text:
Report: G4 Is About To Be Rebranded And/Or Killed
Well, it had to happen some time. Years of dwindling ratings and a general culture that only occasionally doesn't truck in stupid or sexist tropes have apparently taken its toll on G4, and the network is not long for this Earth. Variety is reporting that G4 parent company NBCU is planning a major rebranding of the channel next year, away from Geek Chic and in the direction of something like Esquire or GQ, "modern male," so Variety says. "The guy-centric net is mulling a more sophisticated look," according to the report, "while remaining true to its tech and vid game roots." So don't expect it to be completely sans-video games. Just, hopefully, a little less poorly dressed.
It's like NBCU said "We want to make Spike's well-dressed older brother sharp! Ditch the video games, get a new wardrobe and lets go clubbing!" Will it work? Possibly; Spike TV already does something similar, and they have the hilariously awful VGAs, something I can't believe G4 didn't think of first. There's also a plethora of other dude-focused networks in the manly/testosterone sphere. Maybe switching to "let's go wine tasting after we play Assassin's Creed" will pay off. At very least, it'll be nice if they can find people who aren't anorexic models for their on site events coverage.
H/T to 8Bits and Pieces.

subset: commoncrawl


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Today is also my and Pao's 6th wedding anniversary. I am not really a big anniversary person. I often actually have trouble remembering anniversaries. But Pao wanted to celebrate it somewhat, especially since we've been so consumed with the pregnancy, being a single income household, raising a toddler, and all the daily ek ek of a small growing family.
We decided to do something we have not been able to do in a long time - get out and do something which may be just a regular night out for other couples: watch a movie. Eating out somewhere nice is something we do quite regularly (thanks in part to generous parents! Yes, I'm looking at you, Mama and Popsy!). But to get out, leave the kid, and pretend for a few hours that we aren't parents rushing around like headless chicken, is a luxury that Pao and I don't get to indulge in. Plus, I cannot even remember the last film we saw that wasn't animated.
So tonight, we left Laz with his Yaya and made a beeline for Eastwood. (Normally, before I got pregnant that is, we wait for Laz to fall asleep before we venture out). We caught "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" - in the nick of time too. (We had to squeeze in buying Laz's Christmas present; took advantage of the fact that the boy wasn't with us - a rare occurrence!!!). We had to order take-out and bring our food into the movie house.
And that was our anniversary date. J.R.R. Tolkien as told by Peter Jackson, with Ronald McDonalds. And my gosh, simple as it was, I felt, for one evening, the way Stella must have felt when she got her groove back.
|We wanted a shot in front of the sign to remind us that we celebrated in the mall. Since we don't get to go malling on our own anymore, haha.
Happy Anniversary, Buppy!
As always, I am so thankful to have you in my life.


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After years of deferred dredging, the Petaluma River is so choked with mud and silt that sailboats become stuck in places at low tide.
Some yachters, with money to spend at Petaluma's shops and restaurants, may be avoiding the city's ports fearing damage to their vessels.
Barges must ply the shallow waterway with less-than-full loads of valuable building materials, leaving revenue on the table for local operators.
Petaluma River
The river, which is actually a 13-mile tidal slough that empties into San Pablo Bay and a vital artery for Petaluma commerce, is long overdue for dredging.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is mandated to dredge the river and keep the shipping lane open, hasn't had the funding to carry out the maintenance work since 2003.
The river is 2 feet deep in places at low tide. With normal dredging, the river should be 8 feet at low tide, said Jessica Burton Evans, navigation program manager for the corps.
"The normal dredging cycle is every four years," she said. "We do know it is overdue for maintenance."
There is hope for relief in the near future. The Army Corps of Engineers last week received $500,000 in congressional appropriations to do the initial planning for the dredging project. But the agency lacks the $6 million it needs to complete the work this year, meaning the river won't be dredged until at least late 2015.
In past cycles, funding for dredging has followed appropriation of the planning money, and officials say this is an encouraging sign.
"I'm happy to see it moving in the right direction," said Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt, who represents Petaluma. "One would assume that once the planning money is there, money could be made available to get the project complete."


text:
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(Do you want a football job as a football scout or work for a professional football team?)
The Football GM and Scouting Course is an 8 week online course that offers cutting edge theories on how to develop a career in professional or collegiate football. The Football GM and Scouting Course will cover issues including football operations, team management, scouting talent, player personnel, cutting edge ways of scouting, NFL traditional scouting techniques, studying football on paper, statistical analysis and other essential tools of modern general managers of professional and collegiate football organizations. May qualify for university internship requirements.
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Read an article about one of the many successful graduates here.
Watch this YouTube Video about "How to Become a Football Scout"
Course Mentors
Students enjoy networking, learning, and getting to know Mark Dominik, John Wooten, Russ Lande, & Dr. Lashbrook in the live weekly audio chats.
Mark Dominik - former Tampa Bay GM & ESPN Analyst
Mark Dominik, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers General Manager contributed to seven playoff appearances and four division titles for the Bucs. Dominik quickly gained a reputation as one of the NFL's top talent evaluators, with a keen aptitude for finding late-round gems, in addition to fully utilizing the "second draft"—bringing in rookie contributors through undrafted free agency, scouring the waiver wire and opposing teams' practice squads.
Mark is excited to mentor Football GM & Scouting students on the player personnel side of the NFL. Mark has a magnetic personality and is well respected throughout the league. Mark will give you confidence and strategies to pursue your passion. Being mentored by Mark Dominik will catapult your resume to the front of the hiring line.
Dominik joined the Buccaneers' staff at the young age of 24 as a pro personnel assistant. He served in that capacity through the 1997 season, before assuming the title of pro scout in 1998 and coordinator of pro personnel in 2000. Prior to the start of the 2001 season, Dominik began the first of his eight years as Tampa Bay's Director of Pro Personnel. In 2002, Dominik helped guide the Buccaneers to their first world championship in Super Bowl XXXVII against Oakland. As Director of Pro Personnel, his duties included overseeing the scouting, recruiting and signing efforts of all NFL players, while also monitoring NFL transactions and overseeing player tryouts. He was also in charge of the Pro Personnel department's evaluation of players in all other professional football leagues, including the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League, while being responsible for the negotiation and signing of contracts for several free agents and NFL Draft signings. Dominik joined Tampa Bay after spending a year and a half working in both the college and pro personnel departments of the Kansas City Chiefs. Dominik holds a BS degree in Sports Management from the University of Kansas.
In the Football GM & Scouting Course, you will speak directly each week with Mark Dominik. Imagine what that could do for your resume and career path!
John Wooten
John Wooten is fondly referred to as the "Godfather of the NFL."
John has been involved in the NFL at every level of the game for over 50 years. He has won NFL & Super Bowl titles. Following his NFL playing days, John had a variety of roles on various teams in the NFL. His job titles over 40 years have included Player Personnel, Director of Pro Personnel, Director of Player Programs, Vice President, Director of Scouting, and Consultant. Teams John has worked for in these positions include the Dallas Cowboys, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Baltimore Ravens, the NFL, and the NFLPA. John even had a stint as a sports agent.John is currently Chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which works closely with the NFL. Every team in the NFL has been impacted by John and his goal to increase job opportunities for minorities in the league.
Quote from NFL Sr. Executive VP for Football Operations, Ray Anderson reflecting on John Wooten's 50 year contribution to the NFL:
"Respectfully, professionally and affectionately John Wooten is known as the Godfather, not just because of his age or longevity, but because of the breath and depth of his service and what he has meant to the NFL as a player, scout and front office executive."
John Wooten is one of the most well connected people in the NFL. You will love learning from this natural mentor while enjoying his genuine spirit and years of wisdom.
To learn more about John Wooten, read this article. To learn more about Fritz Pollard Alliance visit their website here.
Russ Lande
NFL Draft Expert for GM Jr. Scouting & Director of College Scouting for the Montreal Alouettes
Russ is currently the Director of College Scouting for the CFL Montreal Alouettes and President of GMJR.com. Previously, Russ worked for the Sporting News, and was responsible for writing NFL insider content, providing detailed scouting reports on college players and posting an ongoing mock draft in the "War Room" leading up to the NFL Draft. Before working for Sporting News, Lande served as a College Scout and Blesto Representative for the Cleveland Browns for three years covering the mid-west region while evaluating all eligible prospects for the NFL Draft. Prior to that he spent four years at the St. Louis Rams as Scouting Administrator.
Russ and his staff of scouts cover games over the entire US analyzing and ranking the top 600 players available every year for the NFL Draft. Russ appears regularly on radio and television, including ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports, and The NFL Today Show.
You will enjoy learning from Russ and from his extensive skills and experience as a scout in the NFL. He has an unmatched ability to evaluate quality NFL players and is well known throughout the league. Whether you are an NFL junkie, want to make a career in the NFL, or just want to learn the techniques to evaluate football talent, the Football GM and Scouting Course will fuel your football passion.
Read more about Russ Lande on his website: www.RussLande.com
Dr. G. Lynn Lashbrook, President of SMWW and Head of SMWW's agency, has been a certified agent with the NFL for over 20 years. During his tenure as an agent, Dr. Lashbrook has represented over 100 NFL players including first round picks to free agents. Dr. Lashbrook worked for SMG, which is now CAA Football, for 5 years. Dr. Lashbrook was mentored on the agent business by Jim Steiner. With Jim Steiner and SMG, they represented top clients like Jerry Rice, Brian Dawkins, Mark Fields, Mike Alstott and many more top NFL players. In the addition to his NFL Agent experience, Dr. Lashbrook has worked in the business of football at the college and professional level behind the scenes and administratively. You will love his unique perspective, high energy, and great knowledge of the big business of football.
Read more about Dr. Lynn Lashbrook.
Course Details
Weekly Audio Chats- A unique aspect of each 8 week course is the opportunity for students to participate weekly in live interactive audio chats with fellow students, John Wooten, Russ Lande, Dr. Lashbrook and occasional guests. This is a tremendous opportunity to network within the professional and collegiate football industry and get to know your instructors and fellow students personally via the internet. This is available via any online computer.
Online Education - This innovative academic course is facilitated through a web-based educational delivery system. You will enjoy the online discussion boards, weekly readings, weekly quizzes, course projects, and interaction amongst fellow sports business-minded students and faculty. All course materials and textbooks are included in the course fee.
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Earn College Credit: Most participants are not college students. Most participants are working full time in a variety of careers including many in sports from all over the world. (Many wish they had taken this course in college!) For those of you who are in college and would like transferable credits (graduate or undergraduate) to your school, two-three hours of college credit is available. May qualify for university internship requirements. Click here for more information.
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The Future of Professional & College Football - Learn the latest technology.
Coach's Office is customized software used by football coaches, scouts and Director of Operations at all levels to draw plays, create playbooks, develop game plans, organize scouting & recruiting information and print play cards for practice. Students of the Football GM & Scouting Course will be given special access to Coach's Office. Students will have the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of hundreds of football formations, including the entire West Coast Offense.
If you are interested in working in professional football, Coach's Office cutting edge technology will take what you already know about the game of football and advance it to a new level. As the game of football continues to evolve with technology, students who learn to use Coach's Office will be ahead of their competition. Coach's Office is the best football software of its kind. Current users include high schools, colleges, and professional teams.
|The ideal course for the following individuals:
· Anyone who loves football
· Anyone who's passionate about a career in sports management
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· Those with other commitments for whom on-line education fits their schedule
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Course Certificate & Resume Reference:
Successful graduates of the Sports Management Worldwide courses will be sent a SMWW Certificate of Accomplishment. This certificate represents not only your achievements in the course but also demonstrates your personal commitment to self-improvement and ability to "self train" yourself for higher positions within the sports business industry.
In addition to your certificate, you will be given the stamp of approval by SMWW. This approval includes a personal reference you may add to your resume with contact information for Dr. Lynn Lashbrook and a reference to the mentors of this course.
Become a SMWW Scout:
Upon successful graduation of the Football GM & Scouting Course, individuals will be invited to join SMWWscouts.com. This is an exciting opportunity to advertise yourself as a certified scout and feature your scouting reports as a trained talent evaluator! This is a match making service for football scouts and those needing a football scout around the globe. It assists Managers, Coaches, Agents, and Teams looking for qualified talent evaluations with our certified SMWW Scouts! The site will include your own webpage with your picture and bio, with samples of your best scouting reports. It offers coaching staffs a chance to submit requests for scouting reports and find scouts by region. As a graduate of the Football GM & Scouting Course you are eligible to apply for acceptance as a SMWW Scout and be featured on this exciting website. (Free upon graduation!)
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Our goal is to see all Football GM & Scouting graduates gainfully employed in football worldwide. Your chances of accepting an offer of employment within professional football will improve by going through the program. SMWW will customize a football portfolio to assist you with your career goals.
Through our extensive network of professional football teams worldwide, football departments, and football organizations, our objective is to prepare you for when the right job opportunities become available. Numerous people that have gone through our programs are now employed in great positions and you could do the same. We want to help you launch your football career and help you find a position where you can be the most successful and satisfied.
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I am a football man, I live football, I need this game. I absolutely LOVE this game. I feel very privileged to have taken SMWW's Football GM and Scouting course. I have picked up new ideas and terminology. Now I understand the business, technical, and organizational side of professional football. The weekly chats alone are well worth the cost of the course because you get to ask questions to men who have worked in the NFL. I now have an education towards achieving my dream; working in an NFL football operations department. I highly recommend this ground breaking course to anyone who lives football.
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Adorn your home entertainment room or living room with the contemporary design of this 73 inch console and hutch wall unit. It features clean lines and smooth surfaces encompassing a simple look. The console features four shelves and seven open compartments to house media devices, cable box, DVD's, games, and decor. The hutch features even more shelves and open compartments that frames the TV set. Decorate with accent pieces, books, vases or other items to add to the finishing touch of your decor.
The Essentials Lifestyle 73 Inch Console & Hutch Wall Unit by Aspenhome at Bullard Furniture in the Fayetteville, NC area. Product availability may vary. Contact us for the most current availability on this product.
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Woodpeckers, such as this downy, are adapted for life with wood.
- Filed Under
Woodpeckers are certainly well named. They are adapted for life with wood. They beat their heads against wood. That drumming is part of their mating ritual. Sounds odd to us. But it works for them. They have a very hard cranium that withstands all that sexual head knocking.
They have stiff tail feathers that act as a prop. Stiff tails help them perch on vertical tree trunks.
They feed on insects in wood. The smaller woodpeckers mostly probing into bark crevices. The larger ones do more excavating into dead wood for larvae. They have tongues with little barbs on either side that they can extend outward into bark crevices or wood excavations.
When I was catching birds in mist nets I used to hate to catch woodpeckers. They would get their tongue with the barbs all wrapped up in the net. It was often difficult to get their tongue free of the net strands. Sometimes I would have to cut the net from around their tongues.
They excavate cavities in trees in which they roost, nest and raise their young. A hole in a tree provides a lot of protection from winter storms and predators. All woodpeckers except the red-cockaded nest in dead wood of trees. Either dead limbs of living trees or dead trees (snags). The red-cockaded woodpecker is different in that they nest and forage in living old pine trees. It may take a family clan or group of red-cockadeds up to five years to ream out a suitable cavity in an old longleaf or loblolly pine.
They come in various sizes, from the smallest downy and red-cockaded woodpeckers to the very large pileated, which is about crow size. Most have some red on their head. In some species only the males have this rufus tag.
Their names can be confusing. Both male and female adult red-headed woodpeckers have entirely red heads. Young have a blackish head. Male and female red-bellied woodpeckers have red on their heads, males more extensively than females, but the red on their belly is hardly visible except on a belly up specimen in a museum case. The downy does not have extra down, and the hairy doesn't have hair. Only mammals have hair.
And there are some interesting colloquial local names to add to that confusion. Log god or lord god is the pileated. The yellow hammer is the northern flicker, whose underwings are bright yellow.
Densities are very different for the different species. From the red-bellied, which is common, to the ivory-billed, which is probably extinct.
Different species inhabit different habitat. For example, red-headeds can be seen in snags in open areas such as golf courses or clearcuts. Red-bellieds, on the other hand, often are found in mature hardwoods.
I'll offer more details of the various species in articles to come.


text:
This question already has an answer here:
- Is casting the same thing as converting? 12 answers
Eric Lippert's comments in this question have left me thoroughly confused. What is the difference between casting and conversion in C#?
This question already has an answer here:
Eric Lippert's comments in this question have left me thoroughly confused. What is the difference between casting and conversion in C#?
marked as duplicate by nawfal, Raveren, Boris Callens, Lee Taylor, hyde Nov 30 '13 at 8:00
This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.
I believe what Eric is trying to say is:
Casting is a term describing syntax (hence the Syntactic meaning).
Conversion is a term describing what actions are actually taken behind the scenes (and thus the Semantic meaning).
Seems to back that up by saying that a cast operator in the syntax performs an explicit conversion.
Casting is a way of telling the compiler "Object X is really Type Y, go ahead and treat it as such."
Conversion is saying "I know Object X isn't Type Y, but there exists a way of creating a new Object from X of Type Y, go ahead and do it."
I am reminded of the anecdote told by Richard Feynman where he is attending a philosophy class and the professor askes him "Feynman, you're a physicist, in your opinion is an electron an 'essential object'?" So Feynman asks the clarifying question "is a brick an essential object?" to the class. Every student has a different answer to that question. They say that the fundamental abstract notion of "brickness" is the essential object. No, one specific, unique brick is the essential object. No, the parts of the brick you can empirically observe is the essential object. And so on.
Which is of course not to answer your question.
I'm not going to go through all these dozen answers and debate with their authors about what I really meant. I'll write a blog article on the subject in a few weeks and we'll see if that throws any light on the matter.
How about an analogy though, a la Feynman. You wish to bake a loaf of banana bread Saturday morning (as I do almost every Saturday morning.) So you consult The Joy of Cooking, and it says "blah blah blah... In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. ..."
Clearly there is a strong relationship between that instruction and your actions tomorrow morning, but equally clearly it would be a mistake to conflate the instruction with the action. The instruction consists of text. It has a location, on a particular page. It has punctuation. Were you to be in the kitchen whisking together flour and baking soda, and someone asked "what's your punctuation right now?", you'd probably think it was an odd question. The action is related to the instruction, but the textual properties of the instruction are not properties of the action.
A cast is not a conversion in the same way that a recipe is not the act of baking a cake. A recipe is text which describes an action, which you can then perform. A cast operator is text which describes an action - a conversion - which the runtime can then perform.
From the C# Spec 14.6.6:
So casting is a syntactic construct used to instruct the compiler to invoke explicit conversions.
From the C# Spec §13:
So conversions are where the actual work gets done. You'll note that the cast-expression quote says that it performs explicit conversions but explicit conversions are a superset of implicit conversions, so you can also invoke implicit conversions (even if you don't have to) via cast-expressions.
Just my understanding, probably much too simple:
When casting the essential data remains intact (same internal representation) - "I know this is a dictionary, but you can use it as a ICollection".
When converting, you are changing the internal representation to something else - "I want this int to be a string".
After reading Eric's comments, an attempt in plain english:
Casting means that the two types are actually the same at some level. They may implement the same interface or inherit from the same base class or the target can be "same enough" (a superset?) for the cast to work such as casting from Int16 to Int32.
Converting types then means that the two objects may be similar enough to be converted. Take for example a string representation of a number. It is a string, it cannot simply be cast into a number, it needs to be parsed and converted from one to the other, and, the process may fail. It may fail for casting as well but I imagine that's a much less expensive failure.
And that's the key difference between the two concepts I think. Conversion will entail some sort of parsing, or deeper analysis and conversion of the source data. Casting does not parse. It simply attempts a match at some polymorphic level.
Casting is the creation of a value of one type from another value of another type. Conversion is a type of casting in which the internal representation of the value must also be changed (rather than just its interpretation).
In C#, casting and converting are both done with a cast-expression:
( type ) unary-expression
The distinction is important (and the point is made in the comment) because only conversions may be created by a conversion-operator-declarator. Therefore, only (implicit or explicit) conversions may be created in code.
A non-conversion implicit cast is always available for subtype-to-supertype casts, and a non-conversion explicit cast is always available for supertype-to-subtype casts. No other non-conversion casts are allowed.
In this context, casting means that you are exposing an object of a given type for manipulation as some other type, conversion means that you are actually changing an object of a given type to an object of another type.
This page of the MSDN C# documentation suggests that a cast is specific instance of conversion: the "explicit conversion." That is, a conversion of the form
Automatic data type changes (such as
A cast is an operator on a class/struct. A conversion is a method/process on one or the other of the affected classes/structs, or may be in a complete different class/struct (i.e.
Cast operators come in two flavors: implicit and explicit
Implicit cast operators indicate that data of one type (say, Int32) can always be represented as another type (decimal) without loss of data/precision.
Explicit cast operators indicate that data of one type (decimal) can always be faithfully represented as another type (int), but there may be loss of data/precision. Therefor the compiler requires you to explicitly state that you are aware of this and want to do it anyway, through use of the explicit cast syntax:
Conversion takes two types that are not necessarily related in any way, and attempts to convert one into the other through some process, such as parsing. If all known conversion algorithms fail, the process may either throw an exception or return a default value:
Eric's references to syntactic conversion vs. symantic conversion are basically an operator vs. methodology distinction.
A cast is syntactical, and may or may not involve a conversion (depending on the type of cast). As you know, C++ allows specifying the type of cast you want to use.
Casting up/down the hierarchy may or may not be considered conversion, depending on who you ask (and what language they're talking about!)
Eric (C#) is saying that casting to a different type always involves a conversion, though that conversion may not even change the internal representation of the instance.
A C++-guy will disagree, since a
Casting and Conversion are basically the same concept in C#, except that a conversion may be done using any method such as
Which conversion method does it use? The compiler decides based on the classes and libraries provided to the compiler at compile-time. If an implicit conversion exists, you are not required to use the casting operator.
You can create
Casting always refers to the use of the casting operator. You can write
But if you access
INSERTED EDIT: Casting is an operation that happens at the denotational semantics layer (where types are expressed in their full semantics). A cast may (e.g. explicit conversion) or may not (e.g. upcasting) cause a conversion at the runtime semantic layer. The downvotes on my answer (and the upvoting on Marc Gavin's comment) indicates to me that most people don't understand the differences between denotational semantics and operational (execution) semantics. Sigh.
I will state Eric Lippert's answer more simply and more generally for all languages, including C#.
A cast is syntax so (like all syntax) is erased at compile-time; whereas, a conversion causes some action at runtime.
That is a true statement for every computer language that I am aware of in the entire universe. Note that the above statement does not say that casting and conversions are mutually exclusive.
A cast may cause a conversion at runtime, but there are cases where it may not.
The reason we have two distinct words, i.e. cast and conversion, is we need a way to separately describe what is happening in syntax (the cast operator) and at runtime (conversion, or type check and possible conversion).
It is important that we maintain this separation-of-concepts, because in some programming languages the cast never causes a conversion. Also so that we understand implicit casting (e.g. upcasting) is happening only at compile-time. The reason I wrote this answer is because I want to help readers understand in terms of being multilingual with computer languages. And also to see how that general definition correctly applies in the C# case as well.
Also I wanted to help readers see how I generalize concepts in my mind, which helps me as computer language designer. I am trying to pass along the gift of a very reductionist, abstract way of thinking. But I am also trying to explain this in a very practical way. Please feel free to let me know in the comments if I need to improve the elucidation.
Eric Lippert wrote:
The recipe is what is happening in syntax. Syntax is always erased, and replaced with either nothing or some runtime code.
For example, I can write a cast in C# that does nothing and is entirely erased at compile-time when it is does not cause a change in the storage requirements or is upcasting. We can clearly see that a cast is just syntax, that makes no change to the runtime code.
That can be used for documentation purposes (yet noisy), but it is essential in languages that have type inference, where a cast is sometimes necessary to tell the compiler what type you wish it to infer.
For an example, in Scala a
A cast could know at compile-time that it requires a type conversion, e.g.
Thus we can clearly see that equating all casts with explicit conversion, is an error of implication in the MSDN documentation. That documentation is intending to say that explicit conversion requires a cast operator, but it should not be trying to also imply that all casts are explicit conversions. I am confident that Eric Lippert can clear this up when he writes the blog he promised in his answer.
ADD: From the comments and chat, I can see that there is some confusion about the meaning of the term erased.
The term 'erased' is used to describe information that was known at compile-time, which is not known at runtime. For example, types can be erased in non-reified generics, and it is called type erasure.
Generally speaking all the syntax is erased, because generally CLI is not bijective (invertible, and one-to-one) with C#. You cannot always go backwards from some arbitrary CLI code back to the exact C# source code. This means information has been erased.
Those who say erased is not the right term, are conflating the implementation of a cast with the semantic of the cast. The cast is a higher-level semantic (I think it is actually higher than syntax, it is denotational semantics at least in case of upcasting and downcasting) that says at that level of semantics that we want to cast the type. Now how that gets done at runtime is entirely different level of semantics. In some languages it might always be a NOOP. For example, in Haskell all typing information is erased at compile-time.


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November 28, 2015
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - For the next three months drivers can expect a detour in the area north of St. Mary's Hospital on 26 ½ Road as workers replace a bridge.
From Jan. 11 until April 16 the bridge at 26 ½ and F ½ road will be closed. Northbound traffic will be detoured to Horizon Drive and 12th Street. Southbound traffic will be directed west to 26 Road.
Officials say the current bridge has been identified as structurally deficient and has a maximum weight limit so a new wider, more stable bridge will be built in its place.
KKCO firmly believes in freedom of speech for all and we are happy to provide this forum for the community to share opinions and facts. We ask that commenters keep it clean, keep it truthful, stay on topic and be responsible. Comments left here do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of KKCO 11News.powered by Disqus
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text:
Hi All,
What a great contest, we'll be submitting shortly hopefully! I love your plugin ModernTribe people, finally an events plugin which is actually usable and well written, like WooCommerce for Events
I look forward to adding support for it in our other themes as well!
addie043 said
I would love to see a theme for a record label with woocommerce integrated and a good audio player. After all, we manage all these bands and need themes for all of them. Love LA Band but its missing some of the components.
Hi there. Our theme is Rock Band (first one on this page), do you have any specific ideas we could implement to make this happen? We have WooCommerce and BuddyPress integration. We didn't plan for a multi-artist implementation but it is possible, I'd be interested in any feedback you have
Great competition so far, a lot of great themes! Wishing everyone crazy awesome sales!
I didn't want this thread to be about actual favorites, I was just wondering weather people are interested
Ah, didn't know that In any case, I would definitely go for this without a problem
Hello awesome marketplace people,
Excuse me if this was talked about before, I was wondering if it would be possible or if you would think it would be a good idea to hold a kind of in-house competition where authors could vote on their favorite items (not their own).
I'm mainly an author but I've purchased over 100 items and there are 1-2 of them which have made my life just so much easier. I would have paid $99 for them (instead of $10 – $40) easily and I'm just so grateful to the respective authors.
Do any of you think this would be a fun thing to do?
VF said
On the other hand, if a buyer have to express the deficiency of item through ratings, that's not blackmail at all – they are fine to do that – they already have that tool.
I might not have been clear but this is what I meant While ratings ARE misused sometimes, overall they provide a good venue for buyers AND authors. Let's not forget the other side of the story where you can be nice to someone, ask for a rating and you get 5-stars easily.
VF said
Another very basic way of initiation could be just verifying author identities
Well said. It might be a bit difficult due to so many nationalities being around, but it's definitely worth thinking about. I think there is way too much anonymity on the web anyway. When commenting and such this is fine but selling stuff is a different matter.
Just as you would rather buy a car from a Ford dealership than a shady guy under the bridge, buyers would probably feel safer with verified identities.
graphic4444 said
when in doubt I don't buy, and instead buy from authors w/great comment history and feedback
I think this is the key to it all. Forget about ratings and be nice to your buyers, promote feedback and create great products. This will make sure that you can forget about ratings because you'll always be near 5.
I think the current rating system is pretty good actually. I think buyers should have a blackmailing tool in their hands. Some people will unfairly take advantage of this for sure, but if there is no system like this, authors will take advantage of buyers.
If there is no "blackmailing tool" then authors could potentially deceive and generally not care about buyers after purchase without a problem. In this case authors could be taking advantage of hundreds or even thousands of people.
If there "IS" such a tool, perhaps a handful of people will be blackmailing authors. It doesn't make it less of a crap experience but from the overall market perspective I think it's more fair.
I've found that if you are nice to people via email and your theme is solid it is extremely easy to get 5 star ratings by just asking people to consider rating the theme. To put it another way: with the right attitude and a quality theme it is far easier to rake in 5 stars than 1 stars.


text:
Providing Innovative Rural & Urban
Public Transportation in Central & East
Texas Since 1974.
Brazos Transit District
NOTICE: UPDATE OF FIXED ROUTE SERVICE IN BRYAN/COLLEGE STATIONTAMU, Blinn, and BTD ID's are now being accepted on all TAMU off campus routes in Bryan & College Station. Individuals without an ID will be allowed to ride and given information on how to obtain an ID.
Our mission is to provide
affordable and convenient transportation services and infrastructure
to allow the general public access to goods and services, as well as
to provide public transportation as a high quality, attractive,
convenient, and efficient alternative to the
We are a
general public transportation provider. We operate Fixed Routes,
Waterway Cruisers, Paratransit Service, Demand and Response, and
Park & Rides. The District was founded in 1974 and covered the seven
counties of the Brazos Valley. We now serve sixteen counties in
Central and East Texas covering 13,333 square miles with a
population of 932,441. We are a political sub-division of the State
of Texas and receive funding through the Federal Transportation
Administration (FTA) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
The District is committed to providing non-discriminatory service
and does not discriminate as to age, sex, color, race, national
origin, religion or non-religion, or disability. If you feel that
you have been discriminated against you may file a complaint by
calling (979)778-0607 ext 7008, or 1-800-272-0039, via email to
email@example.com, or by mail to: Customer Care, 1759 N. Earl
Rudder Freeway, Bryan, Texas, 77803. For additional information
regarding The District's obligations under Title VI call
Title VI
Title VI Program Spanish
City of College Station:
City of College Station's
Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Master Plan.
Fixed Routes
Demand & Response
Community Circular / ADA Paratransit
Waterway Cruisers
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The District maintains an active
membership in the following the Texas Association of Community Transit (ACT)
and the Community Transit Association
of America.


text:
ELKHART — Northern Indiana has some hurdles to overcome to position its workforce and industry to take advantage of the future, but there are already significant efforts under way to address those problems.
That's the essence of a report commissioned by the Corporate Partnership for Economic Growth (CPEG) in response to business concerns about gaps between open jobs and unemployed workers who don't qualify for those jobs.
The Talent Roadmap for Northern Indiana, put together by an Indianapolis firm, "reinforced many of the trends that our region has faced. I think it's more positive that what we anticipated," said Shawn Peterson, president of CPEG, a regional group. The report showed that in Elkhart and four other counties, "It's not as large of a skill gap in some ways. In some ways, though, we do have things we can work on and address," Peterson said.
One thing that pleased Peterson is that the employers, educators and workforce-development professionals in the region are already working hard to address many of the key problems.
Some of the information in the report paints a bleak picture for 21st-century job growth:
Only 30 percent of adults in the area of an associate's degree or higher, lower than the state average and much lower than the national average.
More than half of adults in the region have no more than a high-school education.
Failing to graduate or get a GED doubles your chance of poverty compared to high school graduates, and makes you 5 1/2 times more likely to be poor than someone with a bachelor's degree.
Failing to graduate made people nearly six times more likely to be unemployed during the recent recession than people with a bachelor's degree or higher.
This region fares worse than other parts of Indiana at the number of people completing a higher education, especially when taking Notre Dame out of the picture, since not many ND graduates stick around.
This region's population is aging, with more people approaching or reaching retirement age, and fewer people ages 25-34, and employers report a hard time recruiting professionals.
Employers and educators often aren't speaking the same language when talking about what jobs actually entail.
The report issues four specific solutions, along with examples of how those solutions have been implemented elsewhere:
Implement the use of WorkKeys Job Profiling, already done through WorkOne, and expand its use by employment agencies, educators, employers and potential employees, and also start using certifications from professional organizations.
Develop internship and fellowship programs, run awareness campaigns and focus on bringing in young and international professionals, including creating ways to help their spouses find jobs.
Educate people about the advanced manufacturing done here and the skills required, make wider local recruitment efforts and conduct a regional wage and salary survey to make sure businesses are competitive within the region and the region is competitive within industries.
Expand education efforts in project-based learning, career and technical education and science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs.
One key area that was acknowledged in the report, but not addressed, is a complaint aired by employers to the study's authors and to The Elkhart Truth in discussions about the workforce. As the study puts it, "results from the survey of regional employers, validated by focus group discussions with employers in manufacturing, also brought to light additional challenges to hiring locally, including inability to pass a drug test and overall unreliability of workers."
These issues aren't unique, the report continues. "We acknowledge that these social challenges are a problem for northern Indiana, but analyzing them in detail is beyond the scope of the Talent Roadmap for Northern Indiana," the report said.
Peterson said, "I think what the report was saying is that it's outside the scope to look at a drug rehabilitation program within this. If other efforts still don't produce, I think there's a framework to go back and look in more detail at how that would work.
"Some issues are very hard to address, so you want to go to what brings the most numbers early on. A potential options to expand the workforce was looking at having individuals transition from situational poverty back into the workplace. That would require partnership with other organizations to do that. The same framework would probably look at the drug issue if it's determined that some of these other efforts that are put together are still not sufficient," Peterson said.
In terms of unreliable workers, Peterson said a large number of educators and workforce-development groups are already responding to employer concerns and focusing on those skills.
"This provides us an overview and framework," Peterson said. "There are some issues that require additional study and surveying of companies or employers, professionals, to move forward. I think what this provides is a broad spectrum between some short-term issues we can discuss and tackle together, and then there are some long-term issues that require more thought and community input to move forward."
The report lays out how other communities have addressed the same issues. "This is providing recommendations based upon national, state and even regional models that have been put in place. It's up to the community to actually develop the initiatives that work best for the region," Peterson said.
Instead of exact plans, "it provides a roadmap and a launching place for discussion of things we can actually accomplish," he said.
"Industry looks at the talent and workforce from a regional perspective. As we transition to a 21st century economy, being responsive as a community to address those needs is really what industry is looking for," Peterson said. "They understand there's no overnight solutions, but they do want to see that they're being heard and positive action is being taken. I think this report reflects that the ball is moving and there is momentum to take positive action."
In a written announcement of the study, Jessica Borza of authors Thomas P. Miller and Associates said, "Northern Indiana is not alone in its pursuit of talent. Communities across the country, specifically the Midwest, are looking at their talent pipeline and challenging businesses, education, economic development and workforce development to work together and take actionable steps that deliver results."


text:
Movie (2007)
An extravagant party held on the top floor of an abandoned skyscraper takes a turn for the worse, when five guests receive a text message inviting them to a VIP party on the 27th floor. Once the five guests and two gatecrashers arrive at the VIP party they soon realise they have purposely been tricked and must play a sick and twisted game if they wish to escape the floor alive.
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Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
The Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine is nationally recognized for its excellence in healthcare, research and education.
The section has total research support of $4.8 million from federal and private research grants including lung cancer, asthma, COPD, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, transitional medicine, lung transplant, and cystic fibrosis.
Many physicians from the section are national and international experts. Together, they offer an incredibly large array of services, from general pulmonary and sleep medicine to highly specialized advanced lung diseases, such as including pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, adult cystic fibrosis, COPD/asthma, interstitial lung disease, lung and heart-lung transplantation, critical care, and interventional pulmonology.
The section offers four fellowship programs, including Pulmonary & Critical Care, Critical Care Medicine, Lung Transplantation, and Sleep Medicine. Many alumni and former fellows can be found in academic, research and healthcare leadership roles.
- Normalizing the levels of MeCP2 in a mouse model of MECP2 duplication syndrome restores neurological functionNov 25, 2015
- Using genetic techniques and a small molecule that can target specific genetic material, Baylor researchers find it is possible to reverse the effects of neurological disorders in mice.
- Immunology team receives prestigious Lee Howley Sr. Prize for arthritis researchNov 23, 2015
- Baylor immunology team awarded the 2015 Lee Howley Sr. Prize that recognizes team science in action that will lead to a faster cure for arthritis and related diseases.
- How to keep your food – and your insulin – down during the holidaysNov 23, 2015
- Don't let holiday feasts come back to haunt you – planning meals can help those with acid reflux and diabetes enjoy the festive foods, said experts at Baylor College of Medicine.
- Grusak and Rosen named AAAS FellowsNov 23, 2015
- Drs. Michael A. Grusak and Jeffrey M. Rosen of Baylor College of Medicine have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
- Baylor College of Medicine awarded $15.7 million in state cancer fundingNov 20, 2015
- Researchers in the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine this week received over $15.7 million in grant funding from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.


text:
Deviant Art
Outfits"Harley, leave me alone." Joker clenched his teeth as he growled at the dancing woman in front of his desk. She didn't seem to notice the seriousness in his animalistic but distracted warning. She held two shirts suspended in the air by hangers, glancing back and forth between them and biting her glossed lips in thought.Outfits4 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
"First, tell me which one you like better!" She squeaked, holding the shirts over her body one by one. She had her "pajamas" on; a cottony black button up shirt she sewed herself with red hearts all over it, paired up with matching sweat pants. Joker kept his focus on the long pencil in his hand, sketching routes through a complex blue-print of a building.
Once the sirens rang, these doors would be locked first, then these over here. This one would be easiest to break open but the elevator would be shut down, so... we'd have to take the stairs down a couple of floors or should we go up? Hmm... Maybe I should take a trip to the airport and steal a helic
That Boy - Page 1That BoyThat Boy - Page 15 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
Fan Fiction by JokerAgentChaos on deviantart.com
Eighth grade. Oh boy, let me tell ya! It's a nightmare for the nerds and little kids who haven't gone through puberty, but heaven for the popular kids, the punks, the bullies, the hot girls.
There were many classifications in middle school that a kid can slip into.
For girls, you were either a sweet, nice girl who got good grades, or a hottie; a snob. The one with all the popular kids.
It was tough being in this top category. The category I'm in. Anyway back to my rambling!
Let's see, now for guys there's the "Nerds", of course. Computer geeks, smarty's, you know the works.
Then there's the "Jocks"; the basketball, football die-hards. Tall with their teen muscles developed, they have all the girls after them, they have the practices every day after school.
Then there's the punks, the gangsters, the "cool" guys. Yep! Those are the main three labels for guys.
There are some people, just a few, who don't fit in any grou
That Boy - Page 53I scratched the branch under me with my dirty nails, feeling the tough wrinkles in the thick skin of the tree. After a while of staring at the never-changing grey sky, I slid my hand in my hoodie pouch and brought out the handgun I stole from Officer Gordon. It wasn't clipped very securely in his holster, and he didn't notice it was missing from his belt when he left. I smirked and examined the elegant weapon. I easily identified it as a Pietro Beretta, the common police corps firearm. I read the "MOD.92FS-CAL9" Printed on the muzzle over a dark red stain; old rust-like blood that had waited too long to be washed off. The thought of Gordon killing someone was an absurd idea to me. He just seemed too innocent to murder anything. Maybe this gun was someone else's before it was his. The black hole at the tip of the muzzle seemed like a black hole of death.That Boy - Page 534 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
I looked into it with wonder, holding the black plastic grip on the handle with both hands. After staring into that Beretta I closed m
Joker's Journal - 1She's nuts. I hate her.Joker's Journal - 13 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
Sometimes.Never mind. Always. I was stupid to let a psychologist attach onto me. As if I didn't get enough pointless therapy in Arkham! I had to bring a doctor outside as my own personal advisor. Idiotic.
What is this? Its a journal. Me scribbling my "thoughts" on a paper. She's making me do it. She's watching me right now. I ask her what the hell to write, and she suggests writing my current actions. That's what I'm doing.
Now I'm out of things to write. But you know what's funny? I can't write that I'm staring at a blank piece of paper, because that would be lying. I can however, write "Fifteen minutes ago I was staring at a blank piece of paper."
I know how to annoy her.
I am writing. I am writing. I am writing. I am writing. I am wr
She says that doesn't count. Now I have to sit here for another hour. Nothing is stopping me from leaving. Her glares don't intimidate me.
Hell with this.
Day two.
She made me write that
That Boy - Page 23I listened to the sounds of the night, never hearing them this clearly before. More men came into the Walgreens store, in a greatly heated argument. They stayed in there shortly, and then came out, fighting brutally.That Boy - Page 235 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
They fought roughly and angrily, moving down the street. "What IS IT with men and fighting?" I mumbled to myself.
"I can tell ya, Harl."
I fell out of the tree, startled and panicked. He was behind me the whole damn time!?!? I sat up, sore and scratched by the branches.
His gaze was still on the men in the distance, his hood casting a shadow over his face, of course. He was behind the tree, leaning on a tall fencepost.
"Men like them... they fight because they never knew any different. Simple as that." He turned his black eyes to me as I stood up, brushing leaves off of my body.
"Wise little owl you are..." I mumbled, pissed off and embarrassed.
"Clumsy little squirrel you are." He replied coolly. I had to admit, that was a good comeback.
"What are you doing here?" I asked
That Boy - Page 20He saw the realization creep slowly in my eyes. "'Cause you are different." He told me, slowly, letting it sink in.That Boy - Page 205 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
Then he added, "Like me."
"You aren't different; don't let them make you think that! Theythey just need someone to pick on so they can feel bigger!" I burst out, suddenly furious at my friends.
"No, I am different, Harley, I REALLY am!" He growled, relaxing his arms a bit.
"You're just a boy, like the rest of them! You're a little quiet, but who cares!?! I know people who are way too loud!" I tried to help him see it from my point of view; he was just a normal boy! He wasn't a freak!
He pulled off his hood with a frustrated jerk, exposing his dirty blonde hair to the harsh wind. "You want to know why I am different? Huh Harley? You want to know?" He pulled down the collar of his hoodie, stretching it, showing me his throat and chest. "THIS is why I am different!!!"
Just on the part I could see, the area around his collarbone, just below his neck, just see
That Boy - Page 33At the back of the library, J turned around and scanned the room. "This is SO not the place I usually go, by the way. I'm not like, a nerd or anything." I told him.That Boy - Page 335 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
"Of course not, Harls." He walked backwards to the emergency exit doors. I glanced behind me. No librarian, no kids. "Uh, won't those trigger an alarm or something?" I asked, seeing that he was gonna go outside.
"Nope. " That's all he said as he leaned back and pushed the red doors open. I followed him outside. The wind sent shivers down my back and my hair was whisked up in my face. I tied it in a single ponytail behind my head as we headed toward the bridge.
"They've been broken for years. The school just doesn't want to pay to fix 'em." J explained, raising his voice slightly over the wind.
We went under the bridge; I never had gone under here before. Swear words were scratched and scribbled into the cement surrounding our torso. The wind licked at our legs as we stood on the scraggly rocks. I watched th
That Boy - Page 4Sixth period was Gymnastics, my favorite class, which I topped the whole school in! I usually exceeded my friends incredibly, but today I didn't focus very well.That Boy - Page 45 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
I felt a lot of things at once, and I couldn't get away from my crowd of friends. As we waited our turn for the jumping board, they whispered to me.
"What happened? What did Travis do? What did the boy say?" They kept asking me these things I didn't want to answer!
Finally the period was over! I had never wished for gymnastics to be over quickly. Today I did. Surviving the stampeding hallways, I made it unharmed to seventh period. History.
This was the last class of the day. I was the fourth person in the room, getting there early. I went to my seat, next to the window. An essay was due today and I pulled it out of my folder. Some kids arrived and did the same. We still had three minutes before class started.
I went to the basket near the door and turned the essay in. As I turned around, the boy silently walked in. I stopped i
Clown and Crow"Science nerd alert!" Joker shouted, opening the door to the lab without acknowledging the "WARNING: CHEMICALS AT USE" sign.Clown and Crow4 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
Jonathan Crane tried not to cringe as he adjusted the settings on a big machine connected to a 6-foot tube of murky blue liquid. "Go away Joker, I don't want you in my laboratory."
Joker skipped over and looked at what Crane was doing. "Oh, I'll be good, I promise." He muttered, obviously not meaning at all what he said.
Jonathan glared at him from over the rim of his black glasses. "Don't. Touch. Anything."
Joker smirked, but held in a wave of laughter, standing tall and at attention. Jonathan glared at him a while longer before cranking a wheel on the side of the machine and watching a green substance slowly flow into the blue liquid in the giant test tube.
"Grandma's old recipe?" Joker asked, clearing his throat slightly. Jonathan made a face at him. "What?"
"Fear toxin, I meant." Joker grinned. "Lighten up Jonny." He hit the back of Crane's head good-naturedl
That Boy - Page 28I'm not going to tell her my name. No one will ever know my name. She was right though, I at least had to have a nickname.That Boy - Page 285 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
I looked at her again, and she could see that I was thinking about it. "Something only I would call you." She repeated.
Something only she would call me. I sat up on her bed and fingered the stain my blood had left on her covers. I thought about a name. Something simple, but still having a trace of myslef in it.
"Um... I guess... Jay. Like the letter... J."
"J?" She smiled, glad to know what to call me now. I nodded, liking the sound of how she said it. "J."
She let outy a giggle and rocked back and forth on her knees. "Okay! Sounds great!"
The car honked outside. I was so late to school! I ran into my parents' bedroom, keeping quiet so my mom wouldn't wake up.
I fished through my dad's shirts, he must have a hoodie somewhere! J couldn't stay here all day, and he couldn't go to school with a bloody shirt. I grinned as I found a black hoodie. It might be a l
That Boy - Page 26"What...?" I slowly asked. I realized some of the blood stain was in plain sight from under me.That Boy - Page 265 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
A thought came in my head. Embarrassing, but efficient. "Oh...that. Uh, I was actually hoping you wouldn't see that..." I stood up and brushed a strand of hair out of my face.
"Are you hurt?" He was worried. He took a step closer. I acted uncomfortable. "No, I'm not hurt...dad..."
"What is it honey? You can tell me." He was confused now. I sighed. How freaking embarrassing.
I stayed silent as a rock in her closet, listening. Her dad had seen the blood on her bed. I knew I should have left! I shouldn't have slept over here.
I couldn't see what was going on; her door was almost all the way closed. I knew she was probably going to tell her dad everything. She didn't seem like the type to lie, especially to her own parents. I prepared to come out of the closet.
"Dad... I'm, uh... on my period."
I said it and gave my father a weak, embarrassed smile. His exp
That Boy - Page 7"Do you live over here?" I heard him say, not daring to look straight at him.That Boy - Page 75 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
"Yeah, I live further down, behind the Walgreens. What about you?" I asked sweetly, daring to turn and face him as I walked.
Really Harley! Why'd you have to ask that? And why'd you have to answer him?! Come on! Telling him where you lived!!!??? How stupid!
"Nowhere." He answered. Okay. I couldn't tell if he was dismissing the question, or answering her truthfully.
There were dark gray clouds above us, but it wasn't going to rain anytime soon. Snow never stuck to the ground, winters were dark and rainy.
We came off the ramp and were now walking on the sidewalk. The wind was frostily chilling, and I liked it. We passed some old stores, seeing many spooky alleyways and some kids doing drugs after school.
After some more awkward silence, I pointed to my house, not knowing what else to do or say. "See, that's it."
I liked my house; it was one of the few nice ones in this city. Down the abandoned little road, back
That Boy - Page 10After school, I avoided my friends again and went to the guidance counselors' office. I pretended to fill out an appointment paper. Through one of the door windows, I could see him. Rotating slowly on a spinny chair, he was made of stone. The counselor was at his desk, asking pointless questions. The boy didn't answer them.That Boy - Page 105 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
"Why don't you participate in class? There is no reason to be a slacker, you know how to read and write. I know you do. You may pretend not to. But I know you do."
I didn't answer him. I was sick of him. I never said anything to him, to anyone. Why do they even try? Are they that bored? They know I won't talk to them, why try!?
"We need to see some commitment from you, mister. You need to start doing your work, you need to talk when spoken to, and you need to tell us your name!"
My name? You want to know my name, well tough luck, chubby. No one knows my name. Only I know my name! Wait until he starts guessing again. Then I'll be entirely bored to death!
That Boy - Page 17In history, two periods after science, my friends forced me to come on the other side of the room and talk with them. The teacher was at his desk, letting the class chat and work on our assignments.That Boy - Page 175 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
"I'm sorry Harleen!"
"Talk about the dumbest teacher ever!"
"That sucks! You should have just ditched him."
"I'd rather be paired up with a box full of cockroaches!"
"It's the same thing, Jenny!"
They laughed, and shot some glances back at the boy. I felt myself burning with embarrassment!!! He surely heard them!!! "Guys, its fine." I said, looking for something else to change the subject with. "Uh, have you seen Believe Me yet? Everyone says it's a good movie, but I don't know if it's worth the money."
"Yeah, we saw that last weekend." Katie blurted suddenly, obviously annoyed at me. They went and did something... without me? What? Why didn't they invite me?
"Oh, well thanks for inviting me." I laughed a little, kinda meaning what I said, but keeping the atmosphere friendly. Girls in my ga
That Boy - Page 27He was laughing! Laughing!!!!The sound made my heart flutter!That Boy - Page 275 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
"What!?" I laughed back. He came out of the closet, moving some shirt sleeves out of his face, and shook his head, still laughing. "You, you are just so damn funny!"
We both were laughing now. Laughing at each other, laughing about the fact we were laughing! My face was red with embarrassment, my ribs hurt with the laughter! I had just shoved him in my closet, leapt on the bed to try and cover the stain, and used my period as an excuse for it! And don't forget me calling him 'dude'!
He fell into my bed, squeezing his eyes shut and cackling ridiculously. I curled up, holding my stomach. What a crazy morning! We tried to catch our breath, and hold in our laughter. He managed to close his mouth, but still laughed in his throat.
I held myself in a sitting position with my shaking arms and wheezed, "Well... well, I just thought..." I couldn't control myself, I burst out laughing again.
I've never laughed before, it felt s
That Boy - Page 25*~*~*~*That Boy - Page 255 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
I don't want to wake up. I want to dream still, dream about him, about how it felt outside at night. I wanted to still dream about him. Him. That boy.
Was it a dream? Do I want to find out if it was or wasn't? Did I want it to be real?
I gathered up the strength to open my eyes. I was lying sideways on my bed, diagonally across the bottom corner.
It wasn't a dream! He was there, in front of me!!!
He was on his back, his exposed face peaceful, his emo-ish black eye-shadow covering his eyes. His hair was dirty and stringy, his purple hoodie coated on one side with dried blood.
He fell asleep with ME, on MY bed, in MY room, in MY house!!! God, I was such a girl!!!
I wanted him to say here forever.
I wanted him to feel safe like this forever.
I wanted him next to me forever.
It was a memorable moment, a perfect moment. It was short lived.
I heard my father coming up the stairs. The sun was out; I was supposed to be downstairs getting ready for school!!! My dad was coming to wake me
That Boy - Page 21My mother was cooking dinner on the stove when I got home. She smiled at me, her face filled with love.That Boy - Page 215 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes More Like This
Love. Something he would never know.
I went to my room, looked at myself in my long mirror and imagined cuts and burns on my bare skin. I imagined how it would feel to be abused. I imagined. I imagined.
I cried. I buried myself in my pillow and cried myself to sleep, skipping dinner. My mom came up to check on me. I shriveled away from her, still imagining what he probably felt every day.
I truthfully told her I felt sick, I felt horrible. She told me what every mother tells their kid when they are sick. Every mother except his.
What did she tell him? What did she scream at him? Was she a wasted drunk? A madwoman? A mentally insane creature from hell?
Unable to cry myself to sleep again, I was forced to wallow in my thoughts. I stared blankly out my window, seeing the city lights and the school in the distance. I made myself feel afraid. I held my eyes wide open in the dark. I made m
|Sta.sh Submit


text:
More no-huddle, please
Steelers/NFL Videos
Ben Roethlisberger laughed when the question arose Monday night, a half-hour after the Steelers' 23-20 overtime victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
Did he lobby coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians to go to the no-huddle offense late in the third quarter?
"That's the reason we went to it," Roethlisberger said. "I went to Coach Tomlin first and said, 'Go ask B.A.' And then B.A. asked me, 'Do you want to do it?'
"I said, 'Yeah, I was the one who came up with the idea.' "
Hmmm. Shouldn't that have been the other way around, and shouldn't it have happened much earlier?
You'd have thought the 37th sack of Roethlisberger in the Philadelphia game, or perhaps the rapid-fire succession of three-and-outs Monday night would have prompted Arians to try to change the pace.
All the no-huddle did, when the Steelers finally went to it, was turn the momentum of the game (combined with the idiotic personal foul on Baltimore's Jarret Johnson) and perhaps the momentum of the Steelers' season.
Be glad Roethlisberger spoke up. If he hadn't, the Steelers could well be two games behind the Ravens in the loss column instead of leading the AFC North at 3-1.
Roethlisberger's been pining for more no-huddle since before the 2006 season, when Bill Cowher was his coach and Ken Whisenhunt his offensive coordinator. It's surprising Arians hasn't gone there more often, seeing as his promise coming in was to turn the offense over to his maturing quarterback.
Given the Steelers' desperate plight at running back - I believe they're giving Dick Hoak a tryout today - this seems like the perfect time to do just that.
And that means more no-huddle.
It might not need to be the base offense. It definitely needs more air time.
The no-huddle allows Roethlisberger to call plays based on his feel for the game. It can keep a defense off-balance. Where others might see chaos in the no-huddle attack, Big Ben sees order.
He thrives in it.
"We kind of get a rhythm," he said. "It's going off what I see, not necessarily what the coaches see."
That sounds like a good thing.
Before going no-huddle Monday, the Steelers' offense was every bit as dreadful as it was a week earlier against the Eagles. Maybe worse.
When they took possession at their 33 with 5:49 left in the third quarter, the Steelers were trailing, 13-3, with an embarrassing total of 64 yards. Their previous six possessions had gone like this: interception; three-and-out; three-and-out; three-and-out; three-and-out; five-and-out.
This time, they moved 67 yards in four plays.
Now, it's hard to say the no-huddle was an immediate elixir. Johnson's late hit on Hines Ward and what Roethlisberger described as a "broken-play" 38-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes accounted for most of the yards on that drive.
But look what happened afterward. The Ravens' defense suddenly could not dictate the tempo, as it had for the better part of three quarters. The Steelers, who went no-huddle for only one more series - a nondescript one, at that -- suddenly were able to move the ball (102 yards on their final three possessions).
In the end, going no-huddle meant a lot more than Big Ben's blistering halftime speech, though that also spoke to his progression as a leader.
"He led, and we followed," running back Mewelde Moore said. "It was motivational, man. He did everything that a leader's supposed to do."
Tomlin spoke Tuesday of needing to trust Roethlisberger more when the play clock is running down. It's time the coaching staff trusted the quarterback to play his preferred offense, as well.
Next time, Roethlisberger shouldn't have to ask.
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Meanwhile, one of the more notable, and in some ways, most objectionable items found in the book appears to be the seemingly endless volume of accusations that Mrs. Obama has repeatedly been unable to cope with both the demands and otherwise adverse constraints of living in the White House. Especially when the kitchen staff fails to order enough Jiffy Pop for previously thought to be well planned out in advance state functions, and/or whenever flame oriented comedian Mario Cantone refuses to sometimes leave after his usual every other month three day sleep over.
Parkers' Lighthouse has prix-fix dinners in both its Main
Dining room and the Queensview Steakhouse. In the main room, ($60),
the menu includes entrée selections of Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi,
Filet, Main Lobster Tail, pan roasted Chicken, Crab and Shrimp
Encrusted Salmon and Miso-Mirin Glazed Chilean Seal Bass. The
four-course meal in the steakhouse has entrée choices of Filet
Mignon, Lobster Tail, "Simply Filet," scallops and Oven Roasted
Scottish Salmon. It's $85 per person. 435 Shoreline Dr. Call
432-6500 or visit www.parkerslighthouse.com.
Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post did some research on Lannan, who ranks in the top eight in his age group in career games started, innings pitched and quality starts. The other seven are Felix Hernandez, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Chad Billingsley, John Danks, Clayton Kershaw and Yovani Gallardo.
Lannan is 27, a bit older than Detwiler, but more importantly Lannan is already arbitration eligible and will be a free agent after the 2013 season. He should make $4 million to $5 million in arbitration for 2012, so he will be more expensive than either Gorzelanny or Detwiler.
The third Washington lefty, and the one who seems to fit the Red Sox mold the best, is John Lannan. Lannan led the staff in wins, starts and innings pitched in 2011, and is under club control for two more years. Also of interest to GM Ben Cherington is Lannan's ground ball rate: 54.1 percent, which is right up there in Aaron Cook range.
For the past four years he has also averaged 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings, and only one home run per nine innings. He doesn't walk a lot of batters. With the acquisition of Gio Gonzalez this offseason and return of ace Stephen Strasburg, Gorzelanny will likely be relegated to long relief if he stays in Washington.


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Olympic Sprinter Tests Positive for Steroids, Quits Team
Olympics-bound sprinter Debbie Dunn has gone from Team USA to Team What the Hell Where You Thinking Oh My God — she tested positive for anabolic steroids at the Olympic trials and is now off the team. In an age of rigorous drug testing, what in the world would possess an athlete to dope? »


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Alpha Delta Phi was the first national Greek letter fraternity to establish a chapter at Amherst. It developed from an original nucleus of eleven members of the class of 1837, who organized in September 1835, under the name of Iota Pi Kappa to promote the study of history. Iota Pi Kappa was not destined to long life, for in September 1836, there arrived in Amherst two delegates from the Yale Chapter of the Alpha Delta Phi, who, having gained the good graces of the members of Iota Pi Kappa, proposed that Iota Pi Kappa change its name and constitution to that of the Alpha Delta Phi. Finally, after two or three months of debate, during which time nearly all the members of Iota Pi Kappa were one by one initiated into Alpha Delta Phi, an agreement was reached ("duobus exceptis") to discard the constitution of Iota Pi Kappa and to adopt that of Alpha Delta Phi. The first meeting of the new Chapter was held on Monday, January 9, 1837. The charter members of the Amherst Chapter numbered seventeen members of the classes of 1837 and 1838.
The history of the Chapter has been on whole one of well-ordered growth and development. During the first five years of the Chapter's history its membership was confined to the Senior and Junior classes. But the advent of another fraternity in 1841 compelled the admission of the sophomores and freshmen. From then until 1946 the Chapter consisted of members of all four classes, chosen, for the most part, at the beginning of freshmen year. Until 1879, however, the two lower delegations did not wear the badge of the Fraternity.
In 1874, a chapter house was purchased and the Chapter took possession of its new property in August 1875. This Chapter house was the first in Amherst.
The great fire on the morning of July 4, 1879, which swept away the business part of the Amherst, did not spare Alpha Delta Phi; but the Chapter had the good fortune to save all its records. A new chapter house was built (1889-1890), occupying a commanding situation near the old house. In 1929 on this same piece of property another and larger home was constructed.
While the fraternities were dormant during World War II the Alumni Council, Faculty and Trustees made a study of conditions, with the cooperation of representatives of all the fraternities. As a result, after the war the fraternities were allowed by the Trustees to reopen in the fall of 1945.
Following a concerned effort by the alumni Brothers to renovate the physical condition of the chapter house and to reestablish successful rushing, initiations were renewed in the fall of 1946, and the Chapter continued to flourish and was once again the pre-eminent fraternity at Amherst College.
In 1976, Amherst College accepted its first women undergraduates. In 1978, the Chapter pledged its first group of women. Although many doubted the wisdom of the decision, it was only two years later that the College's Board of Trustees required all Amherst fraternities to admit women.
In 1985, Amherst College banned all fraternities. The Fraternity withdrew its Charter at the International Convention in August 1989.
In 2002 Alpha Delta Phi was approached by an outstanding group of young men from Amherst College. After many phone interviews with Fraternity President Edward J. Donahue, JH 1968, and multiple visits by Assistant Exec. Director Cray J. Coppins III, K 2001, the Board of Governors unanimously voted to initiate the group into the mysteries of the Alpha Delta Phi, thus re-establishing the Fraternity at Amherst College.
Bill Bronson
Terrie Eastmade
6126 Lincoln Avenue
Morton Grove, IL 60053
Telephone:(847) 965-1832
Fax:(847) 965-1871
Monday-Friday:08:30 AM - 4:00 PM Central Time
During the summer (June-August), the office has extended hours Monday-Thursday.
However, the office is closed on Friday.
© 2010 by Enki Solutions, LLC


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I've been asked what to look for when choosing an old bike to do up for a fixed gear/SS project.
Well, that question is as big as the world around us. Sorry.
Sheldon Brown covers it fairly well with his articles and if you're not sick of being referred to them, you haven't read enough of this forum yet
But just to demonstrate what can be done pretty easily, I thought I'd show a few shots of my bike polo bike ... especially as it allows me to show off my bike polo bike
Here be the beast
Essentially, she's a really low end, el cheapo bike I bought off Ebay for $20. At that time, she had steel wheels, steel drop bars, rubbish cranks, low end 5 speed gears, low end brakes and ... wait for it ... 'safety levers' on the brakes (those extensions that come along the front of the handle bars).
She had everything taken off her, all the bearings pulled apart and rebuilt. I added some second hand track wheels (and promptly stripped the rear hub starting a race) and some rather nice alloy, track bars. I built her to give me an intro into track cycling and while she worked on the track, she was far too short for me - I could sprint like blazes but she weren't comfy in the slightest. Then our track career ended as my son started preseason training for his soccer club. So she got parked in the shed.
The beast she is now is my response to bike polo needs. On the surface, she makes a fairly typical 'fixie' for the road but there are a few modifications to make her more suitable for bike polo such as the low gearing (45x22 - it'll go lower when I change the chain ring), the brake on the back wheel rather than the front (yes, it is fixed) and the shortened bars. This is very much the Mk 1 version and will be modified as I decide it's needed/desirable/fun.
However, it does demonstrate what to look for in an old bike to do up.
The first thing to look for, are horizontal dropouts - those the the slots on the frame the rear axle sits in. Basically, you need to be able to move the rear wheel backwards and forwards so that you can set the chain tension. You can see them here on my bike. You can run a chain tensioner on a SS but not on a fixed gear.
Frame. Ride the donor and determine whether it fits you or not. Bear in mind that many fixed gear riders like a shorter reach than their roadies, mainly because they ride in a more upright position.
Check the donor bike for what will need to be replaced - in my case, I've replaced pretty much everything but at $20, it's a pretty cheap frame.
The quality of the frame needed depends on how much you want to spend and what you want to do. My Road Chief is clearly a plain gauge, some sort of steel frame ... but is surprisingly light for all that.
Wheels - well, you won't buy an old bike with track wheels (unless it's a track bike), so assume you'll be buying wheels.
Brakes. Use them. Preferably the donor bike's (even rubbish brakes work with new brake blocks) but a new set of Tecktro, dual pivot brakes will set you back about $65.
Handle bars - use the donor bike's or something else? Depends on what you want to do, but you don't have to spend a motza if you don't want to. The ones on the Road Chief are mtb bars I bought second hand for little and just pushed through the quill.
Brake levers - if converting from drop bars to flat bars, you'll need to buy different brake levers, but again, they're cheap and work with road calipers. The lever on my bike is a Deore.
Cranks - usually you'll just use what's on the donor bike. I bought those ghastly purple things of ebay for some stupidly cheap price ... and they're made of cheese so probably weren't worth buying.
What to look for in a donor bike?
Horizontal dropouts.
Frame fit.
What it costs to buy.
What you will want to replace and what that'll cost you.
What the total build is worth to you.
(to the bod who sent me the PM asking the question, feel free to 'out' yourself, but if you don't want to, that's cool too )


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Where to Purchase PVC Brown Horse Fence in San Diego CA
Hi can anyone advise me where I can purchase a dark brown PVC horse fence in San Diego, I did some research online but unfortunately was unsuccessful. The companies I came across online are on the East Coast or Mid-West one company was asking $3200 just deliver the fence, I am hoping there is a local supplier any advise would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance
According to Centaur's website there's a dealer within 50 miles. They sell brown horse fence.
Superior Fence
2635 Gianelli Lane
Escondido, CA 92025
Jorge Gutierrez
Phone: (760)294-8509
Hope this helps.
Hi There,
Thank you very much for the contact... How funny I called him today and got a quote on the white, he's going to get back to me on the brown, he charges $12.35 per ft for a 4 rail fence, I am waiting on other local companies to get back to me, I called around the equestrian centers and got some numbers today, but $12.35 seems high.
Have you ever installed a fence yourself??
Some say use cement some say don't?
Not sure which is better???
Have you any idea??
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Hang On
Hangover Gone
BevNET Review
Last Updated: 1/28/2011 9:26 AM
Hangover Gone, which, due to the color difference on the letters, could also be read "Hang On," is a 30 calorie anti hangover shot that is sweetened with a blend of sugar and sucralose. The sour cherry flavor is immediately tart on the taste buds but unfortunately gives way to an unappealing medicinal aftertaste. Likely, this is the result of the artificial sweetener clashing with their choice of flavor and the proprietary blend of functional ingredients.(which includes dextrose, milk thistle, artichoke extract and more). Fortunately, it comes in a 2 oz. shot, which helps get it down the throat quickly in order to ingest the recovery elements. Hangover Gone is packaged like most any 2 oz. shot on the market, with no overly unique design elements. The label's treatment of the brand name displays two names simultaneously through the use of colors -- "Hangover Gone" and "Hang On." Unfortunately, we don't really see the purpose of this approach. Overall, it's definitely not the best hangover recovery product that we've had, but we think that it can probably still sell if it gets placement right at the counter. However, improving the package and the taste would definitely help this product.
Product Type
Functional: Recovery and Hangover
Container2 oz PET
Nutritional Info
Calories 30, Total Carbohydrate 8g, Potassium 130mg, Thiamin 0.075mg, Riboflavin 1.7mg, Niacin 20mg, Pantothenic acid 20mg, Vitamin B6 4mg, Vitamin B12 60mcg, Vitamin C 90mg, Vitamin E 3 IU, Folate 400mcg, Calcium 100mg, Magnesium 40mg, Zinc 1.5mg
Filtered water, sugar, natural flavors, cohineal extract (for color), potassium sorbate and potassium benzoate (to preserve freshness), malic acid, sucralose Proprietary Recovery Blend : Dextrose, Milk Thistle Seed extract, Succinic acid, Fumaric acid, N-acetyl- Cysteine, Artichoke Extract, Lyciium Extract, Ginger Extract
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