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BOSTON (AP) -- Rubby De La Rosa matched his first career Fenway Park start with another seven impressive innings and A.J. Pierzynski had a sacrifice fly, lifting the Boston Red Sox to a 1-0 win over the Minnesota Twins Monday night.
Mike Napoli helped cut down a runner trying to score with a heads up play in a Red Sox victory that came after a pair of one-run losses. Boston is 9-15 in one-run games.
De La Rosa (2-2) gave up only a single in the third inning as he combined with three relievers on a three-hitter. He walked three and fanned three.
Andrew Miller struck out the only batter he faced, Burke Badenhop got two outs and Koji Uehara three outs to remain perfect in 15 save chances. He extended his streak to 31 straight saves over the past two regular seasons.
Kevin Correia (3-8) gave up five hits, walking one and striking out two in six innings.
In his other Fenway start, on May 31, De La Rosa also pitched seven shutout innings, holding Tampa Bay to four hits. He had given up four runs over 5 2-3 innings in each of his last two starts -- both on the road.
The Twins have lost three straight.
Badenhop loaded the bases, but struck out Brian Dozier to end the eighth.
The Red Sox moved ahead 1-0 in the fifth on Pierzynski's sacrifice fly after Daniel Nava singled and advanced on Stephen Drew's single.
Boston's Dustin Pedroia had a single and has reached safely in all 29 career starts against the Twins.


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There's something illegal in California that ought to be in other states as well.
"Just one catch: he's a lame duck, and will be out of office in January."
Feature, not a bug.
It's neither. He has announced that he will not run because he doesn't want to serve another term as governor, not because he can't due to term limits.
I fully support this. I work for EMC in Massachusetts. I think my non-compete clause as a regular engineer only comes into play if I take a significant ownership position in a competing company, but that pretty much eliminates any possibility of me doing a startup.
What I really want to see is the elimination of trade secret restrictions on employee salaries. Employees should be free to discuss their salaries. I'm sure they don't want a survey to show that engineers with similar experience have radically different salaries depending on immigration status (wild speculation on my part, but since I can't talk to my H1-B friends, wild speculation is all I have).
I fully support this.
Then you're a fool. The catch is the "adopt trade-secrets protections."
I know from personal experience that an employer can turn effectively any montage of trivial business practices into a "trade secret" strong enough to crush a competitor that hires a former employee. When I mean crush I mean obliterate; they can sue your new employer or start-up out of existence and walk away with the trademarks and copyrights.
Unlike a most non-competes and all patents, trade secrets are not limited in time. Under a s
Just one catch: he's a lame duck, and will be out of office in January.
i don't understand why that's a "catch". these dark days of oligarchy, this may be the main way we get any honest political effort.
Ex employee here, my lawyer pretty much laughed at the incredible reach of EMC's employment agreement, which effectively states that "If at any time, any point in the future, you publish an idea, which we believe you may have originally thought of while working for us, even though you never used it, wrote it down, or discussed it with anyone during your employment; you agree to immediately turn over all rights to said idea, including buying out the rights from any co-creators, at your own expense".
It seems like everyone has to sign these anymore, even me, and I often wonder how many companies bother to attempt enforcement of them for most employees.
Sure, there are high-profile "key employees" who have limited employment options outside of another company doing the same thing, and within an industry you'd be hard-pressed to hide your employment status. A TV news anchor isn't going to don a fake moustache and wig to read the TV news at a competing TV station and fool anyone.
But I think of someone like
When applying to another company they ask if you are subject to a non-compete agreement. If you answer "yes" you are less likely to be hired.
They don't have to hire a detective to find out where you work... they just need to check linkedin.
In MA, precedent(s) was (were?) set for enforcing them for, as you mentioned, key employees. If you're the CTO of a company making, let say, algorithms to design perfect donuts, and you quick to go work for Dunkin Donut's secret research facility in Boston, they would enforce it there. If you're just the tech lead for one of their random development team, in theory the judge will take your side.
You want me to sign a non-compete? Ok, then sign mine:
You, the employer, agree not to hire any person to fill my position (or other open positions which have substantially similar responsibilities and skill requirements) when I leave the company.
Especially since MA, with the Boston/Cambridge area, is also quickly becoming another tech hub... so having similar rules to one of the states with the biggest tech hubs is probably not that bad.
For those who worship the sanctity of contract, please remember one cannot legally contract slavery. And that is what long non-compete clauses amount to -- the inability to market your skills ties you to the employer. Trade secret protection is a very different thing used as a smoke-screen. Unequal barganing power and contracts of adhesion are further aggravations.
I thought conservative libertarians were supposed to support the "free market". The idea that if your employer is ripping you off then "it's a free country" and you can work elsewhere. Then they turn around and support things like non competes which if measured in "freedom units" would be much more tyrannical than a minimum wage or anti discrimination laws.
And spare me the "if you don't like it don't sign the contract" line of bs. If people were able to unionize there might be some way we could fight back a
I use technology in order to hate it more properly. -- Nam June Paik

subset: commoncrawl


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A need exists to increase both knowledge and recognition of the values associated with ecosystem services and amenities. This article explores the use of hedonic pricing as a tool for eliciting these values. We take a case study approach, valuing several services provided by ecosystems, namely aesthetic quality (views), access to outdoor recreation, and the benefits provided by tree cover in Dakota County, Minnesota, USA.
Scooped by
Flora Moon
onto Sustainable Futures


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"As Beth Kanter remarked on a public Google Plus thread about creating useful infographics, "I think that information visualization is a necessity in this age of data overload and seeing the forest beyond the trees." I agree with that statement, and personally jump to view the "shiny new storytelling toy" whenever I see an infographic. Infographics represent an exciting new storytelling avenue for nonprofit organizations, enabling them to share important data stories, visually."
I don't know how I missed this post by colleague and fellow curator Debra Askanase but it's a good one!
Debra makes the point that infographics can and should tell a story. She then gives tips on how to do so and resources to use.
And I love the infographic at the top of the article! It's a perfect example of one that blends both data and storytelling elements.
What are the story elements an infographic can use to be more effective?
- It needs to be emotionally engaging in ways that offer people a way to make a difference
- Metphor
- A beginning, middle & end with a story arc
- Statement of a problem and ways for resolution
- Story triggers -- graphics and words that trigger stories within the minds of viewers
- A point, a key message
- Suggested actions to take
Not all infographics need to tell a story. Before embarking on creating an infographic, ask yourself the following strategic questions:
- Who is my target audience?
- What important information does my target audience need or want to hear?
- Is the purpose of the infographic to share information, educate people, or create a context for understanding an issue?
- Is the purpose of the infographic to spark action -- either donations, support, or advocacy?
- What is my key message? What do I want my viewers to take away from the experience?
If you answered YES to #4, then you need your infographic to tell a story. If you answered YES to #3, then your infographic only needs to convey information.
Go read the article for more great infographic insights.


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Pimco chief executive and co-chief investment officer Mohamed El-Erian is to leave after 15 years with the Californian bond giant.
El-Erian will relinquish his fund manager responsibilities and step back from his position as co-chief investment officer before fully departing in March.
He is set to take on an advisory role at Allianz where he will advise the board of management on global economic and policy issues.
Douglas Hodge, the firm's current chief operating officer, will replace him as chief executive officer.
Pimco said Bill Gross, El-Erian's co-CIO, will remain in his role and will be supported by bond manager Andrew Balls and income specialist Dan Ivascyn, who have been named as deputy co-chief investment officers.
Also, Jay Jacobs will move from heading up Pimco's German business to serve as president and Craig Dawson is named head of strategic business management, having previously been head of Pimco Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy.
Commenting on the changes, Bill Gross said: 'Mohamed has been a great leader, business builder and thought leader for Pimco and our clients.'
'Together we have guided the firm and served out clients during a period of significant change in the global economy and financial markets. We are pleased he will remain as part of the Allianz Group.'


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All Aboard!
Kids of all ages can hop aboard "The Polar Express" tonight at the East Hampton Library — departure time, 5 p.m. Children have been invited to arrive at the library in pajamas to watch the animated movie, which stars Tom Hanks. Refreshments will be served and each child will receive a small gift.
On Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon, teens can create festive beaded earrings for themselves or to give as a gift during a workshop with Jackie Dunn, a jewelry designer.
From 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. that day, kids 3 and older with an adult can listen to a sweet story, then make a batch of oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookie batter to pop in the oven at home.
Young gift givers 9 and older could cross someone off their list on Monday, when the library offers a workshop on making pumpkin spice hand and body sugar scrub. Kids will also have the chance to decorate a jar for the body scrub during the program, which runs from 4 to 5 p.m.
Teens interested in astrology may want to mark their calendars, lunar and otherwise, for Tuesday and next Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., when the library offers a two-part workshop on creating astrological mandalas. The workshop will introduce the 12 houses in astrology. There will be materials and poetry to inspire the creative process.
Reservations are requested for all programs.
Lion and Mouse at the Goat
The Crabgrass Puppet Theatre will take children on a puppet-led journey around the globe to find stories about the weak overcoming the strong and making their mark, on Saturday at 11 and 3 p.m. at the Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre in Sag Harbor.
"The Lion and the Mouse" includes tales that hail from Africa, Asia, and Europe, designed to delight children of all sizes. Tickets cost $10, $9 for members and grandparents, and $5 for children under 3. The theater is on East Union Street.
High School Playwrights Festival
The Young American Writers Project will present its annual High School Playwrights Festival on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Stony Brook Southampton's Avram Theater.
Featuring six short plays written and performed by high school students from Bridgehampton, Pierson, Southampton, Eastport-South Manor, and Westhampton Beach schools and staged by professional directors, the festival is a collaboration between the student participants and professionals affiliated with Stony Brook Southampton's M.F.A. program in creative writing and literature.
The plays grew out of two-month playwriting residencies at each of the high schools this fall. The program's executive director is Emma Walton Hamilton, the children's book author, editor, and arts educator who is director of the Southampton Children's Literature Conference and a founder and former artistic director of the Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor. The program director is Will Chandler, an American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowship screenwriter, who also served as education director and a teaching artist for Bay Street Theatre.
Tickets for the festival are free and can be reserved by e-mailing email@example.com.


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OREGON – Serenity Hospice and Home, 1658 state Route 2, will have an open house from 1 to 7 p.m. Nov. 30 in conjunction with National Hospice and Palliative Care Month.
Hospices provide pain management, symptom control, psychosocial support and spiritual care to patients and their families when a cure is not possible.
Hospice care combines quality medical care with the emotional and spiritual support that is important for patients and family caregivers coping with serious and life-limiting illness.
Visit the Serenity Home to learn more about hospice care and tour Serenity Hospice and the Home's inpatient facility, or call 815-732-2499 and set up a time that is convenient.
Visit www.serenityhospiceandhome.org for more information.


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Motorola V3i videos
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The RAZR V3i has an updated and streamlined design, offering consumers a large internal color screen, quad-band technology and Bluetooth?wireless technology. This sleek handset comes with 1.23 megapixel digital camera with a full screen view-finder, zoom, and video capture and playback.
Showing the Motorola V3i preview, review, unboxing, hands-on and TV Commercial video clips. We update the collection of video in our Motorola V3i video gallery section daily.


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The Advocate Magazine has this article on ILYPM
Gay and Gayer
Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey bring the true story of con man Steven Russell and his former cell mate and lover to the big screen in I Love You Phillip Morris.
By Michael Giltz
From The Advocate September 23, 2008
Ewan mcgregor looks pissed. He's playing the title character, a prisoner, in the new movie I Love You Phillip Morris, and his character has just discovered that a fellow inmate (someone he can't stand) has been beaten up.
He's upset because everyone is blaming his boyfriend, Steven Russell (Jim Carrey), for the brawl. But when Morris learns that the gossip is true, that Russell really did order the pummeling, he jumps into his boyfriend's cot and coos, "That's the most romantic thing anyone's ever done for me." The actors kiss on the lips and roll around until Carrey (now out of character) says to McGregor, "You're getting a little too excited."
A beat-down as a romantic gesture? The film's directors -- Glenn Ficarra and John Requa -- love it. Sitting in the steamy warehouse set outside New Orleans, Requa leans back with pleasure after McGregor and Carrey finish the scene, and Ficarra shouts, "That was great!"
Still, the make-out session needs to be shot several more times. Sometimes the kiss is more tender, other times more passionate. The one thing that every take makes clear is that I Love You Phillip Morris, which the producers hope to see released this fall, isn't shying away from showing two men in love.
Romance behind bars may not be remarkable, but the true story the film is based on surely is: Russell was a con artist who posed as a chief financial officer, a Virginia millionaire, and other powerful figures in order to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars. Once a police officer, he was married with children before coming out of the closet. Furtive affairs finally led to a relationship with his first boyfriend (played by Rodrigo Santoro of Che), who later died of AIDS.
After a conviction for insurance fraud, Russell was placed in Houston's Harris County Jail, where he fell quickly and completely in love with the redheaded and boyish Morris, who was incarcerated for violating probation imposed for failing to return a rental car. Russell was so in love that after Morris was released, he repeatedly broke out of prison (one time literally walking out the front door, dressed as a doctor) to be with his man.
"What makes [this movie] different from Catch Me If You Can or any other con-man movie is that it's a love story," Requa says. "Some of the more shocking elements of the movie -- the idea of these men trying to snatch love and bliss in the middle of the most awful environment imaginable -- are actually very funny."
For Carrey, the story presented a break for him as an actor: to tackle one of his most romantic roles yet. "Russell was so misguidedly relentless about love that you've got to admire it," Carrey says.
"I always try to figure out what delusion the character is living under. We all kind of have them, whether it's a feeling of worthlessness or whatever it is," says Carrey, who shaved back an inch of his hairline to emphasize "the brain" of his character. Russell reportedly has an IQ of 169.
To understand the con man's motivations, Carrey had to explore the pain of Russell's childhood. "When your mother gives you up for adoption and then doesn't want you back when you find her—that definitely leaves a hole in you," he says. "It's difficult to trust somebody after that."
Trust -- and a level of comfort -- is something Carrey had to develop with his fellow actors right away. Because of a tight film schedule, the first scenes he shot were the love scenes with each of his romantic partners. He made out with Santoro in a gay bar in Miami on the first day of the shoot, followed quickly by sex scenes with Leslie Mann (who plays Russell's wife) and then with McGregor.
"It's a very, very amusing scene," McGregor says of his and Carrey's hookup. The two are out on a boat, "and I'm giving Steven a blow job. I look up and there's this big huge black storm cloud coming toward us. This is true -- Steven turns the boat straight toward the storm because he knows that you can't outrun a storm. You have to go through the middle," McGregor says. "But Phillip doesn't know this, and it's maybe his queeniest moment, when he has this tiff and screams, 'What the fuck are you doing?' "
Carrey jumps in. "I tell him I read it in a magazine. And he asks, 'What magazine? If you tell me The Advocate, I'll fucking kill you.' "
The real Russell is still in a Texas prison (Carrey was not allowed to visit him). But Morris, who has a nonspeaking role in the film as Russell's lawyer, is a free man.
Friendly and charming, the slight 49-year-old Morris seems fit, though he's recovering from a stroke. These days he lives in Hot Springs, Ark., in the home of a friend, a preacher, and says he's convinced people in his life today won't associate him with the Phillip Morris in the movie. (To be fair, he's not completely tight-lipped about the connection. Occasionally he delights in telling people -- like the waitress at his favorite diner -- to Google the movie title.)
Morris, who says it's "wonderful" to have McGregor portray him, isn't dating anyone at the moment. So the question naturally is, "Are you waiting for Russell?" "No," he says. "But when he gets out, as far as I'm concerned, we'll probably be together."
And by "gets out," does he mean parole or otherwise? Morris laughs. "Well, you never know."


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Here are the links to the NCS Division I and Division II soccer brackets, which were announced today. The tournament kicks off Wednesday night with the quarterfinals on Saturday, Feb. 16.
I've decided not to pick every game but will share some observations.
Division II: Defending champion Bishop O'Dowd looks to have clear sailing to the championship round, with a deep and talented roster. The Dragons recently celebrated the return of the 2012 state player of the year Ryan Walker-Hartshorn. DFAL teams, which wallop each other throughout the regular season, tend to excel in NCS, when their true quality is revealed.
Interesting possible matchup: Assuming they get through the first round, I'd like to see Ygnacio Valley against No. 2 seed and DFAL champion Campolindo in the quarters.
Predicted championship final: Bishop O'Dowd 3, Campolindo 0.
Sleeper team: Ygnacio Valley.
Amazing athlete: Megan Reid, Miramonte's two-sport winter star who also plays on the powerhouse basketball team. She dribbles with aplomb with hands and feet.
Division I: Top seed San Ramon Valley is looking for the clean sweep after winning the Tri-Valley Classic and EBAL championships. The Wolves came just short of winning all three tournaments last season, when they dropped a 1-0 decision against rival Monte Vista in the section final. The No. 2 seeded Mustangs looked sharp in a 0-0 draw against the Wolves on Thursday. The Mustangs been battling injuries all season. But what was apparent in the match with San Ramon Valley: The Mustangs' subs play a lot like the starters. If Monte Vista gets past its first two opponents, the Mustangs' terrific defense could meet a high-powered Berkeley attack in the semifinals. But the Yellowjackets must show they can win in the postseason after some early exits.
Interesting first-rounder I: Amador Valley, the fifth seed, against very physical Freedom, the 12th seed. The Dons will have a tough road. Should they survive the Falcons, they stand to face Castro Valley and then San Ramon Valley in the next two rounds, should the seeds hold up.
Interesting first-rounders II and III: Washington at Foothill: Huskies try to regain their mojo after a few late missteps when they face the improving EBAL upstarts; California at Logan (on the tough turf). Colts are peaking and have perhaps their best player back after she missed time for academic reasons. Grizzlies have a great goalkeeper in Lauren Holden and a brilliant playmaker in Rachel Feldman. Cal is also playing well down the stretch — a forte of coach Lee Munson's teams. Should be a good one.
Interesting first-rounder IV: Heritage at College Park. Patriots have skill and a proven tract record, and College Park should benefit from facing a tough nonleague schedule and its seasoning in last year's playoffs.
Championship final prediction: San Ramon Valley 1, Monte Vista 0.
Sleeper team: Foothill
Pleasanton prosperity: Pleasanton soccer is on the rebound. The Foothill and Amador Valley boys and girls teams all advanced to the NCS Division I playoffs. Nice to see. Last season only Amador Valley's boys team made the postseason among the four Pleasanton varsity squads.


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It has minor rust and some small dents and scrapes. It was a city car hardly ever driven, running poorly, terrible lifter tick, full of carbon.
after some treatment in the fuel and oil then a hard drive on the highway the carbon is burned out now.
Interior still smells like smoke even after steam cleaning, needs ozone treatment.
all that I have done so far;
-oil and filter change
-fuel and oil conditioner flush
-itallian tune up (drive at 4500 rpm for 30 minutes)
-full steam detail inside
-degrease engine compartment
-removed loose rust
-removed ugly blue pinstripes with auto body eraser
-pressure washed underside and wheels to remove grime and grit
-repaired and replaced small interior broken or missing trim parts
still needs;
-new axle
-main pulley and belts (pulley broken, only one belt channel
-steering dust boots look damaged
-rust repair and body work
-more steam cleaning
-ozone treatment for smoke
Wish list;
-sweet sexy wheels
-RX body kit
-LSD of course
-new speakers and aux audio in mod to factory radio
-convert to AWD (FWD 5spd now)


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Under The Hood
We've seen how to use SynchronizedValue<T> to ensure that the right mutex is always locked when accessing an object; now it's time to look under the hood and see how it works.
It really is very simple: at its heart, a SynchronizedValue<T> is just a T object and a std::mutex. All the work is done by the proxy objects returned from the operators.
template<typename T> class SynchronizedValue { T data; std::mutex m; public: DerefValue operator*(); Updater operator->(); Updater update(); };
Basic Pointer Operations
The basic pointer dereference operator returns an instance of the private nested class SynchronizedValue<T>::DerefValue:
DerefValue operator*() { return DerefValue(*this); }
This class holds a std::unique_lock<std::mutex> which manages the lock and a reference to the protected T object. The lock is acquired when the object is constructed by the call to operator*, and released when the object is destroyed. DerefValue has a simple conversion operator to T which allows retrieval of the protected value, and also an assignment operator which allows the value to be set.
operator T() { return data; } DerefValue& operator=(T const& newVal) { data=newVal; return *this; }
The arrow operator is implemented similarly, except this time it returns an instance of SynchronizedValue<T>::Updater. Because SynchronizedValue<T>::Updater also has an implementation of the arrow operator, the chaining rules for this operator mean that you can access members of the protected object directly using the normal pointer syntax, and the temporary Updater object holds the lock for you. Just like DerefValue, the Updater object acquires the lock in its constructor and releases it in its destructor.
This is the same Updater object we get from the update() member function, so it has a plain pointer dereference operator that returns a reference to the protected object in addition to the arrow operator that returns the pointer:
T* operator->() { return &data; } T& operator*() { return data; }
Wrapping it Up
I've found classes like SynchronizedValue<T> invaluable in many projects, as it provides a simple way of ensuring that the right mutex is always held when accessing protected data. It's not a panacea, but those cases where it doesn't work likely require more careful thought anyway.
You can download the source code here, or from http://www.stdthread.co.uk/syncvalue if you wish to try it out. As written, it relies on C++0x facilities, but it should be easy to substitute an alternative mutex implementation if desired.


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DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers today announced the club has acquired catcher Ramon Cabrera from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for lefthanded pitcher Andy Oliver.
Cabrera, 23, batted .276 (106×384) with 22 doubles, two triples, three home runs and 50 RBI in 112 games with Double A Altoona during the 2012 season. He saw action in one game with Triple A Indianapolis during the season, collecting two hits.
Signed by the Pirates as a non-drafted free agent from Venezuela on April 11, 2008, Cabrera has batted .292 (420×1440) with 95 doubles, 11 triples, 13 home runs and 200 RBI in 408 games during six seasons at the minor league level.
Oliver, 25, compiled a 5-9 record and 4.88 ERA (118.0IP/64ER) in 28 appearances (19 starts) with Triple A Toledo during the 2012 season.


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Doctors, Dissection and Resurrection Men
'I have only got a leg and thigh,' wrote a disgruntled William Hamilton in 1878, referring to his difficulty in finding enough material to complete his surgical training. Hamilton was relatively lucky. Prior to the 1832 Anatomy Act, which made it lawful for 'unclaimed or friendless bodies' to be given up for dissection, executed murderers were a would-be doctor's only legal supply of human flesh.
The Museum of London's rip-roaringly theatrical exhibition sets the scene by presenting a map of the capital from the period detailing the city's hospitals, graveyards and anatomy schools and their sometimes shadowy connections. The show goes on to trace developments in surgery in tandem with what medical journal The Lancet described as 'The horrid traffic in human flesh'. The exhibition was triggered by museum archaeologists' excavation in 2006 of a forgotten burial ground at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, where evidence of dissection, autopsy and amputation was discovered, revealing how the hospital used its own supply of unclaimed or friendless bodies on which to practise dissection.
A concluding film reminds us of enduring medical, political and ethical discussions about what happens to our bodies after death. Around 1,000 corpses a year are needed for teaching purposes. Demand still exceeds supply.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Well worth coffin up for…
|Venue name:
|Museum of London
150 London Wall
|Opening hours:
|Daily 10am-6pm
|Tube: St Paul's/Barbican
|£9, £7 concs, over-12s


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Carmack knows what needs to be done...it just needs to be able to go underground some.
Well if he gets really good at the rocket thing, maybe you could live DooM rather than just play it.
Wait maybe that's not such a good thing...
Carmack isn't a particularly brilliant programmer. He's just pragmatic and dedicated to putting in the effort to create something.
The code in Q1-Q3 is your standard stuff, nothing special in there and in fact it's too limited in many areas that could use a little more flexibility (ie. it was a bad design). It's basically a hacker's engine. You know, like what a kid would write in his garage. This is pretty much why he had to write a whole new engine from scratch each time. However limited in design, hi
he code in Q1-Q3 is your standard stuff, nothing special in there and in fact it's too limited in many areas that could use a little more flexibility (ie. it was a bad design)...Nothing brilliant about that though.
Nonsense. I didn't see you write it. Brilliance means having the vision and persistence to get the job done when it needs to be done. To know what has to be done, to be able to make the right compromises, etc. Carmack really is f*ing brilliant.
Looking at the job that somebody else has done successfully and thinking that you could have done it, now that you have seen it, is ridiculous. Technically I get the same thoughts what I look at Carmack's sources (or at the Linux kernel sources for that matter). But the point is, you or I didn't write those things.
Remember, most brilliant ideas appear obvious in hindsight.
Carmack isn't a particularly brilliant programmer. He's just pragmatic and dedicated to putting in the effort to create something.
The code in Q1-Q3 is your standard stuff, nothing special in there and in fact it's too limited in many areas that could use a little more flexibility (ie. it was a bad design).
The code in Q1-Q3 was "standard stuff" because "standard" in that era was defined as "whatever John Carmack does".
John Carmack had a strength most other programmers lack: reading academic papers and applying them. Hell, in that era, reading RFCs made one an above-average programmer.
If you think John Carmack wasn't brilliant, then you haven't examined the work of his contemporaries. Comparing the code he wrote 10 years ago against code others write today isn't fair.
Sir, you can't be serious. You'd have somebody be killed so you can sit in your parent's basement and waste your life on computer games? I hope you're joking, but even if it's a joke, I find it rather distasteful.
Now don't get me wrong. A good game can be a great way to relax a bit. But wishing a group of people's lives to be pretty much ruined and another person's life to be ended for the sake of relaxing a bit? You need to get out more.
ah, the battle of the Johns...
John Carmack:
John Romero:
Carmack 15
Romero 11
::sigh::, Romero could have scored at least another 10 points if he'd only kept his majestic pony-like mane. he's like Samson. his hair is the sourc
While John (Romero) deserves every single one of the -20 Daikatana points, he should get at least as many points back for his Melvin comic strips [smugmug.com]. His site used to have quite a few of them, but now all the links go the smugmug homepage, and his gallery there only has this one.
Agreed, congratulations, Mr. Carmack
Keep it up!, I knew Level 2 wasn't quite well, but things are finally awarding the efforts.
the videos are good but sometimes take a while to show up on their website. Found some on youtube though
I saw that, came back here to comment, and then got thoroughly confused because TFS says that they're trying on Sunday.
Obama, the likely next President of the United States has recently said of such prizes...
To be fair, it was probably just some (lame) election rethoric on Obama's part, even though Obama might be more inclined to go for big state funded programmes rather than offer incentives to private enterprise.
By the way, what is the deal with Obama...? Europe has always been leaning slightly towards Democrat candidates in presidential elections, but it's reached ridiculous levels this time. The media show nothin
Are you really surprised? I'm Canadian so have a somewhat similar view that many of the Europeans do, in that the rest of the world is REALLY hoping Obama wins. After 8 years of bush threatening to put the USA into another depression and stuck in a war it can't win(and should not have started), it is small wonder the Europeans don't want someone in the white house that shares many of Bush's views and a vice president who makes Bush look like a libertarian. Not to mention the prospect of McCain surviving his
Well to be honest there are 5 people that have a public profile Obama, McCain and Palin, and Tina Fey and some guy called joe the plummer. The democratic vice president candidate (I know his name just) has no coverage I believe he is a man. Anything else would be a guess.
Obama seems like he would change things for the better, John McCain will ensure Obama has to justify his actions as president. That seems like a good outcome.
It's funny really but I think Obama would put his country first and his p
Not only do the other posts below make points, but I use XBMC for my television, do not read the newspaper, and have Sirius radio (no ads).
There is essentially no broadcast news or advertising in my life (adblock as well of course) so the only information I have on your candidates is information I have gleaned from purposefully researching (mostly) American political news sources and web sites on the internet.
McCain had many of the same views as bush on key issues such as war, abortion, taxes the list goes
1 1 was a race-horse, 2 2 was 1 2. When 1 1 1 1 race, 2 2 1 1 2.


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Greetings, I am completely new to javascript.
I have a form with 59 checkboxes. I need to identify which checkboxes are checked and then read them into dynamically created variables before I post them. I've searched far and wide to find something that just uses javascript, no server side scripting, to no avail. For example:
59 checkboxes, only 10 can be passed. each with a "name" value 1-10.
any help is appreciated. thanks
Do you have any code to look at?


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Frozen Royalty Audio and NHL Video: LA Kings Stumbling Out of Olympic Break After 4-2 Loss To Montreal
March 7, 2010 1 Comment
LOS ANGELES — Aside from their lopsided win at Dallas on March 2, the Los Angeles Kings have looked like anything but a playoff-caliber team since the Olympic break.
Indeed, after a 4-2 loss at Nashville in which the Kings were badly outworked and outskated, they put in another poor effort, one in which they failed to at least match the intensity of their opponent, the Montreal Canadiens, who skated out of Staples Center with a 4-2 win in front of a sell-out crowd of 18,118 fans on Saturday night. Read more of this post


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This project seeks to determine changes in vegetation and
disturbance histories from a high elevation region of southern Spain, which has
had a long and varied history of human impact, from the Tartessians, Visigoths,
Romans, and Moors to the modern Spanish nation.
Still in its intitial stages, the research is an
international collaboration between researchers at Northern Arizona University
(R. Scott Anderson and Dr. Gonzalo Jiménez-Moreno), the Universidad de Granada
(Dra. Carmen Pérez-Martínez, Dr. Regino Zamora), the Sierra Nevada Natural Park
(Dr. Javier Sanchez, Park Director) and the Universidad de Murcia (Dr. Jose
The Sierra Nevada is the second highest mountain range in
Europe, behind the Alps. The mountain range was glaciated most recently during
the Little Ice Age, but evidence of previous glaciation is common in high
elevation valleys.
The research team will be taking sediment cores from high
elevation lakes and bogs within the mountain range to answer the questions
posed above.
Photo: Sierra Nevada from Alcazaba's Torre de la Vela, Granada


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The House voted 216-193 on Friday to keep 21 million middle-class taxpayers from paying the alternative minimum tax (AMT) next year. Republicans opposed the measure because the bill is funded by raising the tax on carried interest, paid exclusively by investment bankers, from 15% to 35%.
Friday's bill would extend AMT relief for one year, at a cost of about $51 billion. It includes another $30 billion in largely popular tax relief measures, including expanding the child tax credit, providing a property tax deduction to some 30 million families and extending a tax exemption for the combat pay of military personnel.


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Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy have passed concussion tests and could return to practice with the Eagles once they've been cleared by an independent neurologist.
Vick has missed the last four games and McCoy the last three. Rookies Nick Foles and Bryce Brown have filled in at quarterback and running back, respectively.
Tight end Brent Celek sustained a concussion in Sunday's win at Tampa Bay and won't play against Cincinnati Thursday.
Foles already has been named the starter for the rest of the season regardless of Vick's status. Foles led the Eagles (4-9) to their first win in more than two months in comeback fashion over the Buccaneers Sunday.
Brown had 347 yards rushing in his first two starts, but was held to only 6 yards on 12 carries against Tampa Bay.


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The U.S. economy barely grew in the first quarter as harsh winter weather chilled investment and exports dropped. The expansion stalled even as consumer spending on services rose by the most in 14 years.
Gross domestic product grew at a 0.1 percent annualized rate from January through March, compared with a 2.6 percent gain in the prior quarter, figures from the Commerce Department showed today in Washington. The median forecast of 83 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 1.2 percent increase. Household purchases rose at a 3 percent pace, spurred by utility outlays and spending on health care tied to PresidentBarack Obama's Affordable Care Act.
The pullback in growth came as snow blanketed much of the eastern half of the country, keeping shoppers from stores, preventing builders from breaking ground and raising costs for companies includingUnited Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) Gains in retail sales, employment and manufacturing at the end of the quarter indicate the setback will be temporary, so Federal Reserve policy makers meeting today in Washington will probably take little heed.
"So much of this is conditioned by that anomalous drop in exports and inventories and by the weather effect, and if anything one expects more of a rebound in the second quarter," said Samuel Coffin, an economist at UBS Securities LLC in New York, who projected a 0.5 percent gain in GDP. Coffin called this an "odd day" for Fed policy makers. "I think they're still tapering. I think they'll blame this on the weather."
Hiring Pickup
Companies added more workers in April than at any time in the previous five months, signaling further progress in the labor market, a private payrolls report also showed today. The 220,000 increase in employment followed a revised 209,000 gain the prior month that was stronger than initially estimated, according to figures today from the Roseland, New Jersey-based ADP Research Institute. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for an advance of 210,000 in April.
Stocks dropped and the dollar weakened after the report. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index declined 0.2 percent to 1,875.53 at 9:41 a.m. in New York. The dollar fell 0.4 percent to $1.3863 per euro
Economists' projections for GDP, the value of all goods and services produced, ranged from unchanged to 2 percent. Today's estimate is the first of three for the quarter, with the next reading scheduled for May 29, at which point more data will be available.
Annual GDP
For all of 2013, the economy expanded 1.9 percent after a 2.8 percent gain in the prior year.
The gain in consumer purchases, which account for about 70 percent of the economy, exceeded the 2 percent median forecast in the Bloomberg survey. Personal consumption added 2 percentage points to growth. Spending climbed at a 3.3 percent pace in the last three months of 2013.
While the wintry weather held back purchases of goods, which climbed at a 0.4 percent pace – the least in almost two years – it also boosted outlays on utilities to keep warm, and did little to prevent Americans from taking advantage of the ACA, which the Commerce Department said boosted spending.
Expenditures on services climbed at a 4.4 percent pace, the biggest gain since the second quarter of 2000. Outlays of health care jumped by $43.3 billion at an annualized rate to $1.85 trillion. It contributed 1.1 percentage points to growth, the most since quarterly records began in 1947.
Retail Sales
Retail sales dropped in January amid the winter chill, though a March bounce-back partly offset the weak start. Sales jumped 1.1 percent last month after rising 0.7 percent in February, having fallen by 0.7 percent in January, Commerce Department figures showed.
As the weather warmed in March, auto dealerships became busier as Americans took advantage of incentives. Cars and light trucks sold in March at a 16.3 million annualized rate, the fastest since May 2007, following a 15.3 million pace the prior month, according to data from Ward's Automotive Group.
Burger King Worldwide Inc., the Miami-based fast food chain, was also among businesses to see a weather-induced slowdown reverse.
January and February's cold and snow "negatively impacted our traffic," Daniel Schwartz, chief executive officer, said in an April 25 earnings call. "As this weather subsided later in March, we saw one of our highest months in restaurant sales in recent history."
Jobless Benefits
The expiration of emergency unemployment aid for about 1.6 million job-seekers may also have weighed on consumer spending in the first quarter. At the same time, a pickup in health spending and a boost in household incomes came as major provisions of the President's signature health-care law took effect.
Aside from consumer spending on services, the rest of the economy sputtered. Business investment dropped at a 2.8 percent annualized rate, the weakest print since the fourth quarter of 2009. Part of that reflected a smaller gain in inventories that cut 0.6 percentage point from growth.
Exports declined 7.6 percent, exceeding the decrease in imports and pushing the trade gap up to $414.4 billion from $382.8 billion in the fourth quarter. Trade subtracted another 0.8 percentage point from GDP.
Government expenditures also decreased, led by cuts in federal military outlays and by state and local agencies.
Little Inflation
The data also showed price pressures remain muted. A measure of inflation, which is tied to consumer spending, climbed at a 1.4 percent annualized rate compared with 1.1 percent in the prior period. The Fed's goal is for increases around 2 percent in the long run.
Average snow cover in the contiguous U.S. from December through February was the 10th-largest for the period since 1966, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data analyzed by the Rutgers Global Snow Lab. The northern and eastern U.S. faced above-average snowfall. Detroit had its snowiest winter on record, and New York, Philadelphia, Chicago andBoston each had one of their 10 worst.
Acceleration in economic growth going forward will depend on a pickup in consumer activity, which hinges on further labor market progress. Payrolls probably climbed by 215,000 workers in April after rising 192,000 in March, based on the median estimate in a Bloomberg Survey of economists. The Labor Department is scheduled to release payroll data May 2.
Unemployment stood at 6.7 percent last month, unchanged from the prior month, and economists project that it eased to 6.6 percent in April.
Fed Outlook
Fed officials are looking at labor market progress as they cut their bond buying program. The central bank's decision is due at 2 p.m. in Washington. Policy makers are forecast to reduce their asset buying program to $45 billion per month, based on the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists. In March they cut purchases to $55 billion, the third $10 billion reduction.
At the same time, the Fed has pledged to keep interest rates near zero until the jobless rate falls further and inflation rises toward 2 percent.
Growth will pick up to 2.7 percent pace for all of 2014 after gaining momentum following the first-quarter slowdown, based on a Bloomberg survey of economists earlier this month.
Capital spending by companies could be a driver of that pickup. Orders for durable goods, those meant to last at least three years, poured into American factories in March, a Commerce Department report showed this month. The advance was broad-based, with makers of computers, machinery and metals among those benefiting.
Business Investment
Amway Corp., an Ada, Michigan-based direct seller of items including nutritional supplements and beauty products, is among companies investing in the U.S. It is spending $332 million in research and development and expansion globally by 2015, including $197 million in investment at four U.S. locations in Michigan, California and Washington.
"We are still optimistic about the U.S. and where the U.S. is heading," Chairman Steve Van Andel, who is also chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview.
By Jeanna Smialek


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Brad and Angie's Proposal – The Ring + Did She Cry?
Now that Brad Pitt got down on one knee and Angeline Jolie for her hand in marriage, how did it all go down? Did she cry? What does the ring look like? Well my friends, I have some details to share with you.


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Writer Rick Edgerton talks #MHFBeanie Round, the harrowing statistics behind Brain Cancer - and what...
19 hours ago
The St.George Dragons meet the North Sydney Bears in Harold Matthews and SG Ball this Saturday at OKI Jubilee Stadium.
St.George are the competition leaders in Harold Matthews after comprehensive victories against Central Coast at Henson Park and Manly at Jubilee Stadium. In round one, St.George defeated the Central Coast 32-6 following a superior performance by Prop Matthew Carver who scored two tries.
Last Saturday, St.George defeated Manly by 44-18, with Kyle Stanley, Cameron King and Kyle Mallyson starring for the Dragons.
In SG Ball, St.George are also leading the competition but are third on percentages. Following a 28-12 victory against the Central Coast in round one, St.George outclassed Manly 26-10. Dean Whare was excellent for the Saints, while Matthew Mundine was very creative in an unconventional performance at Lock.
The Harold Matthews fixture against North Sydney at Kogarah commences at 12:00 noon, while the SG Ball begins at 1:30 pm.
Additional information can be located at: www.nswrl.com.au


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Ingram is a huge aggregator of books, ebooks, and other content for the retail market, and today I learned that they're entering the public library market as well. The MyiLibrary service is best thought of as a direct competitor to OverDrive (that's how it was described to me). I don't have full details on it, but I did pick up a fact or 2.
Scooped by
Daniel Messer
onto Public Library Circulation


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People from more than 200 countries demanded an end to violence against women and girls by taking part in the One Billion Rising movement Feb. 14.
One of them was Joellen Sweeney '14, a Spanish and theatre major who attended a rally at the Oregon State Capitol.
"The goal of this event was to break the silence surrounding issues of domestic and sexual violence towards women, to give survivors an opportunity to speak out, and to give their allies an opportunity to stand in support of their courage," Sweeney says.
One Billion Rising is a worldwide movement where people protest violence through dance, art and testimonials. At the Salem event, Sweeney and her roommate, psychology major Rachel Ross '14, held protest signs that read, "Love should never hurt. We rise for justice."
"I was intrigued by the idea of so many people across the world participating in events on the same day," Sweeney says. "I was most inspired by the courage of the women who shared personal stories about the violence they had suffered."
The United Nations estimates one of every three women is beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused by a partner in her lifetime.
In Salem, Jayne Downing, executive director of Mid-Valley Women's Crisis Services, said that as many as 21,000 local victims contacted Mid-Valley last year about domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking.
This is why international organizations are urging countries to adopt preventative and supportive legislation — such as the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA). One Billion Rising is another way in which people are championing for the cause.
"In light of the recent string of highly publicized sexual assaults here in Salem, I think events like this that seek to bring attention to the issue are important," Sweeny says.
"For me, it served as a reminder that apathetic silence or quiet displeasure are unlikely to solve anything; when we raise our voices and take a stand for what we believe, we begin to have a chance of making change."
• Article by Natalie Pate '15, politics and French/Francophone studies major


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Latest update : 2011-06-28
Turkey: Erdogan's super power (part 1)
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan won a third term in office after his conservative AK Party scored well in the June general election. Europe District followed a young AK candidate and met the head of the Kemalist opposition. We also take you to the Greek-Turkish border, a major EU entry point for illegal immigrants. And we bring you a taste of Turkish cuisine with a chef who likes mixing tradition and creativity.
Senior Producer: Loick Berrou
Presenter: Christophe Robeet
Producer: Magali Faure
Reporter: Alix Le Bourdon
Cameraman: Stéphane Bodenne
Editing: Manuel Becker and Clément Taillefer


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Granted the time at the tournament would make it look good but if you average all the time spent getting there. The payoff is recognition amongst your peers more than monetary rewards.
To get to that level you need like own games and play alot and then you have to pay to get in to the Championships and the good players enter like 4-5 times or more on the same game hoping to get a good qualify score and you need to do on more then one game.
I knew I had my 20" monitor oriented vertically all this time for an eventual reason - to play this video optimally.
Um, because pinball games are vertical? Seriously if the orientation were different there would be a lot more complaint. Pinball isn't built for widescreen...
Or just get a higher res one.
The video, at the res that it was embedded on the page, fit perfectly on my screen. And my browser window, Opera reports, is 1508x972 - so any 1050 pixel or taller laptop display should be able to view it.
(I was about to say, get a 2048x1536 screen in a 4 year old laptop, like I did, but then I realized my browser window isn't full screen, and you don't need anywhere near that.)
The question is; why do people buy so much widescreens? The only good reason I can think of is if you watch widescreen movies on your PC a lot.
My 23" 4:3 is nice, and it could even pivot if Windows could handle the pivotting without blue-screening after three or four flips.
A square screen would probably be ideal for general productivity work but I haven't seen one yet.
The question is; why do people buy so much widescreens?
Because Fallout 3 looks so friggin' awesome in 1650x1080.
Seriously, that's why I bought mine.
I can't speak for anyone else but it's because I got them cheap. Dell was pretty much giving them away with the purchase of a vostro for a while and I brokered a deal that left me with this monitor and the buyer with a 17" 4x3. I got my 20" gateway LCD with a $125 Athlon 64 X2 4000+
The question is; why do people buy so much widescreens?
As another poster said, side-by-side windows. I never bought into dual monitors, but I love widescreen. I also use it to watch movies and play console games.
Because your eyes field of view is wide rather than tall.
Problem is that industry choose to change the AR from 4:3 to 16:9 keeping the diagonal size constant, while they should've kept constant the height (or, at least, the vertical resolution).
Because I often have multiple pieces of content playing at once. Widescreen (like a book) provides the best format for presenting multiple lists concurrently.
Because wide-screen monitors permit you to to view 2 vertical windows simultaneously?
Because with vertical content, it's preferable to scroll vertically rather than horizontally?
That was similar to my reaction when I opened the page with my 26" portrait oriented monitor. I said "yeah! take that! landscape mode suckers!". I was waiting to say that for over a year...
Too bad I found the video boring... but it still fills my entire screen so I can see its boring-ness in all its glory!
What Pinball Looks like When...High:
o....when stakes are high...
"I mean if Pacman affected our generation as kids, we would all run around in darkened rooms eating pills and listening to repetitive music."
Yes, pinball at high stakes is very different, but what if you were playing pinball for YOUR LIFE.
now thats high stakes.
Memories of misspent youth and quarters.
I could pop a quarter in an Eight-Ball Deluxe machine and play all day. I was able to hit most of the specials and rack up credits for free play. Sometimes I even left a few on the machine when I had to go.
"Make the eight ball, corner pocket..."
For playing with real tilt on a computer:
n900 + dosbox + acceleromymote.
Start the joystick emulation. Run dosbox and the keymapper -- with all those games using port 60 instead of the BIOS you have to remap physical keys anyway; you need left shift, right shift, then whatever you need to start the game (F1-F4 in Pinball Dreams/Fantasies). Then, remap the joy up event to space. Play PD/PF/whatever else.
Laptops don't have accelerometers and are too unwieldy, iPhone has no keyboard. It might be possible to
For years, there was an Eight Ball Deluxe machine in the Minneapolis airport that didn't have a functioning tilt sensor. I looked forward to flying through that airport every time, until they finally removed it...
However, for other machines that had sensitive tilt sensors, I couldn't consistently win games, as it much too often ran the ball right down the middle, without my ever even getting a chance at a save.
Love that machine. I haven't played for a while, but do remember there being a functional simula
I noticed something very strange: It's all men. Where are the women players? In the audience? At least, why didn't the audience bring their wives and girlfriends?
There is only one pinball manufacturer in the world right now, and they didn't get there by being the best engineers, artists or designers. They got there by being/having the scummiest lawyers. Now we're stuck with horrible designs, bad gameplay, and most of the best IP buried in an unmarked grave in wrigley field.
Tilt: The battle to save pinball is a great documentary to watch.
I don't understand the lawyer comment. Stern is a continuation of Sega. We have one manufacturer in the world because Williams left to make slot machines and pinball doesn't make much money. If Stern dropped out then we'd have 0 manufacturers and nobody would take their place. Stern has made some pigs, but they also made Simpson's Pinball Party, Family Guy, and LOTR which are all great games.
You've obviously never had to service any of them. Stern has a nasty tendency to release their designs before fully testing them. For an entertaining read check out the code revisions and dates for Pirates of the Caribbean.
Back EMF is a recurring issue on several modern Stern designs; due to things like poor wire routing choices and underspec'ing diodes on larger coils.
Want a nightmare? Check out the membrane switches under the motorcycle toy on Harley Davidson.
I could literally rant for hours about Stern and never repeat myself. They are garbage whose horribleness is only eclipsed by the complete shite rolling off the lines of Gottlieb starting in the early 70's and culminating with Water World.
You're dead on with that. The spider chips on those cursed System 1 boards made the damn game boards into toxic cheese graters as soon as they failed.
Good riddance to them, the aftermarket replacements are much better products. Now if something could be done about the flawed ramp designs and their "smart switches".
The one thing I do like about Gottliebs from the solid state era is their choice of connector for the interconnects. The rest of the industry's choice of the 0.168 and 0.1 tension pins will plag
> Want a nightmare? Check out the membrane switches under the motorcycle toy on Harley Davidson.
That was on purpose. It pays homage to the years AMF owned Harley.
Stern originally wanted to make them leak oil too, but their lawyers vetoed the idea since patrons might hurt themselves walking on greasy floors.
Granted Bally had some stinkers, but with a roster like this it's hard to back up your argument:
The Addams Family
Attack From Mars
Cactus Canyon
Champion Pub
Cirqus Voltaire
Theatre of Magic
The Twilight Zone
Having lived about half a mile from there, I'd have to agree with you. That's a pretty run-down area, even for Pittsburgh.
I even mentioned this story to my wife, who said she couldn't imagine giving someone directions to the site, from the nearest freeway.
Pinball really is a lost bit of nostalgia. I bet you a LOT of money could be made if classic machines such as Dr. Who, Attack from Mars, Revenge From Mars, Terminator, were adapted to the PC. I mean, Maxis' Full Tilt Pinball is the last decent pinball sim I can think of. And that was circa Windows 3.1
I agree. Although, while I haven't followed this in a while and I don't use Windows at home anymore, I was thrilled 7 or 8 years ago with vpinmame and Visual Pinball for machines like The Twighlight Zone, the Adams Family, and, well, Whirlwind, since I played that a lot in college. Actual ROMs, photographs of the tables as backgrounds, and real physics you could even edit, and it was all free (except for the ROMs technically, I guess...). Not sure what the status of these projects is these days, but I am
http://www.vpforums.org/ [vpforums.org] is the site you seek.
Pinball really is a lost bit of nostalgia. I bet you a LOT of money could be made if classic machines such as Dr. Who, Attack from Mars, Revenge From Mars, Terminator, were adapted to the PC. I mean, Maxis' Full Tilt Pinball is the last decent pinball sim I can think of. And that was circa Windows 3.1
There are the two pinball hall of fame games [wikipedia.org] that have some of the great gottlieb and williams games. I'm hoping they do a bally one sometime too. At least midevil madness was one of the ones they have ported.
There are the two pinball hall of fame games [wikipedia.org] that have some of the great gottlieb and williams games. I'm hoping they do a bally one sometime too. At least midevil madness was one of the ones they have ported.
Oh wow, I had never heard of either of these. Thanks for the tip! Unfortunately it looks like they have some tables exclusive to PS3 and 360, which is rather annoying considering I am a Wii owner only. A Bally one would be good because that would cover Dr. Who, Attack from Mars, and Revenge from Mars all in one shot. Glorious day that would be.
There were two:
The arcade at Dixie Landings in Walt Disney World. They had an entire wall that was nothing but pinball machines...at least 20-30 in a row. The second was at a place in Gaithersburg, MD that shut down about 12 years or so ago, called Sportland America. They too had an entire wall of just pinball machines, although they had closer to 40 or 50 of them.
Such good times. I miss pinball machines
If you're ever in Phoenix, stop by Castles and Coasters... they have 20 or so pinball machines in the arcade, if I remember correctly.
If you ever visit Oslo, Norway, check out the place Tilt (pictures [pinball.no]). They have 15 machines, selected from the owners' collection of 230.
I liked pinball machines as well, but I do not so much miss them. They started to get boring once you would get several million points. I did not see the relation of getting 3 million on one thing and 300 on the other.
500 points or even 5000 points was something I could understand, but 1.000.000?
OCNJ on the boardwalk go to Jillies... they have a bunch of good machines there. 15-20. Open 24 hours too.
If it's pinball and it's not Medieval Madness, it almost certainly sucks.
If you are in the twin cities area, go to the MN State fair. There's a room with nothing but pins. This is a welcome change from the increasing numbers of shooting gallery & ticket redemption machines invading the fair.
What it looks like is unfortunately amazingly boring. Most of the game is the player holding the flipper up so the ball stops, releasing, then making a good shot.
The shots take skill, and there's always the trick of using the right amount of tilt etc, but I find it near unwatchable.
I was surprised at the bumping the first ball got without tilting. And that player held the ball a lot more than the 2nd player/ball. Got boring after that for me tho so that was my limit.
I got a cheap home pinball machine one year for christmas. I thought the name was "flying circus" but looking around I don't see it. The scoreboard was analog - it was a giant wheel numbered 1-100 around its circumference, and showed the score by showing a small patch of the dial at the top. Every time you hit a ramp
That's why I like the 4th guy. He's a bit more random in his playing style, but he actually nailed several ramps back-to-back, unlike the other perfectionists. His score didn't go quite as high, but he spent a lot less time idling and played it like a normal person rather than a committee-designed robot.
Those guys who just sit there all day, planning their shot like a goddamned golfer, are indeed ultra-boring. There was a crap pin, I think it was Stargate, that had a truly game-breaking oversight in that
Pinball is great, even for the young generation.
In the basement we have 24, Theater of Magic, and Spiderman
Gymnastic Ribbon (WTF is that)
Water Ballet
Crown Green Bowling
Snooker (Or Pool or Billiards - all painful)
Oval Car Racing (not just NASCAR, but IndyCar also guilty)
Marathon Running
Baseball (sorry, US folks, but it's interminable if watched live)
looks pretty much the same as when the stakes are low.
Check the pinball 101 pages on http://www.flippers.be/ [flippers.be] that should teach you most you have to know when buying your first pinball machine..
"The winner of the $10,000 prize purse at the World Pinball Championships has requested his entire winnings in quarters."
Most of my college years were spent in front of the Creature From The Black Lagoon table (The table in the article + Licensing Deal). I could drop a 20 pence coin in there, play 5 or 6 games and walk away leaving multiple credits behind.
I don't know that I'd handle the consistency of play required to get into this sort of competition, but my averages were way above what these guys ended on, with a personal best of 911M and change.
I didn't get any of the MetaGame from the article, so the best I can figure is that suppose you were indeed a deadly hotshot at Lagoon, the champion might know 5 machimes, and stick the results on Knight Rider or something.
Ramdom Guess here, but certain people can be am expert at any one machine, so if the Champ plays the MetaGame right, his 3rd best machine might leave you ruined.
Yeah, no argument there.
Lagoon was the only one I really aced, though I could hold my own on Twilight Zone (even with its accursed ceramic ball) and the 90's Star Wars table (The one with the mini-game video games on the LED's up top).
But yeah, like I said, no consistency of play. Put me in front of any table other than those 3 and I was laughable at best.
You can measure a programmer's perspective by noting his attitude on the continuing viability of FORTRAN. -- Alan Perlis


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In an age of mobile banking and digital transactions, many poor people still shun basic banking services and put their extra money in livestock. Why?
Cows make sense as a savings account, says Ignacio Mas, a senior fellow at the Fletcher School's Center for Emerging Market Enterprises at Tufts University.
People want to put money away in a place where they cannot immediately spend it. Like a certificate of deposit, a cow or other livestock fits this need. A cow also produces milk and fertilizer, which families can sell. It may give status to the owner, or be a religious symbol.
But a recent Yale University study found that poor Indians lost 9 percent to 64 percent of their livestock investment.
"The poor are often willing to earn negative interest to access reliable savings services," wrote Nathalie Tadena in The Wall Street Journal.
If using a savings account worked more like a cow, poor people might be more willing to put their money in a bank, says Mas. Banks and telecom companies must tailor accounts to suit the needs of poor clients, Mas says, adjusting programs so that poor clients can truly plan for a more secure future.
Read the full piece


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Palm Garden Guest House
We do have 11 rooms big and small rooms garden side and road side 1st floor and 2nd floor.We do have singles rooms and doubles and triples and one family room. All rooms are with hot and cold water fan and balcony mosuqito net.We do have Wi-Fi and some rooms we do have refiglater, cable TV and tel phone.We do have free pick up from the bus or railway station Kandy.If you call us befor or when you arrive in Kandy.We do have restaurent on the roof top with nice viwe around Kandy.The restaurent is open from 7:am till 10:pm.We do have westen and easten food.All food we make it when you ask it will take some time because we don't cook and keep.If it is good tell the other if not tell us.Hope to see you soon.
Availability & RatesTo view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'
B&B Facilities & Policies
- 24 Hour Reception
- Airport Transfers
- Book Exchange
- Free Breakfast
- Breakfast Not Included
- Cable TV
- Cafeteria
- Ceiling Fan
- Child Friendly
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Currency Exchange
- Telephone/Fax Facilities
- Free City Maps
- Free Internet Access
- Free Parking
- Free WiFi
- Internet Access
- Laundry Facilities
- Luggage Storage
- Meals Available
- Outdoor Terrace
- Parking
- Restaurant
- Safe Deposit Box
- Taxes included
- Tea & Coffee Making Facilities
- Towels Included
Cancellation PolicyThis property has a 2 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.
Must-Read Guesthouse InfoThis property has specific Terms & Conditions.
4-Bed Private Room: One Double Bed + 2 single beds
DirectionsShow MapHide Map
One Kilometer from Kandy centre along the main Colombo Road, turn left at Bogodawatta Road.


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[T]he Aymara call the future qhipa pacha/timpu, meaning back or behind time, and the past nayra pacha/timpu, meaning front time. And they gesture ahead of them when remembering things past, and backward when talking about the future.That makes so much sense that you may wonder why no other languages took this attitude. But the obvious answer is that we see ourselves moving into the future, and when walking, you look where you're going. People who sit around reflecting on the past and not expecting much change in the future might naturally put the abstraction of time into the spatial metaphor chosen by the Aymara. But, I'm thinking, the people who survived and procreated and expanded geographically were the ones who visualized themselves walking into the future.
These are not mere mannerisms, the researchers argue; they are windows into the minds of Aymara speakers, who have a conception of future and past that is different from just about everyone else's.
The authors say the Aymara speakers see the difference between what is known and not known as paramount, and what is known is what you see in front of you, with your own eyes.
The past is known, so it lies ahead of you. (Nayra, or "past," literally means eye and sight, as well as front.) The future is unknown, so it lies behind you, where you can't see.
IN THE COMMENTS: Some informed, intense discussion of whether East Asian languages share the the quality the linked article says is unique to Aymara.


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Return, Remember, and RejoiceJustin Smith
Hebrews 10:34-36 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
Have you ever prayed for something, whether it be a family member's salvation or a change in a situation, for weeks, months, or even years to seeminglyhear no answer, to see no divine move, and to feel no peace? The fervor you once prayed with begins to dwindle, as your faith begins to sink. Your passion and trust begin to wane with each passing day, and the voices of doubt and giving up have gone from a whisper to a shout. It's in these moments that we must return, remember, and rejoice. The author of Hebrews has laid out the promises and faithfulness of God, he has displayed his superiority to all that has been taught before, and he has laid a foundation for the listener's faith. Having revealed the Truth, the author then exhorts the people of God to remember and rejoice that they might continue to patiently endure the trials before them. He encourages them to stand strong in faith and hope, knowing that God's love is steadfast and his promises are assured. He says, Remember those times you suffered, when you were thrown in jail and everything was taken from you? Do you remember how you gladly accepted those times in joy, knowing that God had a plan and better things awaited you, eternal things. Return to that trust in God, remember His promises, and rejoice in your present trials, as your eyes are fixed on the eternal. Do these things that you might be filled with the patient endurance that you need now, so that you might not stray from the path and plan He has you on.
This is one of those, "easier said then done" devotions. We know this. We know the right answers, and we know what we're supposed to do, but in all honesty, we just don't want to. We know we're supposed to have joy in the midst of the storm, we know we're supposed to find love in the midst of the loneliness, we know that we're supposed to be grateful for what He has granted, but finding the strength can seem like mission impossible. The key is taking it one step at a time. When you're getting worn down…return. Return to God's Word, return to your relationship with Him, and return to prayer. Then remember, remember Jesus' love that pursues you, remember His grace that forgave you, and remember the hope He granted you. Remember His faithfulness through previous struggles, and remember how He has never let you down. As you return to His presence, and as you choose to recall the goodness of God, His joy will fill you and that joy will strengthen you with the patient endurance you desire. So often we want the endurance, but we are unwilling to take the time and effort to return and remember. His promises, His plans, and His timing are all perfect, and they are yours for the taking IF you choose to remember, return, and rejoice.
Lord, I praise and thank you for your faithfulness, your Sovereignty, and the grace you abundantly grant. Forgive me for allowing myself to get overwhelmed by the situations before me, for taking my eyes off of you, and for straying from complete reliance on you. I will choose to return to simple and pure devotion, I will choose to remember the greatness of my God, and I will rejoice in You. I will find great joy in living for You!


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Whole spelt sourdough from Daniel Leader
The family was pleased with the result!
The family was pleased with the result!
That is a beautiful Spelt Loaf. I want to try 100% spelt and that looks like a beauty. Great job. I might have to buy Leader's new book.I take it you mean his latest?weavershouse
That's very nice. I've never been able to get that kind of rise from whole spelt. I'll have to check his book out of the library soon ....
Very nice even crumb on this loaf. Is there anything special to the method that you get such an even crumb? I'm wondering if you used a soaker and preferment?
this is such a perfect looking loaf! wow. I read your recipe, very thorough instructions. Thanks!
How do you form a loaf before placing it in a pan to obtain such a perfection? It is so symmetrical, smooth, well proofed and perfectlly baked. I want to learn to bake pan loaves like that one. Please, explain your shaping technique.
My loaf and crumb is not the same color as yours. I hope you don't mind me asking where the dark crumb color is coming from? Dark honey perhaps?
In following the directions and putting the rack in the middle, my top got too brown when compared to rest of loaf and had to finish the last 10 min under an aluminum tent. Instead of 5 hours, it took 9 1/2, 6 1/2 hrs for the ferment and 3 hrs for the final proof. Next time, I'll add com. yeast (might make it softer too) and bake on the lower position. I reduced the salt and found the loaf quite tasty with scant 1 1/4 teaspoons. I like that there is no steam in the bake.
Mini O


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amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
October 2006—Frika Chia Iskander and Samuel Nugraha are HIV/AIDS advocates based in Jakarta, Indonesia—Frika is an advisor to APN+ (Asia Pacific Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS), Sam works with the UNAIDS Secretariat, and both are members of TREAT Asia's Asian Community for AIDS Treatment and Advocacy (ACATA). Sero-discordant since before they met (Frika is HIV-positive; Sam is negative), the two were married in 2005. In this column, they discuss the challenges and satisfactions of their relationship and their shared commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Sam—Frika and I met in 2000, and a year later we first started to develop a relationship. Basically we had no idea what to do. It was quite new and weird for both of us. Our feelings for each other were getting stronger but it was strange because of Frika's HIV status and the ways people would regard us as a sero-discordant couple. I was conflicted inside, but the feelings kept growing and I knew I wanted to have this relationship.
A relationship like ours is a real challenge. When it first developed some people had a lot questions—Are you crazy? Are you looking for some sensation? Do you want to get infected? But it didn't concern me because I didn't need any approval. We didn't disclose our status to everyone, but the news spread among people in HIV/AIDS organizations—"Oh, the sero-discordant couple!" They treated us a little like freaks. We want people to have a more honest picture of what our marriage means and what it's really like to make a relationship work between positive and negative partners.
Frika—At first, Sam had a lot of problems dealing with me. I wondered why he wanted to have a relationship with me—was it because he pitied me?—so I kept testing him, making him prove himself. I didn't recognize that I was giving him such a hard time! But then I realized that his feelings were deep and I saw that I had been pushing him away. So we began to try to find ways to make our relationship work.
Some friends in my HIV support group saw Sam as an outsider, and through that I began to see how HIV-positive and -negative communities become isolated and exclusive. I started to advocate within my own group that we avoid pushing negative people away. After around one year, Sam moved into the HIV field—he had been working with drug users and I had been working with positive people. That's how we both ended up fighting HIV/AIDS.
Sam—Through Frika, I have learned how to speak with positive people, despite all the barriers. I am better at pushing the barriers away. Often positive people will say, You don't know what I feel. It's like a stop sign: Don't come near. I thought about that and I realized that nobody really understands anyone else, whether they're positive or not. So I started to think that these barriers are artificial and I began to explore much more deeply what the differences between us are. I tried to understand through Frika what the impact of HIV is for her and for us as a couple.
Frika—It's quite interesting. Through our relationship I started to understand how affected communities feel also—families and friends of people with HIV/AIDS. I learned a lot from Sam. Often when we discuss something we have both perspectives.
Sam—When we told my parents about Frika's status there was a big fight. They showed me scary videos of couples with sarcoma and little kids and all that. But I let them, and when they finished I said, Let me show you mine, and I gave them educational materials to help them understand. Finally, I said, I'm not asking for your approval. If you're going to support me, I would be grateful, but if you don't, it won't stop me. It took one year after that before they had a good relationship with Frika. But now when we go to my hometown, my parents pick her up and then go shopping and all that.
Frika—At first when I was introduced to his parents, they liked me as Frika, as a person. They didn't know my status at first. Once they knew, they started to question him—Are you sure? Do you want to go through this with an HIV-positive person? But because I had already built the relationship before they knew my status, it was easier. We had also stopped using drugs and we were living much more responsible lives. Our relationship was quite strong by that time.
Sam—We're not a perfect couple. We have problems, of course—we don't want people to misunderstand and think that this is the perfect relationship. It's not like that. The point is that humans are not really so different because of something like HIV status. Humans are humans. The challenges never stop but we've been fighting for this relationship. We do whatever we do to support our lives so we can enjoy them.
© 2018 amfAR All Rights Reserved


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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Food Stamp increase?
Well, I may not have to do that again (*crosses fingers*) Well US Congresspeople are trying to live on the paltry $1 a meal that most Americans on food stamps have to live on:
Their spell on "the Food Stamp Challenge" will end on Monday, just before the House Agriculture Committee is expected to begin overhauling U.S. farm law. Food stamps and other public nutrition programs account for two-thirds of the spending governed by the "farm bills" written every few years.
Food stamp benefits are roughly $1 a meal or $3 a day. With that budget, the U.S. representatives said, they found starchy foods are attractively priced and little chance for variety. "I kept taking things out of my (shopping) cart," said Schakowsky, an Illinois Democrat.
"It's amazing how hard it is to buy fruits and vegetables," said Tim Ryan, an Ohio Democrat, who also enrolled in the challenge. With two loaves of bread, Ryan planned to "allocate" 12 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches among his meals.
Ellen Vollenger of the anti-hunger group Food Research and Action Center said the Food Stamp Challenge "is a reality check." Various public officials including state governors and city mayors have used it to get a first-hand taste of food stamp budgeting Story here.
This is the only way people will actually get enough money to buy food for an entire month. As it stands now, I am not the only one who runs out of food that recieves food stamps. Those of us who have the audacity to buy something other then starch products, dried beans, and rice often run out approximately 2 weeks after recieving the months money. Unfortunately I am more interested in eating healthily then I am about making my food stamps last a month. And I shop at discount groceries and liquidators, and the farmer's market where I find the cheapest veggies (not to mention freshest).
The fact that some legislators are taking the food stamp challenge makes me very happy, because it's the only way that they'll change anything. It's depressing how little they give us each month. For me, my disability pay went up by $10 and my food stamps went down by $25. I have approximately $118 to spend on food each month, and unfortunately the only time the stupid food bank is open I'm in class. You'd think they'd have it open at least one evening during the week, not that they have much for someone who is a vegetarian like me. (Though if I weren't a vegetarian you couldn't pay me to eat the 'chicken in a can.') Lucky for me I have a friend who works at the co-op who gets food from the free box for me.
But all this is still not enough. It's not enough for a lot of people. I would wager that most of the 26 million on food stamps can't make it last an entire month either.
Hat tip Grrrl Scientist
9 comments:
- Anonymous said...
"stupid food bank"? just for that, i'm leaving an "anonymous" comment, you know, cause it's "rude".
why not volunteer at your local food bank so it can be open on weekends, and stop your damn whining. you should be supplementing your food stamp dollars with your own. and if you can't do that, then get by how you can. but please, dont stoop to calling the food bank stupid.
that is just RUDE.
- 21/5/07 08:38
- mekhit said...
Hey, I know this might sound nuts, but have you ever thought of dumpster diving? I have some vegan and vegetarian friends who do it, and one of them had a party once with all-dumpstered food...There were Thai dishes, cheese and crackers, Naked juice smoothies and more. Of course, it helps if you go with a friend or two so it feels more like a social event than actual dumpster diving. :P And honestly, my friends are reasonably normal people! I have no idea where you live, but if it's in the Twin Cities you should let me know and I can hook you up the next time they dumpster dive.
Oh, and anonymous, it seems like you're the one who needs to quit whining about the blog of someone you've never met. What she wrote is called letting off steam. Go get a life, asshat.
- 21/5/07 16:53
- lost clown said...
I was going to erase that first comment until I read your reply. Now it stays.
I do go dumpster diving, (I have coveralls that my friends spraypainted "Dumpster Superstar" on it), but unfortunately it's slim pickin's here, when I live in cities I'm able to dumpster enough food to keep myself going with the little amount of food stamps. I remember the Twin Cities being good, the best dumpstering happens in Austin outside of the Whole Foods distributory dumpster. Thanks for offering to hook me up with them, it's always nice to have a team.
- 21/5/07 20:02
- lisa said...
I personally know how difficult and depressing to live on nothing. I see you have math skills, Could you tutor high school students? I often typed resumes and other documents. I would use the library and save it to a disk. The person who wanted me to do their typing had to supply the disk and xx amount for what needed to be typed
I baked my own bread, grew sprouts and made a container garden with greens, carrots and tomatoes. I was really creatvie because I had two kids. I had to use cloth diapers and cloth female products. I finished college. I would like to say I still don't have hard times but it is definitely is easier. Being poor is hard,it can make you hard. I work in social services now, and I never have forgootten what is was like to wash clothes by hand and hand them in the cold, or having to scrounge change and bottles to buy tiolet paper. My boss is always surprised I am so resourceful with our consumers. I don't look down because i was there. I imagine that food it not your only issue. You have other needs as well, personal grooming, cleaning supplies, shelter. Take care and keep using your voice
- 25/3/08 06:54
- Tonya said...
whooooooohoo i have 2 kids and my food stamp balance was 396 a month just checked it 5 min ago now it's 467. Going to Kroger's now. Good Luck !!! Not bragging just a lil' happy
- 9/10/08 22:32
- Ann said...
Keep in mind, food stamps are to supplement, not to be your entire budget. If you're running out and you're going mostly carbs, rice, and beans then check with your Human Services office or whomever serves you locally in regards to your stamps. You might be getting less than you should because of an error on your paperwork or if you haven't updated your income recently to report any changes.
There are ways to eat well and healthily on stamps, it just takes a little bit of time and budgeting.
BTW...some clauses in the revamped SNAP policy allow you to get an increase above what you recieve already if you're a student, have over a certain amount of necessary bills such as medical or heating.
Also, if you're a renter inquire about LIEAP, the low income energy assistance program/plan. The name might vary in your state so you might have to Googlefu. LIEAP takes in to consideration your income, out of pocket expenses such as bills and and medical, etc. then helps to pay for heating costs during the winter. Section 8 does the same configuration to help pay partially on rent to those who qualify.
There are lots of resources out there that the gov't offers. Problem is it's hard to get all that information and not all agents are very helpful or want to take the time to tell people about them.
That's what I'm trying to do on my blog, but it's taking longer than I thought to set up.
- 2/12/08 01:35
- lost clown said...
Please let me know when you get your blog up. That info is useful to many people and I would love to help spread the word (and get some of the info myself).
I've gotten the LIEAP for the past several years, but around here they do it as a one off-you get help for basically one month. I've sat on the phone to get an appointment calling and recalling first thing Saturday morning (and I need to find out what Saturday it is this year-it's in January) to get an appointment.
I never tried to talk to anyone, because I figured that since I was on a fixed income (SSI-D) they knew exactly how much money I have coming in each month.
It takes too many spoons to deal with them when I don't know what I can ask for or should ask for. *sigh*
Thanks for all the ideas. I will look into them. I will definitely ask around.
- 2/12/08 02:08
- Ann said...
It's semi-up. I have a number of links under the tab and some PDF file links to nutrition stuff.
I'll be working more on it the next few days as our stamps come in on the third.
My husband also gets SSDI so his layoff isn't hurting us as much as it normally would, thank God, until one of us or both of us manages to find work.
I would make sure they know your SSDI just to be safe because they don't always share info between departments. My husband forgot to update his info with them a few months ago and when he did our stamps went from 83$ a month to about 150$. Quite a jump for us since I usually had some left over on the original number.
- 2/12/08 04:03
- Brenda said...
I know the frustration of not having any food and going to bed hungry. I am a 40 something female. Recently graduated school. I have over 40 resumes out in my city and in past months I had to live off of a little less than 200.00 a week and thats with a part time job and unemployment. I live in a hotel with mice and roaches. I was not brought up to live this way just had a little of that hard time wave that hits people sometimes. I went to apply for some food stamps, that was over two months ago I have not received a reply to this date. I even applied to HUD for housing around the same time I am still living here. I am hungry most of the time , most of my money goes into the rent. I feel this is the begining of homelessness. There are people out there with brand new vehicles and having multiple children that the goverment gladly pay the bills for and they receive stamps. All I want is a little food stamps to help get me back on my feet and thats something I can't seem to make happen. It brings me to tears sometimes. However, I am thankful to be here and able to continue to look for better work, a better life and to see another healthy day. All you guys hungry and struggling keep your heads up. This is a new year and it's going to change for us.
Hopful Brenda
- 2/1/09 05:19


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Selena Vs. Demi Vs. Miley: It's A Disney Darling SMACKDOWN At The TCA's This Weekend — But Who Should Win?
Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato AND Miley Cyrus are all up for Choice TV Actress in a Comedy at the Teen Choice Awards Aug. 7, but who should walk away with the trophy? My answer might surprise you!
When it comes to entertaining TV, the Disney Channel has got it down to a science! The network consistently churns out fun, upbeat comedies, especially with strong female leads — which I love. In fact, all three of Disney's most beloved starlets of the last few years — Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus — are nominated for Choice TV Actress in a Comedy at this year's Teen Choice Awards Aug. 4. However, I'm not convinced any of those fine ladies should win…
Obviously, I'm a huge fan of the Disney darlings and their shows. Plus, all three programs — Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place and Sonny With a Chance — ended their final seasons, so winning this award would be special for any of them.
That said, I believe Nickelodeon's Miranda Cosgrove from iCarly goes under appreciated and should take the prize for Choice TV Actress in a Comedy this year. The 18-year-old actress has been diligently working on her show for four long seasons — and there are still more to come. I don't know if you've ever had the opportunity to see iCarly, but Miranda is hysterical. She's spot on with her line delivery and her maturity far exceeds her age, yet she still manages to connect with her young audience.
Not to mention, iCarly has been a pioneer in children's programming and deserves more recognition as a whole. My good friend and children's programming expert from NYU, Alethea Ebb, recently explained to me what makes iCarly so special.
"Carly is a celebrity in a similar vein to Hannah Montana, but in the case of Carly it's because of her hard work and tenacity rather than her fancy wig and pop-sounding voice," she said. "But not only is the show more or less socially responsible, it's also downright funny, and is respected by people outside of the world of kids TV. The show has featured appearances from Jane Lynch, Jack Black, Jim Parson's and Michelle Obama. What other show (besides the universally-loved Sesame Street) could appeal to someone of that caliber?"
The TCAs are a popularity contest, so I have a feeling Demi or Miley is going to win. However, if this award was based solely on talent, I'd hand the prize to Miss Cosgrove.
Take a look at the nominees for Choice TV Actress in a Comedy below and tell me, who do you think SHOULD win?
Miranda Cosgrove, iCarly
Kaley Cuoco, The Big Bang Theory
Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana
Selena Gomez, Wizards of Waverly Place
Demi Lovato, Sonny with a Chance


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Rick Perry Likely to Announce if He'll Seek Re-Election
Will he or won't he?
Gov. Rick Perry has invited friends and supporters to San Antonio and the country's largest Caterpillar equipment dealership Monday to announce "exciting future plans."
The longest-serving governor in Texas history should reveal if he'll seek a fourth full term in office next year. The location is meant to symbolize Perry's prowess as a job creator overseeing the state's booming economy.
Perry was lieutenant governor but moved up when George W. Bush left for the White House in December 2000.
If he runs again, Perry may face a challenge in the GOP primary from well-funded Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. Perry hasn't offered hints on his plans, but he also hasn't ruled out another White House run.
Perry never lost an election during his 27-year political career and became a near-instant front-runner when he strapped on his signature cowboy boots and strode into the race for the GOP presidential nomination in August 2011.
But he flamed out spectacularly and dropped his presidential bid in January 2012, culminating in a debate in Michigan where Perry remembered that he'd pledged to shutter the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Education but forgot the third one, the Department of Energy. Quipped late-night comedian Jimmy Fallon: "It turns out George Bush was actually the smart Texas governor."
Perry is known for his TV anchorman good looks - often dubbed "Governor Good Hair." He has been a ferocious fundraiser buoyed by both grassroots activists and mainstream Republicans while presiding over a flourishing Texas economy.
"So many people are supporters and are going to stay supporters," said Roy Bailey, a Dallas businessman who has been a top Perry fundraiser.
Perry has been a leading voice on many social issues conservatives hold dear, including states' rights, relaxed environmental regulations, strict abortion limits and opposition to gay marriage.


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