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Manufaturer: Powerslide
Art. 880272/s
Playlife - GT 110 - Black - Ex-Display Inline Skates
- pair of inline skates (2 skates)
- tool
- instruction
If the ordered goods do not meet your expectations, you have the right to return or exchange them within 14 days of receiving the order.
A product with a physical or legal defect (warranty) can be used to make a complaint within 2 years from the date of purchase.
Costs and shipping methods depend on the total sum of the order and the shipping address - details can be checked here.
Product details
- Attention: product is ex-displayed - no original box
About manufacturer
Powerslide is one of industry's leaders even though it is relatively young company – it has been founded in year 1994. The Germany based brand has entered the market at height of inline skating's popularity, at the time when market was flooded with low quality skates which could be described as toys rather than sport equipment. From the very beginning, Powerslide had one goal: to break the perception of inline skating being a leisure activity for kids and to promote it as a sport for everyone. That's not a surprise considering that company's owner, Matthias Knoll, is a skater himself. As speedskating contender, he breathes this sport and his love for it has been fuelling Powerslide for over 25 years.
If we were to describe Powerslide in three words, these would be: quality, variety and innovation. From the very beginning of company's existence, Germans have challenged industry's giants and competed with them in field of quality. Nowadays they are in lead of the pack when it comes to technology: heatmoldable liners and boots, compressed carbon shells, revolutionary Trinity mounting – these things are relatively fresh and competition is yet to respond. Looking back, Powerslide was the first company to introduce carbon freestyle skate with integrated padding. They were the first company to introduce carbon based aggressive skate. 125mm wheels were introduced to speedskating thanks to them. The introduction of Kizer Advance frame and then Level 2 made a big impact and lead to rapid evolution of aggressive flat frames. Germans were the first company to make triskates a significant part of their offering, starting a new trend. Nowadays, Powerslide are the only company that makes real off-road skates (not to be confused with off-road rollerskis).
This pursuit of change and improvement is unique – no other company in this industry is having a boss willing to take even the craziest of ideas and concepts to production stage. Powerslide also have, without a shadow of doubt, the richest catalogue of products among all skating companies; covering even the most niche equipment made for freestyle slalom, downhill and inline alpine. They have full range of accessories and parts: helmets, protection pads, wheels, bearings, frames and so on. The company is also making rollerskates, providing recreational, roller derby and skatepark models and equipment. It can be safely said that if Powerslide is not making something skating related, chances of other companies having it in their offer are slim to none.
Powerslide have an impressive brand portfolio: MyFit liners, Wicked bearings, Reign hockey skates, USD aggressive skates, Kizer frames, Undercover wheels, Matter wheels, Gawds boots, wheels and softgoods, Prime wheels, Juice rollerskates wheels, Chaya rollerskates, Ennui protection and many others.
What makes Powerslide special are company's people and supporters who create a community around it. Germans support and cooperate with skaters all around the globe. International Powerslide Team is composed of names every inline skating fan should be familiar with and believe us - there are far too many to list them here.
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text: Welcome to In Love With Threads, a place where I talk about my embroidery and fibre art. Soon the shop will be open and you'll be able to check out my wares. For now, click on the blog page and you'll be taken to my Wordpress blog where I've been talking about my latest work.

subset: commoncrawl


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Artist-Designed SweatersBeautiful details, bold colors, flattering silhouettes—our collection of artist-designed sweaters for the stylish, creative woman has everything you need for an effortless and distinctive wardrobe. Perfect for travel, special occasions, or everyday wear, these sweaters are all works of art designed by artists in artful styles ranging from classic to modern.
Narrow Results
Veronique Sweater
Knit Sweater
$ 220
Color Wheel Sweater
Knit Sweater
by Mieko Mintz
$ 598
Off The Shoulder Cable
Knit sweater
by Planet
$ 318
Fissure Cowl Sweater
Knit Sweater
by Lisa LeMair
$ 368
Cuffed Cowl Tunic
Shibori Sweater
by Laura Hunter
$ 520


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Skydiving Experience GiftsFew experiences can match the incredible feeling of a skydive, and with our huge selection of skydiving experiences throughout the UK, it's never been easier to try it out for yourself and experience that freefalling feeling. We have AFF skydiving courses and tandem skydive experience days available from Devon to Durham, so you won't have a problem finding a skydive to suit you!
If you're looking for a truly memorable gift idea for someone special in your life, a skydive gift voucher is something they are absolutely guaranteed to remember forever. Wherever you choose to skydive in the UK, you are sure to be absolutely amazed by the patchwork landscape below you that looms ever larger as you freefall towards it, but we do offer skydives in some particularly beautiful locations throughout the UK. Our Lake District Skydive in Cumbria gives you all the thrills of skydiving combined with incredible views of of of the UK's most spectacularly beautiful regions. You'll jump from a mind-boggling 14,500 feet, giving you plenty of time to soak in the stunning views of those beautiful blue lakes below.
Our Cornwall skydiving location at Perranporth is another outstandingly beautiful skydiving location. This skydiving spot is right down at the point where Cornwall meets the Celtic sea, so once you've gotten over the initial mind-blowing feeling of jumping out of a plane, you'll realise that you are freefalling over the famously gorgeous Cornish coastline with it's beautiful beaches and wild waters! Just perfect for adding a little beauty to this beast of an experience!
Of course, if you want more height - and longer freefalls - from your skydiving experience, we have just the thing for you too! We offer the highest skydive in the UK at our Lincolnshire skydiving centre, which allows you to experience freefall from fifteen thousand feet! A skydive from this altitude offers you approximately a full minute of freefall before your parachute is finally deployed to help you float gently back to terra firma. As truly terrifying as this might sound, you will always jump safe in the knowledge that you are in the hands of professional and qualified skydive instructors who will make sure you are as safe as possible at all times!
No matter where you are in the UK, or how extreme you want to get, you are sure to find the perfect skydiving experience - so what are you waiting for?!


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Ride in a cycle rickshaw through streets crowded with motorbikes, bicycles, honking taxi horns, buses, trucks, and tiny Tata automobiles as your furiously-pedaling rickshaw driver dodges stray cows and pedestrians. Tall, often tawdry storefronts with a mixture of familiar and foreign signage look down at you. Yet almost all that is forgotten amidst the clamor and hubbub of the human hordes jostling for space amidst the cinnamon, curry, and cardamom aromas as your rickshaw glides through the narrow marketplace streets.
Your money-saving New Delhi holiday rental home, condo, apartment, or B&B guest room and helpful hosts are possibly your only refuge from the sensory onslaught of this metropolis that the colonial British decreed the capitol of modern India. Even the most attentive luxury hotel is bound to feel antiseptic and isolating compared to a tastefully furnished New Delhi holiday rental with hosts who can provide a little guidance. Perhaps the best antidote is a bit of colonial indulgence at the Delhi Golf Club, where greens fees are ridiculously low and peacocks will watch you blast out of deep sand bunkers.
After getting patted down and paying a fee for each camera, including those embedded in mobile phones, and handing your shoes and a few more rupees to the shoe caretaker, you can finally relax and enjoy Old Delhi's spacious Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque). For a tranquil modern juxtaposition, visit the flower petal-shaped Lotus Temple. Spectacular Akshardham Temple, opened in 2005, includes a musical prayer fountain and a "boat-ride experience of 10,000 years of India's glorious heritage." Qutub Minar dates back almost 1,000 years, and is near Chattarpur Temple and the Sanskriti Museum of Everyday Art on South Delhi's Gurgaon-Mehrauli Road.
Humayun's Tomb in Nizamuddin is a 1565 Persian Mughal inspiration for the Taj Mahal. Nearby is the excellent Crafts Museum, old fort Puranja Qila, and the National Zoological Gardens. New Delhi's National Museum is renowned for its Indus Valley and Silk Route antiquities, and much more. Old Delhi's money-saving holiday rentals at Hauz Khas Village put you near forests with deer, Shankar's International Dolls Museum, and the magnificent Red Fort's Peacock Throne room. Museums and memorials for Nehru and the Gandhi family are reminders of modern politics.
Bargain for rugs, silk scarves, papier mache ornaments, and much more at Central Cottage Industries Emporium, Khan Market, and Connaught Place. Dilli Haat has linens, wood and marble carvings, puppets, clothing, and silver and pearl jewellery from every region in India. Near Old Delhi's Red Fort, bustling Chandni Chowk is a colorful area to eat and shop with the money savings from your New Delhi holiday rental.


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Raymond James Chief Investment Strategist Jeffrey Saut believes advisors and their clients need to get in tune with the markets. "I see good markets through July or August," he said to a packed crowd at the firm's annual independent-advisor conference in Dallas in late April.
Saut also emphasized something he's been saying in his regular blogs for the broker-dealer: "There's a decent probability that we are in a secular bull market that has a decade or so to run."
The investment expert told advisors (in his April 22 note), "I don't think that 'sell in May' kind of strategy is going to work this year," pointing to the fact that the market is "far from the overextended levels reached at the prior peaks of early 2000 and October of 2007."
Stocks do not look overvalued, he added. "Indeed, on a trailing EPS basis the SPX is trading at 15.1 times trailing earnings and 13.7 times forward estimates. Juxtapose that to 25.1 times estimates in 2000 and 15 times at the 2007 peak."
There are many factors driving his positive outlook, including higher housing prices, the return of manufacturing to the U.S. and the growth of the energy sector.
The expert pointed to the continued growth of the middle class in many overseas markets as another significant and positive long-term trend. Some 46% of the S&P 500 companies' sales, and 40% of profits, come from outside the U.S., he said. "Meanwhile, recession risks from Europe are fading."
If the markets take a quick tumble, Saut says to jump in: "Accordingly, any correction affords investors the opportunity for new buying in favorably rated stocks. Indeed, if you want to catch a wave you have got to grab a board and get into the water!"
Meanwhile, Charles Schwab Chief Investment Strategist Liz Ann Sonders has been telling advisors that the U.S. is truly undergoing a manufacturing and energy renaissance, particularly in recently depressed Midwestern states such as North Dakota, Sonders said in a keynote address before the Financial Planning Association's New York chapter in early May.
"Someone asked me in a Q&A, 'What's your favorite emerging market?' and 'Middle America' was what came out of my mouth," said Sonders at FPA-New York's annual summit. "Now when I'm asked what's my favorite emerging market, I answer Middle America."
Thanks to this renaissance, U.S. is "not just paper wealth" anymore, she said, predicting that U.S. household net worth would hit an all-time high in 2013.For every 100 jobs created in petroleum refining, another 1,190 additional related jobs are created, Sonders noted.
Further, she recalled a recent trip to China, where several representatives of the American Chamber of Commerce in China told her: "We think over the next 10 years, we'll be bringing our business back to the U.S."
"It is shocking that four years into a bull market we still have massive outflows out of equity. I'm amazed at how much skepticism I'm still met with after four years," Sonders said. "I'm not a perma-bull, but I'm optimistic. At conferences, almost all the questions are bearish. I love that because I'm a contrarian."
Despite American investors' belief to the contrary, U.S. stocks are now in the greatest bull market of a lifetime—and it's likely to last a long time because nobody really sees it yet and the economic landscape is uncertain, said investment experts Richard Bernstein and Bob Doll at the Tiburon CEO Summit held in mid-April in New York.
"We think we are in one of the biggest bull markets of our careers right now," said Bernstein, CEO of Richard Bernstein Advisors and adjunct professor of finance at the NYU Stern School of Business. "Bull markets are not periods of wine and roses. They are periods of fear and indecision."
Return on capital is highest where capital is scarce, he asserted, saying that's why U.S. stocks are such a good bet even though asset managers keep pushing alternative investments such as timber, absolute return and emerging markets.
Bernstein's firm now likes three equity themes: the American industrial renaissance, early-cycle Europe and reflating Japan. His one fixed-income theme is U.S. Treasuries for diversification. "Very traditional stuff is going to be the competition for alternatives," he said, comparing the current bull market to one that occurred in the 1980s.
Doll, who recently left BlackRock and has become Nuveen's chief equity strategist, agreed that investors who currently say "I'll put my money in the stock market when things get better" are missing the mark.
"People can't wait for the pullback to put some money in the market," he said. "There's a lot of cash sloshing around and looking for an entry point."
Now's the time, Doll said, predicting a double-digit percentage increase in dividends as payout ratios rise. He also predicts large-cap stocks will outperform small caps, and cyclical companies in the industrial and tech sectors will outperform defensives in staples and utilities. Nuveen is overweight stock, underweight cash, and prefers credit over sovereigns in fixed income.
For advisors, the American consumer's skepticism offers an opportunity to study how they do and don't invest and how the competition serves them, said Tiburon summit host Chip Roame. "Consumers have the same net worth, $66 trillion, as in 2007," Roame said.
This represents a missed opportunity for advisors to serve the affluent market of Americans with $500,000 to $5 million in investable assets, Roame suggested. That affluent market comprises just 7% of consumer households but controls 50% of household assets, he said.
Meanwhile, Roame said, American consumers have fundamentally changed since the 2008 crash, becoming more conservative and self-reliant. They like exchange-traded funds and index mutual funds, for example, with ETFs taking an ever-greater market share (though ETFs represent only 10% of the larger market that includes mutual funds).
Joyce Hanson contributed to this report.


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Elements Of Style
Get the Look: A Modern/ Traditional Dining Room
I had torn out this picture from a past issue of House & Home of Maxime Vandal and Richard Ouellette's home (the duo behind the design firm Les Ensembeliers) a couple months ago. I came across it again yesterday and still marvel at the blend of simplicity and bold statements. I adore the use of oversize art and the use of a modern patterned fabric on vintage chairs. I think a space like this is one that anyone can easily make a reality in their own home, so I went about re-creating this look for you!
The Inspiration:
1. A HUGE abstract print from Z. Gallerie fills a large blank wall.
2. A large white drum pendant can be dressed up to look like the one in the picture by applying leather tape trim (see #5) to the top and bottom edges with a hot glue gun!
3. Simple back tab drapes looks crisp and simple flanking a window, and no need for rings!
4. A clean lined pedestal table.
6. An arrangement of orange and coral flowers (like these orange tulips) really pop against the navy and blue art.
7. My favorite brass rods from West Elm are back in stock.
8. Look on Etsy for sets of vintage chairs with interesting backs, like this set!
9. Navy printed zebra burlap is modern yet country and only $6 a yard!
10. Keep the walls a creamy white, like Ralph Lauren's Tibetan Jasmine (the white all their stores are painted, apparently!). Painting the floors white as well make for a particularly fetching backdrop to the wood chairs and tables. If a white floor is not in the cards I'd stick with a light colored, neutral rug like this one.


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Geneva College invites students and their families to be part of Geneva′s annual Family Weekend on November 12-13. "The November 1 registration deadline is fast approaching," cautions Director of Parent Relations Becky Phillips, "so sign up now to ensure that you don′t miss out on all of the great activities that we have planned for this special weekend."
The entire family has the opportunity to experience campus life first hand by sharing meals at Alexander Dining Hall and enjoying a Saturday afternoon football game as the Geneva Golden Tornadoes take on the Westminster Titans. Students′ siblings may even spend Friday night in a residence hall with their brother or sister following a screening of "Toy Story 3" in the Metheny Fieldhouse.
Many other fun activities are planned as well. Family Feud will be hosted in the Student Center on Friday evening and President Ken Smith invites everyone to join him afterward for a cup of hot chocolate at the Cocoa Pour in the Brigadoon. Music lovers can enjoy Geneva College students performing a repertoire of Broadway songs or starring in the musical, The Spitfire Grill, with performances scheduled for both Friday evening and Saturday.
On Saturday morning Keith Martel, Director of the Center for Faith and Practice, will lead families in prayer for Geneva College and its students, followed by a chapel service conducted by Dr. Dean Smith and Dr. David Smith.
"The family unit is a part of God's wonderful creation. Family Weekend allows us to celebrate the families that God has given to us by spending time and enjoying activities together, " says Becky Phillips, Director of Parent Relations.
She encourages families not to miss out on this great opportunity to share the Geneva College experience with their students. Some activities have a fee and prior reservation may be required. Click here to register online by the November 1 deadline.
|Friday Schedule
|4 – 6:30 p.m.
|Hospitality and Registration Center
|Student Center, 2nd floor
|4:45 – 6 p.m.
|Family Dinner
|Alexander Dining Hall
Advance reservations are required. $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12. Geneva students swipe their meal card.
|7:30 p.m.
|Broadway Revue
|John H. White Chapel, Old Main
(venue not handicap accessible)
Geneva College students perform a repertoire of Broadway songs. Hosted by the Geneva Women, an active alumni group, this popular event raises funds to support the college and its students. Tickets are required. Advance purchase: $5 for adults, $3 for children and students. At the door: $6 for adults, $3 for children and students.
|7:30 p.m.
|Family Feud
|Skye Lounge, Student Center
Student activities will host an evening of family feud. There is no charge for this event. Sign-ups at the door.
|8 p.m.
|The Spitfire Grill
|Bagpiper Theatre
Students will be starring in this musical that tells a story of a woman who was just released from prison and goes to work in a small-town café known as The Spitfire Grill. A central theme is redemption. Tickets available through the box office at 724-847-5099.
|8:30 – 10 p.m.
|Cocoa Pour
|The Brigadoon, Student Center
Come meet President Ken Smith and enjoy a complimentary cup of hot chocolate. The Riverview Café will also be open. Advance reservations requested.
|9:30 p.m.
|Student/Sibling Movie – Toy Story 3
|Metheny Fieldhouse
Students and siblings are invited to watch Toy Story 3 together. Bring your pillows and blankets. Pop and popcorn will be provided. No charge.
|11 p.m.
Siblings – to the resident halls
|Saturday Schedule
|8 a.m. –1 p.m.
|Hospitality and Registration Center
|Student Center, 2nd floor
|8:15 – 8:45 a.m.
|Geneva families praying
|Skye Lounge, Student Center
Join with Geneva families to pray for students and the college hosted by Keith Martel, Director of the Center for Faith and Practice.
|9 – 9:45 a.m.
|Chapel Service
|Skye Lounge, Student Center
Dr. Dean Smith and Dr. David Smith will lead families in a chapel service. Reservations requested.
|10 a.m.
|Family Brunch
|Alexander Dining Hall
Enjoy family mealtime together. Meet Geneva′s 2008 Excellence in Teaching Award recipient, Dr. Adel Aiken. Advance reservations are required. $9 per adult and Geneva student, $5 for children under 12. Geneva students may NOT swipe for this meal.
|11:45 a.m.
|Legacy Gathering
|McCartney Library, West Reading Room
Alumni parents of current students and their children are invited to a tailgating reception with complimentary hot cider and sweet treats. Celebrate the joy of sharing an alma mater with your child. No charge. Reservations required.
|1 p.m.
|Football game vs. Westminster
|Reeves Field
Tickets reserved in advance will be complimentary. Pick up tickets at the Hospitality Center or at the north entryway to Reeves Field immediately prior to the football game.
|2 p.m.
|The Spitfire Grill
|Bagpiper Theatre
A repeat performance. Same ticket information applies.
|4:30 p.m.
|Broadway Revue
|John H. White Chapel, Old Main
(venue not handicap accessible)
A repeat performance of Friday evening′s show. Same ticket information applies.
|8 p.m.
|The Spitfire Grill
|Bagpiper Theatre
A repeat performance. Same ticket information applies.
Geneva College is a comprehensive Christian college of the arts, sciences and professional studies. Founded in the tradition of the Reformed Christian faith, Geneva prepares students to serve Christ in all areas of society: work, family and the church. Geneva College′s philosophy of education is based on the Foundational Concepts of Christian Higher Education. Geneva is a founding member of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU).
© Geneva College | All rights reserved


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About this site
Milnet.ca was created to provide information about the Canadian Military to:
- past and present members of the military
- potential recruits
- military and civilian organizations
- anyone with an interest in Canada's military
Milnet.ca first came online in December of 1993, under the name of The Canadian Army Home Page. At the time, it was Canada's first military site on the Internet. Since that time, the page has grown considerably, and is always in some stage of development. Much of the information has come from visitors to the page, who have graciously taken the time to contribute information, making a much better site.
Milnet.ca currently consists of thousands of pages containing of a wide variety of information and from a number of sources.
Milnet.ca is owned and maintained Mike Bobbitt, with the generous help of many Staff, senior members and subscribers.
Milnet.ca is funded through subscriptions and advertising.
Milnet.ca is a private effort, and is in no way sponsored by or connected to the Department Of National Defence, the Canadian Forces, or any other military organization. Milnet.ca is not supported in any manner, either official or unofficial. As a result, it often does not get the time or resources that it often requires, however it also means that it can operate without the worry of following official administrative guidelines and restrictions.
Despite this freedom, Milnet.ca attempts to provide accurate and timely information of interest to serving and potential members of the CF, however any information obtained from this page comes "as is" and it's accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Also Read:
Mike Bobbitt


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Satoshi necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 32 diseños de 15 diseñadores freelance.
I'm part of a team of two entrepreneurs from two different countries that are looking to start a large website to help people learn how to live healthy and share information with friends, family and the world.
I believe in doing well in this world, and the goal is to bring the same sport and fitness tools to teams and individuals everywhere from the Western world to the developing countries.
Living fit is hard, and we're going to make it as easy and fun as possible!
As ambitious as it may seem, we're trying to appeal to as large a demographic as possible. Men, women, young, old, big and fit, of all backgrounds.
Our main target groups are:
1) People who play team sports (semi-competitive and social leagues)
2) Sports organizations that manage team sports
3) People who want to track their personal fitness (gym, cycling, running)
4) People interested in tracking their nutrition, especially aging babyboomers and parents who want to know what is in the food they're eating - without weighing and counting calories themselves.
5) Personal trainers and nutritionists that are looking to connect with clients.
To engage this wide market, we need something that is fun, collaborative, and not too "cool". Something basic but unique.
The company is called FETTEL.
It's a play on the word "fettle", which means to be in proper mental and physical form.
We believe that the "TT" is what the logo should be centered around. Initial drafts used the two t's connected, to resemble people working together, like team sports or a personal trainer. We've placed two dots on the top of the t's to make it resemble people more, but also because they can be made into sport balls or vegtables when doing specific ads. I've attached a rough idea, but please feel free to go outside the box if you have a great idea, we're not tied to the original thought! PLEASE improve on what we have.
We need a design that uses the entire "fettel" name, but that a small logo of the "tt" can be separated out to make an app-style logo.
Initially we had thought that the colour would be Yellow/Green/White, but are open to others.
I'll be available for regular feedback and to answer any questions. Please ask here or contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
THANK YOU so much, even for reading this and thinking about helping out. We do not have a lead designer, and are open to possibly working with the designers who submit designs to work on other areas of the website and/or marketing.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Firework Ordinance & Safety
Report Illegal Fireworks
Use the ABQ 311 app or call the 311 Citizen Contact Center at (505) 768-2000 to report illegal fireworks.
In 2015, Albuquerque Fire Rescue units responded to over 995 illegal firework calls on July 3rd and 4th. A disastrous fire can occur from someone acting carelessly or using illegal fireworks.
Please attend public firework shows instead of purchasing fireworks.
Be responsible and do your part to prevent a disaster.
Prohibited Fireworks
City of Albuquerque Ordinance prohibits the sale and use of all Aerial Fireworks and Ground Audible Devices within the city limits.
Aerial Devices
- Aerial Spinners
- Helicopters
- Mines
- Missile-type Rockets
- Roman Candles
- Shells
- Stick Type Rockets
Ground Audible Devices
- Chasers (bottle rockets)
- Firecrackers
Once ignited, aerial and ground audible devices take an unpredictable flight path and pose a significant fire hazard to structures and vegetation. They also possess a significant injury potential to the user and innocent bystanders. These devices are also disturbing to public peace.
Permissible Fireworks
The following are allowed to be sold and discharged within the City:
- Ground and hand held sparkling devices
- Cone Fountains
- Crackling Devices
- Cylindrical Fountains
- Flitter Sparklers
- Ground Spinners
- Illuminating Torches
- Wheels
Illegal Fireworks
- Using illegal fireworks is punishable with a citation and immediate confiscation of the illegal fireworks and places the community at risk for fires.
- It is a misdemeanor
- A mandatory court appearance
- A fine up to $500 and 90 days in jail
- The improper use of permissible fireworks and/or the illegal use of aerial or ground audible devices can result in the user or supervising adult being found grossly negligent and financially responsible for damages.
The Safe Use of Fireworks
- Fireworks should not be used on "Red Flag Warning" days, as these days indicate extreme risk for fires. To keep current, visit weather.gov.
- What and where to buy - Always buy fireworks from a local vendor to ensure what you purchase is safe and legal for use within the city limits.
- Fireworks should only be used on paved or barren areas - Away from homes, vegetation and combustible materials.
- Have a water source - Available to put out any unintended fires such as a charged garden hose or two 5 gallon buckets.
- Supervision - Always have an adult present and never allow children to use fireworks to avoid injuries and improper use.
- Follow directions - Always read and follow directions carefully.
- Disposal - Dispose of used fireworks in a bucket of water. Make sure they are completely cool to the touch before throwing them in the garbage can.
- Emergencies - If there is a fire, leave the area immediately and call 911.
Do not attempt to make your own fireworks. Homemade can lead to dangerous and unpredictable explosions and result in severe injuries.
Fireworks Risks
If you do not handle fireworks properly, you risk serious injuries and damages.
- In the U.S. in 2008, body parts most often injured were hands, eyes, and the head, face, and ear. (2,300 injuries), eyes (1,500 injuries), and the head, face, and ear (1,400 injuries).
- Fireworks can be associated with blindness, third degree burns, and permanent scarring.
- Fireworks can also cause life-threatening residential, motor vehicle, and wildland fires which can result in the user or supervising adult being found grossly negligent and financially responsible for damages.


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Our Experienced Team
Our team has decades of experience litigating and settling defective product cases. Jim Gilbert, the founder of The Gilbert Law Group®, is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, which places him among the top 100 plaintiffs' attorneys in America today. Our in-house engineering team allow us to investigate your claim, determine the cause of your injuries, and prepare for trial. With the technical assistance of our full-time engineering staff, we can prepare sophisticated courtroom exhibits to prove your case.


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Wed, 27 January 2010
Lesley took herself off to Sweden to write a book and think.However, we did tempt her to come up to the microphone via Skype to record some thoughts about Steig Larsson, Corton Vale, equality and some other issues. Keep coming back there will be more.
Direct download: Lesley_from_the_Nordics.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:14pm UTC


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S4 Kids U 2019-2020: Einstein El Friday Classes
Welcome to the Kids University Friday classes at Einstein El. Make the most of after-school time with active learning opportunities designed to engage and expand young minds. Choose from a menu of multi-week experiences taught by caring, certified staff like sports, arts and other hands-on learning activities!


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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The TechCelerator @State College is inviting area entrepreneurs, graduate students, researchers or anyone with a big idea, to participate in a 10-Week Boot Camp for business startups. The program has already launched more than 25 companies. The sessions run for two hours per week, on 10 successive Tuesdays, from 3 to 5 p.m. Sept. 30 to Dec. 9.
Participants could receive as much as $1,000 toward legal and accounting startup costs and will have the chance to pitch to a panel of entrepreneurs at the completion of the course. The top presenter will receive $10,000 to help get the business off the ground. Business mentoring from Ben Franklin's Transformation Business Services Network and Penn State's Small Business Development Center staff will be available at no cost. You'll come away from this experience with a Business Model, a list of best practices, lessons-learned and a valuable toolbox that will help you start your own tech-business.
The Boot Camp is free, but space is limited. The deadline for applications is Sept. 19.
The TechCelerator is a partnership designed to offer the region's entrepreneurs, students, faculty members and small business owners designated space, loan and investment programs, business support and mentoring services, and entrepreneurial training all housed in one location. This innovative, one-stop-shop approach to business incubation will encourage an entrepreneurial climate, increase technology transfer opportunities and help develop a robust "startup" culture in State College and the surrounding area. Click on http://www.techceleratorstatecollege.org for more information.
Ben Franklin Technology Partners/CNP, an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and funded by the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority, provides investment capital and entrepreneurial support to emerging tech-based companies and small, existing manufacturers for the purpose of creating and retaining jobs in Pennsylvania. Click on http://www.cnp.benfranklin.org for more information.


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Configuring Onion Services for Tor
Tor allows clients and relays to offer onion services. That is, you can offer a web server, SSH server, etc., without revealing your IP address to its users. In fact, because you don't use any public address, you can run an onion service from behind your firewall.
If you have Tor installed, you can see onion services in action by visiting this sample site.
This page describes the steps for setting up your own onion service website. For the technical details of how the onion service protocol works, see our onion service protocol page.
Step Zero: Get Tor working
Before you start, you need to make sure:
- Tor is up and running,
- You actually set it up correctly.
Windows users should follow the Windows howto, OS X users should follow the OS X howto, and Linux/BSD/Unix users should follow the Unix howto.
Step One: Install a web server locally
First, you need to set up a web server locally. Setting up a web server can be complex. We're not going to cover how to set up a web server here. If you get stuck or want to do more, find a friend who can help you. We recommend you install a new separate web server for your onion service, since even if you already have one installed, you may be using it (or want to use it later) for a normal website.
You need to configure your web server so it doesn't give away any information about you, your computer, or your location. Be sure to bind the web server only to localhost (if people could get to it directly, they could confirm that your computer is the one offering the onion service). Be sure that its error messages don't list your hostname or other hints. Consider putting the web server in a sandbox or VM to limit the damage from code vulnerabilities.
Once your web server is set up, make sure it works: open your browser and go to http://localhost:8080/, where 8080 is the webserver port you chose during setup (you can choose any port, 8080 is just an example). Then try putting a file in the main html directory, and make sure it shows up when you access the site.
Step Two: Configure your onion service
Next, you need to configure your onion service to point to your local web server.
First, open your torrc file in your favorite text editor. (See the torrc FAQ entry to learn what this means.) Go to the middle section and look for the line
############### This section is just for location-hidden services ###
This section of the file consists of groups of lines, each representing one onion service. Right now they are all commented out (the lines start with #), so onion services are disabled. Each group of lines consists of one HiddenServiceDir line, and one or more HiddenServicePort lines:
- HiddenServiceDir is a directory where Tor will store information about that onion service. In particular, Tor will create a file here named hostname which will tell you the onion URL. You don't need to add any files to this directory. Make sure this is not the same directory as the hidserv directory you created when setting up thttpd, as your HiddenServiceDir contains secret information!
- HiddenServicePort lets you specify a virtual port (that is, what port people accessing the onion service will think they're using) and an IP address and port for redirecting connections to this virtual port.
Add the following lines to your torrc:
HiddenServiceDir /Library/Tor/var/lib/tor/hidden_service/ HiddenServicePort 80 127.0.0.1:8080
You're going to want to change the HiddenServiceDir line, so it points to an actual directory that is readable/writeable by the user that will be running Tor. The above line should work if you're using the OS X Tor package. On Unix, try "/home/username/hidden_service/" and fill in your own username in place of "username". On Windows you might pick:
HiddenServiceDir C:\Users\username\Documents\tor\hidden_service HiddenServicePort 80 127.0.0.1:8080
Note that since 0.2.6, both SocksPort and HiddenServicePort support Unix sockets. This means that you can point the HiddenServicePort to a Unix socket:
HiddenServiceDir /Library/Tor/var/lib/tor/hidden_service/ HiddenServicePort 80 unix:/path/to/socket
Now save the torrc and restart your tor.
If Tor starts up again, great. Otherwise, something is wrong. First look at your logfiles for hints. It will print some warnings or error messages. That should give you an idea what went wrong. Typically there are typos in the torrc or wrong directory permissions (See the logging FAQ entry if you don't know how to enable or find your log file.)
When Tor starts, it will automatically create the HiddenServiceDir that you specified (if necessary), and it will create two files there.
- private_key
- First, Tor will generate a new public/private keypair for your onion service. It is written into a file called "private_key". Don't share this key with others -- if you do they will be able to impersonate your onion service.
- hostname
- The other file Tor will create is called "hostname". This contains a short summary of your public key -- it will look something like duskgytldkxiuqc6.onion. This is the public name for your service, and you can tell it to people, publish it on websites, put it on business cards, etc.
If Tor runs as a different user than you, for example on OS X, Debian, or Red Hat, then you may need to become root to be able to view these files.
Now that you've restarted Tor, it is busy picking introduction points in the Tor network, and generating an onion service descriptor. This is a signed list of introduction points along with the service's full public key. It anonymously publishes this descriptor to the directory servers, and other people anonymously fetch it from the directory servers when they're trying to access your service.
Try it now: paste the contents of the hostname file into your web browser. If it works, you'll get the html page you set up in step one. If it doesn't work, look in your logs for some hints, and keep playing with it until it works.
Step Three: More advanced tips
If you plan to keep your service available for a long time, you might want to make a backup copy of the private_key file somewhere.
If you want to forward multiple virtual ports for a single onion service, just add more HiddenServicePort lines. If you want to run multiple onion services from the same Tor client, just add another HiddenServiceDir line. All the following HiddenServicePort lines refer to this HiddenServiceDir line, until you add another HiddenServiceDir line:
HiddenServiceDir /usr/local/etc/tor/hidden_service/ HiddenServicePort 80 127.0.0.1:8080 HiddenServiceDir /usr/local/etc/tor/other_hidden_service/ HiddenServicePort 6667 127.0.0.1:6667 HiddenServicePort 22 127.0.0.1:22
Onion services operators need to practice proper operational security and system administration to maintain security. For some security suggestions please make sure you read over Riseup's "Tor Hidden (Onion) Services Best Practices" document. Also, here are some more anonymity issues you should keep in mind:
- As mentioned above, be careful of letting your web server reveal identifying information about you, your computer, or your location. For example, readers can probably determine whether it's thttpd or Apache, and learn something about your operating system.
- If your computer isn't online all the time, your onion service won't be either. This leaks information to an observant adversary.
- It is generally a better idea to host onion services on a Tor client rather than a Tor relay, since relay uptime and other properties are publicly visible.
- The longer an onion service is online, the higher the risk that its location is discovered. The most prominent attacks are building a profile of the onion service's availability and matching induced traffic patterns.
Another common issue is whether to use HTTPS on your relay or not. Have a look at this post on the Tor Blog to learn more about these issues.
Finally, feel free to use the [tor-onions] mailing list to discuss the secure administration and operation of Tor onion services.


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August 25, 2011, 9:06 am
Prep notebook: Fort Collins holding 15-team softball tournament
Hoping to spotlight high school softball, the sixth-annual Triple Crown High School Invitational is Sept. 2-3, with 15 teams making up the field.
Games will be played at all four Fort Collins high schools, as well as the Triple Crown Softball Complex.
"The High School Invitational is a great opportunity for the four Fort Collins High Schools to showcase their facilities and their talents," Triple Crown Event Director Bill Pilcher said.


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jeffro necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 41 diseños de 14 diseñadores freelance.
Look to Give
Look To Give is a new search engine that enables not for profit (NFPs) organizations to turn their supporters Internet searching behavior into donations. Look To Give is a next generation search engine that NFPs support base sign up to and use, and in doing so, generate revenue for the NFP.
Our goals are:
To help NFPs raise funds to support their charitable works.
To enable NFPs to gain incremental revenue opportunities from their support base
To provide an extraordinary search experience for users so they retain and recommend the Look to Give search engine.
The audience we are seeking is quite broad, from NFP career professionals to volunteers in smaller NFP organisations.
The design needs to appeal to:
1. Fundraising managers, senior management and program decision makers in Not For Profit organisations.
2. Internet Search Engine users.
This is a 100% online brand as such the logo design needs to be highly suited to a web based visual environment.
The design must communicate professionalism, technical savvy combined with themes of altruism, fundraising and a personal touch (i.e. not too corporate.) Think Google, Yahoo, Bing meets Green Peace, Medicine San Frontiers and The Wilderness Society.
The logo should visually represent the value that the service offers. Firstly it is a quick, easy and painless way for NFPs to raise funds. Secondly, for supporters they are able to raise funds for causes they believe in simply by adopting a new search engine.
Look To Give and Look 2 Give (please supply both options)
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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There's nothing better than the feeling of a great neighborhood. Whether it's a Sunday stroll along the water, a walk in the park, a place where the kids can be on their own, or coffee at a neighborhood café it's what makes your life complete.
Rhode Island is made up of 39 cities and towns and well over 400 villages and neighborhoods, each with their own special qualities, amenities and styles.
At Residential Properties, we understand this and our agents and their families are integral parts of their communities. It's just one of the things that makes us different.


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We all know that Martin Luther King Jr. was a pivotal figure in the civil rights movement. Most of us know about his work as a pastor and his roles with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). We know he had a dream, and worked tirelessly to make that dream a reality before being assassinated in 1968. But along with the wealth of details that we do know, there are just as many intriguing details that may have sneaked by. So on the 48th anniversary of his assassination, let's honor him with some lesser-known fascinating facts.
1. He was born Michael King Jr. after his father, Michael King Sr., but the senior King changed their names to Martin Luther King Sr. and Jr. when Martin Jr. was about 5 years old. By some accounts, King Sr. said that his real name was Martin Luther, but that his mother called him Michael and he didn't know; when he found out, he changed both the names.
2. The younger King was one out of only 11 African-American students in 1948 at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania; in his third year there, he was elected class president. He graduated with honors as class valedictorian.
3. In 1963, he became was the first African-American to be named Time magazine's Man of the Year.
4. At the age of 35, he became the youngest man to have been honored with the Nobel Peace Prize. He donated the prize money of $54,123 to benefit the civil rights movement.
5. Between 1957 and 1968, he traveled more than 6 million miles and spoke at more than 2,500 events.
6. He was arrested 30 times and was awarded at least 50 honorary degrees from colleges and universities.
7. There are more than 900 streets named after him in the United States — and the number continues to grow.
8. In 1968, the first legislation was introduced by U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan to make King's birthday a federal holiday. The bill was finally turned into law in November 1983 and the first official holiday was observed on the third Monday of January in 1986.
9. King is the only non-president to have a national holiday in his name, and is the only non-president with a memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
10. In 1994, Congress designated Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service, which is led by Corporation for National and Community Service. It is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a "day on, not a day off." (To find a local project for which to volunteer, visit the MLKday.gov website or try one of these ideas.)
Bonus: The famous "I have a dream" section of the monumental "I Have a Dream" speech was unscripted; although he had used the phrase before and wanted to include it, an advisor suggested that he leave it out of the speech for this occasion. Fortunately, he went with it. Watch him deliver the historic speech in the video below:


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Last week, I took my 65-year-old mother into the DMV to get her new Virginia driver's license. Having just moved to Virginia from Pennsylvania, she fully expected to undergo vision, hearing, and driving tests in order to get her new accreditation. But much to our mutual surprise, she had only to take a quick one-line vision test before she was given her new license. A license that she does not need to renew for another eight years.
"I'll be 73 by then," my mom said in surprise, "Wouldn't you think they would want to check out my driving a few times between now and then?" I was pretty shocked, too. And it made me realize that when the time does come to take away my mom's keys, it's going to come from me, and not from the DMV.
A story on NPR yesterday, When Should Seniors Hang Up Their Car Keys?, had my full attention, and it prompted me to do a little research on how and when adult kids should ask their parents to stop driving. Here are the signs to look for when evaluating whether or not it's time to ask your parents to hand over their keys:
Minor fender benders and/or traffic citations
Getting lost frequently, even while driving on familiar roads
Drifting into other lanes or driving erratically
Trouble reading street signs or navigating directions
If you do decide to ask your parents to stop driving, make sure you also have some alternatives to offer so that your parents don't feel stuck or helpless. Offer to do the driving yourself or hire a responsible neighbor or friend to be on call for shopping trips and doctor appointments. Most importantly, tap into a little empathy and try to imagine what this might feel like for your parents. Don't accuse them of wrongdoing, just let them know that you're doing this because you love them and don't want them to get hurt or hurt other people.
Have you ever had to ask your parents to stop driving? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.


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Feather Black & White II - Art Print
Purchase 2 or more prints, get 10% off your order*
*Per customer & address. Enter code TENOFF at checkout.
About Our Prints
On trend. Unique. Quality Prints.
All our art is designed in our Sydney studio, and commercially printed on high quality stock using anti-fade inks. Create effortless style in your home with our beautiful prints. We have 3 options to choose from:
Art Paper which is 240 gsm matte paper, and comes to you unframed.
Stretched Canvas which is printed on canvas and wrapped around a frame.
Framed Canvas which is the same as our stretched canvas above, with an added frame on the outside to give it a gorgeous finish. Frame colours available are White, Black and Birch.
We offer free shipping to Australia. International shipping is also available.
Each artwork is freshly made for you once your order is placed. As each piece is printed on demand, please allow up to 10 business days for us to make your beautiful artwork. Shipping times will vary depending on your location, please see shipping link below for further information.
** USA Customers, your sizes marked in blue in the last photo.
Further Information
Shipping & Handling (Australia & International)
Returns, Refunds & Exchanges
All artworks are intellectual property and copyright protected. Artwork may not be downloaded or reproduced at any time without our prior written consent. Please feel free to contact us at email@example.com for any questions or order enquiries.


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These games teach valuable skills and have a high fun and educational rating.
Your child gains stronger qualitative research skills by assessing and finding various pieces of information in a mystery.
Your child develops refined writing skills by learning about paragraphs and applying the knowledge they gain in a fun game.
Your child learns how to make instructions effective as they help write a user guide for a Big Babies buggy.
Your child develops writing and reading skills as they learn about the structure of different poems.
Your child learns how to write stories by doing this activity.
Your child develops writing skills by creating their own acrostic poem.
Your child improves writing by choosing the correct sequence of concepts in writing a story.
Your child develops organization and strategic thinking by sequencing the correct order of creating a book report.
Your child improves writing by using facts to create a paper.
Zoodles 11.6.1 Copyright (c) 2014 Inquisitive Minds, Inc. All rights reserved.


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... continued from the previous page.
4. Applying Gradients :
Now select each section of the box and put in a red gradient. Use the Gradient Tool to direct where the light source is. For the Cover of the box use the second Gradient colours shown in this full size enlargement of the dialogs.
Note the white lines with dots at each end indicate the click-drag-release action of applying the gradients. The large dot indicates the start click.
5. Drawing Edges : Using the Line Tool draw 3 White Lines (2 pt) on the corners of the box.
NEXT: we'll build the ribbons and wrap them around the boxes ...
... continues on the next page!


text: Making a world of differencePalmer's Clinic Abroad Program brings chiropractic care to those in needWinter/Spring 2008 Home article > a message from Dr. Burt In the previous issue of Insights, we invited our readers to complete an Alumni Profile to help the Alumni Office serve you better. The response has been amazing. Currently we're determining the best fit for those who've expressed an interest in lending their expertise to the new alumni association— whether as one of the association's directors or in one of its advisory groups. If you haven't yet completed an Alumni Profile form, I encourage you to fill out one by logging onto the Alumni section of www.palmer.edu and clicking on "Getting Involved." To submit a form by mail, simply call (800) 722-2586, Ext. 3. Input from these forms and the comments shared with the Alumni Office on our road trips allow us to stay tuned in to our alumni's needs. Palmer's Continuing Education cruise, for example, was developed to help alumni earn continuing education hours and have fun at the same time. In the same way, Palmer's Center for Business Development was created in response to the desire of recent graduates—and current students—to obtain important business skills. Join us March 28-29 in Lyceum Hall on the Davenport Campus as the Center holds its second Palmer Destination Success—A Journey From Within. The event also marks the opening of the Center's new office on the Davenport Campus. Giving our students the opportunity to gain the most advanced academic, clinical and business skills takes a lot of hard work. But it reminds me of a prospective student who recently asked me if the classes at Palmer were hard. "Absolutely," I told him. "There's a tremendous amount of information that you're going to have to learn. People's lives are in your hands." Perhaps no one understood that better than Dr. David Palmer. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, David did the groundwork that would make it possible for Palmer College to become the first chiropractic college anywhere to gain academic accreditation. His quiet determination also allowed the discoveries made by D.D. and B.J. to gain the credibility they deserved and for chiropractic to enjoy even broader acceptance. In this issue's cover story, you'll learn how Palmer College continues to extend the reach of chiropractic through its Clinic Abroad Program. Three times a year, the program allows Palmer students, alumni and faculty to bring free chiropractic care to people in the developing world who would not normally have access to it. As we prepare our students to become the best chiropractors in the world, it's gratifying to see that with programs like Clinic Abroad, we're educating many others on the benefits of chiropractic along the way. article >


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Back in 1973, a well-traveled dog lover named Richard Peck made it his business — and his life's work — to protect pets from danger, while allowing them to enjoy their independence. Working with the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and Battelle Laboratories, he patented a groundbreaking invention: the world's first electronic dog fence system.
His concern for the wellbeing of pets (and their owners) would grow to become Invisible Fence® Brand — the leader in the pet containment industry. Now, more than 40 years later, Invisible Fence has protected more than 2 million pets worldwide. And we've stayed true to his vision, throughout.
Explore our history
We love pets. But we also love people — especially our dealers. After all, they're the main reason Invisible Fence has helped so families change the way they live with their pets. Our pet care professionals provide more than expert installation; they also deliver scientifically-based pet training, and offer ongoing support and service. Most of all, they're ready to find the right Invisible Fence solution to keep your furry family members in fine form (and out of the doghouse).
Here at Invisible Fence, we actively support causes that save pets' lives. Our special Project Breathe™ program donates lifesaving pet oxygen masks to fire departments across the country. And our dealers work with local shelters and dozens of other animal welfare causes to provide the best life possible to four-legged friends who need our help. After all, we're passionate about protecting pets. Because it's not just a job; it's a way of life.
At Invisible Fence Brand of Seattle we're passionate about protecting pets — so you can focus on fun! So, let's talk. And we'll find the gentle, effective, affordable solution that's right for you and your pet. Guaranteed.


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Search results
August 2011 - The Human Rights Project aims to provide time limited support to MCSCS in its ongoing initiatives aimed at identifying and eliminating any possible discrimination in the employment of MCSCS employees and in the delivery of services by MCSCS. This Project Charter details the agreed upon relationship to be established between the three parties to fulfill these aims.
Human Rights 101 eLearning GOES LIVE on June 8, 2010!
Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission is launching Human Rights 101, the first in a series of eLearning modules on human rights. Developed with assistance from the New Media Studies Program at the University of Toronto Scarborough and input from community stakeholders, Human Rights 101 users will be able to learn about human rights information from anywhere they have internet access. Created to be accessible to a wide range of users, students, office or factory workers, employers or those new to Canada will be able to get information on human rights history, principles, legislation and policies at the click of a button any time of the day.
Letter to Associate Minister Dunlop on the Child Welfare System Consultation
I am writing on behalf of the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) with regard to the government's public consultation into Ontario's child welfare system.


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Free summer camp stays are being offered to children from families hit by Superstorm Sandy in New York and New Jersey.
The American Camp Association is offering hundreds of scholarships to over 90 day and sleep-over camps.
The association's "Heal the Children" program was created after the 2001 terrorist attacks to provide summer camp scholarships for affected families.
Families struck by Sandy are eligible if they have a combined household income of $90,000 or less, lost their primary residence for 90 days, or if their income was cut in half.
Families should contact the American Camp Association through its website or by calling (212) 391-5208.
Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver promoted the scholarships in a rare shared press conference Tuesday.


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Political positions · Electoral history
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. (pronunciation: /ˈdʒoʊzɪf rɒbɪˈnɛt ˈbaɪdən/; born November 20, 1942) is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama. He was a United States Senator from Delaware from January 3, 1973 until his resignation on January 15, 2009, following his election to the Vice Presidency.
Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania and lived there for ten years before moving to Delaware. He became an attorney in 1969, and was elected to a county council in 1970. Biden was first elected to the Senate in 1972 and became the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history. He was re-elected to the Senate six times, was the fourth most senior senator at the time of his resignation, and is the 14th-longest serving Senator in history. Biden was a long-time member and former chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. His strong advocacy helped bring about U.S. military assistance and intervention during the Bosnian War. He opposed the Gulf War in 1991. He voted in favor of the Iraq War Resolution in 2002, but later proposed resolutions to alter U.S. strategy there. He has also served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, dealing with issues related to drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties, and led creation of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act and Violence Against Women Act. He chaired the Judiciary Committee during the contentious U.S. Supreme Court nominations of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas.


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Sample of Paris life at 19th century shopping arcades
It's impossible to know if the Parisians who designed and built the Passage des Panoramas, a labyrinth-like temple of commerce with iron-and-glass vaulted ceilings and neoclassic arches, foresaw the possibility that it would still be in use two centuries later.
Or that they might be held accountable for the Mall of America.
It's more probable that they saw the value, and profit, in a place for a good long stroll among the necessities, luxuries and diversions of everyday life. A low-key pocket in the unending bustle that is Paris.
Which is how I came to be standing at the entrance to a great-great-grandpapa of modern shopping malls, seeking out Paris, not in its monuments or museums but in the remaining handful of narrow covered passages where Parisians have lurked, laughed, loved and browsed for centuries.
In an epic city that dares first-time visitors to try to do it all, I had to wonder if it's possible to find a broader, less overwhelming Paris in some largely overlooked 19th century arcades.
Light, naturally
The idea was sound. City planners in the late 18th century developed covered pedestrian arcades for shopping as an escape from foul weather - and an alternative to foul streets that at the time had too many horses, too few sidewalks and too much sewage in a city with nonfunctioning sanitation. Of the 150 to 200 passages (depending on whom you ask), about 20 or so remain. They fell out of novelty and favor, especially after the city's move toward grand boulevards later in century, and most were demolished or reused.
While not exactly secret, half the experience, apparently, is finding the covered passages. If there are signs pointing to Passage Jouffroy or Galerie Colbert (the way they do to the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre), I didn't see them.
The passages also are lesser known in part because most are in the portions of Paris' 2nd, 9th and 10th arrondissements that hold few other attractions for tourists. As when they were built, they tend to be populated mostly by Parisians seeking refuge from the weather or the bustle of the street.
Preserved passage
Despite the rows of faux-marble columns, the fashionable storefronts, sculptures of goddesses and the elegant glass canopy, the first inclination when entering Galerie Vivienne is to look down.
With the exception of the granite steps that have been worn inches shorter by 190 years of pedestrian traffic, the floor was wall-to-wall neoclassical mosaic designed by Italian artist Giandomenico Facchina in the mid-1800s. For a moment, it seemed wrong to be walking over it, akin to using a van Gogh as a doormat.
Built in 1823, Galerie Vivienne is among the most-refined and best-preserved passages - and the most likely to still appeal to the pre-Revolution residents of the nearby Palais-Royal. Along with a half-dozen interior design shops, a watchmaker, the tony Bistrot Vivienne and a photo gallery are fashionable pret-a-porter boutiques, including shops for Yuki Torii and Jean Paul Gaultier.
At the point where Galerie Vivienne turns left, however, is the longest tenant - Librairie Jousseaume, an antique bookstore that opened to the public about the same time as the passage itself (and possibly before a few of the antique books were written). Inside the hotel-room-size shop, it seemed oddly dim, as though the thousands of volumes were absorbing the light from outmatched fixtures. Every flat surface was stacked with tomes in all sizes, some bound in covers that looked thick enough to stop bullets, leaving separate narrow, winding passages from the door to shelves on the other side and to a bearded man behind a desk stacked a foot deep in periodicals.
I wanted to run my fingers over the red leather binding of a collection by Victor Hugo (possibly printed while the author was still writing), but considered that, like fine art, it was better to look than touch.
The similarly upscale Galerie Colbert runs a parallel L-shaped course next to Galerie Vivienne, but is home to exhibitions, university annexes and a back door to restaurant Le Grand Colbert, a chi-chi brasserie with film credits in the 2003 Jack Nicholson flick "Something's Gotta Give."
People's gallery
While the passages might be the ancestors of modern commercial malls, any family resemblance between the plate of duck confit and frites in front of me and Hot Dog on a Stick is purely coincidental. I had set aside the day just for hunting passages and, after walking from the Latin Quarter and crisscrossing the 2nd Arrondissement untold times, I welcomed the variety of cuisine and the opportunity to relax and Parisian-watch in Passage des Panoramas.
Built in 1799 (rebuilt, revamped and restored many times since), Passage des Panoramas is the oldest remaining arcade, as well as the first building in Paris equipped for gas lighting. It rests on the site of the former Hotel de Montmorency-Luxembourg, and was named for two enormous panoramas inside rotundas that were torn down in 1831.
If each passage represents a different side of Paris life, Panoramas and the connected galleries (Varietes, Feydeau and Saint-Marc) are about average, working locals. And philatelists.
The shops here lean toward small business: affordable clothes, accessories, artist studios and galleries, hairdressers and (since the early days) a critical mass of shops for stamp and postcard collectors. Had I not been hungry, I would have sifted through the bins of antique postcards for hours - one labeled "France," the other "France: Guerre." War.
Toward the end of the lunch rush (possibly an oxymoron in Paris), I took a table at Bistrot des Panoramas that had been placed in front of a stamp shop. The waiter said that when neighboring shops are closed, the restaurants use the space, further filling up an arcade walkway that is little more than 10 feet wide. If there were other tourists in the mostly business and casual lunch crowd, I didn't notice them.
The passage also is the poster child for the romance of early shopping arcades, something that French author Emile Zola used repeatedly in the short story "Nana," about a young Paris prostitute in 1867 who becomes a stage performer. "She adored the Passage des Panoramas. The tinsel of the 'Article de Paris,' the false jewelry, the gilded zinc, the cardboard made to look like leather, had been the passion of her early youth," Zola wrote. "It remained, and when she passed the shop-windows she could not tear herself away from them."
Walking the line
By design, Passage Jouffroy and Passage Verdeau continue the same line as Panoramas. You can stroll a quarter mile through Paris, from the 2nd Arrondissement to the 9th, and only step into the open twice, to cross Boulevard Montmartre and Rue de la Grange Bateliere.
Built in 1846 to dovetail on the popularity of Panoramas, Jouffroy is mentioned in the 1852 "Illustrated Guide to Paris" listing of passages as "one of the most frequented in Paris."
It felt more lively and seemed to hold the promise of low-key entertainment. Some of that has to do with the Musee Grevin next door, a wax museum that opened in 1882 and exits into the covered passage, as well as hanging shop signs that range from traditional to the bizarre.
It appeared there were more out-of-towners, but the bulk of the drifting crowd were young couples with book bags, escaped office workers, pairs of women browsing, older couples with small dogs. Few of the cliches from the tourist bistros on the Left Bank seemed to apply here.
Much of the rest of the 460-foot-long passage is a melange of photo galeries, a bakery, small cafes, antique vendors, bookstores, a confectionary, one shop devoted to walking canes and another devoted to dollhouse accessories and miniatures and, at a curious jog in the passage, the front door to the Hotel Chopin. The hotel, with surprisingly inexpensive rooms that run from tiny to tinier, opened in 1846 as one of the first tenants.
I continued to the far end of Jouffroy and across the street to Passage Verdeau, where the architecture and design are essentially the same, but the businesses seemed smaller, more temporary, quirkier and, in general, fewer.
A glass of Bordeaux at the contemporary Le Stube restaurant seemed well timed, but workers already were closing up in late afternoon.
Old frame, new art
More so than any other covered arcade, Passage du Grand Cerf (Big Deer Passage) gives the impression of the height, design and grandeur of a European train station - but without the width of even a single platform. Grand Cerf is the only covered passage left constructed just of iron and glass (gilded in dark woods), reflecting the more industrial nature of the Saint-Denis district, which in the 1830s was filled with small factories and workshops. At 40 feet, it's also the tallest of the arcades, increasing the train station illusion.
These days the passage is modern art inside an antique frame. Art workshops, design shops and studios line each side, as well as what seemed like a few sole-owner shops with artisan goods - soaps, clothing, accessories - as if the passage is an incubator for independent small businesses. Even the wine bar at the entrance, Le Pas Sage, offers a hip urban vibe.
From Grand Cerf, I exited onto Rue Saint-Denis, one of the oldest streets in Paris, laid out by the Romans in the first century. (While the Romans were a lusty bunch, it's doubtful they could have foreseen the number of sex shops and strip clubs today.)
Hooked in a loop
Just past Rue du Caire is Passage du Caire, but instead of Old World architecture and shops made for browsing, I found windows full of naked mannequins.
While Passage du Caire probably is least useful to travelers - the shops are wholesale only - it still reveals a side of Paris, the Sentier neighborhood, known both past and present for the textile and clothing industry. The passage strewn with garment racks and shipping boxes is not as complex as an Egyptian bazaar (Caire is French for Cairo, named at a time of Egypt obsession), but I still managed to get lost in a triangular loop of garment and fabric shops.
What Passage du Caire lacks in classic beauty, is in part offset by the new-ish, artsy Hotel Edgar, a boutique property with just 12 rooms, each designed by a different artist. It seemed like a clear nod, both to the local heritage and to the future.
Currying flavor
The trail led up Rue Saint-Denis, past the hulking Port Saint-Denis monument at Boulevard Saint-Denis and up Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis (all named for a guy whose miracle was carrying around his own head for a while after it was chopped off).
After only a cursory look at Passage du Prado (remarkable only for being shorter than other covered arcades), eventually I found the well-worn entrance to Passage Brady. My initial skepticism from the physical appearance - crumbling architecture, loose plywood flooring, blue tarps - gave way to astonishment once the aroma hit me. As the passage opened up, I were flanked by restaurants - Palais des Rajpout, Jardin de l'Inde, New Calcutta, La Reine du Kashmir.
Passage Brady, it turned out, is an unofficial Little India, a colorful collection of restaurants, flower vendors, sari shops and convenience stores reflecting the growing Indian, Kashmiri and Pakistani communities in Paris. Also in the two-block passage were hairdressers, spice shops and one costume vendor with a full-size yellow bunny outfit in the window.
Soaking in Brady's curry-infused air, it seemed the term "passage" didn't really apply, at least not philosophically. Our experience had not been a tunnel that takes you from one place to another, but of the passage as the destination itself. Passage Brady was our last stop, and Little India was a last petit bite that seemed to round out the experience. I was far from having tasted all of Paris.
It had been a great meal, just the same.
Other passages
Passage des L'Industries, 41 rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin, 10th, Strasbourg - Saint-Denis metro stop.
Passage de Choiseul, 40-42 rue des Petit Champs, 2nd, Quartre-Septembre metro stop.
Passage Moliere, 161 rue Saint Martin, 3rd, Rambuteau metro stop.
Passage du Ponceau, 243-245 rue Saint-Denis, 2nd, Reaumur-Sebastopol metro stop.
If you go
Getting there
The covered passages described here are in the 2nd, 9th and 10th arrondissements.
Where to stay
Hotel Chopin: 10 Blvd. Montmartre, (46 Passage Jouffroy), +33 1 47 70 58 10, www.hotelchopin.fr. Rates start at $120 per night.
Hotel Edgar: 31 rue d'Alexandrie, +33(0)1 40 41 05 19, www.edgarparis.com. Also a chic restaurant on the property. Rates start at $212 per night.
Historic Rentals: (800) 537-5408, www.historicrentals.com. Boutique vacation rental firm with private apartments on both sides of the Seine, including one about 10 minutes walk from Passage du Grand Cerf. Weekly rates only, starting at $995.
Where to eat
Bistrot des Panoramas: 10 Passage des Panoramas, +33 01 40 26 76 10. Entrees starting at $10.
Bistrot Vivienne: 4, rue des Petits Champs, +33 01 49 27 00 50, www.bistrotvivienne.com. Next to Galerie Vivienne. Entrees: $22-$41.
Le Passage de Pondichery: 87 Passage Brady, +33 1 53 34 63 10, (page on Facebook). Lunch and dinner. Entrees start under $9.
More information
Official Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau: http://en.parisinfo.com.
Spud Hilton is the editor of The San Francisco Chronicle's Travel section. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Twitter: @spudhilton


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224: Behind the Counter at GameStop
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Behind the Counter at GameStop
Ever since he was a young boy, Jason Fanelli had a dream: to sell games at a specialty retailer like GameStop. Over a decade later, that dream finally became a reality. But would actually working behind the counter live up to his expectations?
I've always gone to my local EB Games and gotten whatever new title had cought my eye. But, they stoped being interested in PC games after gamestop bought them out. And i've heared lots of negativity about gamestop. I still go in there to get my new games but, I seem to have lost my respect for the store. Sorry, to sound like a PC Gaming elitist but, its the only platform that I actually have any good games on.
It seems that It'd be great to work there for keeping up to date on whats happening, but how do you deal with the anti-gaming mothers and the whiny little kids? (My friends sister works at the game section of Futureshop) just curious to see if you have any funny stories about that.
I can't help but feel like having to work selling games and know all about them regardless of whether or not I've played them like that would have quite a negative effect on my personal gaming.
I'm also surprised by the lack of mention about grievances provided by a lot of gamespot employees (see Zero Originality).
This article was kind of a slope toward disappointment. The title seemed interesting enough. I used to work at a Gamestop a few years ago during a break between undergrad and law school. When I saw it was by an acting manager, I figured it might be a little slanted, but hey, there's plenty of anti-gamestop stuff out there already so let's hear both sides.
It ended up being cloyingly naive and one-sided. Someone really expected working at a store that sells games would somehow plug them into the "industry"? Come on. Working at Blockbuster doesn't plug you into the film industry, and essentially Gamestop cycles games through almost as many hands as a rental store (at least they hope to).
All in all, it would have been more interesting to hear someone who actively wanted (and still seems to want) to be a part of a much-reviled company say something to address the critics. If the writer is so upbeat, I don't want to force him to look at the company's dirty laundry, but he has to be aware of it. And I think someone so keen on the job might have an interesting perspective.
Oh well, not this time.
While I don't work for GameStop, I can tell you as a retailer myself that knowing everything about games is something I'd be doing even if I wasn't. In fact, I was doing all this, reading articles and magazines, consuming news voraciously, all of that I was doing before I got my job. And it's why how I'm a retailer now: it was my step in the door!
The only negative impact it's had on me is that I don't enjoy my time as a customer in a game store like I used to. I could spend hours in EBGames (back when they were called Electronics Boutique, I tell you!), just browsing, or maybe talking to the employees there if it was quiet. Now, I know the library of any standard game retailer back to front with a glance. I know all the new titles, what they're like, what people're buying, and what they're scorning.
And that provides some very interesting insights. Wii is well and truly -king-, in terms of numbers sold. Sports games have some seriously hardcore fans, and will absolutely turn a profit. Used games... they're not just good moneymakers, they're crucial to a retailer's success. These are things I might have disagreed with, or outright disbelieved, had I not worked where I do. I can also tell you that the population of gamers on The Escapist is -nothing- like the total gaming demographic, since Wii and DS rocked up.
What hasn't changed, and I don't see it changing anytime soon, is my love of gaming, and even moreso, my love of games. Knowing who made what, what companies just merged together or split, knowing -how- a game works doesn't detract; it enhances. But most importantly, games are still engines designed for FUN! And I get that out of them in spades, for so many reasons.
Jason, you wrote a great article. Gaming isn't my hobby, it's my life. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
how do you feel about having to sell disc doctors and push preorders?
Nice Article Jason. I had wanted to get a job at an EB back in the day, but the EB by me always had a long list of people waiting for a job there. Still I have spent many afternoons and evenings talking about games and helping various Mom's and Dad's pick out the best games for their kids.
I'm just left wondering how much the Escapist was paid for this article.
I hope it was a good chunk of change.
The crowds at game conventions are already a deterrent, Add a legion of fruitcakes who work at Gamestop and it'll be like Idiocracy. They should just open up their own little convention as suggested; unless of course those meetings are really Bilderberg like conclaves where they figure out new ways of ripping off gamers. Then I can see why they wouldn't want their minimum wage grunts know how much money the company is really pulling in.
The employees tend to be great at Gamestop. It's the executives who are clueless about gaming.
Yeah, but he didn't even tell us if he has "Battletoads" for the Wii.
I'm not sure I'd go that far, but it is disappointing that they thought a virtually contentless article that reads like a PR release from Gamestop was a good idea. I tend to find that poor judgment is a better and more common explanation for things than genuine treachery.
wow, my roommate and i bought risen from you last week :) small world
I'll admit this article sounded like a recruitment advert for Gamestop. Yet nothing was mentioned about giving a total pittance to the gamers who try to trade in used games. Which is not a nice way to treat "the people who keep gaming alive" as the article would have us believe.
I don't mind the store taking home a profit - that's capitalism for you. But when they rip the customers off like that is nothing short of insulting. But sadly, as the gamers do choose to trade with Gamestop - nothing can be done about it because it's all done willingly.
There is an alternative to this in the form of selling your games online - but that's no guaranty that you'll get a sale. But if you do, you'll get far more money for your game. (And sweet FA if you don't.)
I guess the equation all boils down to:
Gamestop will definitely give you something for your games - a pittance and convenience.
Gamestop would probably receive far more trade-ins if they didn't give such a pittance to the gamer for them.
Yay! What a nice thing to see! As an Eb Games / GameStop AssMan myself its awesome to see another write out just how Neat it really is to be on the other side of the counter!
I noticed that there were no children in ovens, no burning effigys, torturous screams from the back room, Subtle red horns growning from the forehead, etc..
Yay! I too am envyous of the vendor show. To not only go to a semi-personalized 'e3' for Eb/Gamestop managers, but to be wined and dined by the big three and more also seems very tantalizing! I cant wait till I get to bring home my own swag box to pass around to the kids at my store :)
Its a dirty job, but hey... I get to do it, you other schmucks can wait your turn :)
Don't get me wrong, I don't resent the escapist for taking kickbacks (if that's what was involved here) for publishing some questionable credible articles. I'm just saying that I hope that if that was the case, they made a lot of money.
That and I Hate Gamestop. As a consumer I generally don't like the price gouging or the pre-order scam, but it's the morons who work there that prevent me from shopping there anymore.
I read to the part where it said "Halo and Madden".
This post is so enthusiastic that I really want it to be sarcastic, but I'm pretty sure it isn't. I'm really surprised that the "wow I work at a game store" euphoria persists for more than a couple week in the face of the reality of retail hell.
I guess I'm glad someone is doing these "dirty jobs". Then again, there's literally a gamestop every couple of blocks, so I could probably do without most of them. As for us "other schmucks", I can't speak for anyone but myself, but the year I took off before grad school working at a Gamestop made me enthusiastic. Not about Gamestop like this guy, but about going back and getting a real job before I got stuck into the sort of complacency that I see far too many people trapped in.
Well, Thank you Eudaemonian. Since the world has to many lawers already, I have chosen (yes 'Chosen') employment in retail. And it doesnt hurt or anything either:) Cheers to chosen career paths!
If you enjoy it, more power to you, but what do you say to all the criticisms of the company that are literally everywhere on the internet? Do you think they're false? Do you just not care?
We didn't get to hear this in Jason's article, but you seem just as hyped about your job, so maybe you can add some insight here.
I have a hard time understanding why someone would enjoy a demanding, low-pay job working for a company that's arguably hurting the industry that they care about. If you really do enjoy it, then fine. You don't have to explain it to me or anyone else. But when you call everyone else schmucks and assume they would want your job, I think that suggests you would be willing to explain why.
Ah, and yes, the world does have enough lawyers in aggregate, evidenced by layoffs in New York, but as it turns out my neck of the woods could use at least one more.
This would be an easy job for me, as I'm enthusiastic about gaming.I also think i'm good with people, which would endlessly help.
I have a sudden urge to buy my games from this Jason fellow!
This is something that needs to be addressed ASAP, because the thinking behind consumer buying could be swayed away from the store if its an excellent game made by a third party with solid game development history, if only to not be bought on impulse buy because of the big evil publisher that market the game with their big evil publishing ways (like giving a third party lots of money to make the game, the dirtbags).... which until 18 months ago was EA.
Sometime I wonder whether I make any sense at all.
I always wanted a job around video games but unfortunately I think it would water down my view on games and that's pretty bad if that happens. In Australia I'd love to have guys like Jason run EB Games store because everyone who works at the ones here need the computer to tell them everything, probably to urinate too lol.
An interesting read, however, I don't understand how some people can be that interested in retail.
In relation to the comments about Gamestop / EB Games giving a pittance to gamers for their used games...
I will admit that I don't know what the retail situation is like in the US. (I'm Canadian)
Oh man, I know almost exactly how this guy feels. I worked at GameStop for awhile, as a seasonal hire and it was a great experience but he brings up some good points. It really does take away from your gaming time, all the while adding to your broad knowledge of games as a whole. He mentions finding out about games/series by other employees - I've experience that too. I would've never known what the hell Fatal Frame or Katamari were if my (then) manager hadn't have said, "Hey, check this out!"
Behind the scenes, when no one's in the store, it's still busy for GameStop employees... "gutting" & price tagging all of the used games, making sure that everything is in alphabetical order in their respective areas (I really hate you people who pulled a game case up to look at it just to set it down wherever is most convenient instead of putting it back where you got it). All the while, you gotta be on your feet and ready to help someone the moment they walk in the door.
While I enjoyed the rewarding experience of working at GameStop like the author, for me it was a limited time experience.
I will try to offer some insite, and thank you for asking Eudaemonian.
To start, I appologize to anyone who may have taken the 'Schmucks' comment on a serious note, my intentions were certainly meant in a much more playful way.
To explain a little bit about my enthusiasm to work in retail, I enjoy being around people. The nice thing about Eb/GameStop, is that many of its patrons have a certain level of working cognative thinking that can be as entertaining as it is informative. This doesnt hold true for all cases, however; it makes a day go by nicely. After all, our industry is about entertainment:)
On the subject of Eb/GameStop as a big retailer as a whole, I dont always agree with every decision that comes down the pipe, however I do understand them. During my time with Eb/Gamestop I have learned that although a Utpic idea of its place in the world market might include Higher trade in values, or for some idealists, no pre-owned program at all, Eb/GameStop does try to be fair across the board. They have Customers on the frontline, Publishers and vendors who want thier products to be purchased and enjoyed by those customers, and shareholders who would also like thier own return on thier investments.
Its a never ending balancing act. I would have to say that I love the idea that the company is very community driven. I would gander that about 70%-85% (not fact checked) of the used games selection at an Eb/Gamestop is from the local consumer base... you (possibly) and your neighbors. Its like a hub of local gamers itching to try out the latest greatest, to the moldy oldie classics that can only be found used, as they are no longer published.
Eb/Gamestop carries Librarys upon volumes of entertainment, stories, information, hard work, and hard fun. Its mesmerizing just how much content is waiting to be enjoyed and devoured by those who want it. I see it much like a used record or book store, its a thrill because everything a gamer might be passionate about may verywell be sitting patiently for them to take home and enjoy.
I also Love the preowned program for more than just availablity of hard to find games. It offers the consumer a chance to resell a property (even if its more like an end user license) equally with others.
Thanks again for asking, and I hope this post offers some insite as to why I (and others) might find joy in working frontline retail in the Games industry :)
this^ oh, and those little plastic disk covers that were supposed to be put on while the game was INSIDE THE CONSOLE.
Though to be fair, EB Games did have the only copy of Metal Gear Solid 3: Subs., too bad I found out later that the online portion had shutdown for MGO.
also, I like the EB Games/Gamestop covers for games they don't have the original cases for.
Same here. That's how I found out about the Escapist.
On a related note to this article, people signed up applications for playing games there when in fact that game retail is only there to SELL. Irregardless if any product functions decently, they are here to sell. That's why most people who go to gamestop are people who has no knowledge of gaming. At other times, GameStop employees aren't even gamers at all.
No offense, but that doesn't really answer my question. Why would an increase in market share cause a company to become anything but more ruthless?
I understand that a Gamestop store may collect gamers together to some extent, but I don't think we can really give the company much credit for that. It's a side effect, and not one they would much care about if it cost them a penny.
There's all this talk about the industry, and you can certainly get informed about games by working in a games store, but I think references to "the games industry" are erroneous. You are in the retail sales industry. Gamestop employees have much more in common with retail employees selling different products than they are, and indeed more in common with used car salesmen and pawnbrokers, than they do with anyone genuinely involved in "the games industry." As people have pointed out, and in my personal experience, sales skills are what are valued in a "Game Advisor" more than anything else. Game knowledge is useful if it can be presented convincingly and selectively, but BS Gaming Nonsense seemed to work just as well for the buxom Asst. Manager I worked with. Her numbers were good and no one cared that she couldn't tell Final Fantasy from Final Fight (or even put them in alphabetical order correctly).
GameStop doesn't make money by being friendly, gathering gamers together into a community, and providing useful information. It's a company. It's out to make money for its shareholders. I don't fault it for that, but I fault anyone who views it as something more favorably than a money machine. There are better stores, there are good employees, there are compassionate managers, but the machinery as a whole is designed to get people to pay money in advance for games (functionally an interest-free loan to the store), sell games for far less than they are worth (almost always in store credit), and buy used games in dubious condition for more than they could be acquired elsewhere.
It's quite good at what it does. You can't blame businesses for making money, but you can be a smart consumer and choose what's best for you, just like the business chooses what's best for itself. I couldn't put up with "choosing" to be part of a retail machine that rips off its customers as a core business model. Being encouraged to talk people into giving their games up for a pittance, buying "new" games that had been opened and oftentimes played, or fork over cash months in advance just so we would hold their game for 48 hours (maybe).
The series of videos linked at the beginning of this thread say it well (though somewhat more dramatically than I'd like to). I just don't see why employees and customers of gamestop would continue to choose that situation when there are better alternatives for all concerned (except people with gamestop stock).
I wanna get a part-time job at game, nut cba going to the office and getting a National Insurance Slip. To did go there for work experience and it was quite wholesome.
I'm sorry, but that article was....well written but it shows that he is an employee and thus can't bad mouth his job or have criticism with his company. Also, with the timing of the article and it's overall positive tone...it seems to me it most likely being used as a recruiting tool to get some more seasonal people at their stores.
I think a job at a game store would be fun, to be surrounded by what you love and to be around those who understand games as a job would be good.
Funny Coincidence, I am going to finalize employment at a gamestop in my area on Thursday, and just got the news today.... Weird
I do have to disagree with this. Bullet point #1 in retail marketing (as I understand it) is Get People in the Store. While it is true that getting people together is a side effect of getting people in the store, getting people together gets them BACK in the store. Repeat business is hugely important, and retail chains like Gamestop pay plenty of money to accomplish this and like-minded tasks (see: tournaments).
While true in spirit, this does have some limitations based in semantics. Related industries are part of the industry whole; when people talk about "how well the game industry is doing" it relates to how well games sell - in which case it must undoubtedly pass through merchant hands. Merchants therefore have at least some, if not a large impact on "the industry"; the distinction is vague. Especially since store managers get perks like the conference mentioned in the article.
I do agree that Gamestop employees shouldn't get a swelled head or big ideas about being "part of the industry". They are at best fringe members.
Not entirely true. If the company is known to spread misinformation, for instance, people will avoid it.
One thing people seem to misunderstand about the retail industry is that while used-car-salesman tactics may be lucrative in the short run, they are NOT sustainable. Being a big company isn't about turning a quick buck but remaining relevant and profitable over the next 10 years.
Now I'm not saying Gamestop is perfect; far from it. But a lot of the bad press it gets is blown out of proportion, conditional, or outright undeserved. If there are better alternatives, go to them. Let them drive Gamestop into the ground.
Probably not the author's fault. I expect he had to ask approval from GameStop before submitting this piece. (And even if he didn't, I imagine he's smart enough to work out what sorts of comments would damage his career.)
Dispute, in specific terms, the veracity of the charges I have leveled against the store then, if you think they're undeserved. As long as people are not particularly price-conscious and discerning, their tactics will work indefinitely. They've been doing the same stuff for years now and yet people continue to shop there. I can't explain it via anything but ignorance and laziness, and unfortunately the gaming marketplace has plenty of both. Little kids who aren't picky about prices cause mummy's picking up the bill, people buying gifts, and (my personal favorite, while I worked there) people who didn't have a bunch of money who genuinely believed they were getting a good deal by trading and buying used games. They thought they were being responsible trading in for credit, because they just had no business sense at all.
Let them reap their profits while they can, and I suspect it will be for a good long time. But don't think that just because practices are seedy to the intelligent mind that they're a "quick buck". They've been running the same scam for quite a while, with the same criticisms being leveraged, and they still evidently have people lining up out the door to work for them, take their laughable "trade" values, and hand over their money so that Gamestop can earn interest on it.
It's completely staggering.
Then why write the post at all? I mean, the headline could read: "Guy who can't say otherwise says he likes his job" That's not really much of a story.
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Could you give yourself a better graduation present after college than a fat Mustang burnout?
The video uploader (the same guy who jumped a janky Ford F-150) sets the scene in the video description.
Since i'm so into burnouts, I decided to do one after I graduated from college with my Bachelor's Degree.
We approve.