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So I'm just going to say it. I use facebook. I am a 37-year-old, married-with-two-kids Catholic high school educator and I use facebook. I am glad I do because were it not for facebook, I would have missed an article in the Eugene Register Guard that a friend and fellow UO alum posted.
The article was about Ganas, a middle school tutoring program started in 1996 by my college advisor and a student organization at the University of Oregon, of which I was a part. It evolved out of a shared desire to bust open the doors of higher education to underserved and marginalized students in our own backyard. That experience of being a tutor and mentor to 7th and 8th grade Latino students left an indelible mark on me - influencing so much of who I am and what I believe about access and equity in education.
Fast forward fifteen years and here I am at La Salle Prep, leading our San Miguel Scholars Program, moderating our new Multicultural Student Alliance, coordinating academic support for struggling students, and chaperoning students on our border immersion trip to Arizona. I haven't changed that much, have I?
I work at La Salle Prep because of its commitment to those fundamental ideas of access and equity. They are two hallmarks of a Lasallian education that make me proud to work here and keep me driving through the rain from Salem every day. I believe that our students are better for having experienced our charism, for being shepherded through young adulthood by our teachers as big brothers and sisters, and for succeeding in our college prep education.
You see, despite the benefits of technological advances, the omnipresence of social networking, and all of the research on what defines good teaching and learning, I believe it is the mentoring relationship between me and my students – a relationship built on trust and honesty – that most impacts the young people entrusted to my care. It's the same kind of relationship I sought to develop with my mentees at Kennedy Middle School 15 years ago.
The second paragraph of our mission statement asserts: "La Salle optimizes financial and academic accessibility for students, especially the underserved, who desire a rigorous and relevant education preparing them for college and life."
It sounds great. Do we live up to it? Let's review the 2011-12 school year:
Financial accessibility? Over 51% of our student body (322 students) receive an average of $4,450 in financial assistance, totaling $1.4 million, an all-time high at La Salle Prep.
Academic accessibility? The new Signum Fidei program has "widened the door" of access, allowing students with diagnosed learning differences to become an integral part of the La Salle Prep community. This innovative program, built specifically to meet the individual needs of each student, helps these specialized learners reach their full potential. There are currently eight students in the inaugural Signum Fidei Class of 2016. We plan to welcome an additional 12 students each year going forward; students that would otherwise not have access to a Lasallian education.
Especially the underserved? The financially "underserved," based on Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program guidelines, represent 9% of our student body, or 57 students. All 57 students receive nearly full tuition assistance and would not be able to attend La Salle Prep without this support.
I believe La Salle Prep lives up to its Lasallian mission of "access" and we are committed to "widening the door" even further. Through continued innovations in financial assistance and academic programming, La Salle Prep continues to move forward.
We thank our generous benefactors, loyal alumni, dedicated faculty and staff, and committed families for their countless contributions helping us live out our mission each and every school year. We appreciate your faithful support as we strive to continually improve the excellent educational community at La Salle Catholic College Prep.
I'm intrigued with words, conversation, and language; how they link together to build relationship, create mood, and set culture. I don't think I realized how much I was attracted to words until I began collecting words . . . literally.
On top of my desk, I have a dish full of stones that are engraved with powerful words. At home, I have pieces of art which present phrases or thoughts. I'm fascinated with innovative logos and graphics that artfully display a word to powerfully relay the impact of that word.
I recently read a column in the Portland Business Journal by a guest columnist, Greg Bell, founder ofPor tland's Water the Bamboo Center for Leadership, in which he examined the power of language (words) in shaping an organization. He suggested "one way to determine an organization's culture is to listen to how people talk to each other about each other and how they talk about people who are not there." He stated his belief that organizations are determined one conversation at a time.
I believe that, too. I think it demonstrates what we believe as a Lasallian community.
I listened and noted carefully the words of our school one day last week. The first words that were spoken were in prayer. During morning announcements, we called out members of our community celebrating birthdays, congratulated the performance of student athletes, and applauded the accomplishments of the speech team. We invited people to participate in a service immersion opportunity.
During a meeting in the board room later in the day, wall art, highlighted with a quote from St. John Baptist de La Salle, reminded me that the greatest miracle we can perform is to be big brothers and big sisters to our students.
At lunch, our French teacher relayed a wonderful conversation she had overheard as one of her students listed the qualities that he thought made his friend "especially cool."
At the end of the day, I walked out of the main doors of the school into a windy rainy evening right past a bronze plaque with words reminding me that I was in the holy presence of God.
I think Mr. Bell is right. Culture is created by words, by language and by conversations. This place is confirming, celebratory, and holy. No wonder I love words.
In preparation for a talk I was giving at La Salle about vocations, I thought it might be fun to channel my high school self. I stumbled across the vault for La Salle's records looking for any piece of high school "me" I could find. It only took a matter of minutes to find "Raines, Elizabeth Anne" in the file cabinet.
As if I had found a lost treasure, I excitedly pawed through pictures of myself, grades, absences, many tardy slips, immunization forms, drivers' ed information, and a statement in my handwriting about why I chose to attend La Salle. I could not believe that this place had kept so much of me, safely filed away. It made me start to think about what it meant to be an alumnus of this school.
To be an alumnus of La Salle means that you are remembered. You are a part of the daily fabric of this school and community. You are talked about, referenced and valued. Your teen life has been documented not only in files, but in teachers' memories, imprinted on the bricks against which you played dodge ball and scratched on the cool tiles that line the main hallway. Most importantly, though, to be an alumnus of La Salle means that you are loved.
If you ever feel the urge to reconnect with your high school self, you are invited to return to your La Salle family. Come have lunch in the delicious cafeteria, take a tour of campus, and sign your name on the alumni wall. To schedule, please contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com. You might even be so lucky as to rediscover a piece of who you were.
I don't usually use this forum to recommend books, but the one I am currently reading, actually studying, seems so perfect that I want to at least mention it.
Last week was Vocations Week at La Salle Prep. Each day, the morning prayer announcement opened with a reflection from a staff member sharing an experience, a relationship, or even a single decision that had been instrumental in leading to his/her vocation. AtLa Salle, it is our hope that all students begin an intentional discernment of their vocation. We want them to come to understand their unique talents; consider their passions; understand their unique place in the world.
As I listened each day to the different paths staff members took to arrive at La Salle, I couldn't help reflecting on what I am learning through an incredible book called Living Your Strengths. As part of a Professional Learning Team, my colleagues and I are researching teamwork, how people can work together to form an effective partnership that embraces all of our unique talents. Our research led us to Living Your Strengths, by Albert Winseman, Donald Clifton, and Curt Liesveld. The authors' objective is to assist readers to discover their God-given talents and, in so doing, "harness the power of their innate gifts."
In discovering our talents and those of our colleagues, we intentionally recognize the range of gifts and ultimately the contribution of each individual (Value the Individual). We understand there are several approaches to our work, dependant upon our respective talents (Respect All Persons), and ultimately our best work is delivered by our unique contributions (Push Your Limits).
Living Your Strengths appears to be fundamentally Lasallian in its philosophy and practice. I guess we're never too old to pursue our vocation . . . or too young. Perhaps that is what living our faith is all about.
Choose groups to clone to:
La Salle Catholic College Preparatory 11999 SE Fuller Road Milwaukie, OR 97222 Phone: 503.659.4155 Fax: 503.659.2535 contact us

subset: commoncrawl


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I wanted to implement a caching system in my application to improve the performance.
My current resources to be cached are:
1. Database (master tables, frequently used query results).
2. Mappings from xml file.
3. Data from txt files.
1.Should be using only tomcat web container, no app server.
2.Cluster level updation of the cache.
3.The cacheable resources may be updated from different application.
4.Looking for open source.
If a system is not supporting clustering, how can I achieve it on myself?
please suggest me, the one which is more likely suitable for my usage?
thanks in advance.
Aravind Patil
Which Caching system is better? (1 messages)
- Posted by: Aravind Patil
- Posted on: December 09 2004 07:04 EST
Threaded Messages (1)
- Which Caching system is better? by VIJAY KHANNA on December 16 2004 04:54 EST
Which Caching system is better?[ Go to top ]
Hi Arvind,
- Posted by: VIJAY KHANNA
- Posted on: December 16 2004 04:54 EST
- in response to Aravind Patil
From what I understand from your requirements, you require a free (Open source)caching service to be used in your webapp with constraint of using only a web container.
Heres a good cache service - http://www.opensymphony.com/oscache/ . I have seen this being used in a very huge J2EE financial project, so you can safely use it.


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The Ken doll with the plastic hair.
Bruno stresses that in jive you have to be precise and clean. Okay. Um, like Sherri? Not.
7-7-7, one point better than Melissa, thanks to Len.
"Whatever you are, be a good one." Abraham Lincoln
What is an "MFWalkoff?"
Yes, Jack, you COULD have done better,
"In a world of pollution, profanity, adolescence, broccoli, zits, ozone depletion, racism, sexism, stupid guys and PMS, why the hell do people still tell me to have a nice day?" - Unknown
Spring 2016 FoRT Yearbook Title: "Most Likely to Make a Short Story Long, and a Long Story LONGER!"
Jack Wagner.....there is just something about him that does not work for me.
"...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!


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This is for jmint's KHR comp! Hope you guys enjoy! :)
Flash Draw Created Apr 15, 2010 338 x 470px Unless noted Copyright 2010 Kaitou X.
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hot do u keep the lines so neat!!!
X3 100 FTW. 5/5 and favs and agains, congratz on placing third ^^ amazing job *thumbs up* 5/5 and favs!
aaaahhhh he is so hot and look good!!! fav! that make me fall love in him.. TT^TT fav awesome draw! :D
Awesome!! such a kewl draw!! 5 STArs!!^^
Too cool! Love the flower ;D 5h!
Byakuran! 8D awesome drawing, I like the flower 5/5 ^^
awesome drawing :D 5♥
Oh wow! Thanks so much for entering again! 8D 5/5


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Few U. S. industries are livelier, more ingenious than the glass industry. Two of its most important divisions are bottle glass and flat glass. The bottle division continually wars with the tin-can industry over the packaging of products. Glass-packed coffee marked a glass advance; canned beer was a victory for tin. The flat glass division, having no outside industry to contend with, has spent its time in the improvement of its product. Most important modern development has been safety glass for automobiles. Invisible glass, flexible glass, heat-proof glass and bullet-proof glass have been...
Business: Glass Week
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All quotes by Pete Rose
(62 quotes found)
"It's the best part of music when we play music for free to give back to people. My band always plays better and I always play better when I know I'm playing for free to help heal or benefit or feed or educate someone. . . . It doesn't matter how many times you do concerts for Africa or South America or Indians. If people steal some of it, keep doing it. They can't steal all of it."
"I like Rose as a person. He played with great passion. I think he made a tragic mistake. We all make mistakes. You forgive and you move on. But Rose made a tragic mistake in not telling the truth. That's a tough nut for Bud [ Selig ] to handle. It was a sickness with [Rose]. He'd go to the dog track and he'd bet two or three thousand dollars on the dog running. He loved the action. You shouldn't have any betting in the locker room at all, whether it's baseball or it's horses. You can't beat the horses. You can't beat any kind of gambling because they have the odds. if they get deep into you they're going to say, 'Do this or do that.'"


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JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, an Iraqi-born sage who turned an Israeli underclass of Sephardic Jews of Middle Eastern heritage into a powerful political force, died on Monday at the age of 93, plunging masses of followers into mourning.
Dubbed Israel's Ayatollah by critics who condemned many of his pronouncements as racist - he likened Palestinians to snakes and said God put gentiles on earth only to serve Jews - Yosef was revered by many traditional Sephardic Jews as their supreme religious leader.
Through the Shas (Sephardic Torah Guardians) party he founded in the early 1980s, Yosef, regal in his gold embroidered robes and a turban, wielded unique political influence from his modest apartment in Jerusalem.
His heavily Arabic-accented Hebrew may have been difficult to understand, but Shas members followed his political policy pronouncements and the Biblical scholar's religious rulings as if they were divine commandments.
"I don't want to describe what could, God forbid, happen (after Yosef's death)," Shas legislator Arye Deri told Kol Barama, a religious radio station. "How will the world run without the sun? How will the world run without the moon? What will be of us? Who will lead us? Who will take his place?"
At its height, Shas - now in the opposition - held 17 of parliament's 120 seats. For years, Yosef, as its leader, served as political kingmaker whose party could make or break Israeli coalition governments.
Yosef's political messages were sometimes mixed: he viewed the occupied West Bank, captured in the 1967 Middle East war, as part of the Biblical Land of Israel, but in a challenge to mainstream rabbis, he said it was permissible to cede land to prevent bloodshed.
Although Shas served in governments that pursued peace talks with the Palestinians, he voiced strong anti-Arab sentiments in sermons to devotees in Israel and abroad.
"Abu Mazen and all these evil people should perish from this world," Yosef, referring to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said in a sermon in 2010. "God should strike them with a plague, them and these Palestinians."
Palestinians condemned the speech as hateful, and Yosef also drew fire from Israelis when he once suggested that six million Jews died in the Nazi Holocaust because they were reincarnated souls of sinners.
Weaving a new social fabric in a Jewish state dominated by a so-called elite of Ashkenazim, or Jews of European descent, Yosef oversaw the establishment of Shas-run religious schools and charity institutions that drew a new generation into his rabbinical fold.
His soft-spoken cadre of young Sephardic Orthodox activists, nattily attired in black business suits and neckties, helped to reshape their community's self-image as an Israeli second class.
Born in Baghdad, Yosef arrived in Jerusalem when he was four and was ordained as a rabbi at the age of 20. In 1947, a year before Israel's founding, Yosef went to Cairo, where he headed its rabbinical court and became Egypt's deputy chief rabbi.
In 1950, Yosef returned to Jerusalem, serving as a judge in religious courts that deal with family matters and divorce and served as Israel's chief Sephardic rabbi from 1973 to 1983, a post now held by his son Yitzhak, one of his 11 children.
His major work, "Responsa, Yabia Omer", is a 10-volume collection of his rulings on questions pertaining to Jewish law and customs.
For the past several months, Yosef had been in failing health. Israeli President Shimon Peres visited his bedside on Monday in Jerusalem's Hadassah hospital, joining a steady stream of Shas politicians and top rabbis.
Thousands packed synagogues to pray for Yosef's recovery. As a hospital spokesman announced the rabbi's death, followers outside the facility and his home broke into tears, hiding their faces in their hands and swaying in worship.
"All his life, the rabbi prayed for the People of Israel," Shas legislator Eli Yishai said on Monday as Yosef's condition deteriorated and Israeli television stations interrupted regular programming to carry live reports from the hospital. "I now ask the people to pray for him."
Yosef's funeral on Monday is expected to be one of the biggest ever held in Israel, attracting a sea of Jewish mourners in traditional Orthodox black garb.
Four rabbis have been mentioned as possible successors, but with Shas outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, their political influence is likely to be limited.
Reporting by Jeffrey Heller, Editing by Crispian Balmer


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- Price:
- $224.95
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This roomy pack offers plenty of storage and features the adjustable PerfectFIT™ suspension system that provides a customized fit for a variety of body types. Pull the FIT straps downward to quickly adjust the torso panel for optimal comfort. The top-loading pack's lid converts to a sling pack. Additional features include a large front pocket with an organization panel, zippered side pockets, waistbelt pockets, a stretch front pouch, and two hide-away ice axe loops. The Dual LightBeam™ aluminum stays deliver superior support for heavy loads. The pack features an HDPE framesheet, an HDPE-reinforced waistbelt, a ventilating Hex mesh back panel, lumbar support, load lifter straps, belt stabilizer straps, and a sternum strap.
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Adjustable, waterproof cover fits pack sizes between 3,000 cu. in. and 6,000 cu. in. Made of 190T Nylon Taffeta Ripstop.
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2008 proved to be a great year for me in the mountains. Memorable trips included Rainier, Mexico's Pico de Orizaba and Iztaccihuatl, and numerous local peaks and climbs, including finishing the Colorado 14ers with my dad in July. I figured there couldn't be a better way to end the year than with a trip to South America (and from there Jamaica for a week). Craig (Cheeseburglar) and I had a limited amount of time (only 8 days), and our main goal was Chimborazo (20,700 ft., 6310m), so we trained hard and attempted to get our bodies used to being at high altitude as much as possible before we left. Initially in the planning stages, we didn't consider using a guide. But we contacted Freddy from Sierra Nevada about 4x4 transportation to the mountains, and the price of one of his mountain guides (and cook) was only a little bit more than the transportation itself. We had never used a guide for a climb before, so we were apprehensive, but decided since we had such little time and didn't have much margin for error in our schedule, we'd hire the local guide to ensure our trip went smoothly.
Day 0
Travel from Denver to Quito. Arrived late at night and took a taxi to Freddy's Hotel Sierra Nevada (highly recommended): http://www.hotelsierranevada.com/
Day 1
Today would be day 1 of acclimating. We hired a taxi to the Teleferico (cable car) on the edge of Quito, and took it up to 13,000 feet. We then hiked to the summit of Rucu Pichincha (15,400 ft.) along gentle grassy slopes.
Towards the top there were some minor scrambling moves, but it was very easy. It took less than 2 hours to arrive at the summit, which was completely socked in by clouds. We sat up there for more than an hour in an attempt to acclimate. I took a nap because there was nothing to see and it was rather boring. After a while a large group of Germans made there way up so we headed down. Back in Quito we discussed the week's plans with Freddy, and he seemed quite skeptical of our ambitious plan. We told him we live at higher elevations and we'd be ok, and he said "its your trip, do what you like". I really liked how flexible and open they were. We had all afternoon to kill, so we explored the local pubs. Unfortunately Kareoke is very popular in South America. We stumbled into some awful places before we found a great sports bar with futbol. We then had the best Ecuadoren meal of the trip at a local place called Quito Tiempo.
Day 2
We slept in and woke up a bit groggy from the previous nights adventures. After a big breakfast, we took a taxi to the bus station (well in Quito it was just a round-about where buses parked), and took the hour long busride to Machachi. In Machachi I asked a cop where I could find 4x4 transportation to Illiniza Norte (16,818 ft.). He introduced us to his friend who took us up to La Virgen (parking area) of Illiniza (for $20 each way). The views of the Andean countyside on the ride up were incredible. Along the way we picked up 5 or 6 school girls and let them ride in the back of the truck. It was quite amusing to hear them scream as every farm dog we passed had to chase and bark viciously at them for at least a half a mile. At La Virgen at 10:30am, our driver said he would be back at 5.
We really had no idea if we could make it up and down Illiniza Norte in that time, so we just started hiking to see what we could see. After an hour we arrived at the Refugio (15,000 feet) and chatted about conditions with some Peruvian climbers who had just climed Illiniza Sur. We continued up the rocky slopes of Illiniza Norte and got off-route a few times. There were some exposed class 3 or 4 moves along a knife edge that we made before we got back on trail. At 1:30 we arrived at the summit and we both felt surprisingly good for being at almost 17,000 feet on day 2. After 15 minutes we started our descent and took a shortcut to head straight back to La Virgen. At about 15,500 feet we realized we would be back at La Virgen way too soon, so we just sat on the side of the mountain and relaxed for an hour or so. Illiniza Sur would peak out of the clouds from time to time.
Day 3
We knew that we would get into trouble if we stayed in Quito for too long, so on day 3 we pushed our schedule up a day and drove to Cotopaxi (19,347 ft.), along the way meeting our guide in Machachi. In Machachi, our guide Jaime was no where to be found, so we relaxed and enjoyed some cervesas.
After a few hours, he showed up, and he joined us for more cervesas as we discussed the plans before we headed up to Cotopaxi. By mid-afternoon we arrived at the parking area of Cotopaxi (15,000 ft.) We hiked up to the glacier and practiced glacier climbing techniques for an hour or so at 17,000 feet. Back in the states I had practiced crevassse rescue skills extensively, and I told Jaime I was ready to drag him out of a crevasse if he fell in one. He found it quite comical to think of the guide falling in a crevasse. We felt pretty good and decided we would climb Cotopaxi that night. Instead of sleeping at the refugio (15,500 ft.), we decided to stay at the lower, more comfortable Tambopaxi lodge (12,000 ft.). After a huge dinner and some wine to encourage sleep, we were in bed by 7pm. I didn't sleep a single minute, and the alarm went off at 10:30pm, and after breakfast (it was very strange for me to eat "breakfast" at 11pm), we drove up to Cotopaxi.
Day 4
We started off at 12:30am at a dismally slow pace. It was very hard for me to hike like this, but Jaime kept saying we needed to conserve our energy. I respect his opinion, but I prefer to cover as much easy ground as possible in the least amount of time, and this was quite foreign to me. We stomped on up Cotopaxi and roped up when we hit the glacier. There were several parties ahead of us and we could see their headlights bobbing in the stary night. Cotopaxi's relentless slopes average about 45 degrees in steepness, and I was primarily using the French technique, as this conserved more energy than the aggressive front pointing I use on steep couloirs in Colorado. At about 18,000 feet both Craig and I started feeling a bit sluggish. I was eating GUs every 30 minutes in an attempt to keep my energy level up. I had a slight headache, but nothing too bad. Right before sunrise I became very cold, and decided to put on my big down parka. This was a poor choice, because half an hour later, feeling even more slugglish, I became overheated as the sun came out. The sunrise was spectacular...all the crevasses that were around us came into clear view. The last 700 feet of Cotopaxi were challenging for us...much more challenging than Chimborazo a few days later (we were fully acclimated by then). We had to dig down for this one. But a little bit after 6am, we arrived at the summit. The weather was perfect.
After 10 minutes of relaxing and taking in the views I felt better immidiately. Craig wasn't faring so well. On our trip to Mexico, it was me who slowed down progress with Montezuma's revenge. In Ecuador it was Craig, so he mossied off towards the crater and did his thing. He came back looking a bit weary, and after some more pictures we headed down. We used a running ice axe belay at the crux of the route right below the summit.
It took us 5.5 hours to climb Cotopaxi from the parking lot, but only 1.5 to descend. Back at the truck, we packed up and headed off to the warm thick jungle air of the town of Banos. Along the way, we stopped at Jaime's favorite restaurant for lunch. The fried bananas and cow tongue were interesting, but I can't say I'm too impressed with Ecuadorian cuisine. In Banos Craig was still having stomach problems, so I went and explored the town on my own. I tried to find the Englshman I met on Cotopaxi's summit for a beer, but he must have been sleeping too. I had probably the worst cheeseburger I have ever had for dinner. I went to bed exhausted.
Day 5
After a long nights sleep we felt refreshed. We had breakfast with some Swiss girls who were also staying at the hostel, and we all decided to go check out the hot springs. It was a very relaxing morning. Jaime picked us up at the hostel in the afternoon and we were off to our final and ultimate goal, Chimborazo.
At the refugio we had dinner, repacked our climbing gear, and enjoyed a few glasses of Scotch with Jaime and his nephew while we practiced tying various knots. The first refugio is at 15,700 feet, and I didn't sleep very well that night. Everytime I was almost asleep, I would suddenly awake because my body wasn't used to the abnormal breathing patterns that high altitude produces. I did however manage to get a few hours of sleep after the guy in the bunk next to me left on his solo bid of Chimborazo.
Day 6
We slept in and after breakfast walked up with our gear to the Whymper refugio at 16,400 feet. That afternoon we hiked up to the Whymper Pinacles at 17,500 feet and did some scrambling. We then glissaded back down to the refugio and relaxed the rest of the afternoon. After another fantastic meal cooked by Jaime, we went to bed, eager for the adventure that would take place that night. Jaime recommended that I try to sleep sitting more upright to alleviate the breathing problems at altitude, so I put my pack and gear at the head of my bed and slept kind of upright. This did wonders for me and I was able to get a good 4 hours of sleep. I could have probably slept more if it wasn't for the thunderously loud group of Germans that arrived that night smashing their boots up and down the stairs and talking so loud. Up at 11pm, we had breakfast, and were out the door at 11:30pm.
Day 7
Hiking up Chimborazo under the stary night was very quiet and peaceful. We were climbing the Castillo route. Below the Castillo, we roped up and put our helmets on. We made quick progress and passed several seracs illuminated by the moonlight. The Castillo has the most objective danger of the route, due to all the rockfall. It is also a place that gets very icy some seasons, and some parties use ice screws to protect this part of the route. The climbing conditions were perfect so we cruised through it. Halfway through the Castillo I developed a pounding headache. I was surprised and frustrated, because I felt fully acclimated. Once through the Castillo, I realized my headache could be from the crappy helmut that for some reason I foolishly never replace. After I took it off, my headache disappeared, and onwards we went. The higher slopes of Chimborazo consist of several thousand vertical feet of 45 degree snow (or ice) slopes. From the ridge above the Castillo, we persistently plunged our way up, stopping for a quick water/GU break every hour or so. After 4 hours of climbing on the upper slopes, we began to see a glimmer of light pierce the horizon below us. The slope mellowed out, and I realized we were right below the first false summit called the Veintimilla.
As we topped out on Veintimilla, the sun rose and turned the glacier pink. Volcanoes were puffing away in the distance. None of the pictures I took do this special moment justice. It was amazing. We took a quick break on the Veintimilla, and then headed off towards the highest summit of Chimborazo, called the Whymper summit. I felt great climbing above 20,000 feet, but the last section to the true summit was quite challenging. We could only take a few steps before we would stop for 10 seconds to catch our breaths. A little bit after 6am on Christmas morning, we were standing at 20,700 feet, the point furthest from the center of the earth (due to the Earth's equatorial bulge, Chimborazo is closer to the sun than Mt. Everest).
I shared the Christmas cookies my girlfriend baked for me before the trip with Craig and Jaime. They were delicious and we ate the whole bag. This was a Christmas I'll never forget. It was cold up top, so we only stayed for 10 or 15 minutes. We descended the mountain without any problems, and were back at the Whymper refugio by 8:30am. At the lower refugio, we met a class of high school Ecuadorians on a field trip. They were extremely impressed that we climbed the mountain, and they all wanted to shake our hands and get photos with the gringos from America. Along the lower slopes of Chimborazo we saw several Vicunas. Jaime said people eat them in Peru.
We were back in Quito by mid afternoon, and had a $4 all you can eat buffet for Christmas Dinner. The food sucked very badly, but at least the bottle of Chilean red was good. I went to bed satisfied.
Day 8
We decided we should explore more of Quito on our last day, so we walked around the city and did some shopping and saw the sites. That night we celebrated the succesful trip at our favorite futbol bar in Quito. It was a great place to practice Spanish, and we received a lot of attention because the South Americans were eager to practice their English with us. We were persuaded to hit the Discoteque, and received fine instruction from some Chilean Latinas in dancing, although I'm sure we looked pretty foolish to everyone there.
Day 9-17
Jamaica. Nothing beats relaxing on a tropical beach after a long climbing trip. Even better was the fact I could do it with my girlfriend and family. All in all a trip of a lifetime.


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China's Workers Are Revolting
China's communists have to stop discriminating against the workers.
A migrant-worker tribe that swelled to 158 million in 2011 from 25 million in 1990 has been a key contributor to China's rapid growth. The move from the farm to the factory expanded the work force, increased productivity and supercharged China's export competitiveness.
The fear is that after decades of migration, the store of rural workers is close to...


text:
Usher filed for divorce Friday from his wife of nearly two years, Tameka Foster-Raymond.
According to The Associated Press, Usher filed the petition Friday in Superior Court in Atlanta. The court record did not give any details about the split between the pop star and his wife, who were married in August 2007.
The marriage between Usher and Tameka Foster reportedly has been strained for months now. Sources have said the pair haven't lived under the same roof for quite some time, as Usher has relocated to Nevada to work on his next solo album.
The couple has two young sons, 1 1/2-year-old Usher Raymond V and 6-month-old Naviyd Ely Raymond. His wife has three children from a previous marriage.
Source: Frank Micelott/Getty Images
© 2017 Spike Cable Networks. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Deauville (France): Her hands cradling her swelling midriff, a visibly pregnant Carla Bruni-Sarkozy posed for pictures as she welcomed G8 leaders' wives on Thursday, ending weeks of speculation about France's soon-to-be First Baby.
Wearing an above-the-knee, unbelted white dress and black tailored jacket, the supermodel chanteuse turned wife of President Nicolas Sarkozy smiled as she greeted the wives of the world's most powerful leaders for a separate programme devoted to her pet causes of illiteracy and AIDS.
Bruni, 43, and Sarkozy's Elysee Palace have declined to comment on rumours of her pregnancy throughout weeks of frenzied speculation in France, but with no attempt to hide the bump in Deauville, the ending of a state secret eclipsed the absence even of Michelle Obama and Samantha Cameron.
Photographers who knew even before the summit that they would be craning for a view of "le bump" appeared to get a tacit acknowledgement from Bruni as her elegant hands slid maternally around her swelling middle.
At one stage as she posed with four of the wives, Bruni looked down and gestured to her bump with a maternal flourish.
Svetlana Medvedev, wife of the Russian president, presented the expectant mum with a bouquet of flowers.


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On March 24, 1999, President Bill Clinton publicly ruled out committing ground troops to Kosovo. The failure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) air campaign to compel President Slobodan Milosevic to withdraw his forces from Yugoslavia's Kosovo province has prompted some Members of Congress to urge an intervention by NATO that utilizes ground troops. Their calls may be having an effect: the Clinton Administration seems to be softening its stance on the use of ground troops. On April 11, Secretary of Defense William Cohen admitted that contingency plans for ground operations could be "updated fairly quickly."
Before the United States commits ground troops to Kosovo, or elsewhere in Yugoslavia, it is vital that Congress and the American people have some appreciation for the likely cost, risk, and feasibility of such operations. Ground forces could be deployed to:
SCENARIO #1: Destroy all of Yugoslavia's military forces and occupy the entire country.
This would require as many as 500,000 NATO troops, including at least 250,000 Americans. It would take six to eight months to field the force, but the mission itself would be open-ended. The U.S. cost would be $40 billion to $50 billion the first year, and the United States could sustain from 15,000 to 20,000 casualties.
SCENARIO #2: Seize and occupy Belgrade, the capital of Serbia and Yugoslavia.
This would require 150,000 to 200,000 NATO troops, including 75,000 to 100,000 Americans. It would take three to six months to field the force and one to two months to execute the mission. The U.S. cost would be $10 billion to $20 billion, and the United States could sustain from 5,000 to 10,000 casualties.
SCENARIO #3: Expel Yugoslavia's military and paramilitary forces from Kosovo.
This would require 50,000 to 70,000 NATO troops, including 20,000 to 30,000 Americans. It would take one to three months to field the force and four to six weeks to execute the mission. The U.S. cost would be $5 billion to $10 billion, and the United States could sustain from 500 to 2,000 casualties.
SCENARIO #4: Secure a "liberated zone" in southern Kosovo.
This would require 15,000 NATO troops, including 10,000 Americans. It would take four to six weeks to field the force and two to four weeks to execute the mission. The U.S. cost would be $5 billion, and the United States could sustain up to 500 casualties.
SCENARIO #5: Arm, train, and equip Kosovar resistance fighters operating out of Albania.
This would require 10,000 NATO troops, including 5,000 Americans for training and logistical support. It would take one month to field the force for this open-ended mission. The U.S. cost would range from $1 billion to $2 billion per year, and there would be limited risk of casualties.
SCENARIO #6: Insert peacekeeping forces into Kosovo after a negotiated peace settlement.
This would require 30,000 to 40,000 NATO troops, including 8,000 to 10,000 Americans. It would take four to six weeks to field the force, but the mission would be open-ended and pose moderate risk to well-armed peacekeepers. The U.S. cost would be $5 billion for the first year and $2 billion-$3 billion per year thereafter.
James H. Anderson, Ph.D., is a former Defense Policy Analyst in The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis International Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation.


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Cat Litter
Everything you need to know about kitty litter
Cat litter is an essential product for a cat owner to be knowledgeable about. Cat litter is used in a cat litter box and helps a cat keep proper hygiene by giving the animal a place to deposit feces and urine. Cat litter reduces the smell of foul odors and ammonia throughout the home.
A number of different cat litters are available, each with different features and price points. Depending on the location of the litter box and number of cats, these different brands and types offer distinct differences in absorbency, odor control, safety and texture. Some owners like to prevent litter from being tracked around the house, while others are concerned with environmental effects.
The Science Behind Kitty Litter
There are a number of different components from which kitty litter is made. Before the 1940s, kitty litter was comprised mostly of sand, but with the onset of the commercial market for cat litter, producers began to use clay-based litters. The advantage to this is that clay is much more absorbent than sand. Generally, these are non-clumping litters that use diatomite or zeolite as their base.
Clumping litters became highly popular during the 1980s. They were originally made from calcium bentonite, however bentonite clay became the preferred ingredient because it clumps together to form a solid mass distinguishable from other litter in the cat litter box. Clumping cat litter accounts for nearly 70 percent of the market and has the distinct advantage of not needing to be changed as frequently. However, cats can eat the litter which then hardens inside them. Also, many contain crystalline silica, which is a carcinogen.
Silica gel litter lasts the longest of all litters on the market. It can absorb urine for up to 30 days without needing to be changed. This means that 5 pounds of silica litter can do the job of 30 pounds of other litters. The main drawback with silica gel kitty litter is that it gives no warning of when it is fully saturated.
Cats are susceptible to toxoplasma gondii, which is an intestinal parasite, so make sure the cat feces are not ingested by cats, other pets or humans. Another important thing to note is that cat feces should never be flushed, as the parasite can enter the water system and cause harm to humans and sea life.
Cat Litter Training Techniques
Training a cat to use the litter box can be a challenge, particularly for kittens. Cat litter training begins shortly after birth. The best practice is to place the cat in the litter box and they will use it. Cats prefer to defecate in kitty litter than other locations, but if the cat is having a problem, other methods of cat litter training may be necessary.
The most common reason a cat will not use the litter box is because it's dirty. Be sure to keep the litter box clean and use fresh litter when needed. Removing solid waste daily is important as well as changing the litter regularly. An easy way to make the process cleaner is to use cat litter box liners. They are essentially plastic bags that go on the bottom of the litter box. You simply lift the bag and tie up the litter, making disposal a breeze.
Other reasons a cat will have a difficult time include stress. If children are home from vacation or a new pet is introduced to the household, the cat may urinate outside the litter box. Urinary tract problems can also occur. These should be treated by a veterinarian.
It is also common for the cat to be shy when using the litter box. Do not disturb the cat or attempt to play with it while it's using the litter box. This is easily remedied by buying cat litter box covers. Cat litter box covers can be placed on top of the existing litter box and give the cat a sense of privacy.
Location is also essential. Do not place the litter box near the place in which the cat eats and ensure that it is readily accessible at all times. This will help enable the cat to use the litter box much easier.


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Get a free shipping quote.
Beautiful very tall mare that has several ribbons to her credit.
She has been trained in basic Dressage .
She will make a wonderful brood mare as well as a good addition as a family horse.
Scarlett is registered with the Jockey Club as well as the IDHSNA.
Scarlott has been a good companion horse to several mares and fillies.
Heart Mountain Irish Draught, Sporthorse and Shire Breeding Farm. We are an Organic Farm with Olmypic sized indoor Arena for year round comfort of horses and riders. We take great pride in the beauty and quality of our Irish Draught and Sporthorses and our Shires.
Avoid Scams and Fraud - Potential areas of fraud: wire transfer, moneygrams, money orders, cashier checks, shipping, escrow, "transaction protection", "guarantee". Check out the Buyer Safety section for more info.


text: Hi i got my wii 3 months ago and was starting to think i made a mistake by not getting a ps3 instead. Games like no more heroes, de blob, world of goo, naruto 2 are fun but for someone who has played all the big games (FF, zelda, mgs, resident evil etc) they are not that great. But then i played mario galaxy and immediately loved it, from the environment, to the controls. So my question to the people in the forum is: what is the game that , by itsef, justifies the purchase of your wwi? Pete.


text:
Understanding the Educational Potential of Augmented Reality in IT
i am looking for someone who can help me with this research paper. The research is to conduct an in-dept study to investigate how AR technologies are and can be used in education; specifically focusing on computer science, information systems and information technology education. The objectives is to conduct a thorough literature review concerning current research Augmented reality, investigate AR technologies and how it can be used in education, specifically in for IT, IS, and CS education, Determine (if any) what technologies and topics would be the most useful for the use of AR, to develop recommendations for the success of students using AR based education.
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Brown University
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text:
- Search CSN:
- Members: Login to search all areas
- Not a member? Click here to search public areas
Jan 19, 2014 - 12:33 am
Hello everyone
I was just told yesterday I have early endometrial cancer.
I had laparoscip surgery almost 2 weeks ago for exploratory abdominal pain and while I was under they removed a cervical polyp. My Dr did a d&c while there but it wasn't a part of the plan originally. I'm lucky she did and found the cancer, who knows how or when it would have been found otherwise.
I just had a uterine biopsy in September with no signs of cancer, I'm so curious if it is that new or just was missed on that biopsy. I'll never know but would love to.
I haven't seen the oncologist yet but my first question will be about freezing my eggs. I haven't had kids yet (35 yo) but would love the option. Has anyone else had that done before hysterectomy?
After ready that it can't be staged without hysterectomy I'm also curious how my Dr could tell me pathology shows early stage.
Jan 19, 2014 - 9:01 am
Nellyroo, I am sorry you have had to find us but you have found a good place to ask questions.
I cannot answer your question about freezing your eggs, but I hope you are working with a gynecological oncologist for your surgery and treatment. They specialize in cancer for all gynecological cancers and the best gynecologists will help you find one in your area.
My endometrial cancer (UPSC - an agressive subset) was found early because I had a D&C. I owe my gynecologist a HUG for saying "let's find out what is going on" because she saved my life.
In any event, the D&C would have gotten the polyp which would have diagnosed it as cancer (that is how they found mine) but gyn/onc wanted to confirm with his pathologist as well.
Take a breath and take this one day at a time. Come back and ask any questions you want. Don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion or ask any questions on information you find here. We are not doctors but there are amazing women here who have been down this road.
Jan 22, 2014 - 7:38 am
I am very sorry to hear about you diagnosis, I was 28 the first time I had uterine cancer it cameback 4 years later, its very rough because of the not being able to have children. My oncologist did not want to freeze my eggs , but that doesnt mean thry wont save yours, just seek out other oncologist. As far as the biopsy when they took a sample it might not have been from the area of the cancerous tissue on a good note sounds like a early stage. They usually can tell by the look of the tissue, color , texture, but yes true staging is done with a hysterectomy. What other testing have you been through?
I am in the medical feild work with doctors, I love my oncologist to death, but I always keep in mind they call it practicing medicine not knowing. Its such a rough road I do know this putting your life in someone else's hands. And the emotional part is a struggle. But just know your not alone and keep positive :-). Keep us posted if you need to vent or have any questions feel free to email me.


text:
USDA finalizes new microloan program for farmers, veterans
"Less burdensome" loan process meant to ease financing for smaller operations
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday announced details of a new microloan program that will provide financing up to $35,000 for small farmers, veterans and so-called socially disadvantaged producers.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the microloan program is aimed at supporting the progress of producers through their startup years by providing needed resources and helping to increase equity so farmers eventually may graduate to commercial credit and expand their operations.
The new program also will have a less burdensome, more simplified application process than what is required for traditional farm loans, Vilsack� said.
"I have met several small and beginning farmers, returning veterans and disadvantaged producers interested in careers in farming who too often must rely on credit cards or personal loans with high interest rates to finance their start-up operations," Vilsack said.
The USDA Farm Service Agency defines socially disadvantaged producers as including women, blacks and Native Americans, among other groups.
The microloans will be administered through the USDA's Farm Service Agency Operating Loan Program. In assessing its programs, FSA evaluated the needs of smaller farm operations and any unintended barriers to obtaining financing.
Producers can apply for a maximum of $35,000 to pay for initial start-up expenses such as hoop houses to extend the growing season, essential tools, irrigation, delivery vehicles and annual expenses such as seed, fertilizer, utilities, land rents, marketing and distribution expenses.
As their financing needs increase, applicants can apply for an operating loan up to the maximum amount of $300,000 or obtain financing from a commercial lender under FSA's Guaranteed Loan Program.
View the USDA's microloan website at http://smgs.us/3i74.
USDA has increased the number of loans to beginning farmers and ranchers from 11,000 loans in 2008 to 15,000 loans in 2011. More than 40 percent of the agency's farm loans now go to beginning farmers.The USDA has increased its lending to socially-disadvantaged producers by nearly 50 percent since 2008.
|Cedar Rapids unattended death now a homi ...
|Salvation Army hosts annual community Th ...
|Cedar Rapids teacher plans kidney donati ...


text:
Demo house?
Mt. Pleasant City Council members Wednesday night awarded a contract to Big Creek Contracting of Mt. Pleasant for $2,986 to demolish this house at 207 N. Jackson St. The awarding of the contract is contingent upon the owner of the property signing the agreement with the city. Two firms bid on the project. Two other firms bid on the project with the bids stretching upwards to $3,199. The demolition project must be completed by Aug. 23, 2013.


text:
My Nonprofit Reviews
139 profile views
1 reviews
Review for The Horace Bushnell Memorial Hall Corporation, Hartford, CT, USA
I have been a volunteer for 12 years. During that time I have seen some great shows, met a large group of very nice people, and had the opportunity to interact with the public. It is a very rewarding volunteer experience.
More Feedback
Would you volunteer for this group again?
For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?
A lot
Did the organization use your time wisely?
Quite well
Would you recommend this group to a friend?
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
Role: Volunteer


text: Buy another keypoard man! _____ From: jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jfw-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Nicol Oosthuizen Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 11:11 PM To: help_needed_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; blcompusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: my alt key gets stuck repeatedly NB: This email and its contents are subject to our email legal notice which can be viewed at http://www.sars.gov.za/Email_Disclaimer.pdf ---- I find that my alt key gets stuck very frequently. For example I have a keystroke in word that will move me between sections in my document: alt+down arrow. When I press just my arrows alt+down arrow is pressed although I just pressed the down arrow. Then when I press the alt key or the first time nothing happens. When I press it the second time it activates the menu bar and when I press it a third time it deactivates the menu bar. I must do this very frequently to release my alt key. Any help on how I can fix the alt key permanently? Thanks


text:
Artist description:
they are so adorable! btw Im a girl bronie or a pegasister. I love both of these characters ^^
Canvas Draw Created Apr 08, 2012 640 x 460px Unless noted Copyright 2012 sailorgoddess.
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
amazing cool character :) their pose is so sweet and innocent looking i like the hair XD so charming :) rainbow dye hair XD that would stand out XD


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Most Recent Posts
PAMM | Pérez Art Museum Miami
Happy take your child to work day!
PAMM welcomed the sons and daughters' of staff members as they took part in take your child to work day. Members of the education department shared as much enthusiasm as the kids; touring through the galleries as well as getting a behind the scenes look at where PAMM houses its permanent collection. Followed by lunch, the youths of the PAMMily displayed their creativity and self-expression in an art-making session of merging mediums.
Scholl Lecture Series: Roxane Gay in Conversation with Jeff Chang
Celebrating the exhibition Bloodlines, authors Roxane Gay and Jeff Chang read recent essays and discussed ideas of race, gender and social histories that influenced the work of Firelei Báez. Both Gay and Chang have written extensively on American culture, politics and the arts.
PAMM is happy to announce that it is now affiliated with the Modern and Contemporary Reciprocal (Mod/Co) program!
Pérez Art Museum Miami is happy to announce that it is now affiliated with the Modern and Contemporary Reciprocal (Mod/Co) program. As a Sustaining ($175) level member or above, you can now enjoy access to over 60 participating contemporary and modern art museums nationwide. For a complete list of participating institutions, please click here.
Ambassadors for African American Art Celebrated the Opening of Project Gallery: Romare Bearden
On January 14, 2016, Pérez Art Museum Miami welcomed Ambassadors for African American Art to a private reception and tour of Project Gallery: Romare Bearden on the night of the exhibition's opening.
Art Talk: In Conversation with AIRIE
On December 10, 2015, guests joined us for an engaging evening of presentations with Everglades National Park Superintendent Pedro Ramos, Audubon Director Eric Draper and artist Susan Silas, moderated by Deborah Mitchell.


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An artist by the name Charlie Bucket (if that's his real name or a nom de internet ode to Roald Dahl, I'm not sure) constructed a sculpture that thrusts liquid dyes through a mesh of interwoven plastic tubes. The result is a mesmerizing piece of visual candy. It's like if the sky from Starry Night was animated and molded into the shape of Abe Lincoln's top-hat. It starts off somewhat slow, but the fireworks start banging around the 1:00 mark.
He's used the same fluid construction method to create a wearable techno-colored skirt. It is ridiculously impractical, but really cool to take in. In other words: art.


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Tribunal:The Goblin Army
|This quest page is currently being rewritten as part of the Morrowind Overhaul Project.
The page is being rewritten and checked in several stages. All users are welcome to make changes to the page. If you make a change that is relevant to the project, please update this template accordingly, and make sure you have observed the project guidelines.
Quick Walkthrough[edit]
- Speak with Fedris Hler in the Temple: Reception area and receive his orders to track down two Goblin Warchiefs and, optionally, two Altmer trainers.
- Speak to anyone in town about the Goblins to learn that they have been seen in the Godsreach Sewers.
- Explore the Sewers and connected Dungeons.
- Find the two Warchiefs in the Tears of Amun-Shae section.
- The two Altmer can be found in the bottom of Teran Hall, East Building.
- Return to Hler for your reward.
Detailed Walkthrough[edit]
Fedris Hler[edit]
You meet with Fedris Hler in the Temple Reception, following directions by any guard, after killing the leader of the Dark Brotherhood. Though you still don't know why you were targeted by the Brotherhood, Hler will ask you to help track down a Goblin army supposedly being prepared by King Hlaalu Helseth, the newly crowned King of Morrowind. You must kill the two Goblin Warchiefs, and two Altmer trainers if possible, and return to Hler.
Finding the Army[edit]
Hler suggested asking around town about the Goblins, so do just that. It shouldn't take too long, or too many gold pieces, to learn of rumors about some creatures in the sewers of Godsreach. The Godsreach district can be reached via the door in the southwest side of the Temple district. The Sewers can be entered through a trapdoor (labeled as the Old Mournhold: Residential Sewers) in the northwest corner of Godsreach. The approximate difficulty of Goblin variants in increasing order is:
- Goblin
- Footsoldier
- Handler
- Bruiser
- Officer
- Warchief
The Goblins are armed with hard-hitting, yet brittle weapons and may use Restore Health potions when hit.
The Sewers and Dungeon[edit]
The area you have to explore in order to find the two Warchiefs and Altmer is all underground in an expansive labyrinth of sewers and caves. There are 9 sections involved:
- Old Mournhold: Residential Sewers
- Old Mournhold: West Sewers
- Old Mournhold: Battlefield
- Old Mournhold: Tears of Amun-Shae
- Old Mournhold: Armory Ruins
- Old Mournhold: Abandoned Passageway
- Old Mournhold: Residential Ruins
- Old Mournhold: Teran Hall
- Old Mournhold: Teran Hall, East Building
Several areas can be reached from multiple paths so you don't necessarily need to explore all of the above, though there is no harm in doing so. The areas have a good number of various Goblins and those Durzogs which you must face. Many of the Goblins will use Restore Health magic which makes fights all the more interesting. Many of the creatures will respawn if you return later, so the safest bet is to completely clear an area before continuing on. Also as a warning, watch out for the invisible pit trap in Teran Hall, an interesting addition even if it does kill you.
The Warchiefs[edit]
You can reach the Tears of Amun-Shae via the Residential Ruins or the Armory Ruins. Warchief Durgoc is located in the southern portion of the Old Mournhold: Tears of Amun-Shae section of the expansive dungeon. Close by, Warchief Kurog is wandering the tunnels. Soften them up with ranged attacks before closing in for the kill. There is a good hoard of loot in the waterfall area (including an Adamantium Axe), reached only by levitation.
The Altmer Trainers[edit]
The two High Elven trainers, Yarnar and Armion, can be found in the bottom of Teran Hall, East Building in the Residential Ruins area. Alternatively, you can reach the area from the bottom of Teran Hall, behind a 100 pt. lock. They are relatively close together, but you might want to separate them in order to fight them one-on-one. They can be a handful if they attack you together.
Return to Fedris Hler[edit]
Report back to Hler in the Temple: Reception area. If you killed both Warchiefs and both Altmer trainers you will receive a whopping 15,000 gold as your reward. If you killed both warlords but only one trainer, Fedris Hler will comment "Shame you didn't get the other one" and reward you with 10,000 gold. If you only killed the Warchiefs, the reward will be even less, a meager 5,000 gold. Speak to Hler again and offer to be of further service to our Lady and you'll be directed to Gavas Drin, the Lord Archcanon, in his office here at the Temple.
- The warchiefs are rather strong. A good strategy would be to trap them behind the many rocks jutting out from the walls, and then either paralyze and whack away, or cast ranged magic at them. Unfortunately for mages, the goblins are semi-resistant to magic.
- You don't need to complete the Hunt the Dark Brotherhood quest to start this quest. After coming to Mournhold you can speak to Fedris Hler to get this quest immediately. At any given time, you can start the Hunt the Dark Brotherhood quest, just by speaking to the people.
Quest Stages[edit]
These codes can be used along with the
Journal Console command and quest ID given within the chart to update the quest to a certain point.
|Prev: Hunt the Dark Brotherhood or
Queen Barenziah
|Up: Main Quest Page
|Next: The Shrine of the Dead


text:
All About Lulu
All About Lulu
When his mother dies, seven-year-old vegetarian William Miller
stops growing. His father, a bodybuilder named Big Bill, redoubles
his own efforts in the gym, dragging Will and his younger twin
brothers, Doug and Ross, along. But nothing Big Bill can do eases
the pain of their loss. As William tells it, "My mother had a
way with Big Bill. It's not that she outsmarted him --- I
could've done that --- it's the way she
outsmarted him, the way she did everything, like she was dancing
with life and let life lead, doing everything life did, only
backwards and in heels." In short, she is irreplaceable, and
while Doug and Ross fall in with their father and his workouts,
Will drifts.
Three years of resisting his father, resisting meat, resisting
growth. Then Big Bill remarries and along comes Lulu, a fascinating
new stepsister. Will and Lulu form a delightful, exclusive and, for
Will, all-consuming bond, which he documents in countless
notebooks. He discovers his literal voice as well and adopts radio
as an ancillary passion. Their happiness endures until Lulu goes
away to cheerleading camp one summer and returns only to
inexplicably push Will away. Will must grow up without his one
consolation, and how he manages forms the core of this funny, wise
Author Jonathan Evison tells the story in Will's fresh,
sardonic voice, and the backdrop of the book --- 1980s Los Angeles
--- pervades without intruding. The descriptions are gem-like,
brilliant and concise. At a bodybuilding competition, the green
room "smelled strongly of coconut and armpits. Nearly every
mirror was occupied." (Let's see, 1980s, bodybuilding
--- yes, Arnold, the Arnold, is there, too.) Will's
love for his stepsister continues unabated, and he's reduced
to staring at the crack of light under her door.
Big Bill and Lulu's mother, Willow, struggle to keep their
marriage afloat. After high school, Lulu flees for college in
Seattle, leaving Will to his job at Fatburger and his discovery of
philosophy at community college, where he comes to revere his
teacher, Gerard Smith. "His clogs walked on air, high above
the vagaries of day-to-day life. Even Sartre could not deflate his
billowy sleeves."
Lulu returns, leaves, writes letters, and occasionally lets Will
close when her pain is too great to bear alone. Will makes friends
with her discarded boyfriend Troy and starts a hot dog stand in
Venice Beach with "a little potato of a guy," Eugene
Gobernecki, a Soviet defector turned hyper-capitalist, and his
former Fatburger manager, Acne Scar Joe.
Doug and Ross surprise Will and actually grow up into
independent, thinking beings. All the while, Will's heart
yearns for Lulu. Through letters and occasional visits and finally
a crisis, we eventually learn why she had to turn away and get to
know a different side of Big Bill.
In his first novel, Evison handles all these threads so well we
don't even realize it until the last poignant page. It had me
chuckling and feeling like I'd met the characters, even the
"minor" ones, like the girl with the poodle hair who
bestows on Will his first kiss. ALL ABOUT LULU is funny, smart and
moving, literary but compulsively readable. I highly recommend
Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol on December 22, 2010
All About Lulu
- Publication Date: July 21, 2008
- Genres: Fiction
- Paperback: 344 pages
- Publisher: Soft Skull Press


text: Looking to connect 1 speakon to be able run 3 x 1/4 inch speaker cables. The three cabs only have one 1/4 inch input (no outs) and I dont want the cabs replaced with in & out Speakons for linking. Is there a "dropbox?" setup so I can run a speakon out of his amp to feed the 3 x 8 ohm cabs ? (his amp will go to 2 ohms).


text:
It's a Type III for the Type B
Kit: Karmann Ghia Type 34
Hugo Boss Closen Cotton Jacket
Yes, you can be an American and dress Euro without looking like a dork. Just don't try too hard. Hugo Boss's German foundations come through in this heavy cotton jacket with beautiful notched leather lapels and topstitching. It's sporty on the outside with a chambray and diamond butterfly lining on the inside, giving it that "more than meets the eye" mystery. The elbow patches also make you look smart, which is what you're buying the Type 34 for in the first place.
adidas Airliner Shoulder Bag
Please tell us you don't plan on hauling your gear in one of those freebie backpacks from your last tech convention while driving such a stylish ride. That said, you also don't have to spend a lot to get something practical and eye-catching. adidas's Airliner has plenty of vintage appeal and a small price tag. Made with a grainy synthetic leather, it has a big main compartment, plenty of pockets and an adjustable shoulder strap — so whether it's a car manual or a manual of style you bring along, you'll look good all the while.
20th Century Vintage Glashütte Original Sixties
The '60s were a great era of style if you knew where to look. Case in point, the Type 34, with its edginess, combined with restraint. Glashütte's Original Sixties also fits right in with the restrain in style aesthetic. A stunning midnight blue sunburst dial and stylized numerals provide just enough pop to catch the eye, while the slender, milled markers and 39mm case keep things simple. The 40-hour power reserve Calibre 39-52 movement keeps everything running smoothly, like a well-cared-for vintage car.
Puma Basket Classic Canvas
Understated is inherently cool — just don't cross over to the slovenly side of things. If you like the sneaker look but still want to stay stylishly subtle, the Basket Classic Canvas is an excellent choice. It might be an homage to '60s basketball shoes, but the grippy soles keep you planted on the pedals, while the canvas uppers keep you cool on the longer summer drives. The classic Puma style keeps you timeless, kinda like your ride.
nau Motil Cargo Pant
Baggy cargo pants are gone. In are the slender, stealthy kind. The Motil still has cargo pockets on the thighs but in a streamlined fashion with zipper garages to conceal the utility. The organic cotton has been infused with stretchy spandex so movement in the pilot's seat won't be a problem.
CADET Military Popover
This casual shirt hits the right notes with a 1960s military academy look that's both casual and clean. Lightweight Italian cotton sheeting is used in a popover format with slim fit. It looks just as good under a coat as it does all by itself. With two chest pockets and a straight collar, it's a crisp and light look we're sure the Germans would approve of. Just don't get any oil on it.
Mykita Sidney
Your car is on the quirky side of handsome, so a pair of sunglasses that echo the look are prime. Mykita's Sidney, made in Germany, are the right fit with their metal wire frames in a more rounded shape with gradient lenses that border on scholarly. Your choice of affordable vintage car makes you smart. These glasses help you look it.
Epaulet Sand Suede Dress Belt
Most men don't pay too much attention to their belts, but you aren't most men. This American-made 32mm suede belt looks good with jeans and trousers alike, with its textured finish and silvertone solid brass buckle. Have we said "understated cool" enough yet? We'll say it once more for this.
Bellroy Note Sleeve Wallet
Driving around with a fat wallet in your back pocket is no way to enjoy the open road. Bellroy's solution to holding plenty while sitting comfortably is the Note Sleeve Wallet, which sits low thanks to a slim silhouette with flat storage for bills and coins. There are also plenty of features like pull tabs for monthly-use cards and easy access pockets for daily ones. You'll spend less time searching for its contents and have less back grief from not sitting lopsided as you drive.
Blues and the Beat by Henri Mancini
Somehow, blasting rock music out of your Type 34 seems off. You need something more, well, in the mood. In one of Henri Mancini's finest jazz albums, you'll find the kind of tunes that embody cool and mellow, just like the Type 34. Cruise along to the relaxing melody found in "Tippin' In" as you take the long way home.


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Dear Desktop Engineering Reader:
The everyday lingo of engineers and scientists can take a beating when mass media and talk radio Chicken Littles get wind of it. In design engineering a few years back, the uninitiated's jammies got all bunched up by conflating reverse engineering with software piracy until something vital like Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction displaced it. How I wished that I could have waved at some people a copy of the paper that today's Check it Out link leads to.
"Reverse Engineering with 3D Measurement" from FARO Technologies does a fine job of explaining what reverse engineering is and why it is important for engineering outfits large and small. It takes a brief look at how reverse engineering operates, and makes a good case in favor of portable CMMs (coordinate measuring machines) as opposed to conventional fixed-position CMMs, without trashing traditional CMM machinery.
The discussion on why you might want to scan in an object for which you have no CAD file, drawing or documentation so you can reverse engineer it is well stated for anyone looking to learn more on this topic. This segment is, perhaps, ideal for those less-technical people you work with, such as marketing, financial and, sigh, legal.
For those of you familiar with reverse engineering and who are building a proposal for the honchos, this section can serve as a terrific checklist of points you can map to the needs of your enterprise as you hammer home your reasoning. It goes well beyond such pat motives as to build a replacement part for a machine no longer manufacturer-supported. It touches upon a range of matters, from evaluating a competitor's product to creating documentation to building a CAD model of a part that has no digital model so that you can run some analyses on it.
The case for portable CMMs — movable 3D measurement arms — vs. fixed CMMs is straightforward. You can bring the CMM to a large part that would be a hassle to move to an immobile CMM. They do not require a controlled environment, nor do they cost as much. In keeping with industry trends moving away from contact probing, you can also attach a laser scanner to a measurement arm to obtain quick and accurate non-contact measurements. A further benefit of a portable CMM equipped with a laser scanner is that you can take good measurements of complex objects as well as soft objects that can easily misshape if you touch them.
To better describe the portable CMM laser non-contact scanning process, the paper uses the FARO ScanArm for its example. An interesting feature of this device is that it can accommodate a laser line probe that is small enough to give you the option of contact or non-contact probing without changing the arm itself. The paper quickly outlines the laser's triangulation positioning process as well as the interaction between the laser light and camera in easy to grasp terms. Like before, this brief discussion can be a suitable basis for developing your checklist for the checkbook keepers.
The paper concludes with two very brief case studies. The first looks at how Andretti Autosport reverse engineers "sanctioned" parts and carbon fiber components. The second case study is perhaps a bit more important because it brings up another excellent reason to have a CMM in your arsenal. An outfit called Trinity Forge, a close-die forging plant, uses its CMM to inspect dies coming off of their CNC (computer numerically controlled) machines to track for wear as well as for reverse engineering.
"Reverse Engineering with 3D Measurement" is a quick-to-read, five-page PDF document. For anyone interested in reverse engineering with scanning devices, it can provide a basic literacy in the concept. For those building the case for an in-house CMM ability, you'll find it a good source of data points to build your case.
Thanks, Pal. – Lockwood
Anthony J. Lockwood
Editor at Large, Desktop Engineering


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Finding a way to entertain yourself while on a budget and trying to reduce your debt can be a bit challenging. Despite the challenges, we all know that total self-denial can defeat the best laid plans, so what is the solution? A little shopping around. Here are a few summer entertainment tips that should help you stay on track toward your savings and debt reduction goals.
Look Local
Last year I spent quite a bit of money on admission to the municipal pool. I opted to pass on the season ticket and overspent. This year I bought the family season pass and saved around $50. You may want to compare the average cost of admission times how often you think you will go before deciding if the season pass is the better deal for you.
Each year communities offer free concerts. You can find a listing of many of the local events at the Chamber of Commerce or a nearby Visitors Convention location.
If you prefer a good movie, many theaters offer matinees for a discount. You may want to avoid the concession stand, though. The number of drive-in theaters is dwindling, but if there is one in your area, it can be a great way for the whole family to see a movie at a low price.
Eating Out
One fun splurge is to eat out. Shop discounted gift card websites. Gift cards on these sites are often discounted because the seller received a card for a restaurant that is too far away or they do not like. Many radio stations and local television channels offer discounts on local dining on their websites as well.
Why not turn your dining room into a restaurant? A vase of flowers, a nice wine, and some indulgent ingredients can be turned into a romantic night for you and your significant other. It is also much less expensive than going to a top-notch restaurant.
Why not organize a potluck with old friends? The food is not the focus. Enjoying a night with friends that you may not see on a regular basis can be a great way to relax.
Your kids are going to want plenty of attention, so do not forget the local parks. A walk to a nearby ice cream shop can take the edge off of the "I'm bored" syndrome. Another good destination for a walk is the library. Personally, I try to avoid the local festivals. They can be very expensive if you have children. If you choose to attend, you can easily set a limit for your spending and return later without your children to enjoy the live bands. Enjoy your summer!
Recent posts in Frugality


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Night at the Museum 2 Blu-ray
Starring Amy Adams, Robin Williams, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, Ricky Gervais, Christopher Guest, Hank Azaria, Steve Coogan, Jon Bernthal
Directed by Shawn Levy
Adventure comedy sequel starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Bill Hader, Ricky Gervais and Steve Coogan.
Stiller reprises his role as Larry Daley, the hapless security guard who encounters living and breathing museum exhibits.
This time round, the Museum of Natural History has been closed for renovations, and the museum pieces moved into federal storage at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, where the collection includes artefacts associated with many of the great figures of American history including Theodore Roosevelt (Williams), Amelia Earhart (Adams), General Custer (Hader) and Al Capone (Jon Bernthal).
Larry must infiltrate the museum's tight security to rescue Jedediah (Wilson) and Octavius (Coogan), who have been shipped there by mistake.
- Format: Blu-ray
- Region: B
- Certification: (PG)
- Catalogue number: 3801607001
- Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Ent.
- Release date: 09/11/2009
- Genre: Comedy
- Colour: Colour
Standard Delivery
Within the UK
Also directed by Shawn Levy | View all
Available with free
standard delivery


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Moderator: Unholy
mkh33 wrote:For about two or three weeks now, Waze has not been able to place me on the map. Instead of the little grey car I have set for me, I have the big circle with a cross in the middle indicating my general area. No, it is not my GPS, as I have checked it until I'm blue in the face and everything works just fine. Has anyone else had this problem? And how do I fix this? Until I can fix this I can't gain points as I can't submit reports and the app can't track me as I drive .
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Tagged: AviaCordion, corona, Lightbox, video
Really simple question (I hope). How do I set up an item in the accordion slider to have an image initially with a play icon, then popup a lightbox on click with an embedded video? I know it must be possible, because the 5th item in your demo does this exactly!
1) Set a featured image ("Add featured media" option field > "Upload" button) – then select "Link manually" on the right and enter your youtube/vimeo url in the field below.
Thanks for the response, but that doesn't work the same way as the demo for me. After following your instructions the image does not get the play button added to it, and clicking the image takes me straight to youtube and doesn't lightbox the video.
I'm trying to replicate the fifth item here: http://kriesi.at/themes/corona/
The url for the test site is http://www.avalonbookco.com
Slide 1 is set up how you suggested. There is no rel="" getting added to this at all.
I think the problem is the http://youtu.be/ link. I'll report it to Kriesi. For now just use youtube.com links like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmYLh5-6A5A
Wow, thanks! That works perfectly now.
I hadn't even realised that YouTube were giving me a shortened url (this was the standard embed url that they spit out). Changing the domain to make them work isn't a problem at all, but I'm guessing other people are going to run into this…
Thanks again.
The topic 'Accordion lighbox video.' is closed to new replies.


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Two years after relations soured between the Vatican and the Muslim world as represented by Al Azhar, the most important Sunni institution in the world has said it will seek to ''re-establish ties based on mutual respect and understanding''.
The statement came in response to the resignation of Benedict XVI, the pope accused of meddling when he called for the protection of Christians in the region after the 2011 New Year's Eve attack in Alexandria. He had also sparked protest in 2006 when he quoted a Byzantine emperor who saw Islam as inhuman. (continue reading...)(...more)


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It's a fair question about the romance novels penned by Nicholas Sparks, as they mostly regurgitate the same story over and over again. Even worse, Hollywood has been spewing film adaptations to the masses of women who swoon over his tales of love and untimely loss. Don't get me wrong - The Notebook and A Walk to Remember are fantastic romantic dramas; their plots were engaging and the actors and actresses had great on-screen chemistry. Ever since though, Hollywood has been banking on their target demographic going to theaters in droves to see any film that has Sparks' name attached to it. As a result, we've been treated to sloppy films with uninspired casts that were hired for no other reason than looking good in front of a camera. Nights in Rodanthe may have reunited Diane Lane and Richard Gere, but the filmmaker failed to make their on-screen romance sizzle. Channing Tatum, who couldn't act his way out of a pre-school production about tooth decay, single-handedly sunk Dear John. Miley Cyrus was miscast in The Last Song, though the week plot didn't help much either. Nope, Hollywood execs get big dollar sign blinders in their eyes whenever Sparks' name is involved, so they've turned his works into a soulless cinematic enterprise, pushing out films just for the sake of money. With all in this in mind, you'll have to forgive me if I was skeptical that The Lucky One could actually deliver, as it continues Hollywood's misguided tradition by throwing teen heartthrob Zac Efron into the mix.
Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) is a Marine on his third tour of duty in Iraq, and we're introduced to this character as he's trying to survive a night raid. He watches another platoon get pulverized by the enemy, but he lives to see another day. The next morning, Logan finds the picture of a beautiful young woman nearly buried in the sand. Just then, a mortar strikes exactly where he was standing moments before retrieving the photo. Some months later, Logan is coincidentally the sole survivor or yet another enemy attack. This leads Logan to believe that this photo, which has 'keep safe x' written on the back, is somehow responsible for saving his life time and time again.
Time fast forwards again, this time revealing a Logan that's having trouble adjusting to normal everyday life. Sounds of clanking suitcases and violent sounds from video games remind him of the horrors he witnessed in battle, and this keeps him constantly on edge. Worse yet, his behavior is estranging him from his family. Lost and feeling as if the war has isolated him from society, Logan just wants to end up somewhere he can feel like he truly belongs. The only thing he knows for certain anymore, is that he needs to find the girl in the photo and thank her for saving his life.
Recognizing a landmark in the photo, Logan packs up and treks on foot from Colorado to Louisiana. Upon his arrival he immediately begins asking the locals if they know who she is, and his diligence is rewarded with a name - Beth Clayton (Taylor Schilling). Logan shows up at her privately owned dog kennel the next day, but can't find the words to explain why he's come all the way from Colorado just to see her. Beth figures he's come looking for work, so he's eventually hired to train animals and fix up the place. Beth is apprehensive around Logan for a while; she half thinks he's crazy, walking all the way from Colorado just to end up working in a dog kennel. However, Beth's grandmother (Blythe Danner) insists all she sees in Logan is a fine young man who doesn't dilly dally with his work. In fact, he's more of a miracle worker than they expected, as he's fixed broken down tractors that have long since been out of commission and seems to be an expert at handling animals. Logan eventually earns the affection of Beth's son and grandmother, and this opens Beth's heart and marks the beginning of their fateful romance. No great love goes untested though, and theirs will prove to be no different as Beth's ex-husband, Sheriff Keith Clayton (Jay R. Ferguson), isn't afraid to flaunt his badge in order to scare Logan off. When it becomes blatantly clear that Logan isn't going anywhere, Keith then threatens to take Beth's son away. This leaves her in between a rock and a hard place - Does Beth stay with Logan and risk losing her son, or does she lose the love of a lifetime in order to keep her family intact?
Now, down to business: Just as I had feared, Zac Efron was stiff as a board. Mere seconds after the film begins, we're treated to his opening narration, and I couldn't help but chuckle after execution of the first line. To me, it sounded like he was doing his best vampy Edward (Twilight) impression. For sure, Zac Efron is much better served on-screen than in a sound booth, but even that's being somewhat generous. His facial expression almost never breaks a solemn faced mold, and the few times he's supposed to speak with conviction, he's painfully unconvincing. Fortunately though, the rest of the cast is so charming and endearing (minus the Sheriff by design), that they seemed to lend a great deal of credibility to Efron's character. Because of Taylor Schilling, Blythe Danner and even young Riley Thomas Stewart (as Ben, Beth's son), there was more than enough chemistry to go around. Furthermore, Jay R. Ferguson was quite effective as the antagonist - As soon as I was introduced to him, I already knew I wasn't going to like him. As the film progressed, he did a fantastic job at making me grow to hate him and then some. Without all these stellar performances, The Lucky One could just have easily been 'The Un-Lucky One', but they've made this film worth my while. That's saying a lot considering how obviously biased I am against recent Sparks adaptations.
And I'll even take it a step further - Overall, I actually enjoyed The Lucky One. This is the first time since The Notebook that I've actually cared about the characters, rooted for the budding relationship to blossom, and wasn't bothered by all the typical clichés. Yes, the script and direction both seem to favor heavy doses of melodrama, and the lovey dovey dialogue has a tendency to be so sweet it's syrupy. Combined with the fact that the Logan character is seemingly the perfect man in every perceivable way, these factors make the romance feel more like a fantasy than something we can actually relate to. I know women probably love the escapism a film like this is able to provide, but I'd much rather see a film break out of the typical conventions of romantic drama. The Lucky One doesn't do that, but it does break away from the typical Sparks conventions. The most important deviation from the Sparks formula is the ending - I don't want to give too much away, but let's just say I was sick of becoming invested in Sparks' characters over the years, only to see someone die nearly every time. The Lucky One does present us with a bit of tragedy in the home stretch, but the aftermath is far more favorable than I had anticipated.
The Lucky One isn't going to be everyone's lucky ticket. Some people just aren't 'wired' to watch sappy love stories with excessive amounts of melodrama. I don't mind such films as long as they're done well, and The Lucky One seemed to keep me interested from beginning to end. It wasn't an earth shattering revelation to cinema or anything, but it had a wonderful cast outside of Efron and the director managed to maintain a wonderful pace. If you're looking for something to 'aww' with your girlfriend or wife about on date night, The Lucky One is probably the least offensive, recent offering you're going to find.
The Lucky One features a lot of gorgeous cinematography. Honestly, this film has some of the most naturally beautiful settings I've seen on film in a short while, and this 1080p, AVC encoded transfer (2.40:1) replicates them all splendidly. The outdoors are vivid and lifelike - The sun appropriately baths leafy and floral backdrops with warmth, and primary colors are beautifully rendered. Image clarity and depth are quite remarkable, and the film is sharp but not excessively so. There's some very minor ringing, but I'd be willing to wager some folks at home won't even notice it. Skin tones are natural, and the contrast is spot on for the most part. Throughout most of the film, black levels are stunning as they allow shadows to exist without erasing the detail that rests beneath. There are some shots/scenes where black crush creeps into the mix a little, but this is probably due more to artistic intent than an actual issue with the encode. DNR is nowhere to be seen, as the very subtle texture of grain remains untouched, and there's no banding or digital artifacting to worry about either. Regardless as to whether you love or hate the film, you're likely to stare in awe at some of the beauty that it has to offer (Taylor Schilling, included).
The Lucky One has received a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, and although it's not as impressive as other modern Hollywood flicks, that really has more to do with the sound design itself and not a poor encode. As a romantic drama, the dialogue is obviously the focus and has been replicated flawlessly. The music comes through full force on all channels, the action at the very beginning of the film seems to spread itself across the surround stage with pinpoint precision, and the rest of the film utilizes the rears for environmental ambience. The LFE output is respectable - It provides warmth to the music and adds a bit of punch when required (which isn't very often), but never oversteps the soft and gentle experience the film aims for most of the time. The Lucky One may not be a stunner in the audio department, but it's more than adequate for the kind of film it is.
The studio seemingly knows they can no longer place a lot of time or effort into supporting Nicholas Sparks film adaptations after they've left the theater, as there's very little offered on this disc:
-Zac Efron Becomes a Marine
-Watch the Sparks Fly - The Romantic World of The Lucky One
-Zac and Taylor's Amazing Chemistry
The titles are all self explanatory and only amount to less than 20 minutes worth of supplemental material. I also can't forgive the shameless 'chemistry' featurette, because Taylor was the one who created the chemistry for them both. Zac was lucky enough to have such a wonderful co-star, because if Beth was just as inappropriately cast as Logan was, this film would have sunk in a heartbeat.
Despite my disdain for any Hollywood film after The Notebook that had Nicholas Sparks' name attached to it, I actually found The Lucky One to be rather enjoyable. It's not great and I probably would be stretching the truth if I said it was 'really good'. The Lucky One is really quite average overall, but let's take other genre efforts into consideration - I find most of them to be absolutely dreadful, so far me to say a romantic drama is 'average' and that I enjoyed it from beginning to end, must say something about the film's execution. After all, I started this review being about as negative as could be, and now look at me - I'm actually saying this film is recommended. Zac Efron was painful to watch, but I loved the rest of the cast. My only caveat is that you consider what you're buying, as there's really nothing worthwhile in the way of supplemental material, but you will be wowed by the wonderful cinematography and just how well preserved it is on this release.


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the company is accused of violating pledges of privacy it made to users registering with the website between 2000 and 2004. those pledges included the protection of the e-mail addresses of users. unfortunately, it seems those pledges weren't heartfelt, according to spitzer. the owners of gratis are accused of selling customer lists to three independent e-mail marketers.
it's one thing for a website not to have a privacy policy; it's another thing entirely to claim to have one and then to willfully violate that policy without regard to its users. if true, gratis can fully expect that judgment day will soon be here. if the website can be proven guilty, there's no doubt that spitzer will make an example out of gratis. he tends to do that sort of thing to send a message.
read more from the new york attorney general's website.
user comments 5 comment(s)
|legal sites (9:45am est fri mar 24 2006)
as reported everywhere, mpaa issued a press release that thay are now suing isohunt.com, torrentbox.com, and a number of other bittorrent indexing sites. – by tech freedom
|i know what boys like… (2:18pm est fri mar 24 2006)
i know what boys want…boys want me. – by topher
|come on now (6:36pm est sat mar 25 2006)
honestly if you're dumb enough to submit your real email address to a site called freeipods.com at the very least you deserve the junkmail – realistically you need a smack upside the head – by j0e c00l
|smack 'em (9:01am est mon mar 27 2006)
i agree with j0e c00l. smack 'em upside their own head, even if it happens to be j0e c00l's trusting grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, aunt, uncle, brother or sister. we all, regardless of how long (or how short of time) we have been using the internet, should see through all internet scams.
j0e c00l, may you be blind of empathy, you are still the voice of reason for all of us mentally challenged boobs. – by focktard
|i'll take the spam (10:46am est thu mar 30 2006)
i'd gladly take the spam along with the free 4g 20gig ipod and tv i got from gratis… say what you want about em' but they hooked me up… – by anavidfreeloader


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Travel Agent Rips Off Clients
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May 20th, 2014, 10:33 PM
Mike M
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: You're Looking At Me
Posts: 24,346
The really sad thing is that this isn't the first time and probably won't be the last.
ALWAYS use a credit card when booking travel through any third party.
A number of years ago there was a prominent Miami agent who ran off with his customer's money and there were a lot of Condo Commando's that were not happy. A number of long time Cruisemates remember him. He actually had a fairly good reputation but it was sad to find out what he was doing
He took off with over $90,000.
Locally, there was a large company called Hobbit Travel that went under. They showed the classic signs of being in trouble. Payments were going to them, and not the cruise lines or vacation providers, and they were "floating" the money to the vendors. They couldn't wait until the commissions came in or they would go under. It didn't work. A number of people lost their cruises because of this. A friend of mine booked with them and when I asked if the invoice came from the cruise line or Hobbit Travel, he responded. "Hobbit". I told him to cancel immediately and call my agent. He did and got the same cruise for the same price. He would have been one of the people who would have lost their cruise and their full fare. Luckily, he received his money back from the cancellation just a month before the company went under.
Quite often agents and agencies get in financial trouble and they "think" they can get out by floating the payments for a while. It usually doesn't work in the long run and rarely works out well for the client.
Take care,
Cruisemates Community Leader/Moderator
"There is a great difference between being well traveled and just having been to many places." ~Me
"Fear is the assassin of dreams." ~Me
Mike M
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