text:
St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz, away from the job since early October as he received treatment for a bacterial infection of a heart valve, has been cleared by doctors to return to coaching on Jan. 1.
But no one should expect that Martz will be back on the sideline for the team's New Year's Day season finale against the Dallas Cowboys -- or, for that matter, that he will ever coach the Rams again.
Dr. Victoria Fraser of Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis apprised Rams officials this week that Martz is medically cleared to return to his job in two weeks. And team president John Shaw also confirmed to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Martz's agent, Bob LaMonte, phoned him this week to tell him the veteran coach was permitted back on the job on Jan. 1.
On the surface, the medical clearance would technically indicate that Martz could resume the duties he left following an Oct. 9 game against the Seattle Seahawks. From a practical standpoint, however, the news that Martz has all but recovered following more than two months of treatment for a condition known as endocarditis actually figures to hasten his exit from the organization.
Shaw reiterated several times in the past two months that he would not address Martz's future until the coach's medical status was resolved. With that hurdle out of the way, it is expected that the Rams and Martz's representatives will commence negotiations aimed at settling the head coach's contract.
Martz, 54, is under contract through the 2006 season with a salary of $3.25 million. The conventional wisdom is that the Rams will attempt to settle for less than that, essentially ending Martz's six-year tenure as head coach. An expeditious resolution of the contract would permit Martz -- who led the Rams to four playoff berths, two division titles and a Super Bowl XXXVI appearance in his first five seasons as head coach -- to pursue a new position from among the several anticipated openings in the league.
Sources close to both parties have told ESPN.com several times in recent weeks that a negotiated settlement would be the best approach for Martz and the team.
Through the October loss to Seattle, Martz compiled a record of 56-36, including a 2-3 mark this season. The Rams are 3-5 under interim coach Joe Vitt.
When he was originally stricken with endocarditis, Martz felt he would miss only a few weeks. But he then announced on Oct. 24 that, because he needed time to recuperate, he would sit out the balance of the season and return in 2006. Late last month, however, Martz angered Rams officials by suggesting that he hoped to come back to the team for the final few weeks of the 2005 campaign.
At the time, Shaw, who seemed intent on having Martz not return, said: "After speaking to Mike and his doctor several weeks ago, we were led to believe there is no way that he could come back full-time before the end of the season. I would be surprised if he is medically cleared. I'm not going to speculate as to what we would do at that point. But we're all concerned about him getting the sufficient amount of rest he needs to fully recover from this illness."
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.


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MUSLIM Brotherhood member Mohamed Mursi was declared today the first president of Egypt since a popular uprising ousted Hosni Mubarak, the head of the electoral commission announced.
Mursi, who ran against ex-prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, won 51.73 per cent of the vote after a race that polarised the Arab world's most populous nation.
"The winner of the election for Egyptian president on June 16-17 is Mohamed Mursi Eissa al Ayat," Faruq Sultan said.
Mursi won 13,230,131 votes against Shafiq, who clinched 12,347,380.
The election, in which more than 50 million voters were eligible to cast their ballot, saw a 51.8 per cent turnout.
Originally published as Islamist Mursi declared Egypt's president

subset: commoncrawl


text:
CHELSEA have landed one of the biggest signings of the season — One
Direction's Niall Horan.
The Irish heart-throb has been taken in by the Premier League giants to help
him recover
from a knee op.
He was smuggled into the club's training ground in Cobham, Surrey, this week
to be treated by their world class medical team.
It is believed Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho — known as the Special One —
agreed to give 20-year-old Niall the VIP treatment as his daughter is a
massive fan of One Direction.
A source said last night: "Niall has been welcomed into the club as if he's a
Chelsea star himself.
"It's the best possible place for him to get the rehab he needs on his knee
because he needs to be fighting fit for the band's stadium tour later this
Mourinho, 50, became friendly with Niall after 1D were invited to the Real
Madrid training ground when he was manager there last year. Niall said:
"Mourinho's daughter is a fan and he wanted to get tickets to the show so he
invited us to train with the lads."
The singer, who had surgery in the US to stop his knee dislocating, is a
Chelsea fan and has watched them with Frank Lampard's fiancée Christine
But Niall is not the only bandmate turning to football while the boys take
some time off.
It emerged this week that Louis Tomlinson will make his debut for his local
side Doncaster Rovers' reserves in the next month after joining on a
non-contract last year.


text:
Ron Paul rally, Rand Paul speech highlight division at Republican National Convention
Ron Paul's swan song at the Republican National Convention, insistent enough to thwart moves to sideline it, fit the rabble-rouser role the retiring Texas congressman has played in challenging his party's orthodoxy and helping inspire the Tea Party movement.
Denied a speaking slot at the proceedings focused on presidential nominee Mitt Romney, Paul starred at his own outdoor rally on Aug. 26, sparked a spontaneous eruption of support when he walked onto the convention floor two days later and was accorded a video tribute at the gathering last night. More than 100 of his core backers then showed their devotion to him by marching out of the convention hall in Tampa, Florida, after the accolade was over.
Paul, 77, attracted his following with Republican presidential bids in both 2008 and this year that spotlighted his belief in limited government, his drive to get rid of the Federal Reserve and his opposition to U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In last night's tribute, Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina said Paul -- who in 1988 ran for president as the Libertarian Party candidate -- had inspired others by "not being afraid of anything," and that he embodied the anti-tax Tea Party "before there was a tea party." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said that whether others wanted to admit it or not, "Ron Paul changed the conversation." Son Speaks A few minutes after the tribute, Paul's son, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, took the stage. While the younger Paul has been talked about as a possible future presidential aspirant, he has yet to inherit his father's loyal following. He has, though, endorsed Romney, which his father stopped short of doing -- one of the reasons he was denied a speaking spot.
The elder Paul, who announced earlier this year that he wouldn't seek another House term, was Romney's last active challenger in the Republican presidential race. His campaign's grassroots efforts had won him significant convention representation in a handful of states, though Romney forces succeeded in ousting some of the Paul supporters, including those in the Maine, Louisiana and Oregon delegations.
By declining to release his delegates that remained seated, Paul kept the spotlight on divisions within the party. The party platform adopted at the convention also spoke to his influence. It included his push for an audit of the FED and his call for a commission to consider "a metallic basis for U.S. currency," or a return to the gold standard.
Obama Bashing Rand Paul, 49, focused his speech on bashing President Barack Obama and, toward its end, praising Romney as "someone who understands and appreciates what makes America great." He did take a swipe at fellow Republicans, saying his own party must acknowledge excessive military spending. And he slyly made reference to his father as he discussed his family's humble beginnings in America.
"My grandfather would live to see his children become doctors and ministers, accountants and professors," the senator said. He added that his grandfather also had lived to see "a certain congressman from Texas run for the presidency of the United States." In a Bloomberg News survey answered by 146 delegates from 10 swing states, the younger Paul ran second to Romney's running mate, Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, as their choice to be the Republican presidential candidate in 2016 should Obama win re-election. Among seven choices, Ryan led with 25 percent support, with Paul at 21 percent.
'Different Person' Still, Oregon delegate and Ron Paul backer Cliff Hutchison, 38, took little solace from Rand Paul's moment on the podium. "He's not his son; he's a different person," he said.
Hutchison also declared the video tribute "a second-rate honor." Romney supporters in the room took a different view. "I wish they recognized reality," New York investor and Romney delegate Emil Henry said of Paul supporters. "Mitt is our nominee and we need to do everything we can to elect him." "Ron Paul was given an opportunity to run," said Representative Peter King of New York. "Nobody got in his way. And he lost. That's the nature of politics.
You support the winner." Rand Paul's endorsement of Romney "was important and very helpful," said Representative Tim Huelskamp of Kansas. "Right now, the focus is beating Mr.


text:
Padres find offense late in games
Padres find offense late in games
SAN DIEGO -- Runs have certainly been hard to come by for the Padres, but when they do score them, it's usually happens late in games. Going into Wednesday's series finale against the Cardinals, the Padres had scored 78 of their 168 runs (46.4 percent) in the seventh inning or later. The 78 runs are tied for the third-most in the National League and are tied for the fourth-most in the Major Leagues.
"It does seem like we do come to life more later in the game," Padres second baseman Eric Patterson said. "I can't tell you why that is, though. I do know that, except for a handful of games, we've pretty much been in every game and they've been close. The Padres also have 157 hits in the seventh inning and beyond, the third-most in the Major Leagues, trailing the Astros (165 hits) and Cardinals (158). "I think that says a lot about the way guys are battling and grinding. If we keep doing that, especially late in a game, we've got a chance to win," Patterson said.


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It struck me what a beautiful woman Maya is, on this show. Her face-framing haircut is amazing on her! It's like it was created JUST for her!
It struck me what a beautiful woman Maya is, on this show. Her face-framing haircut is amazing on her! It's like it was created JUST for her!
"...each affects the other, and the other affects the next, and the world is full of stories, but the stories are all one." - Mitch Albom, one helluva writer.
When you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, you know which one you hit by the one that yelps!
Totally agree. Emilio couldn't pick any worse color combination in the color wheel! I think Mila should have been 2nd but I'm stoked that Seth won. Jay btw, should have taken Emilio's place.Originally Posted by StarryElf;3884221;
I just read from other posts above that there was no 3rd or 2nd place. But in all likelihood, Mila was actually 2nd place and Emilio was pitted against Seth for more drama because they wanted Emilio to squirm some more to make him think that he would win it knowing his arrogance and false sense of self-entitlement ("The king is not always the winner."....LOL, the king? No way, but I can accept "the queen").
That is exactly what Tim said on his video blog.Originally Posted by jammyjoe;3885472;
No goat killers on my island.
Surprisingly, I liked a lot of Emilio's clothes once I saw them in motion. That red dress was flattering to all bust sizes, and the first outfit was lovely. I especially liked the cut of the chartreuse coat and the way it flowed. What slipped him up was the fact that it didn't have enough couture coming though; it was a RTW line, ready to be shipped to the stores. Lovely RTW, but what you can find at any high-end department store. I also think that he got too wrapped up in trying to think of what the judges would like best and what would give him the win rather than doing what he does; make beautiful clothes. Because despite his off moments (that horrible swimsuit) when he was "on" he created some lovely things on this show.
I think some of Emilio's arrogance comes from a place of insecurity. He didn't have a pleasant personality on the show but I hated seeing him so crushed and defeated looking at the end. Because if Seth Aaron had lost he probably would have been disappointed but he wouldn't have been devastated; he has a way of making the best of every situation and has a loving wife and supportive children. The same with Mila; while she was disappointed her she knows that WHO she is isn't the same as WHAT she does. I don't think Emilio has learned this yet.
As for the reunion, with the notable exceptions of Mila (who was very gracious) and Emilio somewhat (because he humbly accepted Nina's explanation of why he didn't win, and sternly told Jay to apologize to that model) and Seth (who was happy without gloating and was smart enough to simply sit there with his mouth shut) what Lifetime chose to show was shameful. We didn't even get to hear from a good portion of the contestants. Instead of being treated to lighthearted clips of some of the fun moments that didn't get aired on the show and the cast reminiscing about some of their fave moments, we got a balls-to-the-wall old-fashioned shade-throwing cut session that was nasty to watch and will probably hit quite a few of them where it hurts. Jay and Anthony need to learn how to filter what goes from brain to mouth, Ping needs to grow a set and toughen up, and that model needs to learn that trashing a designer (especially one you've never worked with) is a good way to end up on the unemployment line. Maya disgusted me because she started the whole ball rolling when she sent some zingers Jay's way about his trashbag outfit, then sat back and smirked when the model chimed in and the hot mess that happened afterwards. I had her pegged as one of those silent but vindictive types, changed my mind over the course of the show because I liked her clothes so much and was very sad to see that maybe I was right in my initial assessment.
This reunion show should be required viewing for future contestants as an example on how NOT to act if you want a client base after the show is over. So much hate.
Emilio's egotistic nature is evident by his insistence of putting his name in his clothing collection. Most of his wins were in fact not deserving. Judges have made mistakes in choosing the winner and a couple of them with Emilio. This gave Emilio a false sense of entitlement and inflated his arrogance. The higher you go up your pedestal the more it will hurt when you fall. That's why Emilio bawled after he lost. And what would be better to stick it to him by putting him as 1st runner-up.
BTW, of all the 10 collections that was shown in Bryant Park, Jay's was the favorite by most. He actually could have won PR7 if they chose him over Mila.
Project Runway Season 7 New York Fashion Week Show - Heard on the Runway - WSJ
Yeah - how does that usually go? Do people like Tommy Hilfiger usually make a name before they fabricate their name?Originally Posted by jammyjoe;3885510;
Or is putting the cart before the horse more usual than it might seem. For Emilio it seems a bit ahead of things.
I didn't understand when the judges kept praising Emilio's past work. Wasn't there more than one occasion when they had serious issues with it? I had that surreal feeling where, what I saw, isn't what someone else saw at all. I kept thinking, which season were the judges talking about? String bikini anyone?
Too bad it couldn't have been Jay or Anthony in Emilio's place. But, I do agree with Nina, when he "Does feminine" - that black, white and red dress, or the finale gown - he's world class.
I guess Jay is this season's Kara Janx.Originally Posted by jammyjoe;3885510;
Jay was horrible. Emilio was horrible. Mila and Seth Aaron were the right ones to put in the top 2.
There were several missteps in the judging, I think far more than any season of PR:
I don't get how this cockroach look by Mila won.
This design gone awry by Jonathan should have been eliminated.
If he wasn't a judges favorite, Emilio should have been gone in Episode 7 after concocting one of the worst designs in PR history with the metal washer macrame bikini where his model was practically naked. To top it, he lied to the judges on why he made this disastrous bikini.
The Hershey kiss dress was ugly too but at least Jesse clothed his model and had a complete product.
Amy totally missed the mark in the next challenge with that bowl of hair to make it look like fire concept in her design. It was an awful one yet she escaped elimination.
The next challenge, Emilio and Seth were paired where Emilio is the leader. The end products were actually more Seth than Emilio. The gown that was supposedly Emilio's design won despite its utter simplicity (the only thing interesting about it was the zipper) but Seth's strong dress-for-less design ultimately carried both looks and won the judges which gave them a double win. Seth had to share this win with Emilio because ES was the leader.
The blatant favoritism is obvious with the next win by ES where he made a print of his name that looked more like ES loves SA. It was the least creative that was made in the contest. Maya's or Seth's designs and creative prints should have won. I'm quite surprised by this decision.
That almost win by Maya made her question herself. She thought she had it won after giving her all with this challenge but her confidence took a blow, thinking that she may not be ready for Bryant Park because she's not winning the judges. Her ambition was to win it all but she came upon a reality for herself that she was still not good enough to achieve that. So she quit.
I think the loser of this print challenge should have been Mila. For starters, the print was amateurish, 2nd, the dress was quite ugly, and thirdly, her model was having difficulty walking in it because of bad fitting.
The next challenge was the least impressive show. Most of the designs were boring and I can't believe that judges didn't even comment on Emilio's giant hook loop in his design. It was very distracting yet they love the dress. I was waiting for them to say that they wanted to tear it off the dress.
I still think Jay should have been in the Final 3 instead of Mila or even Emilio who were supposed to be eliminated in the weeks prior based on my reviews above.
Jay Nicholas Sario from Project Runway really did show his collection at Bryant Park after all
He actually could have won. His collection was the best among the top 10 who presented at Bryant Park.
Last edited by jammyjoe; 04-25-2010 at 03:02 PM.


text:
Meet The Parents / Meet The Fockers
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Sorry, this product is currently unavailable.
Meet The Parents - Male nurse Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) is poised to propose to his girlfriend Pam (Teri Polo) during a weekend stay at her parents' home. But here's the catch... he needs to ask her father first. Alas, the fur flies as Jack Byrnes, Pam's cat-crazy, ex-CIA father (Robert De Niro), takes an immediate dislike to her less-than-truthful beau.
Meet The Fockers - Domestic disaster looms for male nurse Greg Focker (Stiller) when his straight-laced, ex-CIA father-in-law (De Niro) asks to meet his wildly unconventional mom (Streisand) and dad (Hoffman). It's family bonding gone hysterically haywire in this must-see comedy!
Deleted scenes , Featurettes, Audio commentary
Region 2
Sound: Dolby Digital
Running Time: 213 minutes
Main Language: English
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text:
Release Date: 1979 |
"...so if we all rust... we'll never sleep! Eh? Eh?"
"Moltar, you're the only one here made of metal, how are we going to rust?"
Don't mind me. Carry on.
Threadstarter - http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=200503&page=1
Read this here guide, and edit your post, if you want. If not, I'll delete this thread later.
sorry, it slipped my mind to read that, if i review another album ill do it much better sorry
Well it'd be good if you could edit this review as well, to include a little more detail?
ok i edited it to the best of my ability, but im having trobule with the bold feature, so thats not on there, please tell me if i forgot something
o sorry i forgot the number on the 500 list, ill put it on there
Good job For bold, just put [b] tags around what you want bolded, e.g. Your bold text [b]here[./b] (without the .) Use the same thing, but with i instead of b, for italics.
Also, could you give me a genre for the album? So I can edit it into the title in brackets.
I'd give it 4.4/5.
Average review.
folk rock id say
Not very good review. The album is amazing (5/5).
Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


text:
United States Passports
Portal:United States Emigration and Immigration ► Passports
United States Passports
History of Passports in the United States
Definition of a passport: A document issued by an authorized official of a country to one of its own citizens and usually necessary for "exit from" and "re-entry into" the home country. With a passport, the citizen may travel in foreign countries in accordance with visa requiremnts. Citizens may use it to request protection for that citizen while abroad.
The word passport comes from the French words "passer" (to enter or leave) and "port" (port or harbor).
Before 1952, passports were optional for U.S. citizens to travel abroad and to return to the United States. However, during times of war, restrictions on travel were implemented and the U.S. government and some European conuntries required passports for travel in their countries.
Not every citizen who traveled abroad obtained a passport. However, passports were often obtained by U.S. citizens, whether newly naturalized or not, to protect themselves from being detained in other countries or (if naturalized) from their own mother countries. Some European counteis were known to draft immigrants visiting their homeland into the military. A passport was used to prove citizenship and protect the traveler.
Immigrants did not need a passport to immigrate to America. Generally, the U.S. government gave passports only to U.S. citizens traveling abroad in foreign countries and for re-entry into the U.S.
Information on Passports
Over the years, passports and passport applications contained different amounts of information concerning the passport applicant. The first passports that are available begin in 1795. These usually contained the individual's name, description of individual,and age. More information was required on later passport applications, such as:
- Birthplace
- Birth date
- Naturalization information
- Arrival information, if foreign born
Dates Passports were required:
|Dates Issued
|When Required
|August 1861 - March 17, 1862
|For all Travel
|May 22, 1918-1921 (End of WWI)
|For all travel
|June 21, 1941-1945 (End of WWII)
|For all travel
|1952 to June 1, 2009 June 1, 2009
|Fort travel in every country except some countries within North, South, or Central America
|June 1, 2009 to Present
|For all travel
Categories of Passports
Basic Passports: Issued to citizens requesting a passport for tracel or business abroad.
Special Passports: Issued to U.S. government and military employees and their families such as Diplomatic and Consular offers.
Emergency Passports: Only given by U.S. Diplomatic and Consular officials in a foreign country. Emergency passports were generally valid for 6 months.
Passport Extensions: Extensions (1910-1917) give the orignal passport application number, which can be used to obtain the original passport application.
Passports issued by the New York Passport Office: Contains passport applications only for applications that utilized the New York Passport Office.
Consular Passport Registrations: Issued by U.S. Consular offices overseas.
Registration Certificates, Widows, Divorced Women and Minors, 1907-1918: Registration of women and children who obtain personal passports instead of using their husbands' or guardians' passports.
Passport Registries: May contain the passport application number required to obtain the passport application, which may have more information than the passport register.
Availablity of Passports
The National Archives has microfilmed many of the passports issued between 1795 to 1925 and the Family History Library has collections of these microfilmed copies of passport records and indexes. To determine the microfilm you need, search the Register of US Passports publication created by the Family History Library:
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Family History Library (Salt Lake City, Utah), Register of United States Passports 1795-1925 (Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Family History Library, c2001), FHL Book 973 W4f.
For passports not at the Family History Library from 1795 to March 31, 1925 contact:
National Archives
Archives 1, Reference Branch
8th & Pennsylvania Ave., NW,
Washington, D.C. 20408
For passport applications after March 31, 1925 to the present, write:
Department of State Reasearch
Liaison Branch
1111 19th Street NW
Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20524
The above information was taken from the following sources:
- Passport Office, The United States passport: Past, Present, Future (Washington, D.C.: Department of State, 1976).
- Kathie O. Nicastro and Claire Prechtel-Kluskens, "Passport Applications: A Key to Discovering Your Immigrant Ancestor's Rotts," Prologue, Winter 1993, 390-394.
- John Philip Colletta, "U.S. Passport Applications: Leads to Immigration and Naturalization Records," Heritage Quest, Sept/Oct 1997, 9-15.
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Family History Library (Salt Lake City, Utah), Register of United States Passports 1795-1925 (Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Family History Library, c2001), FHL Book 973 W4f.


text: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CIV THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 1997 (202) 616-2765 TDD (202) 514-1888 TWO DEFENSE FIRMS PAY U.S.$500,000 TO SETTLE CIVIL DISPUTE WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Two defense contractors will pay the United States $500,000 to settle allegations that they defrauded the government by not properly testing certain components of torpedoes as required under a military contract and using non- conforming fasteners under several other Department of Defense contracts, the Department of Justice announced today. Assistant Attorney General Frank W. Hunger, in charge of the Civil Division, said the settlement with Hughes Aircraft Company and Hughes Aircraft Mississippi Inc. resulted from two qui tam suits, which are complaints private parties can filed on behalf of the federal government. "This recovery shows how effective the law is in encouraging citizens to produce evidence of potential fraud against the United States," Hunger said. "We encourage all citizens to contact federal officials if they detect what may be fraud against the government." An investigation by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service revealed that Hughes failed to properly test certain electronic components of Advanced Capacity Mark 48 torpedoes sold to the United States Navy. It also concluded that Hughes used flawed fasteners such as stainless steel screws that failed to meet specifications contained in several other military contracts. Mark 48 torpedoes, which are used by nearly all modern submarines, are the primary line of defense for submarine warfare. The torpedoes are used for submarine to surface strikes, but their primary mission is to attack other submarines under water. The settlement resolves the relators' claims relating to two of several issues the relators raised and in which the United States intervened. It also resolves Hughes' potential civil liability for the use of allegedly non-conforming fasteners under the other military contracts. The relators, who were former employees of Hughes, jointly will receive 20 percent of the total settlement amount, or a total of $100,000. The Civil Division negotiated the settlement of the case, United States ex rel. Laird A. Willis v. Hughes Aircraft Co., et al., Civ. Action No. 3:93-cv-693BN (S.D. Miss) and United States ex rel. Danny G. McDonald v. Hughes Aircraft Co., et al., Civ. Action No. 3:94-cv-4455LN (S.D. Miss.). The case was filed in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Mississippi. ##### 97-243


text:
Bhubaneswar, July 23 (IANS) The Odisha government has decided to recommend five places to the central government to develop them as smart cities, an official said on Thursday.
Housing and Urban Development Special Secretary Sisir Kumar Ratho said the state government would recommend Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, Cuttack, Berhampur and Sambalpur for smart city status.
"Bhubaneswar is well ahead of other cities in Odisha, while Rourkela has a slight edge over Berhampur, Sambalpur and Cuttack…," Ratho said.
Sources said the central government has decided to select two cities from the state for giving assistance to develop them as smart cites.


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TORONTO -- For most of four quarters, referee Walt Anderson and his officiating crew let the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons defensive backs play.
Time and again, officials looked the other way as what appeared to be blatant, even egregious, pass interference went unflagged.
Then they made like the opposite of NHL playoff referees and called everything in sight as the game reached a climax, after the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter on Sunday at the Rogers Centre.


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STARmeterSEE RANK
Up 39,183 this week
Walter Schmidinger (1933–2013)
Walter Schmidinger was born on April 28, 1933 in Linz, Austria. He was an actor, known for Requiem (2006), Hanussen (1988) and From the Life of the Marionettes (1980). He died on September 28, 2013 in Berlin, Germany. See full bio »
Born:in Linz, Austria
Died:(age 80) in Berlin, Germany


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The Campus Alberta Writing Studies group was formed in August 2009 to facilitate collaboration through the sharing of work in Writing Studies research, teaching, and administration across the province.
Anyone with Alberta connections who is interested in Writing Studies and Rhetoric is welcome to subscribe to the CAWSlist (our listserv—see the subscribe/unsubscribe options below) and to participate in any CAWS gatherings, announcements of which go out to all CAWSlist subscribers.
History of CAWS Meetings
The goal of these colloquia is, through brief presentations and the resulting conversations, to encourage future Campus Alberta initiatives in Writing Studies by helping CAWS members discover what their colleagues are doing in the areas of postsecondary writing pedagogy, research, writing centres, WAC programs, writing program administration, and degree programs.
An informal Steering Committee of faculty from a variety of Alberta post-secondary institutions is responsible to decide on the locations and organizers of future colloquia.
Our September 2010 CAWS Colloquium, hosted by Grant MacEwan University, featured Cheryl Glenn, Distinguished Visitor at U of A, Liberal Arts Research Professor of English and Women's Studies and co-director of the Center for Democratic Deliberation at The Pennsylvania State University. Glenn is also a past Chair of CCCC (Conference of College Composition and Communication), the world's major professional association for post-secondary teachers and scholars in the field of Writing Studies. The September 2014 Colloquium featured a guest speaker funded by a U of Alberta KIAS Kule Dialogue Grant--Elizabeth Wardle, co-author/editor of Writing About Writing and Chair of the Department of Writing and Rhetoric, University of Central Florida, the second largest public university in the US.
Click here to see Recent/Upcoming Events or Past Events.
Subscribe/unsubscribe CAWSlist, the Campus Alberta Writing Studies Mailing List:


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Perhaps the three most important systems in your business for generating cash flow are; marketing, estimating and sales. Without marketing a terrible thing happens: no sales. Without sales a terrible thing happens: nothing. Estimating can be the bottleneck between the two. Understanding how to drive these systems easily and accurately can help you nail down the profits that otherwise might slip a…
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Sea World San Antoniohttp://www.seaworld.com/sanantonio/
(800) 700-7786
Price Range
From Shamu to dolphins, sharks, seals, sea lions and much more, SeaWorld San Antonio is the world's largest marine life park!
After hanging out with Shamu or watching one of Sea World's shows, head over to the roller-coaster action with the Great White, which is Texas' first inverted steel roller-coaster or the Steel Eel for a bout of weightlessness. To cool off, ride Journey to Atlantis which is part roller-coaster, part water ride or dip into the Lost Lagoon.
Directions: 16 miles northwest of downtown San Antonio at Ellison Drive and Westover Hills Boulevard, off State Highway 151.
Come Visit Us!


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Instead of bowing her head to pray, many times a Lindale worship violinist lifts her violin.
"Sometimes I think music itself is a language to God," Joyce Meade said. "Some people find that spooky, but He created music."
Ms. Meade, 67, just released a new album, "A New Song: Hope for America," based on a musical retrospective of a 15,000-mile prayer trip around the perimeter of the U.S.
The songs are meant to inspire Christians to pray for their country, she said.
"If you are going to pray for the United States, it can get really heavy," she said. "People can use all the encouragement they can get."
Ms. Meade first used her violin in prayer on a mission trip to Ukraine in 2004, right before the Orange Revolution, she said. Another experience in Beijing further confirmed the practice for her.
"I didn't know what they were saying," she said. "I was trying to play music to reflect them, but then God challenged me to reflect what He was saying. … When people's hearts are tender to God, they experience it."
Ms. Meade has been member of Youth With A Mission for 13 years and has traveled to more than 25 nations playing musical prayers on her violin.
Ms. Meade and her travel partner, Meliza Berteranta from the Philippines, took 100 days to travel around the US in fall of 2012. Both women are part of local ministry, Youth With A Mission. Meade used her violin to pray as she traveled, connecting with churches and Christian ministries along the way.
"It is especially good to have people from other nations praying with us for our country," Ms. Meade said. "They bring a different perspective on America and we benefit from their blessing."
The trip was motivated by concern for the nation and a desire to bring musical prayer to bear on the social problems of our day.
"We saw many problems and knew that God had the answers," she said. "We just had to unlock those answers. We prayed about social injustice, trafficking, abuse of all forms and the need for a return to Godly values."
They traveled in Ms. Meade's compact car through 30 states and were hosted in more than 50 Christian homes along the way.
"There are many dedicated people humbling themselves and praying for America," she said. "Certainly God is hearing our prayers and will heal our land."
While music designed to supplement prayer is often what Ms. Meade calls "soaking music" similar to tranquil music that is used for Eastern meditation, Meade said her music is different.
"It's designed to challenge us to think about where our country is right now, to come face-to-face with our shortcomings," she said.
All the music is original and improvised either on site as they traveled or re-created in the studio later.
A supplemental page comes with the CD, which includes a musical scavenger hunt and starter questions for discussion in prayer groups focusing on the United States, according to the written release.
Ms. Meade will be performing with her violin in Prayer on the Square at 1 p.m. on Thursday, National Day of Prayer.
For more information, visit www.symphonyofnations.com where the album is available as a CD or mp3 download.


text:
I have a secret. And in the spirit of self-disclosure I have decided it is time for me to come forward and share. It's one I have keep to myself for years. I have been too embarrassed to tell anyone about it. I think I should know better. It's bad for my health. It's a guilty indulgence. I feel some shame over the fact that I sneak my indulgence. I get it when no one is looking. I cover up that I have had it and feel guilty as soon as it is finished. I make excuses as to why I want it and pretend like it's for someone else to avoid judgment. So, what exactly is this secret that causes guilt, shame and embarrassment yet keeps me coming back for more?
I love hostess cup cakes. Yep – there I said it. Hostess cupcakes.
Little chocolate cakes infused with artificial white lard filling and carefully placed chocolate lard icing complete with faux white swirls of decadent goodness.
When I eat them I am transported in time to when I was a kid. For a moment I am carefree and aware only of the taste of chocolate and I am intoxicated by the frosting.
Now I know that many of you are thinking, "that is a lame secret"!!
But before you judge let me say this. We all have things in our life that we are ashamed of. Maybe it's a bad habit like biting your fingernails, or watching Real Housewives of New Jersey, or gambling money you don't have, abusing prescription drugs, viewing pornography, having an inappropriate thought life or that you engage in self defeating self talk and distorted thinking.
When we hold onto something that causes us to feel guilt, shame & embarrassment we give that thing power over us. The funny thing about secrets…they gain power and strength when they stay in the dark. The secret whispers things in our ears like, "if people knew what you were really about" or "you are dirty and bad because______." We buy into the lie and make a pact to keep it to ourselves and play pretend that all is well. The secret tells us we are bad, we are less than, that people won't respect us, that we are not worthy of God's love. But I have learned that secrets lose their power when we bring them out into the light. Once addressed in the light of day, in the light of God's grace, love and forgiveness the secrets that once held us captive lose their grip. When we are able to confess our sins, our secrets and our struggles to the Lord and yes even to one another an amazing thing happens….we experience freedom. So in the immortal words of William Wallace of Braveheart fame, we stand in Christ and shout….FREEDOM!
2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
John 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.


text:
The Edington 2013 Swivel Dining Chair with Textured Umber Cushion (2-Pack) from Hampton Bay will add functionality and style to your existing outdoor décor or to other pieces from the Edington Collection. Durable with rust-proof aluminum frames with a powder-coated aged bronze finish, this set includes 2 swivel dining chairs each with a textured, weather-resistant umber colored seat pad. Beautifully designed with an open scroll back, these chairs will provide lasting enjoyment year after year.
- Rust-proof aluminum frames for lasting durability
- Open scroll back adds an elegant touch
- Aged bronze finish perfectly complements the brown, umber seat pads
- Includes 1 umber colored, weather-resistant seat pad for each chair
- Traditional design is easy to coordinate with a variety of décor
- Traditional design is easy to coordinate with a variety of décor


text:
M+ bitmap fonts is a bitmap font set aimed for simple and readable design.
This font set includes Japanese and Latin fonts, and they're 10 and 12 dots.
WWW: http://mplus-fonts.sourceforge.jp/
H.Miyamoto <firstname.lastname@example.com>
No installation instructions: this port has been deleted.
The package name of this deleted port was: ja-mplusfonts
PKGNAME: ja-mplusfonts
distinfo: There is no distinfo for this port.
NOTE: FreshPorts displays only information on required and default dependencies. Optional dependencies are not covered.
No options to configure
Number of commits found: 22
Ports for Japanese fonts have been reorganized in the following way:
japanese/ipa-ttfonts -> japanese/font-mplus-ipa
japanese/ipa-ttfonts -> japanese/font-ipa
japanese/kochi-ttfonts -> japanese/font-kochi
japanese/mplusfonts -> japanese/font-mplus
japanese/sazanami-ttf -> japanese/font-sazanami
japanese/shinonome -> japanese/font-shinonome
japanese/umefont -> japanese/font-ume
japanese/vlgothic -> japanese/font-vlgothic
While basically these are port name changes for consistency,
installation directories are also changed:
font files -> ${PREFIX}/share/${PORTNAME}/*
symlinks -> ${PREFIX}/share/fonts/{TTF,OTF,fontname,...}/*
symlinks -> ${PREFIX}/lib/X11/fonts/{TTF,OTF,misc,fontname,...}/*
A user-visible one is that the directory name "TrueType" is replaced
with "TTF".
Take maintainership.
- Remove unneeded dependency from gtk12/gtk20 [1]
- Remove USE_XLIB/USE_X_PREFIX/USE_XPM in favor of USE_XORG
- Remove X11BASE support in favor of LOCALBASE or PREFIX
- Use USE_LDCONFIG instead of INSTALLS_SHLIB
- Remove unneeded USE_GCC 3.4+
Thanks to all Helpers:
Dmitry Marakasov, Chess Griffin, beech@, dinoex, rafan, gahr,
ehaupt, nox, itetcu, flz, pav
Tested on: pointyhat
Approved by: portmgr (pav)
- Welcome X.org 7.2 \o/.
- Set X11BASE to ${LOCALBASE} for recent ${OSVERSION}.
- Bump PORTREVISION for ports intalling files in ${X11BASE}.
Reset email@example.com due to maintainer-timeouts and no response to email.
Hat: portmgr
- Update to 2.2.4
PR: ports/101928
Submitted by: Stanislav Sedov <ssedov(at)mbsd.msk.ru>
Approved by: krion (mentor), maintainer timeout
Approved by: krion@
replace time-consuming grep -v with awk.
in example, deinstalling time of ja-shinonome is 332x faster than before.
Update to 2.2.3
PR: ports/72503
Submitted by: maintainer
- Add the X_WINDOW_SYSTEM={xorg,xfree86-4,xfree86-3} variable to bsd.port.mk,
and make XFREE86_VERSION map to it. XFREE86_VERSION is now deprecated.
- Make xorg the default X_WINDOW_SYSTEM on -current.
- Add several new X_*_PORT variables which point to various pieces of X11 based
on the setting of X_WINDOW_SYSTEM, and make ports use them.
- Add information to CHANGES about how to handle the transition.
PR: ports/68763
Approved by: portmgr (marcus)
Approved by: re (scottl)
update to 2.2.2.
Submitted by: maintainer
- Update to 2.2.0
PR: ports/65437
Submitted by: maintainer
Add size data, approved by maintainers.
- update to 2.1.3
Submitted by: H.Miyamoto <firstname.lastname@example.com> (maintainer)
Approved by: erwin (mentor) (implicitly)
Update japanese/mplusfonts port for 2.1.0.
Submitted By: MAINTAINER
Update: japanese/mplusfonts
Update japanese/mplusfonts port for 2.0.7.
PR: ports/56734
Submitted by: "H.Miyamoto" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
update japanese/mplusfonts: 1.2.5 -> 2.0.5
Submitted by: "H.Miyamoto" <firstname.lastname@example.com> (maintainer)
Committed. Thanks!
Submitted by: "H.Miyamoto" <email@example.com>
Update: japanese/mplusfonts
Update for M+ Bitmap Fonts 1.2.0a.
This version includes latin fonts and install script that 1.0.4 don't includes.
This port build for nothing in 'do-build' target, and it run install script that
includes fonts build in 'do-install' target.
PR: ports/50344
Submitted by: "H.Miyamoto" <email@example.com>
Change DOCSDIR.
Correct pkg-comment and pkg-descr.
Submitted by: maintainer
Add mplusfonts. 12x13 dots X11 kanji fonts with simple and high readable design.
PR: ports/43358
Submitted by: Yuukis <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Servers and bandwidth provided byNew York Internet, SuperNews, and RootBSD
No vulnerabilities have been reported in the past 14 days
* - modified, not new
All vulnerabilities


text:
Every year the Consumer Electronics Show reminds me of how much I am not an early adopter. Take one of this year's big trends (please): The boom in wearable devices.
Sorry, but it's hard to believe that all that many people want to talk into their wristwatches aka Dick Tracy, rather than into a headset or the phone itself; or that people who don't have to wear glasses want to wear glasses so they can see the Internet every walking and waking minute.
Sure we have the technology — we have the technology to put a computer on your wrist, or on your face, or to sew it into your dress for that matter.
But do we need to have it? Isn't technology, as glorious as it can be, already fairly tightly wound around our daily lives with tablets and smartphones that we check 20 times an hour? Do we really have to wear it?
Look, I'm not out to throw progress into reverse. I'm not a Luddite pining for the days we had to actually mail letters to each other, though every now and then a postal letter is nice. In fact, I'm cool to wearables precisely because I like the way the digital revolution has changed my life. In fact, I'm enthralled. In fact, I'm hooked.
I already pull my smartphone out of my pocket dozens of times a day, sometimes unconsciously, holding it and wondering: What was it I wanted to look up? And for good measure, I think of something: check email, sports scores, the weather (even when I'm outside). Honestly, I'm not sure I want all that to be any easier than it already is.
Even tech blogger Robert Scoble, an early adopter first class, knows what I mean. He recently posted on his Google (GOOG)+ page an analysis with the headline, "Scoble says Google Glass is Doomed," which, as you can imagine, caused the Earth to wobble off its axis. This was the guy after all who seems to have had Google Glass surgically attached; a guy who published a photograph of himself in the shower donning GG.
Never mind that what he meant was that Glass was not going to hit it big in 2014 — but maybe a few years down the road. One of very many reasons he gave was that after talking to hundreds of people he sensed a fear that Glass would be running them more than they'd be running Glass.
"I think people are scared of their own addiction," he says. "They're like, 'Oh, this is like jumping up a drug. We went from marijuana to meth.' "
Tech writer Nicholas Carr has been watching how gateway technologies lead to the hard stuff for years. His book "The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains" is a deep dive into how the digital revolution is changing the way we read, think, relate to each other and how are brains are wired. (The book is one of the selections for the 2014 edition of Silicon Valley Reads, a weeks-long community reading program that kicks off this month.)
"If wearables become popular, and that remains to be seen," Carr says, "it would tend to exaggerate all of the effects that we've seen as we've made computers more portable and more available. I think it would lead us to be more distracted more of the time, simply because it's there all the time."
Just what we need, right?
I know what you're thinking: If wearables actually begin to drive us to further distraction, wouldn't we just stop using them? Apparently not. Adopting a new, improved digital technology is a lot like throwing in with the Mafia. Once you're in, you don't get out.
"The impetus behind wearable devices seems to be the assumption that we all want to spend more time looking at a computer screen," Carr says. "I think if you ask most people, they would give the opposite opinion."
The sad fact is that we can't help ourselves.
And so, while there are plenty of skeptics, it seems that broad adoption of wearable computers is only a matter of time. Scoble, for instance, looks at Google Glass today and gets nostalgic for the Apple (AAPL) II, Apple's first mass-market computer.
"It feels a lot like the Apple II," Scoble says. "When the Apple II came out, it was extremely expensive. It didn't have a floppy drive. We all knew it was the future and it was very exciting for early-adopter types. But the average person couldn't get any value out of it in 1977."
But along came a floppy drive and new programs and better software and ultimately a PC revolution that put a computer in the vast majority of U.S. homes.
"The same thing is going to happen with Google Glass," Scoble says. "The promise of the thing is really great."
And he's probably right. Some day we'll all be colliding with each other at Safeway as we talk into our wrists and scan the coupon sites floating ghost-like before us in the frozen food aisle.
Meantime, I'll leave all that for the early adopters as I brace for the coming revolution.
Contact Mike Cassidy at email@example.com or 408-920-5536. Follow him at Twitter.com/mikecassidy.


text:
Artist description:
No description entered.
Java Draw Created Jul 15, 2012 460 x 640px Unless noted Copyright 2012 Mournival.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
I've had one too many bad hair days, great drawing btw
.> and thanks :]
this is such a cute concept 5/5 :) plz check out my latest drawing!
Your drawings are very Nice and thanks :]


text: i recently had the rear wheel bearing discs and pads changed on my A4Q. however, when the car is running along there is a squeaking noise from that wheel. if the handbrake is pulled up very slightly it stops. i've just had some copperslip put on the pads and it seemed to cure it for about 2 days but it has come back. could it be that the handbrake needs adjusting slighly? hope someone can help its driving me insane!


text:
Kirigami Tree 2 ATC - For Trade, a photo by jmcraftygal on Flickr.
My little corner in Blog land. Where I share my crafts and thoughts when I can. Thanks for stopping by.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Kirigami Tree 2 ATC
Kirigami Tree 2 ATC - For Trade, a photo by jmcraftygal on Flickr.
2 comments:
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Spring Harvest, Shawl WIP and more
Hello and welcome! I took advantage of a break in the weather today to harvest some rhubarb, asparagus and chervil. The rhubarb sits at ...
Hello, Today I attended a crop put on by Sherri at Hulcar hall. It was a lot of fun and I managed to turn some stash into six lovely cards....
Hello! This card was made for the March Card Chain Challenge . I managed to use most of the required items on it including the colour sche...


text:
Frimpong wishes Walcott a speedy recovery with picture from Arsenal fancy dress party
Almost all the pictures from Arsenal's fancy dress Xmas party have come from Emmanuel Frimpong.
On Tuesday, Frimpong took the opportunity to add another one, as he wished Theo Walcott a speedy recovery from his ACL injury that keeps him out six months.
The picture features Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (as an American footballer), Frimpong (Mr T) and Walcott as one of the bananas in pyjamas.
Below is Walcott's injury – as he defended a Spurs attack, followed by Arsenal's official message on Instagram to the England winger.


text:
Services for Dorothy L. Luttrall, 61, of Lubbock will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Sanders Funeral Home Memorial Chapel with Paul E. Jantzen, pastor of Trinity Church, officiating.
Burial will be in Resthaven Memorial Park under the direction of Sanders Funeral Home.
She died Wednesday, Jan. 27, 1999, in Covenant Medical Center.
She was born Oct. 4, 1937, in Edinburg. Her family moved to the Texas Panhandle in 1939. She lived north of Bovina and later moved to south of Bovina to a farm. She graduated from Bovina High School in 1956. She married Jerry Rogers in 1954. She moved to Lubbock in 1966, and she worked for the Lubbock Independent School District's New Directions Program prior to serving in the medical field as an administrative assistant. She was a member of the Singles Class of Trinity Church and the Lubbock Women's Bowling Association.
Survivors include a son, Kale J. Luttrall of Lubbock; three daughters, Jana Hallett and Joni Rogers, both of Lubbock, and Jige Maciolek of Albuquerque, N.M.; a brother, Joe W. Jones of Bovina; and two grandchildren.
The family suggests memorials to the Singles Ministry of Trinity Church.
© 2017. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us


text:
Crosley Service group.
Expand Messages
- Regarding our CCOC developing Crosley Service group www.onelist.com/group/CrosleyService :
Once you sign in, the idea is to be able to search for the Crosley service, maintenance or parts question you have by entering a keyword into the little search engine on the Homepage. However, Yahoogroups has been having trouble with that search engine. For now, go to Messages and scroll down the list until you see the heading that best serves your needs. There are new service tips being added all the time. Thanks!
Your message has been successfully submitted and would be delivered to recipients shortly.


text:
This sale has ended
Coalatree Organics
Tackle The Great Outdoors
Hi there, Coalatree Organics. Meet the great outdoors.
From one little company in the USA comes the sustainable, organic collection of menswear that will totally revolutionise your outdoor experience. Coalatree Organics are dedicated to producing the highest quality organic products that will inspire people to get outside and live a healthier life, focusing on providing not only the best menswear you've ever worn, but the most organic too. Totally aware of their ecological footprint, each Coalatree piece is a step in the direction of sustainable style.
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text:
Onalethuso Petruss Ntema
Stones (Of Africa) - Poem by Onalethuso Petruss Ntema
I'm a distant stone alone—
By the wilderness deeper in the far mountains rock,
Where large crusts of microscopic crystals—
Sneak through bundles of thin long splinters,
And wall by the sedimentary and metamorphic stones—
With colorful grains of granite tones,
I'm a malachite stone, greener but crystal—
Ornamental stone and precious,
I'm a mirror of the soul, a stone pyramid below the earth crust—
That mirrors stunning contrasts and swirls between a glass shine,
I'm a native stone that sparks within the natural wild—
Deep, and between the eyes of a needle child,
I'm from the deeper patterns of enchanting masses—
In Katanga and across many other forms salt roses,
Between the gems of East Africa—
The Tanzanite crystals,
The Senegambian stone circles of the Creator—
Megaliths of Sine Ngayene and Wanar in Senegal,
In Wassu and Kerbatch in the Central River Region in Gambia—
Standing apart outside the circles of the ancient physical,
I step to the rolling stones—
Of Old Shoshong hills like a stepping thunder stone,
I'm a sacred stone from the sky—
That fell when rain clouds gathered,
My shadow reigns over the Gcwihaba caves—
Where great minds of the ancient settlers have golden traces,
I'm a flavor at Umhlanga, to the iron ore miners on a pastoral—
Farmland, where dozens of ore have natural,
Colors that sparkle in water when hands of stone lovers do—
Mirror their faces when stone carvers do,
I'm a mystery of nature amidst the wilderness—
Far off the beaten paths, scattered with eagerness,
To the magnificent stone faces of the Tsodilo Hills—
Where time and age would, and can tell at peace,
And weave across the lightning stones apiece,
To the mineral fossils, when sudden storms deepen, at ease.
Poet's Notes about The Poem
Mαmβo™ Poetry
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
+267 72660907,71778646
- Onalethuso Petruss Ntema
Mαmβo™ Poetry
Comments about Stones (Of Africa) by Onalethuso Petruss Ntema
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text:
Talking It Over -- A mother's love at any age
Each year just before Mother's Day, I find myself feeling a sense of longing. It is a wish that never seems to go away. A need or desire to see and talk to my mother just one more time.
Despite the fact that my mom has been gone for nine years, the yearning to once again feel my mother's love never goes away. It is always with me, but it becomes more of an issue around Mother's Day, a time when we like to remember our mothers, show them how much we appreciate them and, if we are very wise, tell them how much we love them.
There really is nothing like a mother's love. It is so unconditional, forgiving and understanding. Mothers often know their children better than anyone else ever will and are willing to accept nearly anything their child says or does. It is just part of being a mother.
It doesn't really matter how old we are or even if we are mothers (or grandmothers) ourselves. Those facts almost make it more important to have your mother there to talk to. I wish quite often that I could ask my mom how she did things and why they always seemed to end up perfect.
My mom was not only a great mom but she was a wonderful grandmother. Now, as I find myself at that stage in life, I wish I could take just a handful of the things she did for her grandchildren and pass them on to my own. She always had time for them and whenever they would visit she had special things they would do together, treats they made or places they visited. I sometimes had trouble convincing them to come home with me again.
Since my mom is no longer here to advise me on motherhood and grandparenting, I have no option but to learn by her example. I simply remember how she reacted or treated her own and try to do the same. It is not an easy task. She left very big shoes to fill.
I hope each of you is fortunate enough to have your mother or grandmother with you on Mother's Day. If not, then I encourage you to share your appreciation for your mother by remembering other mothers, not only those with children, but those who are mothers simply through their nurturing ways. Then take some time to be thankful for the wonderful gift we were given -- our mother.


text:
For this week's If I Had $2 Million listing, we head about seven miles from D.C. to Falls Church, Va. to look at a four-bedroom contemporary lakefront home that was built earlier this year. As is evident from the photos, the home has some wide open living spaces and windows that are set up to look out to the trees and water below (no trees in the area were cut down to build the home). The home consists of four levels and includes a media room, exercise room, two dens as well as a sub-basement that is an ideal depth for a wine cellar. In keeping with the green trend, all the windows are Energy Star-rated, the toilets are dual flush and the deck is made of recycled materials. More details and photos below.
Living Area
Master Bedroom
- Address: 6364 Lakeview Drive, Falls Church, Va. (see map here)
- Price: $1.899 Million
- Bedrooms: Four
- Bathrooms: 4.5
- Year Built: 2009
- For the full listing, click here.
More recent articles about D.C.-area real estate from UrbanTurf:
- WBJ: Logan Circle to Get New Condos
- The Price of a Greenwich Village Loft Revealed
- The View from View 14
Copyright 2007-2009, UrbanTurf.


text:
This past weekend I played and finished Divinity II: Ego Dragonis, the first long-form fantasy RPG I've followed through to completion in years. It's not exactly that Divinity II is the best RPG I've played in the past few years, though it was a fine example of the form and did a lot of things that I really liked. It was more that the stars aligned in just the right way to keep me interested and with enough time to follow the game down its long and winding road.
The truth is you would need all of your digits and maybe a friend's as well to count the number of major RPG games I've dabbled in for a little while and then unceremoniously dumped like a jilted lover. Even Dragon Age 2, which I really did enjoy, is still waiting deep in the final act of the game to have its last half dozen or so hours played out to some kind of closure. There should be a support group for all the RPGs I've left without explanation, often when things seemed to be going so well and we were just really getting to know each other. Among its sad membership would be counted the likes of Dragon Age Origins, Planescape Torment, both Baldur's Gates, a handful of Final Fantasies, both The Witchers and every Elder Scrolls game made.
Sorry, RPGs. It's not you. It's me.
It's not even a phenomenon localized to role playing games, I've been every bit as neglectful to other genres and flavors of gaming. My Steam list of games is a hall of shame of unfinished games left out in the cold, a digital realization of the island of misfit toys. And in almost all cases the shared sin is the same. The games were just too damned long.
I received a question on Twitter the other day following a comment about Deus Ex. The person said after 20 hours of play they had gotten to place X (redacted for those of you who haven't played Deus Ex -- just go play it damn it) and they had the sense that there was still a lot of game left. And, they were right. They were only about halfway through. When I confirmed the questionably bad news, the response was one of wavering resolve; a comment about being spoiled on the modern ten hour game. Well you and me both, pal.
I understand, I genuinely do, those who love to get 40, 50, 80, 100 hours of fun out of a $50 investment. I'm an old school gamer, the kind that dropped endless quarters into Time Pilot and Dig Dug in the arcade next to my local Winn Dixie supermarket as a boy before going home to get in some bonus time with Telengard on my Apple II, so I know the legacy of the medium because I have lived it. PC games of yore were just long as a rule, whether they were RPGs, adventure games or even shooters. That's just sort of how we did it back in the old days. It wasn't a PC game if it didn't take you a work week to finish.
That was fine for me at the time, partly because I was creeping up on my tenth birthday and had some time to kill and partly because as a kid I could really only afford a game every few months or so. The economics of the situation are different when you are ten than when you are forty, and to pretend otherwise would be silly. That said, I sympathize with those who either through necessity or self-imposed rule, limit their game purchases to one every other month or so in this modern era of shorter games that are barely longer than a Robert Altman film, but I am not counted among your fraternity. No, now with all the trappings of adulthood, my currencies have flip-flopped. Where once I enjoyed a relative wealth of time but not of currency, now the opposite is sort of true.
But, it would be disingenuous to say that the reason I didn't finish Dragon Age 2 is that I ran out of time. It's not like there was some kind of timelock on the software that said if I don't finish by some arbitrary date then the files will self destruct.That game is still sitting there on my machine ready to pick up right where we left off. A deficit of time shouldn't mean I don't finish my game, it should just mean it takes me more days to get to the end than it used to, but as we've already established that's not true.
No, my real problem is that with only a few exceptions I don't have the attention span or even the desire to remain focused on one game for too long. Sure, I'm a recovering World of Warcraft addict with *mumble mumble* hours spent in the wilds of Azeroth, so why not save *mumble mumble* dollars in subscription fees and polish off some of these classic RPGs instead? Well, because, WoW doesn't require the same level of attention and dedication. WoW isn't one long thread of story and development told over all those hours, it's more like an ever changing game that is reinventing itself with each level and each zone. It doesn't ask me to follow the thread of a bloated story that often seems to be going nowhere, it just says "hey, if you go kill a bunch of mutated wolves, I'll give you this cool sword and then you can go about whatever other business you've got planned."
To ask why if I can play that much WoW then why can't I finish Planescape may seem like a legitimate question, but it is exactly as flawed as asking why someone who loved Planescape isn't naturally addicted to WoW. They just aren't the same.
So, for me, a seven or eight hour game is just about ideal. Time after time these kinds of games deliver a tight, focused and condensed story that I can follow from A to B without having my age-addled mind become distracted. I am, I admit, part of the problem. I want the sophistication and spectacle that comes with multi-million dollar budgets, and I want the brevity and density that comes with a well crafted 8 or 10 hour game. For a lot of my generation, this kind of deficit of attention is if not medical then criminal. It represents a reduction of the form and a loss of value. It is anathema.
I suppose we agree on at least the principle that size matters. We just don't agree on whether big or small is better. As for me, I'm on Team Small.
I like my RPGs like I like my women.. needlessly convoluted with strong narrative choices.
But seriously, I'm on Team Good Story; if it's a long-form story that needs 200 hours to be told, great! If it's a shorter story that can be told in 10 hours, great! If you've got a shorter story that can be told in 10 hours and is padded to 50 with endless repetitive grinding, then I take issue.
I more or less agree. I think there's still a real shortage of good, lengthy play experiences, but that's at least as much because I think that a linear ten-hour experience is less interesting than a non-linear, dynamic five-minute experience.
I'd like to see a three-hour RPG that's dynamic and replayable, with enough simulation elements to keep me finding new things seventy hours later. Short but deep, instead of long and shallow.
It's not a length issue for me, and it's not a story issue. It's a world-building issue. If the world is interesting and layered I will play in it like I might take a long vacation, drink in hand wandering about and taking in the sights. I consider the guide books for Morrowind, Oblivion, and Fallout to be more like Foder's Guides than hint books.
I mean, there are games I like that I wouldn't play for even 5 hours, and there are games that can keep me engaged for tens of hours.
I also have less time than I do games. But I'm not a planner when it comes to these things. I don't think, "Well, I'm going to play Tactics Ogre for about 45 hours, which I could otherwise spend on 4-5 other games I'd like to play." I just pick up the game and let it take me where it will.
Tanglebones said my piece, better than I could have. There are games that 100 hours isn't enough, and others that half an hour is a gracious plenty.
Except I actually don't mind grinding so much. Grindy-spots are great for times I'm doing other stuff at the same time, and having a grind to do helps me keep going without having to fight for focus. It's one of the reasons I love Minecraft - some times I'm head-down and focused doing a fiddly bit of cantilever construction or trying to mine around a big lava-pool, but when I'm stuck in a bad phone meeting I can just dig to level a hill to make room to build out on my tower.
I think there are structural issues that make long narrative games more difficult to execute well. You have to keep the player interested and connected to a badly paced story (any story simple enough to deliver in a video game is usually badly paced at 40 hours long). This is why shorter narrative games seem to work better... better pacing.
Games like Madden or Counterstrike or WoW do not have this problem because they are built to execute relatively short-form experiences. Sure you can spend months or years playing WoW but you are not doing it to navigate a single narrative line from start to end. It's a lot of smaller episodes.
So to me there is no paradox in story games being hard to finish while it's perfectly possible to spend every waking hour playing WoW.
There are games that are too long, and games that are too short, but there is no perfect timespan that you can apply to everything.
What I do find weird is when you get games that are "all killer, no filler", and people want less of it, as though it's on a schedule or contracted the game will take no longer than X hours. If it's a long game you're going to take longer to get through it, and hopefully it's a game you like, so you get more out of it. It's as though people want to enjoy something less.
I also hope you were playing the Dragon Knight Saga release of Divinity2, it's meant to be a massive improvement on the initial release. That was a game I was rubbing my hands in eagerness when it introduced you to a new area with a mountain of stuff to do. More games should give you that feeling, and not be something to see the back of (although a satisfying conclusion is always nice).
While I, too, don't have nearly as much spare time for gaming as I did 10+ years ago, the issue for me is more about the price to size ratio rather than just size alone. I have no problem with developers making a 8-hour game, but when they charge full retail price for it ($50 or more), I wait for it to drop to half price before I buy it. If it's a console-only game, and I really want to play it, I sell it as soon as I'm done playing.
So yeah, I welcome short games, as long as the price is appropriate.
Man, you always manage to hit it right on the head and cause self reflection. I LOVE longform RPG's... But I very rarely finish them. I'm just too time poor and too ADD to give them hte attention they deserve, and when I DO have the time my brain probably isn't in hte right place so I end up firing up and old faithful like dwarf fortress or something mindless like the sims. Things are only going to get worse in the next six months, I'm closing in on the big 3-0 and have my firstborn on the way. Who knows, maybe I can learn to play around early morning feedings...
I find as I get older not only my time is in short supply, but the quality of my time decreases. By this I mean that, even when I do get a stretch of time to play an RPG, say a couple of hours after work when the kids are off doing something else, I'm so damn tired and/or distracted that I don't want to think about plot points and what-not, so I play some old stand-by, like TF2. Once this happens enough times, I forget where I am in a long-form RPG and it ends up permanently on the shelf. The Witcher 2 is the latest victim.
Even "short" games will become victims to this. Metro 2033, which is supposedly an 8-12 hour game, I got about 3 or 4 hours in, got distracted by life, and never went back. Which is too bad.
So, even with all that, I am still excited when I see a long-form RPG announced. I am looking forward to Skyrim; I have no idea if I will ever be able play it though.
The Witcher 2 is the latest victim.
I'm a little surprised by that, as TW2 (for all it's pros and cons) has one of the better quest logs in that the events that unfold in each quest are recorded as written by the bard Dandelion, so it's not just a tickbox beside an objective you've done, but a little short story to recap.
I loved Divinity II: Ego Dragonis!
I don't think we're growing tired of RPGs so much as the genre is changing so that it has more mass appeal and it's getting watered down from what we're accustomed to.
Are companies such as Bioware, after being bought-out... selling out on their own accord... or is a directive of the mountain of money that buys them?
Elysium, do you feel like your short attention span with games is a side-effect of having new games constantly being released? Is there so much that it's easy to almost always be distracted by something new and potentially awesome?
I'm with Nightmare here.
I find as I get older not only my time is in short supply, but the quality of my time decreases. By this I mean that, even when I do get a stretch of time to play an RPG, say a couple of hours after work when the kids are off doing something else, I'm so damn tired and/or distracted that I don't want to think about plot points and what-not, so I play some old stand-by, like TF2. Once this happens enough times, I forget where I am in a long-form RPG and it ends up permanently on the shelf. The Witcher 2 is the latest victim.
This happens to me too. I absolutely love a good story, and The Witcher 2 certainly has one. The quality of the quest log is irrelevant, though - it's not that I forget what I need to do, but rather I, hmmm, fall out of the required headspace? Not sure really how to express it, but once I've gotten distracted from an RPG, I need to start from the beginning again with a new character. No UI/game design choices can fix that, it's just how my teeny little RPG loving mind works. Well, to be fair, poor game design can make it worse - for example, I very nearly didn't finish Dragon Age 2 because, despite loving the story, I found the repetitive environments extremely taxing come the third act. I'm honestly surprised I toughed it out and finished it.
This, for example, is what I've got such odd experiences with both Morrowind and Oblivion. In both cases, I've logged over 300 hours of gameplay. I've never finished either game. I leave the plot to go off doing my own thing, have lots of fun, then get distracted by real life and can't get back into that particular game. After a couple runs, I get so annoyed with the beginning of the "Main Plot" that I don't even start it anymore. Nevertheless, they're both high in my list of all time favorite games - I kind of think I'd like them less if I'd finished them early on. Less reason to keep going back and playing.
So, for me, I like huge, epic sandbox games where I can just do my own thing, as much or as little as I want with the main plot being largely irrelevant, or shorted more linear story driven games so I can actually finish them before real life distracts me.
Are companies such as Bioware, after being bought-out... selling out on their own accord... or is a directive of the mountain of money that buys them?
Only they know for sure, but money always talks.
The other thing to remember is the realities of making games, it only becomes more expensive to make the same amount of content at a higher detail level. Plus commercial pressures, in any business it's kind of nice to turn a profit than a loss, so if they can get a good amount of people to buy something shorter than longer, why not make the shorter thing.
I'm pretty solidly a gameplay-type of gamer, contrasted against many of the good folks here on GWJ, and apparently quite against the norm, if Tanglebones is any indication. I like a good yarn in my game, but if the gameplay isn't up to snuff, I won't even buy it. Interesting narrative tricks like Bastion's narration is good for novelty, but that's it for me - it's just a novelty, a gimmick and nothing more.
ME2's interesting mix of FPS and magic - that's interesting. It's interesting enough for me to have finished the game not once, but six times; and I fire it up even now and again on savepoints corresponding to the most interesting combat pieces, per my judgment. The story? Eh. I skip all dialogue and cut-scenes past the second playthrough.
inFamous and inFamous 2? Same thing. To me, inFamous is not an open world game with an interesting superhero story. No. To me, it's playing as Elecman in a 3D Megaman-like game with a bunch of levels. It could have as much story as a Mario game and I wouldn't mind one bit.
Likewise, I can finish JRPGs - even the long ones, and the convoluted ones, requiring hundreds of hours of "grinding," but the gameplay's gotta be good. If the gameplay's not interesting, no amount of story will keep me playing it.
I'm happy that games like Modern Warfare and such with their ultra-short missions can be made for the gamers that like them, but I'm equally glad that furious and gameplay focused games like Muramasa, Demon's Souls, and Super Meat Boy continue to be offered for those of us who are frequently lambasted as masochists and grinders.
I'm on Team Gameplay.
I agree with LarryC: I don't generally play games for their stories. In fact, I'll often play and love games with crappy stories (Metroid: Other M is first to mind) if their gameplay mechanics are good. A good story in a game is a plus, but it's not really a selling point for me if the gameplay itself doesn't carry the weight of the experience.
That said, I tend to agree with Elysium that eight or ten hours is a good length for a game, not because that's a good length for a story but often because that's about when designers start running out of interesting gameplay. By the eight hour mark in most games, you'll have seen most every mechanic (weapon, enemy, power, solution, etc.) that the game has to offer plus a bit of variation. That's about when I tend to want games to get on with it and wrap it up unless the mechanics really captivate me.
That's funny you mention that because we had a similar discussion in the EA vs STEAM thread regarding the length of games now vs. the length of games back then. The short story is, First Person Shooters have always been in the 8-12 hours range for as long as I can remember and that's fine by me but more and more people find that it's not enough and also demand an infinitely replayable multiplayer experience along with that.
In a world where no more than 1 in 10 FPS or less draws enough people to have a sustainable multiplayer content, it`s not really fair to see titles such as Singularity or Bulletstorm fail on the sole basis that they're ''short'' and lack a decent multiplayer mode.
Anyways, I'm on Team Small too and always have been. Yet, I still buy the long winded RPGs you mentionned thinking I'd get around to finishing them. then I get a new PC and lose my saves and never actually finish them. Oh well
$60/10 hours is $6/hour, less than a first-run movie ticket,
but here's the thing, I go to Cinemark (go see Bridesmaids, btw).
I think this is why I am able to put up with JRPG's and Rogue-likes and Etrian Odyssey.
Yes, depending on the situation and game, even hardcore dungeon crawlers are at times, repetitive and boring.
I admit that I never finished Legends of Dragoon, but seriously, just read the Grand List of Console RPG cliches. You can come up with the whole list just by playing that game. (I also have the strategy guide and read the ending.)
This is why my action games are of the Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Castlevania, Demon's Souls, Muramasa, Odin Sphere kind,
or a shmup or Mario or hopefully Vanquish, something with replay value,
or a multiplayer game like TF2 or Section 8: Prejudice.
Also, is it just me or do FPS's suffer from being too short while non-FPS games are usually longer? I just remember that it seems most of the time being too short is a complaint levied against an FPS.
OT: While Firefox did crash while writing this but when restored, it had saved my incomplete post, hurray!
Anyways, I'm on Team Small too and always have been. Yet, I still buy the long winded RPGs you mentionned thinking I'd get around to finishing them. then I get a new PC and lose my saves and never actually finish them. Oh well
Another proud member of Team Small that still buys the other side's games. I love RPGs and I love playing new RPGs. I finish a vanishingly small percentage of them, however. Games the length of CoD4: MW are about perfect, and I will finish them more than once. The exception to this rule have been the Mass Effect games, both of which I've finished multiple times.
Re-linking tanstaafl's link for the excellent timing.
You're not alone, apparently
And after both this excellent front page article and the CNN article, I am still obliged to say: Cool it, guys. Developers are listening and producers are eager to hear that you want less content for the same damn price.
Can we all at least append a "for less money" to our guilty admissions that we want shorter games? But not one that's likely to ever pan out if it's true that the average gamer is continually getting older, busier, yet wealthier. Ah well.
I couldn't agree more that as my crusty-old-man-gamer status continues to solidify, I find I have less and less attention for really long RPGs, even though I love that kind of depth. I finished Baldur's Gate, but the even longer BGII is unfinished, let alone its expansion. For me, it is quantity and quality of time. I almost never have 3 hours to really immerse myself in a fictional universe, even though that's exactly what I want out of an RPG. I have to be ready to be pulled out by kids, spouse, work, etc.
So I guess I fall squarely into Team Short, even though I wish I didn't.
The other factor in this, however, is the GWJ community. That's right, I blame you folks.
Well, GWJ and the rate at which new games are made. If there was only one quality game made every 2-3 years, I'd finish 'em. But because there are so many, and you people keep talking them up so much, I feel like I'm continually missing out on something. So I do a lot of sampling, and then before you know it, the game timer goes off, and I've got to get back to it. Its the tapas style of gaming I guess: you get to sample some GREAT stuff, but you didn't get full on it.
The other factor in this, however, is the GWJ community. That's right, I blame you folks.
I notice the same thing, that listening to podcasts and following a gaming community site has led me to purchase a lot more games. The compulsion to keep up with "The Conversation" dissuades me from spending more time with long form games.
Somehow, World of Warcraft has managed to remain current for years. Maybe it's that it embeds its community in the game.
Jakobedlam wrote:
The other factor in this, however, is the GWJ community. That's right, I blame you folks.
I notice the same thing, that listening to podcasts and following a gaming community site has led me to purchase a lot more games. The compulsion to keep up with "The Conversation" dissuades me from spending more time with long form games.
Somehow, World of Warcraft has managed to remain current for years. Maybe it's that it embeds its community in the game.
Pro tip: If you're worried about keeping up with the conversation, don't delude yourself into thinking that you will play all the games. Read the spoilers, watch the YouTube walkthroughs, and converse away.
Pro tip: If you're worried about keeping up with the conversation, don't delude yourself into thinking that you will play all the games. Read the spoilers, watch the YouTube walkthroughs, and converse away.
Isn't that a bit like showing up to book club only having read the Cliff's Notes?
wordsmythe wrote:
Pro tip: If you're worried about keeping up with the conversation, don't delude yourself into thinking that you will play all the games. Read the spoilers, watch the YouTube walkthroughs, and converse away.
Isn't that a bit like showing up to book club only having read the Cliff's Notes? :-)
So... the major theme of this thread is... (flipping pages)... ... Man's... inhumanity to man?
RoutineMachine wrote:wordsmythe wrote:
Pro tip: If you're worried about keeping up with the conversation, don't delude yourself into thinking that you will play all the games. Read the spoilers, watch the YouTube walkthroughs, and converse away.
Isn't that a bit like showing up to book club only having read the Cliff's Notes? :-)
So... the major theme of this thread is... (flipping pages)... ... Man's... inhumanity to man?
It's better than throwing money away adding another game to the pile.
For me the best video-gaming experiences are characterized by flow. And as time - specifically quality, uninterrupted time - has become more scarce, I am less able to achieve a state of gaming flow, particularly for an experience that is requires sustained effort over a long period of time.
All of which is to say that I'm generally on Team Small too.
I tend to be on team small, but in the last few years I've become far more disciplined with both my purchases and my focus. I used to buy masses of cheap games and used to be easily distracted, now I buy new and am far more likely to finish since I buy 3 - 4 games a year.
I've finished a good number of RPGs in the last 4 years, but a shooter needs to be shorter because the gameplay gets stale faster.


text:
The Damien Society Mitten Tree
It's been 44 years since Damien Society member Gen Kwako was contacted by a local bus driver about the fact that some of his young passengers often boarded the bus without mittens and caps to protect them from the weather.
Kwako, with the help of her fellow Damiens, organized the first Damien Mitten Tree drive, in which local residents were asked to donate hats, scarves and mittens to give to children in need during the holiday season.
The "mitten trees" were set up at various locations around town, so that residents could bring in their donations and hang them on the tree, to be displayed until they were distributed a few weeks later.
Since those beginnings more than four decades ago, the Damien Mitten Tree has become "one of those holiday traditions in the community," says DelRae Chivers, who chairs this year's mitten tree drive.
The annual event has grown to the point where each year's drive brings in well over 700 donated items, Chivers says, and "we're expecting about the same amount this year," she adds.
"We have members of the community who work on this the whole year," Chivers says. "They're probably knitting mittens for the tree even in July."
Of course, not everyone has the knack for making homemade items, so the Damiens also welcome newly purchased donations. Sizes needed include everything from infant to adult.
Cash donations are also welcomed. The cash donations enable the Damiens to make last-minute purchases as needed, Chivers explains.
Locations of the 12 Damien "mitten trees" set up for the 2010 holiday season include: Wells Fargo Bank, First Security Bank, Bremer Bank, Midwest Bank, American National Bank, State Bank & Trust, Central Market, Detroit Lakes Newspapers, Midwest Bank, American National Bank, St. Mary's Living Community, Lakeshirts, Speak Easy, and the Detroit Lakes Community & Cultural Center.
Donations can be dropped off at any of these locations, starting Friday, Dec. 3 and continuing until Tuesday, Dec. 21, when the items will be collected and distributed.
"This is a great group effort, from the businesses who host the trees and the people who give the donations," Chivers said.
"Everybody wants to be in the giving spirit during this time of year," adds mitten tree committee member Beth Schupp. "It's such an easy way to contribute, and it gives them a chance to feel good about what they're doing."
Recipients of this year's donations will include children and adults at area schools, Mahube Head Start; Lakes Crisis & Resource Center; Emmanuel Community; Detroit Lakes Boys & Girls Club; and Community Education/Early Childhood Family Education.
Besides the annual mitten tree project, Chivers noted that the Damien Society also contributes funding for a variety of other charitable organizations and projects, including:
The Becker County Food Pantry; Becker County Historical Society; Boys & Girls Club; the American Cancer Society of Becker County; Dollars for Scholars; Emmanuel Foundation; Habitat for Humanity; Friends of the Library; Historic Holmes Theatre; Humane Society of the Lakes; Lakes Area Crisis & Resource Center; LifeLine; Minnesota Flyers Gymnastics; American Red Cross; Salvation Army; St. Mary's Essentia Health Foundation; Christmas and Thanksgiving families and Lakes Area Young Life.
For more information, contact DelRae Chivers at 218-847-3112.


text:
nTelos to Sell iPhone for $50 Less than Other Carriers
Article Comments
Sprint again?
I swear Sprint sells their network to anybody that's willing to use it. It's the same plan essentially $80 for unlimited text and data and 600 minutes but the phone is $50 cheaper and uses the same network as Sprint? what is wrong with this picture? I wonder if this counts as part of the committment that Sprint would sell X amount of iphones in 5 years?
True but you have to live in their area, and I'm sure they will do something if you are constantly off their system.
Ntelos is a public company with their own 1.9mhz PCS network, they use Sprint for nationwide roaming on Cellular bands.
This forum is closed.


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AISB opportunities Bulletin Item
PhD student scholarship on "Modelling and Normative Assessment of Collective Decisions", Hamburg, GERMANY
The Departments of Philosophy and Economics at Hamburg University invite applications for a PhD scholarship (1100 � per month, tax free; up to three years) within the graduate group (?kleine Graduiertengruppe?) ?Modelling and Normative Assessment of Collective Decisions?. Ideally, candidates have a Master's degree in a multidisciplinary programme including at least two of the disciplines philosophy, economics, or political studies. Candidates with degrees in one of the disciplines or any related interdisciplinary field will also be considered. We particularly like to encourage candidates with a background in political science to apply. Applicants should be interested in topics at the intersection of economics, politics, and philosophy (see the project description below). They should also be interested in collaborative and interdisciplinary research. Residency in Hamburg or in commutable distance is mandatory. Candidates are expected to complete a PhD thesis in an area related to the group?s general topic. They will be supervised by members of both departments. The graduate group consists of two other PhD students and several senior scholars as listed below. It offers extensive support and a dedicated work space. Candidates will present their research in regular workshops. Please send your application (preferably by email), including a CV, an outline of your proposed thesis in relation to the project (2-3 pages) as well as an academic reference letter to Wiebke Probst, Universit�t Hamburg, Fakult�t Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Fachbereich Volkswirtschaftslehre, Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146 Hamburg Email: firstname.lastname@example.com. The closing date is 15 April 2013. Project description: The topic of the research group is collective decision making. The main focus is on the behavioural foundations, modelling and normative assessment of collective decisions. The project encompasses fundamental research in behavioural economics, ethics and philosophy of science as well as specific applications of collective decision making, like the provision of public goods, institutions in the welfare state, electoral competition etc. Both theoretical and empirical approaches, e.g. field and laboratory experiments, will be considered. It is vital that your proposal fits into this broad agenda, but it can of course be targeted on a topic not explicitly mentioned above. It is also important that your research promises to be of interest from an interdisciplinary perspective. Current members of the research group: Jana Freundt, Economics (designated PhD student) Prof. Dr. Ulrich G�hde, Philosophy Prof. Dr. Anke Gerber, Economics Prof. Dr. Mathias Kifmann, Economics Oliver Kr�ger, Philosophy (PhD student) Prof. Dr. Andreas Lange, Economics Prof. Dr. Dr. Lydia Mechtenberg, Economics Prof. Dr. Gerd M�hlheu�er, Economics Prof. Dr. Thomas Schramme, Philosophy


text:
Maximization of Labor Productivity Through Optimal Rest-Break Schedules
This paper focuses upon the maximization of labor productivity through selection of the optimal number, duration, and placement of rest breaks. It is demonstrated that resolution of the limited validity associated with previous models leads to a mixed-integer quadratic programming formulation of this problem. Efficient analytic procedures are developed which allow solutions to be obtained in minutes using a hand-held calculator. Then, the characteristics, properties, and potential effectiveness of optimal solutions are examined through an illustration from an existing work environment. Issues relevant to the implementation of the models are presented in a summary of an initial experiment in which one of the models in this paper was used to select rest break policy. The results of this experiment indicated that the output achieved using the model's policy was 13% higher than the output achieved when the subjects used their own rest break policies. Several future research topics are also identified.
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Volume (Year): 30 (1984)
Issue (Month): 12 (December)
Pages: 1442-1458
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