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Foxborough, MA, April 25, 2002 — Arena announced today a sponsorship agreement between Arena and the CWPA as the supplier of the official ball for competition. Beginning July 2002, all collegiate club and varsity teams (both men and women) will be required to use the Arena water polo ball for all CWPA sanctioned competitions.
"Arena has worked closely with several CWPA coaches to develop an excellent ball for the sport of water polo," commented Dan Sharadin, Commissioner of the CWPA. "We are thrilled to begin a relationship which benefits both parties."
The new relationship will mean that all league hosts will be required to use the Arena ball beginning in July. No other ball will be permitted for use in competition. In order to reduce the transition difficulties to the new ball, the CWPA and Arena are providing every member team with a new ball. Each tournament host will also receive an additional ball.
"We have been working on this project for quite some time. Coaches have been generous with their contribution to the development of this ball while the CWPA has been extremely supportive." stated Bill Bettencourt, President of Arena North America. "Arena is committed to the sport of water polo. This agreement is the first step in creating win-win relationships to promote the Arena brand and to help grow the sport of water polo."
The CWPA is a nationwide NCAA water polo conference with over 220 teams. From Washington State to Florida, from Maine to Southern California, the CWPA hosts competitions both at the varsity and collegiate club level. The CWPA officially began in 1993 after the merger of the Southern and Eastern conferences into the mid-Atlantic Conference. In 1993 there were 39 total teams. In less than 10 years the CWPA has grown the conference to be the largest in the country.


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John Eric Real Estate today announced its JOHN ERIC HOME magazine recently was honored with two 2013 North Los Angeles Region ADDY awards for Distinction and Best in Show.
The awards were given for John Eric Home magazine's volume eight, distributed in January 2013. Hillary Broadwater and QM Design Group is the creative design team behind the publication.
The ADDY Awards are administered and judged by the American Advertising Federation. This is the world's largest advertising competition with over 50,000 entries annually. It marks the most outstanding and creative advertising, design and media in the United States. By winning this local category, the magazine is automatically entered into the West Coast regional ADDY awards, the next stage of the competition.
"We are proud and humbled at the two huge wins for John Eric Home," says John Eric, Publisher. "The magazine delivers my vision each and every month with stunning clarity and purpose. These awards are a testament to that fact."
John Eric is a Vice President at TTR Sotheby's International Realty in Washington, D.C.. Eric is a prominent real estate agent in the Washington, DC metropolitan region and is publisher of the monthly regional lifestyle magazine. John Eric Home is a custom-designed magazine which highlights local Washington DC personalities, businesses, restaurants and real estate.
The winning issue is located is available at johneric.com or by clicking here.
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/3/prweb10573427.htm

subset: commoncrawl


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I have this social anxiety issue that involves the fear of "catching up." Basically, the longer I go without connecting with someone the more I fear picking up the phone. There's just too much to say. So I let it go longer. And then it gets more and more awkward, my own terror increases, I avoid phone calls. I hope for the voicemail when I do make the call back. I become paralyzed.
Then I run into the person.
And instead of the interaction being horrible and filled with accusation, it's usually natural and easy and we simply start with where we are. If we have the time to catch up on the past, we do. But really, who does? So, we start where we are.
So here I am. Sorry for the last month of awkward blog avoidance. But really what were any of us missing?
We are expecting Blessed Child Number Four at the end of September/first of October. I call her (because I assume it's a her though we're going to be surprised this time) Ayudame or Finale, simulataneously.
Expecting the fourth elicits all sorts of great responses from the general public. Responses I would have found shocking or offensive 2-3 kids ago but now I just store away for my memoirs and character growth.
Most interesting observation: Responses from Women I Don't Know. It's always the same: Wow. I couldn't have four. I just need things to be clean and orderly.
I never know what to say to that. My instinctual response is to describe my current struggle to keep Leila from putting her feet in my breakfast cereal, but can't decide if that crosses the bounds of polite stranger conversation. Then I remember I'm having this discussion because said conversation has no bounds.
We are excited and busy. Wow. We are busy. Today was William and Mary Graduation, my favorite day to live by the college. We drove by the campus filled with beaming grads taking selfies with each other and sweaty, now-poor Dads packing cars and dreading the 14 hour day of ceremonies. I love it. I can't get enough. The past month, I've had passing conversations with some neighbors of mine about how tired they are and how stressful it is to pack up and get ready for graduation. I remind myself that what they feel is real. Then I wonder if perhaps if they are too stressed to eat, could I borrow some meal plan swipes for my family of 5.5? Does that cross the bounds of polite college neighbor conversation? Because I could go for a salad bar , omelette line and ice cream machine exactly right now.
Four kids feels staggering. Each one is staggering in its own way. I have time to contemplate this because Leila gets up between 5-5:30 these days and we hit the streets walking. Colonial Williamsburg is a total disappointment at 6am. Really. I would think more Colonists would be up drawing water from the wells or something. I can't even find the sheep. The sheep sleep in longer than my child.
We walk, and she baa's at the horses and I pray. My prayers are combinations of Please, Please, Please and Help, Help, Help. And I sing. Don't laugh. I'm singing more these days than ever. Most of the truth I know is found in those songs from my childhood. So teachers and children's ministry people beware. What you teach those sweet Babes will one day be what they're chanting when they're in their thirties and completely at the end of themselves. It best be the good, strong stuff, not weird, flimsy stuff. Motions are good. But I can't do motions while pushing a stroller.
So life is crazy and filled with change. But also with goodness and hope. Each piece of crazy is pushing me away from being comfortable and oh how I love to be comfortable! I think it might be my favorite thing. In fact we once did Tim Keller's book "Counterfeit Gods" with a group of people and we each had to name our god, according to the book, and mine was comfort! I was so embarrassed. I thought money and power were much more sophisticated gods than comfort. I type this passionately from my position lounging on five throw pillows, you must know this.
Here I am. I gave a talk at least four times in the past two months about finding what you delight in, doing it , and protecting it. I delight in writing here in this space and I need to keep doing it. Hopefully I'll be back before another month passes, and our whole relationship gets awkward and terrifying again.
Thanks for sticking around.


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The move lower materialized as the spotlight shifts to the looming U.S. fiscal crisis a day after a new debt target for Greece was announced, but there are lots of concerns about the plan for Greece. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill continue to move toward compromise on a deal to address tax increases and spending cuts, but markets remain uncertain and risk averse, causing stocks on Wall Street to close lower yet again.
In the hours ahead: "Practically with no data for current Asian session, the EUR/USD will likely remain short term heavy," says Valeria Bednarik, Chief Analyst at FXstreet.com. "So far, 1.2940/50 area has capped the upside, while daily low stands at 1.2915. Below this last, sellers will likely find some opposition around 1.2880, strong support over past October, yet if this last gives up, 1.2800 area seems a good target for this Wednesday."
EUR/USD currently sits unchanged around the 1.2935 price zone this Wednesday in Asia. To the downside, 38.2% retracement support is noted at 1.2875, while further support lies at 1.2840, according to Ms. Bednarik.


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Its like I am almost there, but I can't make it stick. Is this normal for a lot of us, maybe it is the darkness before the dawn kind of thing?
I did have recent blood work which showed I had very low serum serotonin, its not a usual test and I don't think I had it before, but it was below 25 and the normal range I think starts at 50 or so. At least it wasn't too high, that is serious, but I cant find much about the significance of it being too low and at this point I don't care, just want to feel better.
I can only hope that the extra serotonin boost from a bit more lex does something
I did come across some studies on the net mentioning statins and low cholesterol being a possible cause of anxiety/depression and I did mention that to my pdoc.
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Scoring Essays Automatically Using Surface Features
- Author(s):
- Kaplan, Randy M.; Wolff, Susanne E.; Burstein, Jill C.; Lu, Chi; Rock, Donald A.; Kaplan, Bruce A.
- Publication Year:
- 1998
- Report Number:
- Source:
- Document Type:
- Subject/Key Words:
- Essay tests scoring automation
Surface features of essays include nonlinguistic characteristics, such as total number of words per essay (essay length), sentence length, and word length, as well as linguistic characteristics, such as the total number of grammatical errors, the types of grammatical errors, or the kinds of grammatical constructions (e.g., passive or active) that appear in an essay. This study examines the feasibility of using linguistic and nonlinguistic surface characteristics in an automatic procedure for predicting essay scores. It builds on earlier work by R. M. Kaplan, Burstein, Lu, B. Kaplan, Wolff (1995), Page (1966), and Page and Petersen (1995).
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Closing the Achievement Gap
Learn more about ETS's commitment to closing the achievement gap through rigorous research, thought-provoking forums and more.


text: Home Culture Chris Brown Sentenced to 131 Days in Jail The embattled R&B singer admitted that he violated his probation. By: Lynette Holloway Posted: May 10 2014 7:17 AM 0 R&B singer Chris Brown appears in court for a probation violation hearing in Los Angeles Court on May 9, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Paul Buck-Pool/Getty Images Los Angeles Superior Judge James R. Brandlin on Friday sentenced Chris Brown to serve 365 days in jail after the beleaguered R&B singer admitted that he violated probation last year, the Daily News reports. He was given credit for 234 days that he already served in jail and rehab, leaving him with 131 days to spend behind bars, the report says. The sentence came after he told the judge that he committed a crime last year in Washington, D.C., the News says. He still faces a misdemeanor assault charge in Washington after he was accused of hitting a man outside a hotel. He was arrested in mid-March, following his dismissal from a court-mandated rehab sentence. The singer has been under court supervision after pleading guilty in 2009 to assaulting his former girlfriend, pop singer Rihanna. Read more at the Daily News. Like The Root on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Get what we're watching delivered to your inbox everyday! Sign up for our daily video newsletter below. Powered by Livefyre 0


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September 23, 2012
In this photo provided by the Sustainability in Prisons Project and The Evergreen State College, Mathew Henson, right, shows visitors an Oregon spotted frog during a tour of the Sustainability in Prisons Project at Cedar Creek Corrections Center in Littlerock, Wash., Thursday, Sept. 12, 2012. Henson and other inmates work as ecological research assistants, partnered in recent years with scientists doing conservation projects.
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Inmates raise rare frogs, butterflies
Taylor Davis has dedicated himself to saving endangered Oregon spotted frogs. He spends hours each day tending to eggs or doting on tadpoles, feeding, nurturing and meticulously recording their development. He's in no hurry.
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The Power of Independent Thinking
Ivan Eland on Cyber Insecurity After US Drone Downing
Recorded: Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Ivan Eland on RT discusses cyber threats after the downing of the U.S. military drone by Iran.
Experts: Ivan ElandType: TelevisionIssues: Defense and Foreign Policy, Government Secrecy, Technology
Robert Higgs on Federal Reserve Transparency
Recorded: Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Originally aired on 12/1/09 on FoxNews.coms Freedom Watch. Robert Higgs, Senior Fellow at the Independent Institute, discusses increased scrutiny of the Federal Reserve and Chairman Ben Bernanke's nomination for reappointment with Judge Napolitano.
Experts: Robert HiggsType: TelevisionIssues: Banking and Finance, Economic Policy, Government Secrecy
John C. Goodman on the Costs of Obamacare
Recorded: Monday, July 6, 2009
Research Fellow John C. Goodman, author of Priceless: Curing the Healthcare Crisis discusses the costs of Obamacare and potential job losses as a result.
Experts: John C. GoodmanType: TelevisionIssues: Health Care


text: Shoes and Socks (RETIRED) Oct 19, 2007 14:57:42 GMT -5 Quote Select PostDeselect PostLink to PostMemberGive GiftBack to Top Post by A Guy Named Goo on Oct 19, 2007 14:57:42 GMT -5 The shoes and socks come in a pretty small burgundy box. Included are a pair of blue boots, the cream stockings from Addy's birthday outfit, the black stockings from her meet outfit, and a pair of white stockings that I can't identify, but if you know what they came with originally, feel free to contribute (at first I thought they were identical to Kit's school socks, but the texture is different).First up, the boots. I wanted the set because the boots were such an awesome shade of navy on the website, but this is actually what color they are: a kind of smoky cobalt blue. It's still very nice, but I expected (and wanted) the navy. The toes make them look definitely historical, and the shoelaces are the wrong color to me (I would have preferred black or something closer to the shade of blue used), and there's no tread on the bottom of the boots, just shiny plastic. Maybe I'm spoiled because my first pair of AG boots were Kit's work boots, but these were a bit of a letdown. Still really cute, though. B-The cream socks. These are the thickest and have the fanciest stitching of all of the socks, and although they only go to knee-level, they're probably my favorite (and what Mary is wearing now). They feel like they'd be quite warm in human-size. AThe white socks. They are only knee length, because the tops are folded over and stitched. Although they are the softest of the socks, they are also the thinnest, and you can see the doll's skin color through the socks. On Mary it showed through quite a lot, so I imagine they'd be even worse on Addy. BThe black socks. These ones are slightly scratchy and the thickness is between the other two pairs, but they're the only pair that is calf-length (almost reaches the leg joints), so I like that they disappear under the skirt while the others don't. B+All in all, the set gets a solid B from me. Worth the money and good for mixing and matching, but not an absolute need to have.Mod edit to remove broken image link


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Monthly Archives: April 2011
The Protective Order and Procedures for representing Guantanamo detainees before military commissions "so infringe on the attorney-client relationship as to make effective and zealous advocacy impossible," states a letter issued by the New York City Bar Association, and therefore the effective date of the order should be delayed until concerns are adequately addressed. < Continue reading
The New York City Bar Association applauds the issuance of Proposed Rule 151 of the Rules of the Chief Administrator of New York State's courts, which relates to court case assignment and campaign donations, and supports the majority of the provisions but has recommendations on several of them. < Continue reading
The New York City Bar Association's Committee on Professional Discipline has issued two letters, with regard to disclosure of retired lawyers' addresses and the re-adoption of the use of Letters of Caution in the First Department. < Continue reading
The New York City Bar Association today announced the winners of this year's Kathryn A. McDonald Awards, which are presented annually for excellence in service to the Family Court. < Continue reading
Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman announced yesterday a new court rule that would permit out-of-state lawyers to provide in-house legal services to their employer even if not admitted to practice in New York, so long as they comply with the registration requirements and abide by New York's ethics rules. < Continue reading
On April 13, the City Bar Justice Center's 6th Annual Gala will honor Barclays PLC and Linklaters LLP for exemplary leadership in their global pro bono programs, community projects and public service activities. < Continue reading


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Latest Headlines
Cooler than average temperatures this week.
A company said it has faced challenges since seeking approval to put a care ...
The No. 24 Arkansas baseball team (21-13) raced out to an early lead Wednesday ...
Due to the threat of inclement weather, Arkansas baseball's series opener with ...
CONWAY, Ark. (Univ. of Conway) -- Stellar early season play has led to the addition of quarterbacks Wynrick Smothers of Central Arkansas and Jimmy Garoppolo of Eastern Illinois, and running back Zach Zenner of South Dakota State to the 2012 Walter Payton Award Watch List.
The Payton Award, presented by The Sports Network, and in its 26th year, is presented to the outstanding player in the Football Championship Subdivision. This year's winner will join a list of Payton Award greats such as Steve McNair, John Friesz, Brian Westbrook, Tony Romo, Brian Finneran, Armanti Edwards and 2011 recipient Bo Levi Mitchell.
Smothers, a 6-foot-1, 208-pound junior from Destrehan, La., has burst on the scene in his first full season as a starter, able to exploit defenses with both his arm and his legs. His 281.2 yards of total offense per game rank 12th in the FCS. One of the nation's more efficient passers, Smothers ranks 16th in passing efficiency (165.54 rating) and has completed over 66 percent of his passes. He has led the No. 20/24 Bears to a 3-2 record, including a win over then-No. 2 Sam Houston State, avenging his team's only Southland Conference loss last year.
Smothers has completed 110 of 166 passes this season for 1,217 yards and 14 touchdowns. He is also UCA's second-leading rusher with 189 yards and 2 touchdowns.
UCA's last Payton Award finalist was quarterback Nathan Brown in 2008. Brown is in his third season as UCA's quarterbacks coach.
Other nominees on the Watch List are quarterbacks Casey Brockman of Murray State, Taylor Heinicke of Old Dominion, Kurt Hess of Youngstown State, Jeff Mathews of Cornell, DeNarius McGhee of Montana State and Brad Sorensen of Southern Utah; running backs Zach Bauman of Northern Arizona, Shakir Bell of Indiana State, Jamaine Cook of Youngstown State, Matt Denham of Eastern Kentucky, Timothy Flanders of Sam Houston State, Miguel Maysonet of Stony Brook, Andrew Pierce of Delaware and Terrance West of Towson; fullback Eric Breitenstein of Wofford; and wide receivers Aaron Mellette of Elon and Ryan Spadola of Lehigh.
The Payton Award will be voted on by a national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries following the regular season on Nov. 19. The top three vote-getters will be invited to the FCS Awards Banquet and Presentation on Dec. 17 in Philadelphia.


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Why does gear define the character, and yet it's all the same?
At the risk of burning myself out on writing, I wanted to make another post today since I had a lot of time to develop some thoughts at work.
Someone made a comment in my first post about the hypothetical dragon dropping the good loot and therefore getting farmed so the hypothetical guild could get all of its members geared out. I've already mentioned that I think once a creature dies it should be dead and stay dead, so that leaves out farming anything but I didn't really address how I feel about aforementioned 'good loot.'
To be perfectly honest I hate the way loot is handled in MMO's. You'll find I hate a lot of very specific things in MMO's today even if I don't necessarily hate all the games. Typically, you can math out the perfect gear for your chosen class and then its just a matter of grinding the right raid dungeons to get it. You could also just get your set pieces and then of course, everyone has the same gear and everyone has the same stats'ish. Sure, some people invest more time and end up having the better gear first, and for a little longer than everyone else.. but we're all working for the same thing. I think that is one of the strengths of the diablo series and games like it, dungeon siege, hellgate, etc. They have randomized loot which is a good start and excellent for that kind of game.
I ask why a lot, and there's no difference here. Why does it have to be that way? Why does gear have to play such a role that a green'd out level 80 fighting a purple'd out level 80 will get stomped every time. Well, skill does play a role in games like WoW but I'm going to go ahead and say that gear plays a bigger one. I think that some of the fantasy games could learn a thing or two from a game like EVE Online, where the modules you put on your ship do not play as big a role as other factors. Sure, you can get officer mods in EVE, and spend billions on your ship's gear, but if you don't know what you're doing, your ship is still going to get blown up, and probably by someone with named and tech 2 gear. Why? Because they live and breathe combat, overloaded their mods, kept you at range and kept their transversal velocity up so you had a hard time hitting them. Because they knew how to fight you, not necessarily how to get the best gear to fight you, and now you're in your pod and they have roughly half of your expensive stuff.
EVE gets away with this because all modules will eventually explode. Oh sure, leave them in your hangar or never take your ship into space and they'll be fine.. but take it out and get involved in the universe, and your ship is going to become space junk, give it time. Because stuff blows up, and crafters can craft good items, there is always a market for them. Because you can lose your officer mods, your epics, it's not everyone's goal in life to get the next one, it's their goal to get better at what they like to do.
So we've got destructible gear and minimal enhancement from good gear to great gear. Garbage gear should be passable as well and available cheaply in large quantities. It is my opinion that every single usable item in the game should be craftable by players, however, I believe that there can be room for some select unique pieces with lore surrounding them. These pieces would be very difficult to destroy, but nothing is permanent, even the one ring was finally melted.
What is this damn dragon going to drop then, why would anyone bother killing him? For one thing, this dragon has a story of his own, and killing him would be important to the game world. That's usually not enough though, so dragons always have treasure. Why shouldn't he be sitting on a collection of loot that he's gathered. Everyone who ever fought and died to the dragon would leave behind a portion of loot. When someone finally kills it, there may be crafted armor left behind that Joe Armorsmith made for Jon Dragonslayer 3 months ago before Jon was turned into ashes. So yeah, you should get loot, and if you're lucky, that dragon also had one of those unique pieces we were talking about.
Craftable everything I say, and people will pay top dollar for a well made sword, they always have. Some of what SWG did originally with its crafting system was really great. The varied stats on gear was great, getting that absolute perfect piece was very hard or very expensive.
And crafting it should be different too.. just wait till I write something about how I'd like to see crafting done.
Very good stuff here. It always makes me smile when I see that my plans for Project Vex are seconded in the community.
One slight difference, is that in Project Vex, it could very well be a veteran player playing that Dragon, collecting that loot (with a game mechanic that encourages the hoarding of loot).
And I wouldn't worry too much about the balancing issues that fly through peoples minds when I mention a Dragon as a PC. It's all been worked through and taken into consideration (I just can't reveal the biggest and best part of Project Vex, or it would ruin the surprise).Sun Mar 22 2009 2:23AM Report
The argument of importance of items and getting variety has been argued quite a bit before. The key points are:
- What is the point of playing without a carrot?
- What motivates crafters and drives the economy?
- How do you encourage players to use different items when one item is min maxed to be the best choice for a situation?
- What stops people from playing naked so they don't lose loot?
If you 'solved' some of those issues, you may help the genera move forward (I agree in principle with what you said).Sun Mar 22 2009 3:07AM Report
What is the point of playing without a carrot?
There's a carrot, it just doesn't have to be items. I don't believe in developing every MMO for the WoW player. So in a different sub-genre of MMO, items don't have to be the focus, instead, making something of your character is your carrot, whether that is being a successful crafter, a great warrior, a wealthy land owner, a noble, a king, a leader of armies, etc.
- What motivates crafters and drives the economy?
Items should be destructible, keeping the market fluid. When your master crafted dagger bites it, you need another one. Crafters will work in larger quantities to become rich and sell many different types of items in a variety of places in the world (no single world auction house... trade routes are better)
- How do you encourage players to use different items when one item is min maxed to be the best choice for a situation?
Again we're talking about a different design philosophy here. This is something that I will end up talking about in a future post on this blog so I'll let it go for now.
- What stops people from playing naked so they don't lose loot? Nothing. Why shouldn't you be able to play naked? The celts did it. Of course the question then is, if someone can be just as successful playing naked, why would anyone buy armor? It would come down to aesthetic choice. You want to be a cool barbarian with no armor, sure, skill into unarmored. Ok, you don't have to buy any plate, so your costs are lower than someone who has to keep buying new plate every time theirs gets damaged beyond repair. But instead, you need to buy stoneskin potions to get the same kind of defense. Something along those lines.
I agree with you, rounner, it's been talked about before, and that your questions are some of the stumbling blocks for every developer that tries to break out of the mold. However, I think that designing with a different set of players in mind is what makes or breaks this kind of game. If I were to make an MMO, I would not expect or want the 11.5 million WoW players, I would be quite happy with 100-500k players looking for something different.Sun Mar 22 2009 5:22AM Report
How would such a game be crafted? If 'ye epic lore item' happen to be destroyed forever then only one person would have good use for it and for a limited time. If it did not get destroyed, but merely moved, it may work better. I believe that is what Blizzard is heading for with Frostmourne. Whole guilds attack, leader gets it. Soon enough, one guild of gods will be born.
Anyway... beside the point. If 'ye epic lore item' is destroyed, then what happens to the value of killing that awesome god-dragon-thing-a-ma-jig? You'll just end up with a piece of crap armor from Joe armorsmith that you paid a measly 30g for yesterday to aid in slaying this beast in the first place.
Ah, I'm not sure if I am showing what I'm talking about sufficently, oh well. Point: Lore item destroyed = value of monster gone = what's the point of paying for armor to aid in destroying = no cash to armorsmith = armorsmith gone = no one plays.Sun Mar 22 2009 5:34AM Report
Gear should not define the character, and that is the whole point. Gear is a means to an end, and a way to stay modest. The end is what you make it. If I want to be a well known warrior I will probably invest in master crafted armor from Tim the Mastersmith so that I look the part and have a tiny edge. I'll then fight npc's or pc's as I see fit and win or lose. Over time my armor will degrade and I'll repair it, and eventually I'll need to replace it. I'll go right back to Tim and get a new piece, shinier this time, and with spikes, dammit.
I'll go face the dragon, it will kill me, and my shiny spiky armor will be part of his horde. Maybe the dragon also has one of these epic lore items as well, and when someone comes and kills him and takes it, they may or may not wear it. If they do, it will be better than that shiny, spiky armor laying next to it, and it will take a lot more punishment, be repaired, and eventually, it will be nearing its last legs. That person may choose to save it, display it in his guild's hall. They may choose to keep wearing it until it is destroyed. They may come across the wrong guy and be killed, or get beaten in a major battle against players or an npc. Now they're in trouble, it's usually beneficial to let someone live, but this guy has the epic chestplate of pwn, they're going to ransom it from him or kill him and take it. If it is another giant dragon, he's going to die anyway and the chest piece will sit waiting for a new champion.
The point of it all is this: The value of slaying a great NPC monster is not in the loot, it is in the deed, of actually affecting the gameworld by destroying a historic creature and changing that entire area. Loot is not what you have to play for in every game. This is the kind of thinking I wish I could change, but I will be happy enough that there are others out there who think as I do.
Thanks for the comment BC, I do see what you are saying, and in a typical MMO it would never fly, but it's that line of thinking that I would like to see changed in the right MMO for me.Sun Mar 22 2009 5:51AM Report
I totally agree with your philosophy about MMO gear. It shouldn't be the focus of combat and/or balance, it is simply another factor within the larger spectrum. The real focus should be the individual player's skill. You mentioned how the Celts went into battle naked, well for one it was for intimidation, and I believe that should be a viable strategy (given that the player(s) actually knows how to play that way). I believe strongly in balance, so every type of weapon, armor, fighting style, you name it should be balanced. However, the balance or advantage/disadvantage only comes out when the player's skill is calculated in. So, fighting without armor is only a viable strategy if the player is swift, evasive, and can destroy his/her opponent quickly. If the player is foolish enough to get hit numerous times, then the player should rethink using that strategy (because the player didn't use it correctly).
@ Velexia
PLEASE STOP MENTIONING YOUR GAME! If you want to actually post how it is going to work and why it is so god damn awesome, then post it. If not, stop writing these little praises for it. I have no problem with that fact that you have a game idea, that's great. I have an idea for a game as well, but I don't spam the forums and blogs with really vague comments on how cool and godly my game is going to be. This is because I do not wish to share it yet, and since I do not wish to share it yet (which is also your situation) I do not bother people about it. This behavior is that same thing an elementary kid does when he has a secret. He runs around telling everyone how he has the greatest secret, but he refuses to tell anyone. To put it bluntly, it's annoying. Either post a section on the details of your game, or stop mentioning it.Sun Mar 22 2009 8:04AM Report
Movie City News, two worthy reads: invicta watches
Reid Rosefelt recalls dealing with critics at Zoom In Online and, at the LA Weekly's site, Scott Foundas, who, in an open letter to Smith that starts out being about almost getting yanked from a screening, segues into a review: "Watching the film, I was reminded that, for all your outward irreverence, you're a big old softie at heart... this is the umpteenth movie I've seen this year about guys in their 30s who aren't quite sure what they want to do with their lives, and it's the only one that strikes a real chord, because it's neither an exaltation nor a condemnation of slackerdom, but rather just a sweet little fable about how sometimes the life that you think could be so much better is actually pretty damn good already.


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First U.S. to Cuba cruise in decades sets sail
The first U.S. cruise ship bound for Cuba in decades sets sail as salsa music played and protesters picketed nearby. CNN's Patrick Oppmann has the details.
Latest: Hundreds of May Day demonstrators take to LA streets
May Day demonstrators carrying signs and chanting slogans have taken to the streets of Los Angeles to demand more rights for workers and immigrants
Firefighters battle huge fire at New York City church
Firefighters are battling a huge fire at a historic church in New York City
The Cruz Campaign Corrects Heidi After She Calls Ted An Immigrant
Ted Cruz's campaign said his wife "misspoke" when she referred to Cruz as an immigrant. It's an important distinction for his presidential hopes.
One of the Largest Circus Lion Rescues Ever
Animal Defenders International is planning the largest airlift of lions ever. Angeli Kakade (@angelikakade) has the story.
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text:
- 90Promote
Art Print
Meat Giovanni Belliniby Marko Köppe
Collect your choice of gallery quality Giclée, or fine art prints custom trimmed by hand in a variety of sizes with a white border for framing.
Ay! Caramba! What a fantastic organic face! Love it!
Thanks very much, Jerome and Magdalla!
nooo :D hahaha, groovy
Poor fellow..Think you should have taken him to the doctors rather than making him sit to have his portrait painted Marko.
Wow! I've seen the original many many times at the National Gallery, this is quite a different version!! ;-)
Excellent = Cheers!
Nicely done.
great concept
Oh Yeah! ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ 👍
Thanks very much, Maja, Hive, Angelo, Michael, Tex and Wayne!
i agree nicely done!
spooky cool
Nice one Marko!
Much thanks, Lou, Cats, Peter and Antigoni!
A great piece, Marko.
Thanks a lot, Nikola!
wicked cool
See More Comments


text:
May 6, 2016
The company being sued by two workers injured in a deadly explosion at a Slim Jim plant in North Carolina says it does not appear that its work was involved in the explosion.
In a statement released Tuesday, attorney Rod Pettey says employees with Raleigh-based Southern Industrial Constructors did not work within or above the pump room. Federal investigators have said they think the June 9 explosion at the ConAgra Foods plant was fueled by a natural gas leak and that they had traced the blast to a pump room.
Leonard Spruill of Selma and Tammie O'Neal of Zebulon filed their lawsuit against Southern Industrial on Monday, saying the company was responsible for the natural gas leak.
Three people died in the explosion, and dozens of others were injured.
Copyright 2016 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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text: Crossrail 2 might finally be coming, a century later than first proposed Business 07 February 13 by Ian Steadman Crossrail This week saw the launch of yet another proposal for a new subterranean railway line running northeast to southwest beneath London. Crossrail 2 would be as ambitious as Crossrail 1, costing as much as £12bn and requiring large new tunnels underneath central London.However, this proposal is that of a business lobbying group, not Transport for London -- as much as Boris Johnson may welcome the idea, it's still the latest in a line of similar plans.London First is a non-profit consortium of business interests, formed in 1992, that campaigned vigorously for the construction of Crossrail 1. That's currently being burrowed out beneath the capital and due to open by 2018, but the worry of many in the business community is that London's public transport will barely keep up with increases in demand. Former transport minister Lord Adonis, chair of the report and who spoke today about the London First proposal, said that "congestion on rail and tube lines will be unbearable by the late 2020s". Crossrail 2 will take the place of the long-mooted Chelsea-Hackney line, an idea that's been around in some form or other since as long ago as 1901.The report outlines two possibilities for a new underground rail line. The slightly cheaper plan (still a hefty £9.5bn, mind you) would take the route of the safeguarded Chelsea-Hackney route, while the more expensive £12bn option taking almost the same route but splitting into two branches at either end which then connect to suburban rail services, like Crossrail 1 and Thameslink. The report argues that the extra capacity and flexibility of this second option makes it a better option, and especially as London's population is expected to increase to around ten million by 2030.For those curious as to what this second proposal would look like, here's a rough Google Maps mockup from the ever-interesting Diamond Geezer transport blog. The soonest that either of these could go into operation is, London First estimates, 2030, but since Crossrail 1 is at least five years overdue then it's unlikely that Crossrail 2 will make that deadline.Crossrail 2 would (apparently) reduce the time it takes to get to Tottenham Court Road from Dalston Juncton from half an hour to just eight minutes, London First claims. Hackney is still the only inner London borough without an Underground station (the stations on the recently-completed Overground technically don't count). People have been proposing tube lines up that part of London for over a century, but it's only recently that it's looked likely that there's going to be a way to pay for it.There were two competing American businessmen trying to crack the then-still private tube business back in 1901 -- Charles Yerkes and JP Morgan. Yerkes was a successful financier from Chicago who had built some of that city's earliest key infrastructure, while Morgan was simply successful at almost ever financial investment he made. Morgan took his chance to buy the rights to the routes of three tube lines in the city, but -- thanks to manoeuvres by Yerkes -- Morgan's financing fell through and Parliament declined to put the lines forward for Royal Assent. You can see a map of the different lines put before the 1903 Royal Commission on London Traffic, some of which were approved, some of which weren't. Morgan gave up his plans in 1906. One of those lines would have driven up into Hackney.More lines going into Hackney were floated half-heartedly in the 1930s, but the Great Depression and then the Second World War put paid to any extravagant infrastructure spending. In 1974, the idea was revived in a study by London Transport, and the route that we'd recognise today was first specified. The District line to Wimbledon and one of the Central line branches from Leytonstone would be taken over by the new line at either end, with new tunnels through central London. In 1991 this route was safeguarded to avoid any developments taking place that might block its future construction.Over the last 30 years, there's seemingly been a new proposal for making use of the Chelsea-Hackney route every couple of years (including 1995's Express Metro, which looks a lot like London First's Crossrail 2 proposal). This time, demographics might force the government's hand -- without Crossrail 2, Euston station is going become dangerously overcrowded thanks to the extra passengers expected for High Speed 2, and the report points out that without a new line TfL will have to invest £6bn into improving capacity on existing lines anyway. They may as well spend a little more for vastly more capacity. One last thing to consider in all this is that London receives an absolutely disproportionate amount of funding when it comes to transport within the UK. A study from the Intitute for Public Policy Research in December 2011 found that transport spending was estimated at £2,731 per head in London, far higher than regions like the the southwest (£19 per head) or the northeast (£5 per head). More train capacity might just mean yet more people moving to London and increasing the north-south (or, rather, London and the southeast-the rest of the country divide), one of the key criticisms of High Speed 2. People in Glasgow and Manchester and Leamington Spa and Truro might well prefer a bit more money was spent on buses and trams and mainline trains, instead. Edited by Nate Lanxon Latest on wired.co.uk


text:
I've seen Jose Canseco play baseball.
I own a Jose Canseco coffee mug. I used to keep movie ticket stubs in it. Now my girlfriend drinks coffee from it.
I once stuck an American Beauty ticket stub on someone's car.
I used to call wet dreams "thumpers."
My sister called me a Hog for eating too many Taco Bell tacos on my birthday.
I used to think I was fat.
I liked the idea of collecting toys more than playing with them.
Batman is my favorite superhero.
I wish my Pappou taught me how to play poker.
My Pappou was a boxer.
I've broken my left wrist, my right arm, my left elbow, my left and right pinky and thumbs.
When I have reoccurring dreams they are invariably about skateboarding, rollerblading, bridges, water and running/ jumping.
I enjoy compartmentalization.
Constraints appeal to me in the way that drinking a glass of wine in the closet for hours and hours appeals to me.
It's that feeling of having to go pee, of panicking that's erotic.
I once let a dog hump my leg because I thought it was playing with me.
I once let a tick crawl all over my hand because I thought it was a small spider.
I've never seen a UFO.
I haven't been to a baseball game in three years.
I should have been a composer/ producer.
Taste level is a real thing.
Jokes make me uncomfortable.
I've been to Wyoming.
I should have been an athlete.
I hated athletics when I was a kid.
I once shot for 36 points in a basketball game after eating a Jack In The Box breakfast sandwich.
I played Catholic School basketball for 8 years.
I'm not Catholic. I never made the A Team.
My elementary school girlfriend was pregnant by 7th grade.
I just can't get into theory.
I like listening to Robin Blaser talk about Georgio Agamben.
Millepedes are horrifying.
Camping is unhealthy.
A healthy vagina should taste like metal.
Sometimes cigarettes taste like raisons.
Persimmons smell like semen.
My Mom once noticed a man fondling himself behind her on the bus. She told the driver to stop the bus, she walked the rest of the way home.
The bus if full of cretins and thugs rapping about Lebron's automobile.
I once signed a t-shirt after a skate competition, the kid thought I was somebody else.
I have no idea how to inscribe books.
I have no idea why I cross out my printed name before signing books.
I noticed Alice Notley cross out her name while signing my copy of The Decent Of Allette.
Sometimes my pee smells like Cheerios.
I get embarrassed easily.
Sometimes I talk over people.
Loud people are selfish.
Crass people are too eager.
When I run Lime Ridge I think of the airport.
When I box I think of prosody.
I think our sense of smell is the closest we can get to time travel.
I've had nightmares of cats clawing at my arms.
I've had nightmares of humiliation and infidelity.
I miss too many friends living and dead.
I have no idea how landscape has affected me.
I dream of hills and Pacific Oceans.
I have no idea what my poetics is.
I know that music is primary, I wish I could make music.
Aug 22, 2012
2 comments:
- timarmentrout said...
i like this a lot john, especially the idea of smell as time travel. hope yr well man!
- Magie said...
Johnny...I've degressed to getting a hold of you via Blogger.com. So how do I get a hold of you?
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
A three-month consultation on jointly agreed proposals to manage staff sickness and ill health retirement in the NHS is underway.
As ill health retirements are a key component of the main pension scheme, arrangements for this need to be in place by April 2008.
The injury benefits review is working to a slightly longer timescale as implementation is not constrained by any links to the main NHS Pension Scheme Review, which is set to be implemented on 1 April 2008.
There are no jointly agreed proposals to share at this stage. The review partners have agreed to undertake a separate consultation exercise once proposals for change have been jointly agreed. Further information will be made available on these pages as the review progresses.
The NHS injury benefit scheme makes payments to NHS staff that become ill or are injured as a result of their work in the NHS. The scheme forms part of the terms and conditions of NHS employment and is regulated by the NHS (Injury Benefit) Regulations 1995. It is separate to the NHS Pension Scheme.
There are three main types of benefits payable from the Scheme:
All applications are subject to a medical decision. Applications are received by NHS Business Services Authority Pensions Division and assessed by the scheme's medical advisers (ATOS Origin).
Almost all staff employed in the NHS are covered by the scheme from their first until their last day of employment, and they do not have to be a member of the NHS Pension Scheme. The only staff not covered are GP practice staff, GP co-operative staff, PMS staff, freelance GP and dental locums, direction employees, reservists, and staff working for a private or public limited company that provides a service to the NHS (i.e. agency staff).
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Contact us | Help | Media centre | Home | Register | NHS Confederation


text:
The Samsung Galaxy S4 running the new version of Android (Android 4.3, Jelly Bean) update has surfaced online. The firmware version on the device is XXUBMA8, which is one that has not been seen before, but this is all about the details that can be seen from the screenshots. If you just lately purchase a […]Read more
Today, HP has introduced their latest all in one computer, HP Slate 21 in Beijing, China. It icomes with 21.5inch wide viewing Full HD display (1920 x 1080) IPS display. It is a 21.5 inch big size android tablet as well as android-powered computer. Unfortunately, it does not run Microsoft Windows 8 operating system as […]Read more
As we know, all the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OS will not support flash player. Flash player is still one of the frequently use software for some websites. It is just annoying if you are not able to access flash website on your Jelly Bean device. In this post, I'll guide you how to enable […]Read more
Samsung Galaxy S4 Vs HTC One Vs Sony XPeria Z Vs Sony Xperia ZL Vs HTC Butterfly [Ultimate Full HD Specification Comparison]
Samsung Galaxy S4 is out. It looks convincing with the upgraded Full HD 5" display as well as the 8 core Exynos Octa processor. The 8 core Exynos Octa processor is consists of two 1.6GHz and 1.2GHz Cortex processors. In reality, all 2 quad core processors aren't run simultaneously. Only one quad core processor will […]Read more
Samsung Galaxy S4 is finally revealed and officially landed today. What we care the most is surely the full specification of Samsung Galaxy S4. It basically met a lot of rumored and speculated specification. It is expected to features the most powerful 8 core Exynos 5 Octa 5410 processor which consists of Quad core 1.6GHz […]Read more
Great thanks to erorcun who share the port of Sony Xperia Lockscreen to all the Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) android OS. The Xperia lockscreen is ported successfully on those devices who runs ICS Rom. The installation is slightly tedious where it is now direct installation even though with apk file. Check out more after the […]Read more
I'm using the Sony Xperia Home Launcher all the while for my rooted android devices. Big thanks to ThilinaC, who has ported Xperia Z Home Launcher for Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Note, Galaxy S2 and other ICS & Jelly Bean devices. I have updated my home launcher to this version. It works […]Read more
Sony Xperia Z Vs HTC Butterfly Vs ZTE Grand S Vs Huawei Ascend D2 Vs Sony Xperia ZL [Ultimate Comparison on 1920 x 1080 Devices]
5 inch full HD display smartphone device will be the most important feature in 2013 as of now. From CES 2013, we saw a lot of 5 inch full HD (1920×1080) resolution devices like Sony Xperia Z, Sony Xperia ZL, HTC Butterfly (First 5 inch full hd device), Huawei Ascend D2 and ZTE Grand S. […]Read more
Xperia launcher is now available for download unofficially for all Ice cream sandwich (ICS) and jelly bean android devices. The Sony Xperia launcher was successfully run on any android devices other than Sony Xperia devices normally. I love Xperia launcher as of its fast response and quick uninstallation feature on the launcher. This Xperia launcher […]Read more
Don't be surprise. Yes, it is HD2. It is Jelly Bean. It is 4.2 Jelly Bean. HTC HD2 is a long live smartphone device starting from Windows Mobile, to android, to windows phone, to meego and more OS. HD2 is finally tasted the latest and most updated Android OS, Jelly Bean 4.2 modded by CynongenMod […]Read more


text:
Caldecott Medalist Yolen (Owl Moon) turns her attention to the poet Emily Dickinson and her young nephew, Thomas Gilbert ("Gib"), expanding on some real-life interactions between them to explore the role of poetry in human life. Gib feels obliged to defend his reclusive aunt's honor when a classmate makes fun of her, then can't bring himself to tell his family about the fight. Uncle Emily (their private nickname for her) can tell he's holding back and gives him a poem that explains how he can preserve his integrity--once he understands her poetic language. " 'Tell all the Truth,' it began, 'but tell it slant--/ Success in Circuit lies.' " Carpenter's crisp tableaus evoke the period with restraint: adults poised with teacups, girls in lace collars, boys in short pants. In one striking image, Gib kneels by his bed, studying a dead bee and a poem his aunt has written about it, "as if she wants me to see the world/ one small bee/ and one small poem/ at a time"--a description that might also apply to Yolen. Ages 6-8. (May)[Page 50]. Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
Gr 2-5--This story is a fictionalized account of Emily Dickinson's interactions with one of her young nephews. "Uncle Emily," as Gib calls his aunt, gives the boy a poem to take to his teacher. When a classmate makes fun of his beloved aunt, labeling her "a peculiar old maid," Gib comes to her defense and gets into a fight. He is afraid to tell his family about the incident until his aunt gives him a poem called, "Tell all the Truth." In an afterword, Yolen explains that Dickinson really did give Gib a poem to take to school, and that the two were very close. The rest of the story, however, is invented. Yolen is a master of word craft and the story is beautifully told in short, rhythmic lines that read like free verse. The story highlights some of Dickinson's well-known characteristics: her white clothing, her love of gardening, and her fondness for children. Carpenter's watercolor and ink illustrations are full of light and done with crosshatching that suggests the printing technique found in late-19th-century children's books. The effect helps place the story in a historical setting. This book is similar to Michael Bedard's Emily (Doubleday, 1992). Both are written at about the same reading level, are beautifully illustrated, and give fictionalized accounts of Dickinson's relationships with children.--Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT[Page 102]. Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.


text:
As someone who usually work on three different PCs and a laptop, Google Docs and Spreadsheets very convenient, due to the fact i can access my documents from each of my computers.
As time went by, i started to accumulate lots of docs and spreadsheets in Google account, and i asked myself how should i backup them. I knew i could open each and every document and just save it as a Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Word document, as well as a PDF document, but i was looking for a more powerful method.
I searched a bit and found a nice program Google Docs Backup that helped me to accomplish my task.
So here's what you should do in order to backup your Google docs and Spreadsheets:
- Run Google docs backup.
- Input your gmail account or your google app account.
- Select preferred location in Hard drive to store your docs and spreadsheets.
- Click Backup


text:
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The Latest: Notebook: A new legacy begins at K-State — 8/30/2006
The story of how Bill Snyder elevated Kansas State's downtrodden football program into a national power is a classic tale of college football history. It's also an intimidating legacy. New head coach Ron Prince begins writing his own story this season and it begins with a much tougher schedule. Get...[details]


text:
Help me design a ship encounter (4E)
Okay, so my 23rd-level party (consisting on a cleric, ranger, rogue, fighter, and wizard), are sailing on a ship. They are being pursued by the BBEG's attack ship. If they could get a straight-on fight, they would likely make mince meat of the enemy crew, but I want to design an encounter that is a genuine challenge for them. The enemy ship will try to sink their ship. In the middle of the ocean, drowning is a real risk even for 23rd level PCs. So I want some sort of mix of skill challenge plus fighting that will challenge my characters. Got any ideas?
Here's a few ideas:
Good luck!
I like the cannons idea. The ship they are on has no cannons or armaments of any kind. Their only artillery would be the wizard's longest range spells.
Communications Mage:
In fantasy, especially high fantasy, mages with knowledge spells and counter spells serve as great ship assistants.
They can call in the fleet, navigate the ship, deflect enemy spells and of course, drop the meteor swarms on the enemy ship. Some of them may also decide to reanimate the dead to continue fighting the enemy.
Mages rule (especially for GM's) for one simple reason... if you ever get stuck with your phlebotanum's reasoning, you can always say "a wizard did it" and it's a perfectly viable explanation.
Fire in the hole:
Consider starting a fire on the PC ship (enemy blinks in) as well so they have to defeat the BBEG and take his ship to survive.
If the player's defeat the ship at range, have the enemy troops teleport in to the bowls of their own ship for a fight for survival, take-no prisoners battle.
From the beyond!:
Maybe the weather turns sour and a sea storm with severe ley line activity gates in a horror from the beyond and both ships have to work together to defeat it...
There's literally tons of things you can do.
There's also a good deal about types of conflicts and encounter set ups here
Smashing into the ship is a useful tactic. The Roman Trireme is a good example of a smaller, yet more maneuverable ship capable of sinking larger vessels. Fire was also a common way to destroy ships from a distance, either using alchemical or magic to do so. Having a high level clergy of the sea Deity is also helpful to provide useful interventions on behalf of the enemy. You could also have trained and equipped "Frog-men" to swim out and cut holes in the vessels, destroy oars, break the ruder, etc as well or send a delta force shock troop to board the ship when they least expect it and kill the whole crew..
Throwing in my two scene
First determining the level of technology so far as scuttling weapons. Cannons have already been mentioned but they aren't the only high seas style of making a crews day miserable. Before the invention of the cannon, highly flammable materials were used and launched by lariat catapult from ship to ship. I was highly effective. The substance know as Greek Fire would burn on the surface of water for hours and was down right impossible to remove from the surface of the ships. As the only difference, crews on the opposing ships would use a heavy parafin wax to slow the fire and make it more manageable. This wasn't the only weapon. Windless Scudda crosbows were used to poke holes in certain areas of the ship to reduce its maneuverability. The shafts of the bolts where even fluted to assure the ship took on water. The extra weight down that end of the ship causing it to list. The whole tactic was to slow the opposing ship down for the coup de tas, THE RAM.
Later developments of cannons didn't even end the use of these practices. Now, inflammatory shot was propelled over a greater distance by mortars. Even more interesting was a device used by blue beard. A cannon shot an anchor attached to a chain into the side of the hull. A trebuchet would then launch a heavy weight over the other side causing the ship to list heavily. The idea was to make maneuverability impossible and at the rick of capsizing. Chain shot was another adaptation used to destroy rigging and mast on the opposing ship. A weighted chain was shot like a bolas, decimating ropes, rigs and anyone in the way.
If you're looking for a good mechanic, look only to the 7th Sea adaptation of ship to ship. Rogue trader has some good ones too. It's basically like this. every section of the crew represents an important function of the ship. Speed maneuverability, fire power, hull capacity, the crews backbone, the leadership and their knowledge of tactics. Each are vulnerable to specific attack and each has a specific response.
In my fantasy gem there are several fazes.
Tactics and Leadership: The commanders ability to get the crew moving functionally and identifying the kinds of incoming attacks. This also includes Moral Resolve if the crew is losing moral.
The Magic roll off: Every ship is armed with three kinds of mages, Communications mage/Assault mage/Meta Mage (defense Mage). They all roll off and the dice determine who is capable of doing what (usually by contest.) Obviously the Assault mage is trying to hit the opposing ship with a spell, the Meta Mage is trying to prevent that and the communications mage is constantly trying to feed the captain with intelligence on the other ships maneuver. Any one F*cks this up? And an attack gets through.
Maneuver Faze: The ships movement comes after all this believe it or not. This is to represent attempting to maneuver a better opportunity and is largely based off of the Leadership faze.
Ordinance faze: What ever the appropriate Cannon, Mortar, Ballista, Scudda, Trebuchet, Lariat, etc. This will also include mand fire power like guns, longbows and cross bows even spears.
If the two ships have maneuvered close enough together
Boarding Faze!: Siege devices are linked between ships including more daring feats such as swinging in. You don't roll for every person of course. You roll the tactics of the boarding commander (either the captain or a crony). Of course for this section you may want to determine the difficulty modifier of boarding the ship plus the weapons being used for the boarding procedures as well as the time spent in combat (given fatigue and moral over a certain period of time). The cutlass for instance was designed for ship boarding, the awl headed polearm became a great weapon of defending against boarding parties. These are just things to consider.
Who wins?: Remmeber your crew represents that ships ability to function. the more each station loses, the smaller that stat gets. Out side of that, the ship itself has hit points segmented around certain sections (the broad side being the weakest)
The BBEG ship could be equiped with a "Call the Kraken" device... It might take a few turns to activate (thus allowing the PCs to 1) recognize it and 2) destroy it before the Kraken appears).
Your clergy of the sea Deity might be able to call forth a storm over the PC's ship.
Your Communication Mage could be a coven of Sea Hags.
Any of those spellcasters could have a fiendish Albatross familiar to spy (and scry) on the PC's ship.
A neat spell to create is this: Cymothoa exigua, (tongue-eating louse) AKA Tongue-Whale- cause the target to have their tongue replaced by a parasite, draining them of a small amount of HP and rendering them unable to cast spells that require speech for the duration. Remove curse instantly dispels.
Another thought:
Introducing a timer could also greatly increase the challenge factor, just as a GM mechanic. If, for example, you want them to have X rounds before their ship gets blown out from under them, economy of the limited actions they have will come into play if they want to succeed. That will have less to do with them being level 23, and more to do with how well they can work as a team. Especially if each counter-action they have to do to keep the ship from going up takes two successful standard actions to accomplish.
You don't even need to work out the mechanics for exactly how their ship gets blown up--that would be some epic flavor text that puts a little fear for their characters in them.
Maybe a little extreme or overly annoying. Have the PC ship run aground on a random ocean sand barge. Leaves them trying to free their ship while at mercy of the BBEG's cannons or they have to attempt something more interesting. Heck, upon collision with the sand the ship could start taking on water.
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text:
Things to see and do - Trent
Leaving for Italy
Nearby hotels
Albermonaco from66 €Book
Hotel Aquila D'Oro from90 €Book
Hotel Venezia from47 €Book
Hotel Aquila D'Oro :
Nearby tourist sites
Nearby Restaurants
Wine Bar
Cotation :
Type de cuisine : Regional
Scrigno del Duomo
Cotation :
Type de cuisine : Creative
Osteria a Le Due Spade
Cotation :
Type de cuisine : Classic cuisine
Hotel Aquila D'Oro
Hotel Aquila D'Oro
Address : Via Belenzani 76 I - 38100 Trento
from : 90 EURBook
A luxurious design hotel set just off Trento's Piazza Duomo, Hotel Aquila D'Oro offers rooms with a chromotherapy shower and free Wi-Fi throughout. The cathedral is 100 metres away on foot. Uniquely decorated rooms at the Aquila D'Oro come with satellite TV, air conditioning, and a minibar.Some rooms include an infra-red sauna and spa bath. A sweet and savoury breakfast is provided daily, including croissants, cold cuts and scrambled eggs. At the Golden Eagle Street Bar, a modern, informal lounge bar, you can enjoy aperitifs and meals. Trento Station is 650 metres from the property, while the Buonconsiglio Castle is reachable on foot in around 8 minutes. Staff can arrange guided city tours.
Useful Information
- Address : Via Belenzani 76 I - 38100 Trento38100Trento
Main services
- Restaurant
- Air conditioning
- Disabled access
- Non-smoking rooms
- Animals allowed
- Satellite TV


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Enter your stay dates and any discounts you qualify for to see Plantation, FL rates found only on HotelPlanner!
Only hotels in Plantation are listed below. Search for the cheapest discounted hotel and motel rates in or near Plantation, FL for your business or personal leisure travel. Explore the most favored Plantation, Florida motel and hotel rooms. Browse the Plantation area hotels to find the perfect lodging! Please use the provided map of the Plantation hotels. Group booking? Search Plantation Group Hotel Rates
The Plantation center is about 1 mile east of Pine Island Park and 2 miles west of Central Broward Regional Park.
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- 74Promote
Art Print
Retro Boyby Retro Designs
Collect your choice of gallery quality Giclée, or fine art prints custom trimmed by hand in a variety of sizes with a white border for framing.
Retro Boy
An image of a boy confidently smiling for a portrait circa 1940 to 1950.
All copyrights are owned by RQ Designs, you are most welcome to have him adorn your walls, Tee shirts and Hoodies, and of course the device skins. If you would like to use the image commercially please email me at email@example.com
Tags: boy, youth, male, portrait, retro, smiling, fun, happy,
very cool!
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ 👍 !!!
oh so retro indeed, great picture!!
Neat find! :)
Thank you! Tsuki, Wayne Edson Bryan, Moonlight Studio, Bruce Stanfield very much!
retro, love
Again thanks so much, they are treasure's alright! :)
nice one
Thank you very much Catspaws!
Very handsome lad:)
Thanks again Chris, I think he was my uncle? I may release this one again with a quote should I find a worth piece! thank you, you are so kind! :)
A charming gentleman! ;)
Well Thanks very much indeed for the lovely comments ladies! :)
So cool!
Thanks Mathias!
Great Capture!! I see Confidence!! :)
ipixel- Ana Yes you are spot on! I like it this image does radiate confidence! I am still trying to find the perfect quote for this, and I thanks you as something to do with confidence would suit this well! thank you ipixel- Ana!
Great work!
Thanks you John, your work is great too! :)
Thanks you very much Pixel404!
Nicolas Jolly Thanks so much! :)
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Backroom Backing: North Carolina City Quietly Votes To Fund Jehovah's Witnesses Convention
As part of a backroom deal, the city council of Raleigh, N.C., has decided to provide $150,000 so the Jehovah's Witnesses can hold a major event locally.
Council members approved the handout earlier this month in a closed-door vote so that the Jehovah's Witnesses can hold their annual convention at PNC Arena in Raleigh next year, Indy Week reported. Read more


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About Us
For more than three decades Chuck Ames and the True Ames Fins team have been at the forefront of the fiberglass fin industry. Balancing a surfer-driven design ethic with an unyielding commitment to innovation and production excellence, we have forged an international reputation in the surfing and windsurfing communities as the guys who, simply put, make your waveriding vehicle of choice work even better. After all, as Chuck likes to say, "You could have the best board in the world shaped for you but, if the fins are off, it won't go- the thing just won't work the way it should." Day in and day out, it is our goal at True Ames to make sure such fin failures never happen to you.
This mission started one afternoon in 1979 in the parking lot at Rincon when Chuck found a flyer on his car post-surf session at the Queen of the Coast. The fateful note was advertising a fin business for sale and, well, being a recent college grad with designs on making a few bucks and still having time to chase waves, the offer was too good to refuse. Soon enough, True Ames was born and Chuck was busy laying up fiberglass, cutting fins, and grinding away foils in the bean fields of Oxnard.
The early 1980's was a heady and occasionally tumultuous time in Southern California's exploding surf industry and the Santa Barbara area was right in the middle of the madness. Lockstep with the innovation of that historic era, we worked closely with local comrades and emerging legends like Reynolds Yater and Channel Islands Surfboards' Al Merrick to produce fins that helped make some of the best surfboards on the planet even better. True Ames templates and foils helped navigate a young Tommy Curren towards his first World Title and also played a critical role in the Campbell Brothers cutting edge Bonzer experiments of the day.
The mid-80's saw True Ames jump head first into the technically challenging world of windsurfing. Forming a tight relationship with George Geenough, another one of Santa Barbara's most brilliant and eccentric ocean-minded innovators who was already quite engrossed with the hydrodynamic challenges of windsurfing, we set to developing progressive fin foils that quickly set new standards for the industry. True Ames riders came to dominate race courses the world over and, when the first windsurfer broke the 50 MPH mark, he was propelled by one of our skegs.
The design adventure only continued for us in the 1990's as the surfing world rediscovered longboards. Seemingly overnight, an unprecedented demand for Bane box fins was created and, with it, came a new wave of surfers and shapers demanding an ever-expanding palate of longboard fin templates for a wide variety of wave conditions and surfing styles. More than happy to oblige, we jumped in the fabricating shop with a mix of forward thinking shapers/surfers like Wayne Rich, Greg Liddle, Skip Frye, Dale Velzy, and the Yaters, to create their own signature True Ames fins, all of which continue to flourish and evolve. It was also during the latter half of the 90's that we first started applying our vast fin experience to the sport of wake boarding.
Today, as the 21st Century enters its teenage years, True Ames remains as committed as ever to providing the best fins for your ride, no matter your vehicle of choice within the vast family trees of surfing, windsurfing, wake boarding and kite boarding. Long hours of research and development have led to our industry leading True Lite Hexcore line for FCS and Future systems, be they twin fin, thruster, quad or 2+1 set-ups. Knowing full well that a proper magic board requires collaboration between shapers, fin makers and surfers alike, we continue regular work on our signature fins for world class board companies like Channel Islands, Lost, The Campbell Brothers, Timmy Patterson, and Eric Arakawa. And, perhaps most importantly, envelope pushing and design-conscious world class surfers like Tyler Warren, Christian Wach, Josh Farberow, Adam Robertson, and the scores of 805-based surfers who care about what is under their feet, remain regular visitors to our headquarters in Goleta where we work together to vision quest the future of fin design and construction. From new foils and shapes, to our emerging wood fin project that features perfectly produced CAD system cut bamboo and cedar fins, ours is a world of constant evolution and dedication to keeping True Ames as the fin industry's greatest resource.


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Buying a log pot but have no idea what to get.
From the thread I posted yesterday about my amp being too loud I'm looking to buy some Log pots for my Hot Rod Deville 410. Because I work in a music store I have the luxury of being able to buy right from the manufacturer. Only problem is that I have no idea what to buy or what I should buy. What do you guys think I should get? This would be for my Master volume and my Volume knobs. Thanks once again!
i would pull the chassis, look at the resistance value of the pot that is already there and then get a log version in the same value.
the master looks like a 100 K ohm. the volume looks like a 250 K ohm. i found that from the schematics, but don't take my word for it, you should double check.
but you should be able to just plug in 'audio taper pot' and the value and get hits.
A is audio/log for all North American manufacturers. You might be able to order one from Fender that will fit stock, otherwise you'll have to bend a sheet metal jig yourself.
Well that's strange. I just opened up the chassis right now and noticed that my Volume pot is marked "15A 250K" and my Master pot is marked "B100K" meaning that my Volume pot is logarithmic and my Master pot is linear. From what I've been told the design flaw is that both pots are linear. Guess that just means that I only need to buy one pot now! Woo!
Newer ones come with log volume pots.
I said I thought they were both linear but I wasn't sure. Just replace the linear one. Try to get a good one like a Bourne. If you're going to the trouble of replacing it, use a good one, they aren't that much more expensive.
KICK ASS! i read a schematic correctly... you see that cath? :wtf:
seriously, schematics are my kryptonite, especially ones that complex. i should really do it more often and get better.
just change the B value one then. that would be your main culprit.
Good boy. Now you can have a cookie. :haha:
Only 1/4w pots will fit. And you need this jig:
What a PITA. Have I mentioned how much I hate PCB mounted pots? You end up with bs like that ^.
Thanks for all of your help, guys! I've got myself an order to make.
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Hey Everyone,
We are coming into the home stretch of what has been a pretty crazy year for Blind Pilot. A lot has changed since our days of riding bikes down the west coast and playing on street corners. We have put on many miles in the van and consequently probably put on a few pounds as well. Successfully getting rid of any muscle that was gained while riding our bikes. Thank goodness as it is giving us a good head start on this year's holiday season.
Just a couple things we wanted to let you know before we wrap up this tour and 2009. Tickets are still available for the shows listed on the tour page. If you were planning on going to the show in Vancouver, BC, please note that the show has been moved from Media Club to a larger venue, the Biltmore Cabaret. Tickets are still available and all tickets purchased for the Media Club show will be honored.
If we are coming through your town, it will be great to see you again. Information on buying tickets can be found on the tour page.
We're proud to announce that our December 4th and 5th Portland shows will support two important non-profit organizations: p:ear and the Oregon Food Bank. Proceeds from a limited-edition silk-screen show poster, which you can see below will benefit p:ear, a Portland organization which serves homeless and transitional youth. We are also asking fans to bring non-perishable food items to the shows to benefit Oregon Food Bank, and those that do will be entered into a raffle to win the show poster (we'll autograph it if you want, but understand if you don't).
For those of you who have been begging us for more shirts, our online store is growing all the time — please take a moment now and then to check for new items. We recently added a new shirt and hoodie design, which you can see here. For those of you who have been pulling your hair out waiting for 3 Rounds and a Sound on vinyl, you'll have to pull some more. But… it really is so close. I'll spare you the dramatic story of why we don't have it yet, but I am 99% sure it is getting pressed as you read this.
Last, but not least, thank you so much to everyone who has come out and shown support. You have made this an amazing year.
+ Blind Pilot


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- Apr 20:
- Five snowboarders die in deadliest Colorado avalanche since 1962
- Apr 9:
- Coroner: Snowboarder suffered internal bleeding
- Ski deaths prompt look for link
- Apr 6:
- Grim record: 17th ski-area death
- Apr 5:
- 17th ski-resort death sets record
- Grim record broken with 17 deaths on Colorado slopes
- Apr 4:
- Aspen skier jumps off cliff, dies
A well-known Aspen snowboarder died Friday morning after apparently trying to ski off a cliff outside Aspen Highlands resort, officials said.
The accident happened about 11:30 a.m. at the Toner Bowl near Highland Peak, according to the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office.
A witness saw the man, identified Friday evening as 22-year-old Wallace Westfeldt, fall but could not revive him with CPR, said Renee Rayton, spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office. Aspen Highlands ski patrol members responded and pronounced Westfeldt dead, Rayton said.
Westfeldt, a snowboarder in Aspen from a family of skiers and 'boarders, died outside the ski area's boundaries and his death is not included among the 16 people who have died in a record-tying season for deaths at Colorado resorts.
Westfeldt had snowboarded competitively for more than 15 years.
He was ranked third among men in the North American Snowboard Free ride series, a competition for riders who negotiate their own way down a backcountry mountain by leaping off cliffs, rocks and bumps on a course with just a beginning and end, according to the founders.
Westfeldt had been a member of the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club and competed in snowboarding slopestyle.
He recently placed third in men's snowboard in the Stihl Colorado Free ride Championships at Snowmass.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or email@example.com


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Comfort Inn Executive Park
Traveler Comments
The breakfast was alright and had variety. However, the air conditioning in our room dripped and they only put down towels to clean up the mess.
Handy to interstate,clen and continental breakfast was good
All was good. I was working a show for a friend so I didn't spend a lot of time in the room. While I was there, I slept comfortably and the shower was great.
All was good except the whole hotel was smoke free. There was a smoking area outside though but didnt allow smoking inside for my wife.
Every thing was very nice.
The hotel was clean and staff friendly. We had an issue with a hotel we booked on line that was falsely advertised so we were forced to find another hotel. Comfort Inns allowed us to view the avaiable rooms prior to booking. I have never been provided such a high level of service in all of my years of both business and personal travel.
Everything was fine.........


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Q&A: Arizona and Lawless Anarchy
Rob Tisinai
February 23rd, 2014
I could use some lawyers to chime in here, because to me it looks like Arizona is on the verge of abolishing the rule of law statewide.
Arizona legislators, as you know, are working on a "religious freedom" bill to keep the state a safe haven for anti-gay discrimination. Critics have pointed out the bill would legalize discrimination against just about anyone, but I don't think that description goes far enough.
As far as I can tell, the bill could theoretically suspend just about every Arizona state and local law — at least temporarily — and introduce a new legal era in which citizens, businesses, and organizations get to decide which laws apply to them.
I can imagine the many sensible objections to this interpretation, so let me bring them up and address them.
Isn't this just about anti-gay discrimination? Would it really bring all laws into question?
The bill says:
Except as provided in subsection C of this section, state action shall not substantially burden a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability.
But that's just about exercising your religion. How do you get to "all laws"?
According to the bill:
"Exercise of religion" means the practice or observance of religion, including the ability to act or refusal to act in a manner substantially motivated by a religious belief—
So at least they'd have to show it's official religious doctrine!
Let me finish:
"Exercise of religion" means the practice or observance of religion, including the ability to act or refusal to act in a manner substantially motivated by a religious belief, whether or not the exercise is compulsory or central to a larger system of religious belief.
Emphasis added. That means you can do something ordinarily illegal (or decline to do something the law requires) as long as you claim a religious reason, even if your choice isn't mandated by your religion, important to your religion, or really even part of your religion — or rather, your "larger system of religious belief."
But the lawbreakers have to prove their case, right?
They have to prove three things:
- That the person's action or refusal to act is motivated by a religious belief.
- That the person's religious belief is sincerely held.
- That the state action substantially burdens the exercise of the person's religious beliefs.
We've already shown that (1) is vague enough to include just about anything, which makes it easier to prove (2), especially in the absence of mind-reading juries.
That still leaves the "substantial burden" requirement. In fact doesn't the law say "the term substantially burden is intended solely to ensure that this article is not triggered by trivial, technical or de minimis infractions"?
But what is a substantial burden? UCLA law school professor Eugene Volokh explains the Supreme Court's treatment of the concept:
Requiring people to do something that "is forbidden by [their] faith" qualifies as a substantial burden on religious practice….So does requiring people not to do something that is required by their faith……
"While the compulsion may be indirect, the infringement upon free exercise is nonetheless substantial."…And that is so even where the relevant "conduct proscribed by a religious faith" is indirect complicity in other conduct, and the complicity line that the religious claimant draws appears inconsistent or unsound to the reviewing court… "It is not for [secular courts] to say that the line [the claimant] drew was an unreasonable one."
Read the whole thing. Basically, though, you don't have to establish the law is making you personally violate your religion (or, in the case of this Arizona bill, whatever vague religious sentiment you have even if it's not really part of your declared religion). All you need to show is that you feel somehow involved in someone else's violation of your religious hunch, even if that connection seems inconsistent or unsound to the court.
So the "substantial burden" requirement is satisfied almost by tautology: any perceived violation of religious freedom, however tenuous the link to your actual religion, and however unreasonable it may seem to the court, is by definition a substantial burden. Is that the most expansive possible interpretation of the law? I would hope so. Is that the interpretation that the bill's advocates will push for in court? I can't imagine otherwise.
Does the bill ever allow the government to enforce its laws?
To a degree. It says:
State action may substantially burden a person's exercise of religion only if it the government or nongovernmental person seeking the enforcement of state action demonstrates that application of the burden to the person's exercise of religion in this particular instance is both:
- In furtherance of a compelling governmental interest.
- The least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.
In some cases, this is easy to establish. If you want to go all Leviticus and start stoning the wicked, the state can argue preventing murder is a compelling government interest and that laws against murder are the least restrictive way of accomplishing that. Same thing for a corporation that decides it can pollute a river because the Bible gives man dominion over the earth; laws against dumping toxic waste into a river are probably the least restrictive means of preventing toxic waste from getting dumped in a river. Depending, I suppose, on your definition of "toxic."
(It is fun, as a twisted sort of game, to think of all the things an imaginative mind could justify under this bill.)
This two-step justification, though, isn't always that easy. In fact, it's part of the "strict scrutiny" standard, which is so tough and has been the death of so many laws that it's been jokingly dubbed "strict in name, but fatal in practice." At the very least, Arizona courts will have to step in and make some decisions, many of them extending up to the state Supreme Court. Some of these issues are already decided; others will be settled will quickly and easily; many, many others will not. But until that process is done (and here's the complete set of Arizona state law; see how long it takes you just to read it, and then move on to the city and local law), we're in legal limbo.
Of course, in reality the courts will immediately stay this entire law, and then find it unconstitutional. On the other hand, I say "of course" only because I hope/assume who reads the bill will find it clearly insane, and on that count I'm clearly wrong.
Hold on, you mentioned corporations. This is just about clergy and fundamentalist bakers. Corporations don't have religious beliefs. Corporations aren't even people!
Aren't they? But I don't have to invoke Supreme Court rulings. It's all right there in the Arizona law, which "protects" the religious freedom of a whole motley crew of non-human people:
"Person" includes any individual, association, partnership, corporation, church, religious assembly or institution or other business organization.
Okay. So that takes me back to where I started: As far as I can tell, the bill could theoretically suspend just about every Arizona state and local law — at least temporarily — and introduce a new legal era in which citizens, businesses, and organizations get to decide which laws apply to them.
That doesn't sound so crazy now. Or it's just as crazy, but it also seems plausible. And it's based on a few simple points:
- The bill expands the definition of "person" to include, well, anything.
- The bill expands the notion of religion to include things that are not compulsory, central, or possibly even part of your religion — in other words, just about anything.
- The exceedingly subjective interpretation of "substantial burden" can include things that do not seem reasonable, sound, or consistent in a court of law; the tautological definition of "substantial burden" can include just about anything, given the wording of this bill.
- The mandated standard of strict scrutiny can strike down, well, not anything, but a huge and not entirely predictable chunk of the state's laws.
Again, I'll admit this is the most extreme interpretation of the law. But that's no stumbling block for some of our opponents.
I'll go even further with my speculation. A few years back I predicted that when NOM and their cohorts realized they couldn't ban marriage equality in the courts, and then in the legislature, and then in direct votes by the people, they'd resort to going back to the courts to argue that our marriages violated their religious freedom. It's hard to remember that some people rolled their eyes at me back then.
Now I have to wonder if the sweeping nature of this bill doesn't represent a flaw in the eyes of their proponents, but is in fact a feature. This truly may not just be about discriminating against gays. Perhaps they're thrilled at the idea that the bill would gut anti-discrimination laws in general. And perhaps they're thrilled it would throw the entire legal structure into anarchy. The Tea Party wants a revolution. Perhaps this is their way of getting it.
As I said up top, I'd appreciate the input of any lawyers on this. Does the vague language of the law open the door to all manner of chaos? Let us know what you think. Also, check out Jim Burroway's intriguing take on the bill.


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Thanks for your inquiry. MUST reached its full complement of scholarship recipients for the year, and cannot accept applications for 2012. Please check back next fall to see if application opportunities reopen for the following year.
Program Description:
The Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology Project, or MUST, funded by NASA, is a joint partnership with the Hispanic College Fund.
MUST awards scholarships and internships to undergraduates pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fields. The MUST Project is open to all students and is particularly focused on engaging students from underserved and underrepresented groups to enter STEM fields.
Each year, the MUST Project will support approximately 100 undergraduate students with a one-year competitive scholarship of up to one-half of tuition, not to exceed $10,000. Students who maintain the required minimum grade point average will be eligible for a paid internship at a NASA center. Additionally, students will benefit year-round from tutoring, lecture series and mentoring from STEM faculty and peers.
For more information and to apply please visit the NASA MUST Agency site.
Point of Contact:
Vanessa R. Webbs, M.Ed
MUST Project Manager
Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology
NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field
21000 Brookpark Road, M.S. 500-107
Cleveland, Ohio 44135
Phone: (216) 433-3768
Fax: (216) 433-3344
E-mail: email@example.com
Secondary Point of Contact:
NASA Glenn Research Center Education Programs Office
Phone: 216-433-6656


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May 2, 2016
TALLAHASSEE - Efforts to build a performing arts center in Tallahassee are headed to commissioners for approval.
Mayor John Marks and Leon County Commissioner Ed Depuy met with a member of the non-profit group, heading up the effort, asking the city to approve a five year plan so it can buy the land from the city.
The group also requested the county to pay to tear down the old "Johns" building, the land where the art center would be built.
"It's a private sector with private donations stepping up to the plate and raising some money," Depuy said. "It's their turn to show us they really do want to support a performing arts center."
The non-profit group says they're confident they can raise the money needed to build the center.
"It's a big dream," said Jon Moyle, a member of the Florida Center for Performing Arts and Education. "It's a grand vision for our community. I think it would enhance our community considerably."
The new center would cost more than $130 million.
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