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Traxxas T-Maxx 3.3 TSM 4WD (TQi Bluetooth/EZ Start) C-TRX49077-3-Blue
Out Of Stock
Bigger. Meaner. More Powerful!
Now with Traxxas Link Wireless Module and TSM!
The Ultimate 4X4 Nitro Monster
4x4 monster truck fun starts with T-Maxx. When T-Maxx launched onto the scene a whole new world of R/C driving possibilities emerged. T-Maxx has become the world's best-selling Ready-To-Race® nitro monster truck by climbing, jumping, and ripping through terrain that others simply wouldn't dare to attempt. Hardcore nitro monster crushing continues to evolve and so does T-Maxx. Introducing the T-Maxx 3.3. This brutal Maxx responds to the call with a huge stance; tough backbone; and wicked, tire-searing performance. T-Maxx brings it all together and unlocks a whole new level of monster thrashing potential. Go faster, jump higher, and let your creativity find new forms of torturous off-road pounding. The T-Maxx 3.3 is stronger, bigger, and meaner right down to its monster core.
Traxxas Stability Management (TSM) allows you to experience all the extreme power, speed, and acceleration that was engineered into your X-Maxx making it much easier to control on common slippery surfaces such as dusty asphalt, smooth concrete, and even ice and snow. Punch it off the line and TSM goes to work sensing the vehicle's direction and making steering corrections to provide straight-ahead full-throttle acceleration without fishtailing, spinouts, and loss of control. TSM also works during cornering, first making intuitive corrections to maintain your line, and then allowing you to hammer the throttle earlier in the turn for much faster exit speeds. Braking is dramatically improved as TSM works to keep you arrow straight until you come to a complete stop.
The World's Most Advanced Ready-To-Race® Radio System Now Connects Wirelessly to the Traxxas Link App
The Traxxas TQi paired with the Traxxas Link app is the most advanced, feature-rich, Ready-to-Race® radio system available. Now, TQi connects wirelessly to the latest Traxxas Link app for the ultimate in ease-of-use and control. The TQi radio system can be equipped with the Traxxas Link Wireless Module to unlock exciting features such as instant Bluetooth® connectivity; access to the full range of powerful TQi tuning and telemetry tools through an intuitive high-definition graphical interface; and the ability to have a friend remotely monitor real-time telemetry while you focus on mashing the throttle. Your co-driver can even make adjustments for you, remotely, while you drive. No other radio system can do that. Just like the speed and performance Traxxas engineers into the vehicles, the power and capability of TQi and Traxxas Link expands your fun into all-new territory. Only from Traxxas, The Fastest Name in Radio Control®. Learn more about the new Traxxas TQi Radio System here.
Maxx-Sized Stance
The T-Maxx 3.3 is the biggest Maxx ever. Giant Maxx tires deliver massive grip off-road and at 6.3" tall, they add increased ground clearance to gobble up deep ruts and overcome huge boulders (be sure to check out the videos!). In the city, urban obstacles such as curbs and stairs beckon for an all-out Maxx assault. Maxx tires come pre-glued to 3.8" Mirror-Chrome Hurricane wheels. Traxxas engineers equipped the T-Maxx 3.3 with an extended wheelbase (30mm longer) for maximum stability. T-Maxx is able to put more power the ground for even more acceleration and amazing directional control. There's no skimping when it comes to the chassis. It's formed from 4mm thick 6061-T6 aluminum and then anodized in brilliant blue. Meaty chassis braces and a rugged skid plate add rock-solid rigidity.
Where Power Meets Technology
The TRX 3.3 Racing Engine, is famous for its broad, linear output that makes Extreme Horsepower available practically anywhere in the rpm range. Hammer the throttle at any speed and the T-Maxx completely shreds the ground underneath. Brutal bottom-end torque rips massive wheel-standing launches that swell to top speeds soaring past 45mph! The extra-large dual-stage Traxxas air filter allows increased air flow to the TRX 3.3 Racing Engine, breathing in even more horsepower and torque. Larger filtering capacity also delivers consistent tuning during long running sessions and between maintenance intervals. At the opposite end, the Resonator dual-chamber Maxx pipe provides an average peak torque increase of 16% over the standard Maxx pipe, and a 10% increase in total power across the whole range. Full mirror polish adds that final touch.
Quick Features:
Ready-To-Drive® with included NiMH receiver pack and EZ-Start battery, chargers, fuel-filler bottle, spare glow plug, precision tools, and more!
NEW TQi™ 2.4GHz Transmitter with Traxxas Link Wireless Module and Receiver
Factory installed telemetry sensors
Extended chassis, heavy-duty chassis braces, and transmission skid plate
Polished Resonator two-chamber aluminum pipe
Large high-volume dual-stage air filter
Tunable, sealed Revo-Spec front and rear differentials
High-torque digital steering servo
Heavy-duty servo saver and bellcrank steering system
Aggressive 6.3" Maxx-sized all-terrain tires
Mirror-Chrome 3.8" Hurricane wheels
Revo-Spec two-speed transmission and center driveline
Supersized Maxx body with fresh paint!
*The Traxxas Link Application is available on Google Play and the App Store.
|Part Number


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The makers of GORE-TEX have discovered something important: Maine has some of the best hunting in the worst weather. In fact, we're now on the Top Ten "Best Hunt/Worst Conditions" list!
The company conducted a nationwide survey of "avid hunter-athletes, representatives of top hunting organizations and members of the hunting media." Although I'm in all three categories (ok, at age 64 my athletic days are behind me), I didn't get asked. So I'll give my opinion now. In a minute.
David Dillon, hunting category leader for W.L. Gore & Associates, the makers of GORE-TEX, said, "Gore is committed to making sure hunters don't miss any experience, or pass up any great hunting destination because of wind, rain, sleet, freezing temperatures or other challenging weather. We gear them up so they can stay out longer in any condition and experience more. We hope this 'Best Hunt/Worst Conditions' list inspires some epic hunts for hard core hunters."
This is Maine's chance to reverse the steep decline in nonresident hunters, suffered after deer vanished from the North Woods. We're now looking for those hard core hunters who want an epic hunt. Surprisingly, a North Woods deer hunt was not the reason Maine made the list. It would have been my choice, but I have to admit, the Maine hunt that did make the list is a very tough one.
A Penobscot Bay duck hunt, out of Stonington, Maine, landed us at number two on the list. "For waterfowl hunters, Penobscot Bay offers a high success rate and beautiful scenery," reported W.L Gore. "The area's many shellfish appeal to both prey, and hunters – as one of our respondents reported, one of the perks of this hunt is lobster at $4 a pound.
"Multiple rock islands in the bay provide shelter for unique species of duck. But hunters must be prepared for treacherous wind, rough tides and heavy squalls. One survey respondent was unable to hunt on his first day because 50 mph winds made for deadly conditions. With proper wind and rain gear, hunters find reward in the solitude and beauty of this historic part of the country," continued the press release.
I agree that coastal duck hunting is not for the faint of heart. It's a lot of shooting! The first time I did it, I shot an entire box of shells. And sat on a ledge outside of Tenants Harbor in a tee shirt. The tough conditions included a hot day. But you'd never find me out there in January.
I didn't eat lobster the day of my first coastal duck hunt but I agree it would be a nice perk of a coastal hunt. Adventurers might be more satisfied to go lobstering than duck hunting, though, because lobstermen go out in 50 mph winds. Just another day at the office for them. And wouldn't they have been some old glad to get $4 a pound this fall!
The rest of the top ten was an inventory of some of my favorite places. Kodiak Island, Alaska, was number one, on the list because of treacherous terrain, nasty weather, and big Brown bears. I had one of my all-time worst plane rides there on a fishing trip, in a wind that blew our little plane all over the sky.
Our guide and sporting camp owner told me when he guides deer hunters on the island, he tells them to shoot two deer. They leave one for the Brown bears that come racing at the sound of a shot. And try to escape with the other deer. Exciting hunting!
South Central Montana and Northwest Wyoming made the list, gorgeous country south of Bozeman where I've spent a lot of time. As the survey noted, "Elk hunting can go from 70 degrees and sunny to 40 below and blizzard-like conditions overnight… Rifle season typically brings winter with subzero wind chills and face-stinging ice."
I was astonished on my first visit to Bozeman 25 years ago, to see anglers in heavy winter clothing fly fishing the Gallatin River, there on ski-and-fish vacations.
Northwest Montana made the list also, a two-fer for that state. Included here is the Bob Marshall Wilderness, where the Smith family once enjoyed a memorable horse ride, cited by the GORE survey for its "challenging topography" and "extreme variation in weather extremes."
I'd love to experience the Bob Marshall Wilderness with my favorite Montana fishing guide, Maine native Joe Sowerby, but it starts with two hard days of riding a horse. Now that would be extreme pain for me!
Having just returned from my sixth annual pheasant hunting adventure in North Dakota, I was interested to see that the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota made the list, cited for "erratic weather." They got that right. I've hunted North Dakota in 80-degree heat and in a blizzard. I have to bring clothing for all conditions.
The other states on the list were Southwest Colorado (for the challenge of hunting in high altitude), the Cascade Mountains in Washington and Coastal Oregon ("It rains here more than my shower") and "most hunters will not see a buck the entire season." Sure makes we want to book a hunt there!
The Big Woods of Western Wisconsin are on the list, W.L. Gore's "top vote-getter for whitetail hunting. One respondent said the quality of the deer herd in western Wisconsin is unbelievable."
Remind me again why we think we'll ever get back those whitetail hunters who have fled Maine for better deer hunting elsewhere?
The Idaho Panhandle made the list, described as having "low hunting pressure, great scenery and quality game including mule deer, whitetail, sheep, moose, elk, black bears and cougar… this is very vertical terrain with frequent mountain storms all spring, fall, and winter."
A tie for tenth place on the list gave us the Platte River of Central Nebraska and the low country of South Carolina. "Central Nebraska is bitterly cold for whitetail hunting," reports Gore.
Late yesterday afternoon, sitting in my tree stand with temps below freeing and a howling wind, made me think some of these guys who were surveyed may be a bit wimpy. Of course, I was quite comfortable in my LL Bean orange hunting coat, lined with GORE-Tex!
South Carolina made the list for heat and humidity – a good description of Maine turkey hunting in June and moose hunting in August.
So here's my take-away on this survey. Maine hunters are tough. Maine hunting is tough. Maine weather can be tough. And now we can prove it!


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Jim Schwartz was hired to turn around the Detroit Lions and he did it for three seasons.
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) ? Jim Schwartz was hired to turn around the Detroit Lions and he did it for three seasons.
He failed to keep the Lions going in the right direction the next two years ? and it cost him his job.
The Lions fired Schwartz on Monday, one day after their late-season slide ended with a loss at Minnesota. He had two years and nearly $12 million left on his contract.
Schwartz informed the players of the decision during a team meeting.
"I feel awful for him," Lions center Dominic Raiola said. "I feel like we let him down."
Team President Tom Lewand said the search has begun for what he thinks is one of the most ? if not the most ? attractive opportunities for a head coach in the NFL.
"I can verify that by the number of calls we have already gotten since the announcement was made," Lewand said. "Going through a thorough process is extremely important. That doesn't necessarily it has to be a long process."
The Lions also let offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and wide receivers coach Tim Lappano seek other jobs, saying the rest of the staff is under contract, including some assistants for the 2014 season.
Detroit flopped to a 7-9 record this year after a 6-3 record start put the franchise in a position to win a division title for the first time since 1993.
"That is the reason we are sitting here having this conversation," Lewand said.
Schwartz was 29-51 over five seasons, including a 10-6 mark in 2011 that lifted the Lions to their only postseason appearance this century. The former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator was hired in 2009 when Detroit was coming off the NFL's first 0-16 season.
"Jim inherited a very tough job," Lions general manager Martin Mayhew acknowledged.
Schwartz led the Lions to two wins in his first year, six the next and to double digits in victories two years ago for the first time since 1995 to help them end an 11-year postseason drought.
The Lions lost their last eight games last year after a .500 start. They collapsed again this season with four straight losses and six in a seven-game stretch ? blowing fourth-quarter leads in each setback ? after they took control of the NFC North race. Detroit and the 2000 San Diego Chargers are the only NFL teams since 1940 to lose fourth-quarter leads in seven games in a season, according to STATS.
"From where we were in 2008 to where we are now it's a big difference," quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "We owe a lot of that to him. He's a really smart guy and helped us get to where we are. Obviously, we didn't win as many games as we needed to or as we should have this year."
The Lions took on the personality of their demonstrative and emotionally charged coach and that wasn't always good news for them.
When Detroit ran the ball instead of having turnover-prone Stafford throw late in regulation of its 23-20 overtime loss to the New York Giants in Week 16, the crowd reacted with a loud chorus of boos. Schwartz responded by looking away from the field and screaming something toward the stands.
Schwartz negated a video review and was called for unsportsmanlike conduct by angrily throwing a challenge flag last season when Houston's Justin Forsett scored after two Lions tackled him, leading to a defeat during an eight-game, season-ending slide. The previous year, Schwartz had a heated exchange with San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh and had to be separated following their postgame handshake.
"The stuff that happened with Harbaugh just was an incident," Detroit guard Rob Sims said. "The stuff with the fans just was an incident. That's not an everyday occurrence."
Schwartz was 12-32 in games in November or later for a .273 winning percentage that was the worst for a coach in five-plus straight seasons with a team since Denver's Lou Saban won one-quarter of those late-season games from 1967-1971, according to STATS. His .363 winning percentage overall with the Lions is the worst by an NFL coach in his first five full seasons since John McKay won fewer than 30 percent of his games with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976-1980.
The Lions gave Schwartz an extension entering the 2012 season, when he had one year left on his four-deal worth about $11 million.
The second contract made him the longest-tenured coach the franchise has had since Wayne Fontes led the Lions from 1988-96.
Bobby Ross, Gary Moeller, Marty Mornhinweg, Steve Mariucci, Dick Jauron ? on an interim basis ? and Rod Marinelli all had a chance to lead a franchise with only one playoff victory since winning the 1957 NFL title before Schwartz got a shot to be a head coach for the first time at any level.
The Lions would like to hire someone, who runs a 4-3 defense and has head coaching experience, but they're not going to overlook assistants who fit the profile they're looking for.
"The goal isn't to hire the biggest name or the most popular candidate and win the next press conference," Lewand said. "It's to win football games in 2014 and to win a championship."


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Available for Immediate Lease.Set up shop close to site and maximize time on tools. This lot offers 250,034 sf of secure and customizable space, suitable for commercial, industrial, or storage uses. Situated close to highway 63 makes arriving on site quick and easy. Lot features such as high-speed internet, natural gas and electricity lines, auto mechanic services, 24-hour gas station, grocery store and cafe provides your team with comfort and convenience. Fort McKay Group of Companies prides itself on forging long term collaborative relationships with our tenants, providing them with built environments that optimize productivity and maximize revenue for their business.
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Hieromartyr Eutyches, disciple of Saint John the Theologian
The Hieromartyr Eutyches, a disciple of the holy Apostles John the Theologian and Paul, lived from the first century into the beginning of the second century, and was from the Palestinian city of Sebastea.
Although Saint Eutyches is not one of the 70 Apostles, he is called an Apostle because of his labors with the older Apostles, by whom he was made bishop. After hearing about Christ the Savior, Saint Eutyches first became a disciple of the Apostle John the Theologian. Later he met the Apostle Paul, and preached together with him on the early journeys.
Saint Eutyches underwent many sufferings: they starved him with hunger, beat him with iron rods, they threw him into the fire, and then to be devoured by wild beasts. Once, a lion was let loose upon the saint, which astonished everyone because it praised the Creator with a human voice. The hieromartyr Eutyches completed his labors in his native city, where he was beheaded with a sword at the beginning of the second century.


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some violent images, sexual content, smoking, partying and brief language
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The Great Gatsby
Academy Award® Winner
Fitzgerald-like, would-be writer Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz and bootleg kings.
Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy (Carey Mulligan) and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits.
As Nick bears witness, within and without the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, and holds a mirror to our own modern times and struggles.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton, Carey Mulligan, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, Elizabeth Debicki, Amitabh Bachchan
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
Running Time - 2:23
Genre - Drama
Opened in Theaters - Friday, May 10th, 2013 (7 years ago)
Academy Award Winner for Costume Design, Production Design
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With the 2011-12 season's first week grinding to a close, congratulations are in order for the Big Ball Dance League's One Piece, who sit atop the RCL standings setting the pace for the rest of the us. They don't lead any one category, but they're in the top 10 in five of eight stat categories, which is pretty bananas when you think about it. Then again, so is having Kobe and Pau on the same fantasy team like he does. There weren't a ton of weaknesses in his draft and he's made some interesting tinkering moves already, including trading Dirk Nowitzki off his team for Paul George and Jeff Teague. I'd love to hear the thinking behind that and why no one from the BBD League protested it.
At any rate, One Piece sits in third in his division, but has played five fewer games than the two teams ahead of him. Which brings us to how the RCL rankings are calculated. Each teams totals are divided by the number of games they've played to even out the field. Those averages in each category are then ranked across all five divisions. So instead of worst being 12th place, last place is now 60th. Of course, these rankings assume that everyone will play the maximum number of games at year's end (which rarely happens), but hopefully, breaking it down like this will keep those in the bottom motivated to keep tinkering. As the season goes on, I'll have more analysis for each league, but this week, I just wanted to introduce things. Get you all comfortable. Coax you into taking your jacket ff so I can rifle through it when you step into the bathroom. You know, normal stuff.
Master Standings are here.
Other category leaders:
I POSTERIZE MOMS (24th place) .500 FG%
Hired Goons (44th) .887 FT%
Andray the Giant (39th) 1.324 3ppg
Teach Me How to Gortat (3rd) 16.480 ppg
Boom Boom Pau (47th) 6.742 rpg
Van Gundy Death Stare (11th) 4.0 apg
Razzle Dazzle (32nd) 1.464 spg
Team Thiele (28th) 1.125 bpg
Look for a standings slopegraph next week. It's going to be awesome. You'll want to make popcorn and tweet about it to your family.


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And They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love?
by: Craig Wiesner on February 21st, 2012 | 1 Comment »
As a Jew in the pew for the last two decades, I think I've gotten a pretty good sense of what being "Christian" means. Most of that experience has been gained in the midst of a particular group of Christians who believe that their actions, the way they live their lives, speak much louder than any words. But it is also a church where the pastors follow the lectionary most Sundays, meaning that those gathered are hearing exactly the same scripture readings from the Bible that most other Christians are hearing on those same Sundays. Frankly, from my two decades of listening to those passages, the message is pretty clear to this possibly distant relative of a nice Jewish boy from Nazareth. To be a Christian means that you are called to follow "the way" that Jesus lived. Feed the poor, clothe the naked, love thy neighbor…. and they'll know you are Christian by your love by your love.
I'm still quite comfortable identifying myself as a Jew having never quite made the leap to the part about Jesus being the son of God or the Messiah. And don't even get me started on the whole blood atonement argument. But by what stretch of the imagination, or hubris, can candidates running against President Obama question whether or not he is Christian? He showed them his birth certificate to prove he was an American. What does he need to show now, his Baptism photos?
My husband and I have been blessed to be part of the First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto for 23 years. I'm a "friend" and he's a member. Up until recently, the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) did not allow openly GLBTQ folks to be ordained as Deacons, Elders or Ministers of the Word and Sacrament. People's "identity" or sexual orientation trumped everything else about them in the minds of many. But the PCUSA, like the United Church of Christ (UCC), the denomination to which the President belongs, have abandoned that discriminatory stance. Each denomination has its own unique ordination vows and processes for becoming members but the basics are simple… be baptized, affirm your belief in Jesus, and promise to do your best to follow his way and you are a Christian. Only God can judge whether or not you live up to what you say, but again, if I've been following correctly, there's something called "Grace" that actions or thoughts can't earn. It is simply a gift that God gave to all of us.
I found it offensive when people questioned whether Mitt Romney was "a Christian" and I find it equally offensive to hear people question whether President Obama is a Christian. Are we on the road to the White House or the road to Capernaum? Don't these people realize the foolishness of arguing about which of them is the greatest (Christian) as they try to grab the firstest seat in the world? Hopefully these candidates all have their bibles handy and can take a quick look at the gospel of Mark (chapter 9 if they don't have time to read the whole thing) and do a little Jesus-way-following as they move forward on the road to the Republican nomination. And if they happen to run across someone suffering along the way, they might want to stop and do what they can to help that person, even if they do think there's a good enough "safety net" out there for the least of these. Because the person they meet along the way, who is hungry, and whom they feed might just be familiar with a Christian teaching known as Matthew 25.
Americans will be watching as they travel that road, and they'll know whether or not they are worthy of leading this country by their love, by their love. We will know if they are worthy by their love.


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Tag Archives: mean mom
Rule #569
Rule #568
Rule #568: If you've sat on it, you may not eat it.
Thanks, Melissa T.
Filed under Guest rules
Rule #567
Rule #567: Please do not steal my underwear, hide it in your pockets, and then throw it at me when I am trying to tell you a bedtime story. Thanks.
Thanks, Celeste J. (the meanest big sister in the whole wide world)
Rule #566
Rule #566: I do not speak in hums. If you want me to answer you, use words.
Thanks, Jennifer M.
Rule #565
Rule #565: Fighting bad guys is tough work. You have to be smart, innovative, and quick-thinking. While your idea for stopping the enemy with Booger Bullets is surely an effective form of attack, you're still not allowed to pick your nose.
Thanks, Robyn H.
Rule #564
Rule #564: When you find a bird feather on the ground, you may use it in a craft, wear it in your hair, or hang it on the wall. You may not put it in your mouth.


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Ecommerce Consultant
Overview of Content Management Systems
There is definitely a barrier to entry with Magento. Development is not nearly as intuitive as it is with a system like WordPress. Drupal is as confused as the people who built it, constantly changing the entire thing each release. They probably change their core more often then I change my underwear.
Out of all of the systems I do have to admit that each has it's benefits. WordPress theming is crazy simple and the freedom that plugin developers are given can leave you confused without a purpose or direction. You can hack the core of WordPress as easy as you can write a post in the administrative area. The graphic artists that tend to design for a system like this love open spaces and large poster images. It's a very welcoming system and great for blogging.
Magento is like a King, everything must be in exact order and speak only when spoken to. You must request permission to edit the core, while attempts to override only end in conflicts. The platform is run like a legion of soldiers, each with a specific task and carries it out in sync with everything else. The platform is guaranteed to give you a stable and reliable ecommerce website, which is probably why it makes up 40% of the ecommerce stores online. The fact that Magento is a legion is also the reason why it is as slow as one.
Drupal is like a band of hippies that have great ideas but no leadership to organize the protesters. The core code is being changed so often that the extensions directory is more like an archive of dead code. Do not upgrade if things are working! If you can get them working...
Joomla is fantastic, but still seems to be missing a clear purpose. It is a Jack of all trades and a master of none. If you want to build something custom, then build it on Joomla if another system doesn't already specialize in the idea. Joomla is a favorite, highly respected, but rarely used.
Who Am I?
My name is Jonathon Byrd, I'm a Software Engineer turned Marketer, Consultant and Magento Enthusiast, because that's the community that makes money :)
You can find me at MerchantProtocol.com. You can find my work at MagePlugins.net.
Seattle, WA
Member for 9 years
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IM BACK! Gosh I can't put into words how happy I was when I set my Tripod up earlier to take some outfit snaps earlier! I don't feel like my photos are quite right yet, I probably need to practice a bit more before I can get a style done! I don't have as the same ammount of room in my new bedroom as I did my old one so it might be a while before I can work out exactly how Im going to take them! In these Im lit from the side, which is alright but I prefer having the light front facing! #bloggerproblems!
So, the outfit! I picked up this camouflage jacket a few weeks ago from Primark for around £12. Im not 100% sold on the camo jacket trend, I think they can look really… mannish and unflattering but this jacket has grown on me. I had to pick off all the horrible Primark embroidery, but I do think overall it's quite nice! Im wearing a standard LLYMLRS oversized smock dress, statement necklace and my much loved Topshop Alvins. Im in the market for a new pair of boots as these ones have had so much wear since I bought them a few months ago. I'd love a pretty pair of brown/tan ones! Need to get searching!
I got my hair done on Friday, so as you can see it's a lot blonder than it was. I've done a full post on it on my other blog as I had a feeling this blog post would get super long if I didn't split it! I have so much I want to share but literally don't want to bore you all with a huge paragraph of my rambling! I also included a little video ramble that I made for my Youtube Channel (which I thought I deleted earlier and gave myself a heart attack!) so you can see me moving and stuff! And get a better idea on my new hair! It just doesn't photograph or translate well to camera like it does in real life! Sigh!
Anyway, if you'd subscribe it would make me happy!
Now please excuse me while I go pamper myself and order some nice new things! It's so nice to be around all my products, lotions and potions again and be able to buy clothes without having to worry about how Im actually going to get them back to London! Time for Face mask, Hair mask, Nails… the works! The ammount of exclamation marks in this post just shows how happy I am to be back!


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ageing bath time best friend birthday books brushing teeth celebration child play fashion fear fighting with each other goldfish growing up hair happy with looks health holiday how children copy kumon learning new words living with guilt love mealtime with kids morning with kids music play date reading school silly talk with kids sisters sleep habits snow sorry swimming with kids teasers therapy thumb sucking weekend working from home
Tag: learning new words
It's become a weekly ritual - we get on the bus and Kit knows that she has to find a seat and sit while I punch the card. Last Saturday, it was so hilarious - as we got on the bus, Kit wanted to sit on one of the front seats. Here is what happened next.
Kit: "Can we sit on these front ones - please, please , please?"
Me: "No. It's no point - these seats are for disabled people and if someone old gets on the bus, we'll have to get up. There are so many seats at the back, lets take those ones instead."
So we both, went at the back and sat down. I then told Kit, "when mummy gets old THEN we can sit on those seats at the front."
It was meant as a joke to get a conversation started but Kit on the other hand took it very seriously and remarked: "Actually mummy if you're lucky, it would be even better if you had a wheelchair because then you would get a seat even if one wasn't available as the chair ties on a different place"
What could I say??!!! Yeah Kit - looking forward to my old age!!
Feeling totally out of sync I answered : "No, has anything changed since last month?"
She said it was a brand new message and the way she smiled made me think Kit must have disclosed some family secrets (she's brilliant at that!) - my heart beating fast I went to the 'wall' and saw this beautiful message from Kit about her family.
What? No mail? Again! she says and then turns to Kat, Papa or me why didnt you write me a message?
After a (God) promise of doing it tonight , all is fine and a major situation averted. Phew!
So this is the reason each one of us can be seen writing little notes for Kit at night to ensure that she has mail every morning.
My messages are usually small (unless there is a specific demand for a BIG card) written out on little post-it notes with a heart, flower or just Mama loves you kinds.
Of all the messages, Kit most eagerly looks forward to Kats messages; not only for the heartfelt thoughts but for the materialistic side of them (after all, shes only 4yrs old!) Kat will always attach something with her note an eraser, a sticker a little something every single time!
Papa is the one with the longest messages he writes few but he writes big cards always addressed to My Little Princess and from Papa Prince.
We all are creative in this set up as well so some days Kit will get paper goodies a fan (me), aeroplane (Papa) and basket (Kat) in her mailbox and her reaction is instantly gratifying.
This message business is not one-sided either Kit spends a lot of time writing for us or making cards and pictures for her family. Very often, we enter our rooms and see a card or picture on the floor (that was sneakily delivered to us).
Also, now that Kit is learning to read, it is indeed heart warming to see her read her messages, all by herself.
Nice change from the good ol keyboard, thanks to Kit, the joy of writing by hand is being rediscovered in our house...
Kit and Kat are slowly becoming the sisters who share and play together (its taken a good number of years!) and the most imaginative part of this love is their playtime together (courtesy Kat) lovingly described as School School by Kit.
Kit is seated on her little blue IKEA chair (originally Kats) very straight and attentive. Kat makes up this grown up voice and reads out names from an attendance sheet for imaginary students, Kat makes up different voices to say Present when Kits name is called out, she immediately responds and also raises her hand to show her presence.
Attendance over, Kat (still in her grown up mode), announces the schedule for the day. Some days, Kit actually has a sheet with the activities for the day (courtesy my printer!).
Activities include story writing time (where Kit tells and Kat writes), spelling time (making use of a whiteboard where Kat writes dog etc and Kat spells it) or going over the big world map on the wall.
School School also includes Kumon time where Kat helps me tremendously by assisting Kit with her math and reading sheets (some days though, this JUST doesnt work!) . Also interesting are the little workbooks that Kat prints from the internet purely for playing with Kit. She has now even started using her own pocket money to buy actual kindergarten workbooks (pocket money that was earlier being spent only on iTunes and her own stuff very impressive!)
When Kat is done playing in the morning session, Kit is assigned homework which she very religiously completes!
There may or may not be another sitting on the same day but whenever Kit Kat decide to play School School next, out comes the big box from the cupboard filled with folders, colours, worksheets and School is ON!
She tries very hard to use all newly acquired words in her regular conversation SO we usually have (wise) comments like I can see the constellation during lunch time or I am very depressed when there is an argument with Kat.
What I find most interesting is her age calculation. If anyone asks her age and I say 4 years, Kit insists on saying that she is 4 and a quarter! Also, her goal is to be same age as Dora (!) who is (as per Kit) 5 years old (not a bad guess!) and Diego is 11years (surprisingly the same age as Kat)
...and so the word (and number) quest continues and in this journey we come across words like never before I goed (went) there , I putted (put) it in my cupboard.
The other day I got a hand made book which read Bad Tme Stores yes, you guessed it BED TIME STORIES!


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PDI wrote:You people don't play right.
Each person has to do something to the following person. For example, I clean up all the pie remnants, then fling them in the air -- the come down on the next poster.
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They, The Undeserving LP
Stream It:
The long awaited vinyl repress of this classic Giants jammy. Originally released via Medical Abuse in 2007, then reissued on vinyl by the Sheath in 2008. The vinyl version of this mammoth quickly sold out and has been unavailable, until now! We decided to completely overhaul the artwork this time around, so we enlisted the very talented Charlie Wagers to work his magic. And work his magic he did, managing to create something brand new and visually stunning, while maintaining the geometrical themes of the original artwork. There are three new vinyl colors to choose from. Grab 'em up!
Pressing info:
- 100 Translucent Sky Blue
- 100 Opaque Maroon
- 300 Cream w/Maroon Center


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She stretches her arms out as if to grab the sun, all the while encouraging us to keep our spines fluid and our brains heavy.
"Feel the tapestry of your lungs," says Brigitte Bourdeau, a New York yoga instructor, as she leans over our twisted bodies and coaxes them further into positions we never thought possible.
With the Hudson River as backdrop and The James Hotel rooftop as our studio, we are experiencing New York City in a way that redefines the word rejuvenation.
While hustle and bustle often describe this biggest and busiest of American cities, native New Yorkers have carved out spaces all their own within touristy Manhattan. For travellers are seeking something that will leave them replenished after a trip to the Big Apple, take a hint from the average New Yorker.
It all started for us with a glass of "eye-opener juice" created out of beet, orange, ginger and carrot juice. With this early morning pleasant jolt to the taste buds, we chose Kitchen Benedict from the David Burke Kitchen breakfast menu — Italian sausage, polenta, spinach and tomato hollandaise — a healthy twist on a heavy classic.
A 17th-floor session of yoga in the trendy hotel, was an intoxicating elixir that soothed souls and readied bodies for a holiday of jogging, biking, site-seeing and countless smoothies and fresh juices.
The rooftop yoga session was provided by Serene Social, a wellness and networking community for women that focuses on living holistic and balanced lives. With New York-based yoga and meditation sessions, events, conferences and retreats on their agenda, the $150 one-time fee delivers a unique set of activities aimed at wellness.
One of our favourite places to go in New York is Battery Park, a place rarely mentioned in the travel brochures. Its 10-kilometre running route traces the Hudson River and provides glimpses of the Statue of Liberty, the World Trade Center memorial and the Nelson A. Rockefeller Park. With many riverside green spaces and children's play parks, this is a rejuvenating place to go and experience what average New Yorkers do at the end of their day.
"Go to Central Park," every New Yorker urged when we asked about rejuvenating things to do in the city. With a full day to explore, we started by lacing up runners and followed the main route through the park. The jogging path is marked and we were eager to run along a portion of the New York Marathon route. But as the jogging lane become busier, we wander off the beaten paths, along which, we'd find a local New Yorker taking photos or painting a picture or playing jazz on their saxophone or sitting high atop a rock with a book in hand. We also took time to stop and enjoy the ducks floating in ponds, the breathtaking fall foliage and the comforting click-clack of hoofs as horses pulled tourists through the park.
We decided to forgo a carriage ride, deeming it too touristy and tacky. But after Day 5, many New Yorkers told us the horses are one of their favourite things about Central Park. So we succumbed and climbed onto the velvet covered carriage seat to take in the splendour that is the most visited park in the United States. We learned that the 340-hectare park — it sits on a rock bed that protrudes out at will — is decorated with 24,000 trees, all of which were planted.
New Yorkers' favourite spots include the hidden carousel, which few tourists see unless they venture to the southern part of the park, just off Center Drive. Other private spots we discovered were the Arthur Ross Pinetum and Conservatory Garden. Though biking brings you to all the park's corners, walking and running are by far the best ways to experience all the nooks and crannies since bikes aren't allowed on many pathways.
With Central Park being the "pièce de résistance" of any rejuvenating trip to New York City, we chose to stay at the nearby Affinia Gardens Hotel for part of our trip. Just four blocks from Central Park, this quaint hotel provided free bikes plus ice water and tea to quench parched throats when we returned from the park.
Shopping is a ritual in New York, and if you do it in a well-thought-out way, it too can be rejuvenating. We started off the evening event with a trip to Macy's makeup counter. A free makeover with two New York gals left us ready to conquer the rest of the six-floor store — and provided us plenty of touring advice for the rest of our six-day excursion. While the streets of New York are teeming with stores, retailers and sidewalk sellers, we found the quiet setting of this flagship store to be the perfect place to unwind, grab a Starbucks refresher and spend four hours in absolute bliss.
Our final restful experience came aboard a Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises boat, which took us on a harbour tour of the night lights of New York. It was a blissful two hours of witnessing classic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty aglow in the light from the setting sun and the Brooklyn Bridge lit up in full splendour.
If we choose to return to New York to rejuvenate again, yoga on the rooftop will be at the top of our list, as will Central Park and Battery Park, whether by foot, bicycle or hoof.
Where to stay: The James (jameshotels.com/new-york) provides a super relaxing lobby area that features David Burke Kitchen pastries and cookies throughout the day, as well as wine and cheese nightly from 6 to 8 p.m. The glassed lobby overlooks the city and offers books, computers and free Wi-Fi.
Where to eat: The David Burke Kitchen (davidburkekitchen.com) is an experience you won't want to miss, especially some of its TV-featured dishes like pretzel-wrapped crab cakes and peanut butter-bacon dates. The Carnegie deli is a New York classic that provides the right mix of sinful food and waiter comedy (carnegiedeli.com).
Yoga/meditation: Book a rooftop session at serenesocial.com.
Attractions: For just over $100, the New York CityPASS (citypass.com/NewYorkCity) is a great way to access the harbour tour, as well as six other attractions like the Museum of Modern Art and Central Park's Metropolitan Museum. The pass also allows you to skip the sometimes long lineups.
For more info ranging from events to deals, visit nycgo.com.


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HARRISON, N.J. (January 13, 2016) – Top Drawer Soccer unveiled the latest Grande Sports TeamRank 25, the comprehensive ranking system for elite club soccer teams in the U-13 to U-18 age groups nationwide, and three Red Bulls academy teams - Red Bulls U-13, U-14 and U-16 - received No. 1 rankings while the Red Bulls U-18s were ranked No. 4.
The top-ranked Red Bulls U-16s completed the fall season at the U-16 USSDA 2015 Winter Showcase in Florida a perfect 3-0-0 in three games. Led by head coach Jeff Zaun, the U-16s are 9-1-3 through 13 games and are tied in first place of the Atlantic Division. The Red Bulls share the top spot with Philadelphia Union on 30 points, but have two games in hand on the Union. Red Bulls U-16 lead the league in goals scored (42), goal differential (31) and are tied for the second-lowest goals allowed (11).
Paul O'Donnell's Red Bulls U-14 ended its season on Nov. 1 in North Carolina at the U-14 USSDA 2015 Showcase, a tournament in which they defeated Orlando City SC, New England Revolution and Kendall SC to finish a perfect 3-0-0. Through 12 games this season, the U-14s are 10-1-1 and ended the fall session on a four-game winning streak. Red Bulls U-13, led by head coach Phil Swenda, completed the fall season on a high, defeating Lehigh Valley United, 3-1. The young Red Bulls enter the break with an 8-2-2 record.
The No.4 ranked Red Bulls U-18s, managed by Simon Nee, finished the fall season at the U-18 USSDA 2015 Winter Showcase in Florida, where the team went 2-1-0 in three matches. Through 13 matches, Red Bulls U-18 is tied in first place of the Atlantic Division, despite having three games in hand on Players Development Academy. New York is 10-2-1 with 31 points. The U-18s boast the most potent attack in the division, with 39 goals scored, and a goal differential of 23.
The Red Bulls academy, part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, is one of the premier development programs in the United States and annually top the club national rankings. Comprised of six teams (U-12, U-13, U-14, U-16, U-18, USL PDL U-23), the players train a minimum of three times a week and play a maximum of two games under the supervision of our professional staff. The program is designed to give dedicated and talented players the training and experience needed to reach the highest levels of the game both nationally and internationally.


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Monday, October 18, 2010
Is Star Wars the Old Republic doomed?
To be sure, at first consideration 100+ million looks like an utterly insane budget for any game, even an MMO. However, budgets for sub-free games are hitting 100 million in some cases, for example Grand Theft Auto IV. Those games make zero from subs going forward (though in some cases they sell optional content packs). Admittedly, all the games listed on that website cater to bigger markets than SWTOR because they are on both consoles and the PC. Further, if Bioware really has spent 300 million, I'd tend to agree with Ardwulf that Bioware and EA are screwed. However, with all those qualifiers, I think a budget of around 100-200 million would not be completely insane.
I think it will come down to how well BIOWARE executes the MMO part of SWTOR, and that's what we know the least about at this point (almost nothing really, I'm not even sure if there will be an auction house as I type this). A lot of commentators seem to assume that we are about to see another "sell a million boxes and then crash to 100K steady subs" fiasco ala Warhammer Online and Age of Conan (the last two really big budget MMOs). However I really doubt that.
Both WAR and AoC seriously fell down on basics at launch (for example, AoC was missing features listed on the retail box!?!), and despite that still managed around 100K steady subs. In contrast to those games (and modern AoC for that matter), I expect SWTOR to have a polished and enjoyable leveling game at launch. I don't think we can really generalize from the launches of WAR and AoC to what will happen with SWTOR.
SWTOR is going to be an important test for "PC alone" as a target for big budget games. Based on the fact that it's the unofficial sequel to the much beloved KoTR and KoTR II games, if Bioware was set to release SWTOR across PCs and consoles I think everyone would be a lot more comfortable with it having a big budget. Just on box sales, which would undoubtedly be in the millions, they could expect to recoup most of their budget. Any subs on top of that would be gravy.
However, by choosing to stick to the PC market...they are likely looking at initial box sales of no more than around 2 million. I do think they can top the 1 million boxes that WAR and AoC did, but not by a ton. Maybe over the first year they will get up to 3 or 4 million if the word of mouth is really good. Regardless, on box sales it seems obvious they are not getting back 100-200 million.
What success or failure will really come down to is how many of their users they retain, and whether the steady population grows or shrinks in the year after launch. At this point, there are too many unknowns to judge what is likely to happen. For example:
- What will be the population momentum of a game that sells 1 million + boxes and is actually polished and playable at launch? WAR and AoC certainly haven't given us a clue.
- How many people will stick around to play an MMO that emphasizes an engaging solo experience over typical MMO mechanics?
- How many fans of the rich narratives of single player RPGs want to play an MMO but find a market that doesn't really cater to them?
- How many Star Wars fans will play an MMO that isn't a sand box? Star Wars galaxies was north of 200K subs until the NGE according to most narratives, and to say it was (and still is) a niche product design would be a huge understatement.
There are a lot of unknowns in play that could shake out either way. In many ways SWTOR is aiming at a market that isn't well served by the current generation of MMOs, and really never has been well served : players that want a moment-to-moment play experience as polished and engaging as a big budget offline RPG in an MMO. Whether this will be enough to make a it a breakout hit is anyone's guess. However, I'm not ready to start composing pithy phrases for SWTOR's tombstone just yet.
6 comments:
- AnonymousOctober 18, 2010 at 10:44 PM
It's really hard to say. What I believe is that SWTOR will manage to sell 1 million copies or more, but it's how many will keep subscribing that's the question. Somehow, I don't think whether or not it's like WoW/unlike WoW that is going to be issue; that's just a too simplistic way of looking at things.ReplyDelete
What I think matters is accessibility and depth. SWTOR is probably going to attract a lot of non-MMO-gamers, likely more so than any other MMO. Star Wars fans and Bioware RPG fans may be checking this one out, some of whom may never have even touched an MMO their whole lives. Consider how millions picked up Dragon Age and the Mass Effect games; if SWTOR can manage to keep even a fraction of this demographic playing and subbing, then it is going to be a force (heh) to be reckoned with. But while the game has to be easy enough for new players to understand, it also needs to have content and substance that will keep MMO veterans interested as well. And we really don't know enough about that yet. So for now all predictions on the longevity of SWTOR are going to be just that -- predictions. I'm not ready to call financial doom or success either way.
@MMOgamerchick: I'm in pretty much the same boat. The fact that they are going after untapped markets gives them a better chance of success than other recent big budget MMOs in my mind. The last MMOs to really go after untapped markets were WoW and a series of FtP MMO aimed an children and tweens. All of them have done really well.ReplyDelete
However, we aren't sure how much Bioware/ EA have really spent and what proportion of the new market they are tapping will stay subbed more than a month or two. It's really hard to say either way how SWTOR will do. I do think pronouncements of doom are premature, however.
I also think comparisons to WAR are a bit ridiculous. All indications are that SWTOR is going to be a more engaging game out of the gate than WAR was, particularly to fans of Bioware RPGs (and there are a lot of us).
- AnonymousOctober 19, 2010 at 9:22 AM
Yeah, I don't get the comparisons to WAR. They are very different games, in almost every angle I look at it.ReplyDelete
And I have no doubt a lot of money has been pumped into making SWTOR, but $300 million still seems a bit high...
If the game has a strong narrative and is online multiplayer in some form, it can do well.ReplyDelete
The expected target audience would likely be whoever played the KOTOR games before (and liked it), other Bioware fans, plus perhaps some additional MMO players.
I do not think they have any hardcore or typical enthusiast MMO players as their main audience.
With a strong story focus I think a comparision with Guild Wars would be more relevant than some other MMO titles mentioned by others. Despite no subscription fee that game would probably be in black numbers even with a large chunk if some of the speculated SWTOR budget numbers.
@Sente: I think you are exactly correct, they are not really going for current MMO enthusiasts (at least not primarily). I suspect they are hoping to have the Guild Wars "strong and steady box sales" effect, where they don't budge on the price of a box even a year or two out, and combine that with sub fees for some subset of those players.ReplyDelete
I still say SWTOR should monetize like Guild Wars and just totally ditch subs. The design fits that far better than the "standard" subscription model. I wrote about that a while ago, and I stand by it.ReplyDelete


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I'm here to explain to you and other members of the ETclan that you have made a mistake by banishing me from your server.
I'm not a cheater, I'm an old ETplayer who have a lot of experience ( ET and other FPS like csgo ).
I have a brain and I'm using it to play and if you have ever played a cs-FPS you will understand preshot and other fast-reaction time ( and I'm playing osu! so I know a lot about reaction time ).
In my past I played ETpro with some great french player like Kaisen / Ange / pupa / yokoo and other like Karnaj Bruceh sinusji or Keeji ( but more on csgo ). You can probably check that on gamestv. some of them have played versus the best w:et player http://www.gamestv.org/event/16998-rockit-et-vs-desire/
some links about me :
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5-JtF ... y4YBpQMjkA
https://steamcommunity.com/id/Abyssian1 ( you can check on my friend list that all the name before are here )
You can check my comp with teamviewer if you want to do it I don't really care .
I can also record my comp with OBS when I start the game, check my processus and applications and when i'm playing ( but i will have some fps drop but i can still rekt you no problem ) or maybe with my phone ( only 4gb memory so probably not long enough ) and post all of that on youtube !


text: Hi all, I am working with a WPF application. My application contains a re-sizable docked window and floating windows containing user controls representing different pages. Now what i want is when the user re-sizes the dock-able window width i need to reset the width of other windows and make them redraw based on the new width. How can i forcefully redraw the windows to re-arrange its controls based on the new width.


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river island jeans
asos sandals
monki jacket
I lost my phone last night in a bar and I'm at a loose end as to where it went. I had it one second and then the next I didnt. I dont even recall anyone being near enough to be to steal it from me so who knows. I had some grief with EE about them almost not honouring my contract insurance because they decided not to add it to my contract for no reason. Sigh. I swear phone companies make it difficult for themselves when it could all be so easy.
Anyway, Im very excited about the weekend. I'm seeing McBusted on Saturday evening and I think on Saturday day time we're going to The Rumble in the Jumble up at Oval Space. It's basically a celebrity jumble sale type thing with loads of people selling their old stuff jumble sale stylee for charity. It should be fun! I'll be around from 1 so if you're coming come say hi! Tomorrow is my house birthday night out as well which should be pretty fun. I cant remember if I talked about it but we've got some new housemates after our old ones recently moved out. They are pretty cool so it's gonna be sweet to hang with them for a bit! Despite this being a four day week I really feel like it's dragged. I hate that I'm one of those people that live so much for the weekend but... hey thats how it goes!
I have so much to say and talk about right now I don't even know where to realistically start. A few days ago I had confirmation of two huge projects I've been pitching finally going through and I can start work on them properly. One is totally life changing and I cant wait to actually tell you all about it... because its absolutely mega. I hate being cryptic all the time but as soon as I can talk about it then I will. The other thing is a big summer partnership with a leading hair retailler which again is pretty exciting as I've never done anything like what we hope to do. It's weird because I've gone from feeling so lost with my blog and my life but everything falling back into place and this makes me happy. Maybe I am a career person after all, or is it because I feel like my real life is back on track that I'm not doubting myself as much as I did?
Wow this post is loads longer than I imagined it'd be! Sorry for the ramble!


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|Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on March 16, 2017
Q: It is reported that Chinese officials held talks with leaders of four armed groups of northern Myanmar a few days ago. Could you confirm and share relevant information? Does the Myanmar government agree with such talks?
A: The situation in Myanmar concerns peace and tranquility of China-Myanmar borders, and the conflicts in Kokang have severely impacted security of border areas in China. We demand that relevant sides in Myanmar immediately stop fighting, prevent the situation from worsening and restore normal order to the border areas as quickly as possible. We call on all relevant sides once again to address differences through dialogue and consultation peacefully.
China respects sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Myanmar and supports the peace process in Myanmar. In accordance with the aspiration of the Myanmar side, China has played a constructive role in promoting peace and talks in the peace process. After the outbreak of conflicts in Kokang, China has done a lot through existing channels, including the engagement of the Foreign Ministry's Special Envoy for Asian Affairs with relevant parties in Myanmar. This is aimed at stabilizing the situation as quickly as possible and maintainning peace and stability in China-Myanmar border areas.
Q: The New York Times carried a series of articles these days, telling the public with details and statistics that the issue of nuclear waste is yet to be resolved six years after the Fukushima earthquake. CCTV's evening gala for the consumer rights day yesterday also exposed the entry of food from nuclear contaminated areas of Japan to the Chinese market. How do you view this?
A: With regard to the entry of food produced in nuclear contaminated areas of Japan to the Chinese market as was exposed at yesterday's "March 15" evening gala, I believe competent Chinese authorities for food inspection and quarantine will handle it in accordance with the law to ensure food safety and protect people's health.
We have been following the Fukushima nuclear leakage incident and its follow-up impact. We have also noted commentaries issued by the Japanese media on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the leakage, saying that the Japanese government fell short of effective measures in treating nuclear contaminated water, earth and radioactive waste. Their discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea posed a looming threat to the marine environment and people's health. The Japanese government was also slow in adopting corresponding measures, lacked information transparency and failed to convince the public with statistics on food safety.
What I want to say is that the Fukushima nuclear leakage and issues that emerged in the handling of it have a direct bearing on not only the safety of Japanese nationals, but also that of China and other countries in the region. It is regrettable that the Japanese government has been either mute or evasive about the leakage over the past six years, and is yet to assuage the concerns shared by people in and outside Japan. We once again urge the Japanese government to be responsible with the common interests of the international community, fulfill their international obligations, release accurate and reliable information in a timely fashion and avoid doing anything that is detrimental to marine environment and people's health.
Follow-up: Will the Chinese Foreign Ministry issue a travel alert?
A: The safety alert issued by the Foreign Ministry in 2011 remains valid. It is hoped that Chinese citizens will make proper plans on their trips and ensure their own safety.
Q: The Japanese Self Defence Force is going to send its largest destroyer to the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean for joint military exercises. Comments say that this is a move taken by Japan to increase its military involvement in the South China Sea, in support of other South China Sea claimants. What is China's comment on that?
A: Since last year, under the concerted efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the situation in the South China Sea has been getting better. Relevant countries outside the region should respect our efforts in safeguarding peace and stability of the South China Sea.
Out of its selfish interests, Japan has been stirring up troubles and creating splits in the South China Sea. Their behavior has prompted dissatisfaction and opposition of the Chinese people. If the Japanese side insists on doing so, or even attempts to get militarily involved in the South China Sea, harm China's sovereignty and security, and heighten regional tensions, the Chinese side will definitely take firm actions in response.
I want to remind the Japanese side that they are not a party concerned in the South China Sea issue, and that they have a disgraceful history of occupying China's Xisha and Nansha Islands during its war of aggression against China. The Japanese side should reflect upon the history, and be discreet with its words and deeds, instead of making waves in the South China Sea and impairing regional peace and stability.
Q: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will visit China this weekend. What will be discussed by the two sides? Will the Korean nuclear issue be one of the topics? What kind of message will China send to the US?
A: At the invitation of Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Secretary of State Tillerson will visit China on March 18 and 19. The two sides are communicating closely with each other about arrangements for relevant meetings and talks.
There have been media reports saying that the issue of Korean Peninsula will be on the top of the agenda during Secretary Tillerson's visit. Recently, the Chinese side has expressed over and over again its concerns over the escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula, and come up with the suspension-for-suspension proposal and the parallel-track approach, with the aim of getting the Peninsula out of the security predicament, addressing all parties' concerns in a synchronized and reciprocal manner and realizing enduring peace and stability on the Peninsula. China's proposal hits the nail on the head, accommodates all parties' legitimate concerns and meets the requirements of relevant UN Security Council resolutions. It is rational, reasonable and impartial. We hope that all parties concerned will think seriously about it and make a constructive response.
The Chinese side has been communicating with the US closely on the issue of Korean Peninsula. If anyone, the US side included, has an alternative proposal, as long as it is conducive to bringing down the tension, promoting peace and stability of the region and putting the Korean nuclear issue back on the right track of peaceful settlement through dialogue, we welcome that.
Q: Philippine Senator Trillanes tabled a motion on March 15, seeking an investigation into President Duterte's decision of allowing Chinese research vessels to go to the Benham Rise. What is China's comment on that?
A: China has made its position clear on the relevant issue. It is regrettable that some individuals in the Philippines keep distorting the facts and misleading the public.
I would like to stress once again that the Chinese side fully respects the Phillippines' rights over the continental shelf in the Benham Rise. There is no such thing of China challenging the Philippines' rights. At the end of last year, the relevant Chinese vessel for marine research did sail across waters to the northeast of Luzon, the Philippines. Chinese vessels are entitled to navigation freedom and innocent passage under UNCLOS and other international law. It is groundless to say that the Chinese vessel conducted operations or other activities in waters off the Benham Rise.
Thanks to the concerted efforts of China and the Philippines, the bilateral relationship has been developing soundly with rapid progress in practical cooperation across the board. It serves the common interests of the two countries and two peoples, and meets the shared aspiration of a majority of peace-loving countries in the region and beyond. It is hoped that relevant individuals in the Philippines will work for the wellbeing of the country and the people and not create obstacles for the China-Philippines relationship.
Q: Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the suspension-for-suspension offer last week, but the US insists that the DPRK should first take concrete steps to reduce their nuclear arsenals. Mr. Tillerson is the first member of the Trump administration to visit China, and the Korean nuclear issue will be front and center of bilateral talks during his visit. Given that President Xi Jinping is meeting President Trump soon, will China perhaps amend the proposal, in order to move the situation forward?
A: The Korean nuclear issue has been lingering for many years. The US side insists that the DPRK drop its nuclear program first, while the DPRK demands that the US side stop its DPRK-targeted large-scale military exercises first. Neither is willing to take a step back. But just like what Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at his press conference during the two sessions, are they truly ready for a head-on collision? Everyone knows that to start the talks and reach compromise, both sides need to take a step back. China's suspension-for-suspension proposal accommodates the current legitimate security concerns of all sides and aims at resolving the security predicament on the Korean Peninsula as quickly as possible. This is impartial, rational and might be the only viable plan against the current circumstances. Of course, if the US side or any other sides have better approaches or ideas, they might as well put them forward. China has an open and constructive attitude towards all proposals that help ease the current tensions and bring all sides back to dialogue for the peaceful settlement of the Korean nuclear issue. The thing is whether other parties have such a proposal or not. Therefore, it is not about whether China is willing to revise the suspension-for-suspension proposal, but actually about whether all sides can truly bear in mind the larger interests of regional peace and stability, work for the proper settlement of the Korean nuclear issue and consider China's proposal seriously.
Follow-up: I think the US believes that if they suspend the military exercises, that is quite easily verifiable. But if the DPRK says it is going to suspend part of its nuclear program. There is no way that anybody knows, including China, whether they have actually done this. How do you see that?
A: The Korean nuclear issue is highly complex. Relevant parties, especially officials responsible for policies towards the DPRK, need to spend some time looking into the track record of the Korean nuclear issue. Previous efforts by members of the Six-Party Talks, including the US and the DPRK, have been effective in reaching the September 19 Joint Statement. The key is how to ensure that such a statement is well implemented and that all sides shoulder their due responsibilities and obligations. Take the UN Security Council resolutions as an example, while imposing sanctions is part of implementing the resolutions, promoting talks is also stipulated by the resolutions. We suggest that the DPRK suspend its nuclear and missile programs and that the US and the ROK suspend their large-scale military exercises against the DPRK. When tensions subside, necessary conditions are in place for parties to sit down and negotiate. On that basis, the two sides can address their respective legitimate concerns in a synchronized and reciprocal manner and work out a plan for the enduring stability and tranquility on the Korean Peninsula. We hope that all parties can bear in mind the larger interests of regional peace and stability and consider China's proposal seriously.
Q: There have been a lot of reports about Japan's Moritomo Gakuen brainwashing children with right-wing education and pre-war practices. Children were taught to sing military songs, and recite the 1890's Imperial Rescript on Education. Japanese Defence Minister Tomomi Inada said in an inquiry at the Diet that Japan should reclaim the core values of the Rescript. What is China's comment on that?
A: It reveals once again that there are some elements in Japan who refuse to face up to and reflect upon the history, deny their guilt in waging the war of aggression, and even attempt to reverse the verdict on history and renew militarism. These elements blatantly infuse the younger generation with militarism thought through education institutions. People of vision from Japan and other countries in the world should be on high alert for that.
What I want to stress is that the war of aggression launched by the Japanese militarism in modern times has brought horrendous suffering to the people of its Asian neighbors and other victimized countries. The Japanese rulers should take history as a mirror, draw lessons from history and make a clean break with the past of aggression, rather than connive at the right-wing educating the younger generation with a wrong outlook on history.
Q: The King of Saudi Arabia is currently on a state visit to China. Is there anything you can share with us about the visit. What details on meetings and agreements can you give us?
A: President Xi Jinping held talks with King Salman this morning. We will release official information very soon. Also, may I suggest that you take a look at the recent written interview that Foreign Minister Wang Yi has given to Asharq Al-Awsat of Saudi Arabia, where he elaborated on China-Saudi Arabia relations, the significance of King Salman's visit to China and cooperation between the two countries on the Belt and Road Initiative and Middle East affairs. I believe you will find it informative.