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Dead Island Review
Oh boy Oh boy, here we are. I have been looking forward to writing this review, yet also dreading it at the same time. I believe I have played 2011's worst game. Ok ok, maybe that's going a bit too far, but you should check out this article to see the real stinkers of 2011 - http://games.ign.com/articles/121/1213142p1.html. Dead Island is a cool idea, I mean really, who doesn't love killing zombies? It never gets old even though zombie games are becoming as common as WWII games, but who's judging, not this guy.
This game was sure flying under the radar, which after playing it, I wish I had left it under the radar. I saw the trailer for it on Gametrailers top 100 trailers of all time and was blown away, it was such a fantastic trailer. Building suspense, using sensitive subject matter...I mean, killing a little girl is just barbaric, but they pulled it off with perfection. It was definitely one of the most creative trailers I have ever seen. I wish the team at Techland had put more effort into the actual game than the trailer, because what we got definitely did not match the quality of the trailer.
And for you reference, here is the trailer, which will definitely be the highlight of this review:
Dead Island introduces it's four playable characters via a terrible cut-scene as you stumble around drunk meeting all the wonderful souls vacationing in this "paradise", very stupid. Speaking of stupid, the song playing in the background is absolute shit. It's catchy, but catchy doesn't mean good. Catchy means it has a beat that gets stuck in your head and you end up spouting out the lyrics of it and then realizing what a dumbass you are. That's no good. Here, have a listen for yourself....
(NOTE: Yes, the lyrics "Grab your kid, hide your wife" are in this song, remind you of anyone? HMMM?)
After the terrible song is over, infected attacks break out and you are carted off to your room like the drunken buffoon that you are. The 4 playable characters all have different play styles and masteries, such as Throwing, Weapons, Blunt Weapons and Firearms. I went with the throwing, and ended up not really throwing any weapons at all, because the combat is the absolute worst. Yes, the worst. See my problem with this game is I have so many things to say bad about it, but I don't want to give it a LOW LOW score because it's not the worst of the worst, I just didn't like it at all. Anyhow, bitching aside. The story follows through 4 acts, with locations varying from the beach resort itself, to a run down city, a jungle and finally a prison. While the obvious overall objective of this game is to escape this infested island with your life, other side missions and plots attract the player to draw out the overall experience. Side quests give plenty of additional content for you to endure, and you could very easily drop 20 hours into this game.
Controls are where my real problems with Dead Island start. I don't know how else to say but that they simply SUCK. It's very ironic that the opening video features you in the shoes of an intoxicated man, because that's how I felt they handled the gameplay controls. The character moves in a weird way, almost like an annoying sway, except it's not a sway, and it feels like you are getting caught on invisible items. I know it sounds weird, but I can't put my finger on it, the controls are just simply weird, and bad. I hate to give credit to Activision because they are the devil, but the Call of Duty control scheme is excellent, and I wish it became a universal standard for FPS games. Yes, I know it would become annoying, especially for people who don't like Call of Duty's controls, but they are so smooth, and just work. I definitely wish a similar control scheme were in play here, because I would like the game a hell of a lot more. The overall control scheme just doesn't work, it feels broken, or unfinished, and is disappointing. Driving luckily isn't nearly as bad, although the controls are rather stiff, especially when I need to back a vehicle up to get back on the right track.
Other gameplay concerns involve the lame ass stamina meter. Everything you do in the game, now including the kicking, as included very kindly by the developers (who the hell are they, anyway?) in a patch, involves sucking a stamina meter dry (TWSS). I can't tell you how many times I was dealing with 3-4 zombies and my stamina meter completely emptied (Very quickly) and then I was swarmed by 5-6 more zombies and either died or had to escape until I got more stamina. It's a very frustrating thing and completely throws the game off track for me. The combat works, and in a sense is the most satisfying aspect of the game, when it comes to hacking off zombie legs, arms and heads. That never got old, especially when a zombie would come rushing at you, and you'd time your swing for a slow-mo decapitation. That was epic and I really enjoyed the combat (Minus the Stamina system). Another frustrating element of Dead Island is the repair system. Weapons would break often and at the worst time possible, leaving you either switching to another one quickly or going to your fists for some small but decent damage. Luckily, there are plenty of workstations scattered throughout the game, allowing you to repair your items for money. Here is something to ponder...a lot of these workstations are in unmanned places, so, realistically, who are you paying to repair your item? Where is the money going? Am I paying a wooden bench to fix my item? Uhhhh.... . Each character gets a fury attack, which pretty much lets you destroy everything site in a 5 second window. It's a pretty cool aspect, but seems generic. The majority of combat in Dead Island revolves around melee items, which is unfortunate because there is playable character that has gun mastery as her specialty, but with such piss poor FPS mechanics it's no wonder shes the least playable of the 4 characters.
credit: fred800102
When you make a game like this, with a giant open world, one would think you would include a save system that allows you to save when you want, as well as an auto-save. Well, not on Dead Island. Dead Island includes one of the most broken check point systems I have ever seen in video games. When you complete a quest, it gives you a checkpoint, thus, theoretically, saving your game. Not always the case though. I have several times turned the game off after I waited for the checkpoint cursor to disappear, thinking my game was saved and then turned it on to realize I am 3-4 quests behind where I last thought it saved. This is unacceptable folks. If it says checkpoint, you automatically assume it's saved, because there is no message saying "Game Saved". This is a very very big flaw. Another worrisome issue is when you die, you truly have NO idea where you are going to respawn. I have died several times and appeared in places on the opposite side of the map, which is not small by the way, thus taking me about 10 minutes to get back to where I was again. I like to refer to this as the Random Save, Random Respawn system. There is no rhyme or reason for why it does it, but it does.
Multiplayer in this game is one the more impressive aspects of the game. Allowing up to 4 players in any game, you can do the entire the game with 3 other people, hacking and slashing your way through hordes of zombies. The multiplayer session will follow the host's game progress and from what I have heard, it will not save for other people who join, but I have always been the host for my games, so I don't have any feedback on if it saves your progress if you join another game or not. I definitely enjoyed the multiplayer aspect of the game though, while still maintaining all the flaws I mentioned above, it is at least fun to be able to play it with others and all laugh at the shitfest that is Dead Island.
So yeah, There you have it, Dead Island, for me at least is the biggest disappointment of 2011. I had read great things about the game from IGN and the like, but I guess either they are less forgiving than I am, or they were paid off, but surely IGN isn't paid off . I couldn't stand the controls at all, the lackluster FPS controls and the completely outrageous and random save system, but all in all, I was able to finish it (read my blog about achievements and you'll know the real reason I finished this game, lol.) I hadn't heard of Techland other than the Call of Juarez titles, but I definitely will not be playing anymore of their games, especially if they use a control scheme similar to that of Dead Island. If you are in the mood for zombie slaying, please look elsewhere...Like Dead Rising 2, Left 4 Dead or watch zombie flicks like Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland. Stay away from this game to preserve your sanity!
Merry Christmas Everyone!!
Gameplay: 5 - Controls need a lot of work, they just don't feel right. Combat system is fun, but if you get tired of the same stuff easily, you'll grow bored of severing limbs by the end of Act 1.
Graphics: 8 - Good looking visuals, some of the darker colors look pretty blotchy, but overall the Island setting looks great. Models are good, although somewhat lifeless (Referring to the LIVING people)
Presentation: 6 - Alright looking menus, cutscenes, nothing to celebrate, just a decent layout, not too confusing
Sound: 7 - Who do you VooDoo bitch...the soundtrack is nothing amazing, but also nothing bad.
Lasting Appeal: 5 - I finished it with 1 character, and plan to do Act 1 with the other 3 for achievement purposes only. I cannot wait to be DONE with this game.


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I just turned down a blogging job on another site because the compensation (in trades, yet – not even money) was ludicrously low. So low I can't even in good conscience refer anyone to that client. As an editor trying hard to make money so I can pay my writers a fair wage (not happening yet, gah, sorry writers) this was, frankly, insulting. The client said they'd made some big improvements to their infrastructure this year so they had to save money somewhere. But…but…they are only paying bloggers in trade for services – stuff that basically costs them nothing.
I politely declined, and the client responded kindly but with a little dig, "we have plenty of people interested so no worries." I just bet you do. Lots of people THINK they want to blog for freebies; very few people actually get the job done. A good blogger, one that posts regularly, brings in an audience, promotes posts, and – get this – even WRITES WELL is pretty hard to find. Trust me, I look all the time. I've found a few for this site and I'd really like them to get paid so I'm working on selling advertising and all that fun money making stuff.
But the obstacle is that bloggers aren't seen as having value yet. Why? Because there are so many people allegedly willing to do it for peanuts for companies who can afford to pay them. When you see a blogger compensation package that is laughable, the joke is on you because some starry eyed person somewhere will be willing to take on the project. Sure, they may or may not post more than once, their grammar might be atrocious, and their writing mediocre at best, but it seems that many clients are looking for quantity and care little for the quality.
A good blog campaign can be a solid winner for a business, especially in the outdoors industry where everyone's falling all over themselves to boast about what they did or what picture they took or about what a siiiiiick day they had or how how cool their POV camera is. But some companies just don't get it. They think bloggers are throwaway and they treat them as such. Then their blog, quite frankly, sucks, and they continue thinking that since their blog kind of sucks then that must mean that bloggers really are just throwaway.
But this post is directed more at bloggers than at companies. Companies can be a little stodgy and social-media-inept, we know that. But please, please, bloggers – when writing for a for-profit company, whether it be a magazine, an event, a recreation area, whatever – do everyone a favor and insist on a fair wage. This is why we need a union. Or an association. Or SOMETHING. As long as there are people willing to give free stuff to big, profit-making companies, whether that free stuff be writing, time, free posting of logos, whatever – blogging will never go anywhere serious and we'll all just be competing with each other for scraps. Those scraps being giveaways, press trips, and the right to "graduate" from blogging and write for a "real" publication which will undoubtedly start you at the bottom, writing two-sentence "gear reviews" and lists of "top five amazing outdoorsy towns you should plan a vacation in this year or next or whenever you can finally afford it which won't be until that town is no longer on our list" or whatever fluff they need to use to fill their pages. A decade of that and you might get a feature. Maybe.
Let's get real. No one will take the advice in this post. Everyone wants free stuff, even big profit making companies. I just wanted to vent. To sum up, companies, pay bloggers a decent wage. Bloggers, don't take anything but a decent wage. I remember seeing Backcountry.com hiring for a blogger. The pay was about $30K/year. Now that's a decent wage for a blogger, if it's true. Good for Backcountry.com. Now, if only they'd buy some ads so I can pay the people who write for this site. It's just a big vortex of no one getting paid, isn't it?

subset: commoncrawl


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nicola burkett
65 - Cradle To Grave - Poem by nicola burkett
Cradle to grave
Was the pact that we made
To stick it out till the very end
The tears that you cry
I'll promise to dry
Your broken heart i will mend
When we were young
We knew each other
From outside to in
Hard for others to see
Where one ends
And the other one begins
We will always be
By each others side
Just like Thelma and Louise
From cradle to grave
The pact that me made
To ride the sunlit breeze
From dressing up Barbies
To teen slumber paries
We've been through it all
From Wild nights out
To unfaithful men
catching each other when we fall
Cradle to grave
Was the pact that we made
To stick it out till the very end
The tears that i cry
You promised to dry
My broken heart you will mend
Comments about 65 - Cradle To Grave by nicola burkett
Sandra Fowler (8/13/2007 5:04:00 PM)
A wonderful tribute to friendship which has stood the test of time. Very eloquent, Nicola.
Sandra (Report) Reply
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Alpe d'Huez: restaurants
Phone numbers are given where the restaurant does not have a website
In resort
Lily Muldoon's (+33 476 80 35 39) is a popular Irish-themed venue. Steak and Guinness pie and Irish mussels are favourites here, and prices are reasonable for a resort of this calibre.
Le Passe Montagne is in a characterful old chalet and serves mountain favourites such as fondue and raclette. Specials include chicken fillet topped with local Reblochon cheese and prosciutto in a cream, walnut and wine sauce. Puddings include blueberry trifle or chocolate mousse with crushed meringues and whipped cream.
Au Chamois d'Or is arguably the best eatery in town. Everything here is home-made and almost all is locally sourced, ranging at breakfast from blueberry jam and dandelion honey to smoked salmon. Signature dinner dishes include truffle omelette, langoustine gratin with crab butter, and soufflé glazed with génépy aperitif.
On the mountain
Auberge de l'Alpette (+33 476 80 70 00), just above the bottom of the Alpette drag-lift on the run down to Oz, has the best omelettes and salads in the area. It's a great place for families with children who have energy to burn – after lunch, parents can sit on the terrace enjoying a coffee or a final glass of wine while their offspring do laps on the greens served by the lift.
Chalet du Lac Besson is a cosy chalet reached by a path off the red Chamois run and a wicked little schuss, followed by a one- to three-minute climb up the other side. The time it takes varies according to your commitment to the downhill bit, which in poor light can be particularly tricky. However, it's worth it for meat and seafood grilled on the open fireplace. The lamb chops and the prawns are both warmly recommended.
L'Altiport is a small Michelin-starred restaurant tucked away beside the control tower at Alpe d'Huez's little airport. It can be reached from the green Loup Blanc piste, or on foot from the resort. The ambience is more small French valley town than major resort. Owners Philippe and Véronique cater as much for gourmand-minded locals as for tourists. Highlights include frogs legs poached in vin de Savoie, snails forestière and tourtine de foie gras, and slow-roasted lamb hocks. It's all wonderfully traditional French.


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Producer-director Arthur Rankin, Jr. has died at the age of 89. In 1960, Rankin and his partner, Jules Bass, founded their own production company, Videocraft International, which came to be better known as Rankin/Bass Productions. Specializing in stop-motion animation, the company produced such TV series as The New Adventures Of Pinocchio and Tales Of The Wizard Of Oz, but it found its true niche with its first holiday special, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Inspired by the novelty song written by Johnny Marks—a No. 1 hit for Gene Autry in 1949—and boasting new songs and an orchestral score by Marks, as well as the voice of Burl Ives as the narrator, Sam the Snowman, Rudolph premiered December 6, 1964, and has remained in network broadcast rotation ever since. Its look became the mold for later Rankin/Bass holiday specials such as The Little Drummer Boy (1968), Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town (1970), Here Comes Peter Cottontail (1971), The Year Without A Santa Claus (1974), and The Easter Bunny Is Comin' To Town (1977).
Rankin/Bass also applied its style to a few feature films like The Daydreamer (1966), inspired by the works of Hans Christian Andersen, and the quizzically titled Mad Monster Party? (1967), both of which were directed by Jules Bass.
The team's overflowing credits also included a few traditional-animation TV specials—most notably Frosty The Snowman (1969), whose visual design, by longtime Rankin/Bass employee Paul Coker, Jr., is instantly recognizable for those who've seen Coker's work for Mad magazine.
In 1977 and 1980, Rankin/Bass produced animated adaptations of Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Return Of The King, drawing on those sections of the Lord Of The Rings saga that had not been covered in the 1978 Ralph Bakshi film.
In 1983, Rankin and Bass co-produced and co-directed a feature-film adaptation of Peter S. Beagle's children's book, The Last Unicorn.
Rankin/Bass also produced the early-'70s cartoon series The Jackson 5ive and The Osmonds,as well as the mid-'80s series Thundercats. If George Lucas and quit the movie business after American Graffiti and become a Hare Krishna, Robot Chicken would have still been able to go a long way just by working its way through Rankin/Bass' back catalog.
Rankin and Bass' last collaboration was the 1987 animated TV film The Wind In The Willows. The company ceased production that same year, and ownership of its properties have since been broken up and passed around to other hands. In 2001, Rankin himself served as executive producer of one last animated holiday special, the African-American-themed Santa, Baby!
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Men's fall '08 fashion preview
Published Oct. 1, 2008
For many guys, shopping involves stopping in a department store and picking up what they need (and only what they need) in 10 minutes. But with a tighter economy, guys might want to rethink the whole "I-only-have-10-minutes-to-shop-so-I'll spend-however-much-this-shirt-is" philosophy. So, what to save on and what to splurge on? Read on.


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Best vacation ever!: Allure of the Seas Cruise Review by bflat!
Overall Member Rating
Best vacation ever!
Destination: Western Caribbean
Embarkation: Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades)
Arriving at the docks (already difficult due to traffic congestion at the port) I was awed by all the huge ships ... and especially the Allure - which looked like two or three large apartment buildings stuck together.
Embarkation was annoying. I think Royal Caribbean has done a lot to make the process smooth and I doubt that I could come up with any ideas to make it work better (actually, maybe I could) but it really is a massive crowd and we did stand on line for too long More to be comfortable (probably more than half an hour). (How might I improve things? Maybe have a longer window of time for embarkation ... perhaps begin earlier. I understand that this might affect pre/post security inspections and sailing times and extend turn-around times. It really is a cattle drive. The first of a few.)
Once on board everything was fine. There's lots to do before going to the cabin. The first thing I noticed was how good and plentiful and accessible food was. I had read reviews criticising the food and food service but my initial impression (which was confirmed throughout the cruise) was that the food was great and the food service exemplary and that great food was always available - free of additional charge!
While we spent a lot of extra money beyond the initial cruise price on extras but we really didn't have to. One can have a wonderful vacation on the Allure without spending an extra penny on food or excursions - with perhaps a notable exception that I was going to address later but perhaps will now.
One of my apprehensions about going on a cruise vacation (or a resort-type) involves social justice and character. I find it difficult to reconcile a luxury vacation made more affordable on the backs of people whose lot in life is the result of being accidently born in the wrong place. Clearly cruise companies (and patrons) take advantage of the fact that there is a plentiful supply of cheap labour in the world in order to save money. While the workers on the ship are surely lucky to have the jobs they get on these ships, they are (in my view) compensated at a level far below first-world standards. I stand to be corrected, but it seems that the cruise operators are able to operate outside of employment standards that would be regulated within countries such as Canada or the United States. So, this creates discomfort for me - that I could be treated like a king by those who are only in the position of serving me due to an accident of birth(place) and that they would be subject to harsher working conditions that would be acceptable for our own children. So, to assuage my guilt I tried to tip as generously as possible - well beyond the pre-paid or automatically applied gratuities. those who wish to make a contribution to third-world conditions have an opportunity to do so directly on these cruise ships. I am more than a little disturbed by some of the complaints I read in these reviews about gratuities. The people I met on this cruise (employees) were exemplary and perform well above and beyond what could be reasonably expected. Indeed, many of the patrons on this cruise would do well to take a lesson on manners and decorum from these wonderful people - and I'll have more to say about this later perhaps. But anyway, my advice to my fellow cruisers... tip until it hurts. It's the right thing to do. My advice to cruise operators ... continue to try and find ways of treating your staff according to the way we'd want our children treated. I understand that the 'profit motive' is a very powerful determinant of how the business is run ... but the world is what we make of it and those who can, should lead.
Some of what I write here might be a little controversial and the wonderful people who looked after me on the ship might be uncomfortable being associated with my comments, so, without mentioning names, kudos to the waiters and assistance waiters and head waiters at Adagio! Wonderful (you even took away cutlery that was not needed - sparing me the agony of trying to figure out which fork to use :-) Thank you ever so much our wonderful stateroom attendant. If we dropped a hanky it seemed like you would be there to catch it! Outstanding. And thank you to all the restaurant workers (Kudos Windjammer!) and everyone else who went above and beyond to treat me like a king (while always smiling - even while some of us patrons could be rude and boorish).
So, on with the cruise review...
Let me say that my wife and I started to share a little catch phrase... "You know, we`re on a boat right?" We'd say this from time to time as we were often incredulous that the experience we were having was happening on a ship!
I think the Allure is a couple of years old ... but it seemed brand new. Everything we saw or touched was clean and shiny and appeared new. (further testament to the incredible staff). Our stateroom seemed perfect. I guess when one is building a 1.5 billion dollar ship that we`ll take care to carefully plan details. Our stateroom was perfect. I sensed (throughout the vacation) that the profit motive directed everything and the stateroom, in my view, exemplified this. The owners have designed the stateroom to maximize space. It`s a pretty small room but the designers have cleverly created a comfortable and efficient accommodation. I never felt cramped (even though I over-packed). The bathroom was amazing! The balcony was just right (except it would have been better if it could have had lounge chairs - although it`s probably too small. Our stateroom attendant scrounged up an ottoman-like thing which made it possible to sit with our feet up. We didn`t ask for this ... I`m not even sure how he learned that we needed it.) And as I mentioned, he seemed to be cleaning and organizing our stateroom whenever we looked the other way. I have never experienced such attentive service!
We had good weather the whole time. There was a bit of wind and chop as we were returning to Florida but it was always difficult to feel any rocking of the ship - and we were on an upper deck. It was a very smooth experience.
I personally enjoyed spending time on the balcony enjoying the weather, the views and the sound of the water. (This was interrupted whenever our neighbours used their balcony - they were loud talkers. So whenever they were out - I went in :-( (Another note to cruisers ... please consider each other and our personal spaces.)
All the free restaurants (and there were plenty) were fantastic. The food was a highlight for us. And all the entertainment venues were great. Sometimes it was hard to get into popular venues due to the huge population on the ship. But if one thing was full, it wasn`t hard to find something else to do. Crowds and standing on-line is the cost of making a cruise affordable I guess - so, one must tolerate this. (Are there more expensive options that allow for less crowded conditions while still being able to enjoy a large variety of entertainment options?) I think the company does an amazing job of balancing the number of cruisers with the number of venues. I sure couldn't do any better if I was in charge.
So yeah, we are not uber-rich (by North American standards) but we are fortunate to enjoy a cruise - something that would have been a much more exclusive luxury in the past. So kudos to Royal Caribbean for making this possible. At the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon or something I feel compelled to say that the 'luxury cruise' experience was, for me, diminished by the rude and boorish behaviour of some (some!) of my fellow cruisers. As I mentioned - some of us would do well to take a lesson from the staff, but here's some tips that if adopted, would make the experience better for all...
1) Don't reserve things like dining tables or lounge chairs by putting towels or personal object on them for more than just a couple minutes. It's rude and unfair. (I never got to use a lounge chair in a choice location even though MOST of them sat vacant for hours!)
2) Let people OFF the elevator before you try to barge on.
3) Don't jump the queues
4) Don't be LOUD - on your balcony, at dinner, in the theatres. PLEASE don't talk during performances.
5) Please follow suggestions regarding dress code. (for example, on formal nights in the restaurant - try to go with the theme as best you can ... or maybe skip the venue that particular time and eat somewhere else.) It's a little bit of dress-up play acting to wear a suit to dinner. The experience is diminished if the patrons at the table beside you are in shorts and sandals. (I know, I know ... "I paid for my cruise - I'll do what I want!" - it doesn't hurt to be considerate of others' enjoyment - it makes life better for everyone. After up-charge, wine and gratuities our special evening at 150 Central Park cost us almost $200. It was a special occasion for us and we dressed up for it. The experience was diminished because the ambience was changed as some patrons came dress... you guessed it ... in casual attire.)
6) Say please and thank you. Wait your turn.
7) Don't leave your garbage or dirty dishes lying around just anywhere... use the garbage cans, put your dirty dishes someplace appropriate.
Yeah, there were around 6000 cruisers on the boat. The only thing that made this less tolerable is that some of us need to occupy our personal spaces with more consideration for others. Just a little. Please.
Gawd ... I'm going on and on. I should stop for a minute and thank the majority of our fellow cruisers for being considerate and polite. Thank you!
Regarding ports of call. I would encourage new cruisers to seriously plan for them ahead of time. If lounging on the beach is your thing, then there's not a problem (but in Jamaica and Mexico you'll be well advised to pre-book transportation to a beach) We only pre-booked one shore excursion - horseback riding in Cozumel. It was one of the highlights of our cruise.
Labadee was fine ... although you are fenced off from the actual country and must remain in the Royal Caribbean compound. This isn't such a bad thing if a carefree park-like day is your thing - which it was for us on this day. But, there again, the nagging guilt of being in an exclusive compound - protected from the natives. I don't personally enjoy lounging in the sun so I spent hours in the ocean. There was good souvenir shopping - within the compound.
In Jamaica you disembark into a port compound as well. There is shopping and restaurants there - very commercialized. We stepped out of the compound and for us, this was pretty awful. You exit into something of a trapper`s alley and are swarmed by sellers of trinkets, personal services, drugs and taxi rides/excursions. So, unless you are bold, don't do it. Pre-arrange something. We didn't and ended up booing a last-minute bus ride to a private beach (Red Stripe Beach). The beach was just okay. The bus ride (operated by the beach company) was like $30 dollars each return (10 minutes or so) and then when you got to the beach, if you wanted a chair - that was $5 more, each! And so on. So yeah, take care to plan your shore excursions. Or stay on the boat - which is kinda nice too - as it will be quiet.
We saw Chicago (the musical), Mo5iac, Green Planet and the water show. All the shows were thrilling. Some of the feats of strength and acrobatics took our breath away! The Amber theatre is an amazing venue (more than once we leaned over to remind each other that we were on a boat :-)
Disembarkation was uncomfortable. We did express disembarkation and while it was a zoo, I sense it was better that using the regular disembarkation ... but I don't know. We didn't plan our flight arrivals and departures well. I recommend arriving the day before and getting a hotel and perhaps having a hotel at the pother end too - or at least book your return flight well into the afternoon. We were fine, but the start and finish of the vacation was a bit hectic. PS. Taxis to and from the airport ran about $20-25 give or take a tip. It was tricky for us to get a cab from the hotel on the morning of the embarkation.... they were really busy - there's thousands of people going on board quite a few ships on the same day..
So, I hope this helps novice cruisers. For us, this trip represented excellent entertainment and vacation value. It is possible to have an amazing time within the prepaid itineraries and dining plan. It's a great value - so paying for a few extras, if you can afford them, is fair. For us, it was an amazing time and we may cruise again. I believe Royal Caribbean works very hard to provide the best cruise experience for patrons while also providing value for shareholders (a conflict that they manage well).
Again, I cannot say enough about the amazing crew and service personnel - they make the difference between a good vacation and a GREAT one. We had a GREAT time. Please, please tip generously (PS 15% is not generous - it's the generally accepted MINIMUM) it's only fair. Less
Published 03/27/14
Cabin review: 12538
The 12th deck seemed like a good one. Pretty much just staterooms and insulated from noisy activities above or below by other decks. I doubt inner balconies would be as good as ocean balconies. The height gives great views of the ocean and ports. Inner balconies would surely be hotter and more humid in warm weather - and noisier as there`s a lot going on during the daytime. But, it`s surely a matter of taste. Inside balconies at the aft of the ship probably get good views of the shows and activities in the Aqua Theatre.The stateroom was like new and designed to make optimal use of space. When the balcony door was closed it was perfectly quite. We had loud talkers next door (thank God they didn`t bring any music players) ... if they weren`t using their balcony we could enjoy the sound of the wind and seas and the fresh air by leaving our balcony door open.Love the bathroom and shower. (Warning ... the shower can give REALLY hot water. Bed careful with kids.)Our stateroom attendant was amazing! It seemed like if we accidently dropped something he`d be there to catch it! We always returned to a freshly made-up room and were entertained by interesting towel animals :-)
Read Cruise Critic's Allure of the Seas Review >>
Anniversary get-a-way
Lots of winners and few losers...
Sorry to report
First Time Cruiser- The Allure...
Big ship, but still too many p...
Sorry to report
Do not choose this cruise unle...
My first cruise!
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text:
Strea is busy at work when she starts to rub her hairy legs up to her hairy mound. Her pussy hairs are poking out of her panties when she starts to finger herself right at her desk.
Large Breasts, Hairy Armpits, Upskirt, Masturbation, Toy Insertions, Lingerie, Chubby, Mature
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|Public Sector Labor Relations
|Submitting Dean
|Dr. Ronald F. Levant
|Submitting College
|Arts & Sciences -- Annabelle Foos x7937
|Departments Generating the Proposal
|Objection Deadline
|September 07, 2007
|Proposal Status
|Final Approval Granted
|Proposal Last Updated
|October 05, 2007 by PR Amy Sheldon
|Effective Date
|Fall 2007
|Brief Summary of Proposal
|This course has been taught three times as a special topics course. Public employees unions are the most rapidly growing segment of unionization. Public managers need to understand the public-specific rules which define labor-management relations in the public sector. Therefore this course is a necessary complement to the Public Personnel Management class required for those seeking the MPA degree. The department currently employees a skilled and experienced public sector personnel director as a part-time time faculty member to teach this course, but there are at least three persons on the faculty with the academic credentials and experience to teach the course.
|Type of Proposal
|Course changes only
|Graduate School Endorsement Status
|Graduate School Endorsement Updated
|April 23, 2007 by GS Heather Blake
|Institutional Research Status
|IR Status Updated
|April 18, 2007 by IR Dolores Bezilla
|Library Status
|Library Status Updated
|April 12, 2007 by UL Del Williams
|Distance Learning Review Committee Status
|Not required
|DLRC Status Updated
|General Education Advisory Committee Status
|Not required
|GEAC Status Updated
|May 04, 2007 by PR Rex Ramsier
|Resource Requirements
|No additional resources
|Resource Requirements Updated
|May 10, 2007 by AS dean's ofc Flo Fiehn
CPS Menu


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The city of Spokane, an ICLEI city, in its commitment to protect the planet earth will be shutting off their lights for one hour on Saturday, March 27, 2010. (more…)
Posts Tagged 'Earth Hour'
Lights Out! for ICLEI Cities
Posted in Culture Wars, Environmentalism, Fallicies, Global Warming, Liberalism, tagged Earth Hour on March 27, 2010| 1 Comment »


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Of late he had resumed his study of aerostatics, and was constructing another flying-machine.
He had the combination of two of the sections of pigeonholes, aerostatics and intelligence.
In aviation no less than in aerostatics the record of the United States is negligible.
Aeronautics is divided into two fundamentally different branches—aviatics and aerostatics.
The attempts which we are about to cite do not strictly belong to the history of aerostatics.
The invention of the barometer enabled men to extend the principles of mechanics to the atmosphere; and aerostatics existed.


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Engayged? Absolute Travel wants to plan your honeymoon
// August 9, 2011
// Posted in Company, Honeymoon
New York State's recent ruling gives same-sex couples the opportunity to tie the knot. Couples will never have a better excuse to live out their dream getaway. That's where we come in: Absolute Travel's signature mix of inspiring and personalized […]Read More


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This is what happens when you let a Final Fantasy director and character designer loose on a Catwoman figure. Tetsuya Nomura's Play Arts Kai figure design features crazy armor and will include two whip tails (WHIP TAILS!), a small pistol, and a set of extended hand-claws. Pricing hasn't been announced but if it falls in line with similar figures, then it'll likely be around $175.
See Also: More Delightfully Insane Play Arts Kai Figures
See more pictures after the break.
(Toy News International via io9)


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Manchester University Menu
Pages for ...
About Manchester
Strategic Initiatives & External Relations
Graduate and Professional Programs
Contact an Admissions Counselor
Scholarships and Financial Aid
There are several urgent care clinics located around the Fort Wayne area and in close proximity to the College. Two urgent care clinic groups, representing several clinic sites, are listed below:
Parkview FirstCare Walk-In Clinic
8 a.m. - 8 p.m., 7 days a week
Phone: 260-469-6610 or
Toll Free 877-PPG-TODAY (774-8632)
Fort Wayne, North
3909 New Vision Drive
Located on Parkview North campus off Dupont and Diebold
*Open all holidays
Fort Wayne, Southwest
10515 Illinois Road
Located at corner of Scott and Illinois
*Closed on holidays
Fort Wayne, Central
1515 Hobson Road
Located at corner of Lake and Hobson
*Closed on holidays
New Haven
1331 Minnich Road
Located east on Lincoln Highway to Minnich Road
*Closed on holidays
RediMed Urgent Care
RediMed Clinic North
11635 Coldwater Road
Fort Wayne, IN 46845
8 a.m. - 8 p.m. daily
RediMed Clinic Northeast
3717 Maplecrest Road
Fort Wayne, IN 46815
10 a.m. - 10 p.m., daily
RediMed Clinic Southwest
7333 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46804
8 a.m. - 8 p.m., daily
Emergency services can be reached at the phone numbers below:
1. Dupont Hospital: 260-416-3002
2. Lutheran Hospital of Indiana: 260-435-7001
3. Parkview Regional Medical Center: 260-672-4000
4. St. Joseph Hospital: 260-425-3765
Ambulance services can be summoned by calling 911.
Note: The College reserves the right to contact parents or legal guardians of a student when the health and safety of the student is at risk.


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Rent Body Mind Mastery 3rd edition today, or search our site for other textbooks by Dan Millman. Every textbook comes with a 21-day "Any Reason" guarantee. Published by New World Library.
Need help ASAP? We have you covered with 24/7 instant online tutoring. Connect with one of our tutors now.


text:
Beef Flautas
Recipe by Shelby Jo
From Taste of Home's Cooking for 2 Magazine Fall 2006. Posting for safe keeping!
Top Review by CarolAT
These flautas were easy to make and the meat turned out very tasty. I used corn tortillas for the flautas because I prefer the taste over the flour tortillas when it comes to flautas. However, I found that the salsa verde was too overpowering with the 4 garlic cloves. The only taste that came through was the garlic. I will try making this again with 1 or 2 small garlic heads next time so I can taste the flavors of the other ingredients like the cilantro and onions. Thanks for the recipe.
See Discussion:1 Review
Ingredients Nutrition
- 1⁄2 lb boneless beef chuck roast
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
- 2 tablespoons canned diced green chiles
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1 dash pepper
- 1 1⁄2-2 cups water
Salsa Verde
- 2 tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed, chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 2 teaspoons canned diced green chiles
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 dash salt & pepper
- 2 (8 inch) flour tortillas
- oil (for deep frying)
Directions See How It's Made
- In a small saucepan, combine the first seven ingredients; add enough water just to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 55 minutes or until meat is tender.
- Meanwhile, in a small nonstick skillet, saute tomatillos and onion in oil until tender. Remove from the heat; stir in the chillies, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. Cool slightly. Process in a food processor or blender until pureed. transfer to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until serving.
- Remove meat from saucepan. Strain liquid, reserving onion mixture. When meat is cool enough to handle, shred with two forks. Combine onion mixture and meat; divide between tortillas. Roll up and secure with toothpicks.
- In an electric skillet or deep fat fryer, heat oil to 375. Cook flautas until golden brown, turning to cook all sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve with the salsa verde.


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Browse other items in the River Ridge collection from Wayside Furniture in the Akron, Cleveland, Canton, Medina, Youngstown, Ohio area.
Enjoy the addition of this timeless solid wood mirror to your décor. The natural look and strength of the solid wood frame become more beautiful with age. The natural imperfections of the wood give it the unique individual characteristics that one would want in a statement piece like this. Give your room a classic twist with this eclectic solid wood mirror.
The River Ridge Solid Wood Landscape Mirror by Magnussen Home from Wayside Furniture. We proudly serve the Akron, Cleveland, Canton, Medina, Youngstown, Ohio area. Product availability may vary. Contact us for the most current availability on this product.
River Ridge is influenced by the idea of a waterfront cabin overlooking the Adirondacks suddenly transported to the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Enjoy the timeless beauty and strength of this solid wood furniture. Mixing solid wood with chunky metal, this eclectic group puts a new twist on style. Features include open work trolley wheels and plank scraped door details. This collection offers distinctive details in the natural imperfections, blemishes, and knots which are present in the different color variations which create the unique individual characteristics and beauty of this furniture. Outfit your bedroom with rustic, solid wood furniture from the River Ridge collection. River Ridge is a captivating blend of urban and everyday beauty.
The River Ridge collection is a great option if you are looking for Industrial
Mission furniture in the Akron, Cleveland, Canton, Medina, Youngstown, Ohio area.
These images are representative of this group as a whole and may differ from this item.
This item has been tagged as: Mirror, Standing Mirror, Stand Alone Mirror, Hanging Mirror, Mounted Mirror, Wall Mirror, Dresser Mirror, Mounted Dresser Mirror, Landscape Mirror, Vertical Mirror, Leaning Mirror, Plane Mirror, Bedroom Mirror, Dining Room Mirror, Accent Mirror, Decorative Mirror, Floor Mirror, Glass Mirror, Bedroom Dresser Mirror, Free Standing Floor Mirror, Mirrors That Mount on Walls, Mirrors That Mount Above Bedroom Dresser
Nothing on this page may be copied or reproduced without explicit permission.


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East Bay AWIS September Chapter Meeting
Thursday, September 26, 2013 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM (PDT)
Who's Going
Loading your connections...
3 of your friends are going. Share it to get more people on board! Share
Sara Haughty
San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
Luke Picard
London, United Kingdom
London, United Kingdom
Rick Vespucio
Florence, Italy
Florence, Italy
Event Details
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Jody LeWitter, JD
Partner with Siegel LeWitter Malkani
California Super Lawyer, 2007-present
Protecting your rights in the workplace
Join ebAWIS as Jody LeWitter defines common workplace rights violations, shares insight on how to protect your rights through precedence, and describes potential resources for employees
Have questions about East Bay AWIS September Chapter Meeting? Contact the organizer
When & Where
Thursday, September 26, 2013 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM (PDT)
Add to my calendar
East Bay AWIS September Chapter Meeting
Things to do in Emeryville, CA


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A Guide to the Francena Martin Sutton Narrative, [ca. 1914]
Biographical Note
A resident of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Francena Martin Sutton (d. 1914) traveled to Washington, Arkansas, with a group of women and children in 1864, hoping to escape the hardships of the Civil War. After their arrival in Washington, Confederate soldiers escorted the women to Paris, Texas. Sutton had at least two children, William Seneca Sutton, a dean of the University of Texas School of Education, and Mary Sutton Kinsworthy.
Scope and Contents
The typescript of the Francena Martin Sutton Narrative, [ca. 1914], concerns life in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 1864 and the journey of a group of Fayetteville women and children to Washington, Arkansas, that year. The account describes combat in Fayetteville; relations between the women, Union and Confederate soldiers, and slaves; hardships of weather and food during the journey; and encounters with Native Americans.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research use.
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Francena Martin Sutton Narrative, [ca. 1914], Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Processing Information
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center's "History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light" project, 2009-2011.
Detailed Description of the Papers


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Herald Staff
- Cascade quarterback Josh Smith completed 10 of his 14 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns and carried the ball 11 times for 59 yards in the Bruins' 28-14 victory over Kamiak to clinch second place in the Wesco 4A south.
- Jackson running back Nick White ran the ball 12 times for 149 yards to go along with his two touchdowns as Jackson defeated Lynnwood 56-34.
- Edmonds-Woodway running back Junior Opoku-Mensah rushed for 280 yards on 26 carries and five touchdowns to lead the Warriors to a 56-12 win over Mariner.
- Lake Stevens quarterback Jacob Eason went 16-for-22 for 265 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Vikings to a 48-11 win over Snohomish.
- Marysville Pilchuck running back Killian Page rushed for 167 yards on 28 carries and scored two touchdowns to help the Tomahawks to a 39-21 win over Oak Harbor.
- Mountlake Terrace running back Chance Ragsdale rushed 14 times for 260 yards with two touchdowns in the Hawks' 56-14 win over Shorewood.
- Sultan's Antonio Rivas rushed for 213 yards on 13 carries and scored two touchdowns in the Turks' 40-28 win over South Whidbey.
- Sultan running back Cooper Beucherie rushed 235 yards on 31 carries and scored touchdowns from 38 and 45 yards out in the Turks' 40-28 win over South Whidbey.
- Arlington safety Micah Miller intercepted three passes in the Eagles' 24-16 win over Inglemoor.


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PHOENIX - Investigators say inside a Phoenix apartment near 35th Avenue and Osborn, 51-year-old Luwiza Daman received a suspicious package from an acquaintance.
Fake Bomb: Dry Run or Innocent Mistake?
Current Status: Blessed (1)
Seeded on Sun Aug 14, 2011 5:46 AM
keyboard shortcuts: V vote up article J next comment K previous comment


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Tough fight but I think he can do it. My love of Bisping often clouds my judgement though.... thoughts?
Printable View
Tough fight but I think he can do it. My love of Bisping often clouds my judgement though.... thoughts?
Bisping will out work him
I agree, if Belfort doesnt get injured before the fight Bisping will beat him on a decision
How many times has Belfort gotten injured before a fight? From that article it seems that he has a reputation for it. I can't say I've ever noticed myself.
WAR Bisping!
Belfort hasn't looked his best for some time now whereas Bisping has improved a lot over the past 18 months. Belfort has knockout power but I think Bispings cardio could win him the fight.
Dana White would never lie about someone getting a title shot......
I hope Bisping does it but how is he going to do it is the question i ask myself. Belfort has better hands and is better on the ground and the fights in Brazil. That being said i thought Dos Santos would beat Cain both times round so I can be wrong...! Anderson wants to fight Bisping and I don't think he wants Weidman because his profile is not big enough yet. Whoever gets the next shot i'd still put my wages on Anderson beating them.
Anderson/Belfort is a much bigger money fight than Anderson/Weidman is.
Sonnen Vs Jones is a joke and a blatant money spinner, I personally don't think Nick Diaz should get a shot at GSP until he had a win under his belt. Hendricks was next in line for good reason he really deserves a shot at it yet he's now fighting a dangerous fighter in Jake Ellenburger but at the same time he got knocked out by the guy he just knocked out....matchmaking logic?! If Hendricks loses and then Diaz loses then who is gonna fight GSP? He's not gonna fight Rory is he and he's not going to have anybody else to fight unless they throw John Fitch or Condit another shot - if he beats Rory.... ok so totally off topic..now
Weidman Vs Bisping should be for no.1 contender not Belfort he's lost two title shots now. Belfort Vs Bisping is a big fight that i want to see but still if Belfort wins then what? If Belfort wins is he getting fed to Anderson?>!


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GIS Crew -- what are they up to?
This is the first in an ongoing series of posts focusing on members of the Geographic Information Crew (past and present) at Warren Wilson College. GIS courses are taught within the interdisciplinary Global Studies program, and the GIS lab is managed by a crew of students. While working on the crew the students spend time making maps for student and faculty publications and presentations, conducting spatial analyses for research, and generally maintaining the lab. During the summer and after graduation, these students go on to do amazing things -- like Nora Purcell, who spent 10 days in the Panamanian rainforest working on a mapping and wireless sensor project (see photo), and is now working on a toxicology project in Texas. In her words:
"This summer I am conducting a toxicology study through NSF's Research Experience for Undergraduates program. I am being hosted by the kind folks at West Texas A&M University. As a Vermonter, I never knew how much I would love this dry landscape, but the university is perched between beautiful short grass prairie and rolling, red canyons full of juniper and deer. There is nothing I like more than hiking through the canyons and watching the sun set in big sky country. As farming and ranching pressures continue to increase, however, the health of this unique ecosystem is in danger. Cotton, with all its attendant herbicides and pesticides, is becoming a popular cash crop even in this arid climate. In order to understand the more subtle consequences of this shift, I have designed my study to assess the endocrinological effects of the herbicide atrazine on local fish species."
We look forward to reading about Nora's research, and to having her back on the crew this fall!


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Buick Repair Questions? Ask a Mechanic for Answers ASAP
It was actually like that when I bought it.
It only blows when I crank it up, every time I crank it up
Rear defog doesn't work, and neither does air suspension, I assume. The air suspension light does not come on. The control panel does not come on at all. No ac, no heat, no defog, front or rear. No numbers in the display. When I crank the car, the panel lights up for a second, then the fuse blows.


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Nikki Reed & Paul McDonald: Studio City Runners
Tending to their daily workout routine, happy couple Nikki Reed and Paul McDonald were spotted on a jog through Studio City, California this morning (June 29).
Clad in a black ball cap, gray top, cropped black pants and gray tennis shows, the "Twilight" stunner kept close to her "American Idol" man as they duo ran a steady pace.
In career news, Nikki recently opened up about one her favorite scenes in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2."
"Well, you never know what's going to end up in there. Let's see … There was a pretty kick-ass battle sequence that I did with two of the other girls that I think should be pretty cool, if they leave it in there," Nikki dished. "So I'm looking forward to that 'cause we trained for it for a while."
Reed later added, "[We did] a little fight training. It was me and Ashley [Greene] and Kristen [Stewart], and we did this like three girls back-to-back thing where we beat up some huge dudes. That's always fun."


text:
BOSTON -- The calendar claims it's too early for such accoutrements, but in case the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox needed any reminders of what was at stake, the weather obliged Wednesday with a bit of a September nip in the air and, as the evening wore on, a heavy mist. Pennant race conditions.
And the Orioles and Red Sox responded to the setting, a crowd of 31,962 in the Fens treated to a riveting drama. With one bold countermove, Red Sox manager John Farrell trumped the bullpen machinations of Baltimore master strategist Buck Showalter in a 4-3, come-from-behind win for the Soggy Bottom Boys.
Farrell sparked gasps and a few grumbles when he sent Mike Carp to hit for Xander Bogaerts, the Promised Child, with two on and two out in the bottom of the eighth of a tie game. Carp, who had just four at-bats on last week's trip and did not play Tuesday night, had just three pinch hits in 15 at-bats this season.
Tommy Hunter, Baltimore's fifth pitcher of the night, tried to get a pitch in on Carp's hands, but the left-handed hitter was able to inside-out the ball just beyond the infield and just over the head of a lunging Orioles third baseman Manny Machado. The ball found open grass, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia scored easily from second with the winning run.
The prettiest 130-foot hit of Carp's career?
"Oh, definitely," Carp said. "Any time you come up with a game-winner, especially this late in the season, postseason on the line, it means a lot. I'll definitely remember this one.
"It got drowned out by the crowd. I knew it had dropped in once the crowd cheered. It's amazing when that sound hits you."
Koji Uehara then slammed the door on his former team, setting the side down in order to preserve Boston's fourth straight win, keeping them 2½ games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-1 winners over the Los Angeles Angels, in the AL East. The Sox have 28 games left, the Rays 31.
The Orioles, meanwhile, lost despite home runs by Chris Davis (No. 47) and Manny Machado (No. 12) to lose more ground in the wild-card race. They are 4½ games behind both Tampa Bay and Oakland; the O's have 31 games left.
"I thought I had it," Machado said of Carp's flare. "Just a little bit short. Jumped too early.
"I couldn't do anything different. If we would've done it all over again, we'd do the same thing, same pitch. The luck was on their side. With [Dustin] Pedroia's hit when he tied up the game. Perfect placement, he got it right between me and JJ [Hardy]. You can't have done it any better. Just luck on their side."
The Red Sox trailed 3-1, and John Lackey, who had already lost quality starts five times this season, looked headed toward a similar fate Wednesday until the seventh, when Pedroia punched a two-run single through the left side. Orioles reliever Francisco Rodriguez, who had thrown one pitch to induce an inning-ending double play from Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the seventh, gave up a double to Stephen Drew to open the seventh, and Jacoby Ellsbury beat out an infield hit.
Showalter, knowing Shane Victorino is limited to batting right-handed these days, brought in submariner Darren O'Day, and Victorino lined out to second. During the at-bat, Ellsbury, despite being hobbled after fouling a ball off his foot, stole his second base of the night and 49th of the season, and Pedroia then delivered his ground-ball single through the left side, two runners scoring.
There were two out and nobody on in the eighth when Saltalamacchia's fly ball hit high off the left-field wall for his 35th double of the season. Drew was walked intentionally before Farrell sent Carp to bat for Bogaerts, who had lined out twice and grounded into a force play in his first Fenway start.
"He gave me a handshake and said, 'Go get 'em," Carp said. "That's the way we work as a team. He wasn't upset about it. I've been in situations a few times this year where you're having a great game, you have a couple of hits, where they still hit for you. That's the way the dynamic of our team works. We have so many guys on our bench we can use in certain situations."
Lackey had thrown only 92 pitches when he was lifted with one out in the eighth, Farrell opting for left-hander Craig Breslow to face the left-handed hitting Davis, who had doubled home a run in the first, then homered into the small section of seats in the center-field triangle, just beyond the Sox's pen.
That move worked splendidly as well, Breslow striking out Davis, then retiring Adam Jones on a liner to short to end the inning.
"The one thing that he's unique with," Farrell said of Breslow, "is the ability to sink the ball in on some left-handed hitters. To keep Davis from getting extended out over the plate where his power is, he ran a couple of sinkers in there, one for the foul ball, one for the final swing and miss.
"He's always composed and he's got two or three pitches that he can go to, depending on the reactions of a previous swing. He's been a very dependable reliever for us."
Uehara is composed, too, until he has completed his executioner's song, and then the celebration begins. The Orioles can't say they regret trading away Uehara to Texas; they got slugger Davis in return, and have a 40-save closer in Jim Johnson. But for Boston, the 38-year-old Uehara is the gift that keeps on giving. A career-high 14 saves. And 21 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, 70 batters faced in that span, only seven reaching.
Still, September lies ahead. There's a saying in Uehara's native Japan, displayed on one website, that the Soggy Bottom Boys would be wise to heed. Especially with the Orioles, the team that knocked the Sox out of the postseason on the last day of 2011, hosting the Sox for the last three games in 2013.
katte kabuto no o o shimeyo.
The translation: After victory, tighten your helmet strap.
The message: Keep your guard up until the very end.


text:
The Ageless Prescription for Good Health
Back to
Is the day coming when your doctor will tell you to watch 2
episodes of "The Simpsons" and call him in the morning?
Maybe not, but more and more, humour is being recognized as a
powerful force for maintaining good mental and physical health.
The idea that laughter is good for you is nothing new, but now
science is proving it.
Laughter is an age-old elixir that modern healers should both
practice and prescribe, a growing number of humor-oriented health
professionals maintain. Humor's assistance in modern medicine is
no joke, says Dr. William Fry, a leading researcher into the
psychology of laughter at Stanford University. He says the body
gets a healthy "mini-workout" from a good guffaw.
Throughout history, philosophers and writers have noted the
benefits of humor on the sick. Arnold Glasow called laughter
"a tranquilizer with no side effects." Voltaire wrote,
"The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while
nature cures the disease. Philosopher Max Beerbohm noted,
"Nobody ever died of laughter," while present-day
scholar Norman Cousins says he was healed of a diagnosed
"incurable disease" by the curative powers of hard
laughing, which he dubbed an exercise akin to "internal
Fry says 20 seconds of intense laughter, even if faked, can
quickly double the heart rate for three to five minutes, an
accomplishment that would take three minutes of strenuous rowing
exercise. Studies also show that muscles in the chest, abdomen,
shoulders, neck, face and scalp get a beneficial workout and that
other parts of the body are more relaxed during a laughing
"We now have laboratory evidence that mirthful laughter
stimulates most of the major physiologic systems of the
body," said William Fry, M.D., psychiatrist, and leading
expert on humour and health. According to Fry, a good belly-laugh
speeds up the heart rate, improves blood circulation and works
muscles all over the body. "It's an aerobic exercise,"
he said. "And after the laughter is over, you feel
According to Fry, laughter may help ward off heart attacks by
easing tension, stress and anger. It may also help prevent the
circulatory sluggishness that leads to strokes, and lessen the
discomfort of people suffering from cancer. Fry has suggested that
laughter may even help prevent cancer by relieving depression, an
emotional state that may make people more susceptible to the
disease. Many experts credit the late author Norman Cousins as
being a pioneering advocate for the health benefits of humour.
Cousins suffered from ankylosing spondylitis, a disease that
afflicts the joints between the spinal vertebrae. He found that 10
minutes of belly laughter would give him two hours of pain-free,
drug-free sleep. In his 1979 book, "Anatomy of an
Illness," Cousins asserted that humour and a positive mental
attitude had helped him overcome his condition.
Clinical research has indicated that humour may have a direct
effect on the body's ability to fight infections. According to the
American Association for Therapeutic Humour, laughter boosts the
body's production of "killer" white blood cells that
attack infectious agents in the body. "We now have proof that
humour and laughter improve the chemicals in your body, in both
the short and long terms." Researchers i California, found
that laughter boosts the immune system by increasing the body's
level of T cells, which attack cells infected by viruses.
In its role as a stress reducer, humour imparts both physical
and emotional benefits, experts say. It helps us cope from day to
day. "Humour is not just about laughing at a joke. It's a
perspective about life. It's an emotional release and it also
allows you to continue to function in stressful situations."
One of the most important aspects of using humour as a stress
buster is one's ability to produce it spontaneously. "That's
really the key to the wonderful effects of humour, to using it as
a coping strategy," she said.
According to Joel Goodman, director of the Humour Project,
stress hormones are suppressed when we laugh. "Even though
stress may be inevitable in life, it doesn't have to take a
physiological toll on us," he said. That said, nothing beats
a good laugh. "The beauty of humour is that it's accessible
to anyone. People can do this on their own, without paying a lot
of money, joining an health club or seeing a doctor."
"I recommend that people build a humour library of funny
books, video tapes, props, whatever. If you're having a bad day,
feeling down and want to boost your immune system, just go to your
humour library and find the things that make you laugh."


text:
Howard Fineman: Better late than never
Nobody in the Beltway likes to be left off the CW bandwagon, and Newsweek's Fineman finally got his ticket [1] punched with this Blago/Obama doozie. Gee, nothing loaded in this language, right?
-"The Blago Distraction"
-"isn't great news for Team Obama"
-"a little suspicious"
-"It was widely speculated"
-"Emanuel (and, by extension, Obama) could pay a price"
-"the Chicago mess simmers"
-"there seems little doubt that Emanuel will survive"
-"Emanuel already has blown up"
-"he is already a bigger story than is good for either him or his boss"
-"however legally justified"
Our favorite passage was this [emphasis added]:
The original release was supposed to be this week. But it was pushed back, the Obama camp said, at the request of the official investigating Blago: Chicago-based U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, the 21st-century Eliot Ness. Fitz's office confirmed that he had made the request, though there is no way of knowing how adamant he was about it.
Behold your press corps at work.


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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- University of Alabama defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson sprained his knee on Sunday and is "day to day," according to coach Nick Saban.
"It's not surgical," Saban said. "It's probably going to take a few days before we get him back out there, maybe a week or so."
Robinson played in every game and started two contests as a true freshman last season, racking up 38 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 5 1/2 sacks. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound former four-star prospect was a first-team All-SEC selection by the media in July.
"We're going to be pretty cautious with this kind of thing, especially with his position because it's not easy to function as an inside player if you have a sprained knee," Saban said.
On Thursday, Alabama welcomed defensive tackles Brandon Ivory and Jarran Reed back into the fold. The two were suspended at the start of camp for violation of team rules. Ivory, a senior who started every game last season, was seen practicing without pads on Thursday.
The good news for Alabama is that if there is any position where it can absorb personnel loss, it's the defensive line. Jonathan Allen, Korren Kirven, Darren Lake and Dee Liner all saw the field last season, with Allen playing in all 13 games as a true freshman. Dalvin Tomlinson, who would have been Alabama's third defensive end last season had he not had surgery on his knee, is back. Then there's the 2014 class that includes five-star Da'Shawn Hand, former Freshman All-SEC selection D.J. Pettway and 330-pound rookie Joshua Frazier.
"We thought that the defensive line was an area where we had pretty good depth coming in with the guys we recruited," Saban said. "But it's provided an opportunity to create more reps for some of the younger players. Dalvin Tomlinson, Jonathan Allen, D.J. Pettway; those guys have gotten a ton of reps. It's allowed Josh Frazier to get a ton of reps, who is just a freshman, as an inside player. Darren Lake, Korren Kirven, a lot of guys.
"We obviously need to get some of these bigger guys back so we can be a little more solid inside. But I think it's always good that young players get a lot of reps."


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Type of Document Master's Thesis Author Wu, Zhongyu URN etd-12232009-223400 Title Wide Area Analysis and Application in Power System Degree Master of Engineering Department Electrical and Computer Engineering Advisory Committee
Advisor Name Title Jaime De La Ree Committee Co-Chair Liu, Yilu Committee Co-Chair Richard W. Conners Committee Member Keywords
- evolutionary strategy
- Power system stabilizer(PSS)
- oscillatory instability
- power system small-signal stability
- triangulation
- event trigger
- dynamic link library
- frequency monitoring network (FNET)
- damping control
Date of Defense 2009-12-07 Availability unrestricted AbstractFrequency monitoring network (FNET) is an Internet based GPS synchronized wide-area frequency monitoring network deployed at distribution level. At first part of this thesis, FNET structure and characteristics are introduced. After analysis and smoothing FDR signals, the algorithm of event trigger is present with Visual C++ DLL programming. Estimation of disturbance location method is discussed based on the time delay of arriving (TDOA) in the second part of this work. In this section, author shows the multiply method to calculate event time, which is important when deal with pre-disturbance frequency in TDOA part. Two event kinds are classified by the change of frequency and the linear relationship between change of frequency and imbalance of generation and load power is presented. Prove that Time Delay of Arrival (TDOA) is a good algorithm for estimation event location proved by real cases. At last, the interface of DLL module and the key word to import and export DLL variables and function is described.
At last, PSS compensation optimization with a set of nonlinear differential algebraic equations (DAE) is introduced in detail. With combining the bifurcation theory of nonlinear system and the optimization theory, the optimal control of small-signal stability of power electric systems are solved. From the perspective of stability margin, global coordination of controller parameters is studied to ensure the stable operation of power grids. The main contents of this thesis include:
(1) Models of power systems and test power electric systems. Tht5e dynamic and static models of the elements of power systems, such as generatorbbs, AVRs, PSSs, loads and FACTS controllers are presented. Method of power system linearization modeling is introduced. Three test power systems, WSCC 9-bus system, 2-area system, New England 39-bus system, are used in thesis.
(2) Multi-objective optimizations based on bifurcation theory. The optimization models, damping control-Hopf bifurcation control, voltage control-damping control, are presented. Pareto combined with evolutionary strategy (ES) are used to solve multi-objective optimizations. Based on traditional PSS parameters optimizations, it can be formulated as a multi-objective problem, in which, two objectives should be taken into account. The minimum damping torque should be identified.
Filename Size Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)
28.8 Modem 56K Modem ISDN (64 Kb) ISDN (128 Kb) Higher-speed Access Wu_ZY_T_2009.pdf 2.56 Mb 00:11:52 00:06:06 00:05:20 00:02:40 00:00:13
If you have questions or technical problems, please Contact DLA.


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Drama: Whitney is shown on the way home from the last episode saying she didn't think she was going to be in the bottom 2 that night. Renee talks about how she's feeling depressed and how she has done things to hurt the girls even though she didn't meant o hurt them. Jaslene says Renee's attitude has changed since the talk with Tyra. Dionne still doesn't believe Renee or trust her. Renee wrote Jael an apology letter and Jael believes it is sincere.
The hairstylist is with Brittany getting rid of her weave which is ripping out of her head. Whittney is kind of laughing at her and says she has had a weave before and it's really not that bad.
Natasha and Dionne are shown on the phone talking to their babies and say how they miss them so much.
Challenge: Acting.
Tia Mowry is there to teach them how to revoke different characters through voice and movement. Tia gives them 2 hours to memorize a script of 3 different characters and then they have to act it out. Renee started off with a big bank. Jaslene forgot her eyes. Pedro says Brittany's personality was great from beginning to end. The winner is Renee because Pedro felt she was fully connected to what she was doing. Renee got to choose a friend to share the prize. Renee chose Dionne because she waned Dionne to like her and give her another chance. They both got T-shirts. Renee is still glad she won and says "I'm happy with my T-shirt!". The girls say she has been smiling more. Jael tells Renee "when you walk out with a smile, it definitely makes others smile".
It turns out there was more to the prize than just T-Shirts. Tyra had Dionne and Renee's families flown in and they got to see their babies. Reneee seems a little sad because her son has grown so much and is crawling all over the place. Dionne is a little mad because of the mess her sister made of her daughter's hair. Natasha is crying. She says she is happy for Renee and Dionne but seeing a mother with her baby made her cry. She couldn't sleep all night because all she thought of was her baby.
The next day Natasha looks a mess. Jay notices something is wrong and says that Natasha isn't smiling today. Natasha didn't say anything.
Shoot: The girls have to do a shoot for Payless Shoes. The girls will be posing with models from other seasons.
Order of callouts:
Whittney goes home.


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What happens if the ground offensive is stalled and they are not able to retake Fallujah or tikrit?
Among countless atrocities, ISIS claims they executed 1,700 Iraqi soldiers rounded up at bases around tikrit.
Abbas al-Saadi is a soldier and by rights he should be stationed near tikrit, where his unit is involved fighting ISIS.
As soon as ISIS arrived in tikrit, their first priority was to round up their enemies for slaughter.
Indeed, local testimony in both tikrit and Mosul points firmly to a picture of ISIS calling the shots.
Locals also know that ISIS needs more fighters in places like tikrit, Anbar, Diyala and toward Kirkuk.
On paper, the forces in tikrit should have been more than adequate to repel even a force of this size.
In a province with tens of thousands of Iraq Security Forces, tikrit, the provincial capital, was seized without a fight.
The fight for tikrit was anticipated for the following day, but there would be no one left to make a stand.
By Tuesday night, ISIS was in control of Bayji, a major oil refinery city that stood north between tikrit and Mosul.


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Reviews: Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Germany, Male, 25-30
- Novice Nomad
Lisbon Soul Hostel, Lisbon, Portugal
Very lovely place and friendly staff. Only a bit loud, and the beds could be more stable.
- Anonymous
- Germany, Male, 25-30
- Novice Nomad
Dover Castle Hostel and Bar, London, England
Could be a little cleaner, especially the toilets/showers. Appart from that, everything was cool.
Hostelworld Mobile Apps
Book on the go with the new Hostelworld mobile apps.


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2006-07-28 / Police
Police arrest car theft suspect in Simi
An arrest has been made related to a recovered stolen car.
On July 20, Alvaro Pirir, who resides in Winnetka, reported his car stolen to the Los Angeles Police Department. The vehicle, a 2005 Toyota Corolla, was equipped with the Lojack Vehicle Recovery System.
At about 8:20 p.m., Simi Valley police Officer James Quiles was on patrol in Simi Valley in a marked police car equipped with a Lojack receiver. When Quiles received a Lojack activation, he advised police dispatch and began a grid search for the stolen car.
With the assistance of a Lojack employee, the stolen vehicle was found at the northwest parking lot of First and Easy streets. Police depertment Special Enforcement Section officers conducted an undercover surveillance of the parked stolen car from marked police units strategically hidden nearby.
During the surveillance, two females left a nearby laundromat, entered the vehicle and drove north on First Street. Sgt. Robert Arabian, in a marked police vehicle, followed the stolen vehicle and stopped it in the area of Cochran Street and Chandler Avenue. Both the driver and the passenger left the car and surrendered to police without incident.
Driver Priscilla Galella, 24, of Simi Valley was booked on suspicion of driving a stolen vehicle, illegal possession of a smoking pipe, a $10,000 misdemeanor warrant for hit and run, and was cited as an unlicensed driver.
The passenger was released, as her possible involvement in the car theft could not be established.
-From police reports


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Maldives, a small country in the Indian ocean consisting of 1,192 island, of which 194 are inhabited1 by a population of just over 336,0002 people, has been recently declared a middle income country. But has economic prosperity translated into improvement of people's lives and in children's lives in particular? And have all children benefited equitably from the increasing economic growth?
(PDF documents require Acrobat Reader to view.)
Study on the Decentralization Process in the Maldives with reference to the impact on services to chiildren
This study sets out to assess the extent to which decentralisation affects services to children in the Maldives. It discussed in more detail, the real changes as a result of the decentralisation process began with the change of government in 2008.
(PDF documents require Acrobat Reader to view.)
The Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) of the Maldives 2009-2010, collected detailed
Child participation in the Maldives
This report is an assessment of how much the newly democratic Maldivian State and society knows of children's rights to participation as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The Maldives became a signatory to the convention in 1990, the transition to democracy followed 18 years later in 2008.
(PDF documents require Acrobat Reader to view.)
National Micronutrient Survey 2007‐2008
The National Micronutrient Survey 2007‐2008 (NMS) provides a recent standard for assessing the status of nutrition in women and children in the Republic of Maldives. The survey provides previously unavailable information on the bio‐chemical levels of various elements constituting nutrition. It is presented as a landmark for assessing the nutrition situation in Maldives.
(PDF documents require Acrobat Reader to view.)
Maldives Demographic and Health Survey 2009
The 2009 Maldives Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) is the first
demographic and health survey conducted in the Maldives with the
principal purpose of providing reliable and detailed
Voices From the Shadow - Based on a Study of Drug Use Behaviour in the Maldives
In 2006, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the National Narcotics Control Bureau (NNCB) asked a group of us recovering addcits from Journey to carry out a study on drug use and behavior related to drug abuse. The purpose of this study was to better understand addiction, addicts and recovery from addiction in the Maldives. Get your free copy today! Please contact Journey at 334-5075
Progress for Children: A World Fit for Children Statistical Review (No. 6)
This special edition examines more than 35 key indicators in the four broad areas identified at the Special Session as requisite to building 'A World Fit for Children'. It also analyses the Millennium Development Goals and provides information on the state of child protection.
[Web link]
Investing in the Children of the Islamic World
Are we fulfilling our commitment to children? That is the question asked in Investing in the Children of the Islamic World. The report reviews the situation of children in 57 Muslim countries, assesses progress in the areas of health, education, child protection and HIV/AIDS, and identifies necessary action.
The State of the World's Children 2007
Women and Children
(PDF documents require Acrobat Reader to view.)
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Combined First and Second Periodic Report to the United Nations
(PDF documents require Acrobat Reader to view.)


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Pet Sitting & Drop In Visits in Maramec, OK
Book a pet sitter to stop by your home a few times a day to feed and play with your cat or dog.
I am a patient, caring dog lover!
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Rover also offers pet setting & drop ins in:
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As pet lovers, we understand how difficult it can be to leave your pet when you have to head out of town. Luckily, you can find the perfect Maramec pet sitter in seconds on Rover.com. If you're looking for trusted pet sitters while you're away, whether it's for one night or a whole month, you can find a pet sitter in Maramec, OK who meets your — and your pet's — needs. We manually review and approve every profile on our site, and we offer tools to help you make the right decision for your pet — including background checks, sitter testimonials, community reviews. We also offer educational opportunities and extra safety tools, such as the Protection Package. And we always recommend an in-person Meet & Greet so you can see that your sitter is the perfect fit for your dog. Rover is proud to be the nation's largest network of pet sitters and dog walkers.


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The other week I went to watch some friends play at Newcastle Rugby Club. I was heading up to the Just So Festival straight after so had my camera with me, the sun was out and I just couldn't resist getting some practice in adjusting the focus and settings, trying to keep up with the game and where the ball was. Here are some of the results. (Sorry, no idea what the score was I was too busy trying to get some good shots.)
» Photos » Newcastle Rugby Club
cheshire, crewe, game, matthew morgan, newcastle rugby, Newcastle Rugby Club, rugby club, score, staffordshire, stoke, stoke on trent, web design, web designer, web developer, web development, website design, wordpress
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« Just So Festival The New Sandbach Town Guide is Complete »


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Gotta love *Sean Avery,* who said the above words today when asked about last night's 3 1/2-hour slugfest at the Mauseleum.
Avery said he didn't think the craziness meant much because it was a preseason game, but he was heard chirping up in the press box during the game.
"I just wish I was playing," he said.
When asked why, Avery added: "For obvious reasons."
And what reasons were those?
"As obvious as reasons can get."
OK, so I thought you'd all appreciate that. As for practice, Avery was one of only 11 guys on the ice this morning, joining Shanahan, Drury, Betts, Lassard, Roszival, Pock, Staal, Studwick and goalies not named Lundqvist and Montoya.
As for *Steve Valiquette,* he practiced today after receiving three stitches for a cut in the palm of his left hand. Valiquette suffered the cut on Saturday morning as he tried to cut his knee pads with a pair of scissors. He didn't wear a pad to protect the hand (just some dressing) and expects to return to action before the preseason is over.
"As long as I can handle Shanahan's shot, I think I'm O.K.," he said.
Valiquette told us a funny story. Turns out this was not NEARLY the worst cut he's ever sustained. When he played for the Islanders organization, he had an unfortunate incident in the locker room in Springfield. He said the room was tiny and it came back to haunt him. After he got out of the shower barefoot, two guys were wrestling nearby bumped into another teammate, who promptly stepped on the top of Valiquette's foot with his skate. It tore a bunch of tendons, and  worst of all  prevented the Islanders from calling him up for the end of the season. Instead, DiPietro came up from Chicago and made his NHL debut.
"This is nothing," Valiquette said.
One other quick news item: *David Liffiton* and *Darius Kasparaitis* both cleared wavers today. Kaspar was reassigned to Hartford. (Liffiton had already been reassigned there.)


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Hi Guys,
just wanna let you know, that beginning from now I work in cooperation with CodexThemes in designing and building wordpress themes. This segment of envato's marketplaces was always very interesting and challenging for me, cause it requires a "bit" more knowledge as just "only design". CodexThemes are clever and WP experienced guys, I like the way they are doing things, so the cooperation seems to be like a perfect marriage.
Oh, yes, by the way, we have already one pretty child – CODEUS wordpress theme, I designed with a lot of tears, blood, sweat and of course LOVE!
So, in case of your interest, follow us on CodexThemes and keep your eyes on our future works!
Cheers, Kontramax.
© picture by adamsund from deviantart
congratulations, next time send an invite. LOL
Congrats! This might be the first step to be a millionaire
I thought this was about a wedding when I read the thread's subject…
Hey man, nice pic! Let me be your policeman, protective establishing the beauty values of top nocht kontramax designs in WP world ;))
Hmmm, no doubt that this will be "interesting"
I adore your work, Max, wish you the best in the Forest.
I am sure you will create amazing designs as a team.
Congrats to the happy couple, I wish you many years of prosperity.
Congrats, wish you many more beautiful children