text:
You Can't Handle the Truth
"Hey, this is Jensen Ackles..."
Hi, Jensen Ackles!
Then: Sam's different, Dean can't lose Lisa and Ben,shooting stuff, Sam watching him get turned, Lisa getting shoved up...against...the...wall... Um. Yeah. Dean getting turned back, remembering the past few hours/days, count on Sam (yeah, right).
Okay, Now.
Bar. Calumet City, Illinois, waitress being stereotypical woman...until she invokes some truth spell and everyone starts telling her stuff. OMG, what did that guy put in the soup?
Why the hell is truth only negative?
This poor woman!
Oooh, I just noticed this was Biggerson's.
Have we figured out what the shattered glass represents yet?
Bobby insists Sam has been tested thoroughly. Dean believes Sam is Lucifer, but Bobby's fighting pretty hard. Trying to keep Dean restrained, or something else? Dean doesn't even want to ride in the car with Sam, he's so freaked about not knowing what the hell he is.
Lisa still hasn't called him back. It does suck, Sam, but so do you. *scowl*
Sam notices the sister's tell (it's pretty obvious, tucking the hair behind her ear), but he gets really cold and smug again, and man, that gives me shivers. And NOT the good kind.
Now we have a guy in the dental chair revealing some really sick stuff. WHOA. His confessions about the dentist's daughter drive the dentist to drill him. Literally. Can a dentist's drill really generate that much blood? (Tanya is hiding her eyes now.)
Commercial, so I have to worry this detail to death. There's a spell or something making people tell the truth, but the only truths we hear are horrible. The waitress is told she's ugly and creepy and pitied. An old lady says she killed a homeless man in a hit and run. The dental patient is disgusted by his wife's saggy skin and either had sex with a teenager or did something worse to her. Is this bad writing, oversimplifying that no one ever has anything nice to say? Or is that just part of the spell?
Back to Dean and Bobby. Bobby's research hasn't found anything that fits. Dean thinks the worst case is Lucifer, but Bobby's worst case is that it's just Sam. Dean tries to call Lisa, but stops himself. Sam comes in, pretty awfully gleeful about the drilling. Dean sends him off to interview the guy, says he'll stay and do research, try to figure out what they're up against.
Sam says the guy hung himself in the cell, but the patient was confessing stuff, and Sam said he'd have murdered him for it, too. Dean speculates that it's a curse. Sam will go to the morgue, Dean to the dentist's office, to see what they can see.
Blood. Lots of it. Creepy big-assed teeth and a...saxaphone? Ahhhh, Dean finds the common denominator. Jane had a label for House of Horns, and so does the dentist. The guy mentions a stolen horn, a museum piece, about a thousand years old, stolen about two weeks ago. Dean finds info on Gabriel's Horn of Truth. Huh, maybe Castiel will listen to him now.
Ha! He does.
Oooh, ouch, Dean, calling him names. Cas has nothing to offer about Sam. Except he knows he's not Lucifer. He'd feel it if Lucifer escaped the cage. He doesn't know what's wrong with Sam. Dean asks what's wrong with Cas, why he's not human-like anymore. Cas, very solemnly, very heavily, says he's at war. Certain regrettable things are now required of him. Dean mentions the horn and Cas disappears. When he comes back (he looked "everywhere" in 2 seconds) and it's not the Horn of Truth. Cas offers to make inquiries about Sam, he wants to help, and then he disappears again. Dean's pretty much at his wit's end.
Sam asks to see all the suicides, but the attendant says they're gone. "Gone" gone, whatever that means.
Dean's in a bar, where the news person on the TV mentioned the truth. Sam calls to tell about the missing bodies. He has a lead, a woman who died in a car accident a week before the other bodies. Dean tells the bartender, "I'd just like the freaking truth" and invokes the curse. At least the bartender is aware that she's saying odd things, whereas the others all seemed oblivious to the strangeness of blurting horrible truths. Her first one's not too bad, that she's in a sham marriage, but then she says she's snorting Oxy. A bar chick tells Dean she just bought her breasts and needs lots of attention, which Dean obliges.
Dean tests his theory by calling Bobby, who reveals some hilarious stuff. He watches Tori and Dean, gets a pedicure that's apparently, um, really good, and Dean's his favorite, though Sam's a better hunter. He, too, recognizes something's wrong, but Dean's glad. Bobby, apparently, doesn't have evil secrets, just disturbing ones.
Great line by Bobby: "Why is it half the time you clean a mess, you get dirty?"
Dean calls Sam, who doesn't answer, and says he has some things to ask him.
Sam's interviewing someone about the car accident death, saying it was a suicide. She says she was obsessed with finding out the truth about her boyfriend. Ding ding ding!
Lisa calls Dean, and she's very angry. She won't let Dean put her off. But he won't explain. Still, she goes off on him, telling him he can't push everything down the way he does without freaking, and she knew as soon as Sam came back it was over, that they have "the most unhealthy, tangled up, crazy thing I've ever seen, and as long as he's in your life, you're never going to be happy." She's close to her sister, but she wouldn't bring her back from the dead. Dean won't argue with her about that, but she won't let him say what she and Ben mean to her. She ends it, and Dean's crushed. *whimper*
Sam's exploring a neon-green bedroom and finds a box with a weird little skull (apparently the missing cat).
Dean demands answers from Sam, and he immediately knows Dean's cursed. First question, why Sam just stood there. Sam say's he didn't. Claims he froze, blames shock, and he's obviously lying. So he's immune to this curse, dammit. Sam puts on a decent replication of himself, and Dean backs down, which is a little annoying. Sam was immune to the demon light bombs, and the Croatoan virus, and all the demon kids. So why wouldn't he be immune to this? But Dean apparently doesn't even think of it.
If the previews hadn't shown us Sam apparently admitting stuff to Dean, I'd be furious right now! Those writers had better not be bait-and-switching us.
The box contained the ingredients of a summoning spell for Veritas, the goddess of truth, who slams you with the truth until you kill yourself, which feeds her (tribute). So they have to stop her before she takes Dean. Exposition reveals dogs are her Achilles heel, and she wanted to be worshipped. So Dean immediately thinks "attention whore" and connects the modern-day speaking truth to the masses to TV news. But I'm thinking the chick in the bar.
They go to the news station and get a huge box of tapes of Ashley Frank, and watch unedited segments of "Frank Talk." Time passes. Dean eats. Sam doesnt' move, just watches her recordings in fast forward. Dean eats some more. A dog on screen goes haywire during a location spot, and they catch camera flare in her eyes. Okay, maybe it wasn't the chick in the bar. :)
Off they go to chase down Veritas. Who drives a smokin' convertible. *want* The guys dip knives in dog's blood.
Dean: "Do I even want to know where you got that?"
Sam: "Probably not."
Ashley goes up her stairs in that provocative-casual manner that hints that she knows the guys are there. Modern, stylish home with water and fire and cats everywhere. They find a mosaic of her, and more cats. Eventually, they wind up in a room full of snacked-on dead bodies, and of course, she sneaks up on them, and tosses them into a tub or something, where they wake up tied to the safety handles.
Sam gets a knife to cut his rope as Veritas pulls out and nibbles on a tongue. Sorry, Tanya, but it IS the tastiest part. Dean gets mouthy, and she puts her truth mojo on him. What does he really feel about his brother? Dean says better now, as of yesterday he wanted to kill him in his sleep, as a monster, but now he thinks he's just acting like Dean. He blames the job, says he told himself he wanted out, wanted a family, but he's good at slicing throats. He's not a father, he's a killer, and now he knows there's no changing that.
I don't get the "Mallory to your Mickey" reference.
She turns her mojo on Sam, asks how he feels about the band getting back together. He says what they do is hard, but they watch out for each other. We see slow realization dawning on Veritas's face, because she knows Sam's lying. She wants to know what he is, says he's not human. Sam cuts through the rope, tosses the knife to Dean, and starts fighting Veritas (who might be, IMO, the most beautiful woman to have guest starred on this show; something appealing about her, where so many are plastic).
Fight ensues, Dean frantically saws at his bonds, gets free, knifes Veritas as she chokes Sam (evocative of season one!). We see her true visage for a moment before Sam kills her with the second knife.
And then Dean turns the knife on Sam.
Sam's pretty convinced Dean will carve him up, and frantically tries to get him to listen. He admits Veritas was right, there's something wrong with him, he's known it for a while, he lied to Dean. He let him get turned by the vamp, because he knew there was a cure, they needed him to get in the nest, and he knew Dean could handle it. When Dean says he could have killed Ben, Sam says that should have stopped him cold, but he just doesn't feel it. He's a better hunter, nothing scares him anymore, because he can't feel it. He doesn't know what's wrong with him, and thinks he needs help. Dean sets down the knife. Sam seems relieved, unburdened, but that must be an act, too, if he can't feel anything.
Then, WHOA, Dean whollops (how the heck do you spell that word?) Sam. I mean, whales on him. Pounds his face in. WTH?
The preview for next week is very spoilery, so let me post a warning before I talk about it.
Terri gets credit for first posting the possibility that Sam is without his soul. I high-fived her because, while watching "The Third Man," I voiced the same possibility. We deserve cookies! :) We postulated lots of viable theories over the last few weeks, but for me, this one grew as I watched past seasons and as this season went on. I think it's been a masterful build to this reveal, giving us plenty to keep us guessing, yet feeding that truth so completely. It really changes the whole face of the show from here on out.
And I'm very impressed with Jared's acting. He's internalizing the character now, and it's wonderful.
So I'll stop there and let you all start weighing in with your thoughts!


text:
As the retirement concept has changed, Thornburg Investments created an informational packet for advisors to help clients reshape their retirement expectations.
Instead of looking at retirement as a single event, the packet focuses on the longevity aspect of retirement, with resources to help plan for health and longer life spans, longevity-oriented portfolios and sustainable spending.
Longevity-oriented portfolios are different from a target-date approach, according to Jan Holman, director of advisor education at Thornburg and author of the packet.
"There are a lot of pistons working at the same time: generating income, working with investments that you believe have the potential to increase income over time and potentially appreciate in price," she told ThinkAdvisor on Tuesday.
Thornburg recommends investors maintain a cash flow reserve account that can cover two years' worth of expenses and an investment portfolio that is approximately 25% fixed income investments and 65% equities, Holman said. "Between the cash flow, the fixed income and equity, you have 100%. The money funnels from the longer-term investments into the cash flow reserve and that account would give the client a check each month."
That mix of investments works with investors of any age, Holman said. "In a short-term, highly liquid investment, you have two years' worth of expenses, so you're taking out of the equation the potential of needing to sell equity investments during a tough market environment," she explained. "That's really the most significant consideration for why people want to lighten up on equities. And I'm not talking about growth, growth, growth stuff; I'm talking about dividend-paying, high-quality global stocks. Two years in the short-term, highly liquid account gives a person a buffer, so they're not having to liquidate in the middle of a downturn."
Another important aspect of longevity planning is, of course, health. Unfortunately, it's a topic that has usually been an afterthought when it comes to planning for retirement.
"Many folks in the industry focus on the investment stuff. More and more people are starting to talk about long-term care and that type of stuff, but the investment part doesn't really matter if a person doesn't pay attention to their health," she said.
She described a situation her uncle experienced: "If you ask someone who's got a lot of money and they're sick, how has that wealth helped them, they'll say it doesn't really matter without health. Because we've been so obsessed with and focused on the numbers and the retirement date and all that, we haven't taken into consideration, many of us, the fact that we need to be managing our own health."
Holman referred to research from the Stanford Institute on Longevity that identified the "big three" health problems Americans will face as dementia and Alzheimer's, arthritis and obesity. "We're already dealing with them now, but they're just going to keep on exploding," Holman said. "Do we have as individuals some control, or can we influence whether or not we get one of those diseases? I believe on obesity, yes we can, but it has to be very conscious. Somebody has to decide, 'OK, I've accumulated this wealth. Now if I'm 100 pounds overweight a lot of this money might go toward things that have to deal with me trying to ward off the effects of obesity.'"
For advisors, that also means they need to open discussions about long-term care, too, Holman said. "It doesn't necessarily matter what the advisor's opinion is on whether or not long-term care makes sense. From a quality of advice standpoint, they are in a position where they have to present it to clients as an option."
She added that they should also consider in their conversations with clients "any people who would be financially or emotionally responsible for that client. If the client, for example, says, 'Oh, I don't need long-term care,' a son or a daughter who might be responsible emotionally for the parent if something happened may say, 'I'll pay the premium for you.' It becomes a multi-generational discussion."
Another topic touched on in the packet is wisdom, according to Holman.
"For a lot of advisors, it's a really tough thing to get their arms around," Holman said. "Wisdom is one of those things that we gather with age. As we live longer, we have deeper amounts of wisdom. If we're making the trade-off between youth and aging, what are we getting in return? I believe we get wisdom."
That means after they stop working, older people still contribute to their communities. "They can be very active in philanthropy. They can mentor people in their family, which is a huge benefit in longevity," Holman said. "There are multiple generations of a family alive at once as opposed to when I grew up when I knew my grandparents for a couple of years then they were gone. There were never great grandparents around."
Holman stressed that as people age, they have to make a conscious decision about how they will live their lives. "I know that for myself, when I turned 40 I started asking, 'What is this all about?' I have three kids and I noticed that I was focusing a lot on their lives and what they were doing and that type of thing, but it wasn't lost to me that, oh by the way, I had a life too, and I needed to make sure that the way I was spending it was aligned with what I wanted my life to be about," she said.
Holman also pointed to a new trend in the packet: philanthropreneurs. "I didn't coin that phrase," Holman said, but "those are entrepreneurial philanthropists—people who take their knowledge and make a difference in the world while making a profit. They identify a cause or a business that relates to something they know a lot about or a life passion and become active in it. That business itself gives back to whatever the cause is."
It might help to reframe retirement as the beginning of a new stage, not the end of an old one, Holman suggested. "The problem is if you look at the word 'retirement,' just the word itself is so end-related," she concluded. "It's like a brick wall or something. I understand why we in the industry have been obsessed with this because it was something we could touch. In an intangible business, we could say, 'Well, here's a retirement date and here's all these things that you can do.' The problem is a retirement date shouldn't be any different in terms of how I look at my life from graduating from high school or college."
Check out How Much Do Your Clients Really Need to Work? on ThinkAdvisor.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
NUTMEG NUGGETS: Debbie Fratt's back -- teaching tap!
Debbie Fratta is back at the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts. Teaching tap dance. Yes, tap. Nutmeg is a celebrated ballet school and Fratta is a much loved dance teacher. Both have made an indelible mark on the community. So teaming up for the third year to present a fun program called Nutmeg Tappers is a perfect way to introduce more people to dance.
"We are very excited to have Debbie Fratta here," said Nutmeg Dance and Ballet Boutique manager Holly Watson. "She has a great dance bio and a lot of history as a dancer and a teacher in our town. Having Deb come here with all of Nutmeg's history and join in this great partnership is a lovely thing for the community."
Fratta's classes are held in the studio right across the hall from the dance shop where students can sign up for a class.
"We are excited in the dance shop. This gives us an opportunity to reach out to people we might not normally get a chance to talk to. And we are very excited to have them become part of the Nutmeg family," Watson said.
Fratta has been an inspiration to her students in Tap and Rhythm for nearly 30 years. Nutmeg Tappers brings back the dance of great tappers like Bojangles, who used his feet to tap out rhythms, just as Fratta's students do.
"If you don't want to do aerobics but want to do rhythm, this is the class for you," Fratta said. "It's great cardio, great social, it's fun, it's hard and it's easy. It's for any age from beginners to those who have had dance training. This is different. In rhythm tap, we use our feet as musical instruments to make rhythm, to make music."
Everything old is new again. Fratta said. "It's bringing back the old hoofing tap of people like Sammy Davis and Bojangles." Bill "Bojangles" Robinson wowed audiences in the early 1900s with his fast-footed tap. He is best known through a series of 1930s films in which he danced with a young Shirley Temple. He was immortalized in the song "Mr. Bojangles," made popular in 1971 by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
"I met four of them," Fratta said of the dance greats. There is Savion Glover, Jimmy Slyde, Henry LaTang and Gregory Hines, who continued the tap tradition, she said.
Fratta did more than meet these legendary hoofers; she danced with them.
"One of the boys that tapped with me was performing with Gregory Hines in New York and that's how I got to meet him. I have a picture of me with Jimmy Slyde and I had classes with him. And I had classes with tap dancer Dianne Walker." Walker's career spans 30 years of work on Broadway and in television and film.
Fratta also studied with Brenda Bufalino, artistic director and choreographer of The American Tap Dance Orchestra. Bufalino has been a guest soloist at major venues including Town Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center, and she appeared on PBS special "Great Performances Tap Dance In America with Gregory Hines."
Intimidated at the thought of taking tap with Fratta? Don't be. She is warm, down to earth, a lot of fun, and caring.
"You don't need to have tap experience at all. And even if you do have training this is a whole different way of tapping. It's bringing back the old hoofing. It is fun!"
And you don't need fancy clothing. Fratta said students should wear comfortable clothes. Leotards and other dance accessories are available at the Nutmeg Dance Boutique. However, she won't be wearing a leotard.
"Not any more! Those days are done!"
I told you she's a lot of fun!
Nutmeg Tapper classes are open for all levels beginner to advanced and start Jan. 28 and will be held on Mondays and Fridays from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Participants will have the option of taking a 10 or 15 week course. To register for Nutmeg Tappers or for more information call the Nutmeg Dance Shop and Ballet Boutique at 860-482-4413 x 316 or email Holly Watson at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Happy Bee-Day Cute Birthday A6 Card
This cute birthday card features a buzzing bee with the phrase "Happy Bee-day" – simple and sweet.
Ideal for friends or family birthdays, this card is sure to make your recipient laugh and smile!
This cute birthday card features a buzzing bee with the phrase "Happy Bee-day" – simple and sweet.
Ideal for friends or family birthdays, this card is sure to make your recipient laugh and smile!
How It's Made
All my designs start off as a hand-drawn illustration. I get my inspiration from my daily life making puns or funny phrases from everyday objects, sayings and more.
Confetti is made using a silhouette cameo to cut out coloured card.
Product Details
Cards come blank inside but can have a message added for just 50p. Please let me know if you want your card sending direct to the recipient.
Card On Own: Card + envelope, packaged in a naked cardboard wrap
Card With Confetti: Card + envelope + matching confetti, packaged in a striped paper bag
- 300gsm premium matte card
- C6 coloured envelope
- A6 size only (10.5 x 14.8cm OR 4.1 x 5.8in)
Looking for a birthday card? Check out my other designs here.
FREE Royal Mail 2nd class shipping on all orders in the UK. Option to upgrade to Royal Mail 1st Class for 20p for cards, stickers and prints. Upgrade for £1.50 for mugs. All orders will be dispatched within 1-2 working days. Any orders over £10 will be send signed and tracked.
International shipping prices depend on location. The total will be calculated at the checkout. You will only be charged for shipping once no matter how many products you purchase.
Please read my full terms and conditions for full details on shipping e.g last Christmas post dates.
Like the look of this product but want a few changes? Or have an idea for something completely new? I have done lots of custom orders before and would be happy to create something personal for you. Just simply fill in the custom request form here and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Perfect fast delivery in strange times…
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New home card
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Lovely card and delivery as promised.
Lovely surprise for my grandson but a…
Lovely surprise for my grandson but a bit smaller than expected
Very original and colorful cards
Very original and colorful cards ; a little pricey ! but excellent service and personal touch!,I would look at your site again!
Amazing card
Amazing card! Delivery was fast! Will definitely use TeePee Creations again!
Great communication from TeePee and…
Great communication from TeePee and happy with items received
Great card arrived on time
Great card arrived on time, quick to answer a question I had. Will definitely be buying again
Highly recommend
I bought a beautiful card off Teepee Creations for my mum for mother's day, was just perfect, exactly what I was looking for highly recommend! 😊
Quick delivery and fantastic card.
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The recipient of my card was very…amused
The recipient of my card was very pleased with it and particularly appreciated the added sprinkles. From a service point of view, I would have appreciated confirmation that the card had been dispatched, along with the provided order completion. Other than that, a great service – thank you
Amazing cards and very speedy delivery
Amazing cards and very speedy delivery. Thanks Toni!
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Asked for a specific design which was…
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Quality card, well priced and quick delivery
Amazing personal service thank you so…
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Very pleased with card unable to find…
Very pleased with card unable to find similar in shops
Fab find
Quirky, unusual designs sent directly to the recipient in good time. What's not to like?
Really good service
Really good service, card arrived personalised as ordered right on time and it looked great 🙂
Excellent service
Excellent service, it was delivered within a couple of days.
Really pleased with the personalised…
Really pleased with the personalised card I ordered. Good quality & delivered promptly.
Great cards & face mask 😷
Great cards & face mask 😷. Fast delivery- will be buying some more birthday cards
Great service
Easy website to use, fast delivery and great choice of unique and quirky produce to choose from.
Great cards and great service once…
Great cards and great service once again.
Lovely design
Absolutely lovely design, great customer service, fast delivery
Good transaction in all ways
Good transaction in all ways. Many thanks.
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First time buyer
Very nice cards,great quality and no plastic wrappings- brill! Bought an Anniversary card and a Father's day card and not disappointed.
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Unique cards, my family absolutely loves them! Great customer service too. Will be buying more cards from here in the future 😀
Lovely card
Lovely card, very quick efficient service. Thank you!
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Very happy
Lovely good quality card and arrived quickly only 20p extra for fast delivery
Great designs
Great designs , great service ! Very pleased.
Really pleased
Really pleased, love the fact all the packaging is recyclable too. Prompt delivery.
Maybe my fault for not checking but I…
Maybe my fault for not checking but I thought the cost was for a standard card size, it wasn't, the card was postcard size, I was disappointed and didn't have time to re order another, lesson learned stick with sites I know and check what I am ordering
Brilliant Service, Quality, Attention to detail!
I ordered a personalised mug for my partner during COVID-19 lockdown. It was dispatched the same day and arrived really quickly!
It was 10x better than I expected! The option to leave a note to accompany the gift it is great, this was handwritten and attached with string; really nice touch and feels like… Read more "Brilliant Service, Quality, Attention to detail!"
Quick, easy and straightforward. Thank you.
Brilliant graphics and clever humour
Brilliant graphics and clever humour , excellent delivery service .
Funny cards
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Quick turnaround and informed when card…
Quick turnaround and informed when card was posted.My daughter loved her card and was impressed with how the confetti matched the card.will definitely use again.
Great service
Great service, great designs
Very happy with my purchase
Very happy with my purchase
My order came in time
My order came in time, impressed with the service.
Tee Pee Creations is my go to website…
Tee Pee Creations is my go to website for birthdays and celebrations now. Toni's designs are fantastic and current. Her cards are a talking point.
I particularly love her lockdown cards and gifts.
Lovey product with very quick delivery
Lovey product with very quick delivery
Great card!
Great personalised cards and fast service!
Lovely cards!I had several I could have…
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Good quality, nicely presented & packaging recyclable.
Fast delivery
Fast delivery
Excellent choice
Value for money
Highly recommend Teepee Creations
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Great service, tiny cards.
Good, quick service and I really liked the cards. My only criticism would be that the cards are tiny, I probably didn't read the small print but I wasn't expecting that!
Great quality cards with added confetti…
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The card wasn't for me so I didn't see…
The card wasn't for me so I didn't see it. But the rest of the transaction went smoothly.
Nice quality and arrived quick
Nice quality and arrived quick
Great products quick service
Great products and quick service! Recommended!
Really fast online ordering and quick…
Really fast online ordering and quick delivery. The card was brilliant and beautifully packaged.
Received really quickly and great…
Received really quickly and great quality – loved it 😁
Ceramic Christmas Star
The service I received from TeePee Creations was excellent. I ordered a Christmas ceramic star with a Bee on for my Grandaughter and it arrived very quickly, well packaged and it's lovely, I am very pleased with it, just what I was expecting. I would certainly order from this company again, no hesitation.
Great card
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I have bought from Toni before and…
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Thanks again Toni
Love it… Can't recommend enough!
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Great little cards
Great little cards. I really like the Christmas cards I brought. If there is one thing to mention, I think that the birthday card should have said Happy Birthday inside. The cards are not cheap, so it would be a good idea to address this issue. Would still buy again. My daughter loved her birthday… Read more "Great little cards"
70 lets par tee – golfers birthday card
Liked the design of the card, but thought the quality of card used and size was poor. I Was expecting the card to be larger was more between a gift card and a birthday card size, I felt the card used was very thin. For the price paid I would have expected better. The recipient… Read more "70 lets par tee – golfers birthday card"
Delighted with my purchase
Delighted with my purchase. Prompt delivery.
Quality cards
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Thank you so much!
Thank you so much!
A lovely mug made from a photo I sent.
Very fast and a really good price.
It was a great card
It was a great card, good quality and perfect for the occasion but it would be better if they were bigger.


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The Wednesday, May 11, 2020 Meeting Has Been Cancelled
Note: Focus Groups are open only to CFRI Members. No Guests are allowed.
Focus: To encourage and support WOMEN ONLY in education, networking and opportunities.
When: Meets at 11:30 AM the second Monday of every month.
Where: Orlando vicinity. Pre-register for the exact location.
Leader: Diana Mitchell
Cost: Free to CFRI Members. Not open to guests.
Feel free to address, discuss and share your strengths and weaknesses. Come to learn the solution to an investing problem, or help mentor those who need you.
Please RSVP your attendance by logging in to the Member area. Once you have pre-registered for this Focus Group meeting, you will be able to see the meeting location. If you are unable to attend, please send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com. This will assist the Focus Group Leader in knowing how many attendees to expect.
Thank you.
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Questions and Answers About Epilepsy in the Workplace and The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
Publication Date
October 2004
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. Title I of the ADA makes it unlawful for any employer to discriminate against a qualified applicant or employee because of a disability in any aspect of employment. The ADA covers employers with 15 or more employees, including state and local governments. Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act provides the same protections for federal government employees and applicants. In addition, most states have their own laws prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of disability. Some of these state laws may apply to smaller employers and provide protections in addition to those available under the ADA.


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Some features on this website may not work in this browser version. For the best experience, we recommend that you upgrade your browser.
Find information and resources to manage your account.
Find energy efficiency tips and programs to help you save money.
If you suspect a gas leak or emergency get outside and call 800.292.5012 – available 24/7.
Find services that fits your lifestyle.
Learn about natural gas and find out if it's right for you.
We will post important news and announcements for natural gas marketers on this page.


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Marketing Collateral Design
Marketing Collateral Design
Enhance your sales and maintain your branding with consistent, creative collateral design.
Originally used to describe brochures and other printed materials developed to support the sale of products and services, marketing collateral today often encompasses printed advertising, mailers, business cards and other office stationery.
Given its importance to any business, organization or nonprofit, great graphic design for your sales collateral is paramount.
Collateral in the form of a business card, brochure or mailer offers an opportunity for you to make that all-important first impression with prospective customers. If the design fails to capture their attention, you may not get a second chance to make a positive impact.
Creatively imagined across your collection of media, your collateral design must showcase your brand identity, hold the interest of key audiences, increase the perceived value of your offering and establish trust in your operation.
The best collateral design supports the sales process among potential customers. This is accomplished by an attractive presentation of features and benefits in text supported by photos or illustrations. It concludes with a compelling call-to-action that recommends a product purchase, service appointment, store visit or similar action on behalf of your reader.
Excellence in graphic design for collateral materials isn't always easy to achieve, but it is readily found — at KKP. Consistency counts. Our team of expert designers will help your branding remain reliably uniform across all forms of marketing collateral — from brochures to catalogues and more.
Whether creating new brochures and mailers for an upcoming marketing campaign, refreshing the look of existing materials, or beginning from scratch with an introductory postcard and trifold, rely on our graphic design and printing pros to create and produce the collateral you need to succeed.
· Advertising
· Brochures
· Business cards
· Business stationery
· Catalogues
· Direct mail and postcards
· Flyers
· Presentation folders
· Promotional campaigns
· Sales and information sheets
· Trifolds (i.e., rack brochures or pocket folders)


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It certainly won't smell as good as Chanel No. 5. In fact, I wager that it may smell a great deal worse. But it should still be a lot of fun. This will be my fifth Blizzcon. Every year I say "I don't think I'll go next year, and just watch from home". And every year as the hub bub happens, I find myself at home smashing my refresh button on the day of ticket sales. I'm not really quite sure what keeps drawing me back. The convention itself is pretty okay. I stand in line for the games Brade wants to play, I watch the panels that I'd like to see. I absolutely love the costumes. But if truth be told, the experience and the people is why I keep shelling out the money to attend. Moreso than the convention in and of itself, anyhow.
So with that being said, I am throughly looking forward to meeting up with everyone again this year! In fact, so many people from the twitter-sphere and blogosphere are attending I would be surprised if I got to say hello to everyone going…although I intend to try! On that note, I thought that I'd give everyone my "schedule" so you know where you can find me if you're trying to catch up with me, and would similarly like to say "hello" 🙂
Thursday: I will be arriving in Anaheim via LAX somewhere between 4:00 and 5:00, depending on Traffic. At some point after that I will be acquiring my tickets, foraging for food, and attending the WoW Insider/WoW Head meet up.
Friday: This is the first day of the con proper. We will get some breakfast, and then head over to get in line. Like last year, I'm going to try to tweet the costumes that come by the line as we wait. Unlike last year, I'm going to try to get pictures with my camera as well, and put up an album for everyone to view. Based on the schedule, I'm going to be spending most of the day at the Main Stage, watching the WoW panels. I will be staying for the costume contest, and then heading over to Bar Louie for the TNB meetup. This will probably be the easiest place to find me 🙂
Saturday: I am pretty free this day if anyone wants to meet up. I intend to watch the Live Raid, but I don't really have the patience for the Q&A panels, so after the Live Raid event I'm not planning much until Closing Ceremonies. This gives me a lot of free time this day if anyone missed me Thursday or Friday. Just let me know! I will probably pop by the Hilton after-party at some point, but it gets so hectic (and I have an early flight Sunday), that I don't know how long I'll be there!
The people really are what make the convention! I really believe this. Last year was the first year that I actively participated in meeting up with people outside of my guild, and it was one of the best Blizzcon experiences that I had. I cannot stress enough that it is truly rewarding to participate in the meet ups and to socialize with people from the communities where you are an active participant. It really is part of what makes the convention so much fun – moreso than all of the announcements and activities of the convention itself. Don't be shy! I'm shy in real life – and even I can do it, so you can too! I really do hope to meet up with everyone that is part of the communities I participate in and a the very least say hello 🙂
A note about communication inside the Anaheim Convention Center: If you use an iPhone, do not expect to have easy communication with anyone from inside the convention center. The reception is absolutely terrible. I know that non-iPhone users generally seem to not have much trouble. However, just be prepared for slow (or no) communication via your iPhone depending on where you are standing. I believe it has to do with the terrible antennae on iPhones, but don't hold me to that!
How to get in touch with me: I will be checking my tweets regularly, so feel free to tweet me @BeruHeals but please note that I may be slow getting back to you due to aforementioned iPhone/Convention issues. You can also shoot me an email if you'd like my phone number to call/text me while at the convention. However, please note that I will only share this information with those that I know well enough and feel comfortable enough to provide that information.
A healer's meetup! I'd love to have all of the healers from twitter/blogging meet up for coffee of drinks at some point, but I'm pretty terrible at organization (read: lazy). As such, if people want to do this one day post below and we can maybe try to pinpoint a time/place for it – even if it's just grabbing coffee at Starbucks and hanging out for like an hour.
My Predictions: I think it's pretty obvious that we will be learning about the next WoW expansion this weekend. However, my big prediction is that I think Blizzard is going to announce that they are moving to one raid size somewhere between 15 and 18 people. I could be completely wrong about this – but I think that the two separate raid sizes this expansion have been a nightmare for both players and developers alike, and I do not think that they've met the intended goals that Blizzard set. You might disagree with me, and that's fine, I may be having a pipe dream. But I think a lot of issues could be solved by Blizzard picking one raid size moving forward.
What are your plans? What are you looking forward to the most? Do you have any crazy predictions of your own?


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- Rig Rundowns
- Reviews
- Gear
- Artists
- How-to
- Lessons
- Pro Advice
- Win
PG's Rebecca Dirks is On Location in Anaheim, CA, for NAMM 2010 where she stops by the DigiTech booth. In this segment, we get to check out their new Vocalist Live 3 pedal, which is a 3-part harmony and pitch correction unit for gigging guitarists.
The Vocalist Live 3 includes 3-part harmony capability with intelligent, musically correct harmonies using musIQ technology that follows your chord progression no matter what you play. The character of the harmony voices can be altered to either that of male or female backup vocalists. In addition, it features pitch correction, vocal pre-effects: warmth (tube preamp), compressor, 2-band EQ, low cut and noise gate, reverb (with three different room sizes), delay (five settings) and the ability to mix guitar and vocal sounds on the fly.


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From the Javits Center website
Brookfield: SOM, Field Operations, Thomas Phifer, SHoP Architects and Diller Scofidio & Renfro
Durst / Vornado / Conde Nast: FXFowle and Rafael Pelli
Extell: Steven Holl
Related / Goldman Sachs / NewsCorp: Kohn Pedersen Fox, Arquitectonica and Robert AM Stern
Tishman Speyer / Morgan Stanley: Helmut Jahn
Oh yeah, forgot about that platform deal. I like it. It's only for the stadium, though. Should be to the end of the Javits.
From the Javits Center website
Swap for No. 7 Line
Plan would save MTA most of the $2B for extension
February 27, 2004
The city wants the MTA to hand over part of its Hudson River rail yards for development in exchange for City Hall footing the bulk of the $2-billion bill for extending the No. 7 train to the West Side.
Such a deal for the rail yards, whose development value is estimated at $1.7 billion, would not involve any money changing hands directly, officials say.
Instead, city documents detail the Bloomberg administration's view that building atop the rail yards, combined with the shift of development rights from the site to parcels along 10th Avenue, will help pay for the subway extension at a hugely reduced cost to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
"There is no specific payment for use of the rail yards assumed in the plan for the West Side," said Doug Turetsky, a spokesman for the city's Independent Budget Office. "They're framing it as the extension of the No. 7 is the payment, so to speak, for their right to build over the rail yards."
The subway extension is a cornerstone of the mayor's plan to redevelop the area near the Javits Convention Center, where he wants to place a football stadium for the New York Jets, an extension of the convention center and several new apartment and office buildings.
The parties are negotiating terms of the proposed handover of the East rail yard.
MTA chairman Peter Kalikow has appeared willing, but not eager, to extend the No. 7 train and has said the agency would sell its property only for fair market value.
Yesterday, he appeared to alter his stance when told that proceeds of the sale would be used for the subway extension.
"We think that, in the end, there'll be a process that they'll be satisfied with and we'll be satisfied with," Kalikow said.
MTA spokesman Tom Kelly said later that Kalikow's initial policy had not changed.
The plan, and private negotiations surrounding it, has prompted some elected officials to complain that the MTA might be giving up an opportunity to fund projects more popular than the No. 7 extension.
If the agency sold to another entity or developed the site itself, the thinking goes, it could use the proceeds to defray the cost of the popular Second Avenue subway or pay off mounting deficits expected next year.
"The question is 'Is the 7 extension the highest priority for the MTA?'" said city Councilwoman Christine Quinn, who represents the area.
"The city has said the MTA gets the 7 without having to pay for it, but if they are taking $2 billion of development rights away from the MTA, then it's costing the MTA almost $2 billion," added Assemb. Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan), who has represented the area since 1970.
The city's plan comes as Bloomberg is asking the MTA to help pay for another costly transportation need: seven private bus lines mostly serving riders living outside Manhattan. Bloomberg has unsuccessfully pressed the agency for months to take control of the lines, which would save the city millions in yearly subsidies. The parties are negotiating the transfer.
City and MTA officials stress that no final agreement has been made on the West Side development rights.
"Any agreement that we reach with the state will be announced as part of the financing agreement for the entire convention corridor," said Jennifer Falk, a mayoral spokeswoman.
Officials also said the MTA, not just the city, would benefit from the West Side development. Said one high-ranking state official: "The economic activity will create taxes that will ultimately go to the MTA."
Plus, the official added: "They're getting a subway line for free."
The big deal
In a proposal currently under negotiation ...
... the MTA would convey to the city the East Rail Yard, which the city values at $1.7 billion.
The city sells development rights to developers for the rail yard itself, and sells remaining development rights for the site to developers of parcels along 10th Avenue.
The money goes into a district improvement fund that pays off the cost of the No. 7 subway extension and other infrastructure.
Copyright © 2004, Newsday, Inc.
By LOIS WEISS
February 27, 2004 -- Larry Flynt is close to opening an upscale Hustler Club on Manhattan's West Side, which could become the next hangout for athletes and celebrities.
As The Post first reported, the club was being built on the site of the former Stingray Club on 51st St. next to the West Side Highway. The new building backs onto an old carriage horse stable that was purchased as part of the original deal.
The porn king's plans had been shrouded in secrecy while the club was under construction, but this week neon signs went up touting Larry Flynt's Hustler Club.
The Big Apple venture is the latest for Flynt, who opened a similar club in Beverly Hills in December and has venues in San Francisco, Paris and New Orleans.
The city venture is sponsored by a Connecticut businessman. Flynt did not return calls for comment placed through his attorney.
New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com
Smut peddlers go West
Stripclubs popping up along the waterfront
By JOSE MARTINEZ
Saturday, March 6th, 2004
Manhattan's western fringe is turning into Skin City.
Long the turf of car dealers and cheap parking lots, the city's far West Side is firming up as a battleground for two notorious names in porn - Penthouse and Hustler.
In a rivalry no longer confined to newsstands, the struggling skin magazines have tagged their names on two "gentlemen's clubs" within 6 blocks of each other.
"There will be girls, girls, girls," crowed Larry Flynt, head of the Hustler porn empire.
The trend is alarming local politicians who instead have fantasies of high-rise developments and an Olympic stadium for the area.
"These types of [clubs] are the last thing you want near a new, world-class park," said City Councilwoman Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan), referring to the Hudson River Park.
Flynt's Hustler Club on W. 51st St. and the West Side Highway is opening March 17. The Penthouse Executive Club on W. 45th St. opened last summer. Farther south, Scores West, the W. 28th St. outpost of the East Side strip club, is primed for a March 16 launch.
"I happen to enjoy spice," said Cal, a Manhattan financial executive making his 10th visit to the Penthouse locale. "And let's face it, guys like being surrounded by beautiful women."
The topless clubs' arrival is part of a transformation of the area west of 10th Ave. - one of the last spots in the city where adult businesses can operate with few limits.
Zoning changes passed in 1995 restrict new adult establishments to manufacturing districts, provided they don't come within 500 feet of schools, houses of worship and residential areas.
"Sex sells it always has and always will," said Angelina Spencer, executive director of the Association for Club Executives National, a trade group. "Is there room for more in New York? Oh my goodness, yes."
The new clubs are joining an already busy scene on the wild West Side that includes nightclubs and two other so-called gentlemen's clubs, Privilege on W. 23rd St. and Legz Diamond on W. 47th St.
"The customers will have a lot of choice," said Mike, a Manhattan lawyer sipping a $14 glass of Johnny Walker Black at the Penthouse spot. "The good thing is they're in a part of town where they're not in the face of families and tourists."
But some worry that revved-up patrons will turn the one-time wasteland into a red-light district not far from the now cleaned-up W. 42nd St.
"If a bunch of guys are in a strip club getting turned on, it's not like they're turned off the moment they walk out the door," said state Sen. Tom Duane (D-Manhattan).
The new spots are hardly the seedy joints from New York's past.
For one, patrons need credit cards or wads of big bills - not sweaty singles - to watch women strip down to G-strings and 6-inch heels. And the clubs are targeting high-rollers with pricey steaks, wine cellars and dress codes. A Budweiser costs $9.
"We're looking for the upscale clientele," said Mark Yackow, chief operating officer of the Penthouse place. "The businessmen, the Wall Street professionals, the brokers."
The 10,000-square-foot Penthouse Executive Club - which shares its first name and logo in a licensing deal with the bankrupt magazine has imported leather and marble interiors. It houses Robert's Steakhouse, where clients dine on prime cuts while showgirls shed their gowns on a stage one floor below.
Scores has spent $10 million to outfit an 8,700-square-foot club with Spanish marble and South American leather. The Hustler Club is opening a 5,700-square-foot club with Flynt's name in neon and carvings of nude women overlooking the West Side Highway.
But Flynt, the paraplegic pornographer who also deals in adult films and erotic stores, isn't too worried if New Yorkers get all hot and bothered by the sights.
"They should close their eyes when they drive past," Flynt said of his many critics. "They'll get over it."
Where the girls are
1. Hustler Club 51st St. and West Side Highway.
2. Scores West 28th St. between 10th and 11th Aves.
3. Penthouse Executive Club 45th St. and 11th Ave.
4. Privilege 23rd St. and 11th Ave.
5. Legz Diamond 47th St. and 12th Ave.
Some fear parking rules will worsen areas congestion
March 8, 2004
The city's West Side plan proposes construction of thousands of new commercial and residential parking spaces - a move that critics say would reverse decades of zoning policy.
The city does not require developers to include parking in the high-density areas south of 96th Street, as a way of discouraging the construction of such facilities and encouraging use of public transportation. The city's own zoning handbook says such construction adds to traffic congestion.
Under the West Side plan, however, city planning officials have included a parking requirement that calls for 9,300 to 14,000 commercial spaces and 3,000 to 6,000 residential spaces in the district over 20 to 30 years. At the same time, the plan also requires the extension of the No. 7 subway line into the district at a cost of $2 billion.
In a draft letter to City Planning Director Amanda Burden obtained by Newsday, Community Board 4 officials object to the parking requirements, particularly in commercial buildings.
"Required parking contradicts transit-oriented development," the letter reads.
They point to the city zoning handbook, which says that for the area south of 96 Street: "Experience has shown that if such parking were available, it would increase traffic congestion by attracting cars into the heart of the city."
Traffic concerns have emerged as a major issue in the debate over the stadium, and the overall re-zoning plan.
"We are not aware of a study that supports a change in this long-standing policy," community board officials wrote in the letter.
Planning department spokeswoman Rachaele Raynoff said the actual net increase in spaces will be about 8,000 spaces from the existing figure.
"We're talking about 12,600 new apartments and 28 million square feet of office space," Raynoff said. "A net increase of 8,000 spaces is smart planning. Even though most people will rely on public transit, it is prudent to plan for the small percentage who will use cars."
In the short term, the city plans to green light up to 500 spaces in the rail yard, and another 950 spaces in a garage between 34th and 36th streets underneath a new road to be created under 10th and 11th avenue. Those spaces would be built long before new development emerges, prompting critics to contend that the spaces are solely for the stadium.
"It certainly contradicts the argument that people are going to go to the stadium on mass transit," said Daniel Gutman, a member of the community board.
Raynoff, however, said the underground garage will be built below a new public park.
"We're doing that up front for good sense of place, and to accommodate higher density buildings, some of which won't be able to have parking underneath," she said.
Copyright © 2004, Newsday, Inc.
March 19, 2004
East Side, West Side: 7 Line's Fate Pits City Against State
By CHARLES V. BAGLI
The city's plan is a new stadium for the Jets and possibly for the 2012 Olympics.
For two years, officials of the Bloomberg administration have said extending the No. 7 subway line west to the Hudson River is central to their vision of a redeveloped West Side, including a new stadium for the Jets atop a rail bed, an expanded convention center and blocks of new office towers.
The city has even taken the unusual step of offering to pay the $1.8 billion cost of the extension, which would be the biggest subway construction project in decades.
In the last few weeks, however, New York State officials have begun to undercut the city's argument that the project is necessary. In a series of public appearances and conversations, state officials, along with the Jets, contend that the subway extension is not a critical component of the development of either the expanded Jacob K. Javits Convention Center or a 75,000-seat stadium for the Jets football team and possibly for the Olympics.
The state's position will not necessarily undermine the project, as the money is coming from city coffers. But the diverging positions illustrate the lingering tensions between two ostensible allies, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Gov. George E. Pataki, as they scramble for scarce funds for competing projects in the city. Each administration has a transportation agenda for Manhattan, but the state wants to tunnel under the East Side and the city wants to tunnel under the West Side. The gamesmanship taking place may determine which project gets primacy.
The Bloomberg administration wants to extend the No. 7 line from Times Square underneath 41st Street west to 11th Avenue and then south to 34th Street, where it would build a grand station. It is desperate to begin construction of the subway extension and the stadium before the International Olympic Committee meets in July 2005 to select the site for the 2012 Summer Games. If the city wins its bid, the Jets stadium would double as the Olympic stadium, site of opening and closing ceremonies, as well as track and field events.
Deputy Mayor Daniel L. Doctoroff, who fashioned the city's Olympic bid before entering city government, has long said that the city - not the state agency that builds, finances and operates the subway trains and commuter lines - would pay for the project from increased tax revenues on the West Side, where property values are expected to increase sharply. He wanted to avoid a bruising battle with proponents of projects like the $16.8 billion Second Avenue subway.
"The state and the M.T.A. are not financing the 7 line," Mr. Doctoroff said, playing down any suggestion that the city was at odds with the state. "As we said all along, we didn't want to engage in a debate over competing transportation priorities. The West Side is unique in that the investment in infrastructure, most notably the extension of the No. 7 line, can be paid out of new tax revenues generated in the area. Those revenues wouldn't exist but for the investment in the infrastructure."
State officials prefer to spend scarce construction money on the $6.3 billion East Side Access project, which would allow Long Island Rail Road commuters to board their trains at Grand Central Terminal, a huge boon to Long Island residents who work on the East Side of Manhattan. They also want to pursue the long-delayed Second Avenue subway.
Charles A. Gargano, the state's economic development chief, said the subway was tied to the city's rezoning of the Far West Side of Manhattan and the development of office towers and apartment houses over the next 30 years.
"The 7 line doesn't have to be part of this project," said Mr. Gargano, chairman of the Empire State Development Corporation. "It would be good, but it doesn't have to be part of expanding the Javits north or south, which includes the stadium."
The Jets, who want to begin construction of the $1.4 billion stadium early next year, seem to have taken a similar view.
"You don't need the subway, necessarily," L. Jay Cross, the Jets' president, said at a forum on Feb. 9. "We can take advantage of the natural geography and get a foothold and get something going over there that helps propel other activities that hopefully follow." He said he was not opposed to the subway extension, but believed it would be most useful to spectators at Olympic events in the stadium. Jets fans, he said, would be more likely to travel to games via the Long Island Rail Road or New Jersey Transit.
The Jets may be nervous about tying their fortunes to the fate of Mr. Doctoroff's West Side redevelopment and his financing plan for the subway. But the recent political shadowboxing seems to reflect long-running feuds between state and city officials over the financing for various projects, as well as a couple of new disputes related to the West Side.
Peter S. Kalikow, chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the agency that oversees the subways, has long said that Mr. Doctoroff's No. 7 line extension was a nice project, but vowed that its financing would not come out of his agency's capital budget. More recently, the agency refused a city suggestion to move $600 million earmarked for the now-defunct La Guardia air-train project to the 7 line extension.
Like administration Republicans, at least one powerful Albany Democrat - Sheldon Silver, the speaker of the State Assembly - would prefer to focus on the Second Avenue subway, putting the 7 line at the bottom of his list of transportation priorities.
"I'm not convinced we need a stadium on the West Side and as such I don't think the 7 is the kind of thing that is important to development," said Mr. Silver, who represents part of the East Side. "At best, it deals with a minor portion of Manhattan. Second Avenue deals with a significant chunk of Manhattan and, ultimately, gives you the ability to go to Brooklyn and the Bronx. East Side access is contingent on a real Second Avenue subway."
But there may be a more immediate issue underlying the state's decision to go public with its criticism.
Mr. Kalikow and the M.T.A. are in tough negotiations with Mr. Doctoroff over the West Side rail yards. As the deputy mayor was unveiling his financing plan for the West Side last month, Mr. Kalikow demanded that the M.T.A. be compensated for allowing the Jets to build a stadium over its rail yard. He wanted the ability to sell development rights from the rail yards to developers putting up residential buildings and office towers nearby. But those were the same development rights Mr. Doctoroff was proposing to sell as part of his plan to pay for the 7 line.
The two sides have yet to come to terms.
Robert D. Yaro, president of the Regional Plan Association, said he finds the whole debate disturbing. Development would follow the subway line to the West Side and be a boon to both the Javits convention center and the proposed stadium, he said, because public transportation is now many blocks away. The city's current environmental review includes the subway. Without it, Mr. Yaro said, the Jets stadium is even more vulnerable to criticism that it will bring traffic jams and pollution.
The Jets estimate that 70 percent of the team's fans will arrive at the stadium on public transportation. At Madison Square Garden, which sits over the Pennsylvania Station transit hub, an estimated 40 percent of the fans use public transit for Sunday night games.
In any event, Mr. Yaro said the No. 7 line is part of the comprehensive redevelopment of the Far West Side.
"The goal of this whole thing was to create capacity for growth on the West Side," Mr. Yaro said. "I think everyone agrees that the foundation for that are access and amenities. So the 7 is absolutely crucial to creating a new business district over there. If all we end up with is a football stadium and an expanded convention center, then we've missed out on the prime objective of this endeavor."
Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company
On Transit Map, All Roads Lead to Politics
Wasn't the 7 extension supposed to loop east from Javits to connect with Penn Station?
Given that the planned stop is only two blocks from the Farley Building, a simple underground passageway will probably be created.
That's what I thought.. which would have been more useful since it would connect Penn Station, Port Authority, and Grand Central all with one subway line.Originally Posted by TLOZ Link5
Hopefully one with a moving sidewalk; a few months ago I walked for about ten minutes between Times Square and Port Authority stationsit would have been a lot less if I didn't have to climb up and down so many stairs and inclines. The first and last time I'll use that passageway. I hope they're considering modernizing it.Originally Posted by Christian Wieland
March 25, 2004
Extending the 7 Line
To the Editor:
Re "East Side, West Side: 7 Line's Fate Pits City Against State" (news article, March 19):
Independent national surveys of major meeting and convention decision makers show that the quality and accessibility of local transportation are important determinants in selecting a city as a convention site. It is clear that the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center comes up short.
The No. 7 subway line extension will facilitate mass transit to Javits and strengthen the tie between the convention corridor and Times Square.
It will spur commercial and residential development around Javits, thus providing an additional attraction to convention attendees.
Like the expanded convention corridor, the extension of the No. 7 subway line will be a tremendous boon to our tourism and hospitality industries. The state and city can ill afford to pass up this opportunity.
President, NYC & Company
New York, March 19, 2004
Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company
The No. 7 Line subway extension from Times Square towards Jacob Javits Center is an integral part of the NYC Department of City Planning Redevelopment plan for the Far West Side of Manhattan. RDP is an urban design and architectural consultant to Parsons Brinckerhoff and is responsible for design of subway stations, entrances, systems facilities and coordination with the City's urban design masterplan.
Downtown Express
April 5, 2004
Mayors West Side plan competes with Downtown
By David Stanke
Image of proposed West Side development looking south from 39th St. shows new offices, left, and an expanded Javits Center and new Olympics/Jets stadium, center.
Mayor Bloomberg is focused on revitalizing the west side in the 30s by expanding the Javits Center and building a new football stadium as the foundation for expanded residential and commercial development. By staking so much of his legacy on this West Side mega-project, the mayor must view the commercial potential of development at the W.T.C. as competition for his West Side plans and his Olympic dreams.
A lesson from listening to impassioned speeches in the aftermath of 9/11 is that most publicly stated positions are rationalizations for hidden agendas that are not quite so rational. To understand the mayors position on the W.T.C., we need first to evaluate his plans for the West Side, and then revisit his early comments in light of his newly exposed agenda.
The premise for successful development of the West Side is that the creation of two adjacent superblocks. A new Jets stadium along side the expanded Javits Convention Center will serve as the centerpiece for expanded commercial and residential development of the area. Extension of the 7 subway line would provide the single subway link to the area.
Stadiums do not revitalize neighborhoods. At best, they can provide life support for a comatose neighborhood, with just enough inflow of people and money to maintain basic retail. Residential neighborhoods may survive, but primarily for people who cant afford to move elsewhere. A stadium is an insurmountable barrier to movement dividing communities around it, much as freeways divided and killed sections of the Bronx. When in use, stadiums bring hoards of outsiders and strangers with no incentive to protect, maintain, or support local communities or businesses. People come, they party, and they leave. After the game, please, keep your sons and daughters in the apartment no offense meant to sports fans. I go to Knick games and love the crowds, but would never live next door to the Garden.
Convention centers do not support neighborhoods. Perhaps the mayor isnt aware of the reputation of conventioneers. Perhaps, he has always attended sophisticated, well-healed conventions. He should at least be aware that conventioneers like to smoke when they drink. They are also more likely to support a porn district than a residential community.
So discounting any hope for neighboring residential development, what are the commercial prospects? The key for filling office space is to draw corporations that want a convenient and desirable location for employees at a reasonable price. This proposed West side commercial center will be supported by a single subway line, making it a two-train commute for any New Yorker not living on the 7 line. It will even be a three train commute many commuters. When people arrive at work, they will butt up against acres of useless super blocks. Even access to the river will be blocked. The only draws for commercial workers will be the nondescript convention center restaurants and convenient evening concerts at the stadium.
An Olympic size leap of faith is needed to accept the reasoning behind this plan. Stadiums always cost taxpayers money. And this stadium is getting a prime asset, Manhattan waterfront property, cheap. These rights should be auctioned off competitively to the highest bidder, not delivered with a handshake in a behind the scenes deal. Dont even think about the economic morality of subsidizing rich team owners so they can pay more for obscenely compensated athletes. And even if the convention center generates entertainment and tax dollars, it will not contribute to local development. Has the mayor not noticed that the existing Javits Center generates nothing for the area? More Javits Center will generate more nothing.
How does this all relate to the W.T.C.? If nothing else, Mayor Bloomberg understands market competition. The plans for the W.T.C. are strategic and tactical competition with his West Side plan. Office space in the two areas would come into the market in the same time frame. Downtown already has very competitively priced real estate, so there is no hope for a West side price advantage. In every other way, the West side will face an uphill fight against the W.T.C. The W.T.C. is already hugely connected to subways. The street life deficiencies we now face Downtown will fade away in a few years with the completion of the Freedom Tower and surrounding retail areas. The W.T.C. will have a historic plaza and easy access to Tribeca restaurants. The West Side will have the Javits and the Jets. Where would you locate your office, if you owned a company? Where would you rather work?
So what might Mayor Bloomberg and Dan Doctoroff be up to? Doctoroff ran NYC 2012 before becoming Mayor Bloombergs deputy mayor for economic development and rebuilding. He is on a long and determined quest to draw the Olympics. He has now gotten Mayor Bloomberg not only to sign on, but to place West Side development alongside running the school system as his two seminal challenges and achievements as mayor. Getting the Olympics to N.Y.C. would give both of these wealthy men great international exposure. To do this, they need sports facilities, hotels, and convention space. To finance this, they need funds from the sale of commercial and residential development rights on the West side, state and city money, and the political clout to pass tax increment funding. They are already planning to divert money from the Battery Park City Authority with the apparent complicity of the B.P.C.A. To have any chance of success selling the complete West Side commercial package, the W.T.C. plans must change dramatically or fail spectacularly.
In this context, lets revisit the mayors suggestions for the W.T.C. He wants to eliminate what could be spectacular, vital super-blocks and replace them with narrow crowded Downtown streets. He wants to force commuters to street level and expand sidewalks to support them. This will, of course, reduce space for commercial buildings, already crowded by the expansive memorial. The mayors vision for the W.T.C. is far less than what the W.T.C. was pre 9/11 and much less what it could be.
The mayor may not actually want to weaken the W.T.C. to support his Olympic dreams. He may simply be a very bad city planner. But the W.T.C. and the West Side will compete for commercial tenants, reducing the value of West Side development rights. The mayor needs to sell these rights to fund the project. His W.T.C. plans will reduce the competitive commercial presence of the W.T.C. Recovering from our nations largest domestic attack is apparently less important than a couple weeks of games in 2012.
Based on the possibility that the mayor has been blinded by his Olympic ambitions, I give the following advice. The Lower Manhattan Development Corp. and Port Authority should thank the mayor kindly for his advice and put up some roadblocks between City Hall and the W.T.C. Governor Pataki, please dont stand behind the mayor when he discusses city planning and the development of the West Side. Your credibility will be hurt by association. New Yorkers beware of the downside of men so rich they are not beholden to anyone. Their only true objective may be to further enhance their own egos.
Before this recent display of poor judgment at the W.T.C. and on the West side, I was a moderate Bloomberg supporter. But when a man works to lessen W.T.C. commercial development, while professing the contrary, to support a very unpopular and poorly conceived west side development using funds from a residential community (Battery Park City) that desperately needs the W.T.C. development; I would suggest that his drive to immortalize his name on a sports stadium has blinded him to the citys priorities. He is squandering city assets on his personal ambitions.
David Stanke is co-president of BPC United, a group of Downtown residents, and can be reached at email@example.com.
Copyright 2004 Community Media LLC.


text: Sunrise over the Giant Saguaro Cactuses in Saguaro National Park (East). The Saguaro Cactus can live to over 150 to 200 year in age and may take 80 years to develop a branch although some may grow many more branches and some have none. They are tree like with a solid woody core.


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Extracts from DVD "Rythms of Human adventure"Artistic Director and Teacher : Michael Bougon ; DVD Director : Cyril Auribault pour Artis-Studio
Producer : Musique & Handicap 78
TERANGA : project and goals
TERANGA in Senegal means: "The land of welcome, sharing and
hospitality." TERANGA is a show that gathers mentally
handicapped musicians - most of them having Downs Syndrome
- with professional musicians. They began performing in
The goals for this project are :
Integrate to society the handicapped musicians performing with professionals
To become a band standard for the handicapped people and their environment. It is a band where the handicapped person can feel good with, identify with.
Inspire vocations and thanks to the therapeutic effects (better concentration, better psychomotricity…) and suggest to devellop this kind of project in appropriate establishments.
Production and diffusion of TERANGA's DVD
The vision of the performances is to share the generosity
of the group and its groove. The point of the documentary
made by Artis-Studio is to show the work and the process of
creating the music that the musicians go through. It is
based on rhythm sensations, which are created in
collaboration with the professional musicians. The
documentary also shows that the concerts have helped to
contribute, stimulate and liberate the energy of the
handicapped musicians, permitting them to express
themselves individually while also contributing to the
The diffusion of Teranga's show troughout the DVD and the concerts aim to change the way people look at the handicapped people, and to raise social cultural partners awerness about the integration of the handicapped people in existing structures.
TERANGA : the show
TERANGAs' music and instruments have a base in many different cultures and styles. Percussions, songs and dances, for example the music from Senegal, which are performed in this traditional way, but also more modern ones, like reggae or latin-jazz are experienced as well. The percussions and solos on djembes by the handicapped musicians make your head spin! The entire show will surround you with energy and emotion, but will also draw you in and hold you there with a festive spirit.
TERANGA et "les gars de Maule"
There are seven handicapped musicians, also called "les Gars de Maule", who work in the ESAT of Maule, a specialized long term work program. They also live there and practice music once a week in a workshop conducted by 2 professional animators sent by the association "Musique & Handicap 78". When performing their concerts, 4 to 5 professional musicians accompany them.
"Les gars de Maule" have been playing music for almost 20 years and can now be considered accomplished musicians. Music is not only their passion, it is a way of living, a reason for living even, bringing them acclaim and acknowledgement, especially through the concerts.
TERANGA : performing
TERANGA had their first concert in 2000 at the Palais des Congrès of Paris, for the 40th anniversary of the UNAPEI ("National Committee of Friends and Parents of Handicapped Children"). Since then, they have played at The Cabaret Sauvage in Paris (Festival sponsored by the Mairie of Paris), at the Trocadéro ("Handicap days of UNAPEI"), at the Ministery of Justice and at Champs de Mars ("Defistival").
The Association "Musique & Handicap 78"
TERANGA was created by the Association "Musique &
Handicap 78",
whose primary aim is to promote music to handicapped
persons since 1984. Musique & Handicap 78 has opened 40
workshops in Versailles and surrounding areas in several
social and medical institutions. The concerts are produced
by adults of these groups and contribute to the recognition
of the artistic abilities of the handicapped people, and
also their personal development and integration into
society. TERANGA concerts show the value of the
Associations credo: "Bring music to everyone's
TERANGA partners
TERANGA, a mixture of personal creativity and group spirit, is supported with donations and sponsorships from the FONDATION de FRANCE, "Les arts et les Autres" Foundation, AIR FRANCE Foundation, the Yvelines General Council, Bois Mesnuls APEI, and the city of Trappes, the Paris Jazz Band.


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This is my second and third attempts at making this bread. I really love the sweetness the dates impart to this bread so I've been meaning to make it again for a while. Version 2 I made last week and I rushed the dough into the oven and it was definitely under-proofed. It had some nice fissures and the crumb was much tighter than it should have been. It still tasted good but I had to make it again the right way.
The third time it came out much better and was worth making it again.
I changed some of the flour from the first bake and used Durum instead of Einkorn Wheat and also added some Spelt.
If you can try to bake this one, I highly recommend it. The dates add a wonderful sweetness to the bread and create a dark crust. This a perfect bread with cheese or great for a steak sandwich.
I used a 2 step build for the starter mixing Durum flour with a Hard White Whole Wheat.
I'm still learning the BreadStorm program and I broke out the water and flour in the seed starter separately. Hopefully it calculated it correctly.
The dates are simmered in part of the water used for the main dough and instead of chopping them up like I did last time, I just mushed them a little in the bowl which worked out fine.
Levain Directions
Step 1
Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temperature for around 7-8 hours or until the starter has doubled. I used my proofer set at 83 degrees and it took about 4 hours.
Step 2
Mix the flour and water with all of the levain from step 1 and let it sit at room temperature again until it is doubled. At this point you can either use it right away or put it in the refrigerator and use it the next 1 to 2 days.
Date Preparation
Make sure there are no pits in the dates and do not trust the package like I did which claimed they were pitted dates. Simmer the dates in 226 grams of water until they are soft. After you remove them from the heat, add 100 grams of cold water and let the dates sit until they come back down to room temperature.
Main Dough Procedure
Mix the flours with the remainder of the water for about 1 minute. Let the rough dough sit for about 20 minutes to an hour. Next add the dates, butter and salt and mix on low for 2 minutes and speed #2 for another 2 minutes or by hand for about 6 minutes. You should end up with a cohesive dough that is slightly tacky but very manageable. Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl or work surface and do several stretch and folds. Let it rest covered for 10-15 minutes and then do another stretch and fold. Let it rest another 10-15 minutes and do one additional stretch and fold. After a total of 2 hours place your covered bowl in the refrigerator and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours. (Since I used my proofer I only let the dough sit out for 1.5 hours before refrigerating).
When you are ready to bake remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it set out at room temperature still covered for 1.5 to 2 hours. Remove the dough and shape as desired. I made 1 large Miche for this bake.
The dough will take 1.5 to 2 hours depending on your room temperature and will only rise about 1/3 it's size at most. Let the dough dictate when it is read to bake not the clock.
Around 45 minutes before ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees F. and prepare it for steam. I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf. I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.
Right before you are ready to put them in the oven, score as desired and then add 1 cup of boiling water to your steam pan or follow your own steam procedure.
After 1 minute lower the temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for 35-50 minutes until the crust is nice and brown and the internal temperature of the bread is 205 degrees.
Take the bread out of the oven when done and let it cool on a bakers rack before for at least 2 hours before eating.


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Jalan Raya 2, Serdang Jaya, 43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor
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A light-heavyweight bout between veteran Stephan Bonnar (13-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) and Karlos Vemola (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is in the works for UFC on Versus 5.
Bonnar first tweeted news of the matchup earlier today, and ESPN's Jon Anik later revealed the event.
UFC officials since have stated verbal agreements are in place for the bout.
Although not officially by the organization, UFC on Versus 5 is expected to take place Aug. 14, likely at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.
The night's main card airs on Versus, though it's not clear if Bonnar vs. Vemola will be part of the broadcast.
Bonnar, a fan favorite since his runner-up finish on "The Ultimate Fighter 1," suffered a three-fight losing streak from 2009-2010. But following a TKO of Krzysztof Soszynski and a decision victory over Igor Pokrajac in 2010, he now looks to match a career best with his third straight victory. Of his six career UFC losses, all but one came to former or current champions: Forrest Griffin (twice), Rashad Evans, Jon Jones and Mark Coleman.
Vemola, a 25-year-old Czech prospect, made his octagon debut at UFC 116 and suffered a decision loss to heavyweight Jon Madsen. The national wrestling champion then dropped to light heavyweight and scored a first-round TKO of Seth Petruzelli at UFC 122. However, a UFC 128 bout with Luiz Cane didn't materialize when Vemola was forced off the card with an undisclosed injury.
For more on UFC on Versus 5, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Stephan Bonnar)


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This is the first segment in a series of articles to be published by the Palestine Monitor focused on the plight of Palestinian refugees throughout occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank. Our correspondent, Ruairi Henchy, will be visiting a handful of camps in order to give voice to their grievances and to highlight the distinctly unique character of each camp. All photos by Ruairy Henchy.
Refugees, and the camps they live in today, are a central part of the story of the Palestinian people.
In the Palestinian Nakba, or "catastrophe," in 1948, approximately 750,000 people were expelled from their homes in present day Israel, and during the 1967 Naksa ("setback"), roughly another 300,000 Palestinians fled the territory occupied by Israel after the Six Day War. Today, these refugees and their descendants number at least 5.4 million people, scattered across the four corners of the earth, but mostly concentrated in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Gaza and the West Bank.
The Aida and al-Aza camps in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank were two of the first UNRWA camps established in 1948. Situated no more than a few hundred-meters apart, the camps lie between Bethlehem and Israel's separation wall, and are directly adjacent to the religiously sensitive Rachel's tomb.
Taking a taxi from Bethlehem's manger square down toward the wall, the camps lie in a surreal location. Aida is sandwiched between the wall and the nearby Jewish-only settlement of Gilo, and the rather majestic Jacir Palace hotel cuts an unlikely sight in between Aida and the neighboring Aza camp.
The main entrance to Aida is through an archway adorned with the world's largest key (albeit unofficially); the key symbolizes the right of Palestinians to return to their original homes, established by UN Resolution 194.
A mere stone's throw away, on the first street corner after the archway, is a small shop selling various trinkets and Palestinian memorabilia. The shop owner, Akram al-Warah, said that he tries to sell his goods to the sporadic flow of tourists who come to see the key and the graffiti on the separation wall.
Akram is originally from Deir Abban – a destroyed Palestinian village west of Jerusalem - but he grew up in Aida camp. He told me that he is a civil engineer who studied and worked in Baghdad for 10 years, where he eventually met his wife, a Kurdish Iraqi. He lost his job and they had to flee in 1996 during the Gulf War, which devastated the country. "Iraq was so beautiful, but in all the world there are problems – so I became a refugee again," he lamented.
Akram found engineering work with an American company upon returning to Aida , but was quickly rendered unemployed once more when the company left Palestine in 2000 following the outbreak of the Second Intifada. "So I learned to make jewellery by hand and carve the olive wood to make sculptures for the tourists," he said.
He proudly displays Palestinian coins and bank notes from before 1948 at the entrance of the shop, along with many of his hand-whittled olive wood keys. "I try to find anything to show the tourists how life was like before 1948… And the key of return [is] to show to the world what happened to the Palestinians."
After wandering around Aida's alleyways, I came upon Mustafa al-Araj, a 27 year old from the camp who was finishing up a free tour he had given to a small group of tourists. Mustafa explained that employment opportunities are similarly limited for the camp resident's today. "I graduated in social work, but I couldn't find a job in what I study so I work in a restaurant in Bethlehem, in Manger Square, and I volunteer in the Aida youth center," he said.
Mustafa told me that life is tough in the camp given the claustrophobic conditions and the frequent raids by the Israeli army, but this in turn has led to strong connections between residents
Decades of "living on top of each other" have fostered a strong sense of community within the camps. "Everybody knows everybody, everybody joins in all occasions like weddings and funerals, we even help each other build our houses," he explained.
He detailed how the frequent strife with the nearby Israeli military base has similarly had a curiously positive effect on the social fabric of the camp, saying that their idleness has bred resistance rather than vice. "As refugees… if we have stress or extra energy, we don't steal something or drink or take drugs – we use it in the clashes against the occupation," he said.
I asked Mustafa whether the new generation still believed in the right to return, or if they saw Bethlehem as their real home now, considering how none of them had ever even seen their old villages. Mustafa paused to think. "I know it's hard,. [The] right of return became like a dream… But any kid in the camp will tell you his grandfather's story, where he came from, what the life was like in the village, even the name of the mountain beside his village," he declared passionately.
The belief in the right to return is even more palpable in the nearby Aza camp, a mere two minute walk away. Locals also know Aza as Beit Jibrin camp, named after a destroyed Palestinian village near Hebron from which most of the camp's original residents fled in 1948. Built on just 0.2 km² of land, and with around 1,500 residents from 12 different Beit Jibrin families, Aza is the smallest refugee camp in the West Bank.
23-year-old Shadi Elqaisi, jokingly referred to as 'Slim Shadi' by his friends, explains that Aida and Aza have close ties. For example, Aza's residents all attend the UNRWA schools in Aida camp, although Aza does have its own mosque and some small community centres. Shadi's extended family numbers nearly 60 people. We spoke in the family's restaurant, Nandose, on the edge of the camp.
He explained that everyone from Beit Jibrin escaped to Aida in 1948, but many fled again to Jordan during the 1967 war due to the difficulties of the new occupation. The trickle of people leaving has continued ever since. "The occupation will always let you leave to Jordan if you want to because all of their problems come from the camps – not from Ramallah, they are living well there," he claimed.
"Every prisoner in the West Bank is from a camp," said Shadi, as he went on to explain that he spent a year in jail himself, including three months of solitary confinement after being arrested at a demonstration as a 16 year old. "I went to a demonstration because I was angry about them killing my friend from Dheisheh [another camp in Bethlehem]. We went to school together for 10 years and they shot him at a checkpoint – he was dead in 10 seconds," he exclaimed.
As he pulled himself together, Shadi explained that he still doesn't understand the logic of the Israeli occupation and how Israelis can ever hope to live in peace. "I was 16 years old, it's like a child. When you kick a child like this in the prison and put him in a room alone for three months, this is stupid," he said. "You kill my friend, you put me in a refugee camp, you steal my land, what do you want from me when I get out from the jail. Should I hug you? Thank you?" he declared, shaking his head in bemusement.
As for life in the camp, Shadi said that the cramped surroundings and difficult lifestyle leaves everybody with the burning desire to return to Beit Jibrin one day. There is no sense of a creeping acceptance of the status quo. "Nobody likes the camp. Everybody wants to go back to Beit Jibrin… There's no future for children here," he said with resignation.
Wandering back through the squalor of Aza's winding alleyways toward the main road leading back into Bethlehem, it seemed hard not to share in Shadi's pessimism. "Give me a call if you ever need any more information about Aza – I'll still be here," he said as he bade farewell.
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please post here if you are unable to attend.
Hi chaps, As mentioned in the other threat, MANDATORY TRAINING'S EVERY SUNDAY 19:00 - 21:00 GM
Please note that attendance will be taken from now on every Sunday.
In our meeting you will receive information about the promotions program, Clan positions and the upcoming XO for Clan GP.
We take team and clan battles very seriously. If you fail to attend the mandatory training consecutively without proper excuse or prior informing the commanding officers will result in immediate discharge.
Last edited by kinghunt; 29th November 2016 at 06:04 PM.
please post here if you are unable to attend.


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Videos | November 1, 2010
Epoxi: Mission to Comet Hartley 2
A close encounter with comet Hartley 2 on Nov. 4th will provide NASA with its best view yet of a comet.
Transcript:Title: Epoxi: Mission to Comet Hartley 2 The Deep Impact mission was a mission to comet Tempel 1 to deliver an impactor in 2005. The instruments on the Deep Impact spacecraft were designed to be diagnostic in a flyby of a comet.
We got some fascinating results from comet Tempel 1. But once we got past Tempel 1 we had plenty of fuel left, the spacecraft was healthy, then immediately everybody set to work on figuring out what new bodies we could get to. That's what led to the proposal to go to comet Hartley 2.
It's really a good deal for NASA and the American public, to send a spacecraft to a whole new mission for a small fraction of what the new mission costs. We were able to retarget the spacecraft using a few flybys of Earth, take advantage of the gravity assist from Earth to retarget ourselves, change our trajectory just enough so that now we're able to get to comet Hartley 2 in November. Because this wasn't what the spacecraft was planned for, there's challenges and there's inevitably going to be surprises.
The geometry of the Tempel 1 flyby was such that we could look at the comet, and take images at the same time that our high gain antenna was pointed at Earth. Because of the geometry of the Hartley 2 flyby, when we're pointed at the comet on approach, our high gain antenna can not see the Earth.
So we cannot downlink data in real time. So we have to design everything, for one thing, to protect that imaging sequence to make sure that no matter what happens, we're able to recover and keep taking images. The things we will be looking for will be how different is the nucleus compared to the other comets that we've been to. What does the nucleus look like that makes it so active?
Can we see which parts of the comet are emitting so much gas, and what's the nature of the chemicals, the compounds that are coming out of the comet? The excitement about studying comets is really driven by getting a better understanding of the early phases and early formation of our solar system.
Comets essentially have been in the refrigerator since the beginning of the solar system and so when we explore these objects, we find out what they're made of, we get to look back to the beginning of the formation of the solar system. This mission is very economical and we're going to get science from this flyby opportunity.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology