text:
This article shows you how to use the extended mediation policy function provided in IBM® WebSphere® Enterprise Service Bus (hereafter called WebSphere ESB) V7. The article shows how to attach and make use of mediation policies at target services. The examples show how use mediation policies attached at a service level and at an operation level. The scenarios described are based on a service gateway pattern -- a pattern that lends itself to the use of target service mediation policies. Using mediation policies in a service gateway scenario leads to a simplification in mediation flow.
WebSphere ESB V6.2 introduced the ability to control the configuration of a mediation flow using mediation policy documents stored in WebSphere Service Registry and Repository (WSRR). For more information on this topic, see What's new in WebSphere ESB V6.2, Part 3: Mediation Policy. In WebSphere ESB V6.2, the mediation policies were referenced in WSRR via the SCA Module that contained the mediation flow in question; this can be termed the scope of the mediation policies. WebSphere ESB V7 extends the concept of scope to encompass the target service of the mediation flow. Moreover, it allows for the application of mediation policies at various target service scope points:
- Service
- Endpoint
- Operation
These scope points allow for configuration of the mediation flow based conditionally on which service, endpoint, or operation is invoked. This article shows real-life examples of both the service and operation levels. The examples are based on a service gateway pattern, a powerful pattern with respect to mediation policies for target services. One can envision a gateway for numerous back-end services with a standard pattern of mediation functionality, logging, and transformation for example, with the logging and type of transformation dependent on the service or operation being called. In this way, you can have a single, simplified mediation flow, with mediation policies applied conditionally, rather than multiple flows or branches servicing the different targets.
WebSphere ESB V7 also introduced the ability to administer mediation policies in WSRR via Business Space widgets, which are referenced throughout this article.
Designing the flow
Both of the scenarios involve a gateway that fronts a couple of HR services, one dealing with applications for employment (Application) and the other with generalised HR queries (Employee). Each of the two services constructs an identifier for the request in a different fashion, and in this way, they require a different transformation to be applied in the mediation flow. Additionally, in the first scenario, there is a business need for all interactions with the Applications service to be logged for auditing purposes, whereas this is not needed for the Employee service. Logging can be done by having a single flow with a logging primitive, which can be enabled and disabled with a mediation policy, and an XLST primitive that can apply a different transformation for either service based on information in an externally stored mediation policy.
Interfaces and data types
Since this is a service gateway pattern, the interface used should be the Service Gateway interface:
Figure 1. Service Gateway interface
Each of the target services are described below:
Figure 2. HR Application Service interface
Figure 3. HR Employee Query interface
The referenced data types are:
Figure 4. Application data type
The applicationID is built by the mediation flow by appending the dateTime field onto the applicant's surname:
Figure 5. Employee data type
The queryID is built by the mediation flow by appending the dateTime field onto the employee's employeeID:
Figure 6. HRInput data type
Figure 7. HROutput data type
Although the standard endpoint lookup mediation primitive could be used in this flow, it would require the mediation flow to provide the portType for the interaction, and in this respect,
the Gateway Endpoint Lookup mediation primitive used in Action mode is a much better match for this usage pattern. In order to make the action-based routine work, a slight addition is required to the WSDLs
describing the target services. In the WSDLs produced by WebSphere Integration Developer for the the target services, each operation is annotated with a
soapAction attribute.
For services generated in WebSphere Integration Developer, the default value is empty, but in these scenarios we will update it manually
to enable us to use the Gateway Endpoint Lookup mediation primitive in Action mode. An example of the original WSDL is shown for one of the operations on one of the services:
Figure 8. Original soapAction attribute
In order to modify this WSDL, open the Java EE perspective and the WSDL representing the binding for the particular service. The change in perspective is needed since the binding WSDL is not shown in the
Business Integration perspective. Modify
soapAction so that it contains a string of the form operationName/portType, which in this case results in:
Figure 9. Modified soapAction attribute
The order -- operation followed by portType -- is important, because it makes processing easier in the second scenario, an operation level mediation policy flow.
Make this change for all four of the referenced operations in this scenario. You are now ready to construct the flow itself. As previously described, the flow uses the service gateway interface, and you will
use only the
requestResponse operation. The flow is very simple -- the reduced complexity resulting from the use of dynamic configuration by mediation policy:
Figure 10. Request flow
Table 1. Summary of request flow mediation primitives
|Primitive Name
|This Gateway Endpoint Lookup mediation primitive extracts the target service information from WSRR based on the
|This Policy Resolution mediation primitive extracts the mediation policies associated with the target service selected by findEndpointByAction and places them in the message so that they can act upon the rest of the mediation primitives.
|This Message Logger mediation primitive logs the message under mediation policy control.
|This XSLT mediation primitive constructs an identifier, used by the target service, from the message details. Which transform is used is controlled by mediation policy.
|This Set Message Type mediation primitive reasserts the service gateway message prior to the callout to the target service.
The following sections explain the use of each of these mediation primitives. First, the Input Node needs some configuration.
Input Node
The message arrives in this mediation flow as a service gateway message, which means it is not typed to the target service. However, you need to examine the contents of the body in order to construct
the identifier later in the flow. Consequently, you must inform the flow that a conversion to the particular message type is needed. This has the effect of parsing the inbound
automatically into the concrete business object representation that would be expected in a strongly typed module. For this to be possible, all of the schema information needs to be available for the message types
passing through the service gateway. A check box on the properties of the input node performs this function:
Figure 11. Input node properties
This mediation primitive has a number of modes of operation, but we require it to lookup endpoints by Action :
Figure 12. Gateway endpoint lookup properties
This mediation primitive is configured to use a particular WSRR instance, the definition for which needs to be set up in the WebSphere administration console. In this case, the default WSRR definition is used. For information on this task, see the WebSphere ESB V7 information center.
This mediation primitive also has a number of modes of operation. In this case you want it to extract the policies associated with the target service:
Figure 13. Policy Resolution properties
This mediation primitive is using the default registry definition. The registry definition must be the same as the one used in the Gateway Endpoint Lookup.
You need to make the messages log dependent upon the mediation policy, so you must promote the Enabled property of the mediation primitive. In this example, you have promoted the property with a group name of Audit, an alias of enabled, and a default value of false. These values will be seen later when a mediation policy is created to set the value to true for one of the services.
Figure 14. Message Logger Properties
This is the second mediation primitive that will be controlled via mediation policy, so it requires the promotion of a property if it is to be dynamic. In this example, you promoted the Mapping File property with a group name of Transform, an alias of xslFile, and a default value of xlst/Employee.xsl. These will be seen later when a mediation policy is created to load a different xsl file for each of the services, thus allowing a different identifier for each service. You also need to create a different xsl file for each transformation. For information on this task, see the developerWorks article What's new in WebSphere ESB V6.2, Part 3: Mediation Policy.
Figure 15. XSLT properties
By selecting Automatically convert the ServiceGateway message in the Input Node, you have effectively typed the message to be specific to the particular target service. However, the flow is still a service gateway flow, so you must reassert the message type back to a ServiceGateway message prior to calling the service:
Figure 16. Set Message Type properties
Importing into WSRR
The flow is now ready for its interaction with WSRR. New in WebSphere ESB V7 is the ability to create and attach mediation policies using Business Space widgets, but before this, you need to make WSRR aware of:
- The vocabulary of the mediation policy domains in this mediation flow (which in this case are the groups Audit and Transform).
- The WSDLs defining the services, along with our
soapActionannotations, so that the Gateway Endpoint Lookup can find them.
To do this you will need access to the WSRR administration console.
SCA Module
From the Business Integration perspective, select Export and use the Integration modules and libraries option followed by the Files for server deployment option to create an EAR file containing the SCA module which contains the mediation flow. Import this EAR file into the WSRR system to be used by the Policy Resolution and Gateway Endpoint Lookup mediation primitives in the mediation flow.
WSDLs and schemas
From the Business Integration perspective, select Export and use the WSDL and XSD option followed by selecting all of the WSDLs and XSDs used in the flow. Import these WSDLs into the same WSRR system as the SCA module. You are now done with the WSRR console; all other administrative work is done via Business Space.
Creating and attaching mediation policies
Prior to using Business Space to administer the mediation policies, the SCA Module must be installed on a WebSphere ESB (WebSphere Process Server) runtime system. Follow your local processes to install the SCA Module containing the service gateway mediation flow.
Open a Business Space supported browser at the address
http://localhost:9080/BusinessSpace/ (using the address root appropriate for your runtime). The welcome page
for Business Space will open. Create a new space to administer your mediation policies: select Actions => Create space. After supplying a suitable name for the new space,
select Service Administration from the pull-down under Create a new space using a template. When the space has been created, select the Service Administration tab,
which lets you create and attach new mediation policies.
The left- hand widget is the Service Browser, which shows the services running on the runtime system. In this example, the two back-end services are tagged as:
- Export1_EmployeeHttpService
- Export1_ApplicationHttpService
You will attach mediation policies to these two services. In the following figure, the first service is expanded to show the different attachment points available, which appear under the label Mediation Policies:
Figure 17. Service Browser
You must select the WSRR definition before performing any mediation policy work. In this case, the WSRR definition is called radcliffe, which is how it will appear in the WebSphere administration console. The attachment points shown are explained in more detail in the following table:
Table 2. Mediation policy attachment points
|Attachment Name
|Any mediation policies attached at this scope level apply to all invocations of this service.
|Any mediation policies attached at this scope level apply to all invocations of the specific endpoint.
|Any mediation policies attached at this scope level apply to all invocations of the named operation.
|Any mediation policies attached at this scope level apply to all invocations of the named operation.
In the first scenario, you want mediation policies to be applied depending on which service is invoked, so you need to select the service level in the Service Browser, in this case Export1_EmployeeHttpService under the Mediation policies heading. Next, when the scope level is selected on the left-hand widget, the right-hand widget labeled Mediation policy administration indicates that it is loading attachments. Initially an empty list results as there are no mediation policies attached -- you will need to create them before attaching them. In the first scenario, the Employee service should have logging disabled, and even though this is the default value for the particular mediation primitive, create a mediation policy to control it in order to a dynamic change in strategy later without redeploying the flow.
Creating a policy attachment
Enter the name of the new policy attachment in the entry field labeled New policy attachment, which in this case is entered as
EmployeeServiceAttachment --
use a meaningful name for the attachment. Then click Create:
Figure 18. Creating a policy attachment
The scope level where the attachment is being created is shown on the widget, which in this case is Service, along with the specific attachment point, which is Export1_EmployeeHttpService.
Creating a mediation policy
The next panel takes a few seconds to load as it needs to present which mediation policy group names are available in the modules in the runtime. It does this by cross-checking the modules against the same SCA modules in the referenced WSRR; this is one of the reasons why the SCA Module needs to be imported into WSRR as well as installed on the runtime system. Figure 19 shows that there are only two groups available here: Audit and Transform. It also shows which modules support these groups, since modules can support multiple groups, and groups can be available across multiple modules:
Figure 19. Creating a mediation policy
Once a group is selected, the widget loads all existing mediation policies in that group so that you can use an existing one or create a new one. This example uses the group Audit, and rather than use the default
policy in this group, create a new one and enter the name
AuditDisabled as the mediation policy name and click Next -- again, use meaningful names when creating mediation policies.
To use an existing mediation policy, select Use existing, which causes the pull-down to display all of the mediation policies in the selected group on the WSRR system specified.
Adding an assertion
The next panel takes a few seconds to load as it needs to find the vocabulary (the list of assertions) available in the mediation policy group selected. There is a single assertion in the group Audit called enabled. This is exactly what was specified on the promoted properties of the mediation flow. For this mediation policy you want the value to be false. Figure 20 shows the panel with the assertion about to be added. Click Add Assertion, and the new assertion appears in the list. This panel also lets you add in gate conditions, which are not being used in this scenario since the conditionality involves target service and not message content.
Figure 20. Adding an assertion to a mediation policy
The next figure shows our new mediation policy with our newly added assertion. The panel also shows:
- Policy attachment name -- EmployeeServiceAttachment
- Mediation policy name -- AuditDisabled
- Scope level -- Service
- Attachment point -- Export1_EmployeeHttpService
- Assertions in this mediation policy -- enabled in group Audit
Click Save to create all of the documents in the referenced WSRR:
Figure 21. New assertion in a mediation policy
The widget returns to the original panel and now shows the policy attachment that you just created:
Figure 22. New policy attachment
You have now attached a mediation policy that will disable logging for any invocations of the Employee service. There is still work to -- three further mediation policies to create and attach to support this scenario. The process for doing this is basically the same as described above -- here is a summary of all of the mediation policies required by this scenario:
Table 3. Scenario for service-based mediation policies
|Attachment Point (Scope)
With all of these mediation policies in play, whenever the Employee service gets called, there will be no logging, and
xslt/Employee.xsl will be used in the transformation.
Equally, whenever the Application service gets called, there will be logging and
xslt/Application.xsl will be used in the transformation.
Extending to operation scope
The second scenario is based on the first and is used to show how mediation policies can be conditionally applied based on which operation is being called. The creation of the flow, annotation of WSDLs, export from WebSphere Integration Developer, import into WSRR, and install into the runtime steps are all the same. For this scenario, take the transformations to be the same as previously defined, since the creation of the identifier is more naturally tied to the service. However, change when logging is performed, as shown below:
registerApplicanton the Application service should have logging enabled
addEmployeeon Employee service should have logging enabled
getApplicantStatuson the Application service should have logging disabled
askHRon Employee service should have logging disabled
The process is the same as described in the first scenario, except that when creating the logging policy attachments, select the relevant operation.
For example, when creating a policy attachment for
Figure 23. Policy Attachment at Operation Scope
Table 4. Scenario for operation based mediation policies
|Attachment point (scope)
If this scenario is developed immediately after the first, you need to delete the policy attachments at the two service levels that control logging.
Deleting policy attachments
The figure below shows the previously created policy attachment at the service level for the service Employee. Select the attachment and move the cursor to the far right of the selection to reveal two icons. Select the pencil icon to open the attachment so that you can see what assertions and gate conditions apply. The cross icon deletes the policy attachment. To make the logging for this scenario completely operation driven, delete both of the service level attachments controlling logging:
Figure 24. Deleting a Policy Attachment
Mediation flow using operation level mediation policies
The mediation flow is basically the same as the flow described above for service level mediation policies. One additional mediation primitive is needed: Policy Resolution needs to be informed which operation
is active, and it does this by checking the
Operation field in the
SMOHeader. In the gateway pattern, this is the generalised operation
requestResponse; the flow needs to take responsibility for supplying the name of the target service operation being called. This task is trivial, since you already know the operation;
it is encoded in the Action in the form operationName/portTypeName. So place a Message Element Setter mediation primitive before the Policy Resolution mediation primitive to interpret the Action field
and load the
Operation field. The new flow looks like this:
Figure 25. Request flow for operation level mediation policies
The Message Element Setter simply copies the first part of the
Action field into
Operation field; both of these are in the
Figure 26. Message Element Setter Properties
The Policy Resolution mediation primitive acts upon this
Operation field, extracting all of the mediation policies associated with it in WSRR.
It also extracts and uses all of the other mediation policies that are relevant, such as the service level mediation policies.
The second scenario is a simple extension from the first, requiring the Policy Resolution mediation primitive to be informed of the operation in play. Beyond this, you can now configure the flow according to service or operation by simply changing the mediation policies via Business Space; the mediation flow does not need to be redeployed.
The introduction of target service-based mediation policy in WebSphere ESB V7 creates an extremely powerful tool that simplifies mediation flows, bringing dynamic configuration via external metadata stored in WSRR. This article showed you how to achieve a dynamic mediation flow and how the service gateway pattern lends itself to use of service and operation based mediation policy for this dynamic configuration.
|Code sample
|Code sample
|Code sample
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- Redbook: Patterns: SOA Design Using WebSphere Message Broker and WebSphere ESB
Patterns for e-business are a group of proven, reusable assets that can be used to increase the speed of developing and deploying e-business applications. This Redbook shows you how to use WebSphere ESB together with WebSphere Message Broker to implement an ESB within an SOA. Includes scenario to demonstrate design, development, and deployment.
- What's new in WebSphere ESB V6.2, Part 3: Mediation Policy
Part 3 in this article series describes the creation, storage, and use of a mediation policy to dynamically configure a mediation flow. The mediation policy in the example in this article uses the dynamic loading of an XSL file stored in WebSphere Service Registry and Repository.
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Real Estate
Print Offers Online
Local Deals
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Rating System
Rating System
Video Games
Energy Efficiency
Breaking the code Industry should simplify ratings systems.
August 5, 2001
For the average concerned parent, America's video game-movie-television-compact disc rating system has been aptly called an alphabet soup. Quick - what do these symbols represent? R, TVMA, M. Most moviegoers know R means a restricted movie, suitable for those 17 and older. But only savvy ratings watchers may know that TVMA is roughly the equivalent of R for television shows and that M is basically an R for home-use video games. Throw in color-coded ratings for arcade video games and parental advisory stickers for music products, and then add TV rating letters - S for sexual situations, FV for fantasy violence, and so on. The result is a mixed-up multi-media ratings system producing dizziness rather than clarity for parents and culture consumers attempting to assess how much violence, sex and foul language is about to be dumped in their or their children's laps.
Hospital rating system reaches for stars
May 22, 2016
By Jordan Rau, KAISER HEALTH NEWS
Over the last decade, the federal government has publicized 115 different ways to measure medical quality in hospitals, from assessing wait times in emergency rooms and noise levels outside hospital rooms to tracking blood clots in surgical patients. But the latest effort, to combine dozens of metrics into one patient-friendly quality indicator, has proven the most contentious. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently postponed its plan to release the new rating system, which would award one star to the worst-quality facilities and five stars to those with the best marks.
Gays Have Little To Embrace In New Tv Rating System
February 11, 1997
By Mubarak S. Dahir
Something weird happened when I was viewing late-night reruns of "thirtysomething," that broody TV drama from the 1980s. Before the episode began, an unusual message flashed across the screen: Due to adult themes, viewer discretion is advised. Or something like that. As a devoted rerun addict of this series, I knew the warning was not a regular feature of a show that was always about adult themes, as its title aptly suggests. This episode opened with a couple in bed. First, there was the kissing scene.
Tv Rating System Approved Clinton Hails `Powerful Tool'
March 1, 1996
Daily News Wire Services
Under pressure from politicians and the public, the nation's television executives said yesterday they would develop a ratings system to guide parents concerned about the sexual and violent content of shows. "They're handing the TV remote control back to America's parents," President Clinton said after meeting for two hours with 30 entertainment executives at the White House. Clinton hailed the decision to rate programs, similarly to the way movies are now rated, as a "powerful tool" for parents.
Evaluation Of Rating System Set A Panel Of Outsiders Will Review The District's Method Of Measuring School Performance.
September 15, 1998
By Monica Rhor, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The Philadelphia Board of Education yesterday named an outside review panel to evaluate its complex and controversial three-year-old school rating system. The six-member panel will be made up of national experts on education and chaired by Andrew Porter, a University of Wisconsin professor and the director of the Center for Education Research. Over the next several months, the panel will scrutinize the school district's performance index. That index tracks SAT-9 test scores, student and staff attendance, and promotion and dropout rates, then calculates goals for improvement for each school, cluster and the district as a whole.
News could use a rating system A daily parade of sex and violence is not appropriate for young readers.
December 2, 2002
By Kathryn Mingione
As I sit at the kitchen table scanning the newspaper, my 11-year-old son walks into the room. I instinctively grab something to cover the paper as he comes over to me. Why? Because so often the headlines and news stories just aren't appropriate for him to read. Think of some of the biggest news stories of the last few months: pedophile priests in the Catholic Church, children kidnapped from their bedrooms, and a sniper randomly shooting people in and around Washington. Newspapers aren't the only offenders.
Horsepower Isn't What It Used To Be; Rating System Has Changed
August 1, 1999
By Al Haas, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Question: It seems to me that if you look at the horsepower ratings of the performance cars of 30 years ago, and those of today, we really haven't made that much progress in performance terms. Would you agree? Answer: Nope. First of all, comparing the horsepower of those cars with contemporary machinery is mixing automotive apples and oranges. Back then, the horsepower ratings were obtained from very unrealistic dynamometer trials intended to maximize the rating. The engines exhausted into big collectors, thereby eliminating the power-robbing back pressure created by their mufflers.
To Rate Tv Rating System, 5 Parents Judge 11 Shows The Tvpg Category Is The Focus Of Their Complaints.
March 13, 1997
By Kathy Boccella, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Last week, Linda Mangold checked out the goofy alien hit 3rd Rock From the Sun, which airs at 8 p.m. Sundays and is rated TVPG. Although the rating indicates a need for parental guidance, Mangold was "floored" by what she saw. "They said 'suck,' 'damn' . . . 'hookers.' They compared cheerleaders to hookers. I was like, 'Oh, my God,' " said Mangold, a homemaker who lives in West Chester with her children, ages 6 and 8. Mangold said such language merited a stricter rating - a TV14.
U.S. will study Pinelands fires Researchers plan to refine the fire-danger rating system so it can be applied to the area's conditions.
June 26, 2002
By Tom Avril INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Federal researchers said yesterday that they would conduct a five-year study of the conditions that lead to wildfires in the Pinelands - scene of a 1,300-acre blaze that caused as much as $1 million in property damage this month. The study is needed because the federal five-tier rating system for fire danger, which is accurate in most parts of the country, does not work well in New Jersey's 1.1-million-acre preserve. In most places, rain tends to lessen the chance of fire on a given day, said John Hom, who will lead the study for the U.S. Forest Service.
Entertainment Industry Rethinking The Violence The Manufacturers Of Video Games Offered A Rating System. Senators Declared The Proposal Inadequate.
December 10, 1993
By David Hess and Donna St. George, INQUIRER WASHINGTON BUREAU
As Americans become more alarmed by violence and politicians assail those who turn it into entertainment, the industry is taking a second look at its movies, television programs, music and even video games. Yesterday, shortly before a Senate panel began a hearing on the effect of violent or sexually explicit video games, a coalition of 140 manufacturers and distributors offered to set up a rating system. They proposed labels of GA for a general audience including young children; MA-13, for more mature audiences over 13 years of age, and MA-17 for those over 17. "The market does not need and the public does not want another government entity to be created for this purpose," Ilene Rosenthal, general counsel for the Software Publishers Association, said.
Next »
Hospital rating system reaches for stars
May 22, 2016
By Jordan Rau, KAISER HEALTH NEWS
Over the last decade, the federal government has publicized 115 different ways to measure medical quality in hospitals, from assessing wait times in emergency rooms and noise levels outside hospital rooms to tracking blood clots in surgical patients. But the latest effort, to combine dozens of metrics into one patient-friendly quality indicator, has proven the most contentious. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently postponed its plan to release the new rating system, which would award one star to the worst-quality facilities and five stars to those with the best marks.
Medicare stars aim to help consumers find quality home health
January 24, 2016
By Ilene Raymond Rush, For The Inquirer
When it comes to selecting a home health care agency, nurse Susan Sellechia, 34, says what matters most are compassion, education, and a drive to keep patients out of the hospital. Her patient at Deer Meadows Home Health and Support Services, Joan Hutchins, 84, who was treated for ulcers on her legs, agrees. "The nurses here have been very patient with me," said Hutchins. "I couldn't get any better care. " In July, Medicare instituted a five-star rating system to help consumers compare and select agencies.
Nursing home rating system
January 3, 2016
Q: What is the Medicare Five-Star Rating System for Nursing Homes? A: Many elderly adults have their first encounter with a skilled-nursing facility after a sudden health event and hospitalization. A hospital discharge planner arranges for transfer to a skilled-nursing facility, but that facility may be far from family and may not provide the best care. To that end, Medicare launched the Five Star Quality Rating as a way to improve consumers' understanding of nursing home quality. Medicare uses three factors for rating: the inspections for the previous three years, including number of complaint surveys and follow-up inspections; the type and amount of nursing staff; and quality measures of care, including pressure ulcers, falls with significant injury, reports of pain, and the number of people who receive antipsychotic medications.
With UberX rides come vacuumed seats, paranoia
October 28, 2014
By Aubrey Whelan, Inquirer Staff Writer
It had been a tumultuous weekend for UberX, the ride-sharing service that was launched in Philadelphia Friday despite a ban from the Philadelphia Parking Authority. Customers were plentiful. But so was the backlash from regulators, who sent a series of curt tweets threatening to impound UberX drivers' cars - and then making good on it in a sting operation, seizing six vehicles and fining each driver $1,000. By Monday morning, drivers were nothing if not cautious. One declined an interview, leaving an Inquirer reporter with a $7 receipt for a 13-second ride.
Taking a look at top prep hoops prospects
April 20, 2014
BY AARON CARTER, Daily News Staff Writer email@example.com
FOR THE 36th consecutive season, the Daily News is attempting to give college basketball coaches a helping hand with recruiting. Our five positions for seniors are point guards, wing guards, small forwards, power forwards and centers. Players are categorized by the position we expect them to play in college. But remember, a player's role can depend upon the level of school he attends. Those players in "The Best" category are those we think would be most capable of playing in Division I or the higher levels of Division II, or in a competitive junior-college program if there's a need for academic strengthening.
A new scale for green
November 19, 2013
By Alison Burdo, Inquirer Staff Writer
The U.S. Green Building Council is raising the bar for sustainable construction with the launch of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design version 4 (LEEDv4) rating system at the 2013 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo this week at the Convention Center. "The market is capable of doing a lot more than it does," said Scot Horst, a Green Building Council senior vice president who oversees LEED. The new system streamlines the arduous LEED certification process, updates previously established guidelines to match more recent building codes, offers a new breakdown of standards by sector, and encourages collaboration among the architects, builders, and others involved in the construction and design process.
Stockholm Sin-drome: Swedes try feminist movie rating system
November 8, 2013
By Howard Gensler
IF YOU THINK the movie-ratings system in the U.S. is arbitrary, maybe you should go to Sweden. In the equality-minded Scandinavian country, they're introducing a new rating to highlight gender bias, or rather the absence of it. To get an "A" rating, a movie must pass the so-called Bechdel test, which means it must have at least two named female characters who talk with each other about something other than a man. Like, say, "Thelma and Louise....
Philly's best hoops prospects
February 8, 2012
BY TED SILARY, firstname.lastname@example.com
FOR THE 35th consecutive season, the Daily News is attempting to give college basketball coaches a helping hand with recruiting. Our five categories for seniors are point guards, wing guards, small forwards, power forwards and centers. Players are categorized by the position we expect them to play in college. But remember, a player's role can depend upon the level of school he attends. The players in "The Best" category are those we believe would be most capable of playing in Division I or the higher levels of Division II, or in a competitive junior-college program if there's a need for academic strengthening.
Southeastern Pa. swimming, field hockey and volleyball notes
December 22, 2011
By Don Beideman, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
West Chester Henderson sophomore swimmer Tom McCormick showed recently he's up to the task even though older brothers Ken and Dave have set some tough standards for him. In Henderson's 114-71 loss to Methacton on Dec. 12, Tom McCormick set a Methacton pool record in his specialty, the 100-yard breaststroke, with a time of 58.48 seconds. That time was .82 of a second better than the mark set in 1997 by Methacton's Dan Szilier, who went on to swim for Notre Dame. "I aspire to be as good as my brothers," said McCormick, who comes from a family of swimmers.
Travel Troubleshooter: New Orleans traveler says Hotwire put him in a lower-rated hotel
December 18, 2011
By Christopher Elliott, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES
Question: I just booked a hotel room in New Orleans through Hotwire. It seemed like a great deal. The listing was for a 4.5-star hotel. I started looking around their website, trying to determine what the possibilities were, and by looking at the "hotel plus car" section I was able to see that there seemed to be three nice choices of 4.5-star hotels in the area the listing was in. I was specifically trying to avoid the Le Pavillon Hotel...
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Well .. I say that PC gaming is king .. but after getting sick of worrying about video settings, graphic cards, and other PC hardware and wondering if a computer will play the latest game and if so, how WELL, I bought a PS3.
I've liked the single player games on my PS2, Final Fantasy, Metal Gears, Guitar Heroes and after finishing Metal Gear Solid 3, I wanted 4. So I bought a PS3.
I wanted a more action packed game as well so I bought CoD4. I've heard great things about this, but just avoided it on the PC due to the issues FPS's can have. (Framerates, video settings, blah blah .. your hardware and grahpic settings can actually affect your multiplayer performance.
I never liked consoles for shooters, I feel I have better control with a mouse to aim, but I'm getting used to it. And frankly the ease of playing on the PS3 is so nice. Turn it on .. and less than a minute later you can be in a lobby set for a multiplayer match.
I know that RTS's and certain RPGs (like WoW or Diablo) will still call me to the PC world, but those are usually not as hardware intensive as first person shooters and such. Hopefully this keeps me from upgrading my PC until at least Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 come out!
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The Handbag category has lots of great finds on Dooney & Bourke, Coach and Nine West merchandise. In the Shoulderbag category there are many Gucci, Nine West and Calvin Klein online auctions to choose from. The Tote & Messenger Bags category has lots of great finds on Tote & Messenger Bags merchandise. In the Wallets and Purses category there are many Next, Accessorize and Louis Vuitton items to choose from. And don't forget the Handbag Accessories category where you'll find many products as well.
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50 Cent Will Be Ringside For Mayweather-Guerrero Clash
By Chris Robinson
It was a packed scene on Tuesday afternoon, inside of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, as Floyd Mayweather and Robert Guerrero made their grand arrivals to the city ahead of their clash on Saturday night.
Mayweather (43-0, 26 KO's) defends his WBC welterweight strap against Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 KO's) in a Showtime pay per view attraction that will serve as one of the year's biggest fights.
After several hours inside of MGM Grand, I made some more rounds in the city before returning home and crossed paths with music mogul and aspiring boxing promoter Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.
50 Cent is in town putting the finishing touches on a new gym that he has high hopes for. The facility will have somewhat of a grand opening on Thursday, when former light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal will host an open media workout in the building ahead of his May 24th clash with Lucian Bute.
On Monday night, 50 Cent seemed to be in a talkative mood as he interacted with super middleweight hopeful Anthony Dirrell, Ohio-born junior lightweight prospect Mark Davis, Dirrell's grandfather Leon Lawson Sr., as well as trainer Rodney Crisler.
As the conversation continued, it was only natural for me to ask the Queens, New York native whether or not he would be checking out Mayweather's fight this weekend.
For years, 50 Cent and Mayweather had a relationship that seemed more like a brotherhood and could be seen hanging around each other under any and all situations. The union came to a halt this past September due to various reasons as each man has since gone their separate way.
In the wake of the fallout, 50 Cent has still found himself deep into the boxing game, as he is looking to turn his SMS Promotions into a major promotional entity.
50 Cent confirmed that he will be present for the big fight this weekend and claims that Mayweather, who he still 'loves like a brother' in his words, has the keys to victory.
"The only person who can beat Floyd Mayweather is Floyd Mayweather himself," stated 50 Cent.
The last thing the leeches around Floyd want is for 50 to come back around. 50 was in the process of cutting off their supply of free money. I do believe the rift between 50 and Floyd is real, but…Comment by Champ Is Here on 05-02-2013
50 from a place where nobody has money, people die over it Floyd was in on the deal and backed off, you dont mess with 50 moneyComment by richardt on 05-02-2013
[QUOTE=GRUSTLER;13316475]50 knows he messed up with Mayweather. He thought he was Floyd's real peoples but at the end he overestimated his position in the circle.[/QUOTE]Thats because there really is only one person in the circle, Floyd.Comment by KickAzz on 05-02-2013
Fiddy wanna watch his ex-girlfriend fight GuerreroComment by ΣL CHAPO on 05-02-2013
He better get ready to jump in shock again like he did in the JMM pac 4 fight, its gonna be one of those nights.Post a Comment - View More User Comments (38)


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Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Join East Cooper Montessori Charter School's sixth-grade Montessori Model United Nations participants for a screening of an award-winning documentary Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. at Cinnebarr about the power of young people to bridge political divides and forge peaceful relationships.
The film, "My So-Called Enemy," follows the story of six Palestinian and Israeli girls who participated in the cultural exchange program Building Bridges for Peace. The film documents how these young people's lives were changed by coming to know their "enemies" as peers and friends.
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View the trailer at http://mysocalledenemy.com/trailer.
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Sweeten up your party with Sweet Lollipop Invitations!
Customize these 4 1/4 inch Sweet Lollipop Invitations with all of your event information. Each Sweet Lollipop Invitation features a colorful lollipop design printed on high quality paper and includes a white envelope. The two-piece Sweet Lollipop Invitation includes brass grommets that allow it to easily spin open. Easy assembly.
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These invitations were perfect for my daughters candy themed birthday party. I loved how I could have them personalized in the bright colors. The birthday was a success.
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Awesome quality great price! I will be ordering again. Oh and very timely delivery even with all this terrible weather
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The products I brought are for my daughter's sweet 16. She loves, loves the invitations and so do I. I really like the fact that you had vases in the size I could not find anywhere and they are perfect for her centerpieces. Your prices are great and products are sturdy. I will be ordering a lot of other things to make her bday a special day. Thank you for making that happen. TB
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Hammer is a leading storage distributor with 25 years' experience. Combining flexibility for customers' needs with ultimate focus and knowledge of storage, Hammer's value-add approach ensures you receive support tailored to your requirements, and helps you swiftly adapt to market changes.
A large proportion of our business relates to drives, and Hammer has long-standing, direct relationships with all of the leading drive manufacturers, giving you access to the broadest range of HDDs and SSDs. Our unique understanding of technologies and markets, backed by our unrivalled service and support, ensures we can meet your drive requirements today - and help drive your business tomorrow.
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I'm currently putting together a business plan for a niche dating site, but realized I can't move forward without a web designer. I won't release the specific niche right now obviously but will if I find the right person. I want this to be similar to the popular websites such as match.com. I want it to be free for now and gain profits through ads or Google Adsense or however one gains money from these sites. I have no idea how to make money from a free site, that's partly why i need your help. I will tell more information when needed. However, I will say that I don't have the funds yet, but am making the moves in that direction. I don't know the expected costs so it's difficult to do business that way. Thanks
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Welcome to dickblick
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A mottle-free acrylic spray that covers and protects your artwork and prevents smudging. Several coats produce a glossy, bright finish.
Spray Can
12 oz
340 g
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® Blick and Blick Studio are registered trademarks.
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Fixed it good!
By Hyo
from Los Angeles, CA
Comments about Blick Gloss Fixative:
Strong, yet fine spray that works really well when spraying out side in winding condition. Highly recommended.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Really like it for my pencil drawings
By Debra
from Heathsville, VA
It really brought the colors out and helped to make areas of depth more rich.
Love the results
By Rosa56
from Andover, MA
I am a "hobby artist, with no formal training, so walk clueless through the maze of offers for some products.I love this spray for my Zentangles, mounted on grayboard (black) and put small hangers on the back for my family's gifts.It dries smooth, non sticky, and brings out the intensity of the black against a lighter background. I'll order it again for any media it'll finish off. Plus, it arrived before Christmas, just in time to use.
Images shared by Rosa56
Heavy Metal Son
Tags: Picture of Product, Using Product, Tangling Is Contagious
By Caroline
from Edmonton, AB
Love the product, does not change the colour of the drawing by the slightest. After spraying, I used my thumb to try to see if I could rub any graphite off at the risk of ruining my own drawing, and nothing came off! The nozzle also deliver a super fine spray... so fine that the droplet remains in the air and I could taste it after 5 minutes when I started talking ...
Works perfectly
By Lauriecacao
from NY
Covers, glosses and totally seals in one thorough app.
Great stuff, great price
I haven't used every brand out there, but Blick fixatives works incredibly well and no others that i have tried even come close. It seals and glosses in one (thorough) coat
Glad I tried It
By Artyology
from Dallas, TX
I wanted to try soft pastels on Yupo and decided to try Blick Gloss Fixative as well. Glad I did.
Images shared by Artyology
Gloss fixative over soft pastels on Yupo
Tags: Made with Product
The best!!
By CMW Art Studio
from Cerritos, Ca
I use this fixative on all my acrylic and mixed media canvasses at my studio. Best value for money and excellant finish!
(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
once again very pleased with Blick sales and service
By charles the artist
from mississippi
not having used a fixative on pastels before I was a little apprehensive about taking a print of one of my paintings and enhancing it with pastels which required the fixative, however it was user friendly and well worth the price I paid after seeing what a good job it did
Images shared by charles the artist
pastel enhanced prints with fixative sprayed over
Tags: Pastel Enhanced Prints, Made with Product
closeup of prints with fixative sprayed on
blick gloss fixative
By zypora
from los angeles
i gave it a bad review before. but it doesn't splatter like others i've used in the past-other brands. and i realized that. it does take several coats.
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Thread: R.U.S.E Beta
R.U.S.E Beta
The Beta of R.U.S.E has been going on for a week now, with one week to go, and is found on Steam. Created by Ubisoft, the Beta at the beginning runs a little video of the creators talking about the Beta and the game itself. Here is the official link to the game:
Below is a video from BloodthirstyCatfish that gives a pretty good explanation of the game, while playing a multiplayer. He includes the Beta problems, including game balance issues such as 'airplane spam' and bugs like disconnects.
Furthermore, here is EmpireErwinRommel give a pretty clear show of the common problems, but also a nice long gameplay to show some tactics and strategy, letting you get a feel for the game. Here is part one:
As the above picture suggests it's a standard RTS set in WWII with the gameplay twist of having 'ruses' to fool the enemy, hence the title. In the Beta you have a selection of ruses like 'radio silence', which is basically 'cloak' movement. They have givena few other selections: You can also fake large tank assaults, set camouflage so the enemy cant see your bases, create fear in the enemy, and set your army to fanatical; all these however only occur in the area (the map divides these areas mainly by roads it seems) you select. This allows for movement in select parts of the battlefield, that is fought over maps with towns, bridges and woodland. With infantry having the ability to take over buildings. An example of use of what happened to me in a game, is a trick to cloak your infantry (or armour/both) and all of a sudden appear at the enemy homebase. After learning it myself, I can say, it works very well. Therefore, you need to think of defence, and so when trying to make the enemy eyes look elsewhere, timing and length of time before you make a move also count, which is nice. Also, if yo play a long time, it gets harder to keep in touch in a way, so make's you more vulnerable, and so is the enemy, if you can see a way in. Good stuff.
Since it's a Beta, of course you can expect more Ruses, and hopefully so. Though enjoyable, the limitation does stilt the game somewhat. Other balance aspects are the usual 'troop spam', such as aircraft, or anti aircraft to compensate. Furthermore, early game multiplayer hazards are spam and more spam, as well as crashes. I am also hoping that terrain and surroundings like woods, hills, ditches, towns and buildings will have more of an impact so you have to set positions that make use of such in order for your forces to survive, instead of.. well rush and just spam units. At the moment, although there is some aspects like hiding troops in woods, it doesn't seem to take it to this level and am unsure the game will itself. The developers do use this as a selling point but in reality, although you can in some places, it is not nearly enough. Ambush points, positons behind buildings to set up protection or an ambush do not come in to play so much. Yes, woods, do help hide infantry and some artillary but I would want more out of it than some simple allusions to it. If the game is about tactics and stategy I should hope to demand it. If not now, then I really hope this will be a key mindfullness in the the next game, so's to make a great game. Furthermore, of course there is the obligatory spam of units like artillery that fire over pretty much near a quarter of the map, spamming long distance missiles, which takes away from the 'tactics' or Ruses, the game so heavily leans on, at least in its marketing.
Overall though, I don't usually play RTS due to the spam nature but it's still absorbing. The zoom in from the 'chips' on the board in to a few fields to look at your units and position them is great. You constantly have to work out looking over the map as a whole to see an attack, to zooming in. However, the micromanagement takes away from map awareness, and since hardly any positioning of troops depends on terrain benefits, and the spamming or items such as aircraft (that will hoard attack) which can be devastating, many people seem to stay away as much as they can from micromanagement.
Apart from the crashes and bugs, in general multiplayer is easy to use. You just hop right in. Though little in any instructions tend to make you at least try out the AI battle (Blitz map, against Easy AI – the only setting given) though if anyone can tell me how to chat to 'all' instead of team, that would be nice. If not I'll just keep hitting buttons. Speaking of which, I should get back to it instead of writing a pretty badly written write up - I got to get my French Legionnaires to wave more sticks at people. Ahh, there's a thing, the talking is mostly in American accents, which for a French faction or German, or Russian, or British, doesn't quite cut the mustard. A small thing maybe but it can be noticeable when your crew bombs about in the T34's (surely should have been a higher tank than medium??) and your quartermaster says in an American accent that you made a technological advance in .. I dunno.. fishing or something. This is telling in maybe how the developers miss out on depth. Simple things. Like knowing if you are exposed you're more likely to loose a fight with an entrenched enemy. The developers harp on about it in woods and towns, and suprise attacks and ambushes so why not further? I want to feel exposed in that farmers field, and want to high tail it to the woods, or at least know a hedgerow ditch is safer for, say my infantry. I want to get the drop on that tank battalion roving right into line with my artillary set up in the woods.; in that town I want my Tiger, to be lurking in wait for those Shermans, in some corner, hidden and overwatching the road in. All this talk about ruses and you can't even talk to the guy in your own language let alone tell him to park it behind that big boulder. Speaking of which, in the Beta, the section of troops is a bit ham fisted, it feels like doing a surgical operation with boxing gloves on, or at least trying to select troops to go somewhere in a game of R.U.S.E with your mouse with boxing gloves on. Anyway, this is more a heads up than a review; if I wanted it the other way round I wouldn't be writing this past 3am and would be doing the same kind of emphasis on it as I would an essay (or review) at 3am. But I aint, I'm saying "oi, mush, heads up, 'tis a nice game verily, bar some misfits that doth upon my bonce".
In short then, the game is not entirely balanced but is a good step to it, and is lots of fun. Well it's a Beta. But hey, I guess the proof will be in the actual game itself, which is promising, as the developers said of course there will be more in the finished product, I just hope though that being able to set your forces to use tactical terrain rather than hiding in woods or in a town, to make a very solid game indeed because at the moment it's still only a weak allusion of pretence and still is heavy on spam. Therefore it is weakened in game depth because of it. That and balance out spam like make things costly so the player has to balance up their decisions more, hopefully, with maybe funds or another way of using the development tree, instead of simply spamming units of one kind or two, and making little flare of the Ruses and tactics which is the whole point of the game, and is marketed and sold on this. Although saying that there is enough in this Beta to make you believe that if Ubisoft get this right, it's going to be an amazing game, with the future development for further, deeper and more intelligent gameplay coming, in a remake. I hope they do then as there are obvious balance and game depth issues, if this is the basic stuff, even if this isn't the finished product and R.U.S.E itself is promised to be more in depth (see developers talk at beginning of Beta). Even so, I find some of the armour and gameplay a little, simplistic, and sometimes even fantastical. It is a tough fight as it is, games can easily last half an hour and the longest one so far I have played is an hour and a half. So an hour of tactics is very good, with one slip meaning a downfall somewhere and that could mean your eventual downfall – unless you get your shot in first. Enjoyable game.
Last edited by Taip3n; 03-27-2010 at 10:39 PM.
Re: R.U.S.E Beta
The Beta seems interesting and would be something I could get into.. unfortunately it's an UBISOFT game and right now with their DRM policies I will stay away from it..|TG|ARMA Pathfinder
..now where did I put my keys?
Re: R.U.S.E Beta
Interesting. What's a DRM policy (sorry, I'm being a plank)? Is there something untoward the company is doing? I wouldn't want to support a game company that are being idiots.
The Beta is totally unbalanced anyway and am not sure the marketed version will be any better. There are a lot of gameplay issues and I have noted others are saying if they want this game to be as good as and better than say Starcraft, the benchmark, and take it beyond this, they have much to do. I agree. The game of Chess has also been mentioned as the benchmark here. That and Starcraft. It's nowhere near this, at least in the Beta, and I'd be suprised if the rounded full game is. It may take another effort or another group to do so.
Perhaps Kharkov1943 is more in depth. I don't know, not checked it out. That's next on the list.
Re: R.U.S.E Beta
Looks like UBISOFT is using a DRM Which requres a constant internet connection to play the game (All thier new ones apparently).. So even in Single player you would need that connection. Not a huge deal for me..but this would be a great Laptop SP game... and without the Internet you can't play. Grr..
As for RUSE.. I really have been playinf the Single Player Map hard for the last day or so... Against the Easy enemy. Just trying to figure out what is good and bad against what. Liek the ROCK PAPER SCISSORS analogy that has been used.. What beats what etc.. I kinda like the game..and want to see what goodies get put into it at the end...
Or maybe I just reinstall World In Conflict again..and finish the Russian campaign..|TG|ARMA Pathfinder
..now where did I put my keys?
Re: R.U.S.E Beta
Hey, the full, retail version was just released. Anyone else playing it?
Also, as for DRM, Eugen Systems/Ubi decided to drop the online connection DRM, in favor of steamworks.
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Re: R.U.S.E Beta
While this game isn't my cup of tea, they did do away with the UBI DRM stuff, and instead use steam as the DRM for US customers. It can't be bought retail in the US for whatever reason, only via steam.
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Re: R.U.S.E Beta|TG-18th| Acreo Aeneas
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Brad killed his rival Omar and got rid of the body, but it kept coming back again and again.
Corpus De Licti is based on a true story. Brad loved her deeply but she did not want to settle down. She worked as an assistant to a Senator and enjoyed the opulence that the job offered.
Brad kills his rival and tries to get rid of the body but the body keeps returning and returning, again and again.
Omar missed his meeting with the Senator. No one could find Omar. The local Sheriff's office searched for Omar. The FBI and others searched for Omar. But no one could find him.
When I first heard this true story I knew I would have to write it as a book. I believe readers who enjoy murder mysteries and quirky characters will enjoy this book.
I am particular proud of the characters in the story who are almost all connected to acting. They have very unique and varied characteristics, and very quick and witty minds. I loved working with such actors when I was making films at Universal Studios.
Brad and his friends play roles most days of their lives. Brad was a peeping Tom when he saw her with Omar. Brad was a detective when he arrested and killed Omar. He was a priest at one of the burials.
A key to the story is that the authorities do not have a body, i.e. a Corpus De Licti and therefore cannot prosecute; and hence the title Corpus De Licti.
But even though the authorities could not find the body, it kept returning to Brad and his friends over and over again.
The details of the story can be seen at http://UnknownTruths.com and read at http://www.amazon.com/-/
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MMA Forum - UFC Forums - UFC Results - MMA Videos (http://www.mmaforum.com/forumindex.php)
- Bellator FC (http://www.mmaforum.com/bellator-fc/)
- - Cheick Kongo Joins Bellator's Heavyweight Division (http://www.mmaforum.com/bellator-fc/140753-cheick-kongo-joins-bellators-heavyweight-division.html)
Cheick Kongo Joins Bellator's Heavyweight Division
The exodus of ex-UFC fighters. Bellator can probably do well with this formula.
I'm all for a heavyweight tournament but is there really going to be one in season nine? If it isn't confirmed I'm not sure it's a good idea to get one together this soon. There are too many issues here.
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WOHVA Monthly Updates
WOHVA Update December '12
Every month WOHVA provides our members and other motorized trail recreation advocates with this short synopsis of WOHVA's efforts to proactively assure that environmentally responsible OHV recreational opportunities are expanded here the Badger State. This month our update is shorter than usual. However, we're certain that you'll agree that while the list may be small the accomplishments were huge!
In conjunction with the Wisconsin Off-Road Vehicle Park, Inc. (WORVPI), WOHVA is working with North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (NCWRPC) on an extensive Feasibility Study to direct establishing a 10,000 acre Badger State Motorized Recreation Area (MRA). Last month a special project team from WORVPI met weekly with their consultants drafting the Forest County Motorized Recreation Area Feasibility Study. This is a six part study. Delivery of the completed study is expected in December. WOHVA is excited to be on the forefront, representing Badger State motorized trail riding enthusiasts, on this and other advocacy projects.
Pleased to join motorized trail advocacy groups from across the country WOHVA contacted Wisconsin's Congressional Representatives and again urged their support of Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act which would allow motorized access to hundreds of thousand of acres currently closed to access without being formally recognized as Wilderness by the U.S. Congress.
WOHVA participated in the regular monthly meeting for the Wisconsin Off-Road Vehicle Park, Inc. (WORVPI). Regular updates on WORVPI (including meeting agenda & minutes) and all WOHVA special projects can be found in the "Projects" window located on the WOHVA Webpage. Project Updates are available to WOHVA Individual Members on-line and are provided quarterly to WOHVA Supporting Groups and clubs/organizations that have expressed interest by contacting WOHVA and offering their assistance in helping WOHVA expand OHV opportunities here in the Badger State. Visit the newly launched WORVPI web site at http://www.WORVPI.org.
Last month WOHVA received the DRAFT 4WD Sticker Program Legislation from the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. WOHVA's Legislative Action Committee met and reviewed this DRAFT and will be submitting our thoughts and comments on the DRAFT to our friends at the Wisconsin State Capitol. WOHVA anticipates the legislation to be introduced early next session (which begin in January 2013).
"Remember, join and advocate (that's) the two most important things that you can do!"
Mission Statement
The Wisconsin Off-Highway Vehicle Association exists for the sole purpose of proactively assuring that public and private off-highway motorized vehicular recreational opportunities are expanded in Wisconsin for safe use by this and future generations


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Comments Thread For: Courtney Fry Looking For Bigger Things in The New Year
London-born, Liverpool-based light-heavyweight contender Courtney Fry posted a hard fought win over the previously undefeated Matty Clarkson on a Coldwell Boxing bill in October to ensure he went into 2013 on a run of five victories. Fry last lost in October 2009, an eighth-round TKO to current WBO titlist Nathan Cleverly, and the six-threes decision win over Clarkson at Manchesters Bowlers Exhibition Centre was made all the sweeter by virtue of the fact that Clarkson, now 8-1-2 (1), was the home fighter.
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If Courtney could get it together at his age then maybe a fight with British champion Tony Bellew or Commonwealth titlest Ovill McKenzie is not out of the question.
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Bangalore priest's murder an inside job, say cops
By Express News Service - BANGALORE
Published: 03rd April 2013 08:46 AM
Last Updated: 03rd April 2013 08:46 AM
A day after a priest was found murdered in a seminary here, the police are yet to find strong leads in the case. They, however, suspect it to be an inside job.
Father K J Thomas (62) was strangulated inside St Peter's Pontifical Seminary at Malleswaram in the wee hours on Monday.
A police source said the rector was murdered by people known to him, adding that the assailants had engaged the victim in a conversation before attacking him.
A senior police officer said that three people were 'directly' involved in the crime and evidence pointed out that they were not professional killers. "It is suspected that a person known to Fr Thomas knocked on his door when he was asleep. As he came out, the person diverted his attention by talking to him, while giving the other two killers enough time to attack him from behind."
"He was hit on his head with a blunt weapon, which inflicted a severe internal injury. He was also hit on his forehead. They strangled him to death using his dhoti," the officer said.
"The killers wiped the blood off the floor using Fr Thomas' gown. They also searched his room for some documents. If it was a murder for gain, the assailants would have stolen the valuables from the seminary too and would not have wasted time cleaning the blood in the corridor. It seems this was the first time the accused were committing such a crime," the officer said.
The postmortem was conducted at the M S Ramaiah Hospital mortuary on Monday.
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Few expected the Northwestern baseball experience at Wrigley Field to be anything but underwhelming. The team struggles to combat its reputation for mediocre play. And coach Paul Stevens – the widely respected head coach in his 26th season – oversees the difficult situation in Evanston. Rocky Miller Park fails to attract consistently high attendance or energy.
As with many sports at Northwestern, student apathy runs high. The results are iffy. The decision to hold even one game in hallowed Wrigley Field seemed odd. Next to the excitement of Wrigley football, this was the sideshow at best. But I went anyways. It cost seven dollars. At first, nothing about the game was particularly special.
The decent turnout was a bit surprising given the 38-degree temperature at first pitch, which only sunk as the game progressed. The anthem performer held the word "free" for about 10 seconds—an impressive feat. Yet this simple Northwestern baseball game provided fans–and NU lovers–with an excellent experience on several counts.
I should begin by praising the team, which demonstrated passion befitting the event. They ran counts. They executed sacrifice bunts. They never succumbed to the inherent pressure of playing at Wrigley Field.
My friend, who played at Wrigley as a youngster, will never forget a single moment. He went 0-for-3 that day, though, with some combination of groundouts and strikeouts. The Wildcats, on Saturday night, showed the poise necessary to win on the big stage.
"I don't know if it gets any better than what I just saw in the last few hours," Paul Stevens told the media (which does not include me in this sport). "I was absolutely mesmerized, and I know our guys were."
They, in fact, dominated a better team behind the pitching of an MLB manager's kid. PR doesn't get any better than this: Luke Farrell, son of Boston Red Sox skipper John, pitched one of the craftiest college games you'll see. The Michigan players–clearly itching to hit home runs–got under just about everything. He wound up with a 90-pitch complete game three-hitter in the 6-0 win.
Perhaps the temperature dipped below freezing. It felt like it. But so many showed up. Announced attendance was a not-bad 4,197.
Several members of the basketball and football teams arrived to support fellow student-athletes. The alumni fan-base, from my perspective, was especially energized. Michigan fans, heckling as always, were quieted with chants of "Scoreboard."
When they responded by asking about football, one NU fan joked: "We didn't even play you in football. I blacked out in the second half. It never happened." No one could slow the Wildcats faithful down.
Was the marching band necessary? Probably not. The cheerleaders? Definitely not. In so many ways, this was an experiment.
Most people stayed until the final out–a blow-by strikeout from Farrell–and the crowd began to celebrate. It wasn't raucous, but it was nice.
NU hopes to truly embrace the "Chicago's Big Ten Team" slogan, and some of those efforts were realized tonight. The team played like this meant something, and the crowd responded. It was fun.
Congratulations to those who set this up, namely Jim Phillips. Congratulations to the team, and to the purple-clad fans who scored the biggest victory of all.
Upon returning home to Evanston, those who made the wrong decision by staying indoors insisted on asking me how the game was.


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Esperanza Spalding
Among the young voices to emerge on the national jazz scene of late, Esperanza Spalding has the makings of a star draped all over her. The Oregon-born singer and acoustic bass player is only 23, but she's already the youngest faculty member in the history of her alma mater, Boston's Berklee College of Music. In addition to that miraculous milestone, she's recorded with veterans like Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny (who has mentored her career from the start) and recently performed live on the Jimmy Kimmel and David Letterman shows. Spend five minutes on her MySpace page and you'll understand why her "coming-out party" has been practically seismic and on par with that of Norah Jones' half a decade ago. On her major-label debut, Spalding skillfully takes on an array of styles ranging from samba, Latin, and hard-driving jazz to R&B. Such eclecticism probably would not work in less-confident hands, but she revels in these multiple directions without sounding pretentious. The woman plays upright bass and croons like a diva at the same time. If that's not impressive enough, the fact that she sings in English, Spanish, and Portuguese makes Esperanza the "hope" that jazz fans have been waiting for all these years.
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Best whisky bars in London
Our favourite London dens in which to sup a dram of the finest whisky
Boisdale Canary Wharf
Like a Brigadoon rising from the mists of Canary Wharf, this easterly branch of the Boisdale group is a fantastically tartan-strewn celebration of food, jazz, cigars and whisky. There are two bars, a restaurant and a cigar terrace that looks westwards towards central London: sunsets can be moving.
Your fellow dram drinkers: Anyone with a taste for the finer things and a healthy wad in their sporran. It's not cheap, but neither is quality whisky, and this is perhaps the best place to drink your way round Scotland (apart from the actual Scotland, of course). Hedge-fund Highlanders and Barclays Bravehearts will feel right at home.
What's the whisky like? The list goes on longer than a Billy Connolly joke, covering just about every bottle from every distillery in every corner of Caledonia.
Bartender's pick Ernest Reid, whisky sommelier: 'Try Old Pulteney, which is often referred to as the "maritime malt". It's very approachable, with an underlying salinity from the distillery's proximity to the North Sea.'Read more
A welcoming and traditional pub in the bonnie backstreets of Borough, the Britannia is a relaxed spot to dive into the water of life. A vast blackboard lists the 130-odd varieties. There are no descriptions, but if you don't feel like a lucky dip just ask for a recommendation.
Your fellow dram drinkers: Post-pitch footballers in full kit from the nearby five-a-side complex, as well as pint-sipping surgeons and off-duty orderlies from Guy's Hospital up the road.
What's the whisky like? It's a democratic selection, with most drams landing in the five-to-ten-pound field. There are a few rarer examples though (Linlithgow, Mosstowie) and a malt of the month.
Bartender's pick Sarah Bourke, assistant manager: 'My favourite has to to be our cask-strength Millburn 25-year-old. It has a lovely rich, faintly smoky nose with a hint of black pepper, and the taste is a sublime mix of spices and citrus flavours.'Read more
Salt Whisky Bar & Dining Room
Don't be fooled by the preponderance of whisky in this smart Edgware Road bar (or the fact it's named after North Britain's go-to flavouring), it's about as Scottish as Rod Stewart (ie not very). The food is Indian, and there are shishas to puff on. But the dedication to malt is unquestionable.
Your fellow dram drinkers: Whisky fans of all stripes flock here, as well as those who aren't affronted by the use of the spirit in cocktails.
What's the whisky like? A long menu contains helpful and concise information on every bottle. Both the frugal and the flush will find something to suit their purse.
Bartender's pick Nagesh Balusu, manager: 'If you don't mind mixing it up try the cask-aged cocktail Dewars Delight, with blended whisky, Drambuie, Cocchi Americano aperitif and cardamom bitters. It's been aged for about six weeks.'Read more
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Don't rock up here expecting to get stuck straight into the city's best collection of unusual cask-strength malts. It's members only, though joining is worthwhile for serious whisky devotees (and those who want to become one): benefits include tasting events, a quarterly magazine and, of course, a private members' bar to brag about.
Your fellow dram drinkers: An adventurous set who want to celebrate the marriage of peat, water, malt and magic. And people who just bloody love whisky.
What's the whisky like? Single-cask, unfiltered malts, all created especially for the society. That means it's about as far from a bottle of cheap cornershop Invershoogle as you'll get. Example: 'Cask No 2.84, "Katharine Hepburn in a Vintage Jaguar".' Put that image in your mind and you might be able to imagine how rich and sultry it tastes.
Bartender's pick Joe McGirr, venue manager: 'For a real medicinal treat it's got to be 53.200, a smoky 18-year-old named "Hand-Rolled Cuban Cigars". Settle into a peaty dream with a relaxing salty sea breeze washing over you. Switch off and let the world go by with this one!'Read more
St Pancras Grand
'Grand' is the word: there can't be many more dramatic dram-houses in London. Sit on one of the terrace tables as the roof of the restored station soars high above, or repose in the art deco brasserie inside and pretend you're a suave European aesthete. A few too many malts and you just might find yourself on a spontaneous Eurostar to Paris.
Your fellow dram drinkers: Those with a train to catch, those just off a train and those who are just here in the spirit of Burns himself: 'O thou, my muse! Guid auld Scotch drink!'
What's the whisky like? A pick and mix from all over Scotland, with something to keep every traditionalist and modernist satisfied.
Bartender's pick Peter Alderin, general manager: 'A Balvenie 21-year-old Portwood. A single malt of refinement and remarkable character, it's creamy and silky with fruit, honey and spice notes, and has a long and gentle nutty finish.''Read more
Whisky Bar at The Athenaeum
The Merc-lined streets of Mayfair feel like they're a long way from the wild and windswept moors of Scotland, but it's in W1 you'll find a plush and discreet haven stocked to bursting with a bold range of Scotch. As you'd expect in a five-star hotel bar, the atmosphere encourages contemplation and conversation rather than getting mad wae it (which is exactly how you should treat fine whisky anyway, of course…).
Your fellow dram drinkers: Hotel guests, naturally, but also in-the-know Londoners prepared to splash out on something special.
What's the whisky like? Everything from the £7.50 Teachers blend to Mortlach 50-year-old for £169. Apparently there are 364 in total – one for every day of the year except Christmas, when the hotel manager has a break. Phew.
Bartender's pick Ivo Silva, whisky sommelier: 'If I had to choose a whisky to take with me to a desert island and drink for the rest of my days, it would probably be Highland Park 18-year-old, because it encompasses all the flavours of Scotland, from the Lowlands to the Highlands, Islay and Campbeltown.'Read more


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Apna Microfinance Bank managed by Group of highly experienced bankers committed in and specialized in providing financial services to less privileged / marginal poor including economic empowerment of WOMEN & micro-entrepreneurs in the Agri and Micro enterprises in rural areas of Pakistan.
All Apna Bank ATM Card Holders having ufone Registered SIM can now enjoy Mobile Phone Service at their finger-Tips any where any time. No GPRS, No Application Download, No Android Dependency, service can be accessed on any type of Mobile Phone.
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June 27, 2016
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December 31, 2015
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June 24, 2015
Nationwide Operations of the Bank


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