text:
Conflict of Interest Policy
The nature of public purchasing subjects all parties involved in it to close public scrutiny. This scrutiny extends to their ethics as well as to their performance. Since almost every action taken by purchasing personnel is anchored in public trust, the rules governing the conduct of public personnel are often as much concerned with appearance as with substance.
We strive to ensure compliance with high ethical standards and avoid possible conflicts between public purchasing duties and private affairs by complying with the LCC Conflict of Interest Policy.
Employees of the College are expected to conduct business according to the highest legal and ethical standards. This policy demands not only observing the law, but also designing practices and procedures to maintain a high degree of integrity.
I. Disclosure of Relationship to Vendor
An employee who participates in the selection or approval of products or sources of supply, or who has supervisory responsibility for such employees, may not have a financial interest in the company which furnishes the supplies or services being purchased. This would avoid an unfair competitive advantage and protect the interests of LCC. For this reason, employees directly involved in the purchasing process are to refrain from any outside activity or relationship which lessens their impartiality, judgment or effectiveness. This policy does not prohibit the ownership of stock in large publicly owned companies whose stock is listed and sold on a recognized stock exchange.
Disclosure of Relationship to Vendor is required:
- In instances of financial interests
(e.g., employee's spouse or other immediate
relative is an owner or shareholder or an
employee of a firm;
- In any situation where there is a potential for an
employee to benefit financially from a business
transaction conducted by the College.
Employees will complete Conflict of Interest Form. Personnel assigned to evaluation committees will sign Evaluation Committee Disclosure Statement for Conflict of Interest.
II. Gifts and Gratuities from Vendors
All College employees are to avoid accepting any kind of gratuities, tips or gifts for himself/herself or for any member of his or her family. This includes merchandise, cash, services, entertainment and other courtesies. It is essential to both the College and its suppliers that all decisions and actions regarding purchasing are based upon proper business considerations and are not influenced in any way by personal obligations. Most offers of this kind are made in the spirit of good business relations without the intent to obligate the recipient in any way. However, it is extremely difficult to differentiate between minor gratuities or courtesies and those which will cause some feeling of obligation or create any unfavorable impression in the minds of other vendors. Because of this difficulty employees must refrain from accepting any gratuity regardless of its magnitude or the manner in which it is presented.
- Calendars, desk novelties or similar advertising
items of less than $25.00 in value (this dollar
limit will be reviewed and revised in accordance
with IRS limit on business gift deductions);
- Reasonably priced meals accepted in settings
where College business is conducted;
- Text books, recorded media, software or similar
work-related items for which the school is not
being charged;
- Any other exceptions to this policy should be
reviewed by the President, Provost, Senior Vice President for
Finance, Administration and Advancement or Chief Financial Officer
to determine if special circumstances exist to warrant the
acceptance of a gift from a vendor or to determine whether a gift
should be declined or returned.
Employees must exercise caution that neither regular gifts of nominal value, nor reasonably priced meals from a particular vendor, do not gradually accumulate into an embarrassing obligation (or violation of this policy). Under no circumstances shall an employee accept a gratuity where prohibited by law, policy or regulation or where the appearance of impropriety may occur.
Download the Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form. To access document use Internet Explorer
Purchasing Department
Washington Court Place, Room 214
Phone: (517) 483-1785
Additional contact information »


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The cup competitions like the FA Cup and the Capital One Cup give the lower league teams a chance to shine on the big stage and this year they have not let the occasion get the better of them.
In fact, this year has produced several major upsets and we look into the top five that surprised the footballing nation.
5. Norwich 0-1 Luton
This FA Cup tie saw Premier League outfit, Norwich City, drawn at home to Conference side, Luton Town and the cup magic took over at Carrow Road. With the game coming to an end, with the scores level at 0-0, it was Scott Rendell who popped up and produced a memorable moment for Luton Town and everyone who loves a good cup upset. No-one could believe the feat that Luton achieved at Carrow Road and it was a result that shocked the tournament.
4. QPR 2-4 MK Dons
Harry Redknapp was brought in to save Queens Park Rangers' season, but things have not gone the way they would have liked. Not only have they not really improved in the league, but they were also knocked out of the FA Cup by League One side, MK Dons. Not only were they beaten, they were thumped quite convincingly on their own patch. The Dons, as they are known, stormed into a four-goal lead before the home side pulled two consolation goals back, however it was not enough to save them from cup humiliation.
3. Arsenal 0-1 Blackburn
With the FA Cup Arsenal's only real chance of getting a trophy to end their eight year run without silverware, Arsene Wenger fielded a very strong side against Championship side, Blackburn Rovers. However, The Gunners failed to get the job done.
After dominating most of the game, Arsenal failed to capitalise and were later made to pay when, Colin Kazim-Richards, pounced on a loose ball to convert home much to the delight of the travelling fans. The magic of the cup continued, unless you are an Arsenal fan of course and unfortunately, this isn't the last time they feature on the list.
2. Oldham 3-2 Liverpool
Oldham of League One were able to see off a Premier League opposition in the FA Cup, however this was not just your regular Premier League team, this was Liverpool. After going ahead early in the game, the Premier League outfit then equalised, but with the home crowd roaring, Oldham went on to win the game 3-2 and knock out the heavily-favoured Reds.
1. Bradford 1-1 Arsenal (Bradford won 3-2 on penalties)
Ultimately the shock of the season came in the League Cup quarter-final. Bradford were able to see off Wigan Athletic before they were given the mouth-watering tie in the next round against Premier League giants, Arsenal. The Gunners came to Valley Parade with a full first-team starting 11 and went behind early, but were rescued by a last-minute, Thomas Vermaelen equaliser, and if you thought that would then be the end for Bradford, you would be wrong.
The League Two side managed to hang on during the 30 minutes of extra time and earned a penalty shoot-out against the Premier League side. The team from League two won the resulting shoot out, making it to the semi final of the cup. Easily the shock of the season and a result that has pressured Arsene Wenger ever since.
A special mention must go to Bradford City, who then went on to beat Aston Villa over a two-legged tie in the semi-final, only to get beaten by Swansea City in the final.
DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeFootball Writing Academy and does not represent the views of GiveMeFootball.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article. GiveMeFootball.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors.
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms

subset: commoncrawl


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Apple's new iPhones reflect strategy shift
Updated 5:07 pm, Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Apple on Tuesday revealed two new iPhone models, the iPhone 5s with a built-in fingerprint reader, and a cheaper, colorful iPhone 5C that signifies a strategy shift for a company that has historically played the role as a maker of higher-priced, premium products.
The iPhone 5C becomes Apple's cheapest iPhone to date, costing $99 for a 16-gigabyte model and $199 for a 32-GB version, with a two-year wireless contract. Previously, Apple offered lower prices only on older models that were being phased out.
Apple is also diverging from its normal black or white choices by offering the plastic-clad 5C in five colors - green, blue, yellow, pink and white, which CEO Tim Cook called "more fun and colorful." The strategy harks back to past successes of iMacs with fruit-inspired hues and multicolored iPod Minis.
The higher-end iPhone 5S, will also come in multiple colors of gold, silver and a "space gray," and includes a faster A7 microprocessor, a separate co-processor chip that can run its own health and fitness apps, improved photo technology and a biometric sensor that reads the owner's fingerprint.
- Don't Get Burned! Your Sunscreen's SPF Label Isn't Always Right Buzz 60
- NASA Photog Gets His Camera Melted After Rocket Launch, But Still Got Amazing Pic! Veuer
- Frederick businesses hit hard during devastating flooding Fox5DC
- Google Makes It Easier to Put Down Your Phone Cheddar TV
- Amazon Gives Police Access to Facial Recognition Wibbitz
- Uber Is Changing the Way It Handles Sexual Assault Fortune
- Poll: These are the Most Annoying Types Of Airline Passengers Buzz 60
- FOX Business Beat: Facebook quiz data breach; Walmart and Lord & Taylor join forces Fox5DC
- Parrot Talks to Virtual Assistant Jukin Media
- First-Class Passenger Booted From Flight After Sneaking Drinks to Friends in Coach Buzz 60
With a two-year contract, the 5S will sell for $199 for the model with 16 gigabytes of memory, $299 for 32 GB and $399 for 64GB.
Wall Street was apparently not impressed with the new models, as Apple shares closed down 2.27 percent at $494.69 Tuesday.
Growing competition
Apple has traditionally introduced just one new model a year. But in the face of growing competition and dwindling market share due to the wide variety of smartphones running Google's Android operating system, the Cupertino company opted to change strategies this year. "The business has become so large," Cook said during a launch event in the company's headquarters. "We're going to replace (the iPhone 5) with not one, but two new designs."
Preorders on the iPhone 5C start Friday. The iPhone 5C and 5S will go on sale one week later in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore and the United Kingdom, and for the first time at launch, in China.
"This is a tale of two devices," Adrian Drury, an analyst with the tech research firm Ovum, said in an e-mail from the event. "While the iPhone 5C is the new lower cost device in the range, Apple is at pains to stress its quality and power. This is a device designed to revolutionize smartphone market shares."
Whether the new iPhones bring more smartphone owners into the Apple ecosystem, or keep them from bolting to the competition, remains to be seen. Apple critics have said the company hasn't truly introduced an innovative, game-changing product since the iPad in 2010. The company has instead relied on incremental upgrades of both the iPad and iPhone to lure new customers and to keep existing ones from turning to products from competitors like South Korean electronics giant Samsung, which has made a big splash with its larger-screen Galaxy S4 phones. Apple's newest iPhones, however, maintain their basic design and size.
While Apple used to dominate the market, the smartphones that run on Android grabbed 79 percent of worldwide sales in the second quarter of 2013, up from 64.2 percent during the same quarter of 2012, according to Gartner Inc. Apple's iOS phones, meanwhile, slipped from 18.8 percent in the second quarter a year ago to 14.2 percent this year. Granted, the number of phones Apple sold overall increased as the entire market for smartphones grew by 46.5 percent, to 225 million, in the second quarter.
New operating system
Apple is also relying on its new iOS7 operating system, which will be available as a free download next Wednesday, to drive buyers to the new iPhones and keep existing customers happy. Drury said Apple's mobile operating system had only seen "incremental changes" since its launch in 2007 "and it looks its age." While iOS7 "has some great design features," he wrote, "it will not revolutionize the smartphone market, but it will be a positive demand driver for both iPhone and iPad."
After getting his hands on the new phones, Drury said the iPhone 5C "feels great. It feels like coated metal, not plastic. This may be Apple's low-cost model but it does not feel like lower-cost product." The fingerprint scanner, he said, "has an immediate wow factor and will drive strong word of mouth for the device."
Instant competitor
Craig Elimeliah, vice president of creative technology at New York digital marketing agency RAPP, said the iPhone 5S can become an instant competitor to stand-alone health and fitness devices like the FitBit and the Nike FuelBand. The iPhone 5S includes a new M7 co-processor that handles motion data from the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass, which would make the phone the all-in-one replacement for a stand-alone fitness device, Elimeliah said.
"I think that they are going to really put the kibosh on some of the external devices people feel they need for personal tracking," Elimeliah said. "I wouldn't be surprised if the next round of TV advertising shows someone running with an iPhone getting their heart rate."
The camera in the 5S received some major upgrades, including several automatic features designed to produce better photos. It has larger pixels, which help capture more light. The phone also has a two-tone flash feature that is designed not to clash with the colors in the room or a person's skin color.
The camera, called iSight, has "auto image stabilization," which helps avoid blurry pictures, and a slow-motion camera for video. The 5S also includes "Touch ID," which reads fingerprints at a "detailed level." The company said fingerprints will not be stored on its servers.
Benny Evangelista is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


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New York Times Technology Columnist and NOVA Science Now Host David Pogue Visits UNA for Distance-Learning Conference
Mar. 22, 2013
By Terry Pace, UNA Communications and Marketing
FLORENCE, Ala. – Technology expert and New York Times weekly columnist David Pogue – host of the PBS television series NOVA Science Now – will be the keynote speaker for the 2013 Distance Learning Technology Conference at the University of North Alabama.
The conference, which is free and open to the public, begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at noon Thursday, April 4, in the Performance Center of UNA's Guillot University Center.
"The subject of his address, 'The Digital Generation Comes of Age,' will be thought-provoking and should spark a great deal of serious discussion," said Debbie Chaffin, UNA's Director of Educational Technology Services. "However, David Pogue is also brilliantly funny and a highly entertaining public speaker."
In addition to writing regular columns for The New York Times and Scientific American, Pogue is the author several books, including seven installments in the popular … for Dummies series, including Macs, Opera, Magic and Classical Music. He also spent 10 years arranging and conducting Broadway musicals. Pogue's NOVA Science Now series addresses questions ranging from "What Are Animals Thinking?" and "How Smart Can We Be?" to "What Will the Future Be Like?" and "What Makes Us Human?"
Pogue's UNA address explores "how the tidal wave will hit as the digital generation enters prime time." He will examine gains and losses as well as revolutionary shifts in beliefs and approaches.
"For the last 20 years," Pogue says, "computers and technology have been part of the everyday curriculum for a generation or two of digitally privileged kids – and, as they become the majority, it's show time. As computer-literate children become America's new leaders, visionaries, and designers, how will their digital upbringing affect society and culture?"
UNA's Distance Learning Conference is sponsored by the Distance Learning Advisory Committee and Educational Technology Services. After Pogue's address, sessions for the remainder of the morning will include "Student Expectations in Online Education" and "Universal Design: An Approach to Quality Assurance."
"This is a unique opportunity for professional development," Chaffin noted. "The conference is not just for online instructors. It is for anyone who is interested in using technology in the classroom, whether the class is online, blended or face-to-face."
The conference also includes a luncheon (limited to UNA faculty and staff) as well as door prizes, including gift cards to 360 Grille, Dale's, George's, Ricatoni's, City Hardware, Rosie's, Legends, Texas Road House, Logan's and Cracker Barrel, a night's stay at the Marriott, several gift baskets from local florists and a golf package from the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
For details, or to register for the conference, contact B.J. Wilson at 256-765-4208 or email@example.com.


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Natural Resources Requirements (M.S.)
Requirements for Admission to Graduate Studies for the Degree of Master of Science
Undergraduate degree in an appropriate field in the sciences, social sciences, or humanities/fine arts; satisfactory scores on the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination; and three letters of recommendation attesting to the candidate's academic potential for graduate work and motivation for pursuing this degree. Most successful applicants to this highly competitive program have strong academic credential and experience in an environmental or natural resource-related job, internship, or other related activity.
Minimum Degree Requirements
The master of science requires from fifteen to twenty-seven credits of course work in related fields (including NR 378, and NR 306), a public research seminar presented at the annual graduate student symposium, a research proposal, a comprehensive examination, and three to fifteen credits of thesis/project research. An oral defense of the thesis/project is required of all students.


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WEST CHICAGO – West Chicago recently welcomed a new, state-of-the-art healthcare facility to the Mosaic Crossing Shopping Center, according to a news release from the city of West Chicago.
A former drive-up bank building at 1865 N. Neltnor Blvd. has been renovated to become Access Urgent Care and Vein Clinic, an immediate care facility that is expected to provide community members with a less expensive alternative to an emergency room, the release said.
"The city of West Chicago is delighted that the vacant bank building has been meticulously repurposed into a modern and convenient healthcare facility for our residents, and we welcome Access Urgent Care and Vein Clinic to our community as a local business partner," Mayor Ruben Pineda said in the release.
The facility is staffed by board-certified physicians Vaseemudin Mohammad, Fazal Mohammad and Waji Mohammed.
Access Urgent Care will use triage technology that alerts staff to symptoms most in need of urgent care through a digital check-in process, according to the release.
The physicians' goal is to see patients within 30 minutes of arrival. The facility, which will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. year-round, accepts walk-in and scheduled patients, the release said.
The facility can treat fractures, complex lacerations, sports injuries, work-related injuries and adult and pediatric illnesses, according to the release. Physicians also will offer drug screenings and work and school physicals.
The Vein Clinic associated with the urgent care facility will provide procedures for common vein conditions, such as varicose, reticular and spider veins.
For information, call 630-876-9000 or visit accessurgent


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Des Hasler closed in on coaching immortality as Canterbury took advantage of a hobbled South Sydney to book a grand final berth courtesy of a 32-8 preliminary final crushing at a packed ANZ Stadium.
A year after guiding Manly to a second premiership in four years, Hasler on Saturday night became the first man to coach different clubs to a grand final in back-to-back campaigns and will now take on a familiar foe in Melbourne mentor Craig Bellamy in next weekend's decider.
As good as the Bulldogs were in disposing of the Rabbitohs, they were helped no end by a hamstring injury that ended the night of rookie of the year Adam Reynolds after just 26 minutes - at which point Souths held a deserved 8-4 lead.
Without their playmaker, the Rabbitohs - in search of their first grand final since their last title in 1971 - capitulated as the Bulldogs poured on 28 unanswered points.
But there was no room for celebration within the Canterbury camp in front of 70,354 fans.
"It's an opportunity now - we can't just be happy to get there against a very, very good side ... obviously a very, very experienced at this time of year," Bulldogs skipper Michael Ennis said of the looming decider against melbourne.
Said Hasler, who will be involved in his fourth grand final in the past six seasons: It's a great result for this young side ... for that they've been rewarded with a grand final experience.
"They (the Storm) are the benchmark aren't they.
"They're a great club side ... they've been very clinical and they've played very well in the games they've had against South Sydney and then Manly last night."
The Bulldogs, too, were clinical but were always in the driver's seat from when Reynolds limped off after chasing what had been a precise kick into the Canterbury in-goal.
His departure had a two-fold effect; not only were the Bunnies without their one true organiser but their best player to that point, Issac Luke, was moved from the dummy-half position, from which he was causing havoc, to fill-in at first receiver.
"It obviously changed our structures of what we were going to play at them," Souths coach Michael Maguire said.
"I'm proud of what we've created here at the club, the direction we're heading as a club.
"... they did a great job out there tonight. It's just unfortunate losing your half."
The Bunnies had done well to get back into the game after having captain Michael Crocker placed on report for a high tackle and conceding a try to Krisnan Inu before they had even touched the ball.
Luke hit back with an immediate reply out of dummy half and, had Chris McQueen managed to hold onto a John Sutton offload, they could have been more dominant leaders.
But the four minutes before halftime broke South Sydney's back.
Sam Perrett scored his first off a pin-point Josh Reynolds kick, exacerbated by a penalty against Sam Burgess for going in with knees after the try.
The Englishman gave away another penalty which allowed Jonathan Wright to touch down seven seconds before the hooter.
It was always going to be a long road back from there and Perrett brilliantly tip-toed the sideline off a Greg Eastwood pass to score his second before the Kiwi international set-up countryman Frank Pritchard just before the hour for a match-winning 26-8 lead.
Eastwood finished the job himself with a try on fulltime.


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Sponsored By
The Wanted Play "What's That Song" - Part 2Watch the boys try to guess songs by Christina Aguilera, LMFAO, the Beatles, Barry White, blink-182 and more. And Tom Parker, of course, gets a little bit dirty.
Do The Sounds of 'Dirty Dancing' Turn You On? New Study Says It ShouldYes, when the study interviewed 2,000 men and women ranging from 18 to 91 years old, the number one answer was any song from the 1987 film.


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University opens exchange discussions with Morocco
14 June 2013
Dr Saad-Eddine El Otmani, Foreign Minister of Morocco, visited the University yesterday to open discussions about staff and student exchanges with Moroccan universities.
The minister, accompanied by Moroccan Ambassador Mohamed Mael-Ainin, had talks with Sydney Medical School and the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies. He also met Vice-Chancellor Dr Michael Spence in the Great Hall.
Dr Spence said the visit brought together Australia's oldest university and the country with the world's oldest university - the University of Karueein in Morocco was founded in 859 AD.
The minister was introduced to Moroccan student Salma Refass, who is in the second semester of a Master of Economics course at Sydney, and met other students with research interests in Morocco.
Dr El Otmani, who is on his first visit to Australia, is head of the Justice and Development Party in Morocco. He is a qualified psychiatrist and an expert in Islamic law, and practised as a doctor before entering politics.
"He was interested to hear about the Sydney medical program as well as other degrees," said Professor Merrilyn Walton, Associate Dean International at Sydney Medical School, who had a meeting with the minister.
Professor Jeff Riegel, Chair of the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, said Dr El Otmani was particularly interested in the scholarship of Rifaat Ebied, an honorary associate professor in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies.
"As a consequence of the visit, the School of Languages and Cultures will be exploring with the Moroccan Embassy the possibility of staff and student exchanges with Moroccan universities," said Professor Riegel.
Contact: Richard North
Phone: 02 9351 3191
Email: 461e140b4e194f5f5c22102426053b3400202e31641f3c5e76221a


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HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (AP) - Investigators say a Georgia-based sports agent violated sports agent laws by providing more than $20,000 in cash and benefits to former Tar Heels receiver Greg Little in 2010.
In a search warrant unsealed this week, an agent with the Secretary of State's office said Little told investigators that Terry Watson of the Watson Sports Agency provided him with a monthly cash allowance of $2,200 in addition to travel expenses and other payments.
Little, now with the Cleveland Browns, also reimbursed former tutor Jennifer Wiley for expenses paid on his behalf with money received from Watson or a financial adviser, according to a probable cause affidavit in the June search warrant.
While the NCAA investigation is closed, authorities are still reviewing whether laws regulating sports agents were broken.


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Inner City Outings: Nashville Youth Enjoy the Outdoors
For Craig Jervis, people's love of the outdoors starts at a young age.
"When I was young, I was told to go outside and play. So I made the neighborhood mine. I knew every nook and cranny. I knew which ponds had bass in them and which had catfish. I knew where to find snakes. I went out and stayed out until dark. So it just got in my blood," he said.
Now he serves as chair of Inner City Outings in Nashville, where he helps today's kids experience those same adventures.
"I guess I thought that there'd always be backyards and places to play. But living in the city, I guess I didn't know that wouldn't always be the case. A lot of kids don't have that."
That's where Inner City Outings steps in. ICO comprises 50 volunteer-run groups across the country that reach 14,000 youth and lead more than 800 outings each year. In many cases, ICO kids have no outdoor experience and instead live in urban areas with high crime and gangs.
"They're disadvantaged in many ways," Craig says. "A lot of kids are in single-family homes or being raised by an older sibling. So they're not getting the adult attention they need. That's what really sucked me into ICO. It's not so much that they need outdoor experiences as much as they need adult presence. They are worth the time we invest in them."
The Nashville group went on 12 outings last year, including three canoe trips, with a total of 240 kids participating. Craig said he's interested in doing more trips that involve water. Last summer, the kids produced this video of their adventure on Duck River.
Craig hopes to incorporate education into outings. He recalls asking ICO kids where they thought their water came from, and their answer was "the tap. So we're going to try to educate more around that," he says.
"We're going to work on map reading skills, safety, basic things. We want to make today's participants tomorrow's leaders and give them the skills to enjoy the outdoors. That way at a later time they'll know how to take their family or friends with them."
These are experiences that stay with kids for a lifetime.
"What was on my mind was, where is the advocacy for the outdoors going to come from? Most conservationists have signature experiences from their youth, whether it's fishing with their dads or camping with family. Many of these kids don't have that opportunity and this is a way to really open that door."
Want to get involved? Visit Inner City Outings.


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Tim Williams Skater Profile
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i have installed the latest vers. of k meleon 1.5.4
i go on ebay.de, start a new search, type another search word in, and hit the "find" button, but nothing happend.
if i use the gernal find button on top, it works, also custom searches.
i tried to hide k meleons authentification, also tried to use k meleon as mozilla firefox, but the same problem.
flash plugin is the latest, i am useing win 7 64 bit


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The shooting range and aisles were busy with customers at Total Firearms in Mason. The phones rang all day. Only a few took time Wednesday to watch the speech President Obama gave on gun violence in America. Most were busy getting what they needed, but all have an opinion about the implications of the President's speech.
"I think some of it's a good idea but, honestly if people are going to commit violence they are going to do it with a gun or without a gun. It doesn't really matter how much the magazine holds," said Michael Weekly a gun owner from Mason.
Weekly has been using guns for the last 26 years for sport and safety. While he's not strongly against the President's proposals, he thinks they are a waste of resources.
"I just think it's more paper work and more stuff that the government is going to get caught up in and more money that's going to cost the tax payers," said Weekly.
He and others agree that universal background checks are a good idea, but magazine limits and other restrictions are not.
"If you limit the size of the magazine, that just means you are going to carry more magazines. What's the difference, you carry two magazines with ten rounds or one magazine carrying 20?" said Darell Lucier a gun owner from Dansville.
Store employee Jack Williams demonstrated what people mean when they said magazine limits will have little affect on gun violence.
He showed how a magazine can be replaced in just a second or two.
"Dropping the mag, pick it up and put the next one in and I'm ready to go," said Jack Williams, an employee at Total Firearms.
All the talk of guns have sales up some 75 percent at Total Firearms since the fall elections.
"Our inventory is low and there is nothing out there from the wholesalers and manufacturers, so every state I've called, shops that I've called are very low or out," said Williams. "I mean if this keeps going the shop will be closed in a couple of weeks, I mean it's bad. It's going quick."
Many gun owners said regulations are not the answer. Instead they suggest more firm on sentencing--and not letting people out early on parole and more resources toward mental health.
"When people get killed in a school or children get killed in school, it's tragic. It's terrible," said Lucier. "But limiting legal guns owners, it's not going to help them. It's not going to do anything. It's going to basically take the legal gun owner and make him feel like a criminal."


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Justin Normand
Religious Studies
Manchester, NH
Past participant of Cycling Saints and SLU Student Safety.
This past fall I was studying at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan. During the semester I studied Japanese religions and visited numerous temples and shrines in the area. It was an incredible experience, not just from a religious studies standpoint, but also from the unique experience of being able to experience a radically different culture firsthand. I'm interested in religious studies because I believe that religion is a driving force in society and by studying religion, I'm able to understand the core beliefs of many different cultures.


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The Associated Press
TUCUMCARI — An eastern New Mexico teenager is facing two murder charges in the deaths of his adoptive mother and sister, state police said.
The 14-year-old boy was being held Tuesday night at the Quay County Juvenile Detention Center. The Associated Press is not identifying the teen because he is a juvenile.
A call came into to police before midnight Monday about shots fired at a home near Tucumcari. Officers arrived to find the bodies of 67-year-old Sue Day and her biological daughter, 49-year-old Sherry Folts.
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Diane Wren, PI Nu member, addressed beauty on the inside with new trends for home interiors by demonstrating areas of service from Stone Works such as tile, flooring, cabinets, countertops, lighting. Members and guests enjoyed a walk around the showroom floor to view the variety of home items carried by Stone Works for home remodeling as well as new homes.
Approximately 50 members and guests attended enjoying a beautiful buffet, winning some great door prizes, and renewing and making new friendships.


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Over the weekend, Fauja Singh became the oldest person to complete a marathon. He is 100. Singh said he was "overjoyed" at finishing in just over eight hours. Toronto was his eighth marathon. He ran his first at age 89.
Centenarian Sets Marathon Record In Toronto
By editor • Oct 17, 2011


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Any professional who talks to the media about his area of expertise is succeptible to a certain level of contrarianism. Legend has it that even God the Creator once answered a question with the words, "I don't know if 'rest' is the word I'd use to describe that seventh day, but. . ." So when the man responsible for the short and long-term success of the Phillies organization said on Monday afternoon that he doesn't "do five-year plans," it may have offered more of an insight into his psychology than his business philosophy (like, perhaps, previous assertions that he cares about production, not walks, and that a player like Ryan Howard can "set his own market).
No doubt, a distaste for five-year plans on the part of the Phillies' chief personnel executive would offer a tidy explanation for the franchise's current predicament (after all, a five-year $125 million contract extension looks a lot more palatable when you ignore its ramifications for all five years that it covers). But after Amaro answered a question about how his five-year plan would affect the decisions he makes prior to this year's nonwaiver trade deadline by saying, "I don't do five year plans -- other organizations do, I guess," he continued by describing something that sounded awfully similar to one.
"We do look at the total picture, and you're right, the free agent market has been dwindling significantly," the general manager said. "Some of the guys who are going to have to take the some of the places of the potential free agents who have been core players for us may have to come from within. They may have to come from our own organization. But again, my job is to make sure that we are contenders every year. I know there are some things that have been written about us blowing things up and that sort of thing. I don't think blowing things up, so to speak, is the way to go for us. I think that we have to do is try to be intelligent about the decisions that we make for now and for the future. And there are ways to do it and continue to contend and move pieces and move things around. Hopefully, we have the wherewithal to be able to do it well."
Whether Amaro does have that wherewithall is the most important issue facing the Phillies as they enter the third week of June with a 33-37 record and a $160 million payroll that includes a number of regular contributors who are scheduled to become free agents after the season.
In a 15-minute question-and-answer session with reporters, Amaro said that he still does not know what to expect out of the roster he has built, that it deserves a grade of "incomplete" because of the absences of some of his key players, from catcher Carlos Ruiz, who could return from a hamstring injury as soon as Tuesday, to second baseman Chase Utley, who could be back from an oblique strain before the end of the week, to starter Roy Halladay, who is hoping to return from shoulder surgery at some point in the final two months of the season. But Amaro might be in the minority in his assessment. Over the last week, starting pitchers Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels have both vented some frustration into the public sphere, and on Monday Charlie Manuel suggested that the Phillies might actually be overachieving given the talent level of the players who have seen regular playing time.
Amaro gave Manuel a vote of confidence, saying that the veteran manager "is doing everything he can to try to spark plug us and at some point it is up to the players to try to do it."
But it is up to the general manager to put the right players in place, and as the Phillies consider the prospect of a second straight year without a playoff berth, Amaro is the man who will be responsible for the eventual success or failure of the roster he has constructed.
The disconcerting thing for fans is that the decisions that the GM makes over the next month are ones that will directly impact the team's competitiveness in 2014, 2015 and beyond. And when you look at the Phillies current level of competitveness, it is very much the product of decisions that were made over the previous two or three years
The three most significant decisions that currently haunt the Phillies occurred in 2009, when they traded Cliff Lee to the Mariners for a package of players that have failed to make any measurable contribution in the majors, in 2010, when they gave Ryan Howard a five-year, $125 million contract extension on top of the two years that remained on his existing deal, and in 2011, when they opted against adding a free agent hitter or two who might have been able to counteract the regression of the core players in the lineup. Similarly, the decisions that will be made over the next six weeks are ones that will impact the Phillies' title hopes not only this year and next year, but five years from now.
The question: can Amaro formulate a strategy that is more successful than the one he executed over the preview few years? How does the five-year plan impact the plan for 2013 and 2014?
Regardless of what happens over the rest of the 2013 season, the Phillies will finish it in a bind similar to the one they faced in this most recent offseason, with few attractive personnel options to fill the voids that will exist on the roster. We are in a new era of baseball economics, one that features a dearth of impact players on the free agent market and an inflated pool of television revenue that helps drive up the prices on those that do have the ability to make a significant impact.
The Phillies most glaring need is also the hardest one to fill. When the Phillies signed resigned Howard, they did so with the belief that he would anchor the lineup for the vast majority of his contract. Maybe they anticipated having to endure a sluggish end to it, but certainly they comitted the money they did with the anticipation that he would perform at a high level at least in 2013 and 2014.
But Howard has been a league average hitter for close to a season now, with a .241/.304/.431 batting line, 96 OPS+ and 21 home runs in 550 plate appearances over 136 games in 2012 and 2013. On Monday, Amaro was asked if he is concerned that Howard's contract will be an albatross around the team's neck for the next three years. He was noncommittal.
"I think Ryan is going to produce for us more than he has," Amaro said. "It's really kind of up to him. I think right now he is battling a couple of things with his knee, and obviously he had the issue with his ankle and I think it's just a matter of him getting back on track. Charlie is optimistic right now about how Howard's swinging the bat, particularly the last couple of days. Hopefully that can translate into him producing. When he gets hot, he can carry us. He hasn't gotten there yet but we're hopeful that he can."
If he can't, it will represent a huge failure on the part of the front office, which decided to extend the first baseman two years before he was scheduled to hit free agency. Amaro cited Howard's Achilles injury as being a factor in his current struggles, but Howard suffered that injury when he was in the last year of his old deal. The five-year extension he signed in April of 2010 did not begin until 2012. The Phillies thought they were getting a concession from Howard in agreeing to a deal of five years. But the five-year, $125 million contract that Josh Hamilton signed as a free agent this offseason suggests that they misread the market, and that Howard would not have been as likely to command a longer deal had they allowed him to reach free agency.
The Phillies' five-year plan -- or whatever Amaro calls it -- envisioned Howard in the middle of the order hitting 30+ home runs with an .830+ OPS, with the rest of the lineup built around that production. If Howard did give them that production, then maybe the emergence of Domonic Brown and the complementary parts that have been added over the last two seasons would have proven to be an effective formula. Thus far, that has not been the case.
Front offices make mistakes, and Howard thus far has proven to be a huge one. But it did not need to be a fatal mistake, because the Phillies had plenty of opportunities to safeguard themselves against a hasty decline. After they lost to the Cardinals in the 2011 NLDS, they knew that they had a lineup whose production had dropped steadily over the previous couple of years. They knew that they had a second baseman with a chronic knee condition, and a first baseman who would enter the first year of a monster contract with a surgically-repaired Achilles tendon. They knew -- or should have known -- that over the next one, two and five years the free agent market was likely to be thin on power hitters at the positions where they had flexibility to add one. But they decided that Josh Willingham was not worth three years and $21 million, and that David DeJesus was not worth two years and $10 million, and that Carlos Beltran was not worth two years and $26 million, and that Coco Crisp was not worth two years and $14 million. They decided that Aramis Ramirez was not worth three years and $36 million when they owed Placido Polanco $6.5 million for the final year of his contract.
Then 2013 arrived, and the Phillies found themselves in need of a third baseman, and they signed Michael Young, who has not come close to equalling the .297/.361/.520 batting line and 132 OPS+ and 30 home runs that Ramirez has contributed to the middle of the Brewers batting order.
They found themselves in need of a right fielder, and they signed Delmon Young, who has not come close to equalling the .246/.362/.492 batting line and 134 OPS+ and 45 home runs that Willingham has contributed to the middle of the Twins order, or the .280/.344/.508 batting line and 131 OPS+ and 48 home runs that Beltran has contributed to the middle of the Cardinals order.
The found themselves in need of a center fielder, and they traded for Ben Revere, who has not come close to equalling the .262/.341/.415 line and 104 OPS+ and 15 home runs that DeJesus has contributed to the top of the Cubs order, or the .272/.344/.443 line and 119 OPS+ and 19 home runs and 52 stolen bases that Crisp has contributed to the top of the Athletics order.
All of those battling lines and OPS-pluses and home run totals look attractive now not just because of players like Michael Young and Delmon Young and Ben Revere, but because of the big decision that the Phillies made to acquire Hunter Pence at the trade deadline in 2011, shipping away two blue chip prospects in Jonathan Singleton and Jarred Cosart to the Astros in return. Pence was a solid run producer for the Phillies, hitting .289/.357/.486 with a 125 OPS+ and 28 home runs in 676 plate appearances during his time with the club. But then they traded him away without a plan -- or, at least, without a plan they could execute -- to replace him. They did not have the blue chip prospects required to acquire Justin Upton, who is hitting .247/.358/.477 with a 126 OPS+ and 15 home runs in 289 plate appearances for the Braves while $5 million less than Pence is earning with the Giants in his final year of arbitration. They did not have the blue chip prospects required to acquire Shin Soo Choo, who is hitting .278/.428/.476 with a 143 OPS+ and 10 home runs in 320 plate appearances for the Reds.
The trade of Pence mirrored the trade of Lee in 2009 in that it reopened the gaping hole that the player had originally been acquired to fill. And while it is far too early to judge the centerpiece prospect the Phillies acquired for Pence, catcher Tommy Joseph, the move certainly did not make them a better team in 2013. And instead of using the money they saved on Pence's salary to replace him with another power hitter, they decided to use the combination of Delmon Young, Laynce Nix and John Mayberry Jr. to do so. They made this decision three years after their decision to trade away Lee and replace him with Kyle Kendrick, which left them scrambling to acquire a pitcher at the trade deadline, which meant trading away more prospects (Anthony Gose and Jonathan Villar) and more depth (J.A. Happ) and taking on more salary than Lee would have commanded had they simply kept him in the fold.
The reality is that the five year plan matters. A different five-year plan might have landed Gose in center field, where he is instead getting a chance in Toronto (and despite limited success in his first 215 big league plate appearances, his 12 extra base hits are twice as many as Revere has accumulated in 237 plate appearances with the Phillies this season). The right five-year plan might feature a lineup that reads Gose-Rollins-Brown-Ramirez-Pence-Howard-Frandsen-Quintero instead of a lineup that reads Revere-Young-Rollins-Howard-Brown-Young-Frandsen-Quintero. A different plan might have put Crisp in center field and Shane Victorino in left in 2012 instead of Victorino in center and Juan Pierre in left, and would now result in a lineup that reads Crisp-Young-Rollins-Howard-Pence-Brown-Frandsen-Quintero.
The point is, there are plenty of alternate realities in which you would have been able to accept the familiar refrain that Amaro echoed Monday when he said, "We have to see where we are once we get Chooch and Chase back." But the current reality leaves you feeling the same way Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels appear to be feeling. In a word: really?
"I have talked to Cliff and I have talked to him even before he made those comments and I was in complete agreement with him," Amaro said. "I want to win too, and I told him the same thing. I know this organization wants to win, I believe that the players want to win, I know that the staff wants to win. We haven't played winning baseball yet this year but I think all of our goals are the same. But as I told somebody else earlier. Yes, I want Cliff to want to be, but Cliff doesn't have a trade me clause, he has a no-trade clause. I hope to win with him, and I think we have a much better chance to win with him than to win without him, frankly, and as I said, having Hamels and Lee at the top of the rotation gives us a much better chance than with not."
Still, once upon a time, having Howard in the middle of the order gave the Phillies a much better chance than no having him. That did not mean there were not other scenarios that would have given them even better chances in the future. The Phillies are a better team right now with Jonathan Papelbon as a closer than with Mike Adams or Justin De Fratus or Antonio Bastardo or whoever would fill in for him if the organization were to trade him. But the question isn't what makes the Phillies a better team right now. The question is whether keeping Jonathan Papelbon and his contract leaves the Phillies nearer to winning a World Series than they would be with whoever would replace him as closer AND the talent they would acquire in a trade AND the $14.5 million worth of new salary that they could theoretically carry in 2014 and 2015.
DN Members Only: The stretch of games that will decide the future.
Get the full High Cheese experience at PhillyDailyNews.com.


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Browse by Medical Category
Friday, July 18, 2014
"It's revolutionary," says Jose Garcia, MD, surgical director of the Cardiothoracic Transplantation and Artificial Heart and Lung Program. "It is just that simple. This could potentially expand the number of people who receive lung transplants by 50 percent each year." The MGH has become the first hospital in New England to successfully perform what's being called a "lung-in-a-box" transplant. In this procedure, the donor lungs are transported inside a portable organ-preservation device known as an Organ Care System, instead of being transported to the hospital in a cooler. While inside the "box," the donor lungs are hooked up to a machine that perfuses the lungs with warm, oxygenated, nutrient-enriched blood. The transplant was part of a clinical trial with the Massachusetts-based device manufacturer TransMedics. "Once lungs are disconnected from their blood supply, the tissue immediately starts to deteriorate and continues to do so until the organ becomes unusable – generally at about six hours," explains Todd Astor, MD, medical director of the Lung and Heart-Lung Transplant Program. "As a result, an estimated 80 percent of donor lungs globally cannot be used for transplantation because it would take too long to retrieve the organs and bring them back. With this device the lungs can go generally 12 hours before transplantation because they are being infused with blood and essentially breathing the whole time."Adds Garcia, "By doubling the time we have to retrieve the lungs and get them ready for transplant, we are giving ourselves a much bigger radius in which we can travel to retrieve the organs. That means we have the potential to drastically increase the number of usable organs. Hopefully, it will lead to a drastic increase in the amount of lives we can save."The MGH also took part in the TransMedics clinical trial for their "heart-in-a-box" technology in which patient Amy DeStefano became the first person in New England to receive her heart transplant in 2011.
Read more articles from the 07/18/14 Hotline issue.
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Premium Wine Tasting Event Features Bargain Basement Prices and Literacy
If you're an oenophile, there is an event you must attend! What's an oenophile? It is a person who loves, worships and savors wine! The Links to Literacy Premier Wine Tasting & Sale Event is coming up this Thursday, February 27th, at CJ Callaway's event center, starting at 7 pm.
This event is limited to 200 participants and you will be sampling 30 premium wines, some of which are not even available for retail sale. Another 60 to 80 wines will also be available for purchase at an average of $15 below retail price!
Proceeds support the Links to Literacy scholarship program at Excel Achievement Center. Financial support is given to at-risk students whose families cannot afford to attend the one-on-one tutoring sessions offered at Excel.
So this is a win-win situation for wine fanatics and education fiends! If you'd like to get tickets now- -click here or save the handling fees by calling 988-0900.


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Fake faggoted dress
Added Aug 23, 2011
by lilybart
Perth, Australia
I can't deal with big time consuming projects anymore so my current sewing strategy is that the quicker and easier it is, the better.
I love the look of faggoting and I've wanted to try it out for ages, but I know that I'll get so bored with that much handstitching, so I made this dress with inserts instead. I think it looks almost as good as the real deal and took a fraction of the time.
I also had my first go at pintucking, which I'm not sure went all that well.
I'm wearing it with a vintage blue lace slip.
More on my blog
Material Notes
Black cotton
3 Comments Sign in to add a post
Aug 23, 2011, 09.21 AMby kelerabeus
I love this dress! Especially the combination of fagoting and pintucks on the skirt, ingenious.
Aug 23, 2011, 08.18 AMby ichigogirl
Lily, it's lovely! The pintucking looks perfect, and the fake fagotting looks perfectly real, at least very very nice! And I agree with the "as fast as possible"-strategy, I'm in the same kind of phase. Hopefully there will be time (and peace of mind) for more ambitious projects soon too! For the both of us ;-)
1 Reply
Aug 23, 2011, 09.12 AMby lilybart
Bwahaha I went out and exercised after seeing those pics of you in your yoga outfit! I should save them as my background for thinspiration. Hot!
Aug 23, 2011, 07.34 AMby susanne2011
You are so fabulous and hot! No clue about fagotting, but whatever it is, it looks awesome and you will have to teach me! When I am back in Perth we should start do some sewing together :)
1 Reply
Aug 23, 2011, 07.51 AMby lilybart
Hahaha! Cheers, Susanne! Are you having a nice time in Germany? This is proper faggoting:
Absolutely, we should have a sewing weekend. I'm trying to make more of an effort with it, have been slack lately.
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text: Africa Film Screening at Le Moyne Highlights Poverty Worldwide By Hannah Warren & Josh Schoch • Mar 5, 2014 Speak Up Productions / whatmattersfilm.com LeMoyne college is presenting an award-winning documentary tonight on poverty that also includes some surprises. "What Matters?" is the story of three friends living on $1.25 a day to experience and document what it's like living in extreme poverty. Director and subject Dan Parris says, "What Matters?" lacks the guilt-trip of your typical documentary on poverty. He says it's the film's realist attitude and sense of adventure that turned the movie into a success - and, he hopes, inspires viewers to make a difference.


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Submission + - 45 Years Later, Does Moore's Law Still Hold True? (foxnews.com)
Velcroman1 writes: Intel has packed just shy of a billion transistors into the 216 square millimeters of silicon that compose its latest chip, each one far, far thinner than a sliver of human hair. But this mind-blowing feat of engineering doesn't really surprise us, right? After all, that's just Moore's Law in action isn't it? In 1965, an article in "Electronics" magazine by Gordon Moore, the future founder of chip juggernaut Intel, predicted that computer processing power would double roughly every 18 months. Or maybe he said 12 months. Or was it 24 months? Actually, nowhere in the article did Moore actually spell out that famous declaration, nor does the word "law" even appear in the article at all. Yet the idea has proved remarkably resilient over time, entering the public zeitgeist and lodging hold like a stubborn computer virus you just can't eradicate. But does it hold true? Strangely, that seems to depend more than anything on who you ask. "Yes, it still matters, and yes we're still tracking it," said Mark Bohr, Intel senior fellow and director of process architecture and integration. "Semiconductor chips haven't actually tracked the progress predicted by Moore's law for many years," said Tom Halfhill, the well respected chip analyst with industry bible the Microprocessor Report.


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Drew Brees, the true Saint
So we all know that the New Orleans Saints are doing very well these days (with a record of 13-0), but did you know that God is on their side?
Besides being named the Saints, some have taken to calling their quarterback, Drew Brees, Breesus. This T-shirt comes from breesustees.com [1], and there's also a blog [2].
According to WWL-TV [3], it's not just his on-field performance that has given him the nickname, but also the way he has become a part of and gives back to the city of New Orleans.
Brees says that he's honored even if he finds it inappropriate. "It's definitely a little sacrilegious," he says. "I guess that might be going a little bit far."
Could this be the Second Coming that we look forward to in Advent?
Well, no, but it's clear that the city in the midst of its own resurrection is thankful for the hope Brees brings it. And that might make even me want to cheer for them. (The Bears aren't giving us much to cheer about here in Chicago this year!)


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Mr Mxyzptlk: I'm speechless. The sheer arrogance of that position, that you would presume to make decisions about anothers' life like that and sleep well. Well, I'm stunned. I don't know where to begin.
Mr Mxyzptlk: I'm speechless. The sheer arrogance of that position, that you would presume to make decisions about anothers' life like that and sleep well. Well, I'm stunned. I don't know where to begin.
The assumption of it all that it is my essay. It quite clearly is an essay though. Well I thought so...Originally Posted by Top_Cat
Sreesanth said, "Next ball he was beaten and I said, 'is this the King Charles Lara? Who is this impostor, moving around nervously? I should have kept my mouth shut for the next ball - mind you, it was a length ball - Lara just pulled it over the church beyond the boundary! He is a true legend."
Yes I picked it as an essay/article but why would you post it if it didn't say what you wanted to say? If that is the case, why does it make much of a difference whether it's your post or not? And if it's not yours, who wrote it and pays them?
One thing I DIDN'T do was allow for the fact that you posted it to merely add to the debate. If so, I unreservedly apologise. If not, well as I said, I'm stunned.
It's a model GP essay I received from my teacher. Note that model has nothing to do with excellence or correctness of opinion.
Regarding the reason for posting, I felt it fuel for discussion and, judging from your response, it worked. My opinion is more or less pro-life, but perhaps not quite as strict. I may express it more fully at another time.
Heh. This is clearly evidence that I take too long to type posts sometimes.Originally Posted by Top_Cat
Not at all. I didn't discuss it at all because I find the opinions expressed too repugnant right now. Maybe later when I won't let emotions cloud my thoughts and say something I won't regret.Regarding the reason for posting, I felt it fuel for discussion and, judging from your response, it worked.
"Will" regret surely? Granted it did fuel though...Originally Posted by Top_Cat
Take from it what you 'will'; I meant what I said."Will" regret surely? Granted it did fuel though...
That said, here's the 411; whatever I say will be in response to the article and not to you because I don't actually know what you think.
Duly noted.
so is bringing up a child you can't look after.Originally Posted by age_master
Bit harsh, mate. I can't speak for Linda' s reasoning, but if you think a life is defined at a certain point, and all lives are sacred (regardless of quality), I may accuse somebody of woolly thinking, but it doesn't have to be motivated by misogyny in the slightest. Maybe a lack of empathy or naivety as to the wider implications of policy.Originally Posted by Top_Cat
BTW, there are legions of female misogynists. Check out some of over 60's set or the women involved in "men's rights" organizations. Kinda reminds me of a situation where someone I knew called somebody out for being a misogynist, and somebody said "but he's GAY!". As if that somehow made it impossible.
"Youre known for having a liking for men who look like women."
- Linda
"FFS I'm sick and tired of having to see a bloke bend over to pick something up or lean over and see their arse crack. For christ's sake pull your pants up or buy some underpants you bogan because nobody want's to see it. And this is a boat building shed (well one of them) not a porn studio."
- Craig
The essay Mr Mxyzptlk posted was interesting for one fact - those who are pro-life, and want to legislate accordingly, who WOULD allow abortions to victims of incest and rape - how on earth do you justify this to yourselves if your opposition is based on the fact that abortion is murder? On a level of consistency, those who are against abortion under any circumstances make a lot more sense.
Originally Posted by Son Of Coco
how so?
Member of CW Green
Kerry O'Keefe - Worlds funniest Commentator
I'd feel scared and move out of the country, sounds like its being ruled by a bunch of feminists.Originally Posted by Top_Cat
Because I dont see it as an individual's choice. I see it as a choice that involves another life, ie the baby's. And anyway, Im not changing the law, Im just against it like other people on this thread.My point is, you're against having an abortion so you'll never have one. That's your choice. But why should your choice curtail the choices of others? Bearing in mind that the freedom of choice is only a recent phenomena, you're effectively in opposition to the reproductive rights that women fought so hard for only a few decades ago.
Great, but I dont. There are plenty of people that are longing for a child, and due to different circumstances, simply cant have one. My best mate is adopted , so this maybe clouding my better judgement, but I see it as a huge positive to give an "unwanted" child up for adoption.And I would say it's highly suspect that adoption is an 'excellent' alternative.
They would certainly not be forced to keep the child. You could probably say that they are forced to keep the child alive! But again, its a human life in my view and should be treated as such. I understand that what a rape victim goes through is out of my comprehension, but I simply dont think the kid should be killed because of who its father is.And surely you wouldn't advocate that a rape victim would be FORCED to keep the child borne of a rape? That's freakin' nuts. If you honestly believe that, well I think I've met the first female misogynist.
And lastly, I dont hate women, Im just against abortion. Just because Im a girl doesnt mean I should be all for it. Why youve singled me out as a misogynist among other pro-life opinions, I dont know, but its pretty offensive in my view.
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To the editor:
I am writing as a member of the DMACC Board of Trustees for 16 years. I have seen DMACC grow substantially to meet the needs of many additional students and the requests of businesses; expand its services to additional areas of the DMACC district; and, hold student debt in check by having the second lowest tuition in Iowa. Also, as a taxpayer, I am pleased DMACC has the lowest property tax rate of all 15 community colleges.
All Central Iowans will be going to the polls on Sept. 10 to show their support for DMACC and its students. Two DMACC levies will be on the ballot. They are not new taxes. They are a continuation of levies that have helped support DMACC for many years.
One is DMACC's 20¼-cent Plant Fund Levy. This fund is used to maintain and operate educational and training facilities. The second, the six-cent Equipment Levy, funds educational equipment used to support the education and training opportunities for the more than 70,000 credit and non-credit DMACC students each year.
This vote on Sept. 10, while critical for the future of DMACC, represents a small investment for residents. Currently, DMACC has the lowest property tax assessment of all 15 community colleges in Iowa, generally less than 3 percent of your entire property tax bill.
The levies will be invested well. About one of every six Central Iowans has received instructions at DMACC and 95 percent of DMACC graduates stay in Iowa. The levies help DMACC deliver an affordable education for all its students. DMACC is the only option for many families with limited resources and for families new to Central Iowa.
DMACC is a valuable asset to Newton and surrounding communities. The Newton campus is not only the center for educating students of all ages, but has become the main center for our community meetings, service clubs, cultural events, private receptions, seminars, company retreats, and the list goes on.
When our community was hit with plant closures and layoffs, DMACC became the one that many displaced workers relied on to develop new skills for redirected career paths. Our Newton campus also houses a Career Academy that during the day is filled with high school students developing skills for exciting careers after graduation. After hours, these same facilities are offering credit and non-credit classes for personl and professional development.
DMACC graduates build our homes, fix our cars, care for us, protect us and seamlessly transfer anywhere they want to go to complete a four-year degree. Nearly all Central Iowa companies rely on DMACC for a part of their skilled workforce. As those companies grow, we need more skilled workers. DMACC will continue to deliver the quality services our communities have come to rely upon. I have the opportunity to see DMACC graduates each year as they graduate. DMACC makes a real difference in their lives.
Continued support for community colleges is a bipartisan issue, as both Republican and Democratic legislators joined together this year to support DMACC's mission of educating and training Iowans for skilled workers.
Wherever you live or work in Central Iowa, chances are a DMACC graduate will touch your life today. To learn more about these levies, go to http://go.dmacc.edu/community. Please vote on Sept. 10.
Joe Pugel
DMACC Board of Directors


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Specialist's biography
Jacques Lacoursière is one of Quebec's best-known historians. He co-founded the history journal Boréal Express and has written several books. He has also researched, co-written and hosted programs for radio and television. Among his many awards and distinctions, he is Chevalier de l'Ordre national du Québec and Officer of the Order of Canada.


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Sorry for not posting lately. I've been kind of down in the dumps and haven't really felt like writing. And, the southern pollen has been getting to me so I haven't fell that well either. We are making a few adjustments around the house and my husband has been painting -- he doesn't like me helping so I can't say that I have contributed alot. But, we'll soon be able to post photos and then my son can see what we have done to his room!
On another sad note, some family friends had a tragedy in their family last night. Their 28 year old son (who is autistic) shot his two sisters and his mother yesterday, fatally wounding one sister who had just given birth to a baby girl a week ago. It is so tragic. Please pray for them.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
3 comments:
- W. Latane Barton said...
That post just sent chills up and down my spine. My grandson, age 16, is autistic and I have worried about him in so many ways but never about him being that violent. What a tragedy that family has had dealt to them. My heart just aches and I pray that God will lift them up and hold them tight.
- Marty said...
What can you possibly say in light of such tragedy? Will pray that you and those around your friend's family will know how to help at this time.
- Jake said...
So sorry to hear that....
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State says no complaint received about July county council meeting
A complaint a local resident said he filed in August at the state level about a county council meeting that may have been in violation of Indiana's open door law apparently never made it to right place.
South Whitley resident Terry Goodrich said he mailed the complaint form to the Indiana Public Access Counselor in August, but a representative from the office said Monday the complaint was never received.
Indiana statute allows up to 30 days to file a complaint with the public access counselor from the date of an alleged violation of the open door law or other violation by a government agency.
In July, Stephen Key, general legal counsel for the Hoosier State Press Association, said he felt the meeting July 29 violated Indiana's open door law.
At the meeting, five of the seven council members were present and the majority voted down a request from Whitko Community Schools for a referendum on the ballot this fall to seek the ability to raise the district's tax levy during the next seven years.
The council adjourned, but recalled one of the members about 20 minutes later for a second, unannounced meeting, under the advisement of Whitko attorney John Whiteleather Jr., where the council voted to allow the referendum on the ballot.
A lawsuit can still be filed to seek to overturn the council's vote, but without an opinion from the Indiana Public Access Counselor the plaintiff would not eligible for reimbursement from the county upon a favorable decision from the court, according to Key.


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Evolution Hoax
Call on your Lord humbly and secretly. He does not love those who overstep the limits. Do not corrupt the earth after it has been put right. Call on Him fearfully and eagerly. Allah's mercy is close to the good-doers. (Surat al-A'raf: 55-56)
Never forget that Allah is the Lord of all of humanity, including yourself, and that He is your only friend and helper. Therefore, never forget that when you ask for anything, ask it first from Him.
Prayer is one of the most important acts of worship to draw us nearer to Allah. By their very nature, all people feel the need to perform this act of worship. However, while it is a necessary and desirable part of believers' lives, a disbeliever resorts to it only in times of distress. The latter may not be accepted by Allah, since what is most commendable is to ask help from Allah both in times of ease as in difficulty, that is, in every moment of our lives. That is because, the one who prays to Allah is the person who acknowledges his weakness in Allah's sight, and his inability of accomplishing anything unless it is by His Will.
Prayer is accompanied by submission to Allah. One who prays attributes all outcomes, whether easy or trying, to the Creator and Ruler of the universe. The acknowledgment that the solution of a problem, or the prevention of an undesirable circumstance, rests with Almighty Allah, is a source of relief and confidence for a believer. For, praying only to Allah, and taking Him as one's sole friend, instils a sense of security in a believer.
However, we need here to point to a common misconception: praying to Allah alone does not mean to sit-back, wait, and do nothing. A person must feel confident in the fact that Allah holds every event in His control. As well, he must be meticulous in employing the means Allah has shown as solutions. One who sincerely prays to Allah must also perform "prayers of action" in compliance with the rules established by Allah. What we mean by "prayers of action" here, is doing one's utmost to attain a desirable result. For instance, exploiting all forms of medical care is a form of "prayer by action" exercised by a sick person in order to recover from his illness. Offering one's prayers to Allah for recovery is a form of verbal prayer. Therefore, prayer by action is a fundamental act of worship that must always accompany verbal prayer.
While praying, never forget to be sincere and to turn towards Allah with a deep feeling of humility in your heart. Allah is nearer to man than his jugular vein. He knows and hears everything. Prayer is the easiest way to reach Him. Not a single thought that crosses your mind can be kept concealed from His knowledge. Although this is the case, many nevertheless are unaware that Allah has knowledge of everyone's prayers and wishes. They think that Allah only listens to some of their prayers, or that even if He hears, that He does not answer. (Surely Allah is far above what they attribute to him). This reasoning of theirs is flawed. Allah knows our innermost thoughts, every word we may utter, and He answers them all. Allah draws our attention to this fact in the Qur'an as follows:
If My servants ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls on Me. They should therefore respond to Me and believe in Me so that hopefully they will be rightly guided. (Surat al-Baqara: 186)
Therefore, never forget that if we want something we need only to ask it from Allah. Reaching our Lord is that easy.
Man is impetuous by nature, a fact which is also stressed in the verse, "Man was created hasty. I will show you My Signs so do not try to hasten Me." (Surat al-Anbiya': 37) This hastiness may sometimes reveal itself in his prayers too. As is stated earlier, man always expects an immediate answer to his prayers.
However, we must bear in mind that it is Allah Who knows what is good for us. We are informed about this in the Qur'an, "it may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know." (Surat al-Baqara: 216) This is why, when a person asks for something from his Creator, he must be pleased with Him, whatever the outcome, being aware that the decision rests with Allah alone. Not everything you wish for may be good for you. Therefore, Allah answers the prayer, not in the way we necessarily expect, but in the way deemed by Him to be most just. It may well be that, in order for you to grow in wisdom, Allah may prepare your character otherwise until it is time for you to do so. It may also be that Allah will replace your wish with something still better, but is testing your patience and faithfulness.
The Prophet Muhammad's advice to believers as to how to pray to Allah is a very good example of how a believer must behave:
When one of you contemplates entering upon an enterprise, let him supplicate: O Allah, I consult You through Your Knowledge, and I seek strength through Your Power, and ask of Your Great Bounty; for You are Capable whereas I am not and, You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of hidden things. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in respect of my Religion, my livelihood and the consequences of my affairs, then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. But if You know this matter to be bad for my Religion, my livelihood or the consequences of my affairs, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and grant me power to do good whatever it may be, and cause me to be contented with it. (Bukhari and Muslim)
Indeed, Allah recommends us to be steadfast in prayer:
Seek help in steadfastness and prayer. But that is a very hard thing, except for the humble. (Surat al-Baqara: 45)
Do not forget that perseverance in prayer purifies a believer, and endows him with strength of will and character. As an answer to his prayers, a believer attains a deeper spiritual state, which is more valuable than anything else he could ask for.
However, those who do not regard Allah in a manner due Him harbour doubts in their hearts, falsely assuming that their prayers have gone unanswered. A believer, however, feels certain that Allah hears his prayers, and that, in some way, He answers them. He is fully aware that nothing is outside of His control, and that everything occurs according to a specific predetermined fate. Therefore, he feels no doubt that his prayer will be answered. Never forget to offer your prayers to Allah without doubting in securing Allah's help, knowing that your call will certainly be answered. Regardless of the situation, trust in the Lord, because Allah wants His servants to be near to Him. It is so easy for Allah, Who created you from a drop of fluid and created the universe from non-existence, to answer your prayers. Hence, all you have to do is to ask with faith and patience.
Prayer is a special bond between man and Allah. A person shares all his troubles and wishes with Allah; he pleads Him. Allah, Who hears every call, never leaves it unanswered. This is why the Qur'an does not specify merely one way of worship. The Qur'an urges man to "remember Allah standing, sitting and lying on your sides" (Surat an-Nisa': 103), which means that one can bring Allah to mind and pray to Him at any time and under all conditions, without necessarily performing any particular ritual or ceremony. That is because, what matters is not the outward performance but one's sincerity...
This aside, a particular place does not necessarily need to be assigned for prayer. Remember that you can pray in the shopping mall, on the street, in the car, at school, at work, that is, anywhere. All you have to do is to free your mind from idle thoughts and feel Allah's nearness to you.
Never forget that a life without prayer is meagre in the sight of Allah.As the 77th verse of the Surat al-Furqan reads, "What has My Lord to do with you if you do not call on Him?" Being conscious of one's subjection makes a person dear in the sight of Allah. Therefore, man must turn to his Creator, admit his shortcomings to Him, and seek help only from Him. Any other comportment would mean showing arrogance to Allah, and to incur an eternal punishment in Hell.
Never forget that Allah is the Most Merciful.Anyone who does evil and then asks for forgiveness will find Allah Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat an-Nisa':110) Hence, remember that Allah is the Most Merciful and the Ever-Forgiving, and pray to Him in hope.
No matter how serious the error you may have committed, and are in deeply remorse over it, it is not a reason for you to despair of Allah's forgiveness. Thus, no matter how guilty a person feels, he can always expect to find his Lord forgiving. In fact, the Qur'an informs us that it is only disbelievers who despair of Allah's mercy:
...Do not despair of solace from Allah. No one despairs of solace from Allah except for people who are disbelievers. (Surah Yusuf: 87)
On the other hand, never forget that no one can guarantee that he is worthy of Paradise.No one is safe from the punishment of his Lord. This is why, when calling on Allah, a person must hope for Allah's mercy, but also be in fear of losing His good pleasure.
Just as how eagerly he prays to attain Paradise, so must he for avoidance of Hell. In other words, through fear of Hell, he hopes to attain Paradise. One who grasps Allah's greatness, fears His punishment, and desires to earn His good pleasure, will turn to Him with heartfelt sincerity and honesty. In a like manner, one who submits himself to Allah, and takes Him as his only friend and helper, will admit his struggles and distress to Him. As is in the case of the Prophet Ya'qub, who said "I make complaint about my grief and sorrow to Allah alone," (Surah Yusuf: 86), he will admit his sufferings and requests to Allah, and ask for help and good from Him alone.
Also remember that praying merely for the blessings of this world is a form of insincerity. The true goal of believers is Paradise. Allah grants the blessings of this world to those who desire them alone. Yet, it is not likely for them to attain the glorious recompense of the hereafter. As is stated in the Qur'an:
...There are some people who say, "Our Lord, give us good in the world." They will have no share in the hereafter. And there are others who say, "Our Lord, give us good in the world, and good in the hereafter, and safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire." They will have a good share from what they have earned. Allah is swift at reckoning. (Surat al-Baqara: 200-202)
In times of difficulty, the ignorant withdraw themselves and turn to Allah in prayer. Though, when relieved, they immediately lapse back into their former state of heedlessness, as if they had never called on Allah. That is, they turn to Allah as the "last resort." This ungrateful attitude is related in the Qur'an as follows:
When harm touches man, he calls on Us, lying on his side or sitting down or standing up. Then when We remove the harm from him he carries on as if he had never called on Us when the harm first touched him. In that way We make what they have done appear good to the profligate. (Surah Yunus: 12)
It is He Who conveys you on both land and sea so that when some of you are on a boat, running before a fair wind, rejoicing at it, and then a violent squall comes upon them and the waves come at them from every side and they realize there is no way of escape, they call on Allah, making their religion sincerely His: "If You rescue us from this, we will truly be among the thankful." But then, when He does rescue them, they become rebellious in the earth without any right to do so. Mankind, your rebelliousness is only against yourselves. There is the enjoyment of the life of this world and then you will return to Us and We will inform you about what you did. (Surah Yunus: 22-23)
Actually, not a single moment passes in which man is not in need of his Lord... So, never forget to call on your Lord "…humbly and fearfully, without loudness of voice, morning and evening" (Surat al-A'raf: 55, 205). Remember that the end of those who fail to offer their prayers to Allah will be the eternal torment in Hell:
Your Lord says, "Call on Me and I will answer you. Those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell abject." (Surah Ghafir: 60)2012-02-02 01:19:51


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It is almost like getting extra horsepower for free. At least that is how some people describe what a turbocharger can do for an engine these days.
In the past, turbochargers added extra zip but at the expense of consuming much more gas than non-turbocharged engines. But technological innovations have changed all that. Today's turbochargers offer increased fuel economy by outfitting cars with smaller engines allowing them to get the power of a bigger one on demand.
"With fuel prices being a significant concern for consumers and businesses, turbochargers are a smart choice for getting more miles to the gallon," said Tony Schultz, vice president for the Americas, Honeywell Turbo Technologies.
Turbocharged vehicles, such as Ford's EcoBoost lineup and the Chevrolet Sonic and Chevrolet Cruze have been among the best-selling vehicles in the U.S. this year. The Cruze Eco and Sonic, which both offer Honeywell turbocharged engines among its models, can deliver 40 mpg or higher on the highway and have starting prices below $20,000. The newly-released 2013 Dodge Dart with 160 horsepower also has a turbo.
In a recent report, the Environmental Protection Agency cited turbocharging as one technology helping explain "the improvements in CO2 and fuel economy during the last seven years" by making engines more efficient. A smaller turbocharged engine can provide 20 percent to 40 percent better fuel economy while delivering the performance of a larger engine. Industry data illustrates the ongoing downsizing trend as the average engine size in North America is decreasing from 3.6 liters in 2007 to a projected average 2.9 liters by 2016.
Although the technology is quite old (the first turbo was developed by Alfred Buchi, a Swiss engineer, in 1909) many people still don't understand what a turbocharger does.
Besides increasing the power output from an engine, a turbo helps conserve fuel since larger engines use more gas, and weigh more. When extra power isn't needed from a turbo, the engine operates in its naturally aspirated, fuel-sipping state.
Since 2008, there has been a decline in large 8-cylinder engines and an increase in 4-cylinder engines, according to J.D. Power and Associates partner firm LMC Automotive. Turbochargers were fitted in only two percent of gasoline or flex-fuel vehicles produced in the United States in 2008, but that figure jumped to 9.5 percent in 2011 and is expected to more than double to 23.5 percent in 2017, LMC Automotive predicts.
Turbocharger use spinning up
Honeywell estimates the number of turbocharged commercial and passenger vehicles sold in North America will reach 3.2 million in 2012, up from 2.2 million in 2011. Passenger vehicles alone account for nearly 850,000 additional turbo engines — a 61 percent increase from 2011.
What's the magic behind all this turbocharging? Exhaust leaving the engine is used to drive the turbo. Waste gases become an asset.
Simply, a turbocharger is a compressor, or pump, that forces more air into an engine than the engine can draw in on its own.
A naturally aspirated engine — one without a turbo — relies on vacuum created as the piston travels down the cylinder to suck air into that cylinder. The amount of air determines how much fuel can be burned. The ideal ratio is about 15 pounds of air per each pound of fuel.
If we can squeeze more air into the cylinder, we can add more fuel. That makes more power.
Think of the turbocharger as a two-sided pinwheel with a partition between pinwheels. Blow on one side of the pinwheel and the other spins. Exhaust gases leaving the engine go into a curved housing where they spin a turbine wheel. On the other side of the housing there is a compressor wheel. Fresh air enters the compressor and is pumped into the engine, more fuel is injected and power increases.
"It's a proven technology that can be used across market segments and does not put the consumer in an extended payback period like other technologies to realize its benefits," said Honeywell's Schultz.
Bob Weber, Tribune Newspapers' Motormouth columnist, has been an ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician since 1976.


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Florida Life - Lifestyle
Hunting Lodges
Jon Williamson, 35
COO / Honey Lake Plantation - Greenville (east of Tallahassee)
Four years ago, when the Williamson family purchased the original 3,600 acres that would become home to Honey Lake Plantation, the plan was for the patriarch, Bob Williamson — who had just sold his software company — to retire there with his family. "But then we had so many neighbors contact us to have their weddings out here, we figured we would do enough to cover overhead," says COO Jon Williamson, Bob's son. "It just kept expanding from there." Today, in addition to weddings, spiritual retreats and other events, 25% to 30% of the property's total business comes from hunting and fishing revenue.
What it costs: (for quail hunts, including lodging, meals, skeet/trap/warm-ups, licenses, guides, dogs, ear protection, transportation from Tallahassee Airport and on-property transportation)
Single Occupancy/Double Occupancy
3 night/2 day: $2,150 / $1,950
4 night/3 day: $3,000 / $2,750
5 night/4 day: $3,845 / $3,475
Who comes: "We have customers coming from Colorado, Minnesota, New York, Texas, you name it, and there's a huge market up here for south Floridians," Williamson says. Honey Lake Plantation is also a favorite spot for corporate retreats; companies often hold meetings in the mornings and then head out in the afternoons to hunt.
Catch and eat: "We have a smokehouse, so if a guest ends up with 30 or 40 quail, our staff will clean them, and the chef will prepare them for dinner. He has about 35 recipes, and in one night he'll do five different ones."
Harold R. Ross, 58
Founder, President / Ross Hammock Ranch - Inglis (southwest of Gainesville)
Harold Ross, who retired at age 42 from his position as CEO of a software company and spent three years traveling and hunting around the world, decided to open his hunting ranch after discovering that lots of places "overpromised and under-delivered." He bought the property 16 years ago and opened it to the public in 2000. Today, he says, "We get people from all over world — Russia, Spain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand. But I'd still say that probably 60% of my business comes from Florida residents." And like most other attractions in Florida, the busiest season is from mid-October to mid-April.
What it costs: $295 per hunter per night or $145 per night for non-hunters. The fee includes lodging, meals, snacks, a guide, ranch vehicles, fuel and having the staff skin, quarter and clean your game. There's also a harvest fee for what you actually shoot. "You can spend as little or as much as you want," Ross says. "For example, a Florida white tail buck is one price; wild hog is another. Then there is some exotic game that can become pricey — like a trophy Asian water buffalo, which will run you $2,900."
Who comes: "We do have a lot of first-time hunters. But we also get guys who have hunted Africa 20 times over. We have women hunting here almost every week."
Bob Hayes, 48
Co-owner, guide / Little Lake Lodge - Okeechobee
For nearly 12 years, Little Lake Lodge has been offering swamp buggy hunts, archery hunting, gun hunting, half- and full-day fishing trips, lodging, meals and even processing of game and taxidermy. Bob Hayes and his partner, Daryl Hazellief, say they provide "all the gear, guns and land and instruction for first-timers," says Hayes. "A lot of people get hooked. Occasionally, someone doesn't like it; but this way, they don't have the major expense of buying all their own equipment before they discover that."
What it costs: "We price according to budget, time, just about any way you want us to. When I put together this model, I decided to focus on the working guy who can't necessarily afford a $2,000 deer hunt every year. For $300 for a half-day here, you can shoot quail and have a great time. We clean everything for you. You just need to grab some ice on the way out, and you can bring it home in a cooler." Pricing is customized to the package desired.
The prey: Hog, Osceola turkey, alligator, dove, duck, quail, small game and deer.
Who comes: Locals do getaway weekends, often with their families, as well as executives who bring customers to entertain them or employees to thank them, from all over the country and the world. "We just had a group here a week ago on a business trip from Beijing," says Hayes.


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Leading next week's new releases in the latest from Bayonetta creator PlatinumGames, the curious spin-off Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Also arriving are supersuit shooter Crysis 3, Escherian puzzler The Bridge, the Trials-inspired Urban Trial Freestyle for PS3 and Vita, Serious Sam Double D XXL for XBLA, and more.
Here's our list of next week's new releases:
- Crysis 3
- March of the Eagles (download - $20)
- Richard & Alice (download)
- The Bridge (download - $15)
Xbox 360
- Capcom Arcade Cabinet (XBLA)
- Crysis 3
- Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
- Serious Sam Double D XXL (XBLA - $10)
PlayStation 3
- Urban Trial Freestyle (PSN)


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Apache Harmony Moves To Apache Attic 120
think_nix writes "After the resignation of Apache from the Java SE/EE Executive Committee, the time has now come for Harmony to be added to the Apache Attic. Harmony was 'the project to produce an open source cleanroom implementation of Java.' An open vote was taken within the Project Management Committee, which resulted in a 20-2 majority to discontinue development."


text: This is yet just one of panthers great games and with Conquest and Battles of the bulge you get probably the best wargames ever created, I love Gary Grigsby's war in the east also. Thats another great one. But in many aspects of real wargaming and turn vs pauseable, Conquest is a hugely advanced game, The Ai will pound you and find weaknesses. Best AI of any wargame! I bought both conquest and Battles from the bulge. and let me tell you they really worked hard on them both. Awesome tutorial and advanced manuals, lead you right through to really grasping the game. And they are big games too with lots of information. Great command structure and historical units present. You have to plan the battle in depth, resupply, movement, objectives and orders and LOS are all needed to even start your first moves. Has excellent LOS and terrain exploits. fatigue and support was spot on attacking Yef Alamnas bridge. Everything was thought of. Attacking bridges is just plain fun and the battles for crete are historical and almost perfect in a game that should be played by serious wargamers. I only wish there had been a good music soudtrack, But most wargamers probably could do without music. Sounds are good when in play. A great wargame with Bulge. Get your money's worth for a long time of playing. Easy scenario creator too. With a manual that rivals most other games.