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Greetings all! My name is Simon, and on behalf of the PixelmonMod Team I present to you the newest project to enter the competitive field - the creation of an official Pixelmon tier list.
In the interests of making this thread easy to read, navigate, and understand for competitive and non-competitive players alike, I have divided the thread into organized sections with individual chapters. If you notice an error, please reference the section and chapter the error is found in so I can fix it in no time!
This project is designed to involve the community along every step of the process. Members of the community are encouraged to participate in tier discussion and, at times, suspect tests. Without a doubt, this is an ongoing project - so stay tuned for consistent updates, announcements, and community projects!
Without further ado, I present to you the Official Pixelmon Tier Lists!
Before getting started, it's important to understand the concepts of competitive play. This section is designed to introduce the concept of tier lists to newer players as well as familiarize competitive battlers with the precedent used to establish them.
Competitive Terms You Should Know
In order to understand why tier lists exist and how to create one, we should understanding the base concepts of competitive play that form a need for such as tier system to be implemented.
Let's start by defining balance - the ultimate goal of having a tier system. Balance is the idea that both competitors have a fair (but not necessarily equal) chance of winning that allows for a variety of strategies to be executed effectively. Not all teams will be equal going into the battle, but each competitive starts off on the same playing field through teambuilding. If only one or two strategies ever worked in battles, the game is said to be broken - though everyone can use them, it isn't very fun as it lacks diversity. This concept of balance is effectively known as 'perfect imbalance' were battling is imbalanced just enough to allow for a variety of play styles to be used.
Surprisingly, next we need to define the rules themselves. In competitive play, most players follow a set of rules agreed upon beforehand that regulate what can and can't be done during battle, called clauses. Currently, the 6 clauses are Species, Sleep, Evasion, OKOH, Moody, and Baton Pass (not all are self-explanatory, and Endless Battle has been excluded). Clauses are established when a move or strategy, such as boosting evasion, changes the metagame too much and leads to unbalanced battles. Each tier also has a specific banlist, which prevents certain moves, items, and other competitive aspects from being used in that tier.
Moving on, it's no surprise to say that pokemon are different, and some are better than others on the field. In competitive play, we refer to the primary purpose of a pokemon as it's role. For example, a pokemon with a high special attack, such as Mewtwo, often has a role as a special sweeper. Some of the common roles are Sweeper, Bulk/Tank, Wall, Wallbreaker, Setup, Support, and Pivot.
As you can certainly imagine, not all pokemon are made equal. A Pokemon X that can almost always defeat Pokemon Y under any circumstances is said to counter Pokemon Y. A Pokemon X that checks Pokemon Y will lose normally, but may defeat Pokemon Y under specific circumstances such as if Pokemon Y is burned, stealth rocks is active, or through damage roll. It is essential to understand the difference between checks and counters as they are critical to knowing how competitive tiers are formed. It should also be noted that the terms soft check and hard check refer to check and counter respectively, but for purpose of clarity those terms won't be used.
On the battlefield, you'll often find pokemon that are difficult for your team to defeat. Pokemon that aren't easily beaten by your team are called threats. Typically, a Pokemon X is a threat if your team has no more than one counter to Pokemon X, or if less than half of your team can check Pokemon X. Battling is extremely circumstantial, so these rough definitions may not apply in all situations - work to develop your own understanding of what poses a threat to your team, and you'll be a stronger battler because of it.
If your team has too many threats, your likely having an issue with teambuilding. The way that your pokemon function together as a team to defeat the opposing team is known as synergy. Good team synergy will reduce the number of threats you have while providing a variety of checks and counters to common pokemon in that metagame. Generally, teams with a variety of roles and types have stronger synergy.
What Defines a Tier?
Smogon's tier list is built around the OU (OverUsed) Tier. The OU Tier is defined based on the probability of usage, which is simply put a lot of math. In laymans terms, a pokemon is in the OU tier if it's used on roughly 3.5% of teams and has about a 50% chance to be seen in 20 battles. Even so, what exactly is a tier supposed to be?
A tier is a set of pokemon that are roughly equal in competitive ability as determined by their usage. The goal of using a tier system is to allow all pokemon to participate in battle without providing a severe disadvantage to one side. While hard to understand, tiers attempt to balance the metagame and determine what should and shouldn't be allowed in certain levels of battle in order to lower the chances of 'op' or 'cheap' strategies appearing in battle.
Smogon currently endorses 5 tiers - Ubers, OverUsed, UnderUsed, RarelyUsed, and NeverUsed. BorderLine is a 'sub-tier' that lies between all tiers except Ubers and OU in the form of BL1 between OU and UU, BL2 between UU and RU, and BL3 between RU and NU. Tiers can get to be complicated (especially with all the other metagames), so we'll stick to the main 5 for now.
With that being said, that's all the base knowledge you need to know to get started!
Tiers are always changing, and it's not the easiest thing to explain how pokemon are placed into tiers. This section attempts to explain the general idea of placing pokemon into tiers and well as outlines the method we'll be using to develop our own tier lists.
Placing Pokemon in Tiers
The tier in which a pokemon resides changes over time and grows with the metagame, as do the pokemon themselves. In order to address the changing times and place pokemon in their correct tiers, we look at suspect tests. A 'suspect' is any aspect of competitive play (pokemon, move, item, etc.) that may benefit competitive play by being moved or implemented in another tier. In other words, A suspect is simply anything that would improve gameplay for a tier if added or removed from the tiers banlist.
Cyclical imbalance is the idea that players build their teams to beat the most current threats in the metagame, which in causes old threats to 'phase out' and new ones to develop. While this idea is perfectly normal and healthy for a game, sometimes it becomes stuck when something is just too overpowered. For example, Mega Rayquaza was the first pokemon to be banned from the Ubers tier (a banlist from OU itself) because it broke the metagame to a point where cyclical imbalance couldn't restore it. The key is versatility - it becomes necessary to make a gameplay chance to restore balance when the metagame becomes dominant around a certain feature, in this case defeating Mega Rayquaza, for too long.
So what does make a pokemon in a certain tier? It's impossible to say, but in general pokemon that have strong sets, act as checks or counters to common threats, serve as a threat to common pokemon, provide a unique role to a team, and having good synergy within the majority of teams are placed in the OU tier. Each of the other tiers are built around OU, so for a better explanation please check the resource section at the bottom of this thread for Smogon's explanation of tier placement.
Guidelines for Tier Construction
In the interest of keeping this project organized, I'd like to propose the following guidelines or postulates, if you will, that we'll be using to establish the Official Pixelmon Tier Lists.
1: To delineate between Smogon Tiers and Pixelmon Tiers, the abbreviations of Sm and Pm will be added before the tier name. Therefore, SmUbers is the Smogon Uber Tier while PmRU is the Pixelmon Rarely Used Tier.
2: All Smogon Clauses are to remain the same provided that they function as intended. An additional 'Bugged Clause' will be added that prevents all features that do not work as intended from being used. A delineation between buffed features and debuffed features may also be specified.
3: The tier list will be centered around the PmOU Tier as standard competitive pokemon. PmUbers is therefore defined as pokemon too overpowed to be used, while PmUU through PmNU is categorized as pokemon that are less used than the pokemon in the tier higher. The PmNU tier may be separated into separate PmNU and PmPU tiers at a later time.
4: Tier lists will resign in either an 'Editing' or 'Sealed' status. When a tier is in Editing mode, changes may be made to the tier without a vote being conducted on said change, but changes must be documented and posted for community review. During a Sealed state, all changes must receive a 2/3 majority vote by the community over one week's time. A tier will only have an Editing status when significant changes to the metagame have occurred, such as an update with a large amount of new pixelmon.
5: Responses to this thread should be related to the project as a whole to remain on-topic (such as project suggestions or policy changes) . Discussion on the placement of pixelmon, items, or abilities should take place in a relevant active Suspect Test or, if none exists, a separate discussion thread to keep thoughts organized.
Weekly Focus
Each Friday, I will be updating this thread with a new focus for the next week. Past and present focuses will all be listed below with the most current (aka active) focus at the top.
Sep.23: Finalize the PmOU and PmUber tiers; begin constructing PmUU tier[i]
Sep.16: [i]begin constructing the PmOU and PmUber tiers
At the end of the week, I will take all of the changes made to the tiers and post them on the forums for review by the community. This process will be explained in more detail when we get closer to the first review phase.
There are two main types of community discussion that affect the tier lists - formal and informal.
Formal Discussion
Any change made to the an existing tier list or the project as a whole requires a formal discussion thread, or an official thread from the Competitive Team specifically designed to discuss the change and vote on a solution. All formal discussion threads must include a community vote that is open for at least one week's time prior to accepting or rejecting the change. If a change is rejected, a one month waiting period (starting from the last day of the vote) must be met prior to opening a new formal discussion thread so a new vote may be held. If a 2/3 majority is not met by the end of the first week, the vote may be extended by up to an additional week.
A Policy Change is any form of revision to the structure of the tier lists or the methods used to create and maintain them. After receiving a suggestion for a policy change, the Competitive Team will either approve, deny, or table it. Approved suggestions are brought out to the community shortly for official discussion, while denied ones are left to informal discussion until they receive significant support or fall off. Most suggestions are tabled for a later time for a variety of reasons, typically because we don't have the resources to process it or we aren't far along enough in development to propose such a change.
A Suspect Test is a research, discussion, and voting process regarding an aspect of competitive play that would improve the game by adding or removing that aspect to a tier's banlist. Changes in one area of the tier lists can have a significant effect on other, so it's important to consider the implications before voting. Tier discussions go a mile a minute, so keep track of the conversation as there are sure to be new consequences (good and bad) that should be factored into your final decision and always have an open mind!
Informal Discussion
The remainder of community discussion falls under informal discussion, which is discussion that does not directly result in an official change to the OPTL. In other words, if it is not posted by the Competitive Team or does not contain an official vote it falls under informal discussion. Because this thread does not contain an official vote, any discussion is informal can cannot result in a change without a formal thread as well.
In order to keep track of all the changing variables involved in such a project, I've created a spreadsheet database of all GenV Pokemon for easy access. This section explains the general formatting of the database and how to use it successfully.
Official Pixelmon Tier Lists Database: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing
Navigating the Database
The Database uses a very specific organization system that relies on fairly complex formatting. Once understood, the system becomes so easy to navigate that you'll wonder why you'd ever use anything else.
Pokemon are typically sorted by their National Dex number and appear in two styles. Pokemon that are underlined Blue are already in Pixelmon and contain a hyperlink to their page on the PixelmonMod Wiki. Pokemon that are not yet in Pixelmon are colored White.
Next to each pokemon is it's SmTier according to the GenV Smogon Pokedex. Pokemon without a SmTier are either LittleCup or in no tier at all.
The PmTier column is one of the more complicated sections to understand due to the semi-complex color code used, explained below.
Green: Lower limit for proposed tier suggestions
Blue: Upper limit for proposed tier suggestions
Orange: Proposed tier suggestion under discussion
Yellow: Proposed tier suggestion awaiting approval
Red: Reserved for Suspect Tests when sealed
Purple: Denotes a tier placement with special circumstances
Black: Approved tier placement ready for action!
The Notes section lists important information about that pokemon to help determine what tier it should be in. In some cases, Pokemon might have multiple tier locations depending on the set they are using.
Finally, the last section that looks like a bunch of random numbers is for various sorts. Each sort divides the list into being organized by National Dex number, alphabetical order, or by Sm/Pm Tier. Typically, the database will remain sorted by National Dex number.
Using the Database
Using the database is a walk in the park! Look for pokemon that are either without a tier (and in Pixelmon!) or have a Green, Blue, or Orange colored tier. If you have something you'd like to add about that pokemon's placement, simply create a comment in the Notes section using either the Comments are in the top-right or by right clicking and selecting 'Insert Comment'. I'll get a notification, and I'll be able to get a response back to you in no time!
If you want to talk about a certain pokemon in more detail, feel free to create a thread about it on the forums. From there, other users (myself included) can post their own thoughts and opinions on the pokemon, and I'll be adding notes into the database throughout the process. When we've come to a conclusion, that tier moves out of discussion and into the approval process starting on the next Friday. If all goes well, that tier becomes finalized and your suggestion is now permanent for all to see!
Don't be afraid to add in some comments to the database, especially if you notice a mistake. It's a team effort, so it's essential that we get as many people as we can involved in the process as it's literally one of the largest changes to Pixelmon in a long time!
Pixelmon 4.2.7 Tier Lists
Resources Used
Intro to Competitive: http://www.smogon.com/dp/articles/intro_comp_pokemon
Terms & Definitions: http://www.smogon.com/dp/articles/pokemon_dictionary
Clauses & Banlists: http://www.smogon.com/bw/banlist/
Smogon Tiers: http://www.smogon.com/xyhub/tiers
Suspect Tests: http://www.smogon.com/smog/issue6/suspect
Helpful Links
Official Pixelmon Tier Lists Database: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing
PixelmonMod Wiki: http://pixelmonmod.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
Pokemon Showdown: http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/
Basic Teambuilding: http://www.smogon.com/smog/issue28/teambuilding
Teambuilding Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98NpL76KNhI
This project is one that takes a lot of time and dedication, and it is my belief that it's exactly what the Competitive Pixelmon community needs to get our name known. The best way you can help the project is to share this threads with other community members and participate in putting together the Official Pixelmon Tier Lists. Until the next update, Game On!
[7:44 PM] Simon_Flash: Hey, I'm with you guys too :p
[7:45 PM] MrM: we're always serious
[7:45 PM] Simon_Flash: Rugh Rough Raggy


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Despite being something of a budget brand, St Moriz seems to be highly regarded in the tanning world and I have read countless positive reviews about their products. But would it work for my skin tone? Yes it did and I have to say it's my favourite out of all the tans we have been testing over the last two months!
Easy to apply, smells good and I loved the results (top arm). No streaks at all and this photo was taken almost a week after application and you can still see the lovely bronzed effect it gave my skin. The number one reason I would recommend this over all the other tans is the fact that it costs so little, around £3 a bottle compared to £18-£25 mark that most tanning products seem to sell for.
I didn't know they had a bronzer range but I was also sent their bronzer in dark to review. The powder is smooth and silky to apply but my problem with this is that I don't think this is a bronzer at all. Personally I consider bronzers as being dark brown/golden olive in colour with maybe a hint of shimmer. St Moriz is a full on rose gold shimmer which is absolutely gorgeous as a highlighter on dark skin and this is the only way I would use it.
The St Moriz website isn't very informative about where you can buy their products as you have to ring a number to find out. A quick Google search shows that Fragrance Direct stocks St Moriz and the tanning lotion is £2.99 and the bronzer £2.75. I've also read that Tesco sells St Moriz but I have yet to see any in my local.
Have you read the other reviews by the other ladies?
Stephanie from Nerd about Town
Dija from Dijas World
Lola from LolaStar Hearts
Laa Laa from Dolce Vanity
Sophia from Tattoed Tea Lady
Safiyah from FrootiBeauty
Grace from All That Slap
Annie from Epiphannie A
Hafsa from Muslimah Beauty
This brings the TFWOC project to an end and I'd like to thank Annie & LaaLaa for all their hard work! I no longer consider myself to be a tanning novice. I have learnt that there are tanning products suitable for my skin tone and that they will only bronze and enhance my natural colour, not darken which was a common misconception. It doesn't mean that I will be tanning on a regular basis but I know there are options for me out there if I need them :)


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AKA How I'm choosing my volunteer time more carefully
This was written for my personal blog but I've posed some questions specifically for GF readers below
I saw Hilary Mason's post, "Stop talking, start coding" and realized she had put in 4 words what I'd been debating taking as a personal philosophy.
Theory: The more time we spend on women in computing initiatives, the less time we have to actually get stuff done.
I've been turning down a lot of opportunities lately, and most of them have been in relation to women in $foo initiatives. Where $foo can be all manner of male-dominated geekdom. I've turned down chances at serving on a board of directors, recruiting, mentoring, speaking, giving campus tours, or running new women in $foo groups.
Why? Because I sat down and looked at my time a few years ago, and decided that I wanted to be the sort of person who gets stuff done, much like Sarah Mei articulates the answer in her post, "Why I don't work at Google." I like groups of smart people, but smart people like the GNU Mailman team who were working on version 3 held a lot more appeal that the Linuxchix folk who were just talking.
It'd be easy to blame women's groups as the problem, but then you'd miss the thing that I love most about women's groups:
The best women's groups aren't about separation and segregation: they're about providing an incubator for people who need a leg up to be part of the wider community.
That pretty much sounds like a recipe for making change and getting stuff done, and means the wider communities I care about are getting more awesome people. I love teaching. It's such a rewarding part of my job that I never feel that my time in the classroom working with my students is a waste. So why had I begun to feel guilty about my involvement with incubator organizations?
I recently went to a talk by Jane Goodall. She didn't talk about being a woman at all: she talked about the positive changes she's seen in the world, and how talking about these positive changes helps to inspire people more than shaking her finger seemed to. She believes this so strongly that she spends 300 days a year travelling and talking. But she says she's very careful to choose the right initiatives: Sometimes people are so desperate to Do Something that they sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture. This isn't a problem exclusive to women in computing groups.
So I'm working on a checklist for choosing the right things for me:
- Do I want to do this?
- Am I the best person for this? (Or can I refer them to someone else?)
- Can I do it without negatively impacting my other commitments? (Will it take up too much of my time? Does it happen at a time when I'm busy?)
- Am I reasonably sure this will result in getting stuff done, so I'll be able to look back and be proud of what I accomplished?
I still answer my email and occasionally post a blurb from an organization that doesn't otherwise know how to reach women. It takes minimal energy to be polite and provide basic help, and I know I appreciate it when people do the same for me. But the initiatives that get the bulk of my energy are going to be the ones where I feel like I'm really making change.
So, for the readers on Geek Feminism, I have some questions. How many of these initiatives get tossed your way? How do you manage them? (What would be on your checklist?) Do you feel uncomfortable/guilty about turning them down? Do you get pressured after you turn them down? Do you feel that answering such requests is negatively impacting your ability to actually do stuff within your geekdom?


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Road Test - 2004 Infiniti QX56
A bold new player in the luxo SUV segment
You're looking at Infiniti's first fullsize luxury SUV, the QX56. Infiniti debuted the vehicle to a select group of journalists in Hana, Maui, there to get the lowdown on this new eight-passenger vehicle that will establish Infiniti as a full-line manufacturer of luxury SUVs.
If the QX56 looks vaguely familiar, it's because it shares the Nissan Pathfinder Armada platform. It is assembled along with the Armada at Nissan's Canton, Mississippi plant, marking the first time that an Infiniti vehicle has been assembled in the United States. If you were to venture a guess that it shares many things with the Armada, you'd be right, but even though it shares the Armada platform, it has undergone a number of upgrades that make it unique.
Clearly, the first thing you notice about the QX56 is its front aspect. It includes a QX56-specific large hood, barrel-shaped front fenders, new fascia with integrated halogen foglamps and a large Infiniti waterfall-style grille. These changes give the QX56 its unique look.
The QX56 is powered by Nissan's impressive 5.6L DOHC Endurance V-8 engine tweaked to produce 10 more horsepower (315 hp at 4,900 rpm vs. the Armada's 305 hp at 4,900 rpm) and 5 more lb-ft of torque (390 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm vs. the Armada's 385 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm). This engine is bolted to an upgraded five-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission (with tow/haul modes and gated floor shifter) that sends power to an electronically controlled transfer case that offers full-time, two-wheel drive, 4-high and 4-low modes.
The full-time AWD setting is designed to instantly distribute torque to all four wheels, and up to 50 percent can go to the front wheels. The QX56's Dana axles are sans limited-slip units, but the vehicle compensates by offering Brake Activated Limited-Slip Traction Control (which includes a deactivation switch). Like the Armada, the QX56 sports a fully boxed, high-strength steel frame, 28-gallon fuel tank, engine-speed-sensitive power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, Electronic Brake force Distribution and Brake Assist and double-wishbone front/independent double-wishbone rear suspensions. Upgrades to the QX56's suspension include a standard, auto-leveling (air leveling) rear suspension like the system found on the Armada LE, and it gets vehicle-specific shock absorbers and body mounts.
Infiniti engineers set out to create a luxury interior on a grand scale, so they adorned the QX56 with first- and second-row captain's chairs with integrated armrests, leather-appointed seating surfaces on all three rows of seating, thick carpeting, dark or blonde wood trim and wood-and-aluminum steering-wheel trim. The interior also features all of the appointments and gizmos one would expect on a luxury SUV, like 12 cupholders and bottle holders (some with the capability of holding up to 64-ounce bottles), four 12-volt power outlets, dual-zone electronically controlled climate control, rear air conditioning with dual controls, a memory system for pedals, outside mirrors and driver seat, DVD-based Infiniti Navigation System with 7.0-inch screen, full-length overhead console with lights for each passenger, Bose audio system with 10 speakers and adjustable brake and accelerator pedals. Also available is a DVD Family Entertainment System with two wireless headphones and remote control and a RearView Monitor that utilizes the navigation screen to display what's behind the vehicle when reverse gear is selected.
We had the opportunity to 'wheel the QX56 on paved roads, dirt roads and a rocky trail. On the infamous, twisty Hana Highway, it exhibited surprisingly agile handling, especially considering the vehicle's beefy size and weight. The willing 5.6L engine yanked us quickly out of the tight corners and even though it was clear the engine was working in the upper rpm, engine noise wasn't unpleasantly invasive in the cabin thanks to NVH upgrades.
Like the Armada, the QX56 has large A-pillars, and as with our experience with the Armada, we found them to be visually intrusive. On a rough dirt road connecting Hana to Makena, we were again impressed by the SUV's handling. Even on washboard-type surfaces, the rearend stayed planted through the tight corners and the steering felt smooth and confidence-inspiring.
Near Kaupo we found a two-track trail scattered with a few small rocks and gulleys. With the transfer case in 4-Low, we took a jaunt up the trail and found that while the Active Brake Limited Slip system does work well, it takes a bit of time to activate. We also had to institute a spotter because of the low-hanging running boards and the not-so-hot departure angle of 22.5 degrees. On the plus side, the 8 inches of wheel travel at each corner offered decent flex and helped keep the tires in contact with the trail. In comparison to other luxury SUVs, we'd rate its trail performance as average, but we'd rate its on-road performance as above average.
So the bottom line is this: Do we think that the new Infiniti QX56 is destined to be a player in the crowded luxury SUV segment when it debuts in the spring of 2004? To that we say, are there coconuts on Maui? We definitely think the QX56 brings a lot to the table, especially considering the fact that the QX56 will be offered at a base MSRP of $50,000, including destination and handling charges. That figure puts it on the low end of the pricing in the fullsize luxury SUV category.
Specifications Vehicle Model: 2004 Infiniti QX56
Base Price : $50,000
Price as Tested: N/A
Type : DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads
Displacement : 5.6 liters
Bore & Stroke : 98 x 92 mm
Compression Ratio : 9.8:1
Horsepower : 315 hp @ 4,900 rpm
Torque : 390 lb-ft @ 3,600 rpm
Recommended Fuel: 91 octane
Transmission : Five-speed automatic
Gear Ratios
1 : 3.827:1
2 : 2.368:1
3 : 1.520:1
4 : 1.000:1
Reverse: 2.613:1
Axle Ratio : 3.357:1
Transfer Case: Full-time all-wheel drive with selectable low range
Low Range Ratio: 2.596:1
Crawl Ratio: 33.35:1
Frame: Boxed steel
Front: Independent, double-wishbone
Rear: Independent, double-wishbone
Type: Power rack-and-pinion
Turning Radius (ft.): 41.0
Front: 12.6-in. vented disc
rear: 12.4-in. solid disc
ABS: Four-wheel
Wheels (in.): 18x8
Tires: 265/70R-18
Fuel Economy
EPA city/highway: 13/18
Actual Combined, city/highway/trail: N/A
Weight (lbs.): 5,631
Wheelbase (in.): 123.2
Overall Length (in.): 206.9
Overall Width (in.): 78.8
Height (in.): 78.7
Track, f/r (in.): 67.5/67.5
Minimum Ground Clearance (in.): 10.61
Approach/Departure angles (deg.): 29.4/22.5
GVWR (lbs.): 7,101
Payload (lbs.): 1,450
Maximum Towing Capacity (lbs.): 8,900
Seating Capacity: 8


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Facebook Creates Team to 'Beam' Internet Everywhere on Earth
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company is launching a Connectivity Lab, a team of scientists tasked with bringing the Internet to remote places on the planet using new techniques, including beaming it down from the sky.
Zuckerberg said the team includes scientists in the field of aeronautics and communications from organizations like NASA, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory and Ascenta, a UK-based company that developed the world's longest-flying unmanned solar aircraft, he said. Facebook said it had hired five people from Ascenta.


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Did she give you the pack for free then?I saw 3 Ambush on illum packs yesterday evening while on a toy run... All 3 slipped, insert and all, into 3 Tantive IV sets. I ALMOST bought one for the droids since the Tantive IV set is on clearance anyway. I mean, the $14 for 2 Cham Droids, R2/3PO, and that lame ass Padme isn't a horrid price really.
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Welcome! We're glad you wanted to make your way into our quiet little corner of the court.
Nominally, this forum is for the discussion of the online webcomic Fortune's Fools, but off-topic discussion is also welcome. Though I don't really foresee us having any problems with that fact, we do have only a few ground requests (that may expand as experience dictates):
Request 1: Any off-topic discussion that starts to derail a thread should be made into a separate thread. This is especially true if a discussion on an element of the comic becomes infiltrated by a seeping argument into modern political situations.
Request 2: Please be civil. In any forum there is bound to be some disagreement. Civility goes a long way. Attack the arguments, not the person.


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TheMadHat necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 54 diseños de 17 diseñadores freelance.
BBQ Addicts is a new storefront and blog that will feature articles and video on a large variety of barbecue topics. The site will feature a store with user reviews and ratings, a forum, and a blog. We need a logo!
We need a professional logo that we can incorporate into all areas of the website (storefront, forum, & blog). The topics covered will be very broad, from equipment, grills, accessories, cooking tips, recipes, etc.
You have lots of creative room here so fire away. You don't have to stick to the current color scheme of the blog since it's just simple css changes, although you probably shouldn't go with pink or something. You may incorporate the tag line if you think it fits, I'm open on that as well. I will leave feedback as much as possible.
I stole the current logo from my competition BBQ team, so don't use any of that.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Tunicamycin is an antibiotic produced by the soil bacterium Streptomyces. It works by blocking cell wall production in bacteria in a clinically novel way, making it potentially a very attractive candidate for treating antibiotic-resistant pathogens. However, it hasn't been developed for use as a drug as it also affects crucial enzymes in our own bodies, making it toxic.
The structure of tunicamycin, (Nature Chemistry 4, 539–546 doi: 10.1038/nchem.1351).
Image: JIC
In 2010, Professor Mervyn Bibb of the John Innes Centre, in collaboration with the group of Professor Ben Davis at the University of Oxford, discovered the cluster of genes Streptomyces uses to make tunicamycin. Now, with £460,000 of funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, a new project will work out the steps Streptomyces uses to synthesise tunicamycin. The ultimate aim is rationally alter the synthesis in such a way that the antibiotic is still active against bacteria but lacks the serious side effects.
Knowledge of the genes is vital to understanding the biosynthesis of tunicamycin, as it allows the enzymes and components to be produced and studied. Tunicamycin has a modular structure, so modifications can be designed and assessed in a systematic way to create analogues of the antibiotic. These analogues can then be tested for their ability to more selectively kill bacteria that cause diseases.
The researchers have taken the first step to understanding the molecular detail of how tunicamycin is synthesised by working out how two enzymes work together in the first committed step towards making the antibiotic. In collaboration with the University of Oxford, Chungbuk National University, Korea and the University of York, Prof. Bibb demonstrated how this happens in a previously unseen way. Published in the journal Nature Chemistry, this led to new insights into tunicamycin biosynthesis.
The research also suggests that tunicamycin functions as an antibiotic by mimicking molecular components involved in bacterial cell wall formation. It is also likely that a different type of 'biomimicry' is involved in inhibiting human enzymes, causing the toxic side effects of tunicamycin. By teasing apart in detail these two different activities, the new project will suggest ways in which tunicamycin biosynthesis can be tweaked to provide a new clinically-useful antibiotic.
Reference: 'Biosynthesis of the tunicamycin antibiotics proceeds via unique exo-glycal intermediates,' Wyszynski et al, Nature Chemistry 4, 539-546 doi: 10.1038/nchem.1351
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Post Scriptum : The Bloody Seventh
BreihzoO posted a topic in ArchiveOfficial Website : http://postscriptumgame.com/ Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/PostScriptumGame/ What is Post Scriptum? Post Scriptum is a WW2 modification for the acclaimed tactical shooter SQUAD. Players will relive the events of 'Operation Market Garden' across the fields and towns of Holland. This massive Allied assault consisted of a coordination of the British and American Airborne to capture key bridges while the British XXX Corps moved to reinforce them through Highway 69. However, consecutive delays in consolidating ground from the north of Belgium through Nijmegen forced the 1st British Airborne Division in Arnhem to make a stand much longer than anticipated. With no successful link between the XXX Corps and the Airborne in sight, the seventh and final bridge in Arnhem was considered lost. 'The Bloody Seventh' is our name for the initial focus of the project as we feel it succinctly details the struggle that the British paratroopers had to endure while waiting for their army counterpart to establish a link through the Lower Rhine. Players will be given the option to fight with the British Airborne Division, British XXX Corps or several branches of the German Army, such as the Wehrmacht or the Waffen SS. It's a rare opportunity to experience the intense battlefield that was the Battle of Arnhem, which stretched across farms, woods, villages and city areas. Each area is being accurately recreated from archival references that range from street level to aerial images. Whether you're jumping out of a plane, resupplying friendlies or operating a tank you will find multiple reasons to drop back into the battlefield in this grand scaled representation of a WW2 setting never explored in a large multiplayer environment. http://postscriptumgame.com/assets http://postscriptumgame.com/assets Who are we? Periscope Games is a development group that came to exist from the merging between PR:WW2 (an add-on crew from the Battlefield 2 mod Project Reality) and La Voie de La Liberté (a modding team from SQUAD). The project started in the beginning of March (of 2016) with common goals in terms of structure, recruitment and production by the respective lead developers. The team ranges from members with vast experience (with backgrounds such as Project Reality, Traction Wars, Day of Infamy, Invasion 1944 and even Hitman) to SQUAD modders that have extraordinary potential. We are always looking into adding talented members to our ranks. We believe in a balanced representation in numbers across different departments to keep the current steady pace of development. This is a good opportunity for those with a professional background to add a solid project to their portfolios and skilled modders/graduated students to tune their skills in a great working environment. If you're interested please check out our Recruitment tab here : http://postscriptumgame.com/recruitment to check available jobs within the team. http://postscriptumgame.com/assets http://postscriptumgame.com/assets What is our concept and goals? Post Scriptum takes the common element of longing that is often expressed in the letters of soldiers to bring a more down to earth and intimate perspective of their existence. The concept takes a strong view of the men behind the uniforms rather than glorifying or creating a subliminal sense of empathy that it's more often related to ideologies than the very nature of Man. This path will be ever present not only in our promotional ads but also in-game. We have a few ideas in mind to integrate immersive elements, traditionally reserved for single player, that will enhance the overall experience (while avoiding detrimental changes to the multiplayer gameplay). Periscope Games long term ideas for Post Scriptum include more than just a detailed WW2 setting for SQUAD. There are unique gameplay features, map layers and gamemodes in the roadmap that will be implemented (and revealed) in due time. We aim to please players that want a multitude of gameplay options along with those who wish to relive the Battle of Arnhem in a historically accurate setting. We're taking cautious steps through development ensuring we do not bite off more than we can chew. For these reasons and others stated above we will continue to work hard to bring you a great WW2 tactical experience and hopefully earn the merit to launch our project to higher grounds. http://postscriptumgame.com/maps F.A.Q. Do you have a release date? As usual, 'it's ready when it's ready'. How and where are you going to release? We will reveal such details in due time. Are you going to release your content for the modding community? In the current state, as a modding project, most likely not. Is Arnhem going to be the only place you will cover in the campaign? No. It's in our plans to go beyond that but 'The Bloody Seventh' alone will be quite a monumental task. Will we be able to play with vehicles in the first release? It's preferable not make promises of that sort while so early in development. Why aren't you working with other WW2 mods in SQUAD? PR:WW2 initiated talks with WW2 mods in the beginning of February. The proposition would be for each lead developer to have an equal share of decision making within the project. Eventually only 'La Voie de La Liberté' agreed with those terms as well as sharing equal views in structure, planning and team management. Are you going to lean towards the Allies in your visual concept? We have a neutral stance regarding both factions. We will balance our promotional campaign between one and another throughout our development. The only one sided leaning element might be baseline with its 'bloody' British cursing but that was purposely named to have a double meaning as both sides never had full control of Arnhem's road bridge. Will you censor Nazi symbols? It's not in our plans to do so. We believe that every single historical element should be captured regardless of its significance. However, we can't ignore country laws in which such symbols are not allowed. For that reason we're planning to make a censored version for players that live in countries where Nazi symbolism it's outlawed. However, our execution of this censored version hinges on many factors, some of which may be out of our control.


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Check out the first trailer for The FP, a new dark dystopian movie in which gangs fight for supremacy... by playing Dance Dance Revolution. My favorite part? The bit where the gangsta tells the main character, JTro, "Dance with your mind!"
Here's the official synopsis:
In a dystopian future, a relentless turf war rages. Two rival gangs feud for control of rural wasteland Frazier Park ('The FP') in the deadly arena of competitive dance-fight video game "Beat-Beat Revelation." After hometown hero BTRO is slain on the dance platform by thug leader L Dubba E, his protégé younger brother JTRO (Jason Trost) goes into isolation, vowing never to duel again. One year later, The FP is in ruins, and JTRO must find the courage to return and restore order in a ruthless battle for revenge that can only leave one man dancing. From the producers of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY and featuring narration by James Remar (THE WARRIORS), THE FP is a fury of fierce footwork, triumphant montages and neon street wear that Moviefone calls "a rare ready-made cult hit."
The FP comes out on March 16, and it's playing at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival on Feb. 17 at 7:15.


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For more than half a century now, Just Fontaine's legendary moment in the sun has been trotted out for discussion whenever a FIFA World Cup™ rolls around. The prolific striker hit a remarkable 13 goals in six games for France at Sweden 1958, setting a record that has never once looked under threat in the years since. Fontaine was on fire during that Scandinavian summer, just as he had been for the two previous seasons with iconic club side Stade de Reims.
To put his incredible scoring feat in perspective, only Ronaldo (15 goals), Gerd Muller and Miroslav Klose (both 14) have found the net more times than the Frenchman in FIFA World Cup action – and all of them needed two or three editions of the competition to do it. Even Pele required four FIFA World Cups to reach his tally of 12.
Although he called time on his career aged just 28 in 1962, 'Justo' has stayed close to the sport, working first as a coach and later as a media pundit. A monument of the French game, his thoughts on football are always shrewd, often humorous and occasionally biting. FIFA.com brings you some of his most memorable.
When I arrived at Nice, people said: "You need to be wary of that guy." Other people would ask: "Why? Does he have a good shot?" "Yes, and he shoots with both feet." "Does he head well?" "Yes." "Is he quick?" "Yes." "Does he have good technique?" "Yes, but that's not why you need to be wary of him. You need to be wary because he's got his A-levels."
Fontaine underlines the importance of the mental side of the game. He spent three years at Nice from 1953 to 1956.
For my World Cup record, my big advantage was that I'd had an operation on my knee in December 1957 and came back in February. That gave me a little winter break which meant that, in June, I was fresh and the others weren't. If the English won in 1966, it's because they were playing at home and ended their league a month and a half beforehand so that they'd be prepared.
On rest as the key to success
What I didn't like was him saying he discovered me. If he discovered me only to never play me, that'd be quite good going. After I set the record for goals scored at a World Cup, suddenly everyone had discovered me.
On his former Nice coach, Luis Antonio Carniglia
I don't like champagne, but I had to drink it whenever we won. It was a nightmare!
Personally, I liked big defenders because, as the former France international Jean-Jacques Marcel used to say, "During the time it takes him to turn around, you've got enough time to beat a donkey to death with a Basque beret."
Fontaine makes sure to cite his sources
I don't like champagne, but I had to drink it whenever we won. It was a nightmare!
On his six seasons with Reims (1956-62) in the heart of champagne country
Like many of my illustrious colleagues such as [Alfredo] Di Stefano, [Johan] Cruyff and [Raymond] Kopa, I think the standard of technique has fallen in modern football and players' qualities have evened out. What the players have gained in physique, power and endurance, they've lost in finesse and creativity. That's why someone who adores football the way I do can't help but love and support FC Barcelona, given how their players manage to prove, even today, that you can still play good football… and win against the tactical and physical monsters of the game.
Those who watched Stade de Reims in the 1950s often compare their style of play to the current Barcelona side
In 1967, I served the shortest ever spell as national team coach. After just two matches (which we lost), I was out. Another record!
Fontaine's first experience in the dugout was brief, but he went on to enjoy greater success at the helm of Paris Saint-Germain, Toulouse and Morocco.
If you had to name the three greatest teams to win the World Cup, you'd undoubtedly mention the Brazil side of '58 or '70, Argentina in '78 or '86, or even Uruguay in '30 – but definitely not France in '98.
On France's FIFA World Cup triumph in 1998
It's our ultra-modern television screens that give the impression that football today is faster than it used to be. It's rougher and more demanding, but not faster.
If Ronaldo wants to have a great World Cup as a forward, he needs to feel good about himself, be free of worries and be confident. He shouldn't get married before the tournament, nor should he leave his fiancée, and he shouldn't start thinking about the poor season he's had. He needs to forget that it's [Zinedine] Zidane's last World Cup, avoid thinking about his leg or the weight he's carrying, not over-think things in general and not be obsessed by records. All he needs to do is… enjoy himself.
Fontaine doles out some sage advice ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in which Miroslav Klose finished top scorer with five goals
People say to me: "If you played now, you'd be a billionaire." I tell them I am one just to stop them from bothering me about it.
The striker was the inaugural president of the first players' union in France
I managed my affairs well for life after sport. I was never a high roller – a bit of a show-off maybe, but not a high roller.
Fontaine on investing his money in clothing and sports boutiques
It's our ultra-modern television screens that give the impression that football today is faster than it used to be. It's more physical, that's true. It's rougher and more demanding, but not faster. Let's not forget that people were already running the 100 metres in ten seconds in the 1930s. What's more, it was our intention and the way we played to run quickly with the ball either to score or shake off a marker.
Fontaine adds a little colour to football in black and white
My wife has a lot of patience and deserves praise for having stayed with me as I can be difficult to get along with. For example, I can't tolerate people being late – my name isn't 'Just' ['Accurate'] for nothing.
On the 50th anniversary of his wedding to Arlette


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- Yield
- Makes 4 servings.
- Active Time
- 1 1/4 hr
- Total Time
- 2 hr
- 1 (3-pound) rabbit (thawed if frozen), cut into 8 serving pieces
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups fat-free chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf (not California)
- 4 small (2-inch) red onions (1/2 pound total)
- 3 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
- 3 large carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 1/2 pound small (1-inch) boiling potatoes (about 8)
- 1/2 pound haricots verts or regular green beans, cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
- Remove fat, kidneys, and liver from rabbit if necessary. Pat rabbit dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil and 1/2 tablespoon butter in a wide 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown rabbit in 2 batches, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer as browned to a plate. Add wine to pot and boil 30 seconds. Add broth and deglaze pot by boiling, scraping up brown bits. Mince and mash garlic with thyme and salt and stir into broth with bay leaf and rabbit. Simmer, covered, 40 minutes.
- While rabbit is simmering, quarter onions lengthwise, leaving enough of core intact to keep layers together. Soak leeks in a large bowl of water 10 minutes, agitating occasionally to dislodge any sand and letting sand sink to bottom of bowl. Lift leeks out of water.
- Scatter onions, leeks, carrots, and potatoes over and around rabbit and continue to simmer, covered, until rabbit and vegetables are tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
- When rabbit is almost done, cook beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes, and drain in a colander.
- Stir beans into ragout, then transfer rabbit and vegetables with a slotted spoon to a deep platter and keep warm. Boil cooking liquid until reduced to about 3/4 cup and whisk in remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter. Pour some of sauce over rabbit and vegetables and serve the rest on the side.
Each serving about 421 calories and 13 grams fat


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Reef brauchte ein neues Briefpapier Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 39 Designs von 15 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
TechBrains is a company providing tech support services to small and medium sized businesses in San Francisco and the surrounding areas. Right now we are a team of 3, one full time owner with 2 part time assistants. We provide every type of technology service to small companies. These are some of the services we offer: hardware purchasing and repair - software purchasing, setup and training - network design and setup - hosted Microsoft Exchange services - mobile device setup and support - database and custom software design - much, much more. We are one stop shopping for technology for small and medium sized businesses in our area.
We are targeting small and medium sized businesses in San Francisco and surrounding areas. People around here use technology frequently and are very plugged in. We are in a very tech savvy area and need a logo that says we are current, tech savvy and possibly "hip." We currently already do work for some startups in the area and would like to find more of those.
Our primary focus is getting a business card design that is innovative and unique. I would also like a simple and uncluttered stationery/letterhead design.
We will be attaching a logo file which is a good place to start. Please use this logo and same colors and font (eurotype.) It's OK to use some black type in addition to colors provided.
Business card needs to look professional and clean. While we are pretty certain we want a traditional horizontal design, we would also be curious to see some vertical variations.
Along with the company name, leave space below it for a tagline. Please use the following tagline:
"World Class Technology Services"
Please have spaces for the following details:
Amanda Jones
Vice President
1819 Polk St.
San Francisco, CA 94109
tel. 415.555.1234
mobile. 415.555.5678
I would like an interesting pattern or design based on the logo or company name on the back. please be creative.
Logo and tagline at top. contact info at bottom
Winner will need to provide editable PSD files, one for business card front, one for business card back and one for stationary.
For business card files, please use attached business card template PSD file so that you provide PSD in the format I can work with most easily.


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Name: Phupy Gender female Birthday 2011-04-22 Age 9 Country Myanmar
Personal information:
Meet Phupy, who is in our transitional program and is awaiting a sponsor to ensure her continued care. Since coming into the program, we've discovered that she enjoys skipping and singing. With help and support from new classmates and orphan home staff, Phupy is now studying in 2nd grade and says her favorite subjects are English and Myanmar. Your sponsorship of Phupy will underwrite her expenses, providing for her continued education, rehabilitation, access to nutritious meals and clean water, medical care, and the opportunity to grow in a loving family environment.
When you become a sponsor, we provide you with a private blog through which you can communicate with Phupy, view current photos, and receive updates of her experiences and growth. You can bring tremendous joy to Phupy through your messages of encouragement, love, and support. For the kids at our orphan homes, getting sponsored is a big deal- could you make Phupy's wish come true?
Note that our hope for all of our rescued orphans is to find fully vetted foster care, adoption, or placement with existing relatives. Some of our orphans stay in our homes their entire childhood, while others may stay as short as three months. In the case that your child transitions out of our program, you will be automatically assigned to a new child awaiting a sponsor. In either case, we will inform you of the update.


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By pitching their music somewhere between the arena-friendly style of U2 and the mature pop/rock of bands like Maroon 5 and Counting Crows, the Fray rose to commercial prominence with their 2005 debut, How to Save a Life. The Denver-based band had formed three years prior, when former schoolmates Isaac Slade (vocals, piano) and Joe King (guitar, vocals) unexpectedly bumped into each other at a local music store. The pair began a series of two-man jam sessions and soon expanded their lineup with two of Slade's former bandmates, drummer Ben Wysocki and guitarist David Welsh. Slade's younger brother, Caleb, also joined the band for a stint but was ultimately asked to leave; the resulting rift between the two siblings would later inspire the band's first hit single, "Over My Head (Cable Car)." After issuing the Movement EP in 2002, the quartet gained the support of Denver's KTCL radio station with a follow-up release, 2003's Reason EP. As the Fray's airplay increased alongside their local profile (Westword, a Denver alternative weekly publication, deemed them Best New Band in 2004), they began attracting attention from Epic Records. The label ultimately signed the band in December 2004, and the Fray toured alongside Weezer and Ben Folds the following summer.
How to Save a Life was released in September 2005, and "Over My Head (Cable Car)" found a quick home on modern rock radio. By early 2006, it had crossed over to Top 40 chart status, peaking at number eight and whetting the public's appetite for another hit. The Fray responded by releasing the album's title track, which was heavily used in a promotional campaign for the TV series Grey's Anatomy and quickly became one of 2006's biggest singles. "How to Save a Life" was a worldwide smash, reaching the Top Ten in the U.S. (where it continued to chart for 58 consecutive weeks) and peaking at number one in Bulgaria, Ireland, Canada, and Spain. By the time the smoke had cleared, the Fray's debut had been certified double-platinum in the U.S. and was declared the best-selling digital album of all time.
As How to Save a Life continued to enjoy worldwide chart success, the live album Live at the Electric Factory was released in selected independent stores in July 2006. The Fray re-released their Reason EP the following year while continuing to tour, occasionally playing new material at their high-profile shows. The band also found time to return to the recording studio, and 2009 saw the release of their self-titled sophomore effort, The Fray. The Fray's third studio outing was produced by Brendan O'Brien and was inspired by the group's trips to Rwanda and Germany. The resulting Scars and Stories, which was named after an unused B-side, was preceded by the single "Heartbeat" and released on February 7, 2012. At the end of the year frontman Isaac Slade confirmed the band was starting work on its fourth record in 2013, and the Fray subsequently headed into the studio with producer Stuart Price (The Killers, Madonna, Keane). Titled Helios, the album was issued in February 2014 and was preceded by the upbeat single "Love Don't Die."
Current members
- Joe King – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2002–present)
- Isaac Slade – lead vocals, piano (2002–present)
- Dave Welsh – lead guitar (2002, 2003–present)
- Ben Wysocki – drums (2003–present)
Touring members
- Einar Pedersen – bass guitar (2017–present)
Former members
- Mike Ayars – lead guitar (2002–2003)
- Dan Battenhouse – bass guitar (2002–2004)
- Zach Johnson – drums (2002–2003)
- Caleb Slade – bass guitar (2002)
Former touring members
- Dan Lavery – bass guitar (2007–2009)
- Jeremy McCoy – bass guitar (2009–2014)
- Jimmy Stofer – bass guitar (2005–2007)


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Is there such thing as a uniquely Stockton cocktail?
Is there such thing as a uniquely Stockton cocktail?
Yes. The Prince Albert.
Stockton native Albert Freitas (1918-2003) invented the Prince Albert for his restaurant, Albert's, which he operated from 1971 to 1999.
The recipe for the house drink was a closely guarded secret. But it was a dessert beverage, and ice cream - believe it or not - was clearly one ingredient.
"Oh, it was very popular," said Freitas's daughter, Annie Ross of Granite Falls, Wash. "Everybody loved the Prince Albert. When I worked in the banquet room, sometimes people would want 50 of them."
Here's the recipe, never published until now. Into a blender, add:
� 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
� 1/2 gallon chocolate ice cream
� 1/3 cup brandy
� 1/3 cup cr�me de cacao
Mix to milkshake consistency. Pour into martini glass.
Sprinkle the chocolate powder from pre-ground chocolate wafers over the top.
Voil�. It may sound crazy, but it's delicious. And it's liquid Stockton.
Contact columnist Michael Fitzgerald at (209) 546-8270 or email@example.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/fitzgeraldblog.


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"Rock Center's" Brian Williams joined "Late Night's" Jimmy Fallon on Monday to "slow-jam the news" and jest about President Obama's decision to get on board with the Super PAC crowd.
While The Roots laid down some smooth beats in the background, Williams played straight man, reading the news as Fallon jumped in with a few "Aww yeahs."
"Sounds like the President goes both ways on this issue," Fallon crooned to the crowd, adding that there's "nothing wrong with a campaign getting an insertion of back door cash."
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
Fallon later called the Super PACs "super freaky," and launched into a politically inspired rendition of Rick James' "Super Freak." Williams — or Bri will.i.ams, as Fallon called him — brought the jam home with an "Oh yeah!"


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Heather Ripley & Adrian Hall (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) - Genuine Signed Autograph 7475
DescriptionAdrian Hall (born 1 January 1959 Staines, Middlesex) is an English actor. He is best known for the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, in which he played the part of Jeremy Potts. He is currently co-director of the CDS institution ALRA.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a 1968 British musical film loosely based on Ian Fleming's novel Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car. The film's script is by Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes and its songs by the Sherman Brothers.[3]
It stars Dick Van Dyke as Caractacus Potts and Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious. The film was directed by Ken Hughes and produced by Albert R. Broccoli (co-producer of the James Bond series of films, also based on Fleming's novels). John Stears supervised the special effects. Irwin Kostal supervised and conducted the music, while the musical numbers were staged by Marc Breaux and Dee Dee Wood.
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text: ミリマンとは 会社略歴 連絡先 ニュース & イベント コンサルタント Eamonn Phelan, FSAI, FIAPrincipal, Consulting ActuaryDublin, IETel: +353 1 6475914E-Mail | Download bio | VCardBiographyPublicationsProfessional DesignationsFellow, Society of Actuaries in IrelandFellow of the Institute of Actuaries (UK)EducationBachelor of Actuarial and Financial Studies, University College DublinCurrent ResponsibilityEamonn is a principal in Milliman's Dublin office, where he has worked since 2007.ExperienceEamonn's expertise includes enterprise risk management, asset-liability management, Solvency II, new licence applications, mergers and acquisitions, financial reporting (under a number of different reporting GAAPs), product development and pricing, assessment of risk mitigation strategies (including reinsurance) and developing actuarial reporting systems. Eamonn currently discharges the role of head of actuarial function for a number of clients, and has, in the past, acted both as an appointed actuary and a life reinsurance signing actuary. Prior to joining Milliman in 2007, Eamonn was the finance and risk management actuary at Hartford Life Limited and previously worked in a variety of actuarial roles with Canada Life Assurance (Ireland) Limited. Eamonn is a current member and former chairman of the Enterprise Risk Management Committee of the Society of Actuaries in Ireland and a current member of the Practising Certificates Committee of the Society of Actuaries in Ireland. He is also a member of a number of working parties of both the Society of Actuaries in Ireland and the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (covering topics including risk appetite, hedging the risk-free rate under Solvency II and policyholder behaviour in extreme conditions). Work at Milliman "I was offered a chance to come in, shake things up, create something." Work at Milliman


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Paint Color Pick: Silver Marlin By Benjamin Moore
The paint color: Silver Marlin (2139-50) by Benjamin Moore, a warm grey with a hint of green.
Why we love it: This grey is tinged with a seaglass green so it doesn't read as cold, yet it adds crispness to a room.
How to use it: Use it to impart a formal elegance to spaces such as a dining or living room, or to instill zen in a spa-like bathroom.


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You can use apps you bought on Google Play on any Android device without paying again. However, each device must have the same Google Account on it. You can:
- Install an app on more than one Android device
- Install an app on a new Android device
- Reinstall an app you bought but deleted
Also, if you turned off an app that came with your device, you can turn it back on.
Reinstall apps or turn apps back on
- On your Android phone or tablet, open Google Play Store .
- Tap Menu My apps & games Library.
- Tap the app you want to install or turn on.
- Tap Install or Enable.
Find previously purchased or downloaded apps
If you can't find an app or are asked to buy it again, make sure you're using the same Google account you bought it with.


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Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and measures imposed by our state government, our operations are temporarily suspended. USA customers - YOU CAN CONTINUE PLACING ORDERS ON OUR WEBSITE.Once we resume regular business hours, we'll process all orders in the order they were received.
Manufacturer: SAVAGE
Model: 111F, 111G, 111GNS, 111FNS, 111FXP3, 110GXP3, 110G, 110GNS, 110FXP3, 111FL
Product #: 1353580C
Product #: 1355160C


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|PL/SQL User's Guide and Reference
Release 2 (9.2)
Part Number A96624-01
PL/SQL Language Elements, 49 of 52
The function
SQLCODE returns the number code associated with the most recently raised exception.
SQLCODE is meaningful only in an exception handler. Outside a handler,
SQLCODE always returns
For internal exceptions,
SQLCODE returns the number of the associated Oracle error. The number that
SQLCODE returns is negative unless the Oracle error is no data found, in which case
SQLCODE returns
For user-defined exceptions,
SQLCODE returns
+1 unless you used the pragma
EXCEPTION_INIT to associate the exception with an Oracle error number, in which case
SQLCODE returns that error number. For more information, see "Retrieving the Error Code and Error Message: SQLCODE and SQLERRM".
SQLCODE is especially useful in the
OTHERS exception handler because it lets you identify which internal exception was raised.
You cannot use
SQLCODE directly in a SQL statement. First, you must assign the value of
SQLCODE to a local variable, as follows:
my_sqlcode := SQLCODE; ... INSERT INTO errors VALUES (my_sqlcode, ...);
When using pragma
RESTRICT_REFERENCES to assert the purity of a stored function, you cannot specify the constraints
WNPS and
RNPS if the function calls
In the following example, you insert the value of
SQLCODE into an audit table:
DECLARE my_sqlcode NUMBER; BEGIN ... EXCEPTION WHEN OTHERS THEN my_sqlcode := SQLCODE; INSERT INTO audits VALUES (my_sqlcode, ...); END;
Copyright © 1996, 2002 Oracle Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.


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Sunshine Blues Festival Rocks Boca Raton
Blues Fans Brave Rain in Mizner Park
BOCA RATON, Fla. – There's an old blues song by T-Bone Walker called "Stormy Monday" but the rain was pouring on Saturday, January 19th when the Sunshine Blues Festival pulled into Mizner Park in Boca Raton!
But the nasty weather didn't dampen the spirits of the hundreds of fans who stood out in the pouring rain (very strange) to hear some live blues by masters like Sonny Landreth, Tedeschi Trucks Band and New Orleans music legend Dr. John!
There was plenty of good food from sausages to homemade BBQ available as well as cold draft beer and even mixed drinks! Tie-dyes, T-shirts and other vending was set up in the field surrounding the smaller 2nd stage.
During the day, the main competition was finding some dry space under an awning or a tree to get out of the rain for a minute or two! The standard concert outfit was a poncho or even a garbage bag, for those who weren't prepared for the weather.
But the rain didn't keep fans from coming out and dancing for their favorite bands! The music started at 11 a.m. and ran until 11 p.m. Fans got to hear great music from Joe Louis Walker, Matt Schofield, Sean Chambers, Bobby Lee Rodgers, Walter Trout, Jamoe's Jassz Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Sonny Landreth, Dr. John and The Wood Brothers!
The Sunshine Blues Festival was created by Derek Trucks of Tedeschi Trucks Band and took place in 3 Florida cities over the weekend of January 18-20; with a concert on Friday, Jan. 18th in Fort Myers, Saturday, Jan. 19th's show in Boca Raton and wrapped up with a show on Sun., Jan. 20 in St. Petersburg.
Despite the rain, it was a great time on Saturday, with a lot of incredible live music and a very appreciative audience! Tickets were not that expensive and it was a very intimate venue. You could walk right up to either the main or secondary stage and get very close to some of these blues legends as they were playing! It's tough to do that at a theater or other concert venue. You don't want to miss the Sunshine Blues Festival when it rolls back through next year!
Copyright 2013 by Local10.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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WJIM Golf Classic
- NiseriN, ThinkStock
On Monday, August 18, 2014, 1240 WJIM is hosting 18 holes of golf to benefit The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association at Forest Akers West Golf Course.
Heart disease is the number one killer of men in the U.S., but you can reduce your chances of developing heart disease by being physically active and eating healthy foods.
The WJIM Golf Classic will not only benefit the American Heart Association, but we will have a representative onsite to speak about this issue and answer questions regarding Men's Health and the programs available to help the Mid-Michigan community become more heart healthy.
Click here to reserve your foursome now. Reservations are $400 per foursome and $125 each for a single reservation. Space is very limited so make your reservations now.


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|Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Remarks on the United Nations Security Council's Adoption of Resolution 2375
Q: On September 11, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) of the United States, the United Nations (UN) Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2375 in response to the nuclear test of the DPRK. What are the comments of China?
A: In disregard of widespread opposition from the international community, the DPRK conducted another nuclear test, which severely violated the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council. The Chinese side approves that the UN Security Council takes necessary measures in response to this. On September 11, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2375, which reflected the common position of its members to safeguard the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the region, promote the denuclearization of the Peninsula and uphold the international non-proliferation regime. Meanwhile, the Resolution reaffirms the commitment to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia, calls for the peaceful settlement of the issue through diplomatic and political means, supports the resumption of the Six-Party Talks and emphasizes that all relevant parties should take measures to reduce the tensions on the Peninsula. The Chinese side hopes that the contents of Resolution 2375 can be implemented in a comprehensive and complete manner.
As a close neighbor of the Korean Peninsula, the Chinese side is closely following the developments of the situation on the Peninsula. It is the consistent position held by China to stay committed to realizing the denuclearization of the Peninsula, upholding the peace and stability of the Peninsula and resolving the issue through dialogue and consultation with respect to dealing with the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, including participating in the deliberations of the UN Security Council. With a view to resolving the Korean Peninsula issue, all relevant parties should take their due responsibility, play their due role, earnestly take measures to ease the tensions on the Peninsula and resume dialogue and negotiation. The DPRK should observe the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, respect the collective voice of the international community and stop pushing forward the nuclear and missile programs. The US, the ROK and other parties should also avoid taking the actions that will further complicate the situation. The Korean Peninsula issue must be resolved peacefully. Military solution will lead us nowhere and China will by no means allow the Peninsula to descend into war and chaos.
The "suspension for suspension" initiative and "dual-track approach" proposed by China are practical and viable ways to address the Korean Peninsula issue. We call upon relevant parties to give positive considerations to them and work with China to stay committed to promoting dialogue and consultation and make efforts to advance the denuclearization of the Peninsula and realize the peace and stability of the Peninsula.
The Chinese side is firmly opposed to the deployment of THAAD by the US in the ROK. This action severely jeopardizes the strategic security of China and the other countries in the region and undermines the trust and cooperation of all relevant parties on the Korean Peninsula issue. It is not helpful to advancing the denuclearization of the Peninsula or safeguarding the long-term stability of the Peninsula.


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CH Faouziah's Faramir
Next we go to Longview TX where the hometown Longview Kennel Club is on board for two days. James White had the day one final and his pick of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, CH Chesabar's Anyone Anyone, the Pharaoh Hound, CH Faouziah's Faramir, the Giant Schnauzer, GCH CH Skansen's Harvard, the American Staffordshire Terrier, GCH CH Alpine's Ring of Fire, the Papillon, GCH CH Copella's Rising Attraction, the Lhasa Apso, CH Sundancer Hylan Sho Tru Secret Dawn, and the Australian Shepherd, GCH CH Harmony Hill's Money Talks.
GCH CH Harmony Hill's Money Talks
Taking home the BIS was the Pharaoh Hound, Qiwi, while the Aussie, Cash, finished with the Reserve. It was Qiwi's first AKC BIS in 14 final appearances this year. Congratulations to breeders Larsson Anna & Sadelheim Tanja, owners Jennifer Mosing & Jenny Hall, and handler Brian Livingston.


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That sound you might have heard early this afternoon was the collective groan of fans of Red Wings Nation, which might have been expecting a native son to return home.
But Ryan Miller has re-signed with the Buffalo Sabres...five years, $6.25 million per.
Unless Jimmy Howard is really something, the Wings might be having goaltender issues in the not too distant future.
As for the Sabres, they finally get to hold on to a potential free agent. It doesn't make up for the losses of Daniel Briere, or Chris Drury, or Brian Campbell...or maybe even Dainius Zubrus. But it's something for Sabres fans to breathe easier about.


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By Shizhong Chen
Please remember the name: Sujiatun. It will one day be as infamous as Auschwitz and Dachau.
The National Traditional Chinese Medicine Thrombus Treatment Center in Shenyang City. According to a former nurse who worked there, the Sujiatun death camp is in an underground complex connected to this hospital.
The furnace unit on the southwest side of the hospital. There are two doors leading to the underground complex of the Sujiatun death camp. According to the witnesses, the remains of Falun Gong practitioners are incinerated here after their organs are extracted.
According to this journalist, over 6,000 Falun Gong practitioners have been taken to Sujiatun. "I believe that once they are in they 100% cannot come back out," the journalist said. He also disclosed that there are incineration chambers and a large number of doctors there. "Why are there incineration chambers there? Why are there so many doctors inside? Certainly not for the benevolent treatment of prisoners. Something you simply cannot imagine..."
"The prisoners, the Communist Party definitely will not let them just waste food there. Why are they there then? ... They will all be murdered, and all their organs will be harvested and distributed to hospitals. The sale of human organs is a vastly profitable trade in China."
Falun Gong practitioners are not the only victims of such crimes. One week after the journalist's disclosure, a former nurse whose ex-husband had taken part in harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners also stepped forward to testify:
"I used to work at the Liaoning Thrombus Treatment Center, which was next to the concentration camp. My ex-husband had taken part in removing corneas from Falun Gong practitioners. This brought disaster to my family."
"In early 2001, my husband was assigned by the hospital to secretly remove corneas from Falun Gong practitioners. He hid this from me at the beginning, but slowly I sensed he was in great agony, had nightmares often, and was always stressed. After my repeated inquiries, he told me the truth in 2003."
"He knew they were Falun Gong practitioners. Every doctor who took part knew. They were told that eliminating Falun Gong was not a crime, but helping the Communist Party to do 'cleansing.' Those who were taken in on the operating tables were anesthetized. Elderly people or children were mostly used for harvesting corneas."
"At the time when my ex-husband told me about this, he could no longer bear the torment of doing such evil things, and decided to leave China to escape the horror. He said to me: you cannot possibly know my despair, because those Falun Gong practitioners were still alive. It was different from removing organs from dead people - they were alive."
"Because of this, I divorced him. I said to him: you are done with your career; you will not be able to hold a scalpel in the future."
"I know there are still Falun Gong practitioners in that hospital," this nurse said in the end. "I hope this crime can be exposed to the international society as quickly as possible, so their lives can be saved. I also hope, through my disclosure, to atone my relative's crime."
The victims are not even limited to Chinese. It is an open secret that China has become the world capital of organ transplantation, and ships human organs to nearby countries such as Thailand. Tens of thousands from different parts of the world have received organ transplants in China and Thailand, being assured that the organs have been legally obtained. How will they and their surgeons feel when they learn about the barbaric organ harvesting, even if the organs harvested from Falun Gong practitioners turn out to account for a portion of all human organs used in transplant operations? Is there a way for them to remove the doubt? Will they want to find out? Or will they bear that doubt and forever avoid mentioning "transplanted in China"?
Another doctor recently stated that extracting organs from living prisoners is common across China. How many more camps like Sujiatun exist?
It was precisely because we abhor such appalling crimes that humanity vowed "Never again!" after the shock of the Holocaust. Yet, as this vow is still ringing in the ears of Holocaust survivors, we are in for another shock - or are we? How do we explain to ourselves and our children that we have watched the systematic eradication of Falun Gong for more than six years and allowed it to escalate to the emergence of human organ harvesting factories like Sujiatun?
It is not due to a lack of information. Ever since July 1999, Falun Gong practitioners in China have been taking great risks to collect and send abroad, on a daily basis, detailed information on the extensive and severe human rights violations committed by the Chinese communist regime. Falun Gong practitioners overseas have worked their hardest to disseminate this information to governments, media, opinion leaders, the United Nations, and the general public to appeal for their attention.
United Nation's Reports
History, unfortunately, repeats itself. Just as the Holocaust information provided by Jewish groups was cast aside or downplayed because of the "unsubstantiated nature of the information" and its "prejudiced sources," information from Falun Gong practitioners has received the same fate. History has also shown that all major atrocities occurred when there was not enough media exposure, when perilous signals were ignored because they were "incomplete" or "unsubstantiated" or from "prejudiced sources" - when evildoers' deceits prevail, when the silence allows the evildoers to carry on unnoticed and unhindered.
History, however, never duplicates itself exactly.
There is no major military or ideological confrontation in the world now. While the Allies did not have their focus on saving the Holocaust victims, at least they were fighting the Nazis and determined to win the war. We do not have that excuse now. On the contrary, we are apparently determined to win the market in China.
Technology is far more advanced now than it was in WWII, and we do not even need to be at Auschwitz or Buchenwald to know what is going on there. If 6,000 people have been taken in to Sujiatun and none has come out, how hard is it to see from surveillance satellites the suspicious traffic going in and out to figure out that it is a death camp?
There are now many international human rights laws that were not available before the Nuremberg trials, and there are now many surveillance and protection mechanisms implemented by the United Nations. How hard is it to demand an international investigation into the serious claim of the death camp's existence? What were those international human rights laws established for?
We do not always ignore incomplete or unsubstantiated information from China, however. When Dr. Jiang Yanyong disclosed the Chinese regime's deadly lies about the SARS epidemic, the retired doctor's letter to the media contained only what he had heard from his colleagues. Did the world hesitate for a second because the information was "incomplete" or "unsubstantiated"? Why didn't the information's incompleteness prevent decisive action by the international community? In fact, his letter was sent only to Chinese media, but Western media got hold of it and publicized it. Why does the world react so differently to the SARS news and the Sujiatun news, both of life-and-death importance? Isn't it because Sujiatun is about other people's lives?
If that is not enough to make us look at the selfish side of our humanity, consider this: if Sujiatun happened anywhere else other than China, whether in democratic countries or in North Korea, Sudan, or Cuba, it would have caused major outcries. Only the human greed for economic gains from China has kept the Sujiatun death camp from being an international issue.
"The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish have been so calculated, so malignant, and so devastating, that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored, because it cannot survive their being repeated." Justice Jackson knew the legacy that the Nuremberg trials would leave behind when he drafted his opening speech. If he have lived to see the post-Nuremberg wrongs, he might have been more introspective and lead a trial on human conscience and how it could allow the wrongs to continue to happen.
If you would like to publish our article, please write to: email@example.com
To sign the online petition:
Dear citizens of the world,
This is our first joint newsletter between the Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group and the Conscience Foundation.
Many of you, after reading shocking stories of the Chinese regime's barbaric torture and killing of Falun Gong practitioners, have asked: "Why did we not know?" and "What can we do?" Your questions and comments made us realize that exposing the evil is not enough and that we must put conscience in action. We therefore have decided to form the Conscience Foundation to provide a broad base for people to speak up for human conscience, and adopted "conscience in action" as our motto.
Our announcement is pushed forward by some shocking news about organ harvesting from live Falun Gong practitioners in the Sujiatun death camp in China (see the article above). While we apologize for our hastily designed website (http://www.consciencefoundation.org), in response to the shocking news, we urge you to take action to:
You can find other action plans on our website, and we will keep you posted as we develop more action plans.
For conscience,
The Conscience Foundation
Picture Exhibit:
Background Information
What is Falun Gong?
Why the persecution in China?
Current situation of the persecution in China
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please click here


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Befuddling Liquor Laws
In today's New York Times, Eric Asimov steps into the bizarre and confusing world of U.S. liquor laws.
This topic's been setting parts of the online wine world ablaze in the aftermath of a recent operation in which representatives of Wine.com gathered evidence of rival wine retailers illegally shipping wines to certain states (including New York), and reported those retailers to state authorities. While Wine.com representatives say they're out to change these rules, the event has turned attention to the Byzantine tangle of state laws that came out of the repeal of Prohibition, more than 75 years ago.
Asimov writes: "The attention illuminates the tensions inherent in an Internet economy bound by post-Prohibition laws that created the three-tier system of producers, distributors and retailers, regulated on a state-by-state basis."
As the interstate sale of wine and spirits has blossomed in the Internet era, the rules have only grown muddier. Asimov notes that a 2005 Supreme Court decision on interstate commerce in wine may have created more confusion than it cleared up. Wholesalers and distributors, who benefit from rules that limit the direct sale of wine from producers to consumers, are content to have the system remain the same, arguing that the three-tier approach helps protect consumers from fraud and helps keep alcohol out of the hands of minors. Asimov quotes Craig Wolf, chairman of the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, who says most people are fine with the current system, "except for a small, very vocal segment who say they can't get their bottle of 1997 whatever," Wolf says.
Granted, my primary area of interest is spirits and not wine, but there are times when I'm looking for the spirituous equivalent of a bottle of "1997 whatever," and my frustrating state-run liquor system is just standing in my way. At these times, I turn to out-of-state retailers, who approach the world of online commerce in liquor with attitudes ranging from strictly-by-the-book to anything-goes. It's encouraging to see that regulators in my home state of Washington are at least recognizing there's a problem, as Asimov reports: "It's very difficult if not impossible to enforce compliance off the Internet," said Rick Garza, deputy director of the Washington Liquor Control Board. "We know it happens, so creating a license for it, and permits and requirements is probably the best course, rather than ignoring it."
Clearly, the current system is archaic and confusing; clarification and a possible change of the rules are needed. What's your take? Have you been stymied in your search for a particular vintage or bottling because of your state's liquor laws? And are you concerned that changing the laws would lead to chaos for consumers?
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