, comfortable accommodations, while the millpond provided excellent fishing and swimming. The mill ground countless truckloads of grain, and the hydropower was also harnessed to generate electricity for the house, mill and farm.
James Stillman Rockefeller, the most recent family member to own the property, had a strong desire to preserve Long Valley Farm. When he died in 2004, at the age of 101, he bequeathed the property to the North Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, which has since worked to restore the open, fire-dependent, longleaf pine forest that once blanketed the entire region.
By the end of 2008 all the cropland and pasture will be converted to longleaf pine forest and/or native grasses. The large, 120-acre field, which is so prominent at the center of the farm, will remain open and treeless, retaining the cultural and agricultural feel of the farm while preserving habitat for open-country flora and fauna. This will also improve the diversity of species that can use the area.
Many treasures are cradled in this land. Biologists from the Conservancy and the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program continue to inventory the wealth of natural areas, including mature stands of longleaf pine and old-growth hardwoods, a cypress-gum swamp with fat buttressed trees reaching 100 feet or more toward the sky, and meadows supporting a number of carnivorous plants such as sundews and pitcher plants.
The farm also harbors rare birds: Bachmann's sparrow and the loggerhead shrike have been seen, as well as the federally listed red-cockaded woodpecker. Eastern fox squirrels also reside here.
The property has never been open to the public, but The Nature Conservancy has decided to donate the farm to become a North Carolina State Park by the end of 2009. Very soon visitors will be able to experience the charm of this historic property.
I was fortunate to get a preview with Jeff Horton and Jan Eason, biologists who work with the North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program. We were there to examine and photograph Jumping Run Creek, which runs through the property.
Nature's Way
The condition of Jumping Run Creek below the millpond is an excellent example of a black water creek. This meandering stream has lots of vegetation, wet areas and shade, all of which work together to keep the water of the stream healthy. The vegetation growing nearby, including low areas with lush wetland plants, sops up polluted rainwater and releases it as a slow, clean trickle, much like a sponge and filter.
As the surface runoff from heavy rain rushes along, it picks up and carries sediment, excess fertilizer, trash and other debris. When it encounters dense growth, however, this flow disperses and the velocity of the rainwater slows, allowing particles of sediment drop from the water and plant roots to absorb the nutrients from fertilizers. This important function of wetland ecosystems reduces the potential of a subsequent downstream algae bloom, which can lead to fish-kills. Meanwhile, debris is snagged in the plants where it slowly decomposes. In such situations, much of the water is free of sediment by the time it works its way to the stream.
The trees and shrubs also shade the water, which keeps it cool. The cooler the water the higher the oxygen content, and the higher the oxygen content the more diverse the populations of mussels, aquatic insects, fish, and other aquatic flora and fauna will be. Creeks run into larger streams and rivers, finally reaching estuaries and the sea. So, all waterways along the way need filter systems if we are to have the wealth of fish, seafood and clean water that we humans depend upon for our health.
Human Alterations
In a family known for its environmental ethic, James Rockefeller continued the tradition at Long Valley Farm, where beautiful longleaf forest dominates the 1,500-acre property. Over the nearly 90 years the Rockefeller family owned Long Valley Farm, it produced many different commodities, such as tobacco, strawberries, timber and cattle. Like countless farms across the country, however, Long Valley also provides some examples of how humans have altered the landscape for our betterment, while unwittingly degrading the very waterways that we depend on for clean water.
One demonstration of such alteration is found on a tributary that enters Jumping Run Creek downstream from where I was standing at the mill. We took a dirt road over to some farm fields that are now being restored to longleaf pine forest.
After a mile or so we reached the point where the road crosses the tributary. If you stand on the road over the stream's culvert and look to the left, a straight channel shunts water away from the original course of the tributary, right into Jumping Run Creek. Gone is the original stream that once slowly slinked for another mile, like a coiled ribbon across the landscape, before reaching Jumping Run.
As one looks to the right and up stream there is a ditch, which runs along the road for a few hundred yards where it then makes a 90-degree turn, with a deep trench running in a straight line between two fields.
Many years ago workmen ditched the fields to improve drainage for the adjacent croplands, as was done on farms across the country. While effective at improving agricultural yield, such ditches lower the water table of the immediate area. The addition of cattle, that drink and wallow in the ditches, between grazing the adjacent pastures, further degrades water quality.
The Nature Conservancy has now removed cattle from these fields and is working to restore the upland portions to longleaf pine forest. Along the ditched tributary, however, the banks are still hollowed and muddy in many places -- the result of the cutting action of fast-moving water. Interspersed along the trench are areas where banks caved in and now lay in sediment-laden clumps, forming islands.
In several places, where cows had easy access to the stream, there is the usual evidence that remains where cattle have spent time: manure, mud, murky water. Algae are the primary vegetation in the water, floating in large clots, or clinging to rocks, blades of grass and other debris. The stream bottom is silty with little vegetation except for algae, all of which gets washed into Jumping Run Creek with each heavy rain.
Once this was a healthy tributary that ran through the low point of this landscape. During heavy rains the stream stretched wide, filling low, wet areas, which slowed flooding down stream. These low areas, with associated wetland plants, were ideal for sediment retention, which kept erosion at a minimum.
As I look at this stretch of degraded stream, I think of the vast number of farms that carpet North America engaging in the same practices. To this, we must then add the number of streams buried under city streets with storm drains depositing contaminants from the city above, and also wastes that are dumped directly into streams and rivers from factories and many other businesses.
Add to all this the many gutters running beside parking lots and along roads channeling contaminants from oil, engine fluids and emissions directly into waterways. The list goes on -- such thoughts are mind boggling, and when we tally the many sources of contamination, it is easy to understand why our rivers, lakes, estuaries, even our oceans are degraded and polluted.
Steps Toward a Solution
At Long Valley Farm my biologist friends, Jeff and Jan, are interested in the degraded section of the tributary I just described, for it empties into Jumping Run Creek, which in turn joins the Little River and then the Cape Fear River downstream. The North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program (NCEEP) works in partnership with public and private organizations across the state to help curb the loss of the state's natural areas and resources. One example of their work is the restoration of degraded streams like this tributary to Jumping Run.
The mission of the EEP is to "restore, enhance, preserve and protect the functions associated with wetlands, streams and riparian areas, including but not limited to those necessary for the restoration, maintenance and protection of water quality and riparian habitats throughout North Carolina." Riparian habitat is all the vegetation and wildlife that live along the banks and wetlands adjacent to streams, rivers, lakes or any waterway.
The NCEEP originated in 2003 with an agreement between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, N.C. Department of Transportation and N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. NCEEP works to locate areas where restoration will benefit the watershed the most, then restore the wetlands and waters if the landowners are willing. Local land trusts, and other nonprofits such as the Conservation Trust for North Carolina and The Nature Conservancy have been excellent partners in these efforts statewide.
These organizations work together to find areas of the state where habitat and water quality is in need of help. NCEEP uses existing funding from the N.C. Department of Transportation to offset the unavoidable damage to wetlands and other important natural areas when the department is building new roads or making improvements to old ones.
One of the things NCEEP also assists with is fixing threatened or degraded streams and wetlands to restore their natural functions. In the case of the tributary to Jumping Run, the original stream with its meanders, wetlands and associated plants would be restored. A buffer of plants and trees would be planted along the stream, which will filter contaminants and slow runoff during heavy rain. The stream would then revert to its original functions of preserving water quality by controlling floodwaters, checking erosion and filtering polluting runoff.
This small tributary of Jumping Run is in a targeted area of the state where streams are in need of special attention. An important underlying rule of the program is that it is totally voluntary -- only if the owner is interested will NCEEP step in to help. In the targeted areas, where landowners are interested, the NCEEP has several options available: a simple sale or donation of property for restoration. The land is then restored and preserved as a natural area. Many tracts become state parks and game lands.
In situations where the landowner wishes to retain ownership NCEEP stands ready to work out voluntary agreements through conservation easements. (A conservation easement enables a landowner to retain private ownership of the land, but with development restrictions. This easement lasts forever, applying to all future owners of the land.) Such partnerships are fundamental to protecting water quality.
Plans for Long Valley Farm
Sometime next year visitors can come to this historic farm -- wander about the millpond, visit the old gristmill and view the Rockefeller house.
It is a beautiful old place. Whenever you visit, I hope you will also wander down to the tributary, once it is restored, to see for yourself the results of the NCEEP's efforts. Meanwhile visit this special "Voice Thread" site: http://jumpingruncreek.wikispaces.com/. You will find pictures, maps and other information about the plans for the tributary's restoration. There will also be pictures of the millpond, house and gristmill -- a sneak preview of the place that is about to become a local state park. You can also ask questions and make comments on this site. I hope you take time to visit.
Contact Judy Jessop at email@example.com.


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110 W. New York Ave.
DeLand, FL 32720
Spiritual Side: Back-to-school prayer service set for Aug. 11
Yard sale planned at Mosaic in Orange City, bunco party in DeBary
By Margie Dykes
posted Aug 3, 2013 - 7:36:22am
Prayers for back to school
The Volusia/Flagler Pastors Prayer Gathering presents the fourth annual Back-to-School Prayer Night 6-8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, at Rock Church of Daytona Beach, 1818 Taylor Road in Port Orange.
Child care for toddlers and infants will be available during the service. Join with worshippers from churches and ministries across the county to pray for our students, their parents and guardians, and the teachers/staff/administrators of our public, private, home and postsecondary schools and preschools.
For more information, call 386-212-5504.
Shenko to speak
James Shenko, the Timothy from First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of DeLand, will be giving the sermon "Bye, Bye Bacon" at both the 8:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. services Sunday, Aug. 4, at the church. Communion will be served at both services, and child care is available at the second service.
Marge Jones is starting an acrylic art class at 1 p.m. Mondays in the Fellowship Hall. There is a $5-per-person charge, with registration required by calling Marge at 386-473-3065. Materials will be provided.
First Christian Church has participated in the Meals on Wheels Challenge.
Rainbow Child Care, a ministry of First Christian Church, is accepting registrations for the 2013-14 school year. Call Director Kathy Porr at 386-736-3768.
First Christian will be hosting Interfaith Kitchen at First United Methodist Church of DeLand Tuesday, Aug. 6.
A Quaker service
Ellen Nielsen presents "A Quaker Service" at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 4, service at First Unitarian Universalist Church of West Volusia in DeLand.
Nielsen is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Society of the Daytona Beach Area. Her life experience has provided many opportunities to explore the historical and philosophical links between two religious paths: Unitarian Universalism and Quakerism. She enjoys taking on unusual challenges, including introducing Unitarian Universalists to the concept of silent worship.
For more information about the church, visit www.uudeland.org or www.facebook.com/UUDeland, or call 386-734-6499. To learn more about Unitarian Universalism, visit www.uua.org.
Thank you, Walt
The members of New Hope United Church of Christ in DeLand thank their past-moderator Walt Perry for his service in leadership to the church. A new moderator, Stephen Rice, will now take the lay leadership, and he plans to expand community involvement.
New Hope UCC's emphasis on justice issues has put the church in the forefront under the Rev. Karen Curtis-Weakley.
Part of the theology of New Hope is their commitment to welcome everyone "no matter who you are or where you are on life's journey."
Sunday services start at 10 a.m.; Wednesday's Theology on Tap is at 6:30 p.m.
Call for more information at 386-473-7429.
Family fun
A Family Fun Fest is on tap at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4, at DeLand Seventh-day Adventist Church.
There will be free food, bounce houses, face-painting, and games for the family.
Talking about death
The Rev. Mark Spivey will speak at Mosaic Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Orange City at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 4, on the topic "When Death Is a Good Thing." The Rev. Spivey is an ordained United Church of Christ minister, who has his own counseling practice and also assists Hospice of Volusia/Flagler with their counseling needs.
Elizabeth Schumaker will lead the service. Child care is provided.
In addition, a yard sale is planned 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. There will be household items, clothes, tools, and lots of bargains.
For more information, visit mosaicuuc.org.
Missionary to speak
Missionary Mike Dunne, with Children of Promise Ministries in Namibia, Africa, will speak at First Presbyterian Church of DeBary at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7. A potluck dinner will precede the talk at 6 p.m.
Bunco party coming up
Mark your calendar for Thursday, Aug. 22, when the St. Ann's Council of Catholic Women from St. Ann's Catholic Church in DeBary will have a Bunco Party Fundraiser from noon to 3 p.m.
Proceeds from the event will go to the Domestic Abuse Center in Volusia County.
A light lunch will be served. Tickets cost $7.
To get tickets, call Linda at 407-314-4742 or Alice at 386-456-5211.
Churches join together
Several churches in the DeLand area will come together to celebrate Green and Gold Sunday at 10 a.m. Aug. 25 in the DeLand High School auditorium at 800 N. Hill Ave.
Plymouth Avenue Christian Church, Greater Bethlehem Baptist Church, DeLand Chaplains, and the Century Club are sponsoring the event.
The guest speaker will be former FSU and NFL star Leon Bright.
For more information, call Plymouth Avenue Christian Church at 386-734-9141.
Learn about military opportunities
Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in DeLand invites the public, and especially high-school students, to a community forum on noncombat positions and higher-education opportunities in the U.S. military.
Meet noon-2:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, at the church to hear keynote speaker Robert Banks, who served in the Monfort Point Marine Unit during World War II. There will be other speakers who will talk about their military experience and supply information about educational opportunities.
This event is hosted by the Young Men of Macedonia. Refreshments will be served.
For more information or directions, call James T. Mitchell Jr. at 386-624-6115.
Duty to God programs for youth
Four Towns Community Church in Deltona is excited to share upcoming events with the community.
Monday, Aug. 5, through Friday, Aug. 9, the church will have Vacation Bible School 5:30-8:30 p.m., with the theme "League of His Own." The theme is centered on sports, sports and more sports, to teach the lesson that God is our ultimate coach in life. We are on His team, and we follow His plan and direction in our life. Our idea of "winning" is to glorify Him with our lives.
The Boy Scout program "Duty to God" will begin 5-6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25, for high-school students, with the "God and Life" curriculum. Students will seek to understand their call to a life of discipleship.
The God and Life curriculum will focus on the life of the Apostle Paul as recorded in Acts 9:1-31, about how Paul encountered Christ and was changed forever. This program is open to all youth in grades nine-12. You do not have to be a member of the church, the Scout troop, or even a male to participate.
Starting in October, the church will offer "Duty to God" programs for youth in grades one-three (God and Me) and in grades four and five (God and Family).
In a world with so many religions, why Jesus? Four Towns is offering a video series on Sundays during the month of August called Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias and facilitated by Pastor Bill Hicks. These sessions will be 9:15-10:15 a.m., with regular Sunday services starting at 10:30 a.m. With four 15- to 24-minute powerful segments and dramatic footage shot in 14 different countries, Jesus Among Other Gods contrasts Jesus with founders of Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, strengthening believers and compelling them to share their faith with our postmodern world. Subjects for upcoming weeks include Aug. 4 - The Anatomy of Faith and the Quest for Reason; Aug. 11 - A Taste for the Soul; Aug. 18 - Is God the Source of My Suffering?; and Aug. 25 - Is There a Gardener?
For more information, call Four Towns Community Church at 386-532-5546.
— Please submit information one week before the publication date by fax at 386-734-4641 or by email at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Zoya Sparkle Collection — Skittles Style
When in doubt, use them all!
After reviewing Zoya's Sparkle Collection, I couldn't decide what color I wanted to wear. I was totally torn! So, instead, I decided to go for Skittles nails, which is pretty much what you'd expect–multi-colored nails resembling the colors of Skittles. I'm a little OCD on some things, though, so I couldn't use six; instead, I used five, so I could have one of each color on each hand. Nice and even! I used all the shades except Alegra (pretty, but it was my least favorite). From thumb to pinky: Nidhi, Gilda, Ivanka, Charla, and Mimi. Just thought I'd share my fun for the week!
Discussion and debate are highly encouraged, and we expect community members to participate respectfully. When asking a question, please check the FAQ section (above) for information about purchasing, price, dupes, and the like. If you have general feedback or need technical support, please contact us.
Comments that include advertisements, self-promotion, insults, etc. may be in violation of our comment policy and subject to deletion. Please see our comment policy for more information.


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The transformational initiatives include long-chained sequence-controlled heteropolymers and laboratory design instrumentation research. While most of today's polymers are macromolecules formed by long chains of monomers, a long sought after goal in polymer science is to be able to synthesize long chains of heteropolymers with a well controlled and repetitive sequence. This research will open up new possibilities and will fundamentally change the way we think about polymers for DoD applications.
The laboratory design instrumentation research is focused on a systematic and sustained effort towards the development of the next generation of research tools, as well as the development of a new cadre of scientists and engineers who are experts in the art and science of building instruments, devices, and equipment. The selected awards including single photon sources, nanoprobes and next-generation epitaxy will indeed lead us to new discoveries that have yet to be explained. These new research tools will revolutionize scientific research and transform our research programs to be more responsive to national security needs.
Today's announcement is the result of a merit competition as a part of the DoD MURI program. The awards will provide support for research, graduate students and laboratory instrumentation development. These awards represent DoD's long-term commitment to supporting basic science research and transformational initiatives.
The six universities selected to receive research grants focusing on the transformational initiatives may be found on the Web at: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2003/d20030513trans.pdf


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PLATFORMS: PC/PS3/XBOX / STEAM / NEXT-GEN / NIXXES / AMD Mantle -see 1st page updates
*Moderator Updates*
February 2014
January 2014
Region Block
December 2013
Read the full interview here:
September 2013
June 2013
Thief on Steam
How much can the pre-alpha version be improved and 'tweaked for purists' from present state
'Thief' will receive "a lot of love" on PC, says Eidos Montreal
It is confirmed Eidos Montreal is using a highly modified version of UNREAL ENGINE 3 for Thief
Thief will be available in 2014 for PC, PlayStation®4, and other next-generation consoles.
In my mind, Thief 3 was almost completely ruined by being developed multiplatform, it massively dumbed down the 3rd installment for the console users and I think I'm right in saying that a decent portion of the PC fans were quite dissapointed.
If you want a role model for Thief 4 then look no further than Thief 2, the developers of the original 2 games made a bold statement, no elements of the game were sacraficed in order to give the game a mass market appeal.
So here's my list of complaints with Thief 3 in no real particular order
You'll see most of these isues stem from cross platform development, the restrictions of the hardware in the console versions made for a reduction in level sizes without loading zones. The average skill in a first person environment by the average console player with a gamepad was no where close to being agile enough to control Garrett from Thief1&2 so 3rd person was added to allow you to cheat a look around corners, the wall hug was added to make hiding easy, rope arrows that required a great amount of 3D orientation were removed.
Basically the tone of the whole game for 1&2 was that you were an elite thief, the best of the best who could sneak in and steal everything and leave without a single guard being alerted, and it even spawned the idea of "ghosting" from the fans where this was a made up condition to beat the level.
I don't have problems with consoles getting their own Thief game, and I dont have problems with it being toned down in the skill section, and the graphics section in order to be viable for the platform.
Please just PLEASE, I beg you, keep that seperate from the PC version, build 2 entirely seperate games if that is what is required to keep the design for the PC to the quality of the originals, I am a massive fan of the series and Thief 2 is overall my top1 game even to this day, I love everything about the games and really want to see the quality of Thief 2 come back driven with modern technology, but fear we'll just have another Thief 3
Take a look at Yahtzees review of the series here - http://www.escapistmagazine.com/vide...e-Dark-Project He gives Thief 1 and 2 praise and slays Thief 3, I emplore you to pay attention to this feedback early in development and make the adjustments now to please both crowds, otherwise you'll destroy the franchise on the PC.
P.S While we're on the subject of consolitis can we make sure that a multiplatform developed title has proper PC screen aspect ratio support (4:3, 5:3 and 16:10) for the resolutions, proper widescreen support - that is to say widescreen is added Horizontal width and not minus vertical height (pay attention to www.widescreengaimgforum.com if you need to learn how to do it correctly), no mouse acceleration or at least let us disable mouse acceleration. A proper Field of View angle, it should be approx 90 degrees for 4:3 and 103 degrees for 16:10, again see WSGF, these are ALL typical problems with games developed for the consoles as well as the PC and can all easily be avoided.
Last edited by Viktoria; 02-27-2014 at 03:28 AM. Reason: next gen update
Very damn well said! You actually pointed out the annoying things that haven't appeared here yet, this post should be stickied until the release of the game to remind the devs what not to include. All the stuff and so much more made me not wanna play T3 again, whereas i'm playing t1 and t2 FM's all the time. Makes you think, right?
Well, get ready for over 9000 posts exactly like this one for the next three years lawl. Though I fear some of this stuff will just be ignored by the devs in the end. But I'm with you!!
Definition: 'Love' is making a shot to the knees of a target 120 kilometers away using an Aratech sniper rifle with a tri-light scope.
Well for them to make two completely separate games is unrealistic, unfortunately. Everything else I pretty much agree with.
Err, I mean Steam. Everyone absolutely loves Valve because of things like this and their devotion to quality above all else. Taking that 'unrealistic' viewpoint that creates extraordinary results.
Or you could look at splinter cell: double agent. One version for the last gen consoles, and one for the current gen and PC. Two separate games is not an unrealistic proposition, and if the combined that with an awesome PC version Eidos will be on the path towards gamer love and massive profits.
Second to Valve, that is
Last edited by FadedEchos; 05-11-2009 at 01:40 PM.
The same mistake again would be... unfortunate.
EDIT: Luckily, Eidos knows that: http://forums.eidosgames.com/showthread.php?t=86542
Last edited by van_HellSing; 05-11-2009 at 01:44 PM.
OP - very well said! While I still consider DS a good game, it indeed suffered from consolitis.
Build Thief 4 as a PC GAME - then dumb down the console versions if you so desire. Take advantage of the possibilities PC provides, stop this "the game is the same across all platforms" nonsense - if something can't be done on consoles, implement it in the PC version instead of throwing it out the window completely.
To the OP: I summarized it in another thread, but in short you want immersion breaking elements removed.
I had no clue the player mechanics were built around third person in Thief DS, but now that I think about it, that makes sense. It was a very unpleasant feeling to be moving, bobbing around like I was hitting every pothole on Route 66.
I subscribe to basically everything Princess_Frosty said.
It's obviously going to be multiplatform for PC, xbox 360, and ps3. I have faith that they will be able to successful develop the game multiplatformed. The technology of both the xbox360 and ps3 should be able to handle whatever engine Thief IV uses. Obviously PC will have better textures and resolutions but the next-gen consoles are powerful enough to handle whatever Eidos Montreal can throw at them.
I know I am going to receive flak, but . . .
The purpose of this message is not to say consoles are superior to PC's, and I do not want to start some strange fanboy upset. I acknowledge and understand that PC's are capable of more when it comes to video games. All of that prior stuff being said, I would like to make a casual observation.
When Thief: Deadly Shadows was released, it was released for PC and Xbox systems. The Xbox had already been out for years and pushed to its graphical maximum. The Xbox was not a great system, only a starting point to something better. Thief: Deadly Shadows was created near the end of Xbox and relatively close to the beginning of the Xbox 360. Literally, Thief: Deadly shadows came out one year before the release of the Xbox 360. The hardware in Xbox had not been upgraded since 2001, which means that three years of PC improvements had passed and the Xbox stood still. Naturally, Thief: Deadly Shadows was garbage on the Xbox and the PC version showed signs of the crummy console counterpart. I see your complaint, and I agree with it for the most part.
When it comes to the Xbox 360, you have some of the most graphically impressive titles to grace the gaming world. No, we have not seen Crysis on consoles, but we have seen Gears of War 2 and Call of Duty 4, both of which are amazing games. The Xbox was utterly incapable of creating an immersive experience due to its graphical limitations. The Xbox360 does not have this problem. I understand that the Xbox360 has been out for 4 years, which means PC's have improved that much, and the Xbox360 has not. We could potentially have the same problem we did with Thief: Deadly Shadows. I would argue that the Xbox360 is not graphically limited to the point where it will dampen your PC gameplay experience. The Xbox360 is a phenomenal piece of hardware (when it works).
The developers would actually make more money and a better game by hacking off you PC people and doing a straight console game that is well developed, such as Gears of War 2, and port the game over to you all later with graphical improvements. The market for the Xbox360 is much better than your market. People, including myself, prefer to play games on their 60" plasma televisions with 7.1 surround sound and 1080i.
Just because you think that you have to hack off "skillz" or whatever because PC's are more capable, does not mean that the PC is superior. The market rates superiority on accessibility, and the Xbox360 is a much more accessible platform. Just because we don't have a keyboard, does not mean that we don't have the ability to play at the same level as you. If you have not played a great FPS on the Xbox360 yet, I tell you it is a must. They are not limited in 3D ability. Puzzle-solving is the same. You would be silly to think that the PC is more capable of providing a 3D world in the sense of "using rope arrows to solve puzzles." I do agree the PC could provide larger worlds with less loading, but like I said, this does not mean that the masses will like it more.
I hope you understand that Eidos would be wise to make a straight console game that ports over to you all later. The Xbox360 has hardware capable of alleviating all of the complaints you listed above.
Good luck flaming me. I know that this is somehow going to be offensive to some of you. But remember what I said at the beginning, I acknowledge the PC is a better machine than a console. I am just remarking on the fact that consoles are not as limited now as they once were, and that companies will make more money if they develop straight console games that can be ported to PC gamers later on.
Please dont make this for XBOX,PS3,other consoles.
Many games are ported for consoles. Due to the lack of control and many other limits on consoles I feel many games are striped down heavily in overall quality just to be playable on consoles.. like xbox360,PS3 etc.. On the computer with mouse and keyboard the game have so much more possibilities, on console with a bad controller-pad everything gets crippled down. So many things that are possible with mouse + keyboard are not possible with gamepad and everything have to be crippled down so a player on gamepad can play.
The way levels start, menus are created, settings, movement and level design, effects and content in game have to be crippled just to fit consoles lower standards.. and the worst thing is the slow loading times everywhere in consoles.. please spare us from this.
Many great games have been ruined this way.
Please dont let consoles cripple all possibilities, ignore consoles and only make the game for PC so the game can be the best possible.
-sorry for my spelling erros, english is not my native language.-
I love the shalebridge cradle (please get the guy who designed that in the team! although I guess it's impossible now that he's working on bioshock 2 for 2K Marin )
And most of all I love the city and all the sounds in the game in an incredible way, it really adds a layer of detail and immersion that few games have.
Please keep doing cartoons for the cutscenes!
Don't care for 3d person as long as you have a solid movement system
Graphics must be top notch but it will be nothing without good art direction (and sound XD), remember that!
I only take issue with the comment above.
EM would be far better off creating a worthy Thief game for the PC--maximizing that platform--and then porting to the consoles, scaling it down as necessary. This path, IMO, would result in the best possible game on all platforms, which is what we all want.
so true... doubt they'll do that though...
hay at least wait to release the pc version even if you finish the console versions first because it negatively affects sales and views of the pc version which should be the ultimate version.
so true... doubt they'll do that though...
hay at least wait to release the pc version even if you finish the console versions first because it negatively affects sales and views of the pc version which should be the ultimate version.
I mean pc sales. I don't care about consoles, but if they release it for consoles first, no one will know of the awesomeness of the pc version because they wouldn't give it a second chance if they didn't like it on console. A unified release will also put it under the limelight more
You will also notice menus,settings and pop-up screens in games barley exist in console games, because they are annoying and difficult to interact with with a controller and with most and keyboard u don't even mind them.
A simple thing like picking up an item in your inventory, dropping it on your character is a pain in the a** on the console but no problem at all on PC. Already here a lot of possibilities are lost. Try the game "two worlds" for example..
Everything in the game that has to do with movements,clicks and accuracy has to be reduced as much as possible in console games mostly due to the lack of a good controller that can do the same amazing stuff as mouse and keyboard.
And even though lots of stuff are removed the most simple thing takes a lot more time to do on a console the the PC, everything you do takes more time on a console witch make you as a game feel crippled.
It does not matter how much you train with a controller you will never be as good and fast as a average guy on mouse and keyboard. Therefor games are crippled down very much so a 14 year old kid still can play the games on his xbox360 and without having to learn to use a controller like a keyboard. As much menus and elements in the games that involve, fast and accurate movement, clicking, turning/looking around etc.. has to be reduced and removed as much as possible or else the game would not be playable with a controller.
More and more automatic stuff have to be added, auto aim, stuff you could do by yourself are automated instead etc..
When you play this crippled games on a computer you feel sorry, you will feel a lack of quality and opportunities that other computer games have.
And if you want to play games on you 60" plasma with 7.1 sound, just plug it in to your computer.
As for the blue swirling mystical smoke of transportation, that falls under bad art direction again.
This is a bad art direction scenario. Next one.
Blaming the console demographic has always been a scapegoat that has painted the PC gamer as a very arrogant prick. Being someone who partakes in ever gaming platform of this generation, including PC and handhelds, I know for a fact that console gamers aren't idiots. Unfortunately, there's considerable percentage of PC gamers who act like they are superior simply because they use a mouse and keyboard.
Final thought: Grow up and stop using console gamers as a scapegoat.
I don't blame devs and publishers for following the money, I just wish console users were more demanding in terms of gameplay. Consolitis is far more deadly than swine flu, its why there have been so few truly great games this decade.
Bring back 1998 1999 but in DirectX 10, that would be sweet.
All they have to do is rework the AI to be less dumb and know how to really look for the player, and react decently.
Backing yourself up against a wall is a common movement for someone who's trying to avoid being seen (ie: movies, and other games)
Have you played that recent game Velvet Assassin? It doesn't have the back to the wall thingie, and it's one of the reasons it sucks.
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Etnies Jameson 2 Eco Shoes are part of the Plant a Tree and Eco Collection that helps save the environment with recycled PET laces, a 20% recycled rubber tread, and a real laminated cork footbed-all topped off with…
Etnies Jameson 2 Eco Shoes are part of the Plant a Tree and Eco Collection that helps save the environment with recycled PET laces, a 20% recycled rubber tread, and a real laminated cork footbed-all topped off with a stylishly fake vulcanized look.
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Cupsole construction
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Canvas Upper, thin padded tongue and collar
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STI Foam Lite level 1 footbed with 400 NBS rubber outsole with internal EVA midsole
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Vegan friendly
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Twin triathlons bring athletic spirit to Point Mugu
The water temperature off the beach of Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu hovered around 57 degrees, or "freaking cold" in the words of the Admiral's Cup sprint triathlon women's winner Erika Lilley, of Santa Barbara.
"And I'm not a wimp about the cold," she said. "I swim in the ocean twice a week."
Race Director Amanda Haskell explained that the deep water off Point Mugu combines with the currents around nearby Mugu Rock to create especially chilly waters.
"The water here is notoriously cold, no matter what time of year," Haskell said.
The Admiral's Cup and the U.S. Armed Forces triathlons were held Saturday near the family beach area of the installation. The Admiral's Cup — in its 25th year — is open to the general public and attracted 123 adults and children running individually or as teams in all three portions of the sprint triathlon. It includes a 400-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike ride and 5-kilometer run. The U.S. Armed Forces Triathlon — in its 13th year — features athletes from the Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines and Canadian military seeking individual and team awards. That competition includes a 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike ride and 10-kilometer run.
"The first race is open to anybody and is a fun public event for the community," Haskell said. "The U.S. Armed Forces race is for the elite athletes. It's an honor to see those athletes. There are some Olympic hopefuls."
After dominating the three legs of the Admiral's Cup race among the women, finishing with a race time of 58 minutes 56 seconds, Lilley complained of a twisted ankle, which she iced, and said she would nurse overnight so she could participate in the Ventura Breath of Life race Sunday.
The Admiral's Cup winner for men was Jonathan Shoop, of Oxnard, with a time of 54 minutes 11 seconds. A civilian employee at Naval Base Ventura County Port Hueneme, Shoop said his training with the Rincon Triathlon Club was instrumental in allowing him to get the prize.
"I'm terrible at the swim. And it was really cold. I had to play catch-up and about halfway through the course, I caught up. I was sixth coming of the bikes, but we were in a tight clump," Shoop said.
Also competing in the Admiral's Cup race were members of the Naval Base Ventura County Navy Seals swim team of youngsters 7-14, who ran the race as relay teams. Damitri Derring, 13, said he found the secret to dealing with the chilly water.
"I really let myself flow with the current. It was really cold. My hands and feet are numb, but it's getting better," Damitri said.
Nancy Maijala, of Atascadero, was at the race to cheer on her 83-year-old husband, Douglas Maijala.
"He's been a triathlete since he was 55," she said. "It's addictive, but now he just competes in the sprints."
As they prepared for the longer competition, the teams from the armed forces and Canada, consisting of 93 men and women, milled around the "transition area," where they would exchange their swimming gear for bike togs and then running outfits, if needed.
Kristin Barnes, of Annapolis, Md., a member of the Navy team, explained that most of the training for the race is done individually and the teams come together a day or two before the race to practice.
"We all know each other because quite a few of us have done this a few times," Barnes said. "I love this race, but there is a bit of stress representing your branch of the service."
While the Air Force teams have won two years in a row, their top athlete, James Bales, of Colorado, who finished first as a captain in 2010 and as a major in 2011, had to pull out at the last minute because he broke his ankle. Air Force team member Michael Bergquist, of Medical Lake, Wash., said the race was open to any of the teams.
"It's never really dominated by the Air Force team, unless you're talking about the Air Force women's team, which won the first four places last year. The Air Force men just squeaked by," Bergquist said.
The overall winner of the military triathlon was Nicholas Vandam with the Army, with a time of 1 hour, 45 minutes and 30 seconds. The women's winner was Kathy Rakel of the Air Force with a winning time of 1 hour, 59 minutes and 54 seconds.
A story about the Admiral's Cup and the Military Forces triathlons held at Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu in the B section of Sunday's newspaper contained incorrect times for some of the winners. Nicholas Vandam was the overall winner of the military event in a time 1 hour, 45 minutes and 30 s
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Lets introduce ourselves Kei Fans! Konnichiwa!
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Re: Lets introduce ourselves Kei Fans! Konnichiwa!
Hello everyone
I am Raf, been supporting Asian Tennis Players for years now. Unfortunately can only support them through watching matches on TV since it's very expensive to watch them live, on court.
I been supporting Paradorn but unfortunately his not playing right now due to injury.
I am really glad that another asian born player by the name of "Kei Nishikori" is really playing well at the atp tour and is on a ranking rise. I really like his game, very solid off the baseline but his got other skills like coming into the net and his awesome fast foot work. Plus he is only 18, that alone gets him the attention. I've been supporting Kei for almost a year now, watching every match shown in TV. I was particularly happy when i was able to watch him playing against Ferrer at the US Open. I was shouting the whole time, saying "Cmon", "Go" every time Kei wins a point. My mom even went it ti my room just to ask if i have a problem because i was really noisy and loud the whole time.
You know guys, the last time i had chills and so much attention given over a player was when Paradorn was playing, i even stayed awake late at night just to watch his matches live.
I do hope that Kei continue to do well and i know we all are here to support him.
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Police seek Jack in the Box robbery suspect
1 suspect arrested, 1 at large
SAN ANTONIO - Police are asking for the public's help in identifying a man suspected of robbing a Jack in the Box restaurant.
According to authorities, two men entered the restaurant at 9263 Culebra at 3:06 a.m. on November 28th. Authorities said the men demanded cash from the employees before fleeing the location.
Police said one of the suspects has already been arrested.
Crime Stoppers is offering to pay up to $1000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.
Anyone with information is asked to call 224-STOP. To text a tip, Text "Tip 127" plus your tip to CRIMES (274637)
For more information, visit www.sacrimestoppers.com.
Copyright 2012 by KSAT.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Soundview Park
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A permit is required to operate a kayak or canoe in Parks waterways. Included in the application are rules and helpful recommendations.
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- Urban Park Rangers Explorer Programs
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Soundview Park
Portions of this park will be closed to bring an exciting and playful space for children, teenagers and adults to play. The new Metcalf Playground will bring an exciting and playful space for children, teenagers and adults to play and recreate. And a natural amphitheater and performance lawn will allow concerts, theater performances, and other cultural programs to be conducted in Soundview Park.
Anticipated Completion: Summer 2015
Soundview Park Weather
- Ribbon Cut On Ecological Restoration Of Salt Marsh At Soundview Park
- NYC Parks Cuts The Ribbon On Ecological Restoration Of Salt Marsh At Soundview Park
- Parks Cuts The Ribbon On New Track And Field At Soundview Park
- Baseball Fields
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The cities of Camas and Washougal know that your dog is a valued member of your household. As such, the Camas-Washougal Animal Control Division of the Washougal Police Department was formed to help safeguard your pet. The Animal Control Division also works within these communities to address neglected, abused, loose and vicious dogs, barking dogs complaints, dog bites, and lost and found dogs.
Federal and state laws do not allow animal control officers to address problems, handle, relocate or otherwise interfere with any types of wildlife, including but not limited to raccoon, opossum, birds or other animals. Officers will, however, be available to answer questions and assist on the scene until appropriate resources can be summoned to assist you.
Federal and state agencies that can assist you with problems related to wildlife can be found on the "Animal Control Resources" Menu of this website.
With the exception of animal cruelty cases, state law and city ordinances do not allow officers to address issues regarding domestic felines (cats). Again, you can find agencies that can help you with feline-related problems by accessing the "Animal Control Resources"Menu.


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Jim Fuller: I confess to major reservations about those who work in and for the business schools that now take up far too much otherwise valuable space on most major college and university campuses.
Bush Recession Comes Home to Roost
Adam Eran: Tax cuts caused the current budget deficit, not crazy spending. Local government revenues fell 57% after Proposition 13. Even more egregious, the consume-atives™ (they do not conserve), now complain that State funding for local governments to fill that revenue hole meddles too much in local affairs.
Stimulate the Economy by Mending Our Safety Nets
Lots of talk this week about the proposed stimulus. One high priority ought to be the most vulnerable members of our society. The safety net created in the 1930s to protect Americans from extreme poverty is in tatters. Now that we're in the worst downturn since the Depression, that safety net needs mending. This should […]
Who Builds the Economy? Democratic Presidents Do!
by Richard M. Mathews — I wrote recently about how Democratic presidents create many more jobs than do Republican presidents. What about the rest of the economy? I don't want to talk down the economy as George W. Bush's team did when he was running for president in 2000. They insisted that the economy was […]


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Minnie Evans exhibition at Wesleyan, 1977 Oct.
Physical Details: Negative : 1 item : b&w ; 2 x 4 cm.
Creator: unidentified photographer
Description: Negative shows an individual examining a piece of pottery.
Forms part of: Nina Howell Starr papers, 1938-1996
Rights Statement: Current copyright status is undetermined
Citation: Minnie Evans exhibition at Wesleyan, 1977 Oct.
Digital ID: 10591
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More than 3,000 people were murdered in Juárez this year, a staggering toll that reminds some of the mafia wars of Sicily.
2010 also saw a political fight in El Paso, as voters overturned a city policy that provided health benefits to unmarried partners of municipal employees.
In sports, legendary basketball coach Tim Floyd returned to UTEP.
›› View more top stories in Review 2010 section


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When an audio distribution system is installed, it is normally required to install wiring between the audio source or sources, and all of the speakers that are installed throughout a building or structure. The installation of this wiring is normally time consuming and difficult, and can be a large cost component of the system installation. Therefore, there is a need for an audio distribution system that makes use of, and takes a benefit from, already installed electrical power wiring, or allows a lesser number of wires to be run where new installations are necessary, through the means of upgrading the system to provide uninterrupted power to the powered speakers while maintaining the ability to control lighting fixtures powered through the same wiring infrastructure.
1. A method and system for transmitting audio signals from a source to at least one of a powerline powered destination speaker using a previously installed electrical wiring that includes at least one of a conventional power switch or dimmer used to control lighting, comprising;
at least one of a light control device that replaces the conventional power switches or dimmers and generates powerline communications control signals,
a light control that is added to at least one of a conventional fixture which receives the powerline communications signals and controls at least one of a light in response to the powerline communications signals,
a powerline powered destination speaker that is attached to the previously installed electrical wiring between the lighting control device and the light control,
wherein utility electrical power on the previously installed electrical wiring remains present at all times and is used to deliver power to the powerline powered destination speakers that also receive the audio signal from the source through the same previously installed electrical wiring, to the light control device that sends control signals to the light control, and to the light control which provides illumination power to the lights.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/628,845 filed Nov. 17, 2004, assigned to the assignee of this application and incorporated by reference herein.
This invention relates generally to the distribution of content, such as audio, video or other data, over conventional electric power conveying media utilized as a local communications network, such as a power line network, and more particularly, to utilizing the existing wiring infrastructure for newly added audio distribution. This invention has uses on a common local power line network in a home, business or other environment, which can be used to support communication between electronic appliances coupled to these lines. This invention can also provide a means for accomplishing audio distribution in new installations with lesser wiring.
The delivery of audio signals to speakers located throughout a building structure is typically associated with the need to run dedicated wires to connect the speakers to amplifiers and/or volume controls that may be located somewhere else within the same building structure. A power line communications ("PLC") system, which converts electrical wiring into a distribution system that can carry both power and communications signals can solve this problem. As a result, the use of a PLC system to provide communications services can lead to a tremendous savings in installation costs, which in turn can translate into lower costs for services and applications to the end consumer.
One possible application of the above-said system could be in the installation of in-wall and in-ceiling mounted speakers. Such speakers would require both audio signals and power to be brought to them. The use of wiring that may exist for providing power for the lighting would be very attractive in this case, but there is a problem. The circuit that powers the lights may be interrupted when the lights are switched off. Therefore a solution has to be found to provide the audio signals and the power to speakers even when the lights are turned off.
The proposed invention provides a means to upgrade the electric wiring to be used for both, power and audio signal delivery at the same time regardless of the desired operational condition of the lighting.
In accordance with the present invention, an audio distribution system uses the same wiring that is used for the powering of the ceiling, wall, and any other type of mounted lights. The inventive system contains the necessary components and uses methods that provide for a dual use functionality of the existing or newly installed power wiring.
An originating point of the audio signal may be located anywhere in a building structure, but in-ceiling and in-wall speakers are typically located in the proximity of the ceiling and/or wall-mounted lights. In this scenario sending audio signals over powerline may provide a simple and efficient solution that may greatly reduce or completely eliminate the need for installing additional low voltage (signal) wiring and additional power wiring.
The power wiring in the ceiling and in some of the walls typically provides the power to either power outlets that may or may not be controlled by the means of switches installed somewhere else in the circuit, or provide power to lighting fixtures that are typically controlled by the means of switches or dimmers installed on the same circuits and physically located in easily accessible locations. That presents a problem, for often the use of audio signals (music, intercom, etc.) is not synchronized with the use of lights. During the daytime, as an example, the lights are likely to be turned off while the music would be switched on.
The present invention provides a method of upgrading the wiring infrastructure and converts it into a system capable of delivering audio signals and power that powers the lights independently from the desired status of either device class.
In the proposed invention, regular light switches and dimmers are replaced with new devices that do not interrupt circuits, but generate special control signals that are transmitted over the same powerline to remotely controlled switches and dimmers either collocated with powered speakers or in lighting fixtures.
Audio signals are transmitted over the same powerline by a means of special modulation and demodulation techniques, such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) based methods, and delivery protocols that could be based on some of the existing technologies known in the industry, such as the ones proposed by the HomePlug Powerline Alliance (www.homeplug.org).
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments, which description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention.
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