text:
Antique lampsMath brain teasers require computations to solve.
A collector of antique lamps bought two lamps, and then, discovering she was short of money, immediately had to sell them again. She sold each lamp for $600. On one of the lamps she made 20% and on the other one she lost 20%. Did she make or lose money on the whole deal? How much?
AnswerShe lost money. You can calculate that the one lamp cost $500 and the other one cost $750. That means she paid $1250 for them together and then sold them for $1200 losing $50.
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See another brain teaser just like this one...
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
HOUSTON - A bank manager has been accused of stealing money from customers.
Hannah Gonzales, 24, was arrested Tuesday after an 11-count indictment was filed against her.
Gonzales was an assistant branch manager for the International Bank of Commerce.
Investigators said that in 2010 and 2011, Gonzales withdrew money from customers' CD accounts without their permission. Most of the customers Gonzales targeted were either elderly or out of the country, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Gonzales was fired by the bank in July 2011, but she had already taken nearly $100,000 by that time, detectives said.
Prosecutors said Gonzales also took money from her teller boxes, conducted transactions when there wasn't a customer and stole customers' cash deposits instead of putting the money in her teller box.
Audits determined that Gonzales' teller boxes were short about $24,000, officials said.
If convicted, Gonzales would face up to 30 years in prison per charge and a fine of up to $1 million.
Copyright 2013 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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|Class information
|Required textbooks
Arithmancy is a magical discipline that studies the magical properties of numbers, including predicting the future with numbers and numerology.[1] Those who practiced Arithmancy were called Arithmancers.
Arithmancy was an elective subject offered from the third year on at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the homework assignments of which included writing essays that required the consultation and/or composition of complex number charts.[2]
Notable ArithmancersEdit
- Bridget Wenlock - the archetypal example; she was a celebrated witch who first discovered the magical properties of the number seven in the 13th century.[3]
- Septima Vector - Taught Arithmancy and Advanced Arithmancy Studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for at least six years (possibly more).
- Hermione Granger - famous high-ranking official in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, who strongly contributed to Voldemort's downfall as she accompanied Harry Potter in the hunt for horcruxes; translated the Tales of Beedle the Bard into English from Runic.
- Percy Weasley
- William Weasley
- Bartemius Crouch Jr. - Death Eater who made Lord Voldemort's second rising possible.
Arithmantic textsEdit
- Numerology and Grammatica,[4] a third year textbook at Hogwarts.
- New Theory of Numerology, which Harry Potter gave to Hermione Granger for Christmas in 1995.[5]
Arithmancer and Arithmancy come from the Greek αριθμός (arithmos), meaning "number", and μαντεία (manteia), meaning "divination". Hence "Arithmancy" literally means "number divination", which is fitting.
Behind the scenesEdit
- In reality, Arithmancy is the study of the magical properties of numbers. However, this would include numerology, which reconciles both JK's statement about the definition of Arithmancy and the fact that known Arithmancers like Bridget Wenlock have only been known to study things other than this.
- Hermione has expressed open contempt for the subject of Divination, yet has also proclaimed that Arithmancy (in which numerology is prominent) is her favourite subject. Whilst this may seem contradictory at first, it should be remembered that Arithmancy applies much more rigorous and mathematical approaches to predicting the future (which the scientifically-inclined Hermione would respond to), unlike Divination, which she detested as it seemed to be "a lot of guesswork".
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (Mentioned on a Famous Wizard Card) (Bridget Wenlock)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (Mentioned on a Famous Wizard Card) (Bridget Wenlock)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) (Mentioned only)
- Wizard of the Month (Mentioned only)
Notes and referencesEdit
External linksEdit
|Professors: Septima Vector
|Known Arithmancers: Bridget Wenlock
|Textbooks: Numerology and Grammatica · New Theory of Numerology
|Arithmancy at Hogwarts: Arithmancy (class) · Classroom 7A · Advanced Arithmancy Studies


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Swimming Pool Blog
by Rob Cox September 11, 2013
Pool Closing Tips & Tricks
Pool winterization is a careful chore. Do it incorrectly, and you could face expensive and frustrating freeze damage repairs next spring.
For regions with temperatures that dip below freezing for days or weeks - more than just an occasional overnight freeze, you need to winterize the pipes and equipment to protect them from freezing.
The pool, without circulation and filtration, will also need closing attention. Cleaning, chemicals and covering the pool will protect the water during winter.
Here's some Top Tips that I came up with for winterizing a pool. If you have tips, leave a comment below, or send me an email!
Lowering the Water
For solid covers, go 4 inches below the skimmer, and for mesh safety covers, go 8-12 inches below the skimmer, depending on how much winter rain and snow you receive.
To find out how much rain your city gets during winter, see this cool historical weather tool. Enter your zipcode on the first page, then select the custom tab to enter a date range.
To pump below the skimmer, close the skimmer valves, leaving the main drain open. If the drain is not operational, or if you have a side by side (2 hole) combo skimmer, use a vacuum hose / head, to draw water from the pool, connected tightly to a hose adapter screwed into the skimmer hole. For Anthony pools or old style Sylan pools that use a vertical diverter, plug the single skimmer hole with a #10 plug, to pump from main drain only.
After backwashing the filter, set Multiport valves to 'Waste' to continue pumping the pool at a higher flow rate. If you have a Cartridge or DE filter, you can open the air bleeder, and remove the filters for cleaning, while continuing to pump on the Waste setting.
Winterizing the Pipes
Lowering the water will naturally lower the water in the pipes, and in some cases, some of the water will drain out of the return lines. Air is used to force water out of the pipes, and then the empty pipes are plugged at the pool.
Once the water has been pumped below the skimmer opening, if you have separate valves, you can open the skimmer valve slowly, to suck out the line. Be quick to close the valve before air sucked in at the skimmer reaches the pool pump, so you don't lose prime.
The Mighty Vac was always my tool of choice for blowing the lines. In some cases, you can use a powerful shop vac to blow, or vacuum the water from the skimmer pipe, but need to be careful to blow out all of the water, and most cannot blow out a main drain.
If you're not sure of the success of your line blowing you can add non-toxic pool antifreeze to the pipes. For the skimmer, just pour it in. For other lines, you can use a 5 foot piece of hose, connected to a large funnel. Insert the hose through the pump or a valve, and pour in the directed amount of pool antifreeze, so that it flows into the lines (pipes).
Covering the Pool
Once the pool is clean, you should cover it as soon as possible. A clean pool will keep more of the winterizing chemicals in the water, and reward you with a faster and easier pool opening.
On a windy day, you can cover the pool immediately after cleaning the pool, leaving it open in certain areas, for access to add chemicals and plugs for the return lines or pool cleaner line. When complete, button up the pool cover.
For solid pool covers using water bags, lay them out around the pool, and drag the hose around to them. In cases where the hose is not long enough, line them up on a slight slope, insert the hose and let them fill without having to hold them.
To prevent damage to water bags, never drag the bag, or drop them from any height. To keep thirsty critters from poking holes in the bags and drinking from the fountain, set a few large bowls of water around the pool. Change the water every few weeks. Or just use Aqua Blocks.


text:
Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
At 10:39 AM 2/17/2003, you wrote:
>Hi everyone,
>I've been searching some of the sites given in our workbook and after the
>activities. As often happens, there are a few I couldn't find. I don't
>know if this is due to my own ineptitude (I'm not that great on the web)
>or because they closed down. The sig figs sites interested me because I
>was looking for a place my students could go to practice them. Some of my
>regents students still don't have the concepts down. Professor Logan's
>site off of angelfire.com looked promising, but after trying it, it seemed
>a little confusing. There were 2 others; one to practice computations
>with sig figs and one to tell the number of sig figs. Those were 2 of the
>ones I couldn't get to. Did anyone else have luck with them?
>I love the nuts and bolts analogy of electrolytes. I use nuts, bolts and
>screws when we go over atoms, molecules, etc. and this is a great way to
>extend it.
>I'm really enjoying these sessions, but I wish I was with a group rather
>than doing it by myself.
>Have a great week.Talk to you soon.
Website listings are often the whole address which is not directly
reachable. If you
Ex. (and this is fictitious) say it was
chop it down at each / until you can reach something
trying www.chem.edu/jones/model/%20example20/
then www.chem.edu/jones/model/ etc.
Often you can make sense of the links without having to type in the address
listed in your source, or it could be the website was recoded and the name
changed slightly.
Cindy Lee Duckert, email@example.com
© Annenberg Foundation 2017. All rights reserved. Legal Policy


text:
You are here: Home → Forum Home → Bumblebee forums → Gardening → Thread
29 June 2012 05:11 PM
Total Posts: 1
Joined 2012-06-29
I have to recommend these plants for the bees as they flower for so long and bees do seem to love them, even though this year I haven't had many bees in my garden. :(
Scabious, Oregano, Cat Mint, Hyssops, Pink Pop, and Salvia's. The scabious is my top plant as it flowers from March to October but does need dead heading but these flowers are very pretty in shades of lilac/blue and pink.
03 July 2012 02:34 PM #1
Hi Sarah.
Yes Scabious are excellent for the short tongued bumble's, they do flower for a long time and are very pretty too.
Good advice, as the plant doesn't grow too big either, for those with limited space.
05 July 2012 10:33 PM #2
Hi Sarah,
We find that the common or garden purple toadflax is well loved by Carder bees (B. pascuorum) - and it keeps going for ages. It is also a fairly tall narrow plant, which slowly gets bushier.
I've seen a pinkish form recently too, so colour varities may well be available.
06 July 2012 12:55 PM #3
Hi Sarah
I agree, Scabious is a great choice for a long lasting plant as long as you dead head often. I also agree that all this wet weather seems to have kept the bees in the dry :(
We tried to select different plants to (i) give different colours for a more pleasing view (ii) try to cater for long and short tongued bees (iii) add some wild flowers where possible (iv) spread the flowering time over as long a period as possible.
We only have a small garden sadly :( but along with Scabious some of the other plants we have, off the top of my head, that attract bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects are: Allium, Salvia, Snakes Head Fritillary, Cowslips, Comfrey, Wild Marjoram, Lavender, Teasel, Primrose, Cotoneaster, Campanula, Eryngium, Echinops, Hollyhock, Monarda, Pulmonaria, Penstemon, Erysimum, Ceanothus, Agapanthus, Lavatera and Buddleia.
I'm sure there are more but my memory isn't what it used to be
I had bought the Gardening for Bumblebees book a couple of years ago from BBCT which helped and some of the Buzzword issues gave some great tips but now semi retired I do some garden work for myself and have done some with my brother who's job it is full time (gardening that is ) and on one job in particular they had a great variety plants. It was easy to see which plants attracted the bees and so we bought a few of what I observed as the most bee visited species.
I hope that list helps but one last plant I didn't mention above ... brains started to remember ... is Cephalaria gigantea, a scabious-like perennial (going full circle back to Scabious) which grows to about 4 foot and which the bees seem to spend a long time on.
07 July 2012 01:29 PM #4
I have found that garden centres are great places to discover which flowers bees like best at any particular time. In fact they are great places to see a variety of bees too.
1 of 1 Pages


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Update IITheres been another update... theres alot of new functionality and way cool stuff so please refer all questions / feedback on this post
Update iMy post about SEO Site Tools was promoted to the main blog on SeoMoz (something that really doesn't happen very often) it has gotten
23,828views so far and the number continues to rise and with over
2,919clicks to the bit.ly links with over
450ishtweets in a few days im gonna say its officially gone viral... and is currently preforming the 11th most popular article in the last year on SeoMoz. the response has been awesome lets keep making this the best SEO extension on chrome!
Original PostI decided i was going to do something good for the SEO community... i wanted a SEO plugin that wouldn't just show some page data it would pull all of it and practically do your work for you. With social media the new craze I wanted a way to quickly tell if a page was going viral and show all the page meta data and tag elements without having to look at the pages source... what came out of this was SEO Site Tools extension for Chrome it pulls data from all over and are seperated into 5 sections: External Page Data, Page Elements, Social Media, Page Terms, Server / Domain Info, and Suggestions but not only that it enhances some common SEO related tools like Google Webmaster tools, Yahoo site explorer and Google analytics. So lets get into the many features my plugin provides and how it can help you with your search engine optimization...
Click to watch the demo video
Privacy Policy
This plugin does not collect any web history or site data... i had to use a few scripts i wrote on my servers but they dont save any data on the urls they analyze... if anyone is interested i can provide the source code for the script... i have plans in the future to do some opt-in tracking of usage of sections of the tool to see how i can progressively load important pieces first and wait to load others when they are needed... the data collected would be used to help provide a better user experience and would contain no history of sites visited or analyzed and would contain no personally identifying information.
External Page Data shows domain metrics link links and rank
- Linking to page and domain from Yahoo
- Page links, trust and domain trust from SeoMoz
- Alexa popularity (with graph) links
- Google index date and PageRank along with domain trends
- Dmoz listing
- SEM Rush Data
- Bing Cache Date
- Compete.com data
- Bing indexed pages
- Yahoo index pages
Social Media pulls shares and bookmarks from a number of places
- Page Diggs and Domain Diggs
- Recent tweets about the page along with total number of tweets
- Facebook shares, likes and comments
- Reddit points
- Stumble Upon Views
- Buzz Shares
- Delicious bookmarks
Page Terms displays relevant page elements to SEO
- Meta Robots
- Meta Description
- Canonical URL
- Anchor tags and follow attribute
- Header tags (H1-H5)
- Bold/Strong
- I/Em
- Meta Keywords
- Page HTTP headers
Suggestions compiles a list of on-page SEO suggestions about title tag, links on page , meta description, img alt tags,GZip Compression, meta keywords (hey it can't hurt)
Page Terms (still a work in progress) performs term extraction and lets you do keyword research with Google's keyword research tool
It also has ability to enhance Google Webmaster Tools with links anchor text, if they are followed links and mozRank (or PageRank) of linking pages
Adds Social media reactions to Google Analytics page details with Facebook shares, likes and comments as well as Delicious bookmarks and Diggs
It also adds the link and anchor text info to Yahoo Site Explorer with mozRank (or PageRank)
Heres the install link for SEO Site Tools in case you missed it above
It is still being developed so I would love any feedback you could give me on it… bother me on twitter or in the comments here and ill do my best to add any features or fix any bugs you may find
Posts about SEO Site Tools for Google Chrome...
Awesome review in Japanese... ill be trying for multilingual support soon...
German review that it does everything an SEO does in one place (rough translation)
This guy says its the reason hes been looking for to leave firefox
Nice review wrapping up all the features
Spanish review of its completeness as a all around SEO Tool
Excellent review from another guy about how how comprehensive it is
Yet another praising review with some good suggestions(soon to be implemented)
This post calls it a "Distinctive Edge" for content writers
Awesome response from all the community and if you think your article should be listed here let me know and ill add it :)
@CarterCole love the Chrome/SEO app. It's fantastic. Wanted to give constructive criticism, but it's too good. Brilliant!


text:
One year later, Father Jenkins remembers Father Hesburgh
Feb. 26, 2016
The following is a statement from Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president of the University of Notre Dame, on the one-year anniversary of the death of Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., Notre Dame's president from 1952 to 1987:
"As we mark today the one-year anniversary of the passing of Father Hesburgh, it hardly seems possible it was that long ago. But perhaps that is because his presence can tangibly be felt in so many ways still, through the results of his service to the Vatican and Church, his presence on presidential commissions, and, of course, his leadership of Notre Dame.
"Looking back to a year ago, I cherish the memory of our students lining the road to the cemetery in frigid weather conditions, the thousands who paid last respects in the Basilica, and the wonderful words spoken by national leaders at our tribute to him.
"He represented the best of Notre Dame, and we strive to live up to his example. I believe he is with God, praying for us now. We remember him with gratitude."
Tributes to Fr. Hesburgh
Walking the Walk: Fr. Ted's Enduring Legacy (Video)
Fr. Hesburgh and human rights: His legacy and our bridge to the future (Video)
Fr. Hesburgh's influence on science at Notre Dame


text:
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[VS] For Training: If You Want It, Share Your Goals
We're trying to get some training together so I'd like an idea of what sort of program we should create first. If you have some interest in some tutoring, please let us know what exactly you're looking for. Examples would be basic FPS mechanics, PS2 mechanics and UI, squad/platoon play, certification suggestions, class-specific guides, ground vehicles, air vehicles, driving off of cliffs and dying in a fire with everyone in your squad screaming, Sunderer deployment/destroyment, specific base assault/defense tactics and layout, etc. We have members who excel in all of these things and are willing to help. Please post what you're looking for!


text:
Gift Ideas from Silvert's - Unisex Alzheimer's Dresses
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Seniors who suffer from Alzheimer's and dementia often lose the ability to dress safely and independently. Silvert's line of specialty Alzheimer's apparel helps manage disrobing tendencies and reduce the pain and stress of caregiver assisted dressed.
More information about Alzheimer's clothing...
View Womens Antistrip Alzheimer's Jumpsuits


text:
WARREN, Ohio (AP) -- Undisclosed financial settlements have been negotiated for 11 men who say they were sexually abused by a Franciscan brother who taught and coached at a Catholic high school in northeast Ohio three decades ago.
Attorney Mitchell Garabedian said Wednesday the settlements involved allegations against Brother Stephen Baker at John F. Kennedy High School in Warren from 1986-90.
Because of statute of limitation issues, the cases were resolved without charges or lawsuits.
Mediation settlements involved the school, Third Order Regular Franciscans and Youngstown Catholic Diocese, which said it was unaware of the allegations until nearly 20 years after the alleged abuse.
Franciscans say they responded compassionately when notified. Baker has been removed from public ministry.
A message seeking comment from Baker was left Thursday at his Newry, Pa., monastery.


text:
Deutsche Bank said it has settled a lawsuit with the U.S. city of Los Angeles that accused the bank of allowing hundreds of foreclosed properties to deteriorate into slum conditions and destabilize communities.
"The settlement will be paid by the (loan) servicers responsible for the Los Angeles properties at issue and by the securitization trusts that hold the properties," the bank said in a statement late on Friday.
"Deutsche Bank is not contributing any funds toward the settlement," it said, without disclosing any financial details.
"Deutsche Bank did not admit any liability or wrongdoing as part of the settlement, and continues to dispute the claims asserted by the City," it added.
A statement from Los Angeles City said it has secured $10 million in civil penalties as part of settlement of the lawsuit it filed in May 2011.
During the housing boom and subsequent bust, Deutsche Bank subsidiaries acquired more than 2,000 properties in Los Angeles, according to the city's 2011 civil enforcement action.
The city accused Deutsche of becoming one of its largest "slumlords," allowing vacant properties to turn into nuisances, neglecting to maintain occupied properties, and illegally evicting low-income tenants to clear the way for a sale.
Los Angeles is one of many cities in the United States grappling with the problem of blighted properties after a wave of foreclosures that followed the housing bust.
It has passed a law requiring banks to fix the blighted homes they own, or pay a fine, but enforcing that has proven difficult.
In April this year a judge denied Deutsche Bank's bid to dismiss the lawsuit, allowing Los Angeles to proceed with its case.


text:
Audio surveillance recording devices and voice recorders are essential tools of the trade for countless professions. Having a digital record of conversations is paramount to journalists, HR representatives, speech and language teachers, and much more. Voice recorders are also perfect for college students to unburden their reliance on handwritten notes. Audio surveillance devices from BrickHouse make transferring and organizing files easy. And telephone and mobile phone recording devices are go-to audio surveillance solutions for countless law enforcement applications.
Audio surveillance equipment and hidden audio recording devices have been tools of the trade for police and private investigators for years. BrickHouse Security offers a wide variety of phone recorder and wireless audio surveillance systems than can be used not just by professionals, but also by the average consumer. Our family of audio monitoring and recording equipment can be used to covertly record suspects, or to preserve an interview or conference call. Keep track of all of your important conversations with BrickHouse's audio surveillance devices, which can be an essential part of any surveillance system for business. Read more.
A digital voice recorder can also be an invaluable asset to college students and journalists. Oftentimes those that rely on handwritten and typed notes miss essential facts and figures. With an audio surveillance device, you take the guesswork out of taking notes. Our voice recorders are capable of capturing hundreds, even thousands of hours of audio, all of which can be easily transferred to any PC and organized for easy recall. A digital voice recorder is also smaller than a cell phone, making it incredibly easy to carry with you at all times. Be ready to record at a moment's notice with a voice recorder from BrickHouse Security.
Call us to inquire about volume pricing discounts 800-654-7966


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ASPIRING rugby player Jake Lovelock will make his Twickenham debut at the age of 13 as England's national team square up to Wales in the RBS Six Nations next month.
The Kingsdown School pupil will not be wearing the white of England however – instead, he will be kitted out in the red and black of his school, in the very shirt he had a hand in creating as part of a national workshop.
As a participating institution in All Schools, England Rugby's programme to help more secondary state schools play rugby, Kingsdown was invited to ask four of its pupils to design a custom shirt to be worn on March 9 ahead of the Anglo-Welsh clash.
Initially picked as one of the four to design the shirt by PE teacher Wayne Grant, Jake's luck came in when his name was drawn out of a hat to go on and wear the shirt at Twickenham.
"My name was drawn out in an assembly for the year group and I was so excited," he said.
"My parents were quite pleased when I told them, though they want to go as well. They were happy that I get the chance to go though."
Jake plays rugby, among other sports, for the school. It was his credentials as a starter for his school team which gave him an advantage in designing the shirt, he said.
"It was just a PE lesson and because I play rugby for the school I was chosen as one of the four to go down and create a rugby shirt for the school.
"I'm a big rugby fan. I have watched some of the Six Nations already, but this is a great game to go and watch live against Wales."
The shirt was based around a chequered design, with red and black used as the predominant colours to represent Kingsdown.
A white lion was also included on the left breast to accommodate the school's logo, with white paws at the foot of the shirt on the back.
The shirt will be manufactured by Canterbury, England's official kit supplier, and made available for Jake to wear on the day.
Twickenham can seat 82,000 spectators, with the venue expected to sell out for such a huge clash.
The number of people looking on is an exciting prospect for Jake, who lives in Callaghan Close, though nerves are beginning to creep in.
"I have never been before, so I don't know what to expect. I am excited, but nervous because there are so many people there."
The shirts will be revealed by the pupils on the pitch as they appear alongside soprano Laura Wright who will sing the national anthems ahead of the clash between the rival nations.


text: Ken Lanci Cleveland mayoral candidate Ken Lanci talks with Crain's reporter Jay Miller. Comments Email Print September 29, 2013 Updated Related LinksThe Big Issue: March 14, 2011What happens if we're no longer witnesses? Morning Roundup Business headlines from Crain's Cleveland Business and other Ohio newspapers — delivered FREE to your inbox every morning. Sign up for the Morning Newsletter.


text:
Demand for green IT products has increased impressively over the past few years, according to new research from Forrester. Back in 2007, only 25 percent of companies had a list of green criteria for technology purchases, whereas 60 percent now have such requirements. Notably, the biggest driver for purchasing green is to cut costs, rather than to be a good environmental steward -- yet many companies are still struggling to find an ROI from embracing green IT.
Although both awareness of and demand for green IT products are high, economic hardships -- and perhaps some skepticism as to the true ROI of green tech -- pose significant barriers to adoption, according to the latest in Forrester's series "The State of Green IT Adoption. "Our survey found a significant jump (from 29 percent to 40 percent) in the number of companies stating that a lack of a clear business case or return on investment (ROI) is a factor in not having a plan in place," the report says. "Many companies remain cautious as the broader economy appears to slowly stagger out of recession, and budgets are likely to remain tight in the short to medium term."
[ Learn more about the ROI of green IT -- and discover the sustainability secrets of InfoWorld's 2010 Green 15 winners. | Keep up on green IT trends with InfoWorld's Sustainable IT blog. ]
Those companies that are embracing green tech are doing it for varying reasons. The top drive remains doing more with less: 79 percent of respondents said that improving IT efficiency was a high or critical priority.
Forrester also reports a "renewed emphasis on green criteria in 2010, driven partly by increased regulation (whether implemented or expected) and partly by pressure from buyers on their supplier ecosystem to comply with the sourcing standards laid out in their corporate sustainability strategies and goals."
Meanwhile -- likely a reflection of economic hardships -- fewer companies report they're embracing green IT for the sake of environmental stewardship, according to the report: That number has dropped from 50 percent in October 2007 to just 30 percent now.
[ Some companies report that green IT premiums are worth the cost. ]
The most widely adopted green IT initiatives within the data center, according to the report, involve virtualization and consolidation; 68 percent of the respondents said they've already embraced those technologies, while another 22 percent said they plan to do it by 2011. In a similar vein -- that is, freeing up wasted space and IT gear in the data center -- 30 percent of respondents said they're already eliminated redundant applications, and another 35 percent are planning to do so in the next two years.


text:
TROWBRIDGE pilots John Jackson and Paula Walker underlined their improvement as they claimed two more top 10 finishes in the FIBT Bobsleigh World Cup finish in Utah.
Paxcroft Mead's Jackson, who finished 10th in the opening round of the four-man series at Lake Placid last week, bettered that in the two-man event at Park City with brakeman John Baines, finishing ninth on Friday night.
The duo had suffered a disappointing opening round in Lake Placid, where they finished 23rd, but enjoyed a superb opening run tonight, their 48.74 enough to see them lying in third place at the halfway stage.
They were unable to replicate that in the second run, clocking 48.94 as they slipped down the field.
But he said on Twitter: "What an amazing race today. A 9th place finish, with the top 10 covered by less than .4 of a second. Bobsleigh at its best.''
Jackson followed up in the four-man event as he and his team finished a superb sixth on Saturday night.
Meanwhile Walker, who finished sixth in the opening round of the women's two-man series at Lake Placid last week, claimed ninth at Park City with brakewoman Gillian Cooke on Friday.
The duo were seventh after a first run of 49.85 seconds, but slipped back a couple of spots with a slower second outing of 50.38.
Walker said on Twitter: "Today wasn't so great but this is the sport, you make a mistake and you pay.
"Last year I would have grabbed 9th with two hands & smiled. It just shows how far GB have come.''


text:
Talk:Grand Rapids, Michigan
From Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia
I used to live in G.R. and it really is a wonderful city. It is a little absurd but I guess that is okay here! Tell me what you think. Sorry for the kinda crude parts (if you disliked them.)
edit Better stuff.
We could come up with more/better stuff, such as more groups of people downtown, around Plainfield township, and near the river, and not just in Forest Hills. And not so many inside jokes about your friends and girls you're trying to hit on. We could also make jokes about the Caulder statues around the city. And the joke about Forest Hills being the only one, not funny. And not just because I went to Northview.
edit Hi there
I just joined Uncyclopedia, saw this entry and couldn't resist the temptation to help the world learn about Grand Rapids. I've lived here for most of my life and have also worked here some too. I've added some information detailing the history of Grand Rapids and detailing local news events--going for more of a satirical angle, which I hope is acceptable here! Seeing as I created links to non-existent pages, I'd like to get to work on making those.--QuantumDriver 06:07, 24 June 2006 (UTC)
edit Looks great
Yeah, the basic structure that I made this on wasn't very funny. It was just a quick thing I put together. I like the add-ons. They are very funny and gives it more of feel of G.R.
edit Pic
That pic brings a tear to my eye. Its makes this article that much better. Great job.
:: applauds ::
edit Article Still Centered Around Teenagers
But that aside, this article is now about Grand Rapids. Funny bullshit is better than simply bullshit. I am so tempted to change the whole "teenage clicks found in the area" section, but I guess I'll just leave it for now. The truth is, Grand Rapids is a moderately boring city of about a half million people in the metro and surrounding area that worships Gerald R Ford and is generally filled with well-off Dutch Republicans. If your name doesn't start with van or de, or end in -stra-sma-sema-ma,then you're a minority. Jobs are scarce and the closest thing to fame they have is that fuck who wrote American Pie and Mustard Plug. The Pie guy moved to Hollywood and MP is barely a band anymore. And the politics are hilarious, no need to invent a King and Queen: we have the DeVoses. Dick and Betsy. They do rule the city, no?
They certainly do. Great changes, my only objection was removal of my attempts to correlate Amway with pyramids... 'cause, you know... that's kind of what type of scheme it is, plus the actual article on Amway seems more critical (which, of course, is justified) than humorously satirical. --QuantumDriver 00:51, 5 August 2006 (UTC)
Correction: no, not critical, not satirical, mostly just random and stupid I guess. Maybe that's just me though. --QuantumDriver 00:52, 5 August 2006 (UTC)
- Ah! I missed this! The pyramids must be brought back. Reminds me of the pyramid building in the East, though, but isn't that a Steelcase office? (I will add the pyramids back! Great idea!)
edit December 2012
clean-up gut-and-paste
This article has deteriorated into listcruft and vanity. I'm cleaning it up. But first, deleting the following:
- "In response to the post below ... Oh My!!! What a rude and confused individual. You are obviously confused as to what and who a Dictator/Socialist is ... It is not the Devos Family or even the Van Andel Family. They are the two families most responsible for revitalizing Downtown Grand Rapids with their many many millions of Dollars in Donations!!! The Dictators/Socialists are the liberal Democrats that have tried their hardest to ruin the West Michigan area. PS. If you can't have an arguement without Calling Names, then maybe you should refrain from even talking." —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 22.214.171.124 (talk • contribs)
That went in two years ago and you "editors" haven't touched it. Listen, honey; that below isn't a "post" and this isn't a "blog," it's an encyclopedia article, or at least is supposed to look like one. And you aren't funny. Spıke Ѧ 02:36 16-Dec-12
Well, that was fun! There was so much to mine in the Wikipedia article--Newsweek declared G.R. a "dying city"--how ironic! It's a shame you guys spent so much time on what dorks your classmates are.
Now, I would appreciate if someone on-site would upload more illustrations, such as a bum-scape from Wealthy [sic] Street, or perhaps the drive-thru of the Adobe In-'N-Out, if it's still there. Spıke Ѧ 16:18 16-Dec-12
Also--anyone--What has Douglas Adams to do with Grand Rapids? Spıke Ѧ 14:05 29-Dec-12


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Is your job making you fat?
For transportation workers, that answer is a resounding "yes," but for farmers, the answer is "maybe."
New data from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which took into account a random sample of 138,438 employees aged 18 or over, found that one in four farming, fishing or forestry workers are obese.
"This group performs best on two of the top predictors of obesity -- healthy eating and exercise, which is likely due to the physical nature of their work," Gallup concluded.
Gallup also named "farming, fishing or forestry" as the best occupation for exercising at least 30 minutes daily and eating healthy through the day. However, safety remains an issue.
More than one-third of transportation workers -- 36.4 percent -- were found to be obese. Physicians had the lowest obesity rate -- 14 percent.
With physicians being so low, it may be that knowledge of health-related issues plays a role as well.
Click here to read more about the Index or to see the findings.


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What is this Palooza we speak of?
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An excerpt from www.HouseOfNames.com archives copyright © 2000 - 2017
Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in Oldham, in Lancashire. This was a town near the city of Manchester; it has since been absorbed by that city. The place-name Oldham is derived from the Old English elements old, which means old, and ham, which means farm. The place-name therefore translates as "the old farm." Alternatively, Oldham could have meant "dweller by the long-cultivate river flat." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Oldeghan Early Origins
Lancashire at Oldham, an enfranchised borough, a parochial chapelry, and the head of a union, in the parish of Prestwich, hundred of Salford. Now part of Greater Manchester, the first record of the placename was found in 1226-1228 when it was listed as Aldholm. [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4) "Oldham was for a long period celebrated for the manufacture of hats, which was established so early as the fifteenth century." [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. Another possible origin of the name was found. "This place [(Werneth, Lancashire) which adjoins to the town of Oldham], anciently Fernet, was held in the reign of Henry III. by Alwardus de Aldholme, founder of the family of Oldham. His daughter and co-heiress conveyed the manor to the Cudworths, a branch of a Yorkshire family; and from them the estate passed by sale to Sir Ralph Assheton, of Middleton." [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. We can only assume that both sources are referring to that same family at different times. Early rolls list the first record of the name not in Lancashire but as Achard de Aldeham in the Feet of Fines for Kent. Richard de Oldham was listed in Lancashire in 1384. [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X) The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Agnes de Oldom and Robertus de Oldom. [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Oldeghan Spelling Variations
Oldeghan Spelling Variations
Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Oldeghan family name include Oldham, Oldum, Oldan, Oldhams and others.
Oldeghan Early History
Oldeghan Early History
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oldeghan research. Another 207 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1486, 1480, 1505, 1486, 1480, 1452, 1519, 1653 and 1683 are included under the topic Early Oldeghan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Oldeghan Early Notables (pre 1700)
Oldeghan Early Notables (pre 1700)
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oldeghan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The Great Migration
The Great Migration
For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Oldeghan surname or a spelling variation of the name include: John Oldham (c.1600-1636) who emigrated to Plymouth in 1623, was involved in establishing the unsuccessful settlement on Cape Ann (1626), and was murdered by the Pequot in an event leading to the Pequot War (1637). Thomas Oldham settled in New England in 1635.
Oldeghan Family Crest Products
Oldeghan Family Crest Products
See Also
See Also
Other References
The Oldeghan Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Oldeghan Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.
This page was last modified on 29 February 2016 at 15:33.
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It will be fun seeing some of the old-timers back in uniform. Not sure it's two and a half hours worth of fun.
I'm sure some of the players will be mic'd up and no doubt interviewed while on the bench. I just hope that the broadcast doesn't become more about the televising crew (Pierre) than about the players on the ice. I worry that it will.
They'd better have Lauren Hart sing the national anthems today and Monday. And not some TV quasi-celeb who doesn't know his/her ear-hole from his/her elbow pad.
Does anybody else think there's at least a small chance that a couple of the knuckleheads in this alumni game will actually fight? A fake fight right off the opening faceoff would be funny and appropriate.
Three things:
1) In case you missed it earlier, Sean Avery cleared waivers at noon. Guess the Islanders weren't that desperate.
2) I was told that Carl Hagelin was asked if he wanted to switch his number from 62 now that he's probably here to stay, and that he declined.
3) Also in case you missed it, Michael Del Zotto (aka Del Zaster; copyright eric) and Tomas Kopecky were each fined $2,500 for their incident at the end of last night's game. The NHL is cracking down on head shots … blah, blah, blah, blah. Wake me up when they get serious about it.


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famousfotografy says: "Pinkfloydxxx flexes her muscle and flashes her steel in this fantasy-based photo set. Beware the woman scorned!"
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I acquired an old, drab wing back chair (look below for the before picture) at the local D.I., a thrift store here in Utah. I paid $8.00 for it. Then, fear got the best of me, and I left the chair in my garage for almost an entire YEAR. (Yes, this was a sore subject with the hubsters for awhile).
I. was. terrified. The unknown is always scary. What if I ruin it? What if I can't figure out how to put the fabric back on? What if it looks terrible when I get done? Well, I started observing my friend Jen (who ROCKS, by the way, and it happens to be her BIRTHDAY today…Happy Birthday JEN!)
After watching Jen upholster a few chairs, I figured I had two choices: I can either TRY or NOT TRY. I knew I might FAIL, but then again I might NOT FAIL. I took an $8.00 risk (quite a small risk, I realize now looking back) and started tearing the chair apart.
The chair was quite ugly to begin with, and I threw all my worries away and got to work.
Now that I have a few chairs under my belt, I am getting more confident. I love getting together with friends and laughing while we reupholster chairs for each other. We chit chat, drink diet coke, and tear chairs apart. Ha ha.
Every chair that I do is different. Every one has a different challenge. I love to see someone's face when they find out that I reupholstered the chair myself.
Upholstering a wing back chair can be a challenge, but you can save a LOT of money by upholstering a chair yourself, and I LOVE that I have a custom item that cannot be found in any store. I love browsing fabrics. I can't get enough of it! The perfect fabric can add a lot of character, class, and can customize your space.
When you choose a custom fabric for an old furniture item, make sure that you choose one that you LOVE. Don't settle for just any old fabric. There are way too many amazing choices out there.
Fabrics help tie together your designs. It helps the room to feel finished. When you put the perfect pillow on your couch, it will add texture and make the room come alive. I loved the tone of yellow and cream in the fabric for this project. In fact, upholstering a chair for this room has been on my "to do" list for months.
After you remove the fabric from your furniture, lay it out on your new fabric and use it as a pattern. Leave a few inches around the outside when you cut it out.
Then, piece by piece, staple the new fabric onto your chair. I use a compressor with an air staple gun. It is a much easier option to get the staples in tight.
The sides of the wing back chairs must be pulled tight and stapled around the arms. As you can see in the picture to the left, the staples are about 2 inches away from the outside edges of the chair. We stapled in this area purposely. When you place your upholstered pieces over the top of this, you don't want your staples to show underneath.
I have made the mistake of stapling too close to the outside edge a few times and it is always frustrating when you can see the staples.
Just be careful to leave extra room.
Also, make sure that you pull the fabric as tight as you can. I always upholster with someone else. This way, one person can pull the fabric tight, and the other person can staple it tightly into place.
If you missed my reupholster 101 and my top ten upholstery tips, check it out.
Also, if you are wondering how much fabric you will need, check out my fabric upholstery guide post.
Overall, the cost of this bad boy was $8.00 at the thrift store and 7 yards of fabric. I never buy expensive fabric. I think this fabric was $7.99 per yard. The chair cost less than $70.00 total.
It comes to show, practicing furniture upholstery can only mean you will get better at it with time. There have been a few times where I wanted to throw in the towel, but it has always been worth it in the end!
The fabric for this wing back chair came from Home Fabrics and Rugs in Las Vegas. You might recognize the fabric from my Master Bedroom. I bought the fabric over a year ago, so I don't think the fabric is still available, but you might be able to use this chair as the inspiration for another similar pattern.
Here is another reminder of the before and after picture of this bad boy:
Do you like it?


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Victims Need More Options!
Victims trying to escape abuse often face economic insecurity, poverty and increased safety risks. In the District of Columbia a domestic violence related emergency call is received every 17 minutes and in 2010, more than 30,000 calls were logged by the Metropolitan Police Department emergency dispatch.
DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence (DCCADV) helps fill the gaps in victim emergency response by providing emergency assistance, information referral and resources to victims of domestic violence. Our emergency assistance program has helped victims with relocation and eviction prevention. We also coordinate several citywide relief efforts every year helping victims and their families access resources that can potentially save lives with such as emergency cell phones and gifts to offer a little hope during the holiday season.


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Results 1 to 20 of 24
GW2 after the initial hype/bugs/etc
Hey all,
me and my wife are considering getting GW2 for xmas. We waited a while to see how it goes after launch, since nowadays it's quite risky with MMOs... (SWTOR anyone?)
We've spent some time watching videos on youtube about different classes and stuff, reviews yada yada, so we are pretty much sold, but still i wanted to ask for an honest opinion on the quality and state of the game nowadays.
So, is it as good as they say? Is it worth the 42 euros? Is the support/patching good? Is the population stable? ...
Share your impressions--
-- V. Don Quixote. Tyler Durden. Donnie Darko. Martin Sillenus. Maynard. Rorschach. You. Me.
I can only speak for myself here, but I really like the game. So please keep that in mind when reading the rest of what I have to say, I might be biased.
First of all, I would not recommend the game to someone who is solely interested in the main plot or looking for an engaging personal story. I have only reached the last few missions of a plot line with my main character, a Norn Warrioress. The starting areas and the introductory quests are nicely done and that holds true for nearly every class and race (haven't tried Humans yet). The further personal story quests then proceed to not get into your way if you don't want them to, they are absolutely optional. However, this also lead me to ignore them for a long time because I simply didn't feel that they were very interesting. So there's that.
However, I absolutely adore the general feeling of the game. The way you get rewarded for nearly anything you do (killing enemies, doing small quests, gathering materials, even map exploration) immediately gave me a sense of freedom to do whatever I'd like to do without missing out on possibilities to progress my character. Of course, some quests or tasks might be similar, like "Clean up that farm" and "Help that NPC to clear out that scrap yard". If you hang around the same area for a long time you'll also run into the same dynamic event a couple of times, but that never bothered me too much.
Populationwise, it depends on what you are looking for. If you've already got a guild with some buddies then maybe there is no decision to make. But if you are interested in an active PvP community (important for WvWvW mostly, sPvP shouldn't be an issue), I'd say check out a couple of servers with an intermediate ranking. Some servers are already pretty dead when it comes to server-vs-server fighting (and there are some good reasons for that too) or are struggling to keep up their numbers. More than anything, that's what wins matches at the moment: sheer numbers. We've got some issues with the size of the WvWvW playerbase ourselves at Gunnar's Hold (home to Rock, Paper, Signet - EU server) but most of the people that participate in WvWvW don't care too much about the score. On the plus side, we've got an excellent and organised community to rely on.
What's more to say? The game is currently still in a phase of settling down - that's the impression I got. Patches are coming in regularly, as well as exta content and holiday events which are good fun. What I mean with "settling down" is that ArenaNet is still trying to figure out how to best cater to the different tastes of their player base. Recently there was a big discussion about the addition of an extra tier of gear, which many people feared would be the beginning of a gear treadmill. Personally, I don't care so much about getting the top-tier gear straight away on all my characters, so that's mostly a non-issue for me. Same goes for skill balancing and changes to dungeons and instances. As long as I've got access to anything I'd like to experience, I am happy. And that is still the case. Expect more updates in the future though, at the moment one cannot really say where things are going with paid-for expansion either (which have been announced to happen at some point in the future).
Finally, considering the community, there should be lots of people at various levels and stages of the game. Down-scaling is something that allows higher level characters to return to areas with lower level requirements without letting them mow down everything, so it's unlikely you won't be able to find people to play with. If you are looking for an EU server, we are more than happy to take you in, even if it is only for a trial (at the moment you can switch servers every seven days without any fee).
All in all, I'd say the game is worth it's cost, at least for me. No idea how other people - especially ex-WoWers - feel about it.
Edit: I also wanted to say that the game is really beautiful and full of little details. If you get something out of wandering through the game world looking at scenery, then you'll most certainly enjoy GW2.
Last edited by Squiz; 06-12-2012 at 01:25 PM.
This is a post maninly about WvWvW & the server we play (Gunnar's Hold)
I don't play all that much, usually only in the mornings or evenings doing WvW.. I got bored of the PvE pretty quick.. And that's coming from me, someone who only plays MMOs for the PvE, as I usually hate PvP.
WvW has a different feel to it, its just so awesome having lots of players by your side fighting back the enemy and taking keeps 24/7.
Also with it being free to play, it's just another one of those games where you can pick it up and put it back down whenever you please, the initial cost is there sure, but you can log in whenever you like.
:Edit: We may not have the biggest and best WvW playerbase, but the community is there, and that's what is keeping me playing.. The community mumble is just so much fun.
Last edited by Malfious; 06-12-2012 at 01:57 PM.GW2: Malfious - Elementalist
Thanks for the info squirrel!
I guess it's as good as i imagine it to be (i actually tried the beta, seemed good but had hardware problems so i couldn't play for more than a couple of minutes).
We are both ex wow-players with my wife, and i am ex-almost-anything player (played tons of UO, EVE, WoW, gazillion of other mp or sp games). We like having fun, exploring, dungeons and PvP, everything that a wow-like MMO could provide. I am more of a fan of open world games, such as UO or EVE, where death has it's consequences, you can kill and rob everyone, etc... but i can also enjoy more "softcore" games. My wife loves exploring and achievements most, i guess, in mmos.
However, we are getting old, have kids and stuff, so we probably lack the time to dedicate on super-hardcore play such as WoW would require for top-tier raids etc. So if GW2 requires that (playing 4-5 hours straight to kill 2 bosses on a raid) we will probably not participate.
I have played GW1 a bit, and i liked how items had no big importance, especially in pvp where you could just get the top items and go with them, with "farming" only being important for cosmetics. Is that still the case with GW2 or is it more item-centry in a wow-like fashion?
Another thing: About the "no tanks, no healers" thing - does it really work? I love games that try to break the holy trinity of tank-healer-dps, but they usually fail (Vanguard and Conan?)...
And while we are speaking about classes - are the classes balanced or there are some underdogs and imbas? What class are you / have you played?--
-- V. Don Quixote. Tyler Durden. Donnie Darko. Martin Sillenus. Maynard. Rorschach. You. Me.
I'll go through those questions one after another:
- Dungeons usually don't take longer than 2 hours, if you are new to them. Repeated runs are much quicker, 30mins - 1 hour is my personal experience. I don't do a lot of dungeoneering, so maybe one of the other guild mates can say a bit more about that.
- Gear progression is not as bad as it is in WoW, but it is a bit more pronounced than in GW1. You usually progress your gear at the same pace you progress in level. Apart from the absolute maximum stats gear everything is pretty cheap to buy on the Trading Post as well, so you don't really need to farm to get better stuff.
- About the "holy trinity": Every class has self-heals and combo-fields that grant special effects, also defensive ones, to yourself and others when combined with certain skills, but there is no dedicated healer role. Some classes can actually tank (like Warriors for example), but there is no "tanking" mechanisms per se, no single character can soak up all the damage a boss dishes out, everyone needs to look after him/herself, but also after others. Getting downed players up is very important in higher level instances, especially dungeons, which are capped at 5 players. Teamplay is mandatory.
- Finally class balance. At the moment, some classes have very strong builds available (Thiefs and Guardians come to mind), but every class is viable. In PvP class dominance heavily depends on the matchup. I've seen as many strong Engineer builds as I've seen Necromancers or Mesmers or Warriors or Guardians or whatever. Personally, I have played Warrior to 80, Thief to 80, Ranger to 80, Mesmer to ~30-40, a new Engineer to ~15 and a bit of Guardian to ~8. All were/are fun to play in my experience.
Nice, sounds good to me.
We'll most likely join you guys when we get the game, around x-mas. We'll be playing a guardian and ranger, i suppose.
As for the PvE - So there's no raids like in wow? And with no tanking mechanics, the bosses/mobs are designed to work well? How is "aggro" treated - the AI? Do they attack at random or do they try to go for weaker heroes or what?--
-- V. Don Quixote. Tyler Durden. Donnie Darko. Martin Sillenus. Maynard. Rorschach. You. Me.
Concerning aggro, I'll just link to the wiki-article, as I can't say with certainty how the exact mechanism works. My impression is that initial aggro is drawn by the person attacking a mob but can then shift to another character if the initiator of a fight disengages.
Last edited by Squiz; 06-12-2012 at 04:40 PM.
As you say you both enjoy exploring I'd say the game is worth buying for that alone. The world is huge and gorgeous with lots of little secrets to find, sights to see, events to stumble into, mini dungeons to battle through, jumping puzzles to solve and so on. By the time you've leveled up you should feel that you've already gotten your money's worth and had a good time along the way.
The long term end game goals might feel a bit more grindy but only if you're after very specific pieces of equipment, like fancy exotic gear (for looks) or ascended items (only needed for the fractal dungeons on high difficulty). You can access and complete any content in the game without having to upgrade any gear and nothing is gated.
There are lots of other such fights (most zones have at least one big event) and they scale depending on how many players are participating.
edit again:
As for aggro, mobs generally seem to go for the player that's closest to them. Sometimes they'll "stick" to one target and chase it around but there seems to be a lot of factors going into it and it's not easy to predict who's going to be attacked next. There's also the fact that attacks for both players and mobs are either cone attacks or area of effect, so if you're standing in front of a big bad boss you're likely to get hit even if you're not specifically the one who has aggro.
That may sound like fights would end up being chaotic and random and they often do, but every class has plenty of ways to either disengage from combat or take a few hits. As has already been mentioned, getting knocked down and reviving people is very much part of how big fights work in GW2, so even if you're squishy it's not the end of the world if a big bad boss takes an interest in you.
Last edited by Skalpadda; 06-12-2012 at 05:25 PM.
Cheers for all the details.
One more thing: Pay 2 Win - What's the situation with the notorious f2p/p2w model? I know you can buy gems or whatever with real money, but what can you buy with those? Do they give a real advantage over others or is it just cosmetics and/or faster exp?--
-- V. Don Quixote. Tyler Durden. Donnie Darko. Martin Sillenus. Maynard. Rorschach. You. Me.
It is not pay2win if you don't count XP booster as that. The Gem Store entry on the GW2 Wiki has (nearly) all items listed that are for sale, so you can have a look for yourself if you'd like to get an impression what kind of stuff is available. Apart from buying gems for real money, you can also get them with in-gamw currency. However, the exchange rate of gems/in-game currency (not gems/$) is not fixed and has been rising (i.e. gotten worse) since launch.
During the first weeks after launch I have bought several bank expansion slots (really handy to have) and one additional character slot with gems (which I got for gold). At that time the exchange rate was at ~20 silver for 100 gems. Now it is at ~2 gold (200 silver) for 100 gems. No idea why I didn't invest more money back then, I could cry myself to sleep over that. It should be said that prices may be that high at the moment because Wintersday (Christmas event) is coming and people expect new and fancy items to be available at the gem store.
By the way, getting the game for Christmas might be a good idea, since you then can experience an in-game event/holiday season right away. I always loved those in GW1 and Halloween in GW2 has also been great.
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I played a lot at launch and then took a break before recently getting back into it. I'd put that down more to my play style, work, and a raft of single player games I was eagerly awaiting more than the game though.
Real money stores always get me worried but so far the GW2 one appears relatively benign. Most items are cosmetic or account service upgrades (bank slots, character slots). While you can get gems for in game gold the exchange rate is high enough that your not likely to be able to do this before you're in the end game and more free to accumulate large sums. I've certainly not spent any real money on it so far and don't feel like I'm missing out much if anything.
About the only iffy part is the black lion chest/key combination. Chests drop from game quite often but getting keys is hard outside the gem shop. That said the contents of the chests isn't earth shattering and you wont miss out of fall behind if you just ignore them.
If your sticking to just PVE then there are a couple of places where I've found the levelling rate to be a bit off compared to the expected progression through the zones. I get the feeling they assumed you would do the dungeons as soon as they unlocked (they tend to award at least a level when you first do them).
Throw in some PVP, sPVP, crafting (worth quite decent XP), exploring, jump puzzles etc. and everything flows a lot better. I guess the moral of that story is not to get to focused in on powering through the events take some time to see what else the game offers as you go.
I've only played the elementalist to any significant level and it's pretty good. It does tend to fall back on a fixed rotation with a few emergency buttons (but that's pretty much true of any MMO). Where it is better than most is that even the cloth classes have defensive tricks and self healing. You can spec out to glass cannon if you want but even then it's more stompy than most MMOs. Spec for defensive and you can take a fair beating.
It also has some truly impressive combos and abilities that are fun to watch (lighting scepter/dagger is particularily flashy).
I play mage types in every game I can and I'd rate GW2 as the best MMO incarnation for flexibility and fun.
Personal Story
I quite like the personal story. The writings a bit basic in places and the missions don't tend to deviate too much from what you get in the normal PVE events but it gives a nice bit of story over your progression and helps drive you from zone to zone.
It does have a problem that later stages sometimes don't respect earlier stages. But that's been confined to simply not respecting the fact you've actually met some characters before and once where the description of past events didn't match what actually happened in those events. It was all pretty minor stuff though.
I do like that each race gets multiple starting story paths and that once the race arcs merge into the overall story arc it still has a number of branch points so that alts don't have to do all the same missions.
GW one was very well supported over the years and I don't see any sign that their doing anything less for GW2.
I've not had too many serious bugs. Never been hit by a hard blocker and only crashed to desktop a couple of times.
There are however a reasonable number of little glitches. I've stuck in terrain a couple times (map travel or /stuck and do nothing for 30secs to fix) coming out of cinematics, there has been an occasional time where spoken dialog is missing, etc. Nothing too serious and generally not worth much more than a <tsk> noise and moving on.
The biggest problem for me at the moment is Lions Arch. It's become the main city hub for the game and loading into it can take some time (a minute or 2 for me). Once in it runs fine however (and is fantastic to explore and look at).
Heh. The other people in this thread have already pretty much perfectly articulated what I was going to say, so I'll keep it simple:
Guild Wars 2 has something for everyone. People who claim that it's just another 'run-of-the-mill MMO' either have not played it at all, or have played it a little while without actually attempting to get involved in the community.
This game is an MMO and playing it with other people (namely the members of our RPS guild and the wider server community) has made by time with it very, very enjoyable. I've been playing the game from launch and I don't have decent loot, only one character at maximum level and am generally pretty shit with my class, but the whole attitude of the game lends itself so well to social play that I can discard all of my own fallacies and have a good 3 or 4 hour romp in its WvWvW zones after work.
Ordered yesterday... See you soon!--
-- V. Don Quixote. Tyler Durden. Donnie Darko. Martin Sillenus. Maynard. Rorschach. You. Me.
Great -- hope to see you in game soon! :-)GW2: Saphnabylni & co.
Concerning your guild and server - what's the population like? Also, the guild style? Is it serious, casual, mixed, pvp, pve, organized or completely anarchic ... ?--
-- V. Don Quixote. Tyler Durden. Donnie Darko. Martin Sillenus. Maynard. Rorschach. You. Me.
I'd say the guild is mixed, some of us prefer PvE, others PvP or a mix, it's organised like a herd of cats, but if you want to do something then advertise in guild chat or on these forums and usually you'll find someone willing to join in. If the guild chat looks a little empty at times it's because we are busy, but we are always on hand for advice and talking utter rubbish (at least in my case).
Server population is fine, it's not a ghost town, and when an area gets too busy then players are shunted into cross-server overflows (be careful, you could end up in Spanish Lion's Arch and be forced to take a siesta).
The main advantage of the game for me is the lack of a monthly fee, some weeks I just don't have the time, but I don't feel like I'm wasting money like in WoW and I play at a much more leisurely pace. Overall, I've found the game to be friendlier and much less progression focused than my previous MMOs.
That's mainly why we are interested in it aswell - i hate feeling guilty because i am not playing game X for which i pay 15 bucks per month, every night.
TBH P2P MMOs are probably done for. I doubt anything major will ever come out again with that business model. Which is only good, if the f2p is done elegantly and p2win is avoided.--
-- V. Don Quixote. Tyler Durden. Donnie Darko. Martin Sillenus. Maynard. Rorschach. You. Me.
- Join Date
- Sep 2012
- Posts
- 2
Heya, just thought I'd offer my perspective. Also someone with a family, and all that. My gaming history in recent times seems quite similar to yours, Hunchback: lots of WoW, anyway! I'm currently on a break from GW2, where I play an engineer called Even Orizon in the RPS guild. I played from release at a pretty constant couple hours a night for the first month: came back for the Halloween event, briefly, then back for the Lost Shores event, and hung around for a while after that, too. I was initially persuaded to buy, having been meaning to wait, like you, until the game was established, by the company's attitude to promoting in-game decency -- handing out bans for bad behaviour and cheating fairly aggressively -- which led me to believe the game might be a more pleasant place to play than most online environments. Happily, that has been my experience over all.
My main activity at first was dungeons, which I found totally compelling after years of WoW's mechanics. The group dynamics can be really fascinating once you find a role and master your class, though the learning curve is pretty punishing. Sometimes it just doesn't work, the combinations of class, playstyle, and abilities fails. But that's rare. Some of the new fractals dungeons represent the best content -- I hate that term, actually, but there it is -- I've ever encountered in an online game, or in gaming full stop. Several of the set-piece encounters are just beautifully designed, with a flair which recalls the good old days of table-top RPGs. WvWvW, too, can beat absolutely anything on offer in WoW or any other MMO I've played, when it's good, which it often is.
What makes the game really stand out are the collaborative encounters you can get into with strangers. WvW is great for that: hooking up with a random new friend to achieve minor victories around the edge of the main struggle is really satisfying, and the big battles, even when they are losing struggles, can provide opportunities for heroic and collective battling which are incredibly intense. The RPS community is friendly, large, and quirky. There are lots of silent members, but enough who contribute to guild chat and activities that you never feel wholly alone, and Gunnar's Hold is an excellent server, much underrated by those who play there, largely because of its lack of success in WvW. As others have pointed out, this just doesn't matter when you are actually engaged in fighting for short-term objectives.
Anyway, I'm getting distracted -- prevaricating from doing some work. I wanted to say, more than anything, that this is the friendliest MMO for mature gamers I've played. You can put it down and pick it up without feeling that the game's left you behind. It's compelling but not particularly addictive, certainly not exploitative like WoW -- I just spent a few hours in Pandaria on the free trial, climbing back onto my Druid, and found the game utterly hollow, almost vindictively so. GW2 has changed my expectations; made me a better gamer, reminding me of what we are entitled to expect from the enormous exercise of human commitment and creativity that is poured into designing MMOs. It's far from perfect, but it's a welcome dose of strong coffee after the endless drooling ketamine highs of Warcraft and its clones.
- Join Date
- Jul 2011
- Posts
- 307
[off topic] What about TESO? You think that will have only a box price, like GW2?GW2: Saphnabylni & co.


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The Raymarine 60STV HD makes High Definition underway satellite TV a reality for boats 50 feet and larger. With a larger 24" (60 cm) antenna for enhanced signal acquisition, the 60STV HD is the perfect choice for ocean-going fishing, cruising and sailing boats alike. The high performance 60STV HD extends the range of satellite coverage ever further offshore than smaller units and offers enhanced satellite tracking in regions prone to weaker satellite signals.
Compatible with Hight Definition programming from DirecTV, the 60STV delivers stunning digital programming to your boat underway or at the dock. Raymarine's exclusive Wide Range Search algorithms and Dynamic Beam Tilting (DVB) technologies make satellite acquisition and tracking fast, steady and reliable in even the most extreme weather conditions. 60STV HD's standard NMEA 0183 GPS interface further reduces acquisition time by allowing the High Definition Antenna Control Unit (ACU) to know exactly where the boat is positioned in relationship to the broadcast satellites.
Fully stabilized to counter the motion of the boat while underway, 60STV HD also features conical scanning for maintaining the strongest possible signal, and a unique rotating sub-reflector the minimizes the need for constant dish movement resulting in much quieter operation than competitive units.
The 60STV HD's standard dual LNBs offer support for multiple receivers, while its simplified cabling makes installation easy.
The 60STV HD Satellite Television Antenna System includes the 60STV HD antenna, high definition antenna control unit, interconnect cables, mounting hardware, template and instructions. (Satellite TV receiver, programming subscription and television required, not included.)
Outstanding Features Include:
60STV HD Satellite TV Antenna System Specifications
Antenna system performance Frequency Ku-band (10.7 to 12.75 GHz) Antenna gain 36 dBi Minimum EIRP 47 dBW Azimuth range 680° Elevation range 5° ~ +90° Roll and pitch range Roll ± 25°, Pitch ± 15° Roll and pitch tracking 45° per second Roll and pitch rate 45° per second
Approvals FCC- verified to CFR47: Part 15
Dimensions Satellite antenna unit 698mm x 719 mm (27.5 x 28.3 ins) Antenna dish diameter 600 mm (24 ins) Antenna control unit 195 mm x 225 mm x 65 mm (7.6 x 8.8 x 2.5 ins). Dual LNBF RF input frequency range 12.1 ~ 12.7 GHZ IF output frequency range 950 ~ 1450 MHz Local oscillator frequency stability 11250 + 4 MHz (max) over temperature and life Local oscillator jump @ 13/18 V switching 2.5 KHz (max) Local oscillator phase noise -50 dBc/Hz @ 1 KHz maximum, -75 dBc/Hz @ 10 KHz maximum, -95 dBc/Hz @ 100 KHz maximum Conversion gain 50 ~ 62 dB Gain flatness 1 dB (max) @ 24 MHz intervals Gain variation 5 dB (max) across 500 MHz Cross polarization isolation 25 dB (min.) Image rejection 40 dBm (min.) Output VWSR 2.1(max) in a 75 W system Noise figure 1.1 dB (max) Po 1 dB 0 dBm (min.) 3rd order intermodulation -50 dBc (max), two tones of -15 dBm, output spaced 27 MHz Polarization switching voltage 10.5 V ~ 14.0 V @ RHCP, 15.0 V ~ 21.0 V @ LHCP DC current consumption 180 mA (max) Operating temperature range -40°C ~ +60°C Storage temperature range -40°C ~ +80°C Waterproof Air pressure @ 0.2 kg/cm2
Environmental Operating temperature range -10°C to + 55°C (-14°F to 130°F) Storage temperature range -20°C to + 70°C (-4°F to 158°F) Humidity limit 95% R.H
Power Operating voltage 10.8 - 15.6 V DC Power consumption 2A (30 W typical)
Weight Satellite antenna unit 20 kg (44 lbs) Antenna control unit 1.7 kg (3.5 lbs)


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Did you know?
The Sterkfontein Dam is home to the biggest hydro-electric power station in South Africa.
The Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve is a water wonder in the Eastern Free State, offering wildlife, birding, windsurfing and flyfishing with a magnificent view over the Drakensberg.
The flyfishing here ranks as one of the finest yellowfish hotspots in South Africa, offering a catch-and-release adventure where this freshwater fighter, renowned for its gameness, seriously challenges your skills. You will mainly catch the Orange/Vaal smallmouth here, but there is a small population of Orange/Vaal largemouth.
Says flyfisher David Weaver in a guide to the fishing here: 'The fishing for yellowfish in the Sterkfontein Dam is arguably some of the finest in the country because the very clear water lends itself to excellent sight fishing. There are also large numbers of sharptooth catfish, some very big, as well as common carp. Both these species are also targeted by fly fishers as well as the Orange River mudfish.'
If you're a windsurfer, when the high winds blow here they will take you on a joy ride across this vast expanse of water, spanning about 7 000ha in this 19 000ha nature reserve. The Sterkfontein Dam is part of the Tugela-Vaal water transfer system that supplies the greater Gauteng province.
Looking after the reserve is its chief nature conservator, Mark Roods, who explains that the reserve offers several veld types over a distance of 20km. This is because the topography within this area ranges from 1 700m to 2 350m above sea level, while the rainfall gradient ranges from 720mm per year to 1 400mm near the Lesotho side of the reserve. The Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve is celebrated for the high biodiversity associated with the varying veld types, including afromontane, Karoo and savannah.
Here you will find yellowwoods in the kloofs, springbok on the plains, black wildebeest, blesbok, mountain reedbuck and, if you're lucky, an African wildcat.
As a birder you'll want to spend several days here, with 230 recorded species on offer, including the Cape vulture and the bearded vulture.
The accommodation in the reserve includes self-catering chalets (96 beds in total) and camping facilities, some with electrical points, others without. It's solid, basic accommodation without frills and no restaurant, but the town of Harrismith is about 25km away, with all the provisions you need. For those who prefer more facilities, there is a private resort called Qwantani on other side of the dam.
After a day on the water or exploring the reserve, there is little to beat putting a few coals on the braai and then sitting back and watching the twilight dance between the water and the mountains.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve for bookings
Tel: +27 (0)58 622 3520/1093/3892
Qwantani Berg and Bush Resort
Tel: +27 (0)58 623 0882
Free State Tourism Authority
Tel: +27 (0)51 411-4300
Email: email@example.com
David Weaver
(For flyfishing information and guiding services)
Tel: +27 (0)83 303 4230
How to get here
The Sterkfontein Dam is situated outside Harrismith in the eastern Free State. Access is from the R74 on the Oliviershoek Pass from KwaZulu-Natal and Harrismith.
From Johannesburg, take the N3 towards Durban, turn off at the Harrismith sign. The journey takes about four hours.
Best time to visit
All year round. For the best flyfishing times, consult a professional such as David Weaver.
Around the area
Short drives from the Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve will bring you to places of interest such as the Basotho Cultural Village (55km) nestled in the heart of the Qwaqwa National Park, Camorhi Game Reserve, Golden Gate (60km) and Clarens (100km).
Get around
You will need your own motor vehicle. If you wish to venture into the mountains from here, it's preferable to use a 4x4.
Length of stay
Stay one or two nights if you are simply exploring the area, but longer if you are here for fishing or windsurfing.
Where to stay
Stay in the chalets or camping facilities at the Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve or at Qwantani Berg and Bush Resort, a private resort on the opposite side of the dam to the provincial resort.


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FORMER national chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns says he is bemused by Australia's contentious rotation policy and has questioned the overall philosophy of those in charge.
Hohns, who presided over a glorious decade of success between 1996 and 2006, said he didn't agree with the decision to rest players, a plan chairman John Inverarity has even referred to as ''informed player management''.
Hohns is now Queensland chairman of selectors but felt the urge to break ranks and speak his mind after Australia's embarrassing loss to Sri Lanka in a one-day international at the Gabba on Friday.
''I must admit I am a little bit bemused by it,'' Hohns said of the rotation policy.
''As a state chairman of selectors, we probably have to be as supportive as we can. It doesn't mean we have to necessarily agree with it.''
The decision to rotate fast bowlers through the Test series against South Africa and Sri Lanka was criticised by several former players, and has escalated during the one-day series with even batsmen Michael Clarke and David Warner and wicketkeeper Matthew Wade given time off. This even prompted host broadcaster Channel Nine to have a crack at Cricket Australia.
As Australia prepares to face Sri Lanka in Sydney on Sunday, Hohns said the selectors needed to look long term. ''I think what has happened is, we are trying to make a team for now instead of building a team,'' he said on ABC Grandstand Radio.
''I would think what we really need to be doing is making sure your fellows like [Patrick] Cummins and the like are playing a fair amount of [Sheffield] Shield cricket before they are chosen. That hardens them up, they get bowling under their belt. We are seeing a lot of injuries, whether that is coincidence, whether that's because of the methods that are being used, I don't know.
''We need to be building a team. OK, we are going through a period of restructure right now but we have just got to pick the blokes that people consider can perform at the level and build that team for a few years' time.''
Hohns did that during his tenure he presided over his own contentious rotation system, memorably in Steve Waugh's final summer as one-day captain in 2001-02.
Several players were unsure of their spot in the side as the selectors planned for the 2003 World Cup. Waugh was axed as captain and from the squad in February 2002 and replaced by Ricky Ponting. Australia would retain the World Cup in South Africa a year later.
Hohns was also praised for generally easing a senior player out of the Test side each summer, ensuring the team retained experience and freshness.
Clarke's team does not have that experience, with most players still insecure about their roles. Clarke admitted after Friday's debacle it was hard for players to find rhythm and confidence unless they were regularly in the team.
Asked if he would have adopted Inverarity's plan had he still been in charge, Hohns, also a former Test leg-spinner, replied: ''It's a difficult one to answer, that one. Times are different but possibly not. There is no doubt about that,'' he said.
''Way back then, we often rotated or rested players only in one-day cricket and at an appropriate time. I think unfortunately at the moment they [national selectors] are having trouble getting their message across over exactly what they are trying to do.''


text:
Arcadia by Kim Dolce
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text:
Topic: Meeting Lainy
I hope you don't mind me sharing with everyone here of our meeting this evening...
Lainy and I met tonight and let me just say that she is even lovelier in person if that is possible! We had a great time talking and sharing stories about her Teddy and my mom...We were talking for almost three hours and taking bites in between. :-). it was really nice to meet her after exchanging posts for last few months...
Thank you Lainy for meeting me tonight and I can't wait to see you next time!
Gavin, I hope you can come this way next year and I would love to join you and Lainy when you visit.


text: Moving Environments between TPCs when using TFS Lab Management 23. December 2011 Richard-Fennell Lab Management, Technical Tips, Testing, VSTS (1) Background One area I think can be found confusing in TFS Lab Management is that all environments are associated with specific Team Projects (TP) within Team Project Collections (TPC). This is not what you might first expect if you think of Lab Management as just a big Hyper-V server. When configured you end up with a number of TPC/TP related silos as shown in the diagram below. This becomes a major issue for us as each TP stores its own environment definitions in its own silo; they cannot be shared between TPs and hence TPCs. So it is hard to re-use environments without recreating them. This problem effects companies like ourselves as we have many TPCs because we tend to have one per client, an arrangement not that uncommon for consultancies. It is not just in Lab Management this is an issue for us. The isolated nature of TPCs, a great advantage for client security, has caused us to have an ever growing number of Build Controllers and Test Controllers which were are regularly reassigning to whichever are our active TPCs. Luckily multiple the Build Controller can be run on the same VM (I discussed this unsupported hack here), but unfortunate there is no similar workaround for Test Controllers. MTM is not your friend when storing environments for use beyond the current TP What I want to discuss in this post is how, when you have a working environment in one TP you can get it into another TP with as little fuss as possible. Naively you would think that you use the Store in Library option within MTM that is available for a stopped environment. This does store the environment on the SCVMM Library, but it is only available for the TP that is was stored from. It is stored in the A1 silo in the SCVMM Library. Now you might ask why, the SCVMM Library is just a share, so anything in it should be available to all? But it turns out it is not just a share. It is true the files are on a UNC share, you can see the stored environments as a number of Lab_[guid] folders, but there is also a DB that stores meta data, this is the problem. This meta data associates the stored environment with a given TP. The same is true if you choose to just store a single VM from within MTM whether you choose to store it as a VM or a template. Why is this important you might ask? Well it is all well and good you can build your environment from VMs and templates in the SCVMM Library, but these will not be fully configured for your needs. You will build the environment, making sure TFS agents are in place, maybe putting extra applications, tools or test data on system. It is all work you don't want to have to repeat for what is in effect the same environment in another TP or TPC. This is a problem we see all the time. We do SharePoint development so want a standard environment (couple of load balanced servers and a client) we can use for many client projects in different TPCs (Ok VM factory can help, but this is not my point here). A workaround of sorts The only way I have found to ease this problem is when I have a fully configured environment to clone the key VMs (the servers) into the SCVMM Library using SCVMM NOT MTM Using MTM stop the environment you wish to work with. Identify the VM you wish to store, you need its Lab name. This can be found in MTM if you connect to the lab and check the system info for the VM Load SCVMM admin console, select Virtual Machines tab and find the correct VM Right click on the VM and select Clone Give the VM as new meaningful name e.g. 'Fully configured SP2010 Server' Accept the hardware configuration (unless you wish to change it for some reason) IMPORTANT On the destination tab select the to 'store the virtual machine in the library'. This appears to be the only means to get a VM into the library such that it can be imported into any TPC/TP. Next select the library share to use And let the wizard complete. You should now have a VM in the SCVMM Library that can be imported into new environments. You do have to at this point recreate the environment in your new TP, but at least the servers you import into this environment are configured OK. If for example you have a pair of SP2010 servers, a DC and a NLB, as long as you drop them into a new isolated environment they should just leap into life as they did before. You should not have to do any extra re-configuration. The same technique could be used for workstation VMs, but it might be as quick to just use template (sysprep'd) clients. You just need to take a view on this for your environment requirements