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Pizza n' Such, 202 Yale Ave. (at 2nd), Claremont
Not to be confused with Pizza 'N Stuff in La Verne, its closest cousin by punctuation, Pizza n' Such has been a Claremont fixture since 1979, family owned and operated.
A college and family favorite, the restaurant occupies a prominent corner downtown in a former bank, later a pharmacy, built in in 1912 — 100 years ago this year! — across from Starbucks and the Village Grille. In a nice touch, the blade sign on the corner is an altered and restored version of the pharmacy sign that hung there for many years.
The interior includes a wooden bar with beer and wine, green booths, dark wood, a high ceiling, original moldings and hanging lamps and fans. It's classy but casual.
I end up there probably once a year and once had a birthday lunch there with a group. I went in recently for lunch because I had a birthday coupon for a free medium pizza as long as I ordered a starter. So I got the house salad ($4) and then a medium with spinach (usually $14).
Their crusts are soft and doughy and the pizzas generous with the tomato sauce. The result is a bit bland, but fair. By personal preference I'm more of a thin-crust guy, and with zPizza, Union on Yale and La Parolaccia all in the Village, Pizza n' Such might be my least favorite Village pizza. (Prompting a question: Why hasn't someone capitalized on the local nomenclature to open a Village Pizzeria?)
Pizza n' Such, though, is a lot of people's favorite, and if it's not my first choice, and often I kind of overlook it, I'm always happy if a friend suggests meeting there: Oh, yeah, Pizza n' Such.
Service is friendly and generally provided by high school or college students. Besides pizzas, they have sub sandwiches, salads and pastas, and for dessert they have Dr. Bob's ice cream, a local favorite. That's the n' Such.


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LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, is inviting the public to view a brand new Cessna 172 Skyhawk single-engine airplane and take a ride in the airplane during the LeTourneau University - Discover Flying Challenge Visit July 1 and 2.
Cessna will host a static display of the airplane from noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 1, with sign-ups for flights with a Cessna pilot intern to be scheduled for 3 to 5 p.m. and more flights scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 2, at LeTourneau University's Abbott Aviation Center, 200 Airpark Drive, at East Texas Regional Airport. Each flight will take only 20 to 30 minutes. The plane can seat the pilot plus three passengers.
Daniel Tou, a May 2014 LETU flight graduate, is one of the summer interns for Cessna who is bringing the 2014 Cessna Skyhawk to his alma mater for this event with the goal to spread the word about general aviation and encourage others to learn to fly. Tou is one of six new pilot interns traveling across the United States for Cessna promoting general aviation and taking people up on discovery flights in the Cessna 172 Skyhawk.
Anyone can come view the airplane. Rules for the flights require that Discover Flyers must be 12 years or older. Individuals between 12 and 17 years old must have their parents sign a consent form and must be accompanied by an adult other than the pilot (an older sibling, family friend or parent.)
Anyone interested in participating needs to call (903) 233-4255 or send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com to get consent forms and learn more details. The event flights are dependent on the weather, therefore participants should call (903) 233-4255 the day of their flights to be sure the event is happening.
Categories: (none)

subset: commoncrawl


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Lizzie Post's book How Do You Work This Life Thing? is all about navigating life when you're in college or starting out on your own. So just how do you work this life thing? With people skills and good communication, for a start. How good are yours? Take Lizzie's quiz! Grab a pencil and keep track of your answers. You'll add up your points at the end to learn your total score.
1. Your roommate has asked to borrow your much cherished strapless cream brocade dress to wear to her boyfriend's Greek formal. You don't want to so you:
- Blurt out "Hahahahah! Are you kidding? Have you seen how they party? I'm not letting my dress within a block of that event."
- Take a doormat position when she starts begging, kiss your dress goodbye and hold an evening of silence to mourn while she parties in it.
- Say, "No. I'm sorry but if something were to happen to it I'd rather it be my fault than anyone else's. Thanks for understanding."
2. You just had a great interview with a magazine company you've been dying to work for. The first thing you do when you get home is:
- Call up the guys… it's time to celebrate!
- Smooch your girlfriend (or S.O.) and make dinner reservations.
- Write a thank-you note to the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you.
3. It's week two at your new job and you're just getting to know everyone well enough to know who to stay away from and who you can talk to. Sure enough you and five co-workers have a big meeting with your superiors today, and Tracy, Miss "I-Know-Everything-Don't-Tell-Me-Anything" has a large booger hanging out of her nostril. As comical as it is, you:
- Pull Tracy aside and say "I'd want to know if this was happening to me, so here goes: You have a booger. Here's a tissue."
- Laugh with the rest of them till Tracy gets nervous and botches the whole meeting because she has a mental breakdown.
- Decide it won't look as bad if she's not the only one and make a booger hang out of your nose, too.
4. You get an invite to your cousin's wedding and you notice that there is no "and guest" next to your name. Seeing as you've been dating the same person for three years, you're pretty insulted. You:
- Call your cousin crying about how insensitive she's being and that if she didn't like John she should just say so rather than being so cruel.
- Mention it to your parents to see if they think it was just an oversight. And when you find out it wasn't, show up without him and smile.
- Show up with him.
5. You have two roommates and have lived together for one month. The apartment is a disaster. To instigate change you:
- Clean up after yourself, even though the house isn't clean, you know it's not you that's the problem.
- Discuss ideas with your roommates for what would be realistic and reasonable cleaning strategies.
- Don't say anything because you know the answer will be "It's not all my fault!"
6. You're at the gym and have been waiting for an elliptical machine to free up. A very sweaty man wipes his forehead and slows down, he coughs a few times and gets off. You don't see him coming back with a rag to clean off the machine. You:
- Chase him down and say "Excuse me, sir, you didn't wipe down your machine and I saw you sweating and coughing on it."
- Pass on the machine and wait for a sanitary one to free up.
- Get a rag, wipe the machine down yourself and then mention to the staff that you think a few flyers reminding people to wipe down machines might be effective.
7. You're on a date and it's not going well, but she is a nice girl. You're just not interested. When it's time to say goodbye you:
- Tell her you had a nice time but you just don't feel the chemistry and would it be alright to just be friends.
- Kiss her goodnight, say you'll call and then never make contact again.
- Get up in the middle of dinner and run for your life.
8. Your roommate is having sex very loudly you:
- Bang on the wall until the noises stop.
- Turn on the TV, the stereo and start playing the trombone you haven't picked up since 6th grade.
- Put in some earplugs, and when the girl is gone, tell your roommate you need to talk about what to do when the situation happens again.
9. You go out to eat with friends. Being on diets, you and your girlfriend decide to order appetizers for your meals. And you skip out on drinks. Your friends order entrées and a bottle of wine. When the bill comes your pal says, "Let's split it." You:
- Tell him that normally you'd be up for it but tonight you and your girl kept it light, so why not divvy up by who ordered what and pay that way.
- Pay half the tab and never eat with them again.
- Give a disgusted look, slam your eighty bucks down, and walk out without a word.
10. Your neighbor throws a party every Thursday night. And while you're not old, you do work a nine-to-five, Monday-to-Friday job, and don't want to keep showing up for Friday meetings looking tired and out of it. So you:
- Leave a note inviting them over, or stop by at an appropriate time, to discuss the problem at hand. Saying things like "I really want you guys to be able to live how you want to live…" and "I think we can make this work for both of us…"
- Start calling the cops every Thursday night.
- Hire a hit man to take them all out.
Answer Key
Add up all of your points to get your total score and find out how you rate!
Question 1: A = 2 points, B = 1 point, C = 3 points
Question 2: A = 1, B = 2, C = 3
Question 3: A = 3, B = 2, C = 1
Question 4: A = 2, B = 3, C = 1
Question 5: A = 2, B = 3, C = 1
Question 6: A = 2, B = 1, C = 3
Question 7: A = 3, B = 2, C = 1
Question 8: A = 2, B = 1, C = 3
Question 9: A = 3, B = 2, C = 1
Question 10: A = 3, B = 2, C = 1
Use the total you just calculated to see if you know how to work this life thing!
10-18 Points
Ever seen the movie Clueless? Because you are! You need major help learning how to deal with the people in your life and their actions. Stop being a doormat, and stand up for yourself. Have no fear, my book is here! How Do You Work This Life Thing? will help you master the important "3Cs": communication, compromise and commitment.
19-24 Points
Newsflash: It's not all about you! It's good to state your opinion—you're not afraid to tell it like it is—but man, it's time to hone your communication skills. You get it right on occasion, but you still need the book!
25-30 Points
How'd you get an advance copy? Congratulations! You're pretty good at communicating your thoughts. You understand that by doing it with a little tact, honesty and understanding you can handle any situation with grace and style. Now go tell your friends that you rock—and that they need to buy the book!


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Thousands of people will come together on April 20 to form human banners spelling out I ♥ Arctic. Together we will call on our political leaders to protect the Arctic from activities that put this fragile environment at risk, such as oil drilling and industrial fishing.
Become a part of this global mobilization in cities from Buenos Aires to Bangkok and from Berlin to Bangalore: join or organize a human banner event!
What happens in the Arctic affects us all - that's why we are coming together on April 20 to take joint action across the globe!
Organize and register your own event →
More Downloads: The "I" and "ARCTIC".
View I ♥ Arctic in a larger map
Spread the word: Going to an event? Excellent! Then let the internet know! Tweet, Facebook, Google+ about it! Tip: Use #ilovearctic as your tag.
Organize: If you'd like to organize an event, please download the organizer's toolkit here, including ideas for getting more people involved. Let us know what you are planning, and register your event by filling in the form below. If you'd like to get in touch with the organizer-team at Greenpeace, please send us an e-mail to
Get the Pic Badge: Add the I ♥ ARCTIC badge to your Facebook picture.
Grab your camera and join in the speech bubble photo mobilization: Download the speech bubble toolkit here.


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The past few days being back from Haiti have been difficult to say the least. Leaving those kids to come back to our comfortable lives was one of the hardest things that a lot of us have had to do. And as the days have passed by our team has struggled with making sense of just how amazing it all was. Going on this trip was put on my heart this past August and I knew it was going to be eye opening and maybe even life changing, however, even that doesn't do this trip justice.
Our hearts were opened to love, a love that I had never experienced before. Our group found this love together throughout our spiritual connection and the way that God stretched us far beyond our comfort zones. We became a fearless group of believers who wanted to be bold and who want to continue to spread God's love far beyond Haiti.
Throughout the trip we challenged ourselves throughout numerous devotionals and small group meetings but it was God's love that we saw within the kids at the orphanage that truly opened our hearts. I can't explain enough just how amazing these kids were. For kids who have to face the world without a family to support them or ideal living conditions, they had some of the biggest hearts that any of us had ever met. They were joyous and loved us unconditionally even though are constantly short-term groups coming and going. That was one of my biggest fears when agreeing upon taking this leap of faith and going on my first mission trip.
I was afraid that it would be selfish to go and have this life changing experience and loving these kids with everything I had and then just leaving. Although that is exactly what happened, I prayed a lot about it and prepared myself mentally and spiritually and asked God to help me find a purpose throughout this trip.
Within my first blog post I talked a little about daily themes that I was striving to have throughout this trip. My goal was to be intentional within my actions and I truly felt as though God directed this. The themes were love, boldness, courage, wisdom, peace and confidence and it was so apparent when journaling each night and reflecting on that day that God had put that on my heart to show me how He is working.
I think the biggest lesson that I took away from this trip is that God is completely in control. He is intentional throughout His plans for us and works in ways that are so much greater than our own understanding. Being in Haiti and being with such an amazing group of friends and brothers and sisters in Christ fills my heart with joy just thinking about it. I feel so much love and thankfulness for being able to share in such an unforgettable opportunity. I know that each member of the group feels the same way and we are making it our goal to continue this fire for God as we go home to be with our families over the Holidays and as we head back to Nashville.
The last thing that I said to the kids at the CHCH is I promise I will be back. And I plan to be, with this amazing group by my side and with God as our powerful leader guiding us to continue to spread His love and goodness throughout this broken world. Thanks so much to everyone who supported us throughout this trip and for everyone who helped us to replace the books in the CHCH library! May God bless you all and we hope that you have happy holidays!!


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'Raw processor benchmark results were in line with other devices with similar specs, and heavy games like Asphalt 8: Airborne played smoothly. '
'The IPS-based LCD screen is sharp, rich, colourful, responsive, bright... and some other good things we can't quite recall right now.'
'Its one-piece uni-body shell feels nice in the hand with its soft matt finish (some colours of the 1520 have a glossy finish).'
'We don't say this often but it feels exactly right with ideally weighted balance in the hand and enough heft to feel sturdy while still being light enough to read when comfortably above your face in bed.'
'The Z30 is arguably the best BlackBerry to date, but it's devoid of any truly unique features that might draw fans from the other side of the fence.'
'The BlackBerry Z30 is a great phone for messaging, whether it's through SMS, email, Whatsapp, BBM or Facebook Messenger. '
'The good news is that the Z30 is unquestionably the best touchscreen BlackBerry to date. '
'The app ecosystem needs to be more advanced.'
4G LTE capability & a zippy dual-core processor
Super-fluid performance
State-of-the-art everything
Excellent battery life
ReviewGist helps you find the best products to buy by making sense of online reviews.
We are currently aggregating 376,500 reviews
covering over 29,474 products.
© 2019 ReviewGist.com. All Rights Reserved.


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As Types Grow Older – Re-Release of Grimoire and SadnessSubmitted by Felix Braden on 27 April 2015 - 4:37am
My very first typefaces Sadness and Grimoire have just been published in new and revised versions at Myfonts. After the tragic end of the established Fountain Type Foundry I had to ask myself the following question: Is there still any justification for the existence of my 20 year old fonts?
by Felix Braden


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Finally, moss takes center stage in the theatre of Earth–again. What's old is new again, and it's trending like a Broadway hit!
Martha, of course, has done a lot to enlighten gardeners to the allure of mosses, and we take our part very seriously (and respectfully) to educate people on the cultivation of a moss garden wherever they may live. Now Elizabeth Gilbert is reaching the masses beyond gardeners.
Through Alma Whittaker, the protagonist in Ms. Gilbert's latest book, The Signature of All Things, we are made privy to the nineteenth century world of botany and specifically to the science of mosses. (Of course, we here at Moss and Stone Gardens thought Eat Pray Love should have been about moss, too. After all, moss is worthy, but we digress.)
Haven't gotten your copy yet? Or, want to give one as a gift or a loan but cannot bear to part with your own copy? Now's your chance to win one! Moss and Stone Gardens has teamed with Ms. Gilbert's publisher, Penguin Group (USA), and together we are hosting a giveaway. To enter to win, all you have to do is LIKE our Facebook page and leave us a comment. Three copies, one autographed, will be given away. We love hearing from you. Perhaps you have a photo of your own moss garden or an inspirational one that you have discovered and would like to share too. Please do!
The Signature of All Things follows the story of Alma, a brilliant woman, born in 1800. Admittedly, we may be ever so slightly biased as to our estimation of her brilliance as we are in complete accord with her decision to make moss her life passion.
Alma spent 25 years studying moss. Of course, this would be easy to do. Once you open the curtain to the mossy adventure, time flies. David Spain, Moss and Stone Garden's moss expert, plans to reach 25 years learning about moss, and go for another 25 years and more after that, God willing and the creek don't rise.
Alma Whittaker was clearly ahead of her time. Today, moss is trending, but did you know that moss was Earth's opening act? Alma, our fictional advocate, learned the role that mosses play on Earth and we at Moss and Stone Gardens are doing our part to keep them in the spotlight and hoping (and clapping) for repeated encores in gardens around the world.
Don't forget to LIKE our Facebook page to enter a chance to win. Please share with your friends.
Post Script: For those curious to know, we asked Ms. Gilbert if she grows moss in her garden at home. Her answer? A resounding YES!
Follow Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks! on Twitter @Moss_Rocks and our Facebook page Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!
To learn more about Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!, please visit our website. Or email David Spain at email@example.com.


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Nintendo boss: We didn't try hard enough to educate users about Wii U
Yesterday, Nintendo released its annual results, with a large operating loss and weak Wii U sales. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata blamed the delay of some Wii U games and loss of momentum, and the company did not do a good job of explaining the console to consumers.
In a briefing for investors, Iwata admitted the company has struggled with defining the product. "We have not been able to solidly communicate the product value of Wii U to our consumers yet, which has been a grand challenge for us," he said. "Some have the misunderstanding that Wii U is just Wii with a pad for games, and others even consider Wii U GamePad as a peripheral device connectable to Wii. We feel deeply responsible for not having tried hard enough to have consumers understand the product."
Iwata also said that the intervals between first-party games has been "so much longer than we expected" in its January briefing. "Wii U has lost momentum due to the release pace of first-party titles which has not lived up to consumers' expectations," Iwata stated. "Starting with Pikmin 3 scheduled for release in the upcoming July, however, we will intensively launch our key titles to give sales momentum to the platform. As a decisive factor in buying a console is that you cannot play a much-anticipated title without the hardware, we will do our best to have you feel from this summer to the end of this year that there are plenty of great games for Wii U."
Just last night, Nintendo announced that it will forgo a large press conference this year at E3, instead opting for a smaller event that aims to give press quicker access to trying the newly-announced software.


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Diagnosis: skin cancer
Come summer, the sun plays a starring role—blazing at the beach, lengthening our afternoons, luring us to exercise outside. But the truth is, that big, yellow ball is present 365 days a year, so we're almost always in its spotlight. Stepping outside unprotected for a few measly minutes might seem harmless, but the damage adds up: UV rays are linked to 90 percent of nonmelanoma skin cancers and 65 percent of melanomas, the deadliest form of skin cancer. In fact, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, with 1 million cases diagnosed annually. And melanoma is the second most common cancer among women age 25 to 29.
In spite of the scary statistics, we're not suggesting you live in a cave. Our job is to arm you with the facts and encourage you to stay safe. Research shows that reminders do make a difference; 56 percent of people who received a text message to wear sun protection slathered it on, a study by Harvard University Medical School in Boston shows. And protecting yourself truly pays off. Skin cancer is one of the most preventable forms of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society in Atlanta; wear sunscreen with SPF 30 and you'll be protected from up to 97 percent of UVB rays. It's also one of the most curable: Detecting melanoma in its early stage gives you a 99 percent chance of beating the disease. Just ask these survivors; their stories will inspire you to safeguard your skin.
The sports enthusiast
Nanette Bercu, diagnosed with melanoma at age 36
Growing up in Southern California, Bercu, 38, was always romping around beneath the rays. "I practically peeled myself a new nose every summer," she says. At 16, breakouts motivated her to see a dermatologist. Along with her acne, a mole on her lower back caught the doctor's attention. He biopsied the spot, and when the results came back as atypical (meaning it could progress into melanoma), Bercu's doctor said her best option was to have the mole cut out. (This diagnosis—dysplastic nevus—became a familiar one for Bercu; over the next two decades, she would have more than 20 other moles removed.) Even so, Bercu wasn't as committed to daily sun protection in college as she should have been. "I went to school in Rhode Island, where it's mostly rainy and snowy. Sunscreen didn't seem necessary year-round," she says.
Meanwhile, new moles continued to pop up on her body, and by her mid-20s, Bercu finally became diligent about using sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30, reapplying several times when outside. "There were more public warnings about skin cancer, and I was getting about three moles removed every year," she says. By the time she reached her 30s, Bercu, now the creative director of Paul Mitchell Haircare and a mom of two, visited the doc every six months. "As my family grew, I worried about my kids being in the sun," Bercu says. "I coated us all in sunscreen." Bercu also began doing triathlons, her UV exposure increasing as she spent countless hours training outdoors. Her doctor started to routinely take pictures of her scalp, breasts, feet, stomach and thighs—known as total body photography—to track new and existing growths. (Bercu has copies at home to do self-exams between visits.) "Nanette is so freckled that you can't find a patch of pigment-free skin," says Barbara Hayden, M.D., a plastic surgeon in Santa Monica, California, who has performed all of Bercu's mole removals since she graduated from high school.
In May 2008, another questionable mole was excised from Bercu's back. Three weeks later, after a routine check to see how the incision was healing, Dr. Hayden noticed a fresh growth, right above the stitches, that hadn't been there just weeks before—a major red flag for skin cancer. "It was pin-sized, the tiniest mole I'd ever had removed," Bercu says. When the biopsy came back as malignant melanoma, "my life flashed before my eyes," Bercu says. "I thought, I'm only 36."
Bercu's doctors said there was a 40 percent chance that the cancer had spread to other parts of her body, so the next step was to test her lymph nodes. (The lymphatic system acts as an internal drainage system for the body; its nodes are like drop-off zones for the "garbage" picked up along the way, including cancer cells.) As she lay on the exam table, neon-colored radioactive dye was injected directly into the melanoma, then made its way to three areas where the cancer might have migrated: both armpits and her groin. (This process is known as lymph node mapping.) "I thought, I'm doomed," she recalls. "It's everywhere inside of me." Days before her 37th birthday, Bercu had a portion of each of the nine possibly affected lymph nodes taken out and tested. The mole and surrounding tissue were also removed, leaving Bercu's lower back with a zipperlike scar running about 3 inches long and an inch deep.
Bercu's lymph nodes were cancer-free, but the painful procedure and ensuing recovery meant she had to do physical therapy to regain motion in her shoulders. After months of rehabilitation, she was able to move normally, although nerve damage slowed her recuperation, and she still has difficulty fully extending her arms. Despite these setbacks, Bercu, ever the athlete, could not wait to begin training again, even though that would mean facing the sun once more. "I choose to continue the activities I enjoy but be smart about sun protection," she says.
These days, Bercu works out only before 10 A.M. or after 4 P.M., when rays are weaker, and she never goes without sweat-resistant sunscreen with SPF 60. Clothing with UPF (UV protection in fabric) is a staple in her active wardrobe, and she stashes sunscreen everywhere—car, gym bag, even a little compartment mounted on her bike. "Having melanoma was a blessing in disguise," says Bercu, who gets full-body photos taken every six months and skin checks every three. "I refuse to live like a prisoner to skin cancer."
Health skin how-to
Take cover! On average, you're exposed to a minimum of 28 hours of sunlight per month, a survey from Proctor & Gamble Beauty in Cincinnati reveals. Sun protection (at least SPF 30 plus UPF-infused clothes) is your most valuable anticancer weapon. "A white T-shirt offers less than SPF 10," says Gervaise Gerstner, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City.
The sun worshipper
Hedy Gold, diagnosed with melanoma at age 31
As an adolescent, the Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, native basked in the sun every chance she got. "It was like a drug," says the self accessories director, 39. "I loved the feeling of warmth on my skin, and I was never dark enough, so I always skipped SPF." During high school, in pursuit of an everlasting glow, Gold walked into a tanning salon and sprang for an unlimited-access membership. (The shocking truth? Every day, approximately 1 million people visit tanning beds, according to the American Academy of Dermatology in Schaumberg, Illinois. That might explain why there are more indoor tanning salons than there are Starbucks or McDonald's in many U.S. cities, as a study from San Diego State University reports.) Even in the dead of winter, Gold would hit the blue bed several times a month. After graduation, she headed to Arizona State University at Tempe, where she lounged with friends at campus pools in between studying to get straight As. "Lying outside made me feel good, and I thought it made me look good, too," Gold says. (Tanning may be addictive in the same way alcohol and narcotics are, a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology finds.)
In 2001, Gold moved to New York City to pursue a career in the fashion industry. "I missed being in the sun so much," says the naturally fair-skinned, green-eyed blonde (traits that further increase her risk). So she reunited with her beloved tanning beds as often as she could—sneaking in appointments a few times a month—a hobby that cost her hundreds of dollars a year. "I didn't realize I was putting my life in danger," she says. "Then I got a major wake-up call."
A few weeks before starting a new job as an accessories editor at a magazine, Gold flew home to spend time with her family. Her father, a general-practice doctor in Michigan, noticed that a mole on the left side of her face seemed bigger, darker and a different shape than he had recalled; he suggested she get it checked out by a dermatologist—asap. "Honestly, I hadn't even noticed the mole had changed until then," Gold admits.
She scheduled an appointment with one of the dermatologists at Juva Skin and Laser Center in NYC the week she returned. Although the mole didn't look abnormal—it wasn't unevenly shaped, noticeably large or multicolored—she explained that its size and color had recently morphed. Because of Gold's detailed description, her doctor elected to shave off a small piece of the growth (a noninvasive method often used to remove a few surface skin cells) so it could be biopsied.
A few days later, Gold got a phone call from her doctor: The small tissue sample had come back from the lab as abnormal. Within hours of hanging up, she went back to the derm's office and learned that the growth was malignant melanoma in situ (a stage of melanoma that is confined to the skin's upper layer but still has the potential to penetrate deeper into the dermis). "I was in complete shock," Gold says. "I thought, How could I have skin cancer?"
"Her diagnosis was actually good news," says Michael Bruck, M.D., director of Juva Skin and Laser Center, who removed Gold's cancer. "It meant that if it was taken out, we'd have a cure. So that's exactly what I did." A week after the surgery, which required the excision of about a half inch of tissue and 3 inches of stitches, Gold went to Manhattan's Bryant Park to attend Fashion Week, where she reviewed several designers' shows along with her beautifully attired peers. "Everyone was concerned when they saw the large white bandage taped across my cheek," Gold recalls. "I told my story to anyone who would listen to help raise awareness." A test of tissue surrounding the growth came back as benign, which confirmed that the cancer had been completely removed.
Now the former tanning junkie, who is expecting her first child this month, wears SPF 30 sunscreen on her face every day (SPF 60 all over if she's at the beach) and hasn't set foot in a tanning salon in eight years. (Dr. Bruck, whom she revisited to discuss details for this story, says that Gold's consistent exposure to UVA light beds on and off for 15 years, coupled with her genetics, puts her at greater risk of developing skin cancer.) "I'm scared to death it will come back," says Gold, who since her melanoma diagnosis has had six questionable moles biopsied from her calves, thighs and stomach. The most recent, located on the back of her left thigh, was found by Kathryn Frew, M.D., a colleague of Dr. Bruck's. Upon review, it was labeled as severe dysplastic nevus (an irregular mole that could become melanoma if it isn't removed) and had to be taken out. "Anything that looks even remotely suspicious I have checked," Gold says. "It's truly an ongoing battle."
Healthy-skin how-to
The risk of developing melanoma is 75 percent greater for people who used tanning beds as teens, notes the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France. "The machines are particularly dangerous because they emit UVA rays, which penetrate deeply and are less likely than UVB to cause a burn. You get damage without realizing it," Dr. Mark says. A ray of hope: The FDA has given a report to Congress proposing that clearer warning labels be placed on all tanning beds, stating that consistent use of the device may lead to skin cancer.
The doctor turned patient
Elizabeth Tanzi, diagnosed with melanoma at age 37
Dr. Tanzi, 39, codirector of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery in Washington, D.C., spent most of her college days cramming for exams in the dark confines of the university library. But six consecutive spring break trips to popular hot spots in Florida, Mexico and Jamaica sizzled her milky-white complexion year after year. "I'd get a large dose of sun exposure really quickly," admits the native of Long Island, New York. "I should have paid better attention to my skin." (Brief yet intense tanning time significantly increases one's chance of developing melanoma, and even one blistering burn in childhood can dramatically increase the DNA damage that may lead to skin cancer.)
Postgraduation, she hung up her diploma and put away her bikini. "I became vigilant about staying out of the sun," Dr. Tanzi says. "If I was going to be outside for several hours, I'd slather on sunscreen, hide under a hat and umbrella and wear capris to cover my legs. I was very careful not to burn."
In 2007, while expecting her second child, a small mole on Dr. Tanzi's right calf caught her eye. "As a doctor, I knew it wasn't unusual for moles to darken during pregnancy because a surge in estrogen can enhance pigment," she says. About six months later, after she'd given birth, she decided the mole had to be checked out. "It looked normal, but it had really changed in appearance," she says. "Still, I definitely wasn't thinking cancer." That same week, in one of her office's exam rooms, Dr. Tanzi performed her own biopsy, removing a tiny piece of the suspicious mole along with another larger mole on her left leg. The next night, while at home with her family, she received a voice mail from Carmen Myrie Williams, M.D., a dermatologist in Washington, D.C., who had reviewed the skin samples, urging Dr. Tanzi to return her phone call as soon as possible.
"I listened to the message, hung up the phone, looked at my husband and said, 'I have melanoma,'" Dr. Tanzi recalls. "I just had a gut feeling. I was trembling and kept repeating, 'I can't believe it. I can't believe it.'" At first, Dr. Tanzi suspected the worst-case scenario: advanced melanoma. And she was convinced that the second, larger mole was the culprit. To her surprise, the normal-looking growth on her right leg was an early-stage melanoma, whereas the more irregular one on her left was a basal cell carcinoma, skin cancer that is not considered life-threatening. "In an instant, I went from being a dermatologist who routinely diagnoses skin cancer to a patient with so many questions and concerns," Dr. Tanzi says. "Having melanoma is frightening on multiple levels, because once it forms, it can spread quickly and be very difficult to treat."
The next day, Dr. Tanzi's colleague Martin Braun, M.D., a dermatologic surgeon in Washington, D.C., cut out her melanoma—a procedure that required a wide incision and left her with 17 stitches, a 3-inch scar and achiness for weeks. Fortunately, the lab results of the skin surrounding the tissue came back as clear of cancer. Three weeks later, she returned to Dr. Braun to have the basal cell carcinoma removed, too.
Dr. Tanzi says that her personal experience has given her a heightened sense of urgency when it comes to testing her abnormal-looking moles. "I think about dealing with a recurrence constantly. But as a mother of two toddlers, I try to be brave for my kids and move past the fear," she says. Self-exams every three to six months (a colleague checks hard-to-see parts such as her back) and biopsies of anything that appears even remotely suspicious are now standard practice. To date, she has taken off a total of 18 lesions, mostly from her legs and back.
"I tell patients to get to know their moles," Dr. Tanzi says. "Being able to see your body every day is an advantage that your derm doesn't have." She also preaches a proactive yet stern antiaging message to her young clientele. "I have thirtysomethings come in for Botox or other skin treatments, but they still tan, whether at the beach or in tanning beds," she says. "I explain that there's no point in targeting lines now if they're just going to end up with a scar on their face from having skin cancer removed." If they still don't seem to be listening, she shares her own ordeal to make the consequences of lifestyle choices clear. And when it comes to being the bearer of potentially devastating news, such as a diagnosis of skin cancer, she believes her experience with the disease has made her more empathetic. "I spend a lot of time talking to patients about long-term prognosis," she says. "Because I know firsthand that fear of the unknown can be unbelievably overwhelming."
Healthy-skin how-to
Schedule regular checkups—with your doctor and yourself. Ongoing dermatologist visits (every 6 to 12 months if you've never had skin cancer) plus monthly self-exams are key. Look for growths that have changed shape, color or size and for ones that bleed or itch. (See the A-through-E guidelines, page 56.)
If you've had precancers or skin cancer, your doc will most likely increase the frequency of in-office visits to every three months. "The number-one risk for melanoma is a prior melanoma," says Kenneth Beer, M.D., a derm in West Palm Beach, Florida. "It could occur much later—5, 10 or 15 years in the future."
When a mole on the right side of your body mirrors in location one on your left (or vice versa), the growths might be abnormal, says Neal Schultz, M.D., a dermatologist in NYC. (For example, you could have growths that reside in the same spot on both sides of your stomach). Skin cells with a great deal of DNA damage send a signal to other cells via the bloodstream, indicating that something isn't right; the result can be "twin" abnormal moles.
Surf your way to safe, healthy skin
These online programs can help you net the latest information on melanoma.
Skin Cancer Takes Friends Olay and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery join forces to raise awareness of the importance of annual skin cancer screenings.
Screen the One You Love The American Academy of Dermatology advocates using special occasions as a prompt to tell family and friends to get skin checks. For example, on Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day, encourage those close to you to sign up for a free exam at MelanomaMonday.org.
Glow in the Dark Campaign Take the anti-tanning pledge at Jergens.com, then invite friends to do the same. The site links to The Skin Cancer Foundation, so you can read up on the latest skin-protecting facts and statistics.
Road to Healthy Skin Tour Aveeno, Rite Aid and The Skin Cancer Foundation are setting up shop in a 38-foot RV and visiting 80 locations to offer free full-body scans. Check out the schedule at skincancer.org.
Photo Credit: Sonja Pacho


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Going Gold: To Your Heart's (Downloadable) Content
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Going Gold: To Your Heart's (Downloadable) Content
On the disc or not, cut from the game or not, DLC is a necessary evil and it's not going away.
Yeah, I saw this coming...
But if something is really worth it, I'll buy it..
If it's on the disc, but unfinished I don't mind paying. But if it's on the disc or it was simply cut from the game, then I'm not too sure about that(I've never had the problem though). $15 for a map pack is stupid, but that's Activision for you. I only buy DLCs I know I'll use, so I really don't care too much about price.
Yeah. Things are changing.
be it good or bad yet is stil on the horizon but I can see it now...no one will buy full games, just parts that they want...
Its a sad fact that, I have to agree. But, I jusr hope in the way of things it dosnt go too badly
It's a very good write-up, but I think games are always going to be around whether or not these big publishers choose to nickle and dime us over content, and it is leading to a slippery slope. I guess I just miss the days of paying for a game and that was it. For example, my passion is making music. Even with albums being downloaded left and right, and it not being as easy to make money in the field as it possibly once was, I'm still going to do it. I don't think people are just going to stop making games because the profit margin isn't as great as it once was.
$15 for Fluff DLC (Map packs, alternate skins for clothes, weapons, etc) is a huge waste of time and money. They don't add anything new to the game.
Its a hard call for some people to get DLC, especially when the whole thing is on the disc and your just paying for an unlock code, on one hand it feels like the company is thankful you bought the game, but being forced to buy locked content is like a knife between the ribs.
The argument carries weight, but the idea of all games moving to download only and not on disc isn't going to happen.
Perhaps they should stop spending so much on the graphics side of things. Thats sure to save a few million. Then again I don't know how much it costs, but I'm pretty damn sure its a large chunk.
How about they stop making super realistic grass and concentrate on the actual gameplay? How about that instead of something that's a complete negative for the consumer?
I usually don't mind DLC prices, but I usually want about 2 hours for the $5/6 equivalent. I understand we have to start paying to support the company that produces our games, and I'm okay with that.
Simple reason: Because the masses want realistic grass to drool over and brag about it.
This is essentially what we are seeing here and i wholeheartedly welcome the process because, looking at the music industry example i believe it will turn out fine in the end. Despite all thebumps and cracks on the road.
One thing hasn't been mentioned that is precisely "copy-and-pasting a few hundred lines of code" and is a common enough practice that it should be mentioned: 140kb unlocks. But then again, there's absolutely no defense for those.
My opinion is simply that the game industry is getting greedier and the price of developing games is increasing mostly due to greed more than anything, with employees demanding bigger and bigger fees and paydays, along with a lot of perks. There have been numerous articles over the years by both developers and publishers explaining how the industry works to one degree or another, which makes things fairly transparent if you happen to follow it enough.
I look back to say Itigaki's fight with "Team Ninja" and the kind of payday he was expecting for game development. This kind of thing doesn't seem to be all that uncommon. Then you've got an article here where The Escapist interviewed the guy in charge of Russia's 1C company about digital distribution and how he could more than triple his current profit margin by going digital, with of course no suggestion of the game prices being lowered or any real benefits to the consumer for giving up their discs and such.
The basic problem with DLC is that there is no way to justify a lot of what is done with it as being anything but an attempt to wring money out of consumers. There just isn't. I understand the perspective of "The Escapist" in such matters (on a number of levels) however.
The thing is that DLC is increasingly paying people to unlock features that would have been considered part of a game a few years ago. Alternate costumes for fighting game characters, multi-player modes, etc. In many cases stuff they already completed as part of the main project but figure "ahh well, we can get more money out of people for this".
As far as actual expansions and such go, the original "promise" of DLC was that by going digital, expansion pakcs could be produced faster, and much cheaper to the consumer. Rather than seeing full fledged expansion packs we see people charging $10-$15 for tiny additions to the game in most cases. What few REAL expansion packs we see, stuff on the level of Ultima 7's "Silver Seed" or "Forge Of Virtue" now continues to sell for almost as much as an entire game. What's more the price of digitally downloading such an expansion is identical to purchusing it on disc.
This of course gets into one of my biggest criticisms of the industry: Cartel type behavior. Previously nobody came up with the idea of trying to sell features of a game seperatly because it was both impractical, and since everyone was producing complete packages and adding in more and more stuff to sell their product, nobody wanted to get nailed by irritating gamers by nickel and diming them. However with the entire industry going towards digital distribution, and everyone agreeing to nickel an dime customers, noone stands out as being paticularly villainous usually because everyone is doing it. Digital Distribution has made it practical to charge someone an extra $10 for something on a disc already.
The problem is that the competition in the industry isn't quite like it should be. The very existance of things like "Game developers conferances" and such are the anti-thesis of the kind of competition that should be happening, becuse it leads to the industry as a whole setting policy, being able to coordinate price hikes, and determining how everyone will be able to get the most money out of the consumers at any given moment. Exactly the opposite of the way it should be with game companies going toe to toe for the same market, and trying to undercut each other's prices while producing the highest quality they can.
Such are my thoughts (though there is nothing here I haven't rambled about before).
Basically DLC as it exists now is a giant money grab, it's not "nessicary for the industry to survive". Given that gamers have yet to coordinate any kind of meaningful opposition, we're basically viewed with total disrespect. The idea being that while we will whine, we'll still fork over the money on whatever terms they demand. The most they are ever likely to see is an "internet petition" which can generate a few boardroom lulz (if it even gets that far) while the same people who signed it run out to throw their money at the people they are trying to persuade to change their policies. I would be VERY surprised if anyone who signed the petition over the lack of dedicated Modern Warfare 2 servers actually chose to go without the game.
Well, I won't stand for it or pay for it... and in the long run if they continue like this (with DRM and DLC and pay-for Betas and Demos, Subscriptions to (Non-MMO) Online Games, Map/Itemshops and whatever the fuck they think of next) they won't get more money out of me but none at all cause I'll spend it on something else instead, and I'm proud to say I didn't spend a single Cent on any "DLC content".
It worked before and it works in other industries without trying to rip people off with those heavily imaginative "price models". What they're (trying) to do isn't as much adapting as trying to force people to pay a lot more money for the same thing... and in the long run it'll (hopefully) only bite em in the arse and return to normality while other less bureaucratic companies take over. Hell they have a MUCH bigger market nowadays than ever before with that many households having and using consoles and they're also complaining like never before.
Also what EA is doing is trying to lay business decisions that had them spend 300 million $ on a Facebook game developer like "Playfish" in 2009 or Bioware/Pandemic for 900 million $ back in 2008 (just to close Pandemic even before its first game release) on the customer. Although the deal was most likely just about the new Star Wars MMO they hope will rake in record cash revenue in no time.
What about the success story of Stardock: http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/sins_of_a_solar_empire/
Or Valve, by finding out that by making stuff cheaper you actually make more money and in some cases even beat "launch": http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/57308
Also the bit about games being a "one-sale-pony" is not entirely true, sure as with movies it'll probably make the most money in the first week or two after it gets out but there's also deals like digital distribution, sales, gamepacks, game collections, gold/game of the year editions, remakes and re-releases (Monkey Island SE or Serious Sam HD for instance), gaming magazines with full versions of older games that pay licensing and all that stuff...
The days of the Ion Storm "rockstar developer" are over, and have been for decades.
Completely agree with previous posts. Paying for DLC is not a "necessary evil", it's greed. There's also too many companies now that are focusing on stellar graphics and ignoring gameplay and enough depth of content to give the game replayability (Bioware, I'm looking at you). They are the ones driving up costs, not us, nor the economy.
With more shallow, incomplete games coming out, DLC that should have been part of the game anyway, and ever more draconian DRM's . . . . . I dunno. I'm looking at getting other hobbies.
I'll honestly never buy DLC for any game. And if the future of gaming forces me to subscribe or pay 100s in overpowered cash shop crap I'll simply stop buying new games and go back to old ones. At least back then the games were actually fun and challenging.
These losses are REVENUE losses correct?
That's something I never got about the business world. If last year I made 50 million dollars in revenue and this year I made 40 million, it counts as a 10 million dollar loss, despite the fact that I've still made 40 million dollars.
I like this article. You start off talking about dic locked content then go onto all these reasons why DLC is not a scam none of which applies to the disc locked content.
I agree with the above comments too. It's all about greed and not about pride in their product/service. Of course, the sad thing is that this applies to 99% of companies in the western world, whose only interest is that of the 'shareholders' and nothing else. It's a sad time...
I don't have much of a problem with Day 1 DLC, in fact in some cases I like it, and I recognise that they might have developed it after the game was "finished", hell I didn't even mind paying for the DLC that was free for the collectors edition in Dragon Age. However one thing I will not tolerate is if the game has the content on the disc and expects me to pay extra for it.
If it's on the disc when I buy it's mine, simple as that, you don't get to double dip me for on disc content.
Just tell Harmonix to keep the Rock Band tracks coming, and I'll be happy...
Your argument about Day One DLC is actually completely unrelated to on-disc DLC with unlock codes. The content had to be developed, and in before content lock, and on the gold master, ready to go out to the world.
Not to say that I think on-disc DLC is wrong. I've always felt like if I buy a product, going in knowing exactly what content is available at that price point, then that transaction was fair, and it's done. If something else becomes available, regardless of the distribution source (on-disc, downloadable, expansion pack, who cares), then that's a separate financial transaction that I'm going to evaluate. People will counter with the question of "Well, it's just new plasmids right now, but what happens when they start leaving the final boss behind a pay-wall?" S'fine. I just hope to have trustworthy sources like this one that will let me know that for the game at launch, it is incomplete, and that you have to pay extra for an ending.
Think of this as a variation on market differentiation (much like ATI or nVidia gimping one of their cards to sell at a lower price point; reduced functionality versions of Windows).
Ummmm... http://www.gamespot.com/news/6209194.html
Revenue was UP 15%, but they still were in the red to the tune of 1 billion.
And... year-over-year growth tends to be pretty important. You can't go month-to-month, because almost every business is cyclical, and if you're not growing, you're dying. If you want to hold revenues steady (inflation adjusted, of course), and increase profits by lowering costs, fine. But if you take a 10% hit in revenue, even while increasing profit by 100%, you had better turn that around quickly, because eventually, 60% profits on 1% of your former revenues just isn't worth it anymore.
But we can still bitch about it. We''re consumers. We're looking for the best deals and paying as little as possible for what we get. Companies can force up prices, but we'll be grumbling the whole way and it's our right.
Amazing that there are two posts about this in one day. I totally called this.
And yet, my half-joking naked cynicism that we should expect an awesome idea to get fucked up just because it was inevitable has been proven pretty much spot on.
I have to say I have no objection to the idea of DLC in general. It's a much more pleasant way for game companies to fight piracy and maintain revenue than, say, forcing you to be connected to the internet whilst playing single-player.
That said, content that's locked in and on the disc on day one but requires a DLC code to unlock strikes me as unpleasant and dishonest.
In the end I'll see how it goes, and purchase my DLC like I do my original games - selectively.
I agree that the age of AAA games is coming to an end. I disagree, though, that DLCs are the thing that will replace it. Rather, DLCs are the death throes of AAA gaming - which, due to the power of current consoles and computers, require much more manpower to work on graphics and physics than it could easily make with actual game sales. Eventually, the gaming industry will have to choose between taking a huge step backwards, or go bankrupt. Hopefully, it'll make the right decision and we'll be able to enjoy a tiny renaissance of the 90's style quirky games, only with a few more decades' worth of gaming design experience.
Until them, I'll be playing indie games and old games from GoG.com, which cost as much as DLC and last up to ten times as much.
Not sure why greed gets such a bad wrap. They have something, I want it, I pay for it, they make more.
While I'm in agreement that the on disc "DLC" really has nothing to do with the main point of the article, I do believe the main point of the article is spot on. Two things covered in the column are things that I really don't understand why gamers don't get.
First, Day 1 DLC is not evil and is not necessarily something sliced out of the completed game just so it could be sold on the side. Yes, this does happen sometimes but by and large it's not the case.
Second, games need multiple revenue streams just like music, TV and movies do. An entertainment industry as expensive as the game industry just can't survive on it's profits coming solely from a month after product release... unless you like the idea of paying, say, $300 for a new game. DLC isn't the only way to do this (for example, Valve have proven that a solid policy of periodically lowering the sticker price after launch can massively re-energize sales), but it's one way and it can work.
That would be great in a world where developers could make a game that didn't have to give a shit about review scores, all scored by reviewers who want super realistic grass over actual gameplay.
Sadly, we're in this world, where a sub-par game with super-realistic grass gets better review scores than a great game that looks like shit. Because that's what people want.
This is quite wrong actually, as it is the developer that sets standard in which the fans expect. In no way does the fan have any influence in the development and creation of video games. Its the developer that says "Realistic looking grass would be so awesome in this game!" and we just assume that the next game is going to have it or needs to have it.
Down with DLC, up with expansion packs. You remember, the ones that added 30 hours of gameplay to an 80 hour game. That came on a disk in a box from the store. The ones that continued the story of the original game, rather than adding 1 hour of pointless side quests for $15. Those expansion packs.
I really don't care that Bobby Kotick's solid gold rocket car is running low on plutonium. If every single "AAA" development house went under I wouldn't shed a tear. But I would rather the bloodsucking corporate publishers all withered and died and more companies worked like Stardock with no useless stockholders or braindead Wallstreet analysts coming between the game creator and the gamer.
Your comparison between Modern Warfare and WoW just underlines how this whole DLC business really is about money. MW2 was the biggest selling game of all time, and since you claim in the article that prices haven't gone up much over time, we can't really chalk that up to inflation. So if Activision are somehow unsatisfied with all the money they must have made on this, it just proves that they really are as greedy as everyone makes them out to be. As much as I hate WoW, the concept of a subscription fee is justified because the game needs a lot more maintenance than traditional multiplayer games. Constant balancing, the cost of server maintenance, opening new servers, paying GMs, etc - that all adds up. So Blizzard doesn't actually haul in a figure that's as simple as 15 x 24 x number of players.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: every industry has a breaking point and gaming is close to reaching its own for the first time. If these big name titles are no longer viable, then they should just die a natural death and encourage studios rethink their practices. Instead of sinking squillions of dollars into graphics and physics engines, they should be going for less intensive and more artistic styles. DLC is not, as this article claims to be, the way of the future; it's evidence of people trying to keep a sinking ship alive.
The biggest thing I got out of this article was this line here that you used to justify a whole bunch of reasons why DLC is a good and/or necessary thing.
This is the problem, right here. Closed systems. Monopolistic/Duopolistic tendencies displayed by the dictators and tyrants who control everything in the market. Same thing on the iPhone app store, you get lots of bullshit from Apple who exert their tyranny ruthlessly, shutting down anything they don't like, and forcing people to pay more and/or use their first party solutions instead of possibly superior third party ones.
Closed system leads to all sorts of bullshit.
And I'll also just point out that it's much easier to get something released on Steam than Xbox Live and Playstation Network. Solves a lot of problems when your closed system is run by people who aren't giant fucking tools. The only issue is when publishers bring their frustratingly discriminatory and/or greedy practices to it.
I agree wholeheartedly. I don't mind developers who want to release extra content for their games, but the way a lot of publishers take advantage of that is disgusting.
More smaller, excellent games rather than stupidly expensive big ones is the way to keep the industry going. A focus on innovation and quality of gameplay trumps a focus on brand name and quality of graphics.
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The most important part of SEO is making sure your site has unique and fresh content. If the content on your site does not appear elsewhere on the web, the search engines will weigh it more highly than copied content. On the same token, newer content is weighted more highly than ageing content.
Seo Services
There are a lot of marketing and SEO services out there that claim that they can work wonders in promoting your site or products, but you have to be very aware of scams in this area. A service that promises to direct a large volume of traffic in a short period of time is probably too good to be true. Always get the opinions of others before parting with your money. There are several good forums where you can go for advice.
Seo Marketing
If you're using YouTube videos as part of your SEO marketing strategy, make sure to include them on other sites as well. Metacafe is another excellent resource for entertaining and informative videos which can boost viewership for your own video. The more people attracted to viewing your video, the more likely you are to increase the traffic to your website.
Seo Company
Before hiring an SEO company to represent your business, make sure you ask a lot of questions and what risks may be involved. Take a few days and do your own research. In broad terms, "shop around" so you get a sense of what sort of results you should expect from the company you are to deal with.
Seo Consultant
A professional SEO consultant can help you optimize your website for search engine indexing. SEO is a complex and ever-evolving process, and you simply cannot keep up with it and still devote sufficient time to your website's core business. An SEO professional, though, is expert in all the latest wrinkles in the search engine optimization process.
Seo Optimization
Search engine crawlers recognize hidden keywords as unethical ways to boost site rankings. So, caution is needed, with SEO optimization, choose ways that will really boost your ratings instead of lowering them.
Seo Consultants
Give the process a try for yourself before spending money on SEO consultants, when you decide to optimize your business website for search engine indexing. While SEO is a pretty deep field with lots of esoteric subjects to learn, you can make some pretty impressive efforts with just a little study. If you hire one, trying your own hand first will also make you a better judge of your SEO consultant's performance.
Website Seo
Do not let search engine optimization take over your online business! True, SEO is an important part of building your website. , although SEO should never be as important as satisfying your customers You should reevaluate your priorities if you spend so much time on search engine optimization that you find yourself neglecting your customers.
Seo Ranking
To get the best SEO ranking, it's important to write quality copy. Excellent copywriting is at the core of search engine optimization. It typically generates more visitors and attracts more inbound linking. Plus, the search engines, especially Google, have ways of determining how well a story is written and how useful it is, both of which are weighed in search engine ranking.
Seo Expert
One of the first questions to ask is how many years of experience they have in SEO. Before making a decision, learn about the possible risks of hiring an SEO company.
Your goal should always be to achieve very high placement on the search engines, but you cannot fly blindly and hope that your site is somehow plucked from obscurity. In order to formulate a proper plan of attack so that your site earns great placement, you need to follow great advice like this.
The Art Of Web Design: A Basic Guide For You
Too many webmasters get easily discouraged, even though web design attracts many people. If you're interested in website creation but suffering from a bit of information overload, this article can help. Read on for some basic, easily-digestible tips on how to employ outstanding website creation techniques.
Make sure your background and text has the proper contrast. There's evidence showing that white text on a black background is easiest for most people to read, but other colors are fine so long as they're readable. If the contrast is poor, also keep in mind that people with visual impairments may not be able to read your site. If your site complies with various contrast standards using the tool at http, check to see: //snook.ca/technical/colour_contrast/colour.html .
On the Internet, few things are more important to users than speed and efficiency, especially where page loading times are concerned. If Internet users have to wait a long time for your website to load, they will probably leave your site before it loads and vow never to return.
Be wary of web hosting companies who claim that they offer unlimited bandwidth to their customers. Usually there is something that is written in the small print that is far different than that. In many cases people end up having problems when it comes to fair use policies.
To help you design a more professional looking site, do not include an image in the page background. A background image screams low quality site, plus these site usually take forever to load. The last thing you want is your visitors waiting forever because images are still loading on your pages, when you are going for a more professional look.
To help you design a site that is easy for people to read all the information, make sure the pages are not too wide. They will fit on most people's computer screens if the pages are not too wide. Part of your valuable information could be left off the page if the page is too wide.
Keep its limitations in mind as you design your website if you already have a particular web hosting solution that you know you are going to use. If your web host does not support these languages, for example, do not create a website that relies on specific programming languages. It is fairly simple to find out which technologies are supported by your web host. Make certain that your design is something that is within the limitations of your host.
Good website design is often the result of good research. Learn about everything that you can in your niche. Think of the different ways that you can design a website to help maximize its ability to reach the target audience. This will help you become efficient.
Try thinking about the literacy level you want when writing your content. A variety of visitors will visit your site and you want everyone to have access to the information shared. If you desire a greater amount of viewers to your site, create content for all different types of people.
You can save some serious cash by choosing a free, open source program, if you're going to choose a software program to aid in the design of your website. Open source programs are great not only because they're free for public use, but also because they're constantly updated and improved by users with a lot of web know-how.
Launching your website doesn't signal the end of the design process. You will have to keep working actively on your site. Regular updates are important as they show that you are bringing something new to your site. That is certainly the case if you plan to host videos or discuss current events. Updating a website is quite different from updating a blog. , though you still have to put in some effort
White space is actually essential in order to perfect website design. You don't want to clutter everything together and make it seem unorganized. By utilizing white space properly, users will be able to read your content more comfortably and comprehend things better.
Master the art of locating navigation menus in the right spot if you want a great website. A good tip to implement here is to check around to see how other people are handling their navigation menus. This is the spot where your visitor will figure your site out. You can't have a hidden or confusing navigation menu.
Website Development
Never bite off more than you can chew by attempting to design multiple sites at once. You should keep things simple by only working on one site at a time. Even if you do have some website design skills, you may get crossed up with your projects, or one of your sites may suffer neglect. Just take things one at a time.
Web Page Design
Before designing that first site, try reading some advice online. There is a great deal of fine website building information available online for free. Without learning tricks and tips from the experts, your web page could end up being poorly designed and won't garner any attention.
Website Creation Company
When checking the references that have been provided by a website design company it is important to discuss deadlines. You will want to hire a company that is able to meet their deadlines so that you can get your webpage set up and running in a timely manner. You do not want to work with a company that cannot meet their deadlines.
Seo tips
Make sure all of your webpages actually have titles, and make sure they are descriptive. A surprising number of webpages out there are called "untitled document" or "new document". Also absolutely destroys your SEO, since search engines weight page titles heavily when ranking sites, though this not only denies visitors a useful piece of information to remember your site.
Now that you understand what's involved in the website design process, it should no longer be so intimidating. Keep in mind that you can always learn more about web page design, so always look for new knowledge. Couple the benefits of that knowledge with the tips presented here and you will certainly be a success with website creation.


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The system was tearfully described to the magazine by Cindy Lohman, whose son was killed in Afghanistan:
She got a big envelope from Prudential Financial, Inc., which contained a letter advising her that it was holding a $400,000 life insurance payout for safekeeping as one of the agents of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The envelop also contained an item that, Lohman said, looked like a checkbook. Prudential said the money would be safe and would be placed in an interesting-bearing Alliance Account . Months later, when she tried to pay for a new bed with a Prudential "check". It was rejected. Why? The insurance money had been placed in a corporate account that was paying Prudential 4.8 pct. Mrs. Lohman's interest rate was one pct.! "I'm shocked," Mrs. Lohman told the magazine. "It's a betrayal. It saddens me as an American that a company would stoop so low as to make a profit on the death of a soldier. Is there anything lower?"
Many insurance life insurance companies are engaged in such practices.
Said the magazine:
In the past decade, these so-called retained-asset accounts have become standard operating procedure in an industry that touches virtually ever American: There are more than 300 million active life insurance polices in the U.S., and the industry holds $4.6 trillion in assets, according to the American Council of Life Insurers.
Meantime, while Wall Street is boasting of record profits, none other than publishing and real estate billionaire Mort Zuckerman was complaining loudly to Chris Matthews that the Obama Administration was forever "demonizing business." He became flustered when Matthews reminded of the profitable state of Wall Street these days.
So I would have to say to Mort, if all of this sounds quite"demonizing" to you, so be it. But Obama's demons obviously haven't depressed your fortune: According to Forbes, you were the 382nd richest person in America in 2006. In 2010, it ranked you 147th. With more than two years of Obama's demons tormenting the insurance companies and you, there's just no telling whether your ranking will be in the single digits.


text: Calling all Charleston, SC area dubbers! Im wanting to have a get together followed by a night cruise, I have seen many of you at all around here so im hoping some more people come out of the woodwork! I dont care what model, year, modifications or lack of mods have been done to your car, just want some people who love their car and dont mind meeting new people and having some fun. just repost on here or email me at: [email protected] hope to here from anyone soon!


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Share-A-Fare provides a 40 percent discount on taxi fares for older adults and persons with disabilities that live in a participating municipality. Current participating cities are: Bethany, Del City, Midwest City, Moore, Nichols Hills, Oklahoma City, and Warr Acres. This curb-to-curb taxi service is provided by a local company and is available 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. Approved individuals purchase coupon books in their city of residence that can be used to pay taxi fares. Call 405-235-RIDE (7433) for an application.
Email Updates


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As some visitors may recall, I ran into an insurmountable brick wall in my family history work researching a girl who was possibly related to my great-great-grandmother Ellen Driscoll Collins. Noria Driscoll was staying with her in the 1901 census in Lower Lissane:
When I first started investigating the link between Noria Driscoll and Ellen Driscoll Collins, I was researching Ellen Driscoll and thought that Noria could have been a niece. Her relationship to Ellen Driscoll Collins was not as I originally thought. It turns out the census record is not entirely accurate. Noria is listed as a niece to the head of household when she was in fact a granddaughter. On this census record, her grandfather was Michael Collins, her grandmother was Ellen Driscoll Collins, her uncle was Michael Collins, and her aunt was Noria Collins.
Through a process of elimination using civil registration birth records from around 1890 plus the 1901 census, I developed a hypothesis that Noria was from Currabeg, a townland in Castlehaven parish. The brick wall exists because I have been unable to locate her parents' marriage record or the death record of her mother, whom apparently died prior to the 1901 census.
Subsequent research showed that Noria drowned in February 1903, with the place of death noted as Lissane. The death record only listed the cause of death, the coroner and the date of the inquest, but there was no further information.
Skibbereen Southern Star news archives are online. I was unable to find any further information about her tragic death. I sent an email to the National Archives inquiring about the availability of inquest records for County Cork and did not hear back.
On one genealogy forum I visit regularly, another researcher asked a similar question, and I told him of my brick wall and how I ran into a dead-end asking about inquest records at the National Library. "JB" as I shall call him, was in Louth, and was planning to travel to Dublin for some sleuthing. Wisely, he decided to hit the newspapers.
JB emailed me telling me of his plans to go to Dublin and asked for the details of the inquest record I was seeking, which I thought was really kind. I had reached a point that I was totally annoyed with researching this family, and I was annoyed with the Southern Star for not reporting the drowning (yes - not logical). The S.S. noted other drownings about the same time, therefore in my frustration I had rationalized that because she was a schoolgirl, her death didn't merit any newspaper's attention. To validate my conclusion I had also searched the papers at irishnewsarchives.com and even the Irish Times archives, and still did not come up with anything.
Because I really didn't think JB would find anything, it didn't even occur to me to mention the existence of the Skibbereen Eagle newspaper, which I already knew about. Had I told him of that paper beforehand, I might have saved him about an hour of time at the library. I really didn't want him to spend a lot of time looking for something which I knew "wasn't there."
But JB looked at the County Cork newspapers available and figured out which one to look at. Here is a list of some of the papers available at the National Archives:
Cork Papers at NLI
In addition, Cork City Library has a very good newspaper collection:
Cork City Library Newspaper Archives
When I saw a copy of the story of Noria's drowning sitting in my inbox a few days later I was nothing less than stunned. JB also found a story referencing the death of one his relatives who suddenly took ill and died while enroute by ship to Ireland.
There were two valuable lessons we learned from this. JB noted that email to a repository body typically doesn't yield much, but when you go in person and talk to humans the outcome is often very different. Second, if there was a newspaper covering an area you are interested in at at the right time, then it indeed may give inquest details. So it can really pay off to wade through the newspapers.
In addition to my extreme gratitude to JB, I also felt vindicated when I read the story of Noria's drowning. The article confirmed her suspected origins. The article contained one error, naming her uncle as Michael Driscoll when in fact he was Michael Collins. (Her father was Michael Driscoll of Currabeg.) This is why it is so important that when you work on your family tree, you don't stop researching just because a name fills a slot. All records, whether from newspaper stories, from church records, or from civil registration, are vulnerable to errors, and so you must continue collecting evidence and see where the weight of that evidence falls.
This is probably about where Noria fell in the river. Even in *good* weather, that water looks terribly busy... map


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Vatican City, Nov 18, 2013 / 10:38 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican announced today that Pope Francis will officially deliver his first post-synodal apostolic exhortation to coincide with the end of the Year of Faith.
During a Nov. 18 press conference, the Holy See revealed that the title of the new document is "Evangelii Gaudium," or "The Joy of the Gospel," which will be publicly proclaimed by the Pope during the closing Mass for the Year of Faith on Sunday, Nov. 24.
The exhortation is a concluding document of last year's Synod of Bishops, which centered on the theme of "The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith."
Although the Pope will make the first announcement on the Nov. 24, the official presentation will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 26 in the John Paul II Hall of the Vatican.
Pope Francis will deliver the exhortation to "a bishop, a priest, a deacon, religious men and women, novices, a family, catechists, artists, journalists, young people, the elderly and the sick" noted Archbishop Rino Fisichella.
Archbishop Fisichella, who will be present at the official presentation on Nov. 26, is the President of the Pontifical Council for the promotion of the New Evangelization.
"Namely," he continued, "it will be delivered to all those in various stages of life, who as Christians, are called to be evangelizers."
"The Year of Faith becomes a commitment that the Church assumes her duty once again to bring the Gospel to every creature," added the archbishop.
Altogether, there will be 36 people present for the event representing 18 different countries and five continents, the Vatican during the press release.
Special note was made that the Bishop, priest and deacon that the Pope will deliver the exhortation to come from Letonia, Tanzania Australia, and were chosen because of their youth.
It was also made known that the document might not be a "classical 'post-synodal'" apostolic exhortation, and due to this fact the preparation and structure of the document remain unknown.


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Preparing one's racket to make a ground stroke sounds like a cinch. It's not. Yet it's crucial to your success.
Racket preparation is a whole body movement known for eons as the "unit turn." Common misperceptions of preparation mostly lead to players flinging the racket back randomly or, worse yet, a last second tin-man effort - all arm no body - eliminating any hope of an integrated hip, shoulder, trunk turn. Tennis elbow anyone?
In the accompanying image you can see that, from an initial ready position, I've recognized a forehand opportunity and have initiated this hip-shoulder turn while simultaneously pivoting my lower body. It's all connected.
Article Photos
Photo by Shaun Ondak
Jak Beardsworth demonstrates the progression of steps it takes to prepare the racket to make a successful ground stroke.
With my left hand releasing the racket for the take back, my off-arm (left) begins assuming a position of balance that's maintained throughout preparation, continued through the ball striking moment and into the follow through where the racket is literally caught at rotation's end, then seamlessly dropped back into a ready position in recovery.
As the racket continues to fully load in the shown sequence I'm retaining the ready position's initial forward, over-the-ball forward leaning posture to insure a leveraged point of impact well in front. You can also notice that I'm unweighting my left foot to push off with the right in pursuit of the ball.
In an ideal world, my racket will reach full prep at precisely the time the approaching ball bounces - the rate of the take-back matches the speed of the incoming ball - no matter my court position at that moment, a valuable and underestimated timing device.
(Note: I am not suggesting "running with the racket back," a tired old misnomer that's a close second to the trite "bend your knees, $5 please.")
Now, with the arm, racket, hips and shoulders fully coiled one is able to generate a considerable amount of racket "swing-weight" (versus scale weight) resulting in a powerful kinetic strom with minimal effort that moves the ball quickly through the court without hitting "hard."
Do your best. Always aspire higher. Love the game.
Jak Beardsworth, USPTA, is based at the Crowne Plaza-Lake Placid Club, and is available for adult and junior lessons by appointment: firstname.lastname@example.com, 941-626-0097, www.JakBeardsworthTennis.com.