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Final Beta Feedback (likely in vain)
After playing the GoWA Beta for some time (lvl 15 Ares, lvl 6 Zeus), and toying around with all of the modes and options, I have come to the conclusion that the MP of GoWA is going to be broken out of the gate. Now, I will get a lot of flak for that opinion because it seems like some people here truly love it, but I cannot. As a day one fan of the original God of War, I fell in love with a game that looked like a run of the mill action game, that tugged at my Greek mythology genre heart strings. And it was an everlasting love; some might call me a GoW fanboy. I have pre-ordered every GoW game (CE if possible) since then, including repurchasing the PSP Remasters, and in my earlier years, I fought on behalf of the series, that the GoW acronym belonged to God of War, and not the truly mundane and average Gears of War. GOW has to deal with caps lock, because GoW is taken.
As such a long time fan, I was hopeful that with such a strong track record, Santa Monica could deliver a balanced and fun MP experience. I was wrong, and as fanboy, I am heartbroken. The single player nature is what ALL fans of the series wanted...and there has never been a push for multiplayer in GoW, so why did you add it? If not something the fans actually wanted, why not push a trial run for such a feature as DLC instead of wasting years of resources on it?
I will give specifics, but know that most of these mistakes are rookie moves that real MP developers do not make. Which is such a shame, because for such a talented team, I would have expected that the biggest flaws are not the obvious ones.
When I first booted up the game, chose an alliance, I saw my warrior standing in a ringed metal grate, with his weapon floating idly by. It took a good minute before I realized, this was it. The menu was disguised as floaty gems in the upper left corner. Okay, minor mistake, could be fixed later.
When I selected Quick Match, all of the icons in the menu went away...and nothing happened. For a good 20 seconds, nothing happens. I realized it was loading something, but I didn't know what. And then after a far too long delay, it tells me it is looking for a match...okay good, but why is there no graphical clue, or pop-up menu/window that tells me its looking for a game? Can I continue to navigate menus here still? Do I have to do anything to make it find a match? The difference between matchmaking and not, is not obvious enough. But again, this is minor. Minor mistake #2, okay I can live with this.
But then I sit there...and it matchmakes the **** out of my game. It matchmakes so hard, that it doesn't stop matchmaking for up to 5 - 10 minutes. I thought, "okay, so maybe its just a slow day". After 10 minutes I find a game (more on that later). But as I continue to try and find games, I quickly realize 5 - 10 minutes is the norm, for finding a single game to play. At one point I waited as long as 15 minutes. And its not like there weren't players playing, as my 'Empty Slots' filled up every few minutes, such that we had a full lobby, ready to go...and then they're gone. The entire list of names disappear, and it goes back to looking for matches. Its like the gang started on, but forgot that I was asleep in the attic like Kevin in Home Alone. This happened up to a maximum of 5 times, every single time I tried to join a game. And I know for a fact those players didn't start the game without me, because the next time my game filled up a lobby, I saw many of the same names in the list that were there, prior to having the entire lobby dropped.
I never thought I would ever say this, especially about a crew as talented as SM, but this is some of the worst matchmaking ever. Ever. It is worse than Assassins Creed Brotherhood, and I didn't think it was possible to create a more jarbled, less intuitive matchmaking interface than that...but you have proven me wrong. This is a big deal.
As a side note here: if I am navigating menus while its match making, it will 1) hide the entire lobby that I am currently in, so I don't know if I'm playing or not, and 2) freeze the game start timer until I back out of all the menus to the lobby. If I'm not ready, start without me. You don't need 8 players readied up, as you clearly let people drop out of games to make 4 v 2 all too common, so stop placing an 8 readied player minimum to the lobby.
Lag #1
Scenario 1) I walk up to an alter, I press R1, I capture the alter. (Common)
Scenario 2) I walk up, press R1...nothing happens. Guy holds hand up, game does nothing. (Just as common).
Lag #2
Scenario 3) I walk up to guy capturing my alter, I mash attacks to stop him. He stumbles and falls. (Common)
Scenario 4) I walk up, mash attacks, and I am whacking an immovable dummy...nothing happens, until the game picks back up, and he has already captured the alter. (Just as common)
Scenario 5) I am capturing an alter, but enemy walks up and knocks me out of it (100% rate of success).
[This applies to all action animations, including levers]
Lag #3
Scenario 6) I come up to a player in combat, and he performs his L1+Square, and I perform my L1+Triangle, there is a 50/50 chance I will hit him.
Scenario 7) Roles reversed, there is a 100% chance I get hit, and then die.
[I think to myself that this is maybe an issue of hit priority, and not strength]
Lag #4
Scenario 8) I make sure I am the first one to attack, I use L1+Triangle, and opponent uses L1+Square. About 75% chance I am the one that gets hit.
Scenario 9) Roles reversed, I use L1+Square after opponents attack, I get hit 100% every time. And usually die.
[I think to myself, okay, perhaps this is an issue of start-up frames, or invincibility. So I will have to fight it out and see if I can figure out what is happening.]
Lag #5
Scenario 10) I attempt to grapple a dodging opponent with that pretty white icon over their head. I try this upwards of 20 times. I succeed twice.
Scenario 11) Opponent tries to grapple me when I dodge their attacks. They do this upwards of 20 times. They succeed upwards of 20 times. (Both scenarios are 100% common).
Lag #6
Scenario 12) I try to launch my opponent with a charged heavy. The attack connects, but does not launch the opponent because they were doing an attack, and I get launched instead. (Very common)
Scenario 13) I try to interrupt an opponents launch, but have yet to actually do so.
Lag #7
Scenario 14) I finally get someone into the air, I follow them up, I attack them mid air, and try to follow up with grapple...but this has yet to work even one time.
Scenario 15) Enemy launches me into the air, they follow up with a mid-air grapple that succeeds ALMOST EVERY SINGLE TIME. And I die. (So common I've rage quit a few times).
Lag #8
Scenario 16) The map freezes entirely. This happens once every other game.
Somehow, I die a lot. Like a lot, alot. Yet I can almost never score a kill. I have tried adjusting items, armour, relics, and weapons, but the result is always the same. I can either never begin a killing combo, or my combos are just not doing enough damage, or attacks that are hitting, aren't dealing the appropriate damage. Because I've been caught in really basic combos that, if they did not kill me, brought me close enough that I was in a red-icon stun state. But when I perform the same combos on any other player, I can not even bring them close to a stun state. Block is useful, but the parry command has a delay that makes it useless. I am not expecting buttery smooth combat in an online environment for a game like this. But if every single fighting game, even under some minor lag, can create fair and balanced hit confirms with appropriate hit priority and damage scaling in an online forum, then I expect no less from a simplistic action game like God of War. I feel like many of the combat problems may be rooted in the lag of the game, but it feels clunky, and after a while, caused me to hate it, and just stop playing entirely.
I am devastated. A series that I was madly in love with, has been converted into a poorly executed MP mash-up. I am not mad that you created a MP game out of God of War, but it is quite evident you did this at the expense of the single player campaign. You will claim you did no such thing, but you have waited until 2 months prior to release to even remind the world that a SP game even exists, and with a trailer that shows nothing but a sizzle reel of boss fights that either look all kind of samey, or you can't even tell what is going on.
Now, if I don't know the full list of fixes you're planning on implementing in the final game, but the above listed problems are amateur-at-best mistakes. And the fact that you're not even getting the easy stuff right, demonstrates you have no hope of getting the challenging things right. And that is depressing. And quite honestly, for a series I love so much, it is a bit heart breaking.
I've pre-ordered my CE, so your money is safe. But should this game release to middling reviews about MP, you can rest assured that this series, under the supervision of Todd Papy, has been demoted significantly. One might wonder why you rest the reputation of such a huge series, and the entire future career of Todd Papy, one something like MP? Again, why not test the waters first?
My one last hope, is that in a need to feed my addicted gamer side, that you don't put any MP trophies in this game, as I hope I never have to play it again.
Re: Final Beta Feedback (likely in vain)
The last major update that they released was around the time it was available for PS+ subscribers (around January 8th), so they haven't updated it since. As you know, the Beta is available to the public, so the servers are taking a beating at the moment. Lag/matchmaking etc. has been a popular topic during this Beta's life. Just give it some time, it should be fairly stable when the game releases in March.
As for your gameplay suggestions... L1+Square is usually quicker and CAN interrupt L1+Triangle. If this is all because of 'Lag', then it should've been posted under 'Lag' and not 'Gameplay'.
It just sounds like you need some practice. There are many experienced players on the Beta, please remember that.
Re: Final Beta Feedback (likely in vain)
There have been multiple lag issues for most people so your not alone there.
As far as combat goes, your most likely been playing against people with higher levels or people who have a better grasp on the games mechanics. IMO level 15 comes way to quickly and I've seen a lot of people that share your view usually were the ones that really didn't play it long enough.
Re: Final Beta Feedback (likely in vain)
They didn't wait to "remind" people of a single player (SP) mode. They had testers testing it long before the Multiplayer (MP) was tested. The game isn't out for over another month , you market too early and people forget or put it off.
Matchmaking needs a lot of work , but as stated this is a beta that you got access to for free and is still in the test phases. Host migration and not being able to put people in already started unbalanced matches needs to be done.
Lag are issues you will deal with in any online game that doesn't limit internet speed to gain access to the server to play. I wish they could somehow separate the lower connection speeds and put them together to make it more fair for everyone but I'm not really in heavy favor of the whole segregated community in any shape other than connection issues. A lot of the lag issues you point out I haven't experienced so maybe your connection or some adjustments need to be done to your internet setup. Some of them aren't even clear as lags........
"Lag #1
Scenario 1) I walk up to an alter, I press R1, I capture the alter. (Common) "
What was the lag here? If none why state it under lag senerio #1 , if not lag then indicate regular play not as lag. ( you just marked (Common) but is this a common lag you experience or common gameplay?
The gameplay , either you like it or you don't. Multiplayer isn't for everyone but in a multiplayer setting on internet you can't really "make sure" you are the first to hit your buttons. You mentioned lag throughout much of your post but don't really seem to actually take it into account.
Have you actually gotten a chance to test the game in SP or just the Multiplayer they giving you early beta access to? What level are you? How long did you actually give the game before coming to these conclusions? Especially after you wrote this section.....
I am devastated. A series that I was madly in love with, has been converted into a poorly executed MP mash-up. I am not mad that you created a MP game out of God of War, but it is quite evident you did this at the expense of the single player campaign. You will claim you did no such thing, but you have waited until 2 months prior to release to even remind the world that a SP game even exists, and with a trailer that shows nothing but a sizzle reel of boss fights that either look all kind of same, or you can't even tell what is going on."
You can't really know if they sacrificed anything for MP mode at all until you tried it. If you did test ...... You still pre-ordered it. Also should be pointed out that while many have a distaste for the MP , many are enjoying it and a lot of the gaming community has requested it. While your opinion may seem to be the majority the fact is , sometimes it is not. I believe they are testing the waters with this version as it doesn't just have Kratos but champions under an aligned God. This is different from what has been done in the series thus far and it is entirely testing the waters as Kratos has been the protagonist in the entire series until now.
Re: Final Beta Feedback (likely in vain)
"Lag #1
Scenario 1) I walk up to an alter, I press R1, I capture the alter. (Common) "
What was the lag here? If none why state it under lag senerio #1 , if not lag then indicate regular play not as lag. ( you just marked (Common) but is this a common lag you experience or common gameplay?"
If you finish reading, there is a 2nd scenario underneath, exemplifying how it is a lag issue. Please respond to the full quote, and not just the piece you read while ignoring the rest.
Re: Final Beta Feedback (likely in vain)
AdamMadman wrote:
"Lag #1
Scenario 1) I walk up to an alter, I press R1, I capture the alter. (Common) "
What was the lag here? If none why state it under lag senerio #1 , if not lag then indicate regular play not as lag. ( you just marked (Common) but is this a common lag you experience or common gameplay?"
If you finish reading, there is a 2nd scenario underneath, exemplifying how it is a lag issue. Please respond to the full quote, and not just the piece you read while ignoring the rest.
The one under it was a "senerio 2" so it is a separate senerio, not the same one. If it was the actual lag then it needs to be Lag #1 , senerio 1 and then state how it should be in regular gameplay not list it as a senerio in the lag. Believe me I read your entire post. Can you answer the other question I posed in my post?
Re: Final Beta Feedback (likely in vain)[ Edited ]
No, I won't answer your other question because you lack any and all reading comprehension. They are 2 scenarios that are directly linked to demonstrate Lag issue #1. This requires the most basal level of intellect to understand, so in all likelihood you wouldn't understand my answers to any of your other questions.
It's also worth noting the answer to your question is in my original post...which you claim you read. Further proving my point about reading comprehension.
Re: Final Beta Feedback (likely in vain)
I liked this Beta. Once you learned correct stradegies it wasnt to bad, but the worst part was when i first started off. Before you get any extra armor its pretty much just lets see who can spam the crap out of the specials first which is pretty much crap. The parrying time is delayed at points, where im still in the postion but someone can hit me just fine. When there is two against one the one has no chance due to the two spaming the specials. And sometime the L2 item will be full but no matter how many times i press L2 it doesnt do crap. Isnt the point of the L2 item to get people off you in the begining? Because if they just sit there tapping square as soon as you get down (before you can attack) they hit you.
All in all when you learn how to avoid being raped by spam, the game gets really entertaining. The fighting styles of different weapons makes it so you need to be strategic to stay alive. This has a few ruff spots that need to be fixed but the idea and basics of it are fantastic
Re: Final Beta Feedback (likely in vain)[ Edited ]
You won't answer because you didn't test the SP but still pre-ordered it anyway and you have many complaints based on issues you haven't tested. A senerio requires a complete thought and you haven't completed your thought on the lag but jump to another senerio to complete it. I've explained that twice now and you still don't get it and are insulting my inteligence based on your horrible explaination skills. A lag senerio should be 1 complete thought on lag You break them up too much. ( senerio 1 isn't a lag yet you call it one). You don't seem to grip the mechanics of lag since you seem to think you ALWAYS make sure you hit first. This shows your lack of understanding of lag and how it may effect others and not just you. I'm giving clear examples of how the way you posted it isn't a lag in each senerio. If you didnt' break them down into senerios there wouldn't be a problem with your post. I didn't insult your inteligence at any point either. Refusal to answer questions that are clear and directly relate to your post is a cop-out. You have insulted someone in each post of this thread which shows a level of not being able to give and take critisism in an adult manner. I respect your opinion and would like to understand your problems with the game better , this is why questions were asked about your problems and information was giving in reference to any comment I made.
Again I'll simplify since we are having communication issues. 2 senerios should show 2 lags , not just 1. Senerio 1 and 2 are linked therefore the SAME senerio. You are giving the correct way it should be then the lag. It is 1 senerio.
Re: Final Beta Feedback (likely in vain)[ Edited ]
You may very well be one of the least intelligent people to ever show their face on the internet. To paraphrase Stew from the Hangover: "You are literally too ignorant to explain how ignorant you are". Please finish grade school.
Also, once again, I don't answer your questions because a) you wouldn't undersand the answer, and b) I already have answered your questions. The fact that you have overlooked this twice in a row now, demonstrates that you should just not comment any further, as you lack the basal level of communication to continue this discussion.
You should also note that this post has nothing to do with the SP. None at all. Not even a little. I commented on my worries about the SP, but made no further judgements.
Also, please start using proper english, grammar and sentence structure. I don't care about spelling, for the love of our language, make what you're saying coherent.


text:
Composer-pianist Roger Steptoe
English composer, pianist to perform Feb. 26
By Tim Brownlee
Assistant Director of Public Affairs
(Feb. 22, 2007)--As part of the Monday Night Artist Series, the UTSA Department of Music will present a performance by composer-pianist Roger Steptoe at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Feb, 26 in the Arts Building Recital Hall, 1604 Campus.
Today's headlines
- La Prensa Foundation is newest member of UTSA Lone Star Society
- UTSA alumna Jordan Kaufmann wins $50K for new stent-graft start-up
- UTSA begins new way-finding sign installation this summer at Main Campus
- USA Today: UTSA long jumper Tyler Williamson rescues three-year-old boy
Article tools
The program will include a world premiere by UTSA composer James Balentine, a work by Steptoe and pieces by Benjamin Lees, Claude Debussy and Henri Dutilleux.
A prolific composer, Steptoe's music has been performed and recorded widely, and described as lyrical, nourishing, distinctive and passionate.
English-born and now France-based, Steptoe has taught at schools including the Royal Academy of Music in London and Ecole Nationale de Musique in France.
Before the concert, Steptoe will speak on life and music in today's France from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Room 14 near the Recital Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Concert tickets are $10; $5 for non-UTSA students, military and seniors age 55 and older with ID; and free for UTSA students with UTSACard.
Purchase tickets at the door or in advance by calling (210) 458-5685.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
By Chris Harris
Arsène Wenger believes that Arsenal are heading in the right direction - despite dropping points at Middlesbrough.
Emmanuel Adebayor nodded the visitors ahead at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday but former Gunner Jeremie Aliadiere equalised against the run of play and his old club could not find a winner despite long spells of pressure in the second half.
Arsenal's frustration was eased by draws for Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United, which ensured that Wenger's side did not lose ground on the Premier League pacesetters. And the Frenchman saw enough in his team's performance on Teesside to suggest that they can beat Liverpool next Sunday and stay in the title race.
"I feel overall the game was positive," said Wenger.
"Because we are in a situation where everybody expects us to win every single game we play, of course we can get a bit frustrated. But I feel overall we are on a good way and I want us to show that in our next game against Liverpool.
"We will try of course. I still believe we have to prepare well for that game, come out Sunday and beat Liverpool, and then overall our last four games will be very positive."
The margin for error is narrow when you are eight points adrift in the title race but recent history suggested that Arsenal may struggle at the Riverside. Gareth Southgate is unbeaten in five games against Arsenal as Middlesbrough manager and Wenger had praise for his opposite number after Saturday's stalemate.
"It is not a coincidence [that Southgate does well against me]," said the Frenchman.
"I believe that they have a good side. Every time they play against us they play with belief, they fight everywhere. I still feel we were a bit unlucky not to come out [with all three points] because we tried to play and they tried to defend and counter-attack. That's what we face a little bit everywhere and that is the easiest part of the game.
"But I think he [Southgate] is one of the promising young managers."Copyright 2017 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source


text:
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text:
Hoarders are something that I have known little about outside of the realm of TLC until a few days ago when my next-door neighbours house began being emptied, and for the first time I witnessed all of what this term could imply.
It has now been about six days and items continue to be carried out to the curb to be feasted upon by "FREE STUFF"-hungry people who saw the ad put up on Craigslist by another neighbour who was all too anxious to be rid of this blemish on the neighbourhood.
The volume, and variety of things that must have been crammed into this modest bungalow has been truly astonishing, but what has been most surprising is the voracity of the drive-bys who have come to make this person's things their own.
After much hesitation, I finally went out to take a look last night, only to find that the already depressing situation was much worse than imagined.
Firstly, no one knows what happened to the person inside, nor do they seem to care. Did he die? Was he evicted? Either way it seems slighly awful to be poring through his things. Secondly, while people were thrilled to be finding new desks, or bookshelves, as I looked upon the less eye-catching items, it quickly became apparent that these weren't just someone's things, but rather the artifact's of someone's life. Framed diplomas to acclaimed universities and textbooks on a wide variety of subjects from economics, to zoology to Chinese Mandarin told me that this was a man with a profound curiosity about the world. Books on how to make a marriage work speak to more difficult times, and I can't help but wonder who Lisa is. Her name marked several framed items including scholarships and other accolades. Was she his daughter? Wife? Or was he just a crazy hoarder and none of these things meant anything?
At the end of the day, no ones cares, other than to know that there is free stuff onIrving street, and a whole lot of it.


text: In a class with Velda Newman (where I first tried Inktense pencils and acrylic paint on fabric), one of the students dipped the tip of a retracted ball point pen into white acrylic paint and made dots on the back of her starfish! It looked "beaded" when she was done, but much faster! She used undiluted acrylic paint.


text:
So I am entering into Fantasy Football for the first time. I joined a Yahoo public league, and had it auto-draft, since I have no idea what I'm doing. Here's what I got (h2h league, BTW):
QB- Michael Vick
WR- Andre Johnson
WR- Hakeem Nicks
WR- Antonio Brown
RB- Darren McFadden
RB- Matt Forte
TE- Brandon Pettigrew
BN- Tony Romo
BN- D'Angelo Williams
BN- Anquan Boldin
BN- Randall Cobb
BN- Dustin Keller
K- Matt Bryant
BN- Mike Nugent
DEF- Green Bay
I mean, I know GB's Def is really bad, and Forte looked pretty good yesterday, but what do you guys think of my roster overall?


text:
Father accused of causing severe burns on 4-month-old
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - A Fort Carson soldier is in custody, accused of causing severe burns on his 4-month-old child.
Specialist Skyler Hamilton, a Cavalry Scout with the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division faces a child abuse charge, a Class 3 felony.
According to Hamilton's affidavit, he was home alone with the baby Wednesday afternoon. He told police 4-month-old Wolf Hamilton woke up from a nap with a dirty diaper, so he bathed him in the bathtub for about 10 to 15 minutes. He said the water was fine not hot. And Wolf wasn't upset. He said he wrapped the baby in a towel and set him down briefly to get his bottle. When he returned, he opened the towel and saw that the baby's skin was peeling off. Hamilton later told police that before bathing Wolf, he held him under hot running water in the bathroom sink for about two minutes.
The affidavit said Hamilton took a photo of the baby and sent it to his wife on his phone, and that at that moment his roommate came home and advised him to take the baby to the hospital.
The baby was scalded and suffered second-degree burns on 9 percent of his body, mostly on the left side of his torso, from the nipple to the waist. He had some burns on the inside of the left upper-arm area and around the genitals. He also had "petechiae," reddish or purple spots on his right side and back. Doctors later said they could be from the baby crying very hard.
The El Paso County Department of Human Services said injuries like these can be accidental or caused by lack of thought or education.
"Children, especially really small children, infants specifically, have very sensitive skin, and so what you and I might think is appropriate water temperature for ourselves is not the same as the appropriate water temperature for a child," Karen Logan said. "What I could handle for a bath would probably cause some pretty significant injuries to an infant. And so we really have to remember that and understand that not all parents know that."
Logan said they work with families to keep the children safe, giving them the education and services they need. She said they always try to keep the families together, as long as it's safe. Removal of a child is the last resort.
According to Hamilton's affidavit, doctors noted that the baby was the appropriate size and weight for his age. They didn't see any suspicious bruises and a chest X-ray didn't show any broken bones.


text:
Arts, Literature & Culture
How to Wrap Five Eggs
Traditional Japanese PackagingTraditional Japanese packaging is an art form that applies sophisticated design and natural aesthetics to simple objects. In this elegant presentation of the baskets, boxes, wrappers, and containers that were used in ordinary, day-to-day life, we are offered a stunning example of a time before mass production. Largely constructed of bamboo, rice straw, hemp twine, paper, and leaves, all of the objects shown here are made from natural materials. Through… Read More
Paperback$34.95+ Add to Bag
The Power of Limits
Proportional Harmonies in Nature, Art, and ArchitectureOne of the delights of life is the discovery and rediscovery of patterns of order and beauty in nature—designs revealed by slicing through a head of cabbage or an orange, the forms of shells and butterfly wings. These images are awesome not just for their beauty alone, but because they suggest an order underlying their growth, a harmony existing in nature. What does it mean that such an order exists;… Read More
Paperback$34.95+ Add to Bag


text:
Hey Guys,
This fall I'm going to take a shot at getting some action pics of people duck and goose hunting(if I am able to force myself to put the gun down ). Just looking for any tips or tricks on how to setup, what kind of shots to look for, etc or any other advice for those that have done it.
I'll be shooting with a Nikon D7000 with either the 18-105 kit lens, a 55-300, or if I save up enough pennies, a 24-70 2.8.
Bought myself the camera for Christmas last year, and having almost as much fun taking pics as I do hunting.
Here are a few pics from this winter/spring.


text:
Chevron's New Ad Campaign Is a Slick Yes Men Hoax [Update]
If we had to get punked, we're glad it was by the Yes Men, who have quite a track record of pulling really convincing stunts. Their slightly off URL, www.chevron-press.com, was a spitting-image spoof of the real www.chevron.com. Also, Yes Men hucksters clearly watche Mad Men as often as we do and were riding high from Don Draper's nuclear-option "Why I'm Quitting Tobacco" letter in the New York Times.
Yes Men's version involved an ad with a smiling elderly indigenous man wearing a bandana, with the words "OIL COMPANIES SHOULD CLEAN UP THEIR MESSES," along with a red stamp that reads "We Agree"--followed by the signatures of Chevron higher-ups.
The ad was supposed to be a reference to a years-long lawsuit in Ecuador, where Chevron is accused of being responsible for $27 billion of oil pollution clean-up costs. Chevron.com refers to the Ecuadorian lawsuit as "a meritless case"; according to the Christian Science Monitor, Chevron has taken out quarter-page newspaper ads with defensive headlines like "the fraud of the century." Nevertheless, Ecuadorians appeared to be the heroes of Chevron's new ad campaign. It was fake, we now know.
In retrospect, it does seem ridiculous that any oil company would take such aggressive responsibility for oil spills, poor industry safety, and exploitation of foreign resources. (The real ad campaign, specimens of which you can see here, makes less controversial statements: "Oil Companies Need to Get Real" and "Oil Companies Should Put Their Profits To Good Use," for instance.) Further evidence of the Yes Men spoof's bogusness: each of these ad spots claimed an opportunity for improvement, which featured, in the words of the mock press release, "an authentic pop-culture street-art aesthetic, and ... a sincere slogan followed by a big red 'We Agree' stamp."
Street art!
"Chevron is making a clean break from the past," supposedly said Chevron's VP of Policy, Government and Public Affairs Rhonda Zygocki in the release, "by taking direct responsibility for our own actions." Zygocki also is quoted as saying: "We're telling truths no one usually tells. We're changing the way the whole industry speaks."
Though Rhonda Zygocki is a real person and was correctly identified in the spoof press release, she said nothing of the sort. (What she actually said, in the authentic press release sent to us later by an actual Chevron spokesman, was the following: "We hear what people say about oil companies – that they should develop renewables, support communities, create jobs and protect the environment – and the fact is, we agree.")
The kicker, of course, was the claim that the Don Draper-style radical honesty gambit appeared to be the work of Chief Creative Officer Gordon Bowen. "We were asked to show an agreeable, involved, of-the-people face for Chevron," Bowen is quoted as saying, "and we think we came up with some really great ways of doing that."
Bravo, Yes Men. Although, a Chevron representative who eventually got back to us did not share quite the same type of good humor about this. He had other calls to make this morning.


text:
The newest addition to our terminal building is a 1/5 scale model of the Northrup Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, which we are proudly displaying in our north lobby. Northrup Grumman has a presence at the Grand Forks Air Force Base and we are very appreciative of their generous offer to allow us display this model in our terminal. The Global Hawk was accompanied by the following narrative:
Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk
General History
An Eye in the Sky
On the morning of September 11, 2001, America found itself in a new kind of war. The terrorist attacks that day in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. were not launched by a nation state, but followers of an ideology that operated across borders and often in some of the most remote regions of the world. For this new kind of fight, the United States needed a new way to gather intelligence.
Enter the Northrop Grumman Global Hawk, a High Altitude, Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). By November of 2001, this unmanned aircraft was patrolling the skies above Afghanistan, collecting vital intelligence for troops on the ground. Global Hawk provides military field commanders with persistent near-real-time high-resolution collection over large geographic areas, while operating from bases at a long distance from the targeted collection area.
In the years since it first took flight, the United States Air Force has employed the Global Hawk system in all types of operations, from sensitive peacekeeping missions to full-scale combat. It was the primary intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance (ISR) contingency for operations during the Libya conflict in 2011 and for response to disasters such as the Haiti earthquake in 2010, the Japan Tsunami in 2011 and the Philippine Island typhoon in 2013. Some models, such as the Block 10 are now primarily used by NASA for scientific research and by the US Navy for maritime patrol. They can fly above the eye of a hurricane or over the polar ice caps without endangering a pilot. The aircraft are equally effective in tracking vessels for the US Navy. The USAF now has larger versions of the Global Hawk flying ISR and Communications Relay operational missions throughout the world. The US Navy is developing a larger version called Triton for future world-wide maritime patrol operations. NATO is developing a small fleet of Global Hawks in their Alliance Ground Surveillance system.
Remote Control
Like any aircraft, the Global Hawk has a pilot – they just don't sit in the cockpit. As an unmanned system, Global Hawk is controlled remotely. The Global Hawk system includes a ground segment with a mission control element (MCE) where personnel operate the command and control, mission planning, imagery quality control, and communications functions of the system. The pilot and sensor operator manage the aircraft and its sensors from the MCE shelter, then send data and images to world-wide intelligence centers. Pilots in the launch and recovery element (LRE) load the autonomous flight mission plan into the air vehicle and monitor the operation of the aircraft during its automatic takeoff and landing. Most Global Hawk pilots are based in Beale Air Force Base in California and Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota.
About this Aircraft
This is a model of a Global Hawk Block 30. The Block 30 carries sophisticated imaging and electronic signals sensors on missions that can exceed 30 hours and collects detailed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) information across huge areas of land.
Grand Forks Air Force Base is the home operating base for a different Global Hawk model, the Block 40. The Block 40 has the unique capability to monitor large areas in all weather with the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) sensor, which is an advanced air-to-surface radar for wide area surveillance of fixed and moving targets. MP-RTIP provides game-changing situational awareness and targeting information for warfighters.


text:
Town Square
what I heard at the Feb. 24th school board meeting
Original post made by Sandy, Mohr Park, on Feb 25, 2009
First, the board is going forward with plans to cut over $9 million out of the budget for the next academic year. These are serious cuts -- the total budget of the district is about $130 million.
Second, they have not yet voted to go forward with a parcel tax (though it sounds like several are leaning that way) and they are open to community input. If you didn't feel comfortable speaking up at the meeting, you can email them to express your point of view.
Third, Superintendent Casey is rolling back five days of his pay between now and the end of this fiscal year, and another five days in the next fiscal year (2009-2010). Other administrators will be asked if they can voluntarily take days without pay.
Fourth, 17.5 administrative positions were eliminated. Those people in management positions do not have union contracts. They were not "laid off". The likelihood that they will rehired is probably zero. Those positions amount to over 20% of the administrative positions in the district.
Fifth, the only reason that another position was not eliminated was that three members of the human relations staff volunteered to take pay cuts. Two of them will reduce their salary by 40%. The third will reduce salary by 20%. Together, these voluntary actions will save more from the administrative budget than would the reduction of a full position.
Sixth, Valerie Arkin stated a desire to ask the teachers' union to modify their contracts, so that they are paid for one non-student work day during the year, rather than two. After the meeting, Superintendent Casey stated that the district is meeting with the teachers' union this Friday, so negotiating will be underway. I do not know what other concessions the district may ask for from the teachers.
If others who were not present have questions, and are not able to view the meeting on TV 30 when it airs, please post here and I will see if I can answer from my notes.
I was a member of the audience, so that's what I heard -- I don't speak for anyone else, and any errors in my understanding are mine alone.
Comments (53)
a resident of Birdland
on Feb 25, 2009 at 10:30 am
Was there a sense of the amount of a parcel tax? Sound like the Union membership and rich Lynn were pressuring for a "robust tax".
a resident of Mohr Park
on Feb 25, 2009 at 10:33 am
Sandy is a registered user.
Hi Ted,
I heard numbers between $175 and $365 from the audience. I think Valerie Arkin also said something about "between $175 and $185". No decisions were made at the meeting.
There were also a few comments about the risk of not passing the parcel tax. Personally, I think a higher amount is dangerous, because it will make it even harder to get the votes needed for passage.
I believe the board must pass a motion with the final wording on March 4, in order to submit the measure for the June 2 elections.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 25, 2009 at 10:34 am
The board voted on emotion rather than logic or intellect. Yes, I do feel bad for all the people that would lose their job. But the reality is that cuts will happen. It's happening to many people across the globe, in all walks of life. Suck it up!
Now, I do understand the need to have music instructors because music is a foreign lanuage...but PE specialists??? C'mon now, give me a break! It doesn't take years of college education to teach children how to run around the field and jump hoops. Casey had it right for a change but he folded like a matchbook at the end.
That large sum of money can be better spent on retaining real teachers, like those ladies in pink.
Gone are the days of lavish spending!
Speaking of lavish spending...
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 25, 2009 at 10:38 am
"Superintendent Casey is rolling back five days of his pay between now and the end of this fiscal year, and another five days in the next fiscal year (2009-2010)."
That would be the equivalent of $5000 per year? WOW! Casey is giving back $5000 per year out of his $227,002 salary and $30,000 in perks. Times are going to be tough for him.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 25, 2009 at 10:41 am
"they have not yet voted to go forward with a parcel tax"
Were you asleep during the vote? They passed it unamiously! Details are TBD but they're moving forward with the parcel tax.
a resident of Mohr Park
on Feb 25, 2009 at 10:49 am
Sandy is a registered user.
I paid close attention to the votes. There were unanimous votes in favor of items 15.1, 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 15.5, and 15.6 on the agenda.
Item 14.1, "report and discussion to place a parcel tax on the June budget" was not an actionable item on the agenda yesterday. It was listed separately, under "report and discussion", but no vote was taken.
I believe that there is a requirement that items must be discussed at one meeting, before action can be taken at another meeting. Item 14.1, possibly with modifications, will be on the agenda for the March 4 meeting. We do not yet know if all board members will vote in favor.
a resident of Mohr Park
on Feb 25, 2009 at 10:51 am
Sandy is a registered user.
"my 2 cents"
If you don't think that Casey's voluntary actions are sufficient, then I encourage you to contact board members directly to renegotiate his contract.
However, as Jim Ott said at the meeting, the board could cut every single administrator, and they would still need to make other cuts in order to balance the budget. Saving $2 million out of a $130 million dollar budget is not enough.
a resident of Donlon Elementary School
on Feb 25, 2009 at 10:53 am
Valerie Arkin also brought up the fact that the district could turn over the Kids Club sites to another vendor. She stated this could save $450k per year. Casey said he would have to review the numbers. If this is true, I would definitely support that. I've wanted the YMCA at Donlon for years! It's much better than Kids Club - and the district would reap the benefit of having a vendor pay rent every month! I got the sense that Valerie Arkin did her homework! She was well prepared with a plan of action. The rest of the Board looked like deer in headlights!
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 25, 2009 at 11:12 am
Dear School Board,
Thank you for your diligent work. I realize that you have been put in a very difficult position, but now is the time to step up and do some hard negotiating. It is a painful task, but a necessary one. It is what we elected you to do.
Let's start with Dr. Casey. He has offered a minor concession in the hopes of staving off public criticism. I believe the board should acknowledge the gesture, but insist on a true salary and benefit reduction. I would say $150K and approximately ½ the current benefit package would be in order. Also the public will probably demand some type of repayment schedule be initiated on his interest free loan. I realize it is a difficult job, and there is no need to attack him personally, but the compensation must match the economic realities of our environment.
The union employees must decide for themselves how to proceed. You may offer suggestions, but it is up to them to decide whether to eliminate their scheduled compensation increases (COLA and S&C) and modify their compensation packages, or reduce their numbers through position eliminations. Again, this is a tough, but necessary job. Give them a number to work with and stand by your guns.
It is, at best, naive to assume you will be able to convince the homeowners to pass an additional tax at this time, regardless of the amount in question. While it is hardly empirical evidence, the PW poll, which limits each computer to a single vote, has not shown adequate support. And this is tool allows union members from outside of the district and school computers to register votes. If you make a reasonable assumption that the on campus computers account for 100 positive votes, the margin of failure becomes overwhelming.
Again, I understand that this is a tough assignment. But I am confident that most of us believe it is time for us all to live within our means.
By the way, thank you to Sandy for filing this detailed report.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Feb 25, 2009 at 11:23 am
"My kids that did not have CRS were also doing multiplying & dividing in 2nd grade (love those multiplication timed tests). In fact the curriculum was pretty much the same for CRS and non-CRS until middle school math (no CRS there)."
As a elementary teacher for 11 years now here in Pleasanton, I can certainly tell you that the standards are much more difficult than then were pre-CSR days! So the fact that your children did just fine going through elementary school without CSR and beyond is frankly comparing apples to oranges. It is different now than it used to be. That is fact. Compare the standards from several years ago to now. You will see the difference. The trickling down of standards happened in all grades - not just at the middle school level. Ask any teacher if they are teaching the same standards that they used to be. They will tell you no. I now use many materials with my 2nd graders that I used to use with my 3rd graders! Standards are much more rigorous than they used to be. This is fact. This is why losing CSR will be devasting to our elementary school kids. Harder standards, more kids per classroom, loss of programs/specialists.....it's going to be just terrible for all of our kids. This is fact. Yes on a parcel tax!
a resident of Birdland
on Feb 25, 2009 at 11:41 am
"It's Time, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood",
You are absolutely correct. Are you in a position to take the lead in communicating to the Board on many of our behalf?
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 25, 2009 at 12:47 pm
An excerpt from the "Big Decisions" thread:
"Of course there will be the usual outraged cries … 'we are doing this for your kids!' and 'I only work here to serve the community'. But anyone who is old enough to stop believing in Santa Claus knows there is more to the story than altruism."
Ask your union to make concessions. It will keep you and your coworkers employed.
a resident of Canyon Creek
on Feb 25, 2009 at 1:35 pm
"Third, Superintendent Casey is rolling back five days of his pay between now and the end of this fiscal year, and another five days in the next fiscal year (2009-2010). Other administrators will be asked if they can voluntarily take days without pay."
This is a pathetic concession! Casey gets enough vacation days. He needs to give back his raise and many perks such as $1,000 car allowance to start.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 25, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Did the staff present a blow by blow picture of the budget--what they lost from the state, what was saved at the state level, what they have flexibility on from the state, and the money they anticipate from the feds ($2-$4 million depending on where you look)? Without this kind of detail, I wouldn't vote for a parcel tax.
Why is it that all those who are saying yes to a parcel tax are ignoring all the questions about mismanagement of public funds or that there needs to be a change in how business is conducted at the district office?
On the other thread I offered a possible idea for a different kind of parcel tax for discussion (and a beat down if warranted), but it's lost in the thread even though it is a way to support teachers and site administrators more directly.
It seems that as long as the "rock" of those pushing for the parcel tax as originally proposed continues to meet the "hard place" of those who see all the flaws in the proposal, the only outcome will be the crush that will make it impossible to pass anything.
Thank you to those who attended and to Sandy for taking notes.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 25, 2009 at 2:10 pm
p.s. There is no new information that I can find on the PUSD web site (FAQs update is February 18) and only the budget for last school year.
a resident of Walnut Hills
on Feb 25, 2009 at 2:43 pm
For Alyssa, a member of the Donlon Elementary School community.
The YMCA did operate Donlon and KIDS CLUB had to come in a fix up their mess. I have had two kids go through the KIDS CLUB program and friends attend YMCA centers. You will not hear one complaint about KIDS CLUB from me. As for Valerie Arkin, I am going to dismiss her biased suggestion since she is on the YMCA Board of Directors. KIDS CLUB is an invaluable place for our kids and I am thankful the YMCA was not an option.
a resident of Pleasanton Meadows
on Feb 25, 2009 at 2:45 pm
I think it was generous of Casey to donate back $5000 a year.
Folks on this board seem to be jeleous that he is more educated, more qualified, has more responsibilies and thus makes more than them.
They complain that him giving up $10 K over two years is too little, in the same breath complain that paying $1800 over five years will be devestating to thier own budget. Someone even made the ubsurd suggestion that he should leave around $90K on the table.
Sure at first glance it may seem out of line, but have you checked similar pay and benefits in competing markets. Superintendants are expected to move into the community they serve. Thus the incentive to move to Pleasanton.
This type of arrangement is also common for City Managers and other public officials. It is quite typical that these arrangments exist. How many on this board have experience administrating anything near as complex as a 130 million dollar budget? How many have pursued thier vocation to the point of having a PHD. How many have managed over the well being of thousands of kids?
I know thier are plenty of C level people living in Pleasanton with millions and millions of dollars. No one is asking for thier apology, nor should they. Same principal applies here, except the c level person (the super) is making several hundred thousand dollars, not millions.
a resident of Mohr Park
on Feb 25, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Sandy is a registered user.
Disagree w/B -- Unfortunately, Luz Cazares was ill Monday and Tuesday, and was not at the meeting. Information is not yet available about how the federal stimulus will be distributed within the state. The staff is still reviewing all the information attached to the state budget to understand what restrictions on the use of categorical funds are being relaxed, and how that influences the board's options for the district budget.
I am trying to form my own opinion about the integrity of district administrators and whether there might be mismanagement of public funds going on. It's difficult to know the origins of people's concerns, since I only moved here six months ago. I'm certainly reading the posts here.
Why not put up a new post about your alternative for the parcel tax, instead of letting it get lost in the comments on something else?
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 25, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Luz Cazares' being sick is unfortunate, certainly for her, but for us too. How can staff present information to the Board on cuts or the need for a parcel tax or what a parcel tax amount should be and what it would be used for without their key budget person?
I'll check into posting idea.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 25, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Looks like we are finally moving on the right track. We need more concessions from Dr.Casey and the other top administrators along with the teachers' union. California is still bankrupt. The new state budget is a joke. We won't get half the increase in revenues that we are forecasting. With the increases enacted more people will be leaving the state. Real estate prices will drop more as there is no real reason to be in California which has become one of the least attractive states and will not command premium prices. One has to be realistic and face the music. We have been living in lala land over the past decade driving up public spending by over 35% while the state stagnated. Obama's speech was great and his priorities are right but we cannot keep printing paper for the rest of the world to subsidise us. It is almost too late but everyone needs to tighten their budgets not just the private sector.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 25, 2009 at 4:02 pm
I think we all just need to be reasonable. All stake-holders are going to have to make some concessions. This includes monetary concessions for Casey (I agree with 38 year resident above, though. His salary is not out of line with competitive wages for his position), administrators, APT, certificated (non-teacher) staff AND property owners, and it also means a loss of some services for families. The parcel tax they are asking for will only cover about half of the budget shortfall and the rest is being made up with cuts and concessions (TBD by negotiations with the unions, but they will happen). For some of you who have written "I'll only vote for a parcel tax IF..." please be reasonable with your conditions and keep a healthy perspective on the amount they're asking for vs what is at stake for the entire community.
And here come the flames... ;)
a resident of Donlon Elementary School
on Feb 25, 2009 at 4:16 pm
To Me (from Walnut Hills),
To clarify, per PUSD (I just called and asked) the YMCA was never at Donlon. The City of Pleasanton has run a program there, but not the YMCA.
I agree that Kids Club has a great program. I have used both programs (Kids Club and YMCA) because we moved to a different school two years ago. They are both stellar. However, I see YMCA as the better provider beacause they are licensed and offer a variety of other family programs besides just child care. And most importantly, if the District could save money and gain revenue, I certianly think it's the smart choice to turn to the YMCA. The YMCA could reatin the current staff - so the changes to the daily routine would be minimal.
These are tough choices to make. But when push comes to shove, I'd rather keep counselors, instructional aides and music classes in our schools and use an outside vendor for child care services.
a resident of Walnut Hills
on Feb 25, 2009 at 6:00 pm
I'm not sure if it's a different branch of the YMCA than the one I have experience with, but we had our kids in the childcare center that was run by them (the one that was on the corner of the district office property) and it was an utter DISASTER. Ultimately, enough families pulled their kids out that they had to close the center. Proceed with caution, PUSD!
a resident of Foothill High School
on Feb 25, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Common sense tells you that the work still needs to get done in the PUSD regardless of cuts or days off. Dr. Casey (or teachers) taking days off without pay does nothing for me. The work is still there and still needs to be done - unless of course we're saying that they are currently over paid and sitting around eating bon-bons instead of working off their "to do" lists. So, like private industry....Dr. Casey and the PUSD teachers may just need to take a % paycut and not just unpaid days off!
a resident of Foothill High School
on Feb 25, 2009 at 9:59 pm
PUSD and the California Teachers Union....please tread carefully. I grew up in a VERY unionized community. Most of the town worked for a large unionized employer. These employees thought they were protected forever. They would "strike" at the least little thing they didn't like. Whenever management wanted them to try something new or change a process they would cry "it's not in my contract". Well, today that same vibrant wonderful community is a ghost town laden with huge problems and high unemployment. The large unionized company decided to take their jobs elsewhere. They closed shop and now NO ONE has a job. Do we really want this. CHANGE IS INEVITABLE...embrace it....strive improvement in all ways. I guarantee this excercise in budget management will prove to be a positive thing if everyone works together. Union and Non-union.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 25, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Sandi a question for you.
Can you clarify your statement that Casey is rolling back 5 days of his pay? I want to understand if he is offering to take a pay reduction OR if it means he is offering to take 5 furlough days of no work, no pay. There is a significant difference in my mind.
Thank you for your details. I was only able to watch part of the meeting on the live feed so I appreciate your summary.
a resident of Mohr Park
on Feb 26, 2009 at 5:56 am
Sandy is a registered user.
Beth -- I can't, because I don't exactly understand the distinction. If I have an opportunity, I'll ask Luz Cazares to clarify how his action affects the budget.
a resident of Birdland
on Feb 26, 2009 at 7:47 am
It's 5 furlough days as reported by Emily:
"Some new reductions to the budget include Superintendent Casey taking five unpaid days off during the current school year as well as next year."
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 26, 2009 at 9:38 am
Think of the five days as a donation to the district from his checking account. It doesn't change his salary (for retirement calculation) nor his contract.
a resident of Birdland
on Feb 26, 2009 at 9:45 am
He's tossing us a bone...a small bone...but still a bone nevertheless. Thanks Casey for your generous $5000 donation. Will your employer match that?
a resident of Canyon Oaks
on Feb 26, 2009 at 10:05 am
The decision makers need to tread carefully on offering KidsClub to an outside vendor. KidsClub has done a phenomenal job in keeping the kids in a safe and nurturing environment. The staff is very dedicated and do a great job. I agree with a lot of others who have said, a %age reduction to all staff, regardless of their position, would make the best sense in closing the budget gap. This way most positions can be retained with less compensation. An across the board % cut would also seem to be an equitable reduction than focussing on certain tiers. This is happening all over the private sector ... so lets not go off on the Communist tangent.
a resident of Vintage Hills
on Feb 26, 2009 at 10:06 am
My daughter goes to Kids Club in VH, and I can absolutely say that they have an excellent level of service for the kids (care and programs). These excellent staff will be out of jobs if YMCA take over. YMCA is like a typical daycare where very high staff turnovers exist and I will not entrust my kid's care to them. I've had enough bad daycare experiences in the past and won't make that mistake again.
My understanding is that KIDS CLUB is operated separately and funded solely by the parents (Someone please correct me if this is inaccurate). Please leave KIDS CLUB alone.
a resident of Harvest Park Middle School
on Feb 26, 2009 at 11:33 am
Let's add two more items to the list for PUSD's lack of credibility.
1) PUSD has said the special election will cost $150,000. The registrar of Voters Office says the true costs are estimated to be between $210,000 and $290,465 based on the 41,495 registered voters we had in the last election, if there are additional new registered voters it will be even more.
2) The Board has not voted on the parcel tax but the campaign has begun!!!!
Add the cost of running the campaign, which will be donations from the community that would be better donated to the district, and this is going to be a hugh waste of money when it does not pass.
Save Pleasanton Schools flyer:
Thank you for the donations so far!
Come to the Kick-off Rally, March 8th
They have already accepted donation, I guess they know the Boards vote in advance!
a resident of Valley View Elementary School
on Feb 26, 2009 at 2:32 pm
To answer Maria - you are corect the Kids Club is funded by parent fees. However, it was stated at a Board meeting sometime last year that the program has been losing money for several years. So the District was having to make up for that. An outside vendor (YMCA or anyone else) would have to PAY the district to provide services. So the District would not only be able to stop subsidizing child care but would even earn money on the vendor agreement.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 26, 2009 at 2:38 pm
The YMCA ran the preschool program that was built on the district property. It fell apart and the Y left. I can see why Kids Club has to be cost neutral and maybe the parents who use the program need to pay more, but it's a sure bet the Y isn't the panacea for before and after school child care. Why did they bail?
a resident of Walnut Hills
on Feb 26, 2009 at 3:30 pm
The YMCA had a program at Donlon that ended in 1996. Shame on the PUSD for not remembering that fact.
a resident of Walnut Hills
on Feb 26, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Saving $50K (not $450k) at the expense of quality child care? No thanks.
As far as I know, Kids Club is still a highly sought after program here in Pleasanton. It's like striking gold if your child gets into it. Also, Kids Club fees have increased over the last year.
a resident of Val Vista
on Feb 26, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Closing Kids Club is a big mistake!!!! I was unfortunately not able to attend the last Board Meeting, but I'm sure the person who came up with this horrendous idea, has some stake in the YMCA! That DEFINITELY needs to be looked into, as that is a CONFLICT OF INTEREST!!!! I'm a firm believer you get what you pay for! There's a reason the YMCA Program is cheaper! I have had personal experience with both programs, and there is no comparison. Kids Club by far has the better program!!! It's bad enough that the YMCA is the only program offered at all the middle schools in Pleasanton...which I find disappointing since Pleasanton is known for having such great schools. I have experienced enough bad daycare, I don't want to have to experience it again!!! I would definitely look at other options if this was to happen. If, YMCA is taking over the Kids Club sites, but keeping ALL THE STAFF, and leaving the program in TACT, AS IT IS, then fine!...But, if this means losing the summer program and activities for the kids during the summer months, then you will definitely have a fight on your hands!!!
a resident of Birdland
on Feb 26, 2009 at 4:36 pm
If Kids Club costs the district even a dime, we should offload it onto the Y. Why are we subsidizing day care? Is that even legal?
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 26, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Kids Club staff are much higher paid than the YMCA childcare.
Increase the Kids Club fees so it can pay rent to the district and see if parents are still willing to pay the fees over if it was less expensive and run by the YMCA.
The District should not subsidize childcare in this time of budget cuts.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Feb 26, 2009 at 5:13 pm
No need to give it to the Y. Just need to know what it would realistically cost parents to keep the program in the black. Walnut Grove had a program that was neither the Y nor Kids Club. Is that still the case? What are the costs there?
a resident of Oak Hill
on Feb 26, 2009 at 5:26 pm
I think putting YMCA Before and After School at all the schools is a great idea. Fairlands, Lydiksen and Mohr YMCA Y-Kids are excellent. And I've heard good things about Walnut Grove EDCC. It must be difficult to manage having Y-Kids at some sites, but have Kids Clubs at Alisal, Donlon, Valley View, Vintage Hills, and Hearst. I think if the Kids Clubs were Y-Kids, there would be less adminstrative overhead, staff could rotate at different facilities, and PUSD staff would not have to do all the recordkeeping and collection of monthly fees and registration.
a resident of Downtown
on Feb 26, 2009 at 6:19 pm
If the PUSD wants the Kids Club program to generate revenues for the Districit's general fund ,then they should be offered the opportunity to come up with a plan. They have never been a for profit organization.
Aso if we stick to the facts Kids Club is self suffient and they do not use any general fund money from the District.In these time of uncertainty we need to make sure that we base our opinions on facts, and facts alone. They are are not operating in a deficit, as stated by Valerie Arkin. Kids Club cutrently has a reserve of $400,000.I am appalled that a very intelligent Board member would make a statement without first knowing the facts. We have been serving families for 24 years.......
a resident of Vintage Hills
on Feb 26, 2009 at 8:40 pm
With all due respect to Ms. Valerie Arkin, as a PUSD board member; I think it is a conflict of interest to suggest/propose to replace Kids Club with YMCA as she is also a board director for YMCA (Web Link).
In VH alone, for the 40 kids they have; they probably generate about $212,000/year ($400/mo and $650/month on summer). There are 5 Kids Club in PUSD and Donlon have approx 70+ kids (someone again, please correct any inaccuracy). Kids Club being solely funded by parents, I still don't understand why PUSD need to subsidize funds to them. Could this be another mismanagement?
a resident of Donlon Elementary School
on Feb 26, 2009 at 9:31 pm
To correct some information stated in other postings:
1. YMCA and Kids Club fees are exactly the same
2. a PUSD employee stated at a Board meeting last year that Kids Club runs at a deficit
3. Valerie Arkin is no longer on the YMCA Board
a resident of Birdland
on Feb 26, 2009 at 10:19 pm
Kids Club has 24 years of quality service to the community at no cost to the District. The program pays for itself through parent fees. The program has no impact on the general fund.
YMCA- high staff turnover, parents asked to donate $ on a regular basis even though their fees are exactly the same as Kids Club and set by the District. Have had probationary contracts with the District for last few years due to poor service.
The YMCA was actually cited for lack of supervision and losing children. I was at the parent meeting at the District when these complaints were allbrought to the attention of the District. Why is the YMCA still operating here? Ms. Arkin can send her child there but I perfer not to subject my child to this poor quality program. Let's get back to the important discussion of solving the District's huge deficit and quit wasting time on a non-issue. Ms. Arkin should be ashamed for trying to enhance a program for which she was a board member for until a month ago...which hat are you wearing? YMCA? or PUSD?
a resident of Fairlands Elementary School
on Feb 26, 2009 at 11:06 pm
To the poster who mentioned that the YMCA lost a kid. How do you know that? If that did happen, why didn't Pleas. Unified do something about it? If that was the case, they are equally to blame.
Also, did you know that a certain Elementary "lost" a kid recently? School employees had no idea where the kid went and the parent was called and was frantic. The kid was found but after some time. I don't fault the school for this, but it can happen and if one of our schools can make that mistake, anyone can. You need to know facts first.
If Mrs. Arkin is a YMCA board member (don't know if she is), she can only be a conflict of interest if she gets money from the YMCA. If that is case, she should excuse herself from decisions about the daycare. If not, there is no conflict.
a resident of Lydiksen Elementary School
on Feb 26, 2009 at 11:49 pm
I agree that if the Kids Club program costs the district even one dime then the program should be outsourced to the YMCA. The YMCA has a long history in this town and everything I've experienced in the past two years has been fantastic! My kids participate in a variety of Y programs and I love that the Y is licensed, offers families tons of support and focuses on character, something this community could stand to learn something about. There is no better childcare provider than Ms. Megan. She makes it so fun that the parents are envious of their kids!
I appreciate that Ms. Arkin did her homework. She was well prepared, focused and came up with cuts that had the least impact on the classroom. Good work, Ms. Arkin!
Childcare programs serve a very small percentage of PUSD students. Why would we think twice about outsourcing this tiny program!!!!
And wouldn't it be better to have licensed programs??? To answer Ms Hintzke's question, I heard Ms. Galbo say that the Kids Club programs are not licensed. Dr. Casey assured the audience that they are licensed. He's either lying or he's uninformed. Kids Club programs are not licensed so clearly the Y is held to a higher standard!
a resident of Golden Eagle
on Feb 27, 2009 at 6:32 am
It is very sad to see that so many people are not doing any research and strictly going on here say. You are correct. The Kids Club program is not licensed. Due to the fact that they are on school property and only serve children from the school in which they are providing care, they are exempt. However, they comply with each and every regulation. Licensing could go into any of their sites at any moment and not find a single problem. Unfortunately, the same is not said for the Y who stocks their buildings full of children.
Having children who attended Kids Club I can personally attest to the outstanding care they provide. I will admit it has been some time since my children attended but they have been around for 24 years! They are doing a lovely job and have never cost the school district one penny! As far as I know their "deficit" is simply to do with the fact that their reserve used to be even greater than its current amount of over $400,000. Why would you uproot so many children from their second home?
And as for the claims of the Y losing a child and breaking several licensing codes along the years, I suggest you do your research. This is all public record and I wish I could tell you these were lies.
A big kudos to Chris Tibbetts and all of the Kids Club employees, keep up the great work! The school district should have hired their accountant, maybe then they wouldn't be in this mess. Good luck PUSD, don't make another mistake.
a resident of Vintage Hills
on Feb 27, 2009 at 9:21 am
To Alyssa
"Valerie Arkin also brought up the fact that the district could turn over the Kids Club sites to another vendor. She stated this could save $450k per year."
Question: During the meeting, did Ms Arkin specifically say if the 450k/year they could save, is for subsidy funds to Kids Club or revenue they could gain? I agree with 'Concerned, a resident of the Golden Eagle neighborhood' that deficit they're talking about is the now low reserve of $400k. Kids Club from what I was told by a supervisor, was never in the red. They use reserve funds for upgrades (like computers, carpets, repairs, etc) and now its down to $400k.
a resident of Donlon Elementary School
on Feb 27, 2009 at 11:07 am
Funny, but Valerie Arkin was listed as on the YMCA Board of Managers two nights ago. This morning she's listed as "emeritus". When did the resignation take place? I think this should be disclosed by Ms Arkin.
I think that she has a conflict of interest based on her past association working on behalf of the YMCA and should recuse from this discussion and voting on this issue. If she wants to advocate for closing Kids Club operations and assign it to the YMCA, let her do it from the Speaker's rostrum, not from a seat on the board. I question her objectivity and impartiality on this issue.
While I doubt that she financially benefits if the YMCA gets the Kids Club business, an organization that she worked for in the recent past would get financial benefits. I can't see how is this is not a conflict with either board policy or state law. At a minimum, it doesn't smell right
I am also concerned over why there is only discussion of the YMCA. If Kids Clubs were to be closed, doesn't the district have an obligation to publicly bid this out to child care providers (there are many private ones out there, and have public review of those bids). We're talking about taking district owned property and converting it to private use - any actions should be fully transparent so we can all see what we get and what we lose
Lastly, I would like to understand how well the YMCA is doing now on those operations they have in the district. Are they financially sound or operating in the red? Are they in compliance with discrict requirements and performing well. If not, why should go down this path?
a resident of Lydiksen Elementary School
on Feb 27, 2009 at 11:55 pm
As a Y-Kids mom I can tell you that the Y is doing a great job with our program. I was one of the people that attended the PUSD board meeting in the fall to renew the Y contract. Parents and kids from the three Y sites filled the room! Everyone said great things about their experience with the Y, one dad who'd been in the program for many many years. I love the staff and they love our kids! If you want to see what a great job the Y is doing, go visit the Y-Kids program at Lydiksen. You will undoubtedly be impressed!
Despite all that, that really isn't the issue. I for one am very concerned about the cuts and I want them to come from as far away from the classroom as possible. Childcare is not the same as cutting reading specialists, music programs, PE! And it shouldn't even be in the same discussion as CSR. I agree with Leo. If it costs the district, they should get out of the childcare business.
editor of the Pleasanton Weekly
on Mar 15, 2009 at 10:03 pm
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Discussion in '2008 Playoffs' started by Dlev59, Apr 24, 2008.
That was nice
Flip should have subbed in the zoo crew when there was 3:30 minutes left in the third quarter. We weren't down by too many and needed a bosst to get us over the top. As usual; Flip missed that oppurtunity to make a "coaching decision" that could have had an impact on the game. Instead he did nothing.
Go to pistons.com and the first thing you'll see is "Home of the 1989, 1990, and 2004 NBA champions". This whole organization is living in the past.
I didn't get to see the game...I just checked the box...fugly Out boarded 43-34 18 assists 23 turnovers
Now that was not a picture perfect display of playoff basketball. The reason they make you play the games and don't hand you the championship is because upstart hungry teams are always going to be in the hunt to take down the favorites. Remember last year when Dallas got dumped by the Warriors? That's what this series reminds me of in a way, a young hungry team taking on the old warriors. I don't see the Pistons playing with a mission and a drive to be the best they can be. Regardless of Flip Saunders and his weak assed playoff coaching strategy, this team is capable of winning the championship but also capable of a spectacular flame-out. All that development of the bench just goes out the window once the playoffs start. I feel bad for Dice because he doesn't have a championship ring and he's worked so hard this year even taking on a starter's role to try and get that elusive ring. If it doesn't happen this year the window closes pretty fast because lots of talented teams are on the rise and the Pistons are an aging team. Joe Dumars has a much hard job to keep putting together a quality team, he no longer has John Hammond to help him and what coaches out there are really any better than Saunders right now? I'm sick of seeing the same coaches on a revolving door being retreaded so pick your poison. It's beyond me why Aaron Affalo is not getting quality minutes in the playoffs? This kid puts his heart and soul into every game and he's just the burst of energy the Pistons need.
correct me if im wrong, i might be, but i think flip only called 6 TO's all game. it looked to me like he was scared to. like he didnt want to deal with the uncomfortable situation of trying to lead a huddle when the players have turned him off. kind of in contrast to when ric carlisle used all his TO's for the half in the 3rd qtr against us stop the bleeding.
I will wait to here the postgame comments. If one of the player says everything is still okay this series is over. The Pistons are about to lose in the first round.
Jon Barry for coach! Seriously though, perfect time to send a message, and potentially make a big impact on this series. Of course Flip misses it. As for match-ups, yea i remember all those comments about the Sixers causing problems. I hate being right if this is the outcome. Everybody should tell Lee they're sorry. See he's not so crazy after all. I guess it is a blessing in disguise. Flip will go, but the bad part is most likely the core will be broken up. I don't really see who you trade though. Dumars has been adament about keeping Sheed (thank god). Tay i wouldn't trade. Rip i might be open to, and all Chauncey needs is a coach that will tell him what do to. I'm just over it. I want to see the kids play. It's so frustrating to watch. edited to add; You have to blame Joe D for this as well. This is obviously not a workable situation with Flip/some players, and has been allowed to go on for far too long. Wonder if Bill Davidson has Joe's hands tied. I'm having an editing addiction; Why is that Flip even manages to screw up rotations with his normal players. Rip's on fire so he takes him out. Theo's abusing Jason Smith, so he takes him out and puts him back in later at a less preferable match-up ?
judging from his pre-game and half-time speech, it wouldn't have mattered anyway.
This play off run was done when Max (or Theo when he got here) was not given the starting role over Dice. We start every game with 5 jump shooters. We needed at least one post presence (of any sort) this year.
I like how short this is. And your new badass avatar. Why credit incompetence with malicious intent? And why assume Dumars is blameless? This is his coach. He hired him. These are his players. Joe's been here so long that with the exception of 2 of the 3 guys mentioned above by Cirrus, everyone in the org is his own guy. This is the line of the night. Oh man, make lee work for it. What do you expect in the 50th season? These guys totally disrespect the legacy of the franchise, and Joe should be embarrassed. He should be making personal apologies.
Dice is the reason we won Game 2. He played his butt off again and if the Pistons flame out again this will be sad. He has a broken nose now, so you might get your wish.
Flip's effed up rotation = Seriously Flip, why screw with what was working for you the whole season? This team's tuned him out (perhaps completely this time). If we lose - or even if we win this series, we have to insitute some big time changes. Personally, I wouldn't mind trading any of the core 5 or Maxiell if that will get us someone decent - or maybe a couple picks. Needless to say, that means Flipper gets sacked. And is Flip the only coach in the league who could turn a solid personnel move into a terrible one? Perfect description, Tater.
What is this "Solid Personnel move" you speak of?
The team will not be going anywhere of the PG is playing w/ his head up his arse. Someone has to reign in CB.
It was maybe a game where nothing helps. I do not think that bench, except for stuckey and max, can do something. Keep that in mind that stuck and AA are rookies, AJ is technically rookie and rest of them are tryouts. Sure, you can give them some time but I do not believe that combination rookies plus tryouts are actually ready for PO level. With amir or AA or whoever( it really doesn't matter) on the court sixers could have extended their lead. I know this opinion is not what you want to read, but I do not care. I agree with scoe, Dumars has some responsibilities too, as players and coach.
I don't find too many things funny but that was hilarious. I am going to wait and see what happends on Sunday. But yes something does not seem right about this year. The team just looks old and tired out there. I don't think think any lineup change possible could have helped us out there with the way they played. 4-19 from Billups, Sheed and Dyess. Yes we are the type of team that we would have hated 4 years ago. At least the Lakers had 3 titles to be arrogant about. 5 ECF's, we should have at least 4 Finals trips and a min of 2 titles. 3 championships would have been a successfull run, 2 would have been average. Only getting 1 is kind of lame. I appreciated that we did at least get 1 but when you look at all the thrown away opportunities, its not enough. If it ends this year, Wasted opportunities will be how this Pistons era will be remembered. We need some sharks. Some guys that not only want to win but want to destroy the competition in the process. Thats what you need for a sustained title run. I am just not seeing that anymore. They let guys like Gibson and Reggie Evans burn them and they don't even care.
I really don't understand this logic at all. AA and AJ are rookies so we shouldn't play them? We should just do nothing, or the same thing that causes us to lose? You don't know if they won't make an impact, just like i don't know if they will. That's the point of playing players. And signs would point to them being productive if you just watched the season. Thaddeus Young, and Lou Williams are rookies too. They seem to be doing fine. Also, to expand on that, we are getting beat down the floor. I'm sure 20 year old legs are alot faster than 30 year olds.
First thing I would do is call Larry Brown and ask him how much he want for HIS vaunted playbook. Then, I'd actually use the plays in it. Then, I'd start pulling guys for every pair of BS 3's they tossed at the rim. Then, I'd BAN moving out of the way when players drive the lane. Then, I'd BAN any comments about "knowing what to do" or "if it ain't rough" or "hitting shots" Then I'd mandate that if a young guys goes out there and plays better than you mr. starter. guess what? YOU SIT until you start playing better than said young guy. Then, I'd BAN zone defense from the state Then, I'd fine players $500 for every time the lane was open and they faded for a jumper Then, I'd encourage Sheed to get MORE techs. Then, I'd NOT run the starters the entire 3rd qtr so they didn't have tired legs when I need clutch play in the fourth ( and don't give me any of this pro athlete crap. if you have muscles and consume oxygen, you get tired.) Then, I'd try NOT being an idiot. Then, I'd try NOT pulling the hot hand out of a game. Then, Id try PULLING the cold hand out of the game. Then, I'd ask for a raise. That's just to start....
Because our younger guys can't get put in there against Louis Williams (26 minutes), Rodney Carney (21 minutes) and Thaddeus Young(21 minutes)? These are guys from their summer league team. And you contend that Afflalo and Amir can't get inserted into the game when these guys are on the floor? I'll agree with you on a lot of points but not this one. Not for one second.
Separate names with a comma.


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The Liberation of Men
The Liberation of Men
More From Jenette
Jenette's Biography
The first artist she was inspired by Matisse
Her favorite superhero Batman
Her most memorable artistic collaboration Milton Glaser
Kahn served as publisher and then president of DC Comics, where she helped the company grow from 35 people (with three women, including herself) to 250 people with women representing one-half of the staff. Under her leadership, DC became the world's largest English-language publisher of comics. Kahn oversaw the production of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels such as The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, and Sandman.
Before taking her role at DC Comics, Kahn founded three magazines for young people. First, she started Kids, a publication written and illustrated by kids, for kids. Then in 1973 she created Dynamite for Scholastic, which became the most successful magazine in Scholastic's history. Her third magazine was called Smash, and she hired famed graphic designer Milton Glaser to be its art director. Kahn graduated from Harvard with honors in art history.


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View Text
Monuments & museums
Hotel Orto de' Medici is located in the heart of Florence: all city's museums, art galleries and monuments are all within walking distance.
Accademia Gallery
The Galleria dell'Accademia, just 5 minutes far from our hotel, hosts the famous sculptures realized by Michelangelo. First of all the stunning original David, carried here in 1873, but also The Prisoners and St.Matthews. Otherwise, other important works were collected in the adjacent rooms, once antique convents. Here you can admire beautiful paintings dating back to the 13th-16th centuries, a unique collection of gold-ground paintings, late gothic polyptycs, plaster sculptures and Russian icons. Recently the Gallery has acquired a collection of old music instruments originally belonging to the Medici and Lorena Families.
Uffizi gallery
Projected during Renaissance age by Vasari and Buontalenti, the Uffizi Gallery was built 1560 with the purpose of hosting all the administration offices of the Grand Duchy. 21 years later, in 1581, the Palace was converted into a museum, to become one of the most important ones in Italy and the World. The outdoor space, with its peculiar horse-shoe shape, hosts sculptures of the most influential men in Florence, whereas the great Medici collections are exhibited in the indoor majestic rooms. Uffizi Gallery is currently the largest museum collection in the World, hosting real masterpieces from the finest artists such as Cimabue, Giotto, Gentile da Fabriano, Paolo Uccello, Piero della Francesca, Botticelli, Leonardo, Perugino, Correggio, Mantegna, Michelangelo, Raffaello, Tiziano, Tintoretto, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Goya and many more. Overall, at the Uffizi you can admire nearly 5000 works including miniatures, tapestries, and sculptures.
The Cathedral
The Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore, built from 1296, is undoubtedly among the most beautiful monuments in Florence. The original project is merit of Arnolfo di Cambio, whose idea was to gift the city with a monumental gothic cathedral. However this architect could work at it only for six years. Other great artists came after him, such as Giotto, Andrea Pisano and Talenti, while Brunelleschi took care of the planning and execution of the wonderful Dome. The bare interior of the cathedral reflects the stern Christian spirituality of the Middle Age. In spite of that, it contains important masterpieces such as the marble floor from the 16th century and the Paolo Uccello and Vasari's frescoes. Michelangelo's famous Deposition is kept in the apse chapel.
Ponte Vecchio
The most famous bridge in the World dates back to Etruscan times. It was built in a strategic point, where the Arno is narrower. Along the course of centuries, the bridge got destroyed and re-built many times; until it was finally made in stone, taking the shape we still can admire today. At the early times, the bridge used to host mainly butchers and greengrocer's shops. Later on those were converted into jewelers' and goldsmiths' boutiques, mainly thanks to Ferdinando I de' Medici's idea to give the bridge a more glamorous air. The bridge shows such a stunning beauty that even the German Army during the Second World War saved it from the bombings they initially planned.
Medici Chapels
Situated in the area of San Lorenzo, these chapels were built to host the graves of the most important members of the Medici family, such as Lorenzo the Magnificent, Giuliano de' Medici, Lorenzo Duke of Urbino and Giuliano Duke of Nemours. Both Vasari and Michelangelo were involved in the execution of this majestic project, which was meant to celebrate the lives of the members of most influential Florentine family of all times. Inside the chapels stand out the splendid statues of the Virgin by Michelangelo and the statues of Cosma and Damiano, the family's saint protectors.
Palazzo vecchio | Piazza della signoria
Initially established in 1299 as the seat of the Priors of Arts and Craft, Palazzo Vecchio became, at a later stage, the Grand Duke's Palace. Since then, this magnificent building has always represented the symbol of the political and economic power of the town. Faithfull to its antique roots, even today, it hosts Florence Town Hall. Its large halls and reception rooms are truly magnificent. Leonardo Da Vinci itself might have contributed to the beauty of the palace; in fact some art critics think that his famous Anghiari Battle could be still lying under Vasari's paintings, located at the Salone Dei Cinquecento. Palazzo Vecchio overlooks Piazza della Signoria, the historic beating heart of the city since the end of the 13th century. At the center of the Piazza, stand out Giambologna's equestrian statue of Grand Duke Cosimo I and Ammannati's monumental Fountain. The remains of the Roman's thermal baths and dyer workshops, testify the old tradition of Florence's commercial vocation, which would mark the prosperous future of the city along the centuries.
Santa Maria Novella
The Church of Santa Maria Novella, located just behind city's central railway station, is mainly famous for its wonderful Romanesque façade by Leon Battista Alberti. Completed in the second half of the 15th century, the church contains many masterpieces worth visiting; among them we point out the famous fresco by Masaccio, a crucifix by Giotto, another one by Brunelleschi and the frescoes by Ghirlandaio. Through the gateway on the left, you can access the cloister, where Paolo Uccello's wonderful frescoes are kept.
Palazzo Pitti | Boboli Gardens
If you want to immerge deeply into the magnificence of Florence's past ages, a visit to Palazzo Pitti is strongly advised. This majestic work was commissioned in 1440 by the powerful bankers' family to Filippo Brunelleschi. In 1550, the palace was took over by Cosimo de' Medici, who decided to finance a substantial enlargement's work of the building. He then made it the residence of his family and asked Ammannati to build the Courtyard with the peculiar windows and the wonderful Boboli gardens at the Tribolo. Palazzo Pitti hots today various museums and collections such as Silver Museum, Costumes Museum, Coaches Museum and the Gallery of Modern Art. The Palatina Gallery exhibits masterpieces by Tiziano, Raffaello, Tintoretto, Caravaggio, Botticelli, Perugino, Canova, Rubens.


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Results 6 to 10 of 24
December 5th, 2012 10:23 PM #6Annie, mid-twenties, vegetarian, name lover. No kids yet, just two furbabies - Roxy & Layla.
Top favorites for a girl: Beatrice Lily, Charlotte Amelia, Clara Louisa, Eliza Ruby, Josephine Alice, Katherine Annabel, Lillian Audrey, Margaret Helena, Matilda Iris, Philippa Violet
Top favorites for a boy: Adrian Silas, Alexander Gray, Emmett Oliver, Jasper Milo, Julian Edward, Lucian Henry, Nathaniel August, Samuel Owen, Rowan Felix, Theodore August
December 5th, 2012 10:47 PM #8
December 6th, 2012 12:55 AM #10
December 6th, 2012 01:20 AM #12Senior Member
- Join Date
- May 2012
- Posts
- 1,322
Louisa. My husband suggested it to go with Claire as a way to honor his Grandma Betty Lou. At first I was like, "uh, no!" But the more I thought on it the more I liked it so hopefully in August of 2013 we will have a little Claire Elisabeth Louisa! ( I am hoping for a girl)
Also, Eliza and Sophia were names I never really thought much about. I used to dislike Eliza and didn't see anything spectacular about Sophia. Now Sophia is our #2 name after Claire. I ended up taking Eliza off the list, but I still think it is cute. Especially the nickname Liza!
December 6th, 2012 01:32 AM #14
Beatrice, even though it's more a off and on name. Sometimes I can't see the appeal at all other times it's quirky and gorgeous. Another name that I'm so surprised to be liking more is Pippa. Phillipa still isn't a favorite of mine at all but Pippa is starting to sound better to my ears.
For boys James has been really growing on me as a first. A couple days ago, more like two, it actually clicked that James was a handsome first name.~Dayton.20.Auntie to Cruz Marcel.Nursing Student~
{Aella Dorothy Plum} {Soul Wilhelmina Dear} {Thistle Tallulah James} {Cooper Delores Wildrose} {Saskia Edith Muse}
{Sailor Ignatius} {Bodhi Ransom} {Eden Demetrius} {Poet Ambrose} {Wolfe Aubrey}


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An aspiring porn star and her father were arrested Monday after a DNA test proved that they had a sexual relationship that resulted in a child, authorities said.
Tiffany Hartford, 23, and George Sayers Jr., 46, of Bethel, Conn. denied knowing that they were father and daughter. But information provided by Hartfords ex-girlfriend suggests otherwise.
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