text:
by Steven D. Schafersman, President
Texas Citizens for Science Education
August 15, 2003
Revision 1: September 11, 2003
Revision 2: September 29, 2003 (Sept. 24 Evolution Symposium)
Revision 3: October 9, 2005 (updated)
A New Anti-Evolution Website
A new website was started in Texas on July 25, 2003, that promotes changing biology textbooks by adding alleged "weaknesses" about evolution to the content. The mechanism to accomplish this is to lobby Texas State Board of Education members--whose names, phone numbers, and email addresses are prominently displayed on every page of the website--to mandate the changes in standard high school biology textbooks now up for adoption. The new website is the product of the newly formed Texans for Better Science Education <www.strengthsandweaknesses.org>.
The TBSE website is devoted to "Project Strengths and Weaknesses." TBSE claims it is "a group of concerned Texas citizens who support the right of all students to learn about both the strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary theory free from censorship and intimidation." In addition, it claims that "Texas law specifies that both 'strengths and weaknesses' of biology theories and hypotheses be taught," but "virtually no 'weaknesses' of evolution are in the new editions of High School Biology textbooks." The site states that, "contrary to outrageous claims in some recent news stories, we are not advocating inserting the Bible, religion, or creation science into the curriculum."
TBSE is quite forthright about whom they think is responsible for preventing "weaknesses" from being included in biology textbooks: "We oppose efforts by some groups to censor the teaching of evolution by preventing students from learning about scientific criticisms of the theory. We are appalled by the bullying tactics adopted by such misnamed groups as the 'Texas Freedom Network' and 'Texas Citizens for Science' who try to smear anyone who disagrees with them as extremists or uneducated religious radicals. In reality, these groups are the real extremists as evidenced by their use of intimidation, censorship, character attacks, name-calling, and McCarthyism to stamp out legitimate debate."
TBSE claims they have quotes from "peer-reviewed journals and other evolutionist writings" that are "pointing out weaknesses with the theory" of evolution. These passages are quoted right on the TBSE website <www.strengthsandweaknesses.org/evol_quotes.htm> for all to read.
These Are Bold Claims, But Are They True?
Let's examine the TBSE's most basic claims:Claim 1. TBSE claims it is "a group of concerned Texas citizens who support the right of all students to learn about both the strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary theory free from censorship and intimidation."
Truth: TBSE consists of one person, Mark Ramsey, who is a religious fundamentalist and young-earth creationist, who certainly doesn't want students to learn anything about evolutionary theory, and who himself engages in censorship and intimidation.
The TBSE website omits mentioning any person's name or address, so responsibility for the new organization is deliberately kept hidden. However, it is relatively easy to do a WHOIS query to determine who is responsible for the website and organization. TCS has determined that the site is administered by Mark Ramsey of Spring, TX. Spring is a city just northwest of Houston close to Montgomery County and the Woodlands, a hotbed of radical religious right-wing Republicanism and fundamentalist creationism. A number of such activists in Montgomery County are currently trying to get the local school districts to change their science curricula in precisely the same way as advocated by the TBSE and the Discovery Institute.
But there's more: Mr. Ramsey is also the secretary, board member, and website administrator of the Greater Houston Creation Association <www.ghcaonline.com> (email: firstname.lastname@example.com; this address is precisely the same as that of the TBSE, as revealed by WHOIS). This creationist organization is described by Creationism.org <www.creationism.org/topbar/linksUS_L2Z.htm#CreationUS_TX> as follows:Houston's creation organization - active in coordinating speakers and seminars. GHCA takes Genesis, and the rest of the Bible, literally. So that there is no ambiguity, this means that our Savior and Creator was responsible for creating our world in six 'literal' days, around 6000-10000 years ago. Approximately 2000 years after Creation, the cataclysmic Flood of Noah occurred. It was world-wide in extent and lasted about one year from start to finish. Most sedimentary rocks of the so-called "geologic column" we see today are mainly a testimonial to and evidence of the cataclysm.
Creationism.org now has a listing for TSBE right below that of GHCA. Both have listed the email address of Mark Ramsey, email@example.com, so there is no longer an attempt to keep the relationship between the two sites a secret.
The Greater Houston Creation Association describes itself <www.ghcaonline.com/belief_statement.htm> (Note: this page no longer exists--SDS; see below) as follows:Greater Houston Creation Association Belief Statement
(as Adopted September 24, 1996)
1. The Bible is the divinely inspired written Word of God. Because it is inspired throughout, it is completely free from error--scientifically, historically, theologically, and morally. Thus it is the absolute authority in all matters of truth, faith, and conduct. The final guide to the interpretation of the Bible is the Bible itself.
2. God's world must always agree with God's Word, because the Creator of the one is the Author of the other. Thus, where physical evidences from the creation may be used to confirm the Bible, these evidences must never be used to correct or interpret the Bible. The written Word must take priority in the event of any apparent conflict.
3. All things were supernaturally created by the Triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - during the Creation Week (six literal days) described in Genesis. Each basic type of plant and animal was specifically created "after its kind" by God. None came from non-living substances, nor did any develop from some other plant or animal. At the end of Creation Week, God pronounced everything "very good."
4. The first human beings, Adam and Eve, were specially created by God; all other men and women are their descendants. The entrance of sin into the world, through Adam, brought God's curse on all creation, resulting in death and separation from God. There was no suffering, or death in the world prior to Adam's sin.
5. The Biblical record is fully historical, including the recent creation of all things, the fall, the curse, the great flood (worldwide in extent and effect), and the dispersion at Babel. This written revelation provides the only reliable framework for scientific research into the origin of all things.
6. We are an organization which exists for the purpose of acquisition and distribution of knowledge regarding God's Creation. However, as important as this is, it is secondary to the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (although the Doctrines of Creator and Creation cannot be removed from the Gospel). The separation of man from God can only be remedied by our reconciliation to God through faith in and commitment to Jesus Christ the Creator, as Lord and Savior. This reconciliation is only possible because His substitutionary death and bodily resurrection paid the price for our sins.
This information reveals quite clearly that Mark Ramsey--rather than being moderate in his wishes to improve science education in Texas--is actually a representative of the most credulous, extreme, and blatantly unscientific form of creationism, and that his claims of "not advocating inserting the Bible, religion, or creation science into the curriculum" are really just a deceptive smokescreen for his true fantastic and supernaturalistic beliefs. Mr. Ramsey himself attempts to censor both the truth of his own beliefs and of TBSE's true goals: the debilitation of biology instruction and evolutionary understanding in public schools by teacher intimidation and student confusion, thus restricting, not "supporting," the right of all students to learn about evolutionary theory free from censorship and intimidation.Claim 2. TBSE claims that "Texas law specifies that both 'strengths and weaknesses' of biology theories and hypotheses be taught," but "virtually no 'weaknesses' of evolution are in the new editions of High School Biology textbooks."
Truth: Texas law actually requires that both "strengths and weaknesses using scientific evidence and information" of scientific theories and hypotheses of "High School Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Systems, Integrated Physics and Chemistry, Aquatic Science, Astronomy, and Geology, Meteorology, and Oceanography," as well as Biology (emphasis added).
Both young-earth creationists (such as Mark Ramsey) and intelligent design creationists (such as Jonathan Wells, William Dembski, and Michael Behe) have no evidence or information about weaknesses concerning either the occurrence of evolution or the modern theory of evolution. Despite their voluminous writings and statements to the contrary, legitimate, mainstream evolutionary scientists have decisively refuted all of their claims (this literature is available in many books and websites listed below). Intelligent design creationism and other forms of creationism are not topics of modern scientific research because there is no evidence for their occurrence or usefulness, because they almost always invoke supernatural processes that cannot be investigated and tested empirically, and because the current scientific theories that science has created explain the natural phenomena under investigation so well. Individuals who promote or write scholarly articles about intelligent design are not scientists, no matter how much scientific training they have. Creationists need to actually generate some testable, logical hypotheses using scientific methods that actually explain natural phenomena better than modern evolutionary theory before their ideas will be taken seriously, but they have consistently refused to do this.
There are no "weaknesses," controversies, problems, and mysteries with the factual occurrence of evolution by common descent through time, so it is quite understandable why there are no "weaknesses" dealing with this topic in high school biology textbooks. There certainly are such controversies, problems, etc. dealing with the details of the modern theory of evolution--how the evolutionary mechanism actually results in significant genetic change to produce new species--as there are with any modern scientific theory. This is not unusual, but these "weaknesses" normally and properly do not find their way into high school science textbooks because (1) they involve complex, high-level issues dealt with at the frontiers of scientific research by graduate students and professors at universities and research institutions, not high schools, and (2) introductory science textbooks are written to be used by introductory science students who do not have the technical and conceptual background to understand the complex issues (nor do most of them probably want to). The high school textbooks are intentionally simplified by design: students who become interested in science can learn about the complexities, problems, and controversies in college, and can also begin dealing with them.
At the K-12 level, there is little or no educational value for a requirement to "analyze, review, and critique scientific explanations, including hypotheses and theories, as to their strengths and weaknesses using scientific evidence." This requirement was deliberately added to the TEKS to placate creationists on an earlier State Board of Education, so that future creationists could use it to attack evolution. That future is now. It is quite true that learning critical thinking skills--an essential educational goal--requires a student to be able to analyze, review, and critique evidence and reasoning used to support simple experimental hypotheses and other elementary knowledge claims; this is something they definitely should be doing by the time they are in high school. But scientific theories are something else: they are too massive and established to expect any high school student to critique. The vast majority of high school students would not be able to perform such critiques in a scientific way. Of course, it possible to critique scientific theories in a non-scientific way--in precisely the way that creationists and other pseudoscientists wish to do with the theory of evolution by inserting imagined "weaknesses" about it into textbooks--but this would be worse than non-science: It is anti-science designed to confuse and frustrate students, not educate them. Such confusion and frustration in science class serves to dissuade students from learning critical thinking, the true goal of creationists. Scientific theories should be accepted as reliable knowledge in K-12 classes, and not made the object of questioning until they have the educational training necessary to do so.
The inordinate concentration by critics on the topic of evolution in biology textbooks, rather than all the many topical theoretical underpinnings of all modern science, reveals that their true intention is to dumb-down and weaken all biology textbooks' proper coverage of the topic, thus perverting evolution's important place in modern biological understanding. There is no legitimate reason to focus on only one scientific topic to insert "weaknesses." That this is being done by creationist critics and SBOE members reveals only clearly the true motivation of the critics: not to improve science education, but to pervert it.Claim 3: TBSE claims that, "contrary to outrageous claims in some recent news stories, we are not advocating inserting the Bible, religion, or creation science into the curriculum."
Truth: Of course TBSE, the Discovery Institute, intelligent design creationists, and creationist SBOE members are not advocating inserting the Bible, religion, or creation science into the curriculum. Doing this would be illegal. Instead, their goal is to misrepresent evolutionary science in biology textbooks to create doubt in students' minds and to focus on and distort the topic so teachers will be intimidated and avoid teaching it.
Students must learn about evolution in biology class, since this is probably the only time in their lives when they will be introduced to the scientific explanation of how all species on Earth, including humans, came into being. Creationists find this prospect abhorrent, and will resort to any means and deception to prevent this instruction. The Texas educational curriculum standards, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, asks that students know a small amount about evolution. However, knowing nothing about it will not automatically fail any student, since a perfect score on the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) science exam is not required. Thus, creationists at every level in the educational system--students, parents, teachers, principals, superintendents, school district board members, and State Board of Education members--don't really care that the "Bible, religion, or creation science" is not taught in public schools, because they know these things are taught in homes, churches, and Sunday schools. Instead, they just want to be sure that evolution is omitted or downplayed in public schools, so students will not be corrupted. And a few missed or skipped questions about evolution on TAKS will not matter much. Needless to say, this attitude is a perversion of quality secondary science education, but this is the attitude throughout much of Texas.
An understanding of evolution is essential because the process underlies all life on the planet. Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution. So no person can be truly called "educated" without understanding the process. Yet, only about half of Texas high school students are introduced to the idea, even though it is required by TEKS. Some, but not most, Texas biology teachers truly do avoid or shortchange the topic. Creationist parents complain to principals and school district superintendents when their creationist children tell them that evolution is being taught, and school administrators often do not back up their teachers, but tell them to avoid or downplay the topic. Unbelievably, this also sometimes occurs in some colleges and universities in Texas, because about half of freshman college students in Texas are creationists, don't want to learn anything about evolution, and object when it is taught. Remarkably, some of these students want to major in biology and actually resent having to take an evolution course to get their B.S. degree. Fortunately, most such biology majors plan to become chiropractors, veterinarians, or medical technicians, so avoiding evolution training will cost them little except a scientific understanding of nature. No research biologist can perform biological research without a full understanding of evolution.
The bottom line is that, in Texas, just debilitating the topic of evolution in biology textbooks is enough to confuse students and intimidate teachers, so the topic is neglected or passed over quickly and inadequately. This is all that TBSE wants. And if they can do this for textbooks in states other than Texas, then so much the better.Claim 4. TBSE states that they "oppose efforts by some groups to censor the teaching of evolution by preventing students from learning about scientific criticisms of the theory. We are appalled by the bullying tactics adopted by such misnamed groups as the 'Texas Freedom Network' and 'Texas Citizens for Science' who try to smear anyone who disagrees with them as extremists or uneducated religious radicals. In reality, these groups are the real extremists as evidenced by their use of intimidation, censorship, character attacks, name-calling, and McCarthyism to stamp out legitimate debate."
Truth: Needless to say, the opposite is true. Mark Ramsey's TBSE, the Discovery Institute pseudoscientists, and some Texas SBOE members want to censor the teaching of evolution by unwisely and irresponsibly using the political process to insert scientifically untrue and unwarranted "criticisms" and "weaknesses" about evolution into biology textbooks. They are the ones using the bullying tactics of teacher intimidation, sophistical persuasion of public officials, and raw political power to accomplish their aims, rather than patiently conducting the scientific research necessary to convince legitimate scientists of the truth of their claims. Texas Citizens for Science <www.texscience.org> does not use these tactics, but rather presents mainstream scientific views backed up by reason, empirical evidence, and responsible public argument and education.
Read the above two paragraphs again. Who is really engaging in character attacks and name-calling? Who is really trying to censor science textbook content? Who is really using intimidation and McCarthyist techniques to achieve their ends? What group is really misnamed? I claim it is the creationist organizations and individuals, not the scientists, science educators, and citizens who support good science education. At the last SBOE hearing on July 9, all the scientists asked the State Board to not modify the biology textbooks in the ways demanded by the creationists. Less known to the public, the SBOE's own science education staff and state science textbook review committee found nothing wrong with the biology textbooks in the ways suggested by the creationist critics. In short, every professional scientific reviewer, specialist, and scientist did not want the biology textbooks modified by adding "weaknesses" or "criticisms," because they knew such changes were wrong. At the next hearing on September 10, all of the legitimate scientists, science educators, and knowledgeable citizens will say the same thing: do not modify biology textbooks by inserting misleading and fallacious "weaknesses" or "criticisms" of evolution. They will ask the SBOE to use its political power to adopt textbooks responsibly and wisely by leaving the scientific details to scientists and science writers who understand the topics and who have no reason to deceive students, but rather wish to properly inform and educate them about the wonders of science.
The creationist critics, including the intelligent design promoters, refuse to do any real scientific research using empirical evidence to reasonably demonstrate the truth of their claims. Instead, they engage in pseudoscholarship to try to convince readers by using specious arguments, half-truths and untruths, misrepresentations, and sophistry. These methods work well on individuals who do not have a good understanding of evolutionary theory and the scientific method; thus, many otherwise intelligent individuals are persuaded and fooled. Fortunately, these creationist methods have been revealed and refuted in many books, articles, reviews, and websites.
Public secondary schools are not the proper forum for "legitimate debate" about the truth, occurrence, or process of evolution. The proper place for this is in the scientific literature, and the "debaters" must be the qualified and legitimate scientists who understand the scientific issues and will deal with them responsibly and ethically. Creationists have never demonstrated their willingness to do this, but they are invited to start giving it a try. There is, of course, another debate about evolution--a popular cultural debate that occurs in the public square--the debate between creationists and scientists fought with popular books, articles, and websites. This "legitimate debate" has never been "censored" or "stamped out" by scientists, and it also does not belong in public school science classrooms (although it could responsibly be discussed in a journalism or cultural affairs class, if such exist in high schools).
Most scientists do not want to engage in this cultural debate, because they cannot spare the time from their scientific research and teaching, but some do. Any many science educators and parents want to engage in this debate, because they are concerned about the education of their students and children. They want them to receive a high-quality science education--one that examines all the important scientific topics without censorship or equivocation--and thus they oppose creationist efforts to force false and misleading passages into biology textbooks that present evolution in a mendacious manner, thus sacrificing students' understanding of their natural world on an altar of fear and ignorance.Claim 5. TBSE claims they have quotes from "peer-reviewed journals and other evolutionist writings [that are] pointing out weaknesses with the theory [of evolution]."
Truth. The quoted passages are irrelevant to misguided: some are from anti-evolutionists, some are grossly taken out of context, most are from science writers and science books (not peer-reviewed science journals), and none cast doubt on the coverage of evolution at the level in biology textbooks.
Texans for Better Science Education is the organization that is really misnamed, because it is devoted to propagating a pseudoscience that is the antithesis of better science education. If one examines their site, it contains quotes out of context from scientists and science writers, misleading quotes from science writers, and quotes from anti-evolutionists that TBSE claims are all from "peer-reviewed journals and other evolutionist writings" that point out "weaknesses" with the theory of evolution. If one actually knows something about evolution and what the authors are really saying, one would understand how bogus this claim is. It is true that there are problems and controversies about evolutionary theory among scientists, just not about the fact of evolution by natural selection and common descent, as TBSE implies, and certainly not about topics found in introductory biology textbooks, as explained above. The Discovery Institute <www.discovery.org> also used this technique when it attempted to persuade Ohio SBOE to adopt intelligent design in the Ohio science curriculum (fortunately, the DI failed, although one model curriculum--written by anti-evolutionists and which unscientifically critically evaluates evolution and evolutionary theory--was adopted by a snowed Ohio SBOE). The National Center for Science Education <www.ncseweb.org> produced a response that revealed the mendacity behind the Discovery Institute's ploy.
Mark Ramsey starts with quotes from the late anti-evolutionist Fred Hoyle, whose many discredited cosmological and astronomical theories destroyed his high reputation earned when he and his colleagues correctly discovered how stellar processes produced elements more massive than lithium. Hoyle has written many books attacking evolutionary theory, natural selection, speciation, transitional fossils, and the origin of life on Earth. Hoyle believed in panspermia, the "seeding" of life throughout the universe by an intelligent force using viruses and bacteria in intragalactic clouds--he obsessively devoted eight books to this topic alone (as a student of pseudoscience, I have them all)!. Hoyle was never able to publish any of his crazy ideas in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, because he ignored the many cogent objections of other scientists who actually knew something about the topics Hoyle dealt with and criticized.
Next, he quotes the late Stephen Jay Gould out-of-context about the lack of transitional fossils. Gould actually wrote a number of essays about transitional fossils, explaining what they told us about evolution. The passage in question is about the rarity of transitional fossils between fossil species, something very true today, but excellent examples of even these transitional fossils exist, as do thousands of transitional fossils between higher taxa.
There are many out-of-context quotes from both scientists and science writers who are critical of our current inadequate state of knowledge about how life began on Earth. Yes, these writers question historical hypotheses and understandings which have now been discarded, but Ramsey fails to include the modern hypotheses and data we have that have solved some of these historical problems and given science even greater insight into how life began from non-living organic chemicals.
Anti-evolutionist Michael Denton is quoted, but Ramsey fails to note that his books are considered to be pseudoscientific because Denton misrepresents well-known evolutionary principles and ignores evidence and arguments that refute his claims.
I could explain why each quote Ramsey uses in his TBSE website is misguided, irrelevant, and out-of-context, but I don't want to take the time. Let me just state that this tactic of quote-mongering is typical of creationist efforts to cast doubt on the fact of evolution, no matter how much they disingenuously claim to only want "both sides of the controversy taught" or only some "weaknesses" of evolution included in biology textbooks to "provide balance and fairness" to the scientific presentation.
The new Texans for Better Science Education is a misnamed and thinly-veiled creationist organization that is attempting to damage science education in Texas by promoting the inclusion of invalid and unwarranted "weaknesses" and "criticisms" of evolution in biology textbooks. It engages in duplicity, hypocrisy, name-calling, and promotion of political interference in what should be a non-political scientific and educational process. TBSE is a front organization of the Greater Houston Creation Association, which reveals TBSE's true goals. It's true desire is to damage science education in Texas by preventing the inclusion of accurate scientific content about evolution and evolutionary theory in biology textbooks, thus allowing students to be confused and teachers to be intimidated so they will not teach the topic accurately. These aims are reprehensible by any objective moral standard, and TBSE and its supporters should be repudiated and their goals rejected by every individual who truly cares about preserving accurate and responsible science education in Texas public schools.
The Greater Houston Creation Association no longer posts its Young Earth Creationist 1996 Belief Statement on its website. Instead, a new page exists titled "What is the GHCA?" <http://www.ghcaonline.com/What is GHCA.htm>. The first two paragraphs continue to reveal the organization's belief in young-earth creationism and the manifestation of supernatural causes in nature, in agreement with the former Belief Statement [Note added 2009 February 10: I have just discovered that the content of this page was also deleted sometime after I accessed it in 2003; so the censorship of the true hidden beliefs of GHCA continues, but fortunately TCS has preserved both the original 1996 and later 2003 GHCA statements of belief--SDS]:The Greater Houston Creation Association (GHCA) is an organization of Christians who take the Bible in its original manuscripts to be the actual inspired Word of God preserved by Him over time for our use as an unchanging source of truth. We find that the internal scriptural evidence overwhelmingly presents a young supernatural creation followed later by several world changing events of supernatural judgment including expulsion from the original paradise and "curse" of the ground, a cataclysmic global flood that radically altered much of Earth's geology, and a "confusion" of language that forced the dispersion of people groups around the world. These events are as much a key to the past as observation of the present and they preclude the uniformitarian approach to understanding the distant past. We highly value the scientific method and the body of scientific knowledge based on observation and experimental testing of hypotheses (which is necessarily done in the present) but we reject the uniformitarian assumption in making inferences about the past.
The GHCA supports and encourages careful efforts to understand Earth history consistent with the events in Scripture and we are pleased to share this growing body of knowledge with all who are interested. Over recent decades some important components of a possible creation science theory have been developed and this body of knowledge is growing substantially. But there is much work yet to be done before a relatively complete young earth scientific theory of world history encompassing astronomy, geology, and biology can be developed. It is clear that God commonly uses the physical processes He has ordained to govern the physical world to accomplish His purpose. But we also recognize that some events in history may have a purely supernatural cause. It is our desire to encourage and enable further research as time goes on and we are happy to inform all who are interested of the present state of progress.
Needless to say, the beliefs expressed above are anti-scientific and pseudoscientific and do not "value the scientific method" as claimed. As explained in the main text, the individuals involved in GHCA who possess such beliefs (including Mark Ramsey and Frank Mayo) are the same individuals who created and operate Texans for Better Science Education, an organization whose ostensible purpose is to "improve" science education and evolution instruction in Texas. TBSE is a stealth organization whose true purpose is to destroy science education and evolution instruction by perverting the meaning and methods of science and confusing students, teachers, and public education officials.
Last updated: 2005/20/09


text:
LucasForums Archive
Star Wars: Galaxies
Star Wars Galaxies discussion
Game discussion
> Your Character?
View Full Version :
Your Character?
How will you design your character, and what will be its back story?
Jan Gaarni
I have no idea yet. And I'm not any good at comming up with stories either. :(
Kioet Csuhen, aka Rogue15. Trandoshan body guard.
I'll be protecting Wraith 8 most of the time, when my services aren't needed I'll be selling and trading weapons.
there's not really a backstory to him though...
Jan Gaarni
The Story of Jan Gaarni:
Though his parents, Ories and Lana Gaarni, were childs of Corellia, Jan was born on Selonia some 24 years B.B.Y.*, and spent most of his childhood on various other worlds inside the Corellian Sector, mostly in hiding.
His father was once a top politician in the Corellian Senate - the undersenate to the Galactic Senate of that sector - and was a very respected man. But all that changed when another rival senator, Crix Zona, accused him of aiding the enemy during the Clone Wars. These were all untrue accusations, but he was faced with overwhelming evidences he could not prove was false. He was convicted of treason and sentenced to death.
Ories managed to escape before he was sent to his cell, aided by an anonymous helper. He would not say his name, nor did he reveal his face, and to this day they do not know who it was. All he told them was that he knew that Ories was innocent. He helped Jans parents to relocate to Commenor, where he gave them a new set of ID's, a place to stay outside one of the more quiet cities on the planet, some money to get started and some piece of evidence that could indicate his innocent.
Over the years Ories managed to gather a great deal of leads and small pieces of evidence, but the really big evidence first surfaced when he visited an old childhood friend at his deathbed on Corellia. Constantly on the run from not only local and sectorial police forces, but also by Zonas own personal bodyguards, this was a risky trip. But it paid off. His friend told him that not long ago, while he was working for Zona as one of his advicors, he came across a datacrystal that not only proved that Ories was innocent, but also proved that it was infact Zona that had helped the enemy. Ories finally had the evidence he needed, but Zona were closer on his tail then he cared for.
Ories barely got away from his friends home, as Zonas men and the local police force stormed it. He managed to escape thru the window and got to his ship. Unfortunatly, one of the police officers were killed while chasing him, and he was now also faced with a murdercharge on his head aswell. This time, aswell as before, he was framed by Zona, as his men had been given orders to kill an officer if he got away and blame Ories for the murder. When he got back, Ories thought it best to relocate once again, so they went to Selonia.
Lana, who was pregnant at the time, got help from some friends and family she had there to hide them. Not long after, she gave birth to a baby-boy and they named him Jan after Lanas great-grandfather. For 3 years they managed to hide on Selonia, but was eventually forced to move, this time to Talus. Only six months after that, they were once again forced to move. Because they were constantly on the run, Jan never had the feeling of belonging anywhere, he felt like an outsider. He ended up in alot of fights with other children. At the age of 6, Jan began recieving private tutoring from a very good friend of the family on Drall, but 8 months after, they moved again. Jan would be continually interupted in his tutoring for another 8 years before this whole thing was resolved and the family-name restored.
Many more years passed, and because Ories had a treason-, aswell as a murder-charge on his head, he could not go anywhere public as police forces all over the sector were ordered to shoot on sight. This effectivally created a problem for Ories to present what he knew to the courts on Corellia, as was intended by Zona. Eventually, a chance moment presented itself when one of Ories' fellow senators, another rival of Zona, came to Corfai on a convention that was held there. He managed to convince the good senator of his innocence and he agreed to present it to the Corellian Senate for him.
Zona was arrested and tried before a tribunal where he was convicted of treason and to have orchastrated the murder of a police officer. For this, he received the death penalty. Ories and his family's ordeals were finally over after almost 20 years on the run. He recieved a full pardon aswell as an official apology from Garm Bel Iblis himself, and he was re-instated as a senator. They moved back to Corellia and Jan was finally able to go to a real school and to meet new friends.
They lived happily together for over 2 years. Then, something terrible happened. On a mission to Ghorman, Senator Ories became one of the many hundreds of casualties when a peacefull antitax demostration was broken up. At age 16-17 he lost his father in what would be known as one the most gruesome acts of atrocities made by the Empire before Alderaan. Filled with hate towards the man who had taken away his father, Wilhuff Tarkin, he vowed on his fathers grave that he would avenge him.
He never got the chance. Ever since he lost his father, he became more and more reserved, a loner, but he had a goal, a sence of purpose in his life. When Tarkin was killed onboard the Death Star by the rebels, Jan lost this feeling and blamed the rebels of cheated him of his revenge. Not feeling comfortable at home anymore, he left, travelling from planet to planet, in search of something he didn't quite knew what was. He got involved with some pretty nasty people at one time, a gang of smugglers working for Aruk the Hutt, the head of the Desilijic Clan on Nal Hutta. But a quarrel with the leader of the gang made him a new and dangerous enemy. The leader, feeling he had to make an example out of Jan, challenged him to a barenuckled fight. Although Jan won the fight, realising that he would eventually be killed if he stayed, he left the gang and went into hiding, which he had extensive experience of after being on the run most of his life with his family.
Where he is now, noone knows. Not even his own mother knows where he is.
*Before Battle of Yavin
wow good job Jan
Jan Gaarni
Thank you. Thank you very much. :D
You know, sometimes I amaze even myself. ;)
Darth Simpson
Yeah, very nice job Jan, I like it. =)
Maybe I'll create some sort of background for my character as well, when the game is near release.
Wraith 8
i dont have a story yet... i was thinking of the same one as Garik Loran has..... should i post it??
oh and... thanks 15 :D... i feel a lot saver :D
Jan Gaarni
Well, you could, Wraith. :)
But if it's for Star Wars Galaxies, it should be uniqe to you. Or, you could share your childhood with one or more friends. :D If you work together on it then it'll be easier to develop a storyline. ;) Just make sure that the part you and your friends share are similar. :p
I actually never thought I would manage to come up with that story. It's true, I honestly didn't think I could. But once I started it just came to me. The hardest part was to come up with the name Crix Zona, as I sux at creating names (which is why I used my real name, Jan, and the name of a Nebulon-B Frigate named Gaarni from Tie Fighter). :D
And you don't have to make it so long that I did. It's just that with all the things that was going on with my dad, I felt ... my dad? :confused: OK, why not, stay in character. :D With all the things that went on in my life, my dad played a large part in it, so I felt i had to give you all the details. lol :D
Come to think of it, when I read it again, it's almost like an extremly shortened version of what Lucas is writing, altough it stars me and my dad. :D
Rommel Hartmann
Born on Coruscant, his mother (Adi Hartmann) died during a freak accident during childbirth leaving him to be raised by his father.
His Father Amaran Hartmann was a mid level engineer with Sienar Fleet Systems who's claim to fame started with him being one fo the principal designers on the bayonet class light cruiser, then later he also was a production manager for the first of the Anxarta Class Freighter. He later was transferred to Coruscant to be a liason to the Empire for Sienar Fleet Systems, this is where he met Rommel's mother and raised Rommel.
Rommel never knew the slums of Coruscant that are so well known throughout the universe, but instead was raised in a upper middle class area bordering on upper class. He was sent to very good schools on coruscant but always shy of being classified as the very best.
At the age of 17 Rommel Joined the Empire Navy with the Engineering Corps. With his father's contacts he was assigned as a consultant/liason wit Sienar Fleet Systems where he skinned his teeth by working on the the final redesign stages of the Tie Interceptor, he then made a reputation for himself as a primary designer on the Gat 12H Skipray Blastboat, and later also headed the start of the newer Gat 12i class modifications. Before the Gat 12i even got going he was transferred to The imperial Munitions Where he started work on on KK-5. After the KK-5 was complete he gained a reputation when he designed the internal tracking code that was used in the SC-4. At the end of the SC-4's design process his tour of duty ended, at this point Rommel ended his career in the Navy.
Rommel Then became a senior engineer with Blastech Corporation, heading the development of the DL-44, DY-225 and later the E-11 class of blasters, at the production start of the E-11 he was lured away by Sorosuub to work as a consultant on the Stormtrooper 1 class of Blaster, a direct copy of the E-11, as he started on the Stormtrooper 2, a upgraded and improved model, he was let go as a consultant.
This is where he stands at the start of SWG, a highly experienced Engineer with a variety of engineering projects in his belt. At the age of 28, he has many years to start and build his dream company, but what will it be?
Sounds Risky
Well I don't think I'll even try to come up with one since it doesn't look like I'll be able to play Galaxies. I can't even play Jedi Outcast online. Everyone cry for me.
Wraith 8
is that enough crying?? :D
Oh please do tell us why you can't play a game comming out in like 6 months :confused:
As no-one seems to read the roleplaying forum (bodes well... :rolleyses: ), I thought I'd repost my prospective character bios here and see what others think...
Name: Taralin Shath
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Height: 185cm
Place Of Birth: Yeere, Reytha
Character Type: Pilot
Occupation: Freelance Pilot (ex-Imperial Navy)
Allegiance: Imperial (though somewhat disenchanted)
Appearance: Tall and lean, pale-skinned, aquiline features, cold eyes. Always tidily-dressed (though not necessarily smart)
Bio: Born on the Imperial agri-world of Reytha, Taralin Shath grew up a loyal Imperial subject. Always having had itchy feet, he applied to the Imperial Academy as soon as possible, graduating second in his class as a fighter pilot. He was assigned to the Black Star Squadron, based on board the Victory-class Star Destroyer Faithful, where in his time he proved himself an excellent combat pilot, notching up an impressive tally of Rebel kills including six Z95s, one Y-wing and an assist on a Corellian corvette. As one of the sectors top pilots, it was a given that on the construction of the Death Star he was selected to be a part of its fighter detachment.
Undergoing operational conversion training in the TIE Interceptor, Shath was one of the first pilots into combat during the Battle of Yavin. However, his fighter was damaged by an X-wing pilot who out-fought him, leaving him drifting in space. When the Death Star was destroyed, the blast wave pushed his craft out of Yavins gravity well, and would have left him stranded to die had he not been picked up by a passing merchantman under the command of the Bounty Hunter Randal Slade.
Disenchanted with the Empire that he felt had abandoned him and with a new respect for the ace rebel pilots that had bested the Imperial Navys finest, Taralin Shath began working with the Bounty Hunter until he could reach a neutral port. That neutral port happened to be Tatooine, where Shath and Slade parted company.
Taralin Shath is a very honourable man and a gifted pilot. Though he remains largely loyal to the Empire that has always served him well, he has begun to see the power and resolve of the Rebels, and now is beginning to believe that the Empires days are numbered. Though he has lost most of his Imperial equipment and assumes that he has been left for dead, he longs to work as a fighter pilot again, and is planning to return to the Academy to either be reassigned or retrained. He has heard rumours of new TIE prototypes that may soon reach production, and wants a crack at flying one.
Name: Khasiel Blaiz
Race: Zabrak
Gender: Female
Age: 22
Height: 160cm
Place Of Birth: Unknown
Character Type: Jedi (she hopes)
Occupation: Freelancer/Nomad
Allegiance: Neutral
Appearance: Diminutive, introverted, lightly tattooed, dark-skinned.
Bio: Khasiel has been a wanderer all her life. Her parents crewed a transport named the Silent Wayfarer, trading cargo between any number of starports. Her life fell apart when she was 19- an Imperial patrol stopped the Wayfarer for a routine search whilst docked at Naboo, a search that discovered a stash of contraband. Her parents tried to escape Imperial custody, and were killed in the process. Khasiel only escaped by hiding in one of the ships crawlspaces until the troops dispersed.
Her father had always kept a stash of trinkets and antiques that could have been valuable, and these had been left untouched. Taking these and a compact blaster-pistol, Khasiel tried to sneak out of the dock. At the door she was stopped by a squad of Stormtroopers. Acting on instinct, she tried to explain herself away as a random passer-by. Amazingly, it worked.
It would turn out, as she vanished into Theed, that the stress of the moment had lit a spark within her, a spark of The Force. Over the next couple of years similar incidents occurred, until one day she was discovered by a man named Jamfu Dalei. Dalei turned out to be a Jedi Knight, and had sensed her ability. For a month the pair lived together, Khasiel earning a little money wherever she could while Dalei taught her some of basics of The Force. And then, one day, Khasiel awoke to find herself alone. The only sign of Daleis existence at all was a brief note, telling her to leave Naboo as soon as she could.
Though she is young, Khasiel Blaiz is anything but naïve. She is pragmatic, cautious and exceptionally careful, almost to the point of paranoia and especially now that she understands some of what she is. With the death of her parents she has no loyalties left, and considers herself completely alone. Though by her nature she is an enemy of the Empire, she remains staunchly neutral in the case of wider conflicts, and will try to blend in to any environment by toeing the party-line of the dominant group. Meanwhile she is trying to expand her knowledge of what she is, and hopefully build upon the powers she has.
Does that sound 'in-keeping' to you lot? And how feasible do they look for the game system?
Sounds Risky
Originally posted by Rommel
Oh please do tell us why you can't play a game comming out in like 6 months :confused:
Because I can't play Jedi Outcast online at all. I know this is a big blow for the Galaxies community here, with 1/5 th of the community not able to play the game (Yes, I'm one fifth of the commuinty, because there's only five active members, tee hee!). God I hate my 28.8 connection.
P.S. This is all we can get until some legislation is passed so some company can get more money to put the proper hardware out here for DSL.
roflmao 28.8?
i thought it was extinct
Jan Gaarni
What's a 28.8k modem? :D
Rommel, very good background story. Only one thing about it that comes to mind. Some contradiction.
The BlasTech E-11 was developed well before the Tie Interceptor went into production. :)
Com Raven
Stone age relicts...;)
seriously, I am sorry bro, that sucks...
Wraith 8
yeah ok... but the game isnt released until the end of this year.... you never know what may come...
Name:I'll think of that... Or just use the name generator when the game comes out!:p For now we'll just call him Bob.
Height:What's that?;)
Place of Birth:Coruscant
Character Type:Mercenary, or something like that
Occupation:None(for now)
Allegiance:None(for now)
Appearence:Big, strong guy
Bio:Bob never belieaved that his parents died in an accident, and it didn't surprise him, when, at the age of 17, he found out that his parents were the rich founders of a powerful communications company. But he was surprised when, at the age of 21, he discovered that his parents weren't from a communications company, but were once important Rebel leaders. And they didn't die in a car crash, they were assassinated. But by who? Another Rebel leader, vying for power? The Galactic Empire, seeking to destroy the Rebel Allegiance? Or a bounty hunter, seeking a fortune off of his parents' deaths? Bob, doesn't know, but he is out to find out and avenge their deaths....
I haven't worked out all the details yet, but what I really want is a wookiee wearing Mandalorian Armor. Why? Because the armor couldn't possibly fit. It would be great to see this set of armor walking down the street with huge patches of fur sticking out of all the joints. :p
Lately I've been pondering the idea of having a human imperial as a secondary character.
hey keep fulling in this
its mandatory
Com Raven
Mike, you're sooo sick !!!:D
:guard: all i know is im gonna be a bounty hunter :P
Com Raven
and why do you have a crimson guard helmet depicted here ??
most suspicious...
All I know is the name.....nothing else. Jechron Dio. He will be human.
Wraith 8
well i make a charachter background once i played the game some more.. and have a last choice of name and stuff..
Most of you dont knwo me but...
Name: Thiris Rupsyd
Nick: CM_Third
Allignment: Neutral
Affiliation: Crimson Mercenaries
Background story:
Born on the Imperial throneworld of Coruscant, Thirris was the son of Trakk Rupsyd, an officer in the Imperial navy. Trakk was a special case in the Imperial navy, as he was an officer that had worked his way up from TIE pilot. Usually tie pilots died young, retired, or simply were unable to think ahead in complex plans an manouvers needed for the post of officer on a capital ship. Trakk aquired the position more by attrition however. The previous tactical officer had lost an unnaceptable amount of ties in a skirmish with some pirates while high Inquisitor Tyrus was aboard. Tyrus was one of the emperors many force able commanders, and he seemed to love the thrill of taking life. Tyrus answered directly to the Emperor alone, and had carte blanche in how he conducted his missions.
Tyrus silently approached Trakks predecessor, snapped his neck with a gesture, then told the rest of the crew that minor errors were unacceptable. Trakk was called to replace him more because of his availability than his skills, but he proved to be very capable at the job.
Trakk was very proud of his only son Thirris. Thrakk loved to fly, and Thirris had been around air speeders and various star ships his whole life, and it came as no suprise when he showed an aptitude for flying that allowed him to enter the Imperial navy training school at 14. His skills were better than classmates nearly twice his age, and he soon showed himself to be a better than average tactical mind. He graduated in just two years, in the top 2% of his class at age 16. When asked where he'd like to serve, he immediatley asked to be stationed aboard the same ship as his father. The request was denied, but it made the father proud of his son, and also showed him that his son felt the same way.
Thirris joined the 12th fighter squadron as a rookie. The 12th was special as it was an interceptor squadron, not a simple tie fighter squad. He was taught by some of the most elite pilots in the Empire, and his training continued to improve his skills until his 18th birthday when he expected a call from his father. The holocom came to life, showing a haggard and weary man that was his father. Thirris wondered what had happened in the few weeks he had not been in contact with his father. His father chose his words carefully (Doubtless the Imperials would monitor all communications from a naval ship) but he mentioned that High Inquisitor Tyrus wanted to see him in a few minutes, due to heavy losses of a small sortie, a similiar offence to his predecesor. Trakk said that he might be gone from contact for a while, and closed the connection.
Tyrus was awakened later that night by stormtroopers opening his quarters and roughly dragging him out of bed. He was propped up against a wall as High Inquisitor Tyrus stepped into his bed chamber.
High Inquisitor Tyrus was easily recognisable by the scar that ran from his blank eye to his chin. It was said in whispers that he had once failed the Emperor, and the Emperor had demanded that Tyrus sacrifice his own eye for the error. Looking at the man before him, all 190 cms of muscle and a cruel and twisted smile, Thirris could easily beleive the story.
officer Rupsyd- That's leutenant-(Thirris cut short his automatic answer as he realised that this was not the time to argue a minor point. True he had considered his promotion a few days ago to be a highlight of his life, he intended to make sure it was not the LAST higlight.)
Leutenant Rupsyd, we have reason to beleive that your father has..... fallen in with a certain crowd of undesirable elements withing the galaxy. He is missing and we fear he may have gone insane after his recent debacle which cost the Empire resources that could have been better spent elsewhere. We require you to help us in locating him, you don't mind helping us, do you? (despite the phrasing, Thirris knew this was no request.) Thirris: I do not know where my father is, last I heard, he was to report to you an hour after he commed me. Tyrus: He never came to my office. He left the ship in a hyperdrive capable interceptor, and has not been seen since. Thirris, we fear your father may have gone insane with guilt by betraying his beloved Emperor with his errors, and may be seeking the rebel leaders to assassinate them. We laud his courage, but fear that he could put himself and the fighter at risk. We need to find him immediatley to ensure he is..... safe. (Thirris knew that Tyrus was not telling him the truth. His father was an honourable man. Not an insane one. If he was leaving the Empire and seeking out Rebels, it would not be to assassinate them, and after a small amount of time with Tyrus himself, Thirris could easily see why his father had defected. Tyrus didn't know honour, justice or benevolence. He was power held aloft by cruelty and hate. Yet he was one of the most celebrated agents of the Empire, above all armed forces, answerable only to the Emperor. Thirris started to think his father may have sensed the same thing and fled of his own accord. To defect.) Thirris: I didn't know my father was under such stress. Please, let me help in the search for him. I'm sure I can make him see that our Emperor is grateful for his courage, but tht we need him in his service, not on his own missions. I can bring him back. Tyrus: No, that is not necessary, we have forces out searching for him already. We will be conatacting you some time very soon though, so don't be far away. (With that, Tyrus left the room and Thirris felt himself breathe a little easier.)
Thirris went about his business for 3 more months. He soon became the captain of his wing of fighters, now called 'Viper squadron' and formed them into a formidable unit. They weren't the best in the Empire, but they were not far enough behind that they were not noticed on all the world they visited. Pirate crews would often flee when they learned that the vipers were after them. Soon, he received a message from the Emperor himself that Thirris and the Vipers would be moved to the newly completed super stardestroyer 'Legendary'. The Legendary was one of only a few SSD's and meant that the Emperor had taken personal notice of Thirris' pilots and their abilities. It also meant that Thirris would see front line action against the Rebels. Thirris still wondered about his father, but he wasn't sure if he hadn't heard from him due to his father defecting and becoming a rebel, or if the rebels really were the moralless killers that his training said they were, and had killed him in cold blood.
His questions were answered sooner than he had expected. The Legendary was used in an attack on a rebel stronghold on Selonia. His squad deployed and sought out targets in the fray that consisted of mostly small, but heavily armed freighters and a hollowed out asteroid that served as the main base. The vipers handled themselves well in the first few minutes of the invasion, but the pirates numbered in the hundreds, with more streaming out of the base. It seemed that someone had miscalculated the number of pirate ships.
The comm was alive with chatter on the open band. Threats, warnings, screams and shouts of triumph, but one sound cut through all that and made it's way straight into Thirris' stomach, causing his insides to go colder than the frozen wastes of hoth itself. Voice: Is that the Vipers out there. We surrender. We are powering down our weapons. (This was not an unusual response to having the Vipers show up, but what was unusual was the voice that had said the words...) Thirris: Pilot, sate your name and ship. Voice: My name is Trakk Sunside, my ship is Pride of Thirris. (It WAS him. Instantly Thirris realised that the voice was that of his father. He had obviously changed his name because of his son. Being captured by Imperials he would be just another prisoner, but being an ex Imperial and father to a current fighter captain would make him a liability to himself and Thirris.)
Thirris: Dad...? Trakk: Thirris? Is that you? I had never dared to hope you were still alive- Tactic officer: Viper one, you are supposed to be vaping these bandits, not conversing with them. We are accepting no surrenders, blast him into vacuum. (Thirris knew it was his father, but there was little he could do. A thought started to form in his mind. There must be a way. He had to try.) Thirris: Viper squad and all squadrons, switch to private channel delta (Thirris always had all squadrons under his command have three or four back up channels of communication in case of jamming. Command units and other squads wouldn't have the encryption or even channel of the frequency, but they would find out soon. Still the delay gave Thirris at least 10 minutes. Thirris: Good job everyone. This training excersise has gone well. orders are now to simulate enemy jamming. We can now only use this frequency. This is a live fire test, so don't get complacent. We are now going to simulate the Legendary being destroyed, and try to make it to Selonia before the pirates can hunt us. We have speed advantage, so it's just a flat run. Good luck to all of you. (Thirris knew that the run command would cause the fighters to be well away from the rebel base by the time that the encryption had been broken, but he hoped that it would give his father enough time to escape. Thirris: Pilot of Pride of Thirris. Switch to comm chanel and encryption agro 1 (Agro 1 was the channel that Thirris and his father had used when his father was teaching Thirris to fly single seater air speeders or star fighters. He had kept the code in case he was called to help search for his father. His search was now over. Trakk: Thirris, what's happening? Thirris: Dad, I've got them to think it's an excercise. Quick, jump to lightspeed. They'll be back soon. Trakk. We have a small freighter called the opal regret near you that could hold your Tie. get aboard and join us. (Thirris then knew for sure that his father had willingly become a rebel. He decided to do as his father asked. He had just made it into a parking position inside the large freighter when he felt the surge of power to the engines, indicating they had reached lightspeed. the feeling was short lived however, as he was lurched out of lightspeed by a massive malfunction of the hyperdrive. He immediately released the docking clamps and took off, searching the outside of the ship, just as he crossed the bridge, he saw flares and fire ripping across the centre line of the ship. The ship was too old to be in top condition, and taking on a SSD had obvioulsy been too much for it. This left Thirris alone and in a starfighter that had hyperdrive fitted, but no destination to go to, and no one who would help him. The rebles would kill any tie, the Imperials would have found out about his betrayal by now and would have issued a kill on sight warning.
Thiris found his way to the Combaii system where he slipped through unnoticed and went to a city on the Desert world. There he overheard some one called Gib Slater, saying he was recruiting for his mercenary squad. Thirris approached Gib in full Imperial uniform and Gib turned around with a blaster and pointed it at his head. Thirris explained himself and after many hours of interrogation Slater agreed to let him join. When he was an initiate he even outflew Gib in a 1 on 1 simulator. He went up 3 ranks in his first month of flying with Guardian Battl Group although what happened with him and the imperials he still decided to do missions for them because they pay good money, so far he has done 2 Recon missions... His adventures have only begun in the Crimson Mercenaries.
Darth Maxx
Name: Slizz Texaro
Race: Trandoshan
Gender: Male
Age: N/A
Height: 1m95
Place Of Birth: N/A
Character Type: Badass Bounty Hunter
Occupation: Bounty Hunter/Bodyguard
Allegiance: The Associates ;)
Name: Maxx
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 23
Height: 1m75-80
Place Of Birth: Coreilla
Character Type: Friendly, but don't disturb him while testing his new security laser droid.
Occupation: Master Droid Manufacturer
Allegiance: The Associates ;)
Crazy_dog no.3
U can have up 2 5 characters. I will have 3 characters
Name: ?????
Race: Mon Cal
Gender: Male
Birth: Mon Calamari
Occupation: Alliance technician
Race: Wookiee
Gender: male
Birth: Kashyyyk
Occuptaion: I won't have an occupation as such. Just travel around, explore, occasionally kill some Imps or Transdoshans and blow Imp bases/town to smithereens.
My other character will be a very buetiful Rebel Twi'leck.:D
Originally posted by Crazy_dog no.3
U can have up 2 5 characters.
Where did you hear that? I'll grant I don't hang out on the sony forums as much as I used to, but I haven't seen any word from the Dev's on just how many characters we can have. Can you post a link please?
Name : Varan Korel (pronounced Vaar-un Core-el)
Age : 31
Species : Zabrak
Profession : Bounty Hunter
Background : Native to Corellia, Varan grew up on the streets. He lived with his father, but his father was seldom home. Varan practically raised himself, surviving however he could. He had a bad reputation, but not many people were willing to mess with him. Whether they were scared of him or just felt him unworth their time, Varan never knew. He didn't really care. Nothing interested him and he had no interest in what happened to him. While in a bar one night, Varan was drinking a Corellian ale when someone bumped into him from behind. Varan dropped his ale and turned to see who it was, but didn't recognize him. The man was in a strange sort of green armor. Varan told him to buy him a new round, but the man just ignored him. When Varan pushed the armored man, the man reached to pull a blaster but Varan was too fast. Catching the barrel with one hand and the man's throat with the other, Varan slammed him first into a wall and then into the bar. The man dropped his blaster Varan caught it in mid air. He pointed it at the man's helmeted face and heard him laugh. "You've got style kid. My name is Boba Fett. Before you shoot though, look down." Varan did, and saw that Boba had another blaster pressed against his chest. As he looked, Boba swung the barrel up and hit him hard in the forehead, sending Varan flying backwards and unconscious. When he came too he was on the Slave 1. Boba sold him to a man on Tatooine, but it wasn't long before Varan escaped. He vowed to hunt Boba down and gain his revenge.
Lord Helmet
Name: Zaravik Keznlik
Age 26
Species Zabrak
Gender Male
Description Tall with black and white tatooes no hair
Occupation Jedi/Not righteous/Loner
LightSaber 2 duel bladed sabers. One side of each is red, the other is green.
Born on corellia after the death star was destroyed. Since the deathstar blew up their mighty homeworld he had to live ona world of beauty and extreme violence with some of the best smugglers/bounty hunters of the known galaxy. After the many devasations the imperials have caused to everyone, Zavarik has always had a passion to destroy the empire. The Zabrak being a proud and honorable race were ashamed that such a Zabrak Sharin could go to such evil as being the emperors first man. vowing to destroy the empire for making such shameful actions be centered on Zabraks ,Zavarik has vowed to destroy every imperial including the emperor by his lightsaber.
Crazy_dog no.3
In don't remeber, but somewhere it said u can have 5 characters.:confused:
Name:I'll come up with one later
Description:2.4 meters tall, musclar
Occupation:Jedi and bounty hunter
Affiliation:Rebel Alliance sympathizer
Lightsaber:Green blade, very intricate hand, with spikes
Born on Trando, he was left on the streets from a very young age. He lived out his childhood knowing there was something special and different about him. At about 5, he was found by a Jedi, Tesh Upot, who brought him to Coruscant and brought him before the Jedi Council. Tesh was allowed to take him on as his Padawan and Tesh taught him until he was 20. For the next 10 years, he has been searching wanted men, women, etc. for the Republic. Thanks to his ability to keep a low profile and Jedi senses, he made a name for himself. After those ten years, he went on to work with the Jedi Council, and settled many Trando-Kashyyk disputes. He was a great warrior during the Clone Wars and created many new tactics. After the Clone wars, he was driven into hiding by Darth Vader and Emporer Palpatine. He masked his Jedi abilities and hid himself on Trando. He is simply waiting for the time to come out of hididng and strike back against the Empire.
Cmdr_Ke3n, you might need to modify that background a little bit.
1. It sounds like he was 30 before the start of the clone wars. By the start of SW Galaxies he might need to be a little older than 58.
2. You will probably not get to be a Jedi. Sorry, but the odds are highly against you.
Originally posted by Crazy_dog no.3
In don't remeber, but somewhere it said u can have 5 characters.:confused:
I think you must have seen that number being bantered about in discussions by the community or in rumors. I don't think the Dev's have posted an official number yet.
Yeah, and from the looks of it even if you do become a jedi you won't be able to be a jedi and a bounty hunter. Cool as that would be, the skill points most likely won't be able to spread enough to make you good in both professions. I'm down with bounty hunters though =)
if you become a jedi...team up with a bounty hunter friend and split the bounty ;)
that would make a good 1 2 punch combo ;) :fett: :vader:
Fine then, I'll just be a Yuuzhan Vong and come kick all your butts!
Darth Maxx
hmmm, sounds like another lightsabre on the pile :p
So far I only have a name: Dax Orin. Was thinking of going the Jedi route probably.
Originally posted by sinner
So far I only have a name: Dax Orin. Was thinking of going the Jedi route probably.
You need to change probably to hopefully. The odds are highly against your becoming a Jedi. You should probably have another career in mind (at the very least you will have to start out doing something else).
Wraith 8
well like i said before
hopefully: Garik Loran
most likely: Corzip Dinn
Wraith 8
ok... im gonna make this up as i go ok?
oh and Jan Gaarni? im gonna use something from your bio :D
Posted by Jan Gaarni
Ories managed to escape before he was sent to his cell, aided by an anonymous helper. He would not say his name, nor did he reveal his face, and to this day they do not know who it was. All he told them was that he knew that Ories was innocent. He helped Jans parents to relocate to Commenor, where he gave them a new set of ID's, a place to stay outside one of the more quiet cities on the planet, some money to get started and some piece of evidence that could indicate his innocent.
Name: Corzip Dinn
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Homeplanet: Naboo
Age: 22
Description: Tall human with brown hair blue eyes. A scar from his left chin to the top right, above his eye.
Occupation: trader, smuggler
Corzip was born on Naboo. His mother, Lara Dinn was also born on Naboo, but his father,Copaq Dinn was born on Corellia. His father was Trader and smuggler. He travelled the Universe from one place to another. After some political trouble upon Corellia and aiding some people to get off of Corellia he left the planet. He moved to the peace loving planet Alderaan, but Business was slow there for the trader. he moved again, but this time to Naboo. he met Lara Bibbel. she was a rich girl that had invested a lot of money in the local trade space port. they got married and about 20 BTBOY* they got a child. They named him Corzip Dinn. The boy grew up in a rich envirment, but sometimes was taken with his dad to customers in the galaxy. Corzip got facinated by trading and flying ships. when he was 15 he enlisted himself in the Nubian fighter core. he got his training very easaly and only 1 year later he was in his very own Naboo N-1 Starfighter.
When he was 17 he got in a fight with a Trandosian over somethings he traded on the market. there was a shot fired and it grazed Corzips face. it scarred him for life. the trandosian was arrested.
When Corzip was 18 years old his father and mother visited some relatives on Corellia and they were ambushed by a bunch of pirates just when they came out of hyperspace. the CorSec. force was too late to arive. The Muurian Transport they were in got destroyed by 6 UGLIES and their cargo stolen. Corzip was destroyed by this. but his family name and wealth he still had. He left the fighter core, but the Naboo fighter core would welcome him back any time. He started his own Transport and trade company. He has a headquarter on Naboo, but is also planning on starting a trade route between Naboo and Corellia cause that is where some family lives.
And here begins the Star Wars Galaxy Saga.
(btw, imlistening to Star Wars music as im writing this and it is giving me goosebumbs :D)
*Before The Battle Of Yavin
vBulletin®, Copyright ©2000-2016, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Highs today will reach the mid to upper 40s today with plenty of sunshine. Winds will come out of the SE up to 10 mph. It won't feel as cold as yesterday because the wind won't be as strong.
Overnight, expect another cold one with clear skies and temps in the upper 20s. Outside the metro temps may drop to the low 20s. So, at the bus stop, you'll need to bundle up the kiddos!
Monday, we'll see clouds increase throughout the day with a high in the mid 50s. Rain showers will develop, especially closer to the drive home. Monday night into Tuesday very heavy rain is expected and we could see up to 1.5″ of rain by the time the rain moves out Tuesday. Temps will fall throughout the day Tuesday, so snowflakes could mix in with the rain.
Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, light snow or flurries will be possible. We'll be watching the timing of this system very closely, so stay tuned to the forecast for any changes!
Check out the rest of the week in the 7 day!


text:
Gold Trust ETF (GLD) Looking to Rally
Gold – it is the yellow precious metal once used as a primary form of currency for thousands of years. It is durable, liquid and almost indestructible. Historically, investors have fled unstable markets in search of reliable sources of value and stability, which can generally be achieved by investing in this precious metal. For those who want cost efficient access to the gold market, investing in the SPDR Gold Trust Exchange Traded Fund (GLD) is one of the easiest means of doing so. It is the world's largest gold-backed ETF that offers risk takers a chance to profit by establishing a position in an investment vehicle that has somewhat of an inverse relationship to the equity markets..
My role here today is to analyze the recent movements of GLD and offer my own insights as to what I believe will happen next with regards to price activity. In the chart below, I've drawn a thick horizontal line.
Have you ever wondered how billionaires continue to get RICHER, while the rest of the world is struggling?
"I study billionaires for a living. To be more specific, I study how these investors generate such huge and consistent profits in the stock markets -- year-in and year-out."
CLICK HERE to get your Free E-Book, "The Little Black Book Of Billionaires Secrets"
This represents major resistance. The psychological barrier near $100 should come as no surprise seeing that investors gravitate to price figures ending in either "0" or "5". At any rate, this wall has been tested quite a few times. Instead of tripping over themselves in full retreat, the bulls gave ground to affirm the previous breakout neat $70 and bounced back to test $100/share once more.
Full Story: http://www.nasdaq.com/newscontent/20090518/gold_trust_etf_gld_looking_to_rally.aspx?storyid=20090518194342equit


text:
Austin, Texas - The No. 5 men's swimming and diving team defeated SMU 265-85 and fell to the No. 9 Texas Longhorns 180.5-159.5 Saturday after a two-day competition at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center. The No. 7 women's team upset No. 6 SMU 189-161 while falling to No. 4 Texas 180.5-170.5.
The women's 200y medley relay team of junior Jenna Gresdal, junior Erin Sieper, sophomore Whitney Myers and freshman Lacey Nymeyer who finished second with a time of 1:42.80. Senior Emily Mason placed second in the 1650y freestyle (16:39.15) and Nymeyer finished second in the 200y freestyle (1:48.75) with senior Jessica Hayes finishing third (1:48.94).
In the 100y backstroke, Gresdal finished third with a time of 55.16. Mason won the 200y butterfly with a time of 2:01.11, which was the first individual win for the women and Myers took third-place (2:02.32). Mason later won the 200y individual medley (2:03.51) and Myers finished third (2:04.08). Gresdal was third in the 50y freestyle (23.41) and Nymeyer placed fourth (23.49) with Hayes finishing fifth (23.53).
The 400y freestyle team of Nymeyer, Freshman Courtney Cashion, Hayes and Gresdal won with a time of 3:22.20.
On the diving side, senior Claire Febvay won the 1-meter competition with 291.15 points and classmate Daniela Bemme was second (277.65 points).
For the men, the 200y medley relay team of junior Dave Rollins, freshman Ivan Barnes, junior Lyndon Ferns and Simon Burnett won the race with a time of 1:29.01. In the 1650y freestyle, junior Tyler DeBerry finished first with a time of 15:31.16 and freshman Matt Biel was not far behind in second-place (15:47.38). Ferns finished second in the 200y freestyle (1:37.73) and Burnett finished second in the 100y backstroke (48.93) while freshman Nick Thoman finished third (49.39).
Ferns won the 50y freestyle with a time of 20.02 and Barnes placed second in the 100y breaststroke (55.77). In the 200y individual medley, Rollins finished second (1:50.03) and for the final event of the competition, the 400y free relay team of Ferns, freshman Jonas Persson, sophomore Adam Ritter and Burnett won with a time of 2:59.16.
Junior John Collier continued his winning streak by finishing first on both the 3 and 1-meter boards. This is the fourth consecutive time Collier has won on both boards tallying 583.75 points on the 3-meter and 322.75 points on the 1-meter.
The Wildcats will resume competition on Feb. 12 when they host Arizona State at 1 p.m. (MST) at the Hillenbrand Aquatic Center.


text:
E-Mail This Page
Any information provided by you on this page will be used only to send the message and let the recipient know who sent it. We do not collect or use this information for any other purpose. Privacy Policy
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.
Return to National Science Foundation (NSF) News - Lakes of Meltwater Can Crack Greenland's Ice and Contribute to Faster Ice Sheet Flow


text:
Is your resume in need of a little disruption?
Startups are all about
making things work better.
Our resume writing service is all about doing that for your CV.
StartUpHire is the place to find Software-Development-Lead jobs in and near . Review the list below of Software-Development-Lead jobs. These Software-Development-Lead jobs represent some of the most rewarding careers available. You can refine your job search for Software-Development-Lead jobs in by adding a job title, company name, or keyword to the search box above … or click the "Advanced Search" link for more options. Don't see the employment opportunity you're looking for? Check back soon for more Software-Development-Lead jobs in , or sign up for an email alert (link in upper left) to receive periodic updates on new Software-Development-Lead jobs in , .
Department: Automotive Reports to: Director of Engineering Job overview We continue to grow and are looking to add rock star software engineers to our Automotive Product Development team. This Principal level role will be the Lead Software Development Engineer of our5/3/2016 Kirkland, WA Save This Job
Engineering Seattle, Washington Apply Description We have a critical and exciting new opportunity for a Lead role within our Test Organization at Skytap. As a Lead Frontend Software Development Engineer in Test, you'll work closely with our talented and passionate software6/29/2016 Seattle, WA Save This Job
US-MO-St. Louis Apply View All Jobs Share This Job About Bullhorn We build applications that help businesses deliver an incredible customer experience. Headquartered in Boston with offices in London, Sydney, St. Louis, and Vancouver, Bullhorn is the global leader in CRM5/30/2016 St. Louis, MO Save This Job
All times are in India Standard Time. ID 2015-1248 Job Location(s) US-VA-Reston US-WA-Seattle US-WA-Seattle Posted Date 5/27/2016 Category Operations/Support More information about this job: Overview: Overview: Lead geographically distributed Software Development and Quality6/28/2016 Reston, VA Save This Job
Engineering Seattle, WA, USA Redfin is a real estate startup with a simple mission: to reinvent the $60 billion real estate industry in the consumers? favor. We combine our customer focus with technology to improve the entire experience of buying or selling a home. Millions5/24/2016 Seattle, WA Save This Job
Engineering Sunnyvale Sunnyvale, California Description Ruckus wireless has been singularly focused on wireless performance and we continue to lead the industry in performance innovation. We have never relied on off-the-shelf, reference design radio technology ? it just5/9/2016 Sunnyvale, CA Save This Job
Emeryville, CA Project Management At TubeMogul, our people are our greatest asset and we are all driven by a core set of values, anchored by the mantra of ?Be the Best in the World at One Thing.? We are builders, dreamers, thinkers, designers, and doers. We work hard, we work5/4/2016 Emeryville, CA Save This Job
Job Overview: The Connected Products team is building a cloud based content management system to provide high end digital signage and in-room entertainment for the hospitality industry. This is an excellent opportunity to be a part of a growing company with a fast paced, fun5/3/2016 Kirkland, WA Save This Job
Overview Matisse Software, developer of the Post-Relational SQL database, is seeking for a Senior Software Consultant. In this position you will be responsible for the successful deployment of Matisse-based applications on Unix Systems. This position involves frequent travel5/31/2016 Mountain View, CA Save This Job
The candidate shall be responsible for the definition, testing and maintenance of software that interfaces with networking equipment (routers, switches, storage devices, application servers and security appliances). Responsibilities include: Design and develop software5/30/2016 Folsom, CA Save This Job
The candidate shall be responsible for the definition, coding, testing and maintenance of software for the Redcell product suite. Responsibilities include: Design and develop software components used for configuring and monitoring network or IT infrastructure within the Redcell5/30/2016 Folsom, CA Save This Job
LEAD MOBILE QA AND SUPPORT ENGINEER ? CAMPBELL, CA The QA and Support Lead will manage the QA process for the mobile apps. Lead Mobile QA and Support Engineer ? Campbell, CA The QA and Support Lead will manage the QA process for the mobile apps. The bulk of the QA will be done5/23/2016 Campbell, CA Save This Job
Sales San Luis Obispo, CA APPLY NOW Send Jobvite OUR VISION: Leveraging technology to improve the health and wellness of the world. That is our vision. MINDBODY emerged from a simple idea: small business owners deserve the time to do what they love. From its first iteration.6/16/2016 San Luis Obispo, CA Save This Job
Job Type:Full-Time Location:Reston, VA Job Description: HighJump Software, TrueCommerce EDI Solutions Group provides everything small-to-mid tier companies need to fully implement EDI from one source. Our mission is to make EDI painless by providing a comprehensive,5/29/2016 Reston, VA Save This Job
Sales San Luis Obispo, CA POSITION SUMMARY: The SDR program focuses on building product knowledge and developing sales skills through training and development. We are looking to hire our next superstar sales representative and continue to build a culture of promoting from5/17/2016 San Luis Obispo, CA Save This Job
Sales Dallas, TX APPLY NOW Send Jobvite POSITION SUMMARY: The SDR program focuses on building product knowledge and developing sales skills through training and development. We are looking to hire our next superstar sales representative and continue to build a culture of5/17/2016 Dallas, TX Save This Job
Location: Burlington, MA Business Development Representative Black Duck Software is the leading supplier of open source software governance and compliance management solutions. We are seeking an energetic individual to join our Business Development team to generate qualified5/3/2016 Burlington, MA Save This Job
The OEM Business Development Executive shall have responsibility selling Dorado's ? Cruz line of solutions as an OEM solution to OEMs globally. Dorado Software (http://doradosoftware.com) is a leading provider of Service Provider Operational Support Systems (OSS) software. The5/30/2016 Folsom, CA Save This Job
Job Duties: Responsible for testing, deploying teleSys products like STP, SP, and other related technology at teleSys Software; Providing post sales support at teleSys and handling tier one customers across different continents and ensuring 24x7 support/services; Providing5/1/2016 San Mateo, CA Save This Job
You are an experienced software engineering manager or team leader seeking an opportunity to join an energetic team, building cutting-edge internet security applications. You bring to the table a track record of successful software engineering. You know what is required for a6/24/2016 Broomfield, CO Save This Job


text:
KC Pet Project set to break its intake record for second month running
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - KC Pet Project, Kansas City's no-kill pet shelter, will likely break its own record for animal intakes in July, after setting the record just last month when it took in more than 1014 animals.
"We're projecting this year to be above 10,000 animals that will come in through the shelter, which is a significant increase over a year ago," KC Pet Project's president, Brent Toellner, told 41 Action News on Wednesday.
Year-to-date, the shelter attributes much of the increase to pet owners surrendering their animals back to the shelter.
In the last two months, they've also seen a major spike in pets brought to them by city animal control officers.
"We took in 360 animals in the month of May from animal control officers and it was 540 in the month of June," Toellner said. "So that's a huge increase that we're seeing."
Patrick Egberuare at Kansas City animal control called the June numbers an "aberration," and said there was no policy shift at his department driving the increase.
He attributed some of the increase in pets seized to the bust of a cat hoarder in the Northland last month which led to the seizure of dozens of cats. He said the publicity generated by the incident also led to dozens more calls to his office.
Egberuare said he expects the number of seized pets to level off as the summer winds down.
For its part, KC Pet Project still anticipates receiving a record number of seized pets through July, and today said they'd like to see animal control officers cut back on the number of pets they take out of homes in most cases.
"We want to be a safe haven for animals that are in need of homes, but we don't want to be a safe haven for animals that already have homes, and we don't want them to be removed from those homes unless it's a cruelty or neglect situation," Toellner said.
With intake numbers up 20 percent over last year, the shelter is also increasing its adoption efforts. Earlier this month, they placed their first ever television ad buy and have run adoption specials, cutting prices for cats and dogs, nearly every weekend.


text:
my Nutrition
my Fitness
Other Goals
my SparkPoints
Web Search
Articles & Videos Home
Health & Wellness
Health A-Z
Cold & Flu
GERD (Heartburn)
Healthy Heart
High Blood Pressure
High Cholesterol
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Pain Management
Seasonal Allergies
Weight Loss
Healthy Family
Pregnancy & Postpartum
Instant Inspiration
Lifestyle Centers
Beauty & Style
Brides To-Be
Family Wellness
Healthy Home
Pet Health
Senior Health
The SparkPeople Blog
Community Home
Message Boards
Challenge Central
Secrets of Success
Member Blogs
Friend Feed
Advertisement --
Learn more
about ads on this site.
Leaves of Change Challenge Week 1
Saturday, September 08, 2012
Here is the list of five things that have held me back in the past from sticking with my weight loss and fitness goals:
1. I always looked at losing weight as a diet. I would go gun-ho for awhile and then slid back into my old eating habits. But in order to really lose weight, I need to look at it as a life style change and not a diet. I can still eat the foods I like just in moderation. (Learned this tip from reading The Spark this summer)
2. Excerise- I hated to do it with a passion. I would have to force myself to do 30 minutes of it a day. I use to make excuses for why I couldn't workout (didn't feel good, tired, something better to do).
3. Surrounded myself with negative people in my weight loss journey. I listened to their not so nice comments and attitudes towards overweight people and I started to believe it. Also joined TOPS for a while, but it was just a bunch of old ladies who liked to complain about their weight on meeting nights and then go to the chinese place or pizza place after the meetings.
4. Bought into my grandma's excuse that people on her side of the family were just big boned structured people. Thought if grandma said it must be true!
5. Loved the convience of fast food while going to college. Then carried over that bad habit into my working career.
Now I know that I let a lot of bad habits help put on the extra weight. Now that I have gotten back with SparkPeople and read The Spark, I now have the tools and know how to lose the weight and keep it off for good.
Now I plan on:
1. Looking at my weight loss as a life-style change. I will keep changing my eating habits to make them healthier and learn to really appreciate what goes into my body now.
2. Excerise- I have learned to love it. I do some form of excerise 7 days a week for 60 minutes or more. I even have craved it at times. I turn to excerise when I am really feeling stressed or waiting to do emotional eating. I have even joined a gym with a friend.
3.Now I surround myself with positive people. I have a great support system in my family, a few close friends and my SparkPeople family. I don't listen to the negative talk anymore. I am always looking at the positive side of my weight loss and fitness journey now.
4.Now know that I have no excuses for the way I look today, other than I was slowly eating myself to death. I am working hard to become a slimmer, trimmer person. I would love to be a role model for someone who is struggling with their weight just like I do.
5. Now I take the time to prepare my food. I also measure out my food and eat only the portion size now. My dh and I eat most all of our meals at home. But if we must eat out, I will pick something off the menu that would be the most healthiest. I don't get sucked into eating the fast food like I use to. If I do now, I actually get sick to my stomache and have bathroom issues.
I think I have the knowledge and tools to reach for the stars and lose this weight once and for all.
Share This Post With Others
Report Inappropriate Blog
Member Comments About This Blog Post
Report Inappropriate Comment
My SparkPage
You made me think about my reasons and some of yours are true for me too.
So thank you for the ideas and good luck with your goals.
1387 days ago
Report Inappropriate Comment
My SparkPage
You have really nailed those issues down and I love you plan. It is simple and doable.
1387 days ago
Report Inappropriate Comment
My SparkPage
WOW Kerry - you have done a fabulous job at identifying and redefining each point. I am so excited for you - just think at the legacy you are building for YOUR Grandchildren someday. How awesome. It's a whole new beginning!!!
1387 days ago
Report Inappropriate Comment
My SparkPage
1388 days ago
Report Inappropriate Comment
My SparkPage
great blog and I know you can do it!!!!
1388 days ago
Add Your Comment to the Blog Post
Log in to post a comment
Disclaimer: Weight loss results will vary from person to person. No individual result should be seen as a typical result of following the SparkPeople program.
Advertisement --
Learn more
about ads on this site.
Get An Email Alert Each Time
RAFF73 Posts
See Today's Featured Member Blog Posts
More Blogs by RAFF73
Recap of Leaves of Change Challenge
- 11/16/2012
8 months until the big 40 birthday!
- 9/15/2012
My goals for the Leaves of Change Challenge
- 9/3/2012
I am on back on track!
- 8/25/2012
View All ›
close ×


text:
I've known this for a while. I remember, as a young nerd who daydreamed about animals all day long, how I thought it was unfair that gibbons were considered "lesser apes" and shunned from the way better sounding "great apes" category. After a while, I grew to accept it. Then I saw this.
WHAT'S NOT GREAT ABOUT THAT!? I mean, we've all seen the chimp washing the cat and the orangutan peeing in his mouth, but fuck, I can do those things too! (The latter for money. Or amusement. I'm flexible.)


text:
Winebrenner Theological Seminary is seeking comments from the public about the institution in preparation for its evaluations by its accrediting agencies, Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).
Winebrenner will be hosting a visit from the ATS on October 13-15, 2014, with the focus team from ATS. Winebrenner has been accredited by ATS since 1989. The focus team will be reviewing the institution's ongoing ability to meet the ATS standards and policies for Accreditation.
The Public is invited to submit comments regarding Winebrenner Theological Seminary:
Please email comments to the director of accreditation services, email@example.com
Winebrenner will be hosting a visit from the HLC on October 27-29, 2014, with the focus team from HLC. Winebrenner has been accredited by HLC since 1984. The focus team will be reviewing the institution's ongoing ability to meet the Commission's Criteria for Accreditation.
Third party Comment on Winebrenner Theological Seminary
The Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604-1411
Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs. Comments must be in writing.
Winebrenner Theological Seminary
950 North Main Street Findlay, OH 45840 3583 Scotland Rd., PO Box 473
419-434-4200 (main) Scotland, PA 17254
1-800-992-4987 (toll free) 717-262-1029
419-434-4267 (fax)


text:
College Hockey:A Saturday-Monday schedule for future Frozen Fours?
The specifications for sites interested in bidding on regionals and Frozen Fours from 2015 to 2018 are out, and one item jumped out to me right away.
It appears that the NCAA is considering moving the game dates for the Frozen Four from Thursday and Saturday to Saturday and Monday. That's listed as a possible option in the bid specs, and it would give the Frozen Four a similar structure to the men's basketball Final Four.
We'll check with the NCAA to see how much of a possibility this is, but I wanted to put it out there. How would you feel about the national championship game being played on a Monday? Leave a comment below.
Update: I notice that the minimum capacity to host a Frozen Four is 18,000. Will that eliminate Boston from consideration? Maybe not. Capacity at TD Garden is listed as 17,565 for hockey, although Frozen Four games there in 1998 and 2004 drew crowds of over 18,000.
The following is a self-policing forum for discussing views on this story. Comments that are derogatory, make personal attacks, are abusive, or contain profanity or racism will be removed at our discretion. USCHO.com is not responsible for comments posted by users. Please report any inappropriate or offensive comments by clicking the "Flag" link next to that comment in order to alert the moderator.
Please also keep "woofing," taunting, and otherwise unsportsmanlike behavior to a minimum. Your posts will more than likely be deleted, and worse yet, you reflect badly on yourself, your favorite team and your conference.


text:
5 Green Marketing Tips for Any Small Business
Small business owners are, quite understandably, always looking for ways to save money. For those who are also passionate about minimizing their business' negative impact on the environment, these two aims can sometimes be at odds. Luckily, when it comes to marketing, there are a range of high-impact green eco-friendly marketing techniques that don't cost very much at all to implement. Here are five excellent green marketing techniques for small businesses that will get the discussion going:
- Focus on search engine optimization. Choosing to invest in search engine optimization, or tweaking your website so it ranks higher in search engines, is one of the smartest decisions any small business owner can make because it can result in passive sales/lead generation. It's also great for the environment. What's more green, traveling from location to location to hand out flyers in order to drive foot traffic to your store (or something similar) or having people knock on your virtual door from the comfort of their own homes?
- Invest in social media. Similar to investing in search engine optimization, investing in social media is an environmentally friendly, effective marketing strategy. With a strong social media presence, you'll be able to encourage your satisfied customers to speak on your behalf via their social networking accounts, which is far better for your bottom line and the environment than most other marketing strategies.
- Send free products to influential bloggers. Encouraging influential bloggers to review your product(s) is one of the most cost effective and environmentally friendly marketing techniques. All you have to do is ship free versions of your product to a small number of people accompanied by a well-written letter. Even better, send an email first to gauge interest in your product. That way, you won't end up sending something that is just going to be thrown out.
- Create frequent customer punch loyalty cards. Perhaps the greenest form of drumming up additional business is tapping into your existing customer base. If you're marketing a restaurant, create a loyalty card that your staff punches every time someone orders a meal with the idea that every ninth meal is free, for example. This will allow you to convert infrequent customers into frequent customers with minimal impact on the environment as a result of your marketing efforts.
- If you're going to distribute tangible marketing materials, opt for durable items. For example, instead of providing people with flyers, try experimenting with refrigerator magnets that people tend not to throw out. Though they'll be a bit more expensive per item, from a business perspective, what you should really think about is how many times someone's eyes will come into contact with the marketing message on the promotional item over its lifespan relative to its price.
About the author: Randall Davidson is one of the environmentally friendly co-founders of AudioTranscription.Org, a transcription service that is dedicated to both providing exceptional transcripts and responsibly engaging with its community. AudioTranscription.Org frequently provides digital transcription, which is the conversion of digital audio files to text files. This is a process that has almost no negative impact on the environment, as all of the files are exchanged via the Internet.
Social Media Marketing Services
Business Directory- Add Your URL!
Interviews with Entrepreneurs- Be Featured!