text:
Depression and Hormone Therapy
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts,"
I have suffered from depression all [of] my life and take several different medications and see a psychiatrist. Since starting Lupron therapy, I have been much more depressed. My psychiatrist has changed my medications around in the hopes of helping with the depression, but it does not seem to be working. Do you know of anything that can help manage this side effect?
Richard Whittington, MD, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, responds:
This is a real problem in men and it is analogous to the condition in women called "involutional melancholia" that occurs when women go through menopause. Physiologically, you are going through the same hormone shifts that women do during "the change".
To my knowledge, there are no special remedies or therapies beyond standard anti-depressants that have been proven to work in this setting. Keep in mind that anti-depressant medications can take a few weeks to reach their optimum effectiveness. So changes to your medications may take a while before the effects kick in and you notice a difference. Keep seeing the psychiatrist and call on your support system when needed. In menopausal women, symptoms do tend to improve once the hormone shift has happened and the body has had some time to adjust to the changes. So hang in there!


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Techmeme Search finds "items", i.e. blog posts, news stories and tweets, that have appeared as headlines on Techmeme. Items listed only in the "More" areas are excluded from results.
By default, only the title and first few sentences are searched. Unchecking "Search title & summary only" extends the search to the full body text.
Quoted phrases, wildcards, and standard search operators like + (plus), - (minus), AND, OR, NOT, and parenthesis are all supported.
Narrowing searches based on url, author, date, and other attributes is also possible. For instance, the query [ Streisand sourcename:Techdirt ] restricts searches for "Streisand" to items from the blog "Techdirt". Examples of other operators follow:
|items from the blog http://www.theverge.com/
|sourcename:"New York"
|items from blogs with "New York" in the name
|items that appeared on 10/20/11
|date:[10/1/11 TO 10/20/11]
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|author:"Bill Gates"
|items by author "Bill Gates"
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|body:"severely polluted"
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Note: all operators that take urls will accept simple domain names, which match any item at that domain, or complete item urls.


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MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. - Two four-run innings weren't enough, as No. 13 Georgia College & State University baseball (37-16, 16-11 PBC) dropped the regular-season capper today (May 3) 9-8 to Augusta State University (25-30, 11-16 PBC) at John Kurtz Field.
Leftfielder Derek Johns (Waynesville, Ga.) went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs in the losing effort.
A three-run seventh gave ASU the lead for good in the back-and-forth affair. Back-to-back home runs by the Jaguars gave them the lead. First, catcher Alex Sickman had a two-run shot to tie, followed by a solo blast for the lead from Jorge Virguez.
GCSU's four-run fifth helped them take the lead 8-6. Johns ripped an RBI single to left center, plating rightfielder Danny McCorkell (Wentzville, Mo.) who reached on a hit-batsman. After a groundout, catcher Pete Paris (Scranton, Pa.) took the first pitch of his at-bat over the left center fence for a two-run blast and the two-run lead. Paris' home run was his ninth of the season, and the third-straight game with a round-tripper this season.
The Jaguars blasted five home runs in the victory.
ASU reliever Patrick Lowe (3-5) was impressive with 3 1/3 innings of one-hit shutout ball, fanning one. Tony Baker got the final three outs for his second save of the season. Bobcat reliever Ryan Tabor (Lawrenceville, Ga.) tossed three innings in the loss (5-2) allowing three earned runs on five hits and three walks.
The Bobcats took third place in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) earning the No. 3-seed in the upcoming PBC Tournament May 9-10 in Aiken, S.C. The brackets were officially released tonight, and Georgia College will face UNC Pembroke in the first round Saturday, May 9 at 12:30 p.m.
The Bobcats honored four seniors today, as Johns, Paris, McCorkell and Brooks Robinson (Evans, Ga.) played their final regular-season game at Kurtz Field. McCorkell finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, while Johns was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run. Paris was 1-for-5 with the two-run tying blast, and Robinson had a single in his 1-for-4 day.
Visit www.GCSUBobcats.com to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GCSU Athletics Hall of Fame. The GCSU Department of Athletics sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, GCSU prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the Bobcats' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at Twitter.com username GCSUSID for up-to-the-minute reports.


text: More fodder for the foot soldiers in the mommy wars? A recent study at Yale University that performed brain scans on 12 new mothers suggests that women who give birth vaginally are more likely to develop stronger emotional bonds with their babies. Researchers theorize that labor contractions, which release the hormone oxytocin, may influence maternal behavior. (When a Cesarean is performed, oxytocin is not released.) [BBC]


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Sunday, January 14, 2018
January 14 - Nino, Slave, Missionary, Preacher
Nino felt a calling to go to Iberia--in fact, she had had a vision commanding her to take what little she had and travel east to the land that would eventually be known as Georgia. But there was one very significant impediment to Nino's missionary calling: she was a slave and, according to the Roman powers, her life was not her own to direct. She had quite a pedigree being related to notable and powerful leaders both within the Church and without it, yet she had been taken captive from Armenia and brought to Constantinople as a servant. However, this did not lessen the intensity of her calling. The words of Mary in her vision still rung in Nino's ears: "Go to Iberia and share the good news that is accomplished in Jesus Christ. I will take every step before you do and be your shield against enemies you'll know and some you'll never know. Take a cross and plant it in a land to proclaim salvation and life through my beloved Son and Lord." So, somehow--some way--Nino risked much to leave and do God's work in a land where she had no connection.
When she crossed the border into Iberia she began looking for a town--any place where people would congregate--and she settled there. She planted the cross she carried into the ground and began preaching a Gospel that so few had heard in the little town. The fires of conversion caught in the tiny town and soon Nino's message was spreading into the larger cities and eventually arriving in the capitol. When the queen heard Nino's message she was transfixed and requested an audience. Nino--the slave--went to speak with the queen and share a faith that depended upon a crucified king. When she arrived, she discovered that the queen was ill and not responding to the cures of the greatest of the royal physicians. Nino offered a humble but earnest prayer on behalf of the queen and she was healed.The two women conversed. We don't know what was said but the queen was converted and this created a pathway to speak with the king. The king was tolerant of his wife's conversion but was not personally persuaded that day. It would take another set of circumstances.
The king--like so many other members of the royal class--had a passion for hunting. One day while he was in a nearby forest, he descended further into the forest than he had ever traveled. Soon, he was surrounded by unfamiliar streams and rocks and realized that he wasn't entirely sure how to find his way back out. He began tracking his path to discover his escape when he was suddenly struck blind. Lost deep in a forest, blinded, and surrounded by animals that would eventually overcome their timidity to inspect and perhaps kill a disabled man, he began to fear for his life. His thoughts flew to Nino and Nino's God and he prayed a simple prayer: "Jesus, if you are indeed God like the slave says, then save me from my darkness so that I might abandon all other gods and allegiances to follow and worship you." With the sounding of his "amen" his sight returned and he beat a hasty retreat to his palace. When he arrived, he called for Nino and was converted. Soon thereafter, Christianity became acceptable in Iberia and was no longer punished.
The king and queen were taught by Nino but Christianity was exploding in Iberia and the king recognized that more teachers and ministers were needed to accommodate the needs of the growing community of Jesus' disciples. Emperor Constantine sent a bishop and ministers to Iberia and a great church was built there. Nino could see that the Church had gained a foothold in Iberia and so she retired to a small hermitage in the mountains where she could again devote herself to prayer and service. When she died, the king built a monastery by her grave and continued to tell the story of the slave who had freed a kingdom.
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42nd Annual George London Foundation Awards Competition for Singers to Run Feb 25-March 1
Over three days of preliminary auditions on February 25-27, 2013, approximately 90 of the best young American and Canadian opera singers will compete to reach the final round of the 42nd annual George London Foundation Awards Competition.
On Friday, March 1, approximately 25 finalists will perform for the judges and audience, hoping to win a George London Award, an honor that has been conferred upon hundreds of the best young singers since 1971.
The singers will be competing for six George London Awards and six George London Encouragement Awards:Two George London Awards of $10,000
One George London Award, in memory of Lloyd Rigler, of $10,000
One George London/Leonie Rysanek Award of $10,000
One George London Award given to a Canadian singer, of $10,000
One George London/Kirsten Flagstad Award sponsored by the New York Community Trust, of $10,000, given to a potential Wagnerian singer
Six George London Encouragement Awards of $1,000
In addition, all of the finalists who do not win George London Awards or Encouragement Awards will be given a $500 Honorable Mention.
The competition's final round is a public event: each singer performs one selection, and the winners are then announced, all at The Morgan Library & Museum's Gilder Lehrman Hall on Friday, March 1, 2013, at 4:00 PM. After the finalists' performances, the audience is invited to a reception while the judges deliberate. Once the awards have been decided upon, the audience is invited back for the announcement of the winners.
Tickets for the competition's final round are priced at $20, $10 for subscribers to the George London Foundation Recital Series. For tickets, information, or to join London Foundation mailing list, call (212) 956-2809, or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.
This year's panel of judges includes soprano Harolyn Blackwell, opera stage director Bruce Donnell, former Metropolitan Opera administrator Alfred F. Hubay, George London Foundation President Nora London, mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer, former Metropolitan Opera leading tenor and current voice professor George Shirley, and performing arts consultant Thurmond Smithgall. The competition pianist is Linda Hall.
The 2012 George London Award winners were baritone Brandon Cedel, contralto Suzanne Hendrix, mezzo-soprano Margaret Mezzacappa, soprano Chloé Moore, baritone Zachary Nelson, and soprano Corinne Winters.
Since 1971, the annual competition of The George London Foundation for Singers has been giving its George London Awards, and a total of more than $2 million, to an outstanding roster of young American and Canadian opera singers who have gone on to international stardom - the list of past winners includes Christine Brewer, Joyce DiDonato, Renée Fleming, Catherine Malfitano, James Morris, Matthew Polenzani, Sondra Radvanovsky, Neil Shicoff, and Dawn Upshaw.
One of the oldest vocal competitions in the United States and Canada, the George London Foundation Awards Competition offers among the most substantial awards.
As is seldom the case in musical competitions, no fee is charged to the applicants or competitors, a pianist is provided for the competition rounds, and prizes are awarded immediately.
The goal of the London Foundation, the support and nurturing of young singers, was an abiding interest of the great American bass-baritone George London, who devoted a great part of the time and energy of his later years to this purpose. "Remembering his difficult road to success, George wanted to devise a way to make the road a little easier for future generations of singers," said George London Foundation President Nora London. Initially created under the auspices of the National Opera Institute, the George London Awards program has been administered since 1990 directly by the Foundation as a living legacy to George London's own exceptional talent and generosity.
Friday, March 1, 2013, at 4:00 PM
Gilder Lehrman Hall at The Morgan Library & Museum
225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York City
The George London Foundation for Singers presents
The 42nd Annual George London Foundation Awards Competition -
Final Round and Awards Presentation
Tickets: $20, $10 to George London Foundation Recital Series subscribers. For reservations and information, call (212) 956-2809, or e-mail email@example.com. Visit www.georgelondon.org for more information.
George London Award Winners 1971-2012- A Selected List
John Aler
Kathleen Battle
Isabel Bayrakdarian
Rockwell Blake
Russell Braun
Christine Brewer
Measha Brüggergosman
Amy Burton
Vinson Cole
Barbara Daniels
Alexandra Deshorties
Michelle DeYoung
Joyce DiDonato
Brent Ellis
Faith Esham
Maria Ewing
Ruth Falcon
Renée Fleming
Davis Gaines
Jake Gardner
Christine Goerke
Ruth Golden
Sheri Greenawald
Cris Groenendaal
Jill Grove
Eric Halfvarson
Gordon Hawkins
Alan Held
Barbara Hendricks
Gwendolyn Jones
Isola Jones
Kim Alan Josephson
Kyle Ketelsen
Dominique Labelle
Anthony Laciura
Margaret Lattimore
Victoria Livengood
Catherine Malfitano
Marvis Martin
Mary Ann McCormick
Bejun Mehta
Susanne Mentzer
Erie Mills
Leona Mitchell
Latonia Moore
James Morris
Mark Oswald
Eric Owens
Sean Panikkar
Dimitri Pittas
Deborah Polaski
Matthew Polenzani
Ashley Putnam
Florence Quivar
Sondra Radvanovsky
Gianna Rolandi
Lisa Saffer
Neil Shicoff
Marietta Simpson
Diana Soviero
Maria Spacagna
Richard Stilwell
Thomas Studebaker
Dawn Upshaw
James Valenti
Carol Vaness
Jon Fredric West
Willard White
Louise Wohlafka
Erin Wood


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Cole Gets Big W
Play .500 ball on the road and win at home. It is a formula for winning baseball.
For the second straight road trip, the Phillies pulled out a win in the final game to end a six-game trip at 3-3. Cole came through big time last night in DC, ending the Nationals' seven-game winning streak against the Phillies. Hunter had his second two-home run game, helping put the game out of reach in the big ninth inning.
Amtrak charter train brought the Phillies home after last night's game. It starts tonight against the Mets, who were at Citizens Bank Park just 20 games ago. Every year, the schedule has a quirk or two. So, the Phillies will have played the Mets twice, both at home. That means they only come back here one more time, the end of August.
NY took two of three last month at Citizens Bank Park, outscoring the Phillies 12-10. Neise, a lefty they face tonight, tossed 6.2 scoreless innings on April 14. Phillies have struggled big time against LH starters this year.
Phillies have played the fewest home games (5-5) in the NL. 14 of their next 16 games are a home. Time to make hay.
Sizing Up The Mets
Average, .264, 3rd in NL
Runs, 103, 9th
Home runs, 18, 14th
ERA, 4.48, 13th
Saves, 7, tied for 6th
Strikeouts, 207, 6th
Percentage, .977, 13th
Errors, 23, 13th
Down On The Farm
**Lehigh Valley won two and was involved in a 3-3 game suspended in the third inning on Friday. RHP Tyler Cloyd (2-0) was promoted from Reading to LV and won on Saturday. RHS Scott Elarton (3-1) was Sunday's winner.
Reading dropped two of three to Erie. 2B Cesar Hernandez, 7-15, four RBI; leads club with 16 RBI. RHP J. C. Ramirez picked up a save on Friday, his first in 141 pro games.
Clearwater took two of three from Port Charlotte. RHP Brody Colvin (2-2) and LHP Jesse Biddle (1-2) were the winners.
Lakewood lost two of three on the road; Sunday's win ended a five-game losing streak.
Williamsport and Gulf Coast League Phillies begin their seasons in June.
Phillies Phact
60 years ago, the Phillies had 12 minor league affiliates:
Baltimore Orioles, International League (AAA)
Schenectady Blue Jays, Eastern League (A)
Tri-City Braves, Western International League (A)
Terre Haute Phillies, Illinois-Iowa-Illinois League (B)
Wilmington Blue Rocks, Interstate League (B)
Granby Phillies, Provincial League (C)
Grand Forks Chiefs, Northern League (C)
Salina Blue Jays, Western Association (C)
Salt Lake City Bees, Pioneer League (C)
Bradford Phillies, Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York League (D)
Miami Eagles, Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League (D)
Pulaski Phillies, Appalachian League (D)
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text:
During the past, business sales, operating expenses and receivables were noted by accountants with ledgers; remember those days? If this wasn't arduous enough, accountants had to ensure that every one of the numbers tallied. Luckily, such stressful energy is not anymore needed as technologies have grown to such an extent that data can already be managed more rapidly on computer-based software programs.
Technological developments have made it quicker to document financial data and even establish trends. Having said that, currently there are numerous software options to pick from, covering anything from shrink-wrapped software products to applications you could use on the Internet. Considering this, business proprietors should comprehend their business procedures in order to figure out the ideal accounting software that would accommodate the requirements of their enterprises. To get you started, listed here are the four most usual varieties of accounting software that business proprietors utilize.
Free accounting software:
The beauty of technology is in its power to permit people to design software programs and propagate it free of charge–including those for accounting. Although free accounting software may appear to be both cost-effective and pragmatic, the downside is that some of these software programs are not as fully-supported as paid software. The good thing is some paid solutions provide a free trial period for their software packages, which makes it possible for buyers to gauge if the software meets their needs.
Small business solutions:
As pointed out earlier, paid solutions are a great deal more reliable than free ones, mostly because their developers are constantly executing upgrades, which enhance their efficiency and simplicity of use. Many paid solutions provide for small organizations, providing them with basic accounting and reporting tools. For small to medium-sized companies that retain a modest inventory, a paid accounting solution may assist users in managing all items correctly in real time. Furthermore, several accounting software solutions are made to benefit those with little to no understanding of accounting.
Business management software:
Business management software is a viable, industrial-strength solution which can complete more than simple accounting and reporting. There are solutions like Peachtree Quantum 2012 that enables users to handle complicated duties including inventory control and billing, and even incorporates customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource management (ERM) tools. These solutions can control data within a particular timeframe, produces reports, and can forecast or examine trends.
Web-hosted applications:
With the development of the Internet, some vendors have developed online solutions users can obtain whenever. This way, users don't have to add software or be anxious about consistently upgrading. Peachtree Quantum 2012 gives users similar perks.
Business management software like Peachtree Quantum 2012 can help business owners in growing into new areas and retain lucrativeness. To learn more information on accounting software, please check out ehow.com/facts_6771645_importance-accounting-software.html


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Led by a renowned throat surgeon and a highly regarded stem cell researcher, a UC Davis team has received a $4.4 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to develop a stem cell-derived airway transplant to cure a difficult, life-threatening problem known as severe airway stenosis. The funding was part of the agency's Disease Team grants.
With the grant, Peter Belafsky, professor of otolaryngology and principal investigator for the new study, and Alice Tarantal, professor of pediatrics and cell biology and human anatomy, and the project's co-principal investigator, will work to develop a safe and effective tissue-engineered treatment for patients suffering from the critical narrowing of the upper windpipe (trachea) and lower voicebox (larynx).
Severe airway stenosis is a life-threatening problem, which can result from head, neck or throat cancers, as well as from trauma or rare physical conditions. According to Belafsky, it occurs in approximately 200 Californians each year and profoundly affects a person's quality of life because it obstructs breathing and communication. Surgery, the current standard of care, can include use of tracheotomy tubes and stents, which are highly invasive, frequently providing less-than-satisfactory results, and can cause infection, pain and voice loss.
Belafsky and Tarantal propose using a tissue-engineered airway scaffold with stem/progenitor cells from the patients themselves – sort of a biological infrastructure for the cells to develop and grow – to create a viable implant. They said that within four years it could be possible to complete the necessary steps for a successful stem-cell derived airway transplant in a later-stage clinical trial, and perhaps develop it for commercialization. The CIRM grant enables the UC Davis team to first focus on an initial two years of preclinical and investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies.
"There are a number of scientific questions that we plan to explore in the next few years," said Tarantal, who is also Reproductive Sciences and Regenerative Medicine Unit leader at the UC Davis California National Primate Research Center and serves as associate director of the university's Stem Cell Program. "We will develop and refine optimal transplantation techniques as well as determine the fate of implanted stem and progenitor cells for tissue-engineered airway implants. Firmly establishing the safety and efficacy of this process is critical to the goal of a transformative treatment for human patients."
Belafsky noted that the UC Davis team is uniquely positioned to address many of the clinical and scientific questions involved in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. It already has experience in successfully using stem cell-based tissue engineered tracheal implants. And in 2010, a team co-led by Belafsky successfully performed the world's second documented larynx transplant. The team's new research effort could yield results that have benefits well beyond addressing patients with a life-threatening narrowing of airway.
"The knowledge gained from our preclinical studies could easily provide us with a window into a new technology that can be applied not only to airway stenosis, but to disorders affecting other patient groups and other hollow organs as well," said Belafsky, who also serves as medical director of the Voice and Swallowing Center at UC Davis. "Stem cell-derived tissue engineered techniques could be extended to treat children who suffer from severe laryngeal conditions that surgery cannot cure."
"Stem cell-derived airway transplants or bioengineered stents also might be used for a vast array of airway disease," added Belafsky. "The methods and technology developed with our project could also be used to treat health disorders that require esophageal, bladder or bowel replacement, where the current standards of care remain very limited and impair quality of life."
Belafsky and Tarantal said their laryngotracheal reconstruction work is based on some initial preclinical studies that documented rapid cartilage regeneration and epithelial (tissue) re-growth, which suggests that their technique has the potential to restore normal breathing and communication abilities in study subjects. The CIRM-funded research includes an important collaboration with a team in England led by Martin Birchall, associate professor in otolaryngology at UC Davis and professor of laryngology at England's University College London.


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HOUSTON - Thousands of cruise ship passengers are getting a refund and a free cruise after their dream vacations turned into a nightmare for all aboard.
Carnival Triumph left Galveston on Thursday and was supposed to return on Monday, but a fire broke out in an engine room on Sunday morning, when it was about 150 miles away from the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. The ship's automatic fire extinguishing systems kicked in and the fire was extinguished, officials said.
None of the 3,143 passengers or 1,086 crew members were hurt.
Carnival officials said the ship doesn't have propulsion and is waiting for a tugboat to arrive to tow the ship to Mobile, Alabama. One other tugboat arrived Monday evening.
The cruise ship is expected to arrive in Alabama on Thursday.
"We had originally planned to tow the ship to Progreso, Mexico, the closest port to the ship's location early Sunday. Since that time, the ship has drifted about 90 miles north due to strong currents. This now puts the ship nearly equidistant to Mobile, Alabama and given the strength of the currents, it is preferable to head north to Mobile, rather than attempt to tow against them," said Gerry Cahill, president and CEO of Carnival, in a statement released Monday evening.
A U.S. Coast Guard cutter is waiting next to the ship, Carnival officials said. Sixty to 70 members with Sector Houston Galveston are headed out there to help the crew and guests. They are expected to get there early Tuesday.
The ship has been operating on generator power. The Carnival Elation rendezvoused with the Triumph on Sunday to provide dinners, and the Carnival Legend will do the same thing on Monday.
Passengers are sleeping on the deck. Some of the toilets on the ship are functional, but there is no hot water for showers.
Marisa Mireles' mother Janie Esparza is one of the many stranded passengers. Mireles said the only contact she's received from her mother has been through troubling text messages.
"Getting no info from the crew. I love you all..." Esparza wrote to her daughter. "Please pray that we get help. People are getting frustrated."
Passenger Donna Gutzman said living conditions on board the ship are becoming unbearable.
"The worst part is the bathrooms," said Gutzman. "No water and you can't flush, so everyone is going in little plastic baggies and putting it outside their room."
Gutzman also said the ship is leaning, so she is worried it could flip over.
Brent Nutt said he heard similar complaints from his wife who is on board.
"It smells and there is water all over the floor," Nutt said. "Water is seeping out of the walls. There's feces on the floor."
Tracie Wilburn said her mother is on the cruise with six other family members, celebrating her 69th birthday.
"I am concerned she is not comfortable," Wilburn said. "But at least with having family members, hopefully they are keeping each other cheered up somewhat."
Carnival said all of the passengers will receive a full refund for the cruise, along with transportation expenses. They'll also be reimbursed for all purchases aboard the ship, except for gift shop and casino charges. They will also received a future cruise credit equal to the amount paid for this voyage.
The next two scheduled voyages on Carnival Triumph, scheduled for Monday and Saturday, have been canceled. Guests booked on those voyages will receive a full refund, reimbursement for non-refundable travel expenses and a 25 percent discount on a future three- or five-day cruise.
"Twenty of us came down here as a family to go on a cruise," said Angelle, who was supposed to be on Monday's voyage. "A lot of us cried because this was a once in a lifetime thing."
KPRC Investigates discovered Carnival Triumph had one other mechanical failure back in 2010.
Concerned family and loved ones of guests and crew may call 888-290-5095 or 305-406-5534.
Former passengers talk about problems on ship
Some people who recently took a cruise on Carnival Triumph said they were not shocked that there were problems with this cruise.
Rick Dow and his wife, Cecilila, took a trip on the ship at the end of January.
Not long after the ship set sail, plans changed.
"They announced they have a problem with the propulsion system and couldn't reach speed they normally use, so we couldn't go to the further destination," Dow said.
Dow said the cruise was cut short, which meant they didn't get to go to Cozumel.
"There were a significant number of people who were really upset," Dow said.
Dow said many customers weren't happy with the "compensation" they received.
"To miss half your destinations and be given a token $50 credit for that ... just didn't sit well with a lot of people," Dow said.
KPRC Local 2 asked Carnival about the previous problems.
"Carnival Triumph previously experienced an electrical issue with one of the ship's alternators," a statement from the company read. "Repairs were conducted by the alternator supplier and were fully completed on February 2. There is no evidence at this time of any relationship between this previous issue and the fire that occurred on Feb. 10."
What rights to passengers have if their cruise doesn't go well?
"Their rights are limited," KPRC Local 2 legal analyst Brian Wice said. "When you board the ship, after having purchased a ticket, you are not going to be able to recover all of that much."
Wice said when a passenger boards a ship, they have entered into a contract with the carrier. That contract limits the company's liability.
Copyright 2013 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Irish Players' IS LIFE WORTH LIVING? to Open St. Patrick's Day Weekend, 3/15
Is Life Worth Living?, a comical farce by Lennox Robinson; directed by Jean Ryon will play March 15-30, 2013, at the MuCCC Theater, 142 Atlantic Avenue, Rochester, NY, presented by The Irish Players, a program of the Rochester Community Players.
Brief description: In this 1933 farce, a small Irish town invites a troupe of actors to perform serious modern dramas by Checkov, Ibsen and such. The plays are a great hit; everyone in town packs the theater night after night. And what was once a carefree Little Village becomes morose and depressed, ultimately wondering: is life worth living? A very funny look at very serious theater!
Performance schedule:
Friday, March 15 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, March 16 at 8:00 PM
Sunday March 17 at 2:00 PM
Friday, March 22 at 8:00 PM
Saturday March 23 at 8:00 PM
Thursday March 28 at 8:00 PM
Friday March 29 at 8:00 PM
Saturday March 30 at 8:00 PM
Fo more information, visit rochestercommunityplayers.org.


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Value Line is regarded as the best independent research available. More than just recommendations, Value Line provides the rationale behind its picks for greater understanding.
Somewhat contrary to its fiercely competitive advertising strategy and iconic brand-promotion campaigns, the world's largest beverage company could easily be dubbed one of the most unexciting equities to own. Coca-Cola (KO - Free Coca-Cola Stock Report) definitely epitomizes the safe blue-chip play, offering all of the characteristics an investor expects from a highly conservative vehicle. In fact, it is fair to say that these shares are about as risk-averse as one can get in the equity markets. There are several factors that support this theory. Beginning with the Ratings box in the lower right hand corner of the page, KO's marks for Price Stability and Earnings Predictability are exemplary at 100 (Highest), respectively. Furthermore, the Financial Strength rating offers further testimony to the company's top-notch balance sheet and superlative financial flexibility. Indeed, with $16 billion in cash reserves and only about $14.2 billion in debt, it is reasonable to say that its coffers are flush. It is no wonder that the stock is ranked 1 (Highest) for Safety (this can be found in the Rankings box at the top left corner of the page). Certainly, there is nothing wrong with cautious investments, especially one that has consistently offered a healthy, growing dividend. Indeed, shifting down to the Statistical Array reveals that the company has been increasing its shareholder income distributions annually as far back as 1997. All told, the page helps to illustrate KO's considerable merits as a solid income generating, highly conservative investment option.
On the other hand, however, the more challenging question is whether or not these shares have any worthwhile growth appeal. A look at the graph line suggests that KO stock has been a consistently steady climber over the past several years. The stock's historical 5-year total return has been just below 80%, while the 10-year figure is well above 100% (not displayed on the page). Moreover, the stock has more than doubled from its late-recession low of $18.70 a share. Some may argue that this stock has been a bit of a "dud" over the past 15 years, when compared to the equity's performance in the '80s. Still, we believe that these are fairly attractive returns, as the equity has outpaced the Dow Index, as well as the S&P 500, and especially considering the stock's safety characteristics. Notably, investment icon Warren Buffet is one of Coca-Cola's biggest supporters. The stock is one of Buffet's largest positions at Berkshire Hathaway (BRK/B). But what of the issue's prospects over the next five to ten years?
Value Line's projections do not extend as far out as ten years, but a look at the company's estimates on the far right of the Statistical Array and comparing them to the figures in the Annual Rates box sheds light on the company's operational performance outlook over the next 3 to 5 years. It is worthy of note that although sales, earnings, cash flow, and dividend growth is expected to remain solid in the high-single digits range, a slowdown in these rates is expected to occur. Nonetheless, KO has recently been flirting with its all-time high of $44.47 (split adjusted) achieved back in mid-1998. Moreover, glancing at the Target Price Range in the Graph and the Projections box, we see that the stock offers above-average price appreciation potential and decent total return prospects three to five years out. Additionally, in the Analyst Commentary, analyst Robert Greene notes that although the issue is best suited for conservative investors, recent price pullback "may intrigue long-term investors seeking to establish positions at a reasonable valuation." Furthermore, Mr. Greene states that "Overall, emerging markets continue to provide the most fertile growth opportunities." We believe this international market-share expansion may well prove to be a catalyst for this stock over the long haul, particularly when global economic conditions regain sustainable positive momentum.
All told, while these shares do not stand out as an exciting growth instrument. Still, we do believe that KO has a bit of "fizz" left. Investors should note, however, that the stock is ranked 4 (Below Average) for Timeliness, which suggests that it may lag the broader market in year-ahead price performance. Still, we recommend monitoring these high quality income-yielding shares closely for a good entry point. The stock is currently trading at just above 18x 12-month earnings (through March of 2014), which is below our projected average annual market P/E out to late decade.
At the time that this article was written the author held no positions in any of the companies mentioned.


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About Jeff Masters
Cat 6 lead authors: WU cofounder Dr. Jeff Masters (right), who flew w/NOAA Hurricane Hunters 1986-1990, & WU meteorologist Bob Henson, @bhensonweather
By: Dr. Jeff Masters , 1:58 PM GMT on October 02, 2013
A tropical disturbance (Invest 97L) over the Western Caribbean is moving to the northwest at 10 mph and is generating heavy rains over the Cayman Islands and Western Cuba. Grand Cayman Island had picked up 2.32" (59 mm) of rain as of 9:30 am EDT on Wednesday. Satellite loops show that 97L has a modest area of heavy thunderstorms that have increased substantially in areal coverage and in intensity since Tuesday, but there is little rotation apparent. Cayman Islands radar also does not show any rotation to the echoes, but there are several prominent low-level bands of heavy rain. The storm has low wind shear of 5 - 10 knots to work with, as well as an upper-air anticyclone aloft that is providing good ventilation above it. Dry air is over the Yucatan Peninsula and Gulf of Mexico, as seen on water vapor satellite loops, and this dry air is slowing development. Ocean temperatures are a very warm 29°C (84°F). An Air Force hurricane hunter flight is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
Figure 1. Wind forecast for 2 pm EDT Saturday October 5, 2013, from runs of the GFS model done six hours apart. The more recent run, initialized at 06Z (2 am EDT) on Wednesday, October 2 (left panel) predicts that 97L will have top winds below 35 knots (40 mph, light orange colors). This run showed the center of 97L making landfall in the Florida Panhandle about 120 miles east of Alabama late Saturday afternoon.The run initialized six hours earlier, at 00Z (right panel), showed a stronger storm, with top winds of 40 - 45 knots (46 - 52 mph.) This run showed the center of 97L making landfall near the Alabama/Florida border Saturday night. The images were generated using our wundermap with the model layer turned on.
Forecast for 97L: development into at least a tropical depression likely
Wind shear is expected to remain low on Wednesday, then steadily increase to the moderate range on Thursday, then to the high range on Friday, according to the latest SHIPS model forecast. On Wednesday night, 97L will cross the northeastern tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, bringing 3 - 6" of rain to the peninsula and to Western Cuba. Passage over the Yucatan will act to disrupt the storm. The atmosphere will grow drier as 97L moves northwards over the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday and Friday, and the drier air combined with increasing wind shear will retard development, making rapid intensification unlikely. A trough of low pressure and an associated cold front will be moving through Louisiana on Saturday, and the associated upper-level westerly winds will be able to turn 97L more to the northeast as it approaches the coast on Friday. The GFS model develops 97L into a tropical storm, and predicts landfall will occur along the Florida Panhandle. The European model, which does not develop 97L into a tropical storm, is farther west, taking the storm over Eastern Louisiana. In their 8 am EDT Wednesday Tropical Weather Outlook, NHC gave 97L 2-day odds of development of 40%, and 5-day odds of 50%. I give a 30% chance 97L will be Tropical Storm Karen with top winds of 40 - 60 mph at landfall between Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle on Saturday, a 5% chance it will be stronger, and a 65% chance it will be a tropical depression or mere tropical disturbance. Heavy rains of 3 - 6" can be expected falling the coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle on Saturday, even if 97L does not develop into a tropical depression.
Figure 2. MODIS satellite image of 97L, taken at 12:30 pm EDT on October 2, 2013. Image credit: NASA.
Tropical Storm Jerry in the Central Atlantic no threat
Tropical Storm Jerry continues to slowly wander over the Central Atlantic, far from land. Jerry is not a threat to any land areas.
Jeff Masters
The views of the author are his/her own and do not necessarily represent the position of The Weather Company or its parent, IBM.
Cat 6 lead authors: WU cofounder Dr. Jeff Masters (right), who flew w/NOAA Hurricane Hunters 1986-1990, & WU meteorologist Bob Henson, @bhensonweather


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Eduardo Bonilla-Silva Award Statement
Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, Professor of Sociology at Duke University, is the 2011 recipient of the Cox-Johnson-Frazier Award. This award -- named for Oliver Cromwell Cox, Charles S. Johnson, and E. Franklin Frazier – recognizes outstanding scholarship and activity focused on racial issues, especially those affecting "African American or similarly disadvantaged racial/ethnic populations" (quoted from the ASA description of the award). Like the award's namesakes, the award also recognizes individuals (and groups) whose work seeks to improve conditions globally, to address directly issues of social justice. And a final consideration has evolved from previous CJF committee deliberations – mentoring. Scholarship, issues related to social justice, and mentoring (especially students of color) form the primary criteria for candidates for the CJF Award. Given these parameters, the CJF Award Committee felt that Eduardo Bonilla-Silva was an ideal candidate; he embodied all of the very best qualities of Cox, Johnson and Frazier.
After completing his graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin, Eduardo had academic appointments at the University of Michigan, Texas A&M, and now Duke. No matter where he has been physically, mentally his head and heart have always focused on issues related to race – whether in his courses, his research, his public speeches or in his everyday encounters with students and colleagues. It would be fair to say that for Eduardo, Mills' admonition to develop a "sociological imagination" was fully embraced. Indeed, the intersection of Eduardo's biography and history have compelled his work, infusing it with not just intellectual curiosity but intellectual passion.
Here is a short sampler of these titles. "Rethinking Racism" (his first major article published in the American Sociological Review) followed by a reply to a comment, with his response titled "The Essential Social Fact of Race". Other works included in their titles such phrases as "This Is a White Country"; "I'm Not a Racist but . . . "; "Racialized Social System Approach to Racism"; "Color-Blind Racism"; "Fight the Power!"; "How to Talk Nasty about Blacks without Sounding Racist"; "Anything but Racism"; "When Whites Flock Together"; "Every Place has a Ghetto". This is a just a sampling of titles in Eduardo's journal articles. The impression one gets from this list of fusing intellectual curiosity and passion is underscored when looking at his book titles: White Supremacy and Racism in the Post-Civil Rights Era; Racism without Racist: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in America; White Out: The Continuing Significance of Racism; White Logic, White Methods: Race and Social Science; and forthcoming Anything but Racism: How Social Scientists Minimize the Significance of Race.
Eduardo does not hide behind the canons of science to stop there once his theorized, empirically buttressed story is told, instead he often goes on and out – into the public eye – to preach it. In this sense, he has become a public intellectual, doing his own kind of public sociology – not simply trying to understand the world but also to change it. Nowhere has this been more apparent than in sociology itself. For almost his entire career, sociology's annual meetings – whether national or regional – have become venues for Eduardo to challenge our discipline. For Eduardo, advancing knowledge is never enough. Here again, phrases from the titles of his talks are informative: "The Invisible Weight of Whiteness"; "When Whites LOVE a Black Leader: Race Matters in Obamerica"; "You Guys are Hyper-Sensitive!" "Look, a Negro!"; "We are All Americans!"; We Ain't Beyond Race"; "We'd Love to Hire Them but . . . "; "Was Blind but Now I See!" For Eduardo, exclamations points are normative! There is a passion to his work and the important implications he wishes to convey.
Eduardo has also not been afraid of getting outside of sociology to spread the word, to argue for the importance to his work. This, of course, is the more obvious form of public sociology – using intellectualized arguments to prod long-standing norms or challenge sacred cows of one kind or another. A wonderful title in this vein occurred when Eduardo was at Texas A&M, "Aggieland" as it is affectionately known in Texas and on campus. Robert Gates was then the President. In an attempt to facilitate racial and ethnic diversity on the campus, Gates proposed a new admission policy. Finding it seriously flawed, Eduardo wrote a piece titled "Aggieland or Crackerland?" I think we can figure out what he thought of the admissions policy!
The passion one finds in Eduardo's work is equaled in the letters of support offered by his former and current students. Eduardo has become an almost heroic figure to graduate students and young faculty colleagues. Every letter supporting his nomination for the CJF Award cites his tireless work on behalf of students of color. He has become an important bridge for students moving from undergraduate to graduate studies. He has served as a counselor to these students far beyond simply being another faculty member or, for that matter, being a faculty "mentor." As one letter says, "He has engulfed my family as if it were his own." He understands well the risk of living at the edge of larger social systems, not only in society at large but especially in academe. It is there, in particular, that he has helped to bring students of color in; to make them feel that they have an important, legitimate voice; that they are not simply to be tolerated but rather to be embraced. As a former student, now assistant professor, says in his letter: "The example he sets with his voracious intellectual appetite and tireless work ethic, pushes me every day to be a better scholar, mentor, and teacher who seeks to engage the Ivory Tower and the Public at Large in . . . debates around inequality."
Above all else, Eduardo has urged us to see that no matter how it is papered over, whether with words or deeds, racism continues to exist. The evolution of our social norms has often masked how something like racism persists, reproducing inequalities in forms old and new. Eduardo has made it his job to keep poking and probing to find these inequities and shine a light on them – to include in the academy, even, lord helps us, in sociology itself!
As one of his nominating letters says, "I hope that you see in him, as I do, the embodiment of the dreams of those who are names are upon this award." Indeed, we do. It's a great pleasure and honor to present Eduardo Bonilla-Silva the American Sociological Association's 2011 Cox-Johnson-Frazier Award.


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While GNUstep is a fairly large project, with 10-20 active developers and perhaps hundreds or more individuals and corporations that use GNUstep, it is not large enough to attract all the help we need. Yet our needs are growing each day. Our proposed solution is to begin accepting donations so that we can pay for some of the things that we can't get people to give us. Current ideas include a bounties for high-priority projects (list in the works), a server-farm for testing and packaging, and better documentation.
Donate Two Ways!
- Donate via the FSF
- Donate via SPI, Inc. GNUstep is now associated with SPI and can accept donations through them!
Current Campaigns
We are already working on a compaign to fund a set of new icons. If you are interested in donating to this fund, please see the New Icons Fund page.


text:
Latest News
NASCAR: Who's Hot/Who's Not 11.21.13
Next race
2014 Daytona 500
What: 200 laps or 500 miles
Where: Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5-mile high-banked, tri-oval in Daytona Beach, Fla.
When: 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23
TV: Fox
Radio: Motor Racing Network
2013 winner: Jimmie Johnson
Worth mentioning: All three NASCAR national series – Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Trucks – will take part in an expanded version of "Preseason Thunder" testing at Daytona in January. The Cup series will test Jan. 9-10, Nationwide on Jan. 11-12 and Trucks on Jan. 13-14.
Who's Hot/Who's Not
Jimmie Johnson: Now a six-time Cup series champion. Do I hear seven?
Denny Hamlin: Ended a miserable season on a high note.
Matt Kenseth: A career-changing move turned into a career-best season.
Kyle Busch: No championship, but a career-high finish of fourth in points.
Matt Crafton: Added a championship to an already successful Truck series career.
Austin Dillon: He now has two NASCAR championships. Do I hear three?
NASCAR: Inexcusable not to throw a red flag and waste 12 laps cleaning debris late in the Nationwide Series season finale.
Donovan McNabb: If Jimmie Johnson is "absolutely not" an athlete then McNabb was "absolutely not" an NFL quarterback.
National anthem singers: Just sing the song.
Jim Utter


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New York, NY – This month, Time Warner Cable is offering Digital TV customers instant access to the complete Bond experience including award nominated Skyfall on Movies On Demand. Customers can enjoy their favorite Bond films and characters all in one place by simply going to the Movies On Demand channel, clicking on "Enjoy Better" and choosing "007 Bond". The collection includes the following films:
Dr. No
From Russia With Love
You Only Live Twice
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Diamonds Are Forever
Live and Let Die
The Man with the Golden Gun
The Spy Who Loved Me
For Your Eyes Only
Never Say Never Again
A View to a Kill
The Living Daylights
License to Kill
Tomorrow Never Dies
The World is Not Enough
Die Another Day
Casino Royale
Quantum of Solace
For more information on Enjoy Movies Better, please visit www.twcondemand.com/EnjoyBetter.
About Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC) is among the largest providers of video, high-speed data and voice services in the United States, connecting more than 15 million customers to entertainment, information and each other. Time Warner Cable Business Class offers data, video and voice services to businesses of all sizes, cell tower backhaul services to wireless carriers and managed and outsourced information technology solutions and cloud services. Time Warner Cable Media, the advertising arm of Time Warner Cable, offers national, regional and local companies innovative advertising solutions. More information about the services of Time Warner Cable is available at www.twc.com, www.twcbc.com and www.twcmedia.com.


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Roccat, the Germany-based PC accessory company, has had a very strong showing since making the jump to North America just under two years ago. PC gamers need options with their primary peripherals, and those options need customization. Roccat understands this, building upon the products that have garnered top reviews already, primarily the award-winning Kone-series of gaming mice. The expansion continues with the latest release of the series called the XTD.
Technical Specifications
As always with our PC accessories, let's get to the technical specifications and break things down from there.
The number that jumps out the most is the 8200dpi laser sensor. The range itself goes all the way down to 200dpi with 41 settings total that a gamer can choose from in order to give as many choices as possible. Most will find their niche somewhere in between, but imagine having that maximum setting when playing your favorite FPS on your PC. That is a huge advantage to have on quick scanning a battlefield for the next target. Couple that with the 1000Hz polling rate and 1ms response time, and the mouse has one of the fastest combinations of movement and scrolling out there. Beyond the specifications, as with all of the Kone-series mice, the lighting system is a 4-LED setup that will allow a player to make their mouse unique with colors, which is setup by the gamer in the control center that can be downloaded via Roccat.org. Let's not forget the weighting system as well with the ability to clip in up to 20 grams of weights into the system to give it a heavier feel.
The Kone XTD doesn't feel very different from the original Kone[+] mouse, and that is not a bad thing at all. The mouse feels extremely comfortable and is definitely designed for those with larger hands, making it very ergonomic and not at all cumbersome. Gaming mice can be a wide range of sizes, but the Kone-series has always managed to get this right. Movement is smooth, whether it's on just a standard desk or a high-quality mouse pad (more on those later), and doesn't have any hang-ups with most any surface. The laser also reacts exceptionally well to any surface as I had no issues testing it out on different surfaces, mainly an oak desk and two different mouse pads, so don't be concerned if you can only afford the mouse and nothing else. The desk is going to suit the Kone XTD just fine.
There are 12 different buttons on the Kone XTD, all placed in spots that are not terribly difficult or uncomfortable to use. Two quick access buttons for the thumb are placed just right where the thumb barely has to be bent to hit them with the tip, but not to the point where it feels like the thumb is going to go out of socket. There is nothing worse than misplaced buttons on a gaming mouse. The DPI setting buttons, placed below the wheel, can quickly change the settings up or down with a voice to verify that the setting has changed. If there is a negative, it's hearing that voice for the first time if you have headphones on with the volume turned up. Either way, it will get your attention and be informative, all at the same time. The rest of the button placement comes from the wheel itself, which can be scrolled up or down, moved side to side, and pressed in, giving more functionality for not only simple commands, but macros as well. The onboard 576k memory will store plenty of commands, all of which can be controlled on the command panel.
Using the Kone XTD with the Hiro and Raivo Mousepads
Truth be told, it has been a long time since I've used a high quality mouse pad on a regular basis. I have generally settled for using my desk or a cheap pad that can be picked up for a couple of bucks. Mouse pads can definitely make a difference with the overall experience, especially when using a gaming mouse on a regular basis. Roccat has a couple of new options to choose from, based on personal choice between soft and hard pads. The Roccat Hiro is the soft option, made from vulcanized silicone. The underside of the mouse is guaranteed to be non-slip on any surface, and it lives up to these claims. The area size is massive at 350 x 250 x 2.5mm, making sure that even large movements from side to side will not take the mouse off the pad. The pad is definitely built to last and may make a difference for good gamers to reach that next level.
The other new option is a hard pad named the Roccat Raivo. Normally, hard mouse pads are difficult to adjust to and have been known to cause skips in laser mice, but this is not the case with the Raivo. The 350 x 270 x 2mm pad is a little larger than the Hiro, but may be a more optimum choice for those who want close to perfection when it comes to a smooth surface. Using a similar non-slip back to help the pad from moving during gameplay, there were no issues testing out this pad as well, though I will say that the Hiro's backing seemed to be just a tad better with the push test, though it did take quite a bit of force to move either one from it's position, meaning that it's not a problem at all either way, unless you are one violent gamer. In that case, you may want to seek some sort of counseling. All joking aside, though, both of these mouse pads are great pairings with the Kone XTD.
Final Thoughts and MSRP
The Kone XTD is just another winning gaming mouse from Roccat and should definitely be high on the list for a gamer this holiday season. The 8200dpi laser ensures a fantastic reaction no matter the game of choice and, when paired up with one of the two mouse pads in the form of the Hiro or Raivo, any PC gamer's experience is sure to be a good one.
The Kone XTD can be found at various outlets for an MSRP of $79.99, while the Hiro and Raivo mouse pads retail at $49.99 and $29.99 respectively. All can be found at Newegg.com and many retailers who carry PC gaming accessories.
Whether it's general usage or competitive play, the Kone XTD proves to be a fantastic accessory that any gamer would enjoy using. With 12 buttons that can be paired up for any combination of macros, an extremely accurate 8200dpi laser, and ergonomic designs that make long sessions far less painful, the Kone series gets another winner in its line of high performance gaming mice. Paired up with either the Hiro or Raivo mouse pad, and a winning combination is sure to result.
* The product in this article was sent to us by the developer/company.
I've been writing about games and entertainment since 2006 after starting out at Xbox Ohio. Since then, I have made the jump to Gaming Nexus and have enjoyed my time here. I am an avid gamer that has a solid old school game collection that includes the likes of Final Fantasy games, Earthbound, Gitaroo-Man, MvC2, and a whole slew of others. I have a primary focus on Xbox/PC games and PC peripherals and accessories. If you ever want to game against me, you can look me up on XBL with the gamertag GN Punk. View Profile


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The NFLPA has demonstrated its general mistrust of team doctors.
Now they have a specific target.
According to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego, the union wants the Chargers to replace Dr. David Chao.
The union has asked the league find a "suitable replacement" for Chao, according to NFLPA assistant executive director of external affairs George Atallah.
"(Chao) has a clear track record of misconduct," NFLPA President Domonique Foxworth said. "It's unfortunate for the guys who play there. It's something that we can't control, but we can definitely put pressure to improve. We're trying now.
"I don't know that it's appropriate to talk about all the steps we're taking, but the first step is that we're making people aware."
During the NFLPA press conference, Chao was the one doctor singled out by executive director DeMaurice Smith during a discussion of the union's problems with medical care for players.
"There is a team doctor named Dr. Chao who is currently the San Diego team doctor," Smith said, "who has been found liable of medical malpractice twice — twice. The same doctor was the subject of a DEA investigation. He's still the San Diego Chargers team doctor.
"Now, I'm not a doctor. I don't even play one on TV. But it seems to me that the players of the National Football League deserve to have a doctor who's not been found liable of malpractice, and that's within the last year."
The Chargers did not respond, saying they were still gathering information.


text: Remember when you got that label maker in seventh grade and how you labeled everything? Now you can do that again! With the Labeler Alphabet, you can make sure everything from your cards to your cartons are labeled or that they say fun things.Photopolymer stamps* Are totally transparent for perfect image placement.* Have just enough give to create a perfectly stamped image every time. * Cling like crazy to our clear blocks so you don't have to worry about slipping.* Save space—you need only one set of blocks for all your photopolymer stamps (blocks sold separately). * Come packaged in cases with images on the spine for easy storage and quick reference.Quantity: 101 photopolymer stampsSuggested clear blocks (sold separately): a


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Pump up that wallet and get new blog posts emailed to you!
(Posts go out daily, M-F)
[Prefer weekly instead? Click here.]
Hey guys :) I'm putting together a page here for all updates surrounding our "Challenge Everything" series. That way anyone can follow along here easier and hopefully join in and save too!
If you're new to the series, it's my new mentality of challenging the "norm" and getting my expenses as low as possible without sacrificing quality of life. Every month I focus on a new bill or expense that has been status quo for years – or even decades (damn) – to determine what's truly important now in my life. Things like cable, cell phones, cars, insurance, you name it.
It all started by reading this clip from a friend's blog post:
"The most important thing to note is that cutting your spending rate is much more powerful than increasing your income. The reason is that every permanent drop in your spending has a double effect: it increases the amount of money you have left over to save each month, and it permanently decreases the amount you'll need every month for the rest of your life."
That last line stopped me in my tracks: "it permanently decreases the amount you'll need every month for the rest of your life." This hit me hard, especially now that I've come to realize retiring early hinges heavily on your monthly expenses. You can attain freedom much quicker if you only need $1,000 a month to live on vs, say, $10,000.
All recurring savings EVERY SINGLE MONTH by taking a few simple, and easy, actions (mostly be picking up a phone). And to fully comprehend just how much of a difference this is making, I've opened up a new separate savings account that will track it over the next 12 months, along with other "extra" money I find/earn over time.
Here are the monthly balances so far:
*I now have a running tally of everything we've sold off Craigslist so far since starting this challenge… You can see all the items and $$$ earned here –> Craigslist Tracker :)
Over $5,000 saved in one year – woo! You can click here for the full breakdown on what made up this pot, but here's the quick cheat sheet:
Here's what I've learned over the past 12 months doing this:
The full wrap up and and details can be found here.
As for the future, well… We're gonna dump all this money out as it was earmarked for maxing out my Roth IRA, but I'm proud to say WE'RE GOING ANOTHER ROUND, BABY! Why stop now when it's been so easy? We're going for the gold and gonna see if we can beat out this measly $5,500 over the next 12 months ;) Wish me luck! And I hope you'll be joining me too!
Saved so far in Round II:
Here are all the blog posts from the challenge that go into the details. I'll continue adding to it as time goes on (it's amazing how many opportunities there are to save when you stop and pay attention!):
Other related posts:
I hope it motivates you to hit pause and challenge your expenses too!
"I found out the other day that my boyfriend spends $180 on cable each month. ONE HUNDREND AND EIGHTY DOLLARS!! I told him about your challenge, had him call in and he reduced his bill down to $60 a month. That's $1,440 a year! Thanks for the inspiration, J$!" – Kimberly
"I have already cut $502.79 out of my MONTHLY budget! I'm really shocked to be honest… I think I might get to $1k/month in savings without even cutting cable! Apparently I'm a sucker for the free trials that I don't end up cancelling… $19/month here, $27/month there, $49.99/month over there… it all adds up… I always tend to focus on making more money than saving money but this exercise have proven to be very profitable and I've learned I need to go through my credit card statement with a fine tooth comb to avoid these shifty charges. I actually ended up staying up until 7AM (all nighter baby!) once I started seeing all these expense I could cut and going through 3 years of credit card statements looking for more fraudulent and not-authorized charges." – B.
"Just wanted to let you know I made $1800 this year on a snow day (I'm a teacher) by making 4 phone calls. Cut $220 a year off my car insurance, $55/month off my cell phone bill, and $49 off my cable/internet per month. I also "found" $320 in cash rewards by calling my credit card company and asking them to mail me the rewards check. Thanks for your motivating posts/emails- I'm tackling clutter and Craigslist, next." – Nicole
"You inspired me to make some calls this past weekend and I saved:
$10 a month on cell phones
$150 a year on car and renter's insurance
$20 a month on internet
I also signed up for direct deposit at the bank that has my car loan, shaving .25% of the APR. And refinanced my student loans, going from 6.55% interest to 4.8!
And the savings are also going straight to my IRA. Thank you!" – Sara
"I just saved $450 per year thanks to this challenge. I had called my previous insurance company and reviewed line by line just three weeks ago, but when I saw that your wife was at about half my annual premium for a really similar car situation, I called a new insurance company. I got $380 in annual savings for the auto and $70 for homeowners. Amazing!" – Hannah
"Thanks for the awesome article. It is very inspiring, and it convinced me to start challenging everything as well. Since reading this article, I have done the following:
1. Satellite TV – reduced by $15 ($60 down to $45) by switching to a lower package that still has our preferred TV channels, but I am working on convincing the wife to drop completely :)
2. Cell phone – reduced by $90 ($160 down to $70) by switching my phone line to Republic Wireless $10 plan and moving my wife to a single line plan with Verizon ($60) – I am trying my hardest to stick to the $10 Republic plan but may have to go to the $25 plan whenever we go out of town away from my usual wireless networks.
3. Internet – reduced by $25 ($55 down to $30) by doing a quick online chat with a representative to ask them how I can lower my monthly payment because I have noticed another competitor offering lower cost/higher speed. They quickly gave me a monthly bill credit. Maybe I should try this with my satellite bill as well! :-D
Total savings so far: $130 per month" — Jordan
"Thanks for the reminder to constantly check your bills. I just called them and we are now saving $40 a month between home and car insurance. You are my MVP of the week!! :-)" – Shannon
"Saving on car insurance inspired me to do the same with cable. I'm now saving xtra $35/mo ~ Thx 4 inspiration" – @MomCentsPF
"Thanks for posting this. This is a line item I just didn't pay much attention to – thinking a savings would only be a few dollars…. Holy cow! My rate just dropped from $77/month to $41! Went with esurance for the same coverage versus Allstate. Tried to get the agent to match or reduce but they couldn't-sooooo….." – JayP
"Thanks for the kick to do this: I saved $62/year. Now I pay $34/month for TWO cars and drivers. Woo hoo!" – Samantha
"Since reading through your site about a month ago I have been able to put a realistic budget plan in place and started pouring through our monthly expenses and was able to save about $1,030 PER MONTH! My largest single savings achievement was dropping AT&T and going to Republic Wireless (saved $220 per month!) While I still have a lot to learn, I feel like I have better understanding on how I can secure a better future of financial freedom for my family."
"WhadUP, J Money! Lil Vee from Charlottesville, VA here. Love, LOVE this and your entire challenge series. Wanted to let you know that you have inspired me to go on a serious challenge of my own. I am calling it the $10K challenge and have enlisted the help of my husband, friends and colleagues to meet this goal. I started September 15th after reading your blog. The idea is that, instead of being a spend-machine, I will sock away ten grand by getting rid of crap and doing side gigs from your Side Hustle Series – and I will hit my savings goal by Christmas. A bit ambitious, right? Well, pop-POP, J Money – Lil Vee is up $4100!!!" – Lil Vee
(Check out Vee's entire comment, along with the awesome article it inspired here!
"Just got off the phone with my insurance agent and knocked $30 a month off my rate thanks to this article. I had all of your notes there in front of me and we were able to cut the mileage driven, raise the deductible, and reduce the medical coverage to save some cash! Getting ready to cut the cable cord this week as well" – Barry
"I just started doing this a couple weeks ago, and we're already at $1,806. Just from getting rid of junk, I haven't even started trying to haggle the bills (cellphone and internet). Hoping to make some dough on ebay this week too. Thanks for the motivational kick in the ass I've been needing. ;)" – AJ
"Over the last several years I'd say we have been very aware of our finances, always budgeting and tracking spending and setting goals. 2015 we felt like we really hit our groove, and I was putting things on autopilot. However, your Challenge Everything series was always in the back of my mind, so in August I opened another savings account (Thanks, Capital One 360!) and deposited a check from Ebates in there. Since August, I haven't done any bill-challenging… All I've done is transfer any unexpected money into the account – Craigslist sales, Ebates, a refund from the city for unknowingly overpaying our water bill, Christmas cash, etc. Most of it has been <$50 increments at a time.
I checked it this morning and realized we'd hit the $1,000 mark…basically without lifting a finger.
First, I wanted to thank you for the inspiration! That's $1000 that would've just unknowingly slipped through our fingers in the last five months, even being pretty hands-on with our finances. Second, I just wanted to encourage anyone who feels like their life is pretty lean and their finances in check… there are always unaccounted for dollars. Don't get complacent and always hold yourself accountable! I was getting lazy and without the Challenge Everything series, that inattentiveness would've cost me a thousand bucks in six months." – Britt M.
If you've been following along and had success too, let me know and I'll add you up here It's pretty powerful seeing so many people saving on every day expenses without changing any quality of life. And if you're banking the difference like we are every month you'll literally see your efforts paying off!
Now get out there and start pocketing those green backs!
[Money photo up top via @Saigon]
{ 54 comments… read them below or add one }
I should get on board with this because my cable bill just went up by $10 (and yes, I just check to see if they could lower it & they said no promotions right now but I'll be hounding them constantly), and my health insurance will go up in Jan by almost $50. Not looking forward to figuring out that one and switching but I don't want to be paying that much more.
Loving this article. A small victory for me – I cancelled our Sugar sync account to go with Google storage, saved a whopping $7! Our cell contract is up in April, so I'm chomping at the bit to slash that bill. Also, I've been moving my wife's overtime money to savings quick fast and in a hurry before we get a chance to spend it. Those are real dollars there. Keep it up J. Money, appreciate all the advice from the blog.
Dear J.
You will never believe this; I have an account with Chase Bank for perhaps 7-8 years now. Not only they pay no interest of any kind whatsoever, but they have a practice to charge you a fee if you have money in their account. What kind of bank does not want to have money there? I got charged $4.45 for having over $10K in my account. Have you ever come across such behavior? After challenging everything I went line by line on my statement and hello surprise. Naturally, I contacted them right away, and this is what they said: basically I have too much money on my account. Any thoughts or advise? I am very mad to be honest.
Also, started on selling on Craig's list. Slowly, hoping to get rid of too many stuff :)
Thank you,
After reading your initial Challenge Everything post, I made a mental note to revisit our homeowners and car insurance since our homeowners premiums have gone up significantly over the past several years. We'd been with USAA for over 20 years and I finally made some calls last week. I only wanted an insurance company that had the same high consumer ratings and quality as USAA, and after a 30-minute phone call, I'm one happy woman. The car insurance rates were a wash, but the homeowners was $1000 cheaper for higher coverage (I wanted higher replacement coverage for the house). So now I'm paying $1000 less per year which blows my mind. We kept several other accounts with USAA and they've already sent me the check for the prorated amount of my premiums, so I still have nothing but positive things to say about them, but it pays to shop around. Thanks for these tips!
I'd check on the amount your house is insured for. If it burns to the ground and it is insured for 300K and costs 100K to rebuild that is what you get it is a waste. Also the way it works is there are different coverages for different areas and things down to removal, replacement, code updates, trees you name it. I had a house burn to the ground, well I wish I actually had to arrange to have it torn down and I acted as my adjuster saves the insurance cost that I got to spend to replace the house. I lowered my moms amounts and switched her insurances around when I took over her finances saving over $1000 per year. She is on a beach in Mexico for the winter and returns today. I had a similar goal. I wanted to have a 1 mil net worth by 30. Did not quite make it I was 31 husband 38. The plan was for him to retire at 47,
I used real estate bought a house a year with our savings, it was a 15 year plan for my husband to retire early. So we have had 4 house fires, one water damage and a car hit a house all on rental houses in 28 years so I have had to learn the best way to maximize payment from insurance when things happen. Crazy things actually happen.
Our insurance seems to work differently. Here, if your house is insured for actual value, they just pay off your mortgage and give you the balance of the coverage. You're on your own with rebuilding. If you insure for replacement, then they work out your coverage based on what it would cost to rebuild your exact house in the current market, and then if something happens, they pay the costs directly to the contractor, up to your limit.
The worst is what my friend is doing, which is insuring only for the mortgage balance, and that only because it's required by the mortgage terms. They're below the poverty line so month-to-month is tight, and they're choosing the biggest gamble I can imagine. IMO, if you can't afford the insurance, then you can't afford the house. Don't mess around with insurance!
Inspired by your challenge 2015 will be my challenge everything year.
Late 2014 i made a deposit on my mortgage as a start for this challenge.
This month my insurance has been changed so i save €10,- each month (yes i'm from europe)
Next month it's time for the utilities bill.
All the extra money will go to my mortgage payments as a goal to be debt free in 10 years.
Just have to tell you how thankful I am to have found your site. In the 6-7 months I've been following…it's been most beneficial. Most all of our IRA's and investment accounts are at Vanguard now including our new Roths-maxed out of course! So, that alone is huge! But a cable bill decrease of $28/month-same services. $250. income from Craig's list type thing. And best of all, we cut our auto insurance from $2854. down to $720./year!!!
Looking forward to what else I can learn from you and take action on. Thank you!!
I have already gone to prepaid cell phones through MetroPCS, unlimited two lines for $70/mo. Then got a nasty cable surprise this month, they upped it from $220 to $245!. Called them right away and now it is $200/mo. Yes it's a triple package and no I was out voted by other adults in the house to reduce services on it. So I am very happy they dropped package price but i had to lock in for two years at that price/package.
I am now 'interviewing' new car insurance companies. So far I found out Geico is over charging around $200-$300/yr with much less coverage. Unfortunately one unscrupulous company didn't put a driver on properly and gave an unreasonably low quote. So watch out. If it is too good to be true, ask more questions!
I hope to find more with this challenge!!!
This really works…and should be done often. Canceling gym memberships, threatening to cancel cable makes them drop it constantly, shopping around for insurance each year makes a huge difference too.
This is brilliant, I wish I would have thought of putting all those savings aside and seeing how much they were…I just threw the extra into my Vanguard funds.
I stopped paying cash or debit when I have to make big-ticket purchases. For example, when my husband and I bought a washer and dryer after buying our house–we shopped around and waited for a sale to get the best price, then we saved an extra 7% buy buying up remaining balances on gift card resale sites (CardPool, GiftCardGranny, PlasticJungle, etc.). We had to get 3-5 cards to add up to the total, and call in our order to apply so many cards since the website had a cap on how many gift cards you can apply, but considering new washer and dryer sets cost around $1000 to $1500, it was worth it! Now I try not to buy any item over $100 without using a discounted gift card.
I just listened to your republic wireless interview. CUT THE CABLE!!! Trust me! My husband was so resistant to that and once he agreed to it we realized how crazy it was. We were surfing through 400 channels saying "Man..theres nothing on". Now we watch exactly what we want, whenever we want. Netflix has just about anything you could want and we have a subscription to Amazon prime. Between the two we can pretty much find the show we want to watch for very little money in comparison to a monthly cable bill and we are not stuck sitting passively by while the different channels choose what they want me to watch and what time they want me to watch it. The way we transitioned was to get Netflix, hook up the playstation, get Amazon along with Hulu and started watching only that while we still had cable to see if we would like it. We NEVER missed it! It was so empowering and freeing. Take the leap. You will never be sorry. I promise you! Just like you don't remember using an iphone, you will also feel that way about cable…Good Luck. May the force be with you! Join the cord cutters of America! :o)
I love the idea of challenging everything, one expense at a time. It's frustrating when people write off reducing lifestyle expenses as a waste of time or "the latte effect," that skipping the daily coffee will not make you rich. It won't, but a mindset of continually challenging and reducing your expenses, while investing the difference, really can! Thanks for the quote and the great examples.
I am kind of doing this at the moment although the other half has a whinge about all the money should be going in our offset account to offset the interest on our mortgage. I had a solution, transfer the balance of the savings account a couple of days before the interest is paid on the offset account at the end of the month and then transfer it right back! :) ( no fees involved) Its way more interesting watching your "little bit" increase a lot rather than just add to your main account and risk spending it. We recently realised that we were direct debiting too much for our council rates, $1600 over in fact because I set the internet banking to pay them fortnightly rather than monthly…ooops. Admittedly its an alternate way to save but I'm loving seeing that in my savings account now :)
I do this on a regular basis, it's a great idea. I've recently cut about $200/mo off our home insurance and landlord insurance. When the student plan ended for the summer on my internet, I sweet talked them into giving me some other deal (still went up, the student deal was pretty sweet, but it's lower than it would have been if I hadn't called). I recently sold one of our 3 Nexus 5 phones on kijiji (which is like Craigslist but awesomer) — we'd acquired 2 extras by renewing cell contracts to get the free phone, and then just kept using our perfectly good phones anyway, keeping the new ones as spares and being that much closer to the next renewal. Or in this case, $200 richer! That's pretty much all we have for services. I try to keep utilities low by turning off lights, using windows and fans instead of a/c, etc… I bike or walk instead of drive whenever practical… I switched my sugaring practitioner to someone who works out of her home and charges $20 less per session.
It's the volume game. You're unlikely to find any single major recurring expense that you don't need — you would have noticed it by now. It's the nickel and dimes that add up.
3 years ago our cable box quit. They charged $100 to diagnose it & install a new one. A year later, it quit again. They said it would be $100 to again diagnose, etc. That's when we made the decision to cut the cord. When I called to cancel service, the rep. said "Oh, I'm qualified to waive that $100 fee if you remain with us". What a scam! Too little, too late. At the same time we cancelled our land line with the same company. No regrets.
Also, we cut $255 off our house insurance by increasing the deductible. Granted it's high now but the savings adds up year after year, especially since I've only had one claim in my life back in 1976. (Hubby had a claim 15 years ago before we met).
I'm new to this site but already picked up a few great ideas including the one from Elaine above when she purchased her washer/dryer with discounted gift cards. Thanx JMoney & posters for some great suggestions.
OMG, J Money, I can not believe I came across this resource. I recently thought about challenging all my bills, but I did not have a roadmap to how I should do it. Now, I have.
My AHA moment was when I noticed a 1 USD fee on a ATM transaction that never occurred because the ATM machine did not have enough cash.
So, thanks again. I will make sure to follow your blog regularly!
Do you podcast, by any chance?
I got a Republic Wireless phone earlier this year. I had a pay-as-you go flip phone, so my cell phone wasn't that expensive. My husband still uses his and we also canceled our home phone. After recouping the cost of the new phone, we're saving about $700 a year. Yesterday I called our internet service and gym to see if they gave a discount for paying in annually instead of monthly. I scored with the gym – they give a free month's membership for paying a year at once! I love to save money anywhere I can. I already pay my garbage pick up bill once a year to save 10%. I wanted to cancel it but I'm not allowed to. We have never had cable. I think our car insurance rates are already probably pretty low.
Thank you for telling me about Digit! It's my favorite app ever. I have saved almost $700 with no pain or effort, since I started 6 months ago. I plan to use it for Christmas shopping and then I won't start the new year with credit card bills! My husband thanks you for that.
We made great savings on car insurance, house insurance and student loans. On those, we switched from an income contingent plan to an income based plan (which sound the same, but they are not!) that saved $300 a month.
I'd love to hear ideas on saving for teen age kids. New expenses are popping up, like braces, car insurance increases, etc.
I have only seen a few people mention ebates in the comments but it is GREAT! ANY time I shop, I just go to ebates first and click on the link (Amazon, ebay, and tons of others!) from ebates and that's it! I save 1-10% of what I buy! If you posted a link, I think you get credit for people using your link…. :)
OH!! I just clicked on a link and you DO already use Ebates! :) The other thing I haven't seen mention is NCP online. It's National Consumer Opinion – you get an app on your phone and when you buy stuff (mostly groceries), you scan the UPC's and then give your total at the end. EASY and I find it fun. They then enter you in sweepstakes if you scan every week AND I get 20% of my AT&T phone bill!! My single person iPhone bill with unlimited data is $57.
Great article , fun to read and your writing is great. I like the idea of putting the savings in a different savings account.
At this time a day I am doing the 365 Penny Challenge and this money is going into one of our savings account. This money comes out of my purse from grocery and entertainment envelope budget.
I also signed up for checkout 51 , Walmart Savings and just signed up for Ibotta. These are all new and I have not drawn out the money but when I do I will put into savings.
For the winter we are in Nevada renting a small apartment. Once we return to Minnesota we will be redoing our budget and downsizing our belongings.
Just stopping by to let you know that I've started to "challenge-everything" and so far i'll be saving $1488 for the year on my (cellphone, car insurance and internet) . Thanks for inspiring us to get on board . More money saved will increase our journey to having more funds to "work" toward our passive income
Hey, just wondering if anything new is going on with the Challenge Everything series…I'll be starting soon. I have loads to cut..Thx for a great idea.
I love the Challenge Everything concept, it's so refreshing! So, here's one I'm challenging right now, the Home Warranty. I've had two (separate houses) in my life and both times I've experienced nothing but headaches and hassles. Home warranties are generally $500 for a year and seems to be a big home selling feature giving the buyers piece of mind that if anything breaks, it will only cost a small service fee and you're back up and running. Easy Peasy!
However,it has never worked that way for me, I've been denied a claim until I pointed out that my policy did cover the issue. When I asked why the associate denied my claim I was told he was new (uh huh). Then had to write letters to God and everyone in an attempt to get the warranty company to make good on the contract. Seems only then did they comply with the contract.
With my new contract, I've been waiting over 2-months for a washer to be repaired. Ugh! Next time, I'm just going to ask for $500 cash and I'll deal with any issue myself.
So, I'm challenging this norm of home warranties as a selling feature – they are a total waste of money.
I switched gardening services and pocketed $45.00 extra dollars.
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text:
As far as air-to-ground weapons go, bombs are effective but not known for their precision. That's why Boeing is hard at work on a project the U.S. military has long lusted after: plane-mounted lasers. Once we get these things operational, putting your munitions factories next to your day-care centers isn't going to work anymore, and we're already at the testing stage. Watch out, Enemies of Freedom!
Boeing calls it the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL). It fires from a belly-mounted rotating turret mounted to a modified C-130H cargo plane. On May 13, the chemical laser was tested on the ground. Soon, they'll advance to actual air-to-ground testing against fake targets. No actual test data or specifications for the laser (or the damage it can do) have been released.
The problem with laser weapons is that they are heavy and bulky. Until they get a lot lighter, there's not much chance that a bomber squadron is going to replace a bunch of payload with one of these things, unless it's for public relations. Not that it isn't nice to see the military developing super advanced weapons so they kill fewer people. No word if the lasers will be Cobra Blue or G.I. Joe Red. Original Image by: U.S. Navy.
Laser Blaster Gunship Closer to Flight Test. [Defense Tech]