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" Genre: Action & Shooter / Suitable for 18 years and over / Release Date: 2009-03-20 / Published by Rockstar "
* Prices may differ from that shown
What Rockstar games have managed to take a classic game franchise (Grand Theft Auto) made popular by the home consoles and made a portable DS version and managed to make the game work with the lower processing abilities of the DS.
You play as Huang Lee, the son of a recently murder Triad boss and arrives in liberty city to pass Yu Jian (a sword his father won in a poker game) and is using it as an heirloom to deliver to the new family patriarch, his uncle Wu 'Kenny' lee. When the sword is stolen and Huang left for dead, Kenny is dishonoured and hires Huang to work for him to help keep his business afloat. You then have to work your way up the triad chain of power.
Unlike the console games, chinatown wars takes a classic approach used the the original games and plays the games from a birds eye perspective, with cell shaded graphics. These work very well for the game and with the DS poorer graphic capabilities have made it work very well. While it may look a lot different from the console games, it still feels very much like a Grand Theft Auto game.
The touch screen is used in the game but isn't overdone, it is used for simple task like menu selection, and for hot wiring cars, which is really easy to do. Having to hot wire parked cars may seem like a bother, and I thought it would be as well, but I found it to be a good addition to the game.
Main controls such as walking, driving and shooting all you the buttons (not the touch screen) which is the best way to do it I think, as it is much easier to control that way, while the touch screen is left for basic things like displaying the map.
The missions and game play are very similar to the console games, you may have to kill off enemies of the boss, or have driving tasks. You can buy stuff from shops such as guns and food. its basically everything you would want from a Grand Theft Auto game.
there are also side quests in the game. One example would be the drug smuggling, different drug dealers offer different selling / buying prices for drugs. You can become friends with the dealers and they will ring you if anything is going cheap, then you can buy it off them and sell it to another dealer at a higher price. as you get to know the dealers and their prices you can make a lot of money by buying and selling from the right people.
The gameplay of the main story is not too long but long enough at around 11 hours. But with such a large city and lots of side missions such as the drug smuggling, there are also the taxi driver and police missions that were in the consoles games to keep you entertained well after you've completed the main story. Also there is just the plain fun of going around causing havoc trying the avoid the police at the same time.
the game been very well received by critics being named best game on DS 2009 by gamespot, and best hand held game by 2009 Spike Video Game Awards. It also received a metacritic aggregate rating of 93%.
Overall this is a great game and a welcome addition to the GTA franchise and one of the best (if not the best) games on the DS. Great game play, good use of graphics and plenty of extras to do after the main story. A definite recommend.
=======My Opinion==========
The game is great (even for a DS game!), with an wonderful gameplay and storyline! The graphics are not great (But, it's a DS game, so...), and the soundtrack is really bad (in my opinion). Anyway, let's go to the review!
Huang Lee is a Hong Kong rich guy, son of the Lee clan's boss. His father was killed, and he is going to Liberty City, to give the family's sword, Yu Jian, to the new clan leader, his uncle Wu "Kenny" Lee. But, when he got to the airport, he was kidnapped and lost the sword. Now he needs to recover the sword, and, at the same time, revenge his father's death.
The game doesn't have a top-down perspective, but not a 3D either: is a 45º full-rotable perspective. The city is GTA IV's Liberty City, with the exception of Alderney, due to hardware limitations. The game feature a big range of weapons, almost all buyable at Ammunation.net fictional website (the only one in the game). It has many cars, bikes and boats, and also the swimming hability. It also includes a drug dealing minigame, wich is a great mode for getting rich fast.
Due to hardware limitations, the soundtrack is really poor, with instrumental-only musics.
I was a little unsure as to how Rockstar games were going to translate Grand Theft Auto from the consoles on to the DS. What they have achieved is a great little game that stays true to its previous incarnations and provides the usual addictive game play with tongue in cheek humour.
You start Chinatown Wars in the guise of Huang Lee who is given a simple enough mission of delivering a sword to his Uncle Kenny so that the family can retain control of the Triad gangs of Liberty City. Of course, nothing goes according to plan in GTA, and sure enough Huang gets robbed of the sword and left to die. Understandibly, he is not best impressed with this and so starts your involvement as you deal with double crossing members of your new family as you try to get the sword back and take over the streets.
As with most GTA games, this carries an 18 certificate for the usual sex, drugs and bad language that have often covered these games in controversy.
Far from being a distraction, the move to the DS appears to have given Rockstar a little more licence to play with. Stealing cars is no longer as straightforward as jumping into the driving seat, now there are three ways of hot wiring the car depending on its ability - screwdriver in the ignition, literal hot wiring of the car or obtaining the ignition code through a laptop. All require nifty work of the DS stylus as you race against time before the car alarm sounds and the cops coming hunting!
There are loads of features in this game and the usual bunch of weird and wonderful characters that turn up both as part of your assigned missions as well as the distracting sub missions. As with most of the GTA games, even when you have completed the mission section of the game, there are still loads of things left for you to do before you can officially complete the game proper.
I think this is a great little game that Rockstar have really managed to make best use of the DS stylus options. OK, you don't get incredible graphics from the views from above and the animated sequences in other versions are just cartoon like images here, but none of that detracts from the fact that this is a really good game and keeps many of the great features that the other GTA games do. As well as that, there is nothing else really like this on the DS.
Rockstar can do no wrong with GTA! Every game I've played has been engaging and all together a lot of fun. China Wars does not disappoint. I am suprised I enjoy these games over and over as the concept is more or less the same. You drive around to various people who need jobs done; you go and kill people or blow up things. I think the reason why I personally like all the games is because every single scenario is different. Here you play Huang who gets to do jobs for various people. Some scenarios are easy and some took me quite a few goes to do. I think that's a nice balance, and once again you have more than one scenario to choose from. There are side games to choose from too. The most lucrative is buying and selling drugs. You can sometimes make 5k if you get an email from someone saying "Hey I need coke come to be before Friday." I built up my bankroll so I could buy firearms and more safehouses. You can also make money on taxi fares; lottery and people who stand by the side of the road who need a small job done. They don't pay much but it's fun to do them every now and then. A great game and as always very long!
2 D. I was not impressed at this news originally but it turns out the game is all the better for it! There's a full fledged story inside the cartridge, with deep and complex side games, with some fantastic dialogue (all be it written not spoken - a disadvantage of the DS' power) The new features such as running police off the road complement the game significantly. There is also no lag that I have noticed in 20 hours of gameplay. What I will say though is that there is sometimes glitches in the 2d cutscenes, which may just be a fault with my game. Even though the graphics are good, it is a shame that the DS couldn't render it all in 3D. My favourite moment playing the game is finally, finally scratching off that scratch card which wins you the DS, I have never felt such joy ha
I've played the PS2 versions of this game and I think I may have even attempted the Gameboy Advance version. I always maintained that "shoot out" games weren't for me - until I spontaneously bought this! I like my platform games or "Sim" type games but was getting a bit bored and there wasn't much out so having heard a friend rave about it I went out and bought Chinatown Wars. The graphics are great and really effective on the double screen. The idea of the game is to complete missions set by various mob bosses. These include driving to certain places, killing people, driving people around and body guarding to name a few. With in the game there are also mini games such as ambulance driver and taxi driver.
I really enjoyed this game despite it not being my normal type of game. It was easy to shoot people (i found this hard on the PS2) and quite addictive. I would definetley recommmend this, even if you didn't enjoy the other games or if you've never played.
Despite a release on the Gameboy Advance a couple of years ago, the Grand Theft Auto franchise never really took off on Nintendo's handhelds, despite the games being decent attempts to bring the series over to them. To rectify this Rockstar decided to release a new version designed specifically for the Nintendo DS and it's massive fan base.
The game features a brand new viewpoint, with a fully rotatable aerial camera angled down at the action. Although I was skeptical at the start the new camera angle works well, although you may find a few times that you can't see yourself or the vehicle you're in if you go down into a tight alley or corner. But this doesn't affect the gameplay.
The graphics are cel-shaded and fit well with the grimey dark underworld themes which are entrenched into the game. There are no movies to introduce missions or further the storyline however instead the game just shows still images which update quite quickly with text directly below. This works quite well as it keeps the game moving rather than becoming dragged out with unnecessary cut scenes.
The story folllowds Huang Lee, the son of a murdered Triad boss, arrives in Liberty City with a sword that Huang's father used as an heirloom, to deliver it to the new patriarch of the family, Huang's uncle Wu "Kenny" Lee. Shortly after landing, Huang is ambushed and is shot and kidnapped. The assailants steal the sword and, thinking Huang is dead, dump his body in the water. This is where the game begins.
Gameplay wise the game is your typical GTA affair. Your missions vary from following characters, killing informants, collecting information. As well as the many many side missions included like buying and selling drugs, raiding warehouses and of course running a taxi. The missions are quite varied and there wasn't one of them that I didn't enjoy or was overly difficult.
The new police star system is also unique and a whole lot of fun as instead of escaping the police zone, you have to disable as many police cars as possible. For example at the six star level, you have to take out six cop cars to get down to a five star wanted level. This means smashing into them or baiting them into driving into water or into a wall. Navigating the city is very easy with the extremely useful PDA device which acts as a GPS and you can locate your next mission, find dealers or side mission locations and even order weapons from AmmuNation to be delivered at your nearest safe house.
Control wise Rockstar have included a number of touch screen controls which do work well. For example, you have to put together a sniper rifle piece by piece, or hotwire a car by unscrewing the bolts, then putting the wires together. None of the touch controls feel over done or pointless. However my one criticism of them is that it is kind of awkward to keep your stylus handy as you'll be using it quite often.
There are multi-player modes available in the game if everyone has a copy of the game and there is also an online aspect however it only involves sharing your in-game statistics online. It would've been cool to have an online GTA on the DS but I understand the limitations on the hardware itself and realise it would be extremely difficult to achieve. As another incentive to keep playing there are 100 CCTV cameras in the city and these act as the old secret packages and you must destroy them.
Overall this is my favourite game on the Nintendo DS, there is just so much detail in the game that it is impossible not to appreciate what a feat it is to have such a big detailed game on limited hardware. More importantly though what makes the game amazing is the fact that it is just a whole lot of fun to play, you'll just get hours of enjoyment out of the game even after you complete the main story mode which is something you can't say about a lot of games these days!
I really enjoyed this game, I know it hasn't done as well as Rockstar had forecast, which I think is mainly due to the fact that this is the first 18 rated game for the DS and the general market for the DS is children and casual gamers. I think this was the make or brake as to whether adult targeted games would be a a good market to go down on the DS and unfortunately I don't think Rockstar will be looking into making another GTA for DS anytime soon. That is due to no fault of the game at all it is just because of the market that the publisher was trying to brake.
Anyway this game is absolutely great, I was really hooked from the start. From the excessive use of swearing on my tiny DS to the memories it brought back. birds eye view reminds me of the original GTA on PS1 and the graphics are amazing as well (cell shaded). The story is very funny and the tasks are similar to those you would expect from the console versions of GTA.
Definately worth full trade and now it is going for £17.99 on Amazon you really can't complain.
Grand theft auto is a really excellent game for the D.S. I have been a big fan of the Rockstar franchise and this game was a big hit. In this game you play as a character called lee Haung. Lee Haungs' father was killed he made a promise to take revenge on the assassin. This game is like a copy of Grand theft auto IV on the larger consoles (ps3 Xbox ETC), but it is just in sand box graphics (partly 2d and 3d). There is a large variety of things to do when you have completed this game you could complete rampages, deal drugs and earn achievements and you can kill people on the streets. Grand theft auto has also got a vast amount of mini games such as the noodle run, tattoo parlor and steal drugs from other gangs. From my point of view i recommend you to buy this game its hours of nonstop game play which you will be impressed off. the only thing that let this game down is that people were really hoping for it to be 3d but the D.S. possibly explode from all the intense graphics.
At the moment I am into short quick reviews that basically put say what I think about the game and roughly talk about the game. This will also be a quick short review.
Grand theft auto chinatown wars is not the first GTA game I have played. I have been a big fan of franchise for a very long time and have enjoyed watching them grow and change. I bought this game from amazon for about a tenner. Which for a brand new game is excellent and it arrived after only a couple of days which I was very happy about.
This time around the story revolves around the triads. This time you play a character called Huang Lee. The story starts with Huang Lee's father dying and him having ti take a sacred sword of the triads to his Uncle Kenny. He does to make sure his family retain control of the triad gangs of Liberty City, (Liberty City is where Grand Theft Auto is set and is a made up place.) Things don't go as planned as Huang gets trapped by and opposing gang and is seriously wounded and the sword is taken from him. After this happens Huang sets out to find the robbers and get back the treasured sword.
In this game Liberty City is massive. Its literally masssive and takes a long time to remeber where everything is. The city is portayed beautifully with some of the best graphics I have ever seen on the ds. The ds is known for not having the best graphics but this game has brilliant graphics and you don't feel like you are losing out on any of GTA experience.
The game of course features the usual mission modes where you do a different missions for people like your gang leader. In this you do missions for many different characters such as Uncle Kenny and even a bent police men that is addicted to drugs. You also have in the game good use of side missions. These are where you do a job for a random stranger and can be to do anything. I have had little missions where all I had to do was follow a cheating ex wife. I also have had one where I just took a man to the bus station and you also get paid for dong them so there worth doing.
MY favourite bit with the game has to be the fact that you can become a drug dealer. I know it sounds bad but you can and in the game you earn alot of money by doing so. First of all you have to find where the dealers are located. This is quite easy as they are visible on you map as blue spots. With the game though you don't just deal one sought of drug you deal all different ones such as cocaine, weed etc. You become a all in one drug pharmacist. If you do this right you can become very rich in the game and can buy different houses and flats all over liberty city which is very handy to have.
The missions vary in time and how hard they are. Soome take a while and some are very simple and can be completed really quickly.
In the game I also like the mini games that you have to do. Such as if you want to rob a car thats not moving you get in and have to hot wire it before the alarm goes off. My favourite mini game though is when you run your can or van into the sea and have to break the windscreen. Its easy to do all you do is touch the bottom of the windscreen with the stylus a few times and it cracks but I enjoy doing it for some reason.
For a ds game the sound is also good, when driving a car the car sounds very cool. My favourite sound though is the sound sometimes it says when you run of a women and she shouts out, "I'm still a virgin." This is very funny in the game.
Of course as usual with GTA games you have the pesky police on your back throughout the game if you get caught doing things that are illegal. Of course you also get the star system. If you don't know about the star system this is when if you have one star the police won't try as hard as if you had 2 stars. The more stars you have the more they will try and get you. If you have 4 stars then a police helicopter comes after you and trys to shoot you.
This is without a doubt the best game I have very played on the ds. What makes it so good is that you don't feel like your missing out on the GTA experience which is really great considering the platform. This is probably because the game has been built from the beginning for the ds. Should be in any ds gamers game collection.
You can tell how much I liked it as this was suppose to be a sort quick review but I just couldn't stop saying how much I liked it.
Thank for reading
Rating for the game
10 out of 10
Simply put, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is one of the most finely crafted games on the DS, full stop. The world is enormous, graphics are stunning, and the gameplay is excellent. It plays more or less like the very first GTA, only with an improved 3D world, which makes the game much more visually appealing.
The missions in the game are exciting and most importantly varied. Rockstar have done a lot to mix things up from the standard 'go here, kill him, steal that, go there' formula. Weapons are the usual standard GTA fare - pistols, machine guns and rocket launchers, and they have been adapted well into the smaller screen. Also included are the almost mandatory touchscreen minigames, which are actually not as terrible as you might think. To steal a car for example, you might have to hotwire it, or jimmy the lock using the touchscreen. It's a nice touch, and doesn't feel shoehorned in or overused as in many other DS games. Another nice touch is the drugs-based micromanagement, which is a great way to earn money in the early stages of the game, or if you're in a bind; find someone selling stuff cheap, sell it to the highest bidder and watch your cash roll in.
All told, it's a stunning achievement that Rockstar were able to cram so much into the DS's tiny cart, and it's an excellent game that's at least as good as it's console bretheren. A must-buy for any DS gamer.
This game is a brilliant GTA port onto DS. The whole game is rendered in 3D and the gameplay is as good as ever, even if a tad violent. This is probably the first real 18+ game for the DS and can be played over wifi connections and with some multi cartridge play as well.
You start off with the story of Huang Lee delivering a sword to his uncle, and his father is a Triad memeber who is killed and he must give the sword to his uncle now to pass it on. However he is ambushed, sword stolen, game starts.
You can as with all GTA games do as you please freely whilst getting on slowly with carrying out the game missions. Some of these missions are hard some not, and you will enjoy this game if you like your GTA.
The game follow a top down eagle view and cars etc will flip when hit and blow up etc, the details from the game are all still there. You can drive the ambulance and taxi's for money etc.
The game is full of violence and swearing etc so would not be suitable for youngsters, but hey it doesnt make it less appealing of a game to some people. The game is a lot more hung up onmaking use of the guns etc in game and so more missions require killings etc.
Though the game is violent the gameplay on the DS is proven to be really good, and I would say this is a good DSS gameto play, unless you cannot look past the violence.
I think Grand Theft Auto is about the first adult game for DS, as all the rest have been child games.
This game is compatible with multi-card play and also Wifi and rated '18' and for a good reason as well.
The game starts with a few story boards, which I just flicked through.
It then goes on to a few people talking, which confussed me, as there is just loads of names and things going on.
You can use the town freely and do your own things, and you can then also do some missions and work your way through the game, but I don't understand the story I just get on with it and do what it says.
There are police that will chase you for major driving offences (fellonys).
You can also earn money by driving taxis or emergency vehicles and doing missions from them.
This game is rated 18 for a reason as it has swearing, guns, drugs. To be totally honest I'm supprised the game hasn't been banned yet.
Am only a part owner (its the wifes!!) of a DS and kids have there own so am only able to play this at work or in bed as it reallly deserves its eighteen rating just for the drug dealing alone!!.
I must be one of the only gamers who does not have any previous experience of the GTA franchise but as a DS addict thought i would give this a try, Have to admit it is really addictive but really who wants to be addicted to buying drugs and violence?? had to step back and think about it, but sensible gamers will enjoy the gameplay and unique features of the DS.
Some of these features include using the touch screen as a PDA so you can track your progress and e-mails etc. als using the touch screen to hot wire cars is good fun.
Overall Gameplay is good from a nice birds eye point of view,graphics as expected from DS are not great but gameplay makes up for it.
Not one for kids and can sometimes bring about a bit of blood lust in adults too!!
no it'll never happen, nope.. wait what!? yes it did. people said Nintendo would never allow GTA and its 'violent' hype onto their 'family' consoles but it arrive and its nothing short of complete genius, the Nintendo DS brings GTA another step forward with its intuititive gameplay, superb controls and extremely fun altogether. If you like any of the previous games, you will love this. if not, you will still love this game. Chinatown wars does what GTA does best and delivers one of the best free-roaming games on the handheld. Get a real feel for the game as you pull up to a petrol station grab a pump and start making your own molotov cocktail, or how about hot-wiring a car? These are just a few of the many ways the DS improves upon an already steady game franchise. The Graphics are brilliant with just the right distance between you and the character (no need to worry too much about bad camera angle), The sounds could be better but all-in-all this is one must have for any DS owner.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars gives Huang Lee a simple mission following his fatherÆs murder: deliver an ancient sword to his Uncle Kenny to ensure his family retains control of the Triad gangs of Liberty City. Huang is a spoiled rich kid who expects everything to run smoothly, but his trip does not go exactly as planned. After being robbed and left to die, he will search for honour, riches and revenge in the most dangerous and morally bankrupt city in the world.


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"I was always confident. It's just about me being confident in what I'm doing and knowing what's going on with our team."
Related quotes
"He has a lot of confidence, and we have confidence in him. He's our quarterback. We're going to ride him till the wheels fall off."
"Everyone knows who Josh is now. He's done a nice job even though he's a first-year player. He's a tough kid, too. He's off to a fast start."
"Nothing focuses the mind better than the constant sight of a competitor who wants to wipe you off the map."
"Josh knows that's an area he's got to get better in. He was very active in the first half and part of a lot of good plays. However, he was also part of a lot of others where he could have made a better pass or done something better."

subset: commoncrawl


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Korean cooking forum topics
Home › Forums › Introduce yourself › Just Joined
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Hello, I just join and want to learn how to cook Korean dishes…not just following recipes, but, to know the finer details of all seasonings, ingredients, etc., so that I can create my own dishes to my own taste. I am not a profession cook…just a weekend wanna be cook.
I look forward to enjoying the site.
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Archives → 1955 → 12/9
- Evening With Saroyan
- Favored Crimson Faces B.U. Sextet At 9 p.m. Tonight
- Gardner, Scott Clubs Meet in Ames Comp
- Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Brings the Renaissance to Boston
- Keep 'Em Flying
- Married Student Dorm May Result From Buildings and Grounds Shift
- PBH Drive Lags Behind '54 Total
- Petitions Due
- Protested Pro-Segregation Speech Draws Police Protection at Yale
- Regional Studies: A War Baby Grows Up
- ROTC to Discontinue Artillery Branch Here
- Skiing Postponed
- Term Bills Due
- The Crystal Ball
- True Conservatives To Ask Recognition
- Weld, Matthews Quintets Win Games
- Yardling Six Meets B.U. This Evening
- Yeomen of the Guard
- 'Zzyz, Wigg,' Lozez Race for Lazt Lizting in New Bozton Phone Book


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Coporate Sponsorship – Sponsor a Goat in New Mexico
Sponsorship is easy. It is a one time yearly fee of $100.00. With your sponsorhsip we will include you on our rack cards your business name, your goats name under the heading Sponsorship.
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Madrid - The United States initially saw Pope Benedict XVI as a "eurocentric" pontiff who was "unlikely to cut a prominent figure on the world stage", according to WikiLeaks documents published on Thursday.The confidential US diplomatic cables obtained by the whistleblower website were quoted by the Spanish daily El Pais.German-born Benedict XVI would face a "steep learning curve" on international issues, US diplomats wrote after the then cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope in 2005.Some of the cables focus on a 2006 academic lecture given by the pope, who quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor saying that the Muslim prophet Mohammed had brought "only evil and inhuman things". The quote sparked furious criticism in the Muslim world."It taxes the imagination" to suppose that such a reference by the pope "would pass unnoticed", a US diplomat wrote.Didn't foresee consequences of statementAccording to his assessment, the pope made the reference on purpose, but without foreseeing the consequences, which were followed by apologies by the Vatican.The pope's "approach toward Islam and toward inter-religious dialogue is cooler than that of his predecessor" John Paul II, the diplomat observed.The controversy was followed by the pope's trip to Turkey, during which he toned down the uneasiness he had expressed about Turkey's eventual European Union membership while he was still a cardinal.The Vatican's official stance now is that it is not opposed to the membership as long as Turkey meets EU conditions including religious freedom for its Christians.The Vatican agreed with Washington that the possibility of Turkey - a US ally - joining the EU had the potential to promote greater rights for religious minorities in the country, US diplomats wrote.Unofficially, however, top Vatican officials told diplomats they were sceptical about Turkey's commitment to religious freedom."The Holy See does not believe theological agreements with Islam are possible, but is convinced that better mutual knowledge will allay suspicions and facilitate peaceful co-existence," US diplomats wrote in 2009.
For Christs sake, Turkey needs to be tolerable of Christians (Gavours) the first indigenous people of the Republic of Turkey.
It was a Turkish national who shot the former Pope John Paul II.
And there have been Christian Priests killed in Turkey as well as Christian missionaries.
And you are asking the Pope to "welcome" Islam when they have had an assault against Christianity for centuries?
how about the St. Hagia Sofia Church in Istanbul that was converted to a Mosque (now it is a Museum with NO mention of the people who built it)
Then a final insult of changing the name of Constaniople a Christian capitol to Istanbul.
US and President Obama has no right to encourage the EU to welcome Turkey or any other country in the EU, it is none of his business. Someone should tell Obama to welcome Mexico into the USA.
And what a bout the Crusades? Come on man, you're bringing up issues from thousands of years ago, all the major religions have done some sort of conquesting. Ps. Christians the first indigenous people in Turkey? Christianity has only been around for 2000 years! Anatolia, as Turkey used to be called, has existed for much longer (see the Akkadian Empire). Your point is moot!
@ Zee. How long has the Muslim ideology been around for? Longer than Christianity? Not likely.


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Congresswoman claims a Filner groping (years ago)
Former San Diego mayor allegedly went in for a kiss
Don Bauder 5:30 p.m., Nov. 20
San Diego Anyone who has passed through the San Diego Union-Tribune during Gene Bell's stint as publisher has heard the mantra, the talk of management's intention to take things at the paper "to the next level." Harmless mission-statement mumbo jumbo? Not to Jack Finneran and his 120 colleagues in the paper's pressroom. To them, the phrase has taken on a more ominous ring.
Last week, the U-T took its six-year conflict with its pressroom workers to a new level when it unilaterally declared an impasse in negotiations with their union, Local 432-M of the Graphic Communications International Union (GCIU). The company announced it was walking away from the bargaining table, where both sides sat since 1993 locked in talks that went nowhere. The company's negotiators will not return. Beginning March 8, management said, it will impose its last offer on the workers -- even though Local 432-M has such deep misgivings about the deal it refused to sign.
"We feel they took their contract, which we wouldn't agree to, and jammed it down out throats," says Finneran, the union's Bronx-born president. "We're not happy."
The tactic is known as "implementation upon impasse," and in labor relations it's a declaration of war, says Ellen Dannin, an expert on the subject who teaches at California Western School of Law. In recent years, she says, implementation upon impasse has been the first shot in some bloody labor-management showdowns, including the long and bitter strikes at the Detroit newspapers, Caterpillar, and Greyhound.
Finneran's immediate response to the company's declaration was confrontational. "I saw [labor relations manager] Patrick Marrinan with his boss, [human resources manager] Bobbie Espinosa, in the cafeteria after I learned about this," he says. "And so I walked over to their table, got right in his face, and said, 'Excuse me, Patrick. Big mistake.' "
Repeated efforts to talk with members of the U-T's management and legal team -- including Bell, Espinosa, Marrinan, production manager John Walker, pressroom supervisor Kathy Bilbrey, and outside counsel Howard Kastrinsky -- were unsuccessful.
Where the dispute goes from here depends on management, says Dannin. The paper could ratchet things up one more level by declaring a lockout and hiring permanent replacement workers to keep the presses running, although Dannin says that tactic is legally dubious.
What's more likely is that management will now ignore Local 432-M, a tactic it used to marginalize the Newspaper Guild between 1995 and 1998 and to set up last June's successful decertification vote -- stripping the union of its power as a collective bargaining agent for the 900 workers in the newsroom and advertising departments. Although the situation was slightly different -- management never declared an impasse with the Guild and never imposed a final offer -- the Guild's inability to hammer out a new contract undermined its authority with its members. That made management's argument for throwing the union out ("Give Change a Chance") sound reasonable.
The pressroom workers, who earn an average of $15 an hour, are unlikely to head for the picket line right away. "A strike is the last thing we'd ever want to do," says Finneran. "If we went out on strike, Marrinan and Bell would be yucking it up and drinking good champagne. But we'll turn up our campaign by several notches on as many fronts as we can. I have threatened in the past a boycott and that's certainly an option."
The impasse declaration comes as the paper's lawyers press forward with a separate effort in Washington, D.C., to get the government to restrict Finneran and other pressroom workers from publicizing their gripes -- an extraordinary request from a newspaper quick to defend its own right to free speech. Howard Kastrinsky, the lawyer handling the case for the U-T, works for the Nashville law firm of King & Ballow, which has successfully represented many newspapers in their struggles with entrenched unions, earning organized labor's enmity in the process.
"In my book, they're evil," says Finneran.
Never mind the conflict, the whiff of hypocrisy alone would guarantee the story front-page play in most newspapers. But the U-T has overlooked the drama taking place so close to home.
It began last fall, when Local 432-M decided that six years without a contract was long enough. The union's leadership had watched management successfully drive unions out of three departments between 1997 and 1998. They wanted to make sure the pressroom wasn't next.
A strike was out of the question. Instead, the union, one of only two still on the property, decided to launch a community handbilling campaign that would force management back to the bargaining table by dragging U-T advertisers into the fray.
So every weekend since October, the Sunday-afternoon routine for Finneran and his coworkers has been the same. They meet in a parking lot across the street from the U-T's Mission Valley offices. Then, after a brief reminder from Finneran about the ground rules -- "We don't want any legal backlash, any problems with the police" -- they drive off to that week's targeted advertiser. Once there, they walk back and forth on the closest public sidewalk, carrying sign cards that read "Something Stinks at the Union-Tribune" and distribute flyers to customers, employees, passersby -- anybody who'll take them -- outlining their gripes about wages, pensions, and health benefits.
"[The handbilling] does two things," Finneran says. "The businesses then go get back with the paper and say, 'Hey, we don't know what's going on with your employees, but we don't appreciate them being out here.' And the customers, we hope, call Gene Bell and express their support for us."
So far, the public's response to the campaign has been predictably mixed, admits Gregg Onstad, the union's recording secretary. Some shoppers and business owners, he says, support the union in its fight with management and agree to call Bell. Others refuse to accept the handbill and walk on. But the demonstrators have discovered something amusing in the process. "It's funny," Onstad says. "Most people we talk to already have a bad opinion of the Union-Tribune."


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kinda rushed thru this,bein kicked off,didnt even get to trick out the backround ;/ enjoz i guess~
Canvas Draw Created Aug 26, 2012 640 x 460px Unless noted Copyright 2012 ElliTheRaverx3.
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I have done an ActiveX to get client MAC address as its major part and runs over IE.it is successfully running in Win2000, Win2003, WinXp and even with IE7 with previously mentioned Window versions.
This ActiveX was developed in VB 6.0.
This ActiveX gets installed atomatically through a cab file, whenever the application was accessed first time.
this cab file work fine in WinXP but when we try to run this cab file in vista IE get hang
Now, we have to support it with IE7 over Vista.
Please let me know what should I do to make it compatible with IE7 and Vista. I am using Vista Business right now.
When the application was accessed through IE7 for the first time, ActiveX installation dialog appeared. I pressed the Install button but then IE7 threw an error message that "Internet Explorer has stopped working". After that each time, whenever the application was accessed IE7 threw the same error message.
Cab file i made in VB6 using internet and deploy package wizard,along with cab file we will get one HTM file also to get Object id and code base along with version,even if we try to open this HTM file then also IE get hang.
I tested by manually registering the ocx, also turned off the Protected Mode and enabled my ActiveX through Manage Ad-on as well, but to no avail.
Please let me know any solution to this problem.
Looking forward to your response.
Thank you.
+ It might happen if you don't have proper Internet Explorer settings.
+ The system should have full administrative privilege .
+ try registering ocx manually by running command prompt as administratorPlease refer:
ActiveX Control deployment on Vista using MSI and CAB setup hooks
Cumulative Update for Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista x64 Edition (KB931768)
Hope this helps.
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Thought Bubbles
finally dx not MS but FHM trying to get a power wheelchair keep fingers crossed...
April 30, 2012 at 1:37 PM
Grandbaby#2 Nyeonna born 2/17 at 9:45PM 6lbs. 13 oz. 19in mom and baby are fine now... home too.
February 19, 2012 at 2:57 PM
Getting our home ready for the "Big Day" sitting on pins and needles...
February 16, 2012 at 11:53 PM
just started shopping online for coming x mas rush... who thought it could be fun instead of stressfull.
November 9, 2011 at 10:54 AM
Enjoying the ac and the day with the family went to Sorgels farm pet and fed the animals ... it was a good day.
June 1, 2011 at 4:06 PM
The holidaze are done the tree is down and the snow is melting... a good week.
January 19, 2011 at 9:47 AM
Gonna just be the 3 of us for Turkey day why is that when they grow up they seem to move on..
November 24, 2010 at 8:01 PM
1-8 of 8 Thought Bubbles


text: We are filling out credit apps with some local places here, nurseries, rental store, mulch distributer etc. etc. its tough when you just start out. They tell me well you have no credit come see us when you get it. Well lol how can i do this if you wont deal with me in the first place i ask? They must understand im a NEW company hehe . I am slowly but surely finding places that are helping me but its not easy!!!


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As a correspondent for People magazine, Kate Klise covered everything from celebrity scandals to serial killers. After writing several bestselling children's books, Kate decided to write In the Bag, her first novel for adults, when she found a note from a fellow passenger in her carry-on bag.
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Red Sox seek impact players early in Draft
Boston has four of first 40 picks, aims to stock system with arms
By Ian Browne / MLB.com
With Major League Baseball's current Collective Bargaining Agreement expiring at the end of the 2011 season, there is talk that compensation picks could become a thing of the past.
The way the Red Sox look at it, that is all the more reason for them to seize the moment.
"Well, we can only operate under the system that exists now, so we've tried to make the most of the current system," said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein. "That's always been a factor in some of our free-agent decisions, trying to accumulate picks, because that is one of the best ways to create an advantage is accumulate sandwich picks. We recognize that's a system that exists now, so we should take advantage of it while we can, and we're in a wait-and-see approach.
"Who knows what the next CBA might look like. Because of the uncertainty, it puts an emphasis on the moment, now. Taking advantage of the system that exists now, knowing that, 'Let's work extra hard, let's get an extra look, let's do everything we can to make the right selections now that we can.' There might be a day we wake up and we're talking fondly about bygone days when we had four of the first 40 picks in the Draft and no team will ever have that again. Who knows what the next system will be. We have to take advantage of this one."
Live coverage of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft begins with a one-hour preview show on Monday at 6 p.m. ET on MLB.com and MLB Network, followed by the first round and supplemental compensation round. MLB.com will provide exclusive coverage of Day 2 and 3, featuring a live pick-by-pick stream, expert commentary and Draft Tracker, a live interactive application that includes a searchable database of every Draft-eligible player. You can also keep up to date at Draft Central and by following @MLBDraft on Twitter. And get into the Draft conversation by tagging your tweets with #mlbdraft.
Success in the Draft has been vital to the recent success of the Red Sox. Jacoby Ellsbury ('05), Dustin Pedroia ('04), Kevin Youkilis ('01), Jed Lowrie ('05), Jon Lester ('02), Daniel Bard ('08) and Jonathan Papelbon ('03) all serve as living proof of how impactful Draft picks can be at the Major League level.
Red Sox's recent top picks
|Current team
|Kolbrin Vitek
|Salem (Class A)
|Reymond Fuentes
|Lake Elsinore (Class A Padres)
|Casey Kelly
|San Antonio (Double-A Padres)
|Nick Hagadone
|Columbus (Triple-A Indians)
|Daniel Bard
|Red Sox
Amiel Sawdaye is in his second year as Boston's director of amateur scouting.
"I think any time you walk into a new role, there's going to be that stress of just making the first pick," said Sawdaye. "As many of you guys know, last year we selected Kolbrin Vitek, and it was a nailbiter until the end. We didn't know if we were going to get the player we really liked. We did, in the end. He was the guy we coveted, and I think it helps calm the nerves a little bit this year. Experience in anything will always make you feel a little more comfortable."
Here's a glance at what the Red Sox have in store as the Draft approaches:
In about 50 words
With so many picks during the meaty portion of the Draft, the Red Sox are determined to bring home some impact players. The last time they were this well positioned was 2005, the Draft that landed them Ellsbury and Lowrie.
The scoop
"It's always a great feeling to have extra picks. I think it energizes the scouting staff the whole year because they know going in and seeing players, there's a much better chance you can actually get a guy. You know when you rank the first 40 guys, you know you're getting four of them. That's a nice feeling. We just have to do our job and get them in the right order and see how things break." -- Epstein
First-round buzz
The Red Sox have never been a team to provide leaks on who they might be seeking. They also don't draft based on position. In other words, be prepared for just about anything, particularly with the flexibility that so many early picks provides.
"You want to get good players. You want to combine upside and probability, but when you don't have extra picks, it's sometimes hard to take that extra risk with the very high upside," Epstein said. "You can diversify your portfolio a little more when you have more picks and take that chance."
Shopping list
Pitching, pitching, pitching. As always, the Red Sox will try to keep their farm system stocked with top arms, particularly after they traded Casey Kelly to the Padres as part of the Adrian Gonzalez deal. Power bats are also something Boston eyes.
Trend watch
Boston's first four picks last year were all college players. And traditionally, the best Draft picks the Red Sox have had were college products. But there are always exceptions. See Jon Lester.
Recent Draft History
Rising fast
Anthony Ranaudo's stock had dropped entering last year's Draft and the Red Sox pounced because they were confident his struggles in 2010 were health-related. At this point, it appears the Sox were absolutely right. Ranuado is thriving at Class A Greenville.
Cinderella story
Josh Reddick, who is on the Major League roster as an injury fill-in, was a 16th-round pick in 2006. He appears to have all the athleticism to be a solid Major Leaguer. The final piece Reddick is trying to attain is consistent plate discipline.
In The Show
Papelbon made it to the Majors two years after he was drafted. The same was true for Bard and Pedroia. The Red Sox have a solid track record not only when it comes to drafting, but also in development.
Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brownie Points, and follow him on Twitter @IanMBrowne. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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dcunited.com: What have you been up to since you left Major League Soccer?
Carlos Ruiz: After the game against the United States, with the Guatemalan National Team, I retired from the National Team. After that, I have come back to the States, trying to see if I had an opportunity to go back to Mexico and play, but then I tried to see if I can stay in Major League Soccer and play here. I have been training by myself with a personal trainer in Dallas, Texas, and finally, I signed with one of the best teams in Major League Soccer history.
dcunited.com: What draws you back to Major League Soccer at this point in your storied career? Why now?
CR: In the last couple of years, I was around the world man. I was playing in South and Central America, Europe, but I live in Dallas and I wanted to stay here in the United States. All of my family is here in the States, my girlfriend is from here too, so there is no reason for me anymore to go around the world playing everywhere, you know? I'm going to try and play good here, try to finish my career good, and I am very excited because I am going to do it with like I said, one of the best teams in Major League Soccer history.
dcunited.com: We're nine days away from the 2013 season opener – where are you physically at this point? Are you ready to play?
CR: I spoke with Ben [Olsen] about it. It's definitely not the same training by myself everyday. I'm not with a group playing soccer, but I'm going to do my best every time I get onto the field. I'm going to work hard over the next nine days and we'll see. Ben is going to decide after he sees me during training and will decide if I'm going to be available for the game against Houston. I'm very excited to play against Houston. For me playing soccer is a passion so I'm going to be ready for whatever is needed of me.
dcunited.com: You mentioned the history of D.C. United a few times now – what kind of emotions do you get now being on the other side of the greatest fans in the League?
CR: First of all, I think D.C. United has one of the biggest fan bases and crowds in Major League Soccer. For me, when I came to MLS to play, I remember RFK Stadium – playing against legends like Etcheverry, Jamie [Moreno], all of those players who have made history for D.C. United. I was 22 years old, playing one of the best teams in MLS in a historic stadium and it was unbelievable. I will have that memory for the rest of my life. I'm very happy to be here and I hope I can make history like Etcheverry and Moreno and Olsen did for this team.
dcunited.com: Are you willing to share any personal goals you may have set for yourself this year?
CR: I just came here to work hard man. I have a lot of experience so I want to help the young guys. We'll see – hopefully we will have a good team like last year, and we will see at the end of the year.
dcunited.com: What's your relationship like with Ben Olsen? Did knowing him for so long and playing against him help you out with coming to D.C.?
CR: I have a very good relationship with Ben. He's one of Chris Albright's best friends, who one day was my roommate when I was with the LA Galaxy, so we have a good relationship. He is a young coach and wants to make something of D.C. United just like I do. The first time I heard about the intention of D.C. United to sign me, it was before the World Cup Qualifying game against the United States in October. For me it was very exciting news.
dcunited.comAnything you want to add?
CR: I like the city, I have friends here, and I know there is a huge Guatemalan community here in D.C. and Virginia and I can't wait to see them all out at our games this year. I'm going to feel like I'm at home. Thanks.


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An excerpt from www.HouseOfNames.com archives copyright © 2000 - 2017
Spinola Early Origins
Emilia-Romagna and Venetia. The spelling variations of Spinola which end in "i" are much more common and appear in records mostly in the north, whereas the rarer variations which end in "o" are from the south.
Spinola Spelling Variations
Spinola Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Spinelli, Spinello, Spiniello, Spinella, Spinetti, Spinozza, Spinozzi and many more.
Spinola Early History
Spinola Early History
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spinola research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1387, 1453, 1475, 1546, 1094, 1694, 1763, 1594, 1659, 1628, 1699, 1646 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Spinola History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spinola Early Notables (pre 1700)
Spinola Early Notables (pre 1700)
Prominent among members of the family was Parri Spinelli (ca. 1387-1453), an Italian painter of the early Renaissance from Tuscany; Bartolomeo Spina (born c. 1475-1546), Italian Dominican theologian and scholastic philosopher; Ugone Spinelli, who fought for Christianity in 1094 and was rewarded generously for his valor by Pope Urban II, who...
Another 96 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Spinola Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The Great Migration
The Great Migration
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Spinola Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Contemporary Notables of the name Spinola (post 1700)
Contemporary Notables of the name Spinola (post 1700)
Spinola Family Crest Products
Spinola Family Crest Products
See Also
See Also
Other References
The Spinola Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Spinola Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.
This page was last modified on 26 December 2016 at 11:11.
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For Coaches
The Institute of Sports Performance
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football player got 8 solo tackles & 1 int, gymnast & cheerleader get tumbling back, golfer shot his lowest score of 64 #proudcoach
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text:
Wartune Double Skill Tree Guide
The Double Skill tree is a feature introduced in Wartune just recently. In this guide, we will explore some basic introductory ideas on whether or not they are useful. You will have to decide for yourself whether or not spending close to $10 worthwhile. We will go over some concepts on whether or not the new Wartune Double Skill tree feature will work for your particular game play strategy. If you have found this guide helpful, please check out the rest of our Wartune guides.
Double Skill Tree Basic Idea
The basic idea is that Wartune classes in the game typically has two skill trees, one specifically made for DPS, and another for more PvP. Because your skill points are pretty limited, in most situations you cannot master either of the skill tree. This is when Wartune double skill tree feature kicks in.
Knight Double Skill Tree Uses
For Wartune knights, the skills can be categorized into DPS for the delphic strike chain or the tanking chain ending with Apollo shield. We recommend to keep the one of the use with the apollo shield to help with the multiplayer dungeon as well as general pvp uses.
For the second skill tree, max out the Delphic strike as well as the enhanced delphic strike. You may want to put points into Divine blessing as well to increase your HP count a little bit more.
In general, the double skill tree is useful for knights because the two skill tree setups differ from each other so much.
Mage Double Skill Tree Uses
Wartune mages can only make good use of the double skill feature. Their skills are mainly divided between heal and DPS. Healing is great when you have decent troops and in multiplayer situations such as the Wartune multiplayer dungeon and the arena. With the healing skills, you will also have an easier time to pass crypt levels as well.
By having another skill set that focuses more on damage output for the world boss. Just like knight, having two skill trees can greatly enhance the flexibility of mages in Wartune.
Wartune Archer Double Skill Tree
The role of the archers in Wartune is mainly to have as much damage output as possible. The only difference in the double skill tree is that one focuses more on the AoE aspect and another focuses more on the single target skill. Both are helpful in achieving high damage output. Because of such, the double skill tree does not really work well for the archer class because both of the skills are equally weighted in the majority of the cases. We believe that the best skill setup for archers is to have a mix of AoE to take out enemy troops and arena, and single attacks to get out the heroes directly.
Wartune Guides Index by Gamelytic
Class Builds
Knight Build Walkthrough
Enhancement True Cost Calculator
General Wartune Guides
Complete Gold Making
Basic Character Stats
Pay to Win Balen and VIP
Basic Information
Bounty Quest
Beginner Class
Frequently Asked Questions for Beginner
Basic Wartune Currency and Points
Wartune Gem
Academy and Research
Tree of Ancients and Farm
World Boss
Forgotten Catacombs Crypt
Friends System Explained
Battleground and Honor
Double Skill Tree
Focus Guides
PvP Winner
Troops and Daro Earning
Best Strong Player
Level Up
Damage and Defense Calculation
Synthesize, Gear and Shop Master
Solo and Multiplayer Dungeon


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As Unions Growl, Katz Balks at EU Aviation Pact
Transportation Minister directs Israel's Civil Aviation Authority not to sign an 'open skies' aviation agreement with the European Union; wants to examine effect agreement would have on Israel's airlines.
Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz Monday directed Israel's Civil Aviation Authority not to sign an "open skies" aviation agreement with the European Union. Katz wants his office to examine what effect the agreement would have on Israel's airlines.
Talks on an "open skies" framework, which would replace a number of bilateral aviation agreements with European countries with a single Israel-EU agreement, have been ongoing for several years, but a deal between the sides has proven elusive.
Earlier in the day, before Katz intervened over the open skies deal, the Histadrut labor federation declared an official labor dispute in Israel's aviation industry over the matter. The unions of all three Israeli commercial airlines - El Al, Arkia and Israir - asked the Histadrut to approve the dispute. The unions all object to the proposed agreement, claiming it would harm the airlines by opening the Israeli market to unfair and unequal competition from foreign airlines.
Such an agreement is meant to lower the price of flights by allowing new airlines into the Israeli market, introducing competition. The next round of talks between Israel and the EU is scheduled for March 20.
Katz promised yesterday that he would take into account the interests of Israel's commercial airlines in any agreement to increase competition in Israel's aviation sector.
In a meeting with the heads of Israel's three airlines, Katz said if any understandings are reached with the EU, he would not sign any such agreement before considering its effect on their financial situation. While noting the open skies policy "is intended to increase competition, lower ticket prices and increase the number of tourists," Katz said his role was to "protect the stability of Israeli airlines. As Transportation Minister, I have the responsibility to guarantee the strength of Israeli airlines," said Katz, at the start of the meeting with airline executives.
Katz said it was necessary to work to cancel any arrangements working to the disadvantage of Israeli airlines before signing the agreement, to allow them to compete on an equal basis with European airlines.
The head of Israel's CAA, Giora Rom, also attended the meeting. He reported to the participants on the progress in reaching the open skies agreement with the EU.
Earlier this week, TheMarker reported that the owners of Israeli airlines were discussing a possible merger in light of the difficult state of the industry.
The unions are demanding that the new agreement include sections to protect Israeli airlines, including equal opportunity to receive slots at foreign airports, and creating conditions to allow Israeli airlines to participate in global airline alliances.
The Histadrut also said that Israeli airlines also bear the unfair burden of high security costs. In addition, Israeli consumers have the legal right to receive full refunds in case of canceled flights, something foreign airlines do not guarantee.
El Al's union said it was organizing to fight the agreement, but was not cooperating with management on the matter. "Our goal is to protect our workers," said El Al union head Asher Edrey. He said he was encouraged by Katz's statements and expected him to fulfill his promises not to sign the agreement before examining its effect on the airlines.
Israeli airlines employ some 7,000 workers, and directly support another 25,000 jobs in other aviation-related businesses.
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NFL Playoff Predictions 2013: Bubble Teams with Most Ammo to Make Super Bowl RunDecember 16, 2012
NFL teams will start with a clean slate in the 2012 playoffs.
One shouldn't shy away from predicting a franchise to win the Super Bowl just because it barely made it to the postseason.
Last year, the New York Giants won it all after just sneaking in as a sixth seed. This season, there are a handful of talented teams on the bubble that are capable of equaling the G-Men's efforts, and here they are:
Chicago has flashes of brilliance. On a three-game losing streak, though, it hasn't had one in a while.
If the Bears beat the odds and find their way into the postseason, they're talented enough to take the NFC. Brian Urlacher should be able to suit up by then, and he'd lead a Top-five defense into battle. On the other side of the football, Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall and Matt Forte form an explosive offensive trio.
But, of course, those three can only thrive if their offensive line gives them time.
With two Super Bowl victories under his belt, Ben Roethlisberger knows how to win in December and January better than almost any quarterback in the NFL. Sure, he's struggled the past two weeks to return to form, but his resume should make fans confident that he'll be able to lead the Steelers to a strong finish.
Pittsburgh's defense is also still a top-notch stop unit. By the time the playoffs roll around, the beaten up James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley and Keenan Lewis could be 100 percent, and Ike Taylor could be back in action.
They won in 2006 as a sixth seed.
1. New York Giants
As previously mentioned, the Giants also won as a sixth seed in 2012.
Remember Rex Grossman? Well, he led the Washington Redskins to a 23-10 triumph over the Giants in Week 15 last year. New York's effort against the Atlanta Falcons was a disappointment, but its season is far from over.
The Giants' defense always takes it up a notch in the playoffs. And they still have that Eli Manning guy, who, like Big Ben, has two Super Bowl rings.
David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.


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NewsMarch 9, 2005 - Updated on January 20, 2016
Court closes newspaper and issues arrests warrants for staff for "contempt"
Reporters Without Borders today condemned the "disproportionate" measures taken on 4 March by a Monrovia court, which closed the offices of a privately-owned weekly, the Forum Newspaper, until it paid a fine of 200 US dollars and ordered the arrest of its managing editor and other editorial staff for "contempt of court" on the grounds that they ignored several summonses.
"Closing a newspaper and issuing warrants for the arrest of all its journalists are serious actions that are clearly out of all proportion in a libel case," the press freedom organization said. "The premises of the Forum Newspaper must be reopened unconditionally, and the arrest warrants must be withdrawn. The Liberian courts should abstain from such dramatic action, especially in an election period, as it deserves universal disapproval."
Reached by telephone, Forum Newspaper managing editor Augustus Fallah told Reporters Without Borders he never received any summons and regarded the court's decision as "politically motivated." He said he was trying to raise the sum needed for the reopening of the newspaper's premises and that the staff were meanwhile working at home. They were able to bring out the 8 March issue as usual.
A libel suit was brought against Forum Newspaper on 5 January by Melee Kermue, a Senate candidate from the center of the country and director of the NGO Hope International for Liberia, over a report headlined "Wanted Hope International Boss Escapes Justice from the US," which claimed that he left the United States as the US authorities were about to bring charges in a drug trafficking case. Kermue is seeking 2 million US dollars in damages.


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Thursday, November 7, 2013
Nathan Uy, left, and Huy Kim prepare food at Wild Ginger in downtown Seattle. Uy, who is Cambodian, is chef de cuisine for the company and has been at the restaurant for 19 years.
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How is a Versymmetric lift two car lifts in one?
Some garages rely on asymmetric and symmetric car lifts to service the full range of cars, SUVs, vans, trucks and commercial vehicles they'll inevitably see. These car lifts are designed to lift certain types of vehicles without crossover, necessitating investments in each type of lift to operate at full capacity.
Asymmetric car lifts are designed to lift vehicles with an asymmetrical center of gravity. Asymmetric lifts move the vehicle's center of gravity back, benefiting most passenger cars with a skewed front-to-back weight ratio. With about 2/3 of the vehicle behind the asymmetric car lift's posts, the lift minimizes stress on cars' lift points. The asymmetric design also allows cars' doors to be fully opened, significantly reducing the risk of door damage. Many shops unknowingly improperly lift larger vehicles (like full size trucks and SUV's) on asymmetric lifts, putting unnecessary strain on the lift and more quickly wearing lift components.
Symmetric car lifts are traditionally used for vans, trucks or vehicles with generally symmetric weight distribution. Symmetric lifts favor the vehicle in a centered position so the center of gravity can be distributed evenly between lift columns. Two lift arms of equal length face one another from opposing columns in order to lift vehicles with a symmetrical center of gravity.
Versymmetric car lifts provide users with the capabilities of asymmetric and symmetric car lifts. By combining a two-in-one asymmetric and symmetric lifting design in one lift, Versymmetric lifts can safely and properly accommodate cars, trucks, crossovers, SUVs and vans all within the same service bay.
What is the advantage of Versymmetric technology?
Versymmetric car lifts by Challenger are capable of safely and properly lifting all 20 of 2010's top selling vehicles, without straining lifting components.
|2010 Top 20 Best Selling Vehicles
|Symmetric Only
|Asymmetric Only
|Ford F-Series
|Chevy Silverado/CK
|Toyota Camry
|Honda Accord
|Ford Fusion
|Nissan Altima
|Toyota Corolla
|Honda Civic
|Chevrolet Malibu
|Chevrolet Cruze
|Ford Escape
|Chevy Impala
|Dodge Ram
|Hyundai Sonata
|Chevrolet Equinox
|Toyota Prius
|Toyota RAV4
|GMC Sierra
|Nissan Senatra
|Hyundai Elantra
|Lifting Efficiency
March 2011
Comparatively, a standard asymmetric car lift could handle about 80% of the vehicles listed above, excluding the heavier pickups (Ford F- Series, Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra and Dodge Ram).
Still, some garages lacking the proper lift equipment are left little choice but to lift larger vehicles with under-equipped asymmetric car lifts. The result is jeopardized safety and a needlessly compromised vehicle and lift. Lifting large pick-ups and SUVs with an asymmetric lift can cause undue wear and tear on the lift (such as causing the arms to sag) leading to hazardous conditions because of damaged load bearing parts. Also, a compromised lift introduces risk to the vehicle by putting it in a vulnerable position.
Would you buy half a car?
Then why buy half a lift?
Don't be forced to decide what types of vehicles you service the most.
Symmetric car lifts – relegated to vehicles with long wheelbases and symmetric centers of gravity - have the capacity to properly handle the remaining 20% of 2010's top selling vehicles (namely the Ford F-Series, Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra and Dodge Ram).
How can Versymmetric technology increase onsite production?
Technicians need to be able to lift every vehicle that rolls into their garages safely and efficiently. Simply
put, service facilities make a living working on vehicles of all types, so having the right lift to accommodate
the right vehicle is essential in today's fast-paced shop.
Many garages limit each bay's potential because they have either an asymmetric or symmetric lift to work with; this restricts bays to servicing either passenger cars and light SUVs or larger trucks and vans, or in the other case, jeopardizes the lift operator's safety and a customer's vehicle. Challenger's Versymmetric lifts effectively serve the purpose of both, maximizing a service bay's productivity to its full potential.
Symmetric and asymmetric lifts force service facilities to decide what types of vehicles are serviced most, limiting productivity and revenue potential. Turning away business because you don't have the right car lift for the job threatens a shop's profitability by adversely impacting the bottom line.
Return on Investment
Challenger Versymmetric Lifts expedite a shop's return on investment by providing the versatility to lift
virtually all vehicles within the same service bay. This exclusive technology facilitates increased revenue
over the life of the lift and allows a quicker return on their equipment purchase.
Consider the high volume service bay shop - the ones that you can never get your car into for repair. CL10 Versymmetric car lifts not only easily accommodate your vehicle, it provides ROI with:
- The best arm design for quicker swinging of arms underneath the lift points
- directSPOT™ (illustrated below)
- A bird's eye view for quicker spotting to lift points, from either lift post side CLDPC (dual pendant controls) models
directSPOT™ is a trade mark of Challenger Lifts. As illustrated below, when a car, truck or SUV is driven through the lift columns, directSPOT allows the offset front armsto swing in from an asymmetric stowed position, direct to the vehicle's front lifting point. This eliminates the need to shuffle the vehicle back and forth to swing the front arm clear of the front tire in order to reach its recommended lift points – an inefficiency common of traditional car lifts that do not have offset front arms.
Open Door Clearance
Don't let the competition fool you. Asymmetric only vehicle lifts are not the only ones that provide open door clearance to driver controls. Versymmetric and Versymmetric Plus CL10 car lifts provide open door clearance to driver controls for both asymmetric lifting applications and symmetric auto lift applications.
Click here to download the full versymmetric story.


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Mohammad and the Mountain
By Dragon's Daughter
Rated G
Warnings: Naru/Mai, Spoilers for the light novels, and Naru's not so SECRET IDENTITY. Un-betaed.
Summary: Lately Naru's father has gained new appreciation for the High School as a method to socialize adolescents.
Mai seethed as her homeroom teacher worked his way through the early morning roll call.
Logically, she knew that Sato-sensei didn't have anything to do with the violation of her last retreat. He'd probably gotten some paperwork just yesterday, shrugged, and rolled with it. How was he supposed to know that by doing so he'd just doubled the stress on his scholarship student?
Fortunately for Mai, or perhaps unfortunately, Sato-sensei was fairly oblivious and so didn't notice that one of his students was trying to figure out a way to kill him before he could finish roll call and announce a new transfer student.
However Mai had already missed her chance. The door slid open just as Sato-sensei droned to a halt to admit a young Japanese man who Mai almost didn't recognize in the school's tan blazer and red tie.
An excited murmur sprang up from the girls and a grudgingly admiring one passed back and forth between the guys who remembered him from when the old school building had collapsed in on itself.
Sato-sensei squinted at the newcomer and smiled as he waved the boy up to the podium. "Good timing, Shibuya-kun. Come up to the front and I'll introduce you."
Naru obeyed while ignoring the sudden increase in classroom noise. Maybe it was Mai's eyes playing a trick on her, but for a second it looked to her as though he'd briefly scanned the room until his gaze came to rest on her. It was ridiculous, of course. Naru's face never moved. Besides, he'd already known which class she was in so why bother to confirm hard data?
"This is Shibuya Kazuya. He's transferring to our school from England. I hope everyone will help him get used to Japan as quickly as possible. Please say a few words to your classmates, Shibuya-kun."
Naru bowed slightly from the waist with his arms properly straight at his sides and Mai suppressed the urge to sigh. 'So he does know how to bow properly and all this time I was cutting him slack for having grown up abroad…'
"My name is Shibuya Kazuya. I look forward to completing the year with everyone. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu*."
Give him credit for at least following the script. Mai had never actually heard Naru use the phrase 'Yoroshiku onegaishimasu' before. He was usually terse in the extreme, but she supposed that even Naru knew better that to alienate the people he was going to be stuck with during the next two trimesters. Maybe his father had been onto something…
"Shibuya-kun please take a seat next to Taniyama." Sato-sensei pointed Mai out with the edge of his grade book. "Taniyama? Share your textbook with Shibuya since he doesn't have one yet. Now everyone will open your books to page 800 and we'll get started with the lesson…"
Naru's poker face was perfect as he sat down next to Mai and scooted his desk over so that she could lay her book down open between them. "Nice to meet you, Taniyama." He said sotto voce and Mai resisted the urge to kick him under the cover of the desk.
"Can it, Naru. Everyone knows I work for you." She hissed and pointedly dropped her gaze to the assigned reading.
Really, there was no point in planning Sato-sensei's death. He was just the principal's dupe in the whole matter and in turn the principal was the helpless dupe of Naru's father, a prominent and well respected professor who felt that his remaining son needed to finally get out of the lab and learn to interact with people his own age –whether he liked it or not.
When Professor Davis laid down the law even his son the eminent prodigy scholar and honorary Doctor Oliver Davis – better known to the Tokyo branch of SPR as Shibuya Kazuya AKA Naru sat up and paid attention.
Mai had been privy to that argument although not intentionally so. The Professor had come to Tokyo in person to make sure his genius son didn't find a way to weasel out of it and she'd been called on to provide a steady stream of tea. Lin and Yasuhara had taken cover by hiding out in the café down the street. Mai had stayed to make sure that no possible clients could wander in and also to make sure that the Father and Son duo didn't kill each other. Neither of them shouted, but at the height of the argument even the normally unflappable Naru was talking in pointy, sharp-edged words.
Evidently, Naru had eventually capitulated but not before dragging some concessions out of his parent. One of those concessions was apparently that if he was going to be forced into the High School system, then at least he'd have his primary flunky readily available … despite being a year older than she was and technically a senior.
It was just as well. Mai was pretty sure she'd choke on it if she was forced to call him 'Senpai'**.
As Sato-sensei settled into a comfortable monotone, Mai noticed more and more glanced being directed towards Naru. Notes were being passed and not an insignificant number of her female classmates were literally tittering behind their hands.
Mai glanced at Naru whose head was bent studiously over the textbook. Only a faint wrinkle between his brows indicated that he was still having trouble with kanji. Otherwise he looked completely oblivious to the havoc he was wreaking on classroom discipline.
Sometimes she forgot just how handsome he was until he caused a stir just by walking into a room and looking bored.
'This is going to be an interesting year…' Mai reflected as she focused her attention back on her schoolwork where it belonged. While she might consider Naru a walking natural disaster, the scholarship committee wouldn't see it that way if she let her grades drop.
Still, Mai wasn't sure who she pitied more. She at least was used to the worst of Naru's antics. She wasn't entirely sure how her school would handle the learning curve.
At least this time no buildings would fall down –hopefully.
I've added some annotated translations here to the end. I'm assuming that most people who are familiar with Anime/Manga already understand what I'm referring to, but I always worry about accidentally alienating a new comer when I add in random Japanese phrases and customs without explaining them. I try to expand on it in the story, but we all know that info-dumps make for clunky prose.
* 'Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu' – This is one of those uniquely Japanese statements that has a lot of different meanings so I decided include it in its original form rather than replacing the phrase with a more recognizable western statement. In this context, Naru is saying something that's a combination of 'Nice to meet you', 'I'm in your care/at your mercy', and 'please take care of me'. I've seen the statement translated as all of these so I'm not sure of the lit. meaning.
** 'Senpai' – lit. meaning 'Senior'. Anyone familiar with Anime/Manga is pretty familiar with the basics of the Senpai/Kouhai system. In this context, 'Senpai' is anyone in a higher grade although it can also mean someone who's a little older or who has been in an organization longer. There's some funny traditions associated with this particular system in Japanese High Schools that can even extend to how you wear your uniform. For example, in a certain school only Seniors can wear their gym jersey's all the way unzipped. Second-years can wear the zipper halfway down and Freshmen have to wear it all the way zipped up. There's also a certain amount of respect that a Senpai must be given, especially if it's a First Year to a Third Year. I've read a lot of articles about how the Senpai system can be abusive in some situations, but there's also a sense of protection and guidance that is bound up in the tradition. For example, a very fast way to pick a fight with someone is to pick on one their favored Kouhai. There is a burden on the Senpai to always provide a good example for their Kouhai and to provide guidance when necessary. In turn, those Kouhai go on to protect and guide the people who come after them. Mai is pretty irreverent when it comes to Naru, although I think part of it is that Naru doesn't really encourage formality. Mai is pretty informal for a Japanese girl. I'm pretty sure that any other person would at least blush if he used her proper name without honorifics, which is pretty forward of him considering the fact that they aren't related, close friends, or dating. However, it says something about Mai that she doesn't even really notice it.


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"Running tabletop drills is one of my favorite parts of this job. Educating your team shouldn't be boring. It's an interactive way to engage your team on best practices for the worst case scenarios." - Bryan Hill
Atlanta (PRWEB) May 16, 2013
Preparis, an innovative business continuity and life safety company, is launching a free interactive webinar on Tuesday, May 21, from 2 to 3 p.m. EST, called "Running Effective Tabletops - Best Practices for Crisis Team Training". With hurricane season quickly approaching, businesses not only need to be prepared for natural disasters but all potential crises such as explosions, bomb threats, workplace violence and hazardous chemical spills. For those unfamiliar with a tabletop, these drills are designed for a business to run with a select group of team members to prepare for different threats to their operations. FEMA endorses tabletops as an effective way to train all levels of an organization.
"From my years in the consulting world of experience, I can tell you that a business continuity program is useless unless your team has been trained on what to do in the event of a crisis, before it happens," said Nathan Childers, VP of Services for Preparis and one of the hosts for the webinar. "Businesses who go through a significant incident, without having a trained crisis team and tested business continuity program, may never often do not recover."
Childers mission with Preparis is to provide clients with a comprehensive preparedness and recovery SaaS solution. With more than 15 years of consultative experience, he has worked for several management consulting firms including PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), DRT Strategies and The Childers Group, assisting both commercial and federal clients through a wealth of projects. Nathan also spent eight years as a U.S. Army Infantry Officer, serving both stateside and overseas, including a combat tour in Iraq. Along with Childers, Preparis in-house FEMA-certified emergency management consultant, Bryan Hill, will host the educational webinar.
"I'm excited to work with a subject matter expert like Bryan, who's been trained directly by FEMA on how to run effective tabletop drills, because we both leverage our skills to help educate businesses to ensure they are prepared for the worst-case scenarios," Childers said.
Hill has a Master's Degree in Public Health from the University of Georgia's College of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology with a Graduate Certificate in Disaster Management from UGA's Institute of Health Management and Mass Destruction Defense. He has completed several FEMA certification training courses, along with conducting and evaluating various tabletops and full scale exercises for organizations and buildings. He has designed dozens of tabletop drills for multiple threat categories, which are available for Preparis clients.
"Running tabletop drills is one of my favorite parts of this job," Hill stated. "Educating your team shouldn't be boring. It's an interactive way to engage your team on best practices for the worst case scenarios."
In the Preparis' webinar, Childers and Hill will discuss lessons learned from disasters including the Boston Marathon bombing, Superstorm Sandy, and the Virginia Tech shooting to showcase how tabletop drills test organizations' business continuity and emergency preparedness plans before having to put them into action during an actual crisis. They will then review key steps every business can take to protect its people, revenue and brand through regular training drills.
To register for Preparis' upcoming webinar, please click here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/323701905. Attendees can submit inquiries for the question-and-answer session in advance to webinars(at)preparis(dot)com or via Twitter @preparis. Those interested in attending are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible, as space is limited. Registrants will also receive a sample tabletop exercise to conduct with their crisis team.
About Preparis
Preparis provides leading technology and professional services that drive its clients' business continuity, emergency preparedness and life safety programs. They deliver the industry's first subscription-based emergency preparedness platform, with a two-way emergency notification system that is simple and easy-to-use in the event of a crisis. The platform also combines expert information, response protocols and employee training, designed to help companies build and maintain a capable crisis response team and recovery teams to streamline communication during a disaster. For more information about Preparis, please visit http://www.preparis.com.


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Masahiro Tanaka Vertical 11x14 Framed Photo Dirt Collage
This Masahiro Tanaka 11x14 framed photo Uniform and Dirt Collage displays authentic dirt from Yankee Stadium. Tanaka broke into the league in a big way and immediately cemented himself as one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. This is a unique piece perfect for any Yankees' fan. A Steiner Sports Certificate of Authenticity and an MLB Hologram of Authenticity are included with this piece. Steiner Sports is the Official Memorabilia Partner of the New York Yankees.


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LA Observed's Kevin Roderick's 'sources' – man/woman/animal lover on the inside at the LAT's – job has been threatened. His Deep Throat is in Deep Shit. Which makes for the perfect civil disobedient – alas most self-important post we've ever read:
I've never felt the need to do this before, but it seems prudent to alert the Los Angeles Times staffers who help me stay informed about the inner workings of the paper. According to multiple sources at the Times, new publisher Eddy Hartenstein has been calling it "treason" for employees to share information with LA Observed. Now, it's easy to dismiss his rhetoric as beginner jitters – history has seen plenty of media publishers who naively try to muzzle the journalists who work for them, only to learn that it can't be done.
And he goes on:
So take precautions – use your personal email, our PO box, or pick up the phone – and don't presume they aren't watching. And be assured that I will continue to report accurately on the Times with your help and, as always, will never divulge my sources.
We will never divulge our sources either…or write a post about how we will never divulge our sources. In fact, if anyone threatens to play 'whack-a-mole' with the people that give us info – we will never make a post about it and make a delicate issue – more dramatic and complicated. But hey, that's just us.