text: /=XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====X##***##X====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX=\ 0==XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====X##***##X====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX==0 X| |X X| "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" |X X| Hidden Text FAQ |X X| |X X| Version 1.3 [Revision 2] (January 2008) |X X| |X X| By Robert Allen Rusk. |X X| Copyright 2006-2008 Robert Allen Rusk. |X X| |X 0==XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX==0 \=XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====X##***##X====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX=/. EMAIL: rarusk[gnat]netzero[snot]com [NOTE: the [gnat] replaces the "@" symbol in this guide. It is to thwart spambots looking for email addresses to send spam to. Simply replace [gnat] with "@" when responding. I chose [gnat] because it rhymes with "at" and is easy to remember. Same goes for "." - [snot].] NOTICE: This guide may only be distributed and/or posted in its original format (and, most importantly, UNALTERED in any way). If you wish to post or use excerpts from this guide, PLEASE ask for my permission before doing so (especially if you work for a magazine or website). A lot of time and effort was spent putting this thing together and that should be taken into consideration. And remember..... "Respect is everything." Besides, contacting me will also give me an opportunity to hook up and talk shop with fellow GTA "thuggers"..... I truly want to thank those who have written to me about this guide even if you haven't received a response. I tend to read my e-mail late at night and sometimes I'm too tired to respond right away. Mainly because I'm either a) updating my other GTA (plus Riddick) related documents, b) hacking up a console or doing more RGB experiments, or c) I've had a rough night at work (I work retail you know....). I've received a lot of nice e-mail about this guide from people around the world saying how good the guide is and offering suggestions (many of which made it into the previous revisions). I intend to continue updating and polishing this document for as long as possible. ***************************************************************************** "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" is copyright 2002-2003 by Rockstar Games, a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. ***************************************************************************** For this update I changed the year and added new information in the "An Additional Mission For Diaz (?)" chapter. 0===========================================================================0 /XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX\ 0==========================0 | Additional Contributions | 0==========================0 \XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/ --Finke --Pawe /XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX\ 0================================0 | Other Documents I Have Written | 0================================0 \XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/ Strategy Guides *************** >>"Grand Theft Auto III" (PS2, Xbox, PC) >>"Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories" (PS2) >>"Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" (PS2, Xbox, PC) >>"Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories" (PS2) >>"Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" (PS2, Xbox, PC) >>"Bully" (PS2) >>"Stubbs The Zombie" (Xbox) >>"The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay" (Xbox) One of the earlier versions of my "TCoR: EFBB" guide can be found in the book "GameFAQs Presents.....The Ultimate Xbox Strategy Guide" published (in 2004) by Future Network USA. FAQs **** >>"Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" Version Differences FAQ (PS2, Xbox) >>"Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" Suggested Music List FAQ (Xbox, PC) >>"Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" Hidden Text FAQ >>"Rumble Roses XX" Character Story FAQ (Xbox 360) ***************************************************************************** Although my guides and FAQs can be found at many sites around the internet the latest versions of my work can always be found first at GameFAQs since that is my primary contribution site. ***************************************************************************** /==XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX==\ 0===XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX===0 | Table of Contents | 0===XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX===0 \==XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX==/ /XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX\ 0=========================================0 | I. Introduction And General Information | 0=========================================0 \XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/ 1. Who Am I? 2. My Setup 3. About The FAQ /XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX\ 0=================0 | II. Hidden Text | 0=================0 \XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/ 1. The Introduction 2. Another Mission From Avery 3. An Additional Mission For Diaz (?) 4. Ken Rosenberg's Advice 5. Conversations With Kent Paul 6. An Introduction From Umberto Robina 7. Mr. Moffat 8. Sunshine Autos 9. An Additional Mission For Interglobal Films 10. Tommy And Mercedes 11. A Call From Phil 12. A Deal With Colonel Cortez /XXXXXXXXXXXX\ 0==============0 | III. Credits | 0==============0 \XXXXXXXXXXXX/ /XXXXXXXXXXXXXX\ 0================0 | IV. Conclusion | 0================0 \XXXXXXXXXXXXXX/ /==XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX==\ 0===XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX===0 | I. Introduction And General Information | 0===XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX===0 \==XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX==/ /=========================================================================\ 0===========================================================================0 | I.1. Who Am I? | 0===========================================================================0 \=========================================================================/ My name is Robert Allen Rusk and I am a hardcore gamer with about 30+ years of gaming experience. I am an ex-gametester (Broderbund Software, LucasArts Games, Point Of View Computing) and an ex-arcade attendant (Namco Cyberstation - Pier 39, San Francisco, CA). I also own multiple systems such as the Sega Dreamcast, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Atari Jaguar, PlayStation 1 and 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360. I currently work at JCPenneys at one of the malls here in San Antonio, TX. Retail isn't the best job in the world but JCPenneys is a very stable company unlike some of the other places I have worked for in the past like internet service providers or web programming companies. I started writing guides in 2003 because I felt it was something I could do utilizing my writing skills gained in college and gametesting along with my passion for vidgames. Over time I have honed my overall writing and organization skills plus my creative thinking skills. I have extended the play value of the games I have written guides and FAQs for many times over plus I have received many letters from all over the world. I am also what one may call an RGB enthusiast. I hack my game consoles to try to get the best possible video from them and that usually involves tapping into the RGB Analog video signals and using them on the right monitors to achieve my desires. To this end I became a member of the GamesX.com mod forum and I post regularly on their "RGB + Video Discussions" forum area. In addition, I am a member of the X-Otic Computer Systems of San Antonio (www.xcssa.org), a group who specializes in Linux, Mac, and other systems. I am also a regular forum poster at GameFAQs, an occasional poster at www.Atariage.com and Digital Press, and I am also a member of the MOFAT (a members only message board set up by "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" players who met on the Vice City message boards at GameFAQs). Outside of gaming, my interests include Godzilla (I have been a G-Fan since the age of ten) and Red Dwarf (I own all eight series on DVD). As far as favorite sports teams go my teams are the San Antonio Spurs (NBA) [the local team], the Denver Broncos (NFL) [although I live in Texas I am originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado], and the Air Force Falcons (NCAA Football). /=========================================================================\ 0===========================================================================0 | I.2. My Setup | 0===========================================================================0 \=========================================================================/ This guide was constructed using BBEdit Lite 6.1 and a Power Mac Workgroup Server 8550/200 (with a G3 card running at 330 MHz). It is now being maintained using TextWrangler 2.1.2 on a 1.5Ghz Single Core Intel Mac Mini. I view my work in Safari to help in seeing how it would look on the web and correct format errors. For this particular document I placed the PlayStation 2 (Original) version of Vice City into my Mac's DVD-ROM drive. From there I copied the file called "american.gxt" to the hard drive. Then I opened it up in BBEdit Lite and removed most of the weird garbage with the Find and Replace feature. After that I went through the document and found the stuff I did not recognize from all the hours spent playing Vice City. That stuff was copied to another text document for further sorting and processing. /=========================================================================\ 0===========================================================================0 | I.3. About The FAQ | 0===========================================================================0 \=========================================================================/ Welcome to my Vice City Hidden Text FAQ! This FAQ goes over the large amount of text that was written up but was not used in the game but was buried instead of removed. This was also done on GTA3 and San Andreas. Vice City has more hidden text than GTA3 but has far less than San Andreas. The material being presented here is actual text found on the game disc in the file called "american.gxt". I did not make any of it up and if you put it your computer and open it up in a text editor you can see it for yourself. What I have done here is sort everything out as best I could so I can properly present it. In the process of sorting the text I tried to find out who says what and what was supposed to happen within the sequence of events. Some of the text was easy to sort through and some of it was very difficult. Originally I placed the Hidden Text section at the end of my Vice City guide. But after the success of my San Andreas Hidden Text FAQ I decided to put the hidden text from Vice City into its own FAQ so I can streamline my Vice City guide. /==XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX==\ 0===XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX===0 | II. Hidden Text | 0===XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX===0 \==XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX==/ /=========================================================================\ 0===========================================================================0 | II.1. The Introduction | 0===========================================================================0 \=========================================================================/ For starters here's an slightly different version of the opening movie text (taken from where Ken picks up Tommy at the Airport): Ken: "Hey, hey, guys! It's, uh, Ken Rosenberg here! Hey! Heh, heh, hey, great, hey! Well, uh, I'm gonna drive you guys to the meet, okay? Now, I've talked to the suppliers and they are very, huh-ha, keen to start a business relationship, so, uh, if all goes well, we should, uh, be doing very nicely for ourselves, which is, y'know... good.. Okay, so. They're brothers, okay. One operates the uh, the business, and the other one does the flying. Now they operate out of Mexico, They own a farm in Panama. Okay, all right, listen - you guys, when we get there should I stay in the car, or do you guys want me to come in with you guys?" Tommy: "No. Stay in the car." Ken: "You know what, I thought about it, I'm gonna watch the car." .....later, at the meet: Ken: "Ok, that's them in the chopper. All right, here's the deal. They want a straight exchange on open ground. All right? Ok. Stay tight, let's go. All right. Take it easy, now. I'm right here. The cars running, baby! Got it?" Dealer: "100% pure grade-A Colombian, my friend. The greens?" Tommy: "Tens and twenties...used." .....then, the ambush: Tommy: "Go on, get out of here! Drive!" ......back at Ken's office: Ken: "Screwed! We're screwed! This is soo typical, I poke my head out of the gutter for one freakin' second, and fate shovels shit in my face! Well, screw you!" Tommy: "Shut your face and quit complaining! You're alive, aren't ya'? Drop me right up here. Go dump the car, then go get some sleep. I'll drop by your office tomorrow and we can start sorting this mess out." Ken: "OK, that's a good idea, I'll get some sleep. What are you gonna do?" Tommy: "Make my way back to my hotel, clear my head, and figure this crap out. OK." /=========================================================================\ 0===========================================================================0 | II.2. Another Mission From Avery | 0===========================================================================0 \=========================================================================/ Avery Carrington had some additional work you could've done: Avery: "Hey Tommy, it's Avery! Now listen, I got me all tied up at the moment and I have a representative of mine needs chaperoning out to the Gator Keys. I'm after some land out that way, so I'm sending someone out to sweeten the deal. Could you do me a favor and make sure he gets there ok?" Tommy: "Yeah, sure thing Avery. Where'd you want me to pick him up?" Avery: "He's just finishing some business at the building site. I said you'd pick him up from there." Tommy: "No problem. See you later, Avery." /=========================================================================\ 0===========================================================================0 | II.3. An Additional Mission For Diaz (?) | 0===========================================================================0 \=========================================================================/ This group of text was bunched with some stuff concerning Diaz. I had a couple of readers, Finke and Pawe, note that some of this text appears in the missions "The Fastest Boat" (Ricardo Diaz) and "Rub Out" (Ricardo Diaz). But it unclear at this time if all of this text is used in just those two missions: "Hope you fall and break your neck!" "I'm sick of these pricks." "See those marker boys? Try taking out the lights!" "You sure is better at shooting than talking." "Thanks. You're a real charmer yourself." "I Know, Tommy." "You cool with Kenny Loggins?" "Hell, I love this record" "You killed Lance!" "Don't shoot, dude!" "What's in this stuff?" "He's taking the boat. Bummer." "Help! Some square's stealing the boat, man!" "Uugghh! That's the last of them." "I'm going to start her up." "I think we've got some new friends." "Yeah." "Do you know where we're going?" "Are we lost?" "We got some competition!" "Take 'em out!" "It's time for the Lance Vance Dance!" "They're matchwood! And fish food." "We made it! Those other boats ain't VIP class." "They're getting desperate!" "My damn feet are wet! WE'RE TAKING ON WATER!" "Bridge coming up!" "Bail out, she's about to blow!" "Good shooting." "You killed Lance!" "Go on Tommy, I'll be ok!" "Eat this, you murdering bastards!!" "I'm pinned down!" "I got you covered Tommy!" "Hey, this is a real nice herbaceous border." "Hey Tommy, can my room have a view of the bay?" "Beautiful high ceilings in here...Lance! I need cover!" "Diaz must be inside!" "Lance!" /=========================================================================\ 0===========================================================================0 | II.4. Ken Rosenberg's Advice | 0===========================================================================0 \=========================================================================/ Then there's this piece of advice from Ken Rosenberg after you start acquiring properties: Ken: "Hey Tommy, I thought you might need some business advice. Once you got an operation up and running, you'll need to drop by and take the week's cash. Let the guys think they got the run of the place and they'll try shaving the profits - ok?" Tommy: "Hey, I know how to handle business, Ken, ok?" Ken: "Ok, ok. I know, you know. I know. I was, I was just, you know, telling you I know, that you know, that I know. Just keeping it sharp baby!" Tommy: "Whatever, Ken, whatever..." /=========================================================================\ 0===========================================================================0 | II.5. Conversations With Kent Paul | 0===========================================================================0 \=========================================================================/ Rockstar had some additional conversations between Kent Paul and Tommy that were dropped for some reason: 0===============0 | Conversation 1 \ 0=================0 Kent: "Hey there Tommy, you're gonna love me mate. A little birdy told me that Vice City SWAT Division has a deposit box at a certain rather large banking establishment, where they keep all the bribes they've taken over the years, like some kind of old boys' retirement fund. Of course, if this information should ever help you acquire any of that cash, I guess you'd feel obliged to push some of it my way?" Tommy: "I'll bear that in mind, thanks Kent." Kent: "It's Paul. I'm from Kent, near London, you prat." Tommy: "My provincial English geography ain't what it was." (Note: This might explain the "SWAT Retirement Fund" line within "The Job" (Malibu Club Asset)) 0===============0 | Conversation 2 \ 0=================0 Kent: "Tommy, mate, it's Paul, from Kent, a couple of proper sorts have your name written all over them, down at the Malibu." Tommy: "What are you talking about?" Kent: "Sorts. Birds. You know. Girls. Tastey ones, don't think they're brasses or nothing. You gotta come check them out." 0===============0 | Conversation 3 \ 0=================0 Kent: "Tommy V, It's KP here. Kent Paul. Word on the street is people want to rip you off. Keep your eye's peeled, my son. And remember, I didn't say nothing to you about this." /=========================================================================\ 0===========================================================================0 | II.6. An Introduction From Umberto Robina | 0===========================================================================0 \=========================================================================/ Rockstar had an alternate version of the initial phone call between Tommy and Umberto Robina: Umberto: "Hello, is this Mr. Tommy Vercetti?" Tommy: "Yes." Umberto: "Well, I hear through the vine of grapes you the man when someone got a vermin infestation." Tommy: "Maybe..." Umberto: "Well, I got a real vermin infestation. Haitians everywhere. My name is Umberto Robina and I want you to meet me at the Cafe Robina as soon as you can, 'cause I tell you, these damn Haitians gone too far this time." /=========================================================================\ 0===========================================================================0 | II.7. Mr. Moffat | 0===========================================================================0 \=========================================================================/ This would've been a cool mission if Rockstar had decided to implement it: Moffat: "Vercetti? VERCETTI!! Damn you man, you've got to help me!" Tommy: "Mr. Moffat? How's family life?" Moffat: "Damn you to hell, HELL, do hear me?!" Tommy: "Well it was nice chatting..." Moffat: "WAIT! Wait, Vercetti - Tommy, can I call you Tommy? We're both businessmen, yeah? You know a good deal when you hear one, ok?" Tommy: "I don't have time to chat, get to the point." Moffat: "MONEY. Money is the goddamned point. I've escaped the coop again, but it's never long before they track me down - they think it's a damned game! I'm at a pay phone somewhere in this god forsaken shit hole. Get me out of here before they take me back and...and..oh go-o-od..." Tommy: "Well, I'm busy for the next -" Moffat: "No! Don't shit with me here, have a heart! No man should have to do such, such things. I'm on my knees here Tommy, in the dirt begging you please..." Tommy: "I guess I could swing by that way, see if I can spot you..." Moffat: "Oh god, they're coming. For the love of Christ hurry, hurry!" /=========================================================================\ 0===========================================================================0 | II.8. Sunshine Autos | 0===========================================================================0 \=========================================================================/ Apparently Tommy took on a little more than just Sunshine Autos: Stranger: "Mr. Vercetti? I have here a signed piece of crap stating that you have taken on all of BJ's Auto's debts. With BJ's sudden disappearance I have no choice but to hold you responsible for his financial insecurities. Until this account is settled in full you should consider Vice City's streets to be very unfriendly." /=========================================================================\ 0===========================================================================0 | II.9. An Additional Mission For Interglobal Films | 0===========================================================================0 \=========================================================================/ Then there's this exchange between Steve Scott and Tommy that was part of a mission that was dropped: Steve: "Look, I gotta ask you a favor." Tommy: "Steve! How's filming going!" Steve: "Fine, fine. I, heh, WE need a car chase scene, but our budget can't stretch to it. I've left some wheels around town. You'll know what to do." Tommy: "Ok Steve, I'll keep an eye out. Catch you later." /=========================================================================\ 0===========================================================================0 | II.10. Tommy And Mercedes | 0===========================================================================0 \=========================================================================/ Then there are these gems between Tommy and Mercedes: 0===============0 | Conversation 1 \ 0=================0 Mercedes: "Hiya Tommy!" Tommy: "Hi Mercedes, howyadoin'?" Mercedes: "I got a new apartment up in Vice Point - thought you might want to drop by sometime." Tommy: "I'd love to. I'll catch you later." 0===============0 | Conversation 2 \ 0=================0 Mercedes: "Tommy, it's me." Tommy: "Hi Mercedes." Mercedes: "Tommy, I so bored, when we going to have some fun?" Tommy: "What do you mean?" Mercedes: "Well, I know you're busy fighting and killing and corrupting people, but I just want to have some fun. So don't forget about me, you hear?" 0===============0 | Conversation 3 \ 0=================0 Mercedes: "Tommy, I hear you kill Ricardo Diaz. There was an unfortunate fire at his mansion. I think he burnt to death in an acrylic shirt. Tommy, I so proud of you. I knew you were a real man. He awful trouser stain of a man, you make me so proud to be your friend. No, I know you going to be busy trying to take over this town, but don't forget about me, you hear?" 0===============0 | Conversation 4 \ 0=================0 Mercedes: "It's Mercedes. I no longer love you Tommy. I no longer do. Honest. 'cause you no longer nice to Mercedes. You no longer treat her like a lady. You ignore me and I hate you. I insist you come to see me right away!" 0===============0 | Conversation 5 \ 0=================0 Mercedes: "Tommy." Tommy: "Hey Mercedes." Mercedes: "Hey indeed Mr. Tough Guy. I real angry with you Tommy. Never make me hang out with Jezz Torrent again. He is pathetic. Half way through he starts crying about his doggie that died when he was 7 years old and that his mommy never loved him. And Tommy. He wear a wig and a bra in private. I not very happy with you!" 0===================================================0 | Conversation 6 (after the Interglobal Films Asset) \ 0=====================================================0 Mercedes: "Ooh Tommy, its Mercedes. I just want to say, I have so much fun on that film set. Anything else you have like that, you let me know. I really mean that. I always wanted to be an actress. I think I learn a lot about the dramatic process. It so enlightening! Thank you. Thank you. I see you real soon. Adios." /=========================================================================\ 0===========================================================================0 | II.11. A Call From Phil | 0===========================================================================0 \=========================================================================/ I think this could've been the phone call you get from Phil after you complete the Main Story Missions: Phil: "Tommy, the wound is healing well. Funny thing is, I have fought in 6 battle zones and always walked away without a scratch, and now this! One armed Phil. Still, I got me a healthy selection of one handed fire power so I'll never be unarmed Phil, you hear. Any way son, cut out the sentimental crap and go buy yourself a drink, you hear!" /=========================================================================\ 0===========================================================================0 | II.12. A Deal With Colonel Cortez | 0===========================================================================0 \=========================================================================/ There may've been more between the Colonel and Tommy but was not fully explored. This an alternate version of the Colonel's phone call after completion of the Main Story Missions: Cortez: "Tommy, it is always a struggle here. Excuse the poor line, we have just had another failed coup. The people are the most demanding mistress of all. So far, we have had three revolutions and four coups since I return from Vice City. Luckily, I have been promoted each time. Maybe everyone is humiliating me. Tommy, you are proving very useful, my friend." Tommy: "Thanks, Cortez. What about my deal?" Cortez: "Tommy, I am working tirelessly on your behalf to ensue we get to the bottom of this trench of stinking lies and deceit, you have my word on that, but in the meantime, please accept the esteemed thanks of my people for your work on our behalf." /==XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX==\ 0===XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX===0 | III. Credits | 0===XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX===0 \==XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX==/ Credits and thanks go out to the following: >>Rockstar Games ************** For creating one of the best games ever made (again) and for giving me the single biggest reason to relive the 80's (hey I was nineteen in 1986). >>GameFAQs, IGN, CheatCC, Cheats.de, GamerHelper, GamersTemple, SuperCheats, TheGenie, and many other guides sites ************************************************************************** For providing a place for writers like myself to publish our work and help other gamers while indulging in one of our favorite pastimes. >>Apple Computers and Bare Bones Software *************************************** For making, IMHO, the best computers (especially my Intel Mac Mini) and for making the best text programs (BBEdit Lite and TextWrangler) for the Macintosh. >>Sony and MicroSoft ****************** For putting out two very good consoles: the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox. And finally, my biggest thanks of all goes to you the reader (and especially those who have made suggestions that made it into the guide as well as those who took the time to say nice things about this document). /==XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX==\ 0===XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX===0 | IV. Conclusion | 0===XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX===0 \==XX====XX====XX====XX====XX====0##***##0====XX====XX====XX====XX====XX==/ So now I've come to the end of yet another gaming adventure and looking forward to new ones. I hope that my guide helps you in getting the most out of "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City". Remember, if you have any comments and suggestions, you can contact me at rarusk[gnat]netzero[snot]com. Enjoy! *****************************************************************************


text:
Career: Appeared in 117 of the team's 118 games during her four year career...totaled 574 points, 382 rebounds and 127 assists while playing 2,282 minutes...her 91 three-pointers made are the 10th-most in school history, while her .367 three-point percentage is the 10th-best rate.
2007-08 - Senior Season: Named a team co-captain for the second-straight season...played in 29 of the team's 30 games, earning starts in four...Butler was 4-0 on the year when she started...finished fourth on the team with 20 three pointers made...her .808 efficiency from the free throw line ranked as the team's third-best...averaged 3.6 points per game...scored a season-best 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc against Valparaiso on March 8...pulled in a season-high seven rebounds against IPFW on Dec. 20...led the bench in scoring in five games...recipient of the team's Bulldog Award.
2006-07 - Junior Season: Team co-captain...saw action in all 31 of the Bulldogs' games, including 21 starts...finished tied for third on the team with 3.5 rebounds per game...converted 31 shots from the three-point arc, tied for the fourth-most on the squad...ranked sixth on the team in scoring with 5.7 points per game...boasted eight contests with double-figure scoring efforts...went 6-of-8 from the field with a career-best five three pointers in scoring a personal-high 21 points at Evansville on Dec. 6...matched her career-high with eight rebounds on two occasions, coming against Bradley on Nov. 17 and Loyola on Jan. 13...recorded a career-best four blocks against Air Force at the Great Alaska Shoot-Out on Nov. 22.
2005-06 - Sophomore Season: Fourth on the team in scoring with 6.5 points per game...second on the team and third in the Horizon League in three-point efficiency at 45.5 percent...was the only post player ranked among the league's top 15 in three-point percentage...netted the third-highest three-point total on the team with 30...ranked third on the team and 16th in the league with 4.7 rebounds per game...netted 56.6 percent of her three-point attempts in league play, the second-highest rate in the conference... averaged 7.8 points per game against league opponents, hitting 47.7 percent from the field...paced the team in scoring once and rebounding twice...scored double-digit points in five games...started in 19 of 29 games, averaging 25.7 minutes...tallied a career-high 18 points at Loyola on Feb. 16...named Most Improved Player by her teammates.
2004-05 - Freshman Season: Finished the season by being named to the Horizon League's five-member All-Newcomer Team...led the Bulldogs with 12 points and six rebounds against Kentucky in her first collegiate game...the 12 points were a season-high...also led the team in rebounding Feb. 12 at Youngstown State with a season-high seven boards...scored in double figures twice...finished fourth on the team in three-point percentage (.345) and free throw percentage (.744), fifth in rebounding (3.0 rpg) and steals (24), sixth in scoring (3.8 ppg) and minutes (18.7 mpg).
High School: Named first-team All-American by the National Christian School Athletic Association...2004 Indiana All-Star...2004 AP All-State second team selection...four-time all-city selection, earning Indianapolis "Player of the Year" honors as a senior...earned preseason Hoosier Basketball Magazine first team All-State honors, in addition to postseason "Top 40" recognition...Heritage Christian compiled an 82-16 record in her four years...averaged 20 points per game in leading the Eagles to a Class 2A state runner-up finish in 2004...averaged 17.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 2002-03...broke Heritage Christian's career scoring mark prior to her senior season, finishing her four-year career with 1,723 points...HCHS career scoring leader--male or female--in addition to holding the school's career rebounding and assist marks...as a junior, she was recognized as an Indiana junior "All-Star," the Indianapolis Star's Metro North "Player of the Year," and a member of the newspaper's "Super Team."...Heritage Christian captured both sectional and city championships in 2002-03, in addition to being ranked as high as No. 1 in 2A...Indianabball.com named her to its preseason "All-State" first team, while Region Roundball Review recognized Freeman as part of its "Super Senior 25" squad...high school coach: Dr. Mark Richards.
Personal: Born July 13, 1985...daughter of Jeff and Kim Freeman, who both played basketball at Anderson University...physical education and health major.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Abbott Laboratories confirmed Tuesday that an unspecified number of layoffs have been taking place as the news buzzed across pharmaceutical message boards online.
"They almost entirely relate to previously announced actions," said Scott Stoffel. "We're not providing additional detail."
Last October, Abbott announced it would cut about 550 jobs globally -- including about 100 from its headquarters in Libertyville Township and a Des Plaines office -- while "several hundred" more layoffs were expected in 2013.
The cuts were targeted for the commercial and manufacturing areas, a spokeswoman had said at the time.
A spokeswoman last October declined to specify the location of the cuts from either round. But she had added that its North Chicago facility was not affected.
Laid-off workers are expected to receive severance packages and outplacement services, including opportunities to apply for other open positions within the company.
The company has about 70,000 workers worldwide. The number in northern Illinois wasn't immediately available, Stoffel said.


text:
Stevens Mourns the Loss of Board of Trustees Member Martin C. Fliesler, Esq. '65
The Stevens community mourns the loss of alumnus and Board of Trustees member Martin C. Fliesler, Esq., 69, who passed away on July 27, 2012 after a very brave four month battle against a rare and aggressive cancer, Merkel Cell Carcinoma.
"Marty was a long-time supporter of Stevens who has touched the community in countless ways through his incredible enthusiasm, commitment and generosity," said Stevens President Nariman Farvardin. "His passing is a great loss."
As a Board of Trustees member since 2007, Fliesler was instrumental in expanding Stevens' presence on the west coast, especially the Bay Area, by connecting the University's leadership with its large alumni network. He was also committed to enhancing and supporting Stevens' entrepreneurial activities.
"Marty was a tremendously kind and caring spirit who was exceptionally dedicated to Stevens," said Stevens Vice President for Development Ed Eichhorn. "He will be greatly missed by all who had the good fortune of knowing him."
"We can credit Marty for so much of what we have built in the Bay Area," added Assistant Vice President for Development Dawn da Silva. "He was extremely enthusiastic about Stevens and did whatever he could to bridge the energy from Hoboken with fellow alumni on the west coast. He always made time for his work for the Bay Area alumni group. Marty and his leadership will be missed."
Born in the Bronx, Fliesler earned his B.E. from Stevens and his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. After starting his career in intellectual property law as a patent examiner in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Fliesler founded San Francisco-based Fliesler Meyer LLP, a law firm specializing in high technology and intellectual property law. As founding senior partner, he represented scores of national and international high technology clients including Oracle, Apple, Yahoo! and Xerox in all phases of intellectual property law and its application to free market U.S. and worldwide economic markets.
A member of the California and New York bar associations, Fliesler served as chair of the model patent jury instructions working committee for the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California, which helped explain complex patent law to juries. He was also chair of the magistrate judge merit selection panel for this District Court, as well as president of the San Francisco Bay Area intellectual property association.
Fliesler is survived by his wife of 44 years, Roselle, two children, Stephanie and Elliot, and five grandchildren.


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Culture Wars Skip K Street
Talking heads and culture warriors have been working overtime in 2012 on both sides of the abortion, birth control, religious freedom and gun rights issues. But for all the talk about how much — or how little — say the government should have on key social issues, the battles haven't spilled onto K Street. According to OpenSecrets.org data, lobbying on ideological issues was down nearly across the board for the first three months of 2012.


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Christians in Syria, both Orthodox and Catholic, are increasingly becoming targets in the Syrian Civil War.
The Christian news portal Compass Direct News is reporting of the torture and subsequent murder of a Syrian Orthodox parish priest caught up in the violence of the Syrian Civil War.
As reported, Father Fadi Haddad recently left his parish in the town of Qatana to negotiate the release of one of his parishioners, who had recently been kidnapped.
Only a week later was the holy man's dead and mutilated corpse found along a roadside.
Fr. Haddad had his eyes gouged out, presumably done while he was still alive.
A fellow pastor who personally knew Fr. Haddad was quoted;
"Father Fadi's superiors had asked him why he kept traveling back and forth between Qatana and Damascus.
He responded: 'I cannot not serve Jesus, I need to help people, that is why I have to move around.'"
It is believed by many Middle East watchers that most of the Christian minority in Syria (10 percent of the total population) support the regime of President Bashar al-Assad due to the current national constitution that guarantees Christian freedom of religion as well as the right to own and operate Christian schools.
Islamists within the Syrian Army of Liberation had declared their support of a Shari'a law run Islamic state in the place of Assad, thusly guaranteeing Christians are counted among their enemies.
Christian Genocide, Again...
According to a report from the official Vatican News Agency Agenzia Fides, Christians in the Bustan Al Diwan and Hamideh neighborhoods in the city of Homs, Syrian Orthodox sources have informed them;
"Some Christian families in the two districts had been thrown out by militant Islamists.
Other sources in Middle East countries have repeatedly spoken of the militant Islamic extremists travels from Libya, Iraq and other nations toward Syria, with the aim to infiltrate in the ranks of the Syrian Army of Liberation."
The report went on to state;
"A year ago, before the start of the fighting, there were in town, on the whole, 160,000 faithful and four Bishops of various denominations (Antiochian Orthodox, Melkite Catholics, Syriac Orthodox and Assyrian Orthodox).
In Homs there are [now] about 1,000 Christians."


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The holiday shopping season is upon us. If you want to ensure that your orders arrive on time and that your holidays will be merry and bright -- it is a great idea to start shopping now. At Charming Chick we offer a huge selection of personalized gifts and today on our blog we are going to feature some of our gorgeous personalized jewelry items.
Our Sterling Silver Filigree Necklace is by far our most popular personalized jewelry item. It is classic and elegant. This versatile piece looks fantastic whether you are dressed up or dressed down. Get this for the special lady in your life and she is sure to love it for a lifetime!
Another unique personalized jewelry item that would make a great gift this season is our Personalized Floral Bangle Bracelet. This stunning bangle is handcrafted of pewter with a silver finish and a gorgeous hand-carved floral design.
These Sterling Silver Monogram Earrings are another fantastic personalized jewelry gift. The half- hoops have round charms that can be monogrammed and dangle beautifully in the light.
The last personalized jewelry item we are featuring today is our Sterling Silver Engraved Round Charm Toggle Bracelet. This stunning bracelet is a wonderful addition to any jewelry collection. The solid link design and secure toggle clasp make it ideal for daily wear and is available in 7 or 8 inch lengths.
Remember, personalized jewelry items are a very thoughtful gift that anyone will be happy to receive but you need to order early to make sure you get in time.


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The Institute communicates its scientific and educational information in a number of ways. One major outlet is peer-reviewed publications and reports. Cary Institute staff regularly publish in the best-rated journals in their respective fields.
Export 6 results:Sort by: Author Title Type [ Year]
Filters: Author is Hobbie, J.E. [Clear All Filters]
Climate-related variations in mixing dynamics in an Alaskan arctic lake", Limnol. Oceanogr., vol. 54, p. 2401-2417, 2009., "
Terrestrial inputs of organic matter to coastal ecosystems: an intercomparison of chemical characteristics and bioavailability", Biogeochemistry, vol. 43, p. 211-234, 1998., "
Challenges for Limnology in the United States and Canada: An Assessment of the Discipline in the 1990's", Report of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Challenges for Limnology Committee, vol. 4. p. 20, 1995., "
Decomposition of planktonic algae in an oligotrophic lake", Oikos, vol. 42, p. 257-266, 1984., "
Response of a detrital foodweb to eutrophication", Bull. Mar. Sci., vol. 35, p. 357-363, 1984., "
Role of biota in global CO2 balance: the controversy", BioScience, vol. 34, p. 492-498, 1984., "


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CMS begins pay-for-performance at hospitals today
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services begin a pay-for-performance incentive program at general acute-care hospitals today.
Part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Hospital Inpatient Value-Based Purchasing Program is funded by reducing overall hospital Medicare reimbursements by 1 percent. Incentives totaling $850 million will be awarded based on 70 percent Clinical Process of Care and 30 percent Patient Experience of Care.
The Pennsylvania Health Care Quality Alliance said its analysis suggests that Pennsylvania hospitals are well positioned to succeed in the first year of the program.
Results from 2011 indicate that they showed improvement in all four areas of Clinical Process of Care — heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and prevention of surgical infections — and scored better than the national average in 18 of 20 measures, PHCQA said.
On Patient Experience of Care measures, PHCQA said, Pennsylvania hospitals generally tracked closely to but did not exceed national measures.


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USU Volleyball Tipping Off
Thursday, Oct. 03, 2013
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Utah State [University] volleyball team wants to help by raising money for Logan Regional Hospital Foundation's breast cancer services. Pledges are now being gathered for every dig the Aggies make during their six home matches in October as part of USU's "Dig for a Cure" campaign. The campaign tips off with the Aggies' match against New Mexico Thursday, Oct. 3. First serve from the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum is set for 7 p.m.
For each dig (a defensive move made to control a spiked ball) the Aggies are asking for a donation of $0.25. If the Aggies record 200 total digs in the six matches, a pledge of $0.25 will result in $50. Half of this donation will go to the Logan Regional Hospital Foundation to assist in Breast Cancer Services while the other half will be used to support the USU Volleyball team. Pledges can be made in any amount and flat donations are also accepted and appreciated. Pledge and donation forms will be available at the matches at the marketing/promotions table on the west concourse of the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
Any pledge or donation received will enter the fan's name into a drawing that will take place at the last home match in October, Thursday, Oct. 31, vs. Wyoming. Prizes include: T-shirts, volleyballs and team photos. Come cheer on the Aggies during their October matches and keep track of their digs to help them "Dig for a Cure." For more information or to donate, contact USU Assistant Coach Taubi Neves at firstname.lastname@example.com or 435-797-2063.
The Aggies have won four of their last five matches in posting a 9-5 overall record, boosted by winning their first two Mountain West Conference matches as part of taking three of their first four league matches. USU dropped a hard-fought four-set battle at Fresno State on Thursday night [Sept. 26], with all three sets it lost by two points each and all three went to extra points. The Aggies bounced back to sweep the Spartans of San José State Saturday night [Sept. 28].
The Lobos are 11-2 overall and 2-1 in MW action. Last week, UNM beat USU's former WAC rival New Mexico State on Monday in five sets, before sweeping Wyoming Thursday night and battling 19th-ranked Colorado State before falling in five sets. The loss to CSU snapped UNM's 10-match win streak.
Thursday's meeting between USU and UNM will be the first since 2006, as well as the 22nd all-time meeting, as the Lobos lead the all-time series, 11-10. The teams first met on the court in 1976, and the Aggies won the first eight meetings before the Lobos won five in a row and then after a USU win in 1986, won six more in a row before the Aggies won in the recent meeting in 2006. UNM has won six of the last seven and 11 of the last 13 meetings.
The Aggies are scheduled to continue their homestand, hosting Air Force Saturday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m.
Utah State volleyball tickets are available by contacting the USU Ticket Office at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum or by phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or (435) 797-0305.
Live stats and live video for this weekend's matches will be available via "GameTracker" and "Watch Live" links at www.utahstateaggies.com, the official website of USU athletics.
Fans can also follow the Aggie volleyball program on Twitter, on Facebook or on Instagram. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter or on Facebook.
Readers can watch two video interviews on this topic in the original story at the Athletics website.
Additional Aggie sports news is available at the Athletics website.


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When I used to take public transportation I always seemed to attract this type. Guess I had a sympathetic face. Or maybe because I was sympathetic. I remember one non-crazy guy who made a simple, innocuous remark to a woman on the subway and she completely ignored him. I felt so bad for him that I answered him as if he had been talking to me ( I was next to her) and we had a nice conversation.DH's mom, who had dementia, would go on the bus with her daughter and as she was leaving, would turn and announce in a loud voice, "I want everyone to have a wonderful, wonderful day!"SIL would cringe but I bet she made a lot of people smile.
Actually, has anyone read The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker?
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Up until a year ago, if I heard the words "Der Kommissar," I would immediately think of After the Fire and get the song stuck in my head. I'd be willing to bet that the same thing just happened to more than a few of the people reading this post. Last year, though, a bar called Der Kommissar opened here in Park Slope, and immediately became one of my favorite places in the neighborhood. Sure, its German/Austrian menu is sausage-heavy, but there are lots of good (and cheap) foods for vegetarians to partake of.
No matter what else you get, make sure you order a pretzel ($2). This is no twisted, crunchy snack fodder. The pretzel at Der Kommissar is large, loaf shaped, and pillowy soft. It's very good on its own, especially with a large dose of spicy mustard. For $5 though, you can get it with blue cheese or liptauer cheese. I chose the liptauer—a mouth-puckering sharp, spreadable cheese with chunks of celery and onion. The vegetable bits made it seem like a cheese-infused thousand island dressing, in a good way.
I also got a coupe of sides along with the pretzel. The potato salad ($2) is mercifully pork-free, unusual in my experience. The dressing here is vinegar-based in the German style, rather than the standard mayo. Cucumber salad ($2) is cooling and only slightly acidic, but otherwise unremarkable.
To my surprise, Der Kommissar also serves vegetarian sausage ($6.50) from Field Roast. The price is a little exorbitant, as you can buy a package of four Field Roast sausages for the same price at a grocery store. But here the sausage is crisped on the griddle and then served on a bun, here with a side of sauerkraut. The kraut is soft and very acidic—my recommendation is to pile the cabbage into the sandwich, add a squirt of that spicy mustard, and dig in.
Der Kommissar
559 5th Ave, Brooklyn NY 11215 (map)
(718) 788-0789
About the author: Howard Walfish is a Virginia native who has been living in New York since 2003. He is, in fact, a vegetarian, and is the co-founder of Eat to Blog and the creator of BrooklynVegetarian.


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Grinnell Regional Medical Center has announced today that it has restructured the organization to prepare for the future.
As part of the restructuring, GRMC eliminated 23 filled positions and 18 unfilled positions, for a total of 41 positions. In addition, another 11 individuals have been offered alternative roles within the medical center. GRMC notified employees of the restructuring on July 1.
The restructuring was needed because of declines in revenues caused by government cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and lower admissions. Healthcare providers across the country are facing revenue shortfalls as a result of fiscal cliff negotiations and sequestration. Earlier this year, GRMC received an unexpected revenue reduction when Congress eliminated almost $1 million from projected paymentsin Medicare cuts and a rural outpatient payment programduring fiscal cliff negotiations and sequestration.
These cuts were especially troubling for GRMC, which receives about 60 percent of its annual revenue from Medicare and Medicaid. In 2012, GRMC received over $2 million less than what it cost to provide services to Medicare patients.
In addition, charity costs continue to climb. GRMC will write off about $2 million in financial assistance and bad debt in 2013.
For many years, everyone at GRMC has worked hard to make GRMC cost effective without sacrificing quality patient care. In fact, we were just recognized in a national publication as one of the safest hospitals in America. These latest cuts from federal and state funding along with changes in hospital usage really forced us to look at how we are structured. The board feels strongly that GRMC needs to make these changes in order to protect the communitys access to healthcare for the future. It would be wrong on our part to not do what we can to make GRMC thrive, says Bill Menner, volunteer chair of the GRMC board of directors.
As part of the restructuring, seven GRMC physicians will serve on a $500K committee. This group will analyze ways to increase revenue and/or improve efficiencies by $500,000. Senior leaders are also having conversations with other area hospitals to discuss ways in which the organizations could work together to a mutual benefit. The medical center also cut the salaries of the senior administrative team.
Health reform is playing into everybodys decision-making process right now. We are experiencing what every other hospital nationwide is experiencing, says Todd C. Linden, GRMC president and CEO. We are very proud of the quality of care we provide by our talented and dedicated team. We have had to become extremely efficient over the years because of the governmental shortfalls in payment.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 5,900 hospital jobs were cut across the nation in May.
We needed to respond and adapt to the magnitude of these shortfalls this year and in the next several years, finding expense reductions equal to our anticipated revenue reductions, Linden adds. These include payment reform, the Affordable Care Act, and national trends toward declining inpatient volumes. As healthcare transforms itself, more patients are being cared for in an outpatient setting rather than in an inpatient room. This restructuring will not affect patient care, but will allow the medical center to bring its operating expenses in line with patient revenues.
Combined these changes are expected to save the medical center about $2.5 million annually.
Employees affected by the restructuring will receive severance packages. The packages include 30 days of pay; the continuation of GRMC insurance benefits through August; COBRA benefits; continued participation this summer in the GRMC day camp program for dependants; access to the employee assistance program, including rsum writing, counseling, financial consultation, and more for 60 days; and unemployment benefits.
GRMC is a private, nonprofit, non-tax-supported hospital. In 2009, the medical center affiliated with Mercy Health Network in Des Moines. Although affiliated with MHN, GRMC is an independent hospital governed by a board of directors comprised of volunteers from the community. Through the affiliation with MHN, GRMC has lowered costs through shared contracting; improved revenues through strength in payer negotiations; benefited from shared continuing education costs and attorney fees; and improved quality and service through shared best practices and innovations.
Before the restructuring, GRMC had 353 full-time employees, 28 part-time employees, and 48 occasional employees. Since 2008, when the medical center employed 522 people, GRMC has worked to reduce its workforce through attrition for cost containment purposes.


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Today, Nikon announced the launch of NikonLIVE as part of its sponsorship of the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater with Live Nation.
NikonLIVE is set to provide music fans with exclusive music-related content, including tips on shooting concerts, photos/videos by professional photographers and concerts, while integrating music, photography and social media.
You can check out the NikonLive site at www.nikonlive.com and get your Nikon social media fix at www.facebook.com/nikon and on Twitter at @nikonusadotcom.
More details in the press release below. [Read more…]


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Cluster Schools for Diverse Students' Needs in Malaysia: A System View
This study aims to examine the role of the cluster schools in Malaysia in order to meet the diverse needs of students. It also seeks to identify the efforts that were initiated by the cluster schools in managing the sustainability of their niche areas to be in line with their students' needs. Data was collected using interviews and documents analysis which are related to six cluster schools in Malaysia from different excellent clusters. The findings showed that the niche areas of each cluster schools were selected based on their students' excellence in academic, curricular or personality areas. Thus, the niche area of each cluster school is different from the others. This indicates that the interest and propensity of students in cluster schools are tailored with the creation and selection of different niche areas for each school. In addition, the study also showed that the cluster schools have organized various programs and activities to accelerate their students' excellence in their particular niche areas. There are also programs and activities which were initiated by the students at national as well as international levels. Results obtained from this study proved that the creation of cluster schools in Malaysia is not just to accelerate the organizational excellence per se, but also to focus on the needs of diverse students. This is also strengthened by the efforts of the schools to accelerate their students' excellence in their particular niche areas.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5296/ije.v3i2.1282
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Lipscomb and Middle Tennessee State volleyball teams reached a mutual agreement to cancel Friday's scheduled match between the two schools.
MTSU was dealing with a depleted roster down the stretch. Both programs decided that it was not in their best interest to play the match.
Both teams were knocked out of their first match of their respective conference tournaments.
The Lady Bisons lost to No. 3 ETSU in the A-Sun Tournament 3-1 (19-25, 26-24, 25-22, 25-20) in the semifinal round. ETSU went on to win the tournament.
Kaycee Green was named on the Atlantic Sun All-Tournament Team with a match-high 22 kills, 5.50 kills per set.
MTSU lost to third-seeded North Texas in the Sun Belt Tournament 3-1 (21-25, 23-25, 25-23, 22-25) in the opening round.
The Lady Bisons finish the season at 18-12 overall and 15-3 in the A-Sun. The Blue Raiders finished their season at 10-23, 7-8 in the Sun Belt.


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Goodyear's human resources chief, Bernard Glesser, center, and the firm's production manager Michel Dheilly, center right, leave the Goodyear plant in Amiens, northern France, today.
ASSOCIATED PRESS Enlarge
AMIENS, France — Two Goodyear managers held captive by angry French workers were freed today after police intervened, ending a two-day standoff over the factory's bleak future.
The release outraged union members, who made a bonfire of tires in front of the plant. It also left unresolved the larger problems that have dogged the plant in Amiens in northern France, which Goodyear has tried to sell or shutter for more than five years.
The plant has become an emblem of France's labor tensions. Workers, having failed so far to save their jobs, seized the plant's director and human resources chief on Monday morning to demand bigger severance packages.
"Boss-napping" has happened sporadically in France in the past, but police generally don't intervene in such incidents, to avoid inflaming tensions while mediators try to settle the labor dispute.
The Amiens plant has seen violent protests in recent years, so a judge authorized police intervention.
A dozen police officers arrived at the plant today, and two went inside the facility. Minutes later, the two bosses walked out and got in an unmarked police car. They did not speak to reporters.
Angry and cursing, Mickael Wamen of the CGT union said afterward: "We were told very clearly ... that if we didn't free these two people that dozens and dozens of riot police trucks would be coming from Paris, would go inside, a riot would break out and they would whack us all and we'd all end up in prison."
"We are already losing our jobs, on top of that to end up in prison ..." he continued.
Soon afterward, union representatives spray-painted the word "bad" over the letters "good" in Goodyear on the sign leading into the factory.
Some had hoped for talks today to try to defuse the dispute, but both sides dug in and refused to negotiate.
Boss-napping has occurred sporadically in France for decades, and reached a peak during the global financial crisis in 2009. Sylvain Niel, a labor lawyer who has worked on similar issues, said boss-napping has been less frequent since then because anything management agreed to under pressure was later voided in courts.
"It's a reaction of despair," Niel said. "They have no room to maneuver in the closing of the factory."
Boss-nappings typically have lasted from a few hours to a couple of days. They are punishable under French law by five years in prison and a 75,000-euro ($102,000) fine if the boss goes free in under a week. Usually, however, the workers are not prosecuted.
The Amiens plant has an especially contentious past. Goodyear's attempts to close it have been stalled by violent protests and France's prolonged layoff procedures.
Workers have been blocking a storage warehouse, which contains hundreds of millions of euros in tire merchandise, since before the year-end holidays.
Threats last weekend by management to authorize force to free the warehouse were what sent tensions flaring at a union-management meeting Monday morning — and led workers to block the two executives inside.
Wamen, the union leader, told the Courrier Picard newspaper that the managers had refused offers of mattresses and blankets overnight.
"Things were sometimes animated, sometimes calm, but without any meanness," Michel Dheilly, the captive plant manager, had told reporters allowed inside the factory.
The other captive manager, Bernard Glesser, had been less sanguine, saying he would not give any statements under duress.
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Eh, wassamatayu? a link or sumptin'?
Oh, and BTW, "Let The Hacking Begin"!
While Kobo can't match up with Amazon's sheer mass of available content, it is partnered with various major book sellers and has a good-sized base of existing customers.
Unless their goal is simply to sell Android-based readers to their existing customers, this doesn't seem like a recipe for success. Why would anyone pick this over the Kindle Fire?
Also, previous Kobo products have made a point of supporting open standards for media, and that will presumably continue with the Vox.
I can see why that would attract the Slashdot crowd (seriously). But, again, that's not something that'll bring in a bunch of new customers - it doesn't matter in the least to the vast majority of people.
Because you can't actually buy a Kindle Fire outside the US. There's a big reason for everyone in the rest of the world!
I'm pretty sure that outside the US still has eBay [ebay.com]. The world is shifting to a global market thanks to places like eBay where localized products can be arbitraged for a nominal fee. That's how we in the US get access to the thousands [ebay.com] of Android tablets built and marketed for third world markets when we don't live there.
It's one world now. If you have the cash and Internet access you can have anything sold anywhere in the world delivered reliably and quickly to you in any place that has delivery services
And then if you want to buy any content on it, you need to hook up a VPN to make it look like you're coming from the US since the store the Fire's connected to doesn't work in most of the rest of the world (like say, Canada). Which for the overwhelming majority is far too much of a PITA to be worth the hassle.
If you're outside the US I haven't seen much of anything that would say the Fire's better then the Kobo Vox (or other cheaper Android tablets).
If you believe that then I doubt you've lived for a significant time outside the US.
US products that aren't sold outside the US are replaced by equivalent products that are sold there, not by desperate attempts to get the exact same thing the Americans have. There's no advantage and huge disadvantages to trying to buy a Kindle Fire (now with no huge array of content backing it!) when you could get this instead.
>If you believe that then I doubt you've lived for a significant time outside the US.
Good point.
Why is that's material I ask. A thing is what it is, wherever it is. Moving it to your house or mine doesn't change it.
Because if you're in Canada the Kindle Fire isn't available and even if you get one anyway has no content available? Amazon in Canada is a pretty pathetic shadow of it's US version.
The Kobo on the other hand has a pretty strong seller in Indigo books and has content. It's all right there in the summary about the Kobo stuff being targetted more internationally. Just because someone in the US wouldn't want one doesn't mean anything on the rest of the planet.
Agree completely. First I wanted a Nook Color. Sorry, not in Canada. Then I wanted a Kindle Fire. Sorry, not in Canada. If Kobo can get this thing selling in Canada, they might just get my hard earned money just to save me jumping through fire-ringed hoops to get one of the others.
Indigo's got it: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/kobo-vox/ [indigo.ca]
Not sure about the non-book content, but my wife has one of the ebook reader Kobo's and has been pretty happy with what's available.
Agree completely. First I wanted a Nook Color. Sorry, not in Canada. Then I wanted a Kindle Fire. Sorry, not in Canada. If Kobo can get this thing selling in Canada, they might just get my hard earned money just to save me jumping through fire-ringed hoops to get one of the others.
I would assume the Canadian company Kobo would be selling this in Canada
You have basically described my situation in the past regarding the Nook and now the Kindle Fire. Even if I get the Fire when it comes out, it would be severely lacking in content so the Kobo offering is much more appealing to me.
Because if you're in Canada the Kindle Fire isn't available and even if you get one anyway has no content available? Amazon in Canada is a pretty pathetic shadow of it's US version.
The Kobo on the other hand has a pretty strong seller in Indigo books and has content. It's all right there in the summary about the Kobo stuff being targetted more internationally. Just because someone in the US wouldn't want one doesn't mean anything on the rest of the planet.
And Kobo knows it. That's why they produce the crapp
Unless their goal is simply to sell Android-based readers to their existing customers, this doesn't seem like a recipe for success. Why would anyone pick this over the Kindle Fire?
Because you can install the Kindle app onto it, and thus it does everything the Kindle Fire does and more? And for those outside the US, there's the chance you might even be able to buy it!
Kobo's books are sold in ePub format, which means you can put them on a lot of different devices without having to convert them. Moreover, in Canada, there are licensing problems that Kobo doesn't seem to have.
Lastly, Kobo's books tend to be cheaper for the same thing. I've bought books from Kobo that cost me $1 or $2 that would have cost me $5-10 if I had a Kindle.
Kobo's a better book store; Amazon-Kindle is arguably a better contained system.
But both the Fire and the Vox are stupid devices. I bought an eR
"""Kobo's books are sold in ePub format, which means you can put them on a lot of different devices without having to convert them. Moreover, in Canada, there are licensing problems that Kobo doesn't seem to have."""
Yeah this is not exactly true; Kobo uses EPUB with their own proprietary DRM on top of it. I know this because I have worked on that code.
(There is no DRM standard for EPUB so all ebook sellers use their own weird standard. What Adobe does with EPUBs is also not a standard. They love to call it
Kobo uses EPUB with their own proprietary DRM on top of it.
It's pretty easy to strip that right off. Apparently, it wasn't very secure DRM.
I know this because I have worked on that code.
Oops. Sorry, I hope I didn't offend.
But by the way, weren't there any jobs available at labs that test biological weapons on bunnies and puppies?
Kobo uses Adobe Digital Editions DRM. It's trivial to strip off. Just google "ineptepub" and you'll find an easy solution.
It's an open android tablet. Install the FBReader app and you can download and read free ebooks to your hearts content. (No need to get out the USB cable like I have to with my Nook.) You can also install the Amazon MP3, Kindle, or Nook App, so you can purchase stuff from whomever. This announcement has certainly piqued my interest.
From what I've read, the browser doesn't display pages pre-rendered by Indigo/Chapters. It will be slower to show pages than the Kindle Fire, but this is a HUGE plus to anyone who doesn't wish to be tracked by the people who sold them the tablet. Given that both units are $200, the choice just got a lot easier to make.
The article was all-around useless for the stuff that actually mattered. So here's a link to the specs page for the device on their official website:
http://www.kobobooks.com/kobovox_tech [kobobooks.com]
Most important:
It's a matter of perspective. For example, you list the features you consider the "most important", but to me they're mostly fluff. Only two of the specs you listed (OS and battery) mattered to me.
Also important to me:
Wireless Connectivity--Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Micro USB*
Supported File Formats--Books: ePUB, including fixed layout and enhanced ePUB. Images: JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP Audio: MP3, AAC,
Web Browsing--Open Web browsing
The Kindle Fire and the Kobo Vox, while being far more versatile than previous models, completely miss the point of an ebook reader. If I wanted to read books on an LCD screen constantly stabbing my eyes with a bright backlight, I'd read on my Android tablet, or my laptop. The reason I bought one of the first gen Kobo ereaders is because of the e-ink screen.
Exactly. I have a classic wi-fi nook and you couldn't pay me to read books on an LCD screen over eink.
Not to mention having to charge an LCD device at least daily. I get a good two weeks of reading out of my Kobo.
I think the angle here is that these devices ARE low-cost Android Tablets, with e-reading being only one of their capabilities. Companies are looking to capitalize on a wider market than just books -- we're talking every form of digital media here: movies, songs, etc. at a price point that is lower than most tablets.
Reading an e-book on an LCD with a backlight isn't really all that painful -- I've been using my iPod touch as a portable e-reader for the past several years and have never had any problems. But
Unless Pixel Qi or someone else comes up with something reasonably cheap and good, I think low-cost tablets are going to outsell E-ink readers.
I hope "someone else" does a better job bringing something to market than Pixel Qi.
Although I see that some small outfit called "3M" bought up Pixel Qi. Well, let's hope you're "someone else" gets a move on, because I don't think we'll hear anything more from Pixel Qi.
E-ink is great in theory, but its refresh rate is too low for video and the lack of color is a deal-breaker for most children's books.
The sort of children's books with colour illustrations tend to be quite large format anyway, and hence wouldn't really work on a small e-reader in the first place.
Also, who needs video in a book reader? Again, the screen is too small to watch anything much. You might as well complain that ebook readers don't cope with graphically intense FPS games very well.
Yep, I just wonder if it really needs to cost $380 (or whatever the DMX runs) for a decently sized eink display.
You can't get full color magazines and comic books or video on an e-ink screen. You can't get video either. These aren't really e-readers, per se. A better name would be content consumption devices. If you've already got a tablet (say an iPad) and can stand the LCD screen, these won't do anything for you. But if you don't have one and don't want to pay for one, this is a nice option.
I've got the Nook and the Nook Color and I use them for completely different purposes. The Nook Color is essentially an androi
Wrong. It doesn't defeat the purpose because that's not the purpose of these devices. The problem is that their niche doesn't work for you.
When iPad owners look at the Nook Color and the Fire and the Vox, all they see is a cheep, featureless tablet. "Why would anybody want that tiny screen?" When Kindle owners look at them, all they see is an ebook reader with an LCD screen. "But e-ink won't give you eye strain!" When smartphone owners look at them, all they see is an enormous screen size. "That big,
Borders Books' ebooks were powered by Kobo, but they weren't a huge name to the end user, I think. Before now their main competition, which they couldn't beat, was actually the Barnes & Noble Nook Color. It'll be interesting to see if they can differentiate themselves enough with this new self-branded tablet to get people to choose them over the Kindle and Nook lines. As it is, however, Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, Kobo, and Aldiko (yet another bookseller) all have reader apps on Android, as does Google
As an owner of the 2nd-gen Kobo (WiFi+USB) [...] I don't need a bigger and heavier device to do the same thing.
It wont do the same thing, though, because it has an LCD not an eink screen!
Yep, I agree. The worst part is that, I bet, barebones, they could put out a 10" $200 kobo if it used eink and didn't mess with all the other crud.
By definition the library you go to limits your scope to the books on hand or available. This library limits you far less than a physical library that only has the books it has. They do so for well-defined reaons in their charter.
Ebooks do away with this. You can get uncensored works in their original from the source. How is this a bad thing?
For works that are still covered by copyright, the library has a much larger collection. True, I have access to a library in a major city, but there are a lot of titles that aren't available in ebook format. I'm not sure what is taking so long.
I have a Galaxy Tab here. I installed Foliant [quixey.com] on it, and this is perfect for reading books. I like the LCD with the backlight, and I never liked e-ink screens. If Kobo makes yet another tablet then it's fine, but they are competing in a cutthroat market. There doesn't seem to be much of a difference, in principle, between the Galaxy Tab and the Kobo product. It's the software that does the work - and you can use any software you like.
Never like or never used. Forgive the misspelling I'm writing this from a laptop near a pool and the text is nearly invisible, especially with polarised sunglasses. E-ink on the other hand is near perfect in the sun its just slow.
I recently lend an e-ink device to someone who was an avid ipod lover to take on a holidays and needed to go a week without charging his device. He's now bought one and finally understands that they are currently separate markets.
I do a lot of reading and rarely play the puerile ga
I'm writing this from a laptop near a pool and the text is nearly invisible
You are probably right that most wars between the e-ink and the LCD are waged over a rift in usage scenarios. I personally read books in bed, before going to sleep. The lights in the room are off, and the Galaxy Tab (as well as my other tablet) have the correct backlight setting for that. I wouldn't like a bright light either. What I want is a good contrast and quick screen redraws. E-ink is bad on both accounts. As an experiment
Any E-book reader needs e-ink. I've been given an Ipad for work and while its a nice toy... its a toy. It not small enough to fit in my pocket, it sucks for reading work related documents, however its great for games and ok for magazine type content. Really WTF are organisations blowing their cash on these things? Here's a tip companies and government organisations that buy these devices should be slashing their IT budgets and giving the money back to shareholders.
If I wanted an ipad-kindle hybrid it need b
I bought a KoboTouch for my girlfriend. I liked the simplicity of it. Just an ereader with no DRM and less temptation to spend money.
For myself though I got a NookTouch and rooted it straight away. I have Kindle reader on it and loads of other stuff but I wouldn't recommend buying one for the non-technical person.
In general I love the Kobo. They seem like an honest company and everything seems straightforward. I liked the simple implementation without bells and whistles. It makes explaining how to use it so
I live in Canada and have an Android phone and a Kindle 3. I would strongly discourage Canadians from buying a Kindle Fire. The reason is Amazon's horrible support for Apps in Canada. The Kindle has had games in the US for years, but none of them are available on the Kindle in Canada. They've also had an Android app store for a long time now with some great exclusives (Plants vs Zombies) and free games... also not available in Canada. I do not trust them to be able to bring a robust app store to the Canadia
Never buy from a rich salesman. -- Goldenstern


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We live in the center of Languedoc, by the Mediterranean and we are very well served by airports. Those which are only are a short drive from us in Villa Roquette are – Beziers, Montpellier, Nimes, Carcassonne and Perpignan – a bit further are Marseilles and Toulouse – just over the border in Spain there are Gerona and Barcelona.
I have been flicking through low cost fares, there are now scores of cities in Europe with regular flights to these destinations near us – a quick survey shows over 20 from the UK alone. In the next three months I have found hundreds of flights to Beziers costing from 14 euro to 50 euro return.
We have a page on our website with links to most of the low cost carriers at http://villaroquette.com/getting-to-villa-roquette/flights/
But it is really annoying when you have booked a bargain flight to find the taxi fare from the airport can cost over five times the price of the air ticket. Car rental at airports is also expensive.
So we are offering a free air and rail shuttle service (for stays with us of 3 days or longer), to and from Villa Roquette for our guests for arrivals at Beziers and we can arrange a half-price taxi service from other airports.
If you take advantage of our off-season prices, the low cost air fares and our free shuttle service, a weekend for two in the South of France from many places in Europe can cost as little as 118 euro – enjoy our table d'hote meals with us and a weekend at Villa Roquette could cost a total for transport, accommodation, food and wine – all for less than 200 euro.
Over the next two months, the weather is good, the wine harvest is in full swing and by November we will be tasting the new vintages, or come and stay over Christmas and get some winter sunshine.


text:
SEVERAL areas of Queensland have been declared disaster zones after five tornadoes ripped through the Bundaberg region on Saturday afternoon.
The Premier, Campbell Newman, made the declarations as Gladstone began mass evacuations in the face of unprecedented rain expected over the next 24 hours.
All beaches from Tannum Sands, on the central Queensland coast, south to the NSW border are closed.
The tornadoes injured 17 people and damaged 150 properties.
Queensland Police warned of quick rising water in the Baffle Creek catchment, about 80 kilometres north of Bundaberg last night, with Mimdale identified as a major flooding risk.
The first tornado struck the coastal town of Bargara about 1pm, bringing down power lines, tearing off roofs and smashing windows. A man and a woman were seriously injured when their car was crushed by a falling tree. Both were flown to Brisbane in a critical condition.
The Queensland Emergency Services Minister, Jack Dempsey, told Fairfax Media a triage centre had been set up in Bargara to treat 15 people hurt by flying glass and debris.
''The fact that these tornadoes are completely unpredictable … we can't say whether they're finished or whether more are coming,'' he said.
In Gladstone, about 2000 were set to evacuate on Saturday afternoon. A major flood emergency warning was issued by the SES for Winfield, as Baffle Creek was expected to rise above the 1971 record. Warnings were also issued for the Calliope, Kolan and Boyne rivers with the latter expected to swell to one-in-100-year levels.
Meanwhile, Brisbane was on standby on Saturday for its worst flooding since the disaster of 2011.
with Anne Tarasov


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As former market darling Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has seen its stock price continue to fall, it has increasingly piqued the interest of value investors. At a market cap of $450 billion and twelve-month earnings of over $40 billion, Apple's P/E is barely over 10. Considering the company has no debt and cash equivalents of almost $140 billion, the valuation appears very compelling indeed.
But Apple is now officially growing slower than its market, suggesting others (including rival Samsung) are eating some of its lunch. Could this be a temporary situation, allowing the long-term investor the opportunity to purchase a company with a moat at a discount?
It wasn't long ago that Research In Motion (RIMM) found itself in a similar position. I know this from first-hand experience, because I started buying shares in the maker of this once ubiquitous product far too soon as they fell from grace.
What happened to RIM and what may be beginning to happen to Apple appears to be a characteristic of this fast-changing industry; one has to continually innovate just to stay in the same place.
Contrast this with the industry Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) dominates: operating system and the Office suite of products. Microsoft hasn't innovated much in the last 15 years, but it has still shown enormous profit growth because of the nature of its industry. Network effects take massive precedent over innovation. Many companies could probably (and some have) created more intuitive, faster designs. But without a network of existing applications (or documents) that can run on such a platform, most users have shown an unwillingness to switch from Windows (or Office). As a result, breaking Microsoft's grip on this industry has thus far proven impossible.
Does Apple enjoy the same kind of moat? Certainly it does to some extent. The range of apps available only to Apple products undoubtedly offers some advantage, along with the brand appeal that this company has cultivated. But absent substantial innovation, it may not be enough of a moat to ward off future declines. Samsung is already demonstrating that the Android platform is proving good enough for an increasing number of new phone buyers/upgraders.
Also consider that RIM enjoyed some very similar advantages when it dominated the scene. I overestimated the strength of these advantages when I purchased shares far too early. Specifically:
1) The network effects of BBM were easily overcome by the features and functionality that the iPhone offered over the clunky Blackberry (at least they did in the US; in countries where network charges represent a higher share of income, BBM has helped RIM hold its own)
2) Security and corporate customers did not force professionals into keeping their Blackberries; in fact, the opposite occurred, with BYOD advocates pushing corporations to open up to different platforms.
3) Economies of scale in the form of R&D and marketing spend per unit that market leaders usually enjoy appears to have been worth little; in this industry, the innovations appear to come from superior processes, not dollars.
The one competitive advantage that existing firms do appear to enjoy in this industry is barriers to entry. It has proven very difficult for newcomers to innovate their way into a decent market position, as this requires simultaneous relationships with carriers, developers and consumers, something that appears difficult to build-up all at once. This feature of the industry has likely saved RIM from bankruptcy, and even kept it in a position where it may once again succeed if it can out-innovate its limited number of competitors in its next product cycle.
While I don't expect Apple to fall behind technologically to the same extent as did RIM, risks to Apple's strong current position remain. In this industry, the market leader can be toppled to "also-ran" in a hurry. So while Apple is clearly cheap compared to its recent earnings and earnings capacity, a value investor may require more of a margin of safety than normal, considering that downside risks are particularly high in this industry.
Disclosure: Author has a long position in shares of RIM


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S&W M&P Semi-Auto Pistols Quiz!
I am semi-retired and I am taking a self-passed and self-taught Armorers course and now I am on the Ruger Double Action Revolvers. I hope to become a part-time light Gunsmith in the near future.
There are over 60 quiz questions covering this firearm and I have answered most of them hopefully correctly but during my study and research I am having some problems related to some of the following quiz questions. I have conflicting answers.
Can you help me determine the correct answers for these few quiz questions? Please correct my wrong answers!
Thanks for your help.
Note #10. Like other striker fired guns, the M&P's trigger must be pulled before taking the slide off of the frame. - True or False
Note #11. The trigger safety engages what gun part and prevents it from moving, thus preventing the gun from being fired unless the finger is pulling the trigger?
a) The hammer
b) The striker
c) The firing pin blocking safety
d) The trigger bow (bar)
Note #12. The trigger return spring pulls the trigger bar
a) outward and down
b) inward and down
c) up and outward
d) up and inward
Note #13. What disconnects the trigger bar from the sear?
a) The firing pin safety
b) The trigger
c) The shoulder of the extractor
d) The lower portion of the rear sight
e) The cam on the inside of the slide
Note #14. What part moves the slide stop up when the magazine is empty?
a) The ejector-
b) The follower
c) The slide tongue
d) The slide cam
Note #15. The manual thumb safety blocks what gun part?
a) The sear
b) The trigger
c) The trigger bar (or bow)
d) The striker
Note #16. How many different parts make up the magazine?
a) 1
b) 3
c) 5
d) 7
Note #17. In order to take the slide off of the frame, the slide must be pulled rearward and
the takedown lever must be pulled
a) up
b) down
c) out
Note #18. The recoil spring coil binds. - True or false