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Book your room at Trumbull and Porter, an Ascend Hotel Collection
Get an overview of this hotel3-star Detroit hotel in Downtown Detroit, near Joe Louis Arena
Located in Downtown Detroit, this hotel is within 1 mi (2 km) of MotorCity Casino and Joe Louis Arena. Fox Theatre and Ford Field are also within 2 mi (3 km).
Hotel Features
A fitness center, a bar/lounge, and a coffee shop/café are available at this smoke-free hotel. Free WiFi in public areas and free self parking are also provided. Other amenities include a 24-hour business center, a conference center, and coffee/tea in a common area.
Room Amenities
All 143 rooms offer free WiFi, premium bedding, and TVs with cable channels. Free newspapers, free local calls, and hair dryers are among the other amenities that guests will find.Would you like to give us feedback? Share it! Opens in a new window
Trumbull and Porter, an Ascend Hotel Collection1331 Trumbull St Detroit MI 48216
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
The hotel offers a coffee shop/café. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. This 3-star property offers access to a 24-hour business center and a meeting room.
A computer station is located on site and high-speed wireless Internet access is complimentary. This Detroit hotel also offers a fitness center, gift shops/newsstands, and coffee/tea in a common area. Complimentary self parking is available on site.
Trumbull and Porter, an Ascend Hotel Collection is a smoke-free property.
- 24-hour business center
- 24-hour front desk
- Bar/lounge
- Coffee shop or café
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Computer station
- Conference center
- Elevator/lift
- Fitness facilities
- Free self parking
- Free WiFi
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Laundry facilities
- Luggage storage
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Number of floors - 4
- One meeting room
- RV, bus, truck parking
- Smoke-free property
- Television in common areas
- Total number of rooms - 143
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking, RV, bus, truck parking
Room Amenities
- Air conditioning
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Cable TV service
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Free newspaper
- Free toiletries
- Daily housekeeping
- Desk
- Free local calls
- Free WiFi
- Hair dryer
- Iron/ironing board
- Iron/ironing board (on request)
- Pay movies
- Phone
- Premium bedding
- Premium TV channels
- Private bathroom
- Shower/tub combination
- Television
Nearby Things to Do
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Bicycle rentals on site
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible bathroom
Hotel Policies
Minimum check-in age is 21
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
- Pets allowed for an extra charge of USD 50.00 per pet, per stay, plus a deposit of USD 50.00 per stay
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
No cribs (infant beds) available
24-hour check-in
No rollaway/extra beds available
- Cleaning deposit: USD 100.00 per stay
Optional extras
- Pet deposit: USD 50.00 per stay
- Pet fee: USD 50.00 per pet, per stay
Hotel Name
- Trumbull Porter Ascend Hotel Collection Detroit
- Corktown Inn Detroit
- Trumbull Porter Hotel
- Corktown Hotel
- Trumbull Porter Detroit
- Trumbull Porter
- Trumbull Porter Ascend Hotel Collection
- Trumbull Porter Ascend Collection Detroit
- Trumbull Porter Ascend Collection


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Chad Holtz blogs at Dancing on Saturday, part of the CCblogs network.
My last year at Duke Divinity I sat in on a panel discussion between Sam Wells, dean of Duke Chapel, and Abdullah Antepli,
Muslim chaplain to Duke University. (Imam Antepli also spoke at Wild
Goose this summer.) In the course of their discussion about Islam and
Christianity, Imam Antepli said something that disturbed me a great
deal about my faith.

subset: commoncrawl


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Zakopane, Poland
Photos from ZakopanePictures of Zakopane (2,526)
Hotel Deals in Zakopane
Videos from ZakopaneZakopane Videos (13)
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Szymaszkowa St. bn, Zakopane, Poland
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ul. Krupowki 40, Zakopane, Poland
Grand Hotel Stamary Zakopane
Kosciuszki 19, Zakopane, Poland
Travel Blogs from ZakopaneZakopane Travel Blogs (232)
The snowboarding resort here in Poland wasn't exactly what i expected. it only had one run open that ran for about 100 yards. if you're not crawling on your snowboard, you can imagine how frustrating it can be. however, i got to see some ...
Off to the Mountains
... much more. We went to this truly authentic restaurant and got Ruskie pierogi and salads. They were swimming in butter...that's Zakopane style. Mountain people need the fat to keep them going through the winters. We were also entertained by some ...
09mai : Zakopane la sauvage Arriv� la bas...personne ne parlait anglais...nulle part...Apres avoir essaye multe fois d'essayer de parler avec des gens en allemand,espagnol,anglais,francais et meme le body language qui s est annonc� fort convaincant j ...
... almost takes our a gateway pole we head off for a quick tour of the towns market and main square. On the bus ride in to Zakopane we were given 3 different options on a piece of paper as to what to do in our free time this afternoon. All of which were ...
Attractions in ZakopaneZakopane Attractions (3)
End of Krupowki street, Zakopane, Southern Poland, Poland
Krupowki Street
Zakopane, Southern Poland, Poland
Karol Szymanowski Museum
Ul. Kasprusie 19, Atma Villa Zakopane, Southern Poland, Poland


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Welcome to our Sciene Notebook Wiki! We LOVE science class and want to share our findings among our friends and famaily. Please check daily/weekly as new explorations are taking place. Everyday we have a scientist that will type what our focus question was and what they learned from their observations. Students are also encouraged to think of future questions to expand their thinking. Please feel free to post guiding questions for us as we begin to explore the World of Science!
Q: Question P: Prediction O: Observation D: Drawing R: Reflection E: Extension questioN
Q: why does a catarpillier molt?
Q:do other animals molt?
O:his cresls is green.It has dots on it.
R:I leraned that when it makes a cresls its head does not fall of.
E:do catarpillier see like us?
frogs lay their eggs on wet places. frogs do not hunt for their food. their big eyes are on top of their head so they can see all the way around. love sarahh
Great job doing some outside research Sarah! Where did you find your frog information? -Miss. Hanlon
Q: What signs does the caterpillar give to show they are changing?
O:Today I saw that my caterpillar has a little crack in its chrisalis.But at first he was doing nothing.
R: I learned that caterpillars stay in there chrisalis for about 3/4 weeks.in Because my caterpillar has been in its chrisalis for now 2 weeks.
E: Why do caterpillars spin webs?
8/31 - I used google.
9/1- What other animals have life cycles that we could study? We already studied the human, butterfly, and frog life cycle! - Miss. Hanlon
9/3Q: Why do larvas stay in the pupa stage for a few days?
P: because it takes some time to grow.
O: My catrpillre is in the pfilein. She is not moveing. One of them came out.
R:Today Ieared that when they come out inke falls.
E:Will my catrpilr come out at satindr?
Here is a life cacll of us. Frst we are a baby. Then we are a kid. Then we are a teen najre. Then we are a adolt!
from Hailey.
This is the life cycle of a frog: a frog starts out as an egg. Then it turns into a tadpole. Then it looses it's tail. Grows it's front legs. And then turns into a frog and hops out of the water. -- Luis
this is a life cycle of a houes first the baby houes . finally the mommy houe. then she has a baby houes. that is the houes life cycle.
Q: Why are butterfies important to have in our communit?
O:I see that crawly is about to come out of his pupa.
R:Today I learned that some pupa are about to come out. I now I learned because I saw it.
E:I still wonder if my pupa is going to come out on sunday.
Q: What is the different between a regular painted lady and another painted lady?
P: I think that it has a different life and it might have to struggle through difficulties and if it's chryssalis falls it might not have a full wing.
O: The real difference is that some can have one wing, some can have four and some cannot make it.
R: Today I learned that sometimes butterflies do not always look the same or they just do not have the same life or they have to go through difficulties -- just like humans! I know I learned it because I have seen ones with one wing or with 4 wings and with 3 wings.
Luis, I like how you are thinking about other types of butterflies. Scientists are always thinking about what they already know and learning new information to help expand their overall understanding! You have done exactly what a scientist does...combining what you've learned about our class butterflies and trying to learn new information about other kinds of butterflies! Keep up the 9/11/09-Hailey
This is a life cuckly of a frog.Fist they are a egg.Then a tadpoll.Then they gets there frut legs.Then it gets its back legs.Then it is a adut!


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I have a lot of photos from vacations and I wanted to make a video with music from them. I used iMovie, put there photos + music I like and then I ran the video. Everything was working great except one thing - the photos weren't displayed whole.
It looks like iMovie cropped the images... so, for example, on one photos is missing its top, on the second one its bottom etc.
Is there any way to setup in iMovie to display always the whole size of photos?


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Philippine Peso Falls as Surprise Drop in Exports Flags Weakness
The Philippine peso fell to a one-week low after exports unexpectedly contracted in August, signaling risks to the Southeast Asian economy's fastest expansion since 2010. Government bonds rose.
Overseas shipments declined 9 percent from a year earlier to $3.8 billion, the biggest drop this year, the National Statistics Office said in Manila today. That compares with a median estimate for a 5.5 percent gain in a Bloomberg News survey. The government may cut local borrowing next quarter given favorable demand for retail bonds currently on sale, Deputy Treasurer Eduardo Mendiola said yesterday.
"We expect exports to remain lackluster as the external environment remains fairly weak," said Prakriti Sofat, a Singapore-based economist at Barclays Plc. "Economic growth in the second half will be much softer compared with the first two quarters."
The peso slipped 0.2 percent to 41.547 per dollar at the close of trading in Manila, data from Tullett Prebon Plc showed. The currency will probably trade at 41.50 at year-end, Sofat forecast. One-month implied volatility, a measure of exchange-rate swings used to price options, was unchanged at 5.3 percent.
The central bank has cut its overnight borrowing rate three times this year to a record low 3.75 percent.
"Given that the inflation outlook remains benign for both this year and next, we have monetary policy space," central bank Governor Amando Tetangco said today
The yield on the 8 percent bonds due July 2031 fell 10 basis points, or 0.10 percentage point, to 5.63 percent, the lowest level since Sept. 14, according to data from Tradition Financial Services.
The Bureau of the Treasury sold 63 billion pesos ($1.5 billion) of 6.125 percent retail bonds due 2037 yesterday. Bids totaled 76.5 billion pesos, allowing the government to sell more than twice the 30 billion pesos on offer. The sale, which runs until Oct. 22, may be capped at 100 billion pesos, Treasurer Roberto Tan said yesterday.


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Tomb Raider film to be co-developed by MGM
GK Films has teamed up with MGM for its upcoming Tomb Raider movie, which was announced in early March. According to The Hollywood Reporter, GK Films founder Graham King will produce, and although no casting decisions have been made, development will begin immediately.
Thanks, StrategyInformer.
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.


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The Tea Chest is an award winning gourmet tea company specializing in Hawaiian teas that use local ingredients, green teas and tropical flavors. Tropical iced tea, organic Hawaiian Natural Tea and the Island Essence Tea Collection capture the rich tastes and warm traditions of our Island home.
Web Site Design and Development by Zakidesign Built with Volusion


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Host–parasite interactions, while often studied in isolation, are affected by a multitude of direct and indirect effects from other members of the community (Omacini et al. 2001; Lafferty 2004; Lafferty et al. 2006). Predators are one notable community member that can strongly impact infectious diseases. In some cases, predators can increase infection in their prey (e.g., through impacts on host immune function or host traits; Ramirez and Snyder 2009; Duffy et al. 2011). In other cases, predators can decrease disease risk in their prey (e.g., by decreasing prey population sizes or directly consuming infected hosts; Packer et al. 2003; Keesing et al. 2006; Duffy et al. 2005). Predators can also impact disease risk in non-prey species via consumption of disease vectors or free-living stages of parasites (Grutter 1996; Nelson and Jackson 2006; Orlofske et al. 2012). Therefore, predators have the potential to alter rates of infection in both prey and nonprey species through a variety of routes.
The potential role of predation in reducing infectious disease risk is of particular interest when applied to medicine and conservation. Indeed, manipulation of predator densities has been suggested as a potential conservation measure (Packer et al. 2003). In some cases, the focus is on the potential for predators to reduce density of vectors. For example, augmentation of populations of mosquito predators has been suggested as a way to control mosquito-borne parasites such as malaria (Nelson and Jackson 2006; Howard et al. 2007). In other cases, the focus has been on the potential for predators to directly prey upon the parasites. It is this latter scenario that is the focus of the experiments reported here. We studied the potential for predation upon the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which has caused population declines and extirpations of amphibians around the globe (Bosch et al. 2001; Lips et al. 2006; Skerratt et al. 2007; Wake and Vredenburg 2008). Predation by zooplankton on free-swimming Bd zoospores has been suggested as a possible method for biocontrol of this fungus (Buck et al. 2011). Our study further evaluates this possibility.
There are reasons to expect that free-swimming Bd might be vulnerable to predation. First, Bd is generally transmitted through an aquatic zoospore stage that swims through water to infect new hosts (Longcore et al. 1999). The length of time that zoospores can remain infectious is context-dependent; Piotrowski et al. (2004) found that 95% of zoospores stop moving after just 24 h in distilled water, while Johnson and Speare (2003) reported motile zoospores in lake water after 7 weeks. Given the potential for a long free-swimming stage, Bd zoospores may be at risk of direct predation during this infectious period. Second, many bodies of water contain numerous microcrustaceans that have the potential to consume Bd zoospores. For example, Daphnia are generalist grazers of algae, bacteria, cyanobacteria, protozoans, fungi, and detritus. One species of Daphnia (D. galeata hyalina) has been shown to consume zoospores of a pathogenic chytrid of diatoms, reducing infection in the hosts (Kagami et al. 2004). Bd zoospores are generally 3−5 μm in diameter (Longcore et al. 1999), which is within the preferred range of food size for many Daphnia (Burns 1968; Geller and Muller 1981). Therefore, Daphnia are good candidates for predators of Bd.
Three previous studies have directly investigated the potential for Daphnia to impact Bd. In a laboratory experiment, Buck et al. (2011) demonstrated that Daphnia can consume Bd zoospores. However, the ability of Daphnia to digest those zoospores was not tested, and previous studies have shown that passage through a Daphnia gut can actually increase growth of some organisms (Porter 1976). Therefore, it is possible that Bd zoospores can be ingested by Daphnia but not digested. Two additional laboratory studies demonstrated that Daphnia reduce the number of zoospores detected in water samples (Woodhams et al. 2011; Hamilton et al. 2012), but a mesocosm experiment did not find changes in infection rates in tadpoles (Hamilton et al. 2012). Each of these studies only investigated one species of Daphnia, but Daphnia species vary in body size, which can influence feeding preferences and rates (Burns 1968; Hall et al. 2007). Additionally, the laboratory studies testing for Daphnia predation upon Bd (Woodhams et al. 2011; Hamilton et al. 2012) combined Daphnia and Bd zoospores in clean water without the presence of other food sources for Daphnia. Other studies have demonstrated that gut passage time and food assimilation efficiency in Daphnia change with food concentration (DeMott et al. 2010). Therefore, the presence of alternative food resources (as is the case in natural communities containing Bd and Daphnia) may alter the consumption and digestion rates of Daphnia on Bd zoospores.
In this study, we tested the ability of Daphnia to consume Bd zoospores and reduce both environmental levels of Bd and infection in tadpoles. In a series of laboratory experiments, we varied density of two species of Daphnia (D. magna and D. dentifera) to compare the effectiveness of each species at consuming Bd. Additionally, as algal levels can vary greatly between water bodies, we manipulated the density of suspended algae (food for Daphnia) to determine its effects on Bd consumption by D. dentifera. Our goal was to understand the impact of zooplankton predation on Bd levels in the environment and hosts.


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Video Industry News Video Company News Technology Industry News Technology Company News Novelty Industry News Novelty Company News Gay Industry News Gay Company News Legal Industry News All Company News
Released: Jun 01st, 1999
Running Time: 120
Director: Cass Paley
Company: VCA Pictures
Cast: Jon Martin, David Clark, Joel Sussman, Richard Pacheco, Bobby Hollander, All Goldstein, Gloria Leonard, Larry Flynt, Candida Royalle, Don Fernando, Mitchell Egers, Vonda Lia, Bill Margold, John Leslie, Cicciolina, Sharon Holmes, Ernie Roebuck, Annette Haven, Ken Turan, Mike Sager, Mike Horner, Bill Amerson, Kitten Natividad, Ron Jeremy, Jim Holliday, Bunny Bleu, Laurie Holmes, Linda Adrain, Bob Chinn, Paul Cambria, Denise Amerson
Critical Rating: Not Yet Rated
Genre: Alternative
Like John Holmes himself, this video is ground-breaking, fascinating to watch, and just a little bit too long. but Holmes' paradoxical life and nature demands the minutes, and this Hall of Porn Heroes is full of industry gossip and insights. Expertly shot, packed with articulate and intelligent friends, lovers, co-workers, ex-wives, girlfriends, journalists and cops, this is one documentary that has it all. There's sex, drugs, violence, betrayal, loss of innocence, lies, love and tragedy. Although it may never get the recognition it deserves inthe biography genre and will never be introduced by Peter Graves, this is a well-done and important contribution to recording the history of X.
Fans of Holmes and students of porn history should find this fascinating and educational viewing.
(Currently looking for Theatrical release; Video release)


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This is a discussion on Greetings from the Buckeye within the New Members Introduce Yourself forums, part of the Welcome To DefensiveCarry.com category; Finally got my CHL and I'm carrying..... I ussually carry a Taurus PT24/7 PRO in .45 in a Bianchi Minimalist holster, always carry at least ...
Finally got my CHL and I'm carrying.....
I ussually carry a Taurus PT24/7 PRO in .45 in a Bianchi Minimalist holster, always carry at least one blade, ussually two
Welcome from Alabama.
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe. Albert Einstein
Welcome to the forum MR D.
The power of the future is in its ability to inspire the present.
Liberty Over Tyranny Μολὼν λαβέ
Hello from North Texas. Welcome to the forum and congratulations on the CHL.
For those who understand, no explanation is necessary.
For those who don't understand, no explanation is possible.
Hello and welcome.
eschew obfuscation
The only thing that stops bad guys with guns is good guys with guns. SgtD
From the SW side of Ohio, welcome, though I just got here myself...
I'm not smart, here's someone who is:
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." (Benjamin Franklin)
Welcome -
"To disarm the people is the best and most effective way to enslave them."
George Mason
"Gun control is a job-safety program for criminals."
John R. Lott
Hi and welcome to CC
Chris - P95
NRA Certified Instructor & NRA Life Member.
"To own a gun and assume that you are armed
is like owning a piano and assuming that you are a musician!."
http://www.rkba-2a.com/ - a portal for 2A links, articles and some videos.
Welcome to the forum.
EOD - Initial success or total failure
Congrats on your CHL, Hello and welcome to the forum!
Welcome from a fellow Buckeye!
It's not about the caliber you carry, it's about how you USE it.
Acts 4:12
(Mohammad Who?)
NRA Member


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Posts filtered on Tag
Tag: controversial mmagazine cover
Rolling Stone puts Boston bombing suspect on cover like a rock star
By John Boyd on July 17, 2013 at 1:36 PM
Dzhokar Tsarnaev is not accused of forgetting to clean his room. He didn't allegedly stay out too late on a school night or purportedly return his dad's car without any gas. And he didn't …


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The Landing on the South ShoreI suggested in my article that the expedition probably landed in the secluded cove now known as Henderson Bay, sheltered by Stony Point. Not that the text or map of Champlain indicates that, or any other particular place with any certainty, but First. Because it...
Narrative of Stephen Morse's 1822 Trip
I (Stephen Morse) left New Haven on the 10th of May 1820, with my youngest son and traveled to the northwest, a distance of 1500 miles.
1822 Congressional Report on Indian Affairs
Jedediah Morse's 1822 report to Congress of his travels through Indian Territory on behalf of the office of Secretary of War – Jedediah was tasked by a resolution of Congress to report of his travels amongst the tribes throughout the United States. Acknowledging that he did not visit all of the tribes, and that he relied on known facts and materials for the body of text he provided, Jedediah presented a large collection of tabular data and descriptive content. This data was then used by Congress to shape it's policies as it dealt with expansion further west, and specifically tribal relations.
The Florida Indians
The Florida Indians


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Stephen Tennant: Work in Progress
Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
121 Wall St., New Haven, CT 06511
Wheelchair accessible
Stephen Tennant (1906 - 1987) is mainly remembered for his striking appearance and position as one of the "Bright Young People," a group of upper-class British artists, writers, and bon vivants. This exhibition highlights the literary and artistic potential found in his personal archives.
Tennant spent decades writing a novel, Lascar, which he never finished. Still, he left a legacy of archival documents, including drafts of his novel, hundreds of poems, detailed drawings, and a rich correspondence with his friends and family, including Willa Cather, Daphne Du Maurier, and Stephen Spender. The Beinecke Library acquired several groups of material to partially reconstruct his archives. The exhibition draws upon this rich documentary legacy to provide a well-rounded portrait of this gifted and complex individual.
Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
121 Wall Street | New Haven, CT 06511
Campus Map
Tel: (203) 432-2977 Fax: (203) 432-4047
USPS: Mailing Address and Information
email: Ask a Librarian
The exhibition gallery is closed while the library's building is under renovation.
Temporary Reading Room Hours
Monday - Friday: 9 am to 4:45 pm
The temporary reading room is located in Yale's Sterling Memorial Library, across Wall Street from the Beinecke.
Beginnig September 6, 2016 our hours will be
Monday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday-Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday 9 a.m. to 5


text: O28 started as just an instrumental writing project by drummer Sam Schmiedel back in 2009 . After years of playing drums to other people's music with some touring also involved and then also being in cover bands as a local drummer I started writing my own music and have been enjoying this additional musical journey so far . Things started off as a hobby I guess you could say with writing my own music and after numerous inspirational recording & writing sessions during that time it has now expanded into an assorted collection of original music . I write in various styles of music so be sure to check out the variety of songs I have up on here as there are quite a bit of different styles / genre's of music on the page .


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RobU's BlogRobert Unoki's blog for mostly Microsoft work related stuff.http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/atom.aspxTelligent Evolution Platform Developer Build (Build: 5.6.50428.7875)2006-03-22T15:55:00ZXNA Game Studio 4.0 and Windows Phone Series 7 FTW!http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2010/03/09/xna-game-studio-4-0-and-windows-phone-series-7-ftw.aspx2010-03-10T01:04:50Z2010-03-10T01:04:50Z
Almost 3 years ago, I had the privilege of working on a demo to provide a sneak peek of Silverlight running on Windows Mobile.  It was a blast to put that together and see it on stage.  But while I love sneak peeks and such, the really rewarding work for me is not so much on tech demos, but moving those efforts into production – shipping code.

I've been pretty quiet since then on this front, and changes in circumstance and good blessing have landed me as the Development Manager for the XNA Game Studio team.  Today, we're super excited to announce Game Studio 4.0 with support for Windows Phone Series 7, Xbox 360, and Windows.  Rather than repeat the details, check out the blog entries from my teammates…

Kluch announces GS4

Shawn announces GS4 Features

Feature List on XNA Creators Club

Both Kluch and Shawn will be talking about GS4 at the GDC summit tomorrow with sessions repeated subsequent days for the rest of the GDC attendees.

Kudos to the Windows Phone, Silverlight and XNA teams for pulling this all together. Even more to come next week at MIX!
Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxXNA and Silverlight coming to Windows Phone Series 7http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2010/03/06/xna-and-silverlight-coming-to-windows-phone-series-7.aspx2010-03-06T10:04:38Z2010-03-06T10:04:38Z
Wow – it's been a long time coming :)

I still have memories of putting together the MIX demo of Silverlight running on Windows Mobile several years ago… mainly lots of sleep deprived nights :)  What a long way we've come indeed.  I'm super excited along with the rest of the XNA, Silverlight and Windows Phone organizations to see the announcements coming from Charlie Kindel and Michael Klucher.  Check out their blog posts!

Charlie Kindel's Blog

Kluch's Blog

It's pretty fun to see all of this coming together.  I'll actually be heading to GDC along with a crew of XNA folks next week. Feel free to drop me a line if you're interested in anything XNA :)
Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxI'm backhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2010/01/22/i-m-back.aspx2010-01-22T08:34:14Z2010-01-22T08:34:14Z
Okay – so I'm not a prolific blogger by any stretch of the imagination. But I am still alive and well.

I usually don't make New Years resolutions.  No wait – I never make New Years resolution.  But recently while vacationing with friends and family back "home" in my beloved 50th State of Hawaii, my daughter didn't hesitate to point out my waistline.  And quite honestly, I couldn't help but notice it myself.  Sigh.  And the excellent Loco Mocos, SPAM Musubi's, sashimi, Ahi Poke, Oyster Chicken, and Ice Shave in Hawaii didn't help.  Sigh.

I also realized that as a development manager for the XNA Game Studio team, I actually find it very challenging to find time to go back to my "first love" – coding.  Don't get me wrong – I like the other responsibilities that my job entails, but I must admit that I'm a gearhead at heart.

As I already mentioned… if anyone is still listening for whatever reason to my blog – you know that I haven't posted in like forever.

And most of all, I realized that I need to do a much better job of growing in my Christian walk!

So….

Lose Weight.  My goal is to run the Seattle Rock n' Roll 1/2 marathon this summer and do a couple of sprint triathlons.  I did the Seattle Rock n' Roll 1/2 last year.

Write more Code!  I've actually been doing really well at this – I've been "dogfooding" our latest concoctions on the Game Studio team and have loved every keystroke of code I've written - even the ones that end up as bugs :p

Blog more consistently.  So here I am :)

Draw closer to God.  Doing pretty well on this one – I've been studying God's word regularly and serving at our church actively.  I do need to do a better job of sharing my faith – so if you have any questions on that drop me a line!  I don't byte – honest!  :)

Oh – I forgot to mention that I'm thinking that the best way to start New Years resolutions is to start about 4 weeks into the year.  By then the mad rush at the gym has slowed down.  And by then I've gotten back into the grove at the holiday so I can get a running start at my goals.

Okay – so I procrastinated a bit too :)

I've been on the XNA Game Studio for almost two years now. The team is absolutely fantastic.  We've got a lot of things cooking and I can't wait to write about it. We've been blasting ahead full bore – there's definitely a buzz and excitement in our wing of the Studios West campus.

But for now… well let's just worry about the resolutions.  More to come on GS stuff when the time is right ;)
Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxXNA Community Games on Xbox Live Betahttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2008/05/20/xna-community-games-on-xbox-live-beta.aspx2008-05-20T20:33:26Z2008-05-20T20:33:26Z
Check out the announcement of the new XNA Creators Club Web Site on the XNA team blog.

The creators club web site has a new look and feel with several improvements. One of the coolest new features for premium members is the enabling of Community Game Publishing to Xbox Live.  Sweet!  Games can be submitted for peer review and, upon approval, be published to Xbox Live.  You can also check out Dax Hawkin's post on Gamasutra for more details on the process.
Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxThe Boss in the Red Vesthttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2008/05/08/the-boss-in-the-red-vest.aspx2008-05-09T08:11:09Z2008-05-09T08:11:09Z
Funny story that I really wanted to share with you all.

Moving to the XNA team has meant several changes for me. As I mentioned in my previous post, I've stepped into a Development Manager role.  The Dev team has been simply awesome in making me feel welcome and helping me to get onboard.

Another change is moving to the Xbox team in the Entertainment and Devices Division.  While I loved the developer division, the gamer in me is in hog heaven on the Xbox team.

Changing teams has also meant a change in work location.  My new office is now located in the "Millennium" buildings down in Redmond.  The new location is a little bit further away from home, and this is the farthest I've worked from "main campus".  The nicest thing about my new location is that it is very close to the school that my two older daughters (Taylor 8 and Elisa 6) attend. That means I can take them to school and then head to work literally minutes away.

So that begets the funny story.  Here's a conversation I had with my daughter, Taylor, on the way to school.

Taylor: Dad, why did you have to change jobs?

Me (thinking): Oh boy.  How do I explain a "Re-Org", global workforce, staffing and opportunity cost?

Me: Well, if work is a "project" the project I'm working on got assigned to a different team. It was a great chance for me to find something new to work on.

Taylor: Are you a "manager" now?

Me: Yep.

Taylor: What does a manager do?

Me: LOL. Ummmm.  I'm trying to figure that out. I guess I'm responsible for my new "project" and making sure that the team is running well.

Taylor:  Does that mean you're "the boss" ?

Me: LOL. LOL.  No.  Well... technically yes.  But not really.  I don't "boss people around."  I help provide guidance, but most of the time I just try to stay out of the way.

Taylor: So, are you like a manager at the store? Do you wear a red vest?

Me: LOL. LOL. LOL. <trying not to drive in the ditch>  No no no.  No red vests at Microsoft sweetheart.

Leave it to my 2nd grade daughter to totally make my day. I still laugh every time I think about it.

I guess that's worlds better than my Kindergartner Elisa's comment in regards to my expanding waist line.

Me:  Do you think I'm fat honey?

Elisa:  Oh no. You not fat. Well... but you do look just like Mr. Incredible.  And I love you.

Mr. Incredible is cool, after all.  Maybe I'll be cooler in my red vest.  Sigh...
Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxGame Studio 3.0 CTP + Zune Support!http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2008/05/07/game-studio-3-0-ctp-zune-support.aspx2008-05-07T23:21:43Z2008-05-07T23:21:43Z
One of the most satisfying times I experience at Microsoft are immediately after a product release. And that day is today - the XNA team is proud to announce the availability of the Game Studio 3.0 CTP (Community Tech Preview)  that supports both Windows and Zune.  Being new to the XNA team, I obviously haven't contributed that much from this side of the fence, but it's great to see the NETCF work we did to support Zune finally make it out the door and into the hands of the game development community.  I also find it totally satisfying to see the proud smiles of team members in the halls in spite of the hard work and effort that went into the release.

Check out the announcement on the XNA Team Blog for more details of the launch.  I'm looking forward to seeing all of the cool, creative and quirky things that the community will produce.
Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxNew Adventureshttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2008/04/04/new-adventures.aspx2008-04-05T02:00:42Z2008-04-05T02:00:42Z
Well, guess it's about time for me to post again. I was hoping to be able to post some more about Silverlight for Mobile, but those responsibilities have transferred over to some very capable new team members on the .NET Compact Framework team.

As for me, I'm currently packing up my office and heading out to my next Microsoft adventure.  I'll be taking a Development Manager spot on the XNA team working on delivering the best game development experience and platform on the Xbox 360, Windows, Zune and other future platforms.  I'm totally excited to get started with the stellar team over there, many that I've worked with while on the .NET Compact Framework team.

So while I'll always be a NETCF'er at heart, you can ask most of them what my main passion and interests are in computing, and they will undoubtedly point to gaming and game development.

Will be posting soon on the cool new Game Studio 3.0 stuff on the horizon.
Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxXNA Coming to Zunehttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2008/02/20/xna-coming-to-zune.aspx2008-02-21T02:56:21Z2008-02-21T02:56:21Z
I was really bummed knowing that I would not make it back to the Game Developer Conference (GDC) this year.  I was especially disappointed knowing all of the cool announcements that we would be making around the XNA Community offerings and XNA coming to Zune.

I actually had the opportunity to see several of the games running on Zunes last week. I was pleased to how well they ran and how nice they looked!  Being a Galaga fan, "Zauri" was my favorite one.  There are a few screen shots here but they aren't very clear.  I'll post a link when there are nicer ones.

Kudos to all my buddies on the XNA team.  You guys rock!
Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxChristmas Comes Earlyhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2007/09/22/christmas-comes-early.aspx2007-09-22T19:39:16Z2007-09-22T19:39:16Z

I've always enjoyed the Christmas holiday -but as a gamer, it seems that Christmas is coming a bit early this year.

The console gamer side of me is eagerly awaiting the release of Halo 3 on the 25th.  As part of the lead-up to the release, the Halo 3 Online Manual went online - and yep - it's powered by Silverlight.  The Halo 3 Video Site has been up for a few weeks now, and it really shows off the hi-fidelity video capabilities of Silverlight on Windows or your Mac.  I would imagine that there will be more videos posted there as the countdown to the release progresses.

The PC gamer side of me has already been treated to World in Conflict and is waiting for the release of The Orange Box.  I pre-ordered the Orange Box online and have been playing the Team Fortress 2 beta for a few rounds.  It's quite fun, but I'm still slower than all of you twitchers out there and still coming up to speed on all the tactics.  So if you see "OysterChicken" running around, be kind to the n00b.  Now, if you see OysterChicken running around on Battlefield 2... will let's just say I'm not such a n00b in that realm. :)

I can also say that our Silverlight for Mobile planning and early dev work is progressing. More on that... after I spend some time with my early presents :)
Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxVideo of Silverlight Mobile Demo at MIXhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2007/05/09/video-of-mix-demo.aspx2007-05-09T23:02:00Z2007-05-09T23:02:00Z
Our Product Unit Manager, Scott Holden, did a podcast at MEDC that shows the Silverlight for Mobile demo. I thought some of you will probably find it interesting.

Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxMIX07 - Silverlight and the Compact Frameworkhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2007/05/01/silverlight-and-the-compact-framework.aspx2007-05-01T20:26:00Z2007-05-01T20:26:00Z
For my small blog audience out there, I apologize that my blog has been lacking in activity over the last several months. In spite of the communication black hole, I've actually been quite occupied and there's been quite a bit going on in the last several of months since XNA v1 shipped in November of 2006.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

The .NET Compact Framework team has been busy. In the early quarter of 2007, we shipped Service Pack 2 for .NET Compact Framework v2.0. My favorite feature is the new version of RPM that contains the ability to snapshot and analyze objects in the managed heap; a great boon for detecting and squashing memory leaks or poorly engineered sections of code. Service Pack 2 was quite a big accomplishment considering we're also headlong into our product development milestones for the next version of Visual Studio 2005, code named Orcas. Beat 1 shipped shortly after the service pack and our next beta is coming soon.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Fortunately, being on a great team has given me the opportunity to work on some pretty cool projects. In previous years, getting the .NET Compact Framework up and running on the Xbox 360 for the XNA v1.0 and v1.0 Refresh releases was a remarkable and rewarding experience that fell into this genre. But one of my current projects has me just as excited – very reminiscent of the early XNA work. Over the last month+, I have spent countless hours toiling over this cool new thing – Silverlight. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

"Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering next generation of .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web." Check out this cool demo…<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

 Fox Movies<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

So what does this web experience have to do with the Compact Framework team? For me, it meant a countless number of long work days and longer evenings that resulted in this "labor of love." A picture says a thousand words, so go ahead and check out the MLB demo done by Justin from MLB and Michael from Microsoft. Justin does a great job going over the Silverlight based Major League Baseball game viewer and player tracker. It looks really slick with great video, alpha blending, and nicely done graphics. At the very end he'll whip out his fancy new Windows Mobiles 6 device and show Silverlight running a forward looking prototype of a MLB Mobile application. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

 MLB Mix 07 Demo<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

I've been itching to blog about this undertaking, but since this just debuted yesterday, I was not able to. Now that the cat's out of the bag…<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

The demo shows a very early port of pretty much the entire Silverlight rendering engine running on Windows Mobile 6 integrated with the .NET Compact Framework. The entire application is written in C#. All of the visual elements, with the exception of the small blue hatched portion of the banner and the video thumbnails, are entirely 2D vector elements rendered from XAML. Even the MLB logo is in XAML. This allows the elements to scale nicely between the QVGA display shown in the demo and a VGA display on larger form factor Pocket PCs. The content actually works just fine in your web browser on a Mac or Windows machine running the full Silverlight framework. Kudos to the Forg Design team that put together great looking content for me to work with.

The demo video really doesn't do the content justice, so here are some screen shots..<o:p>
</o:p>

<o:p>(edited 5/7/2008 - removed pictures as links are now stale. Sorry.)</o:p>

For any of you code jockeys out there who have ever been tasked with assimilating and componentizing design assets into a functioning interactive application, I now have a much better understanding of the process and challenges you face.  While it was a bit of work and learning for me, I actually I actually used Microsoft Expression Design to process and create all of the XAML assets I obtained from the Frog Design team. Working on the Release Candidate of Design, it was definitely a lifesaver.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

In retrospect, it seems crazy that I've focused an entire month of my life for a demo that appears on stage for less than a minute. It was a hard, grueling work. I am oh so thankful for a supportive team and for an even more supportive family. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Crazy – yes I would qualify it as borderline crazy. Foolish? Absolutely not. My guess is that all of my developer brethren out there who have fought with integrating a rich set of design assets into an application will immediately grasp the significance of our accomplishment.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

So let's get on with it and officially recognize the elephant in the room. When are we shipping? On what platforms will this be available? Xbox 360? Windows Mobile? <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Well… as you probably guessed I can't quite blog on that yet J It's killing me, but when the time is right, we will make the appropriate announcements and I'll be sure to whip up another blog entry.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Stay tuned…<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxSpecial Dayhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2006/12/07/this-is-a-test.aspx2006-12-08T04:10:00Z2006-12-08T04:10:00Z
It's been a long 18 months for me. A lot has happened.

19 months ago, I was approached by Mike Zintel and Scott Holden to "come back home" to the .NET Compact Framework team. I was a little hesitant at first since I was thoroughly enjoying the incubation project I was involved in at that time, but the cookie they dangled in front of me was just to scrumptious to pass up.

.NET + Xbox 360

Yeah Baby. I'm there.

And besides, it really was like coming home. I have several very good personal friends on the team. This is the first product I worked on from day zero - I was actually on the team before Mr. Zintel and Mr. Holden way back in 1999.

There have been many special days over the last 18 months...

My oldest daughter had her 6th birthday

My middle daugher had her 4th birthday

My son had his 1st birthday

And I had my... well.. let's just say I'm older now.

Fun and exciting days at Gamefest and GDC

There was the day I lugged a Xbox 360 Alpha Kit into DavidWr's office and said - let's make this work

There was the day where I watched Hello World run in DavidWr's office

There was the day when we rendered our first 3D scene on the Alpha Kit

There was the day where I showed J our work.

There was the day that I became the proud launch day owner of a Xbox 360 (which is still running great today) via charity auction

I recall the days when we got up and running on Beta and Final hardware development kits

There were days when I churned out new code

There were bug fixing days

The day of our "Final" build

One more bug fixing day

The day of our "Final" build redux

Vacation days in Hawaii where I, along with my very best college friends, witnessed our Purdue Boilermakers Football team fall short in a wild game against the University Hawaii Warriors (I'm still hoarse from the "cheering" in that game)

Then there was the day our product got submitted to the Xbox Certification process

And, most relevant to this blog... Today. The day I received the email that we passed certification and are signed off on the product.

I've now worked on a second product from day zero through ship of v1. Actually, now that I consider the timeline of things, we'd have to call it day < 0.

On Monday, December 11, XNA Game Studio Express will be made available. At around the same time, you will be able to browse Xbox Live, purchase a subscription to the XNA Creator's Club and download "my baby" along with the XNA Framework right to your very own 360. I'm totally exicted to hear about and see all of your creative efforts and home brew projects.

To quote a friend, this last year has been like "trying to drink from a fire hose". I've learned a ton about game developers, game development and the game industry. I've been very fortunate to be a part of this ride we now call XNA v1.

Rest assured we are only at the start of the road - there is no shortage of things to do. After a little bit of breather, we're already planning future releases and improvements.

In closing, here's a geek high-five shout out to all my colleagues on the NETCF and XNA teams.

101

Way to go - It's been a blast!

Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxEndian has Left the Buildinghttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2006/08/14/699857.aspx2006-08-14T20:45:00Z2006-08-14T20:45:00Z
Enough of this endless Endian junk.

On to more exciting announcments! I told you all that more details in regards to the XNA Framework would be released at GameFest over the summer. WE'RE ALMOST THERE!

GameFest starts tomorrow morning and big announcements are indeed coming over the next several hours. Here are some previews to whet your appetite...

http://blogs.msdn.com/xna/ (I mentioned at the end :)

http://letskilldave.com/archive/2006/06/29/XNA-Framework-tidbits_2E002E002E00_.aspx

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6155590.html?tag=latestnews;title;1

http://blogs.msdn.com/al_msft/archive/2006/08/13/699149.aspx

Folks - the drums are beating - the troops are forming and we're ready for battle!

More to come after the anouncements later today!

Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxMr. Endian Bytes Back Part 2http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2006/06/28/649431.aspx2006-06-28T10:44:00Z2006-06-28T10:44:00Z
For the reader below who asked for an ASCII diagram here you go.

Let's say we have the following...

 typedef struct
 {
 SHORT x;
 SHORT y;
 } FOO;

 void BadCode( FOO foo)
 {
 foo.x = 0x0102;
 foo.y = 0x0304;
 InterlockedIncrement( (PLONG)&foo.x );
 }

The foo struct consumes 4 bytes since each SHORT is a signed 16 bit value. On a little endian system, the byte values are laid out in memory as follows. (Remember - Least (little) signficant byte first)

 0x02 (LSB of FOO.x)
 0x01 (MSB of FOO.x)
 0x04 (LSB of FOO.y)
 0x03 (MSB of FOO.y)

InterlockedIncrement actually works on 32bit values. On little endian systems, the interlocked increment function expects the least significant byte of the 32 bit value to be at the address supplied to the interlocked function. So, in this case, the increment actually works as expected, and the result would be:

 0x03 (LSB of FOO.x)
 0x01 (MSB of FOO.x)
 0x04 (LSB of FOO.y)
 0x03 (MSB of FOO.y)

 where foo.x == 0x0103 and foo.y == 0x0304.

(Also note that if we were to increment foo.x greater than 0xFFFF we would actually overflow the 2 byte SHORT and start incrementing the foo.y value. Since it is signed, similar madness would occur if we decrement the value below 0.)

Now, on a big endian system, memory is laid out as follows.

 0x01 (MSB of FOO.x)
 0x02 (LSB of FOO.x)
 0x03 (MSB of FOO.y)
 0x04 (LSB of FOO.y)

When we consider the InterlockedIncrement is 32bit on a big endian system, the fourth byte from a INT32 pointer is the least significant byte. In this case, 0x04 would actually be the least significant byte and would get incremented. After the increment memory would look like the following.

 0x01 (MSB of FOO.x)
 0x02 (LSB of FOO.x)
 0x03 (MSB of FOO.y)
 0x05 (LSB of FOO.y)

 where foo.x == 0x0102 and foo.y == 0x0305.

So, the "InterlockedIncrement((PLONG)&foo.x)" is actually wrong. The cast is entirely a bad thing in this case, but we have it in there for perf and data compaction reasons.

A naive fix would be to use the address of foo.x - 2 bytes, but that would result in an unaligned pointer in this case, causing the increment to hit an alignment exception.

I fixed the problem by adding an #ifdef to the structure definition to swap the order of the fields.

 typedef struct
 {
 #ifdef BIG_ENDIAN
 SHORT y;
 SHORT x;
 #else
 SHORT x;
 SHORT y;
 #endif
 } FOO;

And changed the interlocked code to use the address of the FOO struct instead of the FOO.x field.

 InterlockedIncrement( (PLONG)&foo )

And, of course, I was a good coding citizen and stuck a comment in explaining the madness and referring to the spot in code where we actually do the interlocked increment and decrement.

Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxMr. Endian Bytes Backhttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2006/06/15/632054.aspx2006-06-15T12:56:00Z2006-06-15T12:56:00Z
The worse endian bug yet - a definite gem for the ages.

I spent several hours tracking down a ref counting bug in one of our CLR data structures. The following code snippets are boiled down from a much more complicated structure and set of functions.

 typedef struct
 {
 SHORT x;
 SHORT y;
 } FOO;

 void BadCode( FOO foo)
 {
 InterlockedIncrement( (PLONG)&foo.x );
 }

The code actually works just dandy on x86 since the address is always aligned on a 4 byte boundary and, since x86 is little endian, the address &foo.x actually refers to the LSB of x. This particular value in this case will never overflow the 2-byte signed SHORT, so this works as intended.

If you haven't alredy guessed it, on a big endian platform, this actually increments the value of foo.y. Flawlessly. Every single time. Talk about a bugger to find. I noted the problem when I finally stepped over the interlocked operation and actually noticed that the wrong field changed value in the local window of the debugger!

Now the challenge - how do we fix it? We didn't want to use 32bit values since this would eat up storage unnecessarily as this is a structure quite frequently instantiated. So to add a hack upon a hack, we flipped the fields for big endian platforms :O

And put a very large comment next to the hack. :o\

Spoooooooky.

Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxInsight from an Experthttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2006/06/15/632046.aspx2006-06-15T12:40:00Z2006-06-15T12:40:00Z
I had the pleasure of talking with Matt Lee on the way back from GDC 2006. He's awesome. He's super personable and humble. And yet a confident giant when it comes to game development, especially on the 360.

If you haven't already caught this interview, it's definitely worth a look see.

http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/mattlee.ars

Matt also mentioned the cool XNA Build technology in his interview.

On the development front, we're diligently plugging away at the CLR and XNA Framework. I'm soooo excited to see the progress we have made. Just leave you with 3 word in regards to the XNA Framework- "I can't wait!"

Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxIs that a Correc Statemen?http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2006/05/12/596217.aspx2006-05-12T19:04:00Z2006-05-12T19:04:00Z
This post serves several purposes.

First, give my good buddy who just recently discovered RSS something to read about :)

Second, I was asked a "personal" question at work. Why do I not pronounce the "t" in words that end with "t". Well, any readers from Hawaii would definitely know "da ansah for tha one". It's the same reason the number 3 does not exist in Hawaii where everyone knows that a tree comes after 2. For those not born and raised in the 50th state, go ahead and check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Pidgin

Correc, Indeed.

Third, XNA Framework! I can confidently say - the XNA Framework is clicking along. We're making great progress on all fronts. It's really exciting to see things pulling together as we plow through milestones, bugs, architectural decisions, etc. I look forward to the day when I can provide more specifics - and even answer questions! :)

Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxOne Little, Two Little, Three Little Endian... 0x0A Big Endian Bugshttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2006/04/05/568737.aspx2006-04-05T10:57:00Z2006-04-05T10:57:00Z
The XNA Framework and .NET Command Language Runtime (CLR) work on XBox 360 is clicking along. We're head long into feature work, bug fixing, and performance analysis. We've made great progress on planning and implementation since we have returned from GDC. I can attest first hand, the XNA Framework team is progressing and will have some pretty cool stuff for all y'all as we march closer to the day when we can release bits.

One of the major differences we have between Xbox 360 and any of the other platforms that the .NET CLR has shipped on (Windows, Windows Mobile, and other Windows CE platforms) is the endianness of the system. The following example should illustrate.

 Consider 67305985 in base 10 = 04030201 in base 16.

 This value would be stored in a 4 byte integer as follows
 Little Endian: 0x01 0x02 0x03 0x04
 Big Endian: 0x04 0x03 0x02 0x01

Microsoft has predominantly shipped on Little Endian systems which includes the AMD and Intel family of processors. The Power PC chip that powers the XBox 360 can actually be configured to run in either little or big endian mode; the version in the XBox 360 is big endian. We actually put a LOT of effort into trying to get most of this correct in spite of only shipping on little endian systems. But as any coder will tell you, it is near impossible to get this correct for ALL components in a large and complex system like the CLR. We simply did not have any platform to do this validation on.

While compilers will do the right thing for general computation, but we potentially run into trouble when reading data from storage, over the network, from devices, etc. We need to map the source data's endianness to that of our system. Over the last several months, our stellar QA team has been working hard getting test infrastructure functional and executing an increasing number of the army of test we have for other platforms up and running against the XNA Framework.

As you can imagine, several of the tests find endian related bugs. I've squashed enough of them that I can almost smell their stench as I examine source code.

If you're a coder, read on, especially aspiring cross platform XNA Framework game devs.

I'd like to share with you one genre of endian bugs related to the System.BitConverter class that could potentially affect you.

BitConverter is comprised of a set of static functions that do exactly as the name implies - convert bits. More specifically, they convert from all of the integral value types to byte[] and vice-versa. Most applications of the BitConverter class involves symmetry such as the following

int i = BitConverter.ToInt32(byte[] inputdata);
(manipulate i)
return BitConverter.GetBytes(i);

In the case where the data never leaves the confines of your application, this actually works fine. However, the other typical use of BitConverter involves symmetry across serialization.

file.Write( BitConverter.GetBytes( inputdata ), 0, 4 );

(then later on)

byte[] inputdata = new byte[4];
file.Read( inputdata, 0, 4 )
return BitConverter.ToInt32(inputdata);

This is a potential endian bug. If the endianess of either end of the serialization does not match, the above code will fail. All methods of BitConverter accept or return byte arrays in SYSTEM endian order. The burden is on the application developer to conceive a scheme to maintain consistency across symmetric applications.

How do you know if your usage of BitConverter can run into potential endian issues?

If your data never leaves the confines of your program, then you're safe. Sort of. We all know how feature creep, new/unforeseen requirements, and redesign of our applications utilize code in ways that were never intended. So unless you have a very good reason (performance would be one if correctly justified) I would not rely on this "safety".

If you know the source/dest data format will ALWAYS match your system endianness then you are safe. This is often true when handing data down to devices and similar operating system calls.

In my opinion, one should always error on the side of assuming that you will NOT be safe unless you code the safety in.

So how do you write endian safe BitConverter code? There are two things you must take note of.

You must know the endianness of your source data. Whether reading bytes from a file, slurping bytes off of a socket, or some other source, you must know what endianness the data is in. If you're processing a well known format (JPG, ZIP, TAR, etc.) refer to the respective formats specification to determine the correct endianness. If you control generation and consumption of the data, you must choose a consistent endianness and document in your code and specifications.

You must honor the little known (and used) BitConverter.IsLittleEndian flag to determine the underlying system endianness.

Here's the corrected file write/read sample from above.

// The file format store integral types in little endian order
if (!BitConverter.IsLittleEndian)
 Array.Reverse( inputdata, 0 );
file.Write( BitConverter.GetBytes( inputdata ), 0, 4 );

(then later on)

byte[] inputdata = new byte[4];
file.Read( inputdata, 0, 4 )
// The file format store integral types in little endian order
if (!BitConverter.IsLittleEndian)
 Array.Reverse( inputdata, 0 );
return BitConverter.ToInt32(inputdata);

All right. Admission time. This isn't a very nice solution. BitConverter is a bit unwieldy in this case. Okay. It kinda sucks.

One solution is as to code a EndianBitConverter class that accepts a flag on construction to control the reversing of the byte array data. You could then abstract construction of the endian aware bit converter class into a static function based on the source data.

// The file format store integral types in little endian order
EndianBitConverter littlebc = EndianBitConverter.CreateForLittleEndianData();
file.Write( littlebc.GetBytes( inputdata ), 0, 4 );

(then later on)

EndianBitConverter littlebc= EndianBitConverter.CreateForLittleEndianData();
byte[] inputdata = new byte[4];
file.Read( inputdata, 0, 4 )
return littlebc.ToInt32(inputdata);

The static method above could be implemented as follows

public class EndianBitConverter { public static EndianBitConverter CreateForLittleEndian() { return new EndianBitConverter( !BitConverter.IsLittleEndian ); } public static EndianBitConverter CreateForBigEndian() { return new EndianBitConverter( BitConverter.IsLittleEndian ); } bool swap; private EndianBitConverter(bool swapBytes) { swap = swapBytes; } public Int32 ToInt32(byte[] data) { byte[] corrected; if (swap) { corrected = data.Clone(); Array.Reverse( corrected, 0, 4 ); } else { corrected = data; } int i = BitConverter.ToInt32( corrected ); } // And similar methods for GetBytes(Int32) and all other types needed. }

Of course, if you need more perf, you could ditch the array cloning and reversing and do the bit manipulations yourself. Just be careful for sign extension issues.

I've fixed several bugs in our source code base that do not honor the BitConverter.IsLittleEndian flag. Hopefully this post will help prevent you from falling into the same pitfalls.

Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxGDC is Over!http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2006/03/24/robert.aspx2006-03-25T09:38:00Z2006-03-25T09:38:00Z
The swag was flowing freely on Friday. (To my teammates back in Redmond - sorry I didn't have any space left in my bag). I'm sure you'll be surfing the GDC press reports and reviews. Don't forget to check out the GDC rants (there are transcripts posted online).

I thought the plane ride down to GDC was interesting, but I think the plane ride back to SEATAC is slightly more sureal. The gate area was packed with the usual GDC suspects. Lots of game devs, content people, and biz folks rehashing the week. New things learned, new contacts made, old contacts refreshed, karaoke bar heroics, and the normal conference scuttle butt mish mash.

And in the midst of this diverse eclectic sea of game folk, here come an entire class of (I kid you not) catholic school girls in complete uniforms with chaperones in tow. Whoa. Lucky this is not a "5 hour tour".

In the plane, it's not very often that I can lean over and have a conversation with someone 2 seats over about incremental GC algorithms and big endian bugs. The poor lady in between us was obviously not an attendee and had to suffer through the conversation.

All ends well. We arrive safely and everyone (specifically the game folks) behaved themselves nicely.

Over the last 2 weeks we've hinted at, then introduced the XNA Framework to the world. And now the real work begins - execution. Granted we've been working on this for many months now, but now that you all know about it - we truly are publicly committed to deliver a first class CLR for the Xbox 360 in full view of you all. No more Kabuki dancing!

It won't be easy, but I can definitely tell you that I have high confidence in our team and in our ability to build the platform. Stay tuned for information on CTP or beta dates. I'll post the information on as soon as it is available.

I'm not quite sure if the rubber match with Kornelia and her only true challenger took place. I did stroll by the S3 booth and galk one last time thru a couple of frag laced sessions. Kornelia's cheat sheet that she scribbles on after every match was FILLED with 5's (the matches were to 5 frags). One poor soul lasted the entire 5 minutes. Korenlia was closing in for the 5th kill as the weasel evaded her. He pumped his fist after the match as the crowd chanted "Camper! Camper! Camper!". There was some booing and hissing seeing that he managed to survive without frag'ing her a single time.

As I stood there it dawned on me that this is just the beginning of our contribution to the gaming industry and community. I'm not sure exactly where we will end up or exactly how we will get there, but I'm hopeful that some day Kornelia's blinding reflexes will be recording frags stored in a System.Int32 instead of an INT32.

Wait – I forgot that she's wicked good. Better make that a System.UInt32.

Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxGDC Day 2http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2006/03/24/559732.aspx2006-03-24T10:46:00Z2006-03-24T10:46:00Z
Word has spread! We must be doing something right...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XNA_Framework
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6146493.html
http://www.irishdev.com/NewsArticle.aspx?id=2157

If you haven't guessed by now, I've been spending my time at work getting a custom version of the .NET common Language Runtime (CLR) ported and running on the XBox 360 platform with the explicit purpose of running the XNA Framework. GDC 2006 was our "coming out" party. As I've been educating the conference attendees - the XNA Framework is a set of .NET APIs specifically targeted towards game development and, more importantly, game developers. The current set of APIs coalesces XACT, XInput, Managed DX 2.0, and the usual framework suspects; core classes and XML. The XNA Framework provides source code compatibility between Windows and XBox 360.

You should know that I actually don't work on the XNA Framework team. I'm actually in Microsoft's Developer Division which owns all major versions of the .NET CLR. (Thus my "platform guy" remarks in my prior blog entries)

As the GameSpot report describes, we had two demos running against the XNA Framework on both Windows XP and XBox 360 - Culture and Pocket-Jongg. Both demos are playable games, complete with exhibition mode and semi-working scoring. Source compat between the games is excellent with a very small percentage of the code conditionally compiled for the respective platform. You can check out screen shots on Mike Zintel's blog. The XNA folks did a FABULOUS job on making the demos look great. Kudos to them!

Today, there continued to be a good amount of traffic at our booth. Most developers were pleasantly surprised. Some had the, "Duh. I was wondering when you guys were going to do this" response. Answering questions and sharing our excitement made the sore feet and sore backs of all of us booth geeks totally worth it. I've actually gotten pretty good at Pocket-Jongg!

Fun note – after beating about 150 challengers (that's about 750 frags to about 10) Kornelia got beat! Rumor is it was the first time in THREE years that she got beat at a trade show exhibition. She beat this guys 3-5 yesterday. After studying her game play a bit yesterday, he turned the tables and beat her 5-3 today. Rubber match tomorrow, from what I understand. Stay tuned...

Cool note – a Japanese company (I'll correct the blog with proper link later) had a cool technology. They had movies of a 3D rendered scene where each movie frame actually had a Z information mask so a real-time rendered 3D model could show up behind or in front of various parts of the pre-rendered movie. Very clever (at least for this platform guy).

In the evening, I spent time celebrating at Microsoft's Invitation only GDC bash. It was quite fun. Great food and a bunch of crazy game dev geeks. They had several consoles set up playing Fight Night 3 – perfect game for an adult party.

Interesting note – there was a local bar that spread fliers around the GDC venue that advertised a "Come to the @#$!@#$!@#$ Microsoft GDC Party" with a $4 cover charge listed in very small print. Nice. Capitalism in action.

And now, some personal thoughts and a little bit of history.

In 1999, I moved from the Windows division to the Developer Division to begin work on the genesis of a product that eventually turned into the .NET Compact Framework. It was exciting to work on a project from scratch with a crack set of very senior developers, QA, and leadership personnel. We have now enabled a plethora of managed applications and a top class end to end developer experience for Windows Mobile devices. I personally take pride in our contribution to the Windows Mobile application market.

When I was attending Hilo High School and subsequently Purdue University, I was enthralled with the idea of creating GUI components or a cool game. I wanted to point to a screen and say – I built that. I think many developers can relate to the sentiment.

It is thus ironic that I now classify myself as a platforms guy. My GUIs look very "functional". My focus is on displaying data and rapid development and not on aesthetics and visual appeal. My games are far from cutting edge. I dare not show them publicly.

I say it is ironic because I had to become a platforms guy to achieve an even larger accomplishment. When people ask what I do for Microsoft, I don't have to point to a particular pixel on a display. I can say with pride that there is no one particular pixel on the screen I am responsible for. There are many creative, cool, fun, functional, junky, excellent... (insert more adjectives) ... applications that I have ENABLED. Our team continues to make that our goal.

I really feel that we've come full circle. When I consider the Xbox 360 platform, I can't help but smile and be excited contemplating the unknown. The unknown? Yes definitely – the unknown smash hit Xbox 360 games that the XNA Framework will enable.

I can only hope that the rest of the game developer community is contemplating along with me.

Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxGDC Day 1http://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2006/03/23/558724.aspx2006-03-23T10:47:00Z2006-03-23T10:47:00Z
Wow. It's not the Geek Developer Conference - it's the GAME Developer Conference. ;)

What a cool experience! I spent time in a few sessions. Probably the most valuable was the talk given by Pete Isensee where he discussed writing good c and c++ code on platforms such as Sony's PS3 and, of course, XBox 360. I gleaned some useful information that should be applicable to CLR performance work on 360.

Some of the other sessions went way over this platform guy's head; techniques for effective character rigging, etc. Cool and fascinating nonetheless.

I didn't get to all the sessions I wanted - but that's actually a good thing in this case. I spent most of my time interacting with conference attendees and answering their questions about the cool new XNA Framework at the Xna Booth.

Rumor Mill… http://news.com.com/2061-10797_3-6052255.html There was significant buzz around this rumor at GDC. Of course, this is just that – rumor. We have not released any SKU or packaging plans for the XNA Framework at this point. Keep checking http://www.microsoft.com/xna for updates. Look for us at Gamefest 2006, also.

It was a blast to connect with customers, answer their questions, and hear about the cool things they wanted to do with XNA Framework. All of the developers readily identified with the productivity gains that C#, and more specifically managed code, would enable. Everyone was impressed with the Culture and Pocket-Jongg built from the same source, running on both Windows XP and Xbox 360 on our custom version of the CLR. In addition to industry professionals, many from academia were also interested in the platform.

The demos looked fabulous. There is virtually no difference in look or playability across either Windows or Xbox 360 versions. It was very fun to show and see the excitement in people's faces. Attendees seemed to feel that Xbox Live Arcade titles would benefit greatly from the XNA Framework.

On the fun side if things, there were a lot of cool things to see. Among the coolest was the S3 booth where you could watch Kornelia spank the living daylights out of any challenger on the exhibition floor on Quake 4. It was truly amazing to watch a professional gamer get frag after frag after frag against amateur opponents. I got there mid afternoon and she had already beat up on countless opponents. I thought she was a really good 'bot that was cheating, at first. She was so good that they were giving a free video card to anyone who could manage to get a SINGLE frag. At the point at which I started watching – there had been only been one frag recorded. Whoa. She was scary good. She could anticipate where you would go after you freaked when you caught a glimpse of her. It's like she was psychic. The best frag I witnessed was where her opponent did a mega hop off of a juiced ramp and she picked him off – while running backwards on the ground – while he was still in mid air. Scary good, but yet she was very normal and very approachable. I chatted with her for a bit between matches – I commented how she must be really bored. She said – a few of the players were "almost OK". Kudos Kornelia. I hope I never meet up with you in a dark alley online.

It was a LONG day on the floor. My back and feet are killing me! It's a crime to have an engineer who spends all day sitting on his behind whacking away at code and bug fixes stand up all day! But I'm pumped nonetheless. This continues to be an awesome experience.

Here are some videos:

http://www.unoki.org/public/gdc2006/IndieCrazyBallByAtomicElbow.wmv
http://www.unoki.org/public/gdc2006/IndieRumbleBoxByDigipen.wmv
http://www.unoki.org/public/gdc2006/SonyPS3Ducks.wmv
http://www.unoki.org/public/gdc2006/XnaFxBooth.wmv
http://www.unoki.org/public/gdc2006/KorneliaRules.wmv
http://www.unoki.org/public/gdc2006/Kornelia.wmv

Here are some pictures:

http://www.unoki.org/public/gdc2006/atibooth.jpg
http://www.unoki.org/public/gdc2006/coolbooth.jpg
http://www.unoki.org/public/gdc2006/sonybooth.jpg
http://www.unoki.org/public/gdc2006/xnabooth.jpg
http://www.unoki.org/public/gdc2006/xnafxdemos.jpg

Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashxGDC - Geek Flighthttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/robunoki/archive/2006/03/22/557999.aspx2006-03-23T01:55:00Z2006-03-23T01:55:00Z
Holy cow. It's a geek convention. I'm at the gate for the flight to San Jose and it's wall to wall super geekdom. There are super geeks everywhere! This platform guy feels a bit out of place. After all we're all headed to the Geek Developer Conference right?

Nonetheless I will press on. There's a poor family that looks totally lost among the sea of geeks.

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p>

There's also an attractive non-geek gal that looks afraid for her life. Someone should remind her it's only a 2 hour flight to ease her nerves. Wait - the conversation behind me mentioned that skin is not allowed to be shown at the booths. Thank goodness for rules - especially given the geek physiques I'm examining (me included).<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Time to board the Flight-O-Geeks.

<o:p> </o:p>

(I guess this is what happens when you send a platforms gut to this geek fest.)<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

Rob Unoki - MSFThttp://blogs.msdn.com/robertunoki/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashx


text:
Founded in 1990, Toggi specialises in quality country clothing and accessories. High standards and attention to detail have helped them build a well respected brand offering wellies, leather boots, country coats and jackets, waistcoats, knitwear and fleeces. Also included in our range are shirts, socks and accessories for men, women and children.
The Toggi team strive to design and create practical, high performing products that also look great anywhere. Each and every piece has been designed to combine form with function, using high tech fabrics, the most innovative designs and their decades to experience in keeping you warm and dry. Attention to detail is key, with sophisticated styling offering performance combined with luxury.
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text:
Welcome Beinecke Fellows
The Yale Collection of American Literature welcomes the following research fellows for the month of December, 2007:
H.D. Visiting Fellow in American Literature
Sarah Barnsley is the Course Director for English Degree and Diploma Programmes (by distance-learning) at the University of London, where she also teaches American Literature (at Goldsmiths College). She received her MA and PhD from the University of London, and a BA from the University of East Anglia. She is currently completing a book manuscript, The Poetry of Mary Barnard, drawing extensively on unpublished materials only recently made available. She will be using her H.D. Fellowship to initiate research for a more exhaustive work, Mary Barnard: A Critical Biography, which will appraise and contextualise the entire scope of Barnard?s work (poetry, prose, translation, short fiction, essays, and travel writing) in order to prompt re-assessment of her place in the American literary canon and her influence on those in her circle (including William Carlos Williams, Ezra Pound, and Marianne Moore). Sarah has written articles on Mary Barnard's metrics, her use of region, and her relationship to H.D. and Imagism. She has also published poems in a range of UK poetry journals and was shortlisted for an Eric Gregory Award for Poetry in 2004 by the Royal Society of Authors.
Gallup Visiting Fellow in American Literature
Eric White's research focuses on American modernist journals, and the central figures in his research are William Carlos Williams and Ezra Pound. He completed his PhD in American Literature at Clare College, University of Cambridge in 2005 and currently teaches English and American Literature at the University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University. He has published an article on Williams's journal Contact, and recently contributed a chapter on Kora in Hell to The Legacy of William Carlos Williams: Points of Contact (Cambridge Scholars Press, 2007). At present, Eric is working on an edition of Williams's early prose and completing a monograph based on his doctoral thesis, provisionally titled Locating the Avant-Garde: Place, Poetics, and Print Culture in Modernist Journals.
Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
121 Wall Street | New Haven, CT 06511
Campus Map
Tel: (203) 432-2977 Fax: (203) 432-4047
USPS: Mailing Address and Information
email: Ask a Librarian
The exhibition gallery is closed while the library's building is under renovation.
Temporary Reading Room Hours
Monday - Friday: 9 am to 4:45 pm
The temporary reading room is located in Yale's Sterling Memorial Library, across Wall Street from the Beinecke.
Beginnig September 6, 2016 our hours will be
Monday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday-Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday 9 a.m. to 5


text:
Store URL: http://22.214.171.124/~one2one/products-page/checkout/
WordPress version: 3.8.1
WP e-Commerce version: 184.108.40.206
Gold Cart version: 188.8.131.52
Theme: Avada
I did this: Ran test payment through eWay gateway
I expected WP e-Commerce to do this: process the test payment
Instead it did this: Error:
CreateAccessCode SOAP Error: SOAP-ERROR: Parsing WSDL: Couldn't load from 'https://api.sandbox.ewaypayments.com/Soap.asmx?WSDL' : Start tag expected, '<' not found
A google search discovered this post which suggested a premium ticket was created. Tried this twice now over a period of about two weeks with no response at all. Posted in this forum asking for support. No answer. Trying to get some response using the suggested format used in this message.
Site is due to go live at the end of the week. We need to resolve this ASAP and appreciate what help you can provide us with.
Many thanks,


text:
We just got back from spending a week at the Rose Hall Suites, and what an amazing first trip to Jamaica and first stay at an Iberostar resort! From the moment we arrived we were greeted by a friendly staff at the front desk, to friendly cleaning staff and lastly an amazing and hilarious entertainment crew.
The resort was absolutely beautiful and well taken care of. The room was great and big, comfortable and well kept. The activities were fun and the beach area was stunning! Did I mention drinks and food 24/7? Ya mon! Amazing! The buffet was delicious. You can find everything even for picky eaters (like my wife). The restaurants were also great! We ate at the Mediterranean (loved the salmon dish), the Mexican, and the steakhouse.
The Star Friends entertainment team made our trip! A big thank you to them (crazy Kenny, VIP, Momo, OMG, Stingray, Sweetness and Happy feet) for putting a smile on our faces from morning till evening. Every night was a different show and they were hilarious!
Thank you to again for making this trip a memorable one and we'll definitely be coming back!
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- Also Known As:
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- Iberostar Montego Bay
- Iberostar Rose Hall Suites Jamaica - Montego Bay


text:
Old Joy
Release Date: September 20th, 2006
Not Yet Rated|1 hr. 16 min.
Plot Summary
Soon to be a father, Mark (Daniel London) feels the pressure of domestic responsibility closing in, so he is more than happy to accept when his old friend Kurt (Will Oldham) proposes a camping trip in the Oregon wilderness. During their time together, the men come to grips with the changes in their lives and the effect on their relationship.
Cast: Will Oldham, Daniel London, Tanya Smith, Robin Rosenberg, Keri Moran,
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Genres: Drama
Distributor: Kino International


text:
Toasty Toes store continues its work
Published: Friday, November 17, 2006 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, November 17, 2006 at 12:00 a.m.
To The Editor: Thank you to all who came in to see our patriotic store.
The Veterans Day Open House was such a success with so many people interested in going through our photo album, scrapbook and other books to see and read about the program.
The committee has decided that we will have light refreshments every Saturday until further notice. If anyone has some chairs they don't need, we could use a few. They can be any kind; folding chairs or lawn chairs are fine.
To family members that have given us your service member's information in the past, please get in touch with us. We are working on a Wall of Honor, using red, white and blue painted frames. We would like to have a photo of every service member we sent a box to.
Store dates and times are:
Saturdays: Nov. 18, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Nov. 25 to Dec. 23, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 22: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 24: store closed.
Patricia-Lee Pirog
Flat Rock
Patricia-Lee Pirog is chairwoman of Operation Toasty Toes Chapter 7. She can be reached at 696-9777. Pat Schroeder is cochairwoman. Contact her at 698-8456.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
Comments are currently unavailable on this article


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text:
Campbell Brown Had a Baby
A boy one.
CNN anchor Campbell Brown has completed the ancient and yet no-less-disgusting process of birth-giving: she and her husband, Dan Senor, of Rosemont Capital, have a new son, whom they've named Asher Liam Senor. We're not passing judgment on that; we're just saying that's what he's called. [People]


text:
Video Industry News Video Company News Technology Industry News Technology Company News Novelty Industry News Novelty Company News Gay Industry News Gay Company News Legal Industry News All Company News
Released: Sep 01st, 2004
Running Time: 120
Director: Craven Moorehead
Company: North Pole Enterprises
Cast: Manuel Ferrara, Lauren Phoenix, Lee Stone, Jayna Oso, Sascha, Joelean, Jazz Duro, Charmane, Lucy Thai, Peter North, Alberto Rey, Dominica Leoni
Critical Rating: AAA 1/2
Genre: All-Sex
Above-average WTW product.
Each vignette revolves around an automotive theme, such as car racing, car repair and car parked in the wrong driveway. Lee Stone is upset that Lauren Phoenix and Joelean parked their junk on his property and he tells them to call AAA. Instead they munch down on each other and Stone. Watching Lauren Phoenix give a tongue bath to Joelean, including her ass, is very hot, and this scene ranks near the top on this video. However, Dominica Leoni makes her case for the best performance in this video with her bill paying style. In the final scene, she promises Alberto Rey and Jazz Duro she will do anything to get her car repaired in a timely manner. They punch her ticket and take their payment in trade with b.j.s and d.p.s.


text:
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Select your destination in Brunswick Maine. Browse thousands of listings for accommodations, adventures, tours and travel services.


text:
Without question, the 11 pledging members of the Utah Telecommunications Open Infrastructure Agency (UTOPIA) have shouldered an incredible risk.
They've promised to back $202 million in bonds with sales tax revenue to build a fiber-optic network that data, phone and television providers can use to deliver their services.
The hope is that they'll never have to fork over a dime that revenues will pay those debts.
Smaller cities Tremonton, Payson, Lindon, Brigham City and Centerville have pledged in the $250,000 to $330,000 range. Murray, Layton, Orem and West Valley have pledged between $1.2 million and $2.8 million.
If UTOPIA's pledging members are put on the line for repaying those bonds, it could represent a serious hardship for those cities.
Now, city councils in member cities are being asked to take on more debt over a longer period to bail the network out of what UTOPIA officials call a "bad loan" from the federal government.
But, officials say, restructuring the consortium's bonds should give UTOPIA the boost it needs to make progress and secure a bright future.
UTOPIA currently has just over 7,000 customers in the six cities where services have begun: Murray, Midvale, West Valley, Orem, Lindon and Payson.
Five other cities Tremonton, Brigham City, Perry, Layton and Centerville are waiting for service to begin while construction continues.
Construction is 95 percent to 99 percent completed in Lindon, Payson and Tremonton.
Perry, Orem and Murray are about 50 percent completed, Midvale is at 40 percent, Brigham City is at 33 percent, Centerville is at 25 percent and Layton and West Valley are at 15 percent completion.
Riverton, Cedar Hills, Vineyard, Cedar City and Washington have joined the consortium as non-pledging members, which means they won't see service until revenues grow enough to pay for construction.
Vineyard and Washington joined in 2007.
UTOPIA operations run about $300,000 a month, said Jim Reams, Orem city manager and interim UTOPIA director. But the consortium has reached the break-even point with its 7,000 subscribers.
That means that any new subscribers will help pay down debt.
Success stories
It's fairly easy to track down success stories from current customers. Orem City Hall is connected to the network and saves $50,000 a month, said Reams.
"That money goes back into city operations that are more beneficial than paying for phones," Reams says.
Just a few years ago, Alexander's Print Advantage in Lindon sent employees back and forth by car to its largest customers, ferrying entire computer hard drives that stored colossal data files containing books and graphics-heavy posters.
Then Lindon joined UTOPIA.
Company leaders successfully pushed to get UTOPIA's high-speed fiber-optic pipes laid to Alexander's sooner than scheduled.
Now, staggering amounts of digital information sweep into and out of Alexander's every day, a technological trick impossible without the controversial private-public project.
"We were really killing our connection," Alexander's chief technology officer Dan Mortimer said. 'We have three customers who do a significant amount of data transfers every day. We were uploading a couple hundred major files a day and overwhelming our capacity."
Alexander's set up a 10-megabit pipe through UTOPIA for 60 percent of the cost of the T-1 line that had struggled to keep up with the print shop's needs.
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What's the best laundry detergent for babies clothing
I have switched the whole family to Tide Free and Clear.
Leslie, mommy to Emma, Matthew and Andrew
We all use Tide Free and Clear and Bounce Free fabric sheets. With DD #1 I used Dreft (live and learn) and she had a terrible rash from all the perfumes in it.
DD '99, DS '02, DD '08, and DD 10-05-10
Target brand baby detergent, same as dreft, half the price, lasts a long time!
Harrison Denis - 10/15/10
MMC 11/11 discovered at 8w2d
Sylvie Marie - 11/11/13
DREFT!!! it makes the clothes sooo soft.. and they smell sooo good!! i love the smell of baby clothes washing in dreft!!! ALSO, it gets spit up stains or whatever kinda stains out sooooo good!!!
i deff recommend it!!!
Proud Mother to princess Lilee Grace (sept 9,�2008) and prince Cyris Christopher (oct 20,�2010)
I'm using Rockin Green. (Great for cloth diapers too!!) There is a hard water formula that works super well. And the scent is AMAZING. I have the green tea scent... I LOVE it.
Me 39 DH 38 Miles (dog), Wiggy (horse)
Matteo 10/19 MC 2/13
i use arm n hammer detergant..it works great with my son having exzema its the only one the does not irritate his skin..goodluck
Proud parent of Desmond born 09/02/2008
Wife of Jesse sence 2001
New baby girl DANAE born 10/20 7lbs 2oz 20 inch
Learn more
Look how far your child has come.
Review your child's growth milestones.
Read about 5 years 8 months : Week 2.
Your growing child
Your 5 1/2-year-old: Mastering writing
Your 5 3/4-year-old: Trike to two-wheeler
Your 5 3/4-year-old: Self-esteem
Your 5 3/4-year-old: Tying shoes
Your 5 3/4-year-old: Learning through play
Learn more
What's next for your growing child?
Get a glimpse of what's to come.
Read about 5 years 10 months.


text:
College sexual assault policies come under scrutiny as students file complaints
Colleges nationwide took notice when a federal complaint was filed against the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill alleging lax enforcement of Title IX regulations and a failure to adjudicate sexual violence on campus.
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Even with user_level set as 10 and capabilities set as administrator in database, I am gettin this error when try to access my dashboard.
You do not have sufficient permissions to access this page.
This has happened today after I uninstalled and reinstalled wp super cache. Any expert can help out with steps to check whether it has gone wrong


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NORTH READING, Mass. (April 7, 2014) A woman in North Reading, Mass., called police Saturday from her upstairs bedroom and reported that she was hearing loud banging noises downstairs and said she feared someone had broken in
Officers quickly responded, but found no signs of a break-in.
What they did find, however, was a soot-covered wood duck, which evidently got into the house through the chimney, police said.
An officer caught the duck and released it into nearby pond.