text:
Excelsior Hotel Gallia, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan
Select your stay dates to check availability at Excelsior Hotel Gallia, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan
Excelsior Hotel Gallia, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan
About the Hotel
Property Location
With a stay at Excelsior Hotel Gallia, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan, you'll be centrally located in Milan, steps from Grattacielo Pirelli and Pirelli Tower. This 5-star hotel is within close proximity of Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza Lima.
Make yourself at home in one of the 235 air-conditioned rooms featuring minibars and LCD televisions. Complimentary wired and wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming provides entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature rainfall showerheads and complimentary toiletries. Conveniences include phones, as well as safes and desks.
Pamper yourself with a visit to the spa, which offers massages. You're sure to appreciate the recreational amenities, including an indoor pool, a sauna, and a 24-hour fitness center. Additional amenities at this Belle Époque hotel include complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services, and babysitting/childcare (surcharge).
Enjoy a meal at a restaurant, or stay in and take advantage of the hotel's 24-hour room service. Relax with a refreshing drink at one of the 2 bars/lounges.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access, a 24-hour business center, and limo/town car service. Planning an event in Milan? This hotel has 10760 square feet (1000 square meters) of space consisting of a conference center and meeting rooms. Self parking (subject to charges) is available onsite.
Hotel Facilities
- Full-service spa
- Library
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Porter/bellhop
- Conference space
- Concierge services
- Smoke-free property
- Luggage storage
- Restaurant
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Year Built 1927
- Number of meeting rooms - 12
- Total number of rooms - 235
- Indoor pool
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- 24-hour business center
- Express check-in
- 24-hour front desk
- Steam room
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Conference space size (feet) - 10760
- Computer station
- Number of bars/lounges - 2
- Hair salon
- 24-hour fitness facilities
- Spa treatment room(s)
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Wedding services
- In-room accessibility
- Babysitting or childcare
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Self parking (surcharge)
- Meeting rooms 12
- Rooftop terrace
- Conference space size (meters) - 1000
- Express check-out
- Laundry facilities
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Elevator/lift
- Conference center
- Number of floors - 8
- Accessible bathroom
- Sauna
- Valet parking (surcharge)
- Free WiFi
- Turkish bath/Hammam
- Multilingual staff
Room Facilities
- Minibar
- Soundproofed rooms
- Rainfall showerhead
- Free toiletries
- Free WiFi
- Bidet
- Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
- Satellite TV service
- Espresso maker
- Daily housekeeping
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Turndown service
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Pay movies
- Bathrobes
- Premium bedding
- Room service (24 hours)
- Slippers
- In-room safe
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Air conditioning
- Free bottled water
- Private bathroom
- Phone
- Shower only
- Desk
- Pillow menu
- Hair dryer
- Premium TV channels
- Free cribs/infant beds
Hotel Policy
Know Before You Go
- All guests, including children, must be present at check-in and show their government-issued photo ID card or passport.
- Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 2999.99, due to national regulations. For further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation.
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Fee for buffet breakfast: EUR 42 per person (approximately)
- Self parking fee: EUR 40 per night
- Valet parking fee: EUR 40 per night
- Rollaway bed fee: EUR 90 per night
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
Mandatory Fees and Taxes
You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property:
- A tax is imposed by the city: EUR 5 per person, per night, up to 14 nights. This tax does not apply to children under 18 years of age.
We have included all charges provided to us by the property. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book.A tax is imposed by the city and will be collected at the property. The amount has been determined by the local administration and depends on the length of stay, property classification, and room price. This tax does not apply to residents of Milan or children under 18 years of age. Please note that further exemptions may apply. For more details, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Renovations and Closures
The property will be renovating from 29 January 2017 to 05 February 2017 (completion date subject to change). The following areas are affected:
- Swimming pool


text:
Anton Khudobin signs with Hurricanes
|07.05.13 at 3:52 pm ET
Free agent goaltender Anton Khudobin signed a one-year, $800,000 deal with the Hurricanes Friday, ending his two-year stint with the Bruins.
As the team's backup goalie last season, Khudobin went 9-4-1 with a 2.32 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. With Khudobin gone, Niklas Svedberg will likely become Tuukka Rask's backup after having a 2.17 GAA and .925 save percentage for Providence last season.
For more Bruins coverage, visit weei.com/bruins.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
[Date Index]
[Thread Index]
[Author Index]
List of lists in MultipleListPlot
Dear all,
I would like to plot a list of lists with MultipleListPlot but the function
only accepts
individual lists as arguments ie:
Now MultipleListPlot[lists[[1]],lists[[2]]] works fine but is cumbersome with
many lists.
What I would like to do of course is to plot "lists" directly - Flatten and
Map do not do the trick so are
there any suggestions?
PS. Direct email as well as postings to ng would be appreciated since our
newsfeeder has troubles for the moment
Niklas Blomberg
European Molecular Biology Laboratory
Structural Biology
Postfach 10.2209
D-690 12 Heidelberg
F.R. Germany
Phone +49 6221 387 269
Telefax +49 6221 387 517
E-mail blomberg at nmr.embl-heidelberg.de


text:
Every time she visits the Oak Street Cemetery, Carol Jurovaty, a Norwich grandmother, sees more examples of vandalism. Historic headstones from the late 1700s and 1800s are knocked down or broken in half. Wrought-iron railings are missing, likely stolen to be sold as scrap.
"It's heartbreaking," Jurovaty said. She visits the cemetery every couple of weeks and voluntarily picks up fallen stones, cuts brush and fills garbage bags with litter. "It's a labor of love," she said. "It's not a job for me. I love doing it."
Log in to leave a comment. Sign In / Sign Up


text:
An alleged drink-driver dobbed in by members of the public in the middle of the afternoon on Friday was almost four times over the limit.
Senior Constable Tracee Knowler, of Houhora police, said it was one of the highest, if not the highest, readings she had taken in her 18 years of policing.
She was alerted about 2.15pm by two people in different parts of Pukenui, 50km north of Kaitaia. One called 111, the other ran into her station.
It didn't take long to find the driver, who blew a breath-alcohol level of 1534 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit is 400mcg.
Ms Knowler was grateful to members of the public who had reported him, preventing anyone from coming to harm. He was on his way home to Te Kao, 30km north, so could have done a lot of damage on the way. It was also close to home time for the area's schoolchildren.
His licence was suspended for 28 days and he will appear next week in the Kaitaia District Court charged with driving with excess breath alcohol.
The Northland driver with the highest alcohol reading to date was Peter Bootes of Ngunguru, who was off the scale when police tried to breath-test him in 2010. The highest reading the machine could handle was 2000mcg. They had to perform a blood test and found a blood-alcohol level of 458 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, almost six times the limit.


text:
1444 Marina Blvd
Directions San Leandro, CA 94577
Sorry, no items matching your request were found.
And that means the search for your next car just got a whole lot easier, whether you hail from San Leandro, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley or Hayward. From new models, such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Patriot, Dodge Charger, Dodge Dart, Ram 1500 or Chrysler 200, to a superb selection of time-tested used cars, San Leandro Chrysler Dodge Jeep is committed to helping you drive home in the vehicle you've had your heart set on from the start.
To be more precise, our onsite car service and maintenance department is dedicated to making sure your next automotive investment is one that's well made. That means keeping your car tuned up, on the road, and running as efficiently as possible. And if something goes wrong, they can quickly implement a fix to get you back on the road. It's just one more reason drivers love our Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram experts in San Leandro.
All advertised prices exclude government fees and taxes, any finance charges, any dealer document processing charge, any electronic filing charge, and any emission testing charge. Sale Prices do not apply to leases. In Transit means that vehicles have been built, but have not yet arrived at your dealer. In Transit vehicles are expected to be delivered within 30 days of initial posting. Image shown is a stock photo and may not necessarily represent identical vehicles in transit to your dealership.


text:
CASTING CALL! Who Do YOU Think Should Play The New 'Charlie's Angels?'
ABC is FINALLY casting their remake of the 1970s hit Charlie's Angels and HollywoodLife.com has the perfect ladies (and one special gentleman) in mind!
Just like Hawaii Five-0 made its way back to the small screen, you can expect to see a Charlie's Angels remake on ABC within the next year, reports our sister site Deadline Hollywood. Currently, the network is searching for actors to play Charlie –- and his angels –- with hopes of starting production in Miami in January. The HollywoodLife.com staff took it upon ourselves to cast the reboot — do YOU agree with our choices?
Megan Fox: Sure, she's a huge movie star — but Megan's big-screen career is starting to slow down, and maybe hubby Brian Austin Green's current recurring role on Desperate Housewives, is enough to inspire Megan to return to her small-screen roots! (Anyone remember her on a little show called Hope and Faith?)
Sarah Michelle Gellar: We can all agree that SMG needs to get her vampire-slaying self back on TV, and what better vehicle for her triumphant comeback than a show all about strong women?
Sophia Bush: After eight years on One Tree Hill, Sophia's a bonafide TV veteran — and since OTH will likely wrap things up for good in May, Sophia should be free for hiring come next season!
Stephanie Jacobsen: The former star of Melrose Place (2.0) isn't just hot — she's also experienced in kicking butt, with stints on shows like FOX's late Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and SyFy's Battlestar Galactica franchise.
Blake Lively: If Blake's character on Gossip Girl, Selena, magically gets killed off this season, her schedule will be freed up enough to go kick butt on the beach. We know it's a long shot, but let's be honest, we're obsessed with Blake!
Kerri Washington: Best known for her role in the movie Ray, we think Kerry is as sexy as it gets. Not only that, she's super smart and spy-esque -– she's supposedly speaks seven languages! (We're not kidding.)
Hugh Laurie: Quirky, yet authoritative and ruggedly handsome, this Brit fits the role of Charlie (excuse us, Charles Townsend) perfectly. Plus, with House ending this season, Hugh will need a new show on which to reign supreme.
Alright. Cut, print, check the gate…moving on! Who needs casting directors when you have us?
Who would YOU cast in Charlie's Angels?


text:
By BROCK VERGAKIS
Associated Press
NORFOLK, VA (AP) — Submerged World War II shipwrecks in North Carolina and Civil War shipwrecks in Virginia are being analyzed in new ways that could allow the public to view their conditions in much more detail than even diving at some of the sites could provide.
Federal researchers are using sonar to create vivid, three-dimensional images of the shipwrecks. Those images will likely end up online, in museums and as part of other programs to promote American maritime heritage.
On Tuesday, researchers headed to North Carolina's Outer Banks to begin creating images of ships sunk in 1942 during the Battle of Atlantic.
Researchers used the sonar to map the Civil War shipwrecks USS Cumberland and CSS Florida on Monday in Virginia near Newport News.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


text:
Dear Reid,
I recently started hanging out with this new guy I met, and I really like him—just not in "that way." I know that he wants something more, but I just want to be friends.
I've often heard guys say that men and women can't be friends, because there will always be sexual tension. I'm not wild about hanging out with someone who constantly wants to get in my pants, but I would be happy to hang out with this guy as long as we don't cross the line.
Is it possible for a guy to be friends with a girl? And how can I be sure that I make it clear to him that friends is all we are?
—Jane Don't
I know how you feel. Or, perhaps more importantly, I know how he feels. But before we get into what that is, it's important that we establish a key difference between women and men. For a woman, a "friend" is a person she hangs out with but doesn't have sex with. For a man, a "friend" is a guy. So, while the boundary between "friend" and "boyfriend" is fairly simple from the woman's perspective—sex—it's much more complex and confusing from the guy's perspective.
As we've discussed ad naseum before, men are simple creatures. As such, we are very easily confused. Therefore, while a male-female friendship can certainly go on for years without incident, and there is only one key rule guiding the friendship in the woman's mind ("Don't have sex"), there are many more ground rules a woman must observe in that situation to avoid confusing her guy friends.
An excellent article on this very subject recently appeared on This Is By Us, a collaborative blog with a clever URL. For the sake of simplicity, I will paraphrase the most salient of those ground rules here:
- No hugging or kissing for greetings or salutations. Hugging is only allowed for personal tragedies or blessed events when the emotional significance of the situation blocks out the knowledge that your boobs are pressing against him. Kissing means sex. Always.
- No sleepovers. Men think of all women who sleep in bed with them as potential sex partners. He spends much of his free time trying to coax women into that bed, so if you get in there, he can't help but think you want some.
- No seat sharing. When girls sit on a guy's lap or next to him in a one-person seat, the proximity is arousing. A possible exception is fitting an extra person in a car that is filled to capacity. While he'll suffer any indignity not to be the designated driver, it might not be the seat belt poking you.
- Try to avoid incidental contact. I can't outlaw this since there are times when the brush of a leg or a sleeve is purely accidental, but try to be careful. You can take steps to not put your arm in his while walking or lay against him on a couch or other things like that. Those things lead to thoughts about sex.
- As the man said, you never give another man's woman a foot massage. In fact, absolutely no neck/foot/back rubs or massages of any kind are allowed in a platonic friendship. That's a lot of foreplay to waste on someone who doesn't want the main event.
- No passing judgment on any girl that he dates. Good or bad, it's the guy friends' job to belittle and pick apart girlfriends. If a woman does this, it means she wants the guy for herself. So you think she is trashy and dumb? Well, you could have dated him but you just wanted to be friends.
- No judgments on any of his behavior. This could lead him to think you care a little too much about his well being. No telling him to stop smoking, drinking, or using women. If he is truly being an asshole in some situation, however, feel free to clue him in—that's what friends do.
- No asking for man favors such as furniture moving, yard work, or car trouble help. Men don't like to waste displays of extreme masculinity on women who have decided not to sleep with them. In a pinch you can bribe him to do man chores with beer.
- No flirting. So if you laugh at his jokes, they better be funny jokes. There is nothing that says "I want you" more than laughing at jokes that aren't funny.
- No being attracted to him. He is going to be as attractive as possible in pursuit of other women, so this one may be difficult. In fact, don't even tell him that he looks good, as that will torment him for days wondering if you've changed your mind about him.
- No confiding in him about boys. While you may not be able to grasp the difference, he is not your girl friend; He is your reluctant man friend who officially hates all men that you date now or in the future. Asking for hypothetical guy advice is okay; just don't slam him with details about particular guys you are sleeping with.
- No dating any guy who treats you badly, disrespects or neglects you in any way—that's just a slap in your friend's face. He must truly adore you in order to suppress all those natural man urges for your friendship, so at least respect him enough to date someone who respects you as much as he does.
- You have to let him know immediately if you want to be more than friends. He's only doing this to respect your wishes. If you ever want more—and he hasn't moved on to someone else—rest assured that he will too.
Some of these rules may sound harsh, but they are imperative in order to keep the situation clear in the mind of an easily-confused man. As long as these rules are observed, he will not constantly think about getting into your pants, and you should enjoy a comfortable, uncomplicated friendship.
Please note that these rules only apply in a situation where there was initial, obvious attraction on the part of the guy. Almost all rules are moot if he never wanted you in the first place, or if you are already romantically attached to one of his guy friends. In either of those situations, you are essentially a guy to him, so be understanding of this fact if he calls you "gay" for offering him a hug or a neck massage.
Thanks again to moreanonymous from This Is By Us for first putting these ground rules into words.


text:
New access area open for fishermen
SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. - Sullivan County resident Tom Morton owned around 65 acres of prime real estate along the South Holston River in Sullivan County, Tennessee. Then, the time came for Morton to sell his property, and he had more on his mind than just making money with the sale.
It was a transaction that will benefit outdoor enthusiasts for generations to come.
It should be easier for South Holston River fishermen to land the catch of the day like rainbow and brown trout. The Big Springs Access Area is now open on South Holston River near Bluff City.
TWRA Regional Manager John Gregory told us about the site. "It's been recognized as one of the better nationally-recognized trout streams east of the Mississippi, so it's great to be able to provide some more facilities for folks," he said.
Building the access site was a seven-year process to reel in according to Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey. "I actually had this property listed for auction is how this all came about. The owner said he'd be willing to sell it to TWRA," he said. "This is one of those cases where my real estate side, my private business and my public side, Lieutenant Governor came together."
After buying the 65-acre site, the TWRA hooked up with the TVA for a partnership.
More boats in the water means more money flowing into the county's economy. "We are highly dependent on the fishing economy here in Sullivan County," Ramsey said. "The fishermen come from all over the world, literally, to fish this river."
They'll be fishing by boat and by bank at this new access along with a possible float trip, and maybe another occasional use. "I suspect going back to when I was a kid and we'd float down the Clinch, I'd be really surprised if there's not a baptizing or two that takes place here as well," said TWRA Executive Director Ed Carter.
The new South Holston River Access site is located about five miles northeast of Bluff City along Big Springs Road.


text:
Univ. of Edinburgh Online Equine Nutrition Course Begins Jan. 28
- Jan 11, 2013
- Topics:
The University of Edinburgh's free online equine nutrition course through coursera.org is slated to begin Jan 28, according to a release on the university's website. The five-week long course will be instructed by Jo-Anne Murray, PhD, PgDip, PgCert, BSc(Hons), BHSII, RNutr, FHEA, senior lecturer in Animal Nutrition and Husbandry at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the university.
The release states that more than 10,000 individuals have already signed up to take part in the course. Because it is an online course, there is no limit on the number of attendees, the release said.
According to the course description on coursera.org, "The anatomy and physiology of the equine alimentary canal will be studied to provide students with a detailed understanding of the equine digestive system. Nutrient sources for horses will be discussed, with emphasis placed on the health and welfare issues surrounding the inclusion of various types of feedstuffs in equine diets.
"Students will also discuss recommendations on rations for horses and ponies performing various activities and should feel equipped to make recommendations on rations for horses and ponies, in health and disease," the description reads.
The current course syllabus is as follows:
- Week 1: Anatomy and physiology of the equine gastrointestinal tract;
- Week 2: Nutrient digestion in the equine gastrointestinal tract;
- Week 3: Equine nutrient sources and feeding management;
- Week 4: Equine dietary management; and
- Week 5: Equine clinical nutrition.
The course description indicates that course will consist of weekly one-hour lectures broken down into videos of 10 and 15 minutes in length. Supporting notes and additional readings provided will be provided, and there will be quiz questions throughout the course along with additional optional assignments.
For more information on the course and to sign up, visit www.coursera.org/course/equinenutrition.
Related Content
Feeding and Fueling Racehorses
Seven Senior Horse Facts
Feeding Orphan Foals (AAEP Convention 2012)
Feeding Older Horses
How to Feed an Orphan Foal
Weaning Stress and Nutritional Influences
Disease Prevalence in Older Horses Examined
Using Nutrition to Prevent and Manage Equine Disease
Potential Vitamin K Supplement Eyed for Equine Bone Health
Microbial Colonization of the Foal's GI Tract
POLL: Public or Private Lands: Where Do You Ride?


text:
The Darling and Other Stories HTML version
IT is one o'clock in the afternoon. Shopping is at its height at the "Nouveauté's de Paris,"
a drapery establishment in one of the Arcades. There is a monotonous hum of shopmen's
voices, the hum one hears at school when the teacher sets the boys to learn something by
heart. This regular sound is not interrupted by the laughter of lady customers nor the slam
of the glass door, nor the scurrying of the boys.
Polinka, a thin fair little person whose mother is the head of a dressmaking establishment,
is standing in the middle of the shop looking about for some one. A dark-browed boy
runs up to her and asks, looking at her very gravely:
"What is your pleasure, madam?"
"Nikolay Timofeitch always takes my order," answers Polinka.
Nikolay Timofeitch, a graceful dark young man, fashionably dressed, with frizzled hair
and a big pin in his cravat, has already cleared a place on the counter and is craning
forward, looking at Polinka with a smile.
"Morning, Pelagea Sergeevna!" he cries in a pleasant, hearty baritone voice. "What can I
do for you?"
"Good-morning!" says Polinka, going up to him. "You see, I'm back again. . . . Show me
some gimp, please."
"Gimp--for what purpose?"
"For a bodice trimming--to trim a whole dress, in fact."
Nickolay Timofeitch lays several kinds of gimp before Polinka; she looks at the
trimmings languidly and begins bargaining over them.
"Oh, come, a rouble's not dear," says the shopman persuasively, with a condescending
smile. "It's a French trimming, pure silk. . . . We have a commoner sort, if you like,
heavier. That's forty-five kopecks a yard; of course, it's nothing like the same quality."
"I want a bead corselet, too, with gimp buttons," says Polinka, bending over the gimp and
sighing for some reason. "And have you any bead motifs to match?"
Polinka bends still lower over the counter and asks softly:


text:
Kosky attacks university
Page Tools
The potential closure or amalgamation of Melbourne University's regional campuses was "arrogant" and "Melbourne-centric", Victorian Education Minister Lynne Kosky said yesterday.
Because of declining student numbers and deficits that have totalled $15 million over the past five years, Melbourne University is re-evaluating some of its rural and outer-urban campuses.
Ms Kosky said the university was withdrawing from its responsibility to provide regional education and that Melbourne had the money to pay for the campuses but had chosen not to. Among the agriculture and food resources campuses are Dookie, near Shepparton, McMillan, with sites in Leongatha, and Warragul.
A Melbourne university spokeswoman said the university remained committed to providing regional vocational education programs. Vice-Chancellor Kwong Lee-Dow was overseas and unavailable for comment.
Ms Kosky said the Bracks Government would not support a Victorian Nationals motion for an inquiry into regional agriculture and natural resources education, moved in Parliament last week.
She said there was no point to the inquiry as the State Government had already released the results of a parliamentary inquiry into the allocation of outer-urban and regional university places in July.
Ms Kosky said the Nationals were "playing a political game" by using an inquiry to locate a federal problem - the allocation of university places - within the State. "They could have gone to their federal colleagues and asked them to provide extra places," she said.
Ms Kosky said that two weeks ago the university met Victorian Education Department officials, who suggested that Melbourne approach TAFEs operating near the regional campuses, but they had failed to do that.
"They could work with other organisations... but they're not interested," she said. David Rood


text: Home > How To > Framing > Q&A: Bark-Side Up or Down With Decking? Framing Q&A: Bark-Side Up or Down With Decking? Answers to the questions asked most often in the field By Paul Fisette Login or Register to download the PDF version of this article. (440.07 kB) A.Paul Fisette responds: Depending on the wood type, moisture content, and exposure, deck boards can cup, twist, or decay. Theoretically, you can ensure that a board will cup downward to shed water, and thereby reduce deterioration, by exposing one face or the other. In fact, seldom does a week pass that I'm not involved in a discussion about whether to install deck boards either bark side up or bark side down. But such recommendations usually only account for one of a handful of factors that control cupping.Original moisture content. The original moisture content of a piece of lumber controls a board's final shape. Wood is stable when its moisture content is above 30% (fiber saturation point). As wood dries below 30%, it shrinks. Wood shrinks and swells twice as much in the direction parallel to the growth rings as it does perpendicular to the... Login or Register to read the full article.


text:
THE latest addition to the hugely popular and addictive Call of Duty video game franchise has smashed entertainment records, besting marks set by Modern Warfare, Halo 4, Harry Potter and Star Wars.
Activision announced this week that Call of Duty: Black Ops II earned more than $500 million worldwide during its first 24 hours on sale, IGN reports.
To put that in perspective, last year Modern Warfare 3 earned $400 million in the US and UK on launch day and X-Box's blue ribbon title Halo 4 earned $220 million from its launch last week.
So what makes Black Ops II, the long-awaited Call of Duty series newcomer, so incredibly popular?
"Call of Duty: Black Ops II is a comprehensive evolution of an online phenomenon," says IGN Australia.
"Black Ops II is set to keep its millions of players engaged for months if not years to come with regular content packs featuring new levels, modes and weaponry to ensure that the experience doesn't stagnate in the foreseeable future."
Have you played Black Ops II yet? Will you? Can't get your boyfriend to put it down?
First-person shooters are the most popular genre of the video game industry, and Call of Duty has for years set the benchmark with its Modern Warfare and Black Ops series.
The game has two main settings, a campaign mode which is usually played on your own against the computer, plus the much more popular multiplayer mode which is where the game style (and this particular franchise) thrives.
Players compete against other players around the globe (or in 'private' invite-only games against friends) to essentially recreate battle scenes, using stealth, cover, brute force and a large variety of weapons to eliminate their opponents.
What all this amounts to is a rich, deep, compelling and engaging gaming experience that's presented in slick graphic details that wows users. And that amounts to huge sales.
"With first day sales of over half a billion dollars worldwide, we believe Call of Duty is the biggest entertainment launch of the year for the fourth year in a row," said Activision CEO Bobby Kotick.
"Life-to-date sales for the Call of Duty franchise have exceeded worldwide theatrical box office receipts for Harry Potter and Star Wars, the two most successful movie franchises of all time."
While Activision has not revealed the specific number of copies sold, we know that at least one million copies were sold at GameStop midnight launches when it launched on Tuesday.
To give you an idea of the scale of its popularity, the Call of Duty franchise has sold in excess of 100 million copies worldwide.
Other key statistics reveal:
- Call of Duty is played online by gamers in over 144 countries around the world;
- Call of Duty: Black Ops players have logged more than 2.6 billion hours of online gameplay on Xbox LIVE and Playstation Network since the title's release in November 2011, which is equal to more than 298,000 years of gameplay;
- Over 30 million people have played Call of Duty multiplayer in the past year;
- As of August 2011, on average, more than 19 million people play Call of Duty online each month, and over 6.5 million play it each day.
IGN's first review declared: "this is not the shooter you expected". Here are some of the features that are set to make Call of Duty: Black Ops II the biggest title of all time.
Shooting is as fun and precise as ever, and alongside the abundance of gigantic explosions, vehicle missions and intense fire fights, it feels like the closest thing most of us will ever get to starring in an action film.
In that sense, Black Ops II is the classic Call of Duty formula at its best, with an important, defining difference: the emphasis on drone warfare, the exotic-but-grounded weaponry and the attention to detail in the believably high-tech signage and architecture makes Blacks Op II feel strikingly plausible even when it strays into non-historical settings.
The team at Treyarch brings a bit of the multiplayer load-out flavour to the campaign as well.
Before each mission you can now customise your character's weapons (restrictions apply to make sure you're not using a future weapon in the past, for instance), accessories and even give them perks.
Every level also has challenges associated with it, and you can scope out the leaderboards to see how you stand up to your buddies. These are small details, but they're important because they layer on another reason to replay the stages.
If for some bizarre reason the narrative doesn't grab you, then you still have lots of additional goals to try and achieve that are decidedly more "gamey".
Originally published as Black Ops II takes $500m in one day


text:
Originally posted on NESN.com | Last updated 1/26/13
The Boston Celtics, who find themselves buried in the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division standings at 20-23, will go toe-to-toe with one of the former members of the Big Three on Sunday. Ray Allen will have his hands full not only defending Boston's young and versatile guards but also in dealing with the fans. The same crowd that embraced him when he broke Reggie Miller's 3-point record can't be happy that he has gone to the dark side. Making it even more intriguing is the slight hostility that has arisen among the questions of who did and didn't do what. Rajon Rondo and Allen were reportedly not seeing eye to eye, so how Rondo greets his former teammate could be something to keep an eye on. Oh, and "big brother" Kevin Garnett, who didn't want to see Allen on opening night, is likely still disappointed in him. Where the Celtics stand as of now puts a bad taste in the mouth of all Celtics fans, especially with the C's shooting 33.5 percent from beyond the arc. Allen's presence only makes that taste worse. In the 2012-13 season, the 37-year-old is posting 11.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 25 minutes per game. Allen's debut in Boston in a Heat uniform should be just a precursor to the two teams battling for bragging rights at the end of the season, but the Celtics have some work to do first. Boston is having a horrific finish to the first half of the 2012-13 season, while the Miami Heat are in the thick of things, sitting on top of the Eastern Conference standings. At the end of the day, it's always the game that matters. But Sunday could also mean a rough awakening for Allen — or maybe some pleasant feelings, as a thanks for providing five great years for the green team. What do you think? How should Celtics fans respond? Take Our Poll
NBA News
Delivered to your inbox
You'll also receive Yardbarker's daily Top 10, featuring the best sports stories from around the web. Customize your newsletter to get articles on your favorite sports and teams. And the best part? It's free!
Follow us on Twitter
|Best of Yardbarker
|NFL News
|MLB News
|NBA News
|NHL News
Today's Best Stuff
For Publishers
Company Info
Follow Yardbarker
|© 2017 Yardbarker, Inc. All rights reserved. Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. (What's New?)


text:
Interesting. I will have to consider this.
Printable View
Interesting. I will have to consider this.
Sounds like a fine idea for immediate use.
Thanks for the info!!
A great idea! Thanks so much for this! I had been thinking along these lines too~!:)
Thanks for sharing.
This looks like it would be worth a try :)
I think I'll try this on my binding.
how long does it take before it dries?
Can you reposition your fabric after you spray?
Would your made up mixture keep in the fridge if so for about how long,


text:
Milk Chocolate Assortment, 12 oz. Box
12 oz. Milk Chocolate Assortment
Other Customers Also Purchased
Oh, the pleasure of fine milk chocolate. We've selected 17 of our best-loved candies for this collection. From Raspberry Cream to Roman Nougat, Coconut Cluster to Peanut Butter
Comes in complimentary seasonal gift wrap while supplies last. Wrapping paper design may vary.


text:
Adventures Close To Home4 comments
… is the name of the new collection of La fille d'O, de lingerie collection of the multitasker Murielle Scherre. Since I got the chance to interview Ms. Scherre for my -first- master thesis (yes, I made two), I have been a fan of her work. Admittedly, I have liked the brand for even longer but due to meeting her in person my fondness of the brand grew and I have been following it closely ever since. My birthday is coming up in about a month -hint, hint-
I'm so excited to let you know that I've started a new blog. You can find me on Rooftop Antics. See you there!
Photos: La fille d'O, photographer André Wolff


text:
Last month I begin shooting in studio constantly. And now I'm waiting for 2 milestones in a nearest days. They are 500 uploads and 100 sales. On second of November I passed 400 images online and now I'm so close to start 6th hundred)) Also I can say that distance from 300th to 400th image online takes something about 2 months. Also this months is the first when I upload more than one hundred pictures. New images brings more sales, but not as much as I want)) But I think it's question of time)
Here are some of my new syudio pics
Dmitry Tsvetkov
Saint-petersburg, RU
Interact, make friends, share tips and techniques, have fun. Dreamstime wants your ideas and thoughts whether you are a photographer, designer or regular user. Create a blog to tell your story, promote favorite images and photographers, post tutorials or simply exchange opinions with your with fellow dreamstimers.
Don't forget words and pictures go great together so make sure you choose some Dreamstime favorite pics to brighten your article. For inspiration, check out the hottest or the most useful blogs on the left.
Create a blog to tell your story, promote favorite stock images and photographers
Create your own blog in seconds!
More favorite articles
Keep in touch:
Copyright © 2000-2017 Dreamstime. All rights reserved.


text:
@RyanMorik and @SGT_Sports are back with a new episode of the #nygroove #Backsportspage https://t.co/QMAzpneWXD
Copy failed.
In The Business: Jonathan Coachman speaks with BSP!!
Randy Zellea Speaks With The Coach As He Talks ESPN, WWE and more with the Coach!!
Randy Zellea of BSP recently interviewed ESPN Anchor Jonathan Coachman. Many are familiar with Coachman, as he established himself with the WWE where he worked with some of the biggest names in wrestling. Coachmen left wrestling and transitioned into ESPN where he has become a household name, both on Prime Time Radio and TV broadcasts.
After talking with Jonathan for over 45 minutes, it was obvious that he was one of the many chasing the dream and following his passion in the media industry. I honestly felt that giving excerpts of the interview I conducted with "the Coach" in a written feature would not carry the same message as the message he sent out.. Coachman's dedication and desire to succeed in the media industry is unmatched as he made sacrifices, as well as, being in the right place in the right time.
I followed Coachman for years through WWE TV because he always found away to be entertaining in front and behind the camera. Since his arrival to ESPN, Coachman has become a leader and a mentor to other anchors coming into the company. Though he left the Wrestling business in 2008, the coach had the opportunity to rekindle some of his magic and taped skits with Pro Wrestling personalities John Cena and "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson when they visited ESPN to promote their projects.
The lesson to take away from this interview is that if you have a passion and desire for something; do not be afraid to do the work. Do not be afraid to say "YES" and chase the dream, because the journey could be just as amazing as the end point. During this interview you will learn about "the Coach's" path to WWE and his transition to ESPN.
Q: How did you get your first break in the broadcasting field?
A: When I got out of college, I did not have a job in journalism. I was not on TV; but was working four or five jobs in Lawrence, Kansas and having a ball. I had called a producer I had worked for in college in Wichita, Kansas and he thought I was working in TV .I didn't tell him differently and they obviously didn't do their homework. They had an opening for a #3 guy at KAKE TV in Wichita and they had me down for an interview. I get down there and I was horrible!! I had no business being hired and I spent the following week blowing up their phones. The following week I got a call from their news director and he said "I'm going to be honest with you, you are not ready for this job you are not at this level yet, but I just got fired. I am able to work until 5pm this afternoon, so, because I feel you have some talent, and I want to tick them off a little bit, I want to hire you as our weekend sports anchor if you can get here by 5pm today." It was about a three hour drive and I was mowing lawns at the time. I told my boss, and keep in mind I am 21 years old, and I said "listen man, I have to go and I have to go right now." I jumped in the car drove to the station and that was how I got my start.
Q: You were an athlete when you were younger. Can you talk about those experiences?
A: I played baseball, basketball and football, but I was a really good baseball player. In fact, I had some back issues and the doctors stated I had to play a game where I didn't have to twist a lot, or I could have played in college. I was really good and I still play a lot of softball to this day. One of my best friends from High School ended up playing baseball for Wichita State and we all know they have a great program there. The last two years of High School, we won 5A state basketball championship with our coach Mike Henson. His son Steve played in the NBA and was our high school coach. The younger brother was my age, and he went on to play Kansas. I was very involved in sports as I played college basketball as well.
Q: It's crazy how opportunities become available. Is it really the right place at the right time type of situation?
A: Here is why that happens in this business. In other industries, everything is cut and dry and you are not going to become a doctor unless you have certain test scores and you know what you're doing. In TV, its very subjective business. One person might think you have talent, and somebody else might not. This is what I tell people all the time, including young anchors who are new to ESPN. I pride myself in helping anyone I can, by giving advice as much as I can, due to my background of traveling all over the world and by being on worldwide TV for so long. A lot of the younger anchors come to me and I tell them for the first five years, when you get here change your middle name to YES. Whatever they ask you to do, just do it. By doing that, they know they could count on you. You will be able to have the opportunity to be on every show in the building at some point. At that point, you will figure out what you like to do . The same thing could be said when you could do local sports for radio, podcasts, web pages, just start by saying "YES". The more you say "YES" the more people will gravitate towards you and it certainly has worked for me.
Q: When did you put your focus on TV instead of other forms of media? Most media members usually start out on the print side then transition over to radio and or TV, Did you have a choice in this situation?
A: This goes back to loving TV. I do not mean just sports. I love everything on TV. I love reality TV, but the thing is the other options were not available. I didn't have the option to be part of other outlets. If someone came to me at the age of 21 and asked if I wanted a radio show, I would have taken it, but at the time, all the connections I had were in TV. When I was in college, for me to graduate in my major, I had to be the sports editor of our college paper and had a column. I enjoyed writing while I was in WWE. I had my own a column in the WWE Magazine. I would eventually like to start writing here too. I also pride myself on knowing the business well, and that's just not me being over confident. I know the business well and writers do not seem to make much money. It's a hard way to break into the business and to make it to the top. You have to be incredibly good at what you do. I was not sure if it would be something I would be great at. I know the road I would have to take to be successful. I do not do play by play because I'm not Brent Mussberger or Brad Nessler, but I am pretty good in the studio, so that's what I do.
Q: Did your time with WWE help you in ESPN?
A: It was a lot. Every time I sit on set on all the big shows I know, whether it's on the 11PM Sports Center or the Sunday NFL show, everything I do, I find myself mentally referring back to the things I learned working with Vince McMahon and everybody in the WWE. People do not understand how difficult it is to entertain, act and make people believe, when most people don't want to believe it is true. The one thing about working with the Rock, and I have people mentioning it every day to me, is about the skits that we did for so long. To see the evolution of our relationship going from him abusing me to him coming back and us doing things as we were at the same level, was awesome for me. The decision for me to get into the ring and get involved on a physical aspect was a difficult one for me. It was one I felt I needed to do because I had the size of 6'3 and 240lbs and it was something that would earn me the respect of the boys, while making me one of them. What I didn't't realize was what would happen and that I would learn to entertain on the highest level… the timing, how you say things, your facial expressions, you know all the little things I utilize today. I wish all of our anchors could go through all that training, knowing that Vince is watching your every move and he is ready to shred you and rip you apart. I lasted almost ten years in that environment, and because of that, it allowed me to be ahead of the game when I got here. I felt like I was working for Mr. Rodgers compared to Mr. McMahon. The different things I did over my career with WWE, has helped me when I am doing things at the highest level. ESPN is the highest level and that is not lost on me, and I do not forget that. Every single day when I come to work weather I am sick or I am healthy. I'm out to give it all I got because I want to improve, because I care. I love people who care and who show me that they want to give an effort in life, whatever it is, because you know you are gonna get my best effort.
Q: Do you have any personal stories that you can share with us about working with Vince McMahon?
A: Vince McMahon is a very unique guy, and he does not trust a lot of people. He had trust in me and because of that, he wanted me around him a lot, whether I was hosting something or not. If he wanted to yell and couldn't find someone that he couldn't yell at, he would yell at me just to get it out of his system. Because of Vince having the ability to trust me, and the fact I did anything he needed me to do, the first time we went over to the middle east to Afghanistan, I was one of the 18 people who got to go to represent WWE because I was able to talk, and get in the ring if I needed to. I did get in the ring as I had a match with Ric Flair over there, and I lost to him via the figure four leg lock, and it is a highlight in my career. Some people call it the figure two, but it is what it is (laughs). While there, I got to see firsthand what life was like out in the desert. It was a scary, as we were in the line of the fire, and we went in places that nobody really got to see up close. Those are some the greatest experiences I will look back on because of that relationship I had with him. I will be indebted to him. We get along great to this day, and if there was an opportunity to be on Monday Night Raw and do Sports Center at the same time I would that in a heartbeat.
Q: How did it feel to do some of the same type of skits at ESPN with the Rock and John Cena? How was it crossing over from the WWE with ESPN?
A: It was very cool. To be honest with you, the people who were in charge at the time at ESPN, to be blunt they just were not high on anyone from wrestling being on there and I had to fight and claw ,and I had to stand up for my brand and what I believe in. I spent a full decade creating the Coach, and I have been the coach my whole life, since I was a kid, but I really became the Coach in WWE. I was not going to become Jonathan Coachman just because I was on ESPN. In order to be memorable or successful for people to understand you, you have to be true to your brand, and my brand is "The Coach". Doing those things when Cena and Rock would show up, was validation for me, because everybody on campus wanted me to do it. We would do our skits, but then my bosses would be like "we can't do this" but then, the reaction was so great. Over time those things helped me get to where I am today, like when I had my radio shows "Coach and Company" I was the coach, and whether I was on TV or on the radio people get it. Those interactions helped to keep my brand alive and helped to where I am today.
Q: How did your family handle your schedule back then and now? Did it affect your decision to leave WWE?
A: Once I found out my daughter was on her way,that was what made the decision to leave. There was a lot thought that went into this decision, but at the end of the day, I wanted to be home with my children. I am lucky enough to have two children and I home everyday with them. Also, there were a lot of bad habits that I developed over the last decade, especially when I was in the ring. I knew if I wanted to survive and live a productive, healthy life, then I needed to get out that environment. The overriding feeling was that I really missed sports. I was craving sports. In my last three years in WWE I signed a deal knowing that I had three years to try and get out. I knew how difficult it would be to find a regular sports job after working in pro wrestling for so long. I spent a good portion of that three year contract working at MSG network in NY and CBS college sports. I was working almost every day creating a bridge, because I was not going to go from WWE to ESPN; it was not going to happen. The family aspect opened my eyes a bit, as the travel became difficult. I began dreading going to the airport and I don't want to do something I would dread .I was burnt out.
Q: How did the opportunity for ESPN become available?
A: It was luck. I have been very lucky, and it's not lost on me, and when I do speeches at colleges or have an audience, I always preach timing is everything and goes back to saying yes to everything as long as it's productive. You never know when the door is going to open, and if you're sitting home there is no way for that opportunity to knock. It just doesn't happen. So what happened for me was I was trying to hustle and do whatever I could. I was working at MSG and my boss wanted to hire me full time to leave wrestling. I loved it there. I was doing Knicks and Rangers games and all these different things. It was in NY though and I was in Stamford, CT., but beggars can't be choosers. With about six months left on my contract, my boss left her job and told nobody where she was going. She said "you have to trust me and hang tight and don't sign any contracts or anything." Three months later in April of 2008, I got a phone call and she was the senior vice president of Talent at ESPN. That's how I got my audition and my job. As I stated before, there were a lot of executives who didn't want to hire me, but because of the position she was in and because she believed in me and the talent that I had, she pushed the hiring through and she got me in there. It feels so long ago now but it was five years ago.
Q: I feel bad you had to sit through that period when the Knicks were that bad.
A: It was an amazing experience even when they were bad. I was there when LeBron scored 50, when Kobe scored 61. It was awesome when they were bad. I could only imagine the days when they were great 30 years ago. That would have been awesome.
Q: You opened the door for Todd Grisham, can you talk about the string of talent in the revolving door of ESPN? Is it hard to find new talent?
A: It could be an issue, especially with Fox starting their own network. First, they like most of the young talent, where they come from because, they are hungry. They hire young, inexpensive talent from small markets, and they try to develop them. I look at it like hiring minor leaguers, because you don't want to sign any big free agents. What happens is that these young anchors come in, and they don't understand that 40% or more of what we do is entertainment. I am all for the journalistic integrity, and I'm all for staying between the white lines, but for people who are sitting at home ninety per cent of them are miserable, as well as, hate their jobs and want to be entertained. There is a reason why Duck Dynasty is so popular, they entertain you. When we are doing sports, we can't assume that because we love sports, we are entertaining. We need to be entertaining, and that is what I think I bring on a daily basis. I think that is something that I am able to bring to the table; how to entertain, whether it is on radio or TV. Bringing Todd Grisham in is great because he came from the same environment I did. He is closer to me then a best friend or a brother. We are very close. For you to get your best friend to start in a very tough company to break into, it was unbelievable and validating, because we tried for a year and a half to get them to look at his tape. They wouldn't even look at it, and they kept saying they were not interested in bringing in another WWE guy. Fast forward almost two years later when his contract was expiring. He called me and asked if we could help get his tape looked at. He said that they were going to be in Hartford for a show, and it wouldn't cost them anything to bring him in for an audition. Can we see what could happen? I sent an email up to my bosses, and they wrote back within seconds saying they were going to look at it. That's when I realized how my status has grown within ESPN, as well as, how they viewed me has changed. That was years ago now, and I feel they have taken off the cuffs. They now feel confident on putting me on any show and it would work.
Q: How much of it is being in the right place at the right time?
A: It's a lot. I did my own show for year and then, in this business when you have opportunities, you jump on it. Dan Lebatard had another opportunity and let's take coach off the air and give it to Dan. We strategically said we are gonna put coach on a new NFL show which was our biggest thing, we will have Coach on Mike and Mike and the Herd when they are gone but you are not going do your show Monday through Friday. I had started doing the 11pm sports center which was my dream to do. Our top show above everything else. It was a perfect time for me not to do a full time radio show because I was filing in on our biggest shows and I was doing Sports Center. That's has been an education process for me to learn how to separate the two between working seven hours on a Sunday and giving my opinion to going to sports center where I can't give it. Now I do not always follow those rules but I will tell you that radio has helped my TV performance because you are talking and doing so much and you are so relaxed. The timing, jokes and the entertainment value on radio must be good and on a high level. Being on radio raised my level on TV at the same time.
Q: Ever say oh my how did I get here? Ever get a little overwhelmed by the success you have had?
A: There are times and I am a very introspective person. The reason I became this way is because after working in wrestling for 10 years I have had a lot of a good and bad things happen. I had some friends pass away. When that happens you find yourself stepping out of yourself because you are not sure how long it will last. The first time I ever did Mike and Mike and you find yourself siting in a chair on a show you have been watching for 13 years guys that have professional and financially reached the top of the game. You're sitting there and it's where you want to be on the top of the mountain even if only for the day. You want to reach pinnacle. Yes filling in is great, but it is not your show. The first time I did the show I sat there and I felt like I was in somebody else's body looking at myself and wanted to ask Golic how I got here from the desert. It was an overwhelming. I have those feelings all the time. I sometimes wonder if I didn't say yes. I worked so hard and I put myself in the position to do the best job I can. I know that I have had a lot of luck but I will put my talent and resume against anybody and hopefully I have found my home and hoping I will be here for years.
Q: I've heard a rumor about Vince McMahon playing a prank on you that involved cops. It was published in one of the WWE publications, any truth to it?
A: What you read and heard was 100% true. The thing about WWE is you have to be accepted on many different levels. From 2003 on, I was one of the boys. If you were willing to put your neck on the line and get in the ring, that separates you from everybody else. Up until that point, I had to be accepted into the crew, so to speak. Basically, Jerry Brisco came up to me in 2001 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and he said he wanted me to run a football pool. $10 to pick all the games, and everybody did it. And I started on a Tuesday, it was a Smackdown taping, I'll never forget it. I had my own room I did interviews in, and all the sudden two cops show up. They were very serious, and said I understand you're running a gambling pool. You sold one to one of our undercover cops here. It's a felony in North Carolina and we're going to have to take you in. So we're walking down the hallway, and we stop in front of Vince's office, and they said we should probably let him know because you're not going to be here for a while. We walk in and it's Vince, Triple H, Stephanie, The Rock, Kevin Dunn and Jerry Brisco. I should have known that, with Jerry in the room, something was going on, but I was so terrified because I was 26 years old. The real cops proceeded to tell Vince they've caught me in a gambling pool and we need to take him downtown. Vince got in my face, and he was an inch away from my nose. He was cursing, telling me my priorities were bad, and spending company time to run a gambling pool. This entire riff lasted 45 minutes. At the end of the office bit, the officer said it was $1,500 to get me out, and Vince said F-no, he's on his own. They handcuffed me, and I asked if there was anything I could put over my face. Vince threw me a pair of sweaty gym shorts that got stuck on my face. I walked out of the office and the first person I see is The Undertaker. He looks at me with shock, and it was so real because no one else was in on it except those people in the office. They walked me out, and all the fans could see me and they drove me about a mile down the road, and got a call on the radio that they had to come back to pick up something. They turn around, come back, and everyone's there with Vince in front of everybody laughing their asses off. Greatest rip in the history of the business, and for about 10 minutes I literally walked to a place in the building and started crying. I thought my career was over. I thought how can I tell my dad I got fired over a $10 football pool.
Q: Who were your three favorite wrestlers?
A: Number one in the ring, Kurt Angle was the best I've ever seen. He was able to transition from amateur wrestling to pro wrestling seamlessly. He was an amazing performer. He simply got the whole thing, and people don't care how good you can wrestle, but how well you can entertain them, and he was able to do both. He was a great character that was incredibly believable. The number one overall was The Rock and it's not even close, but Kurt Angle was a better wrestler than the The Rock. The Rock has taught me more than anybody else about timing. If it's good, it's okay to go long, because we always had to stay within the time frame and when you work with The Rock, it always went way over the time frame. But, he told me they can't yell at you if it's great. He had the guts, and was so confident in himself, that he was willing to put his butt on the line every single time, and I respected that. Maybe the third guy is Chris Jericho. I respected him because he never missed a show or a flight. He could take some of the nastiest bumps you've ever seen and he would get right back up, while some guys would get a hang nail and they wouldn't wrestle. Chris Jericho was, day in and day out, one of the toughest guys I ever saw in my life. I started calling him Gumby because he was so agile and never have any physical issues.
Q: I've been told Steve Austin was very intense. He would eat, sleep and breathe the business. I'm not sure how much time you spent with him, but talk about your experience with Steve. Is he the most dedicated performer in the history of the business?
A: Maybe John Cena, but John is not as serious as Steve was. Nobody loved the business more than Stone Cold Steve Austin. We reconnected recently, I had him on my radio show and he has his own podcast. We get along very well. He was a guy who believed in what he was doing. And there were times that he believed in it enough that he walked out because the creative control was not what he thought it should have been. No one made more money for Vince McMahon than Steve Austin, and Vince knows that. He's incredibly talented, and now he's a great podcast host. It took him so long to become successful, and when he got his shot, Stone Cold knew he had to be at every single show. You have to show up, whether you're sick or not. I believe in hard work and being great and Stone Cold did, too.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?
A: I seriously hope I have two different things, and I could have one and be very happy. Either a radio show with ESPN as a permanent anchor or be a part of the NFL family. People don't stay forever, so if things open up, who knows from 10 years from now. I see myself at ESPN as a top anchor or a host. And I would hope by then I own something. I enjoyed working on my show, but it was a very challenging time slot for national radio. There's so many national shows that cover up mine. I was grateful to have it for a year. If I did it again, I'd want it to be one of the main shows that is heard all across the country.
- Tags: ESPN, espn radio, Jonathan coachman, Kurt angle, mike and mike, nfl, Steve austin, todd grisha], wwe


text:
Mimosa's Burning Log
Trip Start Jan 14, 2010
60Trip End Sep 02, 2010
Map your own trip!
Loading Map
Loading Map
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
Where I stayed
Burning Man 2010
"Why do you go to Burning Man?"
"What is Burning Man?"
"Isn't it a bunch of naked people on drugs?"
This will be my second Burn. Last year was a complete blur for me, which some would say that I did it right, but a bit too fuzzy for me. This year I am better prepared – mentally and as a camper – and I think I will have even a better time.
I am so excited
Where else can a 50 year old dress up in exotic outfits, drink all day, dance all night and fondle (or be fondled by) near strangers? And, more importantly, why in gods name would I want to do that? After all, being retired and single I can do that at home in the privacy of my living room (and do from time to time). I don't know really, and I'm not terribly interested in the self-diagnosis part of this question and answer game, but I do find it fascinating that 40,000 people do it on an annual basis. In the desert. In late August.
I'd say that I want to spend more time awake and sober this year, but it's not exactly true. I just want to spend time doing the things when I want to do them instead of losing time by over doing one thing so that it takes away from my enjoyment of other things. As an example- I love drinking in the morning. There is nothing like a good buzz before lunch. This, of course, is a socially unacceptable practice in my culture so I don't do it often or when people are looking but at Burning Man a 3rd cocktail before breakfast is norm. The problem is that after 7 or 8 I want to take a nap. Which is okay if you are at Burning Man when everyone is taking a nap in the afternoon so they are sober enough to start again at Happy Hour. I suppose timing is the key. As well as staying hydrated so you don't totally ruin your own party.
This year is 'specially special for me because I turn the big Five-OH on the playa. I don't think turning 50 will be nearly as traumatic if I am running about with a few bloody mary's in my system and some cute outfit at Burning Man. This SO beats having an "over the hill" party at some bar and having to stare down all those stupid gifts. Don't get me wrong, I love my friends (both of them), but basically I hate that kind of party for anyone.
To answer the questions at the beginning –
Because I can.
A self designed pagan festival.
God, I hope so.
Monday, August 30, 2010
As we were driving toward Home (aka Black Rock City where Burning Man exists for a week in the desert) we noticed several RV's passing us going the other direction. This, of course, would be no big deal if it weren't for the fact that we were on our way to Burning Man along with thousands of others and there was generally nothing and no one going the other way. The passing RV's were clean, which meant that they had not been to BM and they were full of furry shit, which meant that they should be going to BM. Something was wrong.
When we passed through Gerlach the mystery was solved. Gerlach, population approximately 12.5, has one gas station, three bars and a very small market. Oh, and Indian Tacos. Anyway, there was a very long line at the gas station and some poor dude holding a sign that read "We are out of Gas: Diesel only!!" Ahhhh, Sooo!! The RV's going the other way were making it back to the next town – Fernly- where hopefully they would have gas and if not, it was all the way back to Reno.
Which leads me to my random thought for the day; I think there should be a Theme Camp called "Burners without Brains".
We made it to the line and waited for our turn at the gate. The winds were pretty wicked and believe it or not, the skies threatened rain. The line was endless. The dust storms were brutal, and then it began to sprinkle. As we finally crawled toward the official gate it began to really rain. Moments after we were welcomed Home they closed the gate. Cosmo did a great job of navigating through the desert as rain pelted the van in a near horizontal pattern. What do you get when you pour water on a very fine, very dry, desert dust? Mud. And lots of it.
By the time we found our spot the tires on the van were caked with mud several inches thick. I tried walking, but in a second my sandals became platform boots. Blessedly the rain did not last and they reopened the gate.
It was cold, but the night was fun. Pink furry poncho, pink uggs and crazy paisley pants. A good time was had by all.
Tuesday on the playa.
The day erupted with light. It was fuckin beautiful.
We made camp, set the sun shade, and arranged things. Then went off to see the land. The art this year is amazing. Magical. I don't know how to explain to others what this is like. Kinda like having sex for the first time. Incredible and disappointing at the same time – mind blowing and then "is that it?" After camp we made coffee, which was torturous, and rode off onto the desert to look at things.
Burning Man is supposed to be a celebration of Radical Self Reliance, but it seems to me more like a festival of Radical Self indulgence. Which suits me just fine.
Early in the week is definitely my favorite time. Most people don't arrive until later in the week so early on the Playa is quiet – relatively – and un-crowded
Conservatives consider this annual event a work of the devil. Which is okay, but I'm not sure how the devil feels about it.
Wednesday, September 1
Nearly every time I travel with a guy there ends up being one day or evening when I have my own personal tantrum. General it's over nothing really and there is alcohol involved. Just so happened that September 1 was my day.
I got it out of my system and when the adrenaline and venom cooled off, I went for a walk by myself and pouted. Obviously, the night before I turn 50 might be an emotional time for me, even if I did say otherwise. Don't know what I'm angry about. I'm turning 50 and I have my health, sanity and if I play my cards right I don't have to worry about much. I'm in a good place. I've spent the year traveling and doing as I please.
Thursday, September 2
Like it or not, prepared or not, happy or not, the day came and I had to have a birthday. As I wandered back to the van about 4am I felt like I had got it out of my system. Whatever "it" was. The birthday "it". The strange sense that no matter what you have or haven't done, no matter what you do or do not have, whether you are married with a perfect family and straight teeth, or whether you're recently divorced, lost your job, gained weight or found out you are truly sick, no matter what – "it" is not quite enough or right.
Perhaps a birthday is also a mini funeral – where your past is laid to rest. A good day to visit the Temple.
The concept of the Temple is to create a physical place where memories and remembrances can be communicated – via pictures, graffiti, objects of love, tokens or trinkets, often just quiet tears – and then the whole place is burned down. A place to say goodbye to loved ones, fears and dreams
This year the Temple looks a little like a house of cards – each layer leaning precariously on the next. It's not as dramatic as some other years, but it is beautiful. Earthly.
Cosmo and I were supposed to join a group on one of the art cars to tour the playa and hear from some of the artists about their work. Everything that could go wrong, did. We waited in a very long line before be shuffled onto a big double decker bus and waited more. The fumes from the diesel began to become overwhelming and there were so many busses and mega-vehicles that we couldn't see nor hear the art or artist. We abandoned the tour, went back to get our bicycles and cruised the playa. Much better.
People commonly say that they come to Burning Man to see the art. As our "tour guide" said "I can party anywhere – Burning Man is about the Art". She has a point – although one must admit that this is one big fucking party. But back to the Art.
My favorite piece this year was an incredible metal woman. You could see this work from a mile away and up close it was just as incredible. I can't imagine what it took to erect this in such an obscure place. Such talent.
Megaopolis was another magnificent piece. A mini-city with buildings several stories high including an elevator and an open invitation for graffiti
There is a potluck planned at our little camp tonight and then Cosmo and I are hosting a Birthday Happy Hour at our local bar – The Hair Of The Dog. Then, if things go well, we will jump on the Party Snail to cruise the playa. The Party Snail is a double decker vehicle that boasts a fabric snail shell, and lots of pink and green fuzzy seats.
The turn out at the Happy Hour was light, but it was early in the evening and early in the week. Things were fun and folks started coming in, then this big guy comes by with a "present" from my best girl friend (who was not at BM). French Champagne, funny hats, burner wear and all the trimmings. That's when the party got started.
Don't worry – I got my share of the bubbles.
Shortly after the last cold bubbly was served (into my camp mug), we jetted off to board the Party Snail just in time for take off. Deep into the playa we went – to the fence in fact – which for those of you who don't know what that means – it is way the fuck out there
When we got back to camp, I don't know when, we did something else… don't remember. It was hot though…
More art goes here…
Thursday was a little blurry, but not because of my indulgence, rather the winds started up and randomly blocked the sun. I wanted to ride out onto the playa, but every time we thought about starting out the winds and dust came up. It ended up a day for the local bar – HOTD (Hair of the Dog). Stevan, my favorite Aussie Drunken Bartender Bastard was there. A fun time was had by all.
Friday… yea we did something on Friday, I think. Okay, yea, I remember – Critical Tits ride! An epic bicycle ride where otherwise perfectly normal women bare their chest and pretend they are doing a bike ride in the desert to celebrate the goddess within.
Right. I mean, Wrong!
Forget the goddess, bring the inner Bitch
Anyway, I opted out, wearing my "FU" shirt and drank Margaritas from a weed eater with Rupert and the Joyism art car. Interestingly the dust and winds put a damper on the program anyway. Now, just for the record, I have no problem with baring my, er, soul.
Later that night we jumped back on Joyism for a ride. I can't quite remember where we went, but the evidence makes me think I had fun.
Saturday was heralded with a mixture of thrill and sadness. We decided that we would leave on Sunday morning, before the Temple Burn, so Saturday was the day to break camp. It was also the day for the Man to burn. Only my second Burn and it had come and gone so fast.
Again we wanted to go out to the playa, but the dust was too potent, and I, well, I was feeling a little delicate. HOTD was the cure.
Speaking of speak-easy's. The local bar at Burning Man cannot be underrated. Ours, HOTD, a mere 30 paces from the van, was by far the most friendly and well stocked at BM. Their motto – "You bring the booze and the music, We'll provide the booze and the music" could not have fit better and Saturday was stellar for live, improvisational, outstanding music
Saturday is the day for the Big Burn and although I fretted about it during the day, as twilight came to the desert the skies cleared up and the weather was perfect – after all, the good folks at BM LLC will not conduct a burn if conditions are not right. This, contrary to what many think, is not an amateur act – these guys and gals are highly trained professionals with all the gear and regulations (yes, rules) and safe guards. And, yes, I am serious.
The burn was epic. Clear, moonless sky, calm crowd, great view. After the many fire dancers and such the man lifted his arms and the fireworks came. Then the real fire.
There is something special about watching a huge thing burn to the ground without harming anyone. It is major cathartic. It is healing. It signals the end to something and the beginning of something else.
For me, this year, I concluded the first 50 years of my life and laid it to rest. All of my triumphs and failures, all my wish-I'd or could-of's, all my shit, came down when the man came down. For me, I could move forward without the burden of my past. This is a good thing.
Sunday morning came with a vengeance, but not too much as we had behaved BM responsibly the night before and were quite able bodied to drive
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were spent cleaning the van and sorting through all the stuff.
Why do I go? I don't really know, really, but it has something to do with ritual and rites and leaving the past behind and moving forward freely, with acting up and yet not acting out, being audacious yet in control, or being in a place that you can't control and yet being on top of things. Like I said, I don't know. Not really.
But the theme for 2011 is out and I can't wait to buy my ticket.
It was my intention to end my story here, but wait, there is more. I leave in a few days to join my daughter on her epic adventure – the move from Mississississippi to Florida. I think I am driving the U-Haul and she is driving the truck with the cats. Mo later.


text:
Scott Sumner responds
But my bigger problem is Karl's claim that interest rates are of more interest to the average business owner than the monetary base. Suppose Karl and I both looked into a crystal ball and saw that the fed funds rate would be 12% in 2014. From Karl's post, I infer that he'd advise that small businessman to hold off on the investment project, as the cost of that floating rate business loan would soar in 2014. I'd have the opposite reaction. I'd beg, borrow, and steal every penny I could get my hands on, and pour all the money into REITs. That's because the 12% rate in the crystal ball would tell me I am wrong and Bob Murphy is right—that the inflated monetary base is going to drive inflation and NGDP dramatically higher in 2014, forcing the Fed to raise rates sharply in order to hold inflation down. I see that as incredibly bullish for real estate.
If you don't know anything about the world then interest rates aren't really helpful. However, one of the premises behind a world of differentiated businessmen and women is that they actually do know something about their business.
For example, I know unless
something awful happens to the temperature there is some macro economic catastrophe, nominal residential rents in the Raleigh-Durham area will rise steadily over the next decade. I could cash in on this by investing in residential real estate. However, to do this I have to convince a bank to go for this and to that they mainly have to be convinced that their money won't have commanded a higher price somewhere else.
This is what I mean, people have relatively good information about the dynamics of their local nominal revenue streams. Absent guidance from financial markets and hence the Fed they have absolutely no idea what the economy wide price of funds will be.
To put it another way, if gold were unloaded at the docks and then spread vendor to vendor throughout the country with no one knowing in advance when the mass of specie would hit then hearing that a wave was coming would be the best information that you could get.
However, in practice money leaks out of the bond market running all over the country at once through channels determined by the financial markets. In that case information on the prices of financial products – and the interest rate is just the price on bonds – is more useful to you.
Now, to be sure, I think that the most complete information the Fed could provide would be something like: We intend to hit 20 Trillion in Nominal GDP by 2017 and we predict that will require zero interest rates through 2014.
Implicit, however, is the message that you will be getting more nominal GDP come hell or high water, we are just letting you know what we think the interest rate path will be.


text:
When you see "acute" on an MSDS, does it mean the symptom will be intense (as in acute pain)? If you see "chronic" does it mean something akin to a chronic cough? The answer to both questions is no. These words are used in relation to when the affect appears in relation to the exposure time or to the elapsed time since exposure. If the MSDS or label says a solvent will produce acute stinging in the eyes if ventilation is not adequate, it means you'll notice that ...
Website Registration Required to Access this Content
Only registered users have access to Silver content.
Registration on EC&M allows you exclusive access to high value content centered around proprietary research, expert NEC analysis and in-depth technical procedures.


text:
One of downtown Royal Oakĺs oldest dining establishments is going country.
The Oxford Inn -- which has been known for the past 25 years for its babyback ribs and oysters Rockefeller -- will become Bobbyĺs Nashville Bar and Grill in March, according to owner Bob Higgins.
Higgins said the new place will feature a country music theme, with live entertainment on weekends, and new Southern dishes to enhance the existing menu.
ôWeĺve been here since 1987 and I think only Mr. Bĺs has been around longer than me,ö Higgins said via telephone while taking a break from giving the place a fresh new paint job.
ôI decided I wanted to do a little twist and go back to my roots because part of my family is from Tennessee. Thereĺs nothing in Royal Oak like I want to, which is a Southern-style bar and restaurant thatĺs upscale but casual. Thatĺs what weĺre aiming for.ö
Oxford Inn will remain open while the renovations are taking place on the 5,000-square-foot building. Along with a new paint job, there will be new carpeting and the addition of country accents including photos of modern country music stars along with some of Higginsĺ own relatives from the Music City area.
Some of the new menu items will include barbecue chicken, beef brisket, sweet potatoes, chicken fried steak -- known as the Ann Zula, in honor of the ownerĺs grandmother -- fried okra, shrimp and grits with Vermont white cheddar cheese, and new salads.
Old favorites that will remain include prime rib, fish and chips, ribs, and macaroni and cheese.
Higgins decided to make the change after attending some country music shows in the past year including Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney at Ford Field, and was impressed with the demographics. Bobbyĺs Nashville will work with country station WYCD-FM (99.5) to bring in live acts on Thursday nights.
While trying to attract a new customer base, Higgins hopes his longtime clientele embraces the changes.
ôThis is a risky thing that Iĺm doing,ö he said. ôI hope my main customers stay because they really are like family to me. Our new slogan will be ĹA Taste of Southern Hospitality.ĺ I want to take things to a higher level.ö
Oxford Inn is located at 1214 S. Main Street. Check out their website at www.oxfordinnroyaloak.com or call 248-543-5619 for more info.
Elsewhere in downtown RO, the excitement is building for the opening of Hamlinĺs Corner, the long-awaited addition of the Hamlinĺs Pub line of popular neighborhood saloons in Macomb and Oakland counties.
The 6,700-square-foot Hamlinĺs Corner is in the Main North Lofts center at the corner of 11 Mile and Main Street. Their menu will offer pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads and more, and there will be live entertainment.
Hamlinĺs is scheduled to open in March, according to Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Tim Thwing.
It will be the latest Hamlinĺs, which has locations in Chesterfield Township, Clarkston, Lake Orion, Rochester, and Shelby Township.
Trying Out: Shock Wave, the Macomb Township-based teen rock trio, held a party at Pub 1281 in Clinton Township last week right before heading out to Chicago to audition for ôAmericaĺs Got Talent.ö
On their Facebook page, drummer-vocalist Angelo Coppola, and brothers David Frankel on guitar and bassist Dylan Frankel say they were told if the producers want them back, a call will come between February and April.
Vicari in Vegas: Andiamo Restraurant Group head Joe Vicari left for Las Vegas earlier this week to open a new Joe Vicari Andiamo Italian Steakhouse in the D Las Vegas Casino. Itĺs the first out-of-state venture for the group.
Vicari said he likely will stay in Sin City for a couple of weeks to make sure his managers have the place running to his standards.
Itĺs the second Motor City-based restaurant to join the Detroit-themed casino. American Coney Island also has an eatery there.


text:
Sale price: Clearance price: Starting at: Sale starting at: Clearance starting at: Reg. price:
The Gerber® Gator® Machete Jr. has a 2-sided 10"+ high carbon steel blade: one side a super sharp fine-cut edge, the other side a rough-cut saw edge, so you're prepared to cut, hack, or saw through anything from tough, rubbery vines to small trees. The Machete Jr.'s Gator grip handle absorbs shock and is non-slip even in the most extreme outdoor situations. With an overall length of just under 19'', and a sturdy, riveted nylon sheath, the Gerber Gator Machete Jr. carries easily inside a day pack, on your belt, or stowed away in a vehicle. Blade length: 10.75''. Overall length: 18.75''.
Manufacturer model #: 31-000082.
- Fine-cut blade & rough-cut saw edge
- Shock absorbing non-slip Gator grip
- Includes riveted nylon sheath
- High carbon steel blade
- Carries inside pack, on belt, or in vehicle
Outdoor Answers
Get help about this item from fellow customers.
Ask your questions. Share your answers.
Where is this made?
does it come with a carrying case or sheath?
Need Help? 7 days a week: 7am to 10pm CT or call 1.800.227.7776 anytime


text:
Parents are reading to their children in an attempt to give them a head start at school rather than for the pleasure of literature itself, a leading publisher warns today.
A study by Egmont, which publishes children's books Mr Men, Thomas the Tank Engine and Winnie-the-Pooh, found that parents rated "language development" as the most important benefit of reading to youngsters. They also said reading was important because it gives children a "head start" at school and improves their imagination.
Alison David, consumer insight director at Egmont, said: "The world is so competitive and parents are aware of how competitive school is and they want their child to do well.
"They are associating reading with education and betterment rather than the magic of a good story. No child would say they read because it develops their language skills."
Ms David praised the Standard's Literacy Campaign which aims to inspire children to pick up a book. Last year the Standard's campaign raised £500,000 for Beanstalk — formerly known as Volunteer Reading Help — which paid for 600 volunteers to work with 1,800 children in London.
The Mayor's Fund for London injected a further £500,000. The £1 million was enough to support another 2,000 children over three years. Forty staff from Egmont are involved in a similar scheme.
Ms David added: "The Standard campaign raised awareness of reading, which had been flying under the radar in recent years. Somehow reading has taken on the mantle of being task-driven rather than pleasure-driven. It has become seen as a hard skill."
Egmont has followed the lives of 12 families and analysed their reading habits. In a report published today, it said reading is seen as a "learning tool" and the emphasis is on learning to read rather than "joyful immersion in stories". The report said: "Even at the age of five, reading is task based. It's not about fun. In the quest for achievement, the idea of reading as a pleasurable activity is getting lost." The report called for more research to be done about the value of reading for pleasure in a child's development.
The Reading Street report by Egmont also highlights how the rise in children playing computer games and watching television has squeezed the time available for reading for pleasure.
Ms David added: "It's tempting for people to want to point the finger at one single thing when we read headlines and statistics that say that reading for pleasure is in decline – whether that's time poor parents, target driven schooling or the rise of screen time.
"As our Reading Street research unfolds we're starting to see that it's a combination of all those circumstances, all of which are adding up to pressure on reading. The victim right now is a time and a place in children's lives for the simple but essential pleasure of reading."
Egmont UK's Reading Street report is based on detailed analysis of the 12 families, as well as a study of more than 1,000 parents of children aged between two and 16.
A spokesman for the company said that more than half of parents researchers spoke to wished they had more time for reading with their children, but many did not feel they could prioritise it.
The following is a list of books that are perfect for children to read for pleasure - recommended by Egmont:
Mr Men – Roger Hargreaves
Thomas the Tank Engine – Rev W Awdry
Sir Charlie Stinky Socks – Kristina Stephenson
Night Monkey Day Monkey – Julia Donaldson
Mr Gum – Andy Stanton
I am Not a Loser – by Barry Loser/Jim Smith
The Magic Faraway Tree – Enid Blyton
Winnie-the-Pooh – AA Milne
Gone – Michael Grant
A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
- More about:
- Children
- Family And Parenting
- Literacy
- Schools


text:
Welcome to WebmasterWorld Guest from 22.214.171.124
But Forrester found in August 2000 that 50% that email was a good way to find out about products. This year 38%.
They also found that the consumer is only half as likely to buy from email as they were last year.
Here's the url of the article:
Webmasters can't bury their heads in the sand. EMail is coming and we need to plan how we are going to handle it.
joined:July 3, 2001
votes: 0
Expect 1400 SPAM EMails a year by 2006
i already get way more than that -its only 4 a day- and i expect most people here do too!!!
The average user wants product information and offers mailed to them.
The article says that: "Marketers need to keep three caveats in mind in order for an email campaign to be effective. Emails should not go out too often, they should be relevant, and consumers should have opted to receive them."
How often do users want to get product information? 9% said daily, 34% said weekly, 10% said less than monthly and 21% said monthly. That's 74% saying they WANT advertising emails.
If this is what your users are saying then you should be preparing to handle this growth in volumn.
I also think (and I have no statistics to back this up) that email advertising can be made more effective and less intrusive if it is more than just product announcements and coupons. At least in a niche market, brief articles and helpful tips concerning elements of the product line (focusing on benefits) are very powerful.
joined:July 3, 2001
votes: 0
my feeling is that a big obsticle as the amount of mail rises is getting legitimate or wanted commercial emails read/seen rather than deleted or filtered.
As a well informed private user of the web you opt in selectively and get stuff you need - no problem.
As Joe Public, an "innocent" ISP subscriber, a "bright-eyed and bushy-tailed" client who bought a CD/book/cinema ticket/whatever without a choice of opt in or out, he'll take exception to unsolicited advertising emails - guaranteed.
Mail campaigns have a fully legitimate slot when it comes to online marketing but spam is spam whatever the colour, flavour or appearance...
The problem with email now is that i get 200 spams i didnt ask for a day. (out of around 260-70 altogether) I dont have time to scan them properly, so most (almost all) legitimate offers get deleted.. just so i have time left in the day toa ctually work.
Thats the problem, the rubbish to legitimate quotient is far too high to make email marketing sensible.. Unless better anti spam procedures are developed, this article is far too optimistic.
> I'm lucky if I notice all the messages from people I know that come in and take action on those let alone any opt-in lists.
Mostly because of the above, but also because the novelty has long been lost, I believe email marketing has already peaked in effectiveness. A lot of the discussion about email marketing really feels like banner deja vu.
The trendline in cost/action will now start heading towards the $-levels of offline direct marketing techniques, which (I assume) have proven themselves capable of sustaining effective ROI.


text:
Nature provides us with impressive examples of
animal construction: many species of termites build complex mounds
several orders of magnitude larger than themselves. Yet the individual
architects and engineers are small, expendable, and seem to operate
with with little to no centralized supervision. Social termites
provide an inspiration for the design of a swarm construction system,
where many autonomous robots cooperatively build large-scale
structures. Human construction traditionally involves direct human
operation of tools and equipment, careful preplanning, and little or
no true automation. Bringing automation to construction has the
potential to improve measures like its speed and efficiency, as well
as enabling construction in settings where it is difficult or
dangerous for humans to work, e.g., disaster areas or extraterrestrial
Inspired by termites and their building activities,
our goal in the TERMES project is to develop a swarm
construction system in which robots cooperate to build 3D structures
much larger than themselves. The current hardware system
consists of simple but autonomous mobile robots and specialized
passive blocks; the robot is able to manipulate blocks to build tall
structures, as well as manuever over and around the structures it
creates. The multi-robot control allows many simultaneously active
robots to cooperate in a decentralized fashion to provably build a
user-specified structure, working from a high-level description as
Designing Collective Behavior in a Termite-Inspired Robot Construction Team,
Justin Werfel, Kirstin Petersen, Radhika Nagpal,
Science, vol 343, no 6172, 14 Feb 2014
(For free access without a subscription, follow the links
TERMES: An Autonomous Robotic System for Three-Dimensional Collective Construction,
Kirstin Petersen, Radhika Nagpal, Justin Werfel,
Robotics: Science and Systems Conference (RSS), 2011
Distributed Multi-Robot Algorithms for the TERMES 3D Collective Construction System,
Justin Werfel, Kirstin Petersen, Radhika Nagpal,
Workshop on Reconfigurable Modular Robotics,
at IEEE/RSJ Intl. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2011
Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard.
The video below is the complete project overview accompanying the
Science publication. You can see many videos of the TERMES
robots and simulations on our SSR YouTube channel Collective
Construction video playlist.
SSR YouTube Channel
Science Press Release
Wyss/Harvard Press Release
BBC News article
Boston Globe Article
Discover Magazine
National Geographic Video
NPR "All Things Considered"
This is Genius Video (ITN UK)
Reuters TV Interview
London Science Museum
Kirstin Petersen,
demoing the robots at the Science/AAAS Press Event, Feb 2014


text:
Home Depot has posted double digit comp-store sales in the second-quarter, exceeding its own expectations, thanks to a rebound in seasonal categories.
Net sales at the world's largest home improvement retailer increased 9.5% to $22.5 billion in the quarter ended Aug. 4, compared to $20.6 billion in the same quarter last year. Comp-store sales increased 10.7% across the company, and increased 11.4% among domestic stores.
Net earnings for the quarter were $1.80 billion, up 17.2% from $1.53 billion in last year's 14-week second quarter.
"The second quarter results exceeded our expectations as our business benefited from a rebound in our seasonal categories, continued strength in the core of the store and the recovering housing market in the U.S.," said Frank Blake, chairman and CEO.
The number of customer transactions increased 4.9%. The average ticket for the quarter increased 4.3% to $57.39.
With the strong performance came increased expectations for 2013 full-year performance. Home Depot raised it guidance for sales to increase 4.5%, and comp-store sales to increase about 6.0% for the year.
Home Depot operates 2,258 stores in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.


text: RED BANK, N.J., Aug. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ZAIS Financial Corp. (NYSE: ZFC) ("ZAIS Financial" or the "Company") announced today that it has acquired a residential mortgage loan portfolio with an unpaid principal balance of approximately $98.2 million, utilizing approximately $54.8 million of its financing facility with Citibank, N.A. to fund a portion of the purchase price. "We are pleased to have completed this purchase which places our whole loan equity allocation in the 50 to 60% range articulated at the time of our IPO, and positions our portfolio to benefit from the continued recovery in housing and consumer credit," said Michael Szymanski, President and Chief Executive Officer of ZAIS Financial. "We continue to believe in our investment strategy, focusing on residential mortgage credit, primarily through whole loan exposure. This investment is well suited to our strategy and the current investment environment," said Mr. Szymanski. About ZAIS Financial Corp. ZAIS Financial Corp. is a real estate investment trust ("REIT") which invests in, finances and manages a diversified portfolio of residential mortgage assets, other real estate-related securities and financial assets. The Company is externally managed and advised by ZAIS REIT Management, LLC, a subsidiary of ZAIS Group, LLC. Additional information can be found on the Company's website at www.zaisfinancial.com. This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements," as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. These statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements; the Company can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include, but are not limited to, availability of suitable investment opportunities; changes in interest rates; changes in the yield curve; changes in prepayment rates; the availability and terms of financing; general economic conditions; market conditions; conditions in the market for mortgage-related investments; legislative and regulatory changes that could adversely affect the business of the Company; and other factors, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 and other reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), copies of which are available on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law. SOURCE ZAIS Financial Corp.


text:
Hi and welcome from the coast of Oregon! :)
Printable View
Hi and welcome from the coast of Oregon! :)
HI Jan! A big welcome from the other side of the state! :)
Hello from a fellow Washingtonian! I'm down in SW Washington... Clark County area.
Hello and welcome from northern California!
Hello, welcome from Oklahoma!!!
Welcome from the very southern part of California. I lived in Edmonds WA from '65 to '73. It is a lovely place to live.
Hello Western Washington,
I live in Poulsbo, North Kitsap county.
Welcome from Minnesota and happy quilting :)
Hello and welcome from Minnesota!
Glad you've joined us! :)
Hello from Montana