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About the Book
Thanks to everyone who has purchased this book . Thanks to my family, immediate and extended, for these illustrations and captions would not have been possible. All names have been changed to protect the innocence, except for the cows who portray themselves.
My intention for publishing this book is to makes people smile, laugh and take in a moment from their everyday life. And not to take life so seriously. No cows were harmed in the making of this book.
About the Artist
Scott D.S. Young's cartoons first appeared on embroidered products, such as aprons and sweatshirts in California 1992. A graduate from a culinary apprenticeship, then in graphic design, and SFSU B.A. Liberal Arts. Throughout his education and beyond Scott had angst ridden meaningless jobs. One part time job was working in the kitchen of a BBQ restaurant. The restaurant was well known because of the filming of "Top Gun." It was during this time that Scott had created twelve bovine cartoons that were published through the name of MoooMania© 1992.
Today there are over one hundred bovine cartoons.
Scott also never ate any BBQ items at the restaurant he worked at.
Features & Details
- Category Humor
Standard Portrait, 8×10 in, 20×25 cm
20 Pages
- Hardcover, Dust Jacket: 9781320126335
- Publish Date May 26, 2010
- Tags art, cartoons, illustrations, cows
About the Creator
Artist Exhibitions: MELT 2006: 7th Annual Spring Open Studios, April 28th-30th, 2006 OPEN STUDIOS 2005: October 23rd – 24th , 2005 MELT 2005: 6th Annual Spring Open Studios, April 22nd – 24th, 2005 MELT 2004: 5th Annual Spring Open Studios, April 23rd – 25th, 2004 San Francisco The Art Explosion 2004 - Current Spring and Fall Shows Member of Artist Resource http://www.aritstresource.org 1995 - 1997 Menlo Park, California Bay Area Art Fair 2001 San Diego, California Coffee House and Gallery 1990 Santa Barbara, California Seaside Gallery 1991 Ventura, California Main Street Art Fair 1992 Gilroy, California 1993 ---------------------------------------- Artist Statement: I see art in everything I look at. From the blue sky, to the ground. I see art in people. The ones who smile, and for some who don't. I see art in what I touch. From the grain of sand, to the morning dew. Art ...
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The relationship between golfer and caddy is a time-honored, sacred bond, like the relationship between male wombat and female wombat. Treasure the links with this Groupon.
$19 for a Golf-Discount Membership Card for Two ($80 Value)
- Grants two-for-one green fees for the 2013 and 2014 seasons
- Valid at more than 20 regional courses, including Wallinwood Springs, Macatawa Legends, Lynx, and The Highlands
- Valid for unlimited access to 9 or 18 holes of golf, seven days a week
- Can be used by anyone in the household, as often as you like
- Includes half off cart rental at some courses
- Includes buy-one-get-one deals at Great Lakes Shipping and Old Chicago Pizza of Grand Rapids
In 1996, a group of golfers formed a membership program that offers deeply discounted greens fees at a network of affiliated golf courses in West Michigan. The program is PGAC, and the result provides two-for-one greens fees at more than 28 courses and special discount rates at more than 11 courses. After reserving tee times any day of the week, golfers can load up their clubs and spare mannequin legs to test their skills on the challenging designs of renowned regional courses such as The Highlands, Lynx, Macatawa Legends, and Diamond Springs. Along with saving golfers up to $7,500 and helping local courses increase their waterways' diet of golf balls, PGAC hosts fundraisers for local schools and organizations.

subset: commoncrawl


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$16.00 donated in past month
IMC Network
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay FeatureRelated Categories: California | North Bay / Marin | Environment & Forest Defense
Legal Brief Shows the Federal District Court Was Right to Deny Injunction to Oyster Co.
Local and national environmental organizations filed a brief in federal court today that highlights the multiple legal and factual errors in the controversial oyster company's attempt to overturn the 1976 Point Reyes Wilderness Act.
Local and national environmental organizations filed an amicus "friend of the court" brief today lending strong support to the Interior Department's legal case that the federal district court was right to deny a preliminary injunction to the controversial Drakes Bay Oyster Company (DBOC).
"For the millions of Americans that own the Point Reyes National Seashore, and who highly value our national park and wilderness areas, we believe the law clearly supports Secretary Salazar's decision to create the first marine wilderness on the West Coast at Drakes Estero," said Amy Trainer, executive director of the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin. "The district court was correct in upholding Secretary Salazar's decision and denying an injunction to the oyster company, and we are hopeful the court of appeals will do the same," said Trainer.
World-renowned marine scientist Dr. Sylvia Earle noted that the continuation of the commercial oyster operation is "in direct conflict with the Seashore's mandate of natural systems management as well as wilderness laws and national park management policies." The brief also noted that, "the public interest in this case favors removal of the commercial oyster operations from Drakes Estero so that the estuary can achieve the wilderness protection that Congress intended and the public can enjoy this conservation achievement." The public interest includes honoring a 1972 taxpayer purchase agreement that gave the oyster operation 40 years to operate ending Nov. 30th 2012, but does not include the "unsubstantiated allegations regarding private economic interests presented by" Alice Waters and others.
Leading scientists opined that the environmental harms from the commercial oyster operations and repeated violations of state and federal environmental laws support closure of the operation. Scientific experts cited in the environmental brief include:
- Dr. Dominique Richard, an acoustics expert who noted that "continued normal DBOC operations do make enough noise from motorized boats to have negative impacts to harbor seals";
- Dr. John Kelly, an avian biologist who noted that the motorized boat activity "introduces a level of disturbance that is incompatible with migratory and resident waterbirds that use" the Estero; and
- Dr. Peter Baye, an expert coastal ecologist who noted that "water quality in Drakes Estero will not suffer or decline with the removal of DBOC's non-native oysters and oyster infrastructure."
The California Coastal Commission issued a Cease and Desist Order against the Company for multiple violations of the California Coastal Act in February. The company's bid to overturn the decision of the Obama Administration is being aided by right-wing special interest groups with links to the Koch Brothers, as well as conservative Republican legislators Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana and Rep. Doc Hastings of Washington State.
Comments (Hide Comments)
Thursday Apr 11th, 2013 5:39 PM
I'm one of the millions of Americans that own the Point Reyes National Seashore, and I value the park. I walk frequently near the Estero, a place that I deeply love. Yet I do not agree with Mr. Salazar's decision. Does that make me a fan of right-wing interest groups or conservative Republicans? Of course not. People should not be defined by others who--in some cases--agree with them.
For example, a friend of mine is an anarchist who favors closing DBOC, and who wants the Estero to viewed as a real wilderness. Does his being an anarchist mean that others who favor closing DBOC are anarchists or have anarchistic tendencies? Of course not. But whatever their political leanings, what matters are the arguments that they make and the facts that they bring forward. Labeling them as left-wingers or radicals or anything else is not only insulting but also irrelevant.
Mentioning the Koch brothers in this discussion only confuses the issue. My support for extending the DBOC lease has nothing to do with what the Koch brothers believe or want. Indeed, I had made up my mind about DBOC long before the Koch brothers came into the picture.
For the record, I am an environmentalist; I serve on the board of a nonprofit environmental organization; I write about environmental issues; I contribute to environmental causes.
Lots of environmentalists support the oyster company. I'm told that the majority of folks who live in West Marin favor extending DBOC's lease. So what? This is not a number's name. It's not about voting. It's about the law. If the courts take up the issue, they will decide it, not a popular vote. If the courts refuse to take up the issue, then the decision of Mr. Salazar will stand--according to the law. Mentioning the "millions of owners" in a discussion that is about a legal procedure is a distraction. We don't want juries and judges to be swayed by numbers. We want them to reach their conclusions based on the law and on the logic they bring to issues at hand.
If everyone in the country agreed with me--except for Mr. Salazar--I would feel the same way. I would say, "Let the legal system do its work."
Friday Apr 12th, 2013 7:25 AM
I just read that brief and it's hilarious! For every claim of environmental harm, the brief cites the *one person in the world* who believes that particular scientific claim. They even found a scientist who thinks oysters don't clean the water! Gee, I wonder why they're doing oyster restoration all over the world. Isn't that when they put oysters into the water on purpose? Isn't that so that they clean the water? Isn't that why NOAA supports shellfish farming (http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/aquaculture/)? Yes, yes, and yes.
Hasn't oyster restoration been going on long enough that we have the results? Aren't the results overwhelmingly positive? Isn't the water in the SF Bay getting cleaner for this very reason (a project made possible by DBOC's contribution of oyster shells)? Yes, yes, and yes!
Why anyone still thinks the EAC has something to add to this debate is a true mystery.
Friday Apr 12th, 2013 8:51 AM
About Drakes Bay Oyster Co.: "After being caught violating harbor seal protections, littering beaches and marine waters with thousands of pieces of its plastic debris, spreading invasive species, and developing without any permits, it chose to sue the Commission rather than comply with coastal protection laws. It's just plain shameful."
from https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/04/09/18734957.php
No, Sarah, Drakes Bay is not cleaning the water....the company is destroying the environment in one of our most precious parklands.
Kind of like how you are polluting Indybay with your Drakes Bay spam. How much are the Koch bothers paying you?
Friday Apr 12th, 2013 8:56 AM
"Murray Suid" refuses to answer any questions about his financial stake in Drakes Bay Oyster Co. as he spams every post on Indybay about the environmental polluters.
Sure, Murray, you're a real big environmentalist!
Tuesday Apr 16th, 2013 11:04 AM
Murray and Sarah are real names of real people, not internet trolls. The oyster company is an honorable enterprise that would never, ever use trolls to promote their case.


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CCTV images have been released of a man police want to speak to in connection with a theft from a Wellington supermarket.
The person is described as a white male wearing a dark hooded jacket, white hooded top and dark jeans.
The theft took place on September 22.
Anybody with information should contact Crimestoppers on 0800-555111.


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where a client cant find the CT payslip how do you tell which office to pay or doesnt it really matter - sorry my brains gone today
Please login or register to join the discussion.
The SA notes re payment say
Providing HMRC bank account details
You will need to provide your bank or building society with HMRC's bank account details. Please refer to the back of your payment reminder to check which of the Accounts Offices below is relevant for you. If you have not received a payment reminder and are unsure which Accounts Office details you should use please use the Cumbernauld details.
Part way down this link - Paying by internet or telephone banking
Tolleys Tax Office Directory
... tells you the accounts office for each tax district. Give me a district number and I will tell you whether it is Shipley or Cumbernauld.


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You are reading the older HTML site
Positive Feedback
Reference 9 SE amplifiers
as reviewed by Robert H. Levi
First came the lauded NuForce Reference 9 monoblock amplifier, then the tweaked-out Reference 9.02, and now, the Reference 9 Special Edition, the biggest sonic leap yet. With many improvements, including larger, reworked power supplies and lots of new, exotic parts, the 9 SEs are superbly musical and incredibly detailed. No longer dirt cheap ($4200 the pair) the 9 SEs still eclipse every other solid-state design I have heard that sells for under $10,000, and offers definition similar to amplifiers like the Pass XA series or the top Mark Levinson designs. The 9 SEs do this the right way, with cutting-edge technology and lots of original thinking. Though these amps weigh less than nine pounds apiece, they offer much to admire. The best news is that NuForce will upgrade its earlier designs to SE status, including new faceplates and upgraded RCAs. They revised my 9.02s in less than a week!
The definition of the 9 SEs is as good as that of any solid-state amplifier I've heard, and that includes Halcro, Pass, Edge, etc. They are so detailed, I was able to tweak my phono cartridge's tracking force and impedance and hear differences obscured even by my E.A.R. 890 and the Edge 8 monoblocks I recently reviewed. I am a detail freak, and the 9 SEs are so thrilling that I wonder what could be better. They also equal top tube designs in their ability to create locked-in, precise, unwavering images. Small ensembles are in the room. Choruses are on stage, with the vocal parts perfectly located in space. Orchestras extend way beyond the outer edges of the loudspeakers, and center fill is solid.
With an awesome, black background and air galore, the music breathes and pulses in a soundstage that starts just in front of the speakers and goes backward nearly to infinity. Only the finest tube amps have sounded like this in the past, but the NuForces are quieter than tube amps, and their quietude enhances the sense of you-are-there-ness. I should note that the sense of presence I was able to elicit from the 9 SEs was enhanced by the use of Kubala-Sosna Emotion cables and power conditioning throughout my system.
Highs are airy and delicate, and there is a sweetness that is just so right. My upstream gear sounds slightly sweet, and this is the first solid-state amp to retain this subtle characteristic. The highs are much better than those of the 9.02s. The SEs are also more dynamic and dimensional. This makes music more enjoyable, and it makes the SEs a better combination with ultra-high-end loudspeakers. The highs can become crisp if the source material is crisp. These are truthful amplifiers, not tone controls. If your ancillary equipment is up to the challenge, the 9 SEs will provide textures and colors like those of the real thing.
The midrange is sophisticated and elegant, the equal of any solid-state amp under, say, $15K. The 9 SEs lack a bit of the richness and warmth I like, but so does just about every other solid-state amplifier. The top Edge designs have this elusive warmth for $22K, but let's not lose sight of the fact that the 9 SEs cost $4200! Solid-state amps do not sound like tube amps, but the 9 SEs sound classy and musical. The mids and highs also match beautifully. Voices sound astounding and alive. I listened to Callas and Carpenter, and the texture of their voices filled the room—neither sounded like they had been on a diet and shrunk sonically. The focus is a notch tighter with the 9SEs than it was with the 9.02s, and grain is lower too. It may be gone altogether. Great solid-state amps can do this, and the NuForce 9 SEs have achieved it.
The bass is thoroughly integrated, and as boffo as it was with the 9.02s. The bass of the 9 SEs is so extraordinary that it caused me to shut off my subwoofer. The Avalons no longer needed it! The 9 SEs take command of the loudspeakers in the lowest octaves, and the bass is better integrated than it was in previous versions of the amp. It is very natural and fleshy. I could easily distinguish different low-voiced instruments, even during roaring climaxes. The 9 SEs are as detailed in the bass as they are in the midband, and this is a boon that only great solid-state amps can deliver. I pulled out every organ CD I owned, and boy, did the house shake! Organ recordings can clip your amplifier, but not the 9 SEs.
I suppose you want to know about the drawbacks. First, the 9 SEs are garbage in/ garbage out amplifiers, and they will not disguise a harsh or edgy front end. If you have less-than-excellent sources, these amps are probably not for you. These $4000 amplifiers are so revealing that the gear you use with them may not be up to the task. You could always use thick-sounding cables like Kimber Heros to warm up the sound, but if you've got the great toys, these amps are not only a bargain, but near state-of-the-art. Other quibbles? Just one. The 9 SEs still screw up my FM tuners. I heard that placing the amps far apart helps reduce tuner distortion, but it doesn't! How upset am I? I'm still buying the amps, so I guess not very. The problem must be inherent in their design.
Though the NuForce 9 SEs are a bit more expensive than previous versions of the amp, they are a tour de force in solid-state amplifier design. With sonic virtues equal to designs costing three times their fairly modest cost (for monoblocks), it would be difficult to name a solid-state competitor at ANY price that will beat them in all parameters. Along with the best bass I've heard, carried over from the 9.02s, the 9 SEs deliver improved mids and highs, and trendsetting definition. Their dynamics, along with the blackest of backgrounds, will astound you. Imaging is spot-on. The 9 SEs are as truthful to the musical source as any solid-state design, plus you can lift both amps with one hand! NuForce is a truly innovative company, and I believe it is here to stay. The NuForce Reference 9 Special Edition amplifiers receive my highest recommendation. Robert H. Levi
Recordings used in evaluating the NuForce 9 SE amplifiers included:
Reference 9 SE amplifiers


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Q. As of April 8, 2014, Microsoft no longer supports Windows XP. For users of XP who cannot upgrade to higher programs and who like XP and don't want to upgrade, what are the alternatives? Who makes a product that will keep XP updated along with products that will provide good protection against viruses, spam, and the like?—Robert Cleaves, Los Angeles
A. It's unlikely that third parties will support XP, with good reason: Nobody can guarantee that a new vulnerability won't be discovered, and only Microsoft can patch XP, which they say they won't do anymore. But any good anti-malware program will continue to block known malware and will presumably continue to be updated by the supplier. An alternative is to use a newer PC or mobile device for Internet work and keep the XP machine only for offline productivity work.
Read "How to Deal With the End of Windows XP Support" for more details. And check our computer buying guide and Ratings to find your next laptop or desktop.
Send questions to ConsumerReports.org/askourexperts.
This article also appeared in the July 2014 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
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"Starve a Fever, Feed a Cold": Folklore Debunked
"Starve a Fever, Feed a Cold": Folklore Debunked
I'm sure you all have heard the saying "Starve a fever, but feed a cold." It goes through my head every time I take my daughter's temperature.
Well, I researched it and it is SO not true and public health officials have been working for years to debunk the age old maxim.
According to Straight Dope the saying dates all the way back to 1574. At least the "starve a fever part", no one is sure when the second half was added.
There seems to be no scientific evidence that supports fasting as a cure for a fever. When running a fever, it is best not to stress the body by not eating. Chances are high (sorry for the pun) rich foods will have no real appeal if you're feverish. Stick to simple broths and toast.
If you have a cold there is nothing wrong with eating, but you just might not be able to taste it.


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My PC
1GB Corsair XMS
eVGA 7800GT with latest drivers
Audigy 2 ZS sound, old Creative 2.1 speakers
19" Hyundai LCD
360 Hookup
Same speakers
Same monitor
Console, wireless controller
So basically today marked the release of the Prey 360 demo. I learned this from briefly visiting Majornelson.com.
I had already played the PC demo, but I decided "what the hell, I want to see what the 360 version looks like". I downloaded the 1.1GB demo and played.
Here are *my* personal thoughts on the game.
Graphics --
Very similar, of course I didn't do any A/B comparisons because I'm using the same monitor for both machines, though maybe I should....I might set up my digital camera and take head-on shots of the monitor in each configuration to see the results.
Overall, the graphics, at least to me, between the 2 versions are pretty indistinguishable.
In the PC version I think I was running 4xaf and 8xAnsio, 1280x1024 res.
In the PC version, there was a bit of texture shearing, even in the very beginning when Tommy is looking into the mirror and turns his head. I guess I had vsync disabled, but I was surprised to see it happen in such a slow movement. I *believe* the monitor was set to 75hz refresh, though it may have been at 60Hz because I can't seem to select any other refresh with the newest nvidia drivers.
360 version, no shearing, but *extremely* slight framerate problems on very selected areas...basically, I had to set my controller's "X axis" sensitivy up to 6 (to turn faster) and I could notice a slight dip in certain areas...I don't think it would affect gameplay.
I didn't notice any "fight scene" slowdowns...I only noticed the above slowdowns because I was specifically doing framerate tests...one of the areas which it's noticeable is when you first spirit walk to get your bow...go into spirit form and do a 360turn, you'll notice a small dip.
Meh, what can I say? The PC game controls...well, like any other FPS.
The 360 version isn't too bad, though of course being PC-bred I died a few times from misaiming.
I did try enabling "Aim support" and "auto centering" in the demo but they either didn't seem to work or work so subtly I didn't notice it.
Strangely enough I'm starting to get a bit better at the whole controller-FPS thing...I'm still not all warm-and-fuzzy about it, but it is nice to lean back in a chair and play an FPS. I try to think of it as a "challenge" to learn the playstyle instead of an artificial limitation.
After playing Lost Planet's control scheme though (L and R are your fast-turn-by-90degree buttons), I seem to miss it now in this game, though the cramped demo alleviates most of this.
Sound exactly the same to me, since I'm running both games through absolutely ancient speakers.
At least from what I can see, they are nigh indistinguishable. I had read (I think dev . notes) on Prey 360 that they would need to reduce texture qualities on a few things to get the game running under 360, but I couldn't spot the differences...again maybe an A/B comparison is in order
If anyone is interested I can post up pics later tonight
Yeah, they're both good. The PC demo was surprisingly smooth and better than Doom3, while looking more complex. So there's no "optimized console" benefit. However, 720p Prey on a 60" HDTV looks stunning, so I'm not complaining.
I played the 360 version. I suspect a 2.4Ghz hyperthreaded PC with a 9800XT should be able to provide comperable performance.
1024x768 with AA etc..
Still for a PC port its surprising that they can compile it to a different platform and keep a decent performance. I dont consider this game as a showoff title of what you can get out of the 360 hardware though.
I got this downloaded, I'll have to try it out later. Definitely don't have a PC to compare to though.
Why's the 360 demo so much bigger than the PC demo ?
1.1gb is over twice the filesize. Does the 360 demo have more content ?
Compression in the PC version.
I heard you cant save in demos on the 360?
You can't save in the prey demo at least - not sure if that goes for all demos.
The bigger size is partly because it is optimized to load from a DVD, so each level has all assets (textures, models etc) to decrease seek times.
The 360 is using 720p (1280*720), not 1024*768. In terms of pixels it is about halfway between 1024*768 and 1280*1024.
I think the Quake IV 360 devs should a) play this game and b) be shot through the balls for such a laklustre port. Prey 360 is absolutely fine. Good fun too.
The controls on the 360 aren't quite as tight as CoD2, GRAW or the Lost Planet Demo, but they're world better than PD0.
I think the PC version looked a little sharper and seemed to have a few more graphical effects going on. There seemed to be more fog and the glass tubes throuhout the ship were much more noticable in the PC version. There was quite a bit of tearing on the PC even in slower scenes as was stated before. The 360 version had some very slight slowdown, mostly visiable in the scripted sequences and not in the large firefights. Overall, a nice demo on either system.
Now that's a bit odd. You'd think they could optimize the scripted sequences so that there'd never be any slowdown there, since they're fixed and easily controlled.
Assuming they clean that up for retail release, that's actually a good sign that firefights didn't have any slowdown for you.
Well, I did a more direct A/B comparison using the same monitor, default brightness settings, etc.
No big surprise, the PC looks better...in some cases a lot better.
I attached shots below, taken with a FujiFilm 4MP camera, flash off, no ambient room lights, etc.
First, the PC screenshot
And now the 360 screenshot via VGA feed into the same LCD monitor
Some screenshots, though, don't vary as much as this one, but this was a good example.
Is the first shot connected via DVI?
Playing through the demo again on both, yeah I would agree the PC version is much better looking just like in the picture above. The textures are just sharper and cleaner. The 360 version still looks nice but the PC version definitely looks better.
Yes, first shot is DVI. I've been wondering if this makes one iota of a difference in the quality, so maybe I should have just connected the PC through VGA and shot, but I was too lazy for that...maybe later.
To quell a concern some may have -- This monitor's VGA output is superb, and I seriously cannot tell the difference between the outputs.
I ran PC--> VGA forever because I thought the DVI port was bad (it wasn't, just has a weird bug that crops up rarely), and I thought running the VGA would give me crap quality over DVI, but I seriously can't see the difference....the only thing that changes for me are the monitor OSD controls whenever i switched inputs.
One important fact I forgot to mention--
The PC version is running at native resolution, the Xbox version isn't.
That will certainly give an "unfair" clarity edge to the PC because of no interpolation.
To combat this, I hooked up my 360 to my old 19" CRT (which I think will stay perma-hooked, since the CRT's blacks are much better).
I then did a true side-by-side comparison, since they're now both on my desk, and while a very small bit of clarity is gained over the LCD-non-native, it's still easy to see the Prey 360 just uses lower-res textures.
Again, though, I want to reiterate the above shots are like a "worst case" scenario, where it's very obvious they're different. I took about 20 screenshots in various spots, and some of them I wasn't so sure about....I could only tell because the 360's screenshots were widescreened.
I may post some comparison shots later on, comparing the LCD native to the CRT..and although they won't be true A/B comparisons (differing monitors), I feel the CRT's image is better due to the color accuracy and black levels.
Edit -- Here are comparison shots for those interested. I tried to make them as similar in brightness levels as possible.
Each pose actually has three shots. The first will be PC-through-VGA, the second is 360-VGA-LCD, and the third is 360-VGA-CRT.
Why are the 360 ones 4:3?
Man, what is it with the lack of anisotropic filtering in 360 games? I'd like to hear from a developer on why so few games employ it, I can't understand why it would be so taxing but the GPU in the 360 is quite a bit different beast than PC GPU's. Still, with 9800's having such a small performance hit with it enabled you would think the R500 could at least pull off 4X aniso in most games. It's not the sole reason the 360's textures look noticeably poorer in this case, but it would help.
Since the 360 version has a cap of 30fps, "slight slowdown" means even below that, which is pretty poor IMO. I guess it's better than the Quake4 release from everything I've heard, but jeez - 30fps is slow enough to begin with. The Doom3 engine may simply be too CPU-bottlenecked to be easily portable, Quake4 for example received a very significant boost when the dual-core patch game out indicating it was largely CPU-bound with most modern GPU's today.
For those of you complaining about tearing in the PC version, well then just enable vsync, or keep it off and up your refresh rate.
They're not 4:3, but look damn close. A shot in a dark room with no flash makes the letterboxed areas and monitor bezels blend together.
Also, I *think* on the CRT I actually managed to stretch the image slightly, not sure.
Also, I tried to position the camera (on tripod) close enough to the picture to not really get much bezel in the shots, so some shots may actually have letterboxing inadvertently cropped.
edit -- Hrm, this is weird.
I took a second look at my screenshots, and even then they didn't look very letterboxed....so I booted up the 360 again and fired up the demo.
The demo isn't 16:9, at least on my monitor! You're given a widescreen perspective (something like a POV of 80? 90?) but the image actually fills almost the entire CRT screen...I even double-checked to make sure I didn't have any vertical stretching going on.
I'm thinking because it's a PC port, it's quite possible they programmed the game to be "VGA-aware".
The game senses I'm running on a VGA connect at 1280x1024, so it's compensating by changing the POV and running fullscreen!
I can't believe I didn't notice it...I guess it's because I kept flipping between the PC and 360 screens.
I guess that's why I noticed a "fish-eye" lens effect on the 360 version that wasn't present in the PC version, it just never clicked until you asked about the pics.
Overall, I've learned one thing - It's a real bitch to take screenshots with a camera...I was really hoping to use my VIVO box with Dscaler and just take a normal freakin screenshot with the PC, but the VIVO only has Svideo and composite ins...and I wouldn't want to handicap the 360 like that.
Getting any closer with the camera resulted in the actual pixels / phosphor dots being visible ;/
Your 360's not running in widescreen. Check your dashboard.
MS should update the dashboard to support standard screenshots across games. I mean wouldn't there be a way to capture the screen buffer no matter what is running?
Yes, I know, I have it set to normal and it's been like that since day 1
Thing is, most all the former games (360 games) I've played have been letterboxed. They seem to be running at 1280x768 and the Xbox adds the black bars.
Burnout, GRAW, Lost Planet Demo, Hitman Demo, all are letterboxed. Though I just tested the Amped 3 demo and it also is fullscreen...weird. Also I think I faintly remember the crappy Tiger 06 demo doing fullscreen and looking like the old Conan: The Barbarian movie intros (tall skinny people)
I'm wondering if maybe there's an option within a game (not user toggleable) to allow scaling? In which case, the 360 would slightly scale the game up when it senses a VGA connection with the resolution set to 1280x1024.
I've run the same settings since day 1 of the console (except for testing): Resolution 1280x1024, Format: Normal, and I've had mostly letterboxed experiences throughout.
In the case of Prey, I'm not seeing a case of "tall, skinny people" that would be a dead giveaway of scaling, so I'm not sure exactly what's going on in that game, unless I'm just not noticing it (hey, lots of shadows really helps!)
I noticed playing Prey on the 360 that it felt like playing it on a lower end PC type speeds/quality. My desktop is a 2.4GHZ HT system with 1GB,9800XT(256MB) I am gonna run it a 1024x768 or as close to the xbox360 as possible. Mind you the 9800XT is an old videocard.
I dont think PC ports are the way to go, PC FPS ports are not native 360 applications. The only fear I see is Microsoft just pushing PC ports instead of working with developers and actually creating from the ground up console games.
For me PC FPS ports just dont translate into fun, I think they are best as PC games and when I think of living room games etc.. I think more of stuff like Burnout, Nintendo games, Geometry Wars..
Anyhow I dont think I might get the PC version, I think I had my fill of FPS genre, I need something new. You can only go so far doing the same thing (starting with crowbar,wrench,etc) and running through linear room after room pretty much a preconcieved path doing the same thing.
Okay I ran Prey on my desktop (as reported above)
4x AA, 2x ansio and high quality settings at 1280x1024. It felt a little slower than the 360 (probably 24fps) but it looked significantly better in terms of a sharper look overall more detailed. as if a fuzzy filter was removed.
Now this is an old 9800XT 256mb which is obsolete and not fully DX9 compliant so obviously major sacrafices had to
be made for the port and I seriously doubt this game would be considered a "tech demo" regarding the prowess of the 360. I also think PC ports to consoles just dont do well VS a from the ground up 360 game.
Yeah, I can hardly believe it myself. I thought it was a myth but apparently not. It's such a modern GPU but they're still running TNT2 era settings on it.
PCs have been enjoying 16xAF for about six years now.
Yeah, the first time I played the 360 demo I really didn't notice it, because A) I was just seeing how smooth the overall experience was and B) it had been a few days since I'd fired up the PC version, so I didn't have a direct comparison.
I'm not really a graphics whore, but c'mon....I really wish they'd optimize things a bit better for the 360 =(
Now while I mess around with the demo, many of the graphics faults just jump out at me because I've been toying with these stupid A/B comparisons.
I really wish I had a direct idea of how powerful the GPU is in this thing.
Beh, oh well, when I get too depressed I play the Lost Planet demo and all is well.
Condemned had AF. I think the Doom3 engine just needs a hell of a lot more work to "fit" on the 360 - generating stencil buffers on the GPU rather than the CPU might be a start. I'm actually now really impressed by what Vicarious Visions did with Doom 3 on the original XBox - playing Doom 3 BC and Quake IV straight after the IQ is pretty comparable.
I didn't post that, I quoted it.
Not surprising. All they do is check off the cross-compile switch and burn the master and off to the stores. There is so little content right now that it will be snapped up at 60 bucks.
Comparing PCTech's shots with Tweakguides' Prey optimization section, it's even possible to tell what effects on the 360 have been left disabled and what PC equivalent setting the 360 has.
Compare the OPs bathroom screenshot with these three shots taken from Tweakguide. Looking at the tiles from the OP's bathroom shots, it looks to me that the 360 has no specular mapping at all.
Next, the long tubelight at the top of the bar scene. Compare the two LCD versions that the OP took with these two shots from Twekaguide. The Tweakguide shots are with Particle Detail on and off respectively. Looking at the OP's shots, I *think* that the 360 has this effect missing as well.
This gif shows a nice comparison between the various texture quality settings for the PC. Looking at the floorboards from the OPs bar room shots, the 360 clearly has the lowest quality textures that the PC version has, not even medium. 720p output with the lowest rez textures If space constraints neccessitated this choice, maybe Sony does have a point with Blu-Ray? I still doubt that a full DVD would be filled up if HumanHead had used medium rez textures, but who knows.
Finally shader detail comparison shots. The biggest change I can see going from medium to high shader detail is that the walls loose the wet, glossy look and seem more like flesh. The OPs 360 shots from inside the ship make it look like the 360 has shader effects that are equivalent to the PC's High or Highest shader detail setting, which is nice for a change. It's a little difficult to tell though; OP, what level of shader detail did you have set for your PC screenshots?
So, the 360 has no specular mapping, the lowest quality textures and no particle detail. It does use the 360's shaders though and has bump maps which is nice.
Still, given the much lower framrates of the 360, it's a little dissapointing that a next-gen console game is so far behind it's PC counterpart.
I'm wondering if perhaps it's not a limitation of the game medium but rather the console's memory limitation? From what I can remember (vaguely), Sony's PS3 will have about the same amount of available onboard memory as the 360 (though not unified, but I've read this won't matter to the PS3), so I'm not sure how a larger storage medium will factor into this.
I can't claim to be an expert on console game design, etc, so I'm not sure if the PS3 would be capable of real-time streaming of higher textures from the Blu or what...would be interesting to know, though.
PC screenshots were taken with every option maxed except for AA, which I believe I left at 4x. Nvidia drivers are set to "quality" with all the "optimizations" disabled.
I think that's definitely the case. I can't think of a multi-DVD game release in recent years, and the PC versions are always capable of greater texture resolution using the same storage medium. The 360 can, and most games do, pull off tons of fancy shader effects, but the texturing almost always looks pretty poor.
You wonder if bumping the 360's RAM to 1GB would really have hurt sales that badly; most things would certainly look a hell of a lot better with an extra 512mb to play with. In turn, though, higher textures might really make it strain badly when people play at 1080. With static hardware, there are always going to be trade-offs. Apparently, you can have high resolutions, but poor texturing.
Hotlinking isn't allowed, so here's the link to the page : http://www.tweakguides.com/Prey_5.html
There's actually relatively little different between medium & high, and Tweakguides says that the difference is just compressed vs. uncompressed, and differing levels of AF. Low has the biggest impact, though.
I'd like to thank PcTech for this excellent thread which required an obvious amount of effort.
I think it's the final straw for me, and I won't be getting an Xbox360 after seeing this. As disappointed as I was with the lower textures and slow frame rate, the lack of AF after all these years is inexcusable (and the number of 360 games that don't even use AA properly). Why push a product that demands hi def and fail to utilise old and established PC technology to maximise the graphic quality.
The fact that my outdated and nearly 2yr old AMD system whoops the Xbox 360 (in prey at least), seriously begs the question why get one?
Easy - for the games the 360 has that the PC doesn't, or the ones where it performs better. Prey/Quake4 are certainly better on your PC than the 360, but the same won't hold true for COD2, Oblivion or Tomb Raider:Legends - you need a top-end GPU to beat the 360 for those games (and in the case of TR:Legend, you need a GPU with 512megs to run the "next gen" mode smoothly). There are many titles on the 360 not on the PC as well, such as Fight Night, DOA, Kameo. As well, EA's sports titles are using engines that are significantly more advanced than the PC versions and run smoother to boot (Fifa, Madden, NBA Live).
The only conclusion you can make from these results is that currently, the Doom3 engine isn't that well suited to the 360.
The fact that my outdated and nearly 6yr old PS2 whoops my mid-range PC in <insert PS2 game with half-assed PC port here>, seriously begs the question why get a PC?
To play games that will never appear on the PS2?
That's the problem right there. Half-assed
porting only ever caters to the lowest common denominator the devs can be bothered with / pressured into using to get it out the door, and never exploits the strengths of the ported platform.
It's been recently flipped on its head with the 360 getting ports that are slightly inferior to the PC, now that a console (the 360) is equivalent to a low-mid-end PC.
Your post makes absolutely no sense. It's like you've got all this console hate inside you and you let it out by uttering the standard PC fanboy rants, without making sure that they are consistent. You complain that 1. PC games are worse because they're multiplatform and they only work towards the weakest platform they can and 2. Console games are worse because apparently the 360 is equivalent to a low-mid-end PC.
So either games are developed to the lowest common denominator or PC games are better because the platform is more powerful. Which is it?
You can't read and comprehend very well, can you ?
I'll put it this way :
My PC is an A64, 1GB, and an X850 card. Would you dispute that technically, it supercedes the capabilities of either an Xbox (Mk1) or a PS/2 ?
Why is it, then, that e.g. Brothers in Arms doesn't look noticeably better on the PC than it does on the Xbox or PS/2 ? The answer is, the devs couldn't be arsed doing a real DX9 port with better resolution textures. You can probably think of other examples yourself.
And yet, Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, or Need for Speed : MW looks miles better on the PC than either the Xbox 1 or PS/2. Why's that ? The answer is that they're not half-assed ports. The devs have actually taken the time to implement features on the different platforms that aren't present on the other formats.
With the PC vs. the Xbox 360, we have e.g. CoD2, which looks almost identical on either format - because it was ported from the PC to the 360. Splinter Cell 4 is probably going to be the same; in fact, the PC version is either very nearly finished or actually is, since it was announced that the release date for all formats, including the 360, was being pushed back to work on the console versions.
Dop you understand now the distinction between "half-assed port" and "not a half assed port" ?
Lastly, now go and look at PCTech's screenies, and honestly tell me that you think the 360 version looks better than the PC. When everyone stops laughing at you, then we'll talk.
So you're saying if a developer takes advantage of a platform's unique strengths it makes for a better experience? Thanks again, Captain Obvious!


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Young is feted at a Grammy party where Dave Matthews pays tribute to the Canadian rocker by singing 'Rye Whiskey', 'My My, Hey Hey' and 'The Needle and the Damage Done'.
Neil Young was honored with this year's President's Merit Award from the Producers & Engineers Wing of the Recording Academy. The legendary rocker received his award during the group's seventh annual Grammy week celebration at The Village, a historic recording studio in Los Angeles, on Tuesday night, January 21.
Young was honored for his artistic creativity, philanthropic efforts and sonic integrity for a career that's spanned more than four decades. Stephen Stills, Kris Kristofferson and Jakob Dylan were among guests who attended that night's party.
"You're honoring me, you're honoring yourself," Young told the crowd. "It's not me. It's you." During his acceptance speech, Young also recalled recording his 1975 song "Like a Hurricane" at The Village.
That night, Dave Matthews made a surprise appearance, paying tribute to Young by singing the traditional "Rye Whiskey" and the Canadian rocker's "My My, Hey Hey" and "The Needle and the Damage Done".
"As a person, you're one of the most amazing people I've ever met in my life. I hope that I'm half the inspiration to people that you have been to me," Matthews told Young after the performance.


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ME 2340 - Music Teaching Apprenticeship
Credits: 1
This course is repeatable
Supervised field experience prior to formal student teaching in which the student is involved in the music classroom and rehearsal for a minimum of 2 hours per week for a period of 10 weeks. Repeatable for credit. With permission. Prerequisite(s): Music Education majors only.
*All course information is from the 2016-2017 Catalog.


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|75 m²
|Property type
|Minimum Stay
|3 - 7 nights
Our charming and cozy, beautifully restored 2 bedroom, 1 bath cottage is located in the historic Camp Benson area on Lake Sebasticook in Newport, ME. Originally built in 1900, it is literally right on top of the water and has some of the most amazing views on the lake from sun rise to sunset!
The first story includes an updated kitchen complete with butcher block island and modern appliances, living room (including pull-out queen sofa bed), gas fireplace and full bath with shower. The kitchen opens up to a spacious wrap around deck that looks out over the lake...our favorite feature of the cottage! Upstairs in the loft area you will find a bedroom with one queen bed, one twin bed and window air conditioning unit. Downstairs is the second bedroom and includes a queen bed, gas heating stove, and a floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door that provides even more amazing views of the water. The downstairs level also includes a washer and dryer. Our cottage comfortably sleeps up to 7, is non-smoking, and is pet-free.
Alongside the cottage is a small swimming beach area (deeded to this property and our very friendly neighbors). Two kayaks and a paddle boat are included for touring around the water and two bicycles for exploring the land. The property also includes a propane grill on the deck.
Although our property is in great condition, each year we strive to make updates and renovations that only further enhance the property and amenities.
Interested in a day trip? Moosehead Lake is approximately 52 miles from the cottage and Bar Harbor is approximately 70 miles. Want to stay local? The grocery store, butcher, gas station, and restaurants are within a few miles. Also, locally and accessible from the cottage, is a trail suited for hiking, biking, walking, running, or ATVing. If you like to fish and boat, there is a public boat landing nearby for launching your boat and our dock will gladly moor your boat/water toys for your stay. The lake is stocked each year with bass making it fun to participate in the many bass tournaments held each summer.
I grew up on Lake Sebasticook and it has always been our dream to own a little piece of this amazing and relaxing community. We look forward to sharing it with you!
I (Sara) am a native of central Maine and so it goes without saying that this state, Lake Sebasticook, and our cottage is the place where I have experienced some of my most cherished childhood and adulthood memories. Something that my husband and I can now pass onto our own children. Abigail (3) and Aiden (11 weeks) will have the luxury of vacationing at the lake each summer creating memories that will last a lifetime. I attended the University of Maine, Orono and currently work part-time as a clinical dietitian in the Greenville, SC area. My husband (Michigan native) attended Notre Dame and is employed by General Electric. We met while as a result of my husband being relocated to Bangor for 3 years. We purchased this property while vacationing/visiting family two summers ago and it was love at first sight. It has been so fun returning to a place where I grew up.
Sara Lyskawa purchased this cottage in 2013
Welcome to Camp Benson of Lake Sebasticook! A place that is very near and dear to my heart for over 30+ years. My great grandparents owned a camp not too far from our current property, but unfortunately, burned down in the late 1960's. Luckily my grandparents resurrected another camp in its spot until the land/camp was eventually deeded over to my brother in the late 1980's. He has since torn down that camp and re-built a home where he and his family now live year-round. I have some of the most amazing memories on this lake, especially summer months as a child, which have only continued into my adulthood. From learning to water ski, building play boats, fishing with my grandfather on the end of the dock, canoeing, ice fishing, ice skating, racing up and down the camp road by foot or bike, and learning to drive the boat, this is a very special place to me and my family. We are so thrilled to be sharing our cottage and this area with you. My husband Alan and I welcome you, your family, and your friends to what we consider our little slice of heaven. We hope you enjoy our cottage and develop a similar passion for this beautiful lake and all its offerings throughout your stay. This is truly the perfect place to fall in love with Lake Sebasticook and Maine - the way life should be.
First and foremost, a large appeal to purchasing our property was the fact that I had grown up on this lake. Specifically, this property really spoke to my husband and I as the views from the deck are breathtaking as well as owning property directly on the lake. We saw this property as a place to come each summer and drop our suitcases at the door and head outside to begin the fun with family and friends. The sunrise and sunset views are a perfect way to begin and end each day. Nothing measures up to a morning cup of coffee or relaxing glass of wine on the deck and taking in natures beauty and the sounds of the loons. The cottage is warm and cozy, a perfect getaway from our hectic lives in Greenville, SC. For us, it was the perfect location as my immediate family is within a few miles and so vacationing near family was a huge appeal for us as well. We truly love vacationing here as it is chance to create memories with our own family as well as an opportunity to get away from it all.
We absolutely LOVED it here!! The cottage was extremely well organized and fully stocked with pots, pans, utensils, dishes, etc. We had an amazing time and the views were gorgeous! We will definitely be back again!
Cottage was very clean, organized and well equipped. Smell of water was a little bothersome but we knew that ahead of time. Perfect lake location. Very comfortable. Sara was very helpful with regards to any questions we may have.
Took many day trips to Moosehead Lake, Fort Knox, Bar Harbor.
We had the best time during our 5 night stay at this beautiful lake house. A place that is cozy and offers everything one needs. The lake house was clean, comfortable, organized with beautiful views of the sunrise and sunsets. Our days were spent swimming, playing, relaxing, cook outs and fires on the beach area. Many memories were made!
Great location but needs AC and pest control. Too many spiders and got bites and too hot to sleep most nights.
We had a great time over Memorial Day weekend. The place was clean and tidy. Everything as expected. We entertained family throughout the weekend and the wrap around decks, lawn space and inside floor space felt spacious. Would highly recommend this spot for just relaxing. Very quiet. Loved the sound of the loons on the lake. Fishing off the dock was a bonus for the kids. The weekend we were there, the perch may have been spawning as they were right up close to the shore making fishing very easy for the novices. All in all, an excellent stay.
LOVED the Camp Bensen area...cottage is beautiful...beach area perfect...had a wonderful time with memories I will cherish.
If you are seeking the ultimate in relaxation and the chance to unplug from mainstream society, then this is the destination for you. Our cottage is located in central ME and is based in a small, peaceful, and close knit community where traffic and large crowds are irrelevant and peace and quiet are on the daily agenda. Newport, ME, the hub and heart of the Sebasticook region, is situated on Lake Sebasticook. Notably, Lake Sebasticook is the only lake in the state of Maine contained by one town. Area features include: Newport Cultural Center (public library and historical society museum), Vic Firth (drumstick manufacturer), gateway to the Moosehead region via Moosehead Trail, and area restaurants/shopping venues. Be sure to check out Dragonfly Farm and Winery. Sebasticook Valley appeals to the outdoorsmen as well as lending itself to various local events throughout the year.
|Rate Period
|Weekend Night
Summer - Peak Season
2 Jun 2017 - 1 Sep 2017
Changeover Day: Friday
7 night minimum stay
Off Season - Fall
2 Sep 2017 - 20 Oct 2017
3 night minimum stay
|Damage Deposit
Rates are subject to change until reservation is confirmed. Note check in time is 4pm on day of arrival and 11am is check out on day of departure.
While we typically only rent for full weeks during the peak summer season, we will consider shorter duration stays if within 4 weeks of the arrival date.


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SOUND OFF!: Rocket Woman - Melora Hardin's ALL THE WAY TO MARS
Melora Hardin's new album ALL THE WAY TO MARS traverses the galaxy in a madcap manner most immediately reminiscent of a '60s cocktail hour album and for that frivolous and fun factor alone it deserves high praise - but there is far more here than what at first meets the eye. Speaking of looks, deceiving or otherwise: what a sight Miss Hardin makes! Though the era of cork tipped cigarettes and hi-falutin' highballs may have come and gone, we can still experience a part of it merely by enjoying and partaking in the equal parts sonorous, succulent sensuality and brassy broad-siness presented by Miss Hardin as we join her on a hard-to-top rocket ride from Broadway to jazz clubs to the Hollywood Bowl and beyond. At 17 tracks and over an hour in playing time, we are given plenty of rousing rat pack-ery and fun frivolity but also a few moments of genuine sentimentality and haunting pathos. While every single track may not showcase Hardin at her peak, it is the wide variety of material she has chosen, along with the legendary Richard Jay-Alexander and Ben Toth, that makes this album truly unique and a joy to revisit again and again. All gushing aside, Hardin performs with utmost actor-ly presence - she is always on - and that, along with showbiz panache and honest expression of emotion, creates the image of a performer capable of far more than her striking appearance may at first lead you to believe merely by glancing at the album cover or iTunes image. Through the songs on this album, Hardin creates, plays and presents the character of a woman you would feel as comfortable buying a drink and hoping to spend the evening with as crying on her shoulder over a broken heart. Indeed, from Earth to Mars is merely the first step on this fun-loving and fantastic journey through the stars, and a few of those gold-star tracks shine even brighter than the rest.
In the first three tracks of the recording, Hardin expertly establishes the tone and style of the fourteen tracks to come. Equal parts party, performance and pathos, Miss Hardin displays a distinct dexterity with comedic material too rarely represented on recordings of singer/actors and cabaret artists of her ilk. "Raise The Roof", by far the most impressive song from Andrew Lippa's second-rate WILD PARTY, is a raucous and riotous spark to set the rocket of this recording off into the stratosphere. The fact that she immediately pulls back and presents the album's most quiet and ruminative song, "You", is illustrative of her immense gift at conveying conviviality as well as contemplation, a drop of lemon juice for each grain of saccharine without ever making you feel like she is shifting gears. That feature is an awesome feat in itself. This second track, "You", is the album's strongest track, a truly haunting song about a very personal moment in someone's life best left to be discovered - and explored - in the most private manner possible and I urge you to do so as I shall not spoil it here. The next track, "All Messed Up", presents the sultry, sexy siren Hardin, quick with a joke and even quicker with a jab, always with a twinkle and wink in her eye. But is the wink luring us in even closer or abetting our acceptance and agreement over her sultry pleas for pleasure? Very few performers can vocally recreate a come-hither stare, but on this track and a few others Miss Hardin, well, proves to be the, ahem, fulfillment of her namesake for at least the male listeners in her audience. As "A Boy And His Cat" proves, Miss Hardin is not above such ribaldry and, if merely to join in on the fun, I will partake in that non-PC party - after all, what could be more boring than PC blandness? Also, "He's So Married" and "Ride Your Rocket" both offer some of the most memorable and idiosyncratic comedy material I have heard and I hope to hear more of the same - or, perhaps, an entire comedy specialty number album - from her in the future. Similarly, "Girl Talk" is another barn-burning, slyly humorous showpiece showcasing her comedy chops and old-school showmanship sweetly and successfully. This type of material is undeniably her forte and her fortitude in performing it is among the best Broadway or Hollywood has to offer as far as I am concerned. It is with this material that she truly blasts off into uncharted comedic territory.
Hardin is more Earth-bound in her more relationship-related material, and with a lesser performer these tracks could very well come off more drab and dirge-like than they do. "Teenager" finds Hardin playing just that, with winning results. "Fading Away" is touching and telling, a three minute distillation of the denouement and destruction of a decidedly disastrous romance. "Everything Must Change" is alluring and elegantly orchestrated, bringing to mind the masterpiece cabaret albums of similar material by Andrea Marcovicci and Ann Hampton Callaway. This track, "Everything Must Change", provides the perfect bookend to the aforementioned early standout track "You" and the two together create a wonderful arc for the character Hardin creates over the course of the album, from laughs to leers to love. Her riff on the line "Hummingbirds do fly" is particularly delicate - and delightful. Hardin may not possess the vocal instrument of Karen Carpenter or Barbra Streisand, but she more than makes up for it with her precise performances of the material here, whether salacious or sentimental or, well, somewhat sad. "Makin' Love" is rapturous and reflective, spinning almost out of control by the conclusion. Hardin has a firm grasp on all of this material and it is a credit to her producers that no delicate detail or jokey jab goes too far or pushes too hard. It's spot-on and each individual track creates its own unique universe of sound, emotion and dramatic content.
Hardin's inclusion of "I Dreamed A Dream" and "Roxie" seem to be a bit of an afterthought, or their inclusion a mere excuse for a permanent record of her performances as Fantine and Roxie in, respectively, LES MISERABLES and CHICAGO. These tracks could have easily been left off the album with no foreseeable detrimental effect to the overall experience, but I'm sure her fans will be glad they were included. That being said, they are nothing earth-shattering and because of this the three last tracks are a bit of a come-down after the rocket ride provided by the previous fourteen. Perhaps "Come Home With Me For Christmas" would be better used on an all-holiday album, which I would be first in line to purchase (Are you listening, Mr. Jay-Alexander?). She would kill "Santa Baby" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas", that I know for sure. It's an adequate capper to a whopper of an album, and this album is so special I suppose any ending to it whatsoever would be a bit of a let-down and comedown.
The album's top-billed producer is most well-known for his sterling work with the irreproachable Streisand and Bernadette Peters and "I Never Meant To Hurt You" sounds like a cut-out from Streisand's breathtaking 2009 LOVE IS THE ANSWER. A high compliment, if ever I can offer one. Each elegantly enunciated emotion is expertly enacted in her vocal and acting choices, and sweetly swathed in sumptuous, sultry strings. She also tackles Streisand territory, on a Sondheim song no less, with "Everybody Says Don't" and while it will not erase memories of the previously recorded versions, it makes a good case for the future casting Miss Hardin as Fay Apple in Sondheim/Arthur Laurents' ANYONE CAN WHISTLE. I'd love to hear her essay the title song from that show, as well as "Come Play Wiz Me" and "See What It Gets You". The most controversial song choice on the album may well be "Close To You" which starts of grandly, but loses a bit of steam and goes on a bit too long. Unwarranted length aside, the production on this track is particularly succulent and the time and care taken with not only this track, but the arc of the character Hardin portrays over the course of the album, shows a truly sanctimonious marriage of actress/singer, producer and material. This was undoubtedly a space trek oh-so-carefully crafted by Hardin and Jay-Alexander each step - and leap - of the way and the album stands as another jewel in the crown of Jay-Alexander's pristine recording legacy.
On ALL THE WAY TO MARS Miss Hardin takes us to The Edges of the universe all the while reminding us that the heart is, indeed, home - wherever home may be for each of us. And Hardin has proved with this album that she is equally at home on the screen, the stage and the recording studio. The low points of this recording would be the highlights of a lesser solo/cabaret album, particularly in the hands of a performer lacking Hardin's vast versatility or Jay-Alexander's precise skill and arrangements by Ben Toth. Hardin and Jay-Alexander take chances with the majority of this material and it is only when they are on all-to-familiar territory that the enterprise begins to stutter, but it never stops cold or lags for a significant amount of time. All in all, this album is, truly, out of this world. So, to turn a phrase using the joviality and jabby joy imparted to us by this delicious delicacy of a performer and album: Blast off, or blow off!
SCORE: 8 (out of 10).
Label: LML Music
To Pre-Order, Click Here!
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From This Author Pat Cerasaro


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Road cycling at Mount Hotham, High Country
Victoria's 7 Peaks – The ultimate cycling challenge.
Victoria's 7 Peaks Ride is an at-your-own pace cycling challenge which takes you up winding mountain roads, around steep turns and past spectacular views right to the top of Victoria's Alpine Resorts.
Register for a 7 Peaks Ride Passport. Every time you ride one of the peaks, and get a resort stamp in your passport, you are one step closer to winning the major prize.
For more information and to register for a passport visit 7peaks.com.au
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Victoria's 7 Peaks Ride is the ultimate Australian alpine ascent challenge, running from October to...
Work off an indulgent breakfast on a full day ride through spectacular Alpine landscapes or just spend an afternoon taking in the local sights.
Float along the hundreds of rivers and waterways that flow through inland Victoria, from the iconic Yarra River to the pristine Gippsland Lakes.
Family-friendly and easy paced off road trails through spectacular scenery from the coast to the hills.
Head for the hills to explore Victoria's stunning alpine regions and rugged mountains all year round, taking in soaring views of the valleys below.


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Highlands High School squad brings national title home
It was a bittersweet night for Highlands cheer co-captains Stephanie Mazur and Katie Pesci and their senior teammates.
The squad was celebrating their win at a national competition Saturday, but it was the final time the seniors would ever put on their Highlands uniforms.
The Golden Rams cheerleaders performed before the community on Wednesday night in the high school gym, fresh off their first-place showing at the Midwest Cheer & Dance Open Nationals in Sandusky, Ohio.
"I told my mom today -- last time for uniform and makeup," Pesci said.
Last night's brief program was open to the public, but friends and relatives were there too. The girls had a chance to run through their lightning-like, 2 1/2-minute routine and each girl was introduced to the crowd by head coach Melissa Bernath.
Cheerleading has changed for this generation of young women. Competitive cheer has generated 33-week seasons that start when teams are chosen in tryouts in May. Besides cheering at games for the football and basketball teams, the cheerleaders enter competitions.
The girls practice twice weekly for two hours each and occasionally add a third practice before competitions.
"I don't think the public realizes how much time the girls put into it," Bernath said. "This is done in conjunction with their studies in school. They have to keep their grades up to compete."
The Golden Rams have been busy. They took first place in the Rally in the Valley at Charleroi High School, won the Class AAA state title at Johnstown, first place at the AmeriCheer Challenge at Cornell High School, Coraopolis and beat more than 40 other cheer squads at Canon-McMillan High School, Canonsburg, before heading to Ohio last weekend.
"The girls have two fundraisers per month to cover their own travel expenses," Bernath said.
Being on the squad one year is not a guarantee that a girl will make the team next year.
"You have to try out each year, just like everybody else," Mazur said.
Bernath said the thing she is most proud of is that 24 of the 26 squad members were able to maintain high grades in academic subjects the first semester.Additional Information:
The champs
The Highlands High School cheerleading squad won a national title last Saturday in Sandusky, Ohio.
Members are:
• Seniors: Stephanie Mazur, co-captain, Katie Pesci, co-captain, Cassandra Boyer, Kelsie Nicastro, Sarah Paz, Taylor Swartz.
• Juniors: Kaylee Bradley, Megan Carter, Megan Lewandroski, Chelsea Litwicki, Elizabeth McKinney, Randi Jo Negley, Jenna Rieger, Brittany Voytko.
• Sophomores: Megan Ehrmentrout, Chelsea Grinchuk, Shannon Josefoski, Jamie Karlo, Kaitlyn Meising, Kristen Stout.
• Freshmen: Anna Barr, Michaela Bonnett, Bailey Clark, Cassie Eckenrod, Marissa Kesecki, Janey Walters.


text: 4 photos $22,995 4.47 acres Franklin, KY 42134 - Allen County 4.47 acres Franklin, KY Located in Allen County, KY East Franklin Farms lets you own your piece of rural land avoiding the cramped spaces of urban living. However, if you do find yourself in need of the conveniences offered by the city you are only 30 minutes south of Bowling Green and less than an hour north of Nashville, TN. There are a total of 34 farms with acreages between 5 and 20 acres. Parcels are wooded or open and mobile homes are welcome.We offer affordable owner financing for all of the land located in East Franklin Farms. Photos below are not actual photos of the site. -------- LAND FOR SALE IN ALLEN COUNTY, KENTUCKY ----------------------------- Geoff Hurdle Hurdle Land & Realty, Inc.


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Final Fantasy XIV Online
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- Final Fantasy XIV Online
- Enjoying FFXIV
JoJoCool734 6 years ago#1
1.) The regular "Grind against the mobs" with your Fighter/Mage jobs.
2.) Craft!
3.) The "Lay of the Land" jobs.
-People are going to say that they are the same and that its still just grinding. But thats not the case. Each of #'s 1-3 ARE different. Tired of letting go of some frustration on some unsuspecting Dodo's? Why not try out a "Hot & Cold" mini-game from one of the "Lay of the Land" jobs. Nothing like finding a small pond/lake and just relaxing while trying to catch some crayfish. So all of your frustration is gone from the Dodo's and you've had your feel of fishing huh? Why not cook some of what you caught? Or, maybe create some armor/weapons for your Fighter/Mage class. I've played both FFXI & WoW and in my opinion, the crafting in FFXIV is better than both. I've really had fun ranking up my Leathercraft^^ and as a warning....crafting in this game CAN get addictive if you give it a chance........
4.) Battle/Field/Faction Leves
5.) Craft Leves
-These "cards" you get from the adventurers guild are pretty fun and a way to get some extra gil and some pretty good items. It also lets you fight mobs that you may not have even seen yet i.e. imps. And with "Guardian Aspect", it's a good chance to get some really good Rank Points in a short amount of time. And on the Craft Leves, nothing beats not having to use up your items/shards and still be able to get Rank Points for your choice of craft. Not to mention the "reward" craft item you receive if you successfully complete the leve along with shards, gill, and even extra items if you do well enough. People complain that you can only can get 8 new Battle/Field Leves and 8 new Craft Leves around every 36 hours (set time) but I've found that it's plenty for me and I'm more than just a casual gamer. And when you get to the rank 20 Battle Leves, guildmarks here you come! And now to Faction Leves. I've done a few of these and they are pretty cool, and fairly different. Each has a different story to them that you hear about from the NPC you talk to at the beginning of the leve. Rather it's playing the "Hide-And-Seek" game to find and examine crates spread throughout Limsa, or killing that "Boss" that's reeking havoc in Eorzea. Have had fun doing them all!
6.) Behests
So you've tried out all the Disciplines and the Leves and you want to do something else? Why not try doing Behests? Behests kind of reminds me of FFXI's-Beseiged. You can do one by talking to a Battlewarden NPC (near camps) when one is about to start. I think its a 5 min time window to sign up for it and the behests are every hour on the hour i believe. It's not a whole lot different than maybe a Leve but is still enjoyable.
7.) Guild
When you get to Rank 20, join a guild! I have currently joined the LNC and CON guilds and am enjoying the extra quests you can do for the extra story (really good writing in FFXIV imo). The extra gil and guild marks you receive from completing the quests is always a good thing too!
JoJoCool734 (Topic Creator)6 years ago#2
8.) Main Quest
I think the Main Quests are AWESOME. Great story and Great cutscenes. I found myself grinding for rank ups just so that I could continue with the Main Quest because I wanted to know what was next. If you haven't done any of the Main Quests, do them! They really are awesome.
9.) Social
There are times when I play this game and I kind of just want to play alone and solo. And there are times I'd rather be playing with other people. Whats so good about this MMO is that you can do which ever you prefer easily. Recently I've been joining exp party shouts and I have to admit, I'm having a blast. Not to mention that it seems to be a lot more efficient in getting rank ups. So if you haven't tried it out, do so. There may be good ones (parties) and bad ones, but I've enjoyed all the ones I've participated in. A long time gamer friend could be just a shout away….
And speaking of gamer friends, why not join a linkshell while you're at it. As with any MMO, joining the right linkshell (or guild, whichever it may be called in the MMO you played) can make the game that much more enjoyable. And helpful to boot.
10.) Market Wards
Ok, the Market Wards in this game has taking some serious heat and people want an Auction House ASAP. When I first started playing this game, I was also one of those people. But now that they have implemented the idea of selling different items in certain areas I.e. Spellcrafter row, clothiers row….it has become easier to find items. Also, in future updates, they plan to further increase the ease of finding that certain item you're looking for. And with all of this, I believe FFXIV should stick with Market Wards rather than an AH. I believe it would also help the ingame economy of FFXIV. Not to mention that people will be more willing to pay a little bit extra for that hard earned item you crafted/killed a mob for….
11.) Explore
The graphics in FFXIV are AMAZING. Go out there and explore the new lands. Get to those far away camps so that you can teleport to it at a later date. Find those towns and see what the NPC's are talking about. I've seen some breath-taking scenery from my exploring, glad I did.
12.) Music
The best music I've heard in any MMO. Hands down. Nuff said.
13.) Parley
Another mini-game that you can play with certain NPC's that can reward you with items, info, and more after you have completed the Rank 15 Main Quest. Seems that you can only parley certain items though, which they will list. If your nation is Gridania the NPC is Aubrenard (7-4), if your nation is Ul'dah the NPC is Baterich (4-7), if your nation is Limsa Lominsa the NPC is Ansgor (6-5). See websites for how to play.
14.) Further Updates
I have already heard that SE are going to add NM's (Notorious Monsters) in November/December updates among many other things. I for one am real excited about the NM's. Always made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I finally claimed, killed, and received that special item I was wanting from ffxi! lol
Their also implementing auto-sort function for inventory which I'm glad about and of course they will be adding many, many more things to come. Game will keep getting better and better^^
Hope this helps and enjoy!
ragnarokius 6 years ago#3
Is this a guide on how to enjoy the game...? Not to mention most of those are present in, well, every game ever to some extent.
Dr Pepper
JoJoCool734 (Topic Creator)6 years ago#4
Posted 11/9/2010 5:56:16 PM
message detail
"Is this a guide on how to enjoy the game...? Not to mention most of those are present in, well, every game ever to some extent."
No. It's just my take on the game and some of the things I've enjoyed about FFXIV. Also, there might be things listed that a player hasn't tried yet and might want to.
BahamutDarkFire 6 years ago#5
Market wards are probably one of the coolest but worst executed ideas in the game.
I don't want an AH, but I do want a way to search all retainers.
"Therein is your error, smoke not the bowl, smoke the contents." - Greendrakkon | A kid complaining he wasn't high after "smoking 2 bowls."
ragnarokius 6 years ago#6
Market wards is a lot like the trading area in Maple Story, isn't it? People set up shops or whatever?
Dr Pepper
JoJoCool734 (Topic Creator)6 years ago#7
Not sure ragnarok, haven't played that.
And yeah FFrulz, it would be pretty cool to be able to search all retainers for the items they have w/o having to click on each one's bazaar. I think they are going to add a search function to the market wards to where it'll tell you who is selling the item you're searching for or maybe that its in a certain ward.
RageOfBlades 6 years ago#8
The only thing that I can honestly say I'm enjoying with this game is watching SE stocks drop for the past 2 months. Now all they have to do is give another extended free period to make it more interesting.
I swear you already posted this topic like twice.
The Masterofpirates
Also, only Kenpachi could have scars on his **** - Anonymous 12
JoJoCool734 (Topic Creator)6 years ago#10
Has anyone received any rare items from Parley? If so, what?
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We've been having really great weather this summer. Usually, the temperatures are in the 100's and we cannot stand to be outside, but this year, it's been in the 70's and 80's and we are taking advantage of extra outdoor time.
Last week, I taped some packing tape (sticky side) out around the girls' wrists and told them to decorate it with things they found in the backyard.
They had so much fun and were sad when I had to cut the bracelets off!
I found this idea on pinterest--but unfortunately, the link does not work to the original site. If anyone knows where this idea came from, let me know so I can link to it properly.
I've mentioned it before, but our Fun With Nature: Take Along Guide book is getting lots of use this summer.
What have you and your kids been up to?


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Have Cat Questions? Ask a Cat Vet Online.
Dear friend,
I do not want to alarm you but I am very concerned about your boy.These are very serious and can even be life threatening symptoms Any time a cat cant stay out of his box he is either sick or in pain.
You should make a trip to the vet ASAP. - If you think he has a urinary tract infection and is in danger of becoming blocked.
UTI's are serious in males because they are caused by sticky crystals in the bladder.At any time they can block the urethra.Since this is going on a while your boy is in great danger.Cats are very stoic animals so he may not cry out.
If he becomes unable to urinate that is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY . His bladder could burst and he would have to be catheterized to save his life.
If that is the case, you must take him to the vet right away
http://www.carecredit.com/ may finance his visit if money is an issue.
He may have a UTI that can be treated economically.
UTI's must be treated with an effective broad spectrum antibiotic like Clavamox or clidimycin and for a long enough duration so all bacteria is eradicated. If not, they will refluorish, stronger and more resistant and reinfect him. In addition, the bacteria can become tolerant of the same antibiotic so the medication should be varied for best results.
You can give him a few drops of unsweetened cranberry juice or 100 mg of vitamin C - That will reduce the PH of his urine but it is only to make him feel better.He still needs to see a vet for an antibiotic.
Please let me know how he is doing .I will be here till late tonight to help further.
I hope he feels better very soon.
PLEASE take him right in to be treated.
Best wishes for him,
Hi there,
Oh the antibiotic should be less than twenty dollars.
The exam can cost about 35.00.
Do keep an eye on him because if he has a UTI and blocks (God forbid) you will end up in the expensive ER.
Please keep me updated on his condition.
I am so glad you had him seen and he is ok!! Thats GREAT news.
It is my pleasure to help someone as lovely as you and your sweet baby.
I will always be here for both of you.
Thank you for pressing accept.
Best wishes for a wonderful new year,


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A big thank you: Yuuguu Plus subscriber number one!Thursday, February 5th, 2009
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1944 – Rapid City, South Dakota, USA
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1944 – Rapid City, South Dakota, USA
Combined Operations Crash on Isle of Man
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 42-37840 "Combined Operations" coded GY-Y of the 367th Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bombardment Group, crashed near the Chasms on the southern tip of the Isle of Man on the 14th April 1945
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Ollie Adeline Sperow Linkous ("Miss Ollie"), age 82 went to be with her Heavenly Father on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009 after a brief, but courageous, battle with cancer. She was born June 14, 1927 in Clinchco, VA to the late Marshall and Delcie Sperow. She was an inspiration to all who knew her, especially during her illness. "Miss Ollie" was a faithful and well loved member of Faith Bible Church in Pulaski, VA. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, James D. Linkous; brothers, James Kyle, Harold Lee, and Marshall Ellis; sisters, Shelby Jean and Nancy Sue; special friend, Joanne Zell. Surviving are: Sons & Daughters-in-Law – Mike & Jan Linkous, Max Meadows, VA; Danny Linkous & fiance' Kaye McElhaney, Pulaski; Jim & Janice Linkous, Pulaski, VA;
7 Grandchildren – Michael Linkous, Brad Linkous, Amanda Maull, Melinda Maull, Jeremy Linkous, Jordyn Linkous and Ashlee Linkous; 5 Great-Grandchildren – Brittany Crigger, James (Jay) Linkous, Devon Linkous, Jacob Linkous, Hannah Linkous
Sisters – Lydia, Imlay City, Michigan; Peggy, Nora, VA; Patty, Glennie, Michigan; Brothers – Lewis, Castlewood, VA;
Joe, Florida; Norman, Birchleaf, VA; Roger, Hazel Park, Michigan
Funeral services will be held Saturday, December 19, 2009, at 2:00 PM from the Stevens Funeral Home, Pulaski, VA with Rev. Jim Linkous and Rev. Dwight Haynes officiating. Burial will follow in the Thornspring Cemetery, Pulaski Co. Visiting will be Saturday at the funeral home where the family will receive friends from 1:00 until the service hour. In lieu of flowers the family wishes that memorials be made to Faith Bible Church, 110 Lagrange St., Pulaski, VA 24301 or to Carilion Hospice Services of the NRV, 707 Randolph St., Suite 251, Radford, VA 24141.
The family would like to thank Dr. Ken Pendergrast, Dr. McCoy, Carilion Hospice Care for their care and encouragement. They would also like to say a special thanks to Patty Smith (Miss Ollie's sister) who unselfishly gave wonderful care and companionship to mom in her last days. Also a special thanks to Ron Zell for his daily doses of laughter with Aunt Patty and Mom. To our family and friends at Faith Bible Church, we would like to humbly thank you for all of your acts of kindness to mom and our family by showing your love to her with the many cards, phone calls, meals, visits and especially prayers. These meant the world to her and to our family. God Bless you all.
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