text: I'm debating between ZM lenses and Leica lenses in the future. I know it's high-contrast vs low-contrast, Made in Germany vs Made in Japan, flare-free vs flarey, etc. One of my concerns is build quality. I fear that the ZM's might have some quality control issues. I've never held one in my hand, but do they feel substantial? And the wobble, is it a DIY fix?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Streaming modes
Live Encoding supports two types of live streaming modes: Broadcast and Publishing Point.
You can only transmit live encoding streams using Windows Media–HTTP. Clients may connect to a stream by using RTSP if that stream is relayed by a Windows Media server. However, Microsoft Expression Encoder itself will not support Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) stream generation. Also, you can use only constant bit rate encoding for either streaming mode.
When you stream using Broadcast Mode, you are specifying that the host, such as a portable computer, will broadcast the stream to a local port. A remote client then initiates streaming or pulls the content from the encoder. This client could be Windows Media Player, a Microsoft Silverlight player, or a Windows Media server. The Broadcast mode is useful for the following reasons:
You can stream the content to a limited number of clients. You can specify the number of possible client connections, up to ten. You can specify the number of possible client connections, up to 10.
You can allow each of multiple distribution servers, or individual clients that connect at different times, to connect to the content at the time that they want to receive the content.
If a server is behind a firewall, but the encoder is set up on a public network (for example, at a conference), then pulling from the encoder allows the firewalled server to keep the content protected by pulling it through a firewall and then putting the stream on a distribution server in the protected network.
In Push to Windows Media mode, you deploy the streaming content directly to a Windows Media server. For more information about how to use Windows Media Services for streaming content, see Streaming media server role: Configuring a streaming media server.


text:
I bought this because I saw some really ute animals made out of a box like this that another company sells but theirs is way more expensive. My grand-kids will love the cute critters I will make them out of this die. The box is easy to put together.
You must be logged in to comment. Please click here to log in.


text:
Skydivers die after chutes collide
Two skydivers fell hundreds of feet to their deaths after colliding over an airport in California.
Riverside County Sheriff's Department said the men's parachutes collided and deflated 300ft to 400ft in the air over Perris Valley Airport, sending both men hurtling to the ground.
Both were pronounced dead at the scene after the accident at 4pm on Thursday.
The sheriff-coroner's office identified the men as Patrick James McGowan of Menifee and Christopher David Stasky of San Diego, both 42.
Scott Smith, western regional director of the US Parachute Association, told the Riverside Press-Enterprise newspaper that Mr McGowan was a long-time instructor with Skydive Perris and had more than 17,000 jumps.
He added that Mr Stasky was helping Mr McGowan train parachute instructors for the Canadian military.


text:
The U.S. economy is expanding, fueled by a renewed consumer optimism and increased consumer spending.Continue Reading →
Tag: Retail Sales
With Retail Sales And Consumer Confidence Rising, Home Prices Are Expected To Follow
If you have plans to buy a home in 2012, the best time to buy may be now. Today's mortgage rates are low and so are the home prices — a combination that's unlikely to last.Continue Reading →
Home Affordability Set To Worsen On Thursday's Retail Sales Data
Consumer spending continues to rise nationwide, fueled by jobs growth and a rosier outlook for the U.S. economy. Unfortunately for mortgage rate shoppers, it may also lead to higher mortgage rates later this week.Continue Reading →


text:
R-Bils and Mini-Bils are the Best!
R-Bils and Mini-Bils are the Best!
Rachel and her little sister Hattie did a little drug store shopping in Santa Monica this weekend. It looks like big sis was showing the little one how to snack hard, Spears Style, with the Cheetos in hand as she left the store. Faux cheese, tye-dyed dresses over pants and boots?? She's gotta be the best babysitter ever! S-s-s-s-super cute.
0previous images
-29more images


text:
Weather eye: heatwaves and wild weather
In North America it has felt more like mid-summer this week, while a tornado ripped through Queensland, Australia
Last Tuesday marked the spring equinox, but in North America it feels more like mid-summer. An extraordinary heatwave has lasted for nearly two weeks and shattered temperature records across parts of Canada and the US. For instance, Winnipeg, Manitoba, reached 24C (75F) last week, when it would normally be expected to be around freezing. Chicago set seven record highs in successive days with temperatures reaching 29C (85F) on Tuesday, beating the previous March record set in 1910.
This heatwave has left meteorologists bewildered. Nothing like it has been recorded in archives going back 125 years — the closest equivalent of a spring heatwave happened in 1886, but that was in April, a full month later. One effect of the heat is that lakes are warming to…


text:
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Obama Health Care Law
Supreme Court upholds key part of President Barack Obama's signature healthcare overhaul law by a vote of 5-4.
A sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's signature health care overhaul law that requires that most Americans get insurance by 2014 or pay a financial penalty.
"The Affordable Care Act's requirement that certain individuals pay a financial penalty for not obtaining health insurance may reasonably be characterized as a tax," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court's majority in the opinion.
"Because the Constitution permits such a tax, it is not our role to forbid it, or to pass upon its wisdom or fairness," he concluded. The vote was 5-4.
The court's four liberal justices, Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, joined Roberts in the decision. Justices Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissented.
In another part of the decision and in a blow to the White House, a different majority on the court struck down the provision of the law that requires the states to dramatically expand the Medicaid health insurance program for the poor.
Barack Obama responded that the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the health care reform law was a victory for the American people, and he promised to implement it and improve upon it going forward.
"The highest court in the land has now spoken. We will continue to implement this law and we'll work together to improve on it where we can," Obama said at the White House.
"What we won't do - what the country can't afford to do - is re-fight the political battles of two years ago or go back to the way things were. With today's announcement, it's time for us to move forward."
Meanwhile, opponent Mitt Romney said that they American people would have to defeat Obama, in order to get rid of Obamacare.
The upholding of the insurance purchase requirement, known as the "individual mandate," was a major election-year victory for Obama, a historic ruling on the law that aimed to extend coverage to more than 30 million uninsured Americans.
The 2010 law constituted the $2.6 trillion U.S. health care system's biggest overhaul in nearly 50 years.
Critics of the law had said it meddles too much in the lives of individuals and in the business of the states.
Twenty-six of the 50 U.S. states and a small business trade group challenged the law in court. The Supreme Court in March heard three days of historic arguments over the law's fate.
The court's ruling on the law could figure prominently in the run-up to the Nov. 6 election in which Obama seeks a second four-year term against Republican challenger Mitt Romney, who opposed the law.
Want to enjoy 'Zen' reading - with no ads and just the article? Subscribe todaySubscribe now


text:
Written on: 02/06/2010
I purchased this fridge/freezer 3 yrs ago and it has been very poor quality from the start, despite being advised by the John Lewis salesman that it was made by AEG (my previous one was AEG and brilliant, had for over 10yrs without any problems!). Within the first few weeks, cracks appeared in the salad drawer front for no apparent reason. A replacement was sent and within days, the same cracks appeared. Didn't bother replacing again as obviously a design/production fault.
The fridge/freezer made strange noises (similar to what I imagine a cow in labour would make!), and the fridge was very wet and constantly mould appeared, despite the fact that it was regularly washed out. Then puddles of water appeared on the floor in front of the fridge/freezer. The door seal split, and finally (just out of warranty), the freezer temperature keeps rising. I did not expect my fridge/freezer to fail after just 3yrs.
I've spoken to John Lewis but basically they don't want to know. I was told that these things happen, I should have bought an extended warranty, and I will have to pay £75 call out for an engineer to look at it.
That's the last time I buy from John Lewis!!!!!!!!!!!!
Written on: 02/07/2010
I wholeheartedly agree with this review - my experience exactly. Just paid the call out and labour charge so now more or less committed to getting two new doors as the seals are no good, which will probably cost another £200.Only difference was I think it was the door drawers which needed replacing in warranty.
Written on: 23/11/2011
The same thing has happened to me. I paid £399 for this & thought I was getting good quality as John Lewis has the name. However I experienced many of the same problems, water on the floor, excessive rust & it is in my kitchen, bits of the outside door surrounds falling off. Now, 4 1/2 years later, it is sitting outside, as it just stopped working and the repair man said it is not worth spending money on it.
" Take off market " Read More
" Fuss free and reliable " Read More
" Don't buy. Drawers jam when frozen then fronts break off " Read More
Written by marmitemerritt
" Three months old. Compresser failed and gas leak. " Read More
Written by ladypengland
" BEKO freezer " Read More


text:
The artists represented in this exhibition create kinetic sculptures that echo the movement of natural forms and explore human experiences. Their sculptures move with elegant and articulated gestures that are powered by hand, plug-in electricity, and solar cells.
Through their work, the artists included in "Kinesthetics: Art Imitating Life" investigate various aspects of movement and how it relates to life, to a visual language, to math and time, and to our own biological and emotional rhythms. Some examine movement in nature by re-animating specimens of plant and animal forms, while others tap into our culture's anxiety about and fascination with technology. Other sculptures mimic human creative endeavors such as mark making and sound making or replicate ordinary, everyday tasks such as tying shoelaces. With the use of technology, many of the artists in this exhibition are able to subvert the predictability of motion prevalent in traditional mobiles and outdoor kinetic works.
"Kinesthetics: Art Imitating Life" is akin to a choreographed performance. Each of the sculptures in the exhibition reveals a kind of persona that evolves over time: some playful, some pensive, some menacing, each unique. Are these mysterious characters alive? These hybrid works combine elements from the natural world with mechanical parts such as wires, motors, strings, pulleys, hydraulics, and high tensile fabric. And yet they have begun to transcend their artificiality. Their gestures are no longer the gestures of clumsy automata. Their movement has become graceful and fluid. The artists in this exhibition are contemporary Pygmalions (or perhaps Dr. Frankensteins). As we watch life breathed into their sculptures, we begin to ask ourselves what it means to be alive.
U-Ram Choe
Casey Curran
Chico MacMurtrie
Reuben Margolin
Meridith Pingree
Alan Rath
Adriana Salazar
Björn Schülke
Che-Wei Wang


text:
If your dog or pet has a lot of contact with other animals then they can catch animal scabies or mange.
Just as in humans, these tiny mites borrow in the dog's skin and cause extreme itching and scratching for your pet.
Sometimes if your pets have animal scabies, these mites can cause irritation on human skin as well, if the mites get transfered from a pet to the owner.
The good news is that animal scabies won't survive in the human skin for long. The scabies mite that infects dogs is called sarcoptic mange or mange for short.
These mites have adapted to live and reproduce in furry animal skin, so therefore, they don't survive long on human skin. They will not survive long enough to reproduce and cause long term problems for the pet's owner.
Sarcoptes scabiei Mites
Sarcoptes scabiei mites are the species that infects humans and have adapted to thriving in and on the human skin.
Vice versa, these mites can't survive long on your pet's skin.
How to Tell the Difference?
If you have an itchy spot and your pet has mange then you probably have nothing to worry about. Just get your pet treated and your itchy spot will clear up in a couple days.
Human scabies will spread and not stay localized to just one or two spots. See also the other resources on my site to help identify your symptoms further. Just know if your dog has scabies there is nothing for you or your family to worry about.
Now for your dog, that's a different story, get him/her treated with a good insecticidal shampoo.


text:
Even though the mere mention of Cobb's name might imply that Stickadiboom is structured as a long drum solo, the truth is that its really an ensemble exploration, with each member delivering incredibly strong performances, warmly recorded and utterly sympathetic with each other. The feel, as has been noted elsewhere (although you don't need anyone to clue you into it, when you hear it), is reminiscent of 60s Blue Note hard bop dates, when Lee Morgan and Hank Mobley and Sonny Clark or Wynton Kelly, Cobb's old bandmate, were tearing the roof off. Indeed, throughout the album, you can easily point out highlights delivered by each band member, whether it's Crawford's teetering-on-the-edge piano on "the Freightrain," Cobb's melodic solo on the title track, Smith's heartfelt musings in "Rendezvous," and on.
It should be mentioned here that despite its classic feel, all of the tunes are originals by Haines, with Cobb contributing his own "Composition 101." Which is to say that being rooted in jazz history doesn't mean you have to be nostalgic. Swing, rather than nostalgia, is what fuels Steve Haines. And he can put his ideas into action as a teacher as well as a performer: Haines chairs the Miles Davis Jazz Studies program at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, where he teaches his students about how to love jazz and how to look beyond technique into making real music.
Jazzreview: Do you find that being close to teaching makes you think in terms of technique?
Steve Haines: No, in fact, jazz education has become a bit of a nerd fest. I absolutely believe it's a real problem with teaching composition and improvisation. Jazz education has become a scale, or a scale that fits a chord. A lot of times, orchestration and arranging usurp the melody or rhythm, and as a result we get people that have no authenticity when they play! They don't play with any melodic conception. A great example would be the blues scale. The blues scale is jive if you ask me, because you can make any scale sound like the blues! So at our school, anything we teach is always from the point of view of the music. In our arranging class, it's mostly by transcribing, by listening to bands. The biggest thing I like to tell my students is to be exposed to as much music as you possibly can, and listening deeply and carefully is the best thing you can do to help your arranging and orchestration chops.
Then when I need to compose, I just turn all that stuff off and just try to sing. There's technique, but academics have made that become the inspiration for music. I remember talking to Byron Strickland about it, and he was taught that on D minor seven he should play D Dorian and when he hit G seven to play G mixolydian, and then C major to play C Ionian. The problem with that is it's clinical, just describing it sounds like a hospital room! And all of those three things are the same seven notes! There has to be an approach that inspires listening and imagination. Melodically speaking, you just want to be able to sing! Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, they weren't thinking about mixolydian, they were just singing. We've lost a lot, because we no longer think about melodies in jazz.
Jazzreview: Do you sing along with your playing?
Steve Haines: Sure! That's why I play the bass is I'm a terrible singer. I'm trying to sing and swing. That concept of swing, that's another thing that's kind of been lost is that sense of forward propulsion, that sense of deep groove. I don't know a lot of people that would say before a gig, "hey guys, let's go up there and knock them out with weirdness!" But that's what ends up happening a lot, and jazz musicians wonder why they have no audience anymore! Students show up to gigs with a wheelbarrow of fake books, they spend fifteen minutes between tunes yakking, they're playing chords instead of singing with their spirits, and they're not listening to each other. Crazy!
Jazzreview: Do you write music on the piano, or does it start with the bass?
Steve Haines: For me it starts with the melody. I generally write things down so I don't forget them. It doesn't have to be at the piano, it could be at the kitchen table, or in the shower.
Jazzreview: So you're just walking down the street, and a melody pops into your head.
Steve Haines: Yeah, it could be like that! I might have to call my voice mail, which happens a lot. I have a terrible memory, so I'll have a great melody and I'll forget it. I have to sing it into a machine if I'm just walking around. From there, usually a melody has an implied harmony anyway, so it just pops in. Then what I might do is sit at the piano and play around with alternatives. This might be better than what I originally thought. But the piano tends to hinder it, because I'm looking for something rather than it just being there.
Jazzreview: Your record reminds me of those old Miles albums that a real sense of propulsion, a classic hard-bopping kind of vibe. How did you go about recording, and how did your regular drummer feel about getting the boot?
Steve Haines: Sure! Thanks for that. First of all, the drummer, Thomas Taylor, he was thrilled when he found out that Jimmy wanted to record with me.
Jazzreview: That's what he told you anyway!
Steve Haines: (laughs) Maybe you're right! No, I sort of felt, what if he had a chance to record with Ray Brown or Christian McBride or something. I would be like "man, you need to jump on that!" But I did want to keep him involved with the project, and I had him come up to New York to do a couple of tunes, because I really feel the identity of the band, and the band sound is important. All of the great jazz in history has typically been done in bands. The Miles Davis Quintet, Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives, the Bill Evans Trio, the Oscar Peterson trio, the classic Coltrane quartet. There's something to be said for history with a band. In this day and age, we've got a lot of jazz musicians that meet one another right before they hit in the studio, and I really wanted to have the band cohesion instead.
I was very fortunate to get a bunch of grants, so I was able to afford the Clinton Studio, it has a large room. As soon as I went in the room and spoke and put my fingers on the piano, I realized, oh this is worth it. It's a very, very special place. The last part of the puzzle was that I needed somebody whose ears I trusted as much or more than my own, so I hired Branford's recording engineer Rob Hunter. He's got wonderfully developed listening skills. We were all in the room together, in a circle around the piano. You could hear the room.
As far as the compositions are concerned, I wanted to keep things really simple. It was a real challenge for me, I wanted to do things I could practically just sing to the band as opposed to writing it all out. That has a lot to do with Jimmy. We had a couple of rehearsals with him, I'm not going to give him six pages of music to play, it had to be something he could instantly get, that lays easy. I think there are benefits to that compositionally speaking too.
Jazzreview: Tell me about how you met Jimmy and convinced him to come play.
Steve Haines: Branford Marsalis was recording in Greensboro, and Jimmy was doing that, so I got a chance to hang out a little with him and his wife, and we just sort of hit it off. About a year later we had him back as a special guest at the University for the Miles Davis jazz festival. We flew in Miles' children, we brought in some other alumni of Miles, and on that weekend I gave him my first record. Four or five months later, I gave him a call, and I heard my music in the background. He said, "Man, I really like your record." I was pretty humbled to hear that! And he said, "If you ever want to play, if you ever want to record, let me know." Of course I said, "Now, don't you be saying that unless you mean it!" That would be really, really special! So we did it! It was a very special thing for me.
Jazzreview: I can only imagine.
Steve Haines: It was pretty great. The coolest thing for me, the call for the band on the first day was noon, I got there around ten thirty, Jimmy got there around quarter to eleven. He was playing by eleven. He just kept playing, warming up, practicing. The band showed up around eleven thirty, here's the guys getting there, and Jimmy's already there. That was special! The other thing was, he said, hey, let's do this tune. We all gathered around, and he sang it to us. Oh, man, the way he sang it! I wish I had a microphone, you should have heard him! It was like nothing I had ever heard before, just him singing the melody to a tune. It was so swingin'! So amazing.
Jazzreview: Did he tell you any stories?
Steve Haines: No, we were so involved in the music we were playing. After we'd play a few takes, we'd listen really intensely to it, and one of us would say, ahh I'm not happy with that, or whatever. There were other times when we hung out and he told me stories, but during the recording we were just really focused. There was one story, when he first moved to New York from Washington, the piano player took him backstage and asked him to hold his drug paraphernalia. Then the guy rolled up his sleeve and shot himself up with heroin. The whole thing, with the snapping of the rubber tube, Jimmy just stood there with his mouth open. It was the best thing that ever happened to him, because it scared the hell of him. From that moment on, he decided he'd never do that stuff! And thank God, because he's still playing like a freak! Every track we did, he was just so musical. It was unbelievable.
Jazzreview: Does your job at the university inhibit your ability to go out and play gigs?
Steve Haines: Actually, the opposite is true, it helps me get gigs. The university actually pushes me out the door, because they want people to go do their research, and my research is performance and composition. They have grants to help pay for travel. I'm going to New Zealand to play and make a record, this summer, I'll be in the Czech Republic this summer, performing, and they're gonna help pay for the travel. I miss a lot of school because of my performance schedule, but as long as I make up my lessons, they're happy with me. It's a great gig.
Jazzreview: Wouldn't it be more advantageous to be based in New York?
Steve Haines: Yes, and I lived in New York for over a year just recently. I just got back in July. I loved it, I got to do a lot of playing. I played with Joe Chambers, Joel Frahm, Seamus Blake, Wycliffe Gordon. It was a great experience as far as playing. On the other hand, home is where the work is. I still frequent NYC, I'm very lucky to be able to go back and forth.
Jazzreview: What's the connection to Miles Davis with the university?
Steve Haines: A good friend of his named Buddy Gift lives in Greensboro. Buddy helped raise Miles' children when Miles was on the road, so he was very close to the family. He got talking to me and the person that was there before me. Eventually he donated the trumpet that Miles used on Kind of Blue to the school.
Jazzreview: Whoa!
Steve Haines: Yeah, it's heavy! So there was a dialogue between the university and the Miles Davis estate, they were invited to the university, and some university brass went to New York and got a tour of the Columbia studios. The North Carolina board of governors passed the Miles Davis program as a name and the estate gave us permission to have exclusivity with the name in a university setting. That's how it all started.
Jazzreview: When you took over the program, did you have to change anything? Fix anything?
Steve Haines: Oh yeah. Jazz, when I started, was considered to be secondary music. It was a very conservative school. Jazz wasn't allowed to be performed at convocation, whereas every other music from the school was. There was a jazz major, but there were no scholarships, because it wasn't considered worthy. There was no jazz theory class, jazz ear training. There was no jazz piano. A lot of things were just plain missing. It was like this huge, sacred name, "Miles Davis", and behind the curtain there was an empty stage. My feeling was if you have the Miles Davis name, you have to do something really special!
Jazzreview: It seems like you have quite a roster of visiting artists.
Steve Haines: Yeah! Probably the most memorable was, we did a record with Dewey Redman. Nobody had ever arranged his music for a large jazz group, and he had never performed with a big band. So when he came, all of our students took his music and arranged it for large jazz ensemble, which in itself is a huge topic. It was an amazing learning curve! Then we did a live recording of it, which is out there and available, called Live with Dewey Redman.
Man, his sound was the most breathtakingly beautiful sound I've ever heard on the tenor saxophone. And to hear the sound of Cecil Taylor's piano voicings in the brass was incredible. Dewey was so wonderful, he was incredibly honored. The very first conversation I had with him, he was very aloof. I had to call him three or four times. He finally told me that he was accepting because I had never asked him to bring his son Joshua! I said, what do you mean by that, Mr. Redman? He said that a lot of people call him for gigs just so that can get him to bring his son, and it makes him feel bad because he's been playing music for a long time. But obviously, we wanted Dewey Redman! Honestly, he was taken aback when he heard the music in rehearsal. He was overwhelmed. He must have sent me half a dozen letters after that fact, thanking us.


text:
Jeremy P.wrote a review of Osprey Packs Escapist 30 Backpack - 1648-1831cu in on January 27, 2012
I got this pack for day hikes and biking and its perfect size for my needs. I wanted a pack I could fit a sleeping bag and a lightweight tent in for an overnight hike and this pack can do it. I am 150# and 5' 10" athletic build and got the M/L and on the smallest setting it seems to be right where it needs to for a comfortable fit. I can't say enough for this pack it is one of the most feature loaded day packs I have ever seen and without the weight. This pack is plenty big for me to take on a weekend hike and will fit all my gear no problem, keep in mind its all ultralight gear though. Osprey out did themselves on this pack; I love the sleeping bag compartment because I can unzip the panel between it and the main compartment and my tent fits great in the bag. This pack also has a fantastic high visibility rain cover built into a compartment on the bottom of the bag.


text:
Image copyright:
Please sign in to comment. Don't have a profile? Join now! Joining is absolutely free and no personal information is required.
As feederjohn said below, we are ALL pulling for you & are in your corner. When you are able to get online once a day, hopefully we can provide a smile for you !!!
H'i Gene pulling for you my friend jb:~)
Thank U
Good evening Gene .. Hope this finds you better...
Feeling better Gene? I really hope so!!
Sept 2, 2013--We all miss you Gene and hope you know that. Prayers sent your way lately and hope they find their way to you from all your jigidi friends.
I've been missing you and hope you will be well enough to be back with us again soon! Sending strong healing medicine your way! Libby ;-)
Good to see you Gene ... Hope you are feeling better...
Thank U all
I am praying for you Gene! you'll get better!
Just want you to know that I am thinking of you. Hope you are more comfortable today.
Thank U Patti n Suzy :-))))
Sending positive and healing thoughts to you, Gene. Know we are all pulling for you to get better.Gentle hugs!
Aww, Gene. I'm so sorry to hear that. I surely hope you will be well soon! Lots of love to you!
am not to well my friend but get on for a few minutes and thanks for asking !
How are you Gene?
Thanks for a fine puzzle Gene reminds me of my great grand daughter thanks again jb:~))
Thank U friends
Hi Gene - just touching bases - hope you are doing OK.
Think of you every day, Gene. Be strong, my friend.
Thank U Patti n Suzy
Nice to see you commenting, Gene. Know we are here sending positive vibes to you!
Hi my friends trying hard :-)))
Hi Gene! Thinking of you! Hope all is well!
Missing your postings Gene!!
Beautiful Gene.Hi and Hugs. :)
Gorgeous, Gene!
AAAWWWWW she's absolutely adorable Gene, love the teddy bear too! So cute! Reminds me of myself when I was that small, sitting at the table reading to my teddy bear!
This is adorable Gnt, thanks.
Hey, Gene. Just checking in with you. Missing your posts, and am hoping you're doing well.Suzy
Thanks for the comments
OMG, Gene, this one goes straight to the heart strings; what little girl hasn't spent some time reading to her dolls & animals! Thank you so much!And I echo the thought below, hopefully you are stronger each day. :))
Great one Gene and hope you are feeling well.
In all of the paintings you have posted of Rodriguez, I guess I had him put in a little box that said "west" and "southwest". This painting gives me a new look into the artistry of him.
Very sweet!! thanks Gene
The lamp, the carving on the table all of it is older stuff but the style has changes some. Its really nice though!!
This is soo beautiful Gene, nice set again, and thank you Gene for your nice comments!!
Agree with their comments totally.
So different from what we expect from Rodriguez but a lovely painting. Thanks for all today, my friend.
Sweet! Really nice selection today. Thank so much, Gene. You always find the nicest paintings to share with us.


text:
These Elegy Jesus poems are examples of Elegy poems about Jesus. These are the best examples of Elegy Jesus poems written by international PoetrySoup poets
If you don't find the poem you want here, try our incredible, super duper, all-knowing, advanced poem search engine.
For B.I.
It is that feeling
when sleep is to miss
awakening or awake
you believe the heart
pounding it with angels
Copyright © Collin Lam | Year Posted 2013
Here lies too great gentlemen, father and son.
Named after Edgar Alan Poe, so great a man was he.
But now, alas! They are now where Poe is,
There spirits having returned to God until that Glorious Day.
Copyright © Rainbow Promise | Year Posted 2015
God ! God ! Why have you forsaken me ! Translation of Pierre Emmanuel's Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani by T. Wignesan
Opening the eyes requires such an immense effort
As if the entire sky were their eyelids
And the forehead how to hold it up raise the earth
To stare wide-eyed the space between the sticky eyebrows
In order to be able to see
All of a sudden the neatness of the slashes
Of black and white during the afternoon's storm
A world of sharp detached angles
The exact banality of the tiniest things
All for nothing
So therefore it's really for nothing he was going to die
On this stump of a cross his ankles frozen
By your atrocious coming and going to the beat of the
Inundating the cramped sinister woods
O ! the Crowd !
If the gallows were the Tree in the Garden
Indeed it has changed since Adam enjoyed its shade
So vast and dark in waves of palms towering high
The taste of these nocturnal waters rendered them insipid
The sky
Adam concentrated on the fruit and in the fruit the night
His eye was the ultimate star the most solitary
Someone wanted to destroy himself screaming into it
The hand already held the fruit. Of a sudden the anguish
Now the Tree is extirpated from all space
Its sap is concentrated in one monstruous fruit
This body where God is shrivelled up this Face
Of the Person in the désert of an over-populated world
This is the Man
God ! God ! Why have you forsaken me !
The Christ as pulp bruised empties itself in the depths of
the void
The entire spirit is drawn upwards by the cry
But the taciturn echo awaits that it enters into him
The Yes
This Yes that Adam has refused him in the Garden
Adam Christ uttered it out loud to sum up his tortures
Necessary that the act of abandonment be out of
And the cross the supreme echo of divine Names.
(La nouvelle naissance, O. C. t. I, p. 1088)
© T. Wignesan – Paris, 2014
Copyright © T Wignesan | Year Posted 2014
When I think about the love that she has given me, it makes me think of how one
could love so deeply, how could one have a love so pure. I love this women for
just who she was, she has left me gifts that I cherish, she has been my
inspiration, my best friend, my mother.
When she called daughter, I listened with my ears, but her words went depper
than the ears could hear. Now that your gone, I can truly hear those words, those
scriptures that wer given that my heart has hidden within. The signs you gave I
can now see, thank God I am no longer blinded to what you always could see.
I miss you so much, but I know the only way for me to see you again is to live my
life according to God's will. I thank God for allowing me to know someone as
great as you, to be in your presence was not by chance but predistined to what
soon lies ahead. I can't stop thinking about all that we been through and how I
met you. I can't stop remembering how much I love you.
I cry not because your not with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I cry because I
miss you here on earth. I feel like a piece of me is gone, I feel like no one will
ever understand the depth of our relationship or our love, I love you so very
much. I wish that I could have been there with you to see you go home to glory.
I am hurt but I know that God has my back in everything I do. I promise you I will
always put God first in all that I do. I pray that when your watching over us, you will
smile and continue to pray for us. Your love is very much undescribable, but
when I think again it's nothing but that Agape love! The same love that Jesus has
for me. I love you Willie, and I going to press on Mommy until God calls me
Copyright © Tiffeny Thorpe | Year Posted 2006
Jesus called you home today
Said your time was up
Please walk this way
Follow him through the Pearly Gates
As you step through Heaven's Door
Please remember these few words
Mother I will miss you so
I'm sorry you had to go
You were only 49 years old
But your time on Earth was done
Now it was time for you to be an Angel
I know you'll be there to watch out for me
Like you were when you where here
I am happy though
You don't have to suffer from the cancer and stroke
Jesus took your hand and lead you home
Showed you a new life to live
Even though you are truely missed
I know theres holes in the floor of Heaven
And your my guardian Angel
Watching out for me through my troubled times
You are still my guiding light
I love you mom but know its time
Cause Jesus called you home today
Copyright © Christina Beeler | Year Posted 2009
Another set of Angel wings was delivered today
As Jesus walked my mother through them Pearly Gates
And even though I cried so hard
I knew she was better off
She didn't have to suffer in pain
She could finally be set free again
God gave her her wings
As Jesus called her home
She is still loved and missed
But at least she's still here in the mist
Takeing my hand in troubled times
Guiding me from wrong to right
Another set of wings were delivered today
As Jesus called my mother home
She's an Angel in Heaven now
And I know she's always around
There are many of our friends and families who are no longer with us this day
So in the name of Jesus for them we will pray
We reach towards the hands of God, the Lord and master of our lives
We worship Him and praise Him in His son's name, The Lord Jesus Christ
We look up to His face, we look up to His eyes
We honor HIm today, we glorify Him who lives up high
How excellent Is your name oh Lord down here on earth
We magnify your presence, we place you first
We stand before you today oh Lord In the Need of Prayer
We come to you oh Lord as adopted sons and daughters
Exalting your name like all good children ought of
An whenever the seasons of life happen to intercede
We come to you Father God with our hands stretched out in need
We trust in you completely and thank you for all that you have done
Our hands in supplications because of the sacrifice of your son
Forgive us for our guilty feelings, our doubts and all of our fears
Remove the iniquity form our hearts, a burden we no longer wish to bear
We stand before you once again oh Lord In the Need of Prayer
Let your son's blood cover us and give us the breath of life
In the name of Jesus, the Kingdom that is Christ
Who died for our wholeness, who died for our sins
We thank you for the salvation and to be back in your good graces once again
By the covenant of the blood that was shed on Mount Calvary
On the crown and on the cross for all humanity to see
We stand before you this day oh Lord in the Need of Prayer
Copyright © louise nelson | Year Posted 2007


text:
It's open to debate why director Woo-Suk Kang ("Silmido") has made a sequel to his popular 2002 crime film "Public Enemy" by bringing back the same star, but have him be a completely new character that just happens to share the same name as the character he played in the original. Confused? Don't be. When you come right down to it, "Another Public Enemy" is essentially the same movie as its predecessor, which makes it less than a sequel and more of an unnecessary re-imagining. Except, of course, there isn't a whole lot of "re-imagining" going on, which may beg the question: "Why?"
The answer seems readily obvious: the first one made money. So why not?
"Another Public Enemy" brings back star Kyung-gu Sol as Chul-jung Kang, a criminal prosecutor so devoted to his job that he voluntarily goes out on raids with the cops. As Kang informs us in the film's opening scenes, it was while watching handsome rich boys like Sang-woo Han (Jun-ho Jeong) flaunt their ability to get out of any trouble using their wealthy pedigree that convinced Kang there was a desperate need for honest men in the criminal system. Now adults, Sang-woo and Kang crosses paths once again when the former is suspected in not only his father's death, but also the near fatal "accident" of his younger brother.
As Kang begins his investigation, he discovers that the rich have ways to skirt justice, and it includes leisurely trips on posh golf courses with politicians and, literally, buckets of cash tossed into the trunk while the golf game is in full swing. As he did when he was a schoolboy, Sang-woo puts on the full court press using his power and privilege to stifle Kang's investigation, and failing that, it's time for something more personal and face-to-face, with fists doing the talking.
If you've seen the first "Public Enemy", "Another Public Enemy" is essentially working from the same script. Once more, the underdog Kang, who despite having an amazing memory and devout adherence to truth, justice, and the Korean way this go-round, is still very much out-classed, out-smarted, and out-charmed by the sociopath Sang-woo. As with the original, Kang finds a way around his obstacles using pure mad dog persistence. The guy really is quite amazing if you think about it, which may explain why the filmmakers were so hesitant to tinker with the character at all aside from affixing him with a new job title.
As an odd, parallel universe offshoot of the original, or even as a new movie entirely, "Another Public Enemy" is serviceable as a drama/comedy/crime film, even if it does last much too long at over two hours-plus of running time. That means much of the film is spent with uninteresting bureaucratic maneuvering as Kang attempts to do his job while the bosses try to block him at every step. It's all very uninteresting stuff, and would actually be somewhat more interesting if we hadn't already seen it the first time around in the original film. In short, there doesn't seem to be any practical reason why the film should be two hours, much less two hours and 20 minutes.
In the lead, Kyung-gu Sol is convincing and endearing as the stoic prosecutor, and Sang-woo makes a good villain, the kind of rich scum that you want Kang to clean up at all cost. Less respectable is the film's not-so-subtle uses of the Sang-woo character as a representative of a certain Western power, while Kang represents the pious, steadfastness and honesty of Mother Korea. If you didn't "get" that Sang-woo is supposed to represent Evil America by the many mentions of America in association with Sang-woo's evil deeds, then all traces of doubt should vanish when Sang-woo boasts that he's an "all American" citizen. At a time when anti-Americanism is a trendy fad in Korea, such predictable and self-serving politicking by the filmmakers is more than a little disgusting.
If you enjoyed the mesh of comedy, drama, and violence of the original, "Another Public Enemy" is a second serving, and little else. Add to that some red meat for the home crowd via the film's jingoistic nationalism (which in itself is an oddity, as you seldom find nationalistic pride in crime films), and this is serviceable entertainment for the undemanding masses. There's little detour in the formula by director Woo-Suk Kang, which, depending on your expectations, is either a good thing or a bad thing. One does wish the sequel had ventured into new territory, as there doesn't seem to be any real reason to make a sequel if there wasn't any ambition attached.
Heck, even the filmmakers behind "My Wife is a Gangster" gave their leading lady amnesia in the sequel. Woo-Suk Kang and company didn't even bother to give their hero a new name. Is that laziness or homage? You decide.
Woo-Suk Kang (director) / Woo-Suk Kang (screenplay)
CAST: Kyung-gu Sol …. Chul-jung Kang
Jun-ho Jeong …. Sang-woo Han
Shin-il Kang …. Shin-il Kim


text:
Time Schedule:
Jane K Brown
Seattle Campus
Explores topics in literature and cultures of the early modern world (approximately 1400-1800) across national and regional cultures, such as particular movements, authors, genres, themes, or problems.
Class description
European Drama of the Golden Age
The seventeenth century was a golden age of drama across Europe, where the stage rapidly came to include lavish visual spectacle and music as well as passionate action and magnificent poetry. Plays of the period were among the most important of public media, a popular and influential forum of political representation by both church and state. This course will explore examples from England, Spain, France, Italy, Holland, and Germany. We will take account not only of the drama's poetic form, but also of the aesthetic and social contexts from which they emerged, and of performance practice, as we consider works by Shakespeare, Calderon, Corneille, Racine, Vondel, Gryphius , and at least one opera from the period. Assignments will include several short exercises and two papers.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading


text:
Mountains of Martuljek from...
|[ Sizes: Orig | Med | Small | Thumb ]
Mountains of Martuljek from the summit of Spik. Dovski Kriz is in the very centre and can be from here hardly distinguished from Siroka pec (extending towards left). Just below the summit (where the shadow frontier goes) runs from snow rests upwards a little towards right the Jug's couloir. Also in summer (this is August) snow rests in it can be seen.
Rate This Image
Current Score: 76.34%
Log In To Vote
[ View 7 Votes | Post Comment ]
Jug's Couloir (Route)
Vid Pogachnik's Image Gallery
Dovski Kriz (Mountain/Rock)
Image Data
Image ID: 29581
Hits: 2810
Lat/Lon: 46.44110°N / 13.84660°E
Object Title: Mountains of Martuljek from...


text:
You are here
Pondering retirement? Try it in phases
Is farming a profession or a lifestyle? The majority of farmers are likely to say the latter.
That makes a topic and life transition like retirement something of a tough topic for a lot of farmers. It makes the prospect of stepping away from the daily work on the farm something of a quandary for many; does doing so mean you're altogether changing your entire lifestyle, or is there, in fact, "life after farming?"
The majority of farmers in the U.S. today are nearing what's considered typical retirement age; the average age of Successful Farming magazine readers, for example, is 56, according to Successful Farming research. Farmers over the age of 65, according to the latest USDA Census of Agriculture, comprise the largest demographic growth area, and that segment's rate of growth is only sharpening.
"The fastest growing group of farm operators is those 65 years and over," according to the 2007 USDA Census of Agriculture. "In 2007, there were 54,147 operators under the age of 25 and 289,999 operators 75 years and over."
So, farmers -- like everyone on the planet -- are aging. That means the inevitable question of whether or not to hang up the work gloves and tractor keys is on a growing number of farmers' minds.
"Moving off the farm. It's my idea," says Agriculture.com Farm Business Talk veteran advisor sw363535. "I am getting close to that age (whatever that age is) and for some health reasons, I am diminishing my leadership role at the farm.
"What did you do to make it work for you? What happened to you that you did not foresee?"
Experts say the answer to those questions start with defining your readiness for the change. That's a decision that should encompass physical, financial and emotional readiness, according to a set of reports based on focus groups with farmers from the Rutgers University New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station entitled "Later Life Farming."
"Retirement plans aren't one-size-fits-all, and there is no 'right' time to retire, if ever. If working on a farm (or anywhere else) makes you happy, as well as more financially secure, there is absolutely no reason, other than perhaps poor health, to stop," according to the report that sought opinions on the topic from that state's farmers, many of whom said farming is "in their blood," making the retirement decision a difficult one.
The financial consideration's a major one when deciding when to retire from the farm. By that point in life, you've likely pulled together a sum of money from which you can draw living expenses. But, if you feel like you've yet to reach the point where that's sustainable, you also need to remain aware of the potential pitfalls of continuing to work on the farm. In other words, with age comes mounting challenges to doing the work that was once easy.
"The only caution about working in later life is to be realistic about how long you will be physically able to farm when making retirement savings calculations," according to the Rutgers report. "The activities that someone is able to do at age 85 are likely to be very different from what they can do at age 65 or 70."
A few key questions to ask yourself, according to the Rutgers report, when gauging your retirement readiness include:
Where do I plan to live?
How do I plan to spend my time?
How do I envision relationships with family and friends?
Do I plan to work full-time, part-time or as a volunteer?
And, don't overlook the gratification you get from your work on the farm: "For many people, work is also a big source of satisfaction. As one farmer in a focus group stated 'Farming kind of becomes a lifestyle. It puts meaning in your day,'" the Rutgers report says.
Phase it in
One option for retirement from your farm work can be handling it in steps or phases. This is a good option, experts say, for farmers who have a clear succession plan in place that allows them to transfer some daily duties to the younger generation, like Farm Business Talk's sw363535.
"The next generation is here, ready and getting better at it every day. I am proud of 'em," he says.
If you've reached that point and are ready to pull the trigger, try looking at the jobs on your farm that would most make your life easier if passed on to the next generation.
"This is a very individual process that varies from farm to farm. It brings up emotional issues as well as financial ones and if not approached carefully can result in a lot of hard feelings," according to the Rutgers report. "It is important to have a meeting of all family members involved in the process and develop a clear plan of responsibilities."
But, it's not always a family member. Gradually easing into retirement alongside a non-family successor can have major benefits if carried out the right way. "you can gradually retire, and the new owner can gradually become the farm owner. It is important to have a clear understanding, with a binding written legal contract, of how this transfer will take place," the Rutgers report states, adding downsizing or selling off equipment, land or animals can be another way to make the transition into retirement a gradual one.
A big key to making a phased-in retirement successful goes beyond money and work. It's more about keeping yourself engaged, whether it's in that part-time farm work you continue to do, or a new venture or hobby, farmers say.
"It's very easy to become bored in retirement. Make sure you develop other interests to keep you occupied but playing cards or pool in a camp ground doesn't do it for me," says Farm Business Talk senior advisor kraft-t.
For some, those interests may continue to be farm work. Farm Business Talk contributor and friend 40101444105 says he's "semi-retired" but still drives a grain truck during fall harvest and continues to work on his farm's machinery, including 2 classic tractors he's restoring.
"I guess when your family farms, you never really fully retire," he says.
For others, it's an all-out hobby off the farm. They may continue to have a hand in farm operations at key points during the year, but less of an overall management role.
"In retirement, we purchased a small travel trailer. Liked it so much that we now have a diesel pusher. Been in all 50 states except Arizona and Hawaii. Have been to Alaska twice," adds Farm Business Talk senior contributor old man, who at 88 years old eventually phased out his role on the farm after his daughter and son-in-law took over the operation. "Best advice that I can give in a situation like we were in is to learn to 'Shut up. Give advice sparingly and only when asked.' If I hadn't [retired], I would probably be in a wheelchair. You have to give up control sometime."


text:
One Eye on Sandy, One Eye on Election Day
Megastorm turns American politics a little bit schizophrenic.
A week before the U.S. presidential elections, superstorm Sandy brought to both parties' campaigns this perfectly schizophrenic moment: Candidates canceled...
Want to enjoy 'Zen' reading - with no ads and just the article? Subscribe todaySubscribe now


text:
We all love pizza. I know that I do and several have speculated how it will be ordered in the future. Don't take my word for it, check out the video below:
Ordering Pizza in the Future: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNJl9EEcsoE
While it may seem strange that in the year 2015 people are using Windows 98 to order pizza, it may be more realistic to say they will be using Windows 8 instead. So, let's build a Windows 8 HTML app using several new controls that are part of Telerik's Windows 8 UI Controls that we have not seen yet. They include: RadDropDownList, RadSlider and RadGauge.
So far, we have covered a variety of controls included in the HTML control suite and I think it may be beneficial for you to review these posts or just keep them handy as a reference in case you run into any problems in the future.
From Soup to Nuts with RadControls for Metro (HTML5) – Covered starting a brand new project using VS2012 and RadControls for Metro. It walks you through step-by-step in creating a chart useful in your next Line of Business application.
RadNumericBox for Windows 8–HTML – This blog post walked you through various ways of adding RadNumericBox to a page, binding the control declarative and even wiring up event handlers.
RadComboBox and RadAutoComplete for Windows 8–HTML – This blog post walked you through both RadComboBox and RadAutoCompleteBox and why you may choose one over the other. It describes in detail how to use it in your next application.
Create an Appointment Tracking App with RadDatePicker & RadTimePicker – This blog post walked you through creating a sample Appointment Tracking application using both RadDatePicker and RadTimePicker. It also describes how to further customize the data within the controls.
Just like we saw last time, I used a storyboard to visualize our application before writing any code. For this application, I'm going to use the PowerPoint StoryBoarding just like last time. Below you can visualize what our single page Windows 8 Store application looks like.
Figure 1: Customize Your Pizza Application
Please note that I prefer the light theme for storyboarding purposes.
In this application, we are going to let the user select a topping using RadDropDownList. They will also have the option of adding the amount of sauce by using RadSlider (which comes with the handy buttons on the left and right hand side – they can be turned off if necessary). Finally, we have a delivery time which uses RadRadialGauge and randomly generates how many minutes it will take to receive their pizza. The user can then press the "Place Order" button to simulate an order being dispatched.
Launch Visual Studio 2012 from the Start Screen and selecting "Templates" -> "Other Languages" -> "JavaScript" then "Windows Store". If you are using the RC, then it located under "Windows Metro Style". Select "Blank App" then give it a name and select the OK button as shown below.
In this sample, we are going to use the name OrderAPizza. Once the project loads, we need to right click on References and select "Add Reference".
From here, we can select "RadControls for Metro" and press OK. (Please note: Name changed slightly from Beta to RC – we are using the RC bits here)
If you look under References, you will see "RadControls for Metro" has been added.
The first thing that I want to do for this sample application is setup my page to resemble the storyboard used in Figure 1. Even though we just added a reference to the Telerik controls, we are going to need to add the following Telerik JavaScript/CSS Files to our application as well. This will give us access to all of the styles/controls available to us by Telerik.
1:
2:
3: <link href="///Telerik.UI/css/common.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
4: <link href="///Telerik.UI/css/dark.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
We can also use the built-in styles supplied by Microsoft to put together a user interface quickly and easily. Copy and paste the following code and put it inside your  tags.
1:
2:

3:
4:

5: Customize Your Pizza

6:

7:
8:

9:
Select Topping:

21:
Amount of Sauce: (10 = heavy)

22:
Delivery Time: (in minutes)

23:

24:

26:

27: <button type="button" id="saveButton" >Save Order</button>
28:

29:

30:

31:

33:
The special tags to pay attention to are the ones with data-win-control:
You will quickly notice that each of these controls have several properties located in data-win-options that customizes the look and feel of them. Let's drill into each one and take a look.
Taking a quick peek at RadDropDownList you can see that we specified a JavaScriptArray as the datasource, but this could have been binding to a remote data source as described in the RadComboBox blog post. We could also fire open Blend for Visual Studio and see this control has several other options we could have changed.
Next up is RadSlider, Telerik actually provides two versions of the slider control. RadSlider which is used in this application and RadRangeSlider. Both of these controls are very flexible and you can see below an example of each.
RadRangeSlider: The slider has two value indicators for the minimum and maximum value of the selected range. This type of slider does not support buttons.
RadSlider: This slider has one value indicator for the selected value. This type of slider does support increase/decrease value buttons.
Just like RadSlider, RadGauge comes in two forms. RadRadialGauge and RadLinearGauge. We used RadRadialGauge in this application and set min, max, ranges and values for it. Again, both of these controls are very flexible and you can see below an example of each.
RadRadialGauge : draws a circular scale and ranges and its pointer is an arrow that rotates to the set value on the scale.
RadLinearGauge : draws a horizontal or vertical linear scale and ranges and its pointer is a bar that rises to the set value on the scale.
Now that we have our User Interface defined, let's go ahead and add functionality for our "Save Order" button.
So far our application runs, but the Save Order button is not active. We are going to jump over to default.js and locate the following line:
Underneath it, add the following six lines of code with some additional code to generate a random number for the delivery time that will be used in our RadRadialGauge:
1: //Attach Click Event Handler for Save Button
2: var SaveButton = document.getElementById("saveButton");
3: SaveButton.addEventListener("click", SavebuttonClickHandler, false);
5: //Randomize the time it takes for delivery
6: var randomnumber = Math.floor(Math.random() * 61);
7: var ranNumber = document.getElementById("selectedTime");
8: ranNumber.winControl.value = randomnumber;
Next, you need to add a function called SavebuttonClickHandler to run code once the Save Order button has been clicked. Add this function underneath app.oncheckpoint. Here's the function in it's entirely:
1: function SavebuttonClickHandler(eventInfo) {
2: var selToppings = document.getElementById("selectedToppings").winControl.value;
3: var selSauce = document.getElementById("selectedSauce").winControl.value;
4: if (selSauce > 5) {
5: var sauceAnswer = "added";
6: }
7: else {
8: var sauceAnswer = "regular";
9: }
10: var selTime = document.getElementById("selectedTime").winControl.value;
11: document.getElementById("pizzaOutput").innerText = "You have selected " + selToppings + " as a topping with " + sauceAnswer + " sauce and have a delivery time of " + selTime + " minutes";
12: }
With the addition of this function, you've defined several local variables that gets the value in our multiple input/span tags. We have also added a simple if/then statement to get the range of our RadSlider control to add the text of "added" or "regular" inside our pizzaOutput div by appending each local variable with hardcoded text. Let's go ahead and run it in the simulator and see our results:
With just a little bit of JavaScript our application comes alive! This is just one of the ways you may implement these controls in your application. Blend for Visual Studio is also fully supported as well as creating the controls programmatically via JavaScript. Feel free to explore this project with the download link provided below.
Download this project.
In this blog post, we took a look at three important controls: RadDropDownList, RadSlider and RadGauge part of Telerik's Windows 8 UI Controls. We saw just how easy you can implement the controls in a real-world application using VS2012 and/or Blend for Visual Studio. I encourage you to check out the other controls available in the suite.
Thanks again and if you have any questions or comments, then feel free to drop them in the comments section below.
Michael Crump is a Microsoft MVP, Pluralsight and MSDN author as well as an international speaker. He works at Telerik with a focus on everything mobile. You can follow him on Twitter at @mbcrump or keep up with his various blogs by visiting his Telerik Blog or his Personal Blog.


text:
The Open Visual Communications Consortium (OVCC) is intended to enable people working at different companies to conduct voice and videoconferences regardless of what conferencing service each of them uses.
The goal of the OVCC is as simple as one cellphone being able to call another, even though each are served by different carriers, said John Poole, senior director of business development at Polycom.
"We're giving all our end customers what they're asking for, which is, 'don't make me have to think about who's on the other end and what network they're on and who did they buy it from,'" Poole said.
Service providers in the OVCC can differentiate themselves to be competitive but still provide a base level of service so users will have the same experience conferencing with others, he said.
The OVCC would operate a cloud-based service where participants in a voice or videoconference would make a reservation for a particular time and provide a number that people would dial at that time. Conferences could also be set up on an ad hoc basis on short notice. Like the Internet model, participants would take different routes on a network to reach the same conference bridge, just like people from different locations take different routes to reach a particular website, Poole said.
Service providers joining the consortium include telecommunications service providers in the United States and abroad, including AT&T, Verizon, BT Conferencing, Orange Business Services, Airtel, and Telefonica, as well as enterprise network providers such as Global Crossing.
Improving interoperability is consistent with Metcalfe's Law, said Poole, which states that the value of a telecommunications network is proportional to the square of the number of connected users of the system.
Already, Forrester Research forecasts the worldwide enterprise unified communications market to grow to $14.5 billion in 2015, from $3.75 billion in 2010.
"A critical priority for almost every CIO is to improve collaboration within their firm, and thus drive effectiveness and efficiency," said Henry Dewing, a Forrester analyst. A 2010 Forrester survey of telecommunications professionals at businesses revealed that 47% of respondents were giving a high priority to implementing or expanding collaboration technology.
"OVCC is founded on the concept that open video services delivered in cross-carrier environments will enable open video communications to become as ubiquitous as open telephony services delivered in cross-carrier environments," Dewing said.
Innovative IT shops are turning the mobile device management challenge into a business opportunity--and showing that we can help people be more connected and collaborative, regardless of location. Read the new report from InformationWeek Analytics. Download it now. (Free registration required.)


text:
Crews prepare land in Youngstown for amphitheater construction
For weeks, dump trucks have been hauling dirt and other materials to the site of the old Wean United plant, which was torn down last year.
For weeks, dump trucks have been hauling dirt and other materials to the site of the old Wean United plant, which was torn down last year.
According to court papers, a person of interest in the case used Difrischia's card at the Hermitage Walmart on May 10.
The Dragon Wagon and about $5,000 worth of merchandise was destroyed, with just six days until the start of the season.
The entire exhibit will be housed in a translucent tent and extra security will be on hand.
Prosecutors say the suspect met a pair of teenage girls through social media and had improper contact with them.
Police say Kovachik convinced the victim to sign over power of attorney and then cashed her savings bonds.
Officers said they had to tase the man several times to get him to spit out a baggie of drugs in his mouth.
Crestview Schools is the first district in the area to use a new technology, designed to stop the spread of germs.
James F. Nicolaus, 82, passed away Friday, August 19, 2016
The man struggled with an officer during a traffic stop and punched him in the face, according to police.
An indictment charges Alisha Bowers with setting fire to an East High Avenue home on April 16.
Police say the Springfield Township woman was arrested after a short pursuit.
A police officer caught him smoking pot in a state-owned vehicle.
The nation's unemployment rate for last month was 4.9 percent.
The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't put all the blame on quarterback Landry Jones for Thursday's preseason loss.
The closure was part of a road-widening project on Interstate 80.
Ohio is among several states competing to play a role in the testing of self-driving vehicles.
Investigators say Chauncey Chandler shot 25-year-old Jesse Harden, found lying on a sidewalk with gunshot wounds.
Cleo Sammons, 84, departed this life on August 19, 2016
Police said Clark tried choking her boyfriend with a phone charger while he was driving with her child in the back seat.
Obama has said his negotiators secured the U.S. a good deal.
MyValleyTributes death records
Important Notice About Our Privacy Policy: We have modified our Privacy Policy to update and clarify our data collection, use, and disclosure practices.
By using this site, you agree to the updated Privacy Policy and Terms of Use


text:
Paul Simon and his wife, Edie Brickell, were arrested on disorderly conduct charges by officers investigating a 'domestic incident.' Police say a caller from the singers' Connecticut home dialed 911 Saturday night and hung up.
Published at 4:12 PM EST on Apr 28, 2014 | Updated at 4:15 PM EST on Apr 28, 2014


text:
Two friends are hoping to cut it in the world of business after opening their own hair and beauty salon, The Pretty Parlour.
Claire Crosby (25) and Ruby Maxwell have taken on a small upstairs room above the barber's shop in Station Street, Spalding, where they are offering a range of hair and beauty services .
Claire, who most recently been offering a mobile service, has been qualified as a beauty therapist for seven years and is offering a range of treatments, such as gel nails, make-up, waxing and eyelash extensions.
Her friend Ruby, who she met about six years ago, is a level two qualified hairdresser and has most recently been working in a salon in Market Deeping, and has previously worked at Spalding's Image International
Claire said: "Having our own business is all new to us, so we are just trying to get it off the ground and give it a go.
"We are getting there and are looking forward to welcoming new clients."
Appointments are available Monday to Saturday from 9am to about 8pm.
As well as general appointments, they also offer hair and beauty services for weddings and events.
To book an appointment with Claire or Ruby call the salon on 01775 769143.
l Anyone taking along a copy of this page to an appointment during January will receive a 20 per cent discount.


text:
Guest Comments/Reviews
The guy who eats rats freaks me out every year! It's so gross!
– Monica G. of Kansas City, MO
The Edge of Hell is the best Haunted House I have ever been to. I went to both the Edge of Hell and the Beast. I am for sure coming back next weekend… and EVERY YEAR! VERY good job to the actor's and actress's in the houses… they do a VERY good job at scaring and saying there catch lines in a freaking and frighting way ! I can't wait to see you all again very soon in THE EDGE OF HELL! Thank you for a very good scaring and thrilling time.
– Austin of Emporia, KS
I love these houses! I have been coming here since I was young!
– Sue G. of Topeka, KS
I'm a chicken! I have to take the stairs to escape. The slide is so insane! It makes me crazy dizzy!
– Megan H. of Kansas City, MO
Snakes and rats give me the CREEPS! Stay out of Hell!!!
– George S. of Wichita, KS
Vampires that follow so close, I couldn't see them but I felt them behind me. I literally almost wet myself. Yeah my friend had to almost carry me out! I was completely freaked out. I haven't been back to this house since!
– Chris L. of Lee's Summit, MO


text:
Please be warned this article contains content that is 18+ rated. Please click back if you do not wish to view this. Twenty years ago, the body of an… read more
Please be warned this article contains content that is 18+ rated. Please click back if you do not wish to view this.
Twenty years ago, the body of an article on sexy television scenes would have been painfully short. In 2016, the new golden age of television and the slow disintegration of social barriers has brought with it some outrageously sexy television scenes.
Here are the top ten moments that made us desperate for a cold shower – be warned, this list might be best enjoyed alone (and definitely away from the office):
10. Buffy and Spike bring the house down
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (season 6, episode 9)
Buffy and Spike's love affair in season 6 ultimately never came to much, but did reward us with some deliciously sexy scenes – including this one where their physical sparring became extremely heated (much to the detriment of the building they were copulating in).
9. Megan teases Don by cleaning the apartment in very little.
Mad Men (season 5, episode 1)
The first episode of season 5 promised that Megan and Don's relationship hadn't dampened in the wait between seasons, as Megan took to performing her household duties in the most enticing of outfits. Naturally, this moment got saucy pretty quickly.
8. Fitz and Olivia get electric.
Scandal (season 2, episode 14)
Sex scenes in Shondaland are always something special, but the illicit sex scenes between Olivia and the President, Fitz, really steal the show with their electricity. In this scene, literal sparks flew as the two got passionate in an electrical cupboard.
7. Claire and Jamie consummate their marriage.
Outlander (season 1, episode 7)
Outlander dedicated an entire episode to the wedding night of Jamie and Claire, much to the delight of women everywhere. Claire finally gave into passion after marrying the hunky highlander, and the resulting scenes are something best watched alone and in comfort.
6. Marnie gets a treat.
Girls (season 4, episode 1)
Girls has had some pretty out there scenes (just don't try searching for them on google), but Allison's affair with musical partner Desi led to some hot and unusual-for-television scenes. Here, they engaged in some very daring foreplay.
5. Brian and Justin hook up for the first time.
Queer as Folk US (season 1, episode 1)
When the inexperienced teenage Justin meets the older, promiscuous Brian in season one of Queer as Folk, both their lives changed forever. Life changing moments have never been this sexy.
4. Alice and Dana finally get it on.
The L Word (season 2, episode 5)
The L Word has countless scenes appropriate for a list like this, but Alice and Dana finally getting it on in season two has to be one of the best.
3. Introducing Oberyn and Ellaria.
Game of Thrones (season 4, episode 3)
Oberyn Martell made his mark on racy fantasy series Game of Thrones by arriving right in the middle of political hotspot King's Landing and arranging several orgies. The action between Oberyn and lover Ellaria was always electric to watch, but neither discriminated when it came to taking other partners.
2. Everybody has sex at the same time in a montage.
Sons of Anarchy (season 7, episode 10)
You know the saying that more is better? In Sons of Anarchy's final season, we got a three minute sex montage including all the couples having sex. What a send off.
1. Alex and Piper get it on in the shower.
Orange is the New Black (season 1, episode 1)
The now infamous Netflix scene was surprisingly short, but ridiculously sexual, as Piper flashed back to an earlier point in her relationship with criminal companion Alex Vause. The two would later reunite in prison for more R-rated action.


text:
Java vs Free Software
(Sigh. I accidentally hit reload, and now I have to type everything in again...)
Alright, here's the deal. I run Linux Mandrake 10.1 Community; one of it's major points (for me, at least) is that it consists only of Free software. I'm wanting to run Java on it, just for running various Java programs. However, my understanding is that Java is not free software. So, a few short, if not complicated to answer, questions:
1. How close to free software is Sun's Java? Meaning, how much is it in conflict with the general Free Software Philosophy?
2. Is there a *compatible* Java Runtime that is in agreement with the Free Software Philosophy?
3. In your opinion, is being able to run great Java programs such as Arachnophilia worth a slight abandonment of the Philosophy? I hate to install non-free software onto my Linux system, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't do it.
Actually, I already have one non-free program that I run on Linux - EditPad Lite (http://www.editpadlite.com). I've used it on Windows for years, and it's handy to have something familiar in alien territory (actually, Linux isn't alien to me anymore...Windows almost is, now). Also, I dual-boot with Windows; in my Win2k system, I'm not nearly as worried about keeping everything Free, because it's not a free platform. Mind you, I do still use plenty of Free software, but it's not as important to me that everything on it is free. However, I'd like to keep my Linux system as free as possible.
Did any of this make sense to you? Probably not...but I would be appreciative if you were willing to reply with your answers; at least, your opinions.
Doug Burkhalter
Java is not Open Source - the source code for it is strictly properietary - but it has an open API that is well-documented, and it *is* free in the "free as in beer" sense. ;)
While I have misgivings about some of Sun's actions, like its non-open "open-source" Solaris license, the JRE and JDK seem fine to me.
Why is using open-source software so important to you? I think too often the philosophy in the linux community is that because so many things are open source or free (as in beer) that no one wants to pay for anything any more. This is partly why few people will make commercial games for linux.
This is all besides the point as you've already said that the JRE / JDK are free (beer) anyway. I just felt like a rant.
There is a gnu java compiler as part of the GNU Compiler Collection, but it doesn't support swing (as far as I know) so I don't think making graphical apps is possible.
Linux has lots of non free as in beer applications as well as proprietary apps. Making your application opensource doesn't mean it has to be free as in beer, you can still sell it as long as the source code is accessible. The accessibility of the souce code is actually what the "free" in free software means. As for games and other apps, most companies unfortunately still see Linux as a niche market so they don't believe there is much profit to be made in porting their apps to Linux. I believe some of them even lack the understanding of what opensource (to some it's a nuisance) is and also lack the expertise to actually port their products.
I don't really mind the occasional proprietary app, (especially games) as long as it's the best app to do the job, and the company doesn't go out of its way to be anti-FOSS. Yeah, I generally *prefer* Open Source, but it isn't a "must-have" for me.
The Sun JRE/JDK is the best tool for building/running java apps, so I use it. simple.
As long as there is an open source (non commercial) alternative, which is good enough for my use, of course I want to use the free alternative instead of paying for an expensive app. In many (maybe most) cases, I think the open source alternatives are the better regardless of pricing.
Another issue is the ease of use of Microsofts Visual Studio.NET and DirectX. It is probably easier to start developing games in this environment than in any other. Because it is easier to learn and because there are much more and better documentation, both from Microsoft and 3rd party books than on Linux and on OpenGL.
As I see it, as Linux continues to evolve and more developers convert to this platform, there will be many more games ported to Linux. Cause it seems obious to me that this is the operating system of the future and I can hardly see how any commercial firm could compete with the Open Source community, in the long run.
open source is not about "free" but about a superior value proposition... balancing contributions with returns.
open source allows businesses and people to be a part of product development, and contribute in more ways than money. like proprietary developers, money helps open source development teams. unlike proprietary developers, open source development places a greater intrinsic value on the product AND its development.
adding functionality to the product you recieved, "pays back" the original developers who now benefit from added functionality. sending a simple bug report provides inestimable value to the coders and makes you an indispensable part of the process. by beta testing, making recommendations for future development, providing support to users less-proficient-than-yourself (perhaps on LQ.org;-), etc, etc, you broaden the development process and provide value that far exceeds monetary exchange for goods/services. in return you receive a product that develops to meet your needs more accurately and quickly than proprietary is capable of.
this is the genius of open-source in a nutshell.
so the question is not "what to avoid" but what to adopt. adopt open-source alternatives when the functionality is sufficient to justify moving to a superior development model. the sooner you adopt-the more rapidly the value accrues.
this yields rewards of greater value and productivity going forward.
note the file in your jdk "src.zip" ! open and have a look.
it is proprietary however in the sense that you can't change it and redistribute your new version
or apps that need your new version to run but you can change java all around and recompile from source for yourself and launch a rocket to the moon in a new way and that's what i think of as free.
they share the recipe with you so you can cook yourself should you feel the itch.
I bow before your correctness. :)
I never noticed that zip file, before. I was assuming it was closed source because of all the noise about how Sun will not "Open" Java. My misunderstanding. Thank you. :)
That still doesn't make it "opensource" because with opensource, you should be able to freely distribute any changes you make to the source code. This is why even though you can still access the source code, it's still regarded as proprietary and not opensource and hence there is all this noise about opensourcing it.
Wow, this thread got busy!
I would just like to say that I greatly disagree with Komakino. It makes it sound like the Linux world is a bunch of freeloading slackers, and that's far from the truth.
As for Padma's remark,
I noticed that src.zip too, but hadn't really looked into it. But, if you notice, Sun actually allows you to download the source seperately on the page to download the JDK. That might make it "open-source", but it doesn't make it "Free" - Free software means you have the freedom to use the software as *you* want, not how they force you to use it. And that's what I want - the freedom to use my computer how I want to, not how the big corporations want me to.
kudos to the differentiations between "free" as in money, and "free" as in FREEDOM!
i prefer to encourage the latter definition in regards to opensource. the focus on money depreciates the value of opensource.
nice discussion
as i said you are free even in a comercial setting to rewrite java and recompile it or copy and change java code and compile into your app in any altered way you wish.
The number of 'probablies' in your post suggests you 'probably' made up your argument based entirely on your own opinion and not on any real experience or facts.
Just like C/C++, JAVA is programming langauge. JAVA is designed to quickly write a program and to compile it once. Then run it anywhere that Suns Microsystem has ported JAVA to what platform or machine. The JAVA programmer does not need to learn the OS API to develop GUI programs. JAVA runtime virtual machine does the hard work, so all what the JAVA programmer needs to know is the JAVA GUI syntax. The user can take the JAVA programmer's pre-compiled program and decompiled it with out any problems if the user wants to look at the code.
JAVA is free. Just download it and install it. It does come with open source, so you are FREE to mess up the code or add something better. Some JAVA programs may not work right. Also there are many JAVA distributors that have added a feature and increase the performance for certain variable types.
A program called Azureus is a JAVA based program that runs in Linux, Mac, and Windows. Azureus is BitTorrent client that can be decompiled to be enhanced, to fix bugs, or anything you want add and subtract. You are FREE to use Azureus.
|All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:06 AM.


text:
You will never know which employee will sue or for what reason. That's a good reason to carefully track all discipline and make the records easy to access. If sued, you'll need to show that all employees who broke the same rule were punished the same way, regardless of their race, gender or other protected characteristic.
Recent case: Crystal was fired under her company's attendance policy for allegedly failing to show up for her scheduled shift. She was pregnant at the time and sued, alleging she had really been fired because she was about to go on FMLA leave.
But the company was ready with figures that showed it had also fired 31 employees who weren't pregnant for breaking the same no-show policy. That was enough to get the case tossed out. (Delp v. Rolling Fields, No. 10-285, WD PA, 2012)


text:
Second Saturday at WAAAM
- When: Saturday, December 13, 2014, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Where: Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum, Hood River
- Cost: $6 - $14
- Age limit: All ages
- Categories: Activities: Family, Museum (ongoing), Museums (permanent)
Comments are subject to moderator review and may not appear immediately on the site. A user's first several comments must be manually approved by a moderator.
Please read our commenting policy before posting.
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.


text:
SSDs Might Just Get a Little More Solid: Write Wearing Fixed?
Subject: General Tech, Storage | December 5, 2012 - 10:01 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: Macronix, ssd, enterprise ssd
I have not been too worried about my SSD failing due to excessive write-erase wear and tear. Typical flash cells fail somewhere between a few thousand write cycles with high endurance drives creeping over the ten-thousand cycle border. It is quite rare for me, like many home users, to write to my SSD outside of application updates or profile changes on my web browser.
Enterprise customers tend to hammer on drives quite a bit more ferociously, however. It will primarily be those customers who are most interested in news recently published with the IEEE: modifications to the integrated circuit holding the flash cells can be made to recondition dead NAND cells.
SSDs have been able to be restored from write-erase degradation through excessive heating, think several hours at two-and-a-half times the sea-level boiling point of water. Clearly tossing SSDs in a range with your fries and chicken strips is not an ideal solution and would not be wise to recommend.
Macronix, the company who claims to have invented the technology based on research into competing Phase Change RAM (PCRAM), assert that their flash will survive at least ten-thousand times longer than enterprise NAND. Their integrated circuit has been designed to deliver extreme heat, 8-times the boiling point of water, local to the flash cell for a very brief time. The article boasts at least 100-million cycles because that was their point where their patience in testing the flash ended: the flash was still ready for more.
That said I do not claim to have too much knowledge about solid state flash so tune in for the December 5th PC Perspective Podcast for more discussion from smarter people. If you found this quick enough you could also tune in live just after this publishes!
PC Perspective
Upcoming Events
Get notified when we go live!
PC Perspective Live! Google Calendar RSS


text:
Lawyers Clash Over Memorial Crosses
One day after the nation paid tribute to fallen members of the military, an atheist group argued before a federal judge that the placement of memorial crosses on Utah highways to honor fallen Highway Patrol troopers is unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge David Sam heard arguments Tuesday from lawyers in a controversial case where American Atheists Inc is battling Utah and the state's Highway Patrol Association over 13 memorial crosses erected along Utah highways.
Each cross is placed on or near the place where events occurred resulting in the death of an officer.
American Atheists contends that the 12-foot crosses are religious symbols that should be removed from state property because they illegally constitute an endorsement of religion by the Highway Patrol Association.
Brian Barnard, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, argued before the court that any "reasonable observer" knows that the cross is the "preeminent symbol of Christianity," representing the death of Jesus Christ.
He also added that putting a Highway Patrol logo on them "is literally a stamp of approval" by the government of Christianity.
Assistant Utah Attorney General Thomas Roberts said the crosses in this context are not religious symbols but secular symbols that represent "death and remembrance."
He told the judge that the memorials honor the sacrifice of the deceased troopers and serves as a reminder to drivers to be careful.
Roberts argued that crosses aren't always imbued with religious meaning, pointing to telephone poles and road markers which can form the shape of a cross but are permitted on government property.
Following arguments, the judge the said he did not find that the government to be "entangled" with a religious issue because the UHP Association is not considered a religious organization.
Sam said he would issue a written opinion soon.
Both lawyers from each side say they will appeal the decision if they lose the suit, which started in 2005.
Family members of fallen troopers and others who are a part of the Utah Highway Patrol Association have also joined the case, after being granted a motion to intervene. They are represented by attorneys from the Christian legal group Alliance Defense Fund and an affiliated local attorney in Salt Lake City.
ADF senior legal counsel Byron Babione joined local attorney Frank Mylar in attending the hearing.
Babione defended the constitutionality of the crosses in a statement Monday, saying the memorials are not paid by taxpayers and were constructed by volunteers and materials donated by local businesses.
According to ADF, a ruling in favor of American Atheists could place other cross memorials placed by private citizens in legal jeopardy.


text:
North Hennepin Community College is an equal opportunity employer/educator committed to the principles of diversity. We actively seek and encourage applications from women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. Consider exploring and inquiring about the available employment opportunities at NHCC.
NHCC Careers
If you are seeking employment at North Hennepin Community College, check here for current postings and application instructions.
Student Worker Positions
Many departments and offices across campus hire student workers each semester. Most of these postings are reserved for those who qualify for them through the Federal Financial Aid process. Check here for current openings and position descriptions.
Career Resources for Off-Campus Employment
Local employers can post job openings targeted at NHCC students and alumni. Check here if you are a student seeking employment outside of the college or you are an area businesses or community organization wishing to an opening.
Job Transition Resources
Check here if you are seeking employment and would like guidance and resources to assist you during the process.
To further recognize the attractiveness and the diversity of NHCC, consider exploring the following sections of our website:
North Hennepin Community College is one of the largest and most diverse two-year colleges in the state of Minnesota. It employs approximately 425 people, adding $20 million plus to the local economy each year. Click here for directions to our Brooklyn Park campus.
North Hennepin Community College
7411 85th Avenue North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
Main: 763-488-0391
Out-State: 1-800-818-0395
MN Relay: 1-800-627-3529
Disability Accommodations:
Fax: 763-424-0929
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Rings are potent symbols of power, the circle of life, and promises to keep. At Gemvara, we believe that the rings you wear should be one of a kind, like you. That's why all our rings are made from scratch in your choice of gems and precious metals. Choose aquamarine and white gold or diamond and platinum: it's your choice. Mix and match gems and precious metals for a look that's exactly you. It's jewelry for all life's occasions, from an anniversary or birthday to your own personal milestones and celebrations. Celebrate this Christmas with a personalized piece of jewelry that shows how much you care. Our impressive selection of platinum aquamarine our picks rings by Jessica Behzad, Just Like You Designs, David West, and many other jewelry designers means you can find a style that's perfect for you. Because all Gemvara platinum aquamarine our picks rings are made to order, we can hand-select the finest quality materials to perfectly suit your design. Aquamarine is the gem of happiness with the power to calm troubled relationships. Gemvara selects aquamarine with bright pastel color and excellent cutting. Aquamarine is the March birthstone. Naturally white, rare, and valuable, platinum's exceptional purity makes it hypoallergenic too. Gemvara's platinum jewelry is 95% pure recycled platinum. You'll feel the difference immediately: platinum weighs 40% more than 18k gold. Be careful when washing your hands: rings can easily slip down the drain! Clean platinum aquamarine our picks rings in a bowl of water with a little mild dish soap. You can use a soft brush where dust collects. Gemvara's fine quality platinum aquamarine our picks rings are designed to be passed down for generations, hand-crafted by skilled craftspeople in the United States.
We can help right away. Chat with a jewelry expert now!


text:
"Aim a little lower...no, lower...there, right there!"
Ever want to be a sniper after watching some of those movies? Ever want to experience the control over another's life looking through a little scope? Does watching the bullet camera as the projectile slice through air to smack into a forehead and pierce the skull turn you on? Would you deliberately pull the trigger while aiming below the belt, even if it makes you close your knees and think "OUCH! That has got to HURT."? Well, if you answered yes to any of the above, please feel free to take matters into your own hands and try MDK.
This is it! Non-stop 3D shooting, killing, exploding, dodging, parachuting, running, ambushing, assassinating, jumping, mind blowing (pun intended) action! Did you think that the 3D gaming style in Mario 64 was awesome, but the game just too soft for you? Try it again with a twist of Doom and you can say "up yours" to those soft-core, non-violent, weak-ass kiddy games.
"Oh, you blood-thirsty monster! How dare you promote violence to our youths!!" Well, even though MDK officially stands for Max, Dr. Hawkins, and Kurt (the main characters), it really isn't far from murder, death, kill. Any questions?
"Enough with all the hype from the media and the gory violence, what is this really about?"
Basically, you take a great 3D engine, throw in a story with a futuristic background, change the main action from stomping mushrooms to blasting extraterrestrials, and you get MDK. Huge mine crawlers from outer space have landed on earth, bulldozing everything in their paths, including cities. Max is your canine companion who can fly aircrafts, and the doctor developed the cool suit you're wearing. Your objective is to drop into these metal fortresses and send the main controller of the machine to alien heaven. Of course if you're too slow, many people die.
"Yeah, so what if it's just another 3D shooter switched from first person perspective to third?"
MDK is not a shooting game in the same sense as Quake. There exists an enormous potential to develop and practice skills required, such as jumping on the right ledge or using the right item. You're equipped with a parachute that can be opened anytime you're off the ground (after jumping), which is useful for gliding, controlling land point, and reaching high spots using air vents. This high-tech chute folds itself into your armor suit. Neat!
"Ok, but I don't really like 3D games anyway, and I don't know why the industry is so crazy over 3D stuff."
Hehehe. Let me say that the best part of this game is not the 3D angle. You are allowed to toggle between Regular mode and Sniper mode. Simply put, Sniper mode RULES! First of all, it simulates the view you get when looking through the aiming scope. Now you can look around and aim at things. You can zoom into anything within two miles! Everything you see up close is extremely detailed. Stare at an unsuspecting target for hours and pull the trigger when you become bored. Simple point, click, and croak. Sometimes the game goes into other modes. My favorite one is when you're in an aircraft, dropping bombs on the enemies.
"What about the gameplay? Is it just senseless violence?"
MDK is fun to play and has a great sense of humor. In many ways, it's not that violent because you're shooting aliens that are made more of metal than flesh. The game retains its freshness by being funny. After taking too long to complete a level (as a result, people die, cities are destroyed), the command center debriefs your failure, but then immediately dismisses it and gives you the next assignment. Just looking at the dog Max giving you the thumbs up sign makes you laugh.
Let's not forget to mention how the game helps you train in the beginning. First, it provides some live targets at a distance to help you practice your sniper skills. These aliens taunt and jeer while holding a target sign (yep, the circled one with the big red dot in the center). At one point you find some of them hiding behind a protective glass barrier. They actually have the nerve to turn around, bend over, and show you some alien behind. The overall wacky mood of the game keeps things from becoming too serious and dead.
"Alright, you sound convincing enough. By the way, how much did they bribe you to write this propaganda?"
For a game reviewer, the biggest reward is not monetary (Ed note: Damn straight. ). The most satisfaction comes from seeing high quality stuff on the market. MDK combines sweet graphics (I'd recommend playing in the dark) and 'revolutionary' gameplay and design concepts to put it in a class by itself. Thank heavens someone decided to create something revolutionary rather than dupe others' successful ideas. Now stop reading and BUY THIS GAME!!


text:
Bird Tags Along With Owner By Flying Over Her Motorcycle
Sometimes, riding shotgun isn't good enough.
Sometimes, riding shotgun isn't good enough.
Dogs and cats may be in a perpetual cycle of conflict, but when it comes to who the public loves more, dogs take home the win. According to a survey by Harris Interactive, 69 percent of all pet owners have a dog, trumping the 51 percent who have a cat.
Planning to get a jump on your holiday shopping this week? Don't forget man's best friend — a variety of pet retailers are offering steals and deals for the dog and cat sets on Black Friday. Get out there early and get Fido what he really wants for the holidays this year!
This pooch was able to stay perfectly still as his owner built a Jenga-like tower of tempting dog treats right on his snout. Then the canine continues the balancing act until getting a signal that the trick is over.
This possibly titanium-clawed feline scales right up a kitchen wall while in pursuit of an elusive laser pointer. Then, as if to proof its amazing climbing abilities weren't just some fluke of adrenaline, the cat holds on, five feet high, for a good three seconds. Check out spider cat below.
I know we have enjoyed this wonderful weather for the past couple of weeks and hopefully soon we see it coming to an end.
I hope everyone out there is taking special care of their animals...


text: Search Again Rene B Esquerre MD (973) 467-1009 Primary Specialties Pediatrics Affiliations Clara Maass Medical Center Request Appointment Primary Office Address: Rene Esquerre MD 190 Meisel Avenue Springfield, NJ 07081 Fax: (973) 467-7836 Secondary Office Address: Rene Esquerre MD 644 Mt Prospect Ave Newark, NJ 07104 View Map Phone: (973) 483-4702 Fax: (973) 483-0955 Hours: Monday 09:00:AM - 06:00:PM Tuesday 09:00:AM - 06:00:PM Wednesday 09:00:AM - 12:00:PM Thursday 09:00:AM - 06:00:PM Friday 09:00:AM - 06:00:PM Saturday 9:00am - 12:00pm Recommend this Physician Get Directions Accepted Health Plans Accepted Health Plan information is only as accurate as the most current information submitted. Prior to your appointment, it is advisable to verify with a physician office that they are still a participating provider. Barnabas Employee Health Plan Medicaid Qualcare