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Play-testing Mathematics: Some Junk Science for Your Approval
I play-tested an adventure today for the new Dark Sun living campaign premiering at DDXP later this month, and that inspired me to finally publish this article. Ive sat through a few play-tests for Living Greyhawk and Living Forgotten Realms (LFR) in my time, but not a lot. I also ran play-tests of my 1st edition throwback delves for synDCon, but those tests were more concerned with how long it would take to complete the delve rather than actual encounter balance. In any case, Im not a seasoned vet when it comes to play-testing, but Ive seen wide variation in how adventures play out, and not simply because the DM doesnt play the NPCs well, or because theres a string of natural 1s or natural 20s. Some adventures seem consistently impossible or consistently painless, and neither of those explanations seems to apply.
Without breaking into some serious mathematical analysis that Im too lazy to do, I have an idea on how to improve the process. I have no idea whether WotC, Green Ronin, Steve Jackson Games, or any other established game publisher (to whom Im not giving a shameless plug) uses a modified means of play-testing, but I suspect that at least LFR doesnt. Keep in mind, though, that Im not trying to dissuade a designer from making an especially hard or especially easy encounter or adventure. Im simply trying to improve the method for determining whether or not they have successfully done so.
Being that my only significant RPG experience is with D&D, that system (specifically, 4th edition) will be the subject of this analysis. Chris Sims wrote that DnD is balanced so that you should usually hit when you roll a 9 on your d20 (link not available due to Loremaster crash ). Not always, but usually. That means that you should hit 12 out of 20 times, or 60%. Im assuming that this applies to hitting a skirmisher, lurker, or controller. Brutes and artillery have lower defenses, and soldiers higher. Im also assuming that this assumes each PC role (leader, striker, controller, and defender) has the same attack bonus, which I know is often wrong. That being said...
Why Not Just Take 9?
To keep things simple and even, just eliminate d20 rolls altogether. It would speed up the otherwise long process of play-testing, allowing more tests. Sadly, that wouldnt work well. In a given encounter, taking 9 could be an automatic hit or automatic miss for any given PC, and you dont want to effectively take a character out of the test. No matter how hard or easy the encounter, any character should have the ability to hit or miss. Taking 9 kills that altogether. You still need some random element.
How About a d6 Spread?
My initial thought was to narrow the spread by replacing the d20 roll with 1d6+6. This way, youre rolling between 7 and 12, and youre expected to hit 66% of the time. This isnt precisely the same chance provided by the d20, but its close. Unfortunately, this suggestion screws with the math a bit too much. For example, an ordinary soldier has an AC 2 higher than an ordinary skirmisher. Under the d20 system, an increase of 2 in the NPCs AC should result in a drop from 60% to 50% on your hits. Under the 1d6+6 system, you now hit only 33% of the time. Just by throwing in a soldier (or any NPC given an unusual boost to its AC), you skew the system from being too easy to hit to being unreasonably hard to hit. This wont result in a good test.
Just Eliminate Crits and Fumbles?
Instead, we can keep the d20, but simply do the math when you roll a 1 or 20, granting neither auto-misses nor critical hits. Of course, the 1s will still miss, and the 20s will still hit, but the critical damage will be ordinary. This keeps the to-hit math 100% on target but eliminates the game-changing effects that are best left to spice up an actual adventure. It also would be easiest for experienced players to implement and probably most mathematically accurate.
Theres still a huge problem with this, though: The larger the spread, the greater the possibility that youll get streaks of hits or misses, which I believe is actually the bigger problem. If combat lasts only, lets say, six rounds, missing four times in a row effectively takes you out of the combat. That doesnt properly test the adventure either.
(As I side note, I take complete advantage of these streaks when I play blackjack. As a result, my winnings always pay for my hotel, airfare, and expenses when Im in Vegas or Atlantic City. Trust me when I say these streaks can change everything.)
Take This with a Grain of Salt: A d10 Spread Is the Answer
The obvious compromise between d6s and d20s is to replace the d20 with d10+4, rolling between a 5 and 14. This will have you hitting 60% of the time. The math is still a bit screwed up; the above example would result in a drop from hitting 60% of the time to hitting 40% of the time. However, the lower the spread, the more of a contribution your PC will give, and thats best for determining the overall strength and weakness of the encounter.
Perhaps producing a random +1 (or -1 against brutes and artillery) to hit would correct this error while minimizing the larger spread of a d20. This random effect shouldnt be based on the attack die itself. It could be based on a second die roll, or alternating from round to round. If the latter, play-testers would have to avoid meta-gaming their power choices around whether they were going to get the +1 bonus to hit in a given round.
I admit that this would make play-testing a complicated process, but it would (arguably) make the final product better, and youd get the glory of your name appearing on the final product! Of course, if you're publishing professionally, complaining about the complication isn't justified at all. This is your job, dammit!
Final Note: Whats So Bad About Natural 1s and 20s?
Let me give a bit more substance to this position. Natural 1s and natural 20s are supposed to represent rare occurrences of heroism and screw ups. They add spice to the game, which in turn makes the game more fun, but play-testing isnt supposed to be fun. Its supposed to be work. Its work that hopefully leads to others having fun, but work nonetheless. You shouldnt miss them in a play-test, and in fact they probably interfere with a fair analysis of whether the adventure is properly balanced. I strongly believe they have no place in play-tests. Ive been through far too many encounters that dont have a single natural 20 to think that they need to be built into the testing process.
Talk to Me, People
So, what do you think? Agree? Disagree? In whole or in part? Id be interested in others helping me expand on this idea and forming a stronger battle plan for play-testing. Ive been play-testing quite a bit lately, and plan to do some more in the near future.


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Log in to make the most of Hymnary.org collections.
What sweet peace we shall haveAuthor: Robert HarknessTune: [What sweet peace we shall have over yonder] Published in 1 hymnal Audio files: MIDI |
1 What sweet peace we shall have over yonder,
In the land of the saved and the blest,
What a joy shall be ours over yonder,
In the home of eternal rest.
It will be joy when we get over yonder,
Over yonder, over yonder;
It will be joy when we get over yonder,
Over on that golden shore.
2 Oft we long for the voices now silent,
For the touch of some dear loving hand,
When with Jesus we dwell over yonder,
We shall meet on that far off strand. [Refrain]
3 We may have many sorrows and trials,
As the journey of life we pursue,
But amidst all our tears and our sighings,
That blest home over there we view. [Refrain]
Source: Alexander's Gospel Songs #56
First Line: | What sweet peace we shall have |
Title: | Over yonder |
Author: | Robert Harkness |
Refrain First Line: | It will be joy |

subset: commoncrawl


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..It is 7 p.m. Tuesday evening in Tokyo. There are almost more Starbucks here then in Seattle.
..Thursday through Monday I was on Etijima Island, across the bay from Hiroshima. With no internet, newspapers, TV, or radio available it was like being on the other side of the moon.
..The occasion was the four-day Fall Conference for Asian Access staff who serve and live in Japan helping Japanese pastors plant and strengthen churches. It proved to be an even more productive time than I had anticipated in reconnecting relationally with staff, casting vision, doing some strategic thinking and getting ministry updates.
..Today I had some excellent meetings and tomorrow and Thursday have two days of planning meetings.
..However, the best thing was that I was able to reconnect to the internet and call and talk with my Mary in Charlotte. It makes it seem not quite so far from home.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
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Me and my mom had booked a superior room last November 2013 but we were upgraded to a premium room for free! The room is located on the top floor of the Hotel (7th Floor), old but well maintained. I am always a fan of Kabayan Hotel Pasay and I've been staying here for several times already since 2009 (even... More
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City Museum MenuGeneral InformationMuseum Homepage Free Winter Admission Museum Store Directions to Museum Museum Rack Card Newsletter Museum Photos Contact Information Subscribe to Museum NewsExhibitsPermanent Current Temporary Upcoming Virtual Exhibits and Collections Exhibit Opportunities ArchivesPublic ProgramsPublic Programs Museum Classes Educational Tours Offered Volunteers Make It Happen Walking TourJuneau HistoryDigital Bob Founding of Juneau Gastineau Channel Memories Historic Sites and Structures Juneau History Grant ResearchFriends of JD City MuseumJuneauMuseumFriends.orgLocation: |
Juneau-Douglas City Museum December at the Museum Rain Chains by Rachael Juzeler In Our Galleries: Rachael Juzeler: Gift Shop Artist "Creating someting pretty and useful with our garbage, one piece at a time" is Rachael's description of her work transforming glass into rain-chains and tile coasters. Available for sale through the end of December. Click here for more information about the Museum Shop. Toby Harbanuk: Infinite Visibility Infinite Visibility, presents our 21st century life amongst glaciers, the Tongass National Forest and the northern Inside Passage via stereographic, aerial photographs. Toby's books of photographs, Glaciers of Southeast Alaska and 10,000 Feet, are also available in our gift shop. Dale DeArmond: The Hat Series The 14 wood engraving prints of Alaska Native headwear are on display through April 19, 2014. Visitors can also view the video Dale DeArmond: The NonDalton Legends, read some of her illustrated books and make rubbings from her "practice boards". Click here for more information about exhibits. Campsite near Nugget Creek Power Plant, 1915, JDCM 97.10.001 Programming to Know About: Coffee & Collections: Jim Geraghty The Settling of the Mendenhall Valley Saturday, December 14, 10:30-12 noon Jim's talks on Juneau history are always popular and fascinating. Come hear him share what he has learned about the people and events that shaped the settling of the Mendenhall Valley, pre-World War II. Click here for more information about this program. 12 x 12 Community Exhibit : Black & White Artists of all ages are encouraged to create works within the parameters of a square or a cube, 12 inches by 12 inches (by 12 inches) and submit it to the exhibition by January 28, 2014. The exhibit opens in February. Click here for information and the application form. Quilt Exhibit: Outside My Window In collaboration with the Capital City Quilters, the Museum seeks submissions from community members. Quilts are due by March 18, but we would love to know about your intent to submit as soon as possible. Click here for information and the submission form. The Juneau-Douglas City Museum is a member of
City Museum News
Hours & AdmissionFALL/WINTER HOURS: Mission StatementThe Juneau-Douglas City Museum fosters among its diverse audiences an awareness of Juneau's cultural heritage, values and community memory so we may draw strength and perspective from the past, inspire learning, and find purpose for the future. As a public trust, we collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit those materials that document the cultures and history of the Juneau and Douglas area. |


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Coupons by Category
Kitchen Organization Chores That You Can Do In 10 Minutes
When you have but 10 minutes to spare, you'd be surprised how much that little time can still accomplish in the area of kitchen organizing.
1. Organize one shelf in your kitchen pantry. Take everything out, wipe down the shelf and put everything back in. The next time you have 10 minutes more to spare, tackle the next shelf.
2. Take everything out from your freezer and rearrange them back in. Toss away freezer-burned items. Your freezer will have a breather and you'll spot foods that can be reheated to make the next meal.
3. Take out all items from your crisper drawer, throw away all rotting produce, wipe down the crisper with soapy solution and arrange everything back.
4. Organize your cookbooks in a more aesthetically pleasing way, removing all ugly items from sight and keeping the ones that you regularly use.
5. Gather your rolls of aluminum foil, plastic cling wrap, wax paper and sandwich bags and store them together in the same drawer.
6. Move tea bags from their carton box to a pretty canister for more eye-catching presentation.
7. Organize your coupons and recipe file, throwing away all unused ones and arranging the rest according to categories.
8. Move rarely-used appliances like Panini maker, rice cooker and juicer into the kitchen storage area to free up valuable countertop space.
9. Pile up a set of same-size and color-coordinating plates on an open shelf for a punch of color.
10. Take out the best-looking fruits from your ref and place together in a nice tray to make a beautiful centerpiece on your table or counter.
11. Install a clipboard on your ref to serve as a family message board of sorts. Equip the board with sheets of paper and a pen.
12. Match plastic food containers and their lids and nest similar items together.
13. Match pots and pans to their lids and store them standing up on their sides for more space-savings.
14. Install command hooks and hang your frequently-used small items such as measuring spoons, scissors, can openers and bag resealers.
15. Wipe down the surfaces of 5 kitchen appliances for an instant shine on your gadgets.
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Version 7 (modified by fbatard, 5 years ago) |
Major development & Function testing
We finished to develop the list of references for the Task and currently testing it. How much should we care about the infinite recursion?
I mean if a Task1 has a subtask Task2. And the Task2 has Task1 as a subtask? Do we have to care or do we believe that the admin will be smart enough?
We deleted the tasklist.Observation and contact.Observer. We had to solve quite a huge amount of conflict around the project after that.
We're studying the solution of recursion and adaptation of the RequestList?.
First solution | Second Solution |
1. reason1 | 1. reason 1 |


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In December 1993, the Atari Jaguar became the first 64-bit game system distributed in the world. It had come out a full two and a half years before the more famous Nintendo 64 was released. The Jaguar made its debut with high- resolution polygonal graphics, CD-quality stereo sound and a modem port.
In 1986, John Mathieson and Martin Brennan began their own computer design company in England named Flare 1. There they created the blueprint for a potentially exiting new game processor. After completing the design they realized that they needed to bring the chip up to a higher level of performance to make an impact on the market. They approached the Atari Corp., who liked what it saw and decided to back development of a new game platform. After sending several engineers to the U.S., Flare 2 was launched which evolved into the Jaguar system.
In 1991 Atari announced that they were developing a new 16-bit processor game system called the Panther. However Atari's more technologically advanced co- project at Flare 2 was taking shape faster than expected. The Panther was abandoned and Atari focused its energies on the Jaguar. After an extensive three years of research, Mathieson and Brennan realized that their new system would be featuring more highly evolved technology than the just-released Super Nintendo (1991) and 32-bit Sega CD (1992).
There has been a debate over whether the Jaguar is truly a 64-bit system. There are five processors in the Jaguar. Only two of them are actual 64-bit components. One of the microchips the Jaguar uses is a 16-bit Motorolla 68000. However, according to designer John Mathieson, "where the system does not need to be 64-bit, it isn't." Mathieson contends that the Motorolla chip acts as the "manager" of the system. The actual heavy load of work is done by the 64-bit Object Processor which builds the display, and the 64-bit Blitter which controls the 3D rendering and pixel shuffling.
Though they were not involved with the system design, Atari curiously decided to contract IBM to assemble and distribute the Jaguar. The system was introduced to minor advertising support. Retail price was $200.
The Jaguar was critically well received upon its release. Game Informer magazine awarded the Jaguar as "Best new hardware System of 1993." Despite the fact that Atari was the first to break 64-bit console barrier, there were not many titles initially available through 1994. Eventually, in October, "Alien vs. Predator," a game overdue by seven months from its targeted release date, made a successful debut. In November and December Atari released a slate of additional software titles.
On August 24, 1995, Atari released a system compatible double-speed CD-ROM unit for the Jaguar. The drive plugs into the cartridge slot. The CD-ROM format is non-standard and usable only on the Jaguar console. The CDs are encrypted and copy-protected. The CD-ROM drive permits the play of full-motion video at 24 frames per second. Release price on the drive was $150 and came with 2 games: Blue Lightning and Vid Grid.
Jeff Minter, creator of the best-selling Jaguar version of TEMPEST 2000 added a unique feature to the Jaguar CD-ROM, he created the VIRTUAL LIGHT MACHINE. If a CD is inserted with the Virtual Light Machine activated, spectral waves of over 65,000 colors begin to flow in synchronization to the music across the television screen. It adds a new dimension to even the most well worn music. Users can even pre-program their own effects with a built in editor.
A modem was also made for the Jaguar. It was designed to be plugged into the system's rear Digital Signal Processing (DSP) port. The modem came with a headphone and microphone jack for use on a headset. Players can communicate with each other during a game. The only modem compatible game released was Ultra Vortex.
Sales of the Jaguar were significantly less than Atari had anticipated. The end for the system was in sight when, on September 9, 1995, Sony released the 32-bit Playstation CD-ROM-based console. It opened with several strong game titles and acclaim from consumers.
On July 31, 1995 the Atari Corp. merged with JTS Corp. a small hard disk manufacturer. Atari would now entirely focus on the PC game publishing market. On Dec. 23, 1996, JTS began liquidation of Atari Jaguar consoles and software finalizing the long-awaited end to the system.
Top CD-ROM games for the Jaguar are: Iron Soldier 2 and Hover Strike.
Top Jaguar cartridge games for the Jaguar include: Tempest 2000, Alien vs. Predator, Ultra Vortek, Rayman, and Worms.
Third party manufacturers include: Telegames (Worms), Ready Soft (Dragon's Lair), Williams (Double Dragon 5) and 21st Century (Pinball Fantasies). ~ Dave Beuscher, All Game Guide


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UGG Women's Bailey Button Boots
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Remus Uomo Spot Silk Mens Tie
Like all Remus Uomo clothing, this is a tie that's made for men who take their fashion seriously.
Constructed from an ultra-soft silk fabric, the rich spot pattern delivers a splash of colour to soften the tailored look.
Drawing attention to your sophisticated appearance, this is a tie that can take you from the boardroom to after-work drinks.
Useful info:
- Mens tie by Remus Uomo
- Silk fabric
- Spot pattern to front
Remus Uomo Wool Mens Jacket
The Remus Uomo philosophy reinforces the fluctuating world of fashion with the strong foundations of sharp formal tailoring. Understated sophistication is the brands forte, delivered only to men who take fashion seriously.
Regular length and in a slim fitting cut, this jacket is single breasted and features a three button fastening. Constructed from wool rich fabric blend, this blazer also includes a slim notch lapel with button hole, side vents, and three pockets presented in the traditional positions at the front.
Pair this suit jacket together with tapered jeans and use the classic shirt and pocket detail combination for attire that will turn heads. Add a heavy belt desert boots for unbeatable look.
Useful info:
- Mens suit jacket by Remus Uomo
- Slim fit
- Wool rich
- Single breasted
- 3 button fastening
- Slim notch lapel with button hole
- 3 pockets to front
- Side vents
- Inside pockets
- Buttoned cuffs
- Regular length


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from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- adj. Characterized by speed; rapid. See Synonyms at fast1.
- adj. Done or made too quickly to be accurate or wise; rash: a hasty decision. See Synonyms at impetuous.
- adj. Easily angered; irritable.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- adj. Acting in haste; being too hurried or quick. (e.g. Without much thinking about it they made a hasty decision to buy it.)
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- adj. Involving haste; done, made, etc., in haste.
- adj. Demanding haste or immediate action.
- adj. Moving or acting with haste or in a hurry; hurrying; hence, acting without deliberation; precipitate; rash; easily excited; eager.
- adj. Made or reached without deliberation or due caution
- adj. Proceeding from, or indicating, a quick temper.
- adj. Forward; early; first ripe.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Moving or acting with haste; quick; speedy: opposed to slow.
- Eager; precipitate; rash; inconsiderate; acting or arising from heedless impulse or passion: opposed to deliberate.
- Requiring haste or immediate action.
- Early ripe; forward; hasting.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adj. done with very great haste and without due deliberation
- adj. excessively quick
Old French hastif (Modern hâtif), from Frankish. (Wiktionary)


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Cartilage Mechanics and Tissue Engineering Laboratory
Lori A. Setton, Ph.D.
Lori Setton
Welcome to the Setton and Chen Laboratory
Research in the Laboratory is focused on understanding the mechanisms for degeneration and regeneration of soft tissues of the musculoskeletal system, including the intervertebral disc, articular cartilage, and meniscus.
Our research interests include:
Intervertebral Disc and Cartilage Tissue Engineering
Stem Cells for Regenerative Medicine
Drug Delivery
Cell and Extracellular Matrix Biomechanics
Animal Gait and Behavior in Models of Pain
News Brief
July 2013 - We are happy to announce two new publications: Aubrey Francisco published her article "
Injectible laminin-functionalized hydrogel for nucleus pulposus regeneration
" in Biomaterials, and Michael Sinclair published his article "
A genetically engineered thermally responsive sustained release curcumin depot to treat neuroinflammation
" in the Journal of Controlled Release! Congratulations to all of those involved!
June 2013 - Congratulations on the addition to Dr. Isaac Karikari's family: Kingston Karikari was born June 14th and is doing well!
June 2013 - Farewell to Dr. Yi-Te Chen who has returned to his clinical duties at Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital in Taipei.
May 2013 - We congratulate S. Michael Sinclair on graduating with his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering this weekend.
April 2013 - The laboratory welcomes Cooper Josiah Bowles, born to Rachel and Robby Bowles on April 30th! Weighing in at 5 lbs 1 oz, Cooper is doing great and already the new subject of his parents' photographic interests.
April 2013 - Tim Mwangi won this year's BEST POSTER AWARD in the Center for Cellular and Tissue Engineering Kewaunee Symposium. His poster, entitled, "Silk Near-Infrared Dye Particles For The Study Of Intra-articular Drug Delivery In Vivo" won in the Senior Student category. You make us proud, Tim!
April 2013 - Pricilla Hwang successfully presented her preliminary proposal and is on her way to the doctorate!
April 2013 - We had many presenters at this year's 2013 Osteoarthritis Research Society International Meeting in Philadelphia this month. David Tainter presented on the posterior tibial tendon in his collaboration with Dr. Adams, Michael Sinclair on his ELP-curcumin for attenuating neuroinflammation, Aubrey Francisco on her novel 3D hydrogels for injectable cell delivery, and Robby Bowles on his work with bioluminescence imaging of neuroinflammation in models of knee arthritis and sciatic nerve injury. It was a great meeting!
Copyright © 2013 Lori Setton
This website is best viewed with Chrome or Mozilla
Contact Us


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Hey guys, am I wrong to assume that the m15x or m17x will run on the Santa Rosa chip set? Same question on the Dell XPS m1730 also.
I was about to jump the gun for the Dell but saw AW annoucement on the m8800 card...glad I waited.
11/21/07 at 8:05pm


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(120 تعليقات من النزلاء)
تصنيف نزلاء Hotels.com
تصنيف المسافرين على موقع TripAdvisor
This was the first time I stayed in a Motel 6. It was awesome!!! I have never seen such a clean nice smelling hotel. Your room should cost ALOT more.... The service was outstanding too. Absolutely the best!!! I will be back again for sure. I am telling all my friends about it. I took pictures to show my friends. Thanks Motel 6. Your the greatest! I would highly recommend this hotel. It was right at the airport. No problems with planes either. EXCELLENT PRICES!!!!!!!!! بواسطة Scott McCarthy من Kernersville, NC بتاريخ 2013/11/26


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MLB to officially announce Mets as 2013 All-Star Game host | Story Highlights It was decided when the park opened that the Mets would get an ASG soonThe Mets last hosted an AllStar Game in 1964, the year Shea Stadium opened |
NEW YORK (AP) -- Major League Baseball is finally getting around to announcing the New York Mets will host the 2013 All-Star game at Citi Field.
MLB scheduled a news conference for Wednesday at City Hall with baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, Mets owner Fred Wilpon and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. A person familiar with the planning, speaking Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the purpose was not announced, said it was to make the All-Star announcement,
Baseball decided at least four years ago that the Mets would host the game at the ballpark, which opened in 2009, but held off an announcement until it reaching agreements with the city and agencies for All-Star services and related events, such as the FanFest.
The Mets last hosted the All-Stars in 1964, the year Shea Stadium opened. The game was last in New York in 2008, the final season of old Yankee Stadium.
Kansas City is host of this year's game, and the 2014 game is expected to be played at Minneapolis' Target Field.
Miami and Washington, D.C., appear to be the leading contenders for the two games that follow.
Because the league that wins the All-Star game gets home-field advantage for the World Series, approval of the players' association may be required for the NL to host in consecutive years.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Hi Pam, I have an otherwise healthy Red Devil that has come up with a Red Lump near his gill, I have enclosed a picture for you. I have done a fair bit of searching on your site & the internet & nothing really matches this lump. I suspect it may be a bruise if that is possible? It has only shown up in the last 24hrs, the fish is a lone dweller in a 3 foot tank, being upgraded to 4 foot now. please advise if you can, I am rather attached to him. He has no ther marks or spots,etc.
C:\Documents and Settings\Rodney\My Documents\Cash.jpg


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Hi Folks,
I have a dual boot system with Win XP on one partition and Vista 64 Ultimate on the second partition. Sometime recently, perhaps at the latest Windows Update on Vista, my nVidia Control Panel stopped working in Vista 64. I am using nVidia driver 185.85, the latest non-beta version available. I am using nVidia system tools 6.05, the latest set available. I have cleaned out my drivers with Driver Sweeper, and reloaded them with no change. I have loaded the drivers with all virus software shut down, with all unnecessary apps shut down. When I try to start up the nVidia control panel, whether in the Windows Control Panel or other shortcut, Vista tells me that "nVidia Control Panel has stopped working". I am getting the impression that the nVidia drivers are not running, since when I add them they are not defaulting to max resolution like they normally do. The system seems to be running on some default video driver instead.
CPU, GPU, MCP temperatures are nominal, no indications of problems there.
I would greatly appreciate some advice on how to trouble shoot this and get back to working properly.
My system specs are as follows:
OS Name Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Ultimate 64 bit
Version 6.0.6002 Service Pack 2 Build 6002
System Manufacturer XFX78I
System Model XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI
System Type x64-based PC
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz, 2400 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date Phoenix Technologies, LTD P08, 9/9/2008
SMBIOS Version 2.4
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.0.6002.18005"
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 8.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 8.00 GB
Available Physical Memory 6.12 GB
Total Virtual Memory 16.0 GB
Available Virtual Memory 14.3 GB
Page File Space 8.29 GB
GPU: XFX 8800 GT, no overclocking, only one GPU
When Vista tells me that nVidia Cont. Panel is not working it tells me the following info on the failure. I wish I knew how to interpret this.
Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: nvcplui.exe
Application Version: 2.5.373.5
Application Timestamp: 49fa83cf
Fault Module Name: NMI.dll
Fault Module Version: 22.214.171.12493
Fault Module Timestamp: 48c567bc
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 0000000000028c62
OS Version: 6.0.6002.2.2.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 6ee2
Additional Information 2: 9811633d2846e0fec22dbfdde637c6b1
Additional Information 3: ea72
Additional Information 4: 5df60106b0ab17add3a31e2c5c56805d
Thank you for your assistance.


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We are glad to inform you that our chat widget now supports the Thai language. Thanks to our user Thammarat who translated our language file to this beautiful language. If you would like to translate the chat widget to your … Continue reading
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From a 4 step wizard to a two fields form
Several months ago I've set off writing a registration process for our users to join our chat service. Being a developer, I've tried creating a process which simulates the flow of information in our underlying system (the database). Naturally, I've … Continue reading
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Designing chat – Public Beta
We have finished all the "musts" for our pre-public beta. Home page: http://www.rumbletalk.com We had wonderful and hectic period to try and finalize all the requests/remarks & bugs you placed on our plate during the private beta. We know we have much … Continue reading
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The First Skinnable Chat – RumbleTalk.
One of the reasons WordPress blogs are so popular is that it's easy to find a plethora of various themes and templates that will fit any type of blog. People like to have a lot of options when it comes to making their sites look the way they want them to, but they don't want too much hassle in setting them up or maintaining them. Continue reading
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Private Beta Status
We started Rumbletalk private beta with 220 users. We would like to thank you all for your great responses and valuable input. Huge thank you for Marc from www.Betali.st that let companies like us present their products in an early stage (RumbleTalk post … Continue reading
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On March 15, 2010, the California Supreme Court released its unanimous decision in Communities for a Better Environment v. South Coast Air Quality Management District, ___Cal. 4th ____ (Case No. S161190) (CBE) and set forth important requirements for the preparation of environmental impact reports (EIRs) and negative declarations under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Court held that these CEQA environmental documents must use a "baseline" of "existing physical conditions" to analyze and measure environmental impacts from a proposed project, and cannot use a "baseline of maximum permitted capacity." Because the wrong "baseline" was used, the Court overturned the permit issued by the public agency and required that an EIR be prepared.
CEQA documents such as EIRs or negative declarations are used by public agencies in California to evaluate potential environmental impacts of proposed development projects, such as new or modified industrial, commercial or residential projects. Anyone preparing a CEQA environmental document for a new project should ensure that the analysis used to predict impacts of the proposed project uses the baseline of existing physical conditions as required by the Court in the CBE case, and does not measure the project's impacts by comparing it to some other measuring stick, such as the existing maximum permitted levels of air emissions, traffic, water usage, electricity usage or other impacts. (Though other baselines might be used where the project is a modification to a previously approved or existing facility.) In the CBE case, failure to use this baseline, in the Court's view, led the public agency to understate potential environmental impacts. However, in some other cases, using the "existing physical conditions baseline" might be beneficial to project proponents in preventing the exaggeration of the project's environmental impacts or in using actual operations as a baseline even where such operations arguably exceeded existing permit conditions or project approvals.
The Court's CBE decision leaves open a number of issues, including the possibility that an EIR or negative declaration could use a baseline based on an average of past physical conditions over a period of time. The Court also noted that "project effects might reasonably be compared to predicted conditions at the expected date of approval, rather than to conditions at the time analysis has begun."1
Finally, the CBE decision underscores the importance of ensuring that plans to modify existing facilities or projects are treated as modifications of a previously approved project, rather than as a wholly new project. The CBE decision supports the use of the "previously approved project impacts," and not the "existing physical environment" as a baseline for measuring impacts where the agency is considering a modification to an approved project which may have already undergone CEQA review.
Though the CBE decision involved only California law under CEQA, it is important to note that federal courts have reached somewhat analogous results in addressing the "baseline" issue for environmental documents prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA"). For example, in American Rivers et. al. v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 201 F.3d 1186 (1999), the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the agency's use of the existing environment (which included the existing project) as the baseline for environmental analysis under NEPA and other federal statutes. 2
Background of the Case
The CBE case was a challenge by environmental and construction union groups against the approval of a permit by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) to modify the ConocoPhillips refinery in Wilmington, an area of the City of Los Angeles, to allow the refinery to produce ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel. 3 The SCAQMD estimated that the new project would increase nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by an additional 237 to 456 pounds per day. The SCAQMD prepared a negative declaration for the project, instead of an EIR, finding that the project could not have a significant effect on the environment. While the increased operation of steam generation equipment at the refinery would cause additional NOx emissions, the SCAQMD concluded that there would be no increases above previously permitted levels of NOx emissions allowed in the refinery's air pollution permits.
The California Supreme Court's Decision in CBE
The California Supreme Court rejected SCAQMD's use of a previously permitted level of NOx emission as the measuring stick, or "baseline," for determining whether the project would cause an increase in emissions. It held that the agency should have looked to the existing physical conditions, rather than to the maximum permitted operation of the boilers. The Court described the required baseline for measurement as "existing physical conditions in the affected area" or "real conditions on the ground" rather than "the level of development or activity that could or should have been present" according to a plan or regulation.4
Because the project would have an increase in air pollution emissions when measured against the correct baseline (and this increase was above SCAQMD established standards for significant adverse NOx impacts), SCAQMD's approval of a negative declaration and permits for the ConocoPhillips refinery project was overturned. The Court rejected the argument that there was no increase in air pollution emissions because the applicant held an existing permit which allowed it to produce maximum emissions above the level of the proposed project.
The Court noted that an "approach using hypothetical allowable conditions as the baseline results in 'illusory' comparisons that 'can only mislead the public as to the reality of the impacts and subvert full consideration of the actual environmental impacts,' a result at direct odds with CEQA's intent."5
The Court did not accept the claim that the refinery had a "vested right" to the level of emissions allowed in its air pollution control permits for purposes of environmental analysis under CEQA. The Court noted that even if ConocoPhillips had vested rights that prevented the imposition of conditions restricting refinery operations, CEQA would "still demand an analysis of the project's true effects."6 Vested rights might provide a reason not to impose a mitigation measure, but would not be an excuse to avoid CEQA analysis using the existing physical conditions baseline as the basis for measurement of environmental impacts. The Court also rejected the argument that CEQA's statute of limitations barred the lawsuit against the refinery modification permits. The Court held that the failure to challenge the District's much earlier decision to issue boiler permits to the refinery did not prevent plaintiffs from making the baseline argument against the permits for construction of the modifications to the refinery.
The CBE decision does approve of certain flexible approaches to defining the existing physical baseline. The Court noted that the date for establishing baseline conditions cannot be a rigid one, because environmental conditions could vary from year to year. As a result, it might be necessary for a CEQA environmental document to consider conditions over a range of time periods, including "peak impacts" or "recurring conditions of resource scarcity."7 The Court also noted that an agency may seek to estimate predicted conditions at the expected date of project approval, rather than simply use conditions at the time analysis begins. Additionally, the California Supreme Court held that the refinery permit under the SCAQMD's Regional Clean Air Incentives Market ("RECLAIM") program was "irrelevant to the baseline for NOx emissions from the refinery" before the Court, because the SCAQMD did not rely upon the RECLAIM permit in its decision. As a result, the California Supreme Court did not adopt the Court of Appeal's ruling on this issue. 8
Finally, the Court made clear that its decision did not apply to Supplemental or Subsequent EIRs, or other environmental documents which are prepared for "modification of a previously analyzed project" or to projects which involve the continued operation of an existing facility without a significant expansion of use. 9 The Court noted that the ConocoPhillips project was handled as a wholly new project by the SCAQMD, rather than as an existing facility or as a modification of a previously analyzed project. 10
Interestingly, while not addressed in the Court's opinion, the CBE case may provide support for the position that the impacts of an existing facility or project must be included in the existing environment baseline, and lead courts to reject the argument from project opponents that a "pre-development" or "environment minus existing project" must be used to assess the impacts of a new or modified project. In the NEPA case of American Rivers et. al. v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 187 F.3d 1007 (1999), opponents of a dam relicensing project argued that the baseline for analysis in an Environmental Impact Statement under NEPA should be the environment before the construction of the dam, not the current physical environment which included the dam.
Also not addressed in the CBE decision is the question of how the "No Project" alternative should be defined, analyzed, and compared to the proposed project in EIRs under CEQA. CEQA Guideline Section 15126.6 contains an extensive discussion regarding the definition of no project alternatives, and indicates that in an appropriate case the no project alternative might include a previously permitted expansion of operations, which would allow the agency to consider how the proposed project differs from future conditions where there may be an expansion of operations under existing permits.
Guidance for Project Proponents for CEQA and NEPA Compliance
The CBE case establishes the bright line rule that any negative declaration or environmental impact report prepared for a new project in California must use the existing physical baseline as the basis for predicting project impacts, and cannot use hypothetical maximum levels in previously approved permits or development plans as the basis for measuring project impacts. However, the opinion leaves open a number of important questions that must be resolved in future cases. For example, development plans which are classified as modifications to previously analyzed projects should be able to use the previously approved project as the baseline, rather than the existing physical baseline, but the precise rules for such an approach are still unclear. The CBE decision also leaves open to public agencies substantial discretion as the standards to use to accurately measure and characterize past levels of emission or operation of facilities, rather than using only one measurement of past levels of operation. The Court made clear that a public agency "enjoys the discretion" to determine how to "most realistically" measure existing physical conditions subject to a substantial evidence standard. 11
Additionally, project proponents should note the Court's acknowledgement that an applicant's vested rights might constitute a valid reason to forgo particular mitigation measures under CEQA.12 Finally, landowners must be wary of shutting down or reducing operations in anticipation of a new project at their location or facility. It might be argued that such reduced operations should reduce the allowable baseline for measuring environmental impacts from the new project, even though the Court stated in its opinion that "a temporary lull" in operations should not "depress or elevate the baseline..."13


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Heart Smart Trails
The Heart Smart Trail program is intended to encourage people to take the first step toward a healthier lifestyle. Walking can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, improve blood pressure control, decrease the risk for type 2 diabetes, breast and colon cancer and help control weight. Heart Smart Trails are generally 1-mile in length or less and follow a hard surface, level path. Bronze medallions are embedded in the path every 1/10 of a mile so walkers can keep track of the distance they have traveled.Go ahead…take your first step toward a healthier life!
Our Heart Smart trails await you.
Located at Wheaton Regional Park the trail follows a popular pathway around this 50-acre public display garden that is open year-round, sunrise to sunset. The trail begins at the rear of the Visitors Center. Use the "Walking Log" to record the date, distance you've traveled and the time it took.
Brookside Gardens Heart Smart Trail Map (pdf)
Check other Montgomery Parks' Heart Smart Trails.


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Castles In The Sky Chapter 10
By Ashbear
*Well since last time I wrote: I won the lottery, bought Squaresoft, and then lost them in a tragic corporate takeover. Alas, they are no longer mine so dont sue.*
Rinoa could sense the uneasiness in the air, feeling the need to attempt
to clarify, "I
um... didnt mean
bad memories like that. Please
don't take it wrong. Just, you know, before I lost my sight and all.
I wouldnt have any use, I'd just be another burden placed upon you.
In addition, I couldnt stay at Garden and not work. Really, not
much I could do around there."
Quistis wasnt sure how to take Rins comment; but as far as her working, she had an idea. "Rinoa you could always teach. Garden would love to have an instructor in Magical History. Nobody could teach the history of sorceresses as well as... a sorceress."
"Thanks, but I cant. My life is here in Galbadia now. I dont exactly know what the future has in store for me; I just know it has to be here."
"Away from you Squall," Rinoa added mentally.
Squall listened to the conversation for the last few minutes, without saying a word.
"What can I say? Please come back because I still love you." Maybe, it might be worth a try; but he had just promised to be friends. Plus, the simple fact that he had never told her in the first place also weighed heavily on his mind. Getting her to trust again would take a while. Getting her to love him again may take a lifetime. Maybe by giving Rinoa space and still keeping in contact just might make her realize his feelings were genuine.
Squall closed his eyes, feeling as alone, and confused, as ever.
Finally, he spoke up, "Rinoa were going to be leaving for Garden tomorrow. The train leaves at eight in the morning. Please if you change your mind, I... we would love to have come home with us."
Rinoa thought for a moment that the word 'home' seemed to have a completely different meaning these days. "I wont change my mind Squall, but Id be glad to see my best friends off. Well not see, but I could at least wave to you," she said trying to act cheerfully.
"Great," Irvine replied," Until tomorrow madam." He walked over, grabbed her hand to his lips, and gently kissed it.
Rinoa smiled holding Irvines masculine hand. She then got up on her tiptoes and raised her head towards him. She gave him a small kiss on the cheek, "See Squall, just like old times." Everybody laughed remembering the story that Irvine had told them earlier. This time Squall didnt get mad, he had a genuine smile on his face.
After her friends headed back to the hotel, Rinoa went upstairs to change out of her wet dress. She dried her hair and changed into a T-shirt and shorts. Walking over to her bed, she recalled the comment Rob made about the photograph of Squall. Pictures on the wall seemed so irrelevant now, she never thought about such things; but she immediately remembered where that particular picture was hanging. Rinoa went around the side of her bed and felt her hands over the smooth textured walls. She then felt the corkboard and took off the picture in the upper left-hand corner. It was strange, she never had too many pictures of Squall; he simply wasnt the picture type.
Lying down on her back, she had returned to the bed. With her sensitivity of her fingers, she could feel the glossy finish of the picture. In her mind, she could see it, plain as anything that ever stood before her. It had been taken six weeks after the defeat of Ultimecia. A party was held for the world heroes at the Estharian Presidential Palace. The picture had been of just the two of them, thanks to Selphie and her quick timing with a camera. Squall had been in his formal dress uniform, just as he had been tonight. Rinoa was in a short black sequin dress. She had been smiling in her usual happy fashion. Squalls lips were slightly parted, but he held his usual non-emotional face.
That was just fine with her.
She did love to see Squall smile, though it had only happened a handful of times. The expression he wore in the picture is how she'd always remember him, much like the first time they met. Rinoa kept a few more photographs of them together. After returning to Deling, she had stored them in the attic, along with all the other pictures from her childhood memories of the past. This one was kept up to remind her of trusting someone too much. She told herself, at the time, it was a reminder of why not to fall in love again... Now she admitted to herself, it was up because she still loved him. Rinoa didnt want to let go of him completely.
There was an unsure knock at the door, yet she was sure who it was. Quickly she tossed the picture under a pillow. The last thing she needed right now was for him to find out that she still "Still what?" she whispered to the heavy air. "Come in Squall."
"How did you know it was me?" he answered opening the door.
"I'm blind, not stupid. The maid taps three times; Rob has the same knock as Zell 'let me in here now', and Caraway doesn't knock so that leaves you and your 'I better knock, but don't want to sound like I'm over doing it but need to make it a manly sounding knock.' Trust me, you failed." He looked at her slightly mystified, before once again stepping outside and shutting the door.
This time, he knocked with more self-assurance, before opening the door.
"That was better you only sounded slightly pathetic then."
"Rinoa what are you doing?"
"Sitting here in my room and you?"
He ran a hand through his still dampened hair. "You weren't coming to the station to say goodbye tomorrow, were you?"
Rinoa's spirits fell, no matter how hard she tried to raise them. "Squall you just don't understand. It's not that simple. Life isn't that simple. Goodbye's aren't that simple."
"What Rinoa? What don't I understand please explain it to me, so I can try. God, I want to try!"
Standing from her bed, she walked over to him guiding him into her room. She gestured to the bed; he immediately sat down on the edge. Watching her, as she closed the shades and curtains.
"Plants," she mumbled. "If you wondering why I even open them the plants need light. And that is your biology lesson for the day now for your reality lesson." She moved in front of him, looking down into the darkness. "Squall, trust me. Close your eyes." He listened, to her every word, every breath. He was surprised that even he could tell her rhythmic breathing pattern had changed. "Now answer me truthfully Squall please." The room was a total void of darkness. The light was switched off, the stormy skies allowed no moonlight to break the material barrier of the curtains, and not one speck of the hallway light streamed under the heavy door.
"When you open your eyes what do you see?" Squall followed her exercise, not sure of what she was expecting from him.
"Darkness?" It wasn't supposed to sound like a question. She just imagined some more elaborated answer. But, the simplicity caught her off guard.
"Why? What am I supposed to see? What do you see?"
"An empty slate, a new beginning, dreams that have yet to come. My life."
"Rinoa Im sorry, I just don't see that."
"Of course not Squall, you only see the darkness. Because it's what's real. But I see that every minute I only learned to see other things on faith and hope. Now when I open my eyes I see the future."
He thought for a moment. Closing his eyes once more, just as he allowed himself a second attempt with the knock. This time, it was symbolic more than necessary. He reached one of his hands out, accidentally landing a little too close to her chest. She froze, but was glad when he continued upward to her face. Slowly he traced his fingers up the nape of her neck, and over to her jaw line. She had done the same thing early at the reception, but now it was his turn. In the dark, he felt her felt every bump, every imperfection of her skin, every tight muscle in her neck.
"Squall, what are you doing?"
"Ask me again "
"Ask you what? What you see when you open your eyes?" she hesitated.
"Yes He rose to his feet, never repositioning his hands. "Rinoa, I see you."
"When I close my eyes, now or any time. I only see one thing you."
This wasnt the right answer. Well okay, it was but that wasn't the point. He was only supposed to see the nothingness not make some figurative stand for the first time in his life. He must have sensed her hesitation, her uneasiness.
"Rinoa Please come back."
It was a statement with many implications. The tenderness, the evening, everything leading up to this one moment. His voice was haunting, everything about him was. Maybe he had changed, maybe this time it could be different. His breath was intoxicating; she tried to fight the feelings, the passion. She leaned forward, as he moved a pace closer to her. His hands, still caressing her face, her hands gradually moved up returning the gesture. His damp locks, his jaw everything was so perfect.
"Rinoa, may I come in a moment?" The voice was immediately recognized as her father. Both jumped away, acting as caught in the direst of situations, as a light flipped on.
"Damn you for not ever knocking Caraway!" The commander wanted to shout at the older man.
"Did I catch you at a bad time?" Rinoa pushed Squall away from her, with a surprising amount of force.
"No, it was a perfect time. Squall was just leaving. Right, Squall?"
"Yes, I guess so," he spat as he started walking out. Her mood again altered the moment her father appeared. She went right back into the defensive, bitter mode. Turning before reaching the exit way, he called back, "Goodbye Rinoa."
"Squall, I'll be there tomorrow we will say goodbye then."
Closing the door, he rested his head against the frame. Somehow, deep inside knew she wouldn't come to say farewell; it would be too hard. Hell, it was hard for him, it always was. Losing someone never gets easier.
He mouthed the hurtful word once again. "Goodbye."
Caraway was at a loss for words, never had he expected to walk in on his daughter and a man. "Guess I should try knocking once and a while."
"You think?"
"Yes, there is that temperament we all love so much."
"Look it's been a hard day. Is there any particular reason you are here?"
He noticed a small glossy corner from under the shadows of the pillow. He flipped on the light nearest her bed, and picked up the picture. His focus turned naturally to his daughter, how happy she looked in the photo, how carefree she used to be. He wasn't good at these relationship issues, hell he never was. "Rinoa, I know your friends are leaving tomorrow. I heard them asking you tonight to return to Balamb." He looked once more at the picture in his hands, before setting back on the end table. "As much as I cant believe this is coming out of my mouth, I think you should go with them."
"I cant!" her reaction a mixture of anger and confusion. "Its too hard. I will not be hurt again."
"Hurt? Theyre your friends, Im sure none of them would intentionally hurt you." General Caraway traced the outline of the photo with his finger. "Rin, Im going to tell you something I never told anybody. Not even your mother."
He definitely got Rinoas attention with that statement. She moved back to the bed, and pulled her knees up to her chest. Caraway walked across the room and sat next to his daughter.
"When I first joined the military many years ago, all I thought about was advancing in the ranks. Three years into my career, I was assigned to Dollet, stationed there for several years. I met someone very special there; first person I ever truly loved. Wed have a lot of fun together; spent an entire summer going to the beach. Eventually, I had to make a choice between my military career and her. I should have chosen the latter. But not I not someone whose parents expected nothing less than perfection from them."
"I sent her a letter; didnt even have enough guts to goodbye in person. Never look back; that was my motto. I couldve gone back to her, even a couple years later. I still loved her Finally time marched on, she found someone else. I met your mother a year later and we decided to get married. Rinoa, don't ever get me wrong, I did care about your mother and yes, even grew to love her. However, when we made the decision to marry it was more of a career opportunity for us both. I did love Julia... in time. The fact was we were never meant to be soul mates. I do believe in true love. I had it once; so did your mother. Our careers, our stubbornness got in the way for both of us. I just dont want to see you married to one of these society snobs around here just because its convenient."
Rinoa sat listening intently to her father. This was the first time she had heard him talk as an adult to her. Moreover, about anything personal. She slid nearer to him and in the first time she could remember, Rinoa gave her father a hug. "I love you."
He too was returning the hug and couldnt believe how much he had missed her. That is, if he ever had her to lose. May be she would be going away again, but this time, he couldn't be happier. "I love you too, Rin." Breaking the hug, Caraway remained holding her arm. "He might have made mistakes. We all do; but he came back to fight for you, that means something."
The train station was crowded. Weekdays were always busy, especially in the heart of the business district, men with briefcases, women with cell phones, and everyone in a hurry. One would be lucky just to find a place to sit with a cup of coffee. The train to Balamb would be leaving in a few minutes and the group remained on the platform, each trying to spot Rinoa through the overwhelming crowd.
"Shell be here Squall," Irvine tried to comfort his friend. "You know Rin, probably had to make sure her hair was perfect before shed show her face in public." Squall continued to stare out into the mass of people, in an unfounded hope she would have the courage to show.
"Maybe it was just too hard for her," explained Selphie trying to remain bouncy. "Saying goodbye isnt easy. For Rinoa, maybe goodbye was too hard to face right now."
"Ill be expecting a note in the mail," snapped Squall. "I thought she would change after damn it, it's been a year."
"Squall," Quistis chimed in, "Rinoa is our friend. She just went through something very difficult last night. Be patient, have faith in her; she won't let you leave without saying goodbye." She noticed a slight eye roll from Squall, another show of emotion usually foreign to the commander.
Zell was the first to notice a figure running through the crowd. "Hey guys, isnt that Robert running this way?"
The dark haired man was trying to make it through the passengers arriving from the last train. He ending up doing a little more pushing and shoving then expected, but finally make it to the anxious group. "Im so glad I made it to the platform in time," Robert huffed out-of-breath. "Rinoa couldnt make it this morning. I wanted to come down here and thank everyone personally. Rins never done well with goodbyes."
Squall just shook his head and turned around to the train. "Whatever." He started walking toward the train. Part of him wanted to get on and leave this city behind and everyone in it. Still, he wanted to know that she would be okay, no matter how angry he was at the moment. Rinoa was all that was important.
As an after thought, the commanding SeeD turned back to Robert. "Please take care of her. Rinoa is still one of my friends and no matter what, will always be. Dont let anyone hurt her." Robert acknowledged Squalls request with a slight nod. The Commander couldnt be around the others anymore. "Last night meant nothing to you. I was right. Why now? Why again? Your mind games are so tiring. If this is how you want it, Rinoa Heartilly, so be it. Goodbye and good riddance."
The others said goodbye to Robert and wished him well, save for Quistis. They left the two as they talked quietly among the noisy station. Finally, the instructor boarded the train meeting up with Squall. All stood outside the SeeD luxury cabin, waving to Robert as the train pulled off.
"Open up the door, Squall," cried Selphie.
"Hurry man, before she makes us sing a stirring rendition of Train, Train, Take Us Away," exclaimed Zell.
Squall searched his jacket pocket for the key. Damn must have left it at the hotel. "Can this morning get any worse?"
There was a very audible scream echoing through the car. "Hurry Squall I gotta pee very badly. I don't think that those last five cups of coffee agreed with me."
"So you wouldn't want me to do this, would you?" Squall heard the sound of Irvine's fist making contact with Zell's bladder.
"Squall hurry!"
"It was a rhetorical question," Squall angrily shot back to himself. Now they would be forced to sit on the floor of this uncomfortable car for the trip back to Balamb, seven hours on the floor, what a fucking day. Babysitting Zell and Irvine "I cant find it guys, sorry."
Quistis spoke up swiftly, "Here, I carry a spare. I can get us in the SeeD compartment."
Well at least that wouldnt be quite as bad. "How come I never knew Quistis carried a spare? And why did she never bother to unlock the car?" So many times, she could have saved him from Selphies down-right-scary happiness. "Great, how will explain to Cid that I lost a SeeD train card key?" It wasnt like him to misplace things, especially something that important. As they entered the hall to the SeeD compartment, Quistis grabbed Squalls arm and walked him forward to the door.
"Technically Squall," explained Quistis, "since you are the highest ranking SeeD here, you need to open the door. It would be against regulations for a superior not in command, to open said door. The SeeD manual strictly prohibits me from doing so with my pass code, unless you are incapacitated and/or found mentally incapable. Now, if we werent on Garden property, or the train car, I wouldnt care. But, I certainly do not need to have my SeeD ranking go down because I opened the door."
"Shit man," interjected Zell, "I need a copy of that damn book right now! Its not possible to actually be a negative ranking SeeD, is it?"
Quistis just shot Zell a look, one of those 'shut up Mr. Know-it-all things' that Zell had grown quite accustom to over the last couple of years. Squall grabbed the stupid key out of Quistis hands.
"This is fuc stupid " low mutters were heard. Nobody dared asked for clarification. He slid the card in the slot and put in his code. "Happy now, Instructor Uptight?" he spat back at her. "Did I slide the card per regulation, or should I refer to the manual under the heading 'who the hell cares'? Whatever to this shi..." He heard the lock click on the door and furiously pushed it open.
"Yep, same old damn room, same old damn couch, same old damn Angelo Angelo?!"
The dog looked at the commander; head slightly tilted and ears standing up on end. Angelo seemed to have some sort of recollection of him, jumped down, and sauntered over. Squall just stared as the dog grew closer, not exactly sure what to think. Lost in a time, when this was very commonplace.
"Angelo's still a little tired," a soft voice said. "Just came in by train from Dollet, it was a very long night for both of us."
Squall quickly snapped his head around to the voice. "Rinoa?" he exclaimed letting his emotion get the best of him. She sat over on the bed wearing Jean shorts and red T-shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a long ponytail; much like when he first went to her house a few days ago. "What what are you? How did you? Garden?"
"Easy for you to say," retorted Quistis. "But I guess its a step of from the classic 'whatever.' Oh by the way, here is your key card back. You accidentally lost it when you fell asleep last night. Moreover, I do not have now, or never, had a keycard to this cabin. Don't you think that I would have loved to avoid a few rounds of the train song too?" She looked to Selphie who was smiling brightly. "No offence, Selph."
"None taken," she replied to the blonde.
Rinoa sat on the lower twin bed as Angelo jumped up lying protectively next to her. "To answer your questions Squall, or what I could make of them. Im going with you. Quistis. And yes." She giggled for a second, "Guys, please why dont you sit down? The train is moving. Its pretty obvious, even to me, Im not getting off."
Quistis, Zell, and Irvine walked over to the couch and sat down, while Selphie felt just as comfortable plopping herself down on the floor by Irvines legs. Squall stood for a moment, not knowing where to sit. Quistis just gave him the instructor/sister look, and nodding obviously next to the dark haired girl. Taking the clue, he walked over to the bed and sat next to Rinoa.
Tapping her knee once, Angelo jumped down from the bed, lying next to her feet. Squall couldnt believe how much he had even missed that stupid mutt. He really wasnt a dog person; but Angelo was such a part of Rinoa he couldnt help but care for the darn dog. Now he couldnt even resist trying to pet Angelo, but surprisingly the dog growled.
Rinoa looked down at her furry companion, "Angelo, okay. Sorry Squall, Angelo thinks she is working. When shes used as a guide dog, her only job is to protect me. I just have to give her the command to know its fine to relax. Try again, please Squall."
Eyeing the dog curiously for a moment, Squall reached down and gave her a tiny scratch between the ears. Enjoying the newfound attention, Angelo rolled over so she could get an all over belly-rub. "See, Angelo still loves... likes you too Squall. She just needed to be told shes off duty. Kind of like you, Commander Leonhart."
"So you're implying that I need to be told when Im off duty?" Squall inquired.
"Well, you certainly used to Squall. Separating work from your private life was never your strong suite."
Squall looked over at her, there was hurt in her eyes. Even he could see that. Maybe he hadn't been there, maybe he just didn't know how. However, he swore this time would be different "So Rinoa, if Im off duty, can I roll over on my back and you give me a belly-rub too?"
"Squall!" Rinoa yelled in shock. She still managed to elbow him in the stomach, with perfect aim.
Irvine piped up, "He stole my line, really, and I was going to say that!"
Everyone was in the compartment was now laughing. It was so uncharacteristic for Squall to make such a comment. They knew he would only ever say that to Rinoa. Not for the fact that he didn't have a sardonic humor, which was evident only once in a great while, but because in fact, it was true. Yet, nobody in the room was going to mention that.
"I got Angelo back last night from Dollet," continued Rinoa, "the trainers will be at Garden next week to work with us more. I received a crash course last night, or was it early this morning? Everything has been this big blur I guess I have no clue."
"It was this morning Rin," Quistis interrupted, "about five this morning when I picked you up to meet Angelo."
Selphie looked suspiciously at Quistis, "So you brought her here? You knew that whole time we were out on the platform searching for her?"
"Um well er, "Quistis just tried to smile. "Well yeah, I received a phone call from Rinoa last night around ten oclock, said she changed her mind about coming. She made me swear not to tell anyone. So, I kept my promise and didnt say a darn word. Actually, it surprised me when Robert showed up this morning. What you guys didnt see was he passed me the key. During the confusion this morning, I had left it in the train car. He waited until the last moment to give it back."
Zell scratched his head, "Okay now wait. Let me see if I got this right, Squall didnt really have to open the cabin door. You just wanted him to be the one to see Rinoa first. So, you really werent issued a keycard either; you just had Squalls?"
"Yes," stated Quistis. "I was supposed to put it back in his jacket before he noticed; only I didnt get a chance. So I made up some ridiculous story about superiors opening doors, I guess Squall was mad enough he didnt even question the fake rule."
"I wasnt mad." Squall said matter-of-factly.
"Oh really Mr. Whatever," exclaimed Selphie, "I think you exact words were Ill expect a letter in the mail. Trust me; you werent a very happy camper, Commander."


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Walk-in advising hours are as follows: Dr. Hess (UG) T/Th from 12:30-1:30 and Dr. Rahman (GR) M/W from 11:00-12:00.
ME is excited to welcome Instructor John Dixon to the Department starting Fall 2013!
Dr. Kaw received the 2013 Kosove Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching and Service Award. This award is for faculty at USF whose careers have brought them national distinction.
Benjamin Matlack, Mason Chilmonczyk, and Dane Bardroff receive USF Excellence in Undergraduate Research Awards.
Dr. Kaw offers a Facebook group only for USF Engineering students where they can post used textbooks they are trying to sell or buy.
Dr. Guldiken receives 2012 Engineer of the Year Award from ASME!
2012 U.S. Professor of the Year doctoral award winner Autar Kaw, of the University of South Florida, accepts his award.
COE Professors Recognized at USF Honors & Awards Ceremony
Jet Car Racing Engineer
Autar Kaw Featured on Fox 13
Students Race Robots in the Classroom
Sinatra Plays Part in NASA Mission
The Student Society of Automotive Engineers (USF Racing) designs, builds, and races Formula SAE cars.


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Santa Barbara, CA
An elegant bed and breakfast boutique Inn located downtown Santa Barbara
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Quiet and intimate, the Eagle Inn is a fine example of Spanish-Colonial architecture, a style typ...
1 Block to the Beach! Add 3rd night half price! or Stay 3 nights -get 4th Free!
Santa Ynez, CA
A perfect couple's getaway in Santa Barbara Wine Country. You'll Arrive as Guests. Leave as Friends.
Featuring a premium location the charming inn is delightfully appointed to suit different tastes.
Pay four nights at regular price for the Summertime Suite and receive the next three nights at no cost. A 43% discount.* * Not combinable with other promotional offers. Rates are for double occupancy. A third person is $30.00/night extra. This promotional offer is also valid for the the Hideaway, and Bordeaux Suite as well. Offer must be mentioned as seen on "BedandBreakfast.com Hot Deals" at the time the reservation is being made. Valid for all new reservations made for stays through from January 03 through June 30 and from November 01 through December 23. Please contact the inn directly at +1-805-966-0589 to redeem this deal.
The Bath Street Inn, located close to the heart of old Santa Barbara, offers the traditional warm...
The Villa Rosa Inn of Santa Barbara has a unique environment and the intimacy of a small inn.
The Secret Garden is one of Santa Barbara's oldest inns, formerly called the Blue Quail. The inn...
Solvang, CA
Mirabelle Inn & Restaurant .
Escape to the beautiful, green Santa Ynez Valley and enjoy the spectacular scenery and world class wineries. Valid Monday through Thursday, subject to availability, room choice at innkeeper's discretion, includes breakfast and afternoon wine hour. Not valid with other discounts/offers, special event dates or Sundays before holidays. 10% off spa services. Please contact the inn directly at +1-800-786-7925 to redeem this deal.
A unique Mediterranean-style family inn with lush gardens year round, located 1/2 block from the ...
Along a sweep of California coastline reminiscent of the Côte d'Azur, guests can relax amid the...
Nestled among lush gardens beneath the swaying palms, the Inn by the Harbor is an enchanting Sant...
Solvang , CA
Los Alamos, CA
Visit beautiful Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country and decked out Solvang midweek during the Holiday season when there are no crowds and you can feel as if you were on holiday in a quaint European village. Standard rooms are 20% off, depending on availability! Relax after a day of shopping and wine tasting with a rejuvenating massage @ 10% off. Discounts on suites and rooms with hot tubs may be available, call the innkeeper at 800 344-9792. Rate is for maximum of 2 guests, includes light breakfast. Not available with other discounts or promotions. Please contact the inn directly at +1-800-344-9792 to redeem this deal.
BedandBreakfast.com gift cards are the perfect gift for anyone who needs a relaxing getaway.
An exclusive group of professionally inspected and guest-reviewed luxury inns with extensive modern amenities.
Simple! BedandBreakfast.com guarantees you're getting the best price on your bed and breakfast stay when you book your room on BedandBreakfast.com. Within 24 hours of your booking, if you find a better price for the same room on the same date(s) at the same B&B, BedandBreakfast.com will refund the difference to you!
The Best Price Guarantee covers any Bed and Breakfast booked online through BedandBreafkast.com. The Bed and Breakfast must be booked using the Book It button on BedandBreakfast.com in order to qualify.
Just call 1-800-GO-B-AND-B (1-800-462-2632) within 24 hours of booking and give our customer support representative the details on the lower price you found.
The BedandBreakfast.com Best Price Guarantee ensures that when you book and pay for your reservation online through the BedandBreafkast.com website, you are booking your room at the lowest available price. If you find a lower price for the same room on the same dates at the same B&B, and contact us within 24 hour of making your booking, we will refund the difference in price to you. This guarantee does not apply to bookings made over holidays and/or for special events. All requests are subject to verification by BedandBreakfast.com. BedandBreafkast.com will not accept screenshots or other purported evidence of a lower price that cannot be independently confirmed by BedandBreakfast.com personnel. Nor will BedandBreakfast.com verify any requests that it believes, in its sole discretion, is the result of a printing or other error or is made fraudulently or in bad faith.
Reviews: 68
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$265 - $285
Reviews: 94
"We've had the pleasure of staying at the Creekside Bed & Breakfast a couple times now, and we truly can't say enough about it. From the super-comfy beds to the gourmet breakfasts that Lynne & Dave Teckman deliver to the room every morning, to the cleanliness and attention to detail throughout the room, everything is perfect. We also love that it's very dog friendly... our dog loves to curl up by the fire while we enjoy their delicious Per Cazo wine :) Creekside B&B is definitely our favorite place to stay in Paso."
Submitted 11/27/2013
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Welcome! RockSports invites you to browse through our online catalog for screen printing and embroidery. RockSports would like to be your one-stop-shop for all apparel products.
Click a swatch below to change colors.
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Early Childhood Education—Ed.S.
Understandings and skills necessary for teaching children P-5 are the focus of this program. The program of 27 hours is based on a student's background. This program will include 3 hours of Students as Learners, 6 hours of Societal Issues, 6 hours of Classroom Issues, 9 hours of Research and Inquiry, and 3 hours of electives. Admission to the program requires a level 5 clear, professional certificate in Early Childhood Education based on an earned Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education. Any other master's degree with level 5 teacher certification must meet the content specialization requirement in the Early Childhood Education master's degree program in order to be admitted into the Ed.S. program. In addition to the requirements for regular admission, the following requirement applies for applicants to the Ed.S. degree in Early Childhood Education:
- Applicants must have a minimum overall 3.0 GPA.


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December 11, 2013
Dancing with the stars Dothan is coming up this weekend.
Contestants have been getting ready since February and a lot of sleepless nights have been going into preparing for the big day.
Officials say they couldn't be more excited about what this competition will bring to the Wiregrass.
This will be the third year for dancing with the stars here in Dothan.
Tickets are just 15 dollars and officials say they're expecting the Dothan Civic Center to fill up.
Get the ingredients you need to cook with Rach all week long. | |
Full length exclusive concerts from hot artists. | |
Take a break! Classic Pacman, Frogger, Asteroids and more. |
FREE Listings Sell almost anything locally. |


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CS Student in Sweeney Todd
CS graduate student Elise Thrasher portrayed the Beggar Woman in 33rd Street Production's presentation of the musical thriller Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Performances were held in the Hermann Hall Auditorium during the weekends of February 10-11 and 17-18, 2012. Thrasher is studying for her PhD in Computer Science and works in the Linguistic Cognition Laboratory, under director Professor Shlomo Argamon.
33rd Street Production is IIT's premiere student theater group. Their presentations have included Little Shop of Horrors, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Arsenic and Old Lace. For information about future productions, see their Facebook page.
Cast of Sweeney Todd


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United States
3 records found for Carroll Eagan in the PeopleFinders People Directory .
Looking for Carroll Eagan? We have compiled a list with 3 by that name with an average age of 58. We have also gathered records for Carroll Eagan in KS, TX, and OK. With all these results, we should be able to help you find who you are looking for.
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'I'll Burn The Goddamn House Down, But Blow Me First': Mel Gibson Gets Creative In His Latest Rant
Remember the jacuzzi fight from Mel Gibson rant #2, in which he threatens to kill ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva over a hot tub date? Gibson's latest phone recording returns to the topic, with Gibson demanding a blowjob before he commits arson.
[Warning: The recording contains lots of profanity, so turn down your speakers or put your headphones on. Or don't listen.]
Gibson's breath is ragged and is voice is hoarse: "You're a pain in the ass! You're a pain in my ass! Stop being that! You're a pain in my ass!" He also clashes with Grigorieva over mental health: "You wanted the number of my therapist? Don't you ever speak to him. Find your own goddamn therapist, because you've got more problems than me." [Radar]
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Google Map of Vanderburgh County, IN |
Places in Vanderburgh County as per US Census Bureau | Type of Place |
Darmstadt | town (Incorporated Area) |
Evansville (County Seat) | city (Incorporated Area) |
Knight | township |
Other places in Vanderburgh County not listed by the US Census Bureau |
Daylight Inglefield McCutchanville North Park |
US Census Definitions:
Place: A concentration of population either legally bounded as an incorporated place, or identified as a Census Designated Place (CDP) including comunidades and zonas
urbanas in Puerto Rico. Incorporated places have legal descriptions of borough (except in Alaska and New York), city, town (except New England, New York, Wisconsin), or village.
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