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Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Close to 100 golfers made Friday's Economic Development Golf Tournament the most successful yet in the event's three-year history.
The annual tournament is geared at getting business leaders together to talk shop, enjoy a cool beverage and play the game they love.
Crowfield Golf and Country Club Head Professional Rob Brock brought refreshments to golfers in a limo golf cart that had portable coolers strapped down to some of its many seats. Meanwhile, Goose Creek Planning Director Sarah Hanson drove a specially equipped golf cart with built-in industrial coolers stocked with ice, bottled water and beverages.
Hanson said this makes her the most popular person on the course. This is her second year managing the beverage cart.
A cool breeze kept temperatures bearable for the first few hours. It was the antithesis of the week before, when heavy rains caused the tournament to be rescheduled.
"It's nice to get this big of a turnout," Brock said, adding it was the biggest turnout yet. "It's good for people to mingle."
The tournament lasted about four hours as golfers played a captain's choice game, meaning players on each team teed off. Wherever the best shot from the team landed is where the rest of the team took their successive shots from on the fairway and putting green.
Public officials made their fair share of appearances. Goose Creek Mayor Michael Heitzler and Mayor Pro-Tem Kimo Esarey were present during opening remarks as the golf carts lined up, but they did not appear to participate in the tournament.
However, fellow Goose Creek City Councilmember Jerry Tekac golfed while riding in a red Ohio State University "Buckeyes" themed cart.
Berkeley County Councilmember Caldwell Pinckney was another elected official participating.
Goose Creek Assistant City Administrator Jeff Molinari and city Recreation Director Gary Stuber were on a team as were Berkeley County School District Superintendent Rodney Thompson and BCSD Athletic Director Charlie Davis.
The Quality Beverage team finished in first place, Santee Cooper in second and Coach's Best Buy Motors in third. Google's Team 4 finished in last place.
The Closest to the Pin contest winners were Robert O'Steen of Google, C.J. King of Cheerwine, Terry Hughes of Berkeley County Water and Sanitation and Chris Williams of Quality Beverage.
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Women's Soccer Drops to Franciscan
- Release Date:
- October 6, 2012
- Contact:
- The Office of Sports Information
- (716) 649-7900 ext. 333
HAMBURG, NY – After spotting Franciscan two goals by half time, the Hilbert College women's soccer team found new life just after intermission. Nicole Blair's score two minutes into the second period cut the deficient but only briefly, as the Barons went on an unanswered-scoring spree to claim a 5-1 conference win. Katherine Roemer finished with two goals and an assist in the Barons first AMCC win of the season.
Calene Dougherty and Katherine Roemer put Franciscan on the board first. After the Barons were called for a hand ball at 47:44, Blair connected on her first penalty kick of her career. Her perfectly placed ball cut the lead to just one. But the wind was taken out of the Hawks sails when, just three minutes later, Roemer took her second pass from Ashley Ruttencutter netting her second tally of the day. Two more Franciscan scores by 65:22 finished the action during the 90 minute game.
Hilbert's Ariana Scheidt was credited with five saves after facing 19 shots (10 on goal). Blair and Robbi Bailey generated the Hawks offense with five shots on goal.
Hilbert (2-8-1, 0-3-1) travels to Bradford October 9th for the next AMCC game.
Hilbert College, located in suburban Hamburg, N.Y., south of Buffalo, is a private four-year college founded in 1957 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. With nearly 1,100 students, Hilbert is a dynamic Western New York college that offers career-focused majors, including one of the top criminal justice programs in the region, and more than 50 minors and concentrations. The college's engaging, student-centered campus community offers numerous leadership, internship, and service learning opportunities from which students launch successful careers while making positive changes in their communities. The Hilbert Blueprint promotes a well-rounded student experience over four years – starting with the Foundations Seminar in the freshman year, followed by Sophomore Service, Junior Symposium, and culminating with the Senior Capstone. Hilbert has expanded its academic offerings with the college's first graduate programs and new Accelerated Degree Programs geared to adult learners.
Upcoming Events
- First Year Student Orientation
- Aug 14, 2015
- Summer Session A2 Ends
- Aug 21, 2015
- First Year Student Orientation
- Aug 28, 2015

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An international coalition supporting the Syrian opposition announced new aid today, including a multimillion dollar fund for opposition fighters. The support for the opposition comes just as Damascus rejected a call to withdraw its troops and begin a cease-fire. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports from Istanbul.


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|139 posts found
Novice Member
Joined: 4/14/11
I actually think WoW does a pretty good job of this. You have the option of using the fast travel systems in place, or manually humping it if you like. And actually, for raiding outside of Raid Finder, you have to travel the old fashioned way. Also, for anyone doing the challenge mode 5 man dungeons, they have to hump it as well.
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Hard Core Member
Joined: 1/02/08
Let em put a slave ring thru u're nose u're prob not going to like where they're taking you. Think.
I want to investigate and find things. I want to dungeon and get decent loot. I want to lay down on a cot in the woods, sleep, wake up and find the orc who rented me a room upstairs left me a key that leads to a chest in a mountain cave where within I find a rare poison blade. I want to EXPLORE.
What I do not want: To be a level one character that cannot enter a zone because it leads to a level thirty five area and I'll get my arse handed to me the second I pop.
What else I do not want: To get pvp ganked.
What else I do not want: To work really hard to improve my character's hunting skills only to watch all those numbers drop after a maintenance update because someone somewhere who has nothing to do with me convinced the game makers my class, NOT THEIRS, was overpowered.
Scenery is nice immersion. Miles of landscape. Hours of roaming thru grassy fields and over mountain ranges. No copy and paste rocks/trees PLZ. But yeah there needs to be a reason other than I like that kind of thing. A hidden clue, magic mushroom under a rock (only one of it's kind find it no where else), key to an ancient treasure, garden tool from a prehistoric race with strange letters that match other tools that solve a dungeon door entrance to a dragon's active lair, fairy foot print that leads to a locked zone, flock of birds that burst forth only in one spot that if you range kill and later cook you get amazing (not lame) stat boosts, crashed space ship that leads to another world that looks nothing like the game so far, or quicksand that sucks you down but instead of kills you dumps you in an underworld with violent angry white haired black skinned women dressed in gold chains who tie you up and only a sneaky deal with a male of their house gets you free, etc. Shiz, I would make a good mmo.
Best console game: DD Dark Arisen. Best mmo: GW2. Best game series ever: The Sims.
Originally posted by PAL-18
From our perspective, he did teleport around.
Neither book nor movie wastes time showing every single second of the journey -- only the interesting parts are seen.
"Joe stated his case logically and passionately, but his perceived effeminate voice only drew big gales of stupid laughter..." -Idiocracy
Novice Member
Joined: 4/14/13
Originally posted by Axehilt
So are you now saying that traveling is the interesting part ?
So, did ESO have a successful launch? Yes, yes it did.
Originally posted by ElectricWizard
What specific games are you describing though? Because early MMORPGs I tried definitely did not have any semblence of rewarding travel or exploration. Whereas with later MMORPGs they skipped over as much of the repetitive travel as possible (Guild War's "instant travel anywhere you've traveled to before" being my favorite and the ideal.)
Do most modern MMORPGs fall woefully short of WOW's mark when it comes to mob variety in quests and general quest variety? Absolutely. But early MMORPGs were even worse, rewarding an endless grind of the same mob types (who were about as varied as WAR and SWTOR's, which had nearly a complete lack of mob variety.)
Again, I'm just not clear on what ficticious game you're thinking of where travel was reliably entertaining. I don't think it exists, except in games where travel was the core activity of the game like Puzzle Pirates. And in Puzzle Pirates you teleported directly into your group's ship any always skipped past anything which wasn't densely interesting gameplay.
My movie analogy is perfectly suited to any form of entertainment, and all the more important to a game hoping to hold a player's interest for thousands of hours. If you waste the viewer's time they're going to do something else.
"Joe stated his case logically and passionately, but his perceived effeminate voice only drew big gales of stupid laughter..." -Idiocracy
Originally posted by Jacxolope
Wrong. Nothing about "never waste the player's time" implies linearity. It just implies you should let the player skip past non-gameplay. Skyrim can be played nonlinearly, yet it lets you skip past uneventful travel.
Modern MMORPGs are just as much videogame RPGs as early RPGs were. Maybe you're confusing videogame RPGs with tabletop RPGs? They're separate genres. Always have been. No worries, it's a common mistake (despite the two experiences being so substantially different.)
"Joe stated his case logically and passionately, but his perceived effeminate voice only drew big gales of stupid laughter..." -Idiocracy
Originally posted by Jacxolope
You're missing the point again. The point is that only interesting things are shown. The point has nothing to do with who's making the choices or how many of them there are.
If someone's entertainment time isn't filled with interesting experiences, they will choose another form of entertainment because the other thing was just wasting their time.
"Joe stated his case logically and passionately, but his perceived effeminate voice only drew big gales of stupid laughter..." -Idiocracy
Skyrim is a good reference here.
It's a game with the ability to load into known locations as well as travel to the cities/towns via the carriages as a means to circumvent the traveling on foot aspect of the game.
However, you should be noting how they treat travel in Skyrim. They don't implement much of it themselves, but you should notice Skyrim actually uses one of the mechanics I mentioned, in that it tosses simple random encounters at you while you travel so that walking isn't simply the task of waddling across the world. Coupled with the way minor quests are seeded throughout the place, you are capable of getting plenty of novel experience from opting to travel that you will not experience by circumventing it.
It wasn't that well implemented in the core game, but browsing just the immersion section of the nexus mod site can give you a hint at the fact it's pretty scalable and absolves the case of 'uneventful travel'.
Coupling it with environment mods and you might actually end up just with a good sightseeing experience too.
So sure it's skippable, but it's only if one's taking the approach of culling the locations where events takes place that the lulls actually become an issue.
"The knowledge of the theory of logic has no tendency whatever to make men good reasoners." - Thomas B. Macaulay
Joined: 7/01/08
Sometimes absurdity is the best route back to reality.
Interesting topic. I dont know exactly how to describe it but yeah, open worlds simply give me a feeling of awe and unknown. The damned WOW rat in a maze system killed MMO worlds for me. GW2 did an ok job with its zones but they still feel closed off. Vanguard, now that was a world to explore!
Originally posted by Axehilt
This is rather the problem that I pointed out and failed to be addressed earlier.
If something is in the game and isn't interesting, why is it uninteresting and is there a solution to making it worthwhile?
Just cutting the parts that aren't good doesn't always absolve the reasons it wasn't good, it just makes for a smaller experience.
If there really was no merit to travel then MMOs would all be lobby games effectively. And honestly that's where most are at present. WoW relies on the group and porting mechanics a lot now, and Neverwinter is entirely about a hub world and bunch of instanced experiences.
Breaking game worlds down makes it easier to isolate a certain kind of user experience people can focus on. Doing so is a problem of it's own though in that it pairs down the merits the game ultimately is even capable of having. They all become one trick ponies more or less.
"The knowledge of the theory of logic has no tendency whatever to make men good reasoners." - Thomas B. Macaulay
Originally posted by fantasyfreak112
What's narrow minded about wanting my time not to be wasted?
Frodo still made a long journey on foot. He didn't teleport. But we only witnessed the interesting parts of that trip. Our time was not wasted as consumers of entertainment.
A game can be anything, so long as it doesn't waste players' time. That's not particularly close-minded. It can include just about any activity, provided that activity involves a substantial number of interesting choices along the way. Any significant pause in decision-making is just mindless downtime, and if it doesn't serve a direct purpose (like social hubs, which allow players to take a break between dense gameplay sections) should be eradicated, and certainly shouldn't be a required part of the game.
"Joe stated his case logically and passionately, but his perceived effeminate voice only drew big gales of stupid laughter..." -Idiocracy
Elite Member
Joined: 1/06/05
Originally posted by Deivos
I've noted this several times.
If one only uses fast travel in skyrim then one misses quite a lot of what actually happens.
You dont' see the headless horsemen or the redguards stopping random redguard women to see if they are the woman they are looking for.
You dont' get the chance to release captured prisoners
You don't get much of the dragons or find places to explore/discover.
You don't get to follow that guy with the Ox and see what happens to him. Or find a wandering mercenary who "might" be persuaded to have you finish their quest.
You dont' get to see the imperials and stormcloaks battling it out. Or other random npc's battling.
You miss out on quests.
you basically miss out on most of the game.
Novice Member
Joined: 11/27/10
In your house Eatin' your Cookies!
Instant gratification players are the cesspool that keeps causing MMO's to fail. Unfortunately developers are just now starting to realize that MMO's were about being virtual worlds and thats why they succeeded and did so well back in the day. Some devs still have their heads up their asses, but some are starting to get the hint at least.
Hopefully EQNext and Star Citizen and games like it will really push the genre back to its roots.
"In the immediate future, we have this one, and then we've got another one that is actually going to be – so we're going to have, what we want to do, is in January, what we're targeting to do, this may or may not happen, so you can't hold me to it. But what we're targeting to do, is have a fun anniversary to the Ilum shenanigans that happened. An alien race might invade, and they might crash into Ilum and there might be some new activities that happen on the planet." ~Gabe Amatangelo
Think it'll also be worth pondering other aspects of gameplay.
Notably, pacing.
This is closely tied to my last post comment on the scope of experiences a game is capable of offering. The more finite the game's experiences, the more you have to balance the frequency they are delivered lest you burn out the userbase.
This is an effect that's pronounced when the game world itself is contracted. If things aren't shuffled about and the action is interspersed with breaks you're going to find the attrition rate of your game to be kind of high.
A movie has a finite amount of time they hold you for. Within that time they have to define the entirety of their experience, so often it's a race against time to pack in all the detail and information you want. Even then, movies pace themselves between highs and lows of action and activity.
Take for example Pulp Fiction or more or less any Tarantino film. Those movies have a lot of action and activity, and even if it's not an action scene there's frequently something going on to keep the person involved in the progress of the film, right?
Wrong, actually. It's notable that Tarantino has a habit, especially when playing to the pulp side of things, for his characters to actually have a few pretty laid back moments where the characters are effectively just shootin' the shit with one another. Tarantino uses it as a means not only to break moments so that people can be setup for the next, but as a way to just prod about the characters a little bit without doing anything particularly deep.
It's something that helps these kinds of films. Even nonstop rollercoasters have the low points after the rise and fall of action to get people over into the next part.
It's necessary for most humans because it gives them time to breathe and time to process actions. If the game itself has the space and variety to let a player unwind, it's a boon to the game because it means that player isn't passing their bucks to someone else to be doing that.
As it relates to traveling. That's essentially the point of the moments between the action. The ability to say 'Ok I'm done with that for a while, lets take a break and do something else, what's the view from that hill look like?'.
"The knowledge of the theory of logic has no tendency whatever to make men good reasoners." - Thomas B. Macaulay
Originally posted by H3deon
Absolutely. A lot of MMOs are much better game for me, if they take away the world, and replace it with a lobby. Many MMO cities (WOW, NWO,...) are used as nothing but lobby anyway.
Originally posted by Deivos
Well certainly if it's easy enough to create a bunch of gameplay to fill in that portion of the game that's a possibility. But just skipping that part of the game is also completely acceptable.
It would require a substantial and powerful (thus costly) system to dynamically create travel events that never became excessively repetitive, and it would still fail to solve the earlier "I'm just trying to meet up with my group mates at the dungeon" problem without the system also constantly serving them events too.
All of which achieves gameplay which is kinda only as good as just skipping straight to the content in the first place.
I mean I think there might be a take on this which works, but it feels like a "tons of extra effort just to achieve partiy" sort of thing.
"Joe stated his case logically and passionately, but his perceived effeminate voice only drew big gales of stupid laughter..." -Idiocracy
Originally posted by Deivos
Games are not movies. I don't need the game to pace me. If i need a break, i will turn the game off, get up and go get a sandwich.
And slow travel is not pacing, it is unavoidable boring bits that many players don't want. Otherwise, why would players use teleports at all?
Plus, in a movie, even the non-action parts are made (or tried to be made) interesting. Look at the Avengers. The bantering is as much fun as the action. The movie could not have made $1.5B if the film maker show nothing but Tony Stark traveling from point A to B in between fights.
Originally posted by Vunak23
Ironically, players who focus on gameplay instead of time-wasting ("instant gratification" players if you will) are the ones who forged the genre into successful gameplay-focused games like WOW. They're the reason the genre even got this big, instead of fizzling out still-born.
If MMOs had retained their classic emptiness, devoid of interesting gameplay, they would have never made much noise.
Doesn't excuse the current rut of mediocrity, but that's mostly designers' fault for not focusing on making the moment-to-moment gameplay in their games amazing.
"Joe stated his case logically and passionately, but his perceived effeminate voice only drew big gales of stupid laughter..." -Idiocracy
Originally posted by Axehilt
If "instant gratification" means reaching max level in weeks, rather than years, bring it on. I fully embrace it.
If "instant gratification" means no more boring travel, and i can jump into a dungeon instantly, bring it on. I fully embrace it.
If "instant gratification" means no more staring at a spell book, and i don't have to find something to do for 10 min in between interesting gameplay, bring it on. I fully embrace it.
"Instance gratification" is great. No wonder the market will point to that direction.
Originally posted by Axehilt
You're still stating it as the dungeon/quest everyone is gathering around is the main event.
That's a problem all it's own and where a lot of this present issue is coming from. Hence one of my previous posts.
EDIT: Should clarify since I seem to have though of a post in a different thread. :p
I do not see the way quests are presently built to benefit the concept, and how we approach quests and dungeons is actually a considerable contributing factor to the way games becomes so isolated in it's experiences and the quality of it's content.
The fact that you have so far commented in the manner suggesting the quest and location are of greater importance, it implies that that is a more solid or static element, not something playing with the rest of the game system like I had briefly suggested in my second post.
For example
If we eliminated that element and put the emphasis instead on building narratives via bits of stories that we string together to chronicle events rather than running behind scripted ones, and building the player progress and reward scheme behind collecting these elements, that would take the value out of running canned experiences and help egg people towards the idea that they are actually making them via their play of the game.
"The knowledge of the theory of logic has no tendency whatever to make men good reasoners." - Thomas B. Macaulay


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Fraction Formula™ Game
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A student favorite!
By Patti
from Los Angeles, CA
About Me Special education teacher
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Comments about Fraction Formula™ Game:
My students love this! It is a hit in the Resource Room. Great visual and kinesthetic approach for fraction equivalencies and completing a whole. We also use it for comparing fractions. Colorful and durable, even my oldest students (8th graders), love using it to familiarize themselves with fractions.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Hands-on Fractions
By Happy
from SLO, CA
About Me Education Oriented
We have used this product as intended, game format, as well as free time exploration. My first graders can even build "1 whole" and tell me how many parts make up the whole. It is engaging either way!
Very Good to Have
By Chris Mathematics Teacher
from Erie, PA
What a fun game!! This is one of the cleverest ways I have ever seen for teaching the concepts of fractions. As the students play they talk about equivalent fractions, adding fractions, even reducing and comparing them. I have always been a fan of games in the classroom. They provide an excellent way to develop the understanding of concepts through inquiry… provided of course the games are unique, engaging, and mathematically sound in process and content. Fraction Formula definitely meets these three criteria. The parts are big and bold, not easily lost, and are very dimensional, which is a huge asset when it comes to teaching. The instructions are easy to read and figure out, enough so that a group of children could grab the game and go. The playing of the game moves along fast enough to not bore children, but smooth enough to promote thoughtful interaction. From a classroom perspective this a good game to have on the shelf.
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There is nothing funny about Halloween. This sarcastic festival reflects, rather, an infernal demand for revenge by children on the adult world.
Jean Baudrillard
There is nothing funny about Halloween. This sarcastic festival reflects, rather, an infernal demand for revenge by children on the adult world.
Jean Baudrillard
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Everyone knows that you are what you eat. But what if you actually are what your friends eat? What if obesity was not hereditary, but contagious? Sure, it's easier to blame your parents for that sort of thing. After all, why wouldn't the size of your hips be the result of bad genes? But a few years ago, two scientists published an extensive study of 12,067 people in the New England Journal of Medicine that seems to prove that we are directly affected by the habits of others.
Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler theorized that weight gain in an individual is associated with weight gain in his or her siblings, spouse, and neighbors. The phenomenon is called a "contagion" and can be described as a kind of social virus that is transmitted by proximity. It seems a person is 57 percent more likely to become obese if they have a friend who becomes obese. If a sibling becomes obese, the other sibling has a 47 percent increased chance of having the same thing happen to them. And a person has a 37 percent chance of serious weight gain if their spouse starts tipping the scales. No one is exactly sure how it occurs, but our social environment seems to infect us, and we in turn, spread it.
Yes, you read it right. It seems weight gain and the flu have a lot in common, except Walgreens® isn't doling out shots to keep you thin. Many public health leaders, including the National Institute of Health, now believe that this growing science of social networks can be used to improve health on a huge scale. By either creating new social networks, like a dieting group, or by influencing the leaders of already-existing health-related groups such as the Team Beachbody® Message Boards, positive health messages will become contagious. But how can we affect those we care about, and not be affected by unhealthy behaviors?
"Be the change you want to see in the world." —Mahatma Gandhi
The first thing we can do is be an example. You're reading this newsletter, so you already have some interest in your health. It's more than likely you're also on a kick-butt exercise and nutrition program that's altering your appearance. You're already creating the change in yourself, and that will, in turn, have an effect on others. If you want to make a real difference, stay on the path. It is quite easy to reach our goals, only to let them slip away over an extended vacation, holiday season, or traumatic event like a breakup. What this says to an outsider is: "If Tom couldn't keep the weight off, how is there any hope for me? Why even bother?" If you want to inspire others, continue to be an inspiration.
"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own." —Benjamin Disraeli
Who really has time to talk anymore? We have emails, IMs, and text messages that have pretty much replaced verbal communication. We're all running around trying to accomplish things, which will fall behind schedule if we meet someone for coffee. Yet, sometimes just talking to people about their health and encouraging them to change can be the difference between being healthy and having a lifelong struggle with obesity. You've gone from a size 8 to a size 4, or from a beer gut to a six-pack. People around you will most likely ask how the heck you did it. When they do, ask them to grab a nonfat latte and sit down, because you have something to share with them.
"Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher." —Oprah Winfrey
Removing yourself from every situation that has unhealthy people in it is impossible and unnecessary. We're all tied into our friendships, jobs, and families by many threads, most of which we couldn't sever if we wanted to. You know your best friend from junior high would hunt you down if you moved to a small island off the coast of Madagascar. So instead of losing your relationships, make it a point to tip the scales and add a few more. Finding like-minded people—be it at a gym, a cooking class, a yoga studio, a fitness retreat, or a well-known local hiking spot—can open you up to new ideas and new positive influences. As your resolve becomes strengthened by your new friendships, you will be that much more able to assist your more established friendships.
"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." —Buddha
If you truly want to create a change in the health of others, there are thousands of programs out there that need volunteers. From the national organizations designed to raise money for diseases, to the local car wash that supports the high school athletic program, there's always someone who could use your assistance. Or better yet, create your own network of people making a difference, in whatever way you feel driven. Organize that 10k to benefit the YMCA, petition your state school board to increase physical education and remove vending machines full of sugar from your schools, or create a foundation to bring food to famine-stricken parts of the world. Making a big difference in the health of others can begin with one person, and it could be you.
Why we are so susceptible to the influences of others remains a mystery. From the time we are babies, we learn to mimic gestures and language. As adults, we still mimic yawns, laughs, and often aggression, as the mob after a recent NBA playoffs game proved. And now it seems we can mimic weight gain or loss, along a host of other behaviors. Before getting swept up in the crowd, take a moment and decide what you want for your life. You can choose your own destiny, and maybe help shape the lives of others in the process.
Related Articles
"Can Your Friends Make You Fat?"
"10 Tips to Not Gain Weight While Dating"
"Why You Might Be Losing the Battle of the Bulge"
Questions about your workout program, diet, the latest newsletter, or anything wellness related? Chat with the overseer of Beachbody's fitness and diet development, who also serves as your Fitness Advisor on the Message Boards, Steve Edwards, on Monday, November 1st, at 3:00 PM ET, 12:00 PM PT. Go to the Beachbody Chat Room.
Ghouls and goblins and ghosts, oh my! That's right, folks—Halloween is just around the corner, and if you're not careful, you might have to add another "G" to that list: gastric bypass. Okay, maybe that's a little extreme, but we all know how tempting it is for you adults to gobble down those sweets before, during, and after All Hallows' Eve—and that's nothing compared to the blitzkrieg of sugar your kids have in store for them. So take a minute to rethink some of your holiday traditions, learn some interesting ways to avoid the "scary" dietary pitfalls October brings, and rediscover what the spirit of Halloween is really all about! Trust me, the parents of the trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood will thank you too! (Sugar tantrums are terrifying.)
The bottom line is, the last thing we need in life is another holiday dedicated to unhealthy food. (Plus, with the amount of artificial ingredients, chemicals, and highly processed sweeteners in candy these days, most of it can barely even be classified as food.) The fun of Halloween has always been in the mood, the atmosphere, the thrill of the scare, and the excitement of planning and dressing up in a costume, so focus your attention on those things, and you're bound to create a memorable experience for everyone. And remember, keep it active!
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text:
April 7, 2011
AUSTIN, Texas - Seniors Sherrina Lofton and Desirae Gonder both finished in the top-seven in the heptathlon to lead the Cal State Northridge women's track & field team at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, Texas.
Lofton finished the meet in sixth-place with 5,366 points, her second best heptathlon score ever while Gonder finished seventh in the 25-athlete field with 5,294 points which is just 44 points off her season best.
"I'm really pleased with where we are at this time of the year," said associate head coach Avery Anderson. "The totals Sherrina and Desirae put up are really good scores especially at this meet which is probably the second-biggest national meet, outside of nationals, for multi-events."
Both Lofton and Gonder opened the competition strong as Lofton ran a lifetime-best 14.18 to finish sixth in the 100 meter hurdles. Gonder also ran well finishing 10th in a season-best of 14.43. Lofton earned 953 points while Gonder opened with 918.
The second event, the high jump, is one of Gonder specialties and the senior did not disappoint as she finished first with a height of 5-9.25 (1.76) which was just off her season-best of 5-9.75. Lofton was 10th with a top clearance of 5-5.75 (1.67) to earn 818 points. Gonder's first place finish was good for 928 points.
The shot put was next and Lofton finished 12th at 36-9 (11.20) to earn 608 points while Gonder took 21st at 30-9.75 (9.39) to pick up an additional 490 points. The opening day of competition finished with the 200 meters and both athletes ran well as Lofton finished third in 24.20 and Gonder was fifth in 24.69. Lofton's time was her best wind legal time of the season and was good for 962 points while Gonder's time was a season-best and earned her 915 points.
Lofton was fifth after four events with 3,341 points while Gonder stood seventh with 3,251 points.
Thursday's competition opened with the long jump and Gonder had the better mark of the two Matadors as she finished sixth at 18-9.25 (5.72) which earned her 765 points. Lofton, one of CSUN's top long jumpers, was a disappointing 14th with a best of 17-2.25 (5.24) which gave her 626 points.
In the javelin, Lofton took eighth with a best throw of 114-8 (34.96) while Gonder finished 18th with a best of 93-11 (28.64). Lofton earned 571 points to take a total of 4,538 into the final event. Gonder had a total of 4,467 heading into the 800 meters.
Eight other Northridge athletes will compete over the next three days of the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.
University of Texas
84th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays
Presented by State Farm
Univ.of Texas-Mike A. Myers Stadium - Austin, TX
1. Chelsea Carrier, West Virginia - 5,927 points
2. Ryann Krais, Kansas State - 5,848
3. Daphne Fitzpatrick, Texas A&M - 5,638
4. Makeba Alcide, Arkansas - 5,543
5. Olimpia Nowak, Northern Iowa - 5,382
6. Sherrina Lofton, Northridge - 5,366
7. Desirae Gonder, Northridge - 5,294
8. Brittany Harrell, Florida - 5,141
9. Lisa Egarter, SMU - 5,116
10. Megan Frausto, Houston - 5,106
11. Whitney Carlson, North Dakota State - 5,072
12. Leah Orley, Arkansas - 5,032
13. Rebecca Neville, Kansas - 5,000
14. Katherine Evans, Texas State - 4,969
15. Christina Mitchell, Liberty - 4,968
16. Marine Menez, UTEP - 4,834
17. Brittany Cheese, Akron - 4,817
18. Allison Barwise, Boston U. - 4,778
19. Katelyn Williams, West Virginia - 4,699
20. Jessica Shadley, Baylor - 4,507
21. Patria Norman, Charleston Southern - 4,490
22. Aimee Jonas, UTSA - 4,486
23. Shartan Swearengin, UTSA - 4,382
24. Lauren Rover, Baylor - 4,205
DNF Ajla Glavasevic, Buffalo


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Birds and Bees: Tips for Having ???The Talk??? With Kids
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May 7, 2011
IRVINE, Calif. - Senior Sherrina Lofton earned the title as the Big West's top all-around athlete as the senior earned 5,371 points to claim her second conference heptathlon championship in the last three seasons Saturday at UC Irvine.
Fellow senior Desirae Gonder finished third and junior Alisa Jenkins was fifth as the Matador women earned 20 points in the opening event as they attempt to win their sixth consecutive conference crown.
Lofton, who tallied a season-high 5,371 points, held off Long Beach State's Phylicia Johnson to win by 255 points as she repeated her championship performance from 2009. Gonder scored 5,109 points, including 833 in the final event (800 meters) to slip past UCSB's Maureen Ajoku by a single point and finish third. Jenkins scored 4,931 points to take fifth in her first heptathlon competition.
Freshmen Olympia Jewett and Jordan DuFault also competed in their first heptathlon at the conference championships and finished 11th and 12th respectively. Jewett scored 2,488 points while DuFault earned 4,196 points.
"It was a great start for us," said associate head coach Avery Anderson. "I'm extremely proud of the way our ladies performed. We fought to the end because every point counted for the team as evidenced by the eight points that separated places two through four.
"To fight for two days and score over 5,000 points to have it come down to just a few points says how great this competition was," added Anderson.
Lofton, who carried a 101-point lead over Ajoku into Saturday's competition, finished second in the high jump the first event of the day. Lofton jumped a best of 18-8 (5.69) to earn 756 point going into the javelin. In the penultimate event of the competition, she finished third tossing the javelin 113-6 (34.61) to pick up 564 points. Then in the final event, the 800 meters, Lofton ran 2:22.31 to take fourth adding 792 points to her final total of 5,371.
Gonder, a two-time Big West Heptathlon runner-up, finished third coming up just seven points short of second-place Johnson. She earned 709 points with a fourth-place finish in the long jump with a best of 18-1 (5.53). Gonder next took eighth in the javelin with a best throw of 93-0 (28.34) to pick up an additional 445 points to set up the dramatic 800 meter finish. She finished second in a season-best 2:19.32 and needed every second to earn 833 event points to overtake Ajoku for third place and six crucial points.
Jenkins was equally impressive in her first-ever heptathlon competition. The junior from Citrus Heights, Calif., scored 1,951 points on Saturday giving her 4,931 points in the event and four huge team points for CSUN. Jenkins was fifth in the long jump with a leap of 17-8 (5.39) to earn 668 points. She then won the javelin with a top throw of 118-11 (36.25) to add 596 points to her total before finishing seventh in the 800 meters with a time of 2:30.45 which gave her 687 points.
"Our girls fought like the great Matadors they are to help keep up on course as we move into next weekend," said Anderson.
Jewett and DuFault both finished strong as DuFault was fourth in the javelin throwing a season-best 112-0 (34.14) to earn 555 points. She was also 10th in the long jump with a season-best of 16-8 (5.09) and 11th in the 800 meters (2:38.43). Jewett was seventh in the long jump with a best of 17-1 (5.22), seventh in the javelin with a mark of 99-10 (30.42) and 12th in the 800 meters (2:38.56).
Final Heptathlon Results
() - Team Points
1. Sherrina Lofton, Northridge - 5,371 points (10)
2. Phylicia Johnson, Long Beach State - 5,116 (8)
3. Desirae Gonder, Northridge - 5,109 (6)
4. Maureen Ajoku, UC Santa Barbara - 5,108 (5)
5. Alisa Jenkins, Northridge - 4,931 (4)
6. Turqoise Williams, Cal Poly - 4,779 (3)
7. Kristen Kiefer, Long Beach State - 4,775 (2)
8. Emily Kressin, Cal Poly - 4,666 (1)
9. Jazmine Lewis - UC Riverside - 4,614
10. Sara Macey, Long Beach State - 4,494
11. Olympia Jewett - Northridge - 4,488
12. Jordan DuFault - Northridge - 4,196


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|43 posts found
Managing Editor
Joined: 7/08/05
In preparation for his full blown review, MMORPG.com's Bill Murphy takes a look at, and gives us his impressions of, the early game for Flying Lab Software's Pirates of the Burning Sea.
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Advanced Member
Joined: 11/20/07
"PotBS is a game that relies heavily on instancing. Port towns are instanced, the open sea is its own instance, and each time you fight a ship on said sea you are transported to a private instance for you and your team/enemies. Still, unlike in other games where such a set-up might bother me, it doesn't here. The load times are short enough, and perhaps the necessity for having each section of the game presented in this manner makes enough sense for the loading screens to not throw off my sense of immersion. Of course I'd love it if there was nothing but hundreds of ships all over and in every port in one massive replica of the Caribbean, but something tells me that this development task would be nothing short of Herculean."
Let us know how you feel about those loading screens after a week of play?
As for the non instanced world? WWIIoL. Naval combat.
Oh... and if you intend to do a series (I don't know why since PotBS news stories tend to get a couple of hundred hits at most?) then PM me and I will tell you how to break the economy tutorials.
FLS would 'fix' bugs by closing the ticket.
Nothing says irony like spelling ideot wrong.
Sorry but that is an awfully shallow review. Some things that might leap out at you as you continue to play:
Naval combat is not in any way shape or form "realistic"; as you advance it becomes progressively more and more based on "magical"-like special abilities and miraculous special item usage such as sudden repairs while zooming along at full speed. The lack of any depth system to the water and other factors makes many of the lighter ships completely pointless rapidly. The sailing speeds are in many cases ridiculous and you will see many ships behave more like drug running racing boats than sailing ships.
Avatar combat is incredibly stale and simplistic, not only is everything heavily instanced but you will fight over the same handful of scenario maps over and over and over.
(This I will admit is dated, but barring some massive changes) The economy only seems complex on the surface, it is in fact incredibly simplistic and in many ways pointless.
The PvP and "factional" combat system is dominated by gimmickry and exploitation of game mechanics and revolves much more around how each side manipulates the system than any kind of battlefield skill or even numbers.
On the bright side, if you like catchy tunes and pretty colors it is a very pretty game...
Advanced Member
Joined: 11/20/07
Originally posted by ericbelser
Well on the brighter side :
Both critics AND users rated it higher than Star Trek Online...
Nothing says irony like spelling ideot wrong.
Managing Editor
Joined: 7/08/05
Originally posted by ericbelser
Maybe you found it to be a shallow review because it ISN'T A REVIEW?
Right there, in the introductory text, it specifically states that this article is being done as a prelude to a review. This was, as stated, really just a look at the first few hours of gameplay.
Old School
Joined: 3/08/04
Players come for the game, but they stay for the people- Most Devs have forgotten this.
This game is ok, but it missed the boat (pun intended) by attempting to open up personal avatars at launch, rather then just focusing on becoming the tall ship EvE imo.
If it had just been a bag assed wide open ocean dotted with resource laden islands and the player ability to establish colonies on them it could have been awesome. I could go on about 1000 ideas how a pirate mmo could be good, but in the end what we needed in PotBS was more sandbox.
Like so many releases around the time it went live, it had a ton of unrealised 'potentiol'.
Originally posted by Stradden
Maybe you found it to be a shallow review because it ISN'T A REVIEW?
Right there, in the introductory text, it specifically states that this article is being done as a prelude to a review. This was, as stated, really just a look at the first few hours of gameplay.
Prelude to a review, never heard of one of those before, is that like reading the box? Or a press release by the company?
The title of the article is "Looking at the Early Game"...not "looking at the tutorial"; apologies if I expected more than a brief shill piece.
P.S. "Better than Star-Trek Online" is certainly true....but it's perhaps up there with "freshest road-kill around" :)
Elite Member
Joined: 2/27/07
Originally posted by ericbelser
Prelude to a review, never heard of one of those before, is that like reading the box? Or a press release by the company?
The title of the article is "Looking at the Early Game"...not "looking at the tutorial"; apologies if I expected more than a brief shill piece.
P.S. "Better than Star-Trek Online" is certainly true....but it's perhaps up there with "freshest road-kill around" :)
Well gee sorry, but they do introduction pieces all the time here. Helps if you read the title and first few lines of the article. Nothing wrong with them, their intent is to give a new players perspective of the game. Just because you have become jaded about the game is no reason to condemn the article.
Yep...an "introduction" piece on a game that has been out how long? Please.
Advanced Member
Joined: 11/08/08
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results.
First Off I was surpsized by this article. Pirates has been around for quite some time. IT is an SOE game in other words part of SOE station pass if you go that route.
I found the review to be more of the same we see around here, and that is what I call sugar coated big time.
I played pirates in beta, I am sure there have been tons of upgrades since then. My main problem with this game is it is a lot lke STO, in fact i was almost sure they used the same engine server mechanics. The reason why is all the instancing. Open seas is like sector space or vice versta. Then you have the stearing of ships in combat.
Needless to say if you dont like sto your not going to like pirates, and the same can be said vice versa, with the exception of pirates was there first.
And why are we doing a reviw on a game thats been out for 3 years, and has low population. In fact its one that SOE is looking at right now to go the route of the matrix.
Hard Core Member
Joined: 12/24/04
It's a good initial impression of a game many people know relatively little about. After all isn't the purpose of this site to get information into the hands of gamers? I so wanted to love this game and I'm sure future installments will reveal why I can't.
There are lessons to be learned from this game.
"Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause" ~Victor Hugo
Apprentice Member
Joined: 9/16/09
this game woulda been the tits if they made it more like EvE and less like sid meiers pirates.
Old School
Joined: 3/08/04
Players come for the game, but they stay for the people- Most Devs have forgotten this.
Originally posted by erictlewis
Well, i guess they take the view that MMORPGs are constantly in flux and need re-reviews now and again, especially after 3 years. A view I agree with tbh.
The size of a game's pop should never be a reason to not re-review it... I can't even see how that it's even relevant. A live game is a live game and deserves to be looked at with an objective eye.
Apprentice Member
Joined: 12/22/08
Originally posted by erictlewis
As a pre-board member I've seen alot of this game. Personally I love the setting, the way some of the stuff is handled and the look and personally I absolutely hate some of the directions the dev's have taken it in. None of which has anything to do with the OP article.
He looked at the tutorial, and as a tutorial it's better than the stock one from launch. Yes there is a lot to learn and yes if you don't read the pop ups you get you'll be lost. But as he saw, it introduces the game nicely, makes you feel like you're part of the setting and get's a number of major points across. One thing that changed that he didn't mention is each nation has it's own flavored tutorial, they're not all alike.
As to why review an old game. Why write WoW or AoC articles? They've been out awhile too. New players are always coming into the community. PotBS is a game that should have been better than it is I agree but that doesn't make it a bad game. From a straight PvE perspective it's better than some currently out there because it does require some thinking in ship combat. Avatar combat I think was poorly done from the start and I don't like their big change as I think it made it worse but it is doable if not particularly compelling.
It's a nice looking game, it is over instanced, there are more land maps now, it has pretty much zero replay (reroll as a different nation) valve as the quest missions are the same with the exception of just a handful, Ship combat does require some tactics (the bull in the china shop style won't cut it), pop is way down which hurts the overall game, Many of the PvE questlines are very well written, travel time in game is a real time sink .........
All in all it can be a fun game. I currently don't think it's worth $15.00 a month as a maxed out PvE player, but if you play other Station Pass games then it probably is at the discount you'd be paying for it.
SWG - AoC - PotBS - DDO - LotRO - STO - GnH - SWToR
Novice Member
Joined: 9/24/09
The leveling in game is ok, mostly missions, some are quit well written and humorous if you take the time to read the txt.
The real end game is Realm Vs Realm and PVP at level 50. The leveling process gives you almost no training for the PVP. The PvP mechanics in the game are fantastic. It's one of the best combination of stragtic and tactical gameplay I've seen in a MMO. The core of the game is 6 person group PVP, and the larger 24v24 port balltes where factions fight for control of territory.
The PVP is highly skill based. A competitive, focused, group of 6 players can easily sink players in much more expensive ships. Character Skill and Ship builds are also a huge factor in your success in PVP, like many MMO's there are thousands bulids but only a handful of effetive bulids. Unfortunately, the Pirate classes are less suited to 6v6 and Portbattles, though they make excellent commerce raiders, gankers and small group fighters. So It's often better to roll a national if we wish to be comeptive in RvR.
Because the game is so pvp based and so many people roll pirates the seas are flooded with gankers, and real hostility exists between the players of various factions. One must not enter a PVP zone alone and not expect to be engaged and often out numbered 6 to 1. The PVP is a lot of fun if your in a group of people who know what they're doing, it can be be a total boondoggle if they don't.
Apprentice Member
Joined: 1/13/08
Is it just me who finds the title misleading? "Looking at the Early Game"? Maybe the author's early game, but PotBS was released two years ago. Why wait two years before writing a review? Is this the amount of time MMORPG.com usually waits before writing reviews, or did you grace us with a review of Tabula Rasa before it went down?
I also note that this article (and, I fear, his later review) lacks an awareness of the game's history, of what the main issues were and in some cases still are.
Advanced Member
Joined: 11/08/08
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results.
Originally posted by Vetarnias
Yea I thought it very misleading the games been around for quite a while, and its saying early game.
Hard Core Member
Joined: 12/24/04
Originally posted by erictlewis
Yea I thought it very misleading the games been around for quite a while, and its saying early game.
Not misleading, ambiguous. Reading the article clarifies it.
"Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause" ~Victor Hugo
Novice Member
Joined: 12/12/09
Think of it as a foreplay before sex. Tried POTBS lasted about 3 days. Not sure what it was but, I did not find anything compelling to play any more.
Novice Member
Joined: 3/05/10
Originally posted by erictlewis
Let me address some of these points. It is like Pirates only in the most basic form, as far as i know. I played STO in Beta, and was underwhelmed.
There are many different layers to the end game (ship combat) whereas STO seemed to be whoever had the larger ship won. In PotBS, you can have a much smaller ship, and still defeat one or maybe two larger ships. The mechanics lend themselves to this.
I also must assume this pre-review is in part to the announced expansion Power and Presteige. This will add a whole new dimension to the game, introducing many new changes including Player Governed Ports.
I can understand if someone played in Beta feeling ways, but if you have not played in two years, come back. Although the population has not "grown" from its original prelaunch base, it is still a large population. Before you slam it, give it a try again. This is by far one of the most fun, mature MMORPGS i have played. It does not represent a sense of true "realism", no. If you are looking for a true to life naval sim, this is not the ga


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- Convenient Free-Stand allows the stroller to stand upright when folded
- Height-adjustable 5-point safety harness & padded infant head rest and sleeves for comfort
- One-year manufacturer warranty
- JPMA Certified
- Weight of stroller: 36.8 lbs
- 40 lbs. maximum child weight per seat; 80 lbs. total
Shipping Note: This item ships directly from the manufacturer within contiguous United States only. Cannot be shipped to AK/HI, PO boxes, US territories, or APO/FPO addresses.
The following brands of infant car seats can be used with this infant car seat adapter:
Britax B-Safe Graco Safe Seat
Britax Chaperone Graco SnugRide Infant
Chicco KeyFit Graco SnugRide 30
Chicco KeyFit 30 Graco SnugRide 32
Combi Shuttle 33 Graco SnugRide 35
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Cosco Starter Maxi-Cosi Mico
Evenflo Discovery Peg Perego Primo Viaggio
Evenflo Discovery 5 Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP
Evenflo Embrace Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP 30/30
Evenflo Embrace 5 Safety 1st Designer 22
Evenflo Embrace 5 LX Safety 1st onBoard 35
Evenflo Serenade Safety 1st onBoard 35 AIR


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Just because a personal coach can be a good thing for some players doesn't mean wide-serving coaches who teach the same thing to lots of players are no use.
What I'm coming to disagree with is - at high levels at least, less so at grass-roots - coaches who supposedly excel in all areas. I much prefer specialist fielding, batting, seam-bowling and spin-bowling coaches.
Appreciating cricket's greatest legend ever - HD Bird...............Funniest post (intentionally) ever.....Runner-up.....Third.....Fourthcricket player"; "Bob"), 1/11/1990-15/4/2006
(Accidental) founder of Twenty20 Is Boring Society. Click and post to sign-up.
I'm not sure a bloke like Anil Kumble would have taken 600 odd test wickets, had someone told him stop bowling his fastish top-spinners and start concentrating on developing a leggie that turns.
That's where I don't think people like Mallet or Jenner and other Aussie spin coaches and mentors have been smart enough to adapt their coaching methods keeping in mind the kind of individual they are working with.
Ask smack orthdox - he seemed to be saying precisely that earlier this thread.
All I've heard is hundreds of people saying the same thing - that Jenner doesn't really know tonnes about bowling wristspin, merely got lucky with Warne, and in trying to turn everyone else into Warnes has turned some bowlers who might've been good enough to play grade first team into nothing of the sort and bowlers barely able to bowl any more.
Evidence would be to name some of these players that might've been good enough to play grade first team turned into nothing of the sort and bowlers barely able to bowl any more, Carrying on about White is futile because his own mentor Hookes was the first to tell White that he would only ever be a batsman who could bowl a few overs and would never be a bowler.All I've heard is hundreds of people saying the same thing - that Jenner doesn't really know tonnes about bowling wristspin, merely got lucky with Warne, and in trying to turn everyone else into Warnes has turned some bowlers who might've been good enough to play grade first team into nothing of the sort and bowlers barely able to bowl any more.
If you are going to provide evidence of something I would expect it to be more than you read it on some forum.
Far more than just reading on some forum. Have heard lots of people say\write it, and have heard lots of others talk\write about how they've heard others say\write it.
If you expect me to have recorded or bookmarked every instance I've heard and read though, I'm afraid you're asking too much.
I never mentioned White FTR so don't know why you're directing that comment at me, haven't the first clue about who's coached him all career.
Last edited by Richard; 30-07-2009 at 11:12 AM.
From cricinfo.
Basically saying he thinks the delivery is a chuck. Or gets as close as the threat of litigation and politeness allows a national selector to, anyway.
Wouldn't take too much more for me to turn for him right now. Legend.
Cricket Web's 2013/14 Premier League Tipping Champion
- As featured in The Independent.
"The PFA does not represent players when they have broken the law and been convicted on non-football matters."
- Gordon Taylor in 2009 following Marlon King's release after a prison sentence for sexual assault & ABH
Totally agree with Australia. Chuckers are chuckers and they are everywhere batting with short sleeves bowling with long sleeves. Suddenly half the sub continents turners have suddenly developed the condition Murali had which gave him a valid reason. The others are chuckers I see next one is the Sri Lankan youngster bowling with a arm more bend than a tea pot. Bring back Daryll Hair
Mark Waugh
"He's [Michael Clarke] on Twitter saying sorry for not walking? Mate if he did that in our side there'd be hell to play. AB would chuck his Twitter box off the balcony or whatever it is. Sorry for not walking? Jesus Christ man."RIP CraigosKnowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it into a fruit salad
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KWA 45-day warranty
List Price $179.95 Save $50.00 (27%)
Bundle & Save $20.10!
Average Customer Review4.0 (6 reviews)
Create an online reviewand share your thoughts with other customers
Things I liked:The grip angle is more like a (centerfire) Springfield XD then Glock. I find it points very naturally. The stippling on the grip panels is very much like generation 3 Glock, as are the finger grooves. Trigger pull is excellent and feels like a heavily modded (centerfire) Glock. All other features (mag/slide release, take-down release etc. are in the same location and remind one of Glock.
Things I would have changed:Sights move very easily. They will need to be Loctited after sighting in. The pistol comes with combat sights. An option for rear adjustable (windage & elevation would be nice to compensate for various weight BB's. A (6.01mm) tight barrel supplied from the factory. This is a high quality pistol, but has a short barrel and I found factory accuracy lacking.
What others should know:I purchased this pistol to prepare for an upcoming force-on-force training course. Originally, I was looking to duplicate my carry centerfire Glock. Cruising the foreign websites (where airsoft Glocks are still available) I quickly found out that the upgrades (metal slide, hop-up, nozzles etc.) needed to make the airsoft Glock close to the ATP would cost 2-3 times the price! I purchased the ATP and have not looked back. I replaced the factory barrel with a 6.01mm (KWA) tight barrel, reducing group size about 50%. KWA's (45 day) factory warranty is void if other than green gas is used. Pistol is shipped with no lubricant applied to any of the wear, o-ring or rubber surfaces. Factory manual explains break-down OK, just be aware. Make sure the magazine follower is lubricated as feed failure and slide locking on empty may be affected. Fill the mags with gas first, as the BB follower spring compresses the bumper spring making release more difficult. The 3/8" thick rubber bumper on the magazines must be slid forward or removed to fill mags with gas as the fill nozzle can't seal with it in place. The ATP is supposed to fit Glock holsters, I tried it in Kydex models from FOBUS (model EMG) and BLACKHAWK (model CQB). While the ATP fit, it would not engage the retention system of either model. So take your ATP with you or look for ATP specific holsters when shopping. I have about 1500 rounds through this ATP with no problems and enjoy it (maybe more) than my centerfire!
Things I liked:Ergonomicly very close to Glock
Things I would have changed:Design magazines with more protection so they can be dropped w/o fear of damage. This would facilitate practice of speed reloads. Also make it easier to change the back strap. I could not drive the pin out to change the strap.
Things I liked:Great gas efficiency! Good for about 60 rounds per charge after break-in period. Strong blowback. Solidly-built, professional feeling airsoft weapon. I am familiar with the Glock series in real steel and this gun would be a great trainer.
Things I would have changed:Nothing. Solid.
What others should know:Buy it!
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Model Assistant KWA ATP Adaptive Training GBB Airsoft Pistol
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Justin Theroux Gossip
Justin Theroux gossip, latest news, photos, and video.
Jeff Kravitz/ Getty Images
You know what I've been talking about a lot the last couple of days? Justin Theroux's penis. My friend N brought it up first after watching The Leftovers. He runs in every episode. And when he's running, it's right there. Like, right there. I swear we're not being pervs about it. Full Story
Jennifer & Justin: a celebration trip
PEOPLE posted an article yesterday about Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux. They're on holiday in Bora Bora. They left on August 7 and were supposed to be away for a week. So it was timed for when they got back. According to US Weekly – and they reported it first – the two were at the Four Seasons. Full Story
Jen's & Courteney's double date
Matt Sayles /Invision for DETAILS /AP Images
Jennifer Aniston was out last night at a DETAILS party because her fiancé Justin Theroux is the current cover. And Courteney Cox came with her fiancé too. In other Aniston news, she's just launched her second fragrance "J". Her first fragrance came out three years ago. Full Story
Justin Theroux, "renaissance man"
Wenn, Splash
Justin Theroux covers the new issue of DETAILS to promote The Leftovers. Have you been watching? It's a slow burn for me so it's not like I'm rushing to make it through the screeners but at the same time, I'm not putting it at the bottom of the pile either. The article is a good read. Full Story
Jennifer & Justin…SELL!
Last night was the premiere of HBO's The Leftovers in New York. Now you know if Jennifer Aniston hadn't shown up to support fiancé Justin Theroux on this carpet, they would have given the tabloids a reason to announce a breakup. Not only did she show up, she came to sell. There was a lot of hands on chest and midsection. Full Story
Jennifer Aniston: BumpWatch #176
Tatiana Kevych/ Splash
Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux stepped out together in New York last night holding hands. So, now that breakup speculation is out of the way, it's time to wonder – yet again – if she's pregnant. Because she wore a loose sweater and her bag was in front of her midsection. Full Story
Stay another year
Jackson Lee/ Splash
Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux stepped out together in New York yesterday and this is supposed to be a big deal because they hadn't been papped as a couple for a while, leading to speculation that it was over. There were also those who were convinced of it when Aniston didn't join Theroux while he was mourning Philip Seymour Hoffman but that, to me, was more about not wanting to be the asshole with all the attention at the wrong time. Full Story
Is 45 a milestone?
Wenn, Allan Bregg/ Splash
Jennifer Aniston turned 45 yesterday. She was reportedly in LA. Her fiancé Justin Theroux was in New York shooting his TV show. Is that problem? Is 45 a milestone? Jacek and I have spent birthdays apart. His birthday is a particularly tricky time because the Juno Awards always happen around his birthday and for years, I was assigned to go. Full Story
Jen & Friends: NYE 2013
4CRNS /Premiere /FAMEFLYNET, Clasos.com.mx /Splash News
It's an annual tradition: Jennifer Aniston and her friends hop a private jet to Cabo where they welcome the new year in bikinis. Actually, everyone else is in traditional swimwear but Justin Theroux prefers black cut-off jeans. This time there's no John Krasinski or Emily Blunt, who is pregnant. Full Story
Jennifer & Justin make the holidays
There have been a lot of rumours moving around lately about Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux. Several tabloids are making calls almost daily trying to find out if they're still together. And not just STAR Magazine either. The celebrity-friendly ones are sniffing it out too. Because there's been some talk that they might not make it to marriage. Full Story
Jennifer Aniston closes TIFF
Jag Gundu/ George Pimentel/ Getty
Jennifer Aniston's Life Of Crime closed the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend. There was a press conference, then a cocktail party before the screening, then the gala, and she wasn't expected to stay. So I didn't expect that Justin Theroux would join her on such a short trip. Full Story
Jen & Justin work their bodies
Clasos.com/ Splash
Better clench up, Legolas! That has nothing to do with anything, really. I just wanted to say. But I was reminded of RDJ/Iron Man's great line to Hawkeye in The Avengers because "clench" is the word that came to mind looking at these shots of Justin Theroux in Mexico with Jennifer Aniston. Full Story
Jennifer & Justin: pool kisses
FameFlynet, Clasos.com/ Splash
As reported yesterday – click here for a refresher -- Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux are on holiday in Mexico with Jason Bateman and Amanda Anka. From the look of these new photos taken Tuesday afternoon, all is very, very right with Jennifer and Justin. Full Story
Hollywood Real Estate: Jennifer & Justin edition
Jennifer Aniston's We're The Millers performed well at the box office this weekend. And it was Justin Theroux's 42nd birthday. So there was a lot to celebrate. And they did with all their famous friends at their mansion in Bel Air, bought for around $20 million and that doesn't include renovations. Full Story


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|Home > Guides > Core Developers Guide > Interceptors > Parameter Filter Interceptor
The Parameter Filter Interceptor blocks parameters from getting to the rest of the stack or your action. You can use multiple parameter filter interceptors for a given action, so, for example, you could use one in your default stack that filtered parameters you wanted blocked from every action and those you wanted blocked from an individual action you could add an additional interceptor for each action.
The way parameters are filtered for the least configuration is that if a string is in the allowed or blocked lists, then any parameter that is a member of the object represented by the parameter is allowed or blocked respectively.
For example, if the parameters are:


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PEORIA, Ill.---Chicago Wolves left wing Mike Duco notched his first career hat trick and right wing Bryon Bitz scored in his first game since March, 2010 to help the team to a 5-2 victory over the Peoria Rivermen Friday night at Carver Arena.
Forward Nathan Longpre also scored for Chicago, while right wing Mark Mancari dished out two assists.
Chicago (17-12-1-3) opened scoring with 1:38 remaining in the first period when Mancari held the puck behind the net and fed Longpre alone in the slot and he snapped a shot past Rivermen goaltender Ben Bishop.
The Wolves doubled their lead with Duco's first goal of the night at 11:50 of the second period. He skated in on a three-on-two and wristed a shot over the glove of Bishop.
Peoria (17-16-2-1) cracked the scoreboard just 15 seconds later when left wing Stefan Della Rovere scooped up a loose puck in the slot and fired a shot that deflected of a Wolves defender and past goaltender Eddie Lack.
Bitz's marker 1:33 later regained the two-goal lead for the Wolves. Forward Tim Miller held the puck below the goal line and found Bitz alone in the near circle, who flicked a shot under the bar and past Bishop.
Chicago inched ahead 4-1 with 50 seconds remaining in the middle frame. Duco and right wing Victor Oreskovich skated in on a two-on-one and Duco held the puck and fired a shot between the legs of Bishop, which the netminder got a piece of but the puck trickled over the line.
Bishop (15-10-0) posted 27 saves.
The Rivermen cut Chicago's lead to 4-2 when right wing Tyler Shattock's shot from the near boards was stopped by Lack but the rebound jumped to center Brett Sonne in the slot and he deposited the puck past Lack.
Lack (8-8-3) thwarted 30 of 32 shots.
Duco's empty net tally at 18:49 of the final frame completed his hat trick and sealed the win for Chicago.
The Wolves open a six-game homestand with a contest against the Lake Erie Monsters at 7 p.m. Saturday night at the Allstate Arena.
Chicago 1 3 1 -- 5
Peoria 0 1 1 -- 2
First Period---1, Chicago, Longpre 6 (Mancari, Polasek), 18:22. Penalties---Evans, Peoria (interference), 3:44; Oreskovich, Chicago (holding), 11:59; Evans, Peoria (hooking), 14:54; Evans, Peoria (boarding), 19:14.
Second Period---2, Chicago, Duco 6 (Reinprecht, Roussel), 11:50; 3, Peoria, Della Rovere 3 (Sonne, Cundari), 12:05; 4, Chicago, Bitz 1 (Miller), 13:38; 5, Chicago, Duco 7 (unassited), 19:10. Penalties---Sauve, Chicago (instigating, fighting, misconduct), 15:03; Della Rovere, Peoria (checking to the head, fighting) 15:03; Oreskovich, Chicago (interference0, 17:02.
Third Period---6, Peoria, Sonne 6 (Shattock), 9:13; 7, Chicago, Duco 8 (Mancari), 18:49 en. Penalties---Roussel, Chicago (tripping), 2:06; Oreskovich, Chicago (tripping), 13:49.
Shots on goal---Chicago: 13-13-6--32. Peoria: 4-14-14--32. Power plays---Chicago: 0-3. Peoria: 0-4. Goalies--Chicago, Lack (30-32). Peoria, Bishop (27-31). A---4,931. Referee---Jarrod Ragusin. Linesmen---Brian Oliver and Aaron Mills.


text: Florida Travel Florida Springs Take a photo tour of Florida springs These are some of the best photos from dozens of Florida springs. Get more info on these and more springs in our Florida Spring Guide. This photo gallery is featured in these articles: Ride, Run, Work Out | Fitness The heat is on! Where to cool down at splash pads The List Where are the most pleasant cities in Florida? Florida Travel The Frugal Traveler: Scuba diving on a shoestring


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Mostly Cloudy
Wind: 7 mph
The recent death of my beloved brother, firefighter Sidney F. Thurston, prompted me to write a dedication poem for the 50-plus years of firefighting service he dedicated his life to serving. As a firefighter, founder and past chief of the Waterbury Center Fire Department, past president of the NE Association of Fire Chiefs and member of the Capital West Mutual Aid, he served the fire service with dedication, honesty, integrity and compassion for over 50 years. To that I would like to dedicate the poem I wrote for him, as well as to all the other firefighters within the fire service. Their dedication and loyalty for such an honorable profession makes me proud to know that my brother was such a well-respected fireman and person in this noble profession. To that I would like to have you print my article, Legacy of a Firefighter.
Brenda J. Viens
Proud Sister to Sidney F. Thurston
Legacy of a Firefighter
The fire service is a noble calling
One founded on mutual respect and trust
Between its firefighters and citizens
The highest standard code of ethics
They pave a path from obstacles
With character defined by decisions
When pressure from a road obscured
To project integrity, and yet compassion
He shares the responsibility of honesty
Professionalism, loyalty, and culture
And serves in a position of public trust
To foster safety and welfare of others
He stands at the crossroads with valor
From many years of pride and service
The courage comes within his heart
For a firefighter does not hesitate
Though his heart was weakened
And his body tired, hands shaking
His spirit never wavered
For his love of firefighting
He leaves this fire service better
Than when first he did arrive
His badge of courage now is silent
But the legacy he leaves, endures


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|« Back to Article
Show us your Fiesta shoes
By Michael Quintanilla : April 17, 2013 : Updated: April 18, 2013 2:03pm
Photo By Helen L. Montoya/San Antonio Express-News
Fiesta Shoes, photographed at The Esquire, Tuesday April 9, 2013. LEFT: Blinged aqua sling back sandals, $1,395, Rene Caovilla, Neiman Marcus at the shops at La Canters, 210-558-8000. CENTER: Tan and neon multi-colored sandals, $80, Sperry Top-Sider, Dillard's North Star Mall, 210-341-6666. RIGHT: Multi-colored suede and python stilettos, $1,295, Christian Louboutin, Saks Fifth Avenue at North Star Mall, 210-341-4111.
Photo By Helen L. Montoya/San Antonio Express-Newsleft, multi-hued espadrille flip flop by Volatile, $39.99, at Dillard's North Star Mall; center: black and white musical note print pointy flat by Miu Miu, $490, at Saks Fifth Avenue; and right: blinged wedge flip flop, $ 59.99 by Grazie at Dillard's North Star Mall.
Photo By Helen L. Montoya/San Antonio Express-NewsSuede cobalt blue lace up booties by Brian Atwood, $495, at Neiman Marcus at the Shops at La Cantera and blue and pink ankle strap stiletto by Sophia Webster, $480 at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Floral peep-toe platforms by Brian Atwood, $425 at Neiman Marcus at the Shops at La Cantera.
Serape print sandals by Rocket Dog, $39.99 at Dillard's North Star Mall.
Floral coral bling wedge by Gianni Bini, $89.99 at Dillard's North Star Mall.
Photo By Photos by Helen L. Montoya / San Antonio Express-News
Mexican handmade ballerina flats, $98 at Nativa, 5124 Broadway.
Python print gladiator sandal by Elaine Turner, $295 at Elaine Turner Boutique, 5922 Broadway.
Hot pink skull motif suede flat, Alexander McQueen, $645 at Neiman Marcus at the Shops at La Cantera.
Photo By Helen L. Montoya/San Antonio Express-News
Fiesta Shoes, photographed at The Esquire, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Bright pink and red espadrille wedge, $195, Tory Burch, Saks Fifth Avenue at North Star Mall, 210-341-4111.
Photo By Helen L. Montoya/San Antonio Express-News
Fiesta Shoes, photographed at The Esquire, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Multi-colored crystal flats, $99.99, Steve Madden, Dillard's North Star Mall, 210-341-6666.
Photo By Helen L. Montoya/San Antonio Express-News
Fiesta Shoes, photographed at The Esquire, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Navy canvas flats with bling embellishment, $295, Brian Atwood, Saks Fifth Avenue at North Star Mall, 210-341-4111.
Photo By Helen L. Montoya/San Antonio Express-News
Fiesta Shoes, photographed at The Esquire, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Flower glitter sandals, $595, Miu Miu, Saks Fifth Avenue at North Star Mall, 210-341-4111.
Putting your best foot forward — let's make that two — is a no-brainer when it comes to Fiesta footwear. And with Thursday's Fiesta kickoff followed by 10 more days packed with parades, parties and people-watching, you can bet that all eyes will be on your shoes.
After all, shoe-gawking and shouting "Show us your shoes!" isn't reserved just for bedazzled, hand-waving queens kicking up their heels.
You, too, can rock your flats, heels, platforms and wedges like royalty in spring styles fit for a proper Fiesta excursion. Just remember to step out in the many colors that top the season's hit list: neon hues of orange, yellow, green, turquoise and cobalt. Shoe designer Elaine Turner said that after several years of neutral shoes taking center stage, "women are ready to add some fun pieces" to their footwear.
She said women should be true to their personal sense of style. But hey, it's Fiesta, so "challenge yourself to literally step into something new."
Her advice: "If you are going to wear a bright green or turquoise shoe, choose an equally saturated color in your garments. Think citrus and one my favorites — a deep pink shoe. Or choose a shoe that mixes print with solids, or print with python."
Dillard's spokeswoman Melissa Merriman suggested investing in a pair of spring's mint or coral-colored peep-toe shoes or wedges because the same shoe will transition into fall.
"A colorful shoe can ground a look or pull it all together," she said, suggesting that a turquoise shoe would look great with a solid dress and a turquoise necklace. Or the same shoe can ground "a more daring look like a printed pant."
She said many of spring's shoe collections include sandal styles with colorful foot beds or linings that peep out from under the foot. "Bright and colorful footwear is a smart and modern way to update one's wardrobe," she added and offered that a basic black sheath is instantly updated when replacing classic pumps with spring's pops of yellow or a shoe with a fun floral print.
Ken Downing, Neiman Marcus fashion director, also favors colorful shoes for spring, especially the heeled or flat gladiator. He said a vibrant-hued shoe can be matched with what he calls "a monochromatic mélange of shades" in one's outfit.
But color contrasting also is a trend: "A yellow dress with a pink or orange shoe is all about being bold and confident." And if an outfit is in black and white stripes — one of spring's much-touted looks — a cobalt shoe and a hot pink handbag are a good mismatched match.
He said wedges, platforms, chunky heels and single sole shoes are among the most wanted for spring. "But your personality and your wardrobe choices should determine what shoe you wear," he said.
Turner, who has an Alamo Heights boutique and is set to open another on New York's upscale Madison Avenue this summer, said "when in doubt, look for a wedge." She said the platform wedge in particular is on trend, but traditional wedges are always a favorite as well as versatile, stylish and comfortable.
She also is a fan of flats.
"Flats are here to stay," she said. "But they are evolving. We still see the sweet rounded toe of a ballet flat, but we also are seeing the emergence of the pointy-toe flat." For spring, one of her favorites is a flat in black, butter, gold and python "because women need flats, but don't want to sacrifice style."
Elizabeth Kanfer, a women's accessories director for Saks Fifth Avenue, said the ballerina is the season's go-to flat.
"This is what every woman should be adding to her wardrobe this spring and summer," she said.
But she cautioned: "My only advice is to buy shoes that you love. That is the great thing about footwear — there are so many options that have that emotional 'wow' factor. In a perfect world none of us would suffer for fashion, but I have to admit that I have many shoes that are terribly uncomfortable, but look amazing."
mquintanilla@express- news.net


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Learn more about Expandable 3 Piece Premium Luggage Set Silver:
Manufacturer: Gran Tourister
Mfg Part#: OCE21SL
Sku: 228366219
See more in Luggage Sets
|Oceana Series: OCE21SL 3 Pc Set - SILVER by Gran Tourister TM|Light-weight and durable Hardside 360 degrees Roller Luggage||This is a multi-layered polycarbonate material - tough, lightweight and built to last, the blend of polycarbonate offers strength and flexibility, so that it will not crack or smash, and will resist stress marks.|Cross Straps on the inside helps to keep items in place. This wonderful piece of luggage features an extendable handle in the back which elevates.|This set is made with 100% polycarbonate/ABS material which makes it durable and light-weight while traveling.|In our product, you will find the latest features built of the highest grade material so that whatever you are transporting, you can be sure your cases will stand up to the harshes of travel.|4 noise-free 360 degrees spinner wheel mean that the case can be pushed or pulled in any direction with the slighest of efforts.|Built-in telescopic handles - the retractable handles make for ever easier manuverability and can be set at different levels for a wide range of user heights.|Reinforced corner zones increase strength in the areas most likely to take abuse from handlers.|Protective PC film to protect the shine of the product till it arrives at your doorstep and is ready when you decide to remove it.||3 Piece Set Includes SILVER Colored||1x 20" = ~6.83 Lbs = ~20x14x9" Used as Carry On||1x 24" = ~8.16 Lbs = ~ 24x16.3x11||1x 28" = ~9.26 Lbs = ~ 28x18.5x13.5"|(smaller nested inside the larger one for shipping)||TSA-Accepted Luggage Locks||- Ideal for air travel - features the TSA-recognized Trave Sentry (R) logo||- Allows airport screeners to unlock, inspect and relock bags, without damaging the lock.||We are a family owned small business that's been in retail for several years. We're always on the search for quality products at affordable prices and passing the savings along to you. We are newly expanding on Buy.com and really appreciate your business and support.