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Tottenham Hotspur secured their place in next season's Europa League with a comfortable 3-0 win over Aston Villa at White Hart Lane.
Paulinho gave Spurs an early lead before a Nathan Baker own goal, and Emmanuel Adebayor scored from the penalty spot to end the contest before half time.
Tim Sherwood had called for a good performance from his side to end the season on a high following last week's disappointing loss to West Ham, and the head coach got just what he wanted from the kick-off.
Tottenham outplayed a struggling Villa from the off with some slick passing and creative play that has so often been lacking this season.
Guzan got out well to block Kane's shot from close range in the first real chance of the match early on after the forward had headed straight at the goalkeeper from the six-yard line.
Spurs were dominant in the opening stages, moving the ball quickly through the midfield and creating chances amongst a congested Aston Villa defence.
And it took just 14 minutes for that defence to be breached when Sandro found Paulinho with a clever through ball after some neat one-touch build up play, allowing the Brazilian to find the net with his second attempt after Guzan blocked his initial effort.
It could have been 2-0 moments after the re-start when Paulinho again broke into the box but this time the midfielder skewed his shot well wide.
Agbonlahor headed over in Villa's first real chance but it was Spurs who looked the better team and Guzan was forced to tip over when Kane's drilled cross ballooned up and goal bound off a defender.
Tottenham went 2-0 up on 36 minutes though when Danny Rose's drilled cross bounced in off Baker's shoulder.
And they had the game all but won 60 seconds later when they were awarded a penalty for a handball against Agbonlahor, who blocked Sandro's long-range shot with his arm.
Adebayor stepped up and struck the ball into the roof of the net to give Tottenham a deserved 3-0 half-time lead in a game they had dominated from the first whistle.
Fabian Delph went inches wide with a well-struck effort from 25-yards early in the second half as Villa began to put up more of a contest and create one or two chances themselves.
Kane and Guzan were involved in a heavy collision mid-way through the second half as the forward tried to latch on to a ball over the top but, after seemingly being taken out by the on-rushing goalkeeper, the referee gave the free-kick Villa's way.
The game petered out towards a comfortable Spurs victory, allowing Tim Sherwood to engage in a bizarre exchange with one critical fan.
The Tottenham head coach invited the young man into the dugout before giving him a gilet to wear as he sat in Sherwood's seat for a couple of minutes before returning to the stands.
Spurs: Lloris, Naughton, Dawson, Chiriches, Rose, Sigurdsson (Pritchard, 82), Sandro (Veljkovic, 61), Paulinho (Bentaleb, 74), Eriksen, Adebayor, Kane. Subs: Soldado, Capoue, Friedel, Fryers.
Aston Villa: Guzan, Lowton, Baker, Vlaar, Bertrand, Westwood, Bacuna, Delph, Weimann, Bowery, Agbonlahor. Subs: Clark, El Ahmadi, Steer, Sylla, Holt, Robinson, Grealish.
Referee: Jon Moss (W Yorkshire)


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COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Last week's win at Portland put a little extra spring in the Colorado Rapids' step this week. And now the team's confidence looks to be further boosted by the return to health and availability of some key players.
Although Marvell Wynne appears set to miss another game with his hamstring problem, Omar Cummings is expected to play a role when Colorado take on the LA Galaxy on Saturday night (Saturday, 9 pm ET, watch online).
The Jamaican striker, upset to be missing out on his country's game with the US Sunday, has been out of action since May 4 with a stubborn ankle problem.
"It's always going to be a big game for us and for our fans," Cummings told MLSsoccer.com. "I always love the challenge against LA; it's one of my favorite games."
Also back is Sanna Nyassi, who returns from international duty after playing 80 minutes for Gambia in a 1-0 win over Gabon on June 7. He also took part in a four-day training camp in his native country.
On the other side, there is David Beckham. The Englishman will make his first appearance in Colorado since 2008. According to the Rapids, Beckham, who is second in the league with seven assists, is the player they must key on if they hope to stop the Western Conference leaders.
"David's come back from that injury and there is a definite purpose in his game," assistant coach Steve Guppy told MLSsoccer.com. "It will be a tough game for us, but they will be thinking the same."
Dick's Sporting Goods Park is expected to be sold out on Saturday night. On paper at least, the crowds should be treated the marquee matchup of the weekend in MLS. While LA are unbeaten in eight games, the Rapids are unbeaten in nine.
"LA are in first place and we are at home," Rapids defender Scott Palguta told MLSsoccer.com. "It's always a great atmosphere. Beckham's coming to town, we need the win, and it should be a great night."

subset: commoncrawl


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From: Jack Brown, Lamb Lane, Monk Bretton, Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
IN 1959, aged 20, I decided to join the Labour Party rather than the Communist Party. A year later, like Ian McMillan (Yorkshire Post, December 4), I was filled with awe as I cast my first vote in an English election. Having fought in most general elections and every local election in the half-century since, I have seen England's constitution battered by political parties. The worst blow was delivered by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act, 2000 (LPPER) and Local Government Act, 2000 (LGA).
Ian presents "The Corned Beef Party" as the metaphor for a freedom that has been lost. One could describe oneself thus before the LPPER. Since the LPPER, there is no possibility of a Corned Beef Party candidate, frustrated beyond measure, at the 11th hour in an election period. "Independent" is the only alternative to the name of a registered party on the ballot paper. To register one has to submit a party name and a constitution to the Electoral Commission (EC) that the Act created for a substantial sum; submit annual accounts with an administration fee and fines for delay; have literacy skills that enable one to plough through acres of EC "consultation".
The EC has made election forms and expenses returns a nightmare, even for the well-educated. It is taking us down the road of reduced voting age and funding of political parties. Its mass postal voting has killed the sense of occasion and led to ever-present danger of fraud. The prime concern of an independent with little money and few workers is to deliver one election leaflet to postal voters. The leaflet is delivered far earlier than it used to be, with less impact. Political Party propaganda – funded by tithes on the salaries of councillors – is delivered all year round and at the last minute.


text: February 18, 2014 SHARE Another DISH/WWE Update As we reported earlier today, there remains uncertainty as to whether or not the WWE Elimination Chamber will be carried on DISH Network this Sunday night. Several readers, including Anthony Pelosse, have sent in word they were told by DISH the company is still negotiating to carry WWE PPV's, and they're unsure if this Sunday's event will be shown. 2K Selects WWE 2K14 'Mania Winner 2K Sports has issued the following press release: 2K Selects WrestleMania® 30 Contest Winner for WWE® 2K14 Levi McIntire takes top prize with in-game screenshot of sought-after match featuring WWE Superstars Randy Orton® and Daniel Bryan® New York, NY – February 18, 2014 – 2K today announced Levi McIntire of West Portsmouth, Ohio as the winner of the WWE® 2K14 WrestleMania 30 contest. The winning screenshot entry, chosen by the WWE Games community and featuring a fantasy WrestleMania 30 matchup between WWE Superstars Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan, provided McIntire with an all-expense-paid trip for two to the pop culture extravaganza of the year, WrestleMania 30, scheduled for Sunday, April 6, 2014 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The screenshot is available for viewing at wwe.2k.com/WM30Moment/. WWE 2K14 marks the first time in franchise history that consumers were presented with an opportunity to create a desired WrestleMania matchup, capture a screenshot of the in-game action and submit for a chance to win airfare, hotel and two tickets to WWE's renowned annual event. The WWE Games community responded enthusiastically to the opportunity with thousands of entries received by the contest deadline. "The WWE Universe never ceases to impress when called upon to showcase original, innovative and compelling content," said Chris Snyder, Vice President of Marketing at 2K. "While the breadth of entries represented WWE 2K14 in a strong light, the in-game image of Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan truly embodies the full grandeur, spectacle and lifetime of memorable moments delivered annually at WrestleMania." Developed by Yukes for the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, as well as PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, WWE 2K14 features the greatest roster in franchise history and is the most electrifying, authentic and comprehensive WWE video game experience to date. WWE 2K14 is rated T for Teen by the ESRB. For more information on WWE 2K14 and 2K, visit wwe.2k.com, facebook.com/WWEgames and @WWEgames on Twitter. SHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE ON TWITTER Rumor Killer on Vince/UK Soccer Team, Mr. Anderson Speaks on Casket Match (Video), Pete Gas Agrees with Punk John Cena Speaks to Steve Austin About Talent Needing to Step Up, Learning Mandarin, Jim Ross Working with Talent & Much More (Audio) Daniel BryanWrestlemania 30WWEwwe 2k14WWE Elimination Chamber Have a news tip? Attended an event and want to send a live report? Submit it now!


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Contact Info / Websites
Entry #65
Yes, I fully recognize that I haven't been back here in forever. Life happened. However! I should also inform anyone who likes my work that I am, in fact, not making remixes anymore (or at least, not as much) because I'm trying something new: Let's Play videos!
I won't occupy too much of your precious time with my babble, but if you're a fan of my work and want to check out a different genre of my geekery, please feel free to pop over to https://www.youtube.com/user/BitiumRibbon and check out my stuff there.
Below is my blind run of Final Fantasy 2. Hope to catch you over there!
- 1 comment
You must be logged in to comment on this post.
2014-07-27 13:45:56
Awesome Bitium! Will check it out shortly.
Hooray! ^_^


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KingsIsle Entertainment Launches Wizard101
September 2, 2008
KingsIsle Entertainment Launches Wizard101 Virtual Wizard School Now In Session
Tweens are grabbing their best spell-casting gear and rushing off to school... wizard school, that is. Online entertainment company KingsIsle Entertainment, Inc. has officially opened the doors of its highly anticipated Wizard101 virtual world, a magical 3D environment where aspiring wizards gather to adventure with friends and save their world from creatures like a pumpkin-headed Harvest Lord and a zombie named Wormguts.
Michael Lafferty of GameZone commented, "The game is thoroughly delightful, exuding a youthful sense of fun and excitement... KingsIsle is on track to have a certified hit title."
Joe Blancato of GiantRealm said, "A kid-targeted [Massively Multiplayer Online Game] that's charming the beard off anyone who plays it, regardless of age."
Designed for pre-teens and attracting a wider audience of families and traditional gamers, Wizard101 features magical adventure and card style gameplay. Players enroll in the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts and begin a course of spell study. Immediately upon arrival at wizard school they are tapped by the Headmaster to help save the school from a renegade teacher who has disappeared but who seems to be behind some mysterious happenings. Wizard101 features include:
Extensive magical 3D worlds, each with its own creative theme such as a feudal countryside run by Samoorai cows, or an ancient Egyptian-inspired land where the treasured relics are being carted off by dogs from another world. More than 101 collectible spells that come to cinematic life as players learn to summon creatures such as Ninja Pigs and a Leprechaun that slides in on a rainbow and showers opponents with gold. Seven different schools of Magic, each with its own unique style and gameplay experience. The ability to adopt magical pets, like a flying dragon or a mischievous imp. A wide variety of outfits and accessories for customizable Wizard avatars. Puzzles and mini-games that challenge players and provide a place to rest and rejuvenate after duels.
Wizard101's collaborative play style supports an environment where players benefit from working together in adventure quests and lower level characters can play alongside higher level ones. A three-tiered chat system and pre-defined character name generator create a safe community for younger players. The game contains no blood, and characters don't die if they are defeated in a duel of spells-they simply go to a safe area on campus to regain health. An Arena provides a spot for more traditional gamers to show off their player versus player spell-casting skills. Wizard101 is free-to-play, with advanced play content available by subscription at the rate of $9.95 per month. Discounts are available for six-month and one-year subscriptions. For a limited time a 12 month subscription can be purchased for $60. Gift subscriptions are expected to be available online soon. To play, PC users may simply go to www.wizard101.com A rating by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board is pending.


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By Debra Stamper
Guest columnist
Third party tax purchasers can buy a homeowner's delinquent property tax bill and get the right to hold the debt, plus 12 percent interest, plus administrative fees, plus attorney's fees for up to 11 years as a first lien on a home. If the amounts due are not paid, the third party tax purchaser CAN FORECLOSE on the home.
"Running is like celebrating your soul. There's so much it can teach us in life."
- Molly Barker, founder and executive director of Girls on the Run
Every time I step on the pavement in my running shoes, I make new observations of how life and running are so very similar.
Life is hard. So is running.
Both take dedication, heart, endurance, guts, strength and humility.
Congress has an opportunity this week to make a historic decision that would permanently change the culture of spending in Washington. Our nearly $15 trillion of accumulated debt is a threat to our nation's economic recovery, our national security and the welfare of future generations.
We have already succeeded in changing the debate in Washington from "How much can we spend?" to "How much can we cut?" Now, we must go even further and pass a Balanced Budget Amendment.
Yeah, that's me with a stick of dynamite in my mouth.
I wonder, would the Turtleman consider that "Live Action?"
Sure, I'm not catching snapping turtles with my bare hands or getting sprayed on by skunks, but I'm going to be trying to escape from a villain on stage in front of (I hope) a packed Angelic Hall Friday night.
And, anyone that knows Lynn Farris knows how truly evil he can be...
(Kidding, Lynn.)
We can understand why Anthony Epps would be upset.
We doubt anyone wants to have their name in the paper for being arrested for DUI. The same would be true for whatever punishment is handed down from the courts if that person is found or pleads guilty.
Copyright © 2017
The Lebanon Enterprise is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Marion County and Lebanon, KY, and the surrounding area.


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Tim Smyth, born Bristol, 1985, graduated with a BA Honours in Photography from London College of Communication. He subsequently won the Hotshoe Student Award. Smyth's work is held in several private collections as well as MOMA, Joan Flasch Collection (SAIC), Lafayette and British Art Collection, Yale. Smyth also contributes photography to FT Magazine, Elephant Magazine and The Guardian. His debut publication Defective Carrots, (Bemojake 2013) was shortlisted for the PhotoEspaña Photo Book of the Year Award and Best Books 2014: John Gossage - Photo-Eye. His latest publication The al Assad Campaign 2008, (Bemojake, 2014) documents Syrian street scenes containing state propaganda prior to the Arab Spring and ongoing civil war.
Tim Smyth lives and works in London, UK.
Solo and Two Person Exhibitions
Defective Carrots - Dodo Photo Gallery, Exeter, 2014
My Son's Absence, Spoleto Open, 2011
Vehicles, Son Gallery, London, UK, 2010
Nature of Machines, Rathbone Gallery, 2007
Selected Group Exhibitions
Publish / Curate - TJ Boulting, London, 2014
Kaleid 2014 London - The Art Academy, London, 2014
The Life of Objects - Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, 2014
Site Festival 2014, Stroud, 2014
Exercises in Failure, Son Gallery, 2011
Vehicles, Son Gallery, 2010
A New Decade of Photography, Son Gallery, 2010
Polski Sklep, Shoreditch Town Hall, London, 2008
Selected Publications
Dinner for One - FT Magazine, 12/08/17
London Calling - British Journal of Photography, June Issue
Cheryl Newman, Human, Nature and The World - Raw View Magazine Issue no.2
Projects, 'In Your Absence' - British Journal of Photography, May issue
The Debated Index - Yet Magazine, Issue no.7
The al Assad Campaign 2008, Bemojake
Defective Carrot, Bemojake
Picture of the Week, Guardian Weekend, 9/11/13
Excercises in Failure, Exhibition Catalogue, Son Gallery
Vehicles, Exhibition Catalogue, Son Gallery
Joan Flasch Collection (SAIC)
British Art Collection, Yale
Talks / Events
Calm Before the Storm, P21 Gallery, London, UK
Defective Carrots - Book Launch, Photographers' Gallery, London, UK
Selected Work Experience
Freelance Photographer 2008 - Ongoing
Barbican, Dented Records, Exposure, Guardian Weekend, Hannah Barry Gallery, Hentsch Man, Huck Magazine, Idea Generation, Island Records, Marks and Spencer, Metropolis, New Power Studio, Nike 6.0, Antony Peattie, Policy Connect, Premier PR Red Bull, Regents Street Association, Tableau Limited, Tom Ford, Visit London, Vidal Sassoon
Workshops 2007 - 2011
All Change Arts, Homes for Islington, London, UK
New Exposure, Deutsche Bank, Mitrovica, Kosovo / Damascus, Syria / London, UK
- Best Books 2014: John Gossage - Photo-Eye
- Photo Book of the Year Award, Shortlist, 2014 - PhotoEspaña
- HotShoe Magazine Student Award, 2007
Design — Studio Thomas
Build — Territories


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Northwest Voices | Letters to the Editor
Welcome to The Seattle Times' online letters to the editor, a sampling of readers' opinions. Join the conversation by commenting on these letters or send your own letter of up to 200 words firstname.lastname@example.com.
Women's access editorial
Women have a say too
I want to thank The Seattle Times for its editorial "war against women" [Opinion, March 9].
Rush Limbaugh may have a large audience, but regardless of our opinion and need regarding contraceptives, no one should be called vile names because of the subject.
The lukewarm response to Limbaugh's comments by some of the political-primary hopefuls is also troubling.
The current political climate forgets that in the U.S., women have a say in what happens to this country, and most of us don't really appreciate being told or lectured by politicians regarding our health choices just to score points toward the presidential-election primary.
Thank you again for a sensible editorial.
— Fran Whitehill, Shoreline
Constitution does not grant this
In the editorial "War against women," The Seattle Times editorial board states: "Republican presidential candidates keep attacking basic women's rights."
What rights are The Seattle Times editorial board talking about? Free contraceptives? What part of the Constitution grants that right?
Nearly all of your editorials are well thought out and worth reading, but I do not get this one.
Most rational people, including Republicans, have no problem with anyone using contraceptives who chooses to do so.
They just don't want to allow the government to make them pay for someone else's.
— Andy Zamelis, Burien
These rights were never given
Tell me when were the "good old days?" I am 75 years old and cannot recall one day when women's access to contraception, abortion choice and education was a "given." The Seattle Times editorial board needs a connection to the real world.
— Joyce Sandvik, Puyallup
Feb 21 - 7:00 AM Sen. Patty Murray plans to reintroduce Wild Olympics bill
Feb 21 - 7:00 AM Gun bill allows for police inspection
Feb 21 - 7:00 AM President Obama's early childhood education expansion proposal
Feb 21 - 7:00 AM Don't restrict public's right to access information
Feb 20 - 4:00 PM Lake Burien: public, but private


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Order up!
A&E has set a new reality series following brothers Mark and Donnie Wahlberg as they head back to their hometown of Boston to help their brother Paul at his hamburger restaurant.
Titled "Wahlburgers," the show takes place at the eatery of the same name in Hingham, Mass., which serves as a home base for the Wahlbergs' gang from their old neighborhood — including the original "Entourage" characters Johnny "Drama" Alves and Henry "Nacho" Luan, as well as friend Billy Leonard and their mother, Alma.
The series will follow the Wahlberg brothers as they attempt to expand Wahlburgers to a second location as well as clash with childhood pals and fight for their mother's attention.
It marks the first unscripted starring roles for Mark, who is a prolific producer ("Boardwalk Empire") and film actor ("2 Guns," "Ted") and Donnie, who stars on the CBS police drama "Blue Bloods."
"Wahlburgers" premieres Jan. 22 at 10:30 p.m. on A&E.


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In 1971, we bought our first house. It was on Meadowvale Rd. in eastern Scarborough. The most direct route downtown was along Kingston Rd. to Woodbine, then south to Lake Shore Blvd. E.
Although you would hit a red light at some point early in the journey ? I can recall having to stop at Morningside about a million times ? if you drove a steady 40 m.p.h. (64 km/h) after that, you could go all the way to Woodbine without ever having to stop again.
Everybody knew this and everybody drove 40 and you could be downtown in half an hour (although you had to watch it on Lake Shore because the police were always hiding behind those big cement pillars with their radar).
How could you do this? How could you go from the eastern reaches of Scarborough to the Upper Beaches of east end Toronto and never have to stop for a light (except, as mentioned, the one red early in the run)?
Because the traffic lights were synchronized.
Some traffic engineer of the day figured out ? perhaps he had the help of an early computer, who knows? ? how to get all those lights to stay green so the traffic could pass through unimpeded for miles if everybody drove at a steady 40 m.p.h.
And I'm sure there were all sorts of other long stretches in the city where the lights were synchronized as well. I just knew about the ones along Kingston Road because that was my route.
In any event, to great fanfare, the city this week unveiled a $3 million renovation of its traffic control centre where, among other things, it plans to synchronize traffic lights.
I think this is swell. But how come they are starting to do all over again today what had already been done in the early 1970s? How did it get to the point, in the intervening years, that no matter what direction you were driving in Toronto, you could only go from red light to red light?
Here's something else. They are putting up traffic cameras all over the city and they will be monitored at this centre. Crews or cops will be dispatched, traffic will be diverted and traffic lights retimed on alternative routes to handle the overflow if there is trouble at an intersection.
Again, I'm impressed. But look at what they do in Montreal,
They have police officers directing traffic at major intersections during rush hour, thus being proactive rather than reactive. As well as ticketing drivers who snarl traffic deliberately by driving into intersections when lights are yellow, only to be trapped when the lights turn red (sound familiar?), these Montreal police can override the signals depending on conditions. If, for instance, there are 80 cars waiting on Rue Notre-Dame O (one-way east) and only a half-dozen vehicles waiting to go north or south on Rue Peel, the officer will hold the light on green for the Notre-Dame traffic. You know, it's always refreshing for a guy with an eye out for these things to visit Montreal or New York and see police actually directing traffic as a matter of course. It is something you never see in Toronto (unless a set of signals isn't working and the police have to intervene).
But if this new traffic control centre is everything it's cracked up to be, we won't have to worry about any of this any more, will we?
Will we?
Lots going on in these days:
Don't forget the celebration this weekend at Ford of Canada's HQ in Oakville. Fifty years of the Mustang. Today and Sunday. Special surprise ? a 2015 pre-production Mustang will be on display.
Meantime, on Sunday, the Niagara Corvette Club will host its annual Car Show at Fort George, 26 Queen's Parade in Niagara-on-the-Lake, starting at 9 a.m. Net proceeds go to the Niagara Children's Centre, serving more than 3,000 disabled and disadvantaged children. Over 40 years, $375,380 has been raised. That's incredible! More than 250 collector, muscle and race cars will be on display. I hope to see you there.


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I saw this link at the bottom of a story on ff.net, and I couldn't help myself. Laugh if you will.
The SUPERNATURAL quiz
You really love the show. You watch every episode andLink to Results Link to Quiz thingy: www.boredquiz.com
you are familiar with the characters. Keep it up!
- Where Am I?:soon to be reorganized home office
- How Do I Feel?: lazy
- Feeding the Muse:the wind
( 6 Tall Tales — Tell Me A Story )
( 6 Tall Tales — Tell Me A Story )


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As many of you know, I just had a baby. He is actually my 5th child, so I'm not new to this whole carseat thing, right? Wrong! They seem to change the rules/guidelines all the time. It's very important to make sure that you are using the correct carseat for your child's height and weight as well as having it installed properly and facing the correct direction. So I decided to look up the most current carseat guidelines and share them with all of you.
I recently saw a commercial that said children should be in a rear-facing car seat until they are 2 years old! (This chart from the NHTSA says "as long as possible") That prompted me to check on the regulations again. It should be noted that you must go by each carseat manufacturer's guidelines for that particular car seat. Make sure that you read and keep the instructions!
The Safe Kids Coalition does car seat checks periodically you can go to www.safekidsclarkcounty.org for more information on when and where you can go to have your car seats checked to see if they are properly installed and if you have the correct one for your child's height and weight.
Auto Insurance :: Business Insurance :: Homeowners Insurance :: Health Insurance :: Life Insurance
Home :: Insurance Blog :: Referral Program :: Location :: Team :: Contact :: Resources


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Hot Picks: Aug. 15-21
Published 11:19 am, Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Thursday 8.15
The Aliens: Annie Baker's play depicts the gabfest of two "angry young men" and their efforts to educate a high school student who wanders onto the scene. When: 8:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays through Aug. 31; also, 8:30 p.m. Monday; Where: Horse Head Theatre Co., at Boheme Cafe and Wine Bar, 307 Fairview; Tickets: $20; Info: 713-364-4482.
Friday 8.16
Joe "King" Carrasco: Endlessly energetic purveyor of party-ready garage rock, Carrasco slips back across the Rio Grande for another night of music that mixes sounds from north and south of the river. When: 9 p.m. Friday; Where: Continental Club, 3700 Main; Tickets: $14; 713-529-9899 or continentalclub.com.
Robert Glasper: Pianist and composer Glasper has over the past 10 years released increasingly progressive recordings that thread together jazz, the genre he's rooted in, with hip-hop, R&B and pop. The most intriguing distillation of that sound so far was last year's "Black Radio," which earned a Grammy award for the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts grad. In October, he'll release the new "Black Radio 2," but before then he'll bring the Robert Glasper Experiment back to his hometown for a show. When: 8:30 p.m. Friday; Where: Miller Outdoor Theatre, 6000 Hermann Park Drive; Admission: free; more information at milleroutdoortheatre.com.
Kathryn Hallberg: Woodlands singer Hallberg makes music that feels older and wiser than her 18 years. It's a little folk, a little country, a little pop - and emotional without going over the top. Hallberg has one last hurrah before moving to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music. She'll be joined by Matt Davis and Colby Miller, Jack Saunders, Brian Kalinec and a few other surprise guests. When: 8 p.m. Friday; Where: Dosey Doe, 25911 Interstate 45 N., The Woodlands; Tickets: $10; 281-367-3774 or doseydoe.com.
Saturday 8.17
Red Bull BC One North American Finals: Serious moves are in order during this 1-on-1 b-boy battle, considered by many to be the best of its kind on the planet. The competition pits 16 breakdancers against one another, with each hoping to move on to the world finals in Seoul, South Korea, later this year. Rakaa Iriscience (Dilated Peoples) hosts, and DJ Skeme Richards provides beats. Among the ranks are local b-boys Dang and Jeremy. When: 9 p.m. Saturday; Where: Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel; Tickets: $10; 713-225-5483 or warehouselive.com.
CureFest: Brain cancer research is the focus during CureFest, a daylong festival featuring more than a dozen bands on two stages, children's activities, classic cars and auctions. Headlining the music is '90s hat act John Michael Montgomery, and 100 percent of the proceeds go to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The bill also features Sundance Head, Wendy Taylor and Gary Kyle. When: 11 a.m. Saturday; Where: Humble Civic Center, 8301 Will Clayton Parkway; Tickets: $5-$150; 281-851-6635 or curefest.com.
Otenki: Locals rule this weekend bill, led by glossy rock outfit Otenki. The lineup also includes From Guts to Glory, Lion Among Me, the Anthemeers and Ashford Lights. And be warned: Houston Zombie Walk will also be representing. When: 6 p.m. Saturday; Where: House of Blues, 1204 Caroline; Tickets: $10; 832-667-7733 or hob.com/houston.
Wednesday 8.21
Shinyribs: Once a side project for Gourds singer-songwriter Kevin Russell, Shinyribs has become a celebratory musical outlet that revels in the sounds of the Gulf Coast. The shows are spirited and funky. Fittingly, the band's latest album is titled "Gulf Coast Museum." When: 8 p.m. Wednesday; Where: Under the Volcano, 2349 Bissonnet; Admission: $10 at the door; 713-526-5282.


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Which is best for you?
Users: 1 million +
Social Networking: Forums are hard to find; it's clear emphasis is not social support
Alerts: Yes
Mobile Access: Yes
Offers financial services/products: Yes
Savings goals: No
Users: 91,000 +
Social Networking: Groups organized by category. Includes a section called "confessions."
Alerts: No
Mobile Access: Yes
Offers financial services/products: Yes
Savings goals: Yes
Users: 122,000 +
Social Networking: Groups organized alphabetically by title and topic; most active
Alerts: Yes
Mobile Access: Yes
Offers financial services/products: No
Savings goals: Yes
"For some of us, the best way to learn is to find like-minded people who are having problems like ours and to figure out solutions that way," Wright says.Here's how to get started.
Spend time on each site. Make note of the differences and your impressions. For example, Stephens likes the how-to information in the "Money 101" section on Geezeo, so she recommends it to her clients.
Lose the fear. These sites use more security precautions than the Secret Service. Ans because you don't provide personal identifying information, it's unlikely a hacker could drain your account.
Know your needs. If you like to learn from peers, Wesabe's groups are the most active, but if your goal is to find the most cost-effective financial services options, try Mint instead.
This article originally appeared in the August 2009 issue of Black Enterprise magazine.


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It would be wrong to say that Tuesday night's 3-1 victory over the Royals was totally devoid of excitement.
There was the moment when the Bleacher Creatures welcomed Melky Cabrera back to the Bronx with a mention in the roll call, a nice moment of recognition for a player who hasn't been missed all that much since leaving town. He was a big part of a title team, though, and it was nice to see that hasn't been forgotten.
David Robertson also walked into a situation that got hearts pounding when Joe Girardi summoned him with two on and none out in the seventh. He wound up loading the bases, but struck out two batters to end the threat and make the Yankee victory academic.
A full accounting of memorable moments must include Nick Swisher's nice diving catch, Derek Jeter moving two hits closer to 3,000 and a timely single for Alex Rodriguez. Somehow, though, the total wound up being less than the sum of its parts.
Maybe its because the Royals were on the other side of the field. Even with their record over .500 for the season, it has been 30-odd years since a visit from K.C. elicited much reaction from the faithful.
More likely it is the seeming inevitability of the Yankee win on a night when things looked stacked against them.
There's been much hand wringing about the problems with the Yankee lineup this season, but A-Rod's game-breaking hit in the fifth inning served as a reminder of the relativity of all that worry. Rodriguez has been in a brutal slump and didn't exactly knock the cover off the ball on his two-run single but he still got the hit that wound up winning the game.
It has been that way most of the season for the Yankees. There's always someone to come up with the big hit when the team needs one, which is a nice state of affairs to keep the ball rolling until the big bats get loose.
Rafael Soriano was unavailable Tuesday night because of an elbow problem that's going to require an MRI on Wednesday. That's the kind of loss that would crush many teams, but the Yankees turned to Robertson and Joba Chamberlain for six big outs without blinking an eye.
We're ignoring some stuff from last night, namely a good start by Freddy Garcia that made all the other stuff possible, but the point remains that the Yankees are good enough to keep winning when operating at less than 100 percent. Those wins might wind up being on the routine or mundane side, but style points only matter in figure skating.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City. You can follow him on Twitter and he is also a contributor to Pro Football Talk.


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Win a $500 Geneva Sound System for Your iPod
Big Thursday Giveaway! We're kicking off our annual Holiday Gift Bag giveaway with a big prize: the Geneva Sound System.
These speakers retail for $500, but we're giving this away to one lucky Apartment Therapy reader tomorrow.
The sleek lacquered wooden box contains a remote controlled CD player and radio and is iPod compatible. The winner gets to pick if they'd like the Geneva system in red, black, or white.
To enter, head over to our Home Tech and enter a comment. Hurry ... we're pulling the winner at midnight tomorrow. Stay tuned for more from our Gift Bag.


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American Flyer # 697 Track Trip
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- Sold Date:
- Source: eBay
Up for auction is an ORIGINAL American Flyer # 697 Track Trip. It was made between 1950 to 1954. I would consider it to be in very good to excellent condition. There are no cracks or breaks in it. All lettering is crisp. Only some minor scratches from normal use. It was tested and works properly. All 3 wire connectors are there and complete.
Please email me for more pictures or any questions before bidding, as this is a final sale. By bidding you are agreeing to the terms listed below.If one auction is won you can pay as soon as the auction ends, if two or more are won Please wait for an invoice to be sent before you pay so I can apply the shipping discounts. An item may only be returned for a refund if it is substantially misrepresented in my eBay description. The item returned must be in the same condition as when it was sent, insured & within 7 days of it's receipt by the owner. Payment must be received within 7 days of end of auction. Shipping fees are not refundable. Handling fees include tracking.


text: At one time, I spent nearly 300 quid to play Street Fighter II at home. This was back in the days when the Super Nintento Entertainment System was a ridiculous price and games for it were even pricier. Three knackered joypads later, I felt it was money well spent – it was the first time I can remember actually feeling that the arcade had truly come home. My name is Peej. I'm a Street Fighter II nut. So naturally, the release of the Xbox Live Arcade version should have me hopping up and down on the spot in excitement. Thing is, though you haven't got to spend an arm and a leg to pick this up (though 1200 points is a little on the expensive side for an XBLA title), something subtle's been lost in the translation of Super Street Fighter II. Gone are the subtleties of the original blobby bitmapped graphics yet the same simple four-step animations are still in place. Along with the graphical changes, a lot of the character of the game has been plasticised and if it wasn't for the fact that this plays absolutely identically to all the zippier episodes of Street Fighter II that have gone before, I'd probably be throwing my joypad across the room in disgust. Let's face it though, better is yet to come with the release of Street Fighter IV next year – a game that should tick all the right boxes for those looking for stunning visuals (having played it, it's no slouch in the gameplay department either). So treating this as a bit of a gameplay taster for SFIV isn't too bad an idea, because playing this on hard, you'll get a flavour of what's expected of you as a cyber-combatant. For those of you who've never heard of Street Fighter II (yes you, the old lady, and the Dachshund with the limp) it's the ridiculously popular sequel to a game that wouldn't have batted an eyelid in arcades if it wasn't for the hand-breaking control pads that adorned it. Street Fighter 1 might well have faded into history but any gamer worth their salt will know exactly who you're talking about when you mention the likes of Ken, Ryu, Chun-Li and Eddie Honda. Street Fighter II pits a diverse range of characters against each other in a hand-to-hand scrap. Each character has a dizzying array of standard and special moves, and mastering these insane finger-snapping combos is the key to Street Fighter success. Every player has a favourite character. Whether you choose Ken and Ryu's all-round jack of all trades approach, or whether you go for the sheer speed of a character like Chun Li, or the heavy handed approach with Zangief or Eddie Honda, there's something for everyone in Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. The game practically cries out for you to go and spend some money on a decent arcade stick though (luckily I've got a Hori for my 360 so didn't have to suffer the incongruous inaccuracy of the crosspad buttons which would make the game nigh on unplayable). SSFIITHR offers various options, whether you choose to go for the classic modes or the enhanced HD edition. Character graphics and backgrounds have been rejigged (none too successfully in my opinion, but they're recognisable as the characters you've known and loved before) thanks to the Japanese creators of the Street Fighter graphic novels. Online modes have been polished and improved with seriously reworked netcode, meaning that if you're matched up with someone on a reasonable connection the speed of your game should be good enough to match a local head to head game with ease. What lifts this title up into making it an essential purchase, even at the hiked price, is the fact that the new Remix mode really feels so beautifully tuned that a hardened Street Fighter fanatic will notice the difference right away. Moves feel like they have a silky smooth flow to them and in tandem with a decent arcade stick, you should be able to comfortably and predictably slip into your character's signature moves with ease. It plays so well that it's almost got me considering petitioning Capcom to stuff back in the original graphics because this would then end up being one of the best Street Fighter II versions available on any machine. As well as the remixed graphics, you get a whole new set of tunes that tinkle away in the background. If you're a purist you'll just leave it all set to classic mode but the new remixes aren't too bad at all. Really though any Street Fighter game boils down to that utterly sublime gameplay, and the mix of characters and with the extended roster you should already recognise from the Turbo SF II games of yore, you'll have plenty to get your teeth into if you're a new player hoping to get a few skills before SF IV hits, or if you're a seasoned veteran who can pull off a Sho Ryu Ken at the drop of a hat. In essence then, the utterly superb gameplay and unrivalled feel of this iteration of the Street Fighter series makes it a nigh-on essential purchase, despite the slightly naff reworked graphics. Score: 8/10


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The Worst Hangover Breakfast Ever
You roll over on your mattress, effectively knocking the half-eaten sandwich to the floor. Today is shaping up to be a day for pizza delivery, binge watching, and not wearing pants. With a few blind, errant pats on the floor, your hand finds the Tylenol bottle and you take however many pour out; the permanent liver damage is too far away to fathom and this current hangover is absolute torture. With that, your phone's shrill, piercing ringer sends you into a cringe. Why is anyone calling now? Seriously, you think, it's not even noon yet; if someone is calling now, well, it better be important, like someone-died important or dude-you-forgot-to-set-your-fantasy-lineup important.
With one look at the phone your memory is jogged. It's your parents; they say they're twenty minutes away and ready to see you for lunch on their visit. You string together a few coherencies blended with some non-words grunted at them.
You hang up and realize the impending awful. The wheels are falling off. The monkeys are in the banana patch. The snakes are on the plane. You're at the point of no return from disaster.
After a quick, vomit-inducing shower, you take more Tylenol to make up for said barf session and ejected pills. With a quick lie about a naked roommate and a garbage strike, you avoid your parents coming in and lecturing you about the favela-esque state of your apartment. Now, maybe it was because you stumbled down your front steps, or maybe it's because you smell like what I assume a murder in a brewery would smell like, or maybe it was because you still had a little bit of dried sick in the corner of your mouth, but from the moment you stepped in the car you are positive that your parents know you're hungover.
Pleasantries are exchanged and then, vindictively, your dad announces that he hopes you're hungry because you're all going to a steakhouse famous for gut-busting, Midwest-sized portions. Food is the farthest thing from your mind. Your appetite has become that of a depressed, body-image-obsessed teen at the moment and you know that you could make it thorough the day on little more than a few saltines and some Gatorade.
This has turned from what would typically be a nice lunch and time to catch up, into your mom and dad maliciously and passive-aggressively trying to make you puke hot meat out of your face hole in public. Despite being typically frugal, Mom and Dad have thrown caution to the wind today. They're ordering like they're about to walk The Green Mile or travel to a gross country. Deep-fried country ham cubes and an order of chicken and waffle nuggets are brought, and they're just the appetizers for the appetizers. Your parents are forcing it on you, piling as much as they can on your plate as the gravy-slathered plate of potato skins are brought out. You take a bite—everything tastes like salt, meat, and butter and your mouth couldn't be happier, but your stomach couldn't disagree more.
Your old man is slamming beers, provoking you and the barely-touched, frosty brew in front of you. "You might still have your hair, but you can't drink for shit. Maybe you were switched at birth; because I can always throw them back with the best of them," your dad taunts as you feebly try to drink. The entrees arrive. A heaping mound of steaks doused in barbecue sauce piled inside two racks of lamb thumps onto the table. "Dig in," your father says with a Nicholson-esque grin.
It's too delicious. You're like an addict: you know the unavoidable and disgusting end result but you can't make yourself stop. You jaws churn like they're mechanized and your stomach pleads to no avail.
You can feel it coming, but you can't do anything about it; there's no thinking of baseball or dead kittens to derail this. Frantic, you scan the restaurant, but you're stuck in the corner of a booth. There's no use fighting it; it's time to be an adult. And, with that, you promptly throw up directly under the table, successfully missing your shoes. As you wipe your mouth with the back of your hand, you bring your head up to see your father, smiling and never more proud of himself. The satisfaction on his face truly stating as only George Bluth Sr. can,
"And that why you don't get too drunk before your parents visit."
Justin Gawel is an adult baby from Michigan whose articles appear on BroBible most Thursdays and some Tuesdays usually. Look for more of his writing, his BroBible.com archive, and his updates at www.justingawel.com or follow him @justingawel on Twitter.


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After a week off due to the CMAs, freshman fall drama "Last Resort" returns tonight at 8/7c on ABC and things are about to get twisted.
The crew of the USS Colorado is about to face another unexpected obstacle that involves sickness, fevers, hallucinations and a potential fire on the submerged sub.
Those hallucinations appear to be finally bringing together Scott Speedman's Sam Kendal, (who is stuck on that Nato Island with the submarine crew) with his wife — Jessy Schram's Christine Kendal – who is back home.
In a new interview with AccessHollywood.com, Jessy, who joined the cast of "Last Resort" after playing Cinderella on Season 1 of "Once Upon A Time," hinted at what's to come for the TV couple. She also addressed Christine's Washington D.C. storyline, which is about to see her character team up with Autumn Reeser's Kylie Sinclair, as they attempt to expose the U.S. government for trying to sink the Colorado, and brand its crew traitors.
AccessHollywood.com: This episode is called, 'Another Fine Navy Day,' and in the description, it's noted that, 'the crew is hit by an unknown force, unlike anything they've ever seen before.' I'm guessing that's not aliens.
Jessy Schram: It's not aliens … They are impacted by things that they never thought possible… This episode is definitely a mind trip and it brings to surface a lot of the things that Sam Kendall, in particular, hides deep within that are secrets, And it's about your instincts and your truths coming out in ways that you wouldn't really [expect]. Everyone's kind of off their rocker in this episode.
Access: In the most recent episode, Christine told Kylie she knew that Paul (Jay Hernandez) was being used by the government to turn her against her husband, Sam. Will the two women be working together now in a Cagney and Lacey style way?
Jessy: [Kylie] does step in at an interesting point of when [Christine] is being bombarded through [the] press and she really has no one to depend on. She has this one person, [Paul], who's an old friend of Sam's who says he's there to help, and the audience knows he's not to be trusted… Kylie Sinclair, she comes in and is like, 'Hey I believe you!' And [Christine's] like, 'Great. Let's do this.' They do jump on the team together and they are two completely different women that are actually very similar in the sense that they don't back down. It's a very interesting dynamic and you do have a little bit like, 'Murder She Wrote,' kind of things in there, of like us getting together and listening to phone calls.
Access: Your storyline started out kind of on a sad note. She was the wife of someone being accused of treason, bullied by the government, a guy tried to manipulate her. But then, in the last episode, when we found out she knew about the manipulation, and she made the deal with Kylie to out this conspiracy, it seemed like she became strong and is now taking the bull by the horns.
Jessy: Yeah… Christine is just starting to smile in these next couple of episodes. She was never a victim, but she was definitely someone that was bombarded and things [were] taken away in this desperate situation and then she decides to own it.
Access: Jay told us he has flashbacks in upcoming episodes with Scott. Do you get any with Scott?
Jessy: We do have contact. And the whole goal for Christine is to get her husband back and so through the season, you'll see the different attempts that are made… Hopefully I can tease that we want to get to each other and maybe we will.
Access: Outside of 'Last Resort' is there the possibility that 'Once Upon A Time' Executive Producers Adam Horowitz and Eddie Kitsis can bring you back as Cinderella in Season 2?
Jessy: I do get emails [from them and] they are extremely support of 'Last Resort' and any project that I'm doing, but I know with 'Once Upon A Time,' their second season is really different from the first season. So I know if a storyline comes about that they need Cinderella and I'm available for it that they'll use it. But, for the most part, I'm just sitting here on Sundays as a superfan.
Access: You're a part of the cast of 'Falling Skies' on TNT too. Is there time for you to return for Season 3?
Jessy: 'Falling Skies' has been doing Season 3 and I can definitely say that Karen, my character, is still involved in a small kind of way, so I have been able to steal away some time up in Vancouver.
Access: And then back to Hawai'i. Obviously they people of Hawai'i have embraced 'Hawaii Five-0.' Are you guys also feeling a warm welcome?
Jessy: It's been amazing. The locals that I've met and the people that I talk to really do take you under their wing and really do want to show you the beautiful things in Hawai'i and really want you to know that you do have a neighbor and [there is] this very 'Aloha' sense… I actually have been doing hula classes on Sunday because there's this little group that meets. [It's]… become like a small family for me.
Access: Are you any good at it?
Jessy: I think so. I don't do the Polynesian style, so I'm not rounding [my hips] about like crazy. I tend to go with the more older ladies who are telling the history of Hawai'i through their little fingers and stuff like that… I can say I can hold my own with the hula ladies.
-- Jolie Lash


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A ``bonanza`` in the growth of jobs held by blacks in Chicago last year helped the city`s employment rate improve faster than that of nearby counties for a change, but the surge probably will not be repeated this year, the Chicago Association of Commerce and Industry reported Thursday.
Chicago blacks gained 55,000 jobs in 1987, cutting the city`s black unemployment rate to 16.1 percent from 21.1 percent, said John Coulter, director of business development for the association. The number of whites employed stayed at 762,000, but the white unemployment rate inched downward to 7.5 percent from 7.8 percent because of a drop in the white labor force, he said.


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Three Big 12 football assistant coaches have been named to the list of Broyles Award semifinalists.
Kansas State has been named the FWAA National Team of the Week after its 45-40 upset at No. 13 Oklahoma State.
College football's national awards announce finalists; winners to come Dec. 7th
Big 12 football coaches recap week 12 action and discuss the final week of regular-season play.
Oklahoma State sophomore running back Justice Hill was named a semifinalist for the 2017 Doak Walker Award as announced by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum on Friday.
Oklahoma offensive tackle Orlando Brown was named one of six semifinalists for the 2017 Outland Trophy.
Five Big 12 football student-athletes were named to the 2017 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District� 7 Football Team.
The College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation has once again partnered with the Big 12 Conference through the CFP Foundation's Extra Yard for Teachers platform to honor educators across the country.
Iowa State's Matt Campbell and Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley have been named semifinalists for the 2017 George Munger College Coach of the Year Award.
Nation's leading punter one of 10 semifinalists for national award
The Dollar General Big 12 Tailgate Tour completes its regular season stops in Morgantown Saturday as the West Virginia Mountaineers host the Texas Longhorns.
The 2017 Academic All-Big 12 Football Team features 198 honorees, including 120 first team selections.


text:
LiLi - a new Windows tool for creating a XBMC Live USB memory stick - Printable Version
+- Kodi Community Forum (https://forum.kodi.tv)
+-- Forum: Support (https://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?fid=33)
+--- Forum: General Support (https://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?fid=111)
+---- Forum: Linux and Live support (https://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?fid=52)
+---- Thread: LiLi - a new Windows tool for creating a XBMC Live USB memory stick (/showthread.php?tid=89848)
- X3lectric - 2011-07-03
you need to install video drivers to correct that.
If its nvidia look here
- TheUriah - 2011-07-14
Just chiming in for 2 reasons:
1. I used LiLi to make my XBMC Live USB stick, and it worked great.
2. I found out by trying that I could also use LiLi clone my flash drive install. (I wanted to move my install from my larger USB pendrive to a smaller one, and it worked when I started LiLi, told it CD as the source and pointed it at the pervious Live USB, and made the destination my new USB pendrive. It copied over all the files, then wrote a proper bootloader!)
- pumkinut - 2011-07-26
I finally got around to testing it last night. Out of the box the LiLi created XBMC Dharma install worked just fine. I added the nightly/unstable PPA so that I could use this install as a sandbox to play with the nightlies. I made the mistake of upgrading the nvidia drivers via nvidia-current. While the drivers installed just fine, the update to initramfs fails because
tries to write to read only space (apparently not everything is stored in the persistence portion).
So my question is, is there any way to get around this, or am I stuck with the older nvidia drivers and kernel? If the latter is the case, I'm fine with that, I'm just not sure what all initramfs does when I add the new nvidia drivers to perform all the actions manually. Also, can I install the latest nightlies without causing a change to grub i.e. is there anything within the new builds that would trigger an initramfs-update?
- kri kri - 2011-08-07
What do I do if this just hangs at the grub command line? I have used about 10 flash drives and every single one hangs. Downloaded xbmc 3 times, same thing happens.
Hardware is a Revo 1600.
- distracto - 2011-08-09
mine hangs at a screen that says "XBMC login:"
booting from scratch (not from virtual box), and downloading manually the dharma version.
.....oh but it works fine in virtualbox
- throwrocks - 2011-08-09
kri kri Wrote:What do I do if this just hangs at the grub command line? I have used about 10 flash drives and every single one hangs.
I am having the same issue here. I thought LiLi would be an alternative to UNetBootin but I am faced with a grub command line and no options to install xbmc live. This is as frustrating as having UNetBootin halt my installation because it can't find a non-existent cd drive on my Acer Aspire Revo 3610.
Help! - Palalisimo - 2011-08-10
I have tried LiLi and is working ok.
Im pretty much new to linux in general, xbmclive runs fine from boot, but I was wondering how I can copy skins and add ons from my currents windows install.
For example, I recently made a fresh install of xbmc to my new laptop, and just copy the entire "users\myname\appdata\roaming\xbmc\" and all my addons, skins, databases, thumbs, etc, etc where available and working.
How can I do something similar using LiLi?
Thanks in advance!
- mwa888 - 2011-09-15
I used lili and added the iso, so now what?
flash drive size? - bcboncs - 2011-09-30
Hi, I was curious about how big of a flash drive is necessary for terabytes of tv shows/movies' metadata (plot, cast, thumbnails, all imdb info) when using xbmc live?
Also, does xbmc live need an OS or is that included? Sorry if the question is dumb... I am in the process of migrating from a Win7, XBMC, SAB, SB, CP, and Storage into separate devices.
- castalla - 2012-02-23
It can't handle the XBMCbuntu release.
You can get a XBMCbuntu persistent usb using unetbootin.
xbmc on a 500 gig usb drive - paulsk2 - 2012-03-09
i`ve never tried a live version but love xbmc so i`m wanting to give it a try so that i can have a moblie copy of it on me but my question is once its installed onto a hard drive can i the still use the drive as portable storage that will also be visible in windows ?
- kozzbc - 2012-03-09
Lili is the only bootable usb creation tool I ever use for any linux distribution. You can even make your android phone a usb bootable device, it wont remove or harm any of your android files as long as you leave the "Format" option unchecked.
Highly recommended tool !!
RE: - cybertimber2000 - 2012-03-13
(2011-01-09, 19:33)Superorb Wrote: I found out that my old school pentium 3 from 10-15 years ago will boot from a USB key when my 5 year old Core2duo will not. Ridiculous.I find that surprising. Double check the BIOS settings to make sure USB booting is enabled, and use the boot menu (on startup) to manually select USB booting as it's priority may be lower than your hard drive.
RE: LiLi - a new Windows tool for creating a XBMC Live USB memory stick - davidrust - 2012-03-30
Hi guys, 1st post so go easy. The instalation screen is so tiny I can't see what to select, any idea on how to increase the size. I'm using a 1080p tv as my display. Acer revo r3610
RE: LiLi - a new Windows tool for creating a XBMC Live USB memory stick - morgancalvin - 2012-10-06
You are a great writer. Please keep it up!
relocation and moving


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Pecatonica River Water Trail gains national recognition
Staff Report
PECATONICA, Ill. — The Pecatonica River Water Trail in Pecatonica, Ill., has been recognized by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar as one of 11 model river projects serving as examples of conservation and restoration, expansion of outdoor recreational opportunities and support of jobs in local communities.
The 11 river projects are part of a list of 51 ongoing projects Salazar is highlighting nationwide, one in each state and the District of Columbia, as models of America's Great Outdoors Rivers.
Ranging from the restoration of the Milwaukee River in Wisconsin to the establishment of the Pascagoula River Blueway in Mississippi, the projects were selected to provide examples for how communities across America can restore and reconnect with the rivers in their back yards.
"Across the country, we are working hand in hand with states, tribes, local communities and other partners to revitalize our nation's rivers and expand the opportunities for people to fish, swim, boat and otherwise connect with the great outdoors," Salazar said. "These ongoing projects demonstrate how the federal family can be an effective conservation partner for community-led efforts to improve our rivers, which are the lifeblood of our communities and our economies."
A map and more detailed descriptions of the river initiatives highlighted by Salazar can be accessed at http://www.doi.gov/Americas-Great-Outdoors-Highlighted-River-Projects.cfm.
Following, by state, are the America's Great Outdoors Rivers identified by Salazar:
• Arkansas: Cache River — Cache River Restoration
• Illinois: Pecatonica River — Pecatonica River Water Trail: In response to the increased need for recreational opportunities, the National Park Service is working with federal, state and local agencies, non-governmental organizations, and volunteer groups to expand recreational access and restore wetland and riparian habitat, including the construction of two fishing docks and restoring 1 acre of wetland, along 58 miles of the Pecatonica River.
• Indiana: Wabash River — Healthy Rivers Initiative
• Iowa: Big Sioux River — Klondike Dam Fish Passage Project
• Louisiana: Tensas River — Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge Paddling Trail
• Michigan: Detroit River — Detroit River Urban Park and Restoration
• Minnesota: Minnesota and Mississippi rivers — Mississippi National River and Recreational Area National Water Trail
• Mississippi: Pascagoula River — Pascagoula River Water Trail
• Missouri: Mississippi and Missouri Rivers — Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Confluence
• Ohio: Chagrin River — Sulphur Springs Assessment and Restoration Project
• Wisconsin: Milwaukee River — Restoring Connectivity in the Milwaukee River Watershed
"America has more than 3.6 million miles of rivers and streams, and nearly every American lives within a mile of a river or stream, making them some of the nation's most important recreational and ecological assets," Salazar added. "America's Great Outdoors Rivers will help fulfill President Obama's vision for healthy and accessible rivers as we work to restore and conserve our nation's treasured waterways."
Rivers are economic engines for many local communities, supporting recreation and tourism industries by providing opportunities for boating, fishing and hunting, hiking, camping, swimming, and numerous other outdoor activities.
Salazar noted that the outdoor industry creates an estimated 6.5 million jobs in the United States and pumps an estimated $730 billion a year into our nation's economy.
The Rock River Trail Initiative is working on establishing and interpreting a Rock River Water Trail along the 300-mile river course from the headwaters in Fond du Lac and Dodge counties, Wisconsin, to the Mississippi River at Rock Island, Illinois. The initiative is also working on a separate Rock River Route on roads within the river corridor to provide access for all to the natural resources, recreational opportunities, scenic beauty and historic and cultural assets of the Rock River Valley. Visit www.rockrivertrail.com for more details.
Salazar unveiled America's Great Outdoors Rivers in January as part of President Barack Obama's overall America's Great Outdoors Initiative to work with communities across the country to establish a conservation and recreation agenda for the 21st century and to reconnect people, especially young people, to the great outdoors.
The goals of America's Great Outdoors Rivers include protecting and restoring America's rivers for people and wildlife and enhancing river recreation that supports jobs in tourism and outdoor recreation.
Under the initiative, Salazar issued a Secretarial Order in February establishing a National Water Trails System, creating a network of designated water trails on rivers across the country that will help facilitate outdoor recreation, especially around urban areas, and provide national recognition to existing, local water trails. He designated the Chattahoochee River Water Trail, which encompasses 48 miles of river within the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in Georgia, as the first National Water Trail.
In March, Salazar, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Secretary of Commerce John Bryson signed a memorandum of understanding implementing the National Fish Habitat Action Plan to assist state and local governments, landowners and community groups in protecting and restoring waterways and fisheries.
Following is the full description of the Pecatonica River Water Trail project:
Project name: Pecatonica River Water Trail
Project type:
• Acquisition/Easement/Protection
• Restoration (Wetland and Riparian)
• Recreation (Boat Access)
Project description: The Pecatonica River has had a significant increase in recreational use over the last three years. The Pecatonica River Water Trail project consists of volunteers who have dedicated themselves to revitalizing their region by providing recreational access along 58 miles of the river in Stephenson County, Illinois.
Their hard work includes clearing obstructions in the river, sponsoring river clean-ups, holding paddling events, and promoting "universal access" design. The goal is to ensure the waterway is open to all people, skills and talents, to have launch sites 4 to 6 miles apart, and to provide amenities such as restroom facilities and drinking water and parking at each site. There are currently eight defined access sites along the river, which the group is working to create or improve.
Lead federal agencies:
• National Park Service
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Non-federal partners:
• Friends of the Pecatonica River Foundation
• Stephenson County Board
• Fehr-Graham Associates, Inc.
• Lena Community Park District
• Ducks Unlimited
• Pheasants Forever
Outcomes for 2012:
• Complete a river access site at Atten's Landing, which includes two fishing docks and a floating dock.
• Restore 1 acre of wetland and riparian habitat.
From the Aug. 8-14, 2012, issue


text: Northwest San Antonio's gentle, rolling hills mark the transition from prairie to Texas Hill Country. In a nod to the local history and geology, The Rim entertainment and retail complex is housed inside a former quarry. Nearby, The Shops at La Cantera angle for well-heeled consumers. This area is also home to two major theme parks: Six Flags Fiesta Texas and SeaWorld San Antonio.Hide


text:
Tom Horsley wrote:
Just ran yumex in my fc7t4 partition and while it was running the transaction (not sure how far along it was), the X server suddenly restarted. It may have actually gotten finished, because the rpm database gives no indication of being scrogged, but this is certainly behavior I never saw before. Has this happened to anyone else?
Not recently but in the past. Usually extreme upgrades from one distro level to another respawn X during some package update phase.
If you check your cache, there might be some packages in the cache. When Yum exits abruptly, like with X respawning, yum does not finish but bails.
What does 'package-cleanup --problems' output? Jim -- If you think the problem is bad now, just wait until we've solved it. -- Arthur Kasspe


text:
If I knew that updating a .plan file was this entertaining, I would have
started doing semi-regular updates a long time ago. Oh well. My web space
is located at http://nuthouse.org/~hendersa and I can be reached via e-mail
at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Archived .plan entries can be seen at http://nuthouse.org/~hendersa/finger.
*15 September 2002 - Where The Hell Have I Been?*
Well, I guess the easiest answer to that question would be "I've been busy."
In fact, so much has been going on that it's going to take me a good bit to
tell you about it. Of course, I'm about three updates behind or so, so I
don't think you'll be too worried if this is a really long update.
First off, after months of going to doctors, getting poked and prodded,
giving so many blood samples that I feel like a pincushion, and just
generally jumping through the hoops of modern medicine, I finally know why
I'm sick. Even better yet, I'm on medicine to fix the problem right now, and
there was a VERY noticable improvement in my condition in only a few days.
So that's good news, right?
Second, I did indeed get into grad school. I'm now a student in the MBA
program at the University of California at Irvine. The Wall Street Journal
just did their yearly list of the top 50 MBA programs out there these days,
and UCI's program just made the list at spot number 49. So, when people ask
my parents how I'm doing these days, they can stop saying the default
response of "he works for a Japanese company of some sort these days" and can
now start responding with "he's getting his MBA at one of the top 50 MBA
programs in the world!" The ranking of the school doesn't matter much to me,
since that's not really part of my plans.
Plans? Well, I'll get to that part.
Finally, we're just wrapping up a period of crunch time at work. My 60 to 70
hour weeks have been pretty standard as of late, so I'm looking forward to
getting back on something akin to a 40 hour work week. Hell, at this point a
50 hour work week is going to seem like a birthday party.
So anyway, I'm here, alive, and getting buried under mountains of concerned
e-mail from you fine folks. Lots of fun stuff has been happening, and I'm
sure you want to know all about it. Why else would you be here, anyway? So
kick back, relax, and enjoy the show.
*15 September 2002 - Medical Mayhem*
When I look back about three months, I remember being really suprised one
morning by waking up with a sharp pain in my lower back. I just figured I
had slept in a bad position that night, so I lived with it and moved on.
Little did I know that my back was going to continue to ache and get much,
much worse. In addition, I was going to start getting a lot of really ugly
symptoms that were a pretty clear indicator that all was not well within. I
would end up battling with these symptoms for two weeks before finally going
to see a doctor about it.
Keep in mind that I never go to doctors. I'd much rather suffer through the
agony of whatever Mother Nature deems fit to throw in my direction. The idea
of getting on a routine of taking medicine every day gives me the
heebie-jeebies. It just doesn't seem right to me that human beings are so
weak and frail that they have reached a point where they need to take
medicine every day just to be normal and functional. Your body is telling
you something, so do yourself a favor and listen to it, rather than muffle
A few weeks of waking up and feeling like the Louisville Slugger Fairy did a
number on your back while you were sleeping will tend to change your mind on
that whole point of view. I was in a lot of pain, and I was tired of
suffering through it. So, I went to the doctor. After a round of tests and
a few more weeks of pain, my doctor shrugged his shoulders, gave me a few
suggestions as to how to ease the pain, and said that I needed to go to a
specialist. At this point, another two weeks had passed by, so I agreed to
go see the specialist. Of course, there was another two week wait to get in
to see the guy, but I didn't have much choice.
In the meantime, the Louisville Slugger Fairy was practicing her swing on my
lower back each night. I was getting less and less sleep because of the
pain, often as little as three hours a night.
Six weeks after this whole mess started out of the blue, I went in to see the
specialist. He talked to me for a whole 15 minutes before he began
scribbling on a sheet of paper and telling me that I needed to come in for a
procedure. The procedure was diagnostic and also sometimes curative, and it
was "just what the doctor ordered" for the situation. Of course, I'd have to
wait another four weeks before there was an open spot on the schedule for me
the get in for the procedure. So, I claimed a spot on the schedule and went
back to more sleepless nights.
After a total of two and a half months had passed by, I found found myself
lying down on a bed in a hospital wearing just a paper gown and socks. A
small nurse lowered my bed so that she could stick an IV needle into my arm
and start a saline solution drip into my bloodstream. I was in pretty bad
shape at that point, since part of the preparation for this whole event was
starvation for the last 48 hours and no drinking of liquids for the last 12.
I had lost a total of 8 pounds in only the last seven days, and I must have
looked like death warmed over.
Undoubtedly, you're curious as to what kind of procedure I was getting
prepped for. You probably want to know if I got chopped open or if I got some
part of my anatomy replaced with after-market parts. On the bright side, I
wasn't going to get chopped open. I was just going to become VERY
I would be uncomfortable, you see, because I was about to receive a
colonoscopy. A colonoscopy, for the curious, is a procedure where a camera
is inserted into your colon so that the doctor can have a look-see at your
insides up close and personal. In addition to a camera, the probe is a Swiss
Army knife of tools. There's a wire loop for chopping off any polyps the
doctor might find. There's a laser for cauterizing any slices or cuts that
might be in your colon. There's even a little pair of metal chompers that
reach out and tear off little bits of your insides so that the doctor can
perform a biopsy on the material to determine what's going on.
A quick note about colonoscopies:
When you aren't in work because you are in the hospital, every person you
work with will want every detail about what happened when you return. The
nature of colonoscopies tend to encourage a patient to whisper to the doctor
something like "we will never ever mention this whole thing to anyone, OK?"
But once you get to work, everyone will be demanding details anyway. My
advice is to suck it up and just give everyone a really quick overview of
what you went through and just leave it at that. This will be just enough to
shut them up, but not enough that they will avoid you at company cocktail
parties later on.
Enough of that. Back to the story.
As I sat there on that bed, feeling like I had somehow done something wrong
to deserve all this, the nurse began sticking various sensors on my arms and
chest. I started to hear the steady beeping of the equipment that was
registering my heartbeat. She jiggled the saline bag back and forth a little
bit, removed it from the drip stand next to me, and lowered it below the
level of the bed. I saw a swirl of by blood start travelling down the tube
towards the bag.
"Looks like we've got a good counterflow on your IV. You're lucky to have
such good veins on your arms," commented the nurse. "Sometimes, we need to
stick people a dozen times before we get a good IV." I began feeling a
little woozy, and the nurse assured me that it was a natural nerve reaction
to the IV, and that it would pass in a few minutes. I just leaned back and
looked straight up at the ceiling. Someone had the foresight to stick a sign
up there that said, "Relax".
The doctor came in smiling and greeted me. He asked me how I was doing
today, and I took a moment to turn and look at each little sensor, needle,
and pad that was taped to me, inserted into me, and clipped on to me. I
looked straight at the doctor and said, "You know, I've been better." He
looked back at me and said, "Well, pretty soon you'll be better once again,
right?" Then, he motioned to the nurse and the fun began.
I'll spare you the details on this whole adventure, but what it basically
boiled down to was the fact that I was wide awake and well aware of what was
going on. In fact, the doctor had placed a monitor about two feet from my
face so that I could see what the inside of my colon looked like in glorious
8-bit color. Watching my insides on the monitor was complemented by the
creepy sensation of having something small moving around inside me. This is
seriously NOT a sensation that I hope any of you ever experience.
It became extremely obvious what the source of my discomfort had been when it
showed up on the monitor in front of me. The smooth walls of my colon
suddenly turned into the biological equivilent of a few miles of bad road.
The doctor instructed the nurse to note that he was taking biopsy samples. I
winced as I watched the metal chompers tear pieces of my colon wall off.
Strangely enough, however, I didn't feel it when the sample was taken. I
would, however, feel it the next morning and for the next few days.
After a few more biopsy samples and the completion of this whirlwind tour of
my insides, the doctor turned me back over to the nurse for the post
procedure paperwork. The actual procedure itself took only 45 minutes or so,
but I had waited two and a half months for it.
I was also rather suprised when the doctor came over to me afterwards and
said that he needed to analyze the biopsy samples before he could begin my
treatment. I just sighed, nodded, and agreed that I'd be in as soon as I
could for the follow-up appointment. He put his hand on my shoulder and
assured me that this whole thing was just about over, and that I should hang
in there. I nodded and began gathering up my things to leave.
The earliest I could get an appointment to see the doctor was about a week
and a half later. At this point, I had gone nearly three months since this
whole thing began, and I had yet to begin treatment. I had had blood samples
taken, gone through a colonoscopy, had my midsection poked and prodded half a
dozen times, been told by a ton of people to "go see a doctor", and was just
plain miserable. This whole thing really was a very bad situation.
FINALLY, after all this time, I was in my follow-up appointment with the
doctor. He flipped through his sheets a few times, and said to me, "You have
acute ulcerative colitis in your transitive colon. I have some medicine that
I'm going to prescribe to you that will clear it up very quickly, but you'll
need to take it for a while to keep things under control. Here you go." And
with that, he handed me a slip of paper with a prescription. He also gave me
a few samples of the medicine so that I could get started taking it right
Ulcerative colitis is a condition where you basically have ulcers in your
colon. It hurts like hell, and it can be pretty serious, but it wasn't a
major health problem in my case. Since it came on so suddenly, it's a good
bet that I can wipe it out with medicine over a couple of months and then
move on. I've been taking the prescribed medication, and the pain in my
lower back is all but gone. I'm starting to sleep like I should be sleeping
again. I even gained back all that weight I lost.
So that's the scoop. No poisoning by ninjas (the doctors originally
suggested food poisoning as a cause of my discomfort), no colon cancer (which
my parents were worried about), and no more pain (which is what I was worried
about). My health is pretty much back to where it should be, and I'm getting
back on track.
Moral of the story: Colonoscopies are a royal pain in the butt.
*15 September 2002 - Education Is Good Business?*
So anyway, here I am in graduate school in a part-time MBA program for
"working professionals". I'm still kinda suprised that I'm here, considering
that the program is kinda hard to get into, and my reasoning for going back
to school was rather shady in the first place. But hey, it was a business
decision, so that's a good reason to go to business school, right?
You see, people go to graduate school for a number of reasons. Some want to
escape from the "real world" for a little while to avoid having to go to work
or to wait out a soft economy. Some just like to learn, and would be
perfectly happy being a professional student. Some want to do research in a
field, and they see the academic approach as the best way to do that.
As for me, I'm just doing this to help pay off my credit cards. That sounds
like a rather unrealistic goal, but I think I have a pretty good scheme in
place. Just stay with me for a minute while I explain it.
When the technology sector took a dive a while back, I started feeling the
brunt of it. One job stopped paying me (*cough*Loki*cough*), so I quietly
found another job and then gave my notice that I was quitting. Four days
before I was supposed to start my new job, the new position was cut, and I
was told I wasn't going to be hired. Swell. So, I hit the recruiters and
ended up getting a position within about two weeks. I worked there for about
6 months and was laid off along with 90% of the staff. The company tanked
soon thereafter. Then, I was unemployed for about 6 weeks while I hunted for
a new job. So, all in all, I was unemployed for about two months of the
previous year. Figure in the cost of living in Southern California, and you
were looking at a pretty decent amount of debt that was stacking up on my
credit cards. The fact that the transmission on my car had to be replaced
during this time wasn't helping, either.
These days, I'm working in a stable job position and paying off those pesky
credit cards. I sat down one night and tried to come up with a few plans to
pay them off as quickly and inexpensively as I could. One of my more
interesting plans was to go back to school. I could get low interest federal
loans for school, use those loan funds for the tuition, and then get
reimbursed for the tuition by my job. The reimbursement money could then be
used to pay off the credit cards. By doing this, I was effectively lowering
the annual interest rate on my credit card debt by about 10%. I was not
abusing the college loans, since they were being used for exactly what they
were originally intended for: paying for my college education. There are no
stipulations on how exactly the reimbursement funds from work has to be
applied, so I wasn't abusing that money either.
The credit cards are happy, the government's loan money is being used for
educational purposes, and my company is rewarding me for advancing my
education. I get a break from credit card interest, and I'm not breaking any
rules. I even can get a tax break for the money I spend paying the interest
for those education loans. Sounds like a win-win situation all around to me.
Anyway, this plan was shelved for the moment, along with about half a dozen
others. I obviously wasn't going to get into grad school until the fall of
2003, so this maelstrom of circular logic was going to have to wait. The
"apply for a new credit card and do a balance transfer" routine was going to
have to be the order of the day for a while.
Or so I thought.
About three months ago during a lunch break at work, I decided to take a look
at the UCI web site to see what graduate degree programs were available and
interesting to me. Most of their degree programs for the computer-ish
master's degree programs (CS, CE, and EE) pretty much required you to be a
full-time student in order to participate. The classes were offered around
1300, and the maze of prerequisite courses eliminated any flexibility that
you might have in selecting your elective courses to meet your schedule.
Since I wasn't going to go back to being a full-time student, these programs
just weren't going to fly. The people who design these degree programs are
probably kicking back in their research areas while snickering about how they
can abuse the incoming grad students, since those students are jumping
through some major hoops in order to get an advanced degree from the school
and will probably put up with just about anything.
So, on to the next option: the MBA. An MBA is a good "generic" master's
degree because it fits in just about anywhere in one form or another. Let's
face it... where does an expert in business have trouble finding work? Also,
the MBA is often geared for people that have been out of school for a while
and are probably working full-time. The MBA wasn't really something I had
considered in the past very much, but I figured it was always an option. I
decided to sign up for an information session on the UCI MBA program. The
info session was held bright and early on a Saturday morning in the middle of
I was so tired when I woke up for the session that I considered just blowing
it off and going back to sleep. After all, I wouldn't be able to get into
their program until next fall, so why rush? But, I decided to drag myself
out of bed to go check it out. I was going to go, but I sure as hell wasn't
going to get decked out for the occasion. After a quick shower and no
breakfast, I was bailing out the front door of my apartment wearing shorts, a
Mandrake Linux t-shirt, a baseball cap, and sneakers. Three days worth of
facial fuzz was adorning my face at the time, and my eyes were so bloodshot
that it looked as if I had just reached the ugly end of a long drinking
I was in prime form. I think I was navigating primarily by smell at that
I drove to the UCI campus and parked in the designated parking area for the
information session. I slide my sunglasses down to the tip of my nose so
that I could inspect the condition of my eyes in my rearview mirror. I
looked like hell. I decided that I'd better just keep those sunglasses on
for as long as possible. Grabbing my backpack and a few loose papers that
were floating around the front seat, I bolted out of the car and started
running across the fourth floor of the parking structure. I could see the
business building from where I was, so I wasn't too worried about having a
hard time finding where I needed to go.
One of those odd aspects of my life is that I have an invisible "Ask me all
your questions!" sign stapled to me. If there is a large crowd of people in
public and one person in that crowd has a question that they desperately need
to ask a complete stranger, that person will wade through dozens of people to
reach me so that they can ask me "Is this the line for flight 257?" or
"Excuse me, but do you know where there is an ATM around here?". In this
case (or cases, rather), I had no less than three people ask me where things
were on the UCI campus.
"Do you know where the law library is?" asked one Chinese fellow who looked
about twelve years old. I shrugged and told him that I had no idea. Fifty
yards down the sidewalk, a young lady who looked Vietnamese asked me if I
knew where the student union was. This was a reasonable question,
considering that any student on campus would know that one. Too bad I wasn't
a student. I told her that it was my first time on the campus, and that I
didn't know. She gave me a cynical eye and walked off. I guess she thought
I was just messing with her. So much for being honest. Probably an eighth
of a mile further down the sidewalk, a generic southern california caucasian
high school student with the I'm-going-to-be-a-college-student look stopped
me and asked where the psychology department was. I actually knew the answer
to this one, since the building was right behind him. But, I wasn't in the
best of moods, so I told him it was in the complete opposite direction. He
gave me a thumbs-up, said, "thanks man!", and ran off in the wrong direction.
Oh well.
When I arrived at the entrance to the area where the information session was
to be held, there was a woman standing there in a power suit and sporting a
picture perfect smile. She glanced at me for a second when I walked up to
her. I think she must have been trying to figure out what I was standing
there for, since I obviously didn't look like anyone she was going to have
dealings with. After about 5 seconds, it visibly clicked in her head, and
she asked me if I was there for the information session. I told her that I
was indeed there for the session, and that I'd just head on in. Her plastic
smile faltered for a second, but she quickly recovered and told me to go
right ahead.
People put too much emphasis on the way other people should look at 0800 on a
Saturday morning. I wasn't there to impress anyone... I was there to get
some information and free cookies. More for the cookies than the information
by that point, since I was beginning to regret not grabbing breakfast before
I had dashed out the door. In fact, I raided the cookies before I even went
Once I entered the stadium-style classroom, I was greeted by a very proper
sight. 99% of the people in that room were dressed at a level which far
exceeded that of "business casual". The remaining one percent would be me.
I looked like something that falls out of your keyboard when you turn it
upside down and shake it. I just wandered on over to the side of the room
and sat on the end of an aisle.
The presentation wasn't anything too exciting. It was the basic "we know
you're smart because you're here today and you realize the value of a good
education" presentation. I personally realize the value of a good education
to be a loan interest savings of about 10%. But that's just me. Your
mileage may vary.
The whole thing was about an hour of statistics about how your salary will
increase with an MBA, your potential for promotion will increase with an MBA,
and how you will have more respect with an MBA. This translated to about an
hour of me pinching myself to stay awake, playing "spot the wedding ring" on
the hands of every woman in the room, and composing my weekly grocery list.
I knew there would be benefits to getting an MBA, so this was whole
dog-and-pony show was more for the benefit of pushing the wishy-washy people
over the edge so that they'd fork over their $75 application fee, apply for
the program, and then get rejected. Just remember that the difference
between a "selective" degree program and one that "takes anybody" is the
ratio of how many applied compared to how many people got in. The folks
doing the presentation were really doing their best to make the school more
After the presentation, the people in the audience were invited to come down
to the front of the room and talk to the admissions people who were giving
the presentation. I had just spent the last ten minutes of the presentation
coming up with a gameplan, and I began to put it into action. I scrambled
down to the guy in the front, shot out my hand, and introduced myself. He
acted nice, but his eyes did a quick up/down scan of my person that gave away
the "jeeze, what a scrub" impression that was registering in his brain.
"You mentioned that you accept people year round into this program. Are you
still taking people for the upcoming fall 2002 quarter?" I asked him. He
seemed rather suprised by this, but he said, "Well, we never actually accept
the LAST people until a few days before classes start. But, we've got a long
waiting list. You could feasibly get in, but I wouldn't count on it." He
then gave me another quick inspection to insure that his analysis was
correct. Keep in mind that this was July 13th. Classes started the first
week in September. The absolute last day to accept people into the program
was August 15th.
I looked at him, smiled, stuck out my hand for another handshake, and said,
"I don't know what kind of people are on your waiting list, but I bet I can
give them a run for their money. Do you have any applications handy?" He
gave a slight sigh which indicated that he thought I was crazy but not worth
arguing with. He pointed to a stack of packets on the table and said, "Well,
there's a bunch over there, but there's a lot more to applying than just the
application. Have you taken the GMAT yet? You won't be able to get an
appointment to take the GMAT for a few weeks, you know." I hadn't taken the
GMAT, of course. "Do you have two transcripts from every college you've ever
attended? We need those as well, and they often take a long time to get." I
assured him that I could manage it. He shrugged and wished me luck. It was
obvious that he didn't think I had a chance in hell.
I hit the ground running. This was no longer about higher education. This
was no longer about the lower interest rate loans. This was about making
that guy sorry that he made estimations about people based upon how they
look. He was going to get the mental wedgie of a lifetime.
The application was no big deal. The hardest part of it was four 250 word
essays on topics such as "Describe your management style and give an example
in which you've used it". In other words, the application was annoying, but
not impossible. It all came down to thinking up a good line and running with
it. Since I was doing this during the time period where my colitis was
really, really hurting, I wasn't spending a whole lot of time sleeping at
night. So, I put that time into use as application processing time. Two
days later, the base application was complete and turned in electronically.
The GMAT was a different beast entirely. I found that someone had cancelled
their appointment to take the GMAT at a testing center about 35 miles away.
I jumped on the cancellation spot and scheduled myself to take the GMAT the
next Saturday (only 7 days after the information session at UCI). I went in,
took the test, and walked out with my brains in a state similar to that of
tapioca pudding. I had only had about 7 hours of study time for the GMAT
during the course of the week, so I'm suprised that I did as well as I did.
Still, that part was done and over with.
I walked into the administration office for the MBA program at the school,
and slapped down my unofficial GMAT scores on the front desk bright and early
on the Monday morning after I took the GMAT. I requested that the scores be
included in my file, and I asked to see my file to make sure that it was
complete. As I was making my request, the guy from the information session
wandered out of his office and spotted me. He seemed rather suprised that I
was there. He walked up to me like I was an old friend.
"Well hey there, ummm... errr..." he said as he struggled to remember who in
the hell I was. "Andrew. Andrew Henderson," I told him. "Right, right...
Andrew. How is that application coming? Done yet?" he asked with a smile
that denoted sarcasm. I smiled and told him that it was pretty close. The
application was done. The GMAT score was there. Transcripts were ordered.
I had my two sealed letters of recommendation. My interview was scheduled to
take place next week.
He seemed a little suprised, and asked the secretary to see my file. Since
it was right in front of me, I slid it over in front of him. He took a look
at it and suddenly his demeanor changed completely. He just gave me a quick
smile, told me to "keep up the good work", shook my hand, and wandered back
to his office. I really was hoping that guy had no say in the application
Early the next week, I had my interview with the MBA school staff. It was a
30 minute interview that ran about 45 minutes long, and it went pretty well.
I already had canned answers for the "Where do you want to be in 5 years?"
type of questions, so none of the questions that came my way were any big
suprise. All in all, I left the interviewer with a very positive impression.
Since this was the last step in the whole application process, I had really
buckled down the weekend before to make sure I had guessed and then answered
whatever questions the interviewer would throw my way. Looks like it paid
Once you've done the interview, gotten the transcripts, turned in the
application, taken the GMAT, and done everything else you need to do, what
can you do to increase your chances of getting accepted to an MBA program?
The answer is obvious: pester the living spit out of the admissions people.
I called the business admissions folks a few times here and there and sent
e-mails just about every day that were requesting information on the
application process and whether there was anything else I could do to assist
the process. I offered to come in for a second interview. I offered to
track down more letters of recommendation. I essentially kept myself very
visible to the admissions staff and drove them nuts at the same time.
It's not easy being annoyingly proactive, but gosh darn it, I was up for the
At about 1730 on the Friday that fell 27 days after that initial Saturday
morning information session, I got a phone call at my desk at work. The
fellow from that original information session introduced himself again and
told me that he had some good news. The dean and two professors had been in
an admissions meeting for the past three hours, and they had awarded me the
absolute LAST open spot in the MBA program at UCI. I was the 140th student
to be accepted as one of the 140 students in the MBA class of 2005. He asked
me if I was still interested in entering the program, and I told him that I
sure as heck was. He said that he figured as much, congratulated me, and
told me that my information packet would be in the mail.
So less than four weeks after I rolled myself out of bed to go to an
information session, I became an MBA student. And when my MBA classmates
come up to me, introduce themselves, and ask me why I'm getting an MBA
degree, I shrug and tell them that I'm doing it to help pay off my credit
cards. This has opened up several interesting dialogs with people that
extend far beyond the standard cookie-cutter banter that they were expecting.
I had one fellow MBA student who is in a marketing position refer to me as
the "man with the plan."
I guess that's right. It seems to be a logical extension from being the "man
with the .plan."
No doubt about it, education is good business.
Moral of the story: ... and knowing is half the battle!


text:
The Barrow County School System was recently named a "2004-05 Super System for Quality Schools" by the Decatur-based Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
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Some 521 school systems in 11 southeastern states qualified for the recognition. Seventy-three districts in Georgia received the award, according to a SACS news release.
While voluntary, SACS says accreditation helps improve teaching and student learning "through a systematic process of self-analysis in terms of standards," according to the news release.
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Written on: 17/04/2013 by bill30mac (1 review written)
I was looking to purchase a set of Calloway irons via online but I sent an email to confirm that the iron set was what they were advertising. I got a reply saying YES and that they were GREAT irons. I then made and paid for the irons online and waited, and waited, and waited.
After their delivery time had run out (4/5 business days)I sent another mail asking where they were and over the next 2/3 days I conversed with 4 customer service agents, whose common theme was 'sorry for the inconvenience'.
Eventually, I told them that someone had to get a hold of this and sort it out and then I was told that there had been a 'stock discrepancy' ie THEY DIDN'T HAVE THEM!!!
So, a total waste of time but hey they were 'sorry for the inconvenience' and that was all, not even a small sweetener for my trouble. I WON'T BE BACK.
As rated by our community of reviewers
" DON'T SHOP HERE! UNACCEPTABLE, APPALLING EXPERIENCE! " Read More
" Outstanding service. " Read More
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" Unhelpful, condescending, disinterested " Read More
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Written by pdan19