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Don't feel like reading? Watch the video instead! Or scroll past it for the regular article.
It's time to talk about a trend in modern gaming that I find extremely troubling, and of particular concern to Asian gamers, who seem to be forced to deal with it more than most: the stamina system in "free" games.
Stamina system is just one name for it, of course. It gets called a power system, an energy system, a health system, etc. and it might be represented as hearts or lighting bolts or anything else depending on the game. But the basic fundamentals of these systems are always the same: you have a a preset amount of stamina (often five), and each time you play the game, one unit of stamina is consumed. When you run out, you have to either pay money to purchase additional stamina or wait a set period of time (often 10-15 minutes per unit) for the stamina to regenerate.
But take a second to reflect on what that actually means. At its most base level, a stamina system is something that developers implement to stop you from playing their game. It is a game element that is designed to keep you from gaming, at least until you pay up. And of course, there is never a "buy the game" option that allows you to pay a higher price once and then play the game at your leisure without having to worry about the stamina system again. These developers don't want you to be able to own the game, after all, they want you to rent it forever.
But perhaps even more concerning is that many developers don't seem to want you to know what actually costs to rent the game. Many games that use stamina systems also use a complicated in-game currency scheme that's designed to make it difficult for you to easily figure out what another five stamina is actually going to cost you. Often, you're made to figure out what your real dollars are equal to in one in-game currency, and then what that fake currency is equivalent to in another fake in-game currency. Does this result in more sales by helping divorce people from the idea that they're spending a lot of money? I'm certain it does. But it's also pretty goddamn cynical.
Crunching the numbers
And the thing is, when you work out what you're actually paying if you want to play one of these stamina games like you owned it, the price is ridiculous. Let's take, for example, Tiantian Kupao, one of China's highest-grossing freemium mobile games. Its monetization system is actually comparatively simple: you use real money to buy diamonds, and then diamonds to purchase stamina (represented by hearts). If we assume you're buying the largest possible volume of diamonds and hearts (this is where you get the best discounts), then it works out to around 0.22 RMB ($0.04) per heart.
That sounds like a pretty cheap rate, and it is, but the thing is that in Tiantian Kupao, as in many games with these kinds of systems — cough, Angry Birds Go! — you can burn through hearts pretty fast. I tend to average between 1 and 2 minutes per life, which means that for me, playing Tiantian Kupao like I owned it for an hour would cost around $2. So, let's say I want to play the game for a half hour during my commute each day. Suddenly, after just a month I've spent upwards of twenty bucks on a game that's basically a glorified version of Super Mario Brothers. Given that full games with incredible production values like The Witcher 2 are regularly on sale on Steam and elsewhere for like $5, spending $20 to rent a half-decent mobile platformer for a month is a terrible value.
And like I said, Tiantian Kupao is actually better than plenty of the other games I've looked at over the years.
Mobile monetization: there are many roads, but this one is terrible
Look, I don't begrudge developers their attempts at monetization. If games didn't make money, then we'd have nothing to play, and I recognize that in Asia in particular the "freemium" model is by far the most viable when it comes to games. But developers, please monetize in some other way. Run ads. Sell in-game items. Restrict players to the first few levels and ask them to pay to unlock more. Do anything but implement another stupid stamina system.
Imagine the concept of the stamina system applied to another industry. Let's say, for example, you see a flyer for a free concert and decide to check it out. Are you going to get angry because they're selling food, drinks and merch to make some money off of the event? Of course not. Are you going to be upset that the logos of companies sponsoring the concert are hanging onstage behind the band? Of course not.
But wouldn't you be annoyed if the band stops after two songs and tells you that you all need to pay $3 to hear an additional 7 minutes of music? Wouldn't you be especially annoyed if the band told you that to hear 7 more minutes you all needed to pay with bandbucks, which can be purchased with musicash, which in turn must be purchased with real dollars? You can buy 20 musicash for $3.75, and bandbucks are bought in packs of 100 for 60 musicash each. Sounds like a fun concert, huh?
That's exactly what developers are doing with these in-game stamina systems, and it's time we stopped being OK with it. Intentionally confusing in-app currency conversions are a cheap trick, and forcing customers not to play your game is just bad design.
We've been here before
The tech world in general seems to be shifting toward subscription and micro-transaction based services. I understand the move from a corporate balance sheet's perspective, but from the point of view of a consumer, this is objectively terrible. Increasingly, we are being told that we cannot own copies of the games we love. Instead, stamina systems are forcing us to choose between paying absurd prices to essentially "rent" games in perpetuity, or only be permitted to play them during extremely limited windows a few times a day.
Gamers of my generation may feel inclined to point out that this system is pretty similar to what we used to have in arcades, where you had to pay a quarter for every round you played. That's certainly true, stamina systems and the pay-to-play arcades of yore are essentially the same thing. But my retort is always: do you want to go back to those days? There's a reason why arcades pretty much die out everywhere when home consoles and PC gaming become something middle-class families can afford pretty easily: owning your own games is way better than renting them.
Of course, the fact that PC and console games can be played comfortably from one's own home helps a lot, too. But let's be honest: would you have played Super Mario Brothers as much as you did as a kid if every time you died you had to cough up another quarter to keep playing? Would games like CrossFire or League of Legends be as popular and profitable as they are if players had to pay a per-round fee or wait an hour after every few rounds for their "stamina" to regenerate?
Here's what I'm getting at
I've probably gone on for too long here, and what I'm trying to say is actually something very simple: stamina systems suck. Needlessly complex in-game currency systems tied into stamina systems suck even more. If you're a developer and you put those things into your game, I hate you. And if you're a gamer, you shouldn't give your money to these games. There are plenty of fun games out there that you can own, for one flat fee, forever. And if you don't want to pay a cent, there are plenty of truly free freemium games that you can enjoy without ever spending a dime. Here's one to start you off.


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Marina Fire Department
- Filed Under
A family of four is being assisted by the American Red Cross following a mobile home fire at 2:56 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Marina Fire Department.
The fire was in a double-wide mobile home on the 3300 block of Del Monte Boulevard. The home's occupant reported the smoke and flames and evacuated the home before fire personnel arrived.
Marina Fire Department was assisted by the Presidio of Monterey Fire Department, Monterey Fire Department and North County Fire Protection District in knocking down the fire.
The mobile home sustained heat and smoke damage throughout the structure and
It appears the fire started in the dyer and spread into the main living area. Damage to the structure is estimated to be $45,000.

subset: commoncrawl


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Street Team Goes Worldwide!
- Published in Streetteam News
Street team goes worldwide!
Whats up cycos! The street team finally goes worldwide! For all new subscribers you can sign up through the dedicated link in the street team section. You'll then have access to all the new promotions, downloads, selected merch and much more!
For all the aussie fans, we're keeping a separated mailing list for you all due to some decicated new projects that will hit your country! So use the dedicated section to subscribe to the Aussie mailing list!
See you all soon around the world and be ready to spread the cyco word!


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This depicted the time the horror that was Dachau took place over. May this never occur again.
June 2010
David F
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Team Running for Cover is running the 2013 Boston Marathon to raise funds to support MFNE's mission of education, prevention and support.
This spring I will be running the 2013 Boston Marathon for the Melanoma Foundation of New England as part of Team Running for Cover. Running has been a huge part of my life for many years and I have dreamed of running Boston for as long as I can remember.
It is such an honor to be able to be participate in such an amazing event and even more so to run for a charity that means so much to me. For those of you that don't know, my grandfather, who was a phenomenal sprinter in his younger days was diagnosed with Melanoma several years ago. Thankfully, he is a survivor.
I am running 26.2 miles on April 15th for my grandfather, Thomas McHugh, who has made such an incredible difference in my life, for one of my girlfriends who was recently diagnosed with the disease, and for my other grandfather Ed Longe, who had another type of skin cancer.
I have committed to raise $5,000 to support Melanoma research and help reduce incidents of Melanoma in New England and would love if you could help me reach my goal.
I hope to see you all in Boston on April 15!
Join the Conversation
Organization Information
111 Old Road to Nine Acre Corner
Suite 1005 CONCORD, MA 01742
Education. Prevention. Support.
Reports: Guidestar
for this Cause
Anyone can set up a fundraiser for this charity. It's quick. It's easy.
And it's free!
15th placein Running for Cover - 2013 Boston Marathon
Also Fundraising for this Cause
David Kay
Debbie Rittner
In memory of Charles Waldner
Running for Eddie
Michelle's Melanoma 5k...


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Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup- YUM!
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 rotisserie chicken, about 4 cups shredded (no skin)
• 32 ounces reduced sodium chicken broth
• Two 28 ounce cans mild green enchilada sauce
• Two 10 ounce cans Mild Rotel diced tomatoes with peppers
• 4 cups cooked spanish rice (I used 2 packages of Knorr Fiesta Rice)
• 3 tablespoons ground cumin
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese for topping
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves for topping
• 1 bag tortilla chips for topping
1. Heat oil in large skillet or polover medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring for 5 minutes until softened.Stir in garlic and cook for an addi tional minute. Transfer to a large 5 quart minimum crock pot with setting on low.
2. Add shredded chicken to crock pot along with chicken broth, enchilada sauce, tomatoes, rice, cumin and sour cream.Stir and let cook on low for 4-6 hours
Makes 12-16 Servings


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As you know, today we released Silverlight 2. Scott mentioned the Silverlight Toolkit in his post as well - which is exactly what my team is working on. We're driving hard to get the first preview release of the Silverlight Toolkit at PDC later this month.
Just to reiterate a few points that Scott called out. We'll be doing the release under an OSI license (MS-PL) and we will again be including unit tests and a testing harness. The harness is something that you're welcome to use in your projects, I talked about it a few weeks ago. We're including the tests themselves so that developers will be able to have plenty of examples about how to write tests, but also it allows some level of coverage for any modifications users choose to make to the controls themselves.
Keep watching this blog for updates on the Silverlight Toolkit and how we're progressing. In the meantime, here's a screen shot of just a few of the controls in action, with different themes applied.
(No, we're not doing an Outlook control...that's just example content.)
Lots more to come.
looks good so far.. can't wait to use it.. Scott should have been a bit more clear about the release details... :P I was looking all over his blog for the download link.. :P
Looks good. Are the controls compatible with WPF? Both WPF and silverlight lack to many controls, so it's hard to wait.
Looks great!
Do I see a "fieldset"/groupbox there? ;)
Will the Label control support accelerator keys?
Until I did some testing the other day I had assumed that Silverlight would provide support for alt based accelerator keys. I have now discovered that if I press a key in combination with alt, I never get a KeyDown message!
I thought supporting accelerator keys was the purpose of label controls, maybe I was wrong!
I couldn't imagine producing a decent sized LOB application with no accelerator keys, it would be a nightmare to use like most web pages are.
@Arnoud - groupbox is on the list but not in this control set
@Andre - the controls are API compatible with WPF when possible, what we're calling "subset compat" because some functionality doesn't exist on Silverlight. But we are being hard core about making them as close as we can. For the new controls, we will be making them available on WPF, not sure when we'll get that done though.
@Stefan - I believe the problem is that the browser eats the ALT keys so the Silverlight app never gets a chance to even process them.
My next point is that as Microsoft writes the major browser I'm sure this can be fixed! :-)
Once the HeaderedContentControl is in place (which I understand will be happening in this release) implementing a group box is relatively simple. I may well implement one in my WPF Silverlight compatibility library that I am building which implements a lot of WPF functionality in Silverlight. Once it's all done it will be posted on my blog.
Yep, HeaderedContentControl is in there - TreeView uses it.
Do you plan to reimplement the TabControl/TabItem in this controls library at some point? The TabItem that ships with Silverlight is not derived from HeaderedContentControl and does have a number of problems, including the fact that data binding to the ItemsSource is not possible (or different than WPF really).
Right now in my Silverlight version of my application I have to manually create the TabItems and their contents in code, which is a bit of a pain.
Looks very good! See you on PDC :)
Are you going to put the existing controls up on Codeplex as well? Having the new controls under MS-PL is great but if we had the DataGrid under MS-PL as well that would be even better.
Is there any plan to develop an Outlook bar control or any other kind of navigation panel like Windows XP Explorer?
@Colin - Yes, we'll be publishing source for the other controls, including DataGrid as well (not sure if it'll be on CodePlex, however)
@Jorge - Outlook bar is a variation of Accordion which is on our list. You'll need to furnish the content inside of each pane, however.
So now that Silverlight 2 is shipped, I am now wondering what the shape of the next version of Silverlight
Any chance of a ribbon control? Like an official version of the one that Michael S. Scherotter was playing around with?


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Visage Products Suite
MobilityCentral is quite possibly the greatest Enterprise Mobility Management software that the world has ever seen. So vast and powerful are its capabilities that even the largest and unwieldy mobility programs are quickly brought under control through a few clicks of a mouse. Let us show you how MobilityCentral can make your IT and Finance departments finely tuned mobility management machines.


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Google Adwords is firing up a new tool, Analyze Competition, designed for advertisers to measure how their campaign performs compared to competition. So now instead of solely having their own metrics, advertisers can look at their campaign ROIs within the landscape of relevant/similar keyword categories. That easy. Really.
How It Works
First, take a look at the dashboard, this is what it looks like.
What Analyze Competition does is measure your performance over the past two weeks. It uses categories stemming from your products or services keywords to then give you perspective on how your competitors are doing in those precise categories.
The metrics it'll be looking at are impressions, clicks, click-through rates, and average ad positions. Categories are based on actual Google.com search terms and are matched up against your keywords, ad text, and landing page text.
Analyze Competition will give you indications on how you fare, with "the exact size of your competitive range, the mean and median performance levels for this range, as well as data on the absolute top and bottom performers," AdWords said in a blog post. Data can also be segmented by geographical localization of advertisers.
Added Value
When running a campaign, seeing what the competition's performance is always a good indicator of adjustments one may make in order to be more efficient. And this is precisely what Analyze Competition offers.
Advertisers can get inspired by what similar businesses do better than them and take heed to adjust their keyword choices, review their bids and budget, for example.
'Spying' on your neighbour also gives you the opportunity to re-evaluate your metrics and decide whether you want to change your KPIs or tweak them a little to be more relevant to your activity within a given context. You might even want to drop some of them, for all we know.
Don't get too hyped up though. You won't be able to see individual performances, it's not like you're sitting in a theatre for a show, although you might like it to be so. No, AdWords insists that what you'll be able to compare your individual activities to is "the average performance of other advertisers in the same category." This is no social site, i.e. no profiles, no pictures - just anonymous data in the form of bar graphs.
AdWords pledges to never "reveal information about any advertiser's identity" as part of the company's "commitment to protect your privacy."
If you'd like Adwords' story-telling, here it is:
Analyze Competition is currently only available to English-language users. AdWords will roll it out to other languages "in the near future."
How do you like it?


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Opera, 1799
Author: Horace (Roman, 65–8 b.c.)
Illustrator: Charles Percier (French, 1764–1838)
Publisher: Pierre Didot the Elder (French, 1761–1853)
Printed book with engraved headpiece illustrations
Anonymous Gift (32.28)
This is the second book in Didot's five-part project known as the "Louvre editions" (1798–1816). Situated between The Works of Virgil and The Works of Racine, it marked the pivotal transition in Didot's suite between authors from antiquity and those from modern France. The twelve headpiece illustrations were designed by Charles Percier, who also designed the headpieces in the penultimate installment of Didot's project, La Fontaine's Fables.


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K C. JAMAICA MEDICAL SUPPLY, INC. AS ASSIGNEE OF KERRON ALEXANDER AND DARREN NASH, ap, v. ENCOMPASS INDEMNITY COMPANY, res
- Appellate Term, Second Judicial Department
- : Pesce, P.J., Rios and Aliotta, JJ.
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Specialty drugs, in general, are high-cost prescription medications used to treat complex or chronic medical conditions, such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and hepatitis. These drugs are either self-administered (taken orally or self-injected) or administered by a medical professional in a doctor's office or other medical facility. Specialty drugs usually require patient-specific dosing and careful clinical monitoring. They may also require special handling and refrigeration. View the Specialty Drug List.
Accredo is our preferred specialty pharmacy. Accredo is an independent company that provides specialty pharmacy services on behalf of BlueCross. Most members are required to use Accredo to have coverage for their specialty drugs. Members who are not sure of their specialty drug coverage should check their benefits booklet, with their Human Resources or Benefits department. They can also log into My Health Toolkit® for their personal information.


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More than $30,000 in prizes up for grabs in statewide contest
The Center for Michigan, a 501c3 nonprofit think tank, is hosting a contest for Michigan citizens of all ages. Just tell them in words, photos or video what you envision for the state of Michigan. The competition is open through March, 2008. For details, visit The Center for Michigan website. You can also learn about online community forums and other ways to share your opinions about the future of the Great Lake State.
Oct 28, 2007


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Registration takes less than 1 minute.
Chinese carriers COSCO and China Shipping told the Federal Maritime Commission they are in the beginning stages of a merger, while Bloomberg reported CMA CGM has entered into talks to buy APL parent Neptune Orient Lines.
Ocean carriers Maersk Line, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd issued general rate increases on various trades.
The U.S. Gulf port also expects to benefit from continuing population migration to Texas and the expansion of Panama Canal, which is scheduled to be completed in April 2016.
Meanwhile, a Federal Aviation Administration task force released its recommendations regarding a registration program for unmanned aircraft systems that will affect the use of drones in both commercial and recreational settings.
Box volumes at the largest U.S. East Coast port were up 11 percent year-over-year in October, driven primarily by a 9.8 percent spike in loaded import containers.


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WE GOT YOUR SIGNED COPIES OF the art of richard thompson right here, next to these copies of the complete cul de sac!
Richard Thompson, creator of "Cul de Sac," and winner of the 2011 Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year, has graciously offered to sign copies of this beautiful book when you place your order through One More Page. Because cartoonists, like banjo players, are lovable but unpredictable, we can't guarantee a delivery time. We thank you in advance for your support, and your patience. You can click here or call us at 703-300-9746 to be among the select and stand up for America by purchasing a signed copy of The Art of Richard Thompson!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Yesterday's Poor Almanack
7 comments:
- Ponto said...
On behalf of my digestive system, I gratefully, though queasily, accept.
- June 7, 2009 at 1:26 PM
- paul bowman said...
Another one? What, just because they make us laugh?
- June 7, 2009 at 9:53 PM
- angryparsnip said...
Interesting "Kim" references... the Astro Boy from last week was great.
- June 8, 2009 at 11:46 AM
- Robert Gidley said...
"a compulsion to babble endlessly about a Mark Tatulli comic strip."
- June 10, 2009 at 8:49 AM
- Jesse C said...
Did you ever try the Souse meat? My friend recently ate some on a dare and said it was quite disgusting LOL
- June 16, 2009 at 3:38 PM
- Gary said...
Richard, Gary Land here. Still waiting on the package. Have tried your email address with no luck. Please contact
- June 19, 2009 at 10:56 AM
- fridaswork said...
HahHaHHAhhAhHAhAHHAHAHahhA, You are funny, man! HaHAHHAhaHahahhAhHAH!
I want more! ^_^
/Frida from Sweden
- June 20, 2009 at 4:34 PM


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Top 10 Best XBLA | Xbox Live Arcade Games
The Xbox Live Arcade is an attractive platform for indie game developers as well as big game studios. We've managed to separate the wheat from the chaff and come up with a list of the ten best games on the XBLA.
Stories from around the web


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- Filed Under
Send us your news
Send religion news to 891 E. Oak Road, Vineland, NJ 08360; fax to (856) 563-5308; or email to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Pancake supper at Trinity Episcopal
VINELAND Trinity Episcopal Church, Eighth and Wood streets, will hold its annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Feb. 12. The all-you-can-eat meal, served with a Mardi Gras theme, will include pancakes, eggs, sausage, fried apples, desserts and beverages. The cost is $7 for adults, $3.50 for children ages 5 to 12, and free for children younger than 5. Tickets are available at the door or by calling (856) 691-1589.
Also, ashes will be imposed at a Eucharistic service on Ash Wednesday at noon Feb. 13. Stations of the cross will be observed at 6 p.m. Feb. 22, March 8 and March 22.
Christ Community starts sermon series
NEWFIELD Christ Community Baptist Tabernacle, 188 Route 40, will begin a new sermon series Sunday on Why Are We Baptist. Pastor Joe Zearfaus each week will discuss the Baptist Distinctives. This Sunday, Biblical Authority will be the topic.
Also, Christ Community announces its weekly schedule:
Sunday School at 10 a.m.
Worship at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays.
Bible study and prayer time for adults at 7 p.m. Wednesdays during Kings Kids Club meetings.
For information, call (856) 358-2228 or visit www.ccbtnj.org.
Sermon message is 'Purpose Driven'
FAIRFIELD The Rev. JD Overcash will lead services at 9 a.m. Sunday at Fairton United Methodist Church, 20 Main St., Fairton. This weeks sermon message is Purpose Driven. There will be a Childrens Church and Youth Group meeting during the service. A nursery is available.
A board of trustees meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday. Also, items are being collected for the churchs Spring Sale.
For information, call (856) 451-4182.
Bethany Grace announces schedule
BRIDGETON Bethany Grace Community Church, 31 N. Pearl St., announces its schedule:
Sunday The Sunday Evening Gathering Services will resume at 6 p.m. with the Eastern University Turning Point Choir. The sermon series is titled, Facing the Giants: Handling Lifes Hurts.
Anyone interested in becoming a member of the church is invited to attend a new member class at 2 p.m. Feb. 5.
A concert by the Skyline Boys, a Southern Gospel quartet, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 9.
Call (856) 451-4601 for information.
Chicken potpie served in Millville
MILLVILLE Second United Methodist Church, at Church and McNeal streets, will host a chicken potpie supper on Saturday.
Seatings are at 4:45 and 6:15 p.m. Takeouts are available after 4 p.m. Tickets are $9 for adults and $5 for children.
Call (856) 825-7320 for tickets or information.
United Fellowship to worship Sunday
VINELAND United Fellowship Church will hold a worship service at 10:45 a.m. Sunday at Barse Elementary School, 240 S. Orchard Road. A guest speaker will be announced during the service.
Sunday school begins at 10 a.m.
Bible study is conducted on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. and noonday prayer is held every Thursday, with Burke, at 400 Peach St.
For information, call (856) 692-1938.
Services Sunday at First United
MILLVILLE Pastor the Rev. Lewis Hiserote of First United Methodist Church of Millville, 201 N. 2nd St., will present his message, Getting Into Shape for 2013: Get Fit Relationally, at a service at 11 a.m. Sunday. There also will be traditional hymns and various choirs.
This weeks schedule includes an early-bird traditional worship service in the chapel at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. At 9:30 a.m., a service of contemporary worship with the praise ensemble will be held in Reeves Hall. Also, the church will hold a worship and praise service during its Saturday Night Alive event.
Lectures to explore various religions
VINELAND The Faith of Our Neighbors, a five-part lecture series, begins at 7 p.m. Sunday at Beth Israel Congregation, 1015 E. Park Ave.
The series, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by Beth Israel Congregation and the Jewish Federation of Cumberland, Gloucester & Salem Counties. It will present clergy and lay persons representing various religions. A question-and-answer period will follow each lecture.
The first installment will address the practices and beliefs of Hinduism. The speaker will be Manu Sophia Ji Kumar, an intern at Family Therapy Consultants of New Jersey in Wenonah.
Call (856) 691-0852 for information.
Parish plans trip to Golden Nugget casino on Feb. 15
VINELAND Divine Mercy Parish will sponsor a trip to Golden Nugget Casino on Feb. 15. The cost is $18, which includes transportation, a $25 slot credit and $5 food voucher.
The bus will leave Main Road Shopping Center, Oak and Main roads, at 11 a.m. and Buena Borough Hall at 11:15 a.m.
Call (856) 697-3061 or (856) 697-0914 for information.
Sundays busy at 1st United Methodist
VINELAND First United Methodist Church, 700 Landis Ave., holds services every Sunday.
The schedule:
8:15 a.m. Prayer and Holy Communion in the chapel.
9:30 a.m. Sunday school.
10:30 a.m. Childrens Choir rehearsals are held after Sunday school.
11 a.m. Morning worship in the sanctuary.
6 p.m. Youth group meeting.
The church office is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.
In His Presence has new schedule
MILLVILLE In His Presence Church announces its weekly services at its new location in the Union Lake Crossing shopping center on North 2nd Street, next to Pier One. The church has relocated from its location at 3rd and Broad streets after a fire.
Wednesday prayer services will be held at 6 p.m., followed by a family Bible study at 7 p.m. Sunday School will be held at 9 a.m., followed by Sunday morning worship services at 10 a.m.
Transportation can be provided for all weekly services. For information, call or text (856) 503-2928. For other information, call (856) 765-9877 or email firstname.lastname@example.com. The churchs mailing address is P.O. Box 1564, Millville NJ 08332.


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|Booksie Address:
|Favorite book:
|Too many to list
|Member Since:
|Jul 2, 2012
Novel by BrunetteDVM
Posted: Dec 17, 2013
Amelia is a fresh vet school graduate who recently moved...
Novel by BrunetteDVM
Posted: Jul 2, 2012
Amara is a ranger who prefers nature to people. Vaelus is...
Tags:romance, adult, magic, fiction, fantasy
Novel by BrunetteDVM
Posted: Dec 17, 2013
Amelia is a fresh vet school graduate who recently moved...
Novel by BrunetteDVM
Posted: Jul 2, 2012
Amara is a ranger who prefers nature to people. Vaelus is...
Name: BrunetteDVM is my pen name, and my real name will not be disclosed on the internet
Occupation: Full Time Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Student (BVM&S Program).
I spend A LOT of time with my dog, and with the animals that I work with during my summer jobs and volunteering while on summer break from university. I'm in the Veterinary Medicine program and I absolutely love it.
Criticism is always welcome, whether it is positive, constructive or flames.
I hope you enjoy my writing, as I'm trying constantly to improve.
Works in Progress: Wild Magic
Blood & Barbiturate
PLEASE NOTE: Wild Magic and Blood & Barbiturate have been put basically on HIATUS; I have moved countries due to school but will update the stories periodically. I appreciate your patience, and hope you continue to read new posts.
Some quotes I really like:
"The best doctor in the world is a veterinarian. [They] can't ask [their] patients what is the matter--[they have] to just know" - Will Rogers
"When a man wantonly destroys one of the works of man we call him a vandal. When he destroys one of the works of God we call him a sportsman."- Joseph Wood Krutch
"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go."- T.S. Eliot
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."- Goethe
"The wolf is neither man's competitor nor his enemy. He is a fellow creature with whom the earth must be shared."- L. David Mech
"We have doomed the Wolf not for what it is, but for what we have deliberately and mistakenly perceived it to be..the mythologized epitome of a savage, ruthless killer..which is, in reality no more than a reflexed images of ourself."- Farley Mowat
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Chicago Cashing In on Privatized Parking; Could LA be Next?
- 20 Dec 2011
- Written by Steven Dornfeld
THE CITY - (Ed Note: Chicago claims to be raking in millions from privatized parking. Not that long ago, LA's Mayor was pushing the same idea. Is PP due back in LA for another round?) The term "privatization" invariably sets off bells for liberals, but occasionally it pays dividends for governmental entities and their taxpayers.
The city of Chicago appears to be cashing in on the privatization of its parking system. The initiative has enabled the city to extract large up-front payments from parking concessionaires, modernize its parking system and launch a form of "congestion pricing" aimed at reducing the parking crunch in downtown Chicago.
David Zavattero, deputy director of the Chicago Department of Transportation, described the five-year-old parking effort [link] during a workshop last week at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.
Zavattero said the city launched the effort in 2006, soliciting proposals to modernize four downtown parking garages and awarding a 99-year lease for $563 million.
Two years later, he said, the city did the same thing with 34,500 on-street parking meters and 18 metered lots with another 1,240 spaces. It ultimately awarded a 99-year lease for $1.56 billion.
Zavattero said the city went the privatization route because it "lacked the resources" to modernize and effectively manage its parking facilities. The city gave up with revenues from parking, but gained the upfront investment in new technology and the rewards that go with it.
Parking meters
The story of the parking meters is particularly interesting. Within three years, Zavattero said, all of the city's "dumb" parking meters were replaced with more than 4,600 "smart," solar-powered pay boxes at a cost of more than $40 million. The pay boxes can handle the fees for up to 15 parking spaces and the rates can be changed via wireless technology.
"That would not have happened in the absence of the concession system," he said.
In conjunction with the new meters, Zavattero said, the city implemented the first increases in metered parking rates in two decades.
He said the city was divided into six zones and a rate schedule was established that will raise rates by 2013 to amounts ranging from $6.50 per hour in the Chicago loop to $2 per hour in more remote neighborhoods. Prior to 2009, the rates at most meters were 25 cents per hour.
Zavattero acknowledged that the changes were not well received by the public. "Thank God we don't have capital punishment" in Illinois, he said.
However, he said the objective of the higher rates, two-hour parking limits and better enforcement was to bring the rates more into line with off-street parking, free up more on street-spaces for short-term parking and reduce the amount of street-clogging traffic by motorists in search of parking.
Zavattero said the new parking rates also may have contributed to an uptick in transit use, though it has no supporting data at this point.
To avoid creating any huge holes in its operating budget, Zavattero said, the city put $400 million of the upfront payments into a reserve fund and is drawing $20 million a year — approximately the same amount it had been receiving in meter revenue. The city also continues to receive the fines from parking violations.
Wireless technology
Zavattero said Chicago uses wireless technology to reduce rates at some parking meters during non-peak hours. However, thus far, city officials thus far have resisted the idea of employing a system of "dynamic pricing" to change rates depending on demand.
That's such a hot political issue that Chicago actually rejected a $158 million federal grant for congestion relief in 2008 because it included a dynamic pricing component. (Read the rest of this Minnesota Post article here)
(Steven Dornfeld writes for minnpost.com where this report was first posted.) -cw
Tags: privatizing parking, Chicago, parking meters, Los Angeles
Vol 9 Issue 101
Pub: Dec 20, 2011


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A judge ordered the Detroit school board and attorneys for emergency financial manager Roy Roberts back to court next month after the two sides failed to present the court with a compromise today on how to share authority.
School board president LaMar Lemmons said board members had hoped for a decision today in connection with the boards duties. The board wants the superintendent it hired, John Telford, to be able to supervise and hire administrators, among other powers.
We thought our attorneys came to some agreements, Lemmons said.
John Pirich, attorney for Roberts, told Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Annette Berry the two sides had agreed that the school board will be able to meet twice a month. Roberts also agreed to pay attorneys fees in connection with the lawsuit, he said.
But other issues remained unresolved.
Hugh (Buck) Davis, attorney for the school board, said attorneys had met once and spoken over the phone several times since last month.
The hearing was over a lawsuit Roberts filed in August in an unsuccessful attempt to get the court to stop the board from making decisions.
At a hearing last month, the judge instructed both parties to meet to resolve their issues so that she could assist in sorting out their disputes today. The board has control over academic operations, while Roberts has authority over the budget. For months, the two sides have sparred over what that means.
Roberts, who has had control over the DPS budget since May 2011, has said he fears the board will harm the districts students and finances by undoing some of his decisions.
Time is running out for the school board. A new emergency manager law takes effect March 27. The school board will continue to exist, but it will have no authority over the budget or academic operations.
A board meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. today at the Detroit Public Librarys main branch at 5200 Woodward Ave.
Contact Chastity Pratt Dawsey: 313-223-4537 or email@example.com or on Facebook. Follow @cprattdawsey on Twitter.


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Catherine Zeta-Jones poses at the 'Red 2' premiere at L.A.'s Westwood Village on July 11. / Gregg DeGuire, WireImage
Catherine Zeta-Jones is earning raves this morning for her ravishing red-carpet look Thursday night at the Los Angeles premiere of her new movie Red 2.
The "lovely-in-lace" actress, 43, wore a strapless black Maria Lucia Hohan gown, which offered her a chance to do some Angelina Jolie-type leg-bombing. She finished off the look with Jerome Rousseau shoes.
She walked the red carpet solo, telling ET that hubby Michael Douglas was filming on the East coast (the comedy And So It Goes with Diane Keaton) so he couldn't make it. She also said she was without her kids.
"My children are actually at sleep-away camp, so I'm missing them desperately," she said of her children, Carys, 10, and Dylan, 12.
Zeta-Jones makes her debut in the Red follow-up as Russian secret agent Miranda Wood, who tries to infiltrate Frank Moses' (Bruce Willis) team of retired CIA agents as they go on a mission to stop a nuclear warhead from getting into the wrong hands.
Copyright 2015 USATODAY.com
Read the original story: Catherine Zeta-Jones wows at 'Red 2' premiere


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The recent medical leave of Apple's founder Steve Jobs pushes succession planning to the forefront.
By Len Lewis
I like to think that companies selling apples for eating are just as important as the ones making Apples for computing.
Let's cut to the core. The age-old issue of succession planning really hit center stage when Apple founder and leading light Steve Jobs announced he was taking a medical leave, at which point the market donned the sackcloth.
After all, he is the innovator-in-chief, the marketing and technological genius behind everything but the iBall and the man who staunch loyalists believe to be the irreplaceable heart of the Apple orchard. In fact, an analysis of Twitter and Facebook feeds found that 36% of people believed Apple would fail without him. Quite a legacy, albeit somewhat overstated.
With all due respect to Mr. Jobs and my wishes for a speedy recovery, no one is irreplaceable, nor should they be. Unfortunately, many company executives at chains and independents give more thought to what they will have for lunch than for who can succeed them.
A recent study by Korn/Ferry International, a Los Angeles-based provider of talent management solutions, found that the majority of global companies—those that should know better—did not have a viable succession plan in place. Succession planning is not something to be palmed off on the HR department or on Uncle Frank and Aunt Rita just because they sit on the family board of directors. It is a strategic decision that should be analyzed long before it is needed to avoid a company's untimely death.
At the corporate level, it is increasingly clear that succession plans will be demanded by stockholders trying to protect their investments—especially pension funds whose portfolios have taken a sizeable hit over the past couple of years and want some assurance of stability.
Moreover, new regulations from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission have opened the door to a broader definition of risk, which could mean that companies may be required to answer questions about succession. This is not a bad idea given the mercurial nature of retailing. However, it would be a mistake to be forced into naming names, given the transient nature of retailing and its people.
Everyone may expect the 30-year man (or woman) to be next in line for the corner office. However, longevity is no longer tantamount to success and the skills that got you through the past 30 years may not be relevant for even the next 30 months. Therefore, simply handing the business off to the CEO's handpicked replacement is not necessarily the right decision.
This brings us to independents, where handing the business off to one's offspring is not only common practice but expected. That's is fine when they possess the same passion that built the business in the first place. There are examples of this all over—people like Jim Amen at Super A Foods, Richie Morgan at Holiday/Sav-Mor Foods, Tammy Wilson at Jax Markets on the West Coast and thousands of others across the country.
Not everyone has the same talent, enthusiasm and propensity for self-sacrifice that comes with running a 24/7 business. The worst-case scenario is what some call the "front-door diva"—a son, daughter or other family member that sails in and treats the business like some sort of entitlement program. This, and other familial entanglements, may be why less than one-third of family businesses make it through the second generation. Here, succession planning may be a matter of bringing in some new blood—directors and managers—from the outside.
Another option is to simply sell the company and save everyone a lot of pain. However, blaming the next generation is the easy way out and the lack of a succession plan is often the fault of the founders. The attributes that made them successful in the first place prevent them from letting go. Their identity is so bound to the business that the idea of anyone else taking control, even their own children is anathema and they fight it as if it were a hostile takeover.
The bottom line on succession planning is just that. By all measures it impacts a company's profitability and should be done early and analyzed thoroughly. A company's capital may only be as strong as the human kind.
Len Lewis, a regular Grocery Headquarters columnist, is a veteran industry journalist, commentator and editorial director of Lewis Communications, Inc. He is the author of The Trader Joe's Adventure—Turning a Unique Approach to Business into a Retail and Cultural Phenomenon. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or at www.lenlewiscommunications.com.


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It is with heavy hearts that we write this article. When we post "In Memoriam" features, we usually write them to grieve the deaths of fictional characters of The Vampire Diaries — not a beautiful, talented, and congenial 27-year-old woman who was taken from this world much too soon. Sarah Jones, a precious member of the TVD family, was working as a second camera assistant on the Greg Allman biopic, Midnight Rider, when she and her fellow crew members was tragically struck by a freight train while they were getting ready to shoot a scene on the tracks. The incident left everyone with serious injuries; unfortunately, Sarah's were fatal and she passed away while being rushed to the hospital. "The
#TVDFamily lost a loved one today. RIP beautiful Sarah Jones," TVD executive producer, Julie Plec, tweeted upon hearing the solemn news.
So who was Sarah Jones? According to her obituary, Sarah was a hard-working, friendly, and kind soul who enjoyed traveling the world and capturing special moments from behind her camera. Light-hearted and sweet, this West Columbia native had a shining personality and was always on the lookout for a brand new adventure. The following excerpt in particular truly captures who Sarah was as a person and how loved and respected she was among her peers and those who knew her: "To have HEARD of Sarah was a privilege, to have KNOWN Sarah was a blessing. It was to feel an energy that was infectious and kind. Although her physical being is no longer beside us, her smile and her love of life will forever transcend in all the lives of those she touched."
While nothing can ever make up for the loss of such a vivacious spirit, remembering Sarah Jones's ample creative contributions to the entertainment industry — as well as the positive impact she had on others — is a wonderful way to commemorate her memory. Hence, in honor of her earnest passion for filmmaking, Sara's friends and family have rallied together to create a Facebook page called Slates for Sarah, where they have invited Sarah's Hollywood colleagues far and wide to share film slates dedicated to her. The page already has garnered over 33,000 likes and shows such as Glee, Supernatural, Revenge, The Mindy Project, The Crazy Ones, Castle, Grimm, Downton Abbey, The Following, Scandal, TVD and many more have posted their heartwarming tributes and helped her legacy live on.
And that's not all! Sarah's amazing are currently distributing an online petition, campaigning not only for on-set safety but also for her inclusion in the 2014 Oscars 'In Memoriam' segment. You can sign it HERE to raise awareness and help ensure that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes Sarah and her well-deserved efforts to the TV and movie industry during the awards ceremony on Sunday evening.
Check out some photos of all the dedication slates below — as well as The Vampire Diaries cast and crew celebrating Sarah's life — and please visit the "Slates for Sarah" page for more details on how you can help out. Many thanks!


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Updated 03/19/2014
The last monument to be added to the Forum was erected in AD 608 in honor of a Byzantine emperor who had donated the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV. It stands 44 feet high and remains in good condition.
West end of Foro Romano, Rome, Latium, 00186, Italy
Updated 03/19/2014
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|The Cloud Prayer
|CHORDS A, B, Bm, D, E, F#m, G
|Difficulty: hard
|return to normal You don't think that I tried for you?I went into disguise for you.So, of course, almost no one knew. Verse:(with guitar) You don't think there was payment due? I blew up in the sky for you. Anyone who saw it knew. Chorus: But did you, didn (guitaretab.com)


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Thanks to everyone who came out in the beautiful weather to enjoy themselves in the revelry that is the GGG. Please post your photos and such here to share. You were a great group this year!The gear to be seen of course did not disappoint. Many mouths agape walking around camp, Awesome.More children this year. They had a good time as well. Quite a few repeat offenders this time. Nice to see you all again. The dynamic has changed though. We now have more people than can converge around a single fire anymore. We were more spread out this year. Also this year marked the change that more people came out for both night instead of just Saturday night.Wide range of topics discussed. Always someone to geek out with.I really appreciate all the good feedback and words of appreciation and encouragement from everyone. So much so that I'm game to do it again.You are the reason the GGG is successful. With such a wide range of ages and social and economic backgrounds being able to come together and play nice with each other. So funny to hear from so many how they usually do the solo thing, but were glad to have come to this event.Special thanks to the cottage manufacturers that attended. Dave from Gossamer Gear was great and had some interesting things to show off. Russ, his son and his brother Lee from Trail Designs were a hoot as well, also bringing a few surprises. Peter Vacco, living legend, and owner of Peter's Headnets always brings a special flair to these events and is always a welcome addition. Dear friend and the knitting powerhouse behind Mountaingoat Hats, Katharina makes every trip a pleasure and spreads warmth one head at a time.Thanks to Hikin' Jim for the marathon stove demo. A long drive for him as well. I wound up with your cooler.All my helpers this weekend made my weekend all not work, so thanks to Tony Wong, The Real Jack Elliot, Iceaxe, Cameron aka B.G. for the fantastic home brewed beer. Jay Wilkerson, Dave Lutz(sorry to stick you with the trash, unintentional, but fortuitous),Marc Eldridge, and Josh Billings. Thank you all so much.Diana V. Pure pleasure, thanks for the single malt. And a proper glass to drink from.Henry Coe Ranger, Jennifer Naber and the volunteers were easy to work with and appreciated the cooperation they received from our "well prepared bunch".Thanks again to all of you.I made some new friends and hopefully hiking partners. I'll keep you all in the loop.I kept too occupied "working the room" to take any photos. So don't hold back, post yours here.Got a lot of constructive suggestions for next time from the optimists. If you have some thoughts on how I can make this event better, please don't hold back. PM me if you would.I look at the members here at BPL as an extended family. I gladly put this together for all of us to enjoy. I'm so glad that 60 out of 70, could have been a few more I lost count, turned out and participated. It looked to me like most were having a enjoyable time, and many said that they were. To those who were on the fence about coming and did not. Well there is next year.Thanks again to Ken Helwig for thinking up this event, and getting Trail Designs and Gossamer Gear to show.Thanks to to BPL for the site/forums that make the largest gathering of your members happen. Even though you seem to be fairly unaware that this event goes on. I think we got some new members for you.
Edited by kthompson on 02/20/2012 15:44:24 MST.
I had a great time, thanks again to everyone that came and to both the kens for getting this thing together every year.This was my first time at a GGG and I'm hooked, already can't wait for next years! I forgot my camera, but I managed to snap a couple pics with my phone.Gear Swap in the parking lot
James, bummer I did not get to meet you!It was a lot of fun this year. I kept telling the other Ken how great the weather was this year. In years past we have had rain, showers, snow flurries...but not this year....sunshine!
I am hoping this won't sound like a silly Oscar speech, but I want to call out some of the wonderful people that attended this year's GGG. Several of these folks I have been lucky to get to know on many of the hikes that I have enjoyed so much. In no particular order and leaving too many out.My thanks to the Kens, what more can I say, all the hard work and good attitude paid off once again. Jay, always ready to go and a big smile to boot. My friend Josh, happy welcoming Josh with his palace complete with a wood burning stove. Cameron, hard to find a brilliant mind of his caliber combined with the gentlest of souls and never bragging even though he could…. . David Lutz, easy going and always willing to help. Marc Elridge, providing wood ,water and good company for the whole group. Peter Vacco, sharing invaluable information to anyone that cares to learn. Tony, making sure nothing goes undocumented…Jeremy and his delightful son. Jack, fun, funny and ever so resourceful and generous. Greg Gressel, in between his running and training , we were able to keep him still long enough to enjoy his company around the fire. David Wage, another reliable smile and good attitude toward all. Lisa Frugoli and her husband, a wealth of knowledge, indulged me in my plant and soil rantings. Diana V., friendly and kind under a no nonsense go out and get it done attitude! Manfred and his lovely wife, bringing a bit of Europe to the scene, as well as some great gear. Casey with his little son and his wonderful parents; can't wait to hike with you again. Debbie and her legendary brownies. Matt (Iceaxe) for having such a contagious and uplifting good spirit. The Steuttermans and Lundquists showing us how well couples can do on the trail. Everyone else that shared their company around the fire and contributed to such a positive event, my thanks.
"Tony, making sure nothing goes undocumented"And don't forget Tony's awesome fire building skills ------
Kat, that was very poignant.
All,Kat listed already so eloquently all the people who contributed to the success of last weekend's GGG IV, that I won't repeat any names -- besides saying Thanks to Ken & Ken.Instead I would like to list four things that made this years's event even better than last year's. These four things enhanced the flow of ideas and exchange of best practices for backpacking enormously.1) Couples -- My wife came along and we met several other couples. It was fun to exchange tips with them. Couple quilt vs. zipped together sleeping bag was only one of the interesting discussions. Seeing the gear right then and there and even being able to borrow a quilt for a while to see how it feels, how drafty it would be in the wind out there is priceless.2) Kids -- Although we had decided last minute not to bring our children, other people brought them. Exchanging ideas about including children in our favorite past time, about gear that works for kids, etc. was great. Seeing the children at the camp fire with smores made for some memorable moments. Sunday we went geocaching with some children -- it was amazing to see how they picked up their pace when looking for a "treasure box". 3) Scouters -- We backpack as a family and also with scouts. Meeting other scouters and exchanging ideas about how to best introduce scouts to lightweight backpacking, how to convince their parents that the "better rated" sleeping bag is not better, how to offer lightweight alternatives that are not breaking the bank, etc. was very valuable.4) Vendors -- Gossamer Gear and Trail Designs were present during the weekend. Not only was it great to see some of their new ideas, but it was also exciting to see how open they were to ideas. These vendors were truly interested to hear from the community what works, what doesn't work, what would be a great new product or great improvement to an existing product. On top of that both provided excellent customer service. I got things repaired/exchanged right there, just by asking how I could fix a certain problem. So for next year. I can only encourage any of these four groups to show up in bigger numbers. More couples, more kids, more scouters and more vendors will make next year's event even better.Thanks again to everyone who came and thus made GGG IV a success.Manfred
ManfredClaire and Kano had a great time doing geocaching with you and Michelle. They just finished telling their grandparents all about it. Thanks so much for a wonderful time. Looking forward to next year.Jim
Thanks to everybody for making the weekend such a good time! It was great to chat with and meet many of you. Julie and I had a blast. We're already looking forward to next year and hopefully a few trips with some of you between now and then. Here's some of the pics we took....The primary gathering areaThe Kens and others chatting with the Trail Designs folks (I think)Jack cruising down the hillThe good stuff. Thanks again, Cameron!The secondary gathering area in campsite #10Setting up the TrailstarSmallest TarpHighest TarpMost Uniquely Pitched TarpJosh's smokin' setupA view inside Josh's pyramidCooking with woodGathering around the campfireNo event is complete without some colored lightsJulie's flaming silhouetteFire FightingMore fireBed time for Morgan
Edited by csteutterman on 02/24/2012 23:19:12 MST.
Hey everyone! I just wanted to say how much fun you all are! I had so much fun hanging out in my tent around thethe woodstove with you guys and around the campfire. Good stuff. Big thanks to ken Thompson and Ken Helwig. Also big thanks to Mark for the water and wood( and the late night entertainment).Those hammocks can be tricky after you've had a few. And Cameron! Man that was grand to have 4 kegs of sweet homebrew on tap! Thanks again. Was super fun meeting the trail designs brothers. So approachable and fun to hang with. I love their products so we had much to talk about. So let's do it again! Too many friends to mention but you are close to my heart! Thanks again.
The wonderful thing about our little hiker community is the way you get to meet some of the best friends you never knew you had.You are the best!Here is my photo essay of BPL's GGG IV in chronological order (kinda)......................................Thankyou Ken, Ken, Cameron, Kat, GG man, Jack, Jack, Mark, and so many others...Thankyou so much everyone for making me feel so welcome at GGG. Kegs were drained, gear was geeked over, some hiking was done, some eyebrows were burnt, some hurling was had (it's okay Mark.. i wont tell a soul!)I had a total blast!
Edited by Ice-axe on 02/20/2012 19:52:59 MST.
Good times! That's a good way to describe the time we had. What a great group of people. I enjoyed seeing a couple of old friends and making a bunch of new ones. A particular delight was sharing food, beverages, and stories of the trail. It was a bit overwhelming, but wonderful, to see and to touch so much gear that I had previously only read about. A big thanks definitely goes to all who helped make this event a reality, especially Ken and Ken.Several of you asked about my combination kayaking and hiking adventures. As promised, I have posted some information about them in this BPL forum thread.
Edited by Creachen on 02/20/2012 20:51:22 MST.
@ Jay, lol!@ Manfred, Good suggestions all and duly noted.Keep the pictures and words coming. It went by so fast...
Jay, who was the bearded imposter?--B.G.--
A huge success indeed. Thanks for making this happen. Friends, it was great spending time with you all. Be in touch about future trips. My highlights: - I had an amazing encounter with a Gray Fox on the drive in. It stopped me to play in the road. Bounded all around, spun in circles, ran up to my open car window, play some more. It stayed for a minute. - Meeting the tribe. Ya'll are awesome. Let's do it more often. - Hiking an abandoned road on Saturday with fellow BPLers. - Cameron's homebrew made from a rare/boutique variety of hops. - Finishing the weekend with a ~40 mile loop in the Orestimba Wilderness. Coe's trails and roads are disappearing due to lack of use. I was a stone's throw from millions, walking valleys and ridges that see fewer people than obscure Sierran locales.
Hey Bob that's no impostor. That's our Beer Guy.
It was great meeting everyone this weekend. I kept talking to person after person and without exception everyone was friendly, had interesting stories to tell, and were great company to hang out with around a campfire. I hope that some of the Bay Area folks will get together again for a trip sometime soon... Ellen and I try to make it out at least once a month if not more and are always looking for people to come along. Don't hestitate to drop me a line if you want to get together for a trip sometime. Jack- how was Orestimba? I've been meaning to make it out there for awhile, but for me it's probably a 2 night trip and I haven't gotten around to devoting a 3-day weekend to it yet. Andrew
I had a great time catching up with old friends and meeting some new ones. I look forward to hopefully hiking with everyone before next years meetup. It is outings like this one that makes this online community special. Thank you Ken!
Orestimba is great! It's a uniquely Californian landscape, and one that's under appreciated. I walked three long river valleys and up and over two ridge systems. The reputation for steep trails/roads in Coe is well deserved. It can be extremely steep! My trip had little shade outside of the oaks in the river valleys. I believe that all of the water is seasonal, and much of it is cow polluted. One lake that I visited had quite the diversity of water fowl. It's not a place that most would devote more than a weekend to. Therefore it's well suited for distance backpackers. Since there are so few of us, and few people know about the area, and fewer people care for the vegetation types, it's hardly traveled. I'd say the only traffic that it gets are from people heading to Mt. Stakes the long way. A couple of people a year (most on Coe's "Backcountry weekend"). Some areas are trafficked by ranchers (Paradise Valley for one) but I'm not sure about the rest of the region.
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Columbia, SC (WLTX) - Conspiracy, wire taps and thousands of dollars in kickbacks. That's what federal prosecutors say was going on at South Carolina State University.
In Charleston Thursday, former campus police chief Michael Bartley plead guilty to conspiracy. Prosecutors said he agreed to convince school administrators to purchase a piece of land in Orangeburg County called the Sportsman's retreat.
In return Bartley was set to receive 30 thousand dollars for an ATV in kickbacks from a Florida Businessman.
"I am sure he took a part in it because like most people he wanted to earn a buck," said US Assistant Attorney Mark Moore.
Prosecutors say the deal was stopped after feds tapped Bartley's phone. And now Mark Moore says Bartley is working with prosecutors.
"We have agreed to ask the court to consider that in sentencing him at the appropriate time."
In Columbia, Former SC State Board of Trustees Chairman Jonathan Pinson and Upstate Businessman Eric Robinson both plead not guilty to extortion.
Prosecutors say Pinson used his influence on the board to arrange the purchase of the Sportsman's retreat property. They also say he arranged to get a Porsche in exchange for the deal, but his attorney says differently.
"He has never taken a dime, he has never asked for a dime, and no one has ever given him a dime, to make any decision at SC State," said attorney Jim Graham.
"He is innocent and this is the result of a flawed investigation and we look forward to exposing those flaws at the appropriate time in court."
Board Chairman Dr. Walter Tobin says that the university and its students were the victims and they are going to make a change to prevent this from happening again.
"I will support an initiative that will support the designation of a chief audit and compliance officer at SC State," said Dr. Tobin.
Alumnus and State Representative Jerry Govan says it saddens him to hear this.
"It puts knots in your stomach in terms of what has taken place, I love SC State it is a great institution. Hopefully what we are starting to see is some kind of closure," said Govan.
Students are upset but say all they can do now is move in a positive direction.
"It's sad that it happened but at SC State we are trying to stay positive and look at the positive things like our great education programs," said a Junior at the university.


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When I first spoke with Joey Logano at the first NASCAR Champions Week banquet in Las Vegas in 2009, he gave me an interesting response when I told him where I was from.
As I mentioned the popularity golf has in Southern Utah, Logano looked at me like I was nuts.
He admitted he "can't stand golf." ...


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Burgmuller, Czerny and Hanon: Book 1Item #: AL.00-19676
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Composed by Charles L. Hanon.
Piano Collection. 9x12 inches. 64 pages. Published by Alfred Publishing. (AL.00-19676)
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Found in: Classical Piano Sheet Music
An outstanding compilation of piano etudes and exercises from the ever-popular Burgmuller's 25 Progressive Pieces, Opus 100, Czerny's Practical Method for Beginners on the Piano, Opus 599, and Hanon's The Virtuoso Pianist. Etudes are organized into four units according to difficulty and emphasize different aspects of technique and musicianship. Hanon exercises are included within each unit to reinforce the need for finger strength, independence and agility. Information about each composer's life, music and books is also provided.


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Alabama running back Mark Ingram poses for photographs with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after he was selected as the 28th overall pick by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the NFL football draft at Radio City Music Hall on Thursday, April 28, 2011, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
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First round, No. 24 overall: DE Cameron Jordan, California
If Jordan's name sounds familiar in NFL circles, it's because he comes from football bloodlines. His father, Steve Jordan, played 13 seasons as a tight end in the NFL after graduating from Brown University. He spent his entire professional career with the Minnesota Vikings where he was a six-time Pro Bowl selection.
Jordan emerged as one of the elite pass rushers in the collegiate ranks in 2010 and earned first-team All-Pac-10 Conference honors in his final collegiate season. He was the leader of a defensive unit that led the league and ranked 18th nationally, allowing 319.08 yards in total offense per game. Their star defensive end also ranked seventh in the conference in tackles for loss (1.04 tpg) and 11th in sacks (0.46 spg).
First round, No. 28 overall, RB Mark Ingram, Alabama
The son of former NFL wide receiver, Mark Ingram, a standout during his playing days with the New York Giants, "Junior" is regarded as the elite ball carrier in the collegiate ranks. The ball carrier has often been compared to Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer, Emmitt Smith, as both play with that low pad level and strong leg drive to power through tight rush lanes, along with the second gear to pull away from defenders in the open field.
Ingram became the first player in Alabama's storied history to capture the 2009 Heisman Memorial Trophy. The Crimson Tide tailback joined Florida's Tim Tebow and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford as the only sophomores ever to win the award. A unanimous first-team All-American selection, Ingram shattered school records with 1,658 yards rushing on 271 carries with 17 touchdowns for Alabama's 2009 National Championship squad.
Third round, No. 72 overall: LB Martez Wilson, Illnois
Wilson lived up to lofty expectations. He earned All-Big Ten Conference first-team honors in 2010 - a season that catapulted him among the top inside linebacker prospects eligible for the 2011 NFL Draft.
The Illini defense started off strong but struggled in midseason during the 2010 campaign. As a team leader, he worked hard to help his teammates regain their edge. By the end of the year, the Illini unit finished 38th in the nation in total defense (351.31 ypg), 32nd in rush defense (130.77 ypg) and 48th in scoring defense (23.46 ppg). These numbers represented a vast improvement from the 2009 season, when Wilson missed the majority of the year with an injury and was granted a medical redshirt.
Third round, No. 88 overall: DB Johnny Patrick, Louisville
Patrick was instrumental in turning around a Louisville secondary that was one of the nation's elite units by the time he graduated. The Cardinals finished sixth in the Big East Conference and 87th nationally in pass defense during Patrick's freshman season, as they allowed 251.17 aerial yards per game.
During Patrick's sophomore year, Louisville finished eighth in the league and 92nd in the country agaisnt the pass, but improved statistically as it surrendered 239.33 yards per game. The following season, the unit took another stride, placing third in the conference and 42nd in the nation in pass defense while giving up 206.00 yards per game.
Seventh Round, No. 226 overall: DE Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh
Considering that Romeus was more noted as a basketball prospect coming out of high school and had only his senior season on the prep football field, his quick learning curve to become one of the elite pass rushers in college football is remarkable. He joined the Panthers program as a 225-pound tight end with limited experience on the defensive side of the ball.
In this time where NFL teams desire pass rushers with cat-like quickness, Romeus fits the bill. One look at him on the field, and you can see that he possesses the ultimate combination for a defensive end - strength, length and speed. He can cover a lot of ground with his long arms and quickness, and is athletic enough to rush the edge and physical enough to bull rush.
Seventh round, No. 243 overall: LB Nathan Bussey, Illinois
Bussey joins Martez Wilson as the second Illinois linebacker selected by the Saints in the 2011 NFL Draft. He moved into the starting lineup midway through his junior year and excelled as a senior, when he finished with 83 tackles and one interception. He posted 156 stops, 1.5 sacks, one interception, five pass defenses, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one blocked punt for the Illini, starting the final 18 games of his career.
In 2010, he was a All-Big Ten honorable mention and shared his team's outstanding special teams award with Anthony Santella.
- From NewOrleansSaints.com


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Leona cosplay by Missyeru – League Of Legends Cosplay
Leona cosplay by Missyeru – League Of Legends
Top Comments for this leona Cosplay :
Best Leona cosplay ever
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I just sat here looking at this pictures for 20 min and crying because perfection . Good work! I'm very proud of this kind of cosplayers .
THAT WAS SO AWESOME!!!!! That shield OMG!! The paint job really looks realistic!
One Response


text:
This undated file illustration released by Los Angeles Streetcar, Inc. shows the proposed new rail car for downtown Los Angeles.
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Tucson has built four-mile-long streetcar tracks that will run between the University of Arizona campus and downtown. Only two of the eight cars that will be used to ferry passengers every 10 minutes have arrived, and operations will not start until next year.
But local business leaders say the streetcar has already revived the center of this sprawling, artsy city of 524,000. Roughly 150 businesses have opened their doors along the route in the last five years, and the once-dormant area is in the middle of a $230 million construction boom, according to the Downtown Tucson Partnership. The ...


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somebody shoot me a link with crack PLEASE!
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Leechburg Area to drop food service, resume operation of cafeteria
Leechburg Area students should have a greater selection of food for their lunches, and their meals should taste better, as the district reassumes operation of its cafeteria, school board Vice President Jean Stull says.
The district will be working with Highlands School District in bringing its food service program back in-house beginning in the 2013-14 school year.
Stull said it will be for a one-year trial. "We're going to see how it works," she said.
The district is ending its relationship with The Nutrition Group. Leechburg Area brought the company in as consultants in spring 2007, and hired it to manage the cafeteria operation in the fall of that year, Business Manager Mark Lukacs said.
Stull said the district has been dissatisfied with the company's performance, and students have complained about the food — notably that too much chicken is served.
The board named Ann Marie Crosby, an administrative assistant in the district's business office, as food service director for the 2013-14 school year. She will be paid a stipend of nearly $11,000 for the food service director duties in addition to her salary of about $38,000.
The board also approved bringing in Sharon Conway, food service director at Highlands School District, as a consultant for the coming school year. She will be paid $20,000.
By making the change, the district will save about $35,000 in salaries and benefits over the current contract, Lukacs said.
Superintendent Jim Budzilek said the district sought bids for cafeteria services, but the school board also asked administrators to look at other avenues.
"We reached out to Highlands, who has an outstanding food service director," he said. "Through discussions, we were able to work out a collaborative agreement to share services and save money. In these tough economic times, we are able to have Ms. Conway help provide services while saving local funds."
No tax increase expected
Creating an option for full-day kindergarten, without a tax increase, will be part of continuing budget talks by the school board, member Anthony Shea said.
The school board has approved the district's preliminary $12.9 million budget for the 2013-14 school year.
The property tax would remain 106.56 mills in West Leechburg.
It would change slightly in Leechburg and Gilpin, from 64.49 mills to 64.91 mills, because of the state formula used to equalize tax rates between the two counties.
A final vote on the budget is scheduled for June 19.
Brian C. Rittmeyer is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-226-4701 or email@example.com.
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Almost everything is stock on both bikes. Its just I need to get on a Medium bike and he needs to get on a Large.
How much should I let him give me extra? He said he is willing to give more money too. Help me out here guys.
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The Law Blogger's Scholarship
The Law Blogger's Scholarship at The Law Office of Joshua Pond is intended to give back to the community and help to encourage future attorneys, judges and leaders who have chosen to embark on that path. The applicant must be an entering, first- year law student or planning to attend an accredited 2-4 year college/ university in the fall of 2012. Student should be attending full-time or part-time. In addition, the applicant must have achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. The scholarship will be awarded in the amount of $500 and it will be given on March 15, 2012.
Application deadline: February 29, 2012
The application and additional information is available at The Law Office of Joahua Pond website at http://www.joshuapondlaw.com/scholarship


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RENO, Nev. (AP) — A federal judge in Nevada has ordered a 31-year-old San Francisco Bay Area man to a drug treatment facility for three months before sentencing for his arrest at Burning Man.
Robert Louis Ruenzel II was busted Aug. 27 in an RV stocked with marijuana, cocaine, psychedelic mushrooms and other drugs at the festival in the desert 120 miles north of Reno.
U.S. Magistrate William Cobb released him without bail on the condition he stop using drugs and not return to Burning Man. But Ruenzel tested positive for methamphetamine and was returned last week to the Washoe County Jail.
Prosecutors want him held there until his January sentencing. But Cobb said meth is the scourge of society and the public is better served by him getting treatment than sitting in jail.
©2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Out of Stock
Item # CST0326
Don't worry though, we have a lot more Men's Vests in stock than that.View Similar Products
Castelli Fusione Vest - Men's $0.00
Warm your core on chilly rides with the Castelli Fusione Vest. Zippered vents in the front and back make sure your temp is always just right. A fleece collar locks out cold breezes, and a silicon waistband gripper keeps the Fusione in place. Match the Fusione Vest up with the Fusione Jersey for a wind-cheating, nasty-weather-slaying combo.
- 360 degree reflective piping around the shoulders
- WindStopper Helium for ultra low-weight wind and water protection
Tech Specs
View more Men's Vests
Reviews & Community
Eric Haugland
Great vest
- Familiarity:I've put it through the wringer
Bought this to replace my old LG vest. This really is cooler weather vest. If you like to wear a light, mesh back vest in the 60s, this will be too warm. But in the 50s, this works well. The fabric is coated on the inside making it almost a rain vest. But due to all the zippered vents, it's not completely water proof. I keep the vents opened constantly, helping to shed moisture. It's well made. Not quite as stuffable as lighter vests, but ok. It is a little short in the front while standing, but once hunched over on a bike, it fits perfectly. Order one size larger, they run small.
An Amazing Article of Clothing
- Familiarity:I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions
Used it on a 50 degree F ride and it did just the trick. For wind protection, it made all the difference in the world. Made the descents much more comfortable. I did the same ride a few weeks ago without the vest and I was quite chilly. Have not tried it in the rain.
I did not overheat because I was able to open and close the various vents, including the main front zipper to really cool me off after climbing. As was already mentioned, the back zippers are a little awkward to raise and lower. Does not get clammy. It fits tight as intended, but it does make getting to the jersey pockets a little difficult. No fleece. No flapping. I am 6'0" and 200lbs and the XL fits well, without excess, and not being too tight. I'd ideally give it 4.5 stars due to the pocket issue and the awkward back zippers. Ended up getting the red which looks great.
How packable is this vest?
How packable is this vest?
Medium as its fairly substantial with 4 zips. Awesome vest though. I love mine.
Sweet as a light summer rain. Well fitting, zipper vents are out of this world (the back system with the "line" is awesome). Vest rocks as one that can suit so many situations. It may make several others I own obsolete. Even lovely reflective details. Sweet! And, did I mention that the fabric is windtex. Clever, clever, clever. No fleece collar whatever they say. Made in China.
Land B.
Does this vest have any pockets? Do they...
Does this vest have any pockets? Do they have zippers, or are they open?
No pockets- 2 vent zippers front, and 2 vent zippers back.
Craig H.
Great Vest As Close to Do It All as Possible
I've had this vest now for about 4 months from December through March and by far my go to vest for most rides. What I like about it is the ability to adjust ventilation while I ride using the full front zipper, the two chest zips and the two back zips. I'm able to get just the right amount of ventilation for flats, climbing and descending under varying temperatures. I've used the vest with various long sleeve jerseys and I ride in the San Francisco Bay Area coastal hills where the weather can be quite variable. This vest handles that well. Air temp range I've used the vest: 38F to 70F. Final words - Real Cyclist fit chart has worked well for me, and yes, the vest collar does does not have fleece as others have noted.
stanley hatfield
fusione vest
great lightweight vest.will keep the wind at bay,and helps retain body heat. i've worn it with a mannaggia jersey in 35 degree weather,and was nice and warm. as usual,with castelli,it looks great too.
alojah maid
Love it.
This has become my staple for fall riding. Normal jersey beneath it paired with arm warmers keeps me at the perfect temperature in 40-45 degrees. Only reason why its not 5 stars is because of the awkward zipper/vents on the back. They work well, but the straps attached to the zippers look tacky and are hard to zip back up. Oh, there's no fleece in the collar either, like someone else mentioned but its not a big deal. Overall, it is a fantastic light weight shell that is not overly noisy in the wind. Recommended!
Nathaniel Brown
it's okay...
This wasn't what I thought it would be, to be honest. I wanted something a little bit warmer, but this is primarily a wind and rain blocker. I don't see any fleece in the collar like they state in the description, or anywhere, for that matter. Definitely not recommended for cold weather rides. Also, they run smaller, so I suggest going up a size. But for what it is, it works fine.
Roy Bloomfield
short and slightly heavy
FWIW, this vest (size medium) weighs 155 grams...certainly not the lightest option out there. Also, I found it to be a bit short for my 5' 10" frame (155lbs). It does not cover an entire jersey at the bottom. The vent system works nicely, though one of the zipper clips broke on my first ride using it.
Luis P.
Review Title
i live in Miami FL and this vest is perfect for the cold "winter" we have in S. Florida. I ordered a Large and Im 40-42 wide and fits just right. Definitely recommend this product. Also, good with the style points


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Santa Claus is coming to Baldwin — twice
Lights will glisten on a cold winter night as children young and old gather by the fire awaiting Santa's return to Baldwin Borough on the back of an emergency response vehicle.
Santa Claus is coming to town not once, but twice this year.
The Baldwin Holiday Festival, sponsored by the Baldwin Kiwanis, will be held Wednesday from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Baldwin Borough Municipal Building, 3344 Churchview Ave.
The event will include the lighting of the Christmas tree located next to the log cabin, a visit from Santa, crafts for children and hot chocolate for all, Councilman Ed Moeller said at last week's borough council meeting.
Attendees are asked to bring a non-perishable food item or monetary donation for the Baldwin Food Pantry.
The jolly old man with a red suit and long white beard will return to Baldwin Borough on Dec. 8 from 1 to 3 p.m., courtesy of the South Baldwin Volunteer Fire Company, 5311 McAnnulty Road.
This is the first year the South Baldwin volunteer firefighters will host a visit from Santa.
"It's a multifaceted purpose," company President Chad Hurka said.
Children are invited to sit on a fire truck and get their picture taken with Santa. Coloring books and plastic firefighter hats will be given to the youngsters, Hurka said. Calendars, featuring photos of South Baldwin Volunteer Fire Company and its members, also will be for sale.
This is an attempt to increase interaction between the fire company and residents, Hurka said. It seemed like a "better alternative" than hosting an open house, which was poorly attended last year.
"We're trying everything," Hurka said.
The fire company also will try to sell the remainder of its 500 2013 lottery calendars at the event.
The calendars, which serve as a fundraiser for the South Baldwin Volunteer Fire Company, are $25 each and tax deductible. Each calendar has two numbers inside that offer 200 chances to win double the money back.
Stephanie Hacke is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-388-5818 or email@example.com.
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You are solely responsible for your comments and by using TribLive.com you agree to our Terms of Service.
We moderate comments. Our goal is to provide substantive commentary for a general readership. By screening submissions, we provide a space where readers can share intelligent and informed commentary that enhances the quality of our news and information.
While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderating decisions are subjective. We will make them as carefully and consistently as we can. Because of the volume of reader comments, we cannot review individual moderation decisions with readers.
We value thoughtful comments representing a range of views that make their point quickly and politely. We make an effort to protect discussions from repeated comments either by the same reader or different readers.
We follow the same standards for taste as the daily newspaper. A few things we won't tolerate: personal attacks, obscenity, vulgarity, profanity (including expletives and letters followed by dashes), commercial promotion, impersonations, incoherence, proselytizing and SHOUTING. Don't include URLs to Web sites.
We do not edit comments. They are either approved or deleted. We reserve the right to edit a comment that is quoted or excerpted in an article. In this case, we may fix spelling and punctuation.
We welcome strong opinions and criticism of our work, but we don't want comments to become bogged down with discussions of our policies and we will moderate accordingly.
We appreciate it when readers and people quoted in articles or blog posts point out errors of fact or emphasis and will investigate all assertions. But these suggestions should be sent via e-mail. To avoid distracting other readers, we won't publish comments that suggest a correction. Instead, corrections will be made in a blog post or in an article.


text:
Students' Ideas of a Blender and Perceptions of Scaffolding Activities Documents
Main Document
Students' Ideas of a Blender and Perceptions of Scaffolding Activities
written by
Jacquelyn Haynicz and
N. Sanjay Rebello
Research has shown that students can be motivated to learn science by demonstrating its connection to everyday life. We investigated students' understanding of an everyday blender. We have previously reported on students' progression through a series of hands-on activities designed to facilitate learning about how the blender works [1]. Here, we report on the ideas about the blender expressed by students after completing the sequence of activities and the students' perceptions of the activities themselves.
- Download PERC07_Haynicz.pdf - 89kb Adobe PDF Document
Published November 12, 2007
Last Modified December 1, 2010
This file is included in the full-text index.


text:
Care Innovations
New research shows that 39% of Americans are caregivers. Now there's a brand-new tool designed to make caregivers' lives a lot easier. Kenny Bailey, from Care Innovations, stopped by to tell us more about Connect Caregiver -- new tool that includes a series of apps to help orgainze, manage and coordinate caregiving tasks.
Most Popular


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Nibali regains yellow jerseyComment on this story
Vincenzo Nibali reclaimed the leader's yellow jersey he lost on Sunday by winning the 161km 10th stage of the Tour de France from Mulhouse to La Planche des Belles Filles.
Italian Nibali overhauled Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez inside the final kilometre of a tortuous mountain stage to claim his second victory on this year's race.
Earlier, two-time winner Alberto Contador had quit the Tour after injuring his knee in a crash.
The 31-year-old Spaniard crashed around 65km into the stage and lost four minutes to the peloton as he received treatment to bandage his injured right knee.
But just 15km later, around halfway through the stage, he climbed off his bike in floods of tears and into a Tinkoff-Saxo team car.
His retirement came just five days after reigning champion Chris Froome had quit after fracturing his left wrist and right hand in a succession of crashes.
Up front, Rodriguez looked to be heading for victory on his own until Nibali's attack on the final first category climb reeled him in.
Frenchman Thibaut Pinot took second on the stage, 15sec behind, with Spaniard Alejandro Valverde third at 20sec.
Australian Richie Porte came home seventh on the stage at 25sec to move up to second overall at 2:23 from Nibali. Valverde is third at 2:47.
Frenchman Tony Gallopin, who started the Bastille Day stage in yellow, came home 4:46 behind Nibali and dropped to fifth overall at 3:12 to the Italian. – AFP
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text: Photo: Alex Svejkovsky, WJON News [ Everyday Heroes: North Memorial Ambulance [VIDEO] By Alex Svejkovsky August 15, 2013 Everyday Heroes -- A new WJON weekly series spotlighting those who put their life on the line everyday to keep our communities safe. This week's story features the North Memorial Ambulance. Read More|Comment Category: St. Cloud News Tags: emergency response, Everyday Heroes, North Memorial Ambulance, paramedic Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!