text:
University of Nebraska at Lincoln custodian receives award
April 30, 2010
LINCOLN, NE — Cathi Carlson, a custodian at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, recently received an award for her outstanding service and dedication to her position, according to a press release.
Responsible for the cleanliness of Abel-Sandoz Residence Hall, Carlson was given the 2009-2010 National Residence Hall Honorary "Of the Year" award for faculty and staff, the release stated.
Students from the residence hall government nominated Carlson for her outstanding service to students, the release noted.
One appreciative student said: "Cathi is a warm-hearted person and almost a motherly figure that keeps us all in check, while making this home away from home awesome."
Carlson also received the University of Nebraska at Lincoln December "Of the Month" award, which was presented at a recent celebration banquet, the release added.
Click here to read the complete release.


text:
WHITTIER >> Authorities alleged a driver from Hacienda Heights was drunk when he fatally hit a pedestrian in Whittier last week.
Prosecutors on Friday charged Genaro Gonzalez with vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, driving with a .08 blood alcohol level causing injury and a misdemeanor count of driving when the privilege is suspended or revoked, according to Sarah Ardalani, spokeswoman for the District Attorney's Office.
The other three counts are felonies.
She said Gonzalez will be arraigned April 22 at Norwalk Superior Court.
The charges are related to an April 2 fatal collision on Mar Vista Street and La Sierra Avenue.
Whittier police said a Toyota Corolla traveling eastbound on Mar Vista Street struck a woman walking on the street at 8:39 p.m. April 2. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver was arrested that night.
Ed Winter, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner, identified the pedestrian as 49-year-old Joy Alicia Magnan. She died of multiple traumatic injuries, he said.
Coroner's officials didn't have a city of residence for Magnan and said she was a transient.
Online booking records show Gonzalez is being held at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic in lieu of $110,000 bail.

subset: commoncrawl


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Family denies Tom Brady and Gisele are engaged
There's a rumor that the rumor is untrue about a holiday engagement between supermodel Gisele Bündchen and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Brady's father, Tom Brady Sr., told The Boston Globe on Friday that reports of his son's engagement were "rumor, rumor, rumor ... We don't know a thing about it. Nobody told me. We talked to him and there's nothing to say."
The Boston Herald reported that the couple strolled around Boston's Beacon Street area on Friday and there was no bling to be seen. Bündchen's twin sister, Patricia, also denied the report, saying in an e-mail that the engagement story –- which first surfaced on TMZ –- is "not true."
--Sharon Kennedy Wynne


text:
[[folder: Fridge Brilliance ]]
* During its original run and well into syndication, I couldn't stand ''Series/QuantumLeap'' -- the "rules" governing Sam's time travel made no ''sense'' to me. "He's bouncing around from time period to time period, and he's stuck in each life until he makes things... ''nice??''" One weekend, the [[Creator/{{Syfy}} Sci Fi Channel]] ran a marathon of the final episodes of various shows, and I happened to catch the finale of ''QL'', which reveals that the controlling impulse behind Sam's "leaping" is [[spoiler: his own subconscious drive to make the world a better place, one life at a time]] -- and I then proceeded to catch the show five days a week for the next few months. -- Tropers/YourObedientSerpent
** The other thing that I realized (then Googled and realized to my disappointment I wasn't the first) was that, especially clear during the last season, he was realigning the "Ziggy Version" of history to match our version and that after those "major" events in modern history were lined up, he was done except for one last thing (having Beth wait for Al) which completed the alignment and therefore returned to his "Ziggy History" timeline and disappeared from our timeline (thus ending the series) -- Tropers/GaidinBDJ
* In "Star Light, Star Bright," Sam is hypnotized, and on tape, gives away the secret access code name and numbers regarding top secret information about Project Quantum Leap. An episode later, we meet an evil leaper and hologram. Clearly, someone else found the tape, accessed PQL's files, and set up their own project for personal gain!
** Mind. Blown.
** And thanks to the events of "Shock Theater" and "The Leap Back," one of the Project's handlinks is left stranded in the 1940s and unaccounted for. It won't work for another 50 years, but it's completely intact and undamaged. Between that tape and a piece of technology that could be reverse-engineered...
*** Speaking of "Shock Theater," which takes place in 1954, a bunch of doctors are seen analyzing Sam's multiple personalities, which are all of people that Sam encountered in years ''after'' 1954. Maybe someone uncovered a doctor's notes and realized that the mental patient wasn't just making lucky guesses, but was actually a Leaper at the time...
** There is a LOT of information that Sam reveals to others about PQL. Sam reveals a bunch of info about himself, PQL, Al, Ziggy, and Gushie to Carol and Becky Pruitt in "Killin' Time," which was two leaps before Sam first encountered Alia.[[note]]Becky even tells that episode's sheriff that Leon Styles (the leapee) is actually Sam Beckett.[[/note]]
** That explains why the evil leaper organization does everything exactly the same with different sound effects; hologram technology, handlink, etc. Plus, Zoey was aware of just how long the window was before a successful retrieval could be performed, mentions that Lothos has some control over Alia's leaps, and outright states that Sam uses a random leaping sequence -- which means the evil organization may have improved on PQL's math.
* Throughout the series, Sam displays a reluctance to engage in any sort of relations with women, a fact that Al laments constantly. Near the end of the show's run, it is revealed that Sam [[spoiler: is married]], and suddenly his hesitation can be interpreted as a subconscious reaction to [[spoiler: the possibility of cheating on his wife]]. It also gives a more unfortunate implication to the times when he does it anyway, though.
** Donna states that she does understand, knowing that he can't remember her and is doing it to improve the lives of those involved.
** There's also the fact that when he did sleep with someone in "Trilogy", he fathered a child.
* In "The Leap Back," when Al drops the letter with the override code (and the $100) to the law firm, with instructions to deliver it on a specific date in the future (a la Back to the Future), the imaging chamber door immediately. This is because, as soon as Al dropped it in, there was no way for him to retrieve it. Hence, the "outside" time was when it was delivered, according to Gushie, that very day.
* In The Boogieman, here's an unacknowledged, in-show visual clue: the fake Al wears a simple suit of blue and white with a silver pin on his lapel rather than his uniform or an outfit consisting of bold, clashing colours and/or garish patterns. In fact, he could have visually fit in during the time period Sam landed in.
* In "Trilogy Part II" Sam gets hit in the head hard enough to knock him unconscious for several minutes. This trauma also leaves a bloody wound. This is not the only time he is injured shortly before finishing his leap. How is it that his injuries are never there at the start of his next leap? Remember that in the pilot episode Al said it would take several days or weeks for a new person to show up in the waiting room. Sam's body is healing during the downtime between leaps!
* In the last episode, we learn that Sam is controlling his leaps. So why, in Last Dance Before Execution, did he wait until the very last moment before leaping? Because he didn't want Jesus to have a moment of realisation and horror before he died. Sam stayed as long as possible to spare him that.
[[folder: Fridge Logic ]]
* Anyone else find it odd that a CunningLinguist like Sam didn't know sign language? "Seven modern languages and five dead ones", but not ASL? He also tells AL, "I've never been around a deaf person before". That is highly unlikely, especially considering that an MD is one of the many doctorates he has.
[[folder: Fridge Horror ]]
* Occasionally, history changes to avoid a disastrous marriage. This was even the point of at least two episodes. The problem? Some of the marriages resulted in children but now, those children will [[RetGone never have a chance to live]]. Sam and Al are essentially murderers and never show any remorse about it. In one episode Al even gleefully proclaims something along the lines of "Now she won't end up having a couple of screwballs!" Suddenly, Sam and Al ''don't'' seem like such [[NiceGuy nice guys.]]
** It's not murder if you prevent someone from existing but, yes, that is pretty horrifying. There are presumably new kids who exist who live better and happier lives than the old timeline's but saying that the happiness of the parents is worth more than the ''existence'' of the children...It's a problem.
** I always thought of it like The Inquisitor from Series/RedDwarf. Instead of children being born who would do nothing with their lives, we get children who never had a chance to exist being born, children who might contribute something to society. And considering that Ziggy never reported that their children did anything (as the OP pointed out, they were a couple of screwballs), then we must assume that this was the case in the other occasions when Sam broke up a marriage.
** Plus given the existence of a seemingly benevolent God in this setting, chances are that while the kids as we know them were RetGone, they exist in some sense as different kids.
* It's been accepted by fans for years that Sam's changes to history were slowly turning his timeline into ours. The problem? His timeline was far more advanced than ours, not even counting time travel. His efforts have resulted in progress slowing down!
* It's said several times that Sam can leap anywhere in his own lifetime - but we never see him Leap ''past his original Leap.'' Which - to me at least - means that even though Sam's body is leaping around in time, he effectively died at that moment, the events of "The Leap Back" only happening post-Leap in his timeline.
* When Sam leaps into Al's younger self, hologram Al takes a ride in a jet fighter before coming to Sam. When he checks the date and time, he realizes that his girlfriend is about to die in a car accident. He teleports to the site of the crash and tries to warn her, but she can't see him (due to not being Sam) and crashes. This was probably Al's worst nightmare. First of all, his younger self only heard about the accident while older Al personally witnessed it. Second, Al tried to warn her about the crash, but failed due to her not being able to see him. There's little worse than watching someone you love die and not being able to do anything about it. This is on top of him not finding out in time due to taking the ride in the jet fighter.
* It's frequently demonstrated that children, animals, the mentally ill, and people with brainwaves similar to the leaper's can see holograms. If that's the case, then what kinds of horrible things has [[EvilCounterpart Zoey]] done to these kinds of individuals?
* Sam never returned home. Imagine spending the rest of your life in someone else's body other than your own thus robbing every ounce of your own identity.
* The "Swiss cheese" memory effect as it pertains to Alia. Sam is able to uncover some sort of hidden morality in her (as opposed to Zoey, who seems to be very much a psychopath), so what kind of person was Alia before the evil organization got hold of her, and how long did they manipulate her amnesiac mind before Sam came along?
* Sam manages to beat up the kidnappers from ''Another Mother'' and rescue his leapee's son. All's well that ends well, right? Not so fast, they were in the middle of nowhere when it happened and cell phones weren't around in 1980, so even if Sam contacted the authorities, [[KarmaHoudini who's to say they were ever caught and didn't continue with some other kid(s)?]]


text:
From reader Luclan comes a very important question: what, in our experience, is the best or fastest way of levelling up quickly?
First off, I believe levelling quickly in the "power-levelling" sense, and levelling well, are two different things. Getting a level 60 friend to run you through all the lower dungeons for loot won't help you learn how to play your class in groups; spending five levels grinding in one spot doesn't equip you to deal with a wide variety of situations. The journey through each level should, in my opinion, be savoured and learnt from -- after all, when you end up at level 60, knowing as much as possible about your class is a great start.
From reader Luclan comes a very important question: what, in our experience, is the best or fastest way of levelling up quickly?
There are arguments for and against levelling through questing, levelling through grouping and levelling through grinding. I find that questing solo gives the most XP; after all, you get the XP for killing monsters plus a huge chunk when you turn the quest in. However, it helps to stack quests; that is, work on multiple quests in the same area at the same time. Running backwards and forwards to quest areas and NPCs takes up a tremendous amount of time, so if you can minimise it then you will find you level faster.
Jame's Alliance levelling guide, which starts at level 30, is a masterpiece of quest stacking and maximum efficiency. You can follow the guide from start to finish, or read it for tips on which quests may complement the ones you are currently on.
Grouping up for instances or elite quests is a great way to get them done early, maximising XP and the use you will get out of any items dropped. Instancing also makes a nice change from soloing, and helps you prepare for the endgame; it's not as efficient XP/hour wise as questing or grinding, but it can break up some monotonous levels.
Plain old grinding -- setting yourself down in a spot and killing anything that wanders past -- is what some people swear by for maximum XP/hour. By not running to and fro, you can kill extremely efficiently and get a lot of XP. You can also choose mobs that are easy for you to kill with minimum downtime; a couple of levels lower than you works well, and humanoid mobs tend to drop cloth and money which will help you get rich too. I personally don't like the monotony of grinding, but when I'm close to levelling I have been known to grind the last few thousand XP rather than spend a while flying to hand in a quest.
A couple of things that have helped my current character level quickly, and the time fly:
- Other players. By keeping track of a number of similarly-levelled players, I could group up for a lot of difficult tasks, making the XP pour in.
- Rested XP. I try to keep at least some rested on all my characters, and rotate amongst my alts to use it up; even a little bit helps.
- Equipment. By researching equipment on sites like wow-loot.com, I was able to prepare and gear myself well early on, meaning a more powerful character and thus faster levelling.


text:
Highlights from regional reports excerpted by exec. asst. David Melman
for Mazur; report to the General Executive Board by the Organization
Dept.; report on finances of New Jersey Region, with plans for
cost-cutting; report of Professional and Clerical Employees (PACE);
report of Tennessee locals; report by general organizer Joe Danahy; list
of education issues for Mazur's report; report of New England Region,
including organizing activities and possible target shops; report of the
Central States Region; Midwest Region; Southeast Region; Upper South
Dept.; Philadelphia/South Jersey District Council; Northeast, Western
Pennsylvania and Ohio Dept.; Local 132-98- 102; Local 23-25; Local
89-22-1; Puerto Rico District Council; report of Benefit 10Funds Dept.;
Retiree Service Dept.; Health and Safety Dept.; Iernational Relations;
Political Dept.
©2016 Division of Rare & Manuscript Collections


text:
|Wake Forest, North Carolina
|Former Occupation
|Rehab specialist (physical therapy)
|6' 0''
|200 lbs.
|Years Pro
|Top 10 Finishes (Wins)*
|15 (3) As of 9/19/2011
|Career Earnings*
|$1 million As of 9/19/2011
|Last 3 Finishes
6 - Lake Champlain, 6/28/2012
85 - Kentucky Lake, 6/7/2012
128 - Potomac River, 5/17/2012
|Bassmaster Classics Fished (Won)
|5 (0) As of 9/19/2011
|FLW Championships Fished (Won)
|0 (0) As of 9/19/2011
|2005 BassFan Rookie of the Year, 2005 BASS Rookie of the Year
|Angling Hero
|"I don't really have one."
|Home Lake
|Falls Lake (NC)
|Favorite Lake
|Lake Champlain (NY/VT)
|Least Favorite Lake
|Ouachita River (LA) – "I double-zeroed there."
|Favorite Technique
|Pitching a jig
|Primary Fishing Strength
|Shallow water
|Secondary Fishing Strength
|Cold water
|Biggest Weakness
|Fishing Sponsors
|Jackall, Fin-tech Title-Shot jigs, Kaenon sunglasses, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Power-Pole, Pinnacle rods & reels, Sunline
|Non-Fishing Sponsors
|Supreme Pro Team energy bars
|Tow Vehicle (Sponsor)
|Toyota Tundra
|Favorite Food
|Pizza (onions)
|Favorite Music
|"I like all music. I listen to country one day, then Rage Against the Machine the next."
|Favorite Book/Movie
|The Old Man and the Sea (book)/ Casino (movie)
|Non-Angling Hero
|"I don't really have any heroes."
|When Not Fishing
|Likes to ski: "I taught freestyle and was a competitive mogul skier."
|Why He Fishes
|"I fish because I love the challenge. You're only as good as the day you go out there and fish. It's a huge mental and physical struggle."
|Click a column heading to re-sort.
|Tournament Finishes
|(Only recent tournaments are included. Not necessarily a career listing.)
*BASS events (all events because BASS does not report Tour and Open earnings separately) and FLW Tour.
Biographical data last updated: 2/8/2013
You may report any errors or omissions by clicking here. Please be certain of your information before submitting anything. Submissions will be examined, and if approved will be included in a future update.
By BassFan Staff At Lake Pokegama outside Grand Rapids, Minn., there seems to be a limitless population of 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-pound largemouth, especially
By John Johnson BassFan Senior Editor Brandon Palaniuk was thrilled to begin the 2017 Bassmaster Elite Series regular-season with a top-12 finish
By BassFan Staff Friends will become enemies for six hours Thursday in one of the Bassmaster Classic Bracket semifinals. It's the scenario neither


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Typically, this protection relay is used with circuit breaker or contactor-controlled medium and/or small sized motors in a variety of drives, such as pumps and conveyors, crushers and choppers, mixers and agitators, fans and aerators.
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Wyoming Interstate Company, Ltd.
Second Revised Volume No. 2
Contents / Previous / Next / Main Tariff Index
Effective Date: 04/12/2010, Docket: RP10-491-000, Status: Effective
First Revised Sheet No. 64O First Revised Sheet No. 64O
Superseding: Substitute Original Sheet No. 64O
9. CAPACITY RELEASE (Continued)
9.11 Awarding of Released Capacity (Continued)
(d) Bid Evaluation Methods. All bids received will be evaluated
pursuant to one of the following methods:
(i) Present Value Calculation. Releasing Shipper may elect
to have all bids evaluated and ranked pursuant to a
Present Value Calculation, as follows:
1 - (1 + i)^-n
R x ----------- x V = present value
where: i = interest rate. Transporter's return on
equity in its currently effective rates
n = term of the release
R = the Reservation Rate bid
V = quantity stated in Dth
(ii) Highest Rate. Releasing Shipper may elect to have bids
evaluated on the basis of the highest Reservation Rate
(iii) Net Revenue. Releasing Shipper may elect to have bids
evaluated on the basis of the total Reservation
Rate-based revenues received over the term of the
(iv) Releasing Shipper's Criteria. Releasing Shipper may at
the time of posting of the notice of release specify how
bids are to be evaluated to determine which offer is the
best. The criteria must be objectively stated,
applicable to all potential bidders, and
nondiscriminatory. The criteria can contain provisions
that allow for weighting of factors such as quantity,
term, and rate; however, Transporter will not accept
first bidder meeting minimum acceptable terms of the
release as a valid bid evaluation methodology. If bid
evaluation criteria are provided by the Releasing
Shipper, Transporter is not obligated to comply with the
NAESB Timeline as specified in Section 9.5(c), hereof,
but will evaluate the bids promptly in conformance with
the timeline specified in Section 9.5(b), hereof.


text:
Power Rankings: Stewart uses win for big gains
June 05, 2013, Pat DeCola, NASCAR.com
Driver Change High/Low Last race
1. Jimmie Johnson
Outlook: The Dover restart. It's certainly something that's going to be talked about for ages. Johnson's extraordinary feat of falling a lap down and recovering to lead the race and seemingly have the win in hand before being black-flagged. For Johnson, it hurts. But probably a little bit less, knowing he still has a firm hold on the points lead.
Standings: 1st, 473 points
2. Carl Edwards
Outlook: As disappointing as Johnson's Dover day was, Edwards was probably just as equally upset, if not more. The Monster Mile is one of his best race tracks, and with many of the race's heavyweights cleared (Kenseth, Hamlin, Kahne, Truex) Edwards missed a supreme chance for a victory.
Standings: 2nd, 443 points
3. Matt Kenseth
Outlook: Just imagine a 2013 season in which Matt Kenseth isn't prone to blown engines. Just imagine the points lead he could have by now. Yikes.
Standings: 4th, 399 points
4. Clint Bowyer
Outlook: Again, Bowyer hasn't made the headlines with any wins this season. And he's still in third place. Assuming his time will come this summer, it's time to start fully considering last season's runner-up as a legitimate threat.
Standings: 3rd, 423 points
5. Kevin Harvick
Outlook: Harvick ran a really solid, complete race on Sunday and continues to nestle himself into a comfortable position in the Chase run. He might struggle to keep it going at Pocono, where he'll be looking for his first win in 25 starts there.
Standings: 5th, 399 points
6. Kyle Busch
Outlook: The Toyota Racing Development engine bug still irked Kyle Busch at Dover and will continue to be a storyline as the days get longer and temperatures go up over the summer. That being said, a fourth-place finish for Rowdy was a nice recovery week for him.
Standings: 8th, 374 points
7. Kasey Kahne
Outlook: Kahne, who appeared to have one of the better cars on the track at Dover, just seemed to lose grip and spun out to all but end his day. Instead of potentially moving up to fourth in the standings, he dropped to seventh.
Standings: 7th, 392 points
8. Brad Keselowski
Outlook: Sure, it could have been worse, but with the news of his six-point penalty, Keselowski has now lost a total of 31 points this season. Without the penalties, he'd be in fourth place.
Standings: 10th, 369 points
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Outlook: Earnhardt has yet to win since his 2012 victory at Michigan. If he wants to avoid going a whole year without a victory, he'd better hope to perform at Pocono, as Michigan is the week after. Don't count on it, though. Junior has no wins at the Tricky Triangle in 26 tries.
Standings: 6th, 398 points
10. Jeff Gordon
Outlook: Talk about veteran savvy. When Gordon opted for track position at Dover, it showed why he's one of the best at reading situations and making the right decisions. Needless to say, it worked.
Standings: 11th, 361 points
11. Martin Truex Jr.
Outlook: Truex was really, really excited about his Dover prospects. After all, it is the site of his only career Sprint Cup victory. As you might imagine, he was pretty let down by this.
Standings: 14th, 343 points
12. Tony Stewart
Outlook: Despite all of his (and his team's) early season struggles, we all knew it was just a matter of time before Stewart found himself back in Victory Lane. It took 13 races, and it may be just the beginning.
Standings: 16th, 338 points
13. Kurt Busch
Outlook: After topping the final Sprint Cup practice, Busch had to like his chances entering Sunday's race. He even led eight laps and had one of the better cars out there. Safe to say he wasn't totally pleased with his 12th-place finish.
Standings: 17th, 337 points
14. Joey Logano
Outlook: The reigning Pocono winner, Logano will look to make some serious moves this weekend. Throw in his current hot streak (discounting his slight issue last weekend) and Logano could be an excellent dark horse to win this race again.
Standings: 18th, 335 points
15. Paul Menard
Outlook: The ground is caving in underneath Menard, who has held a Chase spot after every race since Las Vegas but is slipping. It can't be understated how far a win would stretch for him. With just two top-10s in 12 races at Pocono, don't count on it coming this week.
Standings: 9th, 371 points
16. Greg Biffle
Outlook: Like Menard, Biffle finds himself on thin ice. With six consecutive finishes outside of the top 10, he'll need to make an impact soon. Very soon.
Standings: 13th, 353 points
17. Denny Hamlin
Outlook: With two consecutive poles in check, Hamlin's Chase chances began to look like a no-brainer. And then this happened. Thirty-fourth-place finishes certainly won't go a long way in making up ground from those four races he missed due to injury.
Standings: 26th, 249 points
18. Aric Almirola
Outlook: Almirola's place in the standings was unchanged from last week, but he handed over his Chase spot to Tony Stewart after Smoke's big victory. Ask yourself this question: which driver has a better chance of winning one of the remaining races, Almirola or Stewart? Thought so.
Standings: 12th, 354 points
19. Juan Pablo Montoya
Outlook: After his second-place-showing at Dover, that's four top-10s in six races for Montoya. And people are starting to notice. If he can pull off an oval win and succeed in the road courses, Montoya might be sticking around for a playoff run.
Standings: 22nd, 307 points
20. Ryan Newman
Outlook: It's unclear what Newman was thinking when he ended his and David Gilliland's days by wrecking them both. Luckily, he can make up some ground at Pocono where he has one win and 10 top-10 finishes in 22 starts.
Standings: 20th, 323 points
In the rearview
Note: These rankings have been determined by a poll that included writers Kenny Bruce, Holly Cain, David Caraviello and Zack Albert, and video host Alan Cavanna.


text: [ Tia Tanaka – Babe of the Day By GuySpeed Editors September 30, 2014 | GuySpeed The lovely Tia Tanaka graces us as today's Babe of the Day. Read More Category: Babe of the Day, Babes, Photos Tags: Tia Tanaka Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!


text:
Now Viewing:
You Pay: $7.89
The TV-15 5-15x TriView Industrial Magnifier from Carson Optical offers you a choice of magnifications factors. Each of the three lenses is 5x. Combine two and you get 10x. Combine all three and you get 15x. When mot needed, it folds neatly into its own pouch.
|TriView Magnifier
|5 to 15x
|Lens Construction
|Not Specified by Manufacturer
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|Dioptric Correction Range
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|30 mm (1.2")
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text:
Buzzed NapesQ: I used to see a lot of buzzed napes for girls in the 80s. Do you think buzzed nape hairstyles will ever be in fashion again?
A: You can never really predict what former trends from previous eras will re-emerge in modern fashion. A buzzed nape hairstyle could easily come back into style in the mainstream, but it would probably take a popular celebrity to set the trend. Most of our fashion trends come as a result of exposure through our visual media - television and movies - particularly the celebrities of these media. As an example, all you need to do is take a look at the success of the television show "Friends" and then look at the number of young women (and women in general) who soon sported razor-cut, long-layered hairstyles.
Click to enlargeOur ideals of what is and isn't hot, or trendy, have always been influenced by the rich, powerful or successful people of the world. In the earlier times of American culture, hairstyles that were designed for wealthy influential people were often copied (at least partially) by people of lower social and economic standing as a means of feeling that they, too, were equals.
However, it should be noted that buzzed nape hairstyles are still in evidence among some members of the Goth and Cyber-goth communities, who favour dramatic, ultra-modern styles, usually in striking colors. I don't think it likely that buzzed-nape styles will resurface in the mainstream fashion from these arenas.
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What might have been, that most corrosive version of hindsight, should be the title of the Democrats' song of lamentation for this year's campaign. When George Bush and Michael Dukakis were struggling for the nominations of their parties a year ago, voters viewed the Democrats as more effective than the Republicans on some of the critical issues of peace and prosperity. But that advantage, according to a TIME poll last week, has all but dissipated. Even where the electorate still judges the Democrats favorably, Dukakis hardly benefits. The survey conducted by Yankelovich Clancy Shulman renders a harsh verdict on the Massachusetts...
A Poll's Harsh Verdict
The Democrats started with an advantage, but Dukakis lost it
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Honey Sriracha Glazed Chicken
Net Wt.: ????
|Nutrition Facts
|Serving Size: ??? Makes:
|Amount Per Serving
|* Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on 2,000 calorie diet.
COMBINE Sriracha Sauce, honey, lime juice and soy sauce. Pour half of the Sriracha mixture over chicken. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
GRILL chicken 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once and brushing frequently with reserved Sriracha mixture.


text: I couldn't even remember who it was, had to look it up. Anyone else have that problem? Rick Dennison, never gets mentioned round here, strange. Guess it's because Kubes does all the play calling? Anyone think he has had a meaningful impact on the team? Just looking for thoughts on the guy.


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Mcjrotc Marines Birthday Cake
I made this for my son's 16th birthday. He is in the MCJROTC at school, and is wanting to join the marines when he graduates, so what better way for us to celebrate his 16th birthday then for me to make him a Marines cake. The cake is my french vanilla cake, then I injected the cake with my homemade chocolate pudding. The icing is a strawberry cream icing. The fondant is Strawberry MM Fondant. We surprized him with this cake, I had baked it and made the decorations Early that morning, then when he woke up his 3 younger sisters served him breakfast in bed, while I finished the cake. It turned out to be GREAT and he Really Loved it!


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March 19th, 2013
Even though NVIDIA's Maxwell GPU has yet to be released, the company has announced its next-gen next-generation processor today at the GPU Technology Conference: Volta. Scheduled to be released in 2016, Volta will introduced stacked DRAM to the GPU market providing users with 1TB/s of memory bandwidth (3 times more than the NVIDIA's flagship GTX). [...]


text: On Thu, Sep 14, 2006 at 03:55:38PM +0100, Michael Williams wrote: > Hi, > > I'm running scipy 0.8.5 and numpy 1.0b5 built from source using Debian's > stable environment (gcc 3.3, Python 2.3.5) on an AMD64 machine. > numpy.test() runs fine, but scipy.test does not. Here are the errors: I tried 'from __future__ import scipy' but I can't import v0.8.5 or 0.5.8 :) Is this the latest SVN version (today's)? I committed some changes to the mio code this morning, which may have fixed the cellnest error. Rehards Stéfan


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Wow, what a clever idea! Taylor McKenzie-Veal transforms a drink bottle into a piggy bank with a toaster oven, a wooden mold, and some compressed air. Spray the inside with "frosted glass" spray, and you'd have the perfect piggy for our Electronic Piggy Bank project! Via Core77.
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Live from CVC Central: Answering emergency calls is essential to your bottom line
This type of voicemail message is common: "Thank you for calling ABC Animal Clinic. Our office is closed. If your pet is experiencing a medical emergency, please contact Anytime Emergency Clinic."
Even though it's common, it's a mistake, says Dr. Jeff Werber, chief of staff at Century Veterinary Group. He told a room full of veterinarians and practice managers attending CVC Central in Kansas City, Mo., that every practice should have a team member answering its phones at least until midnight every day.
"About 90 percent of veterinary emergencies happen before midnight," Dr. Werber said. "And about 90 percent of emergency calls aren't really emergencies."
So if a team member or doctor answers your clinic phone after hours, it's likely they'll be able to save the client a trip to the emergency room. Clients with perceived emergencies can schedule an appointment at your clinic for the next day, saving them the cost of emergency treatment and giving you the chance to treat their pet. The revenue you earn will offset the cost of staffing your phone line a few extra hours every day.


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Bradenton adding new red light cameras | News
Bradenton, Florida -- Love them or hate them, more red light cameras are coming to the city of Bradenton.
Three new cameras are going up starting May 8.
The cameras will be located at 9th Street and 3rd Avenue West, 6th Avenue and US 41 West, as well as 27th Street and Manatee Avenue East.
The additional three cameras means Bradenton will now have seven active within the city.


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ROYAL Dutch Shell highlighted its continued interest in the North Sea after making lower than expected fourth quarter profits in spite of high oil prices.
The Anglo Dutch giant made a $5.6 billion (£3.5bn) current cost of supply (CCS) profit, excluding one-offs, in the last three months of 2012, compared with a consensus analysts' forecast of $6.2bn after incurring increased exploration costs.
However, chief executive Peter Voser said Shell has been making good progress with its strategy of developing bumper projects around the world to drive future growth.
Loading article content
Predicting energy demand would double in the first half of the century amid growth in areas like Asia, Mr Voser said Shell was well-placed to capitalise on the increase.
He underlined Shell's readiness to invest in controversial areas like the Arctic and Nigeria.
But Mr Voser told journalists that Shell's European production generates important cash.
The UK North Sea represents a significant part of the European business.
Mr Voser said Shell expects to maintain stable production in Europe, although many see it as a declining area.
Shell has been investing in big new growth projects in UK waters, such as the redevelopment of the giant Schiehallion field west of Shetland.
It has also invested in older assets such as the Beryl field, where the company expects to use technology to boost returns. In November, Shell's chief financial officer Simon Henry said it was not planning for the prospect of Scotland gaining independence.
He said that any Government has to get the North Sea tax regime right or risk frightening off potential investors.
Yesterday, a Shell spokesperson said: "The future relationship of Scotland and the UK is a political issue and we leave such matters to the politicians and voters. We will closely monitor any future changes in governance or regulatory and fiscal policy which impacts on our business."
Mr Voser noted Shell is developing 30 major projects around the world.
"Our drive to increase our options for future projects means that we are more constrained by limits on capital than by limits on opportunities," he said.
Key areas of focus are deep water, projects involving converting gas into high value liquids and new resources like shale oil.
"In the longer term, we need to develop the Arctic," said Mr Voser. He said around 20% of the world's yet-to-be-discovered resources lie in that area.
Shell has said it is monitoring the long-term potential for shale development in the UK.
Its security experts have been talking to counterparts at BP and Statoil about the siege at the In Amenas plant in Algeria.
In the year to December, Shell made $25.1bn CCS earnings, compared with $24.7bn in 2011.
The company declared a fourth quarter dividend of $0.43 per share, compared with $0.42 in the same period last time.
The first-quarter 2013 dividend is expected to be $0.45 per share, up 4.7% on the first quarter of 2012.
Shell said the average prices it realised for oil and natural gas increased by 1% annually in 2012.
Production increased to 3.3m barrels oil equivalent daily, up from 3.2m boed in 2011.
Shares in Shell closed down 2.8%, 64.5p, at 2241p.
Shell has been shifting some of its exploration budget in the USA from shale gas to more expensive work on shale oil.


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Jory Lane Neelan, 25, Motley, was charged Dec. 31, 2012, with one felony count of second degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one misdemeanor count of domestic assault by Morrison County Attorney Brian Middendorf and his staff.
Officers from several jurisdictions were dispatched Dec. 30, 2012, to a residence in Motley on a report of domestic assault.
The officers met with the victim who allegedly said she was assaulted by Neelan, her former boyfriend. She said an argument over money for babysitting started after she returned from work. When the argument escalated, Neelan allegedly threw a steak knife at the victim, then hit her on the elbow with a kitchen pot. The pot was damaged and photographed.
When the victim called 911, Neelan chased her outside.
According to the criminal complaint, Neelan was uncooperative, yelling and swearing at the officers when they met with him, but he allegedly admitted having an argument with the victim.
If convicted, Neelan faces a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment and/or a $14,000 fine.


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Laptop program controversial, but effective
By Tom Lappas, Citizen Editor 04/29/11
It is possible to argue, with only a limited degree of panache, that no event in the first 390 years of Henrico County's existence brought it such widespread attention as one that occurred only 10 days shy of 10 years ago.
Within the boundaries of Central Virginia, locals may associate the county's image with Pocahontas, the Citie of Henricus, its Civil War battles or its modern-day fiscal responsibility.
But if the rest of the world is familiar with Henrico, it's likely the result of something else entirely: iBooks.
When Henrico County Public Schools officials announced May 1, 2001 that they would lease 23,000 of the laptop computers from Apple and supply one to every high school and middle school student and teacher in the district, the echoes were heard throughout the nation and even around the globe. Henrico had implanted its mark on the face of education and technology as the first school system to begin such a "one-to-one" computer-to-student laptop initiative. The act ranks 17th on the Henrico Citizen's list of the most significant moments in Henrico history.
Mixed emotions
Controversial. Brilliant. Wasteful. Exciting. Dangerous.
Reactions to the agreement were passionate and mixed from the moment it was announced. Apple CEO Steve Jobs termed the four-year, $18.6-million deal "mammoth" – because it was. The purchase represented the largest single sale of laptop computers in education. It also signaled the beginning of a new era of technology and its practical applications in the classroom – and placed Henrico on the crest of that fast-approaching wave.
From a national and international perspective, educators viewed the announcement through mostly rosy glasses, some tinted with a hint of envy. Other districts had considered similar initiatives, but none had taken the plunge.
But within Henrico, the announcement faced far more skepticism.
"I think generally we got high accolades just about everywhere except here at home," said Stuart Myers, who was intimately involved in the agreement as the Tuckahoe District representative on the School Board at the time.
The decision came as a surprise to citizens of the county. The School Board had not sought public opinion about the possibility of beginning such an initiative. It hadn't established a pilot laptop program to determine how to best implement such an effort in all of its high schools. It hadn't provided teachers with the training they would need to integrate the laptops into their courses effectively.
Each idea, opponents later argued, would have been appropriate at worst – and at best would have resulted in considerable savings of time, energy and headache.
It was then-Henrico Superintendent Mark Edwards who brought the idea to the School Board, Myers said, after conversations with Apple and an unsolicited offer by the computer giant.
"He said, 'What would you think if we could make this happen?'" Myers recalled. Money existed within the School Board's budget to pay for the computers, and School Board members reacted positively to the suggestion.
Edwards knew the process would not be entirely smooth, but he wanted to push forward with a full launch of the program that fall anyway.
"He always said, 'The pioneers take the first arrows,'" Myers recalled.
Challenges and successes
Predictably, the first year of the initiative came with its share of problems.
Enterprising students figured out ways to circumvent internet blocks to access pornography and other inappropriate content. A few figured out how to hack into school system sites. Students whose laptops needed repairs sometimes had to wait weeks for the machines to be fixed.
Vocal groups of citizens who opposed the program worried that the laptops were meant to replace textbooks entirely. Some demanded direct evidence that laptops would improve test scores and classroom learning, in order to justify the expense of their purchase. Others feared that teachers would feel obligated to use the laptops for classroom lessons that didn't necessarily require them.
But, Myers said, the goal of the initiative was simple.
"It was just a quantum leap forward in providing information access," he said. "It allowed us to provide a lot of things at the students' fingertips. But this was not all new information – it was just a different way of providing it."
Proponents argued that the initiative provided access to technology to all students – evening the playing field for those who may not have had a family or personal computer previously. It also allowed students to learn more creatively, they said, through lessons that could come to life every day.
It didn't take long for curious officials from school districts near and far to come calling.
"We had representatives from school systems all over the country come in and see what we did, how we did it," Myers said, admitting that the amount of national and international attention Henrico received was surprising. "We knew we were going to get a certain amount of press, but we didn't do it for that reason."
Before long, Henrico was not the only school system to initiate such a program. Today, there are hundreds that have done so.
"What's so surprising is how commonplace and ordinary everyone thinks it is now," Myers said. "Ho hum. If a school system goes out and buys 10,000 computers, nobody thinks that's news."
Lasting legacy
In the years since that announcement a decade ago, the initiative has continued. Two new School Boards have evaluated the program, but both opted to keep it. Several years ago, the board funded the most in-depth study ever conducted on the pros and cons of such an initiative, which concluded the computers are an effective tool for students and that they may be more effective in certain disciplines than in others.
Ironically, perhaps, the program continues without Apple. The School Board rebuffed an unsolicited offer by Apple to renew the lease with one year remaining on the original contract, then surprised many observers by dumping Apple for a four-year contract for high school laptops with Dell in 2005. Apple won a second contract for middle school computers the following year but lost out to Dell last year when that contract expired.
The lasting impact of the school system's original decision may be difficult to fully gauge, but Myers believes it firmly stamped Henrico's name on the educational map forever and made the county even more attractive to potential businesses and residents looking to locate in an education-centric place.
"It was just indicative of the fact that Henrico is a leading jurisdiction in many factors," he said, "that we are forward-thinkers, we're willing to look beyond the norm, willing to go out on a limb for something we believe is an improvement.
"We already had a good image. This polished that image a little bit."
State trooper shot in Henrico cul-de-sac
Citizen Staff Reports 09/20/2017 General NewsPublic SafetyCrime Report
SEPT. 20, 11:30 A.M. – A North Carolina woman who Virginia State Police say shot a state trooper in Henrico last night has been charged with attempted capital murder of a police officer and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
The woman, Karisa Shyanne Daniels, 23, of Durham, N.C., allegedly fired at Senior Trooper C. A. Putnam on Lakeway Court, a Henrico cul-de-sac near September Drive shortly before midnight, following a chase. > Read more.
C-SPAN bus to visit UR Sept. 27
Citizen Staff Reports 09/20/2017 EducationGeneral News
The University of Richmond will host a multi-media C-SPAN bus Sept. 27 from 1 to 3 p.m. The "50 Capitals Tour" – open to the public on – is designed to engage students and community members through interactive demonstrations of C-SPAN's multi-platform public service resources.
The 45-foot customized motor coach will be placed on the University Forum. > Read more.
Free flu shots available at MedExpress, opening Sept. 20
Citizen Staff Reports 09/18/2017 BusinessGeneral NewsHealth
MedExpress Urgent Care will open a new neighborhood medical center in Henrico Sept. 20 at 8040 W. Broad St. To help Richmond-area residents prepare for the upcoming flu season, the new center will offer free flu shots to patients ages four and up starting the day the center opens and while supplies last.
An open house celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held prior to opening day, Sept. 19 from noon to 2 p.m. > Read more.
Crime Stoppers' Crime of the Week: Sept. 18, 2017
Citizen Staff Reports 09/18/2017 General NewsPublic SafetyCrime of the Week
Crime Stoppers is seeking information about a shooting in Richmond that resulted in an injured child and the murder of an adult.
At approximately 10:21 p.m., Sept. 9, Richmond Police were called to the 3200 block of 5th Avenue for a report of a person shot. They quickly located two victims suffering from gunshot wounds, a 57-year-old male and a 9-year-old female. > Read more.
Business in brief
Citizen Staff Reports 09/18/2017 BusinessBusiness in BriefGeneral News
Commonwealth Senior Living at the West End, located at 2400 Gaskins Rd., will hold their grand opening on Oct. 3 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The community recently underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation which included the addition of a new memory care neighborhood, new resident suites, an expanded dining room, and brand-new courtyards and additional outdoor spaces. Commonwealth Senior Living associates will be on site to provide tours of the newly renovated community. > Read more.
Business in brief
Wegmans to sponsor Turkey Trot 10K
Publix to open at Virginia Center Marketplace Oct. 11
Statewide tax amnesty period underway
Henrico Master Gardener training program accepting applications through Oct. 27
- More News
Print Edition
Sep. 21, 2017Current edition | Archive
Weekend Top 10
Restaurant Watch
Weekend Top 10
Restaurant Watch
Willow Lawn to host 'Doggie & Me' event Sept. 23
- More Entertainment
Obituary – Margaret B. "Peggy" Catlett
Obituary – Patricia Wells Melton
Obituary - Dorothy M. Wade
- More Obituaries
Lewis Ginter to host Fall PlantFest Sept. 15-16
Henrico nonprofits sought
Free legal services for seniors, disabled available Sept. 14
- More Community
Growing a grown-up: Part II
How to grow an adult
Make 'em take the pledge: no more snuff boxes!
- More Opinions
SunTrust to sponsor raceways's military appreciation program
Code Lacrosse joins Richmond Strikers
5 Henrico student-athletes win scholarships at awards dinner
- More Sports
|September 2017
Place an Ad | More Classifieds
CalendarLavender Fields Herb Farm, 11300 Winfrey Rd. in Glen Allen, will offer the class "Lavender Pruning" at 10 a.m. Aug. 29 to Sept. 2. Prepare your lavender for the coming winter by learning how to prune it. Watch and take notes as the experts prune lavender in the field and take some clippings home with you. Cost is $6. For details, call 262-7167 or visit http://www.lavenderfieldsfarm.com. Full text


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The Sausalito Woman's Club Scholarship Recognition Fund is accepting scholarship applications for the 2013-14 academic year. Completed applications are due by March 19.
To qualify, applicants must be permanent residents of Sausalito or Marin City — the 94965 ZIP code — and planning to initiate or continue their education in 2013 at an accredited college, graduate school, vocational or art school.
To request an application, email firstname.lastname@example.com, mail SWCSRF/Application Committee, P.O. Box 3045, Sausalito 94966 or visit http://sausalitowomansclub.org/scholarship/how-to-apply.
Send us your news: We want more news items from Marin's cities and towns. Email them to our City Desk at email@example.com, mail them to City Desk, Marin Independent Journal, 4000 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903, or fax them to 415-382-7209. For more information about towns in Marin, visit the IJ's website at marinij.com.


text:
Application Support Specialist
|Job Title
|Application Support Specialist
We are looking for a skilled Application Support Specialist to join our team in offering first & second level support to our customers.
The Main Responsibilities would include:
- Answering cases submitted to Swiss-AS via the AMOS online support tool;
- Communicating with customers directly via e-mail or phone;
- Communicating with other departments in order to resolve and clarify the customer case and determine the cause of the problem;
- Selecting and explaining the best solution to solve the case;
- Ensure follow up on customer cases.
What we offer:
- Working in an open and cooperative environment with a motivated and friendly team;
- Excellent working conditions in pleasant surroundings;
- Good professional and personal development opportunities;
- Active participation in the continuous improvement of processes;
- International work environment with people from around the globe;
- Flight and travel discounts.
As an ideal candidate, you must fulfill the following requirements:
- Be a team-player, flexible, proactive and able to work under pressure.
- You are highly motivated and committed.
- You have good communication skills and are able to interact with people from various technical backgrounds and cultures.
It is essential that you have:
- A broad AMOS knowledge;
- Work experience as an AMOS Administrator;
- Knowledge about the aviation industry and processes in aircraft maintenance;
- Fluency in written and spoken English.
- Fluency in either German or French is an advantage.
Please send your complete application including CV (with picture), references and expected salary to the following address:
Swiss AviationSoftware Ltd.
Mr Diogo Carvalho
PO Box
CH-4002 Basel


text:
SC tourism group moving forward with new name, president
Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:30:02 GMT —
COLUMBIA, S.C.(WACH,AP) -- The South Carolina tourism lobbying group whose president killed himself earlier this year is changing its name and getting a new leader.
The South Carolina Hospitality Association says it will now be called the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association.
The organization also named John Durst as its new president Thursday. Durst was director of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism in former Gov. Jim Hodges' administration.
Durst replaces Tom Sponseller, who founded the hospitality group more than 20 years ago and served as its public spokesman and chief lobbyist.
Authorities say Sponseller shot himself to death in February after discovering that the association's accounting director had embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars. Rachel Duncan has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to prison.
Durst says, "Tom was a giant in the tourism industry he genuinely was, Tom's shoes will be very big to fill."
The association feels they've taken the correct actions to make sure a they won't be any oversight in their future.
"Very pleased and gratified and confident about the safeguards that have been put into place to insure the difficulties of the past won't be repeated", added Durst.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)


text:
Below is an unedited transcript:
JESSI HEMPEL: Good morning, everybody.
GINNI ROMETTY: Good morning.
JESSI HEMPEL: I love talking to this conference because nobody's on their BlackBerry. (Laughter.)
GINNI ROMETTY: Not yet. (Laughter.)
JESSI HEMPEL: Not yet. It's because you're twittering, I'm sure. We're lucky enough to be joined by someone this morning who has been with IBM for a good part of your career.
So, I want to kick us off by asking you, how is life different for young women entering IBM (ibm) today than it was for you when you arrived?
GINNI ROMETTY: You know, Jessi was gracious to not say how many years that was. I was dreading she would say it.
JESSI HEMPEL: It was five years ago.
GINNI ROMETTY: Yeah. (Laughter.) No, it was a couple lifetimes ago. I think about when I joined, and it's probably worth saying something. It was a very personal choice because I was an engineer by training, and I first worked in a manufacturing company. And the reason I came to IBM was I think -- I always say at a really early age, I learned you've got to be passionate about what you do. No matter what it is, you put too much, your heart and soul in it, you have to be passionate about it. You make too many sacrifices.
And so when I moved to IBM, I moved because I thought I could apply technology. I didn't actually have to do my engineer -- I was an electrical engineer, but I could apply it. And that was when I changed. And when I got there, though, I have to say, at the time, I really never felt there was a constraint about being a woman. I really did not. Over time, and I think the biggest reason that was I never felt the constraint is I was always surrounded by people that wanted to mentor you. And, you know, I know that has always been a big topic of this conference. But that feeling of being surrounded by people, I think makes a big difference.
And, you know, as time went on, how it's changed today, I would say the one word when people talk to me about diversity, I don't think about women anymore, I really think of the word "inclusion" in about welcoming everybody's opinion, you know, you have to speak up, you have to have a role. And whether that's from China, from Japan, from Europe, a woman, a man, it doesn't matter. I really think that that's actually the biggest point that has changed.
JESSI HEMPEL: So, Ginni, now you are a real leader at this company. How do you encourage a community to speak up? How do you encourage people to find their places?
GINNI ROMETTY: You know, I'll just give you truly my own personal view of leadership on this. You made a funny comment, Jessi, about everyone had their BlackBerry -- well, not everyone, but a number of BlackBerrys put away.
JESSI HEMPEL: Sure.
GINNI ROMETTY: And I truly believe that part of that as a leader is I do very simple things. I mean, I ask everyone's opinion when they don't speak up. And then when they have an opinion, I'll ask others to talk about it. I mean, these are really basic, but I think you're often in environments where people don't do that. And if it's the norm and it's expected and everybody has to speak up, you have to have an opinion, and you have to argue. You know, you have to stick up for what you believe in. And that, to me, is the biggest thing you can do about driving inclusion.
JESSI HEMPEL: So you have had the great fortunate of working under a number of what I would call "iconic" CEOs at IBM.
GINNI ROMETTY: Yeah.
JESSI HEMPEL: And I'd love to hear what you might have learned from Sam when you look at his leadership style.
GINNI ROMETTY: You know, lots of people in this room have worked for really great people as well. And I have been blessed, I've worked for both Sam and Lou Gerstner both. And when I think about all the years of what I've learned, you know, I think of a quote that I often hear from Sam. And what he always says is, "Nothing is inevitable." Right?
And so, you know, I don't believe in the inevitable. I don't believe in it.
JESSI HEMPEL: What does that mean?
GINNI ROMETTY: So what it means is when you don't believe in the inevitable, it means you don't expect that that's how things have to turn out. You can change them. And I think what it's led and what I have learned from it is this idea of whatever business you're in, it doesn't matter, it's going to commoditize over time, it's going to devalue, you've got to keep moving it to a higher value. Keep going to a higher value in whatever it is that you do and force yourself and force the organization to always do it ahead of time, right?
And I think that that's what -- not that anyone would study us, but if you look at the history in the last decade, you know, we divested of a PC business almost seven years ago, right?
JESSI HEMPEL: Right.
GINNI ROMETTY: Long before. The focus on globalization, the build-out of the growth markets, the acquisition of Price Waterhouse Coopers, all the things to build higher-value skill. Actually almost half of our profit comes from software today. People don't think of. So, it was always --
JESSI HEMPEL: Ginni, IBM did that early. It did that before it was obvious. Now, in hindsight, of course, everything feels obvious. But just thinking about your own experience of being with IBM at that time, was that nerve-wracking?
GINNI ROMETTY: You know, I think -- one benefit -- I've given in my time at IBM, right? Having been there a long time, I was also there at some of the most difficult -- and there will always be difficult times, but certainly in the '80s during the time when IBM had really lost its way. And I think once you have ever experienced that, you never, ever want to go back.
And so I don't think it's nerve-wracking. I think it's more about this opportunity, look forward, keep going, and that it's really a mindset. And I truly -- I tell -- whenever my mentees, and by the way, I should proudly say one of my mentees is in the room at number 39 on the list this year, so I could not be happier about that. (Applause.)
JESSI HEMPEL: Tell us who it is.
GINNI ROMETTY: Bridget Van Krelegen (ph), which I hope she's here on time. I mean, I don't know. (Laughter.) Don't put a light up or anything. So, I couldn't be happier about that.
So, I think you learn to always, like I say, this idea about always go to higher value and the other piece of advice I would say I have learned is this idea that no matter what, you've got to make new markets. Go and make a new market.
And, you know, I'm sure one of the things you all talked about -- I couldn't be here yesterday, but when I say "make a new market" I really believe one of the things that will distinguish businesses into this next decade is this area of how they use information. I don't mean that as a technical point. I mean this really, truly as predictive, analytics, I think it'll change culture, it'll change everything that you do. And I believe it'll differentiate the winners and the losers no matter what business you are in and how you do it.
And this idea of -- so make a market -- for us, we make a market around it, I think as a client, the ability to use it. I actually truly think that information in our next decade here in our generation, you could almost think of it as the next great natural resource. But it's different than most natural resources. It's abundant, it's available, anybody could make something out of it, and I think that's -- that's why I'm optimistic. I mean, this is what's in front of us.
JESSI HEMPEL: So in just a moment I'm going to open the audience questions, but you know I have to ask you this, Ginni. Folks like me in the press have been writing for some time about how Sam Palmisano is 60 this year, an age often when IBM CEOs retire. And you are often considered to be the most likely successor. Is this a job you would want?
GINNI ROMETTY: I have a great job at a great company. (Laughter.)
JESSI HEMPEL: But do you think this is a good one?
GINNI ROMETTY: It's a great company.
JESSI HEMPEL: Like, if you had to get a vanity plate -- (laughter) for your car and it -- okay.
So, questions from the audience. (Laughter.) Come on, guys, save me. Right over here.
QUESTION: Hi, it's Christine.
How do you keep reinventing yourself? You've been talking about how to reinvent a company as it grows, but you spent a long time in one company. So, what's kept you fresh and motivated and reinventing yourself?
GINNI ROMETTY: And I love your products. Okay? So I have to start there. (Laughter.) So congratulations to you.
You know, I will tell a story that I learned -- maybe in the same spirit. We all have a lot of mentees here or people we mentor, and many of you are so accomplished. But when you say what keeps you fresh, I remember -- and I want to connect sort of two stories. Really early, early in my career. I can remember being offered a big job. And I can remember the reaction to the person who offered it to me. I right away said, "You know what? I'm not ready for this job. I need more time, I need more experience and then I could really do it well."
And so I said to him, "I need to go home and think about it." And I went home that night and I've been married 32 years now. And my husband at the time, as usual, I'm blah-blah-blahing, and he's just sitting there. And as I'm telling him about this, and I told him I would get back to them tomorrow. And he said to me, he looked at me, and he just looked at me and he said, "Do you think a man would have ever answered that question that way?"
And I sort of sat there -- and it taught me a lesson. And he said, "I know you, you go do it, you're going to -- six months you're going to be bored. You know, my goodness, why didn't you --" And what it taught me was, and it's related to how you stay fresh. What it taught me was you have to be very confident even though you're so self-critical inside about what it is you may or may not know. And that, to me, leads to taking risks. Because I think it's easy for people to say, "Take a risk, take a risk." But I think it goes a little layer deeper.
In my experiences, I have talked to women around the world, it doesn't matter what country I'm in. If I share that personal story, it resonates because people are their first worst critic, and it stops them from getting another experience because I could be better, if I was just ready yet, if I had one more thing. And that's not it.
And I always say, you know, if I sit here and close my eyes and say, when did I learn the most in my life, in my career? It'll always be when I close them and everything I think of is when I took a risk. It's when I think I learned the most.
So, it's a personal story of, to me, how you stay fresh at it is you always have to do something that puts you in a zone you don't know. Someone once told me growth and comfort do not coexist. And I think it's a really good thing to remember.
JESSI HEMPEL: Any other questions from the audience? Way over here.
AMY BANSE: Amy Banse from Comcast. I'd like your advice to make a new market. Can you tell us more about that?
GINNI ROMETTY: Yeah. You know, I would. I mean, I will. One thing I always think about in making a market, and it again is something I have learned from Sam as well, he always says, "Be first and be lonely, be first and be lonely." Versus so often you're drawn to a space where everyone already is. And instead, can you be first and be lonely in what it is that you go and make?
And the other part, this is going to sound like motherhood to you. My other experience with making markets, but particularly thinking about being out here on the west coast, if you really stay focused on what your beliefs are and what your customer wants, you'll find the right markets.
I always say I think the most underrated question people often ask is -- they'll say, you know, "What's your focus?" or this or that. And I often say, "Why don't you ask me what I believe?" If you ask me what I believe, it'll take me -- I'll make the right decisions, and you'll understand why I go in the places I go and the decisions I make in the markets I make.
I often sit back and say, "Be sure about what I believe." Because, by the way, if you're clear about what you believe, you get this idea of clarity equals execution, and you can get a company to do great things because it isn't so much about telling people what to do, I think it's about getting people to understand why and have a shared passion about it. So, if you're firm on what your beliefs are, you get a great foundation to go make a market would be my advice.
JESSI HEMPEL: Ginni, your business is so much about customers and you have such a large customer base, do you personally have sort of a guideline for keeping in touch with those customers, like, I spend 20 percent of my day talking to folks?
GINNI ROMETTY: You know what? To this day, with my job now, I still spend 50 percent -- if not more -- of my time. I counted 600 client meetings. And you would not be, like, 400 or something. I don't count that way. (Laughter.) Last year. And it is another lesson, you know, Jessi said I've worked for some great leaders over the years. Another lesson was back to it's the client, but what he taught me was time is the most valuable thing a client can give you, and always, always, you know, it's prepare and bring them something of value, and that's what we're here for.
So, to me, I spend -- like I said, at least 50 percent of my time, at least, if not more, with clients. I suspect everybody in here is similar.
JESSI HEMPEL: So we are now nearly out of time. I think if there's one thing I'm going to remember from our time together, it's that comfort and growth cannot coexist.
GINNI ROMETTY: Cannot coexist.
JESSI HEMPEL: And I thank you so much for joining us.
GINNI ROMETTY: Thank you. My pleasure, guys. Thank you. (Applause.)
For more transcripts from the Most Powerful Women summit, click here.


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After losing running back Darrell Scott to the NFL Draft after only one season with the USF, the Bulls have been looking for a replacement.
Replacing Scott's 814 yards from last season isn't the easiest task but it looks like the Bulls will at least get some help at the running back position when Mike Pierre, a 5'11 205 pound JUCO running back from Golden West College in California verbally committed to USF on Sunday.
Pierre, an Orlando native, spent the last two seasons at Golden West College. He gives the Bulls a lot more depth at the running back position behind senior Demetris Murray. Last season, Pierre rushed for 780 yards and scored six touchdowns. During his freshman season, he was Golden West's leading rusher with 420 yards on 85 attempts.
Pierre is quite an elusive running back and brings along some speed. In the JCfootball.com combine, he registered a 4.4 on the 40 yard dash.
With Pierre's commitment, it makes him the 16th player that has committed to play for USF in the 2012 season.


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February 8, 2007 Welcome to the Bright Family, the site has been cleaned up and is ready for more postings.
January 6, 2001 Simon BRIGHT/Nancy Bright: Widow's Pension Application-S9293
November 27, 2000 BRIGHT Deeds page started
March 27, 2000 from the Records of the Craven County Court: additions under 1745 and 1746
March 2000 - Will of Elizabeth Handcock 1743, mother of Simon Bright Sr.
November 18, 1999 - Bright Family Year to Year additions thanks to Jack Bright
October 17, 1999
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text:
Results + Thermage
If Thermage is So Great, How Come People Say They Don't See Results?
My doctor recommended Thermage for the loose skin on my neck, jowls and eyelids, but I don't know anyone who has done it and I don't really think it... READ MORE
Does Thermage Work for Jawline Sagging and Jowls?
I am 44 am just starting to have sagging in the jawline. Is Thermage right for me? My skin is in good condition otherwise, but the little jowls that... READ MORE
How Long Do Thermage Results Last?
I am thinking about getting Thermage for my turkey neck and some facial skin tightening but I don't want to have to go back every year for more... READ MORE
What Do Doctors Use Thermage to Treat?
Is thermage only for wrinkled face or can it do other things for skin and body? thank you! READ MORE
If Thermage Didn't Work for You, Why Will E-Matrix? Both Are Radio Wave.
It's the 5th day after my 1st E-matrix treatment. Sunspots, pores and skin laxity have NOT IMPROVED AT ALL. No one can tell I've have anything... READ MORE
How Long Does Thermage Last in Eye Area?
I had Thermage done last June (about 11 months ago) at a spa, and I did not like the results. It was too tight, at first I had darkness, and I seemed... READ MORE
Bad Results After Thermage for Eyes
I had thermage eyes with horrible results. What could have possibley gone wrong? READ MORE
How many passes are done with Thermage for optimum results?
I had Thermage treatment to my thighs today. The nurse did one pass at a level of 3.5. After reading many articles on the procedure, if seems as... READ MORE
I'm 52 and had Thermage of the face 3 months ago. How long until I see the final results? (photo)
Thermage CPT intensity?
I had it done this afternoon on my face by a nurse at a reputable dermatologist clinic. I saw immediate result, does that mean I won't see more... READ MORE
Thermage, exilis and endymed for loose skin/cellulite on thighs?
Female. 35 years old in great shape. I lift weights and look very fit. Tiny middle and upper body but thighs have loose skin and cellulite. All things... READ MORE
Should you see results from Thermage CPT at 2 months? or when?
I had Thermage CPT done about 2 months ago and don't notice anything. When should I start seeing noticeable results? What is your experience with this... READ MORE
How long do the results last? My provider says two years, yet on this site it talks about another treatment in 8 months?
Is thermal safe & have you ever heard of someone doing it where it produced to drastic of a result around the eyes?
Is eyelid Thermage contraindicated for a patient who has formally had transconjunctival blepharoplasty?
I had transconjunctival blepharoplasty back in 2002 and was interested in trying lower eyelid Thermage to refresh my results and potentially improve... READ MORE
Is thermage the best choice? Does it really work?
I had vaser lipo on my abdomin about a month ago, I know I am still healing but I have some extra skin(from 2 babies born via c-section) and some... READ MORE
Is thermage effective if done again a few years later to achieve better results?
I lost a significant amount of weight and had loose skin, but not quite bad enough for surgery. I had thermage on my stomach and butt/thighs about 3-4... READ MORE
Lipo+Thermage immediately after for saggy stomach skin. (photos)
I am 24. Currently have a 13m old. I am trying to avoid a tummy tuck at all costs as I find even the best results are often unnatural looking. I have... READ MORE


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I actually implement a FreeType font rendering for OpenGL. Most parts works as expected, but on final rendering (using VBO) i got some issues which drive me nuts ...
First i figured out that the Freetype font values of freetype metrics and freetype bitmap are not the same. During initialization i create for each glyph of a font a glyph entry and set the follwing values taken from glyph metrics:
m_charcode 114 unsigned int
m_advanceX 6.0000000 float
m_advanceY -14.000000 float
m_width 6 unsigned int
m_height 9 unsigned int
m_offsetX 1.0000000 float (m_face->glyph->metrics.horiBearingX/64.0f)
m_offsetY 9.0000000 float (m_face->glyph->metrics.horiBearingY/64.0f)
using FT_Load_Char(m_face, charcode, FT_LOAD_DEFAULT | FT_LOAD_FORCE_AUTOHINT))
to load the glyph without rendering.
When i rasterize the freetype bitmap to my atlas texture i got the following values from the Freetype FT_bitmap / FT_BitmapGlyph / Slot:
advanceX 5.7500000 float
advanceY 0.00000000 float
width 4 int (FT_Bitmap)
height 8 int (FT_Bitmap)
offsetX 1.2656250 float (m_face->glyph->metrics.horiBearingX/64.0f)
offsetY 7.8437500 float (m_face->glyph->metrics.horiBearingY/64.0f)
//Load the Glyph for our character.
if(FT_Load_Glyph(m_face, FT_Get_Char_Index( m_face, glyph.getCharcode()), FT_LOAD_DEFAULT ))
throw std::runtime_error("FT_Load_Glyph failed");
//Move the face's glyph into a Glyph object.
FT_Glyph ft_glyph;
if(FT_Get_Glyph( m_face->glyph, &ft_glyph ))
throw std::runtime_error("FT_Get_Glyph failed");
//Convert the glyph to a bitmap.
FT_Glyph_To_Bitmap( &ft_glyph, ft_render_mode_normal, 0, 1 );
FT_BitmapGlyph bitmap_glyph = (FT_BitmapGlyph)ft_glyph;
As you can see those values are not equals but i use the equal command to determine the offset value ...
And if i take the offset values directly from bitmap i got this values:
offsetX 1.0000000 float (bitmap->left)
offsetY 1.0000000 float (bitmap->top)
This confusing me. Why are those values are not the same? I read the freetype documentation multiple times, but i can't fint a hint what is the difference between those values and which i have to take?
This value differnces creates differnt issues when i try to render a simple text. It looks like some of those offset values are not correct ...
If I use the metric values and the FT_Bitmap dimensions i got the following output. Here have some chars (i.e. r) some possition/offset issues:
If I use the second values intstead i got the following output. Which looks better in offset positioning, but this create some imaging failures (chars look different colored and have some border streaks)
I tried differnt font sizes (12, 14, 16) and resolutions (72, 96, 100). This results also in other issues. I.e. If i set the resolution for the vera.ttf font size 12 from 96 to 100 i got this text output:
http://s1.directuplo...l4pfzt8_jpg.htm (second values)
http://s14.directupload.net/file/d/2827/9ho3pv8w\_jpg.htm (first values)
In that case the first values looks more correct in offset positioning, only some chars like the r are also not correct...
I'am running out of ideas what could be wrong. Can anyone help?
Thanks in advance, Snoob
Ok I've fixed the rendering issues including offset positioning. I still don't know why glyph metric values and glyph bitmap values are differnd, but when I take only the freetype values from FT_bitmap anything is rendered correctly and the offset failures are gone ...


text:
PIONEER CD-IU201S USB IPOD(R) INTERFACE CABLE FOR AVHP UNITSItem#: YYPT-PIOCDIU201S | Model#: CD-IU201S
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text:
We take a look at Ralph Steadman's "For No Good Reason" pop-up gallery hosted by Red Bull Studios in their New York gallery space. The show exhibits hand-printed photos by the artist along with silk-screened prints of his politically charged work with Hunter S. Thompson, as well as our favorite — his manipulated polaroid series.
We managed to sneak our way into the exclusive preview of Steadman's intimate documentary that looks into his personal history with characters like Hunter S. Thompson and his unique studio practices. We suggest a visit to Red Bull Studios to see the gallery and most definitely look out for the documentary when it hits theaters. It's quite good.
Red Bull Studios
220 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
Photography: Thomas Welch/Selectism.com


text:
Ad Support : Nano Technology Netbook Technology News Computer Software
NASA WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explore) space telescope has discovered at least two cool, substellar objects known as brown dwarfs.
One of the brown dwarfs, dubbed WISE 2, appears to be as cold as any that are known. It may even be colder, Wright said, than the brown dwarfs recently found by the UKIDSS survey, which are estimated to be in the neighborhood of 500 Kelvin, but the exact temperature of WISE 2 is uncertain (as are the temperatures of the UKIDSS objects). WISE 1 is a bit warmer, Wright said: "We think this is about an 800-Kelvin object."
Brown dwarfs share characteristics with both stars and planets. Despite the success of surveys such as 2MASS and SDSS, they have been unable to find brown dwarfs cooler than 750 degrees Kelvin. Cooler objects primarily emit light at wavelengths longer than either of those surveys probe, and it is at these wavelengths where WISE will operate. With WISE we will be able to see 450-K brown dwarfs out to a distance of 75 light-years (ly), 300-K brown dwarfs out to 20 ly, and 150-K brown dwarfs out to 10 ly. Finding these cooler objects will provide examples of exoplanet-like atmospheres in order to investigate atmospheric properties in the unexplored temperatures between 150 and 750 Kelvin.
WISE will determine how common these objects are in our own Solar Neighborhood, allowing us to measure the efficiency of the star formation process at its lowest masses. WISE will also allow us to determine if star formation has a cut-off mass below which formation is inhibited. At the moment, we believe that brown dwarfs are as prevalent as stars. Because brown dwarfs are so common, it is likely that the closest "star" to the Sun is not Proxima Centauri but some hitherto undiscovered brown dwarf that will be imaged successfully for the first time by WISE.
The mission has observed more than 60,000 asteroids, both Main Belt and near-Earth objects. Most were known before, but more than 11,000 are new.
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text:
In another thread somebody said something along the lines of,
Go to your local running store and shop for xyz. Doesn't mean you have to buy there. They're usually a lot cheaper online.
Do you do this? The price you're paying at the running store is for the inventory they have there, the expertise of the salespeople, the experience of seeing and trying the goods out. To then walk out and order on-line is really taking advantage imo. (You can even pull out your smartphone, scan the bar-code into your giant-online-retailer app, and buy it, right in front of that nice person who just pulled out all those shoes, or spent 20 minutes walking you through the features of the different running watches. Nice!) Shop at the store, and make a purchase. Down the line, replace those shoes at an on-line store if you want.
Reminds me of an interview on the news I saw a while back. A local bookstore that was closing, and the woman said, "I'm so sorry to see this store close. I always shopped here and then went and bought the books on Amazon." Wonder why they were closing.


text:
We are an authorized OEM dealer for TeleVue eyepieces and accessories.
E-Mail inquiries should be
directed to:
Starmaster™ Portable Telescopes
Rick Singmaster
Owner Feedback
One of the latest is this web page posted by a very happy new owner of an 18" F/3.7 FX telescope.
We're also proud that several Starmaster owners have volunteered to have their email addresses posted on our web site so potential customers can Contact Owners directly and ask them questions.
We're also adding a new section -- a Starmaster Owners' Photo Album. If you're a Starmaster owner and would like to be included in this section, just send our webmaster a picture and short description of yourself and we'll post it right away.
We are also adding a photo album with pictures of how owners transport their telescopes -- pictures of various size scopes in different vehicles.Recently, a group of Starmaster owners have started an eGroups Users' Group. While this is mainly a forum for Starmaster owners to share their experiences, they are welcoming prospective owners to join them.
All major components of Starmaster Telescopes are made with pride in the United States of America by small, community based companies.
For comments or questions about this site, email Starmaster Portable Telescopes.
has a second passion besides astronomy - Click here to see what it is!


text:
New managing director
Oroton signed a 10-year franchise agreement with GAP last October, taking over GAP's three existing stores, and entered into a joint venture agreement with United States retailer Brooks Brothers to open 14 stores in the first year.
Mr Newman says the retailer's days of double-digit growth are not over, but new businesses may never be as profitable as Ralph Lauren, which generated about 50 per cent of Oroton's earnings.
"We had a legacy agreement with Ralph Lauren that spanned 25 years," Mr Newman said on Tuesday after Oroton reported a 24 per cent fall in interim earnings from continuing operations. "It's highly unlikely to get a business that will be generating as much profit as that brand was towards the end, when we had fully depreciated assets, some very productive outlets and stores and a very compelling margin and buying price," he said.
"Any new business we take on as distribution is typically not going to be as profitable," he said. "GAP has higher volumes and the ability to become a much more significant business than Ralph Lauren but will never generate the same EBIT margin," he said.
"Brooks Brothers is a JV so we'll only report 50 per cent of the contribution from that business. It's difficult to say when we might fill that hole completely." Oroton's bottom line net profit for the six months ending January plunged from $16.4 million to $5.1 million and earnings from continuing operations fell 24 per cent to $8 million, in line with the company's guidance.
Dividends cut to 8¢ a share
The retailer, 21 per cent-owned by the founding Lane family, slashed its interim dividend from 22¢ to 8¢ a share, reflecting the rebasing of earnings.
Sales from continuing operations rose 17 per cent to $62.7 million, as new Oroton and GAP stores augmented sales from existing stores. Same-store sales rose 3 per cent after plunging 8 per cent in the previous six months.
However, the improved sales momentum and the new ventures failed to offset higher costs and the loss of earnings from Ralph Lauren.
Gross margin dropped from 68.3 per cent to 63.6 per cent after Oroton was forced to reduce shelf prices around June/July last year and discount aggressively before Christmas to better compete with rivals such as Kate Spade, Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs.
The gross margin decline also reflected the introduction of the lower margin/higher volume GAP brand into the business, although this only occurred in November.
Oroton also incurred heavy start up costs taking over the GAP business, preparing for the launch of Brooks Brothers, opening new Oroton stores in Shanghai and Hong Kong and launching a new Asian website, which allows customers to pay in local currency.
Mr Newman expects improving sales momentum to continue in the current half and sees gross margins stabilising as discounting reduces. Mr Newman also said the benefit of recent cost cutting would flow through in the current half.
However, he remains cautious about the outlook for 2014 and expects annual earnings to come in at the lower end of Oroton's previous $13 million to $15 million guidance.
Oroton shares, which have halved in the last 12 months, fell 20¢ to $3.58.
Moelis analyst Todd Guyot said the results were in line with expectations and highlighted Oroton's "year of transition". Mr Guyot expects profits to improve 24 per cent next year as sales from new Oroton, GAP and Brooks Brothers stores help the retailer fractionalise costs. However, new ventures are unlikely to deliver any meaningful contribution to earnings for several years.
|Half year
|Sales ($m)*
|Pretax ($m)*
|Net ($m)*
|Int div
|April 16
|*continuing ops
|Shares (last)
The Australian Financial Review


text:
When the Sony PlayStation launched back in 1995, I was a bit skeptical at first, as I only knew of developer Sony Imagesoft for its excellent Sega CD version of the hit game show Wheel of Fortune. The PlayStation changed console gaming forever and introduced the world to multimillion dollar game budgets. Final Fantasy VII set a record at the time, costing about $45 million to make. Regardless, PlayStation was a console that was known for high production content. The Sega Saturn couldn't keep up with the power of the PS1, and the Nintendo 64 had a low capacity limit on its cartridges, preventing the use of high quality audio and full motion video CGI. Consoles continued to evolve, gaining applications and becoming a home media center independent from personal computers.
With the release of the PlayStation 3, Sony stepped up with a mean game face, providing a free online network offering exclusive video content to its users and free online play, luxuries that Xbox 360 owners must pay for in subscription fees. In its early life cycle, the PlayStation 3 struggled to keep up with the 360, with fewer demos available for download and an online network that wasn't too reliable (it was even hacked and shut down for a month of maintenance). Luckily, Sony pulled through in the console war, remaining a strong contender in a good fight that is far from over.
Among its PlayStation Store content was excellent video programming that one would expect to enjoy from a company also known for producing films and television shows. Yet, in 2013, aside from game trailers and the occasional developer video diary, the shows that were once popular on the PlayStation Network are no longer being produced. What happened? There never seemed to be a clear answer. Let's take a brief look at a few of the PlayStation 3's programs that were propelled by great video hosts with regularly scheduled episodes.
Pulse presented by the PlayStation Network
PlayStation Pulse was a bi-weekly show hosted by the lovely Christina Lee, covering the latest gaming news for PlayStation 3, PSP and PS Vita. It was a video showcase of the PlayStation Store's offerings, with announcements on movie releases, event coverage, demos, DLC and the top game, TV and movie download statistics. Episodes were typically six to eight minutes, initially downloadable from the PlayStation Store and watchable within the free virtual world that is PlayStation Home, it later became available to watch on the PlayStation Blog.
While I have always checked the PlayStation Store to see what's new on my own, Pulse provided an excellent preview of games I might have skipped over had Christina Lee not been there to show how awesome the game was. Lee's wonderful on-screen personality and presence was reason enough to watch Pulse, and when Sony axed the show after the summer of 2012 (revealed by Lee on her Facebook page), her fan following cried out in disappointment. Sony was spending money on a program that didn't earn them money, so it's understandable why they would drop the show if they thought it wasn't influencing users to make purchases on the PlayStation Store.
Pulse lives on in the form of a wireless headset, but it seems like it was intentionally given that name to bury the show deep within the confines of Google searches. It was sad to see it go, but even more upsetting is the fact that the PlayStation 3 in Europe still has its own show equivalent of Pulse, and it's actually quite good.
ACCESS PlayStation is a show hosted by comedian Lucy Porter, Europe's equivalent of Pulse. While Porter doesn't actually appear in the show, her voice narrates the episode with an enjoyable English accent. The show's run time is a bit longer than Pulse, usually around 10 minutes, and it features frequent interviews with game developers, plus extensive event coverage. You can watch it on YouTube if you don't have a PlayStation Network account in the United Kingdom. It's a great alternative to Pulse, though it will never truly replace Pulse, considering the content is aimed at a European audience.
Qore was something special. A first of its kind. It was essentially an online video magazine, subscription fee and all; a concept that actually worked. It featured behind-the-scenes developer footage, interviews, game previews and movie releases; hosted by two wonderful ladies, Veronica Belmont and Audrey Cleo. In addition to the entertaining videos of the interactive app, subscribers got exclusive access to betas and demos, plus downloadable themes and free games for the PlayStation 3. Episodes arrived monthly selling for $2.99 a pop, or subscribers could pay a $24.99 annual fee.
Qore's offerings were eventually transitioned into Sony's PlayStation Plus service, however, the video content died with Qore. It lasted 47 episodes, but Veronica Belmont announced she was leaving the show after finishing episode 42 and Audrey Cleo followed shortly after. Were they aware that the show wasn't going to last much longer? It seems that way. The new hosts that manned the sinking ship were Jesse 'Blaze' Snider and Tiffany Smith, and they weren't bad by any means, but the show's production value decreased rapidly and it ended on a low note. Sony's focus shifted heavily toward PlayStation Plus, which has since become a desirable subscription service for PlayStation owners.
The Tester
In the last decade, reality TV became a thing. Nowadays, there are reality shows about everything. Sony thought it would be a great idea to produce its own reality show where people would compete for an entry-level job as a PlayStation quality assurance tester, a job that typically pays $12 hourly, but who wouldn't want to play video games for a living? Would you let someone pour a bucket of giant hissing cockroaches on your head for a $12 hourly job? Well, sometimes job interviews feel like that experience, and being on a TV show does help to boost your reputation, unless you are made out to be a villain as some people were in the show. I was never a big fan of reality shows, though I honestly really enjoyed The Tester through all three of its seasons. There was drama, action and comedy, but the best part was the appearances from game developers and celebrities such as Twisted Metal's David Jaffe and Uncharted's Nolan North.
In a nutshell, hundreds of people auditioned for a role in the cast with the help of community voters, narrowing them down to 12 contestants selected to compete in various challenges that were usually related to a first party game. Meredith Molinari hosted while a panel of judges (Sony's Brent Gocke, model Adrianne Curry, and comedian Hal Sparks who was later replaced by guest judges) rated the performance of each contestant. They eliminated the weakest members of the group until the very end, in which one person would take some nice prizes home and win the job of a PlayStation tester. The sad part about this show ending lies in the fact that season four would have began next week. Sony never announced The Tester's cancellation, but fans knew it was over when Sony didn't run a casting call. It is certainly possible that we could see its return one day.
So what happened? Sony was facing some financial loss and had to lay off thousands of its employees. One of them was The Tester's very own season one winner, Will Powers, who had climbed up the ladder at Sony to public relations. Sony made cuts where they needed to, and layoffs are always an ugly situation. Sony's video programming for the PlayStation 3 was more or less free for its viewers, offering excellent content with its already free PlayStation Network. It essentially was a waste of money on their part, so they had no choice but to let it go. It's always sad to see good things come to an end, but if things go well for Sony this year, we may yet see a return of video content on the soon-to-be-announced PlayStation 4.