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To wonder if this hurdle with my son and his dad not switching on are a symptom of the same thing?(90 Posts)
This is an example of a conversation I had with my 6.4 year old son last night.
Me-"DS, your bath is ready. go up stairs, get undressed. Pants and socks in the wash. Uniform over the stair gate. Ok, I will go through it again. Uniform off, pants and socks in the wash, uniform on stair gate. Now, what is it I need you to do?
DS- "erm, take my uniform off.. Erm... Errr
Me - Ok, uniform off. Pants, socks in wash. Uniform on stair gate.
DS - repeats it back and goes upstairs.
I leave it 5-6 mins, and shout up are you in the bath? He says no. I go up and hes sat on his bed, fully clothed playing. I asked why he wasnt undressed. He said he didnt know what I meant. I asked what he didnt understand about taking his uniform off and putting his pants and socks im the wash? He said he thought I meant tomorrow.
He was looking at me worried, (I think he was worried I was going to get cross) wide- eyed and genuinely confused.
We have these conversations day in day out.
Even simple 3 word tasks get the same results. I switch off the tv, make sure I speak slowly and clearly, and he is looking at me and repeats it back.
This is a child that gets on well at school, has absolutely no SN, and no sing of them. I know for a fact this is not the cause.
Now his dad . I will hear my youngest son ask him a question up to 10 times in a row and his dad simply doesnt switch on and hear it. He locks onto something, the TV, a book or his phone he literally cannot unswitch and hear his son. Ive had to tell DS1 to stand in front of the tv to get his attention. His dad is not hard of hearing and he appologises to him for not noticing. He can be a pillock but hes not ignorant and would never deliberately ignore his son.
Its causing arguments now though because I will be upstairs getting showered and dressed and I can hear 2yo ds2 saying mummy over and over again, but his dad not answering him. No one answering him. When I confront his dad about it, he says he only just started asking for me 1 second ago. Except I was stood at the top of the stairs listening for ages waiting for him to be answered, his dad just thinks Im using it as an excuse to nag him and genuinely believes he 'only just started asking for you.' Asking for mummy 12 times in a row is not just a second.
He literally cannot switch on his brain to register his son talking. He'll be sat on his lap and say "Daddy look." Over and over again and he doesnt notice,
It drives me nuts.
Wise worse, PLEASE.
DP does this, especially if the TV is on or he's on a video game or his phone. You can sit there and go "DP. DP. DP." and nothing, you literally have to shake his arm or go "OI DP" pretty loudly before he realises. 99% of the time he has no idea you've said anything, so I've just learned to shake him or tap him or wave in front of his face to get his attention as opposed to calling his name or asking him something.
I tune out too. The other day I was sat in bed reading and DP came in from the shower, got dressed and spent 5 minutes trying to talk to me and I had no idea he was even back in the room until he sat down next to me and waved in front of my book!
my dh is just like your, kids can stand next to him going 'daddy, daddy etc for 5 minutes and I have to say in a loud voice 'DH' he startles looks up and sees dc.
He is concentrating on whatever is in front of him, sometimes just thinking hard about it really, and has tuned out the surroundings
Now I tell them to touch him, tap his arm etc, that really helps.
My dcs will also repeat back instructions and then when I go upstairs they are playing, just because by the time they get upstairs, the toy in front of them is so much more important than the instruction from 2 minutes ago. But when focussed can follow complex instructions.
I'm not explaining this well as I'm not a scientist. Hopefully one will come along soon. But what I am gleaning from the one that I spoke to, is that it's less to do with behaviour or character and more to do with how the brain works, where the information is stored and how the brain uses that information.
It may be that involving reward is the way forward. We are hard-wired to do what we need to do when the reward is right - food, sex etc - it makes our brains work more effectively so it would follow on that when a child perceives that an action, or several, will result in a reward it will store that information in a different part of the brain that works more effectively for recall.
Now that is a very interesting development OP. I had a discussion following dd's assessments about this type of thing and there is a big difference neurologically when a child internalises (if that's the right word) the instructions. When it's a list they will forget after the first thing, it uses a different part of the brain when there are different approaches to it. So a visual timetable / prompt cards work when the memory only functions after one instruction. But when the instructions are worked through differently, via other parts the brain using different methods such as visual language, reward, the impact is more effective.
Hi, op, you have got loads of things to be thinking about. I was wondering whether your ds can't see the wood for the trees. Ie: explain to him that now it is time for getting ready for bed, and there are a few things he needs to do. Can he think what they are? Once he knows the aim of all the instructions, and is thinking of them for himself he may find it easier to remember what he is doing. It's a different style of communication to try. Lots of people find following instructions difficult, especially a long list.
And if bed time is a flash point, work on trying different strategies at bedtime, to test them out.
Good luck.
How about simplifying it completely for things he does every day? "Bath time. You know where your dirty clothes go and where to put your uniform, don't you? OK, Big Boy, off you go then." or something.
Ok, so I did as you suggested Dervel.
I said "Ds, I need you to do three things, go to your room and get your library books. Go to my room at get the pot of cream, then come down stairs and eat the slice of bread I left out for you." (He'd been nagging me about the bread Id baked, he was busting for a slice).
And guess what? He did it! No flipping problem!
There was far more words and instructions in that, then the example in the OP.
Does that then mean it is selective hearing and the stuff I ask him to do is ignored because there is no reward at the end?
greenformica you must not have read the OP at all. I mentioned him repeating it back to me several times.
Dervel, I will try that now.
I had a meeting with the lady at school who specialises in this area and she mentioned possible dyslexia.
The good thing is, even if he has nothing I will absolutely be gaining tools to help him which is just brilliant.
Try this a little test, sit him down and give him a set of three instructions. Explain he has to do these things in order, but make sure the last one is something he will like be it retrieve a sweet from the table, or something of that ilk.
Watch to see if he get's the instructions jumbled up, and performs them out of sequence, and most importantly make a note if he forgets to take the sweet.
I suffered from an auiditry sequential memory problem when I was young (I am also dyslexic), and my mother did that test when I was 7. I forgot the sweet. It's a bit of a shot in the dark, but I thought it might be useful.
I would find it hard to follow adult instructions expressed in that way, and my children wouldn't follow instructions well expressed like that either. It would be similar to me attempting to read instructions to flat pack furniture. It isn't that they don't make rational sense; it's just my brain struggles with, I'm not sure here, the blandness of it? It's like I can spell really well, but if somebody spells a word out loud with each individual letter, I can't follow that.
If I wanted my child to do that I'd go along the lines of, 'feed your socks to the washing basket monster, put your uniform on the stair gate so it is all ready to put on for school tomorrow and slide into the bath like a mermaid. The less imagination in the instruction, the harder we would find it to remember. I don't think this is a disorder. People are taught to remember foreign vocab using the same process.
Get him to repeat every thing back to you after you have said it?
Seems like DH is providing the "perfect" role model here.
Have you tried training him up (DS not DH btw) ?
eg taking him step-by-step through a task, and reinforcing that each time you ask X, this is precisely what he's supposed to do.
My son is the same in that he never has a sense of urgency about anything.
For example, if he is in my way and Im carrying his brother, bags, washing etc that Im about to drop, I'll ask my eldest to move out the way and he will do it very, very slowly.
Same goes for crossing roads safely, he will dawdle behind me.
Oh, forgot to add.
DH can be the same - he can't do 'quick' or 'hurry up' either. He is PhD, but needs processing time or kick in the arse before reacting to anything.
I'd hate to need him to rescue the family from a fire!
When I read OP - I went 'I have one of those'. DD(10 yrs). It drives me crazy at times.
At nearly 11 - I get best response from her if I break task down into small chunks and follow up after each chunk. Otherwise, nothing gets done on time.
Until she was about 8 or 9, I used to have to stand over her reminding her of each 'next' task to ensure we got out of house on time for school.
My DD is also dyslexic.
She just doesn't do 'quick' or 'hurry up'... (Think airy fairy spacer, in the nicest possible way).
Actually, she is slow to interpret many signals. e.g. If she dances to choreography, she will be out of time. If she does the choreography herself, she has no problems with timing... If she acts out a scene from a book, she can't get the emotions right. But if she acts out something she makes up herself she gets it spot on.
I have often wondered if DD1 is 'somewhere' on the spectrum... I think she might be just be somewhere or other at the very edge. She certainly has no empathy when it comes to her parents!
However DD2 has more severe dyslexia, and responds very well to instructions or any of the above situations. But has more difficulty than DD1 with reading, writing, spelling, etc.
So maybe dyslexia has nothing to do with it.
twinkle even if you don't think that your DS or DP may be on the spectrum, it absolutely wouldn't hurt to look up some of the coping strategies employed for this who are and either use them or adapt them for your family.
DS1 has ADHD and Aspergers and on some of the (many, many) courses and talks I attended while we were in the road to diagnosis, a common theme was "these techniques can work for any child or indeed adult who has difficulty in these areas." A lack of diagnosis or actual disorder of any kind doesn't mean those techniques will bounce off a magical barrier and not work. They work for everyone who needs a bit of extra help, they just work better for, or rather are more geared towards, spectrum kids.
Things like 'chunking' instructions worked brilliantly for (NT) DS2 when he was at a daydreamy stage and he was already used to the concept because I used it with DS1.
It really doesn't matter how self sufficiency is achieved, what matters is the end result and putting their own clothes in the laundry basket is an important step towards having a confident 18 year old off to uni who can look after themselves rather than one who has never learnt how to do household tasks of more than 2 stages and becomes the bane of their flatmates lives.
I'm sure there's a mild form of epilepsy whereby the person blanks out but just looks like they're daydreaming/watching tv etc while its happening but when they 'return' they can't recall anything that's happened during the episode
Although it doesn't sound like it's that for your Ds
Agree with an earlier post, it may be some sort of auditory processing disorder.
My son is dyslexic and didn't cope with a series of more than 2 instructions when younger. We had to give him a couple of instructions then go in a few minutes later and give him the next couple if a series was required. Eventually "go up and get ready for your bath" was sufficient as he knew what that entailed.
As a teenager it still tends to be uniform on the beds pants and socks on the floor until he gets moaned at, but I think most teenagers are like that.
I can understand the husband being engrossed by something and not answering issue as if I'm involved in something someone has to say my name fairly loudly to get my attention, if they just start talking I tend to miss the first half of what they are saying because my brain hasn't switched tasks.
Also small kids talk and witter away constantly so your brain filters alot of it out so you can stay sane, and 2 year olds go "mummy mummy" most of the time so I doubt that him not responding to that before you had finished your shower or the 2 year old bothered to actually look for mummy would have done any harm. Teaching the kids to only talk to people in the same room as them might cut down on some of the noise as it sounds as though everyone in your house is always shouting. Also why should the person who wants to talk always take priority?
He may benefit from his language skills being assessed by a speech and language therapist. They assess auditory memory and ability to follow instructions, which are aspects of language skill (among other aspects such as vocabulary and understanding / use of grammar).
Thanks auntpetunia.
Like Hettie I wondered about dyslexia or dyspraxia you could have been describing my DS 10 years ago he couldn't process more than 2 instructions at a time. Over time we've worked on this, and now he's older he has a good way of managing but if he's tired he can revert back to staring in complete bewilderment. He was assessed for Aspergers and autism he was classed as having some traits on the spectrum but his dyslexia was his main problem.
Thank you hettie, I will look into it.
Twinkle- just as another possibility...I am dyslexic and there is no way my working memory would cop with more than three instruction (tbh 2 is optimal). Also, I can't take things in if there is another demand on my working memory (like music or the radio going on at the same time). I too can loose the plot when there are too many things going on at once, too many inputs just fry my brain. Basically I can't 'think' of several things at once, so I am often immersed/oblivious, because I kind of need to be to maintain my concentration. Rather untypically, I learnt to read easily, was a fluent reader and writer fairly early and have a very high verbal comprehension- which is why it went undetected for a very long time. I did very well at school, but I can't spell, write down phones numbers or take directions.... I'm telling you all of this because it might be another possibility, don't assume dyslexia just manifests itself in reading and writing abilities.
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EACH parking space in one Bexleyheath town centre car park earnt the council more than £1,600 last year.
The pay and display car park in Oaklands Road was the most used by motorists between April 2011 and March 2012, selling 146,555 tickets.
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Between April 2011 and March 2012, 52,000 motorists parked at Thanet Road.

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text: On 02/04/12 01:28, H. S. Teoh wrote: > I agree with this. Based on current documentation, I didn't even know > the GC can be replaced at compile-time until someone mentioned it. And > up to now I still don't know how exactly to do this, since I couldn't > find any docs for it. There's nothing special about the GC, you just need to link to your implementation. Or take the one from druntime, modify it and make sure the object containing the necessary symbols is found before the std library, eg by compiling MyGCImpl.d together with the other D source files. That's all. artur


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Would you like to save as your currency permanently or for this visit only?
The staff had an excellent balance between friendliness and politeness. Loved the menu and wished we were staying longer so we could try more things. The bed was just a little too soft for us - but that's a very personal preference.
It was just a totall awful experience- It was dirty, my husband and I rolled to the center on a full mattrees- It was filthy. They actually had stapled the fabric on the chair together and it had pulled apart- you felt the springs in the chair and the mattress- oh my gosh this was the worst hotel we have stayed in in years- I would not ever suggest sending anyone here again! Just terrible!!!
Staff offered cooked breakfast well before official start time.
We really enjoyed our stay at The Bear hotel. The room was lovely with one of the most comfortable beds we have slept in and the food was out of this world. We would definately go back to Crickhowell. Heating was not put on in our room when we had been out for the day, but we soon sorted that out
Excellent shower Good food Friendly staff Bit too hot - especially at night and in breakfast room.
Breakfast, lovely pretty hotel Wifi in room was not working, no aircon
It was very clean and comfortable and the food was excellent in both choice and presentation nothing
Spacious room Minor problems in bathroom: toilet seat wouldn't stay up, I don't like shower curtains over baths.
Lovely Hotel, full of character, very comfortable, great food, excellent staff. No negative comments
Cleanliness, food & bar excellent Bed built at same time as hotel central heating system needs bleeding,sound of dripping all night
Staff friendly and accommodating. One got the feeling they enjoyed their job. We were in room 5 at far end of hotel. It took at least 5 minutes for hot water to reach shower or wash basin and it only trickled through.
there was nothing to dislike. The setting, the ameneties, the service...all good
all the leisure facilitys
Staff were friendly and helpful.Food was locally sourced and very good.Room was comfortable with great view.
The room was excellent and view superb. Only stayed 1 night would like to have stayed longer. Meal on the evening could have been a hotter but food was enjoyable.
Relaxing Swimming pool ou of use at time of stay
Location and view
A warm and 'full of character' hotel with friendly and helpful staff. The room was comfortable and a decent size and the food was excellent. A good choice of food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Fantastic views as well.
Staff were very friendly, food was good. Hot water was too hot in the taps
I had a very spacious room. The bed was very comfortable.
beautiful country house, quiet and peaceful location, individual character, good service, walking in brecon beacons, lovely pub nearby. The bed was very comfortable. Romantic place to stay. My partner prefers a more contemporary accomodation but I loved its charm and character with chairs by the fire and old books to flick through, and free standing bath to soak in
Quiet, relaxing, beautiful surroundings, comfortable bedrooms, excellent breakfast, pleasant staff.
Gorgous house and gardens, good level of information on local attractions and walks, selection of books appreciated due to poor weather at the time. Fine selection of fruit, cerials, jiuces and yoghurt if a full engligh breakfast is not to your taste. Tv reception very poor as aerial connector damaged but as we are not fond of tv we were glad to find the radio worked for Radio 4.
A nice welcome and hassle free stay No evening meals , but the staff gave us directions to a nice place near by
Glanryney is simply charming.
Go to this hotel if you want to stay in a typical ' country house' . Think 'Homes and Gardens' and you have it about right. It is a large Georgian House in a lovely setting with pleasant gardens and the rooms are comfortable. The whole house is filled with antiques and there are large sitting rooms and an honesty bar so you won't be stuck in one room. We've been back twice.
Stayed in Rm 2 and the view from the balcony was great. A bit of river on the left and a mountain side right in front. The wine list was good. Fire place in the bar was nice. The shower was not great. Hot and cold control was a bit difficult to control. The food was excellent but not cheap. Afternoon tea was 12£ but not great. Buffet style with no table service.
The peacefulness of surroundings and the planting added to the already luxurious presentation and decoration within the hotel. We did not have a kettle on arrival in our room. Kettle duly replaced with a very dirty lead and comments as to they did not know where the original kettle had gone. I am disabled and had to walk upstairs to get to our room. Positively my luggage was taken to the room.
Being able to relax - food was excellent Spoke to a member of staff regarding a minor complaint/observation which I felt was not taken on board.
The friendly and very helpful service. There was nothing to dislike.
The huge log fires were very welcoming. There is a country house feel about the hotel. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming Can't think of anything I did not like. Not a thing.
This is one of the best Hotels I have ever stayed in .Great staff great food great accomadation great setting .Top Class owner.Well done. No everything was perfect
Staff were exceptionally friendly and effiicient.Food was excellent. We were travelling with a small baby and everyone went out of their way to help us and make us feel at ease. Susan and James the proprietors were just first rate.
A fabulous place to stay in the countryside with beautiful grounds and a walk by the river. Lovely rooms to relax in and most helpful staff.
i loved the location the views were great the food was fantastic the staff wre very helpfull. nothing
the room was huge. the shower was very hot and I couldn't get it any colder
The rooms were sleek, had all the expected comforts, the lobby was welcoming, and the staff was very friendly.
Great breakfast, friendly staff, big room, excellent decorative order, newly furnished None
Beautiful surroundings and very friendly and efficient staff. Excellent restaurant which you should not miss!
The hotel was very clean and most of the staff were very helpful and friendly. We had the impression of a family-run business and things ran very smoothly. There was a good choice of meals in the restaurant and the food was good and not really expensive. There was a wonderful choice of breakfasts included in the price. I was disappointed that there was not a hair dryer in the guestroom but this may have been due to previous bad experiences on the part of the hotel. Both myself and my husband thought that the room was a bit on the expensive side for a quiet country town like Abergavenny.However, this may in part be explained by the poor rate of exchange between the pound and American dollar.
Friendly, good service, comfortable, good value, good 'Welsh' breakfast (i.e. no baked beans because they don't grow them in Wales . . .) Bit close to the A40. Main hotel sign should be black-on-cream not vice versa (looks like a blackboard).
Lovley large room separate from the main hotel and the busy road. Lovely garden to look out onto from the restaurant. A few things didn't work that well - the TV, the lights in the bathroom and the facilities in the bathroom - small basin, nowhere to put your things.
The staff were really friendly and helpful. The restaurant meal was very good and we enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the bar afterwards. Our room was very comfortable and the parking was close to the accommodation.
The food was good as were the rooms. All staff were extremely friendly and helpful. After a long day in the mountains and moors it was disappointing that food could not be served in the rooms.
the room was lovely, spacious, clean and very comfortable
Good location, recently refurbished, Modern fittings in a quaint 16c low ceilinged building. To be picky, the telly didnt work very well but didn't come away to watch telly so wasn't that concerned. Also only one bedside lamp
Very quaint building. Clean and tidy with excellent meals and atmosphere. All good.
Very convenient location and a building with character. Service at breakfast seemed quite dilatory, as an instance I booked a 7:00 am breakfast but there was some delay before I was actually served. I don't want to register this as a complaint, but it is difficult to distinguish between commenting on things I didn't like and complaining about them.
Rooms were very clean and very well kept with lots of character. The staff were very friendly and the hotel food was great! Live bands on in the bar , very nice!
The old world feel of the place. Fabulous breakfast. No heating in room until very early morning
The hotel is comfortable, very clean and is very well located in the centre of the town. There is a big car park nearby. The staff were friendly and efficient and the service and food in the restaurant were very good. The bar was ok and the beer was good. The tv in the bar. mtv at 6pm doesn't help conversation.
Central to town Old building so had charm Staff friendly and helpful Not bad point but for me would have made a difference Breakfast cereal choices -only cornflakes and coco pops - I would have liked some healthier choices - Muesli, wheetabix or bran flakes for example Also the macerator in the toilet gave off a smell when the sink was run or the toilet flushed
Good food, and very friendly co-operative staff. Location was well placed for the town centre. Modern furniture/decor in olde worlde building fitted together very well. Lack of curtains in the bathroom/toilet adjopining the bedroom. One of the other guests thought it good fun to keep poking his head through the skylight in the room opposite where he could see into our bathroom.
Quaint building, friendly staff and locals, good service! The restoration and rehab are well done. Nice location in a lovely town! Breakfast was great. The 'a la carte' menu was a bit odd in choices, but then I noticed the Specials board and we had the ribs which were absolutely excellent and we love barbeque in Texas! We joined the Methodist church for Sunday services happily. Maybe there could be information in the room or at the desk of local activities and hours... For such a small room the wardrobe and chest of drawers were much too large. If these were smaller there could have been room to sit and enjoy my morning tea before my son woke up. It was quite loud on Saturday night being directly above the pub but the pub was not unreasonably late(US bars are loud until 2am and this pub was calm about midnight).
Upgraded from twin room to 2 double rooms. None
The Hotel staff were very friendly and the room and facilities were superb. None
We have stayed at this hotel on a number of occasions and always found it very pleasant indeed. Nothing.
Clean, good value for money
Everything was good Room far too hot . the window was a small one to open
The friendliest and warm welcome by all the staff - excellent service Nothing
Friendliness of staff, quality of the room facilities and decor and the good food - dinner and breakfast. Noisy plumbing to washhand basin taps and poor sound insulation between rooms.
Excellent- location, Food, staff, and room.
Very pleasant staff. Excellent cooked breakfast, plenty juice tea/coffee. Bus stops right outside. A bath and an overhead shower in the room. Good outdoor smoking area, too. And the views. This is being picky, I know, but, proper hand cut chips not frozen ones would've been better. And the cereals at breakfast, only two to choose from. Other than that, nowt to moan about and certainly lots to recommend.
Room was clean and well equipped. bathroom was clean. food was excellent None
Beautiful and imposing house with extensive grounds. Public areas clean and well cared for. Good breakfast. (Didn't have evening dinner). Our room (4) had stains on the bedcover and dressing table stool. Carpets appeared not to have been hoovered. Broken fittings in bedroom and bathroom.
The countryside setting My room had over 20 dead and dying flies on the carpet and window. Waiting ages at recption when we arrived, had to hunt down staff - would be good to have a bell or pager system
Very nice hotel with good food - enjoyed my stay No vodafone signal - not the hotels fault though
Hotel Room in excellent condition and the owners could not be more helpful during our stay. There werenone.
I cannot fault the staff, who are friendly, welcoming and go way above and beyond for their guests. The landlady even offered to make us toast and coffee as we didn't make breakfast, and gave us a 'Black Lion' glowing pen as we were leaving. Awesome service.
The wireless internet connection did not work in my room, although I was able to get connected downstairs. I would have preferred it if the breakfast had been included in the price of the stay.
I stayed for two nights while going to a wedding. The owners were lovely and even picked me up from the station when my train was late. Both the room and breakfast were very nice and I had no problems at all during my stay.
Very poor place all lies on internet, bad breakfast, rooms full of stuff, bathroom full of stuf, so know place for yr one stuff. breakfastroom very small next to table vacumcleaner big mess
Clean, tidy, well maintained None
Handy for our requirments Twin rooms were uncomfortable
Very friendly welcome and local to the town. Comfortable room. Parking isn't private but it's no problem at all. Definitely recommended. Thank you for a lovely stay,
very friendly and efficent staf, good breakfast no
The hospitality
The rooms were excellent, the food was good and the service was helpful and personal.
The room was very spacious & very clean. The restaurant is really lovely wirh a large selection of meals. Staff is wonderful.
On a very cold and snowy night we were warmly welcomed and immediately checked in. Our room was in a part of the hotel being refurbished so was not ensuite - however we had a bathroom very close by which we did not have to share with other guests. We were offered alternative rooms if we wished but chose to stay in the original room. The room was a bit cool but it was a very cold night. The manager turned the heating up as high as possible.
I stayed at The Park whilst working at the Ryder Cup meaning that I left every day before 6.00am and returned after 8.00pm in the evening. The Staff always offered a warm welcome when I returned and were very helpful in providing a packed lunch instead of Breakfast ready fro me when I left - sometimes as early as 4.30am. I have to admit that the internet -which was free - was a little slow!!
Staff attitude, style of public rooms, food quality overpriced - moderate room quality, poor bathroom for the money, bed needs a new mattress
Lovely location, lovely old building, friendly & helpful staff, light airy and very clean room.
Very clean hotel, friendly and welcoming staff. Good location to explore the area. Very basic but not used to 3 star hotels! The room was decorated a little like an old lady's house might be!
The food was very well prepared, good quality and well presented. The shower would not work!! Needs a hot water pressure pump in the circuit.
The room was brilliant, location great and the owners were extremely helpful, preparing maps for us etc In the dining room there was one large table for all guests to sit. Although this was a very nice room and table, I would have prefered to have a bit more privacy from other guests. Had we been there for longer we would have got to know the other guests but when they came for breakfast and we were tucking into a fry up it made us feel a little uncomfortable.
the atmosphere of the place and the attitude of our guest
The beautiful setting
very difficult to get there in the dark, difficult to park, no lighting.
pleasant owners, good breakfast, nice house a bit out of the way, over-priced
Wonderful scenery and location superb breakfast. The owners made you really feel at home and served tea and Welsh cakes on arriving without charging for them Cramped bedrooms and bathroom and toilet, but this is a minor detail and there was no other way to convert this old house
Very friendly and informative staff. No locks on the doors.
Wonderful b&b in the most amazing setting. The owners were great. Lots of information about the local area. The breakfast was superb and I took photos of the dining room and table. The decor was spot on for this old country house. Single room was small and bathroom cold but satellite tv and wifi in room and worth the money. Surrounding area is beautiful and great for walking or driving. Follow directions below if you haven't got a Tom Tom sat nav. Sat nav will only work for Tom Toms aparently. Mine took me up a country lane in the dark. Best to follow these directions. Drive to the village of Pandy and locate the pub ' The Old Pandy Inn '. Turn off here down the side road next to it. After 50 metres drive under a railway bridge and continue until you get to a sharp bend in the road about 200 metres later. You will see a sign here pointing left for Llanthony. Turn left here along a narrow road bordered by a high hedge for about 300 metres. When it gets wider you will see a sign for the guesthouse and turn right here and follow the 200 mtr drive to the house. If dark the unlit car park is on the left just before the house. Then you walk to the back of the house where the reception is.
The landlord is very nice and has loads of knowledge of the surrounding areas
Courtious service and reception - Exellent Breakfast


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ESPN Suspends Parker for Racial Comments on Redskins' Griffin
ESPN suspended commentator Rob Parker for what the network called "inappropriate" race- related comments about Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III.
Parker was "suspended until further notice" by the Walt Disney (DIS) Co.-owned network a day after questioning on the air whether Griffin is "authentically" black. ESPN said it's conducting a full review.
"My question, which is just a straight, honest question, is … is he a brother or is he a cornball brother?" Parker said on the ESPN's "First Take" program. "He's not really. He's black, but he's not really down with the cause. He's not one of us. He's kind of black, but he's not really like the guy you'd want to hang out with."
"We all know he has a white fiancee," continued Parker, who is black. "There was all this talk about how he's a Republican. Tiger Woods was like, 'I've got black skin but don't call me black.'"
This isn't the first time Parker has been the center of controversy.
While at the Detroit News, he asked then-Lions coach Rod Marinelli whether he wished his daughter had married a better defensive coordinator. Joe Barry, the team's defensive coordinator at the time, was the coach's son-in-law.
The newspaper's managing editor called the question inappropriate and unprofessional.
To contact the reporter on this story: Scott Soshnick in New York at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Chef Aran's Featured Item of the Week
Warm & Wonderful Waffles
Steam rises from hot waffle irons as freshly made batter cooks to golden crispy perfection, filling the air with a nutty malted aroma. Before students are fully awake, they gather around the waffle irons, patiently waiting their turn to create and customize their perfect waffle. For many, the aroma and anticipation is more powerful than a cup of coffee for awakening the senses and getting the day off to a good start.
What is it about fresh waffles that make them so appealing?
It could be the rich nutty aroma, the warm steam rising from the hot iron, the crisp outside texture combined with the soft interior, or maybe it's just the variety of toppings. Most often for breakfast, you will find butter and syrup to top your waffle. On occasion during weekend brunches, you will see a wide variety of toppings such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, chocolate chips, nuts, whipped cream, and flavored syrups. Sometimes it looks more like a dessert station than a waffle bar.
Do waffles always have to be topped with sweet things?
Waffles can be more than just a vehicle to transport syrup and butter to your mouth. Ingredients for waffles are similar to those of crepes, biscuits, and other breads. An emerging trend that started in Asia (and is now being seen on the west coast of the US in coffee shops and small food stands) is the use of waffles in savory applications.
How about topping your next waffle with smoked salmon and melted cream cheese? That combination seems to work well for bagels, so why not waffles? Or try topping your next waffle with eggs and sausage gravy rather than using a biscuit. Waffles can also be used as bread for sandwiches. More and more, peanut butter and jelly on a waffle is becoming a new household favorite. Other sandwich ingredients work equally as well, and are especially yummy when warmed slightly.
Waffle Traditions
Varieties of waffle recipes have been emerging ever since Thomas Jefferson brought a waffle iron back from France in the 1790's. One waffle combination that definitely has American roots is the classic chicken and waffles. This tradition started at the Wells Supper Club in Harlem which opened in 1938. The dish was supposedly created to serve guests who were at the club too late for dinner but too early for breakfast. The combination of fried chicken and Belgium-style waffles is a comfort food powerhouse.
What makes a belgium-style waffle different from others?
The main difference is size - due to deeper wells and often thicker textured batter. Belgian-style waffles also use yeast in the batter rather than baking powder. This makes the Belgian-style waffle lighter and fluffier than a traditional waffle.
Waffles at UNC
UNC Dining Services takes pride in the quality of the waffles we offer. We're so proud of them, the UNC logo is cooked right into the waffles. Our waffle batter is a special patented blend developed in 1937 by Fred S. Carbon. Today, Belgian waffles made with Carbon's Golden Malted Pancake & Waffle Flour are served in the finest hotels, restaurants, universities, and theme parks around the world. Enjoy a waffle tomorrow morning at either Tobey-Kendel Dining Room or Holmes Dining Hall.
Bon Apetit!
Executive Chef Aran Essig, CEC, CCA
Want to know what's being served in the dining rooms? Call the FoodLine (970.351.FOOD) for daily menus or look at our weekly menus online. Not signed up for the Faculty Staff Payroll Deduction program yet? Learn more about the program here.


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Desserts let people satisfy their cravings for sweets without tapping a maple tree or milking bees for their honey. Soak up sucrose with this Groupon.
Choose Between Two Options
- $49 for your choice of two holiday cakes (a $100 value)
- $69 for your choice of three holiday cakes (a $150 value)
Blending pure butter, whole eggs, fresh milk, and locally grown fruits—plus a smattering of belgian chocolates, fondant, and Swiss marzipan—Margaret conjures cakes in the European style, complete with a light infusion of flavored liqueurs to keep the cake moist but not too sweet. Groupon customers get to mix and match from the following flavors:
- Buche de Noel (Yule log)—A 28-year tradition, the vanilla sponge roll is frosted with chocolate buttercream, then ornamented with candy mushrooms, holly, red gum paste poinsettias, and a dusting of powdered-sugar snow. Serves 12–14.
- Triple chocolate—Devil's food cake filled with thin layers of chocolate truffle and chocolate buttercream, then frosted with more chocolate buttercream decorated with sugar snowflakes. This cake can be finished with an inscription. Serves 12–16.
- Raspberry vanilla—Seedless raspberry preserves and vanilla buttercream provide both the filling and the frosting. It is decorated with holly and can be topped with an inscription. Serves 12–16.
Margaret's French Bakery
In the 1960s, Margaret took her first trip to Paris and fell in love with the sights and sounds that filled the teeming streets. But mostly, she fell in love with the flavors. "I ate my way through that city," she says with a laugh. When she returned to the States, she could not find anything that measured up to what she'd tasted in France, so Margaret, who'd been cooking since the age of 10, began trying her hand at re-creating the flavors and textures that left her enamored with the City of Lights.
When she opened her first shop in 1983, she began crafting croissants, brioches, and tarts. Now, in her appointment-only headquarters, Margaret and her team continue to create those French confections as well as custom cakes, which serve as impressive centerpieces at weddings and natural habitats for tiny, well-dressed couples. Fondant and marzipan from Switzerland shield the towering creations, which are filled with Belgian chocolate and locally grown fresh fruit. Popular creations include a cake steeped in strawberries and Grand Marnier, a chocolate-raspberry mousse torte, and a princess cake, which layers spongy vanilla génoise, raspberry preserves, and Amaretto cream filling.
Margaret especially relishes the challenge of sculpting unusual cakes. In her kitchen, she holds her breath while putting the finishing touches on a batter-based construction sculpted into the shape of a stack of tires, which she is building for the wedding of two Jeep lovers.


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Etsy Store BLOWOUT Closing Sale
50% off EVERYTHING IN THE STORE through 12/18
We are closing our Etsy store as we transition to more event based fundraising efforts! Take advantage of huge inventory at great prices!
Glassybaby "Light the Way to a CURE for Cancer" in POULSBO WA, TUESDAY DECEMBER 13 from 3 to 8
Join us at 510 NW Finn Hill Road in Poulsbo for a huge Glassybaby Roadshow. If you can't make it by, shop online betweenm 12/13 and 12/20 and use the code "jewels". 10% of the sales will go to My Jewels of Hope! Special discounts if you buy a dozen or more!
9am to 5 pm
We are blowing out our HUGE selection of Inventory, please stop by and score great items priced between $2.50 and $7.50 for super holiday gifts!
We will be in front of the University of Washington Medical Center Gift Shop. All proceeds benefit cancer research and prevention at the University of Washington. Although this is our last trunk show, our online shop will be up and running. We have some exciting new plans for next year. I hope to see you there!
Please welcome our new director, long time volunteer Madison Carpenter!
After 10 years and over $119,000.00 in sales, Greer will graduate high school in June of 2015 and continue on to college and explore other interests. Since 2011 Madison has been a key volunter, contributing several hundred hours annualy to My Jewels of Hope. Madison is a sophmore in High School, and plans to continue the semi-annual UW trunk shows and search out boutique retail locations for year round merchandise sales.
Madison has chosen to continue this mission in support of furthering cancer research, as her Dad, Aunt and Grandmother are all cancer survivors.
The History of My Jewels of Hope....
In 2005, at the age of 7, Greer Gates started making and selling bracelets to help raise money to cure cancer to support a close family friend named Nancy. With the help of her family and friends, her project has grown Greer's original bracelet line has evolved into a full line of Jewely, keychains, retractible badge holders and christmas ornaments, and each has her signature Sea Turtle charm or stamp. Nancy's Relay for Life team was the "Turtle Herd". An avid scuba diver and water lover, Nancy admired the many changes and adaptions that Sea Turtles have had to overcome to survive. The average Sea Turtle lives a very long life, and is seen as good luck in many cultures.
Shop Online at www.etsy.com/shop/myjewelsofhope !!
Our ispiration Nancy Buhrman Balduf!


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But none since 1987, when NCAA basketball was a much different place. Truth is, Knight was never a great coach. He was a good coach of often overrated players. (Yes, yes we kept hearing that he could still recruit top-notch talent. Pop quiz: Name any Hoosier since Isiah Thomas to have any kind of meaningful NBA career.) Most of all, Knight was a great, outsize personality who benefited tremendously from what men's college basketball was in the years of his ascendance, a place were there were only a few avenues to the NBA and as coach of Indiana he controlled one of the gates. Today, university athletic directors aren't looking for the next Bobby Knight. They're looking for the next Billy Donovan, a young, energetic coach who can relate to (Knight would say indulge) top-notch players for at least a couple of years before they head off to the pros.
True, he was a very good teacher of the mechanical aspects of the game, and yet he never seemed to be able to teach the most important part, that joy and love and spontaneity matter as much as making the extra pass. They're still kids, these hulking six-foot-ten-inch guys, and the ones on the truly great teams play with confidence, not fear. That fear of screwing up, of playing not to win so much as avoid hearing the coach scream at you in public, was all we saw on the court in Bloomington the past few years.
And yet he hung in there. And there were some things to praise. Players who were tremendously loyal to him, for one. And they were for the most part model citizens; Knight always played by the arcane and maddening rules of NCAA recruiting.
What caught up with Knight was college basketball's decline into what's at best a second-tier waiting room for those kids not yet physically mature enough to make it into the NBA.
Maybe he can console himself with this: Bobby Knight's still big. It's college basketball that got small. And if he has any sense, and any pride, he'll leave it at that.


text: #715: pc-mounttray and codepage ----------------------------+------------------------- Reporter: erd | Owner: Type: System Defect | Status: closed Priority: major | Milestone: Component: System Tool | Version: 9.1-RELEASE Resolution: fixed | Keywords: ----------------------------+------------------------- Changes (by kenmoore): * status: reopened => closed * resolution: => fixed Comment: I just added the -L=<locale-code> flag to the mount command for FAT filesystems. Thanks for reporting this! https://github.com/pcbsd/pcbsd/commit/5b19f8b81c2ee3d50057d6f32f46e30464ce30dc -- Ticket URL: <http://trac.pcbsd.org/ticket/715#comment:4> PC-BSD <http://trac.pcbsd.org> PC-BSD Project Management


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Joe Lamantia.comthinking out loud about the next internet
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8 Waves of Change Shaping Digital ExperiencesDecember 11, 2008 05:21 AM | Posted in: Ideas , The Media Environment , User Experience (UX)
I've been focused on understanding future directions in the landscape of digital experiences recently (which nicely parallels some of the work I've been doing on design and futures in general), so I'm sharing a summary of the analysis that's come out of this research.
This presentation shares an overview of all the major waves of change affecting digital experiences, some of the especially forward-looking insights around shifts in our identities, and the implications for those creating digital experiences.
The 8 waves discussed here (are there more? let me know!)
- Digital = Social
- Co-Creation
- Digital Natives
- It's All a Game
- Take Away
- Everyware
- Convergence
- Seeing Is Believing
local tags: cocreation, convergence, design, digital, digital_natives, everyware, identity, interaction, marketing, portability, visualization, waves_of_change
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Videos headlines
Take a look at the Kill-tracker Ghost available through Destiny 2's headache-inducing pre-order bonus scheme
Coldheart isn't the only Destiny 2 pre-order bonus, by the way.
Destiny 2: Bungie details all new open-world activities Adventures, World Quests, Lost Sectors, Flashpoints
Bungie has given us our first look at how exploration is going to work in Destiny 2, and this new video uses Nessus to show off the new systems.
If you thought Code Vein was just edgelord anime Dark Souls, this new footage will do nothing to convince you otherwise
Code Vein is never going to escape comparisons to its stablemate.
Overwatch team spent 18 months working on Genji, and his double jump is still a "headache" for the design team
Overwatch secrets include true stories of a time when Genji was even more OP.
What if you could walk over the border of Skyrim and into Cyrodiil? Bruma mod opens that gate next month
Beyond Skyrim: Cyrodiil is a mod opening up the borders of Bethesda's RPG.
Ubisoft confirms new Assassin's Creed reveal planned for E3 2017, seems Aisha Tyler won't be hosting presser
Ubisoft has confirmed it will show the next Assassin's Creed title at E3 2017, which shouldn't surprise anyone considering the game has been leaking like a sieve. It also looks like Aisha Tyler won't be returning this year.
Destiny 2 Exotics: 14 weapons you'll want to get your hands on
Destiny 2 brings back Exotics – rare and powerful boomsticks. Let's take a look.
Destiny 2 PC: everything we know so far about gameplay options, fps, graphic settings, more
While those who attended the Destiny 2 event this week weren't allowed to record footage of the PC version, they were permitted to discuss it at length.
Watch the official Destiny 2 gameplay reveal here
Destiny 2's big night started with a bang, or explosion, or whatever happens when enemies collide.
You can finish Prey in 20 mins if you're happy to glitch your way past hours of story
Prey encourages players to leverage its systems in ways the designers didn't anticipate. They probably didn't mean this, though.
Star Wars Battlefront 2: story campaign details, space battles and other things you missed this weekend
Star Wars Battlefront 2 is a mystery no more. Come get the details.
Dark Souls publisher Namco is teasing a new game with 'Prepare to Dine' tagline
Whatever this new Bandai Namco project is, these visuals look really good.
Overwatch Insurrection event leaks, brings new PvE mode, new skins, more
It wouldn't be an Overwatch event without all the relevant details leaking beforehand.
Destiny: Age of Triumph - how to get the new and improved Necrochasm
Destiny: Rise of Iron players can dive into Age of Triumph and revisit an old favourite, the Necrochasm.
Leaked Destiny 2 poster reveals September release date, pre-launch beta
We may have our first look at promo art for Destiny 2.
Ubisoft's response to For Honor's microtransactions situation leaves fans even more angry
The For Honor community is not at the best of terms with the game's developers right now.
Destiny: Age of Triumph - Weekly Rituals, Treasure of Ages loot boxes, Ornaments, Gear, more
During today's Destiny livestream, Bungie revealed Age of Triumph will include Loot Boxes with and some rather nice items when completing Weekly Rituals.
See how Mass Effect: Andromeda graphics compare on PC, PS4 Pro, Xbox One S
Mass Effect: Andromeda looks great on all three platforms, but PC clearly has the edge.
Playing on Wii U instead of Switch? Take a look at Zelda: Breath of the Wild running on both platforms to see what you're missing
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild compared side-by-side on Wii U and Switch.
Destiny fans should keep it locked during March - but that doesn't mean we don't have an idea where these teases are going
Destiny: Rise of Iron updates through the rest of 2017 are one thing, and Destiny 2 is another.
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Videos Latest
Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age finally confirmed for western release, out in 2018
Forza Horizon 3 players can drive the Regalia from Final Fantasy 15 starting next week
Leaked Destiny 2 trailer hints at a social space on Titan, has Zavala anxious to fight
Which Monster Hunter World weapon should you choose? All 14 categories examined
Zelda: Breath of the Wild can be played without the Sheikah Slate using a glitch
Overwatch players on PC, PS4 and Xbox One can now get their hands on Doomfist
Echo is a sci-fi adventure title set in space where the enemy is you
If there's any video that's going to sell you on Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, it's this one
Xbox Game Pass August update adds 7 more games: Dead Rising 3, Dirt Rally, Limbo, more
Battlefield 1 In the Name of the Tsar: watch first footage of the close-quarters map Brusilov Keep
Aww yiss, we finally get a look at all 14 of Monster Hunter World's weapons
Take a look at the Kill-tracker Ghost available through Destiny 2's headache-inducing pre-order bonus scheme
In Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus one Nazi prefers strawberry milkshakes over other flavors
Destiny 2: here's a look at the Coldheart Exotic Trace Rifle you get when pre-ordering
PlayStation Plus August offerings include Just Cause 3, Assassin's Creed: Freedom Cry, Super Motherload, more
Need for Speed Payback customisation options let you turn a scrap car into a supercar
Here's a trailer to remind you to pay to play Fortnite now even though it will be free next year
Nioh's Defiant Honour DLC adds Sanada Yukimura as the toughest baddie yet – it's out now, so go kick his ass
First PUBG Invitational will take place at gamescom in August, sales from vanity crates will go toward prizes
Xbox Summer Spotlight kicks off with Fortnite, Fable Fortune, Infinite Minigolf, more
Destiny 2 Survival mode on the Altar of Flame PvP map has a limited pool of lives and permadeath
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy gameplay trailer shows 14 minutes of Chloe being her usual tough and capable self
Destiny 2: Bungie details all new open-world activities Adventures, World Quests, Lost Sectors, Flashpoints
Watch Lightning from Final Fantasy 13 sell cars in Chinese Nissan ad
Destiny 2 open beta bug gets 2 players blue Engrams, here's what they were decoded into
Missed out on seeing The Farm during the Destiny 2 open beta? Take a tour with us
Keep the dream for Midnight Club 5 alive with this hot fan-made trailer
Injustice 2 trailer shows off Starfire using her rather awesome supernova super on Robin
Watch the Pokemon Go Fest livestream from Chicago at Grant Park here


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David Brooks Writes Alternate History in Which Obama Cuts Taxes, Vetoes Big Spending Bills
This is a sad time to be David Brooks, the New York Times house conservative. The souring economy (along with other poor administration decisions) has caused a big drop in the popularity of his beloved Barack Obama with his party facing electoral disaster at the polls this November. So what to do? Why, engage in fantasy by writing an alternate history in which an all-wise Obama cuts taxes and vetoes big spending plans passed by the Democrat congress. Here is some of the comedy gold Brooks dreamed up in his alternate history universe:
...He told his aides to put away the history books and reject the New Deal comparisons. Unlike in 1932, Americans today have a raging distrust of Washington, he observed. Living through a crisis caused by excessive debt, they will viscerally recoil at the prospect of federal debt without end. "Somehow," Obama concluded, "we have to address the crisis without further terrifying the American people."
The stimulus package, he continued, should rely heavily on cutting payroll taxes. This, he argued, will send a quick jolt to the economy without concentrating power in Washington. It will deliver a sharp psychological boost to the middle class. It might even be bipartisan. Obama noted that John McCain had a $445 billion stimulus plan along these lines and his fellow Republican senator, Mel Martinez, a $713 billion plan.
Yes, in this Brooksian alternate history the same Barack Obama who won't even extend the Bush tax cuts will go completely against his proven character and cut taxes. And now more from the fantasy world whirling around inside of Brooks' fervid imagination:
In March, Congress passed an omnibus spending bill, stuffed with earmarks. Obama vetoed it.
As for ObamaCare, it was put on the backburner by the politically savvy Obama in this alternate history:
April brought the cruelest fight: whether to spend the rest of the year getting health care reform or a new energy policy. Obama decided to do energy first. The economy was uppermost on everybody's mind. Americans were wondering where new innovations would come from, what new jobs would emerge.
Left out of this alternate history is Brooks' real history of gullibly swallowing the economic excuses of this administration in early 2009. Here is how Brooks was wooed with his very own wall chart by Obama bigwigs back then after he very briefly objected to the policies back then:
The White House has produced a chart showing nondefense discretionary spending as a share of G.D.P. That's spending for education, welfare and all the stuff that Democrats love. Since 1985, this spending has hovered around 3.7 percent of G.D.P. This year, it's about 4.6 percent. The White House claims that it is going to reduce this spending to 3.1 percent by 2019, lower than at any time in any recent Republican administration. I was invited to hang this chart on my wall and judge them by how well they meet these targets. (I have.)
In my own alternate history, a skeptical David Brooks tells the Obama insiders:
You expect me to buy into your absurd projections because they are on a chart? That's really laughable so why don't you take your chart and stick it where the moon don't shine.
Of course, that happened only in the alternate history. In real life, that chart could still be on David Brooks' wall.


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Torrey began the research for this project over a year ago when a visit to Erie County Jail in Buffalo, New York left him stunned.
Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, he earned a degree in fine arts from the renowned Boston Conservatory of Music.
Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita declined to comment.
The gun-boats just above are the Princeton, the Champlain, the Still Water and the Erie.
In the stage met with an intelligent young man on his way to Erie, so concluded to stop at the same hotel.
The men from Erie, from Suffolk, from anywhere, would not work with me.
The legislature of that state granted the charter of the Erie and Kalamazoo Railroad, which opened in 1836.
This was then called Presque Isle, but is now the site of the city of Erie.
And yitt to the said Erie, Lethingtoun at all tymes schew a fayre countenance.
Simply the rise or fall in the value of gold, and the price of Erie and other shares!
one of the Great Lakes, named for a native Iroquoian people who lived nearby, from French Erie, shortening of Rhiienhonons, said to mean "raccoon nation," perhaps in reference to a totemic animal.


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When somatic cell reprogramming—the great advance that seems likely to end the stem cell debate—was announced last month, a lot of embryo research advocates insisted its development had nothing to do with any of the ethical issues surrounding the work, but was purely a matter of scientific efficiency and the like.
But now the leaders of both teams of researchers involved in that advance have suggested that wasn't all there was to their thinking. James Thomson, who led the American team involved in the work, told the New York Times last month he had always had some concerns about the the destruction of embryos and that "if human embryonic stem cell research does not make you at least a little bit uncomfortable, you have not thought about it enough."
And in today's New York Times the leader of the other team, Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka, recounts why he first began to look for alternatives to embryo-destructive research. He tells of looking at an embryo under a microscope at a friend's in vitro fertilization lab:
"When I saw the embryo, I suddenly realized there was such a small difference between it and my daughters," said Dr. Yamanaka, 45, a father of two and now a professor at the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences at Kyoto University. "I thought, we can't keep destroying embryos for our research. There must be another way."
Certainly questions of pure science had a great deal to do with Thomson's and Yamanaka's advance. They and the vast majority of other stem cell researchers are not pro-lifers moved above all by the ethical questions. But there is no question that the ethical issues, and the political turmoil that resulted from them (which led also to a major Bush administration focus on the alternative techniques in the past few years), had a lot to do with it too.


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Sam & Max Episode 1: The Penal Zone for IPad
The epic comedy video game heroes Sam & Max can now continue their freelance police work on your iPad. Developer Telltale Games kicked off the latest season of Sam & Max's ongoing adventures, entitled "The Devil's Playhouse," with Episode 1: The Penal Zone.
In case you're not familiar with the Sam & Max series, here's a quick primer: Sam is a 6-foot tall anthropomorphic dog, and Max is his crazed rabbit sidekick. The two animals fight crime and bust bad guys, all without a permit. And they make a lot of jokes while they do it.
The first thing you'll notice about The Penal Zone on the iPad is how impressive it looks. The game features a rich, immersive 3D look, and the interactive moments are nearly as well-rendered as the cut-scenes. And as with other Telltale Games puzzle adventure games like Tales of Monkey Island, you will need to sit-through many cut-scenes, since they tend to contain useful information you'll need to progress. Fortunately, the cut-scenes are loaded with humor and pleasant to look at; the game really feels closer to a playable, interactive television show.
On the iPad, "The Penal Zone" unsurprisingly relies on dead-simple touch gestures: you tap on objects you'd like to interact with, and you drag your finger to indicate where you'd like to go. Letting your fingers do the walking, running, and climbing feels mostly natural, and tapping to switch between which character you're controlling, or to access your inventory, works great.
This episode, which sports a delightful, Ron Serling-inspired narrator (perpetually rendered in black and white, of course) pits Sam and Max in a battle against Skun'ka'pe, an incredibly intelligent gorilla from outer space. Skun'ka'pe wants to collect a series of children's toys that could afford him all sorts of preternatural powers, and to snag a queen while he's at it. Through a lengthy series of engaging, well-paced challenges, you'll explore tons of eye-popping locales, engage in amusing conversations with all sorts of characters, and eventually figure out the puzzles the game sets before you.
Max (that's the bizarre bunny) quickly learns that he can avail himself of all those magical toys that Skun'ka'pe is after, and you'll frequently go back to his newfound powers (like teleportation via a toy phone, or self-transmogrification via what is essentially Silly Putty) to solve puzzles. The configurable in-game hints system can tip you off incessantly about what to do next, or you can adjust the system so that you're entirely on your own. As you get familiar with Max's abilities and the quick escapes they can provide, toggling back to control his character for some magical assistance becomes more second nature.
Perhaps the most enjoyable element of The Penal Zone is the audio. The soundtrack itself is excellent, with stirring orchestration and very well-performed voiceover work. These characters exhibit real personalities, and a true mastery of comic timing. (When Sam hopes that Skun'ka'pe "gets sucked right in the penal zone," you appreciate the effort, in spites of its crassness.)
As strong as each of the game's core elements is, The Penal Zone is not perfect. In fact, the game's a bit glitchy. On occasion, I'd take an item out of my inventory, and even be told explicitly what to do with it now that I had it in hand, but the action wouldn't work. Instead, I'd have to go back into the inventory a second time and take hold of the object I was theoretically already wielding. Occasionally, the game's incredible presentation seems to be a bit much for my iPad; characters would freeze for a moment, audio would sometimes stutter or echo ("I don't have anything to do to do to do with that"), and occasionally after tapping certain action buttons, five or ten seconds would pass before anything happened. You'll also encounter plenty of loading screens as you play, and every once in a while the loading screen lacked the standard "loading" animation, so I'd be staring at an all-black screen wondering if something had crashed.
Truth be told, though, the rare glitchiness didn't mar my overall Sam & Max experience. This is a deep, fun, and thoroughly enjoyable iPad game, and I'm eager to play the episodes still to come in "The Devil's Playhouse" series.
[Lex Friedman is a frequent contributor to Macworld.]
This story, "Sam & Max Episode 1: The Penal Zone for IPad" was originally published by Macworld.


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It's not all that surprising, really, but Web sites for travellers and teens gained the most visitors in June vs. May, according to researchers at comScore.
About 5.2 million people seemed to have vacations on their mind as they checked out travel destinations. That's an increase of 32% over May. Leaders in the category were Viator.com and travelPN.com, which each drew about 1.1 million visitors.
Hotel and resort sites collectively drew 36.6 million visitors, up 9%, led by Marriott's 6.5 million and Hilton Hotels' 6 million.
Teen sites benefitted from the end of the school year, and the rising number of kids looking to spend time on the Web. About 40 million visited teen sites in June, a 21% increase. Most popular sites were Alloy Digital Network, with 16.9 million and IMVU with 6 million.
Biggest gainer among the top sites also was no surprise: Soccer's FIFA.com benefitted from World Cup fever, scoring 8.2 million visitors, an increase of 487%.
By David Lieberman
Technology Live covers computers, electronics, and the Internet, with a focus on cutting-edge technology that has a real impact on your life. Our reporters and editors -- based in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, and Washington – offer news and tips to help you make the most of your digital domain. More about the team
Sign up for Technology Live e-mail alerts


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In Jack Irish: Dead Point, a telemovie full of fantastic performances, two moments of acting-without-words stand out. One is the final scene involving Kat Stewart as a mysterious club owner, where her expression reveals the complexity of her attitude to what Irish is doing. It's the kind of layered performance we've come to expect from Stewart.
The other standout moment might surprise some viewers. It comes from Shane Jacobson, still known to most Australians as Kenny.
Private investigator Irish is thrown into jail after a battered body is found in the boot of his car. The detective who turns up to interrogate him is Irish's old mate Barry Tregear, played by Jacobson, whose face must signal Jack that he is not supposed to know him.
''You've got to act a scene where you're pretending to act normal, if that makes sense,'' says Jacobson. ''You can't look at him as you would if he's a guilty man and you're about to interrogate him. You start to layer it up. I'm supposed to look at him like we've got to pretend we're not friends.''
Jacobson never trained as an actor, though he's been performing since the age of eight. He says he's now reached the point where he is as comfortable doing drama as doing comedy, and he takes his performances very seriously.
Barry Tregear, who can best be described as a lazy slob, is one of his three favourite characters (along with Kenny - ''he's been such a great mate to me in my career'' - and Luce in The Time of Our Lives).
''I find Barry amusing, but I don't play him as comedy,'' says Jacobson. ''I had plenty to draw on. I felt I had met so many people like him, big burly blokes, friends of my dad or my uncle, always going on about some bastard this and some prick that. They were incredibly dry, but they never cracked a smile.''
Jacobson had no trouble resisting the comedy writer's temptation to improvise. ''With a Jack Irish story, you're working with Peter Temple's words and the guy's a genius,'' says Jacobson.
''There's so few people who can write something that really does feel very Australian without having corks on strings hanging from a hat. Improvising would be like me offering to put one more stroke of paint on the Mona Lisa.''
He says he has been inspired to work harder on his performances by working alongside great actors such as Claudia Karvan, Justine Clark, and Guy Pearce. When I remark that he has not yet demonstrated he can do an American accent as convincingly as Pearce, Jacobson offers a revelation:
''Well, I did play an American named Bob [pronounced Bahb] in a sketch we did for Movie 43. There were about 12 or so short films in that, but mine at the last moment got taken out.''
Wait, Movie 43, wasn't that the one described by many critics as one of the 10 worst movies of all time, in which Naomi Watts played a mother teaching her teenage son to tongue-kiss? Yes, says Jacobson quietly, that was the one: ''It got quite a slamming from the entertainment media.''
So his contribution to Movie 43, the one opportunity he's had to show off his American accent, was not good enough to go in the worst movie of 2013? ''It does sound like it. Believe it or not, they actually thought the material was too confronting.''
This was in a movie where Hugh Jackman had testicles hanging from his chin? ''Yes, it was even too much for that.''
What was it that Jacobson was doing? ''If I tell you, I think it will turn people off your article. They don't want to read this. It wasn't any actions of mine. It was something done by another actor. He was just an unsavoury character.''
And at this point amiable Shane Jacobson, usually happy to joke around about anything, refuses to say more, leaving us to speculate on what will doubtless become one of the great mysteries of 21st century showbiz.
Jack Irish: Dead Point is on ABC1 tonight at 8.30.
For more details, go to theage.com.au/entertainment/blog/the-tribal-mind


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all wordsany wordsphrase
(rayz jest-tie) n. from Latin for "things done," it means all circumstances surrounding and connected with a happening. Thus, the res gestae of a crime includes the immediate area and all occurrences and statements immediately after the crime. Statements made within the res gestae of a crime or accident may be admitted in court even though they are "hearsay" on the basis that spontaneous statements in those circumstances are reliable.


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Still, there are instances in my life that make me think I may never know what a "regular" American childhood feels like.
In fact, he says, there are plenty of instances in which same-sex couples are better off not marrying.
Of course, even the proponents of these laws admitted there were no instances of Muslims trying to impose Islamic law.
In other instances, Syrian Armed Forces reportedly took children from schools or arrested them for use as human shields.
In all four instances, the court ruling favored his financial interest.
In these instances they appear to indicate the thatching with which the roof is covered.
In most instances he was "constant to one thing—his inconstancy."
On auscultation a blowing murmur may, in some instances, be heard over the tumor.
In some instances the passage money was advanced to the converts.
The word-worn example of our Postal Department is only one of a thousand instances of pure Socialism.
mid-14c., "urgency," from Old French instance "eagerness, anxiety, solicitation" (13c.), from Latin instantia "presence, effort intention; earnestness, urgency," literally "a standing near," from instans (see instant). In Scholastic logic, "a fact or example" (early 15c.), from Medieval Latin instantia, used to translate Greek enstasis. This led to use in phrase for instance "as an example" (1650s), and the noun phrase To give (someone) a for instance (1953, American English).


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Comments on Romney headed for an Arizona rout TypePad 2012-02-27T05:15:29Z Tom Jensen http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/ tag:typepad.com,2003:http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2012/02/romney-headed-for-an-arizona-rout/comments/atom.xml/ Obama 2012 commented on 'Romney headed for an Arizona rout' tag:typepad.com,2003:6a0133f2dd8001970b0168e80f1973970c 2012-02-27T06:26:49Z 2012-02-27T06:26:49Z Obama 2012 http://www.thepresidentialcandidates.us Looks like Romney is going to be wrapping this thing up over the next couple of weeks... but considering the...
Looks like Romney is going to be wrapping this thing up over the next couple of weeks... but considering the lackluster competition it's hard to see it as anything but victory by default. He hasn't had to face a single reasonable alternative yet. There is not another Republican in the race who ever had any serious chance of becoming President. (Sure someone like Santorum may do well in your general election polling when people don't know anything about him... but that's just "generic Republican" voting... when they hear about all of the absolutely crazy things he believes - he has no chance. Zero. It's completely ridiculous to imagine Santorum in the White House.)

And despite the monumental weakness of the GOP field Romney has had an extremely hard time winning this thing. And really he hasn't won... it's just that everyone else in this race has been a loser.

He won't be so lucky this fall. He's going to be going up against the President of the United States not some whacko like Rick Santorum.

Should be fun.


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|From: Grant Rettke (grettke at acm.org)
Date: Tue Feb 3 11:01:48 EST 2009
Hi Jens, On Tue, Feb 3, 2009 at 9:11 AM, Jens Axel Soegaard <jensaxel at soegaard.net> wrote: > Grant Rettke wrote: > >> Here is the use case I >> experience when I want to work on a project: >> >> 1. Start DrScheme. >> 2. Open the 3-5 files I care about while working the project: a couple >> modules, the tests, and maybe a scratch file (Stephen's plugin >> addresses this). >> 3. Work on some particular functions in files or modules. > > Most people put the files from the same project in a folder. > So it seems to me, that all you need is the option to open > more files than one in the "Open File" dialog? Yes that is the use case. Every time I want to work on a particular project I start DrScheme, and type C:o 5-7 times, and choose the file that I want to open. They are usually in the same directory. That is how I work on a project. Suppose that I want to work on a different project, I do the same thing; either I close the existing files or have 10-14 files open now, often with similar names "main, tests, scratch". Opening multiple files in the file dialog would address the opening of multiple files; but it wouldn't support the concept of "I am working on a project". Sometimes while working on a project, I want to reference code in some other project. I mean, reference it for my use; not for use in the system. In Komodo, I would add that file to the project. It doesn't affect the code at all. It is there to help me work with my project. Whether the files are in the same directory or not only matters when there are dependencies in the running code; and I am not suggesting that model of project.
|Posted on the users mailing list.


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As Tom Johnson noted, Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon wrote a column for Thursday's paper, headlined "Gumbel Has the Right To Say What He Feels." After Gumbel insulted union leader Gene Upshaw about needing a "leash" because he was the NFL Commissioner's "pet," Wilbon said he disagreed with the argument that Upshaw made bad deals for football players, but suggested the idea of the NFL Network removing Bryant Gumbel from broadcasting their football games later this fall "not only won't fly but will look like the silliest Nixonian attempt at censorship." But don't give him a First Amendment Award. That's not the way Wilbon felt about Rush Limbaugh broadcasting football games. In May of 2000, when ABC was considering Limbaugh as the third man in the broadcast booth for "Monday Night Football," he declared Rush was a racist, and has no right to broadcast:
"I have attended or watched all but about 5 or 6 MNF games in 30 years. If Rush Limbaugh is put in that booth, I will NOT listen to the broadcast. His views on people like me [blacks] are well documented, and I would find it insulting and hypocritical to watch him do the broadcast. And I'm sure, absolutely certain, there are tens of thousands, probably hundreds of thousands who feel the same way I do."
Wilbon provided no examples then of Limbaugh's supposed hatred of blacks. (Rush certainly never metaphorically put Gene Upshaw on a "leash.") So who's the "Nixonian" censor? No one has the "right" to announce NFL football games. That's not a "free speech" issue. But Wilbon's column made it very clear the issue isn't free speech. It's that Gumbel is one of his heroes and role models, and a personal friend. He begins by noting as he grew up in Chicago, he was already enamored of the Gumbel brothers, before they were TV stars:
As I went through high school, it became clear I wasn't going to be a professional ballplayer. Increasingly, I wanted to be like Greg and Bryant Gumbel. So this column includes a certain bias as well as a certain annoyance that Bryant Gumbel's recent harsh remarks about NFL union chief Gene Upshaw might make him unworthy of calling games on the NFL Network, as outgoing commissioner Paul Tagliabue hinted at this week...
While I disagree with Bryant Gumbel's characterization of Upshaw, I defend Gumbel's right to make the observation. If Gumbel were arguing the point with me, he'd make it persuasively, probably brilliantly, because that 's what he's done for a living for 30-plus years. He's one of the best things to come along in the modern history of sports journalism.
Put aside the decades of arrogant liberal bias that Gumbel's produced. While Wilbon notes Gumbel was "harsh," he never says this harshness countered his reputation for being persuasive and brilliant; that this particular commentary was not persuasive, but damaging to Gumbel's career, not a stellar moment. Instead, the gooey Gumbel valentine continued:
When the NFL Network announced that Gumbel and Cris Collinsworth were going to call games this season, it was a boon for the league. The fledgling network needs Gumbel a lot more than he needs it. He's already got the best sports show on television in "Real Sports" and it's just another component of one of the great careers in the history of television journalism. How many people calling NFL games have interviewed Kremlin officials live in Moscow? How many play-by-play guys have interviewed Fidel Castro in Cuba and come to your living room live from Saigon?
Toward the end of Gumbel's run at NBC's "Today" in the mid-1990s it became popular to take shots at him for being arrogant and dismissive. And Willard Scott was on the wrong end of a very critical internal memo at one point. But whether he was editing and contributing to "Black Sports" magazine in the early 1970s or doing sports at KNBC-TV in Los Angeles or anchoring pregame shows on NBC Sports, the four-time Emmy winner has been credible. He has been almost everything we praised Howard Cosell for being and then some, which is to say literate, tough, insightful, outspoken and critical. When he reports from anywhere, I'm listening.
Bryant Gumbel is not going to be anybody's Bobo, not even the NFL's.
Wilbon failed to consider the concept that maybe Gumbel was criticized for being arrogant and dismissive....because he came across as arrogant and dismissive, and not just in internal memos, but on the air. (The kind of guy who'd crack when he thinks he's off camera that a conservative guest is an "f---ing idiot," just for starters.) But it's quite clear that Wilbon actually enjoys Gumbel being arrogant and dismissive. He cites Gumbel's other HBO meltdown, not as another sign of Gumbel failing to make a point "persuasively, probably brilliantly," but as a sign of gritty independent thinking:
And Tagliabue, a brilliant man himself, had to know exactly what the league was getting when the network approached Gumbel. There's a 30-year body of work out there to view. Did Tags and the NFL not see him take a shot at the lily-whiteness of the Winter Olympics and the GOP convention? Did Tagliabue think the league was getting some shrinking violet?
Perhaps the league figures that if it could successfully pressure ESPN to take [the sleazy fictionalized pro football drama] "Playmakers" off the air, it could also bully Bryant Gumbel into softening his positions and playing nice.
Surely, Tagliabue knows that any attempt to squeeze Gumbel in some little box as if he were a player wearing the wrong color socks on Sunday not only won't fly but will look like the silliest Nixonian attempt at censorship.
This is where it becomes clear that Wilbon's not making a serious attempt to ponder the issue of Gumbel's remarks, but merely making excuses for them. As Brent Bozell politely noted in 2003, when ESPN pressed Rush Limbaugh to quit his brief football-pundit gig after saying Donovan McNabb was hyped by sportswriters rooting for black quarterbacks, Wilbon could be seen at times as Gumbel's Mini-Me in print:
Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon is a great read on his sports page, great entertainment on TV, and also regularly liberal politically in his sports reports. In 1995, Wilbon cheered NFL star Kellen Winslow when he entered the Hall of Fame with a political speech attacking Justice Clarence Thomas for opposing racial quotas and "barring the government from doing the right thing." Wrote Wilbon: "Winslow can be my Gipper any day. My hands are still raw from the applause." Wilbon even cheered the arrival of black sports stars at Louis Farrakhan's "Million Man March," and said of this spewing preacher and racist, anti-Semitic and America-hating bilge: "So much of Farrakhan's message was necessary and correct." None of this stopped ESPN from hiring Wilbon for its daily show, "Pardon the Interruption."


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DETROIT (WXYZ) - "I was in shock. I was outraged and I just assumed kits were being tested," said actress Mariska Hargitay about the thousands of rape kits in Detroit and across the country that have been left sitting in storage without being processed, allowing rapists to remain free to attack again. And they often do.
To read full article, visit this WXYZ ABC 7 link [1].
Links:[1] http://www.wxyz.com/news/100-serial-rapists-identified-after-rape-kits-from-detroit-crime-lab-are-finally-processed
[2] http://www.nsvrc.org/news/news-current-events


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I've never heard a kid say that someday they want to be a historian. That's probably because the important events of our past are traditionally taught by the numbers, leaning too heavily on dates, places, and times. Taking a more personal, and therefore more interesting, approach is The Civil War, a new musical by Theaterworks USA, running now at the beautiful Lucille Lortel Theater.
In classic Ken Burns-style, The Civil War explores the war between the states by focusing on the points of view of a few characters from varied backgrounds, some of which are more interesting than others. The story of Johnny, an Irish immigrant fighting to prove the value of his people, seems thin, but does shed valuable light on a population normally left out of the discussion surrounding this period. More interesting are the scenes between Zac, a slave escaping to join the Union army, and Will, the son of Zac's master. Though never comfortable with his ownership of Zac, Will is eventually left with no choice but to fight for the causes of his father. Watching these two struggle to keep their mutual affection alive is moving. And along with the stories of Cyrus and Jackie, non-slave holding siblings afraid of what a Union victory might do to their way of life, offers an important shade of gray to an event we too easily frame as black versus white.
When appropriate, The Civil War is also pretty funny. In a running gag, Michael Thomas Walker, tasked with embodying countless Union generals, pokes fun at the confusion at seeing him in so many different roles. The biggest laugh, however, comes early in the war, when two male actors appear in drag as high-minded Southern ladies. As a comedy writer, I'd kill for the laughs this brief bit achieved. Adding to this mostly solid script is a spare but wonderfully useful set by Kevin Judge, and direction (Jonathan Silverstein) and choreography (Tracy Bersley) that's efficient and, especially during the battle scenes, very exciting.
Where The Civil War falls short, however, is in the music. Though historically significant, the Civil War-era traditional songs used here did little to bring me closer to the souls of the character singing. Worst of all is that most of the singing is backed by terrible sounding instrumental tracks. I understand the great cost involved in using a live band, but surely there's a better option than the high-pitched, keyboard heavy songs used here. Since this cast can sing, I think acapella would be preferred.
Grating music aside, The Civil War is a solid hour of live theater, and a great way to teach kids of all backgrounds about one of this country's defining moments. It's engaging, very well performed, and creatively staged. Most of all, it's a much needed reminder that inside of every war are people just like you and me.