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BG: EE - Diary of a serial NPC Killer
Greetings Watchers; Baldur's gate fans especially. ;)
Inspired by the recent discussions on the game on these forums, I've decided to take another character through Baldur's Gate, with a focus on strange or previously untested party configurations. This will be for banter based role-playing reasons and to hopefully make use of a wider variation of combat tactics in order to progress through the game.
For my choice of main protagonist, I went with one of my 3rd Edition AD&D characters that I built to play with my uni mates in a campaign way back in 2001. We play only sporadically these days, so I decided to reproduce my dwarven Barbarian stat for stat 2nd Ed style and so make use of one of the additional classes added to BG:EE.
To further explain the title of my thread: Well, see my dwarven friend has some serious psychological issues caused by one too many moments of rage induced exhaustion and quaffing on ale in the aftermath.
The symptoms of this manifest in various ways; the most obvious being a propensity for the occasional psychotic outburst. Sometimes even a more subtle methodology shows itself; a mental plotting for the desired demise of someone who may have just looked at him the wrong way or said something they shouldn't have
Unfortunately for the NPCs of Baldur's Gate, this means an unpredictable existence with such a protagonist in their party. Thus when the whim strikes Kael of the Axe, (old school rpg cred points to those who know where I stole the name from!) some heads will inevitably roll. The method I choose however, will differ, depending on how creative/situational I get. Reloads will be kept to a minimum, with any deaths at all of party NPCs accepted as the fated will of the gods
Entry 1:
Kael sets forth with Imoen from Candlekeep and runs into the familiar sparring partners, Xzar and Montaron. Exploration runs smoothly in the area, despite Monty nearly falling at the hands of three diseased gibberlings.
We get to the Friendly Arms Inn, when suddenly an urge overcomes Kael when Xzar is heard to mutter "stop touching me" in a shrill voice. In a fit of rage, he hurls him into the front of the group without any possessions and soon he falls dead at the hands of a magic-missile toting Tarnesh. Montaron is heard to shout "Fool! Now we'll need another mule!" just before he too meets his doom, splattered to a Faerunian bloody mess by Kael's axe.
Imoen can only stare on in abhorrence; wishing it all but a dream
Entry 2:
Khalid and Jaheira prove to be welcome company and reasonably able bodied in combat. This rouses the adventure-craving spirit of Kael who hears the soaring birds above him fill his heart with a longing for more deeply challenging battles. The small group arrive at Beregost, sell off their well earned items and quickly take up the services of Kagain. They also manage to peculiarly stumble into the small conflict of Neera, her external primitive looking qualities somehow endearing themselves to Kael, who agrees to take her into the party. They travel north into unknown terrain, via the Friendly Arms to return some items to one of its inhabitants and from there into Ankheg territory.
Upon short arrival, the party enjoy tactical victories over several Ankheg. When Khalid, the ever reluctant hero is heard to say "I dont want to seem c-confrontational, but could you be a little less well evil." to Kagain, a shiver goes down the spine of Kael, the echo of the word "evil evil evil " sending him into another frenzy. Khalid is once again stripped of all possessions and unceremoniously thrown into the leadership role of the group as Ankheg bait, falling with his signature choking cry as the first acidic spit of two spying Ankheg hit him simultaneously. *fade to black amidst Jaheira's "No tears shed for those lost in righteous bat nooo, Khaliiid!"
And so I'll add a few more entries as I progress through the game. :) My next big aim is to get both Edwin and Dynaheir in the party together (something I've not done before) and see what happens
Entry 3:
The party (Ajantis, Kagain, PC Barbarian, Jaheira, Imoen, Neera) made their way south with a languid slow deliberation, finally making it to Nashkel. A quick trip to the east sees the group meander around the carnival looking for items to purchase for Nashkel oriented exploration. Neera, in her infinite wildness, wasn't having much of a good time fitting into the group; her randomisity wasn't proving to Kael to ultimately be that pragmatic. The party gave her the shopping duties and so "unknowingly", her route drew her into the tent of Zordral, a mage intent upon blackmail with his captive Witch. Neera wouldn't stand for this outrage, her responses drawing the ire Zordral.
A duel of magic began, Neera's "Reckless Dweomer" giving her nothing but a flight of birds (I kid you not…see entry 34 in the wild surge table) http://baldursgate.wikia.com/wiki/Wild_Surge.
Zordral's punishment was swift; a fear spell for the panic state and then a brutal casting of melf's acid arrow, leaving Neera doing an acidic dance of death. By the time help arrived, Neera's wild waltz had become a shuffle-step, then she fell. Zordral didn't last long enough to ask any of the other ladies in the party for another dance.
Luckily, Jaheira remembered that we had purchased a stone to flesh scroll, and so the party merrily acquired the services of Branwen to continue their adventures.
Good stuff, Pessimeister. :)
Brings back a lot of memories for me. I immediately thought of Branwen as soon as you mentioned the carnival in Nashkel. I'll never forget how cool I thought it was that you could reverse her petrification and then let her join the party. It made me really wish I had the power to petrify people myself. Of course that became a reality in BGII.
Cheers mate. :)
Speaking of things nostalgic, I recently found an old savegame archive which contained some of my original Baldurs Gate saves, including a few from my very first character to finish the game back in 2000 or so. So to break things up a little, I decided to trial out the "Black Pits" using a couple of my old characters and some cloned level one versions of favourite npcs from the series.
Three hours later it was all over, short as expected but it wasn't especially unwholesome. If you combined Battle Squares from IWD2, the opening escape sequence from Dark Sun: Shattered Lands plus some scattered Elder Scrolls arena trappings in IE form, you'd pretty much have the idea.
Entry 4:
The party investigated the area west of Nashkel with intense eagerness, the trail of various creatures showing an abundance of life had been passing through regularly. A large fire-pit appeared on the horizon, signalling that they had arrived at an Xvart Village. Cue one long massive bloodbath of little blue people, with a vicious seeming unending cycle of respawn if you stop for too long. The battle gradually took its toll on the party, with individual members being forced into retreat. Finally, the Xvart leader summoned their protector, Ursa the cave bear, which was juxtaposed by Jaheira's acknowledgement of "Nature's servant awaits".
And so Kael in his devilish psychotic state of mind, sent this nature's servant in to the fray to meet her furry maker. The encounter was a truly one-sided affair, with a circle of blue bodies surrounding Jaheira's fallen corpse. She fought valiantly but was finally felled by a critical hit from Ursa's paw.
However, this gained the arrow shooters in the party enough time to pepper Ursa and the remaining Xvarts to gain the advantage and win a long drawn out fight.
And so the party duly licked their wounds and returned to Nashkel, a new opening emerging in its ranks. Thus soon, they would enlist the assistance of Minsc, his holy dejamma being the subject of the next tale in their adventure. Which will be the next NPC to suffer an ignominious death? We shall see. ;)
I remember doing this not so long ago for my BG:EE playthrough only few weeks back. Still haven't finished (just past Nashkel mine and Gnoll Stronghold). I wish I can write my journal in enjoyable way like you did. That's such a laugh to read. Awesome!! Keep it going! :thumbsup:
@ Purpleblob (via Branwen) "I thank you for your kind words". It's good to know someone is being entertained. ;) *tips hat*.
Entry 5:
The party (Ajantis, Kagain, Minsc, PC Barbarian, Branwen, Imoen) do not delay or show any hesitation; the next destination would be the Gnoll Stronghold with perhaps (at Imoen's insistence), some sight-seeing on the way.
The ominous, heavily oppressive atmosphere of the fortress steels the group into a cautiously steady approach, wanting to draw out the enemy slowly. "By…Helm", remarks Ajantis in wonder as the two dwarfs (Kael and Kagain) mop up the apparent "owners" of the bridge before he can even swing his halberd. The party then creeps forward, cleansing the bottom tiers and caves of the fortress in an unstoppable tidal wave of hackity slash slash. Before they moved to take the upper fortress by storm, Kael gave himself a rest and dutifully obliged Branwen in her desire to become a front-line tank, ensuring she has the equipment required. "By Valkur's strapping buttocks!" she joyfully remarks in her plate mail and shield, leading the party inexorably onward, magical morning star in hand. "Full plate and packing steel!" nods Minsc in agreement.
The more difficult fights with the Gnoll Veterans go more smoothly than expected, yet their tendency to flock in numbers made us ever vigilant. The melee heavy party were no worse for wear however, with Kael's endurance oriented battle-tactics proving to be effective for the most part. Hurray for mouse magic! as a future companion, Edwin might say…(or not say)
Imoen was lurking in the shadows and searching the prison pens for signs of life when the plaintive cry of a vaguely aristocratic Rasheman female was heard. The party had achieved their objective, the loudest cheers coming from Minsc and strangely, Ajantis who fist-pumped triumphantly "yeah!" and pontificated about the glory of Helm, ticking off one of the many quest boxes in his head.
This openly self-righteous juvenile behaviour made something snap inside of Kael; and so with a furrowed brow he sent Ajantis to check the last remaining black cloud on the fortress horizon, for he knew that the Gnoll Chieftan and the last wave of gnolls patiently waited for their turn to become XP. Ajantis' went about his task in true paladin fashion, swinging his halberd just twice before he was overwhelmed, mauled and trod upon by the elite Gnoll horde. The Chieftan took Ajantis helm and kicked it down the rampart as if in challenge to the rest of the group. Minsc raged. Kael raged. Branwen invoked Valkur's ass and the rest is now history, as the new party dined in Feldepost Inn, weighing up their options for the future…Nashkel Mines here we come. ;)
Entry 6:
The Nashkel mines was almost like the proverbial walk in the park until the third level, where the traps began to make progress a little slower. It was pleasing and oddly reassuring for Kael to finally have a magic-user in the party again; although Dyanheir's haughty airs and odd manner of speech took some getting used to. He especially didn't like her habit of claiming to be always right whenever she swung her sling at a kobold, as she'd often miss, making her appear dainty and petulant, qualities in women that he didn't like. Still, she had potential and demonstrated the mysterious possibilities of magic, opening up further planning mechanisms in Kael's head.
Branwen led the party in their cleansing of the ring around the final level of the mines, the grey slimes putting up the best resistance so far. The ease of the party's progression had made Minsc more jubilant than normal. Minsc had become a more "complete" addition with Dyanheir at his side. He'd also become at Kael's insistence, the party's chosen potion tester whenever a new or unusual brew was found, a role he relished.
And so in camp, just outside of "evil's doorway", Kael emptied his potion bag into Minsc's lap and proceeded to load him up on as many different potions as possible, nodding and smiling as Minsc quaffed the lot and uttered "Magic is impressive, but now Minsc leads. SWORDS FOR EVERYONE!" Kael patted him on the head and said "good boy" sending him to the front…and ultimately, to his doom.
And so Minsc, his exultant smile now floating him away with the spectral boo-fairies, high on every unusual potion buff enabler known to Faerun, was sent in alone as a one man crusade against Mulahey and his minions. The rest of the party watched on in amazement as Minsc weaved a web of two-handed fury upon Mulahey, soundly spitting him fresh like a kebab. However, his rage state kicked into overdrive and he became uncontrollable; his lack of discipline and drug induced haze ultimately allowing Mulahey's skeletal minions to surround and pummel him into a relatively painless, yet submissive death.
"You took too much man, too much…." (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas..)
The party met Xan and Kael was pleased, adding another mage to the group, as they began the long march back to Beregost, contemplating the next sojourn…
Kael might be traveling solo by the time he reaches Baldur's Gate. :)
Hah! Indeed. I'm actually a little behind with the entries compared to my overall progress in the game funnily enough. The latest party has been a consistent one (save an experiment or two) whilst exploring the many maps between Nashkel and the Friendly Arms. I'm getting close to starting the Cloakwood maps.
Thus, two more deaths to cover yet and I'll be up to date. :)
Entry 7: A tale in which Kael endeavours to attain a trophy wife.
Upon the return to Nashkel, the party shared a few beverages at the Belching Dragon, before saying a rare farewell to Xan, wishing him all the best with his melancholy disposition. (Get well soon, elf! heh!)
This was done to achieve our original goal: The hiring of Edwin. Naturally, Dynaheir wasn't too impressed, both mages verbally jousting and aspiring to keep an eye on each other. Two mages in the party was becoming a regular occurence and something Kael was becoming quite impressed with strategically. Keeping these two on their toes via their own little in-party competition should hold the power dynamics in good stead, he thought.
Kael's next minor aspiration was to observe the Sword Coast sea from a high western point. The party (PC Barbarian, Kagain, Branwen, Imoen, Dynaheir, Edwin) made a relaxed journey to the west for a day before arriving at a run down lighthouse on the coast. A quest to find a missing boy was taken up, the party clearing out the area of its vicious populace of wolves.
Further to the west, a distinctly sweet cadence could be heard from a yonder rock outcropping. As they drew closer, two female voices, harmonised and trilled out a melody which was both hypnotic and alluring. Kael wanted nothing but to drop everything and lay out on the beach in the sun and he saw much the same helpless expressions emerging in Kagain and Edwin.
Yet his warrior survival instinct steeled the moment he saw the cause of the manipulative music: Sirines, three of them. Their cavorting would soon render his party useless if they got any closer; and so there was only one thing left to do: quaff a potion of magic blocking and Rage!
In a slew of writhing arcs from his axe, Kael butchered the first two of the savagely sonorous songbirds, when a little pin-prick of pain from behind caught him off-guard. Turning, he saw Imoen with a mad frothy gaze and realised she had been charmed against him. Yet with a single gesture he had practiced with Dynaheir and Edwin, a duet of flame arrows shot out from the unlikely duo and separated Imoen's limbs, emblazing her form in a jiggling flaming inferno. Kael watched on agape, his rage coalesced by the fervent Sword Coast winds…
Catching their breath, the party retreated towards a small crossroads on the horizon to rest and heal, at which point the sunlight glinted across Kael's vision, making him squint and hold a bloodied sweaty hand up to shield from the rays. At first he thought it was but a mirage in the warm afternoon sun; but then the faint outline of an ostensibly curvacious looking young woman in leather armour, standing with her hand on her hip expectantly, appeared…but was she real?
Is this a shamanic vision? he thought aloud, moving closer to the crossing, his beard starting to drag on the ground…
And so the party encountered the sultry seductress Safana for the first time.
Kael was incensed and knew from the initial meeting that she would make more than a sufficient replacement for that clingy Imoen girl. He'd be called buffle-headed and a strange fellow no longer! Perhaps with this Safana on his arm, more dwarves and warriors alike would treat him with respect! Such barbaric reasoning proved strong enough for the party to accept Safana's quest and let her join their group.
In the absence of the Sirines guarding the entrace, returning to the flesh Golem cave and raiding it in true pirate style was easy pickings. Thus, the weary troupe returned to Nashkel and their favourite tavern to reflect and ponder on the new dawn…
Gosh, now you are making me go back to BG:EE again (I was once again preoccupied by Siege of Orgrimmar….). I remember doing similar things to annoying NPCs too - not exactly stripping them naked, but I did hurl them into a big group of mop or as a "aggro grabber" (BG1 AI is so limited, they usually chase one person around so you can easily "kite"). It was hilarious… I remember doing that to Immy as well. To this day, I still don't understand why some people find her a greatest "sister" as well as a loyal companion - I found her plain annoying in BG1 (BG2 Immy is different story).
@ Purpleblob
I'd largely agree about Imoen in BG1 - although you could still do some neat things with her. Multi-classing to mage/thief to more suit the canon in the second game was something I did once for example.
Because my holidays were fast coming to an end; I ended up madly rushing my way through to the conclusion of my BG: EE playthrough. The final party was:
PC Barbarian, Kagain, Branwen, Alora, Dynaheir and Edwin. Strangely enough, no dialogue of bitter enmity or duel of magic between Edwin and Dynaheir was to be found. This was a slight disappointment, but perhaps they weren't in the party long enough together? After some experimenting, I did note that Edwin has the amusing "checkmate! The witch is finally dead!" line if Dynaheir is killed in combat.
Interestingly, Branwen was the main character throwing a verbal joust here or there at Edwin and she's true neutral.
In any case, there were a couple more npc deaths, though none especially elaborate:
Shar Teel: After her one too-many delivered line of "I love bloodshed", was used as basilisk bait. She was "accidentally" shattered by Kagain after Edwin used a wand of cold on her.
Safana: I'd originally intended to turn her to stone and leave her as a statue in the Undercellar ("A suitable place indeed" - a jealously fed up Kael) but couldn't remember a way to inflict the flesh to stone state in BG1. I thought a random effect on one of the potions might do it (the rainbow oils of speed potions for instance) but could only get characters drunk. This proved enough for the party, as she was dropped in favour of the bubbly antics of Alora.
I still need to have the Eldoth/Skie combination for a greater deal of time and wouldn't mind trying Faldorn/Quayle more, so perhaps that's something for another play-through. ;) Anyway, hopefully the stories entertained a few fans here or there.
Aw, it came to an end already? :( A little disappointed! (was really looking forward to read it more).
:blush: Duly noted, Purpleblob. (Thanks for the encouragement!)
I must admit I did rush insanely to the conclusion after getting to Baldur's Gate. I didn't play any Tales of the Sword Coast either, so perhaps when I get some extra time - I can go back to a previous save and experiment with some more npcs, such as the new Barbarian fellow, do Durlags Tower etc. After all, there are still many others out there awaiting some form of grim death! ;)
Maybe you could add some stories of your own adventure, I wouldn't mind a read. ;)
Well, when I originally played Baldur's Gate, I never even owned a copy of TotSC. ;) So there's a certain precedent there…
However, my subsquent games through it have always included the expansion just for Durlag's Tower. I agree absolutely; it's one of the finest story and puzzle based dungeons in a modern role-playing game. Here's to hoping the Project Eternity team can evoke memories at least of this kind of dungeon delving experience.
Do you guys know of any date for the 1.2 patch for EE?
Bah, get your patch talk out of my story thread! :D *waves hand dismissively*.
No idea though to be honest DArt. I played all the way without any bugs at all in version 1.0.2011.
It's not so much the bugs - but the new features I'm looking for.
But but, I'll leave the thread now!
I've finished BG1 once or twice but never bothered to finish Dulrag's keep… I should this time around :) All those basilisks scared me off.
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Reverberations from April's deadly explosions in Guadalajara are shaking the state oil monopoly, Petroleos Mexicanos. Long a symbol of Mexican nationalism and a den of secrecy, Pemex is being asked to divulge its inner workings--even to foreigners.
Responding to pressure to answer for the tragedy that killed about 200 people, President Carlos Salinas de Gortari called in engineering giant Bech~tel Corp. to inspect Pemex installations and review safety issues throughout the country. If the Bechtel report traces safety problems to Pemex' convoluted chain of command, it could give Salinas a chance to revamp the oil giant. So far, he has opened small doors for foreign contractors while pounding away at the once-powerful oil union to cut the work force from 210,000 to 155,000. But his privatization campaign has yet to touch Pemex, Mexico's last sacred cow. If the report provides Salinas with enough evidence of disarray, he could spin off pieces of the oil business, from petrochemical plants to tankers.

subset: commoncrawl


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Watch the full episode. See more Antiques Roadshow.
In Washington, DC, host Mark L. Walberg and appraiser Michael Flanigan visit the Harry S. Truman Building, headquarters of the U.S. State Department and its diplomatic reception rooms, including the Thomas Jefferson State Reception Room, appointed with some of the best Americana of the 18th and 19th centuries.


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Wayfair names Christiane Lemieux exec creative director
January 23, 2014,
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Christiane Lemieux, Wayfair's new executive creative director.
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The Baltic States are facing the impact of the financial and economic crisis, which as elsewhere has turned into an employment crisis. Different EU countries have been affected by the crisis in different ways, but its impact has been particularly serious in the Baltic States. In 2008, after successive years of strong economic growth, their economy took a sharp downturn, doubling the unemployment rate. As regards employment sectors, the construction industry was hardest hit, followed by real estate.
Measures to cut the deficit – the economic austerity programme – are radical. There are fears that the rise of taxes would deteriorate the situation by reducing consumption, increasing pressure on business and the level of unemployment. Social benefits (pensions, unemployment benefits, child allowances) are cut as part of government plans to balance the budget. Wages are also declining. As a result emigration from the Baltic states has risen sharply.
The objectives of this conference are:


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"We may even take a trip," she said.
Lamons-Trowbridge said her husband purchased her winning ticket on July 28 at Luebberings 66 City View, Highways 54 and OO in Holts Summit. She said she used some significant dates, like ages and anniversaries, to select her lucky numbers. They were: 6, 16, 21, 30 and 37.
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Yesterday Hunter Paniagua broke down the Kent State offense. Today I'll switch gears and go in-depth on the Kent State defense under coordinator Brian George.
LE: Mark Fackler (6-3, 255, Sr.)
NT: Nate Terhune (6-4, 265, So.)
DT: Roosevelt Nix (5-11, 267, Sr.)
Leo: Nate Vance (6-1, 230, Jr.)
WLB: DeVante' Strickland (6-1, 231, Jr.)
MLB: Matt Dellinger (6-1, 219, So.)
Star: Jordan Italiano (5-10, 201, So.)
CB: Darius Polk (5-11, 190, Sr.)
FS: Keenan Stalls (6-0, 175, So.)
SS: Luke Wollet (6-0, 195, Sr.)
CB: Malcolm Pannell (5-10, 172, Sr.)
Notable Backups: LEO Zack Hitchens (6-1, 241, Sr.), MLB Danny Gress (6-0, 238, Sr.)
Coming off an 11-3 season in 2012, Kent State had to adjust to a new coaching staff this offseason. Out went former head coach Darrell Hazell, to Purdue, and in came defensive-minded head coach Paul Haynes, who spent last season as the Arkansas defensive coordinator and several years before that on defensive staffs at Ohio State.
Haynes, who brought coordinator Brian George with him from Arkansas, is tasked with turning around a Golden Flash defense which, despite the successful win-loss record, was abysmal against the pass, surrendering 272.0 yards per game through the air in 2012 (11th in the MAC, 105th in NCAA).
Through two home games in 2013, a narrow seven-point win over Liberty and a 41-22 loss to conference foe Bowling Green, little has changed. Kent State has given up 273.0 yards per game passing, including 357 yards on 19-of-25 passing (18.8 yards per completion) and two touchdowns to Bowling Green quarterback Matt Johnson.
On the other hand, the Kent State 'D' was in 2012 and continues to be this fall a fairly formidable group against the run. A season after finishing second in the MAC in rush defense, conceding only 138.3 yards per game on the ground, the Flashes are still second in their conference, allowing 126.0 rushing yards per contest.
By far the most important cog in KSU's 4-2-5 defense is senior defensive tackle Roosevelt Nix. At 5-foot-11 and 267 pounds, Nix is certainly undersized, but the Reynoldsburg, Ohio, native has been a monster in his three-plus seasons on campus.
Nix, who wears No. 5, owns the school record for tackles for loss with 56.0 (he had four last game and is now second amongst active NCAA players) and has also racked up 10 career forced fumbles and 21.5 sacks. He's on the watch lists for the Lombardi, Outland and Nagurski awards. Perhaps most impressively, Nix is already a three-time All-MAC performer going for four in a row. In 2010 he also became the first freshman in the history of the MAC to be named Defensive Player of the Year. To say the least, he'll be a priority for the LSU offensive line Saturday night.
Senior defensive end Mark Fackler is the only other player on the D-Line to amass double-digit starts in his KSU career (he has 16). The smallish, but athletic defensive front for KSU has combined for 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks through two games in 2013. A lot like LSU's opener versus TCU, which also runs a 4-2-5, look for Kent State to crowd the line of scrimmage and swarm to the ball, forcing the Tigers to beat them through the air.
After Nix the most tenured and decorated defender for the Flashes is senior strong safety Luke Wollet. A two-time All-MAC defender, Wollet finished second on the team last season with 119 tackles. Through two games this season, Wollet, who has a penchant for going down into the box, has 15 tackles. He's the only returning starter in the KSU secondary, which does included a pair of seniors at cornerback in Darius Polk and Malcolm Pannell.
It's the second level of defense where Kent State has virtually had to start over after losing two all-conference linebackers from a season ago, including middle LB Luke Batton and his ridiculous 143 tackles in 2012. Sophomore Matt Dellinger has stepped into Batton's former role and currently leads the team with 18 tackles. Next to him is junior DeVante' Strickland, who did set a career high in tackles last week with 11 stops versus Bowling Green.
Sophomore 'Star' Jordan Italiano is the Flashes' wildcard. Playing a position that's meant to be equally flexible between the run and pass, Italiano has registered seven tackles on the young season. Expect the 5-10, 201-pounder to be KSU's third linebacker in heavier defensive fronts but also pick up coverage matchups against LSU's tight ends and running backs.
Finally, should Kent State have any designs on keeping this game remotely close, it will have to show the ability to turn over LSU. Through two games, the Flashes haven't been able to do that, causing zero turnovers.
How does the Kent State defense stack up against LSU's offense?


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Penelope Cruz Says Goodbye to the Big Apple
Having finished up with promotional duties in New York City, Penelope Cruz was spotted arriving at JFK airport to catch a flight earlier today (November 18).
The 35-year-old looked cute in flared jeans, a white tank and a light pink cardigan, while her bronzed skin looked absolutely flawless.
Ms Cruz has been super busy promoting the upcoming musical, "Nine," in which she stars alongside Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson and Fergie.
And, as previously reported by Gossip Center, the "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" actress recently dodged engagement questions asked by David Letterman by slyly telling, "I don't feel comfortable talking about my private life in public."
Celebrity Gossip
Enjoy the pictures of Penelope Cruz at JFK Airport (Nov 18).
Photo Credit: SplashNewsOnline.com


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- About OCSW
- Membership
- Committees
- Events
- LINKs
- Summit Issues
Chris Morriss
In her professional role, Ms. Morriss is the Director of the International Relations and Services Division in the Office of the Oklahoma Secretary of State. In that capacity, she also serves as the State's Chief of Protocol.
She is the primary point of contact for the State of Oklahoma for the U.S. State Department, the Houston, Chicago, New York and Oklahoma Consular Corps.
Morriss is responsible for facilitating meetings; providing country specific background and protocol briefings for the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, elected officials, cabinet secretaries, agency directors and other entities who might be receiving high level foreign diplomats; and maintaining records documenting those visits.
Ms. Morriss is also responsible for the State of Oklahoma Sister State agreements with Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, Gansu Province, China and Taiwan Province, Taiwan.
She began her assignment in 2005 under Secretary of State, M. Susan Savage. Since then, the state has received more than 150 visits (which include presidents, ministers, ambassadors, and consular officers, etc.) from 40 countries worldwide.
Morriss earned her Protocol Officer certification in 2008 from the internationally renowned Protocol School of Washington and is a member of the Protocol and Diplomacy International-Protocol Officers Association.
She has lived in the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Sicily and has visited London, southern region of Spain, the Amalfi Coast of Italy, Taiwan, and Kyoto, Japan.


text:
The price for sending goods:
Recommended letter (worldwide) - 15EUR
After sending the goods we offer our customers the possibility to track the package online.
How much time does it take to order and subsequent delivery of goods?
Immediately after receiving your order we will send you an email order confirmation and follow the instructions for payment. The order is processed within 1-2 business days after receipt of payment. In a case of any delay we will inform you, which happens rarely and basic this is affected, for example, customs clearance, postal services and etc.
Limit orders:
Steroids store has no limit orders. So the client can make a small order first to make sure it is completely satisfied with the quality of the product and our services. Similarly, no limitations apply to the maximum. Do not hesitate to contact us, however, a question of the amount of goods ordered in connection with import regulations in your country.
Based on differences legitimacy purchase these specific products, it is recommended to seek professional advice from a qualified attorney in your country.
Legitimacy company:
Steroids store.to is engaged in professional selling and sending of pharmaceutical products. We do not work with small branches or other similar companies, but source products directly from manufacturers. Guaranteeing their originality and quality for our customers from the world of bodybuilding and fitness.
Ways to purchase our products:
We are the only on-line store, we provide our services through our website and then by post.
Customer service:
Steroids store.to customer service includes consulting, total feedback, support. We are on-line 24/7 for all your questions or comments.
Steroids store.to a payment system as a bank transfer.
We advise you to use "www.transferwise.com" service. There you can pay by your debit (credit) card online. If you are not able to do SEPA payment,
transferwise is cheaper and faster option for you than traditional international wire transfer
Delivery of goods:
Every single order goes through our hands. We know how our customers appreciate discretion and hence the name of our company is not recorded on the package.The goods are distributed from many our offices around the world. The products themselves are great
care packed into the package and for reducing the volume removed with their original packaging.
In the case of large orders, we split your order into multiple quantities of packages.
Shipment orders:
From our experiences, we know that the usual delivery time is estimated 14 working days. However, we are not competent to issue the post, over which we have no control. In some cases, it can happen that order arrives in 35 days, which happens very rarely. This is mainly due to the process of postal services.


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wood stove?
I am getting ready to have my basement finished and want to put a small wood stove in the basement for an alternate heat source. Living in the forest, it's not uncommon for us to lose power. I can buy the stove at Home Depot, but what is required for prepping the floor and walls? I've searched a bit on line, but mostly find products that sound like they go in front of the stove rather than under and behind.
Thanks for all the help. I've learned a lot about what to ask contractors by lurking.
secondary is what might help to reflect heat back toward the room.
So, what materials do you have or plan to have?
Also... you didn't mention a flue or combustion air.
I hope you get these figured out too.
The biggest thing (literally) to consider is the chimney you'll need. I've added a woodstove to three of my houses over the years. I built one of the chimneys myself just because I'd never done it before. Trust me, after doing it, I have no desire to ever do it again.
As for the wall and floor, since they are probably concrete or cement block, you technically don't have to do anything since these are not combustible. But that doesn't look very nice. What I did was put ceramic tile beneath and behind the stove. There are lots of other options, like veneer stone (real or concrete-based) depending on your budget. If you don't want a masonry chimney, there are metal alternatives (very expensive depending on how tall your chimney needs to be).
I strongly suggest putting in some kind of hearth. It's much easier to load and clean a stove if it's raised up a bit. Oh, and check with your homeowner's insurance carrier - they may want to inspect the installation. And count on your premium going up some.
Thanks for the feedback. I'm having a bathroom tiled, so tile may be the best option. I was just going to have stove pipe go outside the wall and up (is that even possible?). I have a propane fireplace on main level so I don't think they could use the current chimney.
It sounds like I might be better off (money wise) to just have a small propane stove there rather than the wood stove if stove pipe is that much. I live in a forrest, so wood is easy to come by which is the reason I'd thought of a wood stove.
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Unless this home was built with the intention of having a stove down there and they built in a chimmney with a flue in the basement this can get real expencive. You would need double line insulated stainless steel pipe ran up and out the wall and have to have it run all the way up over the roof line. Not a cheap job at all to do.
Even if your gas fireplace was closer you could not use the same chimmney.
You'll want to put a stove in your basement and one on your main floor if you know what is good for you.
Use a common chimney. Check into the triple wall stainless stuff. Try to buy it used for a discount, maybe with one of your stoves.
I was wondering how does wood stove work ? where can we purchase ? is it available in India too?
Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like it would be a huge expense. Nothing's simple, is it?.
I don't know if they would be available in India. You could google.
I bet there is something in India (aside from a Tandoori oven) that is similar.
I'm thinking about a wood stove because we often have power outages here and I'd like an alternative heat source for that. I only have a gas fireplace now.
If you have a good source of free wood, then put the stove on your main floor and heat with it.
Our gas bill last month was $35, and that's for hot water too. True it hasn't been terribly cold this winter, but still :thumbsup:
If you pay someone to put in your chimney, it will probably cost more than $1000. It will be less if you do it on your main floor, because Class A chimney parts are costly.
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L'Oreal Skin Genesis Daily Treatment
I love what L'Oreal has done with color cosmetics, but had never used any of their skincare before. In the end, I was very impressed with this serum. I put it on before I put on my moisturizer and makeup in the morning and it made my skin feel like silk! It also allowed my makeup to go on more smoothly and kept the drier parts of my skin nice and moist. I dare say it almost gave me an airbrushed look once my makeup was on. I can breakout occasionally in my t-zone, but this product didn't cause any irritation or oily patches. It's a pricier drug store item, but definitely worth it (for a very good product) with the added advantage that a little (just two pumps or so) was needed for my entire face and neck, so a little goes a long way. As the weeks went on, I found that this gave me a smoother and clearer complexion. The serum goes on nicely, sinks right in. It does have a slight floral smell to me, but it didn't last long. It absorbed quickly without a greasy or heavy feel. My skin looked "fresher" when I used this. I also liked the pump bottle that it comes in. It made it easy to pump out just the right amount, and was small enough for a travel bag. Note: When I didn't have any hand cream handy I rubbed a little of the serum on my hands and after about five minutes, my skin was super baby soft!
Facial wipes are both a gym-bag and beach-bag essential. A few swipes and you are ready to re-apply your makeup for your next engagement . . .Tags: skin care, neutrogena, facial cleansers, Summer Skin Care, travel skincare, facial wipes, Summer Beauty, drugstore, beach bag essentialsAdded 6 Years Ago from Drugstore.com
Maybe not the most thrilling part of your day, but your skin will be supremely grateful you took the time to protect it. Simplest way is a full-body spray immediately after you shower and before you put anything else on your body... Maybe not the most thrilling part of your day, but your skin will be supremely grateful you took the time to protect it. Simplest way is a full-body spray immediately after you shower and before you put anything else on your body. This sport version has serious staying power: key when you don't want to worry about it for the rest of your festive day.Tags: sunblock, beauty products, skin care, neutrogena, Skin Protection, drugstore, sun exposure, Ultimate Sport Sunblock Spray, spray sun protectionAdded 6 Years Ago from Drugstore.com
The best way to keep skin clean.
Great for skin that's prone to irritation. Definitely a main staple in my medicine cabinet. It's non comedogenic and fragrance-free, too.Added 9 Years Ago from Drugstore.com
this smells wonderful.Tags: shopping, beauty, beauty products, skin care, nordstrom, Amazon, fragrance, drugstore, philosophy firming body emulsionAdded 10 Years Ago from Drugstore.com


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At the start of Mark Spragg's novel, An Unfinished Life, Jean Gilkyson lives in a battered Iowa trailer with her battering boyfriend, Roy. Roy is the latest in a series of battering boyfriends. Now, for the sake of her daughter Griff, Jean realizes she has to leave this life. But with little money and a car that ups and dies, the only place she can run to is Ishawooa, Wyo. Ishawooa used to be home—the place where Jean buried her family; where her husband, Griff's father, died in an accident almost a decade before; where her father-in-law, the old man who blames her for his son's death, is the only one who can take them in. At 70, Einar Gilkyson runs his faltering ranch and continues to live on, mostly for the sake of his oldest friend, Mitch, who was crippled while Einar could do nothing but watch. Spunky, wide-eyed Griff knows nothing of these deep-seated family tensions. In her first conversation with the grandfather she never knew, Griff points to objects on the mantle. Were they things that belonged to her father?
"Yeah, they are. The football helmet was his in high school."
"Where does he live now?"
Einar sits in a chair. There's already a heap of clothes on the seat, but he just sits on top of them.
"He's dead. Didn't your mother tell you that?"
"She said you were dead too."
Novelist Kent Haruf has praised Spragg as "one of the truest and most original new voices in American letters." I'll give him half of that. Certainly there are moments in Spragg's prose that speak to our dearest sensibilities, those gestures that communicate emotions with a simplicity that manages eloquence and starkness in one breath. Einar falling into a chair without even bothering to push aside dirty clothes is a gesture that illustrates how deeply this arrival affects him and his quiet life at the slipshod ranch. "Whoa," the gesture says. "I'll have to sit down for this one."
Earlier we are introduced to Griff as she awakens in the Iowa trailer. Again the writing is truthful in its simplicity and grace: "She sits in the side of her bed and reaches back to run the flat of her hand over the sheet…She imagines the warmth whispering softly that she was here, but in a minute or two there'll be no proof she was ever in this bed, or even this trailer house, like she's invisible. She likes thinking that she can't be seen. It makes her smile."
Here there is something almost sensual in the slow movements toward waking. When the writing articulates a desire to remain invisible, sensuality becomes poignancy. A page later, we are endeared even further: These are the acute sensibilities of a 10-year-old girl, one who witnessed the live-in boyfriend deliver a beating to her mother's face the evening before. This is the morning they must leave.
The other half of Haruf's statement praises Spragg for his originality. And here is where we'll part company. An Unfinished Life tells the story of the prodigal daughter who returns to the American West. She's sadder, but wiser, and ready to mend some proverbial fences. Sure, she'll have some hurdles along the way—there's that mean boyfriend who may show up at any moment; the kind, young and divorced sheriff who may save the day (the reader will automatically recognize him as the perfect potential husband and father); and of course those tensions between Einar and Jean that will build up and spill over. Within its first 25 pages, Spragg's novel reaffirms the meaning of "foregone conclusion." We know exactly how this story will end. Despite moments he poetically renders, Spragg does nothing to add nuance to this familiar tale, nothing to stir these characters out of their long-ago written roles. Of course Jean and Einar will come to some understanding, the way folks do in movies on television.
Now, even Oprah might claim that the fate of the heroine in her new favorite novel, Anna Karenina, is a foregone conclusion. We know that once Anna sleeps with Vronsky, bad things will happen, but Isn't the journey of a character more important than the actual outcome? Yes, Oprah, that's true. The difference is that Anna's journey reveals something that challenges our comfort level. There is something horrific but eerily familiar about Anna's mental unraveling. She doesn't go to the train station to kill herself. She goes to meet Vronsky. She throws herself beneath the train without having made the decision to do so. It's rather the decision that takes Anna, but that doesn't make her act senseless. Its sense lies outside rational causality. Tolstoy had to use (for the first time in the history of the novel) an almost Joycean interior monologue to reconstruct the subtle fabric of fleeting impulses, transient feelings and fragmentary thoughts to show us the suicidal journey of Anna's soul.
For a writer with such a sure grasp of prose, Mark Spragg has no excuse for unimaginative development of action. And what is action? This is the question of any novel. A novelist should attempt to tease the thread of limpid rationality out of the mysterious and chaotic fabric of life. Certainly the terrain of family dynamics is just the opposite of rational.
Does this mean Jean had to muster up a suicidal tendency in order to appear fresh to the reader? Certainly not. The Tolstoy reference places An Unfinished Life in the context of one of the great explorations of the novel: the exploration of the role the irrational plays in our decisions, in our lives. Jean Gilkyson has a young daughter and an abusive boyfriend. Because she can't afford to move anywhere else, she returns to her father-in-law's home, determined to take on the ensuing struggles that will ultimately work out. Family dysfunction is disappointingly rendered with the transparent clarity of a mathematical equation.


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Luke Russert of NBC News says it's a "beautiful day in America" as the Buffalo Bills signed top defensive free agent Mario Williams. Russert predicts this addition will change the market in upstate New York, and the organization will become playoff contenders this season.This video is no longer available. Click here to watch more NBC Sports videos!
PFT Live: Russert beaming over Mario Williams signing
Posted by NBCSports.com on March 16, 2012, 3:14 PM EDT
Permalink 1 Comment Latest Stories in: Buffalo Bills, PFT Live, Videos
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A U.S. appeals court has revived lawsuits by Viacom Inc., the English Premier League, and various film studios and television networks accusing Google Inc. of allowing copyrighted videos on its YouTube service without permission.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said on Thursday that a reasonable jury could have found that YouTube knew of specific infringing activity on its website. As a result, it said a lower court made a mistake in dismissing the case.
Viacom had no immediate comment. Google and both the companies' lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The original $1-billion (U.S.) lawsuit filed by Viacom in 2007 went to the heart of a major issue facing media companies, specifically how to win Internet viewers without ceding control of TV shows, movies and music.
It was seen as a test of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a 1998 federal law making it illegal to produce technology to circumvent anti-piracy measures, and limiting liability of online service providers for copyright infringement by users.
The plaintiffs in the cases before the 2nd Circuit collectively accused YouTube of improperly broadcasting about 79,000 copyrighted videos on its website between 2005 and 2008.
Viacom had contended that Google and YouTube did nothing to stop the infringements relating to such programming as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, South Park and SpongeBob SquarePants.
The 2nd Circuit found that while Google and YouTube were entitled to a "safe harbour" provision of the copyright law, it was an open question as to whether they had "actual knowledge or 'red flag' awareness" of specific instances of infringement.
It also said the lower court should consider whether YouTube demonstrated "willful blindness" in allowing copyrighted videos to remain on its website.
The cases are Viacom International Inc et al v. YouTube Inc. et al; 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 10-3270; and The Football Association Premier League Ltd. et al v. YouTube Inc. in the same court, No. 10-3342.
ReutersReport Typo/Error
Follow us on Twitter: @GlobeInvestor
- Viacom Inc$34.110.00(0.00%)
- Alphabet Inc$965.590.00(0.00%)
- Updated June 23 4:00 PM EDT. Delayed by at least 15 minutes.


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Site Links
Pets Welcome
Well-behaved dogs and other pets are welcome in our self catering holiday cottages
on the beautiful
North Devon Coast
Watermouth Cove Cottages
Offering idyllic self-catering holiday cottage accommodation on the
stunning North Devon coast between Combe Martin & Ilfracombe.
Watermouth Cove Cottages
Watermouth, North Devon
Sandpiper Cottage
Sleeps up to 6 in three bedrooms.
One double bedroom and one bedroom with two single beds and one bedroom with a bunk bed.
Sandpiper is a first floor cottage with spacious living area, three bedroom and views looking over the courtyard to the wooded valley beyond with its own patio area and barbeque.
Suitable for 6 people, Sandpiper is a comfortable, well-equipped self-catering holiday cottage apartment with charm and original features. The cottage is ideal for people with walking difficulties as their are no steps and it is only a few paces from its car parking area.
Sandpiper Cottage is dog friendly. Well behaved pets are welcome. Watermouth Cove, the coastal path, peninsula and Broadsands beach are great places to take the dog and are just a few minutes walk from the cottages.
Remember to take a camera.
Click here: Availability and Tariff for Sandpiper
Click here: To Book Sandpiper cottage
or Phone: 01271 883931
Sandpiper Cottage Details
Lounge / Kitchen / Diner
Sandpiper has a spacious (16' x 16' foot) living area with exposed beams and double aspect windows. There is an attractive carved wooden divider between the kitchen and lounge, which originates from the old stables.
Lounge / Dining areas
Attractive, rustic Lounge area with exposed beams, sofa suite, colour TV/DVD radio and log burner.
A welcome basket of logs provided on arrival.
The Dining area has a large table and chairs.
Fitted Kitchen has a electric cooker, microwave, fridge freezer, dishwasher and ample crockery.
Sandpiper has three bedrooms (Sleeps up to 6).
A double bedroom with a four poster bed, a twin bedroom with two single beds and third bedroom with a bunk bed.
Shower room / WC
Shower room has a Mira electric shower, heated towel rail, WC. etc.
Laundry Room
A Laundry Room with Washing machines and Tumble dryer is available.
Outside area
Sandpiper has its own barbeque area in the garden.
Watermouth Cove Cottages and grounds are situated a beautiful wooded valley within a few hundred metres of Watermouth Cove, the sea, coastal path walks and Watermouth Castle.
A public payphone is available in the courtyard.
Car Parking
Sandpiper cottage has a dedicated parking bays for two cars.
Extra parking areas can normally be arranged if required.
Sandpiper Cottage Sleeps up to 6 people
Click here: Availability and Tariff for Sandpiper
Click here: To Book Sandpiper cottage
or Phone: 01271 883931
Group Accommodation
Watermouth Cove Cottages can accommodate large groups of up to 40 people and are ideal for family reunions, groups or special events.
Excellent last minute savings are sometimes possible at short notice.
It is always worth phoning to see what is available with prices starting from only £139 for a short break (3 or 4 days).
Check out recommendations and comments from our guests.
Further information on the area Watermouth Cove click here.
Pets Welcome at Watermouth Cove Cottages:
Our cottages are pet friendly.
Well-behaved dogs and other pets are welcome in our self catering holiday cottages.
For further information and colour brochure
Please phone us on 01271 883931
or e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Check out our last minute savers
Sandpiper cottage entrance
Sandpipers Lounge area with TV and log burner
Sandpipers Lounge Dining area
Sandpipers Kitchen
Gardens with barbeques and tables
Correspondence & contact
Office address only :
Cottage location address only
(not for correspondence):
Steve & Clare Mountain
Watermouth Cove Cottages
Lonsdale House
High Street
Combe Martin
Watermouth Cove Cottages
Tel: 01271 883931


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Join Our Twitter Gardening Party TODAY!
Here's your chance to ask the experts all your gardening questions! Join fellow gardening experts and me at the Endless Summer® Twitter Garden Party TODAY – March 31st, 2:00 – 3:00 PM CENTRAL.
A panel of experts from around the country will be available to answer your gardening questions. We'll be tweeting what's new and what works when it comes to going green in your yard. We'll cover everything from starting a basic herb garden to creating spectacular color containers. Join in the conversation!
The event, sponsored by the Endless Summer Collection, will feature great prizes and great advice. To be eligible to win, simply RSVP at http://greenandcleanmom.org/twitter-garden-party/, and take part in the Twitter Party using the hashtag #GardenParty. Prizes include: A $100 gift card to your local garden center, Endless Summer hydrangeas, Mud garden gloves and more.
The experts:
Justin W. Hancock @GardeningJustin – Senior Garden Editor for BHG.com, the Better Homes and Gardens Web Site. A Certified Professional Horticulturist, Justin is a die-hard gardener who loves plants. Justin is also co-owner of Loki's Garden Center in Des xMoines, IA.
Steve Bender @grumpy_gardener – Senior Writer for Southern Living, award winning author of "Passalong Plants" and "Callaway Gardens — Legacy Of A Dream", and editor of the best-selling "Southern Living Garden Book." Steve gardens in Hoover, AL.
Debra Prinzing @dkprinzing
Debra is a Los Angeles-based garden and design writer. She is the author of five books, including "Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways," and "The Abundant Garden." Debra's articles have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Garden Design, Metropolitan Home, Sunset, Better Homes & Gardens, Pacific Horticulture, Seattle Homes & Lifestyles, Cottage Living, and Fine Gardening magazines, among others.
Helen Yoest @HelenYoest
Helen is a garden coach and writer based in Raleigh, NC. She's written for many garden and style magazines including Better Homes and Gardens, Nature's Garden, Fine Gardening, and Carolina Gardening.
Michelle Gervais @Michelle_at_FG
Michelle is an associate editor at Fine Gardening magazine. She gardens with her husband and 4-year-old daughter in New Milford, CT and is obsessed with container gardening, plants of any kind, and garden design.
Our host:
Sommer Poquette @greenmom
Sommer is a mom who's trying her very best to be some shade of green every single day. Like most moms, she wears many hats – mother of two young children, wife, educator, green entrepreneur, humanitarian, enthusiastic social media fanatic and blogger. She started Green & Clean Mom as a way to reach out to other moms and to learn about ways to be more Eco-savvy.
For more information on the Twitter Garden Party visit: http://greenandcleanmom.org/twitter-garden-party/


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Obama Heckled in Austin, Buys Barbecue for Customers at Franklin's
President Obama was heckled by two men in his speech in Austin today, in which he discussed the economy and again pushed for immigration reform.
About a half hour into the speech, two men stood in their seats near the front of Austin's Paramount Theater and began shouting.
At first, the President spoke over them, but later said to them, "sit down guys, I'm almost done.'
The men continued shouting, and the audience tried to shout them down, and two Austin Police Officers emerged, but the President asked that they not be removed, and he promised to speak to them later, which he apparently did.
It was unclear what the men were heckling the President about.
The speech was the standard Obama stump speech, saying that the economy is improving, and cited a U.T. Austin student who wrote to the President about the struggles of her and her parents.
"I like to get out of Washington to remember and connect with your stories so that you know what I am trying to do every single day based on that experience," Obama said, prompted a woman in the audience to yell 'thank you!'
Earlier in the day, the President told a group of 1%ers at a posh fundraiser where admission tickets cost up to $32,000 that he cares about the middle class, and he is concerned that the wealthy, like the people in the room, are getting too many of the benefits of the current economic recovery.
Republicans pointed out that one person who was not preset for the speech was Wendy Davis, the Democratic candidate for governor.
After the speech, the President's motorcade stopped at Franklin's Barbecue, where the President apologized to customers for cutting in line, but he offered to buy the customers and his traveling party lunch.
The President pulled out a wad of $20 bills to pay for the $300 plus tab, and asked whether his JP Morgan Chase credit card is good. He then put the cash back into his pocket and paid with his credit card.


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Target: Ray Hildebrand, Puratone CEO
Goal: Stop abuse of pigs in Puratone factory
Puratone, one of Canada's largest pork producing farms, supplies meat products to many of North America's largest grocery chains. The corporation claims it is a leader for "safe and responsible" pork manufacturing and that its employees care about the health and welfare of the animals.
Recently, however, an activist working for Mercy for Animals (MFA) went undercover to Puratone's factory. The activist wore a hidden camera while touring the facility, and recorded events that directly contradict what the corporation claims. The camera caught pregnant sows being kept in tiny cages too small for them to stand or turn around. Many sows had open wounds that were untreated and infected. Piglets were killed by being slammed into concrete, and many had their tails docked with no anesthesia. Factory employees laughed as they worked and tortured the pigs, and not one showed remorse or concern for his or her actions.
After MFA published the video, Puratone's CEO, Ray Hildebrand, released a statement saying he was "disturbed" by the footage and promises "corrective action" for all employees involved. However, MFA has evidence that Puratone's leadership was well aware of the abuse occurring in the factory long before this specific video was released. Hildebrand obviously did nothing to curb the behavior.
The cruel treatment of these animals should not be tolerated. Pigs are very intelligent creatures and deserve respect. Puratone's strategy is just to apologize and hope consumers forget the conditions of its factory. Tell Ray Hildebrand to clean up the company's act and enforce humane treatment of its pigs or consumers will purchase their meat from other sources.
Dear Mr. Hildebrand,
I'm sure you're aware, but animal abuse is rampant at Puratone's manufacturing facility. Both pigs and piglets are kept in deplorable conditions, fed terrible food, and are then tortured before being killed. Contrary to what your publicists claim, your corporation is clearly not committed to the health and safety of its animals.
People are tired of hearing about this kind of abuse. There are many other suppliers that treat animals humanely, and more and more consumers are turning to those suppliers to purchase their meat. If Puratone does not change its policies, your customers will take their business elsewhere and you will be forced into bankruptcy. It is imperative to the survival of your company that you ensure the well-being of the pigs in your factories.
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: titanium22 via WikiCommons


text:
We've all seen them, and half of people over age 50 have them. Yes, varicose veins. These twisted, bulging dark purple or blue veins usually appear on your legs or ankles. While they can be cosmetically unpleasant to look at, the good news is they aren't usually cause for alarm.
Varicose veins develop when valves in the veins that carry blood up toward your heart stop working properly. As a result, blood collects in the veins. The pressure of this pooled blood can actually push the veins above the surface of your skin.
In some cases, varicose veins can cause discomfort and may be a sign of deep vein thrombosis (DVT)—a blood clot in a vein deep in your leg. If you notice any unusual swelling in your leg, pain or changes in skin color, you should contact your health care provider. There are things you can do to get rid of varicose veins or keep them from getting worse. Use this condition center to learn more about varicose veins, create a list of questions to ask your health care provider and get practical tips.
Study highlights importance of heart disease prevention for patients with chronic kidney disease.
Find and compare the best hospitals for your condition»


text:
Originally Posted by the mid 90's
I actually prefer Florian and Anik, I think Goldberg is terrible and Rogan gets behind one guy and calls the fight completely one sidedly for the rest of the fight.
I don't think Rogan liked Anik because he's smart and does his homework and Rogan relies on correcting Goldie to make up for dead air.
Yeah I agree with this, and the endless bumming of shite rubber guard/mission control 10th planet stuff!
Forum Rules


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Eljah Asymetrical Strap Empire Dress
The one-shoulder party dress is all the rage this season, so this frock will certainly keep you in the trend but I love this dress because of its uber-flattering empire waist & interesting twist detail.
Icy Bling for your drink. I think it would be fun to make the ice cubes with different colors of fruit juice to add a little color and flavor to a drink.
This delightfully whimsical set, made entirely by hand, takes the form of a sea urchin, and each exquisit example is unique. The fludity and beauty of the glass highlights the delicacy of glistening caviar beads. No hardware is ne... This delightfully whimsical set, made entirely by hand, takes the form of a sea urchin, and each exquisit example is unique. The fludity and beauty of the glass highlights the delicacy of glistening caviar beads. No hardware is needed since the glass "spines" serve as feet for the ice bowl and help to anchor the smaller caviar bowl in the ice. This versatile pair of bowls may also be used as charming serving pieces or decorative accents. Jeff Zimmerman, 2007.Tags: home, gifts, entertaining, home decor, dining, caviar, decor, nature, handmadeAdded 9 Years Ago from Salliehome
Brilliant mixed-metal pieces that celebrate the unity of opposites-- a modern interpretation of the Yin and the Yang.Tags: home, gifts, entertaining, modern, bowls, home decor, dining, decor, metalAdded 9 Years Ago from Horchow
OK, honesty, who buys swizzle sticks online? The shipping probably costs more than the item. But I LIKE these -- cool shape, and great for my colorful cocktail party idea!Tags: home, gifts, wine, glass, entertaining, glasses, wine glasses, home decor, drinksAdded 9 Years Ago from Perpetualkid
This makes the best gift for a wine lover at a great price! This clever stainless steel magnetic drip ring fits snugly around the neck of a wine bottle to prevent wine from dripping on your tablecloth.Tags: wine, glass, entertaining, gifts, glasses, wine glasses, drinks, dining, glasswareAdded 9 Years Ago from Materialpossessions
Bring a little color into your cocktail party and help your guests keep up with their glasses without those silly wine glass charms!Tags: gifts, wine, glass, entertaining, Eco, glasses, mens, wine glasses, organicAdded 9 Years Ago from Elsewares
Annie Glass slabs are such a cool way to server hors d'oeuvres -- the food seems to float in thin air. Refrigerate before using to help keep your cold foods chilled.Added 9 Years Ago from Marelgifts
This is eleganceTags: food, entertaining, gifts, caviar, hostess gifts, new years, Luxurious, gift sets, new years eveAdded 9 Years Ago from Williams-Sonoma
This top is simply stunning. Wear this to your next holiday party and you will not go unnoticed! The intricate craftsmanship is stunning! You are the best gift this holiday anyways.


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a place for zinesters - writers and readers
Broken Pencil and the Toronto Reference Library are holding an event next Tuesday, September 21, where BP staff and friends will take attendees on a tour of the zine library then sit down for a panel discussion about the place for zines today.
To begin, Megan Speers, BP designer Ian Sullivan Cant and I will lead participants through sections of the library, examining specific types of zines such…
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Bologna add to Inter woes
A week to forget for Inter Milan drew to a close in miserable fashion as Bologna condemned them to a 1-0 defeat.
Last Updated: 10/03/13 10:11pm
A week to forget for Inter Milan drew to a close in miserable fashion as Bologna condemned the Nerazzurri to another joyless defeat.
Coach Andrea Stramaccioni promised a spirited response to Thursday's 3-0 Europa League reverse at Tottenham, with his pledge to steer Inter closer to Serie A's top three bringing a bumper crowd to the San Siro.
That crowd soon turned nasty as mid-table Bologna dominated from start to finish and Alberto Gilardino's classy volley midway through the second half embarrassed Inter's players into mounting a tame fightback.
Fiorentina's 2-0 victory at Lazio sees Inter slip into fifth place with AC Milan and the nearest Champions League berth four points away.
How Inter reached the interval level was anyone's guess as Bologna subjected their hosts to an unrelenting siege for 45 minutes.
The early exchanges saw Fredrik Sorensen nod a free-kick over the crossbar before Manolo Gabbiadini rippled the side netting from close range.
Former AC Milan striker Gilardino then flashed a searing half-volley across Inter keeper Juan Pablo Carrizo, who was deputising for the suspended Samir Handanovic.
It was not long before a section of frustrated home fans unfurled a banner which read: "Let one of us have a go, you never know we could be good and at least we're Inter fans..."
Nothing changed on the pitch and Alessandro Diamanti saw a dangerous free-kick skim across the goalmouth with no Bologna player able to turn the ball home.
What looked like a rare Inter foray forward ended in farce as Ezequiel Schelotto wasted Rodrigo Palacio's killer ball on the counter-attack and the whistles grew louder.
Javier Zanetti was making his 600th appearance in Serie A and not for the first time in his Inter career the Argentinian saved his club's blushes by repelling a Gabbiadini header at the back post.
Stramaccioni gave his players a dressing-down at the interval and Antonio Cassano duly replaced 18-year-old Marco Benassi for the second half.
That change paid dividends and with Inter's main creative outlet restored to the team, Dejan Stankovic soon found Juan Jesus with a deft cross, only for the Brazilian to slightly mistime his finish.
The 57th minute, however, brought the inevitable Bologna breakthrough and Jesus was a mere spectator as Gilardino volleyed Diego Perez's cross beyond Carrizo.
The Rossoblu came desperately close to a quickfire double as Diamanti beat Jesus to serve Gabbiadini from deep, but this time the connection saw the ball fly high over the bar.
With Cassano pulling the strings Inter were a different prospect, though, and the Bari-born striker was unfortunate not to tuck home an equaliser in the 72nd minute as substitute Naldo stole in to make the crucial block.
It was a rare moment of brilliance from the hosts but Bologna were dangerous every time they went forward and Carrizo was at full stretch to repel Rene Khrin, who wriggled free to get his head to Diamanti's corner.
Time was running out for Inter and not even an acrobatic bicycle kick from Andrea Ranocchia five minutes from time could save them from defeat in front of a disillusioned home crowd.


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Where Can I find a 3.5 Inch Flush Valve?
I need to replace the 3.5 inch flush valve on my American Standard toilet. Noone seems to carry this larger size flush valve. At this point, I don't care if its the flapper or tower design, i just need a 3.5 inch flush valve.
Does anyone else besides American Standard use this larger size?
What part of it is 3-1/2"?
Ive never heard of a flush valve rated by size.
most flushvalves are all the same size as far as I know..flappers differ..did you measure your flushvalve and another standard one????
IF you cant find the proper flush valve... Eljer does make a 4" flush valve toilet and it is awesome! Tho yes you would have to get a whole new toilet. Thats the only help I have to offer. And my help is worth what you paid for it. :-)
1 Attachment(s)
When you say flush valve this is first thing that comes to my mind! :laughing:
2 Attachment(s)
Is this what you need? The green/blue edged flush valve?
When I say 3.5 inch , I mean the diameter of the hole on the bottom of the tank. Normally, its around 3inches or less, i think. But this American Standard champion toilet I have, it was apparently bigger.
that dang flush valve cost me 40 dollars.
I had to buy 4, for a customer that were really old Kohler brand and he paid well over $300.00 each for them.
I tryed to tell him he could buy a whole toilet for less.
After looking online I saw a lot of people had trouble with these Champion 4 flush valves from American Standard. From what I understood, Am Standard knew the original blue seals were faulty. They would "bubble up" or "blister" and cause the leaking.
I called American Standard and without even asking how old the toilet was they sent me a free seal.
Anyway here is where I obtained my info: read post #10
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Plant Tags
Free printable plant tags for personal use.
The following plant tags were created by Dottie and are free for non-commercial use. You will need Adobe Reader to view them as they are in a PDF format. Most Windows based operating systems come with this software, but if you do not have it, you can download it free at this link.
To use the templates, simply click on one of the links below and print. If you would like to fill in the plant variety before printing, you can do so by clicking on the empty space above each line.
Once you have printed the plant tags, you can glue then to a piece of cardboard before laminating them, or just laminate them without the cardboard, although I think the cardboard helps them to stand up better. Once laminated, cut them out and either stick them directly in the ground or you can attach them to a stick, wire, or even to a rock. The possibilities are endless. And if you have a Xyron machine like I do, you can not only laminate them, but add a magnet to the back and even adhesive....Just depends on what you want to use them for. Also, a great project to do with the kids or to add to a gift basket for your favorite gardener.
Veggie Plant Tags
Flower Plant Tags
Coming Soon
More free printables can be found here.


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The apparent good fortune of Andrew Symonds being recalled to the crease after being given out looked like turning sour on Monday when he and Adam Gilchrist were cited for dissent after Sunday's one-day international against Sri Lanka.
The pair were reported by umpires Billy Bowden and Peter Manuel for grade-one code-of-conduct breaches after Manuel gave Symonds out leg before wicket.
Gilchrist, in particular, reacted heatedly to the decision, which was quickly overturned when Sri Lankan umpire Manuel, in consultation with Bowden, changed his mind and recalled Symonds.
"They have been reported for showing dissent and there are two separate hearings this afternoon," match referee Mike Procter said.
The hearing was being held on Monday, with both players facing a potential loss of 50 per cent of their match fees.
Manuel earlier admitted he may never repeat his unprecedented move of overruling his own lbw decision.
When contacted on Monday, Manuel would not comment on the incident involving Gilchrist, who was at the non-striker's end when Symonds was ruled out. Gilchrist allegedly criticised Manuel for his initial decision but, according to Sri Lankan team officials, later thanked opposition captain Marvan Atapattu for agreeing to allow Symonds to resume his innings.
"I can't say anything at the moment," said Manuel in response to Gilchrist's potential code of conduct breach.
"Something is in the pipeline. I am waiting to meet [fellow umpire] Billy [Bowden] for a small discussion."
Manuel also denied Gilchrist's outburst led to Symonds's recall.
"Definitely not was there any influence," he said. "I just did it because I felt it was the right thing to do."
After the match, Manuel was praised by Procter, who labelled the decision "a fantastic, gutsy effort" and implored other umpires to follow the Sri Lankan's lead.
With Australia precariously positioned chasing 245 on a dusty Dambulla wicket, Symonds, on 10, played across the line to a Kumar Dharmasena delivery, edging the ball into his pads. Manuel immediately ruled it out and Symonds, after protesting the decision, began the walk back to the pavilion.
But as the Queensland all-rounder was leaving the field, Manuel consulted Bowden at square-leg - the New Zealander confirming the ball had indeed struck Symonds's bat. Accordingly, Manuel informed Atapattu of the error then called Symonds, then just metres from the boundary rope, to resume his innings.
Symonds carried his bat through the Australian innings, but was unable to stave off defeat, chasing Sri Lanka's imposing total.
"I basically did what I thought was right," Manuel said. "I had a chance to rectify an error I had made, so I thought, 'What the hell? Let's go for it'. I'm not saying that next time if I make a mistake I will do the same thing. That was just the right time to do it.
"Now I think back on it I feel good that I made the right call. I would say I didn't pick up the sound early and like all umpires, you know immediately when you've stuffed it up. I replayed it in my mind and spoke to Billy.
"[The controversy] doesn't bother me at all. I'm happy I've done the right thing. I've never done that before."
And when asked whether he contemplated the hometown reaction had Sri Lanka lost the match, Manuel was non-committal. "I don't want to think about it," he said.
Symonds said of the incident: "It was an interesting one and certainly isn't something I've seen before - not even as a kid. I was given out, was almost off the ground when I heard our blokes yelling my name and pointing back to the middle. I wasn't sure what was going on but the last thing I expected was to be called back. It came as a real shock and I think Bevo [Michael Bevan] was pretty surprised as well."
The recall of Symonds was just one of several bizarre incidents during Sunday's match, a contest in which Michael Clarke claimed his best one-day international figures of 5-35, Muttiah Muralitharan was held wicketless on a three-day-old wicket and Sri Lanka's only seamer, Chaminda Vaas, claimed man-of-the match honours over his six spin-bowling teammates.
"The guys will take a lot of confidence out of knowing that we can perform as well as we did today on a very worn Sri Lankan wicket," Australian captain Ricky Ponting said. "I was pretty happy with the way we played - disappointed with the result.
"I must admit I was a little disappointed that we used the same wicket again today. Given there is not a lot of cricket here I would have thought there was plenty of time for the curator to get on the ground and bring up two wickets for these two games. In saying that, the wicket played pretty well today and no excuses from us."
Procter, meanwhile, reported no problems with the spin-friendly wicket, while denying any suggestion that Manuel may lose his place officiating future one-dayers on account of his controversial decision.
The South African referee also commended Atapattu for his sportsmanship over the calling back of Symonds.
"I haven't seen [a batsman called back for an lbw] before but I have always wondered why, particularly for a bat-pad or an lbw, when an umpire realises it 20 seconds later [he] doesn't call him back," Procter said. "You need teamwork from the [umpires]. The batsman is still alive until [he] crosses the boundary ropes. He must be called back before then. Atapattu was informed and he was quite comfortable with it. But it was the umpire's decision and the Sri Lankans never had a problem with it."
In another incident, Bowden conferred during play with Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana, Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya about the keeper's excessive appealing.
Bowden declined to comment on the issue.
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25 June 2017 20:04
COUNCIL workers are facing a hammer blow as local authority chiefs have announced more than 400 jobs could go.
Cheshire West and Chester Council says job losses are "unavoidable" as it aims to make savings in the face of government cuts to its funding.
The job cuts, which the council claim would save £14.7 million, are among the budget options that are currently out for public consultation as the council seeks to bridge a £49m financial gap over the next three years.
Council leader Cllr Mike Jones, who announced the news on Friday, said: "In an ideal world we would not be considering further job losses and we will do everything we can to manage this situation with empathy and understanding.
"However, the stark reality of this situation is that you cannot save this amount of money – and protect services – without being forced into making some extremely difficult decisions."
If agreed, the council claim that the job cuts over the next three years will focus mainly on senior and middle management posts but also affect staff across the board in six council services.
The council says that, due to an annual turnover of staff of about 350, it will be able to manage the staff reductions through retirement, career change and voluntary redundancy, and expects there to be few or no compulsory redudancies.
The announcement of the potential job cuts has been slammed by Cllr Justin Madders, leader of the CWaC Labour opposition, who claimed it was "inevitable" that the proposed cuts would affect front-line services.
"The consultation process into the budget cuts has been lacking in any detail," said Cllr Madders.
"There are potential plans to close libraries and children's centres and now we have the news that job losses are also being considered.
"We don't know where these job cuts are going to come from. If the council is confident it can meet these cuts through 'natural causes' as they put it, then they must know exactly where the axe is going to fall.
"Are we going to lose street cleaners or library workers?
"These cuts will undoubtedly affect our front line services and we think there are other ways that savings can be achieved without the need for these job cuts.
"When is the council and Mike Jones going to stand up to the Government and say 'enough is enough' and that the level of burden being placed upon local government is disproportionate."
If the plans to cut the jobs are agreed, the council has said a full consultation with members of staff and union representatives at director and departmental level will follow and that all proposals will be considered by scrutiny committees covering the relevant services.
Since its inception in 2009, CWaC has shed about 1,200 jobs but has stated that only a "handful" of these have been through compulsory losses.
Concern has also been raised by union chiefs over the proposals, with Teresa Connally, Unison branch secretary, telling the Leader: "This announcement of 400 job losses will cause great concern to staff and service users.
"Unison will be supporting our members through this difficult time and working with the council to avoid compulsory redundancies and to minimise the negative impact on services."
During the past four years, CWaC has absorbed more than £40m of reductions in central grant while saving £113m through what it describes as 'prudent award-winning financial management and innovative re-organisation'.
Despite the impending job cuts facing council employees, Cllr Jones has claimed the council would do "everything to protect frontline services".
"We will continue to restructure, innovate, increase efficiency and eliminate waste and duplication by sharing services with other authorities, while doing everything to protect frontline services, especially for vulnerable children and elderly residents," said Cllr Jones.
"If it were not for similar actions taken since 2009, we would certainly have been facing the nightmare situation predicted by many of our hard-hit fellow local authorities across the country."
The budget consultation closes on February 9 and, 10 days later, members of the CWaC executive will consider its proposals after examining the feedback from the public and stakeholders before the final decisions will be made at full council on March 3.
Anyone wishing to consider the proposals and comment can do so by visiting www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/budgetconsultation
You must be a registered user to leave a comment. Register or login here.
Posted by: Onlooker at 12:56 on 13 January 2014 Report
400 jobs to go - but at least the civic Bentley is still on the road, clocking up great expense for us taxpayers to pay. Glad to see the council has its priorities sorted out...
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A family are considering legal action against a care home after their epileptic son was admitted to hospital four times in two months while at the facility.
Parents Sevilay and Haider Bukhari, from Walthamstow, moved their 14-year-old son Murat, who has about 100 seizures a day, into the Young Epilepsy home in Surrey last June.
Murat went to hospital four times with injuries obtained during a seizure. In one instance a front tooth was pushed up into his gum and in another he sustained a cut to his eyebrow.
Murat's family claims his injuries were due to a "hands off" approach, a policy they claim to have been unaware of when they moved their son to the home.
Mr Bukhari believes there were up to 60 other incidents where Murat was left to fall. He said: "You have to keep an eye on him 24 hours a day. I think it demonstrates a lack of care."
The family have decided to care for Murat, who is also autistic and has ADHD, at home. Steve Love, a director at Young Epilepsy, said: "Young Epilepsy does not have a 'hands off' policy when managing epileptic seizures, however, sometimes handling, or trying to catch someone during a seizure can pose more risk to the young person."
He added that they take the safety and welfare of students very seriously and have stringent safeguarding policies and procedures.
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Chat For Customer Service: Many Options, But How Do You Choose The Right Vendor?
Posted by Kate Leggett on December 3, 2013
- 29 Recommendations
- 3 comments
Customers are very comfortable using chat for customer service. Usage rates have risen in the past three years — from 30% in 2009 to 43% in 2012 — and we see this increase in all consumer demographics. Chat also has excellent satisfaction ratings, as it allows customers to quickly get answers to questions with a streamlined agent interaction.
Companies have embraced chat because it delivers quantitative cost savings and better customer satisfaction numbers. Chat also helps optimize agent utilization, improve the consistency of service delivered, and can be used to to selectively target customers for increased sales.
The chat vendor landscape is crowded. We surveyed 20 chat customer service vendors for a recent report, and the number of chat vendors is easily triple this number. Vendor categories span from standalone chat vendors, to online engagement solutions who use chat to personalize interactions, to multichannel customer service vendors and CRM vendors who offer chat as a component of their engagement solutions, to unified queuing and routing vendors which manage chat interactions inline with voice, digital, and social interactions. In addition, different vendors target different deployment sizes, industry verticals, and engagement models. In order to choose the right chat solution for your business, you should ask questions like:
- What is your agent staffing model? Some organizations dedicate agents to a single communication channel, some dedicate agents to digital-only channels, while others support a blended agent model. Your agent staffing model will dictate your reporting and workforce management needs — and ultimately the best vendor for your needs.
- What organization will be purchasing and managing chat? eBusiness and marketing leaders are often the primary purchasers of digital engagement technologies, which include chat. Forrester data shows that these groups typically don't deeply integrate purchased technologies into customer management or product databases and may be more apt at choosing standalone solutions.
- What is your chat engagement model — reactive or proactive? Decide whether you want to focus on offering reactive chat or whether you also want to offer proactive chat and whether proactive chat will be a cornerstone of your customer engagement strategy.
- What is the end-to-end customer journey that you want to facilitate? You must decide whether to support a discrete customer chat journey or whether chat will be part of a broader customer engagement journey.
- What end goal are you supporting? It is imperative to define up front what usage scenarios you will focus on, such as offering chat to decrease customer service operational costs, increase revenue by decreasing shopping cart abandonment rates, or better target customers for increased upsell and cross-sell opportunities. You must then define the critical capabilities to support your end goal.
Read our report for a detailed profile of customer service chat vendors.
As you say Kate, chat is an
Comment from Zuzana Pankova (not verified) on Fri, 12/06/2013 - 03:48
As you say Kate, chat is an incredibly powerful channel for engaging with customers, solving their issues and also boosting sales through proactive sessions. What is important is that companies think through what chat is going to be used for first and then ensure it is integrated with their overall strategy, for example to share resources and knowledge, so that it is both scalable and flexible. More on our blog at http://eptica.wordpress.com/2013/05/23/unlocking-revenue-with-proactive-...
I've said this many times but
Comment from Mike Kaarsgaren (not verified) on Mon, 12/09/2013 - 05:49
I've said this many times but it is all about selecting the right tool for YOU – one that will solve the issues YOU've got. Forget about the 300 features that are only 'nice to have'; you'll probably end up not using them anyway. Instead, look at the top 3 must-haves (key features you can't live without).
Next: go for a test drive. Forget about RFI/RFP etc. All vendors will tell you that they are compliant and the best on the market. A better way to spend your valuable time is to simply select 3 products and find out whether they can do each task you'd like them to do, and which product does this in the best way possible.
Start small, grow big. There are tons of complex CRM systems that require a lot of knowledge and expertise. But if you are new to this, then start with a simple but effective customer service space (cloud solution) without any integrations. When you have more insights into your real needs, you can revise, reconsider and redeploy with a new solution - if need be.
@Zuzana, yup, (live) chat is awesome, especially for webshops. Read on for various benefits: http://www.casengo.com/blog/live-chat-software-5-benefits/.
Customer Service
Comment from Michael Bian (not verified) on Wed, 12/11/2013 - 04:30
Customer service is important because customer service does more than simply provide a means to drive sales.
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