text: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE BACKGROUND NOTES: MOROCCO, NOVEMBER 1994 PUBLISHED BY THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS November 1994 Official Name: Kingdom of Morocco PROFILE Geography Area: 446,550 sq. km. (172,413 sq. mi.); slightly larger than California. Cities: Capital--Rabat (pop. 1.2 million in urban prefecture of Rabat-Sale). Other cities--Casablanca (3 million), Marrakech, Fez, Tangier. Terrain: Coastal plain, mountains, desert. Climate: Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior. People Nationality: Noun and adjective--Moroccan(s). Population (est.): 28 million. Annual growth rate (est.): 2.2%. Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber 99%. Religions: Muslim, Christian 1%, Jewish 0.2%. Languages: Arabic (official), several Berber dialects; French is often the language of business, government, and diplomacy. Education: Years compulsory--7. Literacy--43%. Health: Infant mortality rate--53/1,000. Life expectancy-- 66 years male, 69 years female. Work force (7.4 million): Agriculture--50%. Services--26%. Industry--15%. Other--9%. Government Type: Constitutional monarchy. Constitution: September 1992. Independence: March 2, 1956. Branches: Executive--king (chief of state), prime minister (head of government). Legislative--unicameral legislature (6-yr. term). Judicial--Supreme Court. Political parties: Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), Istiqlal (independence) Party (PI), Popular Movement (MP), National Popular Movement (MNP), National Rally of Independents (RNI), Constitutional Union Party (UC), National Democratic Party (PND), Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS), Organization for Democratic and Popular Action (OADP). Suffrage: Universal over 20. Economy GDP (1992): $27.7 billion. Per capita GDP: $1,030. Natural resources: Phosphates, fish, manganese, lead, silver, copper. Agriculture (18% of GDP): Products--barley, wheat, citrus fruits, wine, vegetables, olives, livestock, fishing. Industry (34% of GDP): Types--phosphate mining, manufacturing and handicrafts, construction and public works, energy. Trade (1992): Exports--$4.7 billion: food and beverages 28%, semiprocessed goods 25%, consumer goods 26%, phosphates 8%. Major markets--EU 62%, India 7%, Japan 5%, U.S. 2%. Imports--$7.6 billion: capital goods 27%, semiprocessed goods 16%, raw materials 12%, fuel and lubricants 15%, food and beverages 13%, consumer goods 9%. Major suppliers--EU 54%, U.S. 6%, Canada 3%, Japan 2%. Official exchange rate (October 1994): 8.6 Dirham (Dh)=U.S.$1. PEOPLE Most Moroccans are Sunni Muslims of Arab, Berber, or mixed Arab-Berber stock. The Arabs invaded Morocco in the 7th and 11th centuries and established their culture there. Morocco's Jewish minority numbers about 7,000. Most of the 100,000 foreign residents are French or Spanish; many are teachers or technicians. Arabic is the official and principal language, but French is widely used in government and commerce, except in the northern zone, where Spanish is spoken. In rural areas, any of three Berber dialects--which are not mutually intelligible--are spoken. Most people live west of the Atlas Mountains, a range which insulates the country from the Sahara Desert. Casa-blanca is the center of commerce and industry and the leading port; Rabat is the seat of government; Tangier is the gateway to Morocco from Spain and also a major port; "Arab" Fez is the cultural and religious center; and "Berber" Marrakech is a major tourist center. Education is free and compulsory through primary school. Education now surpasses national defense as the largest item in the government's budget. Of Morocco's several universities, the most important is Muhammad V University in Rabat. Its students study medicine, law, liberal arts, and the sciences. Most university students benefit from government stipends. In Fez, Morocco's religious capital, students from around the world study Islamic law and theology at Karaouine University, which is more than 1,000 years old. HISTORY Morocco's strategic location has shaped its history. Beginning with the Phoenicians, many foreigners have come to this area, some to trade or settle, others as invaders sweeping the land and dominating it. Romans, Vandals, Visigoths, and Byzantine Greeks successively ruled the area. Arab forces began occupying Morocco in the seventh century A.D., bringing with them Arab civilization and Islam. Other invasions followed. The Alaouite dynasty, which has ruled Morocco since 1649, claims descent from the Prophet Muhammad. Morocco's location and resources led to early competition among European powers in Africa, beginning with successful Portu-guese efforts to control the Atlantic coast in the 15th century. France showed a strong interest in Morocco as early as 1830. Following recognition by the United Kingdom in 1904 of France's "sphere of influence" in Morocco, the Algeciras Conference (1906) formalized France's "special position" and entrusted policing of Morocco to France and Spain jointly. The Treaty of Fez (1912) made Morocco a protectorate of France. By the same treaty, Spain assumed the role of protecting power over the northern and southern (Saharan) zones. The first nationalist political parties based their arguments for Moroccan independence on such World War II declarations as the Atlantic Charter (a joint statement issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill that sets forth, among other things, the right of all people to choose the form of government under which they will live). A manifesto of the Istiqlal (Independence) Party in 1944 was one of the earliest public demands for independence. That party subsequently provided most of the leadership for the nationalist movement. France's exile of the highly respected Sultan Muhammad V in 1953 and his replacement by the unpopular Muhammad Ben Aarafa, whose reign was perceived as illegitimate, sparked active opposition to the French protectorate. France allowed Muhammad V to return in 1955; negotiations leading to independence began the following year. The Kingdom of Morocco recovered its political independence from France on March 2, 1956. By agreements with Spain in 1956 and 1958, Moroccan control over certain Spanish-ruled areas was restored (see box, p. 2). On October 29, 1956, the signing of the Tangier Protocol politically reintegrated the former international zone. Spain, however, retained control over the small enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in the north and the enclave of Ifni in the south. Ifni became part of Morocco in 1969. After the death of his father, Muhammad V, King Hassan II succeeded to the throne on March 3, 1961. He recognized the Royal Charter proclaimed by his father on May 8, 1958, which outlined steps toward establishing a constitutional monarchy. A constitution providing for representative government under a strong monarchy was approved by referendum on December 7, 1962. Elections were held in 1963. In June 1965, following student riots and civil unrest, the king invoked article 35 of the constitution and declared a "state of exception." He assumed all legislative and executive powers and named a new government not based on political parties. In July 1970, King Hassan submitted to referendum a new constitution providing for an even stronger monarchy. Its approval and the subsequent elections formally ended the 1965 "state of exception." An unsuccessful coup on July 10, 1971, organized by senior military officers at Skhirat, was followed by Morocco's third constitution, approved by popular referendum in early 1972. The new constitution kept King Hassan's powers intact but enlarged from one-third to two-thirds the number of directly elected parliamentary representatives. In August 1972, after a second coup attempt by Moroccan Air Force dissidents and the King's powerful Interior Minister General Oufkir, relations between the opposition and the Crown deteriorated, due to disagreement on opposition participation in elections. The king subsequently appointed a series of nonpolitical cabinets responsible only to him. Stemming from cooperation on the Sahara issue (see box), rapprochement between the king and the opposition began in mid-1974 and led to elections for local councils, with opposition party participation, in November 1976. Parliamentary elections, deferred because of tensions with Spain and Algeria over the Sahara dispute, were held in 1977, resulting in a two-thirds majority for the government- backed independent candidates and their allies, the Istiqlal and the Popular Movement. The Constitutional Union finished first in local elections in June 1983 and parliamentary elections in 1984. GOVERNMENT The King is head of state, and his son, the Crown Prince, is heir apparent. Under the 1992 constitution, a prime minister appointed by the King is head of government. Of the 333-seat unicameral parliament, two-thirds of the members are chosen directly by universal adult suffrage; the remaining one-third is indirectly elected by community councils and business, labor, artisan, and farmer groups. The parliament's powers, though limited, were expanded by the 1992 constitution and include budgetary matters, approving bills presented by the King and establishing ad hoc commissions of inquiry to investigate actions by the executive branch. The highest court in the independent judicial structure is the Supreme Court, the judges of which are appointed by the King. Each province is headed by a governor appointed by the King. Morocco has divided the former Spanish Sahara into four provinces (see box). Principal Government Officials Chief of State--King Hassan II Prime Minister--Abdellatif Filali Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation-- Abdellatif Filali Ambassador to the United States--Mohamed Benaissa Ambassador to the United Nations--Ahmed Senoussi Morocco maintains an embassy in the United States at 1601 21st Street NW., Washington, D.C. 20009 (tel. 202-462-7979). POLITICAL CONDITIONS The pro-government RNI and UC parties won the largest number of seats in local elections in 1992. In 1993, parliamentary elections gave 50% of the vote to the six parties of the previous governing coalition but the two largest opposition parties, the Istiqlal and USFP, which ran common candidates, received the highest individual party vote totals. Together they took 41% of the seats contested (four smaller parties and independents won the remainder). These elections demonstrated a significant increase in the opposition's representation. The expansion of parliament's authority under the September 1992 constitution was another indicator of Morocco's political liberalization. The most prominent political parties are: -- The Istiqlal (PI), Morocco's oldest political party, was founded in 1944 and helped lead the fight for independence from French and Spanish colonial domination. The party retains its strongly nationalistic philosophy and also is among the most active on pan-Arab issues. -- The Union of Socialist Popular Forces (USFP), established in 1974, is to the left of the Istiqlal, and its leaders present it as being in the tradition of the social democratic parties in Europe. It is strong in urban centers, among organized labor, and among youth groups. -- The Berber-based Popular Movement (MP) and breakaway National Popular Movement (MNP) have as their main issue the promotion and protection of Berber culture and interests. -- The National Rally of Independents (RNI) was founded in 1977 by then Prime Minister Ahmed Osman, who continues to lead the party. -- The Center Right Constitutional Union Party (UC), was founded in April 1983. Its president is former Prime Minister Maati Bouabid. -- The National Democratic Party (PND) was formed in 1981 when it broke off from the RNI. Led by former cabinet member Arsalane El Jadidi, it is principally rural based. -- The Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) is the latest label for the small Moroccan communist party. Although tolerated, the party has been officially illegal at various times since its founding in 1943, the latest from 1969 to late 1974. The party bases its main support in urban areas and among younger, disaffected elements of society, and is led by Secretary General Ali Yata. -- The Organization for Democratic and Popular Action (OADP), has traditionally adopted strongly leftist positions on most domestic issues. However, like all the other Moroccan parties, it strongly sup-ports Morocco's claim of sovereignty over the Western Sahara. Party Secretary General Mohammed Ben Said leads the formation. ECONOMY The Moroccan economy is becoming increasingly diversified. Morocco has the largest phosphate reserves in the world. Other mineral resources include copper, fluorine, lead, barite, iron, and anthracite. It has a diverse agricultural (including fishing) sector, a large tourist industry, a growing manufacturing sector (especially clothing), and considerable inflows of funds from Moroccans working abroad. The export of phosphates and its derivatives account for more than a quarter of Moroccan exports. Morocco is increasing production of phosphoric acid and fertilizers. About one-third of the Moroccan manufacturing sector is related to phosphates and one-third to agriculture with virtually all of the remaining third divided between textiles, clothing, and metalworking. The clothing sector, in particular, has shown consistently strong growth over the last few years as foreign companies established large-scale operations geared toward exporting garments to Europe. Agriculture plays a leading role in the Moroccan economy, generating between 15 and 20% of GDP (depending on the harvest) and employing about 40% of the work force. Morocco is a net exporter of fruits and vegetables, and a net importer of cereals; over 90% of agriculture is rain-fed. Fishing is also important to Morocco, employing more than 100,000 people, including the canning and packing industries, and accounting for $520 million of exports in 1992. The Moroccan Government has pursued an economic reform program supported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank since the early 1980s. It has restrained spending, revised the tax system, reformed the banking system, followed appropriate monetary policies, lifted import restrictions, lowered tariffs, and liberalized the foreign exchange regime. Over the last decade, the reforms have contributed to rising per capita incomes, lower inflation, and narrower fiscal and current account deficits. Nonetheless, population growth, rural-urban migration, and higher labor force participation rates (particularly among women) are contributing to rising urban unemployment, in spite of generally strong economic growth and job creation. The rapid increase in secondary and university (but not primary) enrollments in the 1980s exceeded the economy's capacity to create jobs, resulting in rising unemployment rates for graduates, which are about 33% for high school graduates and 11% for university graduates. As part of its IMF program, the Moroccan Government has reduced its budget deficit. The central bank operates as an independent entity, and, following economic reform measures, has been remarkably successful in restoring domestic and international confidence in the value of the kingdom's currency. The government has made the dirham convertible for an increasing number of transactions over the last few years. The central bank sets the exchange rate for the dirham against a basket of currencies of its principal trading partners. The rate against the basket has been steady since a 9% devaluation in May 1990, with changes against the dollar being due to movement of the dollar against major European currencies. The Moroccan Government actively encourages foreign investment. It has opened virtually all sectors (other than those reserved for the state such as air transport and public utilities) to foreign investment. The government also has made a number of regulatory changes designed to improve the investment climate in recent years, including tax breaks, streamlined approval procedures, and access to foreign exchange for the repatriation of dividends and invested capital. FOREIGN RELATIONS Since Morocco attained independence, its foreign policy has been sympathetic to the West. Long-term goals are to strengthen its influence in the Arab world and Africa and to maintain its close relations with Europe and the United States. It is a member of the UN and some of its specialized and related agencies, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Morocco served a two- year term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council from January 1992 to December 1993. It also belongs to the Arab League; Arab Maghreb Union (UMA); Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC); INTELSAT; and Non-Aligned Movement. The major issue in Morocco's foreign relations is its claim to the Western Sahara relinquished by Spain in 1976. This has involved the country in a costly war against the Polisario forces seeking creation of an independent Saharan Republic. Since September 1991, Moroccan and Polisario forces have observed a cease-fire, established under the UN Secretary General's plan to hold a referendum in the Western Sahara in order to resolve the dispute. No date has been set for holding the referendum because of differences between the two parties over voter eligibility, although identification of potential voters by the UN has begun. The U.S. Government fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary General to work with the parties to overcome these differences. In 1984, Morocco signed a Treaty of Union with Libya, primarily aimed at ensuring a cessation of Libyan support for the Polisario. This disturbed some of Morocco's traditional friends, including the United States. Morocco described the union as a limited tactical alliance, and the King terminated the agreement in mid-1986. Morocco adheres to sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council on Libya in April 1992 in the wake of the Pan Am 103 bombing. Relations between Morocco and Algeria have improved in recent years, as reflected in the 1988 resumption of diplomatic relations and in King Hassan's 1992 ratification of the long-pending border agreement with Algeria. Morocco continues to play a significant role in the search for peace in the Middle East, participating in the multilateral phase of the peace talks and urging Arab moderation in the bilateral phase. King Hassan is Acting Chairman of the Arab League until the next regular Arab League Summit and Chairman of the Organization of the Islamic Conference's (OIC) Jerusalem committee. In 1986, he took the daring step of inviting then-Israeli Prime Minister Peres for talks, becoming the second Arab leader to do so. Following the September 1993 signing of the Israeli- Palestinian Declaration of Principles, Morocco's economic ties and political contacts with Israel accelerated. In September 1994, Morocco and Israel announced the opening of liaison offices in each other's countries. Morocco has expanded its regional role. In May 1989, the King hosted the Casablanca summit which reintegrated Egypt into the Arab fold and endorsed a moderate Palestinian approach to the peace process. In February 1989, Morocco played a leading role in the formation of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) made up of Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, and Morocco. The UMA's formation owed much to the May 1988 restoration of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Algeria after a 13-year hiatus. Morocco has close relations with Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states, which have provided Morocco with substantial amounts of financial assistance. Morocco was the first Arab state to condemn Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and sent troops to help defend Saudi Arabia. Morocco follows the UN Security Council-imposed sanctions on Iraq. Morocco remains active in African affairs, contributing troops to the UN peace-keeping force in Somalia in 1992. The Moroccans have worked to promote reconciliation between the Angolan Government and UNITA. U.S.-MOROCCAN RELATIONS Moroccans are proud to have recognized the Government of the United States in 1777. Formal U.S. relations with Morocco date from 1787, when the two nations negotiated a Treaty of Peace and Friendship. Renegotiated in 1836, it is still in force, constituting the longest unbroken treaty relationship in U.S. history. U.S.-Moroccan relations are characterized by mutual respect and friendship. They were strengthened by King Hassan's visits to the United States in March 1963, February 1967, November 1978, and May and October 1982, and September 1991. The U.S. and Morocco share key foreign policy objectives, such as promoting regional peace and development. Morocco's strategic location on the Strait of Gibraltar, its moderate and constructive positions on Middle East issues, its religious tolerance, and its past opposition to communist aggression are factors contributing to harmonious bilateral relations. U.S. objectives include maintaining cordial and cooperative relations; promoting respect for human rights and continued- democratization; supporting Moroccan efforts to develop an increasingly effective administration; and aiding its domestic, social, and economic progress. In addition to U.S. Navy port visits, Morocco has granted rights of transit through its airfields for U.S. forces and conducts joint exercises with various U.S. Armed Forces. The recently completed $225-million Voice of America (VOA) transmitter in Morocco will be the world's largest VOA transmitter. Since independence, more than $1.5 billion in U.S. grants and loans has been provided to Morocco. Total U.S. economic and military assistance (foreign military funds, economic support funds, development assistance, and PL 480 loans) to Morocco has averaged around $100 million annually. The assistance programs are aimed at increasing the food supply, improving food distribution, reducing population growth, improving health care, promoting the private sector, and assisting Morocco in meeting its legitimate defense needs. The Peace Corps has been active in Morocco for more than 30 years, and its program is among the largest in the world, with 100-140 volunteers in 1994. Peace Corps volunteers are involved in English language instruction, medical and veterinary care, sanitation, and environmental education. Principal U.S. Embassy Officials Ambassador--Marc C. Ginsberg Deputy Chief of Mission--Gary Usrey Director, AID Mission--Michael Farbman Public Affairs Officer--Richard Peterson Consul General, Casablanca--Anne O. Cary The U.S. embassy in Morocco is located at 2 Avenue de Marrakech, Rabat (tel. 212 (7) 76-22-65. [Box] Western Sahara The Western Sahara, scene of a decade-long conflict between the Polisario and Morocco, comprises 267,028 square kilometers (102,703 sq. mi.)--an area about the size of Colorado--of wasteland and desert, bordered on the north by Morocco, on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east and south by Mauritania, and for a few kilometers on the east by Algeria. From 1904 until 1975, Spain occupied the entire territory, which is divided into a northern portion, the Saguia el Hamra, and the southern two-thirds, known as Rio de Oro. Calls for the decolonization of these territories began in the 1960s, first from the surrounding nations and then from the United Nations. The discovery of phosphates in Bou Craa in the Saguia el Hamra heightened demands for Spanish withdrawal from the territory. Morocco's occupation after Spain's 1975 withdrawal led to long-term armed conflict between Morocco and the Polisario, an independence movement based in the region of Tindouf, Algeria. Morocco's claim to sovereignty over the Western Sahara is based largely on the historical argument of traditional loyalty of the Saharan tribal leaders to the Moroccan sultan as spiritual leader and ruler. The International Court of Justice, to which the issue was referred, delivered its opinion in 1975 that while historical ties exist between the inhabitants of the Western Sahara and Morocco, they are insufficient to establish Moroccan sovereignty. The Polisario claims to represent the aspirations of the Western Saharan inhabitants for independence. Algeria claims none of the territory for itself but maintains that a popular referendum on self-determination should determine the territory's future status. In 1969, the Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro) was formed to combat Spanish colonization. After the Spanish left and the Moroccans and, initially, the Mauritanians moved in, the Polisario turned its guerrilla operations against them. In November 1975, 350,000 unarmed Moroccan citizens staged what came to be called the "Green March" into the Western Sahara. The march was designed to both demonstrate and strengthen Moroccan claims to the territory. On November 9, 1975, King Hassan requested that the marchers withdraw. On November 14, Spain, Morocco, and Mauritania announced a tripartite agreement for an interim administration under which Spain agreed to share administrative authority with Morocco and Mauritania, leaving aside the question of sovereignty. With the establishment of a Moroccan and Mauritanian presence throughout the territory, however, Spain's role in the administration of the Western Sahara ceased altogether. Mauritania withdrew from the territory in 1978 after several defeats by the Polisario. Mauritania signed a peace treaty with the Polisario in Algiers in 1979 renouncing all claims and vacating the territory. Thereupon, Moroccan troops occupied the vacated region, and tribal leaders pledged allegiance to King Hassan. Later, local elections and the election of representatives to the National Assembly took place and Morocco proclaimed the area reintegrated into Morocco. It has since built fortifications that control about three- fourths of the Western Sahara and protect the economic and population centers, including the phosphate mine at Bou Craa. At the Organization of African Unity (OAU) summit in June 1981, King Hassan announced his willingness to hold a referendum in the Western Sahara. He took this decision, he explained, in deference to African and other leaders who had urged him to permit a referendum as the accepted way to settle such issues. Subsequent meetings of an OAU Implementation Committee proposed a cease-fire, a UN peace- keeping force, and an interim administration to assist with an OAU-UN-supervised referendum on the issue of independence or annexation. Domestically, King Hassan's agreement in 1981 to hold a referendum evoked criticism from Morocco's socialist party (USFP), leading to the arrest and conviction at that time of USFP leaders for actions considered detrimental to national security and public order. In 1984, the OAU seated a delegation of the Sahara Democratic Arab Republic (SDAR), the shadow government of the Polisario; consequently, Morocco withdrew from the OAU. In late August 1988, Moroccan and Polisario representatives, meeting separately with UN officials, agreed on a peace plan proposed by UN Secretary General Perez de Cuellar. A UN- brokered cease-fire and project for a referendum went into effect on September 6, 1991, between Morocco and the Polisario. The referendum, which aims at determining whether the region will choose integration with Morocco or independence, was originally scheduled for 1992 but has yet to be held because of differences between the two parties regarding the details of implementation. The United States has consistently supported efforts to end the war through negotiations between the concerned parties leading to a cease-fire and referendum. While recognizing Morocco's administrative control of the Western Sahara, the United States has not endorsed Morocco's claims of sovereignty there. It is the U.S. position that a political solution to the Western Sahara should take into account the views of its inhabitants. (###) Travel Notes Climate and clothing: Morocco has wide daily variations in temperature. The coastal climate, though temperate, is damp. Wear clothing suitable for the eastern U.S. Customs and currency: Passports are required. U.S. tourists do not need visas for visits of 3 months or less. Dirhams may not be imported or exported. All currency or travelers checks must be declared upon entry. Health: Although not meeting U.S. standards, public health is improving steadily. Eat prepared fruits and vegetables and drink bottled water, which is widely available, when traveling outside the main cities. Telecommunications: Local and international telephone and telegraph service is available. A working knowledge of French or Arabic is essential. Morocco is on Greenwich mean time (five standard time zones ahead of eastern standard time); and remains on GMT throughout the year. Transportation: Direct flights are available from New York. Adequate public transportation by air, rail, and bus is available to and from principal cities. The highway system is good, and directions are clearly marked. (###) Published by the United States Department of State -- Bureau of Public Affairs -- Office of Public Communication -- Washington, DC -- 20520. Managing Editor: Peter Knecht Department of State Publication 7954 Background Notes Series --This material is in the public domain and may be reprinted without permission; citation of this source is appreciated. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. (###)


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UPDATE: Since there appears to be some confusion about my intentions with this post, allow me to clarify that it is not meant primarily as a criticism of Chase or Ultimate Rewards. I find their advertising language amusing, but I find lots of things amusing and it's only meant as a personal comment by way of introduction to the main topic: the results of the poll. I could edit out the first half of the post, which is mostly commentary and opinion, and it would not change the ending, which is that the average respondent to my poll would accept a discount if were possible to redeem United miles in reverse for Ultimate Rewards points.
So, I apologize for (1) the initial mistake with the headline, since corrected, and (2) my apparent mistake in including an opinion on Ultimate Rewards' choice of marketing language. In the interest of transparency I'm not trying to hide those mistakes. But if you can over look those, the rest of the post is quite harmless. It provides the results of a poll, helps assign a specific number to the premium Ultimate Rewards points ought to receive for their flexibility, and reminds readers that one should think carefully about which transfer partner provides the most utility for their Ultimate Rewards points. END UPDATE
A little over a month ago I was debating with myself — and some readers — on the new value of Ultimate Rewards points after several devaluations by their airline and hotel transfer partners. You guys raised a lot of good points, and I'm going to revisit the question, but today is just a fun little math exercise.
I find it hilarious that Chase advertises its Ultimate Rewards program as letting you transfer points at "full 1:1 value." How much is a point worth? One point. Well, how much is that one point worth? One point. The only thing worse than marketing spin is meaningless marketing spin. I couldn't care less if I get one point for another point. What I care is what I can do with my points.
And this is where things get tricky. You can transfer Ultimate Rewards to lots of different programs, but each of those programs has, in turn, loyalty currencies of different value. 100,000 points transferred to United Airlines will get you a round-trip business class ticket to Europe on Lufthansa — if you book today. Or you could transfer the same 100,000 points to Hyatt and get 5 free nights at a Category 5 hotel. After February 1st you'll have to transfer 140,000 points for the same award flight. But you can still get 5 free nights at Hyatt for just 100,000 points.
Did the value of Ultimate Rewards points go down? Stay the same? It clearly depends a lot on what you want to do with them. I don't even have to transfer them if I don't want to. Ultimate Rewards points by themselves are worth 1.2 cents each for a flight booked through their travel agency.
So, points do not transfer at equal value, regardless of what Chase says. There are generally two ways of valuing Ultimate Rewards points. The first is to assign them the value of the most valuable transfer partner. If a Hyatt point is worth 1.5 cents and a United mile is worth 2 cents, then I'd say an Ultimate Rewards point is worth 2 cents. Transferring points to United actually increases their value. The second way is to assign a slight premium, say 2.2 cents, because Ultimate Rewards points are flexible. I can't turn a United mile into a Hyatt point, but I can transfer my Ultimate Rewards points wherever they have the most utility.
I am in the first camp. I value them pretty much the same as the most valuable transfer partner in most cases. However, given a choice I will obviously choose Ultimate Rewards points. That flexibility has value. It just doesn't have very much for me because I only ever transfer to Hyatt or United and already have lots of both.
So I set up a question for my readers: How many United Airlines miles would you exchange for exactly 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points? If you said 1,000, it means you assign equal value. If you said 1,001 (like me) it's probably because you assign equal value but are willing to part with a symbolic mile to gain the extra utility of Ultimate Rewards points. And if you said 1,100 or more, it's because you believe that United miles are discounted relative to Ultimate Rewards points — you would give up United miles for the flexibility of Ultimate Rewards points, even if that flexibility means you might end up transferring them back to United some time in the future (and ending up with fewer miles than you started with).
I collected over 300 votes. Here's how they were distributed:
As I suspected, a plurality said 1,000 (equal value), a few would offer the symbolic 1,001, and another large portion offered 1,100 (a slight discount). But a not insignificant number were willing to depreciate their United miles by 33% by offering 1,500 or more for only 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points. "Depreciation" assumes you'll be converting them back to United eventually. You may have tons of United miles and want to do something else with them.
I went ahead and calculated a weighted average of these responses to determine the value of an Ultimate Rewards point with respect to United miles. Because you can't calculate a qualitative answer like "more," I lumped this group in with "1,500." The result is 1,146 miles. Turn it around the other way, and
1 Ultimate Rewards point is worth only 0.87 United miles 1 United mile is worth only 0.87 Ultimate Rewards points in the eyes of the average person polled. Hardly a 1:1 exchange.
Of course, many factors go into determining the value of miles and points. A fixed-value rewards program like Southwest Rapid Rewards tells you X number of points times Y valuation = Z dollars toward your next ticket. Zone- and category-based awards used by most airlines and hotels say you can fly a certain route or stay at a certain hotel for X number of points, but the actual cost of that flight or hotel room may vary widely. And almost any time you book award travel, you are giving up some flexibility and sacrificing any additional points or miles you could have earned on a booking paid with cash.

subset: commoncrawl


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Airtel launches Rs 47 STD pack with slashed tariff for Delhi & NCR circle
A special STD pack of Rs 47 was launched by the Telecom giant Bharti Airtel on Thursday, for bringing about a significant reduction in STD tariffs for the service provider's pre-paid customers in Delhi and NCR circle.
The newly-announced plan allows Airtel customers to avail unlimited STD calls to any place in India - to a mobile or landline - for one month at a notably slashed tariff of 75 paise per minute, with the Rs 47 recharge pack.
Airtel has already set precedent for similar initiatives in the past - including the Rs 200 Recharge, Easy Charge, Lifetime, Easy Lifetime, and Super Lifetime Prepaid. Such initiatives have greatly transformed the Indian mobile services market with regard to creating customer value. In the future too, Airtel remains committed to launching new offers that aim at bringing about a reasonably-priced and accessible mobile experience.
Talking about the newly-launched Rs 47 STD pack, Shashi Arora - Chief Executive of Bharti Airtel's Mobile Services for Delhi & NCR - said: "Airtel has launched this cost effective recharge voucher with a strategic intent of bringing down STD tariff and driving affordability for our pre-paid customers in Delhi & NCR region. We are confident that this value-added initiative will greatly benefit many of our customers with heavy STD usage and help in further expanding the market."


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Wednesday, February 25th 2009
Buffalo Updates its 2.5-inch SHD-NSUM Solid-State Drive Offerings
Buffalo said today that its SHD-NSUM family of 2.5-inch solid-state drives has been updated to include new drives with 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB usable space. Grand total, now the family will include models with 30 GB, 32 GB, 60 GB, 64 GB, 120 GB and 128 GB capacities. They'll use MLC-based technology and feature both SATA 3.0 Gbps for internal use in computers or notebooks and a high-speed USB 2.0 interface for external usage. Expected to become available in Japan some time in mid-March, the 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB SHD-NSUM models will cost about $123, $216 and $391 respectively.TechConnect Magazine
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"A delightfully different soup served with warm spinach & goat cheese muffins, a feast for both the eyes and taste buds. From Delicious magazine. The muffins could easily be served with any other soup or even for breakfast. Delicious!"
Roast Capsicum & Tomato Soup With Spinach & Goat Cheese
0 recipe photos
READY IN:30mins
YIELD:8 muffins
Ingredients Nutrition
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra
- olive oil, to drizzle
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 (400 g) cans chopped tomatoes
- homemade vegetable stock
- 80 g soft goat's cheese
- 25 g unsalted butter
- 200 ml milk
- 100 g spinach leaves
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon bicarbonate of soda
- 2⁄3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 120 g goat's cheese
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- Soup:.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until softened. Add garlic, tomato, capsicum and stock. Season, bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Cool slightly, blend in batches in a food processorm or blender until smooth. You can press through a sieve for an even smoother texture, if desired.
- Pour soup into warmed bowls, sprinkle with soft goat's cheese, drizzle with extra olive oil, season, and serve with spinach and goat's cheese muffins.
- Muffins:.
- Preheat oven to 190°C Lighty grease 8 holes of a muffin pan.
- Heat butter and milk in a pan over medium heat.
- Add the spinach and stir for 1 minute until wilted.
- Remove from heat, cool slightly and blend until smooth.
- Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl.
- Add Parmesan, egg and spinach mixture.
- rumble in cheese, then stor gently until just combined.
- Fill pans with mixture.
- Prick cherry tomatoes several times, then place 1 in the centre of each muffin.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until muffins are risen and cooked through.
- Turn out onto a rack to cool slightly.
- Serve with warm soup.


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Ferentz on Hamilton
Iowa does have a reputation for producing NFL-ready offensive linemen, but don't discount the work Kirk Ferentz and his staff have done with tight ends.
During Ferentz's tenure, Iowa has put eight tight ends in the NFL in some way, shape or form. This year, Tony Moeaki was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. During Ferentz's first season, 1999, Zeron Flemister and Austin Wheatley made it into the league.
In between, there's been all-pro Dallas Clark.
Ray Hamilton liked the sound of that. So, the Strongsville, Ohio, prep committed to play tight end for the Hawkeyes on Wednesday.
Hamilton was the first of three commitments Wednesday for the Hawkeyes. Iowa also picked up a commitment from defensive end John Raymon, a 6-5, 240-pounder from Council Rock (Penn.) North School.
"I think I've heard all the way to 12 (tight ends from Iowa in the NFL)," said Hamilton, a 6-5, 225-pounder. "I don't know the exact number, but I know they've put a lot of tight ends in the NFL."
In six games last season, Hamilton caught six passes for 300 yards. He missed a stretch of games after having a torn meniscus repaired in his knee. Hamilton missed some time in basketball, too, with an elbow injury. He said he's good to go now.
"I played week one of football with torn meniscus in my knee," Hamilton said. "I had it fixed was out until week five or six. Just had some pain and it's fine now."
Hamilton had at least 20 scholarship offers, including Michigan, Notre Dame and Oklahoma. With all the mail, his recruiting has been nutty, to say the least.
"I'm just thankful I have two hands, I guess," Hamilton said when asked about daily trips to the mailbox. "It's crazy. That's the best way to put it. You've got to stay humble with it and stay patient with the process and make sure you really pick out the schools and narrow it down as quickly as you can."
Links -- Hamilton was named the Strongsville Post player of the year. "I'm too competitive," said Hamilton, whose first love used to be hoops. "I can't stay away from competition. It would kill me to go to a game to watch and know I can make a difference. I think our team can really do something special this year."
Three most interesting bio items -- 1) Played in Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Myrtle Beach, S.C. 2) Had 55 catches his senior year. 3) Four-year letterwinner in football and basketball. Teammate of Iowa hoops recruit Aaron White.
Ferentz on -- Iowa tight ends coach Eric Johnson told the tight ends in this class they wanted two. They ended up with three, but not before Johnson asked the first two -- Henry Krieger-Coble and Hamilton -- what they thought about bringing in Jake Duzey.
"Ray Hamilton probably had the best quote on it, he said, 'Coach, this is our team now. Whatever it takes to help us win,' " Johnson said. "When you have guys who take that kind of attitude, you have a pretty good chance of being successful. That's why we ended up taking three guys."
As far as Hamilton's skills go . . .
"He didn't come to our camp, but he's probably the truest tight end out of the group," Johnson said. "You can see him block on tape. You can see him do some of the motion stuff we do on tape. He can run, catch."
Projection is fun -- Hamilton is listed 6-5, 235. He has plenty of room to get to 255 or 260 and still keep a tight end's speed.
And that's what you wonder about with some of the big TE prospects, the wheels. Hamilton's are good enough to not only earn football honors, but he's also a accomplished basketball player.
His body could translate to other positions, but if he shows the burst he's shown at Strongsville, he's a true tight end.
Why mess with that?
|LIVE COVERAGE: Hearing on Cedar Rapids c ...
|At Iowa Press taping, former defense sec ...
|Man found dead from possible self-inflic ...


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Creative leader with proven record of success in brand management, design, marketing and sales. Excels in creative concept development and all it has to offer. Skilled in training, supervising and mentoring talent. Holds a passion for typography, design and illustration. Offers strategic thinking for marketing and advertising initiatives. Expert in Adobe Creative Suite 6. My design goal is to be a student of the design profession and to be involved in every level of design development.
2013 - Present
Duties include design, brand management and creative concept development to completion. Skilled in mentoring new talent and prepress/ print. Worked with fortune 500 companies: Generac, Google, ABC Supply. Local: Blackhawk Technical College, Health Net of Rock County and Mercy Health System.
Worked with Marketing and Communications team. Aided in building content management system for purchasing and fulfillment center. Job duties include print and web design.
Helped grow graphics business 1000% until functioned independently. Designed vehicle wraps and installed graphics for local businesses.
Assisted with the design and creation of flyers and brochures. Helped with marketing, planning local fundraisers and events for Mercy while engaging in community awareness.
Website for Humane Society
Vehicle wrap for the Mobile Medical Pet Unit.
Custom drawing for book cover designDesign
Marketing material designs for National Guardian Life InsuranceDesign
Custom flyer design for Rock River Philharmonic upcoming shows.Print/ Design
Sign and coupon card design to promote new campaign for Vet Pets - Humane Society of Southern WisconsinSign Design
One of 12 poster designs for City of Janesville Wisconsin's Park PlacePoster Design
Vehicle wrap design for Rock River Philharmonic, Beloit WIBranding/ Vehicle Wraps
Business cards design for Sabella Brothers Electric, a local Generac dealer.Business Cards
Website design for Northland Door Systems, Madison WI. Country Door Systems coming soon.Web Design
Vehicle wrap design for local computer and technology company, Why The Fuss, Janesvill, WIBranding/ Vehicle Wraps
Flyer design for upcoming show All American: A Clown Play for Second City, Chicago ILFlyer design
Bus wrap design for the University of Wisconsin Whitewater.Branding/ Vehicle Wraps
Vehicle wrap design for local bakery Cakes By Sheila in Janesville, WI.Branding/ Vehicle Wraps
Top Left: Killer Cars logo - local band in Janesville, WI
Top Right: Cakes by Sheila logo - local bakery in Janesville, WI
Middle Left: Vet Pets logo - Humane Society campaign for Southern Wisconsin.
Middle Right: Crossfit logo - Beloit, WI
Bottom Left: Project 16:49 logo - Rock County, WI
Bottom Right: Live United logo - United Way of Wisconsin
I am always available for Freelance projects! Please contact me below or at email@example.com
Contact me at anytime, thank you!


text:
Chicago Fire name new coach Cobos
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire picked former Salvadoran national coach Carlos de los Cobos as the fifth head coach in the Major League Soccer team's 12-year history on Monday.
The 51-year-old coach succeeds Dennis Hamlett, who coached the Fire in 2008 and 2009 and was released late last year. He said he signed a two-year deal with an option for an unspecified extension.
"I have to learn things quickly, not only the players but how things operate in this league and the differences and nuances between this league and (others) like the Mexican First Division," de los Cobos said through a translator. "But it also makes me excited and it makes me work harder in terms of approaching this challenge."
De los Cobos, a Mexico native, revived the El Salvador's national team as head coach from 2006-09. He previously was head coach of Club America in the Mexican Primera Division and managed a series of Mexican national teams from 1993-2004, including the 1996 Olympic team. He was an assistant coach for a national team that won the CONCACAF 1996 Gold Cup.
De los Cobos' 17-year-playing career including 10 seasons with Club America and stints with two other Mexican teams.
"My idea, philosophy is to play an attractive style of soccer," de los Cobos said. "I know that the most important thing is to win, but there are different ways of winning. My goal and objective is to play a style that's enjoyed by the fans, in which there's a lot of ball movement, good touch on the ball."
The first task for de los Cobos is to travel to this week's MLS player combine in Florida and participate in the MLS draft later this week.
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Dazzling zinnia and sunflower fields embellish orchardswith 17 varieties of luscious peaches, raspberry patch, and
tantalizing vegetable and herb gardens.Photographers & artists are welcome to capture the
country charm and traces of history. Country storefeatures fresh-picked seasonal produce, preserves,
and locally sourced items.
Length: 3 minutes to 1 hour; tour length depends onvisitor interest
Availability: Country store open daily 10 am – 4 pmTours: Mondays by appointment
Call to schedule a tour (970-261-5809)Season: July 1 – Oct
Price: Free
• Large groups by appointment
• Walking on uneven terrain; sensible shoes suggested
• Facility hosting for Feasts in the Fields, events
• Ample parking
• Carol Z, Richard, Kendra and Ken warmly welcome
you to their family farm.


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Common Core Standards – issue: August 19; reservation deadline: August 5 – today
One of the most far-reaching changes in the national curriculum is the adoption of Common Core Standards. Already the reaction in states where early tests have been given, including New York State, has been one of shock at the low scores. Textbooks and preparatory materials are all going to have to change.
If you're ahead of the game, plan to be a part of this Common Core feature. Contact your rep now to reserve space.


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If you're heading out to ArtPrize 2011 and are considering purchasing the official $15 guidebook, here's an additional incentive: The guidebook includes coupons worth more than $500 in discounts to area stores, restaurants and attractions.
Coupons included in the guidebooks, which is available at Meijer stores around the state and at the event's eight exhibition centers and the ArtPrize headquarters The Hub, include:
- 25 percent off ArtPrize merchandise.
- 25 percent off any one item at F. David Barney, Clothiers.
- $20 off highlights, $10 off haircuts, 50 percent off for students, 10 percent off feather extensions at Hairacy Downtown.
- $5 off any purchase of $25 or more at Lee & Birch.
- $5 good toward the purchase of any item of your choice at Lia Rose.
- $4 off a Grand Rapids Art Museum logo T-shirt at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.
- Buy one ticket, get one free to Broadway Grand Rapids' "Come Fly Away."
- 50 percent off any ticket to a Grand Rapids Ballet Company 2011-2012 season show.
- And much, much more.
Five hundred dollars worth of discounts for a $15 investment? The only other way to get a return that good is to buy a Sunday newspaper.
Contact Simon at email@example.com.
Check out our regional Shopping Deals blogs to find great local deals and shopping tips:
- Grand Rapids: www.mlive.com/grand-rapids-deals
- Jackson: www.mlive.com/jackson-deals
- Kalamazoo: www.mlive.com/kalamazoo-deals
- Muskegon: www.mlive.com/muskegon-deals


text:
Two teenage boys were arrested Tuesday following a three-night BB gun vandalism spree that damaged at least 42 vehicles in Chula Vista, police said.
The vandals struck neighborhoods in the southeastern portion of the city, breaking vehicle windows resulting in thousands of dollars in damage, said Lt. Lon Turner. Some of the streets where the vandalism occurred include Camino del Sol, Vaquero Court and Kincaid Avenue.
Witnesses described seeing an older white BMW with a group of teens inside, and a security guard got a license plate off a surveillance video.
Investigators tracked the plate down to a Chula Vista home and arrested two 16-year-old boys. Their names were not released because they are minors.
One of the boy's homes revealed a BB gun and a gallon-sized bag of BB ammunition. A search of a second home turned up four more BB guns.
The case will be forwarded to the District Attorney's Office for possible charges.
Anyone whose vehicle was damaged in the spree but hasn't reported it can call police at (619) 691-5151.


text:
BONN (Dec. 27)
Former civil servants or public servants who are entitled to claim pensions on the basis of their having been dismissed by the Nazis for religious or racial or political reasons were reminded today that December 31 is the last day on which they can file their claim. It is also the deadline for applications by former German nationals who wish to have their German citizenship reinstated.
The "Law for Redressing National Socialist Injustice with Regard to Public Servants" was passed in 1951, but was considerably amended and improved a year ago Its benefits extend not only to pre-Nazi members of the state civil service system in Germany, Danzig, the Saar and certain areas later incorporated into Germany, but also to former employees of semi-official public utilities, to municipal officials, to university professors and lecturers.
Under the provisions of the law, more than 16,000 applications for pensions or for reinstatement have been submitted, the bulk of them by German political victims of Nazism, but a substantial minority by Jews. Almost all these cases have been already settled.
The law for restoration of citizenship provides that if a Jew was stripped of German citizenship by the Nazis, he is entitled to have it restored to him, irrespective of his present country of residence. A petition to that effect must, however, be addressed to the proper German authority before December 31, 1956. Emigrants from towns now located in West Germany can apply to police headquarters in their former place of domicile. Others must turn to the Bonn Ministry of the Interior, if they are now outside of Germany.


text: John, I thought you said you weren't using cygwin to build brailleblaster, except for the liblouis* libs. Does this mean that ant in cygwin will run outside cygwin on windows? Just getting oriented. TIA --le ----- Original Message ----- From: "John J. Boyer" <john.boyer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <brailleblaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, July 22, 2011 12:06 AM Subject: [brailleblaster] Re: ant Laura, Check your Cygwin. It may already have ant. If not, you can add it with the setup program. My Cygwin has Subversion Mercurial, and just about every other programming tool. The Cygwin command line is much nicer than the Window cmd. John On Thu, Jul 21, 2011 at 10:16:44PM -0500, qubit wrote: > Kind of ominous having a program named after a bug... > > I have 2 questions about installing ant on windows: > There appears to be only one version of ant for windows, and presumably it > is for 32 bit, as it talks about building on xp and before. Will this > version also build on 64 bit? > > Q2: I can't find directions on installing the binaries. > There is a file called "INSTALL that appears to be a binary a but I want > some indication how to use it. > > Ok, I'll add a 3rd question: the verbage on the website )which I didn't > look > at closely) talked about digital signatures. Does that mean I have to > decrypt, or is that just to test the binaries against the key to be sure > it > is official? > > Thanx for any info. > --le > -- John J. Boyer; President, Chief Software Developer Abilitiessoft, Inc. http://www.abilitiessoft.com Madison, Wisconsin USA Developing software for people with disabilities


text:
Time to glide across the ballroom
Friday Sugarland lands at Amphitheatre Country super-group Sugarland brings its "In the Hands of the Fans" tour to the Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 U.S. 301 N., at 7 p.m. Friday. Special guest is Canaan Smith. Tickets start at $30, plus service charges, and are available by calling (813) 740-2446 or online at www.livenation.com.Friday and Saturday Piccadilly Circus returns to fairgrounds The Piccadilly Circus brings everything you would expect to see at a circus to the Florida State Fairgrounds Entertainment Hall, 4800 U.S. 301 N. Performances include an elephant extravaganza, motorcycle daredevils spinning in a "globe of doom", acrobats, contortionists, clowns and more. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday, and 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Special buy-one-get-one-free adult tickets are available online at www.TheFunCircus.com. Go to that site for details and ticket pricing or call 1-877-373-0477. Saturday 12 hours of ballroom dance The SouthernStar Chapter of USA Dance hosts The Mid Summer Classic XVIII Dance Sport Ballroom Dance Competition from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Rhapsody Ballroom, 12101 N. 56th St. The morning session features American smooth and International Latin, and the afternoon session has American Rhythm and International Standard. Admission for the all-amateur competition is $5 for a half day, $10 for a full day and $20 for all day, evening dinner and dance. For information, call (813) 681-5275 or go to southernstarusabda.org. Ode to old blue eyes celebrates 15 years Ken Walters' 15th annual Celebrate Sinatra runs from 8 p.m. into the wee hours at the historic Ritz Theater, 1503 E. Seventh Ave. in Ybor City. The celebration of Frank Sinatra and his contemporaries features live performances by Tom Tiratto and his 17-piece big band orchestra with Ashley Locheed and Paul Phillips on the main stage, along with Ignacio Marin's Latin Lovers playing mambo and cha cha in the Copa Room. Tickets are $60 to the black-tie-optional event, and include free martinis for the first hour, hors d'oeuvres from Bernini, a cigar bar, valet parking and an after party at the Carne Chop House. For details, call (813) 251-0500 or go to www.CelebrateSinatra.com. Saturday and Sunday Fairy tale geared to teen audiences Broadway Bound presents the G2K adaptation of "Once Upon a Mattress," a musical spin on the story of "The Princess and the Pea," at Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4537 Lowell Road. The GK2 series is an adaptation for pre-high school students. The content has been edited to better suit younger actors and audiences, while preserving the fun and magic of the original. Show times are 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $24, $22 for seniors and $24 for CCC members. For information or to get tickets, call (813) 269-1310 go to carrollwoodcenter.org. Sunday Fashion ambition at Embassy Suites SirPass Events presents the "Ambitious Elements of Style Fashion Event" from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom at Embassy Suites USF, 3705 Spectrum Blvd. The fashion-forward event combines elements within the fashion world represented by the most ambitious entities. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door, call (813) 434-0073. Bombshells abound at summer classic See Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe on an ocean liner to Paris in Howard Hawk's 1953 musical comedy "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," at 3 p.m. as part of the Summer Classics at Tampa Theatre. The screening will be followed by a post-film talk with Harriet Deer. Tickets are $9 and are available at the Tampa Theatre box office, 711 N. Franklin St. For information call (813) 274-8981 or go to www.tampatheatre.org. Interested in having your entertainment event considered for publication? Send your submissions to Greg S. Carr, The Tampa Tribune, 202 S. Parker St., Tampa FL 33606; call (813) 259-7645; email firstname.lastname@example.com; or fax to (813) 259-7676. Digital JPEG photographs are welcome. Include your name and telephone number. Deadline is two weeks prior to publication date.
Search: Entertainment, for a database of events, music, dining reviews and movie times and locations.
Trending Now
More headlines


text:
JJMartinBooks Reviews and Ratings
JJMartinBooksSeller rating: (2) 75% *
Seller since August 2012
- Ships From
- Lafayette, IN
- Shipping Method
- Standard
JJMartinBooks Ratings & Buyer Feedback
Arrived fast and in good condition!
great product and fast shipping!
In the description it said that it was in good condition, the book is highlighted and wrote in. It also said it was the teachers addition it is the same as all the other books.. Very disappointed
I recieved the book and it was in good shape. The problem I had awith my order was that I paid for it to be expedited and it still over a week later. I did not get in just a few days as was planned on
Purchasing these books was very easy. I sent a note to the seller and received a very, very prompt response. In addition, the books shipped within 2 days. Great customer service.
The book is in the good condition as promised. The only complain I have is that I paid for the expedited shipping, but didn't receive the book for 2 weeks, which was really annoying.
*This is the seller's all-time positive feedback score, calculated by the number of positive ratings / (positives + negatives)


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VirtualizationMode Enumeration
Specifies the method the VirtualizingStackPanel uses to manage virtualizing its child items.
Assembly: PresentationFramework (in PresentationFramework.dll)
|Member name
Reuse the item containers.
Create and discard the item containers.
By default, a VirtualizingStackPanel creates an item container for each visible item and discards it when it is no longer needed (such as when the item is scrolled out of view). When an ItemsControl contains a many items, the process of creating and discarding item containers can negatively affect performance. When VirtualizationMode is set to Recycling, the VirtualizingStackPanel reuses item containers instead of creating a new one each time.
When VirtualizingStackPanel cannot recycle item containers, it uses the standard mode of virtualization, which is to create and discard item containers for each item. The following list describes cases when the VirtualizingStackPanel cannot recycle item containers:
The ItemsControl contains item containers of different types. For example, a Menu might have items that use both MenuItem and Separator objects as the item containers.
You explicitly create the item containers for the ItemsControl.
The following example creates a ListBox and sets the VirtualizationMode attached property to Recycling.
<StackPanel> <StackPanel.Resources> <src:LotsOfItems x:Key="data"/> </StackPanel.Resources> <ListBox Height="150" ItemsSource="{StaticResource data}" VirtualizingStackPanel.VirtualizationMode="Recycling" /> </StackPanel>
The following example shows the data used in the previous example.
Available since 3.0
Available since 3.0
Windows Phone Silverlight
Available since 7.0


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Unlike the old Labour plan the details won't be held in a central database but by the ISPs themselves. Currently the article mentions the security services and serious crime - how long before other parts of the state get their grubby hands on the data?Details of every phone call and text message, email traffic and websites visited online are to be stored in a series of vast databases under new Government anti-terror plans.
Landline and mobile phone companies and broadband providers will be ordered to store the data for a year and make it available to the security services under the scheme.
The databases would not record the contents of calls, texts or emails but the numbers or email addresses of who they are sent and received by.
For the first time, the security services will have widespread access to information about who has been communicating with each other on social networking sites such as Facebook.
Direct messages between subscribers to websites such as Twitter would also be stored, as well as communications between players in online video games.
The Home Office is understood to have begun negotiations with internet companies in the last two months over the plan, which could be officially announced as early as May.
Rest of article ...


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Baltimore, Md.
For more information about this type of strategy, see our School Districts page.
Baltimore was one of the first cities to begin considering chronic absence in its bid to improve attendance. In a way, it's uniquely positioned with both a substantial absenteeism problem and easy access to the right data and research resources to draw on.
Maryland is one of the few states which requires schools and districts to report how many students are chronically absent each year. The state sets the standard for chronic absence at 20 days, slightly higher than the 10 percent mark. Baltimore is also home to a set of Johns Hopkins University researchers who have explored the role of chronic absence in high school dropout prevention.
In 2008, the Open Society Institute-Baltimore (OSI-Baltimore) commissioned the Baltimore Education Research Consortium (a partnership of Johns Hopkins, Morgan State University and Baltimore City Public Schools) to extend the data into the early grades. The results showed an alarming situation: one in six elementary students was missing at least 20 days of class, as were 34 percent of middle schoolers and 44 percent of high school students.
The numbers catalyzed the community to come together in a citywide attendance work group aimed at getting more children to school everyday. Led by the mayor's office, superintendent's staff and an OSI director, the work group brought together more than 100 representatives of city and state agencies, parents, students, universities, foundations, public interest groups, and nonprofits.
Their goals were to improve access to attendance data, develop positive and supportive preventions and early intervention strategies, address barriers to regular attendance such as dental problems and unreliable transportation, and initiate a campaign to make attendance a high priority city-wide.
OSI, a local and national foundation, also provided funding to the ACLU of Maryland and the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute at Harvard University Law School to research best practices and to coordinate the work group, which is now known as the Baltimore Student Attendance Campaign. Attendance data shows that chronic absence rates among Baltimore's middle grades students have been cut in half, while elementary and high school figures remain flat.
Key to the strategy is not focusing on a single measure of attendance. Instead Baltimore has developed a continuum:
Efforts to improve attendance came in tandem with steps to reform the school district's strict discipline code, which resulted in more than 100,000 missed days of school in the 2006-7 school year. A steep reduction in suspensions for minor disciplinary infractions, along with efforts to replace struggling middle schools with kindergarten-to-eighth grade schools and sixth-to-12th grade campuses, helped cut middle school absences in half.
Across the school district, teachers, students, parents and community members continue to build a culture of attendance. Students made videos and posters to highlight the importance of attendance. Experience Corps members and church group volunteers contact chronically absent students and their families to find and help address barriers to attendance. The Social Services and Juvenile Justice departments now consider attendance a "must respond to" indicator.
The school district launches an information blitz for parents and students at the beginning of each school year, with a particularly focus on the transition years: kindergarten, sixth and ninth. Every school is equipped to track attendance for the campus and for individual students on data dashboards.
The efforts focus on both excused and unexcused absences. Realizing that many absences are related to health concerns, Baltimore officials are exploring how to share attendance data with school nurses and ensure that schools conduct health screens using policies based on nationial standards . Frequent excused absences would become an an indicator to check in with the family and student about health care needs.
Through strategic grants and investments, the attendance initiative is steadily addressing absenteeism:
- The Family League of Baltimore City, which administers the city's investment in afterschool programs, requires the programs to work to target chronically absent students, to take attendance and to set attendance goals for their student population.
- OSI-Baltimore's grants target foster children and homeless children, two populations with high absentee rates.
- The city's transit agency is partnering with the Central Maryland Transportation Alliance and other advocacy organizations through the Rate Your Ride texting campaign to track real time data about students experience using public transportation and then address those issues.
Individually, Baltimore principals are working to build the type of school culture that encourages children to attend school regularly. One of these schools – Franklin Square Elementary and Middle School – offers an inspiring model of success. Despite the fact that 91 percent of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch and classes often have as many as 40 students, Franklin boasts one of the highest attendance rates in Baltimore.
- Keys to a Great School Year: a checklist to help parents get their children to school regularly, developed by the Baltimore Public Schools and Baltimore Student Attendance Campaign
- Attendance Best Practices, Baltimore Public Schools
- Climate Walk (observations draft) , Baltimore Public Schools
- For more information, contact Jane Sundius at Open Society Institute-Baltimore or Sue Fothergill at Baltimore's Safe and Sound Campaign.
To address the problem of health-related absenteeism, Elev8 Baltimore and the Baltimore Student Attendance Campaign collaborated to prepare a preliminary review of absenteeism and school-based health services (referred to in this report as school health) in Baltimore City. This review aims to analyze existing data, policies, and programs to create a snapshot of what is currently being done to address health-related absenteeism in the city. While not an exhaustive analysis of school health, it is a first look into the links between absenteeism and school health from a local, state and national perspective.
- State of Chronic Absenteeism and School Health, The Baltimore Student Attendance Campaign and Elev8 Baltimore, April 2012


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3261 West Shannon Place
Chandler, Arizona, 85226
Commute to Downtown Chandler
Most errands require a car.
It is possible to get on a bus.
About your score
3261 West Shannon Place has a Walk Score of 36 out of 100. This location is a Car-Dependent neighborhood so most errands require a car.
This location is in Chandler. Nearby parks include Harter Park, Windmills West Park and Goodwin.
Explore how far you can travel by car, bus, bike and foot from 3261 West Shannon Place.
3261 West Shannon Place has minimal transit which means it is possible to get on a bus.
Bus lines:
81 Hayden/McClintock
0.8 mi
156 Chandler Blvd
0.8 mi
72 Scottsdale/Rural
0.9 mi
View all Chandler apartments on a map.
Popular apartment searches include pool, fireplace and fitness.
Search for homes in Chandler or find a Chandler real estate agent who knows walkable neighborhoods. Links will open on our partner site Redfin.com.
This location is in the city of Chandler, AZ. Chandler has an average Walk Score of 35 and has 236,123 residents.


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Idol group LC9, who garnered attention even before their debut for being called the male version of Brown Eyed Girls, has voluntarily reported their music video debut track 'MaMa Beat' as rated 19+.
In most cases, the 19+ rating is dealt out after a review process by various boards. However, LC9, aware that they'll most likely be dealt this rating, has voluntarily reported the video themselves before the review.
A staff member at Nega Network said, "The music video contains violent scenes so we thought it best to voluntarily report it as suitable for only 19+."
We saw a glimpse at some of the scenes in question through the MV teaser revealed earlier, which you can check out here, but judging by the still cuts revealed above, there seem to be even more action-packed scenes to come.
7 stars who are the top role models to rookie idols
12 hours ago 176,986 2,361 339


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Five Intriguing Facts about Whitby
Posted by Helen Marsden on ← Back to posts
Whitby is one of England's most loved and visited seaside towns, but there is more to it than meets the eye. Here are five intriguing facts about Whitby that will add to your knowledge of the town.
The Whalebone Arch
On the West Cliff you will find an unusual landmark. The whalebone arch commemorates the past links that the town had with the whaling industry. The original arch was erected around 1853 and is preserved in the Whitby Archives Heritage Centre. The current one was installed in 2003, and was donated by Alaska.
Penny Hedge Ceremony
This is an ancient tradition, which is still performed on the eve of Ascension Day. It commemorates a punishment that was meted out to three murderous poachers who killed a hermit in Eskdaleside in the Middle Ages. Their punishment was to cut wood in nearby Eskdaleside with a penny knife and make a barrier, or 'hedge' that would stand for three tides in Whitby Bay. You can see their penance performed on the east side of the upper harbour to this very day.
Since the Bronze Age, jet has been mined from the cliffs around Whitby. This beautiful black mineraloid is organic in origin, and is created from wood that has aged under great pressure. The Romans used jet from Whitby extensively, making rings, hairpins, beads, bracelets, bangles, necklaces and pendants. You can see some examples at The Yorkshire Museum. In the Victorian era, jet 'mourning' jewellery was very popular, due to Queen Victoria's preference for Whitby jet as part of her mourning dress after the death of Prince Albert.
Captain Cook
The extraordinary explorer Captain James Cook set sail from Whitby. He is possibly the greatest cartographer the world has ever seen. His ship, HMS Endeavour, was built here in 1764 by Thomas Fishburn, and took Cook on his amazing journey to Botany Bay. Whilst Cook did not have a permanent home in Whitby, he grew up near by. He oversaw every aspect of his voyage from here and would have stayed close by whilst preparing for the trip.
Whitby has a Dracula Museum, which celebrates the connection between the town and the famous novel by Abraham (Bram) Stoker. The novel tells how Dracula arrived on a ship, which was washed, ashore into the harbour. This draws on the local folklore tale about the Russian ship Dmitri, which transformed into Dracula's ship Demeter. Much of the action is set in Whitby. Visit the excellent Dracula Museum for more background on how the story ties in with the town. If you are a fan of the Gothic, why not visit Whitby on a bi-annual Gothic Weekend?


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Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,450
Monday, December 25, 2006 at 12:25PM
Very glad to hear you're already getting results! Just a word of caution: if you see your hair start to act funny CLARIFY, Suave COs have a tendency to build up quickly on some people's hair (I believe it may have to be with how hard the water is).
The scrunchies you got may or may not work, however, the velvety or satiny ones are better IMO.
Next time you have crunch you can try to gently scrunch it off with your hand, rub just
a tad
of lotion in your hands first so the hair won't get fly away.
It sounds like you got the book already... if so, I'd suggest the style on page 107, when my hair was long that was my favorite one, I think it has a simple kind of romantic sophistication. Or if you have bobby pins just pin the sides behind your ears. Here you can see some pics that may inspire you to try your own version:
. The model they feature had nearly straight hair so *we* don't have to roll our hair.
You can see many more by just entering the words "half updos" on Google (or any other search engine).
2A/3A, medium length, layered, colored dark/medium ash blonde - "CGer" since April '02.
"Converting the 'curlskeptics' one curly head at a time..." HWHC


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Bua Thong Kitchen1320 BroadwayBurlingame, CA 94010ph: 650-347-4340fax: 650-347-5675
Established in 1985, Bua Thong Kitchen has remained the place to be for real, authentic Thai food prepared by a real Thai family. Come in and experience what Thai food is all about!
We here at Bua Thong Kitchen make it our priority to serve authentic Thai food, as close as it can get to being in Thailand. Our main focus is the quality and taste. We do not aim to win you over with visual aids. We aim to win you over with the kind of food that regular, everyday Thai people enjoy back in Thailand.
Business Hours
Tuesday - Friday
11:30 am - 2:00 pm
Tuesday - Sunday
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Closed on Monday
Copyright 2015 Bua Thong Kitchen. All rights reserved.
Web Hosting by Yahoo


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It was summer vacation, and Zac Gossage, 6, a Central Elementary student, had been complaining that his legs hurt.
As children sometimes do, Zac's mom, Stacy Tooley, said she thought her son might be exaggerating his symptoms to get out of cleaning his room.
But as the days progressed, Zac wasn't acting like himself.
"He was lying around not doing much," Tooley said. "He was pale and he had no color in his lips."
Zac was brought to Urgent Care, where they learned that something was wrong with Zac's blood and he was sent to Mercy Hospital St. Louis.
It was there that Zac's mom, stepdad Chad, and his dad and stepmom, Cliff and Kristy Gossage, were all brought into a room and told that Zac's hemoglobin, or his red blood cell count, was at 2.4, well below the average of 12 to 14.
Tooley noted that at a count of 2, the brain begins shutting down.
"They said it was critical and he would need a blood transfusion," Tooley said. Zac had two blood transfusions that night.
Meanwhile, a hemoglobin specialist would be called in to look at the blood to determine the cause of the low count.
Later that evening, all four parents were pulled into a room and told that it was likely that Zac had leukemia.
Just days later, their fears were confirmed when a bone marrow biopsy revealed that Zac had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Type B.
"At first it was a shock," Tooley said. "The first week was the worst as far as being a parent goes."
After more than a week in the hospital, Zac was discharged and the family set to making life as normal as possible for him.
In the beginning, there were a lot of appointments — Zac had a port put in his chest, which connects to a main vein so an IV can be placed quickly, and had his first chemotherapy treatment the day the cancer was confirmed.
In August, Zac started first grade in Mrs. Adrienne Koester's class. Zac was still getting chemotherapy, but didn't want his friends to know he was sick.
"If you would bring it up, he would shut down," Tooley said.
But it was in the first grade classroom where Zac found the most comfort. He loves school so much, that he would only miss when he had lumbar punctures, which take most of the day.
During a lumbar puncture, spinal fluid is removed to be sure there are no cancer cells in the spine.
Not long after school started, Zac's hair began to fall out and he decided it was time to share what he was going through with his friends at school.
Koester sent home a note to parents and talked with the children in class about cancer.
"Children are remarkable, you just have to give them a chance to be," Koester said.
During the discussion, one classmate said "I'll stand up for Zac," Koester said.
"They were ready to be everything Zac needed in a friend and to support him," she added. "They absolutely embraced every bit of it."
At first, Zac wore a hat to school, but it didn't take long before he went home and told his mom that he didn't need it any more.
Making a Difference
One friend, Vincent Butterfield, decided to shave his head "so Zac wouldn't feel like he was the only one without hair."
Vincent also crocheted scarves and sold them to help raise money for Zac's family. In all, he made and sold more than 20 scarves and donated more than $200 to the family.
Vincent was honored at the December school board meeting for standing up for his friend.
"I'm very proud of Zac, of his friendship and belief in Vincent and the greatness that friendship brings to their lives," Cliff Gossage said.
After the school board meeting, Butterfield was nominated for the KSDK Channel 5 "Making a Difference" segment.
News anchor Mike Bush visited the school, interviewed both Zac and Vincent, their parents and Koester.
The segment aired Sunday, Jan. 19, and Monday, Jan. 20.
From there, the two boys' story has circulated the news circuit locally and nationally. The story also aired on the "NBC Nightly News" Thursday, Jan. 23, and was on The Today Show Friday, Jan. 24.
Next Steps
Zac is now in remission, but will continue to get chemotherapy for the next two years.
He currently gets a treatment every 10 days at the Cardinal Kids Cancer Center at Mercy Hospital St. Louis.
"It's amazing to be able to see how strong a child can be," Tooley said.
If Zac is feeling weak the day after a chemo treatment, he has a Little Red Flyer scooter at school he can use in the hallway and to get to the playground for recess.
"Zac is just a walking, living message of how courageous one can be," Koester said. "It really puts everything in perspective. You think you might be having a bad day, then you look at Zac, who is fighting for his life, and he still has a smile on his face. He has such a happy heart and he is so brave."
Koester, who has been a teacher for 10 years, the last seven in the Union School District, has never had a student with cancer.
Zac, though, has brought the whole class together.
"We are a family. We love each other and we treat each other like family and friends," Koester said. "He has brought us together."
Overall, Tooley said she has learned not to judge people, because you don't know what they're going through.
"Listen to your kids," she said. "Had I waited one more day, he wouldn't be with us anymore."
Tooley thanked the community for its support and prayers for Zac over the past several months.
How to Help
There are two Facebook pages dedicated to Zac — "Team Zachary" and "We Got Your Back Zac."
Bracelets and T-shirts are for sale at stlphc.com, and all proceeds will benefit Zac.
A link for financial donations can be found by clicking the "We Got Your Back Zac" logo on the right side of the stlphc.com web page.
A benefit concert will be held Thursday, Jan. 30, from 7 to 10 p.m., at Belmont Vineyards & Winery, 5870 Old Highway 66, Leasburg.
For more information, people may call Colleen Fuchs, 309-275-2160, Pam Ray, 314-578-4413, or email email@example.com.
A trivia night also is being planned. Details can be found at stlphc.com.


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Name: Ninth Street Espresso
Location: 700 East 9th Street, New York, NY
Roasters: Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea
Rating: 3
As any article on third wave coffee in the Big Apple will tell you, Ninth Street Espresso occupies a special place in New York City's coffee history. Ken Nye opened this cafe back in 2000. Along with the two shops he's opened since, Ninth Street staff have helped introduce New York City citizens to both quality coffees and a purist sensibility about what shops focusing on coffee should be like. Not to dwell to nerdy, but over the years, I've come to envision Ninth Street as a kind of Paul Atreides, riding on top of a giant bag of coffee through the desert wasteland that New York City's coffee scene used to be.
Of course, Ninth Street Espresso also holds the privileged position of having worked with each of the "big three" American indie roasters. By the time I first visited Ninth Street's original location (long before this blog), the baristas were making coffee with Counter Culture Coffee. Later, by the time I visited Ninth Street's 10th Street location, they had switched to Stumptown. And just before Stumptown started roasting locally, Ninth Street made the move over to Intelligentsia.
While in New York over the holidays, I realized that it had been far too long since I'd been to the original Ninth Street, and the passage of time and switch of roasters made this pilgrimage long overdue. As I mentioned in my last post, I had a little difficulty getting there as planned, but after a slight detour to the Bluebird Coffee Shop, I headed north to visit this mecca of New York coffee.
The decor inside the original Ninth Street Espresso is no longer what it was a few years ago as you can see in these photos from 2006 by a visit from Food GPS. The dramatic, trending punk, look is consistent with Ninth Street's current black-and-white color palatte. I personally, however, don't love the heavy use of black, which somehow highlights the dingier elements of the shop and obscures the intricate details like the wainscoting and pressed tin ceilings. I find myself prefering the more stark, more modern, white-heavy design of the 10th street shop.
I ordered a shot of Ninth Street's Alphabet City blend and cup of coffee of the same. Ninth Street does brew various Intelligentsia single origin coffees as their regular coffee, but I was told that due to the holidays, their supplies of these other coffees were low. Although the brewed coffee is freshly French Pressed (and stored in thermal carafes), I find it rare that an espresso blend works well as brewed coffee.
The issue here is that espresso blends, or any coffee roasted for use as espresso, tends to be roasted a bit darker than those same beans would be roasted for drip. For reasons that I don't fully get but having something to do with the violence of espresso extraction, the darker roast helps maximize flavors that are desireable when the coffee is brewed as espresso. At the same time, this darker roast does the opposite for these same beans when brewed as non-espresso. Sure enough, my cup of coffee was roasty, dark and full-bodied. I got some nutty notes and found it a pleasant enough cup of coffee for a French Pressed espresso blend, but to me, it leaned towards burnt and wouldn't be a coffee that I would necessarily steer people towards. (2+)
The espresso blend, pulled as espresso on Ninth Street's custom paddle, two group La Marzocco Linea, fared much better. It was very creamy, much more so than the recent shots I'd had of Black Cat, with grapefruit and light floral notes as well as a lot of caramel and cocoa. It was a nice shot of espresso, but suffered from a roasty aftertaste. (3+)
The bottom line is that Ninth Street deserves tremendous credit for the contributions its made to New York's coffee scene. Given a choice of brewed coffee other than the espresso blend, I'd say it's on par with many of New York City's better shops and, of course, it's leagues above the dismally low standards still adhered to through much of the city.
I guess the shame is that I don't see Ninth Street as quite up there with the best of the current bunch, especially given its use of Intelligentsia coffee. I'd like to seek them offer a less narrow menu that still highlights the coffee bringing in a brew to order option or perhaps a second espresso. Simplicity has been the right message so far, but there are other ways to simply focus on the coffee.


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Team member: Ginseng and Corrick.
This is where me and Corrick will post our WIP files as well as our references.
Team member: Ginseng and Corrick.
This is where me and Corrick will post our WIP files as well as our references.
Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of updates. I got a lot of catching up to do haha.
Onto the topic, here are my subjects.
Gender Female
Race: Cursed Elves
Class: Shaman Sorcerer (Evil) / Shaman Cleric (Good)
Alignment: Good / Evil (please do both for each character)[/B]
The idea behind my pieces is contrast between good and evil. Throughout my thumbnail process I am trying to create contrast of poses, contrast of their interior shape/cut, and you will also notice I created a contrast with the circle motifs. I've done a lot more thumbnails and sketches on paper prior to these photo shop silhouette.
These are the thumbnails I selected to develop further.
These are some more exploration built on top of the silhouette.
Last edited by Ginseng; August 24th, 2009 at 11:17 AM.
My colleague is so much better at this character business...
Female, Human, Fighter (Knight), Good
Next up... Evil chick on a war elephant.
Last edited by Corrick; August 24th, 2009 at 11:18 PM.
New World Creation: Designers Wanted Environment of the Week
Purrrr that Tiger and warrior combo is looking sexy!
I roughed two sketches of the characters, just playing with the idea of breaking stereotypical colors.
For example, usually the color white is used to symbolize good, and black is symbolize evil.
I want my evil girl to be in white tone that feels more undead, while the living to have black clothing which makes her feel solid, and alive.
Those white thingy are going to be hands...aura-energy-hands....
I feel pretty confident about the design of the characters. Now I am doing the final poses for them.
Last edited by Ginseng; August 25th, 2009 at 03:25 AM.
Evil Elf
This one...might need a round 2. She looks too much like a joker.
Last edited by Ginseng; August 25th, 2009 at 03:25 AM.
a quick sketch of another idea for the evil elf...please ignore the messiness...
Hey guys.
I decided to go back and use my thumbnails as base for the finish piece. They just felt more solid than the other poses I was coming up with.
Here are the sketches for the night!
Dude, quit making me look lazy. I hate you.
J/K LOL, I love my team.
Updated "Good" Fighter
Process on the "Good" Fighter
Female, Human, Fighter (Knight), Evil
New World Creation: Designers Wanted Environment of the Week
Near final linework for the pair.
New World Creation: Designers Wanted Environment of the Week
Oh man these looks good! I will get cracking on mine this weekend!
dear god, i'm hungry now
btw, those are some wicked designs, wanna see the final work =D
Developed Actively by the makers of the Best Amazon Podcast


text:
Party with a Local - tonight v1.4.3
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This guide addresses the selection of the (1) components, (2) protection, and (3) control of harmonic filters. It does not address the engineering required to establish the proper size and configuration of harmonic filters to achieve desired performance. This document provides guidelines for passive shunt harmonic filters for use on 50 Hz and 60 Hz power systems to reduce harmonic distortion on the system(s). (No specific standards exist for harmonic filters, although standards do exist for most of the components that are used in a filter. This guide references standards where they exist and gives typical criteria where appropriate standards do not exist.)
Existing Standards Created by this Working Group
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Participation is Easy.Anyone can participate for free. Members can lead groups and ballot on standards. Here's how to get involved in development:
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Monday marked the latest in a continuation of historic decisions for the Bulldog athletic department, and there was Collier front and center of it all playing an integral part in molding the future of the university, as Butler officially joined the Big East Conference.
"There are many, many things at Butler that are moving us forward, illustrating opportunities that we are taking advantage of," Collier said. "This move to the Big East offers Butler a significant platform, and in return, Butler offers quite a bit to the Big East."
Collier's first experience at Butler was as a student-athlete from 1974 to his graduation in 1976 and he, more so than any other person at the university today, has a complete comprehension of just where this university has ventured through its history.
"In 1974, we weren't a member of a Division I conference," Collier said. "We have come a long way."
Over the past several years, university athletic programs have treated their conference affiliation with the same regard as a cable television contract. When offered a better deal, tradition and rivalries are discarded and new challenges (and the financial revenue streams that are brought with them) embraced. Butler has been no different.
Thirteen months ago, the Bulldogs were still officially members of the Horizon League, and have since been members of the Atlantic 10 and now the Big East. If you think that it's been a whirlwind for the fans, imagine being caught up in the storm itself.
"I've likened (the process) to going to a sixth-grade dance," Collier said. "Where you ask a friend to ask her friend if she'll dance, and she tells her friend to tell your friend, that if you ask, she might say yes."
Butler was first contacted this spring by the former members of the Big East Conference, which formed the "Catholic 7" (Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's, Georgetown Marquette, DePaul, and Villanova), but the extended offer came to Collier via the office of Butler president James Danko.
"If you've been in college athletics or followed it, for about 10 years," Collier explained, "there was some anticipation or some thought that the Big East might go through some change. This kind of change. And four or five years ago, as the (men's basketball) program elevated to another level, this opportunity became more realistic for us."
Just over a year ago, Collier had to navigate his athletic programs making a step up from the Horizon League to the A-10, and the teams did so seamlessly. But once the decision was made to go all-in with the jump to the Big East, Collier initially thought of the movie "Jaws."
"The sheriff is on the boat and sees the shark and says 'We're going to need a bigger boat,'" Collier said. "That's to a certain extent what we thought (about moving)."
It's no secret that it simply costs more for an athletic program to compete in a league of the stature of the Big East, as opposed to the Horizon League. Do the math. It costs more to fly a team to Georgetown instead of busing to Youngstown. But Collier has a plan for keeping his teams financially competitive.
"The Big East offers opportunity for increased revenue for the whole university for that matter," Collier said. "Specifically within athletics, (our coaches) don't get bogged down in what we don't have or who we are not. We like who we are. But with this opportunity comes more revenue to do what you need to do to compete.
"Probably the most important thing in this is that we aren't joining the Big East and are happy to just be there, we want to win. We want to be successful, we want to do it the right way, and we want to do it the 'Butler Way.'
"The 'Butler Way' includes being successful, so we get back to focusing on the process and putting the things in place, step by step, to be successful."


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- 7 total posts
- 3 comments
- 4 questions
Questions from Valerie12345
Uneven Breathing 2months After Septo-rhinoplasty? (photo)
Septo-Rhino with ENT Dr performed13th June 2013 X ray before surgery showed deviation in the form of S No breathing problem before surgery Taping my nose since surgery with... READ MORE
Closed Rhinoplasty Percutaneous Sutures on Dorsum? Success or Failure? (photo)
Closed Septo-Rhino on 13th July 2013 9 days after cast removal, found 2 stiches on dorsum On asking surgeon, he claims I dint have sthng there that he kept for me I never had a... READ MORE
Why Did my Doctor Lower my Nasal Bridge? (photo)
My nasal bridge was higher + straight, now i have a lower + slope. I just requested for a smaller nose+smaller more defined tip and Alar wall reductions. Why did he lower my... READ MORE
Accutane Isotretinoin AFTER RHINOPLASTY?
I am 4 months post my rhinoplasty. And my dermatologist just started me on Roaccutaine 40g daily for 1 month. I am attaching copy of Rx of the other medications i am taking too... READ MORE
Recent comments from Valerie12345
I totally agree with the patient's experience above. I just had rhinoplasty 3 months ago, and I specifically stated that I want smaller nose as in smaller more defined tip but instead i had my nasel bridge literally CARVED out. Im... READ COMMENT
I would say worth it, except if i would go back in time i would have made it clear to my doctor that i dont want a ski slope nasal bridge but a straight one ! I think I will go for a revision but im only 2 months post op... Ill wait... READ COMMENT
I have the same problem... i did my surgery with Shervani in tehran... im 2 months post op READ COMMENT