text:
If you can't buy it, it's kinda nonsensical to say it has a $100 price. It doesn't have a price at all.
Published Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011 6:40PM EST
In the morning, Suneet and the remaining three bidders return to the same room. At the front, a 12-person committee shows off the submitted tenders, time-stamped and sealed with wax, before reading off each companyâ(TM)s bidâ"including the lowest estimate of what it would cost to make the Indian governmentâ(TM)s dream: the cheapest tablet in the world.
When the presentation is finished, Datawindâ(TM)s price tagâ"$52â"is the lowest. The next cheapest bid is for $64. âoeI went white,â Suneet says now. âoeI thought, âWeâ(TM)ve missed something.â(TM)â
Feeling nauseous, he staggers out into the antechamber, where rival bidders lob wisecracks in his direction. âoeAt that price, weâ(TM)ll buy some,â one businessman says, laughing. Frantic, Suneet calls Montreal, where it is nearly 3 a.m., knowing heâ(TM)ll wake up Raja. But his elder brother, who at times forgets how many patents he has to his name (more than 50) but never forgets product specs, reassures him that the final price accounts for every single component in the device. Thatâ(TM)s when it sinks in: Theyâ(TM)ve nailed this.
So far, Datawind has manufactured about 10,000 of its ultracheap devices, and has subcontracted more factories in India to gradually churn out a volume of tablets that still seems unbelievable to the founders. The Indian state plans to subsidize the tablets down to between $20 and $35 (U.S.), to be sold to college and university students, and wants to roll the devices out to around 12 million users over the next 12 months. After that, the goal is to place one of these tablets in the hands of each of the countryâ(TM)s 80 to 100 million high school students. The process, despite the hype, is still in a nascent stage, unfolding slowly.
But things got stranger. Shortly after the announcement, Suneet was invited to meet with Thailandâ(TM)s Minister for Information Communications Technology (who was so interested in purchasing 10 million tablets that he attended their meeting even as flood waters descended on Bangkok). Calls arrived from Turkey (which wants 15 million tablets), Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, Panama and Egypt. At one point, the Swedish embassy in Canada called: Would Suneet possibly have time to meet the Swedish foreign minister, Carl Bildt? And would it be possible to send out a press release to announce that the meeting was happening?
Another story: from pcworld [pcworld.com]
And for an extra $10, you get a much better cpu, a better touch screen, more battery life, etc.
So, forget Canonicals' secret plans to unveil a cheap tablet running linux next week - these run both linux and android, and they're already being sold.
Hmmm, where have I read about Indian cheap computers coming available within a month before?
Oh, right, it was here http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/02/10/07/1233208/indian-linux-pda-for-300 [slashdot.org]
The site's product page talked about how it'd be useful for everyone, Rural Indian, European Student, American Businessman, blah blah. Listed prices and everything, I was never able to buy one.
OLPC at least has a history of getting reasonable priced things into my hands (original BOGO was slightly more than a netbook, l
Second, if you read the OLPC article, they don't actually plan on building a tablet if competitors can do it for less
Think of it - the iPad didn't even exist 2 years ago. Today, you can buy a linux+android tablet for under $60. Why would any government get involved in a $100+ tablet when they can get them for half, AND manufacture them under license locally, creating jobs in their own countries?
Simple answer - they won't.
Why would any government get involved in a $100+ tablet when they can get them for half, AND manufacture them under license locally, creating jobs in their own countries?
More "sophisticated" answer:
OLPC systems are designed for education. The hardware is designed to be tough enough to last years in a school environment where most hardware is designed to survive just beyond the guarantee period as long as you treat it right. The batteries are designed with different compromises; the don't charge to the maximum so they last much longer, but have a worse headline performance. The main operating system has the full source code under an open source license so the students
OLPC systems are designed for education.
The systems that the Indian government commissioned the competition for, and which they are buying millions of these $52 devices, and subsidizing them, as so that all students in India at every level of education will get one. In other words, India is now closed for dealing with the OLPC.
The hardware is designed to be tough enough to last years in a school environment
At $52 for a color touch-screen tablet, they can buy two, so if one breaks
Also, they're al
Great story in your G&M link!
I had missed it, so thanks for bringing it to my (everyone's) attention.
I'm tempted to head down there and interview them. They've got a compelling story, they're actually in production, the world is beating a path to their door, and it was something that they decided to cough up the $100,000 bid bond to enter the bidding war almost on a whim at the last moment.
What's really interesting is the Ubislate - $10 more ($60) - a Cortex A8 cpu, a video accelerator, HD video, and Gingerbread. Sure, it's not ICS, but Gingerbread for $60???
And of course, we all know what that mean
What's really interesting is the Ubislate - $10 more ($60) - a Cortex A8 cpu, a video accelerator, HD video, and Gingerbread. Sure, it's not ICS, but Gingerbread for $60???
I wonder how open / hackable they (Aakash & Ubislate) are? Could one theoretically buy a device and install their own Android / Ubuntu on it? Seems like they've got kernel hackers tweaking away to make it work properly, so I doubt a standard kernel would work, but maybe they'll open source it? (Ask them if you interview them.)
And of course, we all know what that means - within a few years, ICS for under $100.
Ah yes, but ICS will be at least 2 versions old by then. OTOH, hopefully Android will be better polished (I thought previews of ICS looked fugly) and Google will have done some
In manufacturing it's all about volume. If you make 10 times as many the price per unit drops by half or so. Make it and sell it everywhere.
You're ignoring the costs of marketing[*], supply chain management, vendor relations, legal compliance. technical certifications, tax and tariff issues, etc. etc.
If you're an existing computer seller (e.g. Dell, Lenovo), you've already got a significant investment in these areas, but if you're a small organisation whose target is the developing world, bootstrapping a global distribution network might seem like a distraction.
Of course, there are a number of ways to work around this, like forming a strategic partnership with a large distributor. But if history is any example, the large vendors are anything but enamoured with OLPC. Nonetheless, there are ways to achieve what you describe. I just don't think they're as trivial as you make them out to be.
[*] I don't mean cheesy advertising shills, I mean marketing in the sense of determining how the whole supply chain is going to be managed, figuring out who to talk to, what volumes to anticipate, etc.
If you can't buy it, it's kinda nonsensical to say it has a $100 price. It doesn't have a price at all.
Um, no. There are a lot of things I can't buy, but nevertheless have a price. If anyone at all can buy it, it has a price -- there's no logical implication in the definition of "price" that guarantees that you personally can purchase something. Indeed, it's often the price itself that excludes that possibility, although there are countless other reasons why you may not be able to buy something that nevertheless does have a price and can be purchased by other, qualified individuals or organizations.
Price is a concept relative to the purchaser (which is why different groups pay different prices for the same good). Since the poster is unable to purchase this product, its price to them does not exist, hence "doesn't have a price." Now, I would agree with you that the object may have a price to someone, but the concept of price, in relation to this good and this individual, does not seem to exist.
So the price is $100 and proof that you are part of a large government organization. The price of the second element Is variable, and is a combination of time, money, effort, and circumstance.
To me it just proves why OLPC will be an ultimate FAIL and end up DOA. A smart group would sell to everyone and use the economies of scale to drive down prices! I mean when you can buy an Atom netbook for $250 with Win 7 Starter at the local Wally World there is no reason if they sold to everyone they couldn't drive prices even lower than $100 since their goal isn't profits but getting these devices in the hands of kids. They don't think america has poor kids? They ought to come down to the delta and see al
If you can't buy it, it's kinda nonsensical to say it has a $100 price. It doesn't have a price at all.
must be priceless
But what do I care? I cant buy one
But what do I care? I cant buy one
You shouldn't care, you obviously have access to a computer
how do you know I am not sitting in a cave with a battery, telegraph key, and a tape deck?
I didn't know RMS posted to slashdot.
This site's subtitled "News for Nerds", not "Shopping Tips for Nerds". A long running non-profit organisation releasing the newest (and long awaited) version of their charitable computer hardware, and the fact they're finally hitting their old target of a sub $100 price tag, are all newsworthy.
If you only read news articles about things you can buy, you might not end up reading much news at all.
OLPC really screws the pooch each time by not offering their tech for geeks in the first world. It would greatly increase the volume of production and drive software development, as well as generate a huge volume of fixes and improvements in the appropriate wikis.
OLPC really screws the pooch each time by not offering their tech for geeks in the first world. It would greatly increase the volume of production and drive software development, as well as generate a huge volume of fixes and improvements in the appropriate wikis.
I think you meant "as well as generate a huge workload on the few volunteers dedicated to the project". If you want to help OLPC, be dedicated, and join a local developer group. Then you will also get your hands on a device.
If they started distributing devices to everyone, they'd loose their focus, and the viewpoint of the project would become skewed. Don't forget, the OLPC project is about education, not technology!
Also they'd have to spend money hiring support personnel, because it wouldn't be just tech geeks who'd buy the things. A couple hundred dollars or less is in the Walmart demo's price range.
Then sell it with no support whatsoever. I'm pretty the geeks will buy them anyway and as for the rest — it's just 52 dollars.
Then sell it with no support whatsoever.
For very good reasons, most consumer protection laws don't allow this. If the customer says the system was broken when deliered you have to replace it. At that point, you need to provide enough support to find the power switch otherwise your costs will rocket. At that point, you are providing support no matter what.
Sure. It's so much better to focus on doing nothing. That way you don't even need to hire much personnel!
Right now OLPC is a massive failure. It completely underdelivered on its promises. What's there to focus on?
Things may not have turned out to work exactly as they imagined, but OLPC promised to deliver cheap computers to schools in developing nations. It delivered cheap computers (over 2 million!!) to children in developing nations.
In the meantime, as a side effect OLPC created the netbook market and drove the creation of the devices which are now leading to leading to $50 tablets.
That seems pretty much like delivering to me. That they didn't deliver anything to you personally isn't their failure. The worl
2 million is nothing. They planned to be at least one or even two orders of magnitude larger. So they're failing by their own criteria. Kickstarting the netbook market (now dead) was not their goal, but a nice side-effect. And $50 devices are just a logical continuation of the trend of cheap tablets/notebooks.
I've bought two OLPCs during the original G1G1 program. I was even ready to start contributing to the project - it really needed help at that time. The software was not really usable, it was slow and l
2 million is nothing. They planned to be at least one or even two orders of magnitude larger. So they're failing by their own criteria.
I'm sorry; but in that case their own criteria were unrealistic. They are the most successful wide scale open source based educational computer systems supplier.
Negroponte decided to befriend Microsoft. We all remember how it ended.
That was definitely one of the main things which really limited the potential of the project. A whole bunch of people left when they started to be Microsoft collaborators. I think, though, that it was an honest mistake. This is something that can be seen from they way that they didn't let Microsoft hijack the project and Microsoft ended up leavi
"I'm sorry; but in that case their own criteria were unrealistic."
Yes they were and that's what made OLPC a visionary project. Had they achieved these criteria they could have literally done a revolution in education. As it is, they are a footnote.
They had a real problem - the Sugar software was (and still is, really) unpolished and slow, excruciatingly slow. They needed (and still do) a lot of good developers to fix it. Had they began to sell OLPC notebooks and used profit to fund more development maybe th
I think you meant "as well as generate a huge workload on the few volunteers dedicated to the project". If you want to help OLPC, be dedicated, and join a local developer group. Then you will also get your hands on a device.
If they started distributing devices to everyone, they'd loose their focus, and the viewpoint of the project would become skewed. Don't forget, the OLPC project is about education, not technology!
From Charles Kane, OLPC president's own mouth: "the mission is to get the technology in the hands of as many children as possible."
Somehow, they seem to run the one consumer electronics project that doesn't benefit from additional customers. It is probably not a coincidence that this is the one consumer electronics project run by a non-profit.
I used to be a huge OLPC project fan, now I think they're a bit of a joke. The democratization of computers is not going to come from a top-down project like OLPC. They had their chance, and due to the lack of market pressures because of their educational non-profit status, that ship sailed a long time ago.
The democratization of computers is going to come from real companies that are creating real products that are shipping into real peoples' hands right now. The cost of a Chinese-made Android tablet is frequently significantly lower than $100. And they don't have to deal with the baggage of living in some sort of bizarro world where more sales is a liability.
The only benefit that OLPC provided over commercial projects to sell low-cost computers was the open-source nature of Sugar OS specifically designed to teach children about how computers worked and how they could be programmed, thus teaching fishing instead of giving fish. Then they jettisoned that, and clarified their mission is just to be fishmongers that sell special fish for kids, and it escapes me how they could do a better job with this than their for-profit competition.
OLPC's customers are educational organizations that can implement "one laptop per child".
A lot of the OLPC software effort is easing the hard work of a deployment [laptop.org]: managing reflashing hundreds of machines at once with a new distribution, restoring to a stable image, device backup, school servers, service & repair, etc. That's more involved than "selling low-cost computers" and it's different from "the democratization of computers". Android and ChromeOS have some similar facilities and someone could base large educational rollouts on them, but there's little money in it, so it seems if a non-profit is still the way to go.
You're confused (or writing poorly about fish). OLPC never "jettisoned" Sugar. The OLPC software distribution now offers a choice between the Sugar UI and a Gnome desktop, and supports running a version of Windows XP from SD card; OLPC provided these choices in response to those education customers. Of the 2.5M XO laptops out there, no large deployment is running Microsoft Windows. In many Sugar activities, pressing View Source (Fn + Space) opens up the Python source code (it's pretty cool!), and the source code from the firmware up is readily available.
The only benefit that OLPC provided over commercial projects to sell low-cost computers was the open-source nature of Sugar OS specifically designed to teach children about how computers worked and how they could be programmed, thus teaching fishing instead of giving fish.
The only buyer for the OLPC is the third world education minister.
It is his job to decide whether it is more important to teach a kid how to program or to teach him how to read.
There may be not time enough to do both.
He has to think about how many of his kids he can realistically hope to place in advanced academic and vocational programs. He has to ask whether Sugar will prepare these students for the standard desktop and apps used in the higher grades.
Agreed. They could learn a lesson or two from Toms Shoes. (buy a pair and Toms' donates a pair to a child in an underdeveloped country)
Consequently, when you add in the retail overhead, the shoes cost about four times what they *should* cost, yet people buy them like crazy. Kind of like Macs.
While I await my Alan Kay designed fantasy notepad-sized stylus tablet, I really believe in OLPC's fundamental mission.
If I develop for any vendor specific device, it'll be this one. Not the market-hyped iPad.
I hope they have the buy-two-get-one program again. Hopefully I can scratch up the coin to see someone who can't afford a device piggyback off my purchase.
fundamental mission
aka: It would be nice if this worked, despite evidence to the contrary
aka: What everyone actually wants
I love the philosophy of OLPC, but I don't think it is a particularly useful actual project. The original project worked for years on the cutting edge trying to make a cheap laptop that everyone in the world could access. And by the time the technology became readily available for their goal to be achieved... the technology was readily available for everyone else to do the same thing. Now the big manufactu
Well, there is one concern in the slightly more developed nations: smart phones.
Certainly for populations where the income levels allow it, most people would prefer a smart phone to an OLPC device.
But those people can also pay for app development, which is why if I work on any such device, it'll be this one. Understand I'm not talking about corporate projects, but for fun and satisfaction projects I'd post under open source with no hope or wish of ever making a dime off them.
There are enough people
Understand I meant no insult. But you have the money and the infrastructure to access the internet. How can YOU possibly hold judgement from that lofty position on people who have NOTHING?
Thanks for the info, I'll keep it in mind. But I wasn't talking near term, I'm kind of swamped right now, and I haven't put any thought into what I MIGHT actually do with such a device, so asking for free hardware to work on it would definitely be premature.
After all, they only announced the finalization of the design today -- they haven't even shown them at CES yet!
But I'll be a thinkin...
Well, yeah.
But the fact is, they came pretty damn close. it looks badass.
If by close you meant 5 times thicker, then yes.
In the real world, a product isn't a product until it has a part number and a price. The part number is tied to a specific configuration with a committed level of performance. The price signifies that the vendor is putting his money where his mouth is. OLPC is so far (once again) all talk.
yep, how hard is it to setup a webshop for orders? not very. but olpc business plan relies on subsidies and big no-risk government orders.
and at the same time chinese noname factories are pumping 80bucks tablets to the real world.
I really don't believe that olpc's hyped(by olpc) "unique charging circuitry" is really _that_ unique. basically they're saying that you couldn't buy a solar charger for regular phone from dx(or a crank charger). sure, it takes a lot of time to load it up, but you could recharge a
I hoped that Pixel Qi could have made a screen that was readable like eInk for ebook readers, but worked well enough in active mode in color with a backlight. I haven't seen a screen in person, but the reviews I've read over the last couple of years said that the Pixel Qi screen is kind of the worst of both worlds, not the best. Not great color or definition in active mode, and not that great in passive, reflective B&W mode either. That was disappointing to me to hear.
Has anyone seen a recent Pixel Q
I hoped that Pixel Qi could have made a screen that was readable like eInk for ebook readers, but worked well enough in active mode in color with a backlight. I haven't seen a screen in person, but the reviews I've read over the last couple of years said that the Pixel Qi screen is kind of the worst of both worlds, not the best. Not great color or definition in active mode, and not that great in passive, reflective B&W mode either. That was disappointing to me to hear.
Huh? As far as I know, Pixel Qi screens have a color reflective mode. I think the sunlight-readability (with fast refresh, unlike e-ink) is a kick-ass feature on its own.
No the promise of the Pixel Qi was a triple-resolution black and white display in passive mode. A casual google search reveals that indeed it is black and white in outdoor mode. From what I've read the Pixel Qi isn't that great in sunlight or with blacklight, at least folks that were reviewing the Notion Ink.
The OLPC projects strikes me as fundamentally useless. On the list of things keeping children in poor countries from getting an education, lack of laptops is way towards the bottom. Now assuming there is a benefits for kids already in school to get access to a computer, a laptop strilkes me as a terribly inefficient way to go. You'd get far more bang for your buck with desktops. And most of all, every time I read about OLPC, it's always about the tech and the specs, not how it actually helps kids. That stri
On the list of things keeping children in poor countries from getting an education, lack of laptops is way towards the bottom.
The thing which is missing is access to information and various tools. A computer is a good and cheap way to deliver information when textbooks aren't available and is a good and cheap way to deliver tools such as calculators; word puzzles and so on when those aren't available. These aren't really that much available in a standard base OS install that you would see, but OLPC provides a custom environment where they are available.
You'd get far more bang for your buck with desktops.
I suggest you have a look at the OLPC FAQ, which explains this stuff. Deskto
I was one of the original G1G1 participants, and I'm sorry to say that the gap between what was promised and what was delivered would never have been forgiven in any commercial enterprise. The "20 hour" battery life turned out to be 3-4 hours, and despite much talk about improvements to the power management software, nothing ever came of it.
The biggest disappointment for me was that the much-heralded "show source" button, didn't. I never quite worked out the tortuous explanations/excuses, but one of the original premises was that all of the machine's source would be available for inspection and modification--to kids, if sufficiently bright. In reality, all the enthusiastic video demonstrations of the "show source" feature were just showing ordinary browser HTML source, and as nearly as I could tell, the "show source" button never did anything more than that.
"Sugar," which I'd hoped would educate me in a brand new model for computer interaction, was, at the time, a bad joke with poor usability. The only way to locate journal entries was by remember to enter text tags for each one when complete, and doing text searches on the tags. It was explained that "fortunately kids like to describe everything they're doing." All usability objections were answered with the retort that I was not part of the machine's intended user base--true enough, and I have never verified for myself whether eight-year-old kids using the OLPC laptop really do type in text tags to enable them to locate their documents.
The one practical use I meant to put it to, as an eBook reader for PDF documents, didn't work because the PDF reader program was buggy, crashprone, and--even when it didn't crash--didn't save your place in the document (and didn't have any bookmarking mechanism). If you stopped reading at page 56, when you reopened the document, you'd be at page 1 and would have to remember what page you were on and scroll to it.
Hopefully all of these problems have long since been dealt with, but it left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
In the latest stable release [laptop.org] on my G1G1 XO-1, pressing View Source (Fn + Space) opens up a nifty project source code browser for Chat, Paint, Read and other Python activities I tried (it's pretty cool!).
The Sugar Journal is just different. If you don't name you get Paint Activity, Chat Activity, etc. which is no worse than having New document.odp, New document(2).odp, etc. It's BETTER for kids because there's no folders to navigate. The Sugar developers have smoothed a lot of the rough edges and improved th
The original OLPC made lots of sense, even if they botched the execution... I'll point to the massive success of the EEEPC as proof that they were only slightly off the mark. Personally, I thought going with a dirt cheap B&W LCD screen to start would have solved most of their problems, but I digress.
But this tablet makes no sense. The Aakash / UbiSlate tablets cost half as much (for real, in production) and is designed to serve exactly the same purpose as OLPC. In addition, Android smartphones (with qwerty keyboard, making them vastly more useful) retail for $100 here on the shelves in the US (no contract, not subsidized, not on sale). We're talking about full-featured mobile devices, much like what I use for 90% of my computing purposes, and am typing on right now...
OLPC's main reason to exist last time around was extreme power savings, due to the great expense of electricity in the third world. But now, normal mass market mobile devices now rival OLPC's energy targets, as well as having more than sufficient durability designed-in.
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phones/samsung-intercept-phone.jsp [virginmobileusa.com]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aakash_tablet [wikipedia.org]
I don't see any reason for OLPC to make custom hardware anymore, rather than just becoming a software company, possibly + logistical support.
It's nice and all, but the XO-3 might as well just be vaporware.
How is this AW remotely relevant?
Looks more like somebody projectile vomiting... but I guess I turned my head the wrong way.
Maybe giving it a perfectly reasonable name rather than something that you'd expect to find on a packing list would be better marketing altogether.
The party adjourned to a hot tub, yes. Fully clothed, I might add. -- IBM employee, testifying in California State Supreme Court


text: Ginia Bellafante may not be our favorite Times columnist. But she did write a chucklesome column over the weekend about the Bike Share program, subtly skewering the critics of its infrastructure (who often come across like the critics of the Prospect Park West bike lane, which is to say unfavorably, though a handful of them probably do have legitimate gripes). "Is this really the time to complain?" she asks. "This, a moment when progressive policy has had such an obvious victory?" Here are her three sickest burns. [photo]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Airport Liquors: For all your holiday wines and spirits – at great prices
It's the most wonderful time of the year! With your friends jingle belling and everyone telling you "Be of good cheer" – it's the most wonderful time of the year! There'll be parties for hosting, marshmellows for toasting and wine to be served in the cold – it's the most wonderful time of the year! It's the most wonderful time of the year~ there'll be much mistletoeing and hearts will be glowing when loved ones are near. It's the hap-, happi-est time of the year to visit your local wine and spirits store, Airport Liquors, so that when all your friends come to call, and your parties you're hosting and loved ones are near - you will be READY with the perfect libation to fit the occasion.
Airport Liquors is full-service, locally-owned package store that is located in the lower deck of the Airport Plaza (across from KFC on Airport Road). It offers a complete and varied selection of imported and domestic beers, wines, liquors, cordials, single malt scotches, champagne and everything you could ever want to make your holiday party unforgettable. Here, you will find everything you will need to make your season merry and bright, and your New Year's an unforgettable night.
There are plenty of holiday specials available at this friendly and convenient liquor store. Check out some of these popular options:
Champagnes & Sparkling Wines:
• Korbel Extra Dry & Brut - 750ml $20.99
• il Prosecco - 750ml $9.99
• Chandon (all) - 750ml $18.99
• Frei Brothers Chardonnay - 750ml $19.99
• Colores Del Sol Malbec - 750ml $7.99
• Apothic Red Blend - 750ml 2 for $20.00
• Sea Glass Reisling - 750ml 2 for $20.00
• CK Mondavi (all) - 750ml 2 for $10.00
• Bud - Bud Light 20pk bottles $15.99
• Harpoon- 12pk bottles $14.95
• Red Strip - 12 pk bottles $13.99
Airport Liquors is located on 1800 Post Road (remember to look for them on the Airport Road side, across from KFC). Open Monday through Saturday, 9 am to 10 pm, and Sunday from noon to 6 pm. You can also call ahead to 352-0055 or peruse their website at www.airport.liquors.net to see the latest deals. Closing Christmas Eve at 6:00pm.
As always, Airport Liquors urges you to drink responsibly.


text:
This is a popular British dessert featuring a date cake smothered in warm sticky toffee sauce. The sponge is studded with chopped dates and upon coming out of the oven a portion of the toffee sauce is spooned over top to soak into the cake. The toffee sauce is made on the stove by combining heavy cream with brown sugar and butter. It's rich and caramelly. Without the sauce the cake isn't all that special. But once the sauce hits it a transformation of epic proportions ensues.
The 'sticky' is appropriate for describing this cake in two ways. The dates are sticky sweet. Packed with natural sugars they can best be described as nature's candy. I like to compare them to crystallized maple syrup. They add a rich sweetness to the cake and incredible moistness. The toffee sauce is sticky too – just imagine eating a piece of caramel and how it sticks to your fingers. And teeth. In it's fluid state, as a sauce, it doesn't have the strength to do that. But it just might leave an everlasting impression stamped upon your soul. I know it did mine.
I searched recipes from one side of the internet to the other and found all sorts of variations. I wanted to stay as true to the original as possible. But what was that? I may have struck gold with this recipe from the Udny Arms Hotel in Aberdeenshire who claim the recipe originates with them. I even discovered a handwritten recipe that, depending on how true you hold information across the internet to be, was penned by a chef of the hotel for a patron.
It is not at all difficult to make, like I thought it might be upon first hearing of it. I checked with British Chef Jaime Oliver and he says if fresh dates aren't available dry ones are fine to use. And they come with the advantage of being already 'pitted' or 'stoned' as he calls it.
From this classic dessert I made another – the English trifle! I made individual servings by layering cubed cake drizzled in toffee sauce with whip cream. These can be eaten immediately, warm, cold or at room temperature.
This is deeply satisfying on so many different levels. With just one bite I was smitten. Greedy gobbling ensued. About half way through I started to slow down. There was benefit to making it last. Gooey, soft and luscious. Intense. Positively sinful. Comforting like your favorite sweater. Dangerously delicious. Sticky toffee pudding is all these things and more. In a restaurant I would not hesitate to lick the plate clean. No matter who was looking. It's an experience you must have first person to fully understand. So why are you still here? Go forth and bake!
A popular British dessert featuring a date cake smothered in warm, sticky toffee sauce.
- A 1/2 hour before making cake in a medium sized bowl pour the boiling water over the chopped dates and baking soda. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl beat butter and sugar until white and fluffy. Beat in eggs gradually.
- Fold in flour and baking powder. Combine dates and all of the liquid stirring until just combined.
- Pour batter into greased pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center.
- About 25 minutes into the baking time make the sauce. Whisk all ingredients together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
- When cake comes out of oven poke holes over top of cake using a fork. Pour about 1/3 of the sauce over top. Allow to cool off a bit. While still warm cut cake into squares and spoon warm sauce over top. Serve with whipped cream if desired. Store unused sauce in refrigerator, heat in a saucepan.
- Chill a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer with the beaters for a half an hour ahead of time. Add cold whip cream to bowl and beat just until soft peaks form. (If you keep on beating you will make butter, some of the freshest tasting, most delicious butter!)
Adapted from The Udny Arms Hotel


text:
Sizzling fajitas made with strips of marinated steak, a trio of colorful peppers, onions and fresh cilantro tucked into warm flour tortillas. A Tex-Mex favorite.
With fresh lime juice and spices like chili powder, cumin and oregano, the marinade adds incredible flavor and helps tenderize even the cheapest cuts of meat. Time is all it needs to work magic. For the best outcome marinate your steak the morning of or even the night before.
I like to slice my peppers a little on the thick side so I can cook them longer than one might usually cook a pepper. The longer cooking time allows them to caramelize. If you never had a caramelized pepper then you are missing out.
Try slow cooking them for 20-30 minutes over medium-low heat in a generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil, stirring every five minutes until tender with some brown spots. The peppers become intensely sweet and are insanely good against the pop of lime from the steak.
The fajitas don't need much more than the sautéed vegetables and cilantro to be complete but feel free to load them up just like you would a taco. Because they really are tacos. . . in disguise.
Sour cream, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes or salsa, iceberg lettuce and guacamole. . . pile them high in whatever way your fajita-loving heart desires.
A Tex-Mex favorite, these sizzling fajitas are made with strips of marinated steak, a trio of colorful peppers, onions and fresh cilantro tucked into warm flour tortillas.
- The night before or morning of pierce the steak an inch apart all over with a fork on both sides; season lightly with salt and pepper. In a small bowl whisk lime, oil, garlic, jalapeno, chile powder, cumin and oregano together. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour over steak in a shallow dish or pan or put the steak in a large Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over. Marinate at least 6 hours or longer in refrigerator.
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet and add peppers and onions, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook over medium-low heat until desired tenderness. Remove to a small platter or dish.
- Remove the steak from the marinade, wipe off the garlic and pat dry. Heat the skillet over high heat and cook the steak 3-4 minutes on each side depending on how well done you prefer it. You can also grill it if you prefer. Remove to a cutting board and allow to sit for at least 5 (to 10) minutes. Slice into thin strips against the grain at an angle.
- Serve immediately on warm tortillas with peppers, cilantro, lime and your choice of toppings.


text:
Size: Approximately 280 sq ft.
Occupancy: 2 guests standard
Amenities: Two lower beds that can convert to a queen bed single sofa bed a balcony sitting area direct-dial ship-to-shore telephone television VCR hairdryer and safe deposit box. Suite guests also receive VIP check-in priority embarkation and disembarkation in suite butler service daily fresh fruit in the suite one bottle of sparkling wine preferred seating at the ships many restaurants and an invitation to the cocktail party with the captain.
Mini-Suite W5 Cabins:
Mini-Suite W5 cabins can be found on:
Mini-Suite W5 Cabins - Suite
Other categories for Suite cabins include:


text:
Some big news on the Michigan basketball front—but on the women's side: Kim Barnes Arico has secured her first verbal commitment as head coach at Michigan, and it's an impressive one. Siera Thompson, a 5-7 point guard out of Junipero Serra HS in Gardena, California, has committed to Michigan for the 2013 class, according to Bret McCormick:
Siera Thompson 5-7 PG 2013 from Serra HS CA has verbally committed to Michigan. Cal Sparks club coach Elbert Kinnebrew confirmed this.— Bret McCormick (@ASGR1995) June 15, 2012
ESPN has Thompson pegged as a 4 star, ranked #53 in the 2013 class. Here's part of an evaluation on her ESPN profile:
The superlatives can pile up where Thompson is concerned. She is a strongly built 5-7, who uses short and quick dribble moves to penetrate the lane, can take a hit and has the powers of concentration to still finish shots. . . . Her shot is light and true to 3-point range and Thompson obviously relishes pressure situations. In the lead-guard role, she always seems to have the ball when she should have it, and is not shy about getting her team in the right spots. . . . Some players can be characterized by position or style; some, like Thompson, simply are ballers.
In recent years, the Michigan women's team has only rarely landed players ranked in the top 100 by ESPN or one of the other recruiting services, so this is huge win for the new coach on the recruiting trail.
Addendum: An ESPN item on Thompson's commitment says she picked Michigan over Kansas, Santa Barbara, and Virginia Tech. There's also this quote from the coach of her club team, Elbert Kinnebrew:
"Siera is a point guard with a consistent 3-point shot who keeps turnovers low in big games," Kinnebrew said. "She is an excellent director in half-court sets with good sense of creating passing angles within the structure of designed plays, a rare trait for a transition guard like Siera. A student-achiever in the classroom, she's prepared for the demanding academics at Michigan."


text:
Stars' Lehtonen shines in 4-1 win over the Oilersby Ryan Dittrick / Edmonton Oilers
|Mark Fistric defends against Ryan Garbutt of the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013 (Photo by Marko Durko / Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club).
EDMONTON - Some nights the puck doesn't bounce your way and it seems like no matter what you try, the goalie at the other end will have an answer for it anyway.
This was one of those nights for the Edmonton Oilers. And Kari Lehtonen was that for the visiting Dallas Stars in a 4-1 win Tuesday night at Rexall Place. Dallas scored go-ahead goal 44 seconds into the third and didn't look back.
"The result is painful to look at," said a disappointed Head Coach Ralph Krueger post-game. "We tried and went back to some complicated habits in the third and deserted what had made us successful to that point. The amount of shots on goal and the opportunities we had to score, you've got to complicate Lehtonen."
In all, the Oilers peppered the Stars netminder with 36 shots (their second-highest output of the season). Perhaps it was karma or the Hockey Gods getting even for Sunday's 3-1 win -- a game in which Devan Dubnyk stole the show, stealing the victory with 39 saves while his club could only muster 14 in a one-sided contest against the Blue Jackets.
Dubnyk was great once again, but his 25 saves weren't enough.
"Obviously that wasn't a 4-1 game, but that's what the score ended up being," said the netminder. "It's frustrating when we played as well as we did to get a couple bounces like that. Nothing you can do about it now."
"We probably deserved this fate," said Jordan Eberle, who's now gone eight games without a goal. "I don't think we played nearly as well (in Columbus) as we could have and snuck out with a win we didn't really deserve.
"It was the opposite tonight."
The Oilers got on the board at 12:59. Taylor Hall slalomed his way past Loui Eriksson through the neutral zone and in across the blue. With defencemen Stephane Robidas and Brenden Dillon to beat, Hall elected to shoot. A wise choice it was, as No. 4's wicked wrist shot screamed past Kari Lehtonen.
The Oilers surpassed their shot total from Sunday's win over the Blue Jackets (14) when the club registered its 15th attempt with 15:10 to play in the second period. The orange and blue were committed to putting the puck on net, tallying 11 shots in the first period, 16 in the second and nine in the third.
"You've got to look at the positives," said Eberle. "We played well, but at the end of the day, we need points in the standings and we didn't get any."
The Oilers have four games left on their five-game homestand (Colorado, Los Angeles, Minnesota and Phoenix) before embarking on their season-high nine-game road trip while the Tim Hortons Brier takes over at Rexall Place.
"We've got to focus on this homestand. It's a huge point and we have to look ahead," said Eberle. "You don't want to look at the big picture but right now we have to. We need some points on this homestand."
"We've got to keep the big picture small," added Krueger. "We can't look beyond our three-game segments. We've got four games in a row at home and need points here."
Dallas brought the game back on even terms 4:32 into the second on one of the luckiest goals you'll ever see. Dillon's point shot deflected off Lennart Petrell and well wide, but the puck then bounce off the dasher where the boards meet the glass, up in the air, off Dubnyk's back and across the line.
With 10 seconds left in the second period, the Oilers nearly cashed the go-ahead goal when the reunited top line electrified the crowd with an incredible scoring chance. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins dished to Jordan Eberle in the slot and, with nothing but a phone booth with which to stickhandle in, No. 14 dangled to his backhand and was denied by the heroic effort of Lehtonen's outstretched right pad.
It was the turning point.
Forty-four seconds into the third, Dallas took a 2-1 lead on another fortunate bounce. A long-range wrist shot by Eric Nystrom redirected ever-so-slightly off Nugent-Hopkins' stick, handcuffing Dubnyk as it popped off his mask and in.
Dallas wasn't done. An ill-advised neutral zone turnover by Nail Yakupov with 4:35 to play allowed Jaromir Jagr to burst back and snipe a shot past Dubnyk to seal the outcome.
Ryan Garbutt scored another 1:52 later put the Stars up 4-1.
The Oilers will get the day off Wednesday but will return to the ice for practice on Thursday and Friday in preparation for Saturday's game against the Phoenix Coyotes.
-- Ryan Dittrick, edmontonoilers.com | Follow me on Twitter @ryandittrick


text:
The other bird is the installation of systems to improve the efficiency of heat and air units, indoor and outdoor lighting and other factors district-wide. The stone is a combined approach dealing with both by the Irving firm of Climatec, which made the proposal at the board's regular meeting Monday evening.
The board has been looking at renovating the gym built in 1957 with a combination of loan proceeds and fund balance monies. Price tag for the effort is about $1.1 million. At a workshop session earlier this month, trustees indicated a desire to move ahead with a renovation project. The total for razing the existing structure and building a new one is more than $3 million.
Discussion during that meeting focused on a low-interest loan the district would repay over seven years with annual payments of about $80,000.
Climatec's basic pitch to the board was a 15-year program of upgrades at a cost of about $991,000. According to the firm's figures, there would be a first-year savings - in such areas as utilities costs - of almost $86,000 that would satisfy a lease payment of about $85,000. During the life of the program, savings are estimated at more than $1.3 million based on a total utility cost reduction of 28 percent.
By adding the gym to the effort, the term would increase to 20 years with funds provided by the federal Qualified Zone Academic Bond at an interest rate as low as three-quarters of a percent. The $1 million cost would add about $22,000 to the current operating budget.
The Irving firm calculated that a lower interest rate on a 20-year note would cost the district about $107,000 a year, compared with about $85,000 on a 15-year plan. The energy savings combined with the $22,000 would pay for the entire project.
Climatec's proposal includes a guarantee that if the advertised savings don't occur, it will give the district a check for the difference.
Supt. Lynn Heflin told trustees there would "be an advantage to tying the two" projects together, and the board approved a resolution to move ahead on the effort with the next step a detailed analysis, finalization of financing and submission of a contract for review by the board at its July meeting.
The company's original proposal included high-efficiency HVAC upgrades, interior and exterior lighting retrofits, occupancy based HVAC controls, exterior lighting control, water conservation fixtures, a diesel fueling station which would allow the district to purchase diesel fuel at wholesale prices and computerized power management.


text:
West Coast Woes
The Yankees have gone 7-3 since the last time I posted. Maybe my little story about Buck brought them some luck! That stretch of games took place at home in the Bronx. Now the boys are out West, and will be for quite some time, playing 3 against the Mariners, 3 against the A's, and 3 against the Angels. It's the first time since 1998 that the Yankees are playing all three Western teams on the road at once.
West Coast trips are always a pain. Teams dread them. And so do us fans back on the East Coast. Having a game START at 10:10pm is not exactly fun. You would think I'd be okay with it by now – especially after I recently pulled my first all-nighter on Prom night – but it's actually quite the opposite. I like my sleep!
I tried watching the whole game last night, I really did. I was interested: A.J. Burnett and Michael Pineda were having a nice pitcher's duel. Once the Yankees had a lead, I decided maybe it was safe for me to leave the room for a little while. Their 3-0 lead was cut to 3-2, but selfishly, I decided to leave the room anyway and go shower because I was tired. I figured, maybe they'd hold on this time.
I blame myself.
I could have just stayed, maybe drank my third cup of coffee for the night, but no. I just HAD to leave.
When I returned, they were down 4-3. I stayed around a little longer, hoping that my presence would spark them. Jeter got on base to lead off the next inning. I thought they had a chance there…but when they failed to score that inning, I just gave up. It was 4-3 when I went to bed.
I woke up not knowing what had happened. First thing my Mom said to me in the morning was this:
"Those darn Yanks…they had to lose when everyone else in the division had to win."
Way to start off my weekend, Mom!
Now I know it's early to be looking at standings, but the Yankees are 27-22 – 1 game behind the RED SOX in the AL East. I know there is plenty of baseball left to play. But this is just an unpleasant reversal of fortune right here…the Red Sox were SO bad early on, and now they are in sole possession of first place? Eew.
And I know it's just 1 game now, but I'm worried that the Yankees will fall too far behind. These West Coast trips are not easy. I thought they had a really good chance at winning last night, and I think that loss was a big confidence blow, considering tonight the Yanks go up against King Felix.
I feel like I haven't been able to really sit down and watch a good Yankees win in awhile. I end classes on June 8, and for some odd reason my teachers have decided to BOMBARD my fellow students and I with PROJECTS. I mean it's 4th quarter, SENIOR YEAR. Whatever. Combine these projects with my leftover prom exhaustion, and I barely have any time/energy to watch a game in full.
Hopefully, the Yankees can find a way to play a good game and come out with a win tonight.
And hopefully, I can stay up for it!


text:
I'm here waiting for the doctor to determine if I should go today for surgery or if it's going to be tomorrow, I have internal bleeding, I was put under treatment however the medication didn't work. The danger is if it's let alone I could get a blood infection and end up poisioned by my own blood or get an internal hemorrage. My family and friends are completely sure this is related with me being an Atheist and god giving me a lesson so I return back to Catholicism. I don't think so. I'm sure all this is related with me being an "organic" being, that necessarily has to get sick from time to time, even die. So in Science I trust. I trust in my doctor. I trust that once the procedure is done, everything will be "just fine" and I will return back to normal. I am sure in few months this would be long forgotten. I refuse to take it as a punishment.
Just yesterday I saw in the news a girl that posted in her tweeter "thank god for another year of life" and died a few minutes later. On the same day of her birthday. I didn't know if I should laugh or feel bad for that girl.
So god is grounding me with a condition that can be and will be treated while he punishes a believer with sudden death.
What the hell is wrong with him?
No way I'm going to give in just now, just because something that is part of life itself happened to me. I'm not going to take this as a signal. I will keep my belief in Science. I know if I repent it won't change a damn thing and I will be in the hospital regardless. There's no turning point for me. Not today. I will face my adversity the best way I can.
Views: 651


text:
Payola: Another Brick in the Wall 232
Pink Floyd's The Wall set the standard for amazing stage shows. It was the kind of thing that makes me wish I'd lived in L.A. or New York in 1980 (and been out of grade school, I guess). In February 1980, they played five sold-out L.A. shows, inflatable pig, airplane and all, the epicenter of cool. The double album was number one and would stay there for four months.
But although you can hear "Another Brick in the Wall, Part Two" played on L.A. oldie stations today, at the time, you wouldn't have heard it on any station in the city. Total blackout. The record labels used a network (creatively called The Network) through which they exerted control over which songs got on the air.
But in 1980, The Network was in revolt.
To understand why it even existed, we have to go back to Alan Freed's Rock and Roll Show in 1960. One of the first rock'n'roll DJs, Freed was busted in 1960 for taking $2,500 in bribes to play records. He claimed the money was just a thank-you with no influence, but he still went down. He only paid a small fine, but his career was ruined and he died soon after.
As a result of the scandal, Congress passed a law against "payola" in 1960. We'll get into fine ethical distinctions later, but basically a radio station that secretly takes money to spin a song is guilty of payola.
Note that just coming out and admitting a spin was bought is perfectly legal: if that Limp Bizkit play was paid for, just say so and your station is home-free.
Break the law and you might be fined up to $10,000. Payola is a misdemeanor. Theoretically, someone might spend up to a year in jail, but according to Hit Men , published in 1990, nobody has ever spent a single day behind bars.
There have been convictions, yes. Last year, after the L.A. Times turned up some evidence, Clear Channel Communications paid an $8,000 fine for promoting a Bryan Adams single and billing his label. The bill, by way of comparison, was for $237,000.
Clear Channel did well over $1 billion in revenue last quarter and has almost $50 billion in assets. "During the first quarter of 2001, we acquired 126 radio stations in 36 markets...."
But convictions are few and far between, partly because of the layers created between the labels and the stations. Post-Freed, a niche job was created to, essentially, be the go-between from the labels to the radio stations.
The job title is "independent promoter."
The promoters work for the labels. Each week, they talk to the program directors of radio stations in their region, and try to convince the stations' program directors [PDs] to add the labels' songs to the playlist.
And competition is fierce. There are only about 30 slots that get heavily played on any given station, and most of them carry songs over week-to-week. Ten new songs in a week would be heavy turnover; usually it's much fewer, and all the labels are fighting for those slots.
The question is how the promoters "convince" the program directors. By building a relationship with each PD, based on trust and knowledge of each station's market? Or by bribes, paid in dollars or some other currency?
The Network, a small cabal of promoters working together, became famous in the early 1980s for making or breaking songs, depending on how well they were paid. That's where "Another Brick in the Wall" comes into the story. After years of lean revenue, combined with rising costs in fees paid to the Network, CBS experimented with cutting them off.
And CBS got burned. The hit single from the number-one album in the country, in a market of three million, was blacked out. While the band was playing sold-out shows, not one of the city's four big Top-40 stations would play the 45.
Shortly after Pink Floyd's last show, the promoters were rehired, and within hours the song was back on the radio (top of the charts for weeks). It was pretty clear who owned the air.
How much money was CBS trying to save? Here's a quote from 1983, which I find amusing because the speaker is John Gotti's second-in-command -- a mob underboss who can appreciate a good racket when he sees it:
"That kid in California came in to see me, said ... they give him fifty thousand to a hundred thousand to push a record. The company, they pay you, just to make a record on the air, you know..."
A lot of money. This explains why CBS wanted to try it again, testing the promoters the next year as well. In early 1981, the company's labels boycotted them entirely. In retaliation, The Network targeted "Turn Me Loose," the first single by the new band Loverboy. After breaking into the Billboard charts with a star, it rose quickly, but peaked only at number 37 before falling off the bottom.
The next target was The Who's "You Better You Bet." Its appearance was even more promising, appearing at number 63 with a superstar. But it peaked at 18 and fell off the charts quickly.
CBS was convinced. Its boycott began to crack, and within months it ended.
By 1986 the abuses had grown serious enough to merit an investigative report by NBC. Calling the indie system "The New Payola," they uncovered evidence of The Network bribing DJs with cash and cocaine, and threatening them with violence. Senator Al Gore launched a Senate probe. And the RIAA quickly issued a short statement announcing that they would not tolerate illegal activity, but denying any wrongdoing (and reminding everyone that they had done Live Aid the year before).
In reality, the labels were glad for the coverage. It gave them the chance they needed to take the promoters down a few pegs, saving them all a great deal of money. In a few weeks, all the labels had joined in a boycott. Nobody knows real dollar amounts, but The Network's income, probably measured in the tens of millions, dropped drastically.
And since 1986, things have been different. But are we right back now where we started? The president of RCA Records claimed in 1987 that his industry had paid $50 to $60 million a year to the promoters. Last week's L.A. Times story (go read it) claims it's now a "$100-million-a-year trade."
We've come a long way since Alan Freed and his twenty five hundred bucks.
I talked last week with Woody Houston, a PD for the market leader Top-40 station in my hometown. (Disclosure: the company that owns his station competes with Clear Channel.)
Woody has seen examples of corruption, but nothing like some of the abuses of the 1980s -- maybe because we're not in a big city. He's had promoters offer to pay his way to conferences, but he's turned them down. Company policy is to fire anyone who takes such an offer, even though that's pretty small-time compared to some of what's been documented.
I described the L.A. Times story to him, and asked him to try to clarify where the line gets drawn, ethically:
"If Clear Channel is using those dollars for promotional support -- let's say Interscope wanted to put $2500 behind Smashmouth -- if they're buying T-shirts that have my call letters on the front, I don't see a problem.
"There's a fine line between buying airplay and promotion. If they're taking the thousand dollars that they got for 25 spins and not using it to support the record, that's wrong. If they just give the money away on the air, that's wrong -- that's the ethics of it."
When the system works, it does its job. You may or may not like the results -- Top-40 can't please everybody of course -- but the radio airwaves are a limited public medium that should be accountable to its listeners and advertisers, not the companies that make the product. Radio stations' PDs compete by doing their research, making the judgement calls they get paid to make, and seeing their Arbitron ratings, and advertising rates, rise or fall accordingly.
When it doesn't work, it's -- well -- it's a Wall, a barrier of moneyed inertia between new artists who want to be heard and the audience who wants to hear them.
Music has been an industry for the last hundred years, so we've never known what it might be like to strip out some of those barriers. In the next two installments, I'll throw out some ideas to kick around.
Tomorrow: part two, a look back at music distribution technology of the last 200 years.
(I mentioned Hit Men earlier. Most of my sources for the industry's history come from this 1990 book by Fredric Dannen. Its research is thorough, heavy on names, dates and places; Dannen talked to just about everybody and had a good nose for what was credible. Highly recommended if this subject interests you. He's got another book that looks good, too, with an inside story on the Hong Kong film industry.)
Update, 10:45 AM EDT: Salon ran a story on payola today too, a good one. Deja vu to 1980/81, but this time, Destiny's Child's label is not even trying to boycott the promoters, they're just scaling back how much they're paying them -- even this is considered risky.


text:
Jeff shaw once talked about how the harder you grip that ball the less movement you'll get on your fastball.....said early in his career he was trying so hard and never realized how hard he was gripping it, later in his career as he learned to rely more on mechanics as opposed to brute strength he figured out that holding his fastball loose allowed it to run....
I am sure this is something that is well known by pitching coaches but it sure makes you wonder if Leake isn't pressing a little knowing that he has been fighting for the 5th and final spot in our rotation.....just a thought
Year - Horizontal movement - Vertical movement (lower number means more sink, higher number means it "rises")
2010 - -8.6inches - 2.3 inches
2011 - -7.9 inches - 3.9 inches
2012 - -7.8 inches - 5 inches
He is getting less run and more rise every year so far on his sinker, which is his main fastball. Though he does mix in his cutter quite often too.
I don't remember the poster but a proponent of Leake suggested he can improve to be a TOR arm (like a #2 guy I think would be a fair interpretation).
Is the argument that he can improve his command and possibly turn one of his pitches into something that misses bats and these changes are enough to transform him from the below average starter he has been into a #2ish type guy?
I'm having real trouble seeing the room between his head and ceiling concerning his command and stuff to allow that.....
It's easy to dream on a guy. "Da Dream" should be Homer's nickname. But Leake has kind of maxed out on the two biggests things that chage a pitcher-command/stuff and pitchability.
Last edited by jojo; 03-27-2013 at 01:15 PM.
"This isnt stats vs scouts - this is stats and scouts working together, building an organization that blends the best of both worlds. This is the blueprint for how a baseball organization should be run. And, whether the baseball men of the 20th century like it or not, this is where baseball is going."---Dave Cameron, U.S.S. Mariner
His sinker is rising?
Talent is God Given: be humble.
Fame is man given: be thankful.
Conceit is self given: be careful.
John Wooden
How accurate is this technology?
Talent is God Given: be humble.
Fame is man given: be thankful.
Conceit is self given: be careful.
John Wooden
That's his second most used pitch and he has increasingly used it compared to his rookie year. If I am reading those numbers correctly, his "sink" on those pitches has improved. Tell me if I am seeing that right, or if I'm completely out of the park, lol. I'm really new to this.
2010 - -2.0 4.5
2011 - .1 4.2
2012 - .5 3.2
jimbo (03-27-2013)
I've always been leery of these these types of stats but am willing to learn them and form my own opinion of them.
Remember, just the slightest improvement for a pitcher can yield substantial results. If he allowed half as many homers last season, and they were all solo, he would have an 3.92 ERA. I'm not smart enough to figure out his FIP, but I imagine it would be much better as well.
"This isnt stats vs scouts - this is stats and scouts working together, building an organization that blends the best of both worlds. This is the blueprint for how a baseball organization should be run. And, whether the baseball men of the 20th century like it or not, this is where baseball is going."---Dave Cameron, U.S.S. Mariner
Maybe it is just me, but if his average FB is 89, then maybe what I was seeing was when he tried to throw harder. it SEEMED to me to be very straight when thrown harder. maybe he gets more movement at his average speed. But he's giving up a lot of HR's. He's a reputed groundball pitcher that is giving up a lot of HR's. That tells me his best pitch ain't working.
but that's just my opinion. I didn't like the Leake pick when it happened. And his stellar rookie year was mostly and unsustainable babip early on, after June in 2010, he was exposed for his inexperience. Which is natural. However, has he actually improved? I don't see that he has. Can he? maybe.
"There was like a softness to it, a glow to it. I felt... I felt warm."
-- Joseph Daniel Votto 7/10/2017
That said, I think it's worth making the distinction because stealing implies dishonesty and deception. If he merely exchanged clothing of equal value without going through the proper channels, I'd say *at worst* that implies immaturity and arrogance, which are easily grown out of from 22 years old and on. It isn't as if he was stuffing things into his jacket and sneaking out of the store.
(Referring to Jack Hannahan signing with a Korean team)
Since there are no teams on the moon, I guess South Korea's far enough from Cincinnati to satisfy me.
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


text:
Asked by older at 12:26 PM on Apr. 26, 2011 in Crazy for CreditsLevel 69 (2,285,492 Credits)
Answer by Alisim at 1:56 PM on Apr. 26, 2011
Next question in Crazy for Credits
What is the biggest trade you have ever done?
Next question overall
So i'm super HAPPY... and found out the sex....


text:
As is the case with many subscription-based MMOs nowadays, Tera seems to be in a spot of trouble. Only a few weeks after layoffs at developer Bluehole's publishing subsidiary En Masse Entertainment comes word that it's merging the fantasy MMORPG's 11 North American servers into a mere 3 only four months after launch, to get rid of that unpleasant empty feeling.
"We've got several metrics to measure server activity—and many of ours are below the mark," producer Chris Hager explained. "We've also been listening to the issues our players have been having in the game: lack of resources, lack of groups, extended wait times for dungeons, and so on. We feel that the best way to address these problems is to increase the number of simultaneous players on our servers."
Tera currently has 6 PvE servers, 4 PvP and 1 PvE roleplaying. When the dust settles on September 18, only 1 PvE, 1 PvP, and 1 roleplaying server will remain. An FAQ details the specifics, like what happens if you have too many characters, or names clash, and the like.
"By combining our servers, we facilitate a more unified community and give players a more full, alive world where finding groups, locating rare items (for lower prices!), and getting into dungeons quickly are the norm," Hager said.
Things haven't gone well for the last few high-profile, high-budget, subscription-supported MMORPGs. DC Universe Online went free-to-play within ten months; Star Wars: The Old Republic is axing subscription fees after less than a year; and The Secret World is soldiering on after a disappointing launch.


text:
Photos by Cathleen Allison / AP
Firefighters battle a wildfire south of Gardnerville, Nev. On May 22, 2012. The fast-moving blaze near the Nevada-California line destroyed at least two homes on Tuesday as it forced evacuations and sent up huge plumes of black smoke, witnesses said.
Firefighters battle a wildfire south of Gardnerville, Nev., on Tuesday.
The Record-Courier reports:
Firefighters are battling a wildfire that is threatening more than 100 homes in the southern Douglas County Community of Topaz Ranch Estates.
The fire was reported at 1:39 p.m. as burning in heavy fuel between homes. Structures were confirmed burning.


text:
Vaccines aren't dead, but your veterinary practice's fee schedule may be
"All glory comes from daring to begin."
Do you remember hearing about the practitioner who charged $85 for a rabies vaccine? It wasn't that long ago.
In the 1980s, James F. Wilson, DVM, JD, championed the concept of free vaccines. He opined: "Do the physical examination and assessment, and give the vaccines for free." That idea sunk like the Titanic. But it may have been about 30 years ahead of its time.Consider these trends:
Consumers have given us notice: The marketplace has changed forever. Consumers are smarter, more savvy and on the move. In fact, they're "fracturing" each dollar they spend.
What does that mean? Consumers are willing to split up their purchases on veterinary services for a perceived value. We can see it with an increasing use of Internet pharmacies. Wal-Mart's pharmacy pricing has gotten their attention, too. Additionally, we see local human pharmacies pushing to provide veterinary drugs to pet owners.
The traditional middle-market practice where high vaccine fees subsidize complex inpatient casework has created opportunities for niches to emerge. This single issue is one big reason wellness-only practices, spay/neuter clinics and vaccine clinics are viable. They can provide these specific services at a lower cost to the public, because they're not burdened with the extreme overhead of a full service and heavily capitalized traditional practice's inpatient zone.
Today, practice managers must price services based on the cost to deliver the various and specific services previously subsidized with a vaccine subsidy mentality.


text:
The lights are on
This is the place to hang out with Christians who love gaming. If you are a Christian or an open-minded individual I encourage you to join and stay a while.
With Thanksgiving coming up soon, I though we should take some time to think about what we are all thankful for in our lives. I'm sure all of us have numerous things that we take for granted each day.
Great idea Musketeer! I try to do this every year.
Now you're playing with power!
Thanks! I thought it would be a cool way to tell what we most take for granted and are thankful for in our life. First, and most obviously, I'm thankful that I have a Lord and Savior in my life. I'm also thankful that I'm healthy and have a happy family.
Your welcome. It's a excellent idea. Thank you for making the thread, I had the idea to do something similar but I haven't had the time to.
I'm thankful for my family. I'm also thankful for the provisions the Lord provides.
I'm thankful for my family, being homeschooled, my health, and getting the chance to know about Jesus and becoming a Christian. And having family that doesn't want to shop on Black Friday. But that can go under family...
I'm thankful for my family, friends, able to be homeschooled, being able to get to get saved and grow closer to my savior, and I'm thankful for my sister being able to be home and that she likes to watch animes with me.
Usage Guidelines


text:
Arsenal fans are tired. Tired of not winning trophies, not spending the money required to attract high-profile signings, and routinely losing their best players to rival clubs. Can you blame them?
Every week the Gunners faithful are forced to watch Robin van Persie score yet another wonder-goal for bitter rivals Manchester United, and they are left wondering what if? What if Van Persie was still at Arsenal? Maybe it's this line of thinking that has Arsenal fans so out of wack with the Theo Walcott contract situation.
Walcott is reportedly demanding £100,000 per week, a salary he feels he deserves as an important member of the first-team squad. On the face of it, Walcott's demands are somewhat justified - a quick glance at the club's goalscoring charts shows Walcott sits at the top of the pile with eight league goals to his name and 14 goals in all competitions this season.
With his current contract set to expire in July, the time is now to sign or sell, to avoid losing the 23-year-old England international for free in the summer. Many Arsenal fans are calling for Ivan Gazidis, the club Chief Executive, and manager Arsene Wenger to give him what he wants to avoid losing yet another key player.
But is he really worth it? Is Walcott a player who has the ability to produce the goods on a regular basis and lead the line for a club challenging for a title, a la Van Persie?
No he is not.
Yes, he has shown glimpses of the player Wenger thought he could be when he spent big to lure the Southampton academy graduate from St. Mary's, but he is yet to produce that kind of form on a regular basis. His recent hat-trick against Newcastle United in the 7-3 mauling of Alan Pardew's side was arguably Walcott's best performance in an Arsenal shirt, but I have my doubts he can perform at that level consistently.
He is slight of frame for a central striker and more often than not, he makes bad decisions in front of goal. His pace frightens even the very best defenders, but even when Walcott does beat his man, his final ball regularly lets him down.
£100,000 per week equates to £5million per year. Ask yourself, is Walcott really worth £20million over a four-year period? Unless Walcott accepts that he is best suited to playing out wide and reassesses his hefty wage demands, I think Arsenal would be better served selling Walcott and spending that money on a top-class striker that can supplement the likes of Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski.
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms


text:
|Episode Description
|Sunday, Jan 6, 2013 - 12:00 PM
Tammy Duckworth: The Illinois Democrat and Iraq War veteran shares the story of her service and her injury, in her own words. Violence Against Women: After a brutal attack against a Indian woman in New Delhi, the international women's rights community is calling for change. No More Babies: Birth rates are declining for families in the Latino community. D
Mountain Time
|More on IDAHO (MT)
|No upcoming shows in database


text:
Hi there, I'm new around here. My name is Jessica. I am 17 and live in Ohio. I've owned dogs my whole life. Two summers ago, we lost our shepherd mix Harley to kidney failure. A month after him, our sweet little siberian husky mix followed due to ovarian cancer. We still miss them dearly and talk about them almost daily. We swore we would never get another dog...and then Belle came along :rolleyes:.
Belle is our 1½ year old chihuahua/pomeranian mix. She weighs in at a whopping 3½ pounds. She quickly found her way into our home and hearts. She's a handful most of the time, but she brings a lot of joy into our lives. Here's a couple of pictures of her.


text:
The Institute communicates its scientific and educational information in a number of ways. One major outlet is peer-reviewed publications and reports. Cary Institute staff regularly publish in the best-rated journals in their respective fields.
Export 1 results:Sort by: Author [ Title] Type Year
Filters: Author is Phillips, C.T. [Clear All Filters]
Determining the effects of pollutants on soil faunal communities and trophic structure using a refined microcosm system", Environ. Toxicol. Chem, vol. 16, p. 1212-1217, 1997., "


text:
Ted and Jose's Bacon Ice Cream Adventure
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (no fake stuff please)
8 egg yolks
1) Cook bacon over medium-low heat. Don't get too much color on it (no burning it or the fat; you want the ice cream white). After cooking, strain the fat from the bacon and reserve both.
2) Prepare a crème anglaise: In a large saucepan, bring milk, heavy cream, cooked bacon and maple syrup to a boil.
3) Remove from the heat, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for at least 1 hour. Then remove the plastic wrap and bring back to a boil.
4) In a large mixing bowl, lightly whisk egg yolks together. Pour boiling cream mixture onto the yolks, whisking constantly.
5) Pour everything back into the saucepan, and stir over low heat until it coats the back of the spoon. (This should happen almost right away; the fat from the heavy cream keeps the temperature from dropping very much.)
6) Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean, dry container. Put the container in a bigger container (or the sink) with ice water coming halfway up the sides. Cool completely.
7) When the mixture is cool, taste, and add a pinch of salt. You won't believe how this will really bring out the bacon flavor even more!
8) Churn the ice cream according to your ice cream maker's instructions. Scrape into a resealable container and freeze for half an hour before serving.


text:
A scheduled four-day cruise to Cozumel, Mexico, in mid-February aboard the Carnival Triumph turned into a weeklong ordeal when an engine room fire knocked out power and left passengers adrift without working toilets and air conditioning and not much food or drink.
Chicago-based IT recruiter Sandeep Kaur Berry, 30, known by friends for her cheery disposition and sense of humor, was one of nearly 3,100 passengers who slept on decks to escape the free-flowing sewage and oppressive heat. Here she shares a few insights.
Q: Why did you pick this cruise, and who went with you?
A: I went with my mom (Balbir Kaur Singh) because she had wanted to go on a cruise for so long. This was a mother-daughter trip for her birthday, and since she lives in Houston and this took off from Galveston, we figured it would work well for her. It was my second cruise and her first.
Q: How did it go before things went bad?
A: The first three days were amazing! We left at 4 p.m. on Day 1, then Day 2 on the ocean was gorgeous. We spent our third day in Cozumel, taking a tour of the ancient ruins and shopping. We got on the boat late in the day and went to bed.
Q: What was the first sign that things were going wrong?
A: We woke up at 5 a.m. on the fourth day to the public address system yelling for the "Alpha Team," which I found out later was the fire-response team.
Q: Once the power went out, how did you entertain yourselves?
A: My mom and I had one book between us: "Cakewalk: Adventures in Sugar With Margaret Braun" — I'm really into cake decorating — and it has lots of beautiful photos. We also watched the sharks in the water. The lines for food were three hours long, so we spent time in line. And when other cruise ships came by to bring us food — three in all — that was entertaining. The second-to-last day a helicopter dropped off crates of food, and I'd never been that close to a chopper. We made friends with the people around us and heard their life stories.
Q: Will you be going on a cruise again?
A: My husband and I have a Disney cruise scheduled for the Mediterranean this summer. I'm a little nervous about it. We're going to upgrade to midship, and I want to get a room with a balcony. If you had a balcony, no matter how bad it was, you could air out the gross smells and sleep on the balcony.
Q: Are you fully recovered from the trip?
A: My first two nights home I had nightmares about being on the boat. My boss let me work from home my first week back. He was so understanding.
And my company, Coyote Logistics, was really nice about the three extra days I used because of being stranded; they told me not to worry about counting them as vacation days. But now I'm terrified of flying. What if the fire had been on an airplane instead of a ship? It's all big machinery that you don't have control over.
Q: Any lessons learned?
A: I'll never go on another vacation without a flashlight. And I recommend taking lots of magazines, books and a solar charger when you go away. Also bring some sort of dry food, like a can of Pringles. I'll never go on a vacation without those things again.


text:
Do not worry about your sexual fantasies and spend your time watching porn video Duermo En Cama Con Mama La Follo. If you have any requests for a genre, you can browse the categories on our website and include the most worthwhile and unrealistically sweet porn video for you. Look at long-legged brunettes or sexy blondes in swimsuits and enjoy what's being played on the monitor.
Do you agree that it is a double pleasure to look at these magnificent dolls, and even free of charge, now not every web resource has its sex clips in the public domain. As another gift, we offer to watch the video Duermo En Cama Con Mama La Follo without registration, since we appreciate all the guests of our portal. Only the most magnificent dolls with elastic breasts and long legs from the neck fall into the category of the best fucking and show themselves in all its glory. It can be either a solo performance or a mating with one or more partners.
Every person has a moment when he wants to get acquainted with such material. Therefore, we realized everything possible to make the video available for computers, tablets, phones, smartphones (different models) and other devices. Do not deny yourself the temptation to behold porn and get the maximum satisfaction. Spend 11 min 41 sec of your time with unreal pleasure.
Date added: 7-12-2017, 20:31


text:
~by Shannon Modrell
It's almost a misnomer to even call myself a healer. It seems to imply that I have some ability that others do not, and I know that is not true. We are all healers. Anyone can do hands-on-healing. It's not a mark of distinction. All systems that teach it are merely ways to give it structure, but the raw ability is something we all possess.
So when I say I'm a healer, I'm really just making a declaration of truth that is universal.
Having worked with Hands on Healing and Reiki for about 7 years now, one of the most important things I've learned about it is to allow Spirit to do the work through me rather than using my own energy to do the healing. Why? Well, several reasons, actually:
1. God can do more through me than I can ever do myself.
It's difficult to add anything to this point; it's just something I've come to know. The finite mind cannot comprehend the infinite. Not fully, anyway.
The oddity of hands-on-healing is that sometimes I feel the energy flowing through me, sometimes I feel zip. Nadda. And conversely, sometimes the recipient feels it, sometimes not. What's really fun is when one of us feels a powerful flow and the other feels nothing. So there really is no way to accurately judge whether or not it's "doing anything" (more on this below).
2. Being human, sooner or later our own energy "runs out". Divine energy NEVER runs out.
What do I mean by, "runs out"? Aren't we infinite beings without beginning or end? Yes, but our human form energy, our own vital essence does indeed have a limit. A very talented healer can produce great results by giving their own healing energy to another, but eventually that energy is going to burn out. Why? Because it is for the person who has it. A wise healer sets a conscious intention to allow divine energy to flow through them, not from them. The metaphor of being used as a vessel is a popular image for setting this intention.
3. Divine Intelligence knows what's needed, where it's needed, and how much is needed better than I do.
As a healer I cannot know the full story behind the cause of another person's ailment, issue, or challenge. I may have an idea, an intuitive knowing, or an opinion, but I still only have a piece of the information (assuming I'm correct in my assessment). The body is a fascinating system: A person may experience pain or discomfort in one area of the body, but the cause may originate from an entirely different location.
This is why I don't want to know too much about any particular ailment a person may have, because I don't want my conscious mind to get in the way when I'm trying to follow my gut about where my hands need to be placed next. I prefer to trust God to prompt me through my intuition rather than limit my focus to whatever location I think needs the healing touch. Any verbal expression of what the recipient wants healed is actually a declaration of intention for themselves, rather than instruction for my benefit.
4. It's not my responsibility to fix anything.
I cannot get wrapped up in worrying about whether or not what I'm doing is effective. First of all, that's a great way to cut off the flow of energy. Second, I cannot create another person's experience. Only the person receiving can choose that.
Divine energy is capable of bypassing emotional and mental obstructions in the recipient such as fear of the process, or skepticism about whether it's working, but both refusal and willingness to receive the energy is totally within the recipient's control. I can usually feel it when someone is blocking the energy and refusing to receive it. Often the person is unconscious of this resistance. But I can't force them to be healed! I just have to let it go and trust that whatever is for the highest and best for this person will occur in Divine right timing. Hey, for all I know the energy may stay with them and be received years later! Fact is stranger than fiction, after all!
5. I cannot know what is the highest and best for another individual
I mean, come on now, we barely know what is the highest and best for ourselves! No matter how much I may want to grant another person relief, there is a very good reason that it's out of my control: I don't know everything. (see point #3). I cannot know what another soul's choices are, what they came here to accomplish, or how they are here to do it. Though I fully know that we do not come here to just experience, we come here to heal, I cannot know what role another's challenges play in their process.
Of course I want to eliminate suffering. But I cannot always know if someone's suffering is a symptom of a larger problem or consequence of a destructive thought or behavior that is trying to get their attention. So I don't allow my will to go into control- mode and try to force healing. I simply allow God to work through me and know that Divine Unconditional Love is ALWAYS the real truth.
Want to use this article in your website or blog?
Please do ! Just be sure to include this ENTIRE blurb with it:
Nationally acclaimed Singer, Songwriter, Motivational Speaker Shannon Modrell changes lives and mindsets by performing transformational healing music at international conferences, holistic events, plus at Unity churches and United Centers for Spiritual Living .
If you want to be inspired, encouraged and empowered
to live the creative fire within you, you can sign up for a FREE subscription to her Ezine Gifted U by emailing:firstname.lastname@example.com
Visit Shannon Modrell's Website at
Want to read more articles like this one? Visit Shannon Modrell's blog at shannonmodrell.wordpress.com


text:
Global demand for and the production of biofuels continues to grow as a result of a several key factors, mostly driven by the policies of developed countries, especially the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD member countries. These policies are based on efforts to:
- Promote energy security. Biofuels can satisfy domestic energy needs in the face of rising oil costs and expensive import bills for fossil fuels.
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Biofuels are a source of clean, renewable energy.
- Boost national agribusiness sectors. Producers of key biofuels feedstock crops are set to benefit.
Because not all of these goals are mutually compatible, policy makers confront tradeoffs between promoting domestic agriculture and reducing greenhouse gases.
The result of this push for biofuels is clear: cropland used to produce feedstocks for first-generation biofuels has increased dramatically over the last decade, significantly impacting the agricultural landscape and global food and feed markets. Governments can craft well-designed biofuels programs that lead to positive impacts, including technology spillovers that help food production and raise agricultural wages and income. However, biofuels could also have negative effects on environmental quality –primarily related to changes in to the use of land and natural land cover to accommodate additional biofuels feedstock production. This land use change increases stress on water resources and habitats and accelerates the release of soil carbon into the atmosphere, potentially undermining efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that many governments hope to achieve through the use of renewable fuels and alternative energy sources, like biofuels. These unintended, knock-on effects of expanding biofuel production are among the issues that policymakers and analysts are currently dealing with in order to promote the 'green' attributes of renewable fuel programs and avoid conflicts between long-term energy security and environmental sustainability.
IFPRI on Bioenergy
- Report: Progress in estimates of ILUC with MIRAGE mode
- Presentation: Land Use Changes of European Biofuel Policies
February 2013
- Report: Assessing the Land Use Change Consequences of European Biofuel Policies
October 2011
- Discussion Paper: Modeling the Global Trade and Environmental Impacts of Biofuel Policies
August 2010.
- Report: Global Trade and Environmental Impact Study of the EU Biofuels Mandate
March 2010.
- Project: Biofuels and the Poor
With Standford University. Funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.


text:
The Australian Government is committed to ensuring Australia remains internationally competitive and at the forefront of research and discovery regarding cancer, its origins, treatment and the care of people affected by cancer.
Cancer research and clinical trials are vital to increase our understanding of how to prevent cancer, develop new approaches to detecting, diagnosing and treating cancers, and improve support and care for people affected by cancer.
Cancer Australia:
- administers funding for cancer research through the
Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme
- provides support to Australia's
National Cancer Cooperative Trials Groups


text:
The Institute communicates its scientific and educational information in a number of ways. One major outlet is peer-reviewed publications and reports. Cary Institute staff regularly publish in the best-rated journals in their respective fields.
Export 3 results:Sort by: Author Title Type [ Year]
Filters: Author is Bernot, M. J. [Clear All Filters]
Changes in Nitrogen Cycling Processes Along a Salinity Gradient in Tidal Wetlands of the Hudson River, New York, USA", Wetlands, vol. 35, no. 2, p. 323 - 334, 2015., "
Cross-stream comparison of substrate-specific denitrification potential", Biogeochemistry, vol. 104, p. 381-392, 2011., "
Inter-regional comparison of land-use effects on stream metabolism", Freshwater Biol., vol. 55, p. 1874-1890, 2010., "


text:
Storage customers are encouraged to find a storage facility at a location that is convenient for them and to book a storage unit at the price and special offered, before they lose it
North Miami Beach, FL (PRWEB) January 09, 2013
Comparing multiple facilities on one results screen, shopping for the right storage unit price and reserving that perfect unit online, is now a reality, and rapidly becoming more popular by the second. Conveniently and easily reserve a self storage unit at the location of your choice, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. The internet is always open for business and so is USSelfStorageLocator.com and its powering sites.
This progressive move will ensure that all of its network members will benefit by having their facilities prominently displayed, multiplying their exposure and ultimately bringing more reservations increasing occupancy and gross revenue. The added internet presence does not come with an additional price tag. All companies that are network members of USSelfStorageLocator.com will have their facility result and profile shown on all of the websites which they power, at no additional costs.
USSelfStorageLocator.com offers consumers the best online shopping comparison options in the industry. Potential tenants could compare facilities price, discounts, amenities and more side by side. Their partnerships with major property management software companies and their ability to pull and push data in real time, provides customers with accurate prices and discounts.
"Storage customers are encouraged to find a storage facility at a location that is convenient for them and to book a storage unit at the price and special offered, before they lose it," said Victor Dante, CEO and Founder of USSelfStorageLocator.com. Self Storage facilities prices and specials fluctuate depending on their occupancy. The Self Storage industry continues to grow and people throughout the Country are recognizing the various uses and advantages of renting self storage.
USSelfStorageLocator.com has evolved into one of the more prominent self storage lead generators in the industry. Their ability to integrate with major property management software companies in real time, provide advanced back end administrative technology to their network members and their low price point, which gives facilities the best return on their investment, makes them a favorite amongst Self Storage operators in the industry.


text:
Official UB news and information for the media
Published October 11, 2013
An article on Huffington Post on how to deal with feeling overwhelmed reports UB researchers found that when rats were forced to swim – an activity that stresses them out – they remembered their way through mazes far better than rats that were not placed under stressful conditions.
Read more:
Media Relations (University Communications)
330 Crofts Hall (North Campus)
Buffalo, NY 14260-7015
Tel: 716-645-6969
Fax: 716-645-3765
Get our news in your favorite channels. | Learn More


text:
Call of Duty 4 Review 183
- Title:Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat
- Developer/Publisher: Infinity Ward/Activision
- System: 360 (PC, PS3)
- Genre: First-Person Shooter
- Score: 3/5: This game is par for the course in many ways, but is likely to be a classic for the genre. Any gamer might enjoy renting it.
For many players, the par-for-the-course gameplay and well-done single player story are just sidelines to this game's best offering: a full melding of RPG sensibilities with online FPS play. Much like the accolades offered in Battlefield 2's online component, Call of Duty 4 features a wealth of medals and awards to be handed out via multiplayer. The difference with CoD 4, though, is that these accolades are wrapped up inside a 'leveling' and 'class' structure, netting you the warfare FPS equivalent of superpowers. The ability for your bullets to pass through walls more easily, a larger inventory, new weapons, and a tweakable 'character class' all lead you through 55 levels of advancement. It's probably one of the most ambitious persistent elements to an FPS yet, and certainly the most advanced to come to a console. I haven't had as much time as I would have liked with this element, but it's quite a sight to behold the first time you enter that part of the game; it's sort of like opening a menu and stumbling into a MMOG hidden inside your FPS.
Overall, though I quite like Call of Duty 4, its core gameplay tries very hard to be humble despite the amazing presentation and strongly told tale. The basic, moment-to-moment activities you'll be performing in the game are so rote at this point that it's hard to get overly excited about the experience. When compared with titles like Rainbox Six Vegas, it's also hard to understand why I can't more effectively duck behind cover. In a game ostensibly touting modern military tactics, it's altogether unclear why 'duck' and 'crouch' are my only two real options when avoiding withering enemy fire. Even still, this game is a watershed for the CoD series. It's a breakthrough in technology and story for Infinity Ward, and sets the bar incredibly high for future modern warfare FPS titles. Via the online shooter component the game also has quite a bit of 'replay' value, and is a quality showing in the midst of a very busy holiday gaming season. Call of Duty 4 is worth a look from any fan of the genre, if only for an example of how to tell a story in the midst of a terrible (and timely) war.


text:
Texas Governor Rick Perry Wants to Return Surplus Taxes to the Citizens
On Tuesday, January 29, 2013, Texas Governor Rick Perry told Texans something the rest of the country would sure like to hear, that he wants Texans to get some of their money back.
The Great State of Texas has done something that many other states have been unable to accomplish in recent years, create a budget surplus. The Governor said; "Our bank balance is healthy, our economy is growing, our future is limitless." Perry also said in his biennial state of the State address to the Texas Legislature Tuesday; "Today, I'm calling for a mechanism to be put in place so when we do bring in more than we need, we'll have the option of returning tax money directly to the people who paid it, currently, that's not something our constitution allows. We need to fix that.""
All I can say is, Way to go Gov!
Then that little voice pops up in my head and says, "It's not an election year is it?" Sorry, but he is a politician.
You can watch the whole state of the State address below but before you do please answer this: