text:
|DM Zyren/ Heart of Runes
Summon wall of text! Yeeha, here we go-Welcome to Sandpoint and Heart of Runes, a Rise of the Runelords Experience extraordinaire!
The sun stands high above Sandpoint - one could think the waning summer desperately tries to cling to the rocky cliffs that surround the Varisian Gulf. In fact, the last few days have been amongst the warmest during Erastus and Arodus for years. Not a single cloud shows mercy with the inhabitants of the small coastal town, yet that doen't seem to dampen the people's mood.
All inhabitans of Sandpoint are industriously working on this or that to ensure that the following day – the first day of autumn – is going to be a memorable one. It's Swallowtail festival, named after the eponymous butterfly, one of the most sacred holidays of Desna, the goddess of dreams, travel, luck and last but not least the stars.
For the small town of Sandpoint tomorrow is even more special: it's the day of the consecration of the new cathedral. A building dedicated to the five most revered gods: Erastil, Abadar, Sarenrae, Shelyn and Gozreh. There is no shrine for Desna, but only because of the fact that the winged goddess doesn't like to be enclosed in a building...how beautiful it may be.
The driving force behind the construction of the cathedral was Father Abstalar Zantus, former a wandering priest of Desna, who has become the spiritual leader of the town after his antecessor has found his death in a tragic fire some years ago...a fire that also destroyed the former temple.
However, the gloomy happenings of the past aren't something that worries the people of today. Everyone is looking forward to the festival and a brighter future that is surely soon to come.
Mayor Kendra Deverin and Sheriff Belore Hemlock have tried everything to arrange the external circumstances in a way that the success of the ceremony is guaranteed.
Wagons full of good beer and wine have been transported to Sandpoint from Magnimar, liquors and spirits from Riddleport and...umm yeah, ok nothing from Korvosa, but the people from Sandpoint don't expect anything good to come from that Chelish hideout (that's what the people tend to call it...)
Spits for sucklings, ham and lamb roast have already been prepared and the smell of cakes, cookies, and other pastries fills the air since days...This was all made possible by the four ruling families of Sandpoint: The Kaijitsus, the Valdemars, the Scarnettis and the Deverins. All of them gave large sums of money to fund the festival and most normal shop owners and innkeepers also contributed what they could.
OK, one final day until the festival will begin-last preparations from your side? If not, maybe you could already describe yourself and introduce yourself to the setting :-)
|Gerlick the Broken
The hustle and bustle of Sandpoint surrounds Gerlick, and he glares from under his hood at the general happiness of the people. If only they knew how the gods truly felt. The fools were nothing more then slaves to the whims of the gods, and he himself was proof of the gods ire.
Walking through the town, avoid crowds,the cloaked half-orc stopped every so often to check on any beggars he could find. Hiding his ravaged flesh with a pair of gloves and his hooded cloak, Gerlick tries to offer aid to any of the destitute or unwanted of Sandpoint's society. Heal Checks on any beggars who look like they may be sick/wounded. Heal 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20. He doesn't have a healers kit so its more about letting them know what they can do to cheaply take care of themselves.
When night begins to fall, Gerlick begins to try to find himself a nice quiet alley to sleep in, so he can save what little bit of coin he has for food during the festivities of the next day.
Trying to find a safe place to sleep hidden from view: Survival Check 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27. Hopefully he can find a nice quiet alleyway or stoop to sleep on. With a Nat 20 He better find a nice sleepin spot!
Kanyk makes his way slowly through the bustling crowds, keeping his eyes pointed down at his own booted feet to avoid any stares and muttering a swift apology to anyone he accidentally knocks or pushes. His height, bulk and the huge spiked hammer slung across his back allows him steady progress across the town toward the glowing windows of his destination.
Eventually Kanyk reaches what has, over the last few days of his stay in Sandpoint, become his favourite tavern. He enters and spends a pleasant few hours sat quietly on a bench, sipping on a tankard of ale and taking in the boisterous and friendly atmosphere of the place. Sitting with his back to the wooden wall he speaks only to order another ale and the closest he comes to conversation is a shake of the head when a lady of the night makes to approach him.
Having drunk his fill of both the atmosphere and the ale; Kanyk leaves the tavern and moves through the now dark town to camp on the wooded outskirts and await the festivities of the day to come.
Spent 12cp on the ale, that is about it for Kanyk's first day.
A little village was rather different from the streets of a city like Magnimar, Nieve thought. He had settled by the docks for today, to avoid the inquisitive and prejudiced eyes of the townsfolk; it fit him well. He enjoyed the crashing of waves more than the rustling of crowds. Elyn crawled down his side and curiously balanced on the ledge of the docks, peering into the sea.
"See anything interesting, Elyn?" he whispers with a smile, and he bends over to gaze as well. There was something with water that was soothing, and ever beautiful. His reflection was distorted by the waves, poorly reflecting the outlines of blonde hair. The weasel scuttled up to the half-elf, darting its way into the sleeve of his robe, and he bursts out laughing; the first laugh since...
He turns to the town, to admire the simplistic design of the streets and houses, before he makes his way to the inn where he had rented a room for the last couple of days. As a cloud cast a shadow in front of the setting sun, the town was washed in a wave of shadow; the town seemed cosier now, almost joyous. Anxious. The festival would begin tomorrow.
Beauty in all things, huh... There is a charm to a village like this.
6 gp spent for good lodging for three days, plus 1 gp on food for the last three days.
|DM Zyren/ Heart of Runes
@ Gerlick:
Poverty seems to be a concept unknown to this heavenly place. Beggars? - negative report...wounded or sick people? - negative report...but, there is another injured man in Sandpoint. Naffer Vosk, the boneyard and carnel house keeper.
As the you pass the twon's cemetary, the man approaches you. He openly wears a golden pendant of Sarenrae that contrasts to his otherwise rather ragged clothes.
Hoi friend, you look like you could need a mug o' wine?!
@ Kanyk:
The silky night and the low sounds of the rolling ocean rock you gently into sleep...tomorrow will be a good day...or at least a warm one...
@ Nieve:
Me fish, me wants fish...can I catch, can I catch?
Wether or not your companion's desires are satisfied you return to the Rusty Dragon. Your inn of choice proved to be a very entertaining place during the last days. The proprietor, an exotic beauty with the name Ameiko Kaijitsu, loved to tell tales and sing songs from her familie;s home country Tian Xia until the early morning.
I'm in a hurry, more tomorrow.
|Gerlick the Broken
Gerlick looks down at the pendant that the man is wearing and grimaces briefly. "I guess it would make sense that the keeper of the dead would pray to Sarenrae. To keep the undead away eh?" Gerlick glances around the dark cematary, looking at the gravestones and enjoying the quiet. When the man asks if Gerlick would like some wine, the oracle nods.
"That is more respect that I usually get. I would be happy to join a hard working man such as yourself in a glass of wine."
|DM Zyren/ Heart of Runes
@ Gerlick:
The grave digger scratches his forehead and blinks into the sun
Keep the undead away...nah, I have to admit that I previously walked the...umm not so righteous path, heh.
He points to the stump, where his left hand should be located
But, Father Abstalar told me, it was never too late for a sinner to return to the good guys' camp, heh.
He opens a pack he had stored behind a tombstone, and hands you a bottle of wine and a wooden mug.
Drink my friend, it's free, heh...even for me, it's a gift from Father Abstalar.
|Karlan Bladetwist
Karlan slept most of the long trip. Walking, hitching rides, sleeping under the stars, it was the first time he had ever had the opportunity to go alone. He wasn't terribly keen on direction though and did ocassionally get lost before some kindly old farmer or merchant would come along and put him on the right path again. He enjoyed riding in the wagons. It allowed him the chance to rest his legs and take a nap where he partook of his favorite activity of dreaming. In his dreams he'd be fighting monsters, rescuing nations, and bringing glory to Lastwall, his family, and of course himself.
His latest exploits in the realm of dreams was inerrupted by the gruff voice of the cart driver. "Oi, this is as close as I go! Oi, you owake!"
Karlan blinked and sat up in the back of the hay cart. A firty and hard looking man glared down at him. Karlan returned the glare with a warm smile. "Sandpoint already?"
The man shook his head. "Nay, just as far as I'm willin to go. Be off with ye!"
Karlan stretched and yawned. "Thank you good sir for your hospitality I'm sure her lady will grace you with fair riding the rest of your journey."
The man grunted non commitally and said nothing. As Karlan stretched and started down the road he said to himself with only the slightest hint of sarcasm, "What a pleasant man."
Walking into town he couldn't help but feel the stranger in a strange land. Sure, people spoke varisian here but looking around the clothes were brighter the people less, well, less like those from Lastwall. Maybe just more like Varisians? When he saw a strange creature like a cross between a rat and a small pig being led on a leash across the street he knew he was in strange lands.
He decided right away to get to work not wanting to hesistate in putting his skills to some good. It looked as if some festival was about to begin. Was some evil threatening these good folk about their festival? He could see to that.
Upon seeing the cathedral he counted the five gods and tried not to look disappointed at not seeing the holy symbol of Iomedae there. So he sought out the head priest of the temple and introduce himself properly.
Diplomacy to gather information on where I can find the priest1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Enjoying the hearth of the inn and the tales of Ameiko Kaijitsu, Nieve had gotten comfortable in one of the more lonesome corners, all while conversing with the proprietor. The way she twisted the stories appealed to the half-elf, and he remarked on how the sad songs always ended on an uplifting note; likewise, how the stories were never so clear-cut, twisting the hero to be the villain in the end. He laughed and smiled, forgetting who he was; so did everybody else, or he was convinced of such.
She has seen life. Maybe one day I can tell stories too.
"Thank you for the tales, Ms. Kaijitsu. Or... is it Mrs.? If I may." Nieve does a halfway bow forward with a hand on his chest, having had a glance outside; it was the darker night now, and he was admittedly excited about the festival tomorrow. "I was thinking of going to my room for some sleep. Though if I can offer my assistance in any way, I would love to show my gratitude for your stories."
|Gerlick the Broken
Gerlick pours some of the wine into the cup, and hands the bottle back over to the digger. "Its been...a long time since someone gave me wine." The half-orc takes a small sip, enjoying the flavor. He sits quietly next to the older man quietly, simply enjoying friendly company for a change.
Reaching up absentmindedly, he scratches his face. Bits of skin fall off and as he drops his hand he accidently knocks his hood off, letting his destroyed face become visable. The only part of his face that is not peeling and cracking is the large green birthmark, a perfect copy of the holy symbol of Pharasma. Realizing what has happened Gerlick quickly draws his hood back up, and fidgets briefly.
"I don't suppose, sir keeper, that I could sleep somewhere here in the graveyard tonight? I enjoy the peace and quiet." He continues to drink his wine, but keeps his hands away from his face, hoping he has not scared his potential new friend.
|DM Zyren/ Heart of Runes
@ Karlan:
As you walk across the square in front of the beautifully ornated cathedral building, you notice a man in flowing blue robes, who inspects the arched main entrance of the building. You wait patiently until he has taken some notes ere you approach him.
Before you can introduce yourself, the bearded man adresses you with a friendly and fatherly smile
Desna speed you, I'm sorry my son, but until tomorrow the cathedral will be closed.
@ Nieve:
Ameiko pats you on the shoulder and winks at you
It's still Ms. ...and that won't change anytime soon. You're here for the festival aren't you, I doubt I have seen you before you arrived this week.
Considering your offer, she raises her hands in mock defence
My guests working at my inn? What if everybody would start to do that?!
She smiles and invites you to another wine on the following evening.
A concerned expression flashes over his face, yet his tone doesn't mirror it
Sure, there is plenty of room next to my shed. An' should you need anything, jus' tell me.
|Karlan Bladetwist
@ Karlan:
As you walk across the square in front of the beautifully ornated cathedral building, you notice a man in flowing blue robes, who inspects the arched main entrance of the building. You wait patiently until he has taken some notes ere you approach him.
Before you can introduce yourself, the bearded man adresses you with a friendly and fatherly smile
Desna speed you, I'm sorry my son, but until tomorrow the cathedral will be closed.
"Ah, I was actually ordered to report to the head priest in this city. I don't suppose you can tell me where I might find him?" Karlan smiled sheepishly and didn't add the part; on pain of savage beating, but Karthak said things like that a lot and he wasn't quite sure how that penalty would be administered with him so far away.
|DM Zyren/ Heart of Runes
|Heavy Harry
Harry steps up to the doorway of the run down farmhouse and visibly winces at the abundance of daylight evident outside. His muscles still pleasantly sore from yesterdays labouring in exchange for food and board, he hefts his club over a massive shoulder and moves out into the cobbled path towards the main road, destined for Sandpoint.
"Well Thumper, we're still stuck in this town for a while, but now we might stay in it for a while instead of outside it, but the question is..." Harry pauses to chomp on whats left of his cigar with a pensive look of deep thought, "how long you reckon before we get back to enjoying a comfortable room and some decent food?". Thumper looks back at harry quizzically in that way that only canines can.
Harry tidies up his appearance as best he can. At least his clothes are now freshly laundered and roughly repaired, the holes darned and patched; he has enjoyed a good wash and a clean shave and looks quite upbeat and optimistic.
"There's a festival, there's laden wagons, and there's lots of travellers with lots of valuables; Thumper my dear boy, I believe this means work is to be had"
Harry wanders into Sandpoint, keeping an eye out for people who might be looking to hire on a strong back or a hard stare. The fact that he only owns a large stick is not lost on him...
Nieve smiles and bows down again. "I would be honoured for some wine tomorrow eve. But I need to rest my eyes now. Do have a pleasant evening."
He says his goodnights to Ameiko before he heads to his room, careful to lock the door as he enters. He slips out of his cloak and heavier clothes, slipping onto the bed that was oddly comfortable. Elyn jumps up on his chest and curls up by his stomach. Nieve scratches the weasel behind his ears. "Get some sleep, Elyn."
Sleep never came for him. The weasel made all manners of quiet sounds, but it was the daydreams that kept Nieve awake, wondering what it would be like to walk the streets as a hero, to fight monsters and the villain, to...
When he wakes up, it is early morning.
|Heavy Harry
As Harry wanders, he looks to see if there is any bareknuckle boxing tents, arm wrestles, strongman competitions or the like - the sort of place where a rough man might earn a quick purse in exchange for a bit of bloody work or tough work. The type of work to which he is no stranger.
The big man and his big dog trying to play down both their brutishness and menace as they stroll the refined village.
|Karlan Bladetwist
@ Karlan:
The bearded old fellow arches an eyebrow
The head priest, my son? There is only one priest in this town, which is by accident me. he laughs heartily and adds
Now, how can the head priest - just call me Father Abstalar - be of service to you?
Karlan looked a bit sheepish as he scratched the back of his head. This isn't how he expected this meeting to go, "My name is Ka..Sir Karlan of the paladins of Iomedae. I was ordered to come here andreport to whatever religious authority was in charge."
"A letter was sent ahead of me?". He said hopefully.
|Gerlick the Broken
Seeing the expression of the digger, Gerlick lets out a chuckle. "Oh don't worry, I am not contagious. Rather, this is my payment for my sin. Much like your hand." Looking out over the quiet graves, Gerlick takes another sip of his wine. "While I hope you can repay your sin to the gods, I am not so sure they would care much. Then again, I am a pessimist. I am of the opinion that the gods hate us. I mean, just look at me."
Gerlick stands, and finishes his wine. "You have shown me uncommon kindness Mr Keeper. If you need any healing or assistance please let me know. I am not physically strong mind you, but I am trained in healing arts both magical and non magical, and I would like to repay the debt I owe you now. I am going to go sleep, so just let me know otherwise."
With that, the half-orc bows and wanders over to the shed. He quickly makes himself a bed using his pack and bedroll, and starts to drift to sleep.
When he wakes up the next morning refreshed, he will visit the grave keeper again, thank him, and assuming the grave keeper needs no assistance at the moment, head down into Sandpoint to view the festivities.
Kanyk awakes just as the sun appears over the horizon, he dismantles his makeshift camp with practised ease, leaving only a small patch of scorched ground where he had set a small fire the previous night. Shouldering his pack he heads back across the bridge and into Sandpoint.
A quick glance in his coin pouch tells him that he'd soon need to find work or begin hunting again. With that in mind he heads toward the centre of the town, on the lookout for any unloaded wagons or other signs of possible help needed.
|DM Zyren/ Heart of Runes
OK guys, just to bring us all to one level (time-wise) I have to cut some things short.
The last happenings of the 30th of Arodus
@ Karlan:
The old priest of Desna seems to ponder about the pieces of information he had completely forgotten
Ha, the letter, yes yes. So then you're Kartha's fosterling, mhh? Good that you made it here boy, I can need your assistance during all the flurry tomorrow. Since I doubt that you have already found a place to spend the night, you can just stay at the cathedral.
For now I have to disappoint and leave you, since there are alot of complicated matters to attend... he seems a bit forlorn as his gaze wanders over to the impressive new building...
Just meet me at dawn tomorrow...right here in front of the cathedral.
I will now just assume that you have moved into your chamber at the cathedral and rested for the rest of the day.
@ Gerlick:
Naffer Vosk nods and gives you the rest of the bottle (half full) as a present.
Sleep well mate, see you tomorrow at the festival.
@ Harry:
I'll just skip your 30th of Arodus and use your actions for the 1st of Rova, hope you don't mind.
1st of Rova-Swallowtail Festival
The first of Rova - the first day of autumn...yet summer seems not intimidated at all. Big and bright the sun stands above the small coastal town and sends warm wake-up calls in everyone's bedrooms. Today is a Sunday, so there is no working, nevertheless the men at the sawmill still have to pull the timber out of the slowly flowing Turandarok River to avoid backwater.
On the other side of the town, the Varisian Gulf, devoid of shipping boats is a rare but beautiful sight. In fact it's quite hard to gaze at the sea without having to blink, since the white cliffs reflect the sunlight and even enhance its blinding effect.
Already before dawn, the first stands and stalls have been set up and as you awake the whole town is again in a state of chaotic anticipation. You hear that the consecration of the cathedral is scheduled for late afternoon, after Mayor Kendra Deverin, Sheriff Belor Hemlock and Father Abstalar Zantus have held speeches (yet most Sandpoint natives expect a speech of Cyrdak Drokkus, the proprietor of Sandpoint's theatre, too).
The people who roam the streets of Sandpoint this morning, are colourfully clothed and joyful of spirit. You notice large groups of native Varisians, the women wearing skirts in red, orange and green, the men calico bandanas.
@ Harry:
As you reach the marketplace (SM 35) you notice a ring of sawdust and a group of heavily muscled Varisians around it.
Varisians are known for their interest in traditional wrestling fights.
@ Kanyk:
You reach the marketplace (SM 35) even earlier as Harry and as you arrive most stands and stalls are still not set-up. This could be your moment to lend a helping hand.
@ Karlan:
You awake in your small chamber in the cathedral (SM 1). It's totally quiet and the spiritual energy of the place is nearly graspable. It must be about dawn, so you're not too late for your early appointment with Father Abstalar.
@ Gerlick:
The first sunrays that sweep over your face restore your life energy and pull you out of your slumber. Naffer's shed (SM 2) is still totally quiet und you doubt that the gravedigger has already awakened.
@ Nieve:
Before the Rusty Dragon (SM 37) awakes, Elyn is already hungry enough to squeak...that's it for today' sleep as it seems...
|Gerlick the Broken
Gerlick stands and stretches, and begins packing up his gear. Holding the bottle of wine separate, he eyes it briefly and then packs it up with everything else How heavy is the bottle? :/.
The half-orc then makes sure his hood is up before leaving quietly out of the graveyard, making his way into town proper. He looks around trying to find where the main events of the festival will be taking place. He does this quietly, simply watching where people congregate, staying to the edges of the crowds and in the shadows. Once he finds where the main events will be held, he finds himself a nice spot in the shadows and conceals himself, watching the crowd but trying to make sure his presence is unknown.
Untrained Stealth Check - 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Waking up to the muffled rustling of the town outside, and the soft squeaks of Elyn's hungry self, Nieve yawns and sits upright, giving the weasel a rub behind the ears. The night had gone by a lot quicker than he expected, and now it was to enjoy the festival. He stretches his shoulders and upper body, rising from his bed.
After feeding Elyn, Nieve spends ten minutes to wash his face and braid his hair. He finds the festival clothes he had brought from home: the right sleeve alternates between Shelyn's colours up until the shoulder and part of the chest, while white silk makes up the rest of the shirt, which has no left sleeve. He dons a pair of dark-blue breeches, and steps into his travelling sandals.
"Well, Elyn, are you ready for festivities?" The weasel crawls up his leg and up to his shoulder, nipping affectionately on his face. He strings his spell-pouch and his small bag of gold to the belt, making sure his shirt covers them.
I wonder what food is available. I should ask Ameiko, if she is to be found in the entrance or by the hearth.
He heads out of his room, careful to lock the door, ready to join the festivities.
|DM Zyren/ Heart of Runes
The bottle weighs one pound...you have to drink it fast, I guess :-)
Gerlick tries to melt with the shadows, yet it seems like this is a hard task on such a sunny day.
In the end he takes cover behind a pile of barrels next to the Sandpoint Meat Market (SM 36) in Mud Street. From there he can overwatch the marketplace (SM 35) easily, where most of the day's action will take place.
|DM Zyren/ Heart of Runes
@ Nieve:
As you descend down into the taproom, you hear clattering sounds from the kitchen - seems like you're not the only early bird at the Rusty Dragon.
You smell eggs and bacon from the kitchen-maybe there is already breakfast to get.
Besides the sounds from the kitchen, you can also make out hammering sounds from the marketplace that lies in front of the tavern. Through the windows you can observe that lots of workers, fishers and other inhabitants of the Lost Coast's Jewel (fig. for Sandpoint) industriously work on the setting-up of stands and stalls.
|Gerlick the Broken
Perception roll.
1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
When Nieve enters the taproom, the smell of bacon immediately catches his attention. Elyn seems equally excited, skittering back and forth across his neck. He glances to the kitchen, trotting over to the doorway, and he peers in.
"Pardon? I was wondering if there was any breakfast to be had."
|DM Zyren/ Heart of Runes
Peering into the kitchen you behold a stout halfling girl, with hazel-brown hair bound to a single thick braid. Standing on a stool she operates four different pans simultaneously.
As you ask for breakfast, she gives you a friendly smile and says
Oh yeah for sure, I mean umm pretty soon. Just seat yourself at the bar, I'll be with you in a minute or two!
|Karlan Bladetwist
Oh man this nearly hundred pounds of gear is just under my light load and is quite tiring let me just put some of this down for a bit...
Karlan awoke from his rather more vivid than normal dreams with a yawn. Yes, the place certainly did have a power to it without even having taken a single service or sermon. It was just a shame they did not cater to his god. Still, he gave his morning prayers and duties to Iomedae before thoroughly washing himself, a ritual as much about habit as cleanliness. With that he came to a difficult decision as to whether or not he should go armed into town. He settled on leaving much of his gear behind including the sturdy shortbow that had been his hunting companion for so long. He brought along his armor and weapons as a matter of etiquette, after all a paladin was defined by his readiness to strike down evil.
He felt surprisingly light without the near hundred pounds worth of gear holding him down. He had carried it for so long and so far he felt somewhat naked without its burden on his shoulders. In any case he wore his holy syumbol outside of his armor before meeting with Father Abstalar.
He briefly mused on the subject of what tasks he'd be given. The slaying of evil creatures? The preaching of sermons? The quest for some relic to make the festival go off with a hitch?
With these hopes in mind he went out to meet with the priest.
|DM Zyren/ Heart of Runes
@ Karlan:
Much too often high ambitions are shattered by the daily needs.
There are no monsters to kill, no faith to restore no nothing - just Father Abstalar with a box of nails and a large hammer.
Oh good that you're awake son, you can help me built our stand.
He hands you the hammer and the nails and points to the centre of the town.
Please, go over to our stand at the marketplace and set it up. I'll join you in an hour or so.
@ Nieve:
It takes about ten minutes until the halfling chef approaches your table with a tray full of scrambled eggs and bacon.
Hey, me name's Bethana, I'm the heart and soul of the Rusty Dragon. What's your name boy and where do you come from?
Knowledge local 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
Kanyk strolls into the marketplace and pauses to take a look around. A small smile floats momentarily across his face at the sight of all the unfinished stands, his habit of rising early having paid off. He makes a quick circuit of the stalls, stopping at one with a wagon piled high with boxes and clears his throat to attract the attention of the man straining to haul a large barrel from the wagon bed.
"Err, couldn't helping noticing you've got a lot of goods there, any chance you've need of a strong pair of arms to help unloading them? I'll unload the entire wagon in no time at all and all I want in exchange is breakfast."
|Heavy Harry
Local (untrained) 1d20 ⇒ 19
"Hmmm a sawdust ring eh? pretty universal sign of the sort of place I'm after, lets go find out what thats about"
Harry wanders over to see what the event is, and how it all works.
|Karlan Bladetwist
|DM Zyren/ Heart of Runes
@ Nieve:
The sturdy halfling woman doesn't seem to notice your mishap.
From Magnimar? she is obviously impressed
The fabled City of Monuments? Uuuh, you have to tell me everything about your life there!
She seats herself opposite you and waits for you to tell her about your home city.
@ Kanyk:
The man, a bearded fellow of Ulven heritage, eyeballs you for a short moment
Mead and fish, that's my offer, boy. then he hands you a small but heavy crate.
Three strength checks please.
@ Harry:
As you approach the sawdust ring, one of the brawny Varisians points at you and his companions burst out laughing...there must have been some kind of insult... Then he walks over to you and alls of his movements are testament of his self-confidence. With his full bass voice he adresses you in Varisian
Get off Tusky, t'is no place for Sissys!
@ Karlan:
The marketplace is already a place bustling with activity. You soon find the stand of the church of Desna...but...mhhh..not quite a stand, rather a pile of planks.
Please roll a Knowledge Engineering Dc 5 / untrained 10 check.
|Karlan Bladetwist
Approaching the pile of planks cautiously he gulped and muttered to himself. "Ok Karlan this isn't difficult it's just a pile of wood you have to hammer into a specific shape. It can't be that difficult...just like crafting a fine sword."
1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12
|Gerlick the Broken
Strength checks
1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 71d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 181d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23
Well that first crate was a lot heavier than it looked.
"Fish and mead sounds good" Kanyk replies, accepting the box into outstretched arms. Not expecting such a small box to be so weighty he nearly topples forward and staggers for a second before regaining his balance and carrying the heavy box over to the man's stall. After that first fumble Kanyk quickly gets into the swing of the work, hoisting box after box out of the back of the wagon and to the stall.
|DM Zyren/ Heart of Runes
@ Kanyk:
As you have finished helping to unload the wagon, the man slaps you on your back
Good job lad, me name's Bjorn, Bjorn Thunderclap.
He sweeps the sweat from his forehead and blinks into the sun.
The weather is weird, isn't it, the sun seems to believe we are in Geb, heh.
@ Karlan:
Impressive: Without much knwoledge of work like that you are able to put the planks together to a nice and robust stand. Shortly after you have finished your work, Father Abstalar arrives at the marketplace.
Well done Karlan. Now, please, would you bring this parchment to Brodert Quink? he hands you a sheet of parchment and simultaneously turns around to greet a passerby.
@ Gerlick:
please roll a perception check.
|Gerlick the Broken
|Karlan Bladetwist
@Well done Karlan. Now, please, would you bring this parchment to Brodert Quink? he hands you a sheet of parchment and simultaneously turns around to greet a passerby.
Karlan smiled brightly at the compliment and then when handed the parchment he goes. "Who?"
|DM Zyren/ Heart of Runes
@ Karlan:
Already occupied with shaking hands and making compliments, Father Abstalar only says
Brodert Quink boy, I said Brodert Quink.
@ Gerlick:
Besides the many industrious people you notice a tense scene at the western end of the marketplace. A muscled half-orc and his hound have encountered a group of cocky Varisians. You can feel that the situation is pretty close to explode...maybe a healer is needed sooner than you expected...
|Karlan Bladetwist
@ Karlan:
Already occupied with shaking hands and making compliments, Father Abstalar only says
Brodert Quink boy, I said Brodert Quink.
Smiling stiffly he turns from the priest.
"Well then...either I find the man...or woman...or get lost forever." Sighing, he did the only thing open to him. He asked for directions.
Diplomacy to gather information: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
|DM Zyren/ Heart of Runes
|Gerlick the Broken
Gerlick finishes his bread and wine, and puts the bottle near the barrels. He then wanders over to where the large half orc and Varsians are and speaks, in common.
"What is going on here? Is today not a festive day? Surely no trouble should be caused..." He directs this mostly to the humans.
Diplomacy Check 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22 and if this doesn't work, well, there is always the scare factor. :)
|DM Zyren/ Heart of Runes
If you really intend to scare someone you should use intimidate :-)
@ Gerlick and Harry:
The man just glimpses at you, then his jaw drops and his gaze slowly wanders back to you.
What? I mean...who are you? This is none of your business, man. And you... he points directly into the half-orc's face
Are you here for a fight or just for staring?
|Gerlick the Broken
Actually I was trying to be friendly.
Gerlick bristles slightly and tugs his hood closer to his face trying to hide it. "Well, I personally am not here to fight or anything. I can heal you all if you intend to fight." Gerlick shrugs, and then says something in Orcish, looking at Harry.
"Do you intend to fight these people? Why?"
"You...you want me to talk about... my life?" he asks; the halfling's curious face is momentarily forgotten when his stomach rumbles and the breakfast is mighty inviting. He smiles meekly as he takes a bite of the bacon.
"Well, there's little to say, I rarely left my street. I...rarely left my home, actually. I wasn't... liked much." He sighs a little, and Elyn lessens in cheer. "But there's always life on the street. Every morning, merchants ring their bells..."
Deliberately avoiding anything pertaining his life, he focuses more on the city itself: describing the wonders of the Bazaar of Sails, and all the interesting (and frightening) sights one could see in the free market; the Dockway and its myriad of ships that came in all varieties; the bustling Lowcleft, which he thought one of the most beautiful streets to wander through with all the artists; by the time he had finished his food he had rambled on for a long time about the Seerspring Gardens, not mentioning how much he missed the smell of the flowers while his mother would tend to the garden with the other priestesses...
|Karlan Bladetwist
@ Karlan:
Brodert Quink seems to be some sort of sage...yet rather one of the eccentric sort. He lives in a small house at the norhern end of Sandpoint (SM8).
Karlan made the trip to the mans home, admiring the sites around him. People here seemed so much more free here than they did at home. Granted his nation was founded on military principles so stoicness and orderliness were sometimes jsut a given. Barring any interruptions he knocks on the sages door.
|DM Zyren/ Heart of Runes
@ Nieve:
Bethana listens to you, mouth open, eyes wide - after you have ended, she calls out
Oh this is just so cool. Hmmm... she sighs and looks out of the window into the distance...
@ Karlan:
Finding the Quink's home is not a big thing. The small house close to the strange rumbled monument at Sandpoint's northwestern corner is well kept and you hear someone humming from inside.
A moment after you knocked the door is opened and a balding man in his seventees with large glasses eyeballs you curiously
Whom do we have here?


text:
Maarten Janssens first came to notice at age 15 when he won a comic talent competition organized by Het Stripschap and the Veronica guide. After having drawn for his highschool newspaper and some club magazines, Maarten got his first official assignment from a printer in Sittard. Together with Wout Paulussen, he made the comic book 'Funs en Finke in: Sittard 750 Jaar Stad' in 1993. In the following years, Maarten drew for magazines like Noppes, and he made the illustrations and title comic of the juvenile animal magazine Banjer, with scripts by Pascal Oost.
Maarten now works as an illustrator/concept artist, making concept designs and art direction guides for art studios. He has worked for the Dutch Disney publications of Sanoma Uitgevers, where he illustrated covers for the Donald Duck weekly and Donald Duck Extra, editorial sections like the Woodchuck's Page and World Treasures, as well as an occasional letterbox and contest comic. He has also designed the original official Donald Duck website. He was one of the artists working on the Dutch animation series 'Kika en Bob', and now gains fame through his paperkits for little paper creatures through 3eyedbear.com.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Information Age means instant data, news, opinions and entertainment at our fingertips. It also means our personal information is less safe than ever before, leading to identity theft and other breaches of privacy.
One serious case developed in the middle of July when the names of 1,300 supposedly
"illegal" immigrants were released to law-enforcement officials and news organizations, along with such private details as Social Security numbers, medical records and addresses. According to The New York Times story, releasing the medical information is a federal felony, while releasing the other data is a misdemeanor. Some version of the list may have been sent to law enforcement as early as April.
The information was purported to be from a group called "Concerned Citizens of the United States." The release of the list stirred up debate again about immigration, including many references to Arizona's controversial immigration law, which is being challenged by the Obama administration in federal court. Pro-immigrant groups denounced the list as a bigoted right-wing attack on immigrants.
But last week, Reuters reported from Salt Lake City, "The Utah Department of Workforce Services announced the termination of one temporary employee who maintained a database containing information found on the list, and said a second employee would be fired soon." So the real issue here isn't so much the contentious one of immigration, but abuse of government databases.
"This is an extremely serious breach of privacy," said Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Right Clearinghouse, a privacy watchdog group based in San Diego. "There are a lot of unanswered questions. I give the agency high marks for dismissing the employees who copied and released the data. It's important that the results of the investigation be made public. Facts need to be disclosed so officials and lawmakers can make sure this never happens again."
Prevention is a key. People obviously need to be more careful with information on their own personal and business computers. But citizens are at the mercy of government actions. "Agencies need to have iron-clad information-security programs in place," she urged. "Access ought to be based on a need-to-know basis. Information as serious as this ought to be encrypted. It should not have been so easy for employees such as these to obtain and release this sensitive information."
We would add that another way to reduce such breaches is to reduce the amount of information government collects. After all, when Social Security numbers were first given out in the 1930s, the government promised they would never become personal identification numbers — yet they have, as this new scandal shows. Instead, with the Obamacare medical bill passed in February and the financial reform bill President Obama signed into law last week, yet more government databases will be created with the personal information of citizens.
"They've given you a number and taken away your name," ran the old Johnny Rivers 1960s song, "Secret Agent Man." Now, they — the government — can't even keep secret your number and the data attached to it.


text:
She was born on September 22, 1910, in a dug out in Nogales, New Mexico. She graduated from Dublin High School and played basketball in which she was the captain of the team that won state in 1928.
She married Doyle Hair in 1928 after graduation; Doyle preceded her in death, November 18, 1981. She is survived by her sister, Charlene Warren Rutherford and husband Don of Broken Arrow; their children, Carol Ann and Bill of Oklahoma and Delma's children, Doylene Hair Hazlett and husband Bill and Douglas Lynn Hair. She was grandmother to Darren, Randy, Kreg and Trace Hazlett. Then there were 8 great-grandchildren, Ryan, Collin, Carleigh, Angela, Courtney, Creighton, Kelly and Lexi. Matilda Polson Isaacks was like a daughter to her, and they were great friends.
Delma was a member of the Pawnee Baptist Church for many years and was involved in the Missionary Society, Girl's Auxiliary and many Vacation Bible Schools. Delma was also a member of the Eastern Star Organization.
Visitation was held Saturday, June 22, 2013, from 6:00 – 8:00 P.M. in the Eckols Funeral Home Chapel. Funeral services began at 2:00 P.M., Sunday, June 23, 2013, in the Eckols Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Jeff Brewer and Rev. Mike Whitefield officiating. Interment followed in the Pawnee Cemetery, with Darren, Randy, Kreg, Trace, Ryan, Collin and Creighton serving as pallbearers. Serving as honorary pallbearers were: Lacy Pouge, Walter Wernli, Donald Hines, Bill Green, Degorio Duenes and Tom Kerr.
The family wishes to send a special thanks to her loving caregivers over the years, Esther Bryan, Rosie Monsivais and Ida Fonseca and the staff of Nurses in Touch Hospice.
Mother, we love you and have been blessed to have you for 102 plus years.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donation be made to the Pawnee Baptist Church Building Fund.


text:
Empower Educators. Inspire Learning.™
Best Search Results: Advanced Search
Call us today:877.899.8550
Provide your classroom with engaging, thought-provoking novels from the most highly regarded authors. We provide a
wide selection of classroom literature and school books, from classic award-winners to the latest popular series. Offered
at affordable prices, our school literature is ideal for completing your classroom collection.
Our classroom literature includes a wide range of brand-new paperback novels for all K-12 grade levels. Content is offered from all major
publishers at reduced prices with free shipping also available for all supplemental material orders. View the lists below to browse
classroom literature organized by grade level.


text:
Gallup Results Present Problems For Both Agendas
Gallup has released some interesting poll findings showing that both sides of the aisle have their work cut out for them if they're going to keep Americans happy.
Released Thursday, the Gallup: results show: that only 37% of Americans favor a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, while 62% want to see measure that will halt illegal immigration.
And, 70% want the tax code simplified to lower rates and an elimination of deductions and loopholes, while less than half (47%) support Pres. Obama's proposal to increase taxes on those households with incomes of $250,000 or more.
Not good news for liberal politicians seeking to open borders and raise revenue.
But, conservatives have challenges, too. Fully 88 percent of Gallup respondents support saving the: biggest entitlement programs, while 72 percent says there needs to be spending cuts.
As the fiscal cliff looms, while sequestration means massive cuts to the nation's military, only 29 percent favor this.
So,: it seems that Democrats don't have: popular support to pursue their push to raise taxes, and Republicans don't seem to be pushed by Americans to support legislation that calls for amnesty. : The alternative Dream Act from Sen. Marco Rubio, which already splits the conference, is a prime example.
Lastly, Americans want to see a simpler tax code and spending cuts, but don't want government messing around with their Medicare.
Let the political maneuvering, on both sides, begin!
Also see...
Even though my father, brother, uncles and grandfather were in the military, I seldom handled guns growing up. That's because unlike many of the other people in my family, I've...Read More
Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa is a conservative blogger based in Virginia. Besides contributing to Right Wing News, Vespa writes for RedState, PJ Media, Independent Journal Review, and his personal blog Noodle Pundit. He's also the 2013 recipient of American for Prosperity Foundation's Andrew Breitbart Award For Excellence In Online Activism and Investigative Reporting
Related Articles
Van Jones Resigns After Apparently Having Done Nothing Wrong
Personally, I had thought he would not resign as long as the left leaning media ignored the story about his
Dem. Adviser Joe Trippi Admits Carter's a 'Failed Presidency'
Amusing note of the day: Well known Democratic advisor Joe Trippi called President Jimmy Carter's a "failed presidency" on CNN
Someone Get Out the Wetnaps, Van Jones Has Resigned
I'm guessing by now you already know that Van Jones, President Obama's "Green Jobs Czar" tendered his resignation in the


text:
Score +36
Deal DetailsLast Edited by cricket702 September 2, 2016 at 01:21 PM
Thanks for all the love folks. Truly appreciated!
I offer these daily lists as a healthy alternative to the junk crap scam guides and coloring books that are peddled here daily by unscrupulous publishers. Please see the link below for more information about this:
Why does 100+ 4 star reviews matter? Simple. Amazon lists many thousands of books that regularly drop in price to "free". The vast majority of these books, however are nothing but trashy romance novels and worthless "how to" or "self-help" books and "box sets". Many of these guides are published with the express intent to defraud less savvy readers.
These free guides (with very few exceptions) seldom contain anything but transcribed public domain online content, recipes and articles lifted from sources like Wikipedia See for yourself:
How to scam amazon customers out of $100k a year.. [reddit.com]
They are given catchy titles like "DiY Box Set of basket weaving" or "25 Amazing Tips to Lose Weight Fast" or "50 Best Crockpot Recipes Ever!" Or "ZenMasterDoodle adult coloring book" (containing nothing but public domain stock images) . These guides take literally minutes to package and publish. These publishers attribute the material to a fictitious author (often with a Western sounding name). They also frequently pay for fake 5 star reviews (or generate their own).
These brochures NEED free zero dollar "sales" so they can quickly increase their Amazon sales rank and get priority on the Amazon search filters. Once their sales rank crosses above a certain level, they switch the price to several dollars and lure unsuspecting buyers believing the 44 page double spaced x-large font brochure being sold as an "Ultimate box set" of books" is actually worth money. By the time the real copyright owners can react, the book is pulled from Amazon and the material gets a fresh stock cover photo and slightly new title under a different author.
Unfortunately many of these crappy guides are promoted here on SD daily - about as frequently as they are published - (most likely by the same people who publish and profit from their sales) . They recruit your time and your Amazon account to generate their free sales. Remember: when something is free on the internet, more often than not, YOU become the product.
Anyways, by focusing on 4 stars or more with 100 + reviews you avoid filling your library with this crap and also avoid becoming an unsuspecting party to the free ebook scam.
Please don't forget to come back and thumb this post up so I know there is interest in me posting. click "follow" for early notification when I post these deals as many do expire within minutes or hours of posting. Also it helps to counteract the multitude of thumbs down I get daily from these publishers who are seeing the SD effect diminished since I started my rants against their practices.
Public service announcement: If you like the kind of books I list (free books rated generally 4 stars or more and minimum of 100 reviews- with very few exceptions) and fear you may have missed some of my recent posts simply go here:
Many of the deals I have posted recently can still be obtained for free and can help you build quite a library of good reads on the cheap.
Thank you and Please support real authors and not scam artists.
Community Wiki
9 Comments
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.


text:
Philadelphia Phillies (6-10) vs St. Louis Cardinals (9-6)
Roy Halladay (1-2, 7.63) vs Jaime Garcia (1-0, 1.86)
Time: 7:05, Citizens Bank Park
Weather:70's, chance of rain/storms
Media: Twitter and Facebook
Tonight should be fun. Jaime Garcia (7 IP, 0 R in his last outing) is on the mound for the Cardinals, and he's had success (2.30 ERA) against the Phillies in his career. In addition, the Phillies lineup looks one from Spring Training. It has the makings of yet another poor offensive game for the Phils.
Roy Halladay will start for the Phillies, and he looked like Roy Halladay in his last start. Still, his season ERA is still through the roof, and we need more than just one start to know he's really out of his funk, or if it was just a result of the Marlins offense. He's got pretty good numbers against the Cardinals in his career (2.57 ERA), however.
Injury updates: Ryan Howard is day-to-day with a sore groin, and Carlos Ruiz was hit in the wrist by a pitch in an extended Spring Training game.
Lineup: Rollins SS, Galvis LF, Utley 2B, M Young 3B, Mayberry RF, Frandsen 1B, Revere CF, Quintero C, Halladay P
GAMEDAY BEER: Busch Light
When the Phillies are in St. Louis [or hosting the Cardinals], we always go for the smooth, crisp, cheap taste of Busch beer. Tonight, we'll go light for you, to ease you back into it. They don't call it "easy drinkin' for nothin'. This is an underage drinkers dream out in the sticks. Many a time you'll find empty cans scattered in a wooded area from the local punks. It's still $15 for a 30 pack, if I'm not mistaken. But really, Busch won't kill your taste buds, either. It's not the worst light beer ever invented, but it's also far from the best. –By Pat
40 Comments
This oughta be interesting. As in who knows. Cards are favored, Garcia's a good pitcher, sometimes great, but not a great road pitcher (understated). Doc? Well, can't say I', optimistic against this lineup, but if he's gonna turn it around to whatever degree, it won't happen when expected. 2K's, and a lot of breaking pitches, the year's norm. Might not work against the Cards. 7.5 U/O, I'll guess we go over. Less thsan Buffalo 27-8 over The Cuse last night, but over's my guess.
The phils have the highest paid pinch hitter in the league on the bench too.
Use him wiely old man!
Another must win
Go phils!
Did…..we….actually…..score…..first??? INCREDIBLE!!!
That's funny, my eyes roll up to the ceiling when Wigginton makes the stop thinking how nad he played at 3rd last year, and I missed seeing the throw.
That is really funny. Didn't they scout Wigginton at 3B for the Phillies last year?
Now THAT is how ya do it, Bennie. Great knock.
Course it's 4-zip now, been there, done that/
Gotta hope the rain holds off.
Good point by Wheels, a simple 2 out walk STARTED the rally. Nice.
Awesome at bat for MY
Sure was. To be honest, I thought he was a little fortunate to get the call on the check swing before he kept fouling pitches off, but that wound up great.
Still plenty of innings left to blow it…..
Crossing my fingers that every game vs a leftie Howard pulls a groint.
I also have Beltran 🙂
And I have Jaime…
Just a completely wild guess…you will talk more about Howard when he's not playing than you do when he does.
Guess that means I think the Phils'll hold the lead. Talk about fingers crossing. They lose this, I can't imagine this place tomorrow.
Looks to me like Doc's throwing a little better than early against Florida. Be sweet to build off this like he improved against the Fish as the game went on.
Course the irony of this 1st inning compared to fateful first inning Doc had in a certain playoff game a couple years back is well….you could get depressed thinking about it.
2 inning totals…
6 hits in 12 at bats, 4-7 RISP. Not too shabby. If you have a half decent team, which you would hope or think the Phils do, as oppoised to some years where it's a safe assumption they do, it's about cycles. Boy, a new cycle, as opposed to a blip in a trip through hell would be nice.
Doc's ERA down to 6.87. It's a long road to Tucumcari. Or Tipparari, whichever.
Meanwhile, from the famous quotes department…
"We're the best team in baseball."
– Jayson Werthe
March 2013
Early, Bryan Harvey 2, Stras 0..
Could the Mess show consecutive CY winners? Perhaps. But it's early.
The hell with the 6-1 lead. You get 1st and 3rd, 0 out against an overworked pitcher, you gotta keep on keepin on. Bottom of the order or not, you HAVE to score here. Make it more habit than not.
"make that two runs and yes, it's over.
When this offense goes in the tank, it lives there for a week, or twelve" – jake, April 17, 2013.
(I repost this because blind baseless pessimism is the single worst attitude a person can have and deserves as much ridicule and disgust as all of us can muster. There is no room for pessimism on this planet.)
If they lose this now I wont be around tomorrow.
Back to howard
8-1 these are the games he shines in.
This will hurt the numbers
You made a comment on Howard and he's not playing.
Score 1 for the wild guess department.
The idea that Howard does better in blowouts has been debunked — if you'd like to see the data again let me know. Not sure why you keep repeating stuff like this — Howard has enough issues that you shouldn't really have to make up new ones.
Between Ty and Ryan Zimmerman's Blassitis, Young Mike could cop him a Gold Glove by year end. That'd fire em up in Sabermetricsville.
I aim to please
Look at Galvis a young athlete in the line up.
Love to se him in the line up every ngiht at 2B or SS if a trade was made.
Ok no more Howard comments.
I doubt the old man will use him as a PH even now 🙁
I'm gonna have fun with you whether you talk about him or not. Might as well keep yappin.
I'll say this about Freddy. I like him, and feel he's a purposeful player. And he'll earn a chance to play regularly sometime, and it could be that he should now. That said, iot's also possible that some of his good play is due to being used in selective spots. Whether he'd be as good consistently at this point isn't a certainty.
Also the Phils do have 2 walks.
And llok at the results of them, which isn't necessarily common. Started a huge 2 out rally, and the other was my favorite play in baseball, the leadoff walk, which they parlayed.
I don't know what to tell you about 4 straight walkless games. Even against hot, or good pitchers, that's ridiculous. I know being a fan of the walk, you'd have rather seen Yuni walk than hiot a grand slam the other night, which is your unique style, but the walk truly has a place in an offensive game.
@Jonathan, thanks for that write up!!! You totally wrote on the negative and BAM!! 8 runs so far!
Really hope the rain holds up. I'm in Allentown right now and it's storming, so we know that the Iron Pigs are post poned.
It's amazing what one 2 out walk can do isn't it?
Also, excuse my ignorance….after the 5th the game is considered complete?? Is it even raining in Philly?
4 and a half is official if the hoe team is leading.
Web research reveals it's cloudy in Philly. Delayed action in Baltimore for the Dodgers and O's.
It's considered "official" Mikey, but not "complete" until the umps officially call the game. If it doesn't end by about 9:30 the rain should start and probably not stop for a while if the radar future thingy on the weather channel site is right. So they probably won't call it right away, but maybe around 11 they will. BTW- Never bet on the weatherman.
Breakout night for the offensively impaired. Phils are rollin,' and the Tampa club has now scored 8 off the A's, including a nice first inning against very good Brett Anderson. Now whether Tampa can sustain, THAT is more of a question than the somewhat questionable Phils. But there probably coming out of their cycle, too, or will if tonight's a blip.
Great to see Revere having a good game. Nice catch. Very nice.
I know it's bad form to mention anything about no-no's, but maybe it's okay to note that with the help of some nice fielding, Doc's got a one hitter going.
Okay… so I won't be doing that again.
Somebody's ERA is down to 5.91 now. And perhaps building base. Pretty good club to keep building a base against. And if you think the Phils offense is bad, his next start is against the Burgh. But ya can't take things for granted, but that's a good club to keep building against.
Anxious to see what Doc does this inning. In the past, this is where he'd turn it up, and he did that V the Fish. Big part of the Card lineup. Personally, I feel pretty good about maintaining hios control over them here.
Doubt its a breakout.
Lets see who is hitting 4th next time a left hander is on the mound for the otehr team.
Its a sign of hope though.


text:
Home List of Titles A comparison of the effect of mobile phone use and alcohol consumption on driving simulation performance
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/240006
- Title
- A comparison of the effect of mobile phone use and alcohol consumption on driving simulation performance
- Author(s)
- Leung, Sumie; Croft, Rodney J.; Jackson, Melinda L.; Howard, Mark E.; McKenzie, Raymond J.
- Abstract
- Objective: The present study compared the effects of a variety of mobile phone usage conditions to different levels of alcohol intoxication on simulated driving performance and psychomotor vigilance.Methods: Twelve healthy volunteers participated in a crossover design in which each participant completed a simulated driving task on 2 days, separated by a 1-week washout period. On the mobile phone day, participants performed the simulated driving task under each of 4 conditions: no phone usage, a hands-free naturalistic conversation, a hands-free cognitively demanding conversation, and texting. On the alcohol day, participants performed the simulated driving task at four different blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels: 0.00, 0.04, 0.07, and 0.10. Driving performance was assessed by variables including time within target speed range, time spent speeding, braking reaction time, speed deviation, and lateral lane position deviation.Results: In the BAC 0.07 and 0.10 alcohol conditions, participants spent less time in the target speed range and more time speeding and took longer to brake in the BAC 0.04, 0.07, and 0.10 than in the BAC 0.00 condition. In the mobile phone condition, participants took longer to brake in the natural hands-free conversation, cognitively demanding hands-free conversation and texting conditions and spent less time in the target speed range and more time speeding in the cognitively demanding, hands-free conversation, and texting conditions. When comparing the 2 conditions, the naturalistic conversation was comparable to the legally permissible BAC level (0.04), and the cognitively demanding and texting conversations were similar to the BAC 0.07 to 0.10 results.Conclusion: The findings of the current laboratory study suggest that very simple conversations on a mobile phone may not represent a significant driving risk (compared to legally permissible BAC levels), whereas cognitively demanding, hands-free conversation, and particularly texting represent significant risks to driving.
- Publication type
- Journal article
- Research centre
- Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Life and Social Sciences. Brain Sciences Institute
- Source
- Traffic Injury Prevention, Vol. 13, no. 6 (2012), pp. 566-574
- Publication year
- 2012
- FOR Code(s)
- 0902 Automotive Engineering; 1701 Psychology
- Keyword(s)
- Alcohol; Cognition; Distractability; Driving simulation; Driving performance; Mobile phones; Simulations
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- 1538-9588
- Publisher URL
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2012 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
- Additional information
- The authors acknowledge support from the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA).
- Peer reviewed


text:
The latest release of Java, J2SE 5.0 (codenamed Tiger), adds core support for the Java Management Extensions (JMX) 1.2 into the Java standard libraries. This article walks you through how to use the JMX support in J2SE 5.0, including the new JConsole application, to monitor and manage your own applications both locally and remotely.
The Java Management Extensions provide a set of tools and APIs for applying a standard client/server-based architecture to monitoring and management of a Java application. A JMX Agent is deployed into the application that is to be managed and monitored. A JMX Client then connects to the agent to perform management and/or monitoring activities, as shown in Figure 1 below.
The technologies that make up JMX, in different incarnations, have been available for some time in an optional download. In Java 1.5 (J2SE 5.0), JMX has been packaged into the standard libraries that come with the new version of Java. For the first time, the tools to monitor your application's performance are first-class citizens in any Java developer's toolbox.
In addition to incorporating JMX into the core support in the J2SE 5.0, a new application has been added in order to provide an example JMX Client application. That application is called JConsole and it is available in the %JAVA_HOME%/bin directory of your J2SE 5.0 installation. JConsole provides a nicely featured application that exercises many of the JMX 1.2 features such as connecting to, monitoring, and managing local and remote JMX-enabled Java applications.
Figure 1. A simple overview of how a JMX Client can connect to a local or remote JMX Agent that is monitoring an application
Whether you are monitoring a simple Java Desktop application or a full Enterprise suite, JMX provides a standard means by which you can get at the details of your application's performance, and even interact with the application and its host JVM, should you need to.
JMX 1.2 comes bundled as part of J2SE 5.0 and so, if you haven't already, it is worth downloading and installing the latest revision of J2SE 5.0 that is available (rc at the time this article was published). Once you have installed the version of J2SE 5.0 for your specific operating system and set up the corresponding
PATH variable to point to the newly installed version of Java, then you should be able to run the
java command to get the following output:
> java -version
java version "1.5.0-rc"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.5.0-rc-b63)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.5.0-rc-b63, mixed mode, sharing)
If you get "1.5.0-rc" when you run the
java command with the
-version option, then you are all set to use J2SE 5.0. Since JMX 1.2 comes as part of the J2SE installation, you do not need to do anything more to start deploying and using applications that are monitored using JMX.
Windows users, take note: JMX will not work correctly if your Windows operating system is booting from a FAT32 partition, even if the permissions are set up correctly. The reasons for this are mentioned in Sun's "Introduction to JMX." As a general rule of thumb, if you want to use JMX for remote (or even local) monitoring on Windows, then make sure your Windows boot disk is formatted as NTFS.
This article comes with a simple Java application that can be used to test out the management and monitoring facilities available in JMX 1.2. The application contains two classes that do nothing more than open a single window that contains a button and, when that button is pressed, create a new window with a loaded image, as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. The simple example application that this article monitors using JMX 1.2 and JConsole
The example application is deliberately simple in order to keep the focus on JMX while also exercising the performance of the application's JVM a little, so as to cause some effects that make the application more interesting when it is being monitored.
See the References section to download the example application.
Once you have downloaded the example code you can compile the example application using an IDE such as Eclipse, or from the command line using the
javac command:
> javac -d %PROJECT_DIRECTORY% \
Editor's note: This command should be typed all as one line. We've added line breaks, indicated by the
\ marks, to fit the ONJava web page layout.
You do not need to add anything special at compile time in order to prepare your applications for JMX. One of the benefits of using JMX is that it is a runtime configuration option, rather than something that has to be considered at compile time. This means that you can enable management and monitoring using JMX on any application, regardless of how it was initially compiled into byte code.
Users of older versions of the J2SDK, take note: While developing the code for this article, the JMX 1.2 Agent in J2SE 5.0 was tested to work with applications compiled under JDK 1.4 and 1.5. It is likely that JDK 1.3 would also work, but this was not tested.
When you have successfully compiled the example application, you can run it using the normal
java command, specifying the additional
com.sun.management.jmxremote Java system property to enable the JMX Agent:
java -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote \
-classpath %PROJECT_DIRECTORY% \
The example application should start running with no errors. The JMX Agent will have been enabled in order to provide local monitoring and management using a JMX Client. As mentioned in the introduction to this article, J2SE 5.0 comes with the JConsole application. JConsole provides a useful set of features that exercise the JMX capabilities for monitoring and managing your application as it runs. To run JConsole, enter the following at the command line:
> jconsole
The first thing that JConsole will attempt is to automatically locate all local (to the current machine) JMX Agents. If you have set things up correctly, the application you have just started should be automatically located and appear in the "JConsole: Connect to agent" dialog box, as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3. The JConsole "Connect to Agent" dialog showing a local application that can be connected to
If you have problems connecting to local JMX Agents and you are using Windows, then check the format of your Windows boot partition according to the note in the Setting Up JMX section of this article.
Select your application from the list and click on Connect to start monitoring your application from within JConsole. By default, JConsole will then display a summary of your application's performance, as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4. JConsole displaying a summary of a local application
You have now successfully connected to your application's JMX Agent using JConsole and can explore the facilities provided by JMX as exercised through JConsole's features. Click through the list of figures below to see some full-size screen shots that showcase some of the functions that JConsole supports.
One special and important feature of JMX, touched on in Figure 8, is the MBean. MBeans provide the mechanism by which you can embed custom management code into your application's management facilities in order to support interactions with your application through the JMX Agent. Any function that you want to expose within your application can be exposed as an MBean as long as you meet the MBean specification. The excellent book Java Management Extensions by J. Steven Perry walks you through how to create different types of MBeans to suit your application's management needs.
Related Reading
Java Management Extensions
Due in part to the MBeans architecture, JMX is not simply a passive monitoring mechanism for Java applications. Through the use of MBeans you can also invoke operations on the applications being monitored, and even potentially receive notifications. Figure 10 shows how the standard Memory MBean provides the
gc() method that can be invoked in order to manually request that garbage collection should occur on the monitored application.
Figure 10. JConsole invoking the
gc() method on the standard Memory Management MBean
You have now effectively enabled and monitored the simple example application locally. The next step is to perform the same monitoring from a remote machine, giving you the ability to monitor any number of remote applications and services using JConsole.
The JConsole application itself uses up significant system resources, and so using the JConsole locally to the applications being monitored can have an impact on the monitored results. The preferred route for using JConsole is to start it from a remote machine and then, using the JMX remote monitoring facilities, log in to your application and monitor its performance from a safe distance.
As it happens, configuring JMX in order to monitor an application remotely is simple and elegant if security is not a big concern (if you are working in a development environment, for example).
To start the example application with remote monitoring enabled, no security options, and using an arbitrary free port of your choice, you need to add the
com.sun.management.jmxremote.authenticate, and
com.sun.management.jmxremote.ssl Java system properties to the command line:
> java -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote \
-Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.port=8004 \
-Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.authenticate=false \
-Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.ssl=false \
%PROJECT_DIRECTORY% com.oreilly.onjava.jmxexample.SimpleApplication
When you now start JConsole from a remote networked machine, you should now be able to connect to the JMX agent in your application by entering the relevant information under the "Connect to Agent" dialog's "Remote" tab, as shown in Figure 11.
Figure 11. Connecting to a remote JMX-enabled application without authentication
At this point, you should only need to specify the Host or IP and the Port to connect to your application. The User Name and Password fields are not required, as you have not yet enabled authentication on your JMX Agent. Once the remote connection to your application's JMX Agent has been established, the title bar of JConsole will show the remote connection's details, as shown in Figure 12.
Figure 12. The remote connection's information displayed in JConsole's title bar
The fact that anyone can effectively manage your application at this point should be making you suitably nervous. The first step in securing the JMX Agent on your application is to add user name and password authentication. In order to enable JMX authentication, you first need to create a password file. A default template of the password file is located at %JRE_HOME%/lib/management/jmxremote.password.template.
Copy the template password file from %JRE_HOME%/lib/management/jmxremote.password.template to a directory that only you can read and write from (especially if you are working in a multiple-user environment). Your home directory is a good candidate location to copy the template password file to, renaming it %MY_HOME_DIRECTORY%/jmxremote.password.
Once you have created your own copy of the password file, amend its contents by un-commenting the two existing users monitorRole and controlRole. The resulting contents of your password file should look like this:
monitorRole QED
controlRole R&D
QED and
R&D values are the cleartext passwords for the two roles. Once you have saved your changes, you can enable authentication in your application's JMX Agent when you run your application by setting the
com.sun.management.jmxremote.password.file Java system property to your amended
jmxremote.password file, and by setting the
com.sun.management.jmxremote.authenticate Java system property to
> java -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote \
-Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.port=8004 \
-Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.authenticate=true \
-Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.ssl=false \
-Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.password.file=%MY_HOME_DIRECTORY%/jmxremote.password \
%PROJECT_DIRECTORY% com.oreilly.onjava.jmxexample.SimpleApplication
Once your application has started, you can connect to the JMX Agent using JConsole by entering the remote monitoring information as before, but this time including one of the user names and passwords from your jmsremote.password file; for example, the "controlRole" user and the "R&D" password shown in Figure 13.
Figure 13. Connecting to a remote JMX-enabled application with authentication enabled
Once the remote connection to your application's JMX Agent has been established, the title bar of JConsole will show the remote connection's details, including the role you with which you connected, as shown in Figure 14.
Figure 14. The remote connection's information, including the user role, displayed in JConsole's title bar
At this point, it is worth changing the passwords that are stored in your copy of the jmxremote.password file. The file contains a set of simple
<role> <password> pairs. To change the passwords, simply edit the file and restart your application. For example, to change the password for the "controlRole" to "BANANA", edit your jmxremote.password file so that it contains:
monitorRole QED
controlRole BANANA
Note: You can add new users with different permissions by editing the %JRE_HOME%/lib/management/jmxremote.access file. This is explained in more detail in the documentation on JMX available from Sun; see the References section of this article for details.
You have now effectively applied access authentication to your JMX-enabled application. However, the level of security that you have achieved is probably only acceptable for a development environment, as the passwords are still being exchanged in cleartext form between your application's JMX Agent and clients such as JConsole. Although it is beyond the scope of this article, it is worth considering using the SSL configuration options that are built into JMX in order to secure remote JMX monitoring in any production environments.
This completes the whirlwind tour of JMX and JConsole and how to monitor your own applications locally and remotely. The combination of JMX 1.2 and JConsole in J2SE 5.0 brings Java application management and monitoring to the front line of Java development like never before. There is much more to JMX, including the capability to programmatically create your own clients and your own MBeans, and so it is definitely worth digging a little deeper into what JMX 1.2 has to offer by exploring the references provided with this article.
Russell Miles is a senior consultant for SpringSource in the UK and contributes to various open source projects while working on books for O'Reilly.
Return to ONJava.com.
Copyright © 2009 O'Reilly Media, Inc.


text:
Wordsmith Talk
|About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us
You are not logged in. [Log In] Wordsmith.org » Forums » General Topics » Wordplay and fun » Sixteen Tons Register User Forum List Calendar Active Topics Search FAQ
Topic Options
#173578 - 02/15/08 06:21 AM Sixteen Tons
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 5295
Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
Sixteen Tons.
A song I used to sing a lot on my way to holiday jobs when I was sixteen. (never sweet)
I would like to find the original singer.
U-Tube gives Tennessee Ernie Ford and Johnny Cash.
But those are not the sounds I remember. Anyone who would know?
Some people say a man is made outta mud
A poor man's made outta muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store
#173579 - 02/15/08 06:49 AM Re: Sixteen Tons [Re: BranShea]
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 13803
Whether he was the original I wouldn't know but I do associate it with Ernie Ford from his TV show (AKA Tennessee Ernie, from the days when his show was sponsored by Chevy).
#173580 - 02/15/08 06:59 AM Re: Sixteen Tons [Re: Faldage]
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 5295
Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
I was thinking of Frankie Laine, but this is the only thing I
can find associating him to that song. Yet it was I think his sound I remember. Utube:
Richie Milton " Sixteen Tons" by Merle Travis
Merle Travis (circa 1947) penned song "Sixteen tons" which I have always associated with the great Frankie Laine,but has also been recorded by numerous -
Another one with 'fabulous' lyrics was "Rock of Gibraltar" that was sung by Frankie Laine. I found the Lyrics. Pity it isn't on YouTube.
Edited by BranShea (02/15/08 07:35 AM)
#173581 - 02/15/08 10:21 AM Re: Sixteen Tons [Re: BranShea]
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 09/28/00
Posts: 2891
Ooo, Bran. I have an original recording in the stack of old 45s Let me go see if I can dig it out.
I'm back. The record I have is from Johnny Desmond, directed by Dick Jacobs. So no help from me at all, I guess, only adding one other name to the pile.
Edited by belMarduk (02/15/08 10:29 AM)
#173582 - 02/15/08 10:44 AM Re: Sixteen Tons [Re: belMarduk]
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/03/00
Posts: 10538
Loc: this too shall pass
wikiteen tons : Another competing version by Frankie Laine was released only in the UK where it gave Ford's version some stiff competition on the charts.
-joe (was there any doubt?) friday
#173583 - 02/15/08 11:25 AM Re: Sixteen Tons [Re: tsuwm]
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 5295
Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
Thanks anyway , Belle.
Yes, I had doubts about Frankie Laine. Ernie Ford's version, which I can get on YouTube is somewhat faster than I remember.
I must have had the Frankie Laine version.
I can't compare, cause the Frankie Laine version is not there.
#173584 - 02/15/08 11:35 AM Re: Sixteen Tons [Re: BranShea]
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/03/00
Posts: 10538
Loc: this too shall pass
man, there are a gazillion versions out there, including the "original" Merle Travis video.
also, here is British bluesman Richie Milton who recalls the Frankie Laine version. perhaps he performs it in Laine's style?
-joe (mule train/ghost riders) friday
#173585 - 02/15/08 11:56 AM Re: Sixteen Tons [Re: tsuwm]
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 09/28/00
Posts: 2891
>>>man, there are a gazillion versions out there,
I notice that with a lot of old songs. It often happens that I'll be looking for a particular song, when I find it, it doesn't sound like what I remember. Further searching and I find other folks who've recorded the same thing.
I imagine it's like these days when every year or so, somebody will cover a song, and suddenly there's a new version floating around out there.
Try finding "Ooh child" on the net...there are something like 10 different versions.
EDIT: Typo
Edited by belMarduk (02/15/08 11:57 AM)
#173586 - 02/15/08 12:22 PM Re: Sixteen Tons [Re: belMarduk]
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 5295
Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
>>>man, there are a gazillion versions out there,
Yes, I've tried whatever looked promising of those gazillions. The further the page the more rubbish. And I don't remember a guitar at all. Milton is too bluesish. I appreciate the effort, but the real thing is the real thing. There often are originals from oldies to be found, but maybe for this one I must look for downloads.
("Ooh child" , new to me, I'll have a look. Something old, something new.)
Edited by BranShea (02/15/08 12:24 PM)
#173589 - 02/15/08 01:02 PM Re: Sixteen Tons [Re: belMarduk]
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 03/15/00
Posts: 11613
Loc: Louisville, Kentucky
"Ooh child" Cat Stevens?
Moderator: Jackie
Forum Stats 8968 Members
16 Forums
13870 Topics
222532 Posts
Max Online: 3341 @ 12/09/11 02:15 PM
Newest Members Tatanka17, Marci, dorrick, thedesertsimmom, LostAuthor
8968 Registered Users
Who's Online 0 registered (), 30 Guests and 4 Spiders online. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters (30 Days)
wofahulicodoc 57 LukeJavan8 41 may2point0 37 delirium 4 DavidLaurence 1 Curtis 1 A C Bowden 1
Top Posters
wwh 13858 Faldage 13803 Jackie 11613 tsuwm 10538 LukeJavan8 8541 Buffalo Shrdlu 7210 wofahulicodoc 6943 AnnaStrophic 6511 Wordwind 6296 of troy 5400
Board Rules · Mark all read Contact Us · Wordsmith.org · Top
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.
Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat
© 1994-2016 Wordsmith


text:
VIEW LARGER > Rollover Photo to Zoom
Brushed Satin Nightgown
Warm Up the Night With Head-To-Toe Silky-Satin Romance
Brushed Satin Nightgown
Warm Up the Night With Head-To-Toe Silky-Satin Romance
$44.95 - $49.95
Timelessly romantic, this satin nightgown is a full sweep of beauty and warmth. Satin nightgown flows like silk on the outside but caresses you with the softness of brushed cotton on the inside. In practical terms, you can slip in and out of bed with ease because your sheets and nightgown won't bind up. Beautifully detailed with an embroidered yoke, open cuffs, and a button placket. Approx. 50" long. Polyester, cotton. Machine wash and dry. Imported. Available in both Misses' and Women's sizes.
- Silky satin nightgown has brushed cotton inside
- Full coverage with unrestricted ease of movement
- Embroidered yoke
Rated 4.7 out of 5Â by 34 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Susi2 My mother's nightgown My 88 year old mom needed a new nightgown and was concerned about it bunching up or being uncomfortable. I knew just where to look and it was in your catalogue online that I found the perfect nightgown for her. She called to thank me for having it sent to her on the West Coast and wanted another one! I ordered her the second one this week and know she is very happy with "our" purchase. March 10, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Joy5 Satin nightgown Very pretty, very soft but best of all very warm & cozy!! February 19, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Sakula Reunited I remember a nightgown I had many years ago. Satin outside but soft brushed cotton on the inside. Always cozy, never binding. Ah, but this one is better! Instead of elastic cuffs, this ones has a generous button cuff. I look forward to slipping it on every night! Well done. February 11, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5Â by BlueBird Warm and cozy This is a very nice gown, smooth on the outside so you can turn in bed with a warm lining to keep you warm. Love it February 3, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Mallory Nightgown search My mom wanted a brushed satin nightgown and it was impossible to find at a department store so I remembered Vermont country store had great nightgowns . She absolutely loved the color and the style... So thanks for helping me with my Christmas shopping ! January 16, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5Â by ALVARADO GIFT FOR MY SISTER I WAS LOOKING FOR A SPECIAL GIFT FOR MY SISTER. I KNEW SHE LOVED NIGHTGOWNS. I GOT THIS ONE FOR HER BECAUSE OF HOW SOFT IT IS INSIDE AND HOW SATINY IT IS ON THE OUTER SIDE. HER COMMENT "I LOVE IT" THE ONLY BETTER THING - IF IT HAD BEEN AVAILABLE IN YELLOW. January 10, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Kheta "the perfect nightgown" I received a box of random clothes that alot of items seemed to be from the Vermont Country Store.... Perfect!!....most seemed to be my mom's size 1x 2x.... One was the blue satin cotton lined nightgown... She wears it... washes it.... tells me how much she loves it each time I talk to her ...she lives in CA... and that pattern is repeated over and over and over and over............so needless to say.....she is about due for a new one....so before she goes to my brother's house in England Christmas I plan on having a new one sent to her!! I love your store and thank you very very much!!! October 10, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Kentucky girl Grandma's Favorite My mother loves this gown. We have purchased the same gown in the past. Snuggly warm but the satin keeps it from tangling around you as you turn in your sleep. The sleeve is non-binding and comfortable at the wrist. March 1, 2015


text:
Sherman begins his march to the sea, FDR lays the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial, and Elvis Presley makes his movie debut, all on this day.
1929: Actor Ed Asner, best known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Lou Grant on both the TV sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and its spin-off series, "Lou Grant," is born in Kansas City, Missouri. Asner is also known for his roles in the TV miniseries "Roots" and "Rich Man, Poor Man," and for voicing the role of Carl Fredricksen in Pixar's award-winning animated 2009 film "Up."


text:
Water 101
It's easy to take water for granted. When we need it, we expect it to be there. Making sure it gets there and that it is of high-quality is what matters most to American Water.
Working with cities and communities of all sizes, we operate and maintain water and wastewater systems and treatment plants that treat water from rivers, lakes, reservoirs and oceans. We have the expertise, technology and tools to solve complex challenges, such as providing a water supply to 400,000 homes in the middle of a desert. We've built self-contained wastewater recycling systems for New York high-rises and an NFL football stadium, and rescued a troubled treatment plant that converts ocean water to drinking water.
American Water is also looking toward the future of our planet. We've partnered with Midwestern plants to provide the water needed to produce ethanol, a biofuel with the potential to reduce greenhouse emissions and our country's reliance on foreign oil. We also support a number of local conservation projects in the communities we serve.


text:
Why have not heard about Shoe Bakery sooner? I had to read about them on a foodie blog! The Shoe Bakery creates high end shoes that look like delicious desserts. If I didn't know better, I would've tried to take a bite of one of them - they look that real! I am so craving an ice-cream sundae right now, complete with a cherry on top! Check out these other dessert inspired shoes, including Wedding Cake pumps, Cupcake flats and Red Velvet Cake pumps. See more sweet … [Read more...]
Scrumptous Sweet Shoes by Shoe Bakery
March 24, 2014 By Leave a Comment


text:
Sir Mix-A-Lot's rap classic "Baby Got Back" got a classical makeover courtesy of the Seattle Symphony.
The rapper made an appearance at Benaroya Hall as part of the symphony's Sonic Evolution series, which commissions new orchestral work inspired by local music icons.
Dozens of women joined him on stage at his request.
Gabriel Prokofiev, a London-based composer, DJ and producer, wrote the funky piece.
"My aim with this new Sir-Mix-A-Lot inspired Orchestral work was to really get inside the musical mind of Sir Mix-A-Lot; to understand how his rhythms, textures, sounds and harmonies worked, and to create a contemporary orchestral composition that was true to the music of Sir-Mix-A-Lot," Prokofiev wrote on his blog.
Check out video of the performance below or by clicking here:


text:
Cheap Neck Knee Length Dresses
Are you looking for cheap neck knee length dresses of top quality and favorable price? Then Cocomelody must be your best choice! We provide you a wide selection of cheap neck knee length dresses, which will certainly meet your needs! In order to comfort your shopping experience, we set up a caring service system, highlighted by rush order service. Don't hesitate and browse our website now!
Recommended Categories
Customer Service
My Account
- Copyright © 2005-2016 Cocomelody. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Advanced Search or
Home > Online Education
WEF is pleased to announce the creation of free LinkedIn groups associated with its technical discussion forum topics. Through these LinkedIn groups, members will be able to view and participate in discussions, as well as communicate with one another via direct messages. Share your experiences and knowledge, ask questions and respond to other discussions as frequently as you like!
You must have a LinkedIn profile to join a LinkedIn group; you can create your profile here. If you already have a LinkedIn profile, all you need to do is submit a request to join one or all of the following groups:
Water Environment Federation (Main) | Biosolids | Collection Systems | Nutrients | Stormwater Utility Management | Water Reuse | Water for Jobs | Watershed Management | Laboratory Practices
WEF Discussion Forums
Biological Nutrient Removal
in tank/in-line ammonia and phosphate instruments
We are considering testing in-line/in-tank ammonia and phosphate instruments at our BNR activated sludge systems. We are looking for ideas on instruments that may be worth considering for real time monitoring of these parameters in-tank in mixed liquor.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks very much,
George Sprouse
We are going to get a Chem Scan for nitrogen analysis but it can be configured to do more.
The big question is will it work. I don't know of any plant using one. I hate to think it could
be an $80k piece we try to run for 6 months and then give up.
I know at least one plant that has had good luck with the BioChem unit (formerly Myratek) for ammonia and nitrate. I don't know about phosphorus.
I think the trick with any of these nutrieant analyzers is continuing maintenance. If the data is useful enough to justify the upkeep they seem to work, if they are just cute readouts the maintenance isn't worthwhile.


text:
No Title Necessary
Tonight the Orioles lost to the Yankees 1-9.
I've got to say, if Buster Olney and Peter *******'s speculations
are true about Trembley and his job, at least the man is going out in class. Last night, the entire game was decided by
the players, no decisions by the manager.
Tonight, again, the O's lost because they didn't play a winning game,
not because of a bad decision.
Where the game ended for me was somewhere around the 5th
inning or so, when I got the message that there was a perfect game through 8
innings being shown on MLB Network. I
flipped to that game, knowing that the Orioles had lost it. I'm not one to switch off the Orioles games,
but this was worth it to me, after seeing every game so far this season and
knowing with 99% confidence that the outcome would not be changing in terms of
the win or loss. I do plan on doing a
post tomorrow about the "perfect" game, relating it back to the Orioles actually.
Not much commentary on individual players tonight. Just disgusted.
Bergesen was flat-out awful tonight. In the shortest outing of his career, he
threw 2.1 innings, allowing 6 earned runs on 7 hits with a 1:2 K:BB. With Arietta waiting in Norfolk with his
incredible, *consistent* stats, I don't see why he doesn't replace Bergesen in
the rotation as soon as next Tuesday's start.
Tejada got some hits.
He also bobbled a short ground ball early in the game. Failing once again to bare-hand a ball, he
proved to me why I was right in disagreeing with people who have been saying he
has made an outstanding transition to 3B this year.
Albers came in and let up runs, while Hendrickson first held
off the Yankees with a few solid innings.
The Mata came in and got lit up by the Yankees bench.
Wigginton got called on a sort of half swing early in the game,
and continued to argue the call until he got back to the dugout, where Trembley
rightly pulled him in. While some say
Trembley needed to go out and argue, he knew the right decision to make was to
stay. While he did yell out some words
for 1B ump Mike DiMuro, Trembley knew that, with a view from the back of
Wigginton's back (being a right handed hitter), it would be foolish to argue
the call.
Bringing Wigginton up helps me raise my main point of these
last two games. Not only do I believe it
is all on the team for these last two losses, but they have been flat-out
foolish. For the first time ever, I see
the Orioles as a joke.
Let's go over why:
In the 9th inning last night, Wigginton grounded
out to shallow 1st. With the
ball in hand on the base line, Juan Miranda (sent down tonight to let Posada be
activated) ran over to Wigginton, who proceeded to back pedal. Yes; Wigginton attempted to back pedal towards
home plate. Mariano Rivera chuckled, and
he knew that at this point, the Orioles were just a joke too. This after Wigginton fell on his butt during
the harsh play a few innings earlier.
Tonight, Corey Patterson made a fool of himself. Chasing down a fly ball, he ripped his pants,
and wore them for the rest of the game.
Not so important.
The worst: In the 8th, A-rod and Jeter were both
taken out. One, that shows that Girardi
is confident enough in the Orioles bats failing. Two, we got a single, double, and a walk, but
did not score. Tejada singled, Markakis
doubled (Tejada thrown out at home), Wieters walked, then there were two
popouts. Bottom of the 8th, Gardner
and Pena singled off of Mata, and Swisher singled in a run. We let Ramiro Pena and Brett Gardner hit off
Jones may have aggravated his hip on a beautiful running catch
in center on a Granderson routine double.
He then made the catch of a popfly from Cervelli. Hope he's okay. Not that it has anything to do with the Orioles
chances at success.
In other news, Millwood was quoted by sources today saying
he would be okay with pitching for the Mets.
Glad to know our guys hate it here.
I would too if I were them.
Supposedly, Wigginton said he would do it too (play, not pitch). I bet we are stupid enough to trade them for
Justin Turner.
Not so exciting tonight.
In a horrible mood. This SUCKS.
/* Font Definitions */
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;
mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;


text:
What is in this article?:
- House budget cuts: land-grants, Extension, research
- Past cuts and timing
- FY 2012 and the need for research
- Extension, land-grants warning House budget cuts will have immediate negative impact.
- House passes fiscal year 2011 continuing resolution.
- Cuts $217 million from National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
- Cuts Smith-Lever funds by $30 million.
Growers and rural communities are being alerted to budget cuts made by the House that will affect Extension programs and agricultural research. Last week, the House passed a continuing resolution for the 2011 fiscal year that included a $217 million cut for the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Smith-Lever funds – used, among other things, to run 4-H clubs – were cut by $30 million.
The Senate is expected to debate the House's continuing resolution soon.
The cuts would be difficult enough for land-grant universities and Extension to absorb but are doubly frustrating for officials because of their timing. Adding to the pressure: coming halfway through the fiscal year, the cut to programs (approximately 10 percent) must be made over six months instead of a full year.
On Tuesday, Delta Farm Press spoke with Paul Coreil at the LSU AgCenter about the budget cuts. Coreil, Vice Chancellor and Director of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, said Congress needs to understand the full impact such cuts will have. Among his comments:
How will this affect the AgCenter, Extension and university research?
"It isn't a very complicated issue. We're in the middle of a fiscal year and all the money has been allocated. All the federal funds I get for Extension are in salaries for agents and specialists that are in the field, working today.
"We've got to cut 10 percent from there. I don't know where we'll get it.
"This was an unexpected mid-year cut. Here we are getting ready for the growing season and we have specialists and agents working with growers – and their salaries are dependent on the federal funds. How do you manage that when you have people hired out in the community working with farmers?
"These are formula funds that we've been getting and rely on – they're recurring. If the cuts have to come, we need time to consider how to implement them. There's no trick-bag to use when there are people already getting paid those funds. It isn't like there's money sitting in a drawer here that I can just send back and say 'the cut has been made.'
"We work with farmers, ranchers and 4-H programs for kids all over this state. These salary dollars are important. State funds have already been cut drastically and the federal funds are critical.
"And if cuts must be made, they need to be made in a way that makes sense. We don't need to be sitting here wondering how in the world we'll send money back after it's already been dedicated and allocated."
Can you explain why this came down mid-fiscal year?
"You have to ask congressional membership that question.
"But for a manager trying to run a quality program to help producers and communities, it causes quite a shock to the system. Everyone is starting to understand these cuts will have an immediate impact and the options we have are limited.
"We must work very closely with the congressional delegation so they understand the consequences of this type of a mid-year reduction. We've already made commitments.
"The 'why' of this, is something I can't answer. But I can tell you about the consequences. That's why there's so much turmoil and concern regarding the timing and lack of planning we're being provided."
Where is the pressure to cut mostly coming from?
"From what I read, this is largely a result of the November election and changes that took place in Congress. Regardless of party, though, the message to them is the same: this will have an impact on parishes in Louisiana and other states' counties that have strong Extension programs.
"The federal funds for Smith-Lever are what we stand on to get matches from our state legislature and local government. We get significant support from the county governments for these offices.
"Everyone needs to step up and do their part – federal, state and local. Of those three legs of the stool, if one makes massive reductions mid-year it shakes everything up. We have a lot of local and state elected officials that are very concerned about this. There's only around six months left in the fiscal year and the dollars have been dedicated."