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Politics and macroeconomic performance in the OECD countries
This paper provides an overview of the major macroeconomic problems that have confronted the OECD countries during the last four decades. It also explores some leading arguments regarding the political bases of these problems. An extensive account of the experiences of these countries in terms of five major macroeconomic problem areas, growth, employment, price stability, external balances, and equality, is provided. The relative performance of these countries is given particular emphasis. An attempt is made to place their economic progress and difficulties into a broader historical perspective and to provide some background with respect to related developments. This is followed by a discussion of three of the leading arguments regarding the political basis of economic performance (social consensus, class-based partisan politics, and government failure). An evaluation of the empirical validity of these arguments is provided. None of the three arguments (and their variants) garnered evidence that was uniformly supportive. Aside from somemodest support for the coherence version of the class-based partisan politics model, the effects of political factors on growth appear to be nil. The existence of tradeoffs between left and right preferences in terms of other macroeconomic outcomes, specifically with respect to unemployment and inflation, seem not to manifest themselves in the presence of social consensus. Both the desired outcome of full employment and price stability can be achieved under conditions of social consensus. Interestingly, such consensus will do nothing to advance the goal of income equalization. Partisan politics does seem to matter in most of the economic problem areas examined. There is some evidence that a strong left and labor will bring about lower unemployment and greater equality at the cost of higher inflation and a poorer performance on the external account.
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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Levitt, M S, 1976. "The Redistributive Effects of Taxation in the Report of the Royal Commission on the Distribution of Income and Wealth," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 86(343), pages 579-588, September.
- Lawrence Summers & Jonathan Gruber & Rodrigo Vergara, 1993.
"Taxation and the Structure of Labor Markets: The Case of Corporatism,"
The Quarterly Journal of Economics,
Oxford University Press, vol. 108(2), pages 385-411.
- Lawrence H. Summers & Jonathan Gruber & Rodrigo Vergara, 1992. "Taxation and the Structure of Labor Markets: The Case of Corporatism," NBER Working Papers 4063, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Alex Cukierman, 1992. "Central Bank Strategy, Credibility, and Independence: Theory and Evidence," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262031981, July.
- Cukierman Alex, 1992. "Central Bank Strategy, Credibility, And Independance: Theory And Evidence," Journal des Economistes et des Etudes Humaines, De Gruyter, vol. 3(4), pages 1-10, December.
- Francis G. Castles & Steve Dowrick, 1990. "The Impact of Government Spending Levels on Medium-Term Economic Growth in the Oecd, 1960-85," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 2(2), pages 173-204, April.
- McCallum, John, 1986. "Unemployment in OECD Countries in the 1980s," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 96(384), pages 942-960, December.
- David Romer, 1993. "Openness and Inflation: Theory and Evidence," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 108(4), pages 869-903.
- David Romer, 1991. "Openness and inflation: theory and evidence," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, issue Nov.
- David Romer, 1991. "Openness and Inflation: Theory and Evidence," NBER Working Papers 3936, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- McCallum, John, 1983. "Inflation and Social Consensus in the Seventies," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 93(372), pages 784-805, December.
- Robert Summers & Alan Heston, 1991. "The Penn World Table (Mark 5): An Expanded Set of International Comparisons, 1950–1988," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 106(2), pages 327-368.
- Alesina, Alberto & Summers, Lawrence H, 1993. "Central Bank Independence and Macroeconomic Performance: Some Comparative Evidence," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 25(2), pages 151-162, May.
- Pryor, Frederic L., 1988. "Corporatism as an economic system: A review essay," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 317-344, September.
- Dowrick, Steve, 1989. "Sectoral change, catching up and slowing down : OECD post-war economic growth revisited," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 331-335, December. Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)
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ok,this guy I like tickles me after(or during)when he hugs me,or when were sitting and eating lunch,he'll tickle me randomly .i just wanna know what it means when a guy tickles you .and also,when were walking in the hallway,he'll elbow me,then ill elbow back,untill I start to laugh.
Most Helpful Guy
He likes teasing you. This could be a sign of friendship only, it could be a sign of something more. Can't say. If he's hugging you too, you're probably someone special to him, but I can't say if that's more of a romantic thing or a close and trusted friend thing.00|00|0

subset: commoncrawl


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LOPindo Photographer
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Business Secretary Vince Cable revealed the Liberal Democrats are holding policy talks with Labour as the Eastleigh by-election puts the Coalition with the Tories under fresh pressure.
Mr Cable said he and Deputy PM Nick Clegg are talking to Labour about long-term issues such as pensions.
It is a move that paves the way for a power-sharing pact after the next election.
He said: "We have a sensible business-like relationship with them. I think the public would find this very narrow, tribal way of looking at politics very unhelpful.
"Of course you have got to talk to opposition people."
Mr Cable added: "Whoever is in government you want continuity. Business understands that and the public understands that."
His remarks threaten to fuel a rift with the Tories as the parties slug it out in the Eastleigh by-election caused by the resignation of disgraced Chris Huhne.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg urged voters not to punish them for Mr Huhne's lies.
Former Tory Defence Secretary Liam Fox warned his party's Coalition partners "have a problem about trust".
He said: "They have got to explain to students why they ditched their pledge on tuition fees, and then why, having decided to pledge on an in-out referendum in Europe before the general election, they do not want one at all now."


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How To Successfully Win Back High-Quality EmployeesReach and recruit healthcare professionals today!
August 14, 2014
Five tips on how employers can win back good employees.
By Angela Rose for Health eCareers
According to a report released on July 3, U.S. service companies including those in the professional and business services, retail trade, food services, and healthcare industries grew at a faster pace in June. This news has many healthcare facilities preparing to hire new staff as the summer months start winding down.
If you find yourself among them, we bet you'd love to hire an employee who already knows how to do the job, whether it's in nursing, scheduling, or the lab. And how would you feel about one who is familiar with most of your medical practice's procedures, staff, and patients? Sounds like a dream come true, right? These employees do exist. They include top performers laid off or poached by other medical organizations. Here's how to win them back.
1. Keep tabs on the best
Whenever the economy or downsizing dictates layoffs, and you lose your best nurse or top-notch medical receptionist as a result, stay in touch. The same goes for high-quality employees who leave of their own accord. Social media is an excellent tool for this purpose. While they may be reluctant to mix their professional and personal lives on certain social media platforms, you can still connect with them on professionals ones. At minimum, make sure you have a current address, phone number, and personal email before they leave.
2. Add value to your offer
If your former head nurse is really good at his or her job, they probably didn't spend much time unemployed. The same old role and salary may not be enough to convince them to come back. Consider ways to add value to your offer. Money is one place to start, but you can also try to entice your best prospects to return with a prime shift opportunity, schedule flexibility, continued education assistance, or another attractive reward.
3. Consider a promotion
If your former employee is eager to advance his or her career within the healthcare industry, they may be tempted to return to your medical office if you are able to offer a promotion. While an actual increase in responsibility and compensation is likely preferable, some may be satisfied with a perceived promotion in the form of a new job title. You can get creative with this if necessary. For example, if your best receptionist will only come back for a management position and the role of office manager is not available, you could title them 'lead receptionist.'
4. Sell your facility's culture
If your previous physician assistant or medical records technician has been away for a while, he or she may have forgotten about all the things that make your medical facility special. When you make your pitch for their return, take time to remind them about the family atmosphere, focus on education, supportive network, advancement opportunities, a common cause, or whatever else your organization has to offer.
5. Address the reason for leaving
If your former employee was the victim of a layoff, reassure the candidate that the clinic or practice's financials are in a better position. If they left of their own accord, address the reason why. For example, if it was because of a lack of advancement opportunities, discuss possible future promotions. If he or she moved on because of difficulties with a supervisor or coworker who is no longer there, make sure they know the employee is gone.
Attract the best candidates with job postings. Post a job in minutes and find top medical administrator and managerial candidates at the Health eCareers Recruiting Center.
About the Author
Angela Rose researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends, and workplace issues for Health eCareers.
Related Employer/Recruitment Articles:


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One of the three major credit reporting bureaus is educating consumers about identity theft through a newly launched website.
Equifax on Thursday debuted IdentityProtection.com, which provides tips, stories from real-life ID theft victims and other expert articles about tax identity theft, medical identity theft, child identity theft and more. The site also sells Equifax's ID protection services and gives helpful advice.
The credit bureau said it put together the site after the Federal Trade Commission reported that identity theft remained the top consumer complaint last year. The launch also comes on the heels of Tax Day, April 15, with taxes being another area where ID theft is growing.
In general, one of the best ways to help thwart ID fraud is to keep tabs on your credit cards and credit history. Always verify every transaction on your monthly credit card statement. An unusual purchase could mean someone has your credit card account and more.
Don't forget to pull your free credit report from each of the three national credit bureaus -- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion -- every 12 months. If you see a suspicious account that you don't remember opening, contact the credit bureaus right away to place a fraud alert on your credit report.
If you're concerned about fraud and don't plan on applying for new credit, consider placing a freeze on your credit report. That will keep lenders from pulling your report, shutting down a fraudster's ability to apply for credit under your name. Each state charges a nominal fee to freeze and unfreeze a credit report, but the cost could be well worth your peace of mind.
Have you dealt with identity theft? How do you protect yourself now?
Follow me on Twitter: @JannaHerron


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Frizz-Ease Corrective Styling Gel
Frizz-Ease Corrective Styling Gel Reviews
Styling GelThis product works really well and gives a natural look if you don;t use too much. I like it best when I apply a small amount to wet hair and let it air dry because it is a thick product and it's hard to evenly distribute it through dry hair & you are likely to end up with crunchy hair. I did like that this didn't flake throughout the day but you need to play around to find what amount will give you control without being heavy. — 6 years, 3 months agorunee89 | 299 reviews
Perfect for My textureI have curly-kinky hair. when my hair is wet the curls are defined but when its dried it forms to an afro. This is the only product I know of that can control my curls. It's hold is superior to all other gels I've tried!! After a day of wearing my hair natural with this gel (to keep the curls) I absolutely have to wash it! that is the only downside. But it's hold LASTS, just be sure you wash it out before you sleep on it to keep your hair healthy. — 6 years, 10 months agoNaturalBeauty | 11 reviews
Keeps Hair in PlaceI like this product. It's cheap and it lasts forever. I use a little here and there just about one-two pumps. I like having it around to smooth stray hairs. I wouldn't use too much though it can be a little heavy. Not bad for the price at all. — 9 years, 1 month agoShelleybean | 144 reviews
Home » Reviews » Hair » Styling Cream, Mousse + Gel » Frizz-Ease Corrective Styling Gel
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HEYBRIDGE Swifts boss Jody Brown is desperately hoping that his players take to the pitch on Saturday.
The Scraley Road outfit played their first game of 2014 on Tuesday night, a 2-2 Ryman One North draw against visiting Dereham Town.
The recent wet weather has frustarted the new Swifts manager in his attempts at getting game time with his players because of the number of postponements.
Swifts are due to entertain AFC Sudbury on Saturday and Brown is hoping the home pitch stands-up to the recent rain.
Brown said: "Our groundsman worked wonders to get the game on on Tuesday night.
"We were a little below par but we are in a building phase and when you don't play games you don't grow as a group "We need to get three of four back-to-back games played.
"We are trying to play a new system with new players.
"We really need to get game time so that we can work things out."
Looking ahead to the Sudbury match, Brown added: "Robbie King took a bit of a knock to the ankle on Tuesday night but I am pretty sure he will be alright for Saturday.
"I am hoping Danny Barber will also be available.
"He is the only real left-back at the club and I have tried to play a three of four players there.
"It is a massive gap for us but hopefully he will be back."
Striker Jamie Guy proved to be the hero for Heybridge on Tuesday as his late debut goal earned them a point.
Swifts had to come from behind twice against visiting Dereham Town at Scraley Road on Tuesday to earn a 2-2 draw.
Guy joined Swifts from Needham Market last week and scored deep into injury-time to earn a share of the spoils.
Brown said: "I am pleased for Jamie, he looked good for us. He was one of our shining lights and he got a vital goal at a vital time.
"He is a goalscorer and with goalscorers the more goals they get the more their confidence grows."


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More and more pissed about reviews and threads
View Single Post
Posts: 4,812
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Device: sony PRS-T1 and T3, Kobo Mini and Aura HD, Tablet
Originally Posted by
Older books will have been digitized via OCR. (Even books that are new enough that one would have assumed that the author used a word processor.) Unless edited, they will contain many more errors than the paper version. Many publishers have been guilty of releasing these without proper editing. Tossing a bunch of additional errors into the mix drops the value significantly.
I am sure you are right in respect to certain publishers and also the date the ebook was published may be significant.
The original publication date of the book does not in my experience have much to do with the quality of the ebook edition.
Hard Case Crime publishes very well proofed books many originally published 50+years ago.
Sure there were a lot of OCR-ed poorly proofed books published 2-5 years ago and some are still being produced today, but the majority of ebooks I have read in the last 2 1/2 years have been adequately or excellently proofed. (I average 4-5 books a week)
Backlist books (which were written 1 year or even 50+ years ago) , but still being carried new in stores) have already been digitized for modern printing presses. They may contain the same errors as the printed copy but no more.
I have read ebooks by Rex Stout, Robert B. Parker, Agatha Christie and many more obscure authors and the majority are very well done. A friend was just showing me his latest Louis L'amour book and comparing it to his 40 year old paper copy and exclaiming how much nicer it looked.
Assuming a book is actually readable, I would rather read a book I want to read, based on content, author, subject, genre......, than any book because it is newly written and may or may not be error free. An older bestseller can be sometimes better than a newer one.
I've even noticed more than the occasional missing apostrophe in paper books, without feeling I've been totally ripped off.
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Mayan calendar predicts demise of Moore's Law
2 comments post a comment
Many have unsuccessfully predicted the end of Moore's Law. But what about predictions made before the law even existed?
A few months ago, market research firm iSuppli Corp. made waves and headlines when it predicted that the rising cost of semiconductor manufacturing equipment would derail Moore's Law after 2014.
As was pointed out by many, iSuppli was simply joining a long, long list of naysayers who predicted the demise of Moore's Law, most of whom have already been proven very wrong. In fact, it's said that people began predicting the end of Moore's Law as soon as Intel Corp. co-founder Gordon Moore published his famous 1965 paper.
But what about those who predicted the demise of Moore's Law even before it came into being?
The pre-Columbian Mesoamerica civilization of Maya flourished from about 2,000 BC to about 900 AD. It is believed to have been a very advanced civilization for its day, particularly in the areas of language, architecture, mathematics and astronomy.
As anyone who watches even a little bit of The History Channel can tell you, the Mayans developed a very sophisticated and accurate calendar covering thousands of years. This calendar apparently comes to an abrupt end on Dec. 22, 2012. Unfortunately for Gordon Moore, his law, and the rest of us, many people have concluded that, because the calendar ends, the world will come to an end. (There are other interpretations.)
As far as I know, there are no specific references to Moore's Law found on the Mayan calendar or in any known Mayan literature. But the logic here goes like this: if the world comes to an end on Dec. 22, 2012, then the number of transistors that can be placed on an IC will immediately stop doubling every two years. It's that simple.
Thus, if the ancient Mayans were right, Moore's Law goes off the tracks well before 2014, and the rising cost of equipment becomes a moot point.
No word so far on any Moore's Law predictions by Nostradamus, but we'll keep digging.


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That video is hilarious.
Interesting vid I found on Ryan Reeves (Ryback), and where his characters catchphrase came from. May have been posted before, but I went back a couple of pages and couldn't find anything.
Apparently, when it comes to eating, the man is the true phenom.
Damn.....that man can truly eat.
Banner by-ThreadKiller
That video is hilarious.
Credit to Fresh Prince for the sig.
I think WWE should re-hire the Job Squad and job them all to Ryback
That it is. Apparently the man is a vulture, and can devour wings like I can french fries. "Feed Me More" makes a whole lot of sense now.
Banner by-ThreadKiller
How the hell has this company not made an 'Appetite for Destruction' remark yet?
Don't worry, he's only making PW great againOriginally Posted by TJ Wyoming
Of course, if Matt Striker was around, we'd get all the references. All of them.
Don't worry, he's only making PW great againOriginally Posted by TJ Wyoming
Yeah funny video, but this is kinda old news. lol.
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Jason Aldean Stops by 'Jimmy Kimmel,' Brings Pyro and Two New Tracks [Watch]
Subscribe to Taste of Country on
Jason Aldean stopped by 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on Monday night (Sept. 22) to perform two tracks from his forthcoming album. He pulled out all the stops for his hot performances, including a few pyrotechnics!
The singer performed his sexy single 'Burnin' It Down,' but also gave fans a peek at another track from the upcoming album titled 'Just Gettin' Started.' Both tracks will appear on 'Old Boots, New Dirt,' which comes out Oct. 7 via Broken Bow Records.
Aldean performed on the big 'Kimmel' stage in front of a very enthusiastic crowd. From start to the finish of 'Burnin' It Down,' the singer's emotions were felt in every word. At first, it looked just like a normal performance … until he brought the fire, literally!
Just after the line "let's light it up like it's our last night," the star's microphone caught on fire. And once Aldean grabbed his mic and began walking closer to the crowd, they screamed with delight.
For the encore performance of 'Just Gettin' Started,' the singer pulled out his black acoustic guitar, which has his name written across the fingerboard and two playing cards on the body. Recently, it was revealed that Aldean is the most-downloaded male country artist in history, and his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel's late show made it apparent why.
Watch Jason Aldean Perform 'Just Gettin' Started' on 'Jimmy Kimmel'
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The Best of Country Music in 2014?
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/5/2014 (1182 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
He is Robin to Mark Cohon's Batman. He is Bill Daly to Cohon's Gary Bettman. And right now he might be the most important person in this country when it comes to determining whether there will be CFL games on the field this June. Meet Michael Copeland.
Copeland, president and chief operating officer of the CFL, has taken the negotiating lead in collective bargaining agreement with the players' association and is charged with finding a deal that satisfies the players and can then be taken back to his board of directors and approved.
Copeland is quite literally caught between 300-pound lineman and a trio of business titans who have lost in the neighbourhood of $100 million during their time owning league franchises.
The players quite rightly want more money for the work they do. The owners want to stop losing money. Everybody has an angle and in this fight, it's easy to see things from the perspective of both sides. Copeland, however, has to strategically see what's best for the league today and as it moves forward. He needs to get the players on the field and he must keep his owners happy. Copeland is walking a tightrope with a nation of football fans watching.
Copeland agreed to a chat with the Free Press on Tuesday. Here are his views on CFL labour negotiations, which resume today in Toronto.
Free Press: What are you hoping to achieve when the meetings resume (today)?
Michael Copeland: (Today) we are hoping to have an open and honest conversation with the CFLPA executive about where our business is at. The fact that we are on the path towards that vision on stability and sustainability, but we're not there yet. But we do have a plan in place to get there. With their partnership, we think we have a good chance of getting there. We want to hear again of their concerns that their objectives, and through that we're hoping to get closer to some middle ground to reach an agreement, because the one thing that we can agree on is that we want to be back out on the field, it's important to the fans, and leagues, and a place where we could continue the momentum that we have ad we have to be thoughtful about it. We welcome the opportunity to have that open conversation and reach a deal that is fair and reasonable for both sides.
FP: Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment's bid to buy the Argos and move them to a renovated BMO Field is off the table. What does this mean to the league?
MC: There are many different ways to address an issue, and we certainty understand that the Toronto market needs attention and focus, it's an area in the league level that we have identified as being a strategic priority for us. The (MLSE) transaction potential on the BMO field and potential ownership was one that represented one avenue to help address the issue was... There were positives about that scenario but wasn't the only way to address the issue. We were happy to consider that, but that doesn't present itself, then there are other ways to move foreword. You can't focus on the things you can't do, you focus on the things you can do. We just need to look in another direction and we are very prepared in that regard, we go down the other fork in road, as a means to making Toronto the engine of the CFL.
FP: Commissioner Mark Cohon has not been present at many of the meetings with the players to date in these talks. Why?
MC: Our commissioner was part of the initial discussions and was in the room with the union. It's been a lot more "roll up the sleeves" discussions. The commissioner is very much part of our bargaining team here with the league, he's very much in control of the situation. When negotiations get to a point where we think we are able to make some real decisions, it's when the commissioner re-engages (the Free Press learned late Tuesday, Cohon would attend today's meeting). This is the working groups that have been getting together trying to hone the discussions toward what we have been trying to do.
FP: A major stumbling block in these negotiations is the players' wish to have salaries tied to revenue. The league is against this system. Why?
MC: A revenue-sharing model simply doesn't work for the CFL. Often the example is used in other major professional sports leagues that have them in place. The reason they are able to do that is because their revenue significantly outweighs their costs. So when you define player compensation as a percentage of those revenues there's something left to cover the operating costs and also provide a profit to the teams. In our case that just doesn't happen. When you divide up our revenues you're underwater with respect to our operating costs. Our league can't function in that respect. What we're trying to do is create a model of cost certainty based on a salary cap that is fair to the players, increased compensation, one that allows our teams to generate a profit. Generating a profit allows teams to invest in their city. What we have seen in the last several years, when the teams have had incredible confidence, they will be able to afford to invest. They've made the decision to build a new stadium in Winnipeg, Hamilton, Ottawa, Regina announcing their investment as well as other investments that address the needs of our fans - modern day. We need to keep up. With what's happening, if we're not able to invest, we can't do that.
We put ourselves in a position where we can credibly build this league. For the first time in history there is a vision for all of our teams to be profitable and stable. This not only benefits the clubs, but it benefits the players. I think we have shown in our offer that we recognize that the players have made a contribution to the success of the league. We understand that the foundation element that they are. And that's why we're offering a compensation increase to them. We want them to share in our successes, and revenue sharing doesn't work for the CFL. We also have nine teams, and if one team has incremental revenue, then that will add money to player compensations. So that team will raise the cap for all teams so those teams that didn't enjoy increased revenues now have increased costs.
The argument could be made that some teams should share their profits to help the have-not's. That won't work because there isn't enough profit.
Saskatchewan has a $40-million obligation to fund their stadium, Winnipeg has an $85-million loan. Profit is good for the league because it allows teams to invest and allows the league to build. We want to do this in a way that the players will benefit. We hope the players will understand that there is a deal that will make this league move forward.
FP: Can the CFL withstand a strike?
MC: I don't know. I don't want to find out. All of our focus is on continuing to play our schedule. We want to start on time, we want to have a full pre-season and regular schedule. The league can't afford the wrong model. If the choice was between having a strike and having the wrong model, it's a pick-your-poison situation, I know the wrong model will set the league backward. We need to make sure we get this right, to continue the momentum we enjoyed. We're on a pathway toward stability toward the entire league. We need to make sure we get the model right.
FP: The commissioner has said in his past few state-of-the-league addresses the league is healthy. The players point to this and say it's time for them to get their share. Are they right?
MC: When you think of the term 'healthy', it means a realistic opportunity to build profitability, sustainability and stability for the league for the next 100 years. We have the opportunity to realize that. Not immediately, but over time. If we have the wrong model in place that takes away opportunity. We feel we're healthy enough to give the players a nine per cent (raise) in compensation, we feel we can afford that. We feel our businesses are on a trajectory to continue to build themselves in a position where they're stable. We accept the responsibility that we have to do that. Our teams accept the responsibility but they have to run their businesses well. They need to continue to push. Be aggressive and creative. They need to manage themselves properly. They accept that responsibility. If they do that, which I think they will, we will achieve that vision. If we have the wrong model in place it won't matter what we do, because it won't allow us to get to that position.
I think the commissioner is right, we put some things in place that will allow us to get there. We just have to make sure we use them properly.
FP: The players and teams want their piece of the increased TV money to be collected from the new broadcast agreement with TSN. The league wants to hold some of that money back for its own initiatives. How would the money be used?
MC: There are amounts in our 2014 budget that we have allocated for business development that we have not had the luxury to do. The one thing that increased revenues provide is some room to invest. At the league level, we want to invest as well. One area is the Toronto market. This market has been underdeveloped and under leveraged for decades, but we think the product is phenomenal. Argos brand is historic and meaningful. We think with the right focus and attention, we can bring that back up to levels that were in the city back in the 70s. Should be the premiere sports property. We need to become more modern in how we manage our business, and that related to ticketing systems and making sure that we are selling and managing the biggest part of our business such as ticketing. Digital as well. CFL website, mobile apps and other digital offerings that our fans are craving.
firstname.lastname@example.com Twitter: @garylawless


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RAIN will turn to snow on Tuesday and Wednesday, The Met Office has warned.
The snow has been reported to start about 12pm on Tuesday, February 11 and then continure through Tuesday night and into Wednesday mornin, until about 10am, in Denbighshire and throughout North Wales.
Snow has stuck on the ground in parts of Denbighshire today (Monday) including Llandegla, Horseshoe Pass in Llangollen, Llanferres and Llanarmon Yn Ial.
The Met Office gave a yellow warning for Tuesday and Wednesday meaning members of the public should be aware as severe weather is possible over the next few days and could affect you.
Yellow means that you should plan ahead thinking about possible travel delays, or the disruption of your day to day activities.
The Met Office is monitoring the developing weather situation and Yellow means keep an eye on the latest forecast and be aware that the weather may change or worsen, leading to disruption of your plans in the next few days.
The Met Office said: "Accumulations of two to five cm are likely on ground above about 150-200m with perhaps 10cm or more above 300m especially in the west of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England.
"On low ground, lying snow will tend to melt between showers by day but one – three cm may settle on Tuesday evening and night.
"Icy stretches will also reform in the evening, these lasting well into Wednesday morning. The public should be aware of the risk of some travel disruption and difficult driving conditions."
A Denbighshire County Council spokesman said: "Teams of council staff have been out and about dealing with the wintry conditions and although there has been some accumulations of snow in parts of the county, the snow has been localised.
"There is the potential for more ice and snow over the coming days and we would urge motorists to take the usual precautions and listen out for any weather warnings.
"The council will continue to monitor weather forecasts over the coming days and will deploy teams of staff to treat the county's roads, as and when it is necessary to do so."
See full story in the Free Press


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Clackmannanshire Council offer a free and impartial energy efficiency advice and fuel poverty service Monday - Friday between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm. Home visits can be arranged outwith these times.
Call our Home Energy Advice Team on 01259 450000 or email firstname.lastname@example.com for information.
Home Energy Advice Team
Kilncraigs, Greenside Street, Alloa, FK10 1EB
Tel: 01259 450000
Email: email@example.com


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It's been a busy few months for us...
In case you missed it, here's what's been going on at Game Time Strength..
|A few of our athletes competed at the Southern California Championships in October!
GTS Athlete Accomplishments and Transformations
|Congrats to Welton on losing 20 lbs going into the Holiday Season!
|Congrats on Ani for transforming his body adding both muscle and strength!
|At IPL Worlds, Karen finished the day with a 899 lb total which was a CA State, American and World Record. She finished with a gold medal in her class and Best Lifter Award!
|Congrats to Joanna and her HUSBAND on getting married this month!
For gym or distance training information : email@example.com OR 310.363.2371
Purchase GTS T-Shirts and Tanks Online!
Strength and Powerlifting Competitors
- Camp Pendleton Open 2015 (Jan 10 & 11th 2015)
- CA State Meet 2015 (March 27th - 29th 2015)
- USPA Nationwide Meet List
For more day to day GTS activity check us out on...
GTS Strength Los Angeles - Facebook
GTS Strength Los Angeles Instagram
GTS Strength Los Angeles Tumblr
GTS Strength Los Angeles Twitter
GTS Strength Los Angels Youtube


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2014 Kia Sportage Kenosha WI
The 2014 Kia Sportage is the vehicle you want for so many reasons – it's stylish, efficient, and very affordable. When you want something that's going to have plenty of room for your family and stuff, give you the performance you need in a variety of situations, and include standard and optional features that make your life easier and more enjoyable, you've got it right here in the 2014 Kia Sportage in Kenosha WI.
At Palmen Kia, we've got a great selection, including several trim levels so you can get a look at the different options without having to skip around to different dealerships. We've got it here!
A Leader in Versatility
In the 2014 Kia Sportage, you'll never have to worry about where things will fit, or if they'll fit at all. There's a place for everything, from seat back pockets to the standard under-rear-cargo-floor storage compartment. An optional cargo cover makes it simple and convenient to store items out of view without sacrificing the easy access of the liftback.
Speaking of the cargo area, it's got plenty of room for groceries and other supplies, but if you need even more space, the 60/40 split-folding rear seatback makes it easy for you to make the most out of your cabin for whatever purpose you need it for on a particular trip.
Your Favorite Features on Board
You'll love all the standard and available features in the Sportage. Included in the basic package are favorites like Bluetooth wireless hands-free connectivity, USB/auxiliary input jack, trip computer, power windows and locks, steering-wheel mounted controls, and lots more. Optional features like rear camera display, push-button start, and voice-command navigation with a 7-inch touch screen only add to the convenience you'll enjoy in your new Kia Sportage.
Ready for a test drive? Get on in to Palmen Kia and talk to us about the 2014 Kia Sportage today!
Vehicles you may like


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Related Story: Source says Los Angeles Angels discussing move to Industry stadium
THE Los Angeles Angels of Industry.
I like the sound of that. Better still: The San Gabriel Valley Angels.
In case you missed it, I'm speaking of the story by my colleague Ben Baeder in our newspapers and websites Thursday saying Angels owner Arte Moreno and Majestic Realty billionaire/wannabe sports team owner Ed Roski Jr. have talked about moving the baseball team from Anaheim to Industry.
Roski has been pushing to build a professional football stadium on the denuded rolling hills chewed to the nubs by herds of dairy cows (I'm not kidding) near Diamond Bar and Walnut since 2008. But he's been outshined by AEG, an L.A.-based sports conglomerate that built Staples Center that wants to put "Farmers Field" in downtown L.A. near L.A. Live! and attract an NFL football team.
The San Gabriel Valley being outshined by L.A.? I've heard that tune sung more often than that Korean Pop singer Psy's "Gangnam Style."
So this new idea - turning his NFL dream stadium into a spanking new MLB baseball stadium - is music to my ears. Personally, I'd prefer a baseball stadium to football. I am to baseball what journalists are to ink. Cutters, three-run jimmy jacks, double plays, suicide squeezes - they flow like blood in my veins. As do words.
I grew up a New York Yankees fan. My dad would take me to the old-old Yankee Stadium where we'd watch double-headers and I'd dream of catching a foul ball off the bat of Mickey Mantle. So except for putting my boyhood team in Industry, there could be nothing better than having my adopted and beloved Angels in the SGV where I live and work.
No more long drives down the 57 Freeway. No more sitting bumper-to-bumper in the Fullerton bottleneck. Don't even talk to me about taking the 5 Freeway; it's a mess in L.A. County. Even in The O.C., traffic is bad.
The way I see it, Angels owner Arte Moreno, just like Roski, see a stadium near Diamond Bar as a business plus; centrally located on the four corners of future suburban ticket holders in Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles counties.
Of course, no one in New York or Mission Viejo for that matter has heard of Industry, nor the San Gabriel Valley. Roski told me at an editorial board meeting he had trouble convincing the NFL team owners that his stadium was closer to the actual fans of Southern California than was AEG's proposed for downtown L.A.
Think of the draw from the upper middle class communities of Pasadena, Arcadia, San Marino, Monrovia, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Diamond Bar, Brea, Chino Hills, Fullerton, and yes, the rest of the OC and beyond. These are people with expendable incomes who if you build it, would come.
Plus, and perhaps more importantly, these are people who avoid going into Los Angeles more than a superstitious baseball player skips stepping on a foul line on the way to the dugout.
To take Randy Newman's line and turn it upside-down, We hate L.A! We in the suburbs and exurbs rarely go there. Whether it's the crime or the traffic, or the high cost of parking, doesn't matter. We'd prefer a safe, closer venue to watch America's No. 1 pastime.
We want a family-oriented, convenient, sports venue. Baseball in the suburbs fits that bill.
However, Moreno has to be like a politician. There's no chance in getting a person raised by Republican parents and grandparents to switch sides. Likewise, Dodger loyalists will stay Dodger fans. And that's fine.
Instead, Moreno and Roski must convince the independents to come see a baseball game. Maybe, just maybe, they will get hooked and stay.
Oh, and not anger Moreno's base in The O.C. This is a as tough as hitting a pinch-hit grand-slam. But I can dream.
626-962-8811 Ext. 2237


text:
- Score:
- rated 2.73 / 5 stars
- Views:
- 3,078 Views
- Share Links:
- Genre:
- Action - Shooter - Multidirectional
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Credits & Info
- Uploaded
- Oct 6, 2012 | 9:46 PM EDT
If you liked this, check these out!
Author Comments
Rated 1 / 5 stars
Rated 0.5 / 5 stars
Worst game ever ist suck so much i must vomit
Rated 4 / 5 stars
very nice game although it could use some extra stuff an tweaks. as stated add butons to the death screen (ie try again give up ect) instead of just having us wait a few seconds then get set back to the menu screen. personaly im fine with the look of the menu screen but other people dont seem to like it so maybe change it too. sound effects were horrible and extremely annoying. also the repeat on the music didnt work properly so you may want to look into that (didnt work as in instead of restarting it just skipped back 10 seconds and then played again.) still its a nice game and i hope to see a version 2 from ya!
Rated 3 / 5 stars
okay, let's start:
* put buttons in the "dead window" (menu, try again, give up (shits like that))
* improve the menu windows design
* use better sounds, the shoot sound is horrible!
* show how to play!
* be happy!
Rated 3 / 5 stars
Its pretty good right now, the controls are kind of slow and i couldn't figure out how to shoot at first. It's pretty okay right now and has a good way come.


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Mr. CRITZ. Mr. Speaker, intelligence gathering has always been a key component of keeping America strong and resilient through our history, and it is imperative in this post-9/11 era.
It is crucial that the intelligence community be provided the resources they need to combat threats from foreign powers and global terrorist organizations. This is why I'm offering this final amendment today, to help strengthen our defenses against physical and cybersecurity attacks.
Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill. This amendment will not kill the bill or send it back to the committee. If it is adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage as amended.
My amendment contains three components that will ensure we continue to provide the best security to our Nation.
First, it would instruct the head of each element of the intelligence community to take all steps and precautions to ensure that the intelligence and military capability of the United States is not improperly transferred or stolen by a foreign nation or a state sponsor of terrorism.
Mr. Speaker, we live in a time where information is readily available and transferable at the click of a mouse or the stroke of a keyboard. While the advantages of such readily available information have helped spur economic opportunities and growth, it has also opened the door for one of the many intelligence challenges we face as a Nation.
We already have in place a number of protocols that dictate how and under what circumstances our military can transfer technology, goods, and services to our allies across the globe, but it is imperative that we do everything we can to ensure this information doesn't end up in the hands of unfriendly foreign powers or state sponsors of terrorism.
Within the past few years, we have seen foreign nations attempt to steal our Nation's military technology and sensitive information through the use of joint ventures and other techniques. We must do everything that we can to ensure that our military and intelligence secrets remain our secrets. Many of those same capabilities reside in, are accessed through, or are enabled through cyberspace.
Reliable access to cyberspace is critical to U.S. national security, public safety, and economic well-being, but cyberthreats continue to grow in scope and severity daily. Tens of thousands of new malicious software programs originating from Iran or China are identified each day, threatening our security, our economy, and our citizens.
No longer do we need to just worry about foreign spies infiltrating our military and intelligence agencies. Our worry must now extend to the young man or woman sitting in their apartment 6,000 miles away utilizing a laptop to tap into our government mainframes.
Secondly, my amendment would direct the head of each element of the intelligence community to take those steps necessary to ensure that our Nation's intelligence and military capabilities, as well as sensitive economic, financial, and consumer information, remain protected from improper transfer, theft, or cybersecurity attack.
Finally, my amendment would ensure that we continue to promote American businesses and keep jobs--especially one of such crucial importance--in America.
As the number of threats to our Nation has grown and the required response has put a large demand on the intelligence community, we have increasingly relied on contractors to perform tasks to ensure the safety of our Nation. This amendment would instruct our intelligence community to always put American workers first and not outsource these jobs to foreign-owned companies.
Mr. Speaker, I have witnessed the detrimental effects that outsourcing has had. Numerous areas of our country have also seen the ugly effects of outsourcing, and we must put American workers and businesses first, especially in the critical sphere of intelligence.
Compounding the economic damage outsourcing has done to our country, the national security risk posed by allowing foreign companies to operate our intelligence capabilities would be catastrophic to the environment of our Nation.
Mr. Speaker, in the global environment in which we operate, we must keep America strong, keep America competitive, and keep America first.
Mr. Speaker, again, my amendment will be the final amendment to the bill. I have great respect for the chairman, Mr. Rogers, and the ranking member, Mr. Ruppersberger, for the bipartisan bill they put together. It is important to note that this amendment will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If it is adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage as amended. My amendment will ensure we have an even stronger American intelligence community.
I urge a ``yes'' vote on this final amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Source: http://thomas.loc.gov


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Park The Kids
By Andrew, on Wed, Oct 30, 2013
Children are the future, so we must give them one to look forward to. See how our learn-to-ski & ride programs are reshaping the slopes and building confidence in kids to come back for more. A welcome and controlled environment, mixed with encouraging features redefine how our youth will learn to ski and ride, but don't take our word for it. We let the little shralpers give us the lowdown through their lenses. After learning some new moves in the Riglet Park and shaped terrain, we took them up the Taxi to let them judge their instructor's skills in the big park.
Read the full article, "Park The Kids" in our 2013/2014 Jay Winter Magazine.
Park The Kids from Jay Peak on Vimeo.


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Victoria's Secret Secret Garden Collection Exhilarating Body Wash
Victoria's Secret Secret Garden Collection Exhilarating Body Wash Reviews
VSVictoria's secret has been a long time favorite of myself and most women that I know. I have tried their lotions, body butters, body splashes, and pretty much any new product that they dream up and produce. I have tried many of the body wash scents, and one thing that I really like is how strong the perfume in them is. If you are a lady who likes neutral or subtle scents in your soaps and body w...read moreashes ,then I would say that Victoria's secret body washes are probably not for you. These are very strong smelling—which is great if you like that sort of thing. The consistency of the body wash itself is where I had to take off some points. The liquid reminds me of dishwashing soap—it is runny, coming out of the bottle very fast. It has a watery texture to it that doesn't give me the luxurious feel that I am seeking when I think of a Victoria's Secret product. As a result of this lackluster texture, the body wash does not lather very well. It takes a large amount of product(think silver-dollar sized), to get any kind of lather at all. Even when you do get a lather going, it isn't thick or rich—it is very cheap and light feeling, once again remind me of liquid dishwashing soap. After washing with this, I cannot say that my skin felt moisturized or pampered, either. If anything, I thought that it felt a little stripped. These body washes do absolutely nothing to smooth, soothe or moisturize the skin, and you would definitely need to use a body lotion after washing with them. Overall, these are just really good smelling, but low quality body washes. I recommend the love spell fragrance if your skin doesn't need any extra care, but if it does, I would say that you ought to try something else. — 4 years, 7 months agoLittleBunny | 545 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 5 of 10 people said helpful
Love this collection.Huge fan of the Love Spell collection. The only thing I would pass on is the spray, because after a few hours you smell like a grgape fruit roll up. — 6 years, 3 months agoMissPurple | 611 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 7 of 17 people said helpful
Rub me right!A varried array of fragrances, I also use it as a bubble bath or hand wash. I even wash my lingere in it. Keep an eye on your fav fragrance becasue they change constantly. — 9 years, 6 months agothedragonslady | 483 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 10 of 15 people said helpful
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I was put into charge. Quack, qvack, qvack. I am bored and alone reigning supreme over the lifeless cosmos. Quack, qvack, qvack. Hmmmm. How about a little diversion? That's the ticket. Planet earth is as good as any.
How am I to know what my creator intended? Whence derive a sense of right and wrong? No impetus is apparent to me. Who am I to consult? I shall do as I please. The cosmos is my canvas and I shall play; plant the seeds of life and observe its evolution-spread the juice and…Continue
Added by Glen Rosenberg on January 9, 2013 at 6:20pm — 3 Comments
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Tempe Historical Museum
- Region: Chandler Arizona
- 809 E. Southern Ave.
- Tempe, AZ 85282
- Phone: (480) 350-5100
- View Website
The Tempe Historical Museum is a center where the community comes together to celebrate Tempe's past and ponder the future. The main exhibit hall tells the story of Tempe from its prehistoric beginnings to its development into a desert southwestern urban center. The main hall is surrounded by three changing galleries that explore different aspects of Tempe's history and change several times a year. There is always a reason to return.


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They do amazing work. They can make your bathroom look like it belongs in the movies or in Hollywood... 10:09:56 AM
It provides the best possible architectural solutions to businesses like restaurants, malls, stores,... 6:57:05 AM
At U.S. Military Tents we are committed to providing the best U.S. military and military grade tents... 6:37:47 AM
This is a great school to get the training for USMLE. 6:01:33 AM
Great 5:41:43 AM
Great 5:23:27 AM
Great 5:20:37 AM
(703) 729-9522
(703) 724-1243
(571) 223-0530
(703) 724-9306


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Watch Suzanne Arceneaux from Texas review her vertical sleeve gastrectomy experience in Tijuana, Mexico.
Video Transcription:
"My name is Suzanne Arceneaux and I had the sleeve surgery done on July 21, 2015. Everything was great. The hospital was wonderful. All the people and staff were terrific."
Self-pay bariatric surgery in Mexico costs just a fraction of the US prices. Our packages for gastric sleeve here begin from $3,995 only.
Here is a written bariatric surgery testimonial from Tij...Read More


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In the very words you quoted: "We can tell stories through entirely interactive ways, with no text." Did the guy who said that not listen to himself? Story in games isn't just the things you exposit and write down. It's told by actions and mechanics and gameplay--some of which can be explicitly narrative in nature. Often, story-telling through play is augmented with story-telling through exposition, cut-scenes and what-have-you ... but their existence does nothing to discount either a game's credible game-ness nor it's attempts to tell story through play.
I'm also curious; why is "linear story" problematic in Mass Effect (quality of the fiction aside; I'm speaking structurally)? Or ever for that matter? It is the most common sort of story and can be quite compelling.
You're right, there's not many games that do this sort of interesting stuff, and the ones that do are so focussed on story they often do that to the exclusion of anything else. But you could easily link those story-telling mechanics with more 'gamey' mechanics. Say the logs you find in Analogue could easily be dotted around rooms in an FPS, Bioshock-style, than just clicked from a screen. Yet still interlink in the same ways.
But the originally linked post and some of the posters here are dismissing the idea of even exploring these avenues, because it's 'not what games do best'.
Because IMO while linear story works well in non-interactive media the fact that the player has the illusion of agency ruins what makes it compelling in those mediums. No longer is the viewer/reader an external observer of events happening to other people that they clearly cannot have an impact on, they are now supposed to be a pivotal character in the story but they don't actually have any control over what happens. Or at best very limited control. This completely ruins any involvement I have in the story (clearly others disagree about this though).Quote:
I'm also curious; why is "linear story" problematic in Mass Effect (quality of the fiction aside; I'm speaking structurally)? Or ever for that matter? It is the most common sort of story and can be quite compelling.
I guess giving the player agency in a linear story might be analogous to breaking the fourth wall.
Dan Pinchbeck summed it up the best when he said. It's a few hundred people discussing whether games can be a narrative, while 6 billion people look on and yawn. I've already played many games that have fantastic stories that embrace the medium, that couldn't be done through any lesser format. I'm guessing most of you have too otherwise you probably wouldn't be on this forum.
He was also right when he said, don't compare us to films. Films are fucking awful, 90% of them are entirely generic and derivative, if games are in their infancy then great, because films are mature medium and the overwhelming majority of them are terrible. Whereas games are always innovating, even things that don't appear to be, such as Call of Duty.
How much agency do you really have as Gordon Freeman? Or in System shock 2? Even a sandbox game like Syrim has a fixed narrative.Quote:
Because IMO while linear story works well in non-interactive media the fact that the player has the illusion of agency ruins what makes it compelling in those mediums. No longer is the viewer/reader an external observer of events happening to other people that they clearly cannot have an impact on, they are now supposed to be a pivotal character in the story but they don't actually have any control over what happens. Or at best very limited control. This completely ruins any involvement I have in the story (clearly others disagree about this though).
Very little, but those games work because the gameplay is compelling not because the narrative is particularly interesting. I've never heard anyone say they played Skyrim (or even Half-Life) 'for the story'.Quote:
How much agency do you really have as Gordon Freeman? Or in System shock 2? Even a sandbox game like Syrim has a fixed narrative.
Thats right, the industry is focused on it. Looking at, for instance, Hitman: Absolution square has said that they want to make that franchise into a big Gears of War/COD thing, with big time sales. What that apparently involves is gutting the Hitman gameplay & marketing towards dullards who like shooting nuns and sending death threats to women with small boobs and hairy legs. http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...otches-the-job
Here is how Skyrim was seen by Bethesdahttp://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-the-marketing:Let that sink in: Skyrim's weakness is that it is a snigle player fantasy game.Quote:
The Skyrim team also saw their basic mission as expanding the potential audience. They felt that Skyrim's weakness was being a single-player fantasy roleplaying game. First, all the best-selling games lately seem to be multiplayer games, so how could Skyrim compete with that?...
Second, they worried that fantasy might be seen as too strange or weird for Call of Duty players. Pete Hines, VP of PR and Marketing for Bethesda Softworks, noted that they decided to focus on the aspects of the character that were independent of the genre, his heroic nature and the gritty, realistic tone underlying the story. The game really had a modern, cinematic take on fantasy, and that's what they felt the marketing campaign had to transmit to the consumers.
J.Sawyer on why all heros look the same:It is about a way of making games that is focused on broad appeal and not doing anything to turn the vast majority of players off. And because most people don't like frustration, don't like losing, don't like learning...in short most people don't like games. And since the whole raison d'etre for corporations is to sell as much stuff to as many people as they can, they are going to focus on mass appeal gameplay.Quote:
"By the way, the videogame white male with short dark hair/eyes/stubble isn't used to emulate an ideal, it's chosen to cause minimal offense," said Sawyer on Twitter. "It's the Toyota design method applied to characters, elevating compromise to a goal. most people saying 'well i don't hate it' = good.
"To be clear, characters don't usually start out that way. Devs try to make unique characters and get worn down by frowny faces. And the designs get trimmed and molded back into the same guy you've seen 10,000x before. Everyone shrugs and that's considered success."
As for how I am deciding a game is about gameplay, I don't have any real rubric. It just seems self evident that The Sims, Minecraft, Starcraft, Diablo, etc are gameplay based. Whereas things like Uncharted, etc are story based.
As for Half-life, I couldnt finish those. Mass Effect? I only played 1&2, and the gameplay was terribad. The selling point of those games was "you are the hero in an epic story and only you can save the whole universe from Charlie Sheen's dad and the evil Bug Monsters from Space!." So, it was pretty much a choose your own adventure with very little choice. That can still be fun or whatever like with the Walking Dead, but I really cannot see any good gameplay in Mass Effect. obviously, ymmv.
edit: I was just thinking about what I enjoyed the most in GTAIV. it was the driving and the flying, they did a good job with that. What did they change for the gtaiv dlc? what did people complain about the most? Driving. I'm 99% sure GTAV will have more of a saints row 3 type driving, cuz you know people don't actually like losing, learning, mastering, etc.
edit #2: and I just wanted to re-emphasized that 'story telling in games is worthless' as it relates to actual gameplay. As far as making money and giving a lot of videogame players fun, it is valuable.
It seems self evident to you that people enjoy the Sims because of the gameplay not the story. But what is the gameplay of the Sims? Is it pushing buttons? Is it micro-managing the lives of a bunch of simulated humans? Is it observing and influencing the stories of a collection of characters? All of the above? Something else?
What is your reason for dismissing story as play? It's fine if you though Mass Effect was bad. How good an experience it was is a different issue than whether or not it was more or less of a game. You maintain that story is inherently un-gamey and that gameplay is somehow clearly distinct from story. I would appreciate a better explanation of why you feel this is a reasonable assertion when in games like Mass Effect a major mechanical part of the game is the clicking of conversation options and the manipulation of the high-level story through conversational options. Perhaps it is very bad at doing this, but it's still doing it. Perhaps it's a choose your own adventure with third-person shooting and some character advancement mechanics--that makes it a choose your own adventure game rather than a choose your own adventure movie on account of it making use of the fundamental tropes of games.
I'm at a complete loss here. Even ignoring games like Mass Effect, story can be told entirely through mechanical interaction. The Sims is a good example--there's no planned narrative, but you craft a story as you play and a lot of players really enjoy the Sims for the stories it gives them to tell. A lot of people enjoy the episodic experience of play rather than just the rough mechanics of play. Think about how much of the community is dedicated to found adventures, to swapping stories about game experiences. That's story. Sure, a lot of it is also dedicated to "pure" mechanics. To shooting better and shooting faster. But these sides of gaming coexist; it would be foolish to ignore either of them as part of some crusade against the putrification of games through narrative emphasis.
Finally, let's look at Minecraft again. What is the gameplay of Minecraft? Is it placing blocks? Digging blocks? Crafting things? Tinkering with the sandbox? Exploring? Experiencing? Accomplishing grand designs? What is the fundamental Minecraft experience and what makes you certain it is devoid of story-telling, or more fundamentally mechanical than fictional? In a game with few pre-set goals, what drives player achievement? You aren't mechanically rewarded for building a massive pyramid of glass. You aren't mechanically rewarded for anything except hoarding items, crafting items, and killing things ... but that's not what Minecraft is most well known for as far as I can tell. It seems to be known for the building and the exploring and the freedom. Again, in such context ... what makes up the play and how are you so certain story has nothing to do with it?
Look at any game you think is too story focused, and any game you think is utterly locked into gameplay focus. Then ask yourself what is play in that game. What the player does. What players (not just yourself) find fun and engaging about the experience. How you are allowed to interact. Whether or not non-mechanical elements indirectly affect player actions and to what extent. Be especially careful about what you consider non-mechanical--conversations are mechanical in Mass Effect; you can call them awful and boring and false choices all day, but they are fundamentally connected to the mechanical design of Mass Effect. Keep coming back to that. What is play in this game? I think you'll find that fictional involvement, narrative, story-telling, emotional and sensory experience (the sorts of things often belittled in games that go to the extremes of CoD) are fundamentally connected to play in games traditionally considered less linear or more mechanical or more "game"-like.
I agree with this guy. The only DEV with the balls to come out and say that the quality of story-writing in games is beyond bad. You can find better fiction on fan-fic forums...
1) You can't lose The Sims.
2) You can't lose Minecraft.
3) The appeal of Starcraft, along with all other multiplayer games, are the other players. A victory is sweet because you beat somebody. A loss stings because somebody beat you.
4) If you're pulling out white male protagonists as good forward-thinking design, you're really arguing against your own point. If you're listing Bethesda's marketing department leading their design mantra, you're really arguing against Bethesda.
quite hokey, but at least the dude's identity was an integral part of the game.
Either way, however, relying on stereotypes or tropes is the other side of the same coin. They pick relatively non-descript white dudes in games where you have an option because they're seen as "default," devoid of identity, which implies that every other option is defined by its demographic. As such, all Black men are gangsters, all Black women are sassy, et cetera. In this format, nerdy Black women would be seen not as independent characters, but as inversions of their tropes.
Point being, it's that point of view which destroys characterization, and that point of view is thus the problem.
-Never played the sims, so I'm just guessing.
-Story is play, but it isnt gameplay. (see below)
-Mass Effect is a game, but the story part is faux gameplay because it already has been written, the outcomes are known. Yes, its true the customer doesn't know, and he/she might feel like they have real agency, but they dont.
-Why is minecraft a game? Well, this is what I think a game is:
- Must be fun (unquantifiable) otherwise it is work
- Must have rules and structure
- Outcome must be unkown
- player has real agency, i.e. affects outcome
- Must have challenge and/or conflict and/or goal, this does not have to be part of the rules, player(s) can create their own within the rules and structure of the game
Minecraft qualifies. This is just my definition though. I suspect yours is different.
-Play? Im not sure why you use this word, but play is different than gameplay. Play (to me) is any recreational fun activity. Sure ME is play, as is singing karoke, or dancing, or eating nachos with friends. Games are play, but play is not necessarily a game.
1) ?
2) ?
3) ?
4) ????
You can rehash the age-old argument that started when Will Wright showed up on the scene, and people called his games "toys" instead of games. Who the fuck cares?
The outcome must be unkown for it to be a game? Is it not a game the second time you play simply because you know all the enemy positions and how all the weapons work
"player has real agency, i.e. affects outcome"
Hmm. But do you affect the outcome of Minecraft? I mean ... you feel different, sure. But does the game care if you built a scale replica of the Acropolis, a giant phallus or nothing at all? Similarly, think about how a player alters the outcome of games like Breakout, Tetris, Pacman and Mario. These are not story-centric games. But does the player ever get to dramatically change the outcome of events other than Win/Lose, Die/Not Die, Collect All The Stuff/Collect Some of the Stuff? Because if those sorts of affects count as "real agency" then there's plenty of that to go around in story-centric RPGs as well as Guns+Conversation games like Mass Effect and Alpha Protocol.
As for your comments about play and gameplay, I've been using the words interchangeably in this context. I meant to considering those things I called play part of gameplay. I don't see much point in bickering about the finer details of play versus gameplay because if we're defining an entire medium based at that sort of fine resolution we're going to run into a lot of problems. Broad categories like "game" should have fairly granular measures in my mind and distinguishing between play-that-isn't-gameplay-even-though-it's-in-the-context-of-a-game and gameplay doesn't strike me as granular enough for the scale of your statements (gameplay is more important than narrative, gameplay is the most essential element of games, etc). If I can point out a sizeable number of titles that are nearly universally accepted as games that are founded on concepts and styles of play that mismatch with your requirements for something being a game or play being gameplay ... there's probably something wrong with your definitions.
If it looks like other things called games and it shares core conceits of things called games that are considered unique to games and it's sold as a game and it's made as a game and it's bought as a game ... what else is there?


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Dolman Silk Blouse
New Arrivals
New Arrivals
Details & Care
Light, radiant crêpe de Chine exaggerates the swooping silhouette of a point-collar shirt with bloused dolman sleeves and a high/low hemline.
- Approx. length from shoulder: 23 1/4".
- Measurements taken from size Medium and may vary slightly by size.
- Front button closure.
- Single-button cuffs.
- Chest patch pocket.
- Silk; dry clean.
- By Vince; imported.
- Individualist.
- Item #654334


text: Links International will launch a new 24x internal DVD write from Lite-On. Called the iHAS324-07, the drive features a SATA connection interface and is able to provide write speeds of up to 24x for DVD-R/+R. Not only that, the drive also supports for SMART-ERASE, SMART-BURN and SMART-X technologies, and comes bundled with Nero12 Essentials software. The Lite-On iHAS324-07 will become available from March 9th for around 2,980 Yen (about $32). [Product Page]


text:
Don't Wait Another Minute. Discover Xfinity TV in Palmer, MA
Palmer, MA gets the best TV channels from Xfinity, with a variety of TV packages that suit your budget. If you're looking for entertainment, Xfinity TV provides 80+ digital cable channels, DVR packages, and On Demand options.
Most Americans enjoy 35 hours of TV each week, and Xfinity TV provides Palmer, MA with enough top programming to fill that time. If you are a sports fan and need the local Palmer channels, you'll get them with cable TV from Xfinity. If you prefer movies and TV shows, you'll love Xfinity TV specials, which include the current and classic options.


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By Jan Lee Buxengard
Caledonia Argus
The Houston County Township Officers Association (HCTOA) held its annual banquet on Sept. 5 at the Four Seasons Community Center, Caledonia. Hosted by the nine-member township association board, this social and informational event had an attendance of 101, namely representatives of 15 of the 17 townships, county commissioners and department heads, as well as a state legislator, representatives from the state township association and the Fillmore and Olmsted County township associations.
A roast beef meal was catered by Good Times, and entertainment was provided by the Highland Voices, a 13 member female singing group from the Caledonia area. Area businesses contributed cash and/or door prizes for the annual event.
Township Association history
The Minnesota Association of Townships (MAT), representing grassroots government, was founded in 1933. This nonprofit corporation, representing 1,779 of Minnesota's 1,783 townships, is a voluntary membership organization with membership generally coordinated through a town's participation in a local county township association. The county township associations provide a forum for disseminating information and for resolving local problems.
Each county township association has its own board of directors. There are over 9,000 town officers in the state. Minnesota is one of 12 states organized with township associations.
HCTOA was formed in 1961. Current board members are: Richard Markos, president; Kermit McRae, vice president; Richard Nelson, secretary; Julie Amundson, treasurer; and directors Burdette Unnasch, Marion Lynch, Mike Patterson, Gene Tessmer and Arlyn Pohlman.
MAT and HCTOA's mission is: "To secure for township officers and office holders full recognition and enjoyment of their rights to administer their responsibilities in a just and professional manner; to secure the tools necessary for them to fulfill their obligations as public servants and to strengthen and extend our form of township government in such a way as to provide to the citizens the services they are entitled."
Master of Ceremonies and HCTOA's president Markos explained that the objective and purpose of the association is to organize the officers of the townships into a county educational association for the exchange of ideas pertaining to local government. The duties and responsibilities are to secure cooperation among them, to aid and assist them in preserving the township as a municipal entity in the affairs of government, to maintain the jurisdiction of such townships and its officers in the construction and maintenance of highways, the levying of taxes, the holding of elections and in general all activities that are now enjoyed by such townships.
Approximately 924,158 residents of Minnesota live in a township, which provide a variety of services to these residents including being responsible for the maintenance of approximately 55,000 miles of roads, more than any other single level of road authority in the state.
Nathan Redalen, director on the MAT board, represents District 1, which includes 159 townships in nine counties of Southeast Minnesota. He encouraged township officers to participate in the bus trip in March 2014 to meet with legislators at the State Capitol about important issues to grassroots government.
He also noted that what was formerly called local government aid (LGA) is now called Town Aid. In 2014, the certified money will come to townships in two payments – in the spring and fall.
Along with Redalen, Gary Pedersen, MAT executive director, also expressed the need for township government representation in the upcoming legislative session.
"This session is huge for us," Pedersen emphasized. "Our work is not done. We have to keep battling for an increase in the Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) on natural resources land. Our top priority is to seek a one-to-one ratio, a one dollar per acre increase."
The state of Minnesota makes PILT payments from the general fund to offset the costs of maintaining and the loss of tax base from natural resource lands, such as forestland, state parks, etc., to cover losses to local government when private land becomes public.
The 2013 Minnesota Legislature amended the laws that govern PILTs, which resulted in a statewide PILT increase of over $4.76 million dollars. All 87 counties in the state receive some PILT dollars.
Houston County has 17,296 acres of DNR-administered natural resources land. For 2013, the total PILT for Houston County is $357,378.
State Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, addressed township and county officials, "I want to thank you for all you did in June, July and August after the flooding damage.
"We are putting flood relief legislation together for the 18 counties given federal disaster declaration," Davids continued. "The federal government (FEMA) pays 75 percent, and we hope to get state support to pick up the 25 percent, which amounts to $4.5 million. My goal is $2 million for Fillmore County and $6.2 million for Houston County."
The governor and legislative leaders want a one-day special legislative session to approve storm damage relief for those areas hit hard, Davids said, and stressed, "We want to keep the session limited to this matter and not include the repealing of the sales tax on farm equipment repairs or any other new taxes approved by legislators last spring."


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Elephant Valley Lodge
- About
- Information
- Rates
- Enquire Now
Elephant Valley Lodge is situated in the Kasane Forest, adjacent to the Chobe National Park.
The Chobe region is home to the largest population of wild elephant in the world. This is estimated to be approximately 120 000 individuals.
Elephant Valley is unique for several reasons and amongst these is the fact that it is situated within a game rich reserve affording guests wonderful sightings between the open landrover safaris into the Chobe and boat cruises along the Chobe River.
Rooms & Suites:
There are 20 'meru styled' tents are situated around well manicured lawns or along the edge of the valley. Each of the tents features twin beds, ensuite shower and toilet, mini safe and fan.
The camp perimeter is fenced to keep the elephant from moving through the camp, instead they now move around the camp boundary, along their well worn paths to and from the Chobe River.
The tents allows guests to hear the multitude of night sounds as they drift away with vivid thoughts of the experienced of the day on safari.
Food & Wine:
All meals are provided and dinner can be enjoyed in the boma under the African sky.
Open guest areas, a secluded hide, refreshing swimming pool and 'meru styled' tents complete the lodge which lies beneath a forest of sturdy knob thorns. It is within these tree tops that the largest colony of white back vultures occurs
Guests at Elephant Valley Lodge are encouraged to join the qualified guides on both daily activities, these include a river cruise along the Chobe River in one of the spacious skimmers and an afternoon safari from the comfort of a custom built game viewer in the Chobe National Park.
Lodge Information
- - Lodge type; Safari Lodge
- - Location; Chobe National Park
- - Lodge size; 20 safari tents
- - Recommended stay; 3-7 nights
Lodge Highlights
- - Morning cruise along the Chobe River
- - Sundowner along the Chobe River
- - Game drives
- - Birding
- - Night drives, conducted on the lodge's concession
- Rates from: US$ 350.00
- Per person per night sharing
- Rates are in US Dollar
- *Rates may vary according to season
- Flights (return);
- UK - BOTS; from £ 740
- USA - BOTS; from $ 1547
- EUR - BOTS; from € 908
- Subject to availability & T&C's


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'Round the clock development
A sewer project taking place in the southern part of Woodbury will be happening around the clock.
Woodbury City Council voted last Wednesday to allow Northwest Asphalt to work extended hours on the Bailey Lake trunk sanitary sewer project that began Oct. 1.
Engineering and Public Works Deputy Director Klayton Eckles said that way the project could be done as early as February 2012.
"There are some advantages of getting this project done rather quickly and minimizing the disruption," he said.
The infrastructure project kicks off Phase 2 development, which consists of different sub-phases dubbed Fields of Woodbury and Bielenberg Garden/ Urban Village.
Eckles said all homeowners surrounding the site were surveyed to determine if there are concerns with working on the project overnight.
"We haven't had any resident concerns about this proposed work hours," he said.
Additionally, the sanitary sewer project sits in a rural area, 600 feet or more from most residential structures, which allows for some flexibility.
The distance is "a pretty good distance in terms of noise," Eckles said, adding if it was 100 feet, residents would hear the construction and feel vibration.
The contractor will only work between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. near other homes located less than 600 feet from the site.
Some of the work in the project requires two days of digging for every one day of pipe laying, Eckles said, and finishing early will give farm owners the opportunity to get their properties back in time for spring farming next year.
Council members were all in favor of the work taking place overnight, however, Paul Rebholz questioned whether finishing early would modify the initial bid.
The council approved a $2,509,407 contract to Northwest Asphalt last month, which was the most favorable bid.
"The contractor has interest in keeping us happy," Eckles said.
He explained that city engineers and the contractor will continue to collaborate on the project and he expects other issues to arise through the fall and winter months.


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This summer, I will be recording my new album in the Scottish Highlands, and I want you to be a part of it! The album is called Songs of the Summer Realm, and it is Celtic fusion in style. It will take listeners into the world of King Arthur, showing him to us as a true model of the Servant Leader--a leader who has much to teach us in the twenty-first century. You can help to make this album possible by ordering your copy now, through my Kickstarter page. Although Songs of the Summer Realm will be my third album, it will be my first featuring primarily my own original music. I also wrote some of the lyrics, though many come from familiar Arthurian legends. As an added bonus, I will be singing several pieces of Scottish Gaelic mouth music. I can't wait to perform these live!
The idea of the Summer Realm itself comes from the Arthurian world of Steven Lawhead's http://www.stephenlawhead.com/Pendragon Cycle http://www.stephenlawhead.com/the-pendragon-cycle
These are some of my favorite books; you really should check them out. I cannot thank Mr. Lawhead enough for his kind permission to use his title, and some copyrighted excerpts from his books, which I have used as lyrics for several of the songs. I also set to music G.K. Chesterton's poem, "The Myth of Arthur."
An excerpt from "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" provides the lyrics of "Christmas at Camelot," and Alfred Tennyson's Idylls of the King is the basis of two more songs.
Watch the promotional video and listen to excerpts of several songs here, and pre-order your copy by investing through my Kickstarter page. You can get a pre-release downloadable copy, a signed CD, and many more exciting items and experiences--including a concert in your house, and even a set of Braille liner notes!
We surpassed our $15,000 goal! Heartfelt thanks to my family of fans, friends, and supporters for making it possible.
Jessica gives recitals, master classes, and lectures throughout the United States and internationally and shares the culture of life through collaborative performances with instrumentalists, dancers, visual artists and others.
For more information about bringing Jessica to your parish, university, or community , or to find out how Jessica can perform with your opera company or orchestra, send an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com or call (614) 937-4066.
Jessica Victoria Bachicha is a proud member of the elite Catholic Speakers Bureau, CMG Booking.


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Meet Comics4Kids, INC.
Dale Moore
Saturday, March 2, 2013 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM (PST)
Who's Going
San Francisco, California
London, United Kingdom
Florence, Italy
Event Details
Q & A Panel "Meet Comics4Kids, Incorporated" will be held on Saturday March 2nd 2013 at 1pm in Room 201 at Emerald City Comic Con SEATTLE, WA
Comics4kids, Inc. grades and appraises comics, advises eBay buyers and sellers, and accepts donations as well as consignments. These literacy champions collect and inherit comic books and then give them away to children FOR FREE in hopes of improving literacy and encouraging imagination, as well as promoting the comic book collecting medium 206 327 7436 firstname.lastname@example.com
Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?
All entrants over age 18 are required to have and show valid state issued photo identification before entering
If bringing children must identify and keep within reach.
What are my transport/parking options getting to the event?
All street
What can/can't I bring to the event?
- Please turn off cell phones and devices before entering unless previously arranged press.
- You should bring food to this event, for the panel attendants, we like meat, doritos, sun ships, coke and sprite.
- Please bring comic books to donate
- Please bring some comics for us to evaluate and appraise at no charge
Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?
Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
Emerald City Comic Con and Comic Stop comic stores are not related to Comics4Kids.
What is the refund policy?
There are No refunds for donations. Receipts mailed electronically and also snail mail on company letterhead.
The name on the registration/ticket doesn't match the attendee. Is that okay?
Attendant must display valid State isued Photo identification for corroboration.
When & Where
Washington State Convention Center Room 201
Pine Street
Saturday, March 2, 2013 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM (PST)
Add to my calendar
Dale Moore
Established in 1996, Comics4kids, INC. collects, receives, purchases, and inherits comic books and then gives them away to children FOR FREE in hopes of improving literacy and encouraging imagination, as well as promoting the comic book collecting medium as a hobby. With your help so far, Comics4Kids, INC. has placed over 1,000,000 comics into the waiting hands of children eager to embrace the four color medium!
Co-founders Dale Moore and Jason McKibbin are both industry luminaries with over 30 years experience each in the field, having been readers, collectors, writers, artists, consultants to film, publishers (Green Pirate Press), store owners (Adventure Into Comics, Poison Apple), Overstreet Price Guide Advisors, and two years as the Grading Department Quality Control Expert at CGC. Comics4Kids, INC. is a not for profit organization that has applied for federal recognition for IRS tax exemption status. Read about us in The Official Overstreet's Comic Book Price Guide # 34
Assisted by El Capitan Damien Moore, Sgt. At Arms Mason Knox, First Vice President Heidi Spidey, and El Chupacabra Jerry Sims, these literacy champions grade and appraise comics, advise eBay sellers, and accept donations as well as high profile consignments.
THANK YOU to: James Taylor, Gloria Reyes, David McKibbin, Roy Thomas
and eBay seller named heidi.spidey


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Is my Windows computer compatible with DisplayLink software?
This compatibility check only runs and is needed on Windows 10 Threshold (2015) and earlier OSes. Windows 10 Anniversary update 2016 introduced a new architecture for USB graphics which eliminates the compatibility checks needed on older versions of Windows. DisplayLink drivers can be installed on any PC running Windows 10 Anniversary Update 2016, as long as it meets the system requirements.
The areas checked are:
- Primary Graphics card drivers are installed and up to date
- USB 3.0 host controller drivers are up to date
- No incompatible software drivers installed. Any issues found will be notified with a notification message, with a link for more information, on how to solve the issue.
- The system compatibility check can be skipped by
running setup.exe from a command prompt with the switch
- System compatibility checks can also be disabled
during runtime. To disable compatibility checks during runtime, set the
registry value
System Compatibility Check Tool
Download system compatibility check tool
DisplayLink offer a stand alone version of the system compatibility check application, which will check if your Windows PC is compatible with DisplayLink software and notify you of any problems found.
This will make no changes to your system and only checks for potential issues. The areas checked are:
- Primary Graphics card drivers are installed and up to date
- USB 3.0 host controller drivers are up to date
- No incompatible software drivers installed
- No incompatible 3rd party USB graphics software is installed.
to check system compatibility on a single system
To check the system compatibility on a single system:
- Extract DlCompatCheck.exe from the zip file.
- Double click the exe to run the check.
- Accept the Windows User Access Control message, if shown
- The check will take a few seconds to run.
- Any incompatibilities will be notified to the user by a pop up message.
- If
no incompatibilities are found, the user will be shown that all tests pass and
the system is compatible with DisplayLink software.
How to check system compatibility on multiple systems
The compatibility check tool can be run from the command line, with the "-f" option. With the "-f" option the tool runs silently and any problems are logged to a file. No user interface is presented. This means it can be run remotely on a set of systems by an IT manager to check for issues before deploying DisplayLink software through SCCM. Eg:
start /wait DlCompatCheck.exe -f c:\temp\report.txt
The output file is a plain text file. The first line is a header with program version and a date. The remaining lines document any problems found. If there are no other lines, then no compatibility issues have been found.
It can be opened as CSV file, using space as a separator and also mark the option not to separate strings enclosed in quotation marks.
The format of a compatibility failure line is as follows:
<Severity> <Unique MD5 hash of a check>
<Message description> <URL for more information>


text:
Redken Fresh Curls Conditioner Reviews
Self Best of Beauty Winner 07'I decided to try this out when I read about it in Self Magazine last June. It does deliver on moisturizing and transformed my wavy locks immediately. However my hair type doesn't really need conditioner, just a leave-in treatment. I just like testing products from time to time and this one works well for normal to thick hair. Fine hair like mine will curl better with leave-in conditioner alone. — 9 years, 9 months agomamacita11 | 234 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 2 of 2 people said helpful
i use this stuffredkin and bumble and bumble are my brands. i have curly hair (duh) done right, it looks like that rock star messed up curls. done wrong it looks like i never have washed it before, even if i just washed it that morning. i also use the shampoo. — 5 years, 5 months ago4evayoung | 3 reviews
Moisturizing!I like this product to define and moisturize my curls. I used the shampoo, conditioner, and curl boost. I don't really "need" the other two products but I find myself coming back to the conditioner. It smells good, distributes easily. I can see that my curls are frizz free and soft and defined. If I had less thickness to my hair i would probably use this all the time. — 7 years, 8 months agocalirose | 6 reviews
Just okayIt's not as good as Aveda Be Curly which is my FAVORITE! This smells nice and is just a regular cream conditioner. I prefer "sticky", gel-like conditioners like TresEmme. Overall this was an okay product but not a must-have. I'm going to use it up but not buy it again. Redken Extreme was better. — 8 years, 1 month agocccklz | 21 reviews
Works OK...but not as well as I'd like. I still MUST use a leave-in conditioner afterwards. I was surprised by this as I assumed a conditioner specifically made for curly hair would be strong enough that I wouldn't have to rely on a second-layer of conditioner. — 8 years, 8 months agoLA_Pretty | 13 reviews
WonderfulI love this conditioner. I have fine, wavy hair that is damaged from coloring (and other things as well). If I use anything too heavy I lose my curls. This conditioner is perfect. It's light, but really delivers to put the spring in the curl and moisturize. My frizz is also gone, which I am just amazed at because I wash my hair at night before bedtime. I've also found that if you want to straighte...read moren your curls out this will give you shine and body...and still fight frizz. What more could you ask for? — 8 years, 9 months agoheathr | 12 reviews
Fresh Curls actually moisturizes curls!I love this product! I have very dry, frizzy, color treated curls, so finding the perfect conditioner has been an uphill battle. Fresh Curls really moisturizes my hair, detangles it, and helps prevent frizz. I only have to use a small amount, so it lasts forever. It's a bit pricey, but definitely worth it! — 9 years agoA_newchick | 2 reviews
Want a fun curly look for a change?Use this shampoo, conditioner, after shampoo cream, hand scrunch dry and voila, tumbly curls. — 9 years, 1 month agowowskin | 7 reviews
There is better conditioner out thereI tried this conditioner because I love the Redkin Allsoft conditioner. I have naturally curly hair and I thought this would be a better product. It wasn't, I would not recommend this at all, especially for the price. — 9 years, 2 months agosarahkh | 3 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 1 of 1 people said helpful
Fantastic conditioner for curly hairThis stuff is great for curly hair. It really helps reduce frizz and accentuate the curls. — 9 years, 2 months agoJudy2008 | 1 reviews
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My Reasons for Reporting This


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6 Ways To Survive That Pesky "Grow-Out" Hair Phase
Ever since Katie Holmes cut her hair super-super short, I've been waiting with bated beauty breath for her to start in on that awkward "growing-out" hair phase. Well, that time is finally here, folks, and we can all learn a thing or two from her on the hair front. (And got to hand it to her—unlike every other celeb out there, she has resisted the urge to throw a crapload of extensions on to fix the problem.) Here are six tips on how to grow out your hair chicly, after the jump.
- Bobby pin, bobby pins, bobby pins. These days they are all over the red carpet: Diane Kruger is a huge fan and so is Hollywood in general.
- Pump up your color. Since highlights add light to otherwise awkward layers, they actually disguise the discrepancies in length.
- Front braids and twists are your new go-to look. Got some longer than usual bangs hanging in your eyes? Make like Lauren Conrad in last season's "The Hills" and braid or twist them up and out of your face.
- Slick it back. Everyone's doing it.
- Get out your curling iron. Loose waves are a genius way to camo those uneven ends and your head full of layers. If your hair doesn't normally hold wave that well, just be sure to use a smaller barreled curling iron to create the texture you want. When your hair relaxes, the curl will open up to the perfect size rather than opening up to flat hair.
- And the number one way to get through the growing out period is with frequent trips to your salon: Don't be afraid of the scissors; your stylist can reshape and restyle your cut every step of the way, and you won't have to lose that many (precious) inches. Promise!
What other tricks do you guys use to get through the not-always-so-gorge awkward phase?


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What can Technical Authors learn from celebrity chefs and musicians? Cherryleaf Technical Authors Blog. Ellis is a marketing genius, so I pay attention when he writes on this subject. In this post, he explores a business model behind giving away content for free. You give some content away for free, but in return collect an e-mail address that you pass to your marketing team, who then pitches products to the consumers who received the free content.
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I'm a technical writer based in the California San Francisco Bay area. Topics I write about on this blog include technical writing, authoring and publishing tools, API documentation, tech comm trends, visual communication, technical writing career advice, information architecture and findability, developer documentation, and more. If you're a professional or aspiring technical writer, be sure to subscribe to email updates using the form above. You can learn more about me here.