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Janelle Alcantara lives and breathes modern architecture. When she spotted this Melshire Estates Midcentury Modern at 5546 Charlestown Drive, it was one of those honey-stop-the-car moments.
Alcantara is not just an architecture lover — she's also a senior associate with David Griffin & Company Realtors. She sees a lot of homes, and she sees a lot of them get torn down that frankly should have been renovated. She started Galaxy Modern, an architecture-driven real estate service, to make modern architecture accessible and to preserve existing modern homes whenever possible.
This Melshire Estates Midcentury Modern is an exciting example of what can be done when you have vision. It was constructed in 1964 when a lot of architect-designed homes were springing up in the neighborhood. Remember, this was an era when cool was the watchword. The Rat Pack was making headlines, the Ford Mustang appeared on the scene, and Mary Quant brought us the miniskirt. I won't tell you what the median house price was because you'd just cry.
Dallas has a number of homes from this era that are worthy of saving, but most investors see only the dirt value and scrape away to throw up a generic McModern. Fortunately for all of us, one of the investors Alcantara works with shares her sensibility and enthusiasm for architecturally cool properties.
When Alcantara saw this Melshire Estates Midcentury Modern, she knew what she wanted to do, assembled a crackerjack team, and got to work.
"Matt Dimitri Karpenko is known for bringing these midcentury gems to life again," Alcantara said. "But this is his crown jewel! The house was painstakingly and delicately deconstructed to preserve all that is magnificent about midcentury modern architecture, then slowly and carefully redesigned."


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Welcome to the Bigs
Arcade-style baseball is back on the Nintendo Wii with MLB the Bigs 2. The sequel, while not by leaps and bounds, does improve on its predecessor. This game includes an enhanced season mode, a host of bonus games – though most are repetitive and irritating – and good use of the Wii controls.
While the game boasts these improvements, the game's graphics and mechanics are sorely lacking. The game also fails to take advantage of online gaming – a great feature of the console. Despite some weaknesses, the game represents one of the few complete baseball games on the Wii – which isn't saying much given all the sports-themed shovelware out there. Even other recongizable titles such as the 2k series have largely failed on the console. Bigs 2, on the other hand, represents a step in right direction.
Gameplay (4 out of 5)
Fortunately, the game can be fully played using the Wii remote – using the nunchuk while batting was something that made gameplay difficult and cumbersome in the original game. Though the controls are decent, I would have been interested in seeing how this game would play if it supported Wii MotionPlus.
Batting is all about timing and the controls are properly responsive, though somewhat simple. In other, more realistic simulations, players often can guess where pitchers will throw in order to maximize a swing. The Bigs 2 only features a batter's "wheelhouse" – essentially a hot spot pitchers would be wise to avoid.
The pitching is obviously a bit more complicated, but fairly easy to pick up when compared to other baseball simulations. Fielding is a bit more frustrating; the controls seem to be a bit too sensitive and players often will needlessly dive for balls, allowing the opponent to turn a single into a double, a double into a triple and so on.
What makes the gameplay so interesting, as was true of its predecessor, were the turbo functions – which all but guarantee a big strikeout for a pitcher or inevitable home run blast for the batter.
The only downside to gameplay is the ability of fielders to dive or jump unrealistically to catch fly balls – even for an arcade-style game, it was a bit over the top.
Game Modes (3 out of 5)
The major improvement of the Bigs 2 is the inclusion of multiple game modes, including a more in-depth season mode known as "Become a Legend" – you begin as a injured star making a rehab start, hoping to return to the big leagues. You return and maintain your professional status by winning games and completing specific tasks within those games as well as succeeding in the various mini games.
Unfortunately the mini games themselves are unbearable. They aren't even worth mentioning besides the fact that they tend to be, at best, briefly amusing (albeit repetitive), and at worst, pointless and not even remotely entertaining.
The game would have been better served with a more straightforward season mode which focused more on regular games and less so on tasks and mini games.
Pinball mode is easily the best of the other modes and one that wasn't in the original Wii version. The mode is entertaining; essentially a combination of home run derby and juvenile delinquency as you hit balls into cars, buildings and other public property. The sites of destruction include Times Square, New York City; Las Vegas, Nevada and Shibuya, Tokyo. This mode also boasts the best graphics (the lights of Las Vegas and Time Square really pop).
Graphics and Sound (2 out of 5)
Frankly, even by Wii standards, the graphics in this game are poor. MLB the Show surely looks better – on the PS2, that is. Graphics aren't the Wii's greatest strengths (obviously), but there have been several other games released on the console that have boasted fairly impressive visuals; players, parks and just about everything else in this game look almost unfinished. The sound is sufficient, sound effects are decent and game commentary manages to be relatively fresh as opposed to the typical stagnant commentary of most sports games.
The Wii Difference/ Final Thoughts
The main difference between this game and the 360/PS3 versions are graphics and controls. While the graphics on the other consoles knock this game out of the park, the controls are what make the Wii version more enjoyable (though be sure to use the wrist strap to avoid accidents.) The original game was released, the edge clearly went to the 360/PS3 counterparts, but now that sequel features similar game modes, the Wii version may now have the edge. MLB the Bigs 2 is the best baseball experience on the Wii thus far (partly thanks to the shortcomings of MLB 2k9,) though if you're looking for a realistic baseball simulation, that game does not exist yet on the Nintendo Wii.

subset: commoncrawl


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As Christians we have a responsibility:
'To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with our God'. Micah 6.8
God has made us stewards of his whole creation and we believe that this places significant responsibilities on us. We tend to refer to this as 'stewardship'. Christian stewardship is about:
- how we live as Christian disciples
- how we manage all the world's resources
- how we use all that God has given to us as individuals
At our services there is the opportunity to offer a financial gift but please consider whether you might instead commit to giving regularly as part of your stewardship. Our TRIO page will tell you more and help you do it.


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unique military fortress complex, listed as the national cultural monument, was turned into an attractive recreational and relaxation centre Kortina.
Projects & Practice
Supporting vulnerable people and facilitating their re-integration into society through small volunteer jobs on local farms.
A company that was focused on field crops diversified its activities by setting up a business incubator to boost the economic development of an area with high unemployment.
A family farm used LEADER support to build a new greenhouse that would provide optimum conditions for growing traditional varieties of Estonian roses.
A small rural business used RDP support to purchase new stone-cutting equipment in order to expand its range of products.
A start-up business in Finland used RDP financing to carry out a feasibility study which helped lower the risks in upscaling their production capacity of biocomposites.
In response to the increasing number of tourists, a small accommodation provider used RDP support to increase the capacity of his business and set up leisure activities.
Restoring a wetland ecosystem and creating an observation area, for ecological, hydrological, educational and touristic purposes.
Financed by the Romanian rural development programme, a small patisserie and confectionary workshop upscaled its business by constructing a new building to increase its production capacity and offer utility areas to customers.
An ambitious young farmer used RDP support to create a new niche product and a touristic attraction out of his produce of mushrooms that were not suitable for the market.


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Fearing for their safety, fiscals seek gun ban exemptions
Do not kill us."
Regional State Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane made this appeal to people who bear a grudge against state lawyers and other members of the legal profession following Tuesday's shooting that killed a private lawyer and seriously injured a government prosecutor at Cebu's Palace of Justice.
Gubalane, in an interview, said the incident caused fear among government prosecutors.
"We request aggrieved parties not to shoot us. If they have any complaint against us, they better resort to legal means instead of engaging in another problem," he told reporters.
Canadian expatriate John Holdridge Pope on Tuesday fatally shot lawyer Juvian Achas and his client, Dr. Rene Rafols and seriously injured Assistant City Prosecutor Ma. Theresa Calibugan Casiño whom he shot in the head.
Pope, who claims to be a retired journalist, allegedly shot himself after he was cornered by policemen near the City Prosecutor's Office.
"I don't know if we are secure. The incident happened inside the workplace. It is but natural for us to be afraid," Gubalane said.
He, however, admitted that risks are part of their job as prosecutors.
"We have to pray for our safety," he said.
At least 10 prosecutors, including Gubalane, yesterday applied for gun ban exemptions to allow them to carry firearms before the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Aside from Gubalane, among those who applied for exemptions were: Cebu City Prosecutor Nicolas Sellon, Deputy City Prosecutor Oscar Capacio, and Assistant City Prosecutors Van Russel Inopiquez, Mario Edgardo Montenegro, Rogelio del Prado Jr., Simaco Labata, Noel Cellona, Ricky Jones Macabaya, and Liceria Lofranco-Rabillas.
Gubalane considered as "bare allegations" Pope's claims that some prosecutors are corrupt.
"He (Pope) kept on complaining. But he was even the subject of complaints by his neighbors," he said.
Tight security
Security at the Palace of Justice has been tightened.
Four policemen were detailed to assist security guards in the building. Security guards have also started using metal detectors in screening people who go inside the building.
Supreme Court Administrator Midas Marquez has ordered the relief of security guards Juanito Aguilar and Willy Purog who were on duty and were assigned on the entrance of the Palace of Justice when the incident happened.
A Mass was held inside the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 6 where Achas and Rafols were shot dead by Pope. Fr. Monico Catubig sprinkled holy water on the crime scene, from MTCC Branch 6 to MTCC Branch 1 down to the Cebu City Prosecutors' Office. He was accompanied by Fr. Dominic Don, OSA, some judges, and court employees.
"We ask the Lord to cleanse this place so it would be restored to what it used to be. It is not the intention of God that people suffer and die. Sin and suffering came because of the envy of the devil," Catubig said in an interview.
He prayed for Pope's eternal repose and urged the people not to judge him.
"We don't know what happened to him. There must have been causes (that led him to act that way). It may have something to do with his distant past or recent events. We don't have any right to judge him," the priest said.
Novena Masses for the souls of Rafols, Achas, and Pope started yesterday and will last for nine days at MTCC 6.
Court hearings at MTCC 6 today will resume today.
Lawyer Don Navarro, a former MTCC judge, condemned the incident as he called on judicial authorities to look on what triggered Pope to go on a rampage.
"It is sad to see the very thing courts were meant to prevent, which is the violent resolution of disputes, occur in the court itself, and with the loss of valuable lives.
"Beyond condemning the senselessness of the tragedy, we must look into whatever ails our legal system (that) fed the frustration of the perpetrator," he told CDN.
Earl Bonachita, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cebu City chapter, said they have yet to decide whether or not to call on authorities to allow lawyers to bear firearms. "Threats are imminent. But at the same time, if we arm everyone, we know there are heated arguments during trials. Maybe, they will use it. We're on a quandary," he said.
Bonachita believes that the Canadian didn't understand the justice system in the country.
"The usual gripes of foreign nationals is they don't understand our judicial system. In other places, trials are done in one day," he said. "Maybe, he (Pope) was just too frustrated to the point that he no longer respected our laws."
Psychological debriefing
MTCC Executive Judge Francisco Seville said they intend to subject court employees to psychological debriefing to help them cope with the trauma after witnessing the shooting.
He was dismayed with the security flaws at the Palace of Justice and called for a review of the building's security measures .
"Dispensation of justice will be affected if the security of lawyers and litigants will be jeopardized. In a way, I'm dismayed with the security policies being implemented at the Palace of Justice," said Seville whose courtroom is located just across Branch 6 where Pope shot two of the victims.
Forensic findings
Police forensic experts confirmed initial findings that both Achas and Rafols were shot at close range.
"There's a presence of smudging which is the blackening. This is noted on the periphery of the entrace wound," said Police Senior Supt. Nestor Sator, regional chief of the PNP Crime Laboratory.
He said Rafols was shot in "contact fire", while Achas was shot in "near fire."
"Dikit gyud ang pagpusil," said Sator explaining that Rafols perhaps was not able to look back when the gun was fired.
Sator explained that "smudging is the blackening of the result of the accumulation of smoke, which prevented its spread to other areas." He said the bullet that entered the back of Rafol's left ear exited on the right side of his face. Sator said Rafol's died instantly and wasn't able to feel the pain.
Achas meanwhile was hit on the right cheek with the bullet exiting from his left neck, said Sator. "There is a tattoing. Specks of powder burns which will indicate a near fire," he added.
Task force
The Central Visayas police has created a task force to carry out the investigation of Tuesday's shooting.
The task force, to be headed by Senior Supt. Orlando Ualat, Deputy Regional Director for Operation, will find out where Pope acquired his guns.
A police source said Pope's guns looked like the improvised ones that were manufactured in Danao City.
Senior Supt. Mariano Natuel Jr., acting chief of police of Cebu City, said the task force will look for the source of the gun who will most likely face charges.
Pope body remain at Cebu Doctor's Hospital and has not been subjected to an autopsy yet.
Initial examination on the gunman's body indicate that there is smudging on his wound in the right temple that indicates he was shot at close range.
The service pistols of PO1 Oriel Hagupit and PO3 Celso Rivera Jr. have been turned over to the Homicide Section of the Cebu City Police Office and will be handed over to the crime laboratory for ballistics testing.
The two policemen who responded to the shooting incident were likewise subjected to paraffin tests to determine if they fired a gun./with Chito Aragon and Tweeny Malinao
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I love, love, love these. I initially bought them with a specific project in mind, but once I got them, new ideas for them came rushing in. I'd say they're inspirational... strangely. Bright, cheery colors, but not overwhelmingly so.
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Regional Activity
The Society has a vibrant network of regional activity. Our branches arrange local events which are a great way to develop professional contacts and to share interests.
The following branches are currently recruiting for new committee members, visit the branch pages for details on their recent activities: Beds, Essex and Herts, East Anglia, North Wales, North Western, Northern, South Wales, Thames Valley, Wessex, Western, West Midlands, Yorkshire.
Find out what being on a committee involves and send a quick application to email@example.com
Branch resources is a list of useful documents for our regional committees. We have guidance on running a branch as well as step by step guides on delivering successful activities. If there are any other resources you would find beneficial please contact us.


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It's been a while since I did one of these! I thought I'd blog about one of my sister's outfits (all three of my sisters have fabulous outfits and I thought it'd make a change from my wardrobe!). In the months before my sister got married (just a couple of months ago now!), my mum went to Pakistan to visit family and also get our outfits made. We gave her images to make it easier for her to get our outfits made, and gave her colour samples and measurements.
All of us sisters loved the designs by Imbias, particularly this rich, petrol blue coloured long kameez with the work on the collar and chest. The suit my mum came back with as originally meant to be altered to be an abayah for my eldest sister, but the tailors got mixed up (probably couldn't understand our handwriting!) and made it in the measurements of my other sister, so she ended up with it! This is what the original designs looked like:
This is the dress my sister ended up with, the look of it was more or less the same as the original except this one was made from a chiffon material and the lined, whereas the original design looks like it is made of a less transparent material, like a rich cotton. The outfit my sister got was the same shape, with plain trousers and a banarsi print hem instead of the hanging beads in the original design.
The wok on the dress mainly consisted of dabka and naqska work (they're both metal work), a few sequins, some diamante stones and some pearly beads. Because there was a lot of work on the chest area, and this is where the main focus was, my mum tried to make sure that the embellishment used was solid and wouldn't damage easily. She also asked them to add a small motif at the top of the arms, and on the end of the sleeves. The dupatta was a plain one, with the same banarsi print edging as the bottom of the dress.
THE GOOD: I can't say too much about the pros and cons of this dress, as I didn't wear it, but it did look nice on! My sister said it was quite comfortable, and it's certainly a very elegant dress which didn't need much more dressing up because it was already quite dressy and sparkly. Personally, I thought the collar of the outfit was quite flattering and looked quite pretty on (it almost looks like you're wearing a choker necklace too!)
THE BAD: The work on the chest was a bit full on - it would be interesting to see whether it would look nice with less work to make it less top-heavy. Otherwise, I don't think there were any real issues with the outfit.
THE UGLY: I think I remember my sister saying the collar was a bit uncomfortable (especially when you're not used to high collars!)
OVERALL: I think this is a really lovely outfit - I've seen a replica of this which costs more in a local shop, and the quality of the work was quite shoddy. The work on this outfit was quite solid and well-made, and we all liked what we are. Granted, that the original costs £200.00 which is not a tremendous amount for an original design in today's market - but we got a good price for this outfit (I think it was almost half the price? I forget) and it got a lot of compliments when worn. I also like the fact that the gold and silver/pearl work looks nice together, so it's easy to pick out either colours with accessories and make up. And it did look nice on my sister as she's extremely skinny and petite, so it looked quite flattering on her! :)


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Posted on September 30, 2016
Good morrow, fellow film fans! We hope this bright and sunny Friday is treating you well, especially since many of you might be recovering from yesterday's events.
The day started with Alanis Obomsawin's excellent documentary WE CAN'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE, hitting the screen for its second showing. The afternoon also saw the second showings of popular foreign films MOTHER, THE EYES OF MY MOTHER, and OLD STONE, highlighting some of the cinematic gold coming out of the rest of the world this year.
Mother is a dope black comedy and I met the lead actress last week and she was dope too #CalgaryFilm— Brett Sahuri (@BrettSahuri) September 29, 2016
Just saw #theeyesofmymother as part of the @calgaryfilm horror line up. I loved it! Very creepy in a classic way. #yyc #horror #calgaryfilm— Bird Law (@AthenaGenevieve) September 30, 2016
Over at Cafe Blanca, Christy Garland (in town for the screening of her film CHEER UP) joined forces with Sandi Somers of the group Herland to have a discussion about making it as a woman in the film industry. As that wrapped up, many people headed over to Globe Cinema for one of the most anticipated events of the entire festival: the one and only Black Carpet Gala.
With an early sneak peek at the first two episodes of the TV series VAN HELSING, the vampire/undead theme really made a mark on some of our moviegoers. We had a ton of the cast and crew join us for the event, and we capped it all off with a fantastic after-party just down the street at State & Main. A massive THANK YOU to everyone who watched, participated, dressed up, and partied the night away with us!
The whole gang's here! #calgaryfilm #vanhelsing pic.twitter.com/DAyBIjbCcx— Calgary Film Fest (@calgaryfilm) September 30, 2016
Upstairs at Globe Cinema, comedian Henry Phillips dropped by to introduce his film AND PUNCHING THE CLOWN, which was having its (as he put it) "non-Austin, Texas" world premiere. He stuck around for a Q&A and it looks like he hit the mark with it!
@madatthesun just saw #calgaryfilm movie which he wrote & starred in,it was hilarious!! Reminds me of Bressler w/Guitar #AndPunchingtheClown— Les T (@LesTyyc) September 30, 2016
The final film of the night was the Late Show selection RUPTURE, which saw a busload of fans from the Ship & Anchor show up to watch as part of the "Ship Out" program. Thanks to all of you!
There are only a few days left of CIFF 2016, and they're some of the most stacked days we've got. Today we've got the second screenings of THE GREASY STRANGLER, GOD KNOWS WHERE I AM, TONI ERDMANN, and PATERSON, which will be a tough choice for any movie lover; at Eau Claire, we also have the premieres of A NEW MOON OVER TOHOKU (with director Linda Ohama and other cast and crew in attendance), PUSHING DEAD (with director Tom Brown attending) and THE OPEN (director Marc Lahore attending). At Globe Cinema, there will be guests in attendance for all the films this evening - HIRED GUN, WEIRDOS, LAVENDER, and BEYOND THE GATES. You can also catch JACQUELINE (ARGENTINE) or ORDINARY WORLD if you need something a little light-hearted before bed tonight!
Wherever you go, tag us @calgaryfilm or with #calgaryfilm on Twitter and Instagram. And don't forget to pick up your tickets to the Closing Gala CHOKESLAM, coming up this Sunday!Back to blog listing


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A little about myself
I have recently moved back to my home state of Oregon from Cal Poly SLO to finish college. I am studying Sociology at University of Oregon (the Ducks) and eventually want to get my masters in educational counseling and work either at the high school or university level. I love to cook!! It is one of my favorite pass times/hobbies. I love learning about the world I live in. The cultures and daily lives of people around the world, current issues (worldwide and domestic), and looking at how people act in society (hence sociology) are all topics that are fascinating to me. Lastly (but most importantly), I am a lover and follower of Christ.


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|Head Diving Coach/Asst. Aquatics Director
In his 24th season as Bentley's diving coach, and his 11th full-time at Bentley is Rick Danehy. A native of Billerica, Danehy has also coached diving at Weston High School and Billerica High School and was the head coach of Mass Pike Diving.
During his time at Bentley, Danehy has coached four different men to New England championships, including two-time All-America Matt Cupps and honorable mention All-America Jon Andrews, and five-time women's All-America Nicola Mancini. Over the years, he has also coached several high school All-Americas and a national Junior Olympic qualifier. In addition, he has worked with many Massachusetts state champions and several New Hampshire state champions.
Danehy has been recognized by the New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association as the 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2012 recipient of the Charles Batterman Men's Diving Coach of the Year, and was the organization's 2007 Women's Diving Coach of the Year. He's been the Northeast-10 Men's Diving Coach of the Year four times (2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2015-16) and was the Northeast-10 Women's Diving Coach of the Year annually from 2014-17.
Danehy now resides in Ashland with his wife, Dr. Amy Danehy, and their daughters, Kelli (10) and Erin (6).


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The many types of desks within a store at The Home Depot (THD) needed to be evaluated: Service Desks, a Paint Desk, a Pro Desk for contractors, a Millwork Desk, a Décor Desk, and Check Stands–including Returns, Garden, Self-Checkout, and standard checkouts. The client wanted a way to select the projects to be done in an organized program, rather than the loudest voice getting the attention. EMG was hired to conduct an even, unbiased review of THD desk assets by conducting site surveys to rate the desks and, from them, to make recommendations to prioritize the work.
EMG assisted The Home Depot with developing the national specification to use on all desk replacements across the country. EMG evaluated the potential sites and produced an unbiased review and rating of each desk, recommending to leave "as is" or change it out, allowing Home Depot to project their spend and decide which projects to do each year. EMG then issued a menu bid to more than twenty vendors, recommending the award to be made by Home Depot. Once awarded, EMG finalized the plan/schedule with each contractor and the stores, then managed the remodels through 100% completion, including preconstruction meetings, site visits, and punch walks, being the single source for the stores/contractors/corporate throughout the program, which is ongoing since 2008. Each project requires completion during store closure in one to two nights. An annual plan was created to evaluate condition and schedule desk replacement at a known cost, and the model is now known and consistent across the county.


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Lots of recruiting activity going on over these next few weeks.. is there any updates on early verbal commitments?
UVA verballed Taylor Williams Wagner's Gold/Team NJ 2009 OF
McKenzie Kane (2010/OF) from So Cal Explosion Gold has committed to UCSB.
"And take off Marissa Menendez 09 de-committed from Uni South Fla." Really? What happened???
You can add Brienna Rojas 2009 IF from the Gold Coast Hurricanes Gold to FIU. Also add Leslie Jury 2011 P from the Gold Coast Hurricanes Gold to Alabama
So I guess we're seein exactly what a 'verbal' committment is worth, huh? A big ZERO, ZIPPO, NADA, NUTHIN, right?
You can also add, Cara Vitale 1B from the Gold Coast Hurricanes Gold to North Carolina, also from the National Champs is Kylie Vry P going to Mississippi State. others to add are Beth Peller OF, Jessica Alfonso IF to FIU. Amber Steinhardt RHP/1B to Western Carolina.
OC Batbusters vs WA Ladyhawks. Melissa Davin, who was one of the outstanding hitters of any age during the weekend, smashed her third home run in this game. A 2010 graduate, Melissa has verballed to Tennessee.
Others reported on Spy softball:
CA Grapettes Gold, Alyssa Tiumalu C/3B 2010,verbally committed to UCLA.
Sam Pappas, So Cal Athletics OF, to Oregon
Katie Mathis, IF/OF, Lady Magic, to San Diego State
Kasey Stanchek – (2011 P, Oak Ridge HS), RR Gold – University of Washington
Kelly Hensley, 2010 OF, High Intensity Gold, verbal commitment to FSU
Ashley McCarroll, 2010, C/OF,Texas Glory (Shelton) verbally committed to UTA
Alix Johnson, 2010 OF, San Diego Renegades, verbal to Arizona State
Carrie Williams of the East Cobb Ga. Cobras has verbally committed to Georgia State University
Caillee Shamoun of the east Cobb Ga. Cobras has verbally committed to Berry College
Erica Cipolloni 2010 IF/OF NJ Breakers Gold - Houston Verbal University of Virginia
Kelly Cianciotta 2009 OF/IF NJ Breakers Gold - Houston Verbal Georgetown
Erika Szymanski 2009 P/1B NJ Breakers Gold - Nowell Verbal Rhode Island
Danielle Abernathy - 2009 Pitcher - Atlanta Vipers Vallery - Kent State University
Nikki Maier - '09 - Jersey Inferno Gold - 2B, 3B, RF - Verbaled to University of Maryland
Tampa Mustangs (Vern Tatum)
Corinne Gordon – 3rd, C - 2009 – Florida A&M University
Brielle Gordon – OF, 2nd, P - 2010 –Florida A&M University
Humboldt State University has verbally committed: Courtney Hiatt 2009 C/OF American Athletics Gold - Durham Ashley Madison 2009 3B/1B San Jose Lady Sharks - Barrera Chrissy Stalf 2009 1B Nor Cal Shockers
Florida Fury 2009 commitments:
Kathryn Wilkinson (OF) - Bucknell University (PA)
Mary Horton (2B) - Bucknell University (PA)
Caitlin Dent (SS) - North Carolina State University
Beth Peller (CF) - Florida International University
Jaimee Vega (SS/C)- Santa Fe College (FL)
09 Verbal commitments for the Spokane Sliders Gold are as follows:
Alexa Morales - SS - 2009 - Portland State University Danielle Lynn - OF - 2009 - Portland State University Ali Warren - 3B - 2009 - DePaul University Afton Allred - 2B - 2009 - Cleveland State University Jessica Ulrich - P/1B - 2009 - Seattle University
AVENGERS GOLD (Segal) COMMITMENTS
2011 (OF) Brittany Clopton, Texas A&M University
2009 (P) Lizzy Kelly, Texas Woman's University
2009 (C) Taylor Stephens, Northwood University
Power Surge
Laura Nelson (2009), LHP/1B – verbal to Western New Mexico University Lorena Klopp (2010), RHP/1B – verbal to San Diego State University (San Diego, CA)
Ashley Romano (2010), 2B/OF – verbal to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
If you have others please post them
KC Zephyrs GoldKeela Scott SS NebraskaMaggie Strange C WisconsinSamantha West CF DrakeShelby Pohlman OF DaytonNikki Bruce 2B Eastern KentuckyPatrice Jackson 1B San Diego State
Shelby Babcock, 2010 P, University of Arizona.
Sun Belt FAU: Colena Lazar, Colesa LazarFIU: Kayla BurriLouisiana-Lafayette: Sarah Draheim, Britni Soria, Jensen Tydelski, Jennifer Martin Middle Tennessee: Janelle RobinsonNorth Texas: Lesley HirschWestern Kentucky: Karavin Dew, Mallorie Sulaski, Katrina Metoyer-OF-OC Batbusters
Callie Parsons 2011 CF verbals to THE Univ of Oklahoma!!
Callie Parsons
The Tulsa Elite Easton Gold is pleased to announce Sophomore Centerfielder Callie Parsons, a Class of 2011 student from Pryor HS (Ok.), has verbally commited to accept a softball scholarship to attend, THE NCAA Div 1 and Top 10 Ranked, University of Oklahoma in Norman, Ok.
Parsons is the daughter of Gary & Lori Parsons of Pryor, OK and becomes the nation's first Class of 2011 member to verbal to OU.
When asked about her decision Parsons said, "I have always dreamed of going to OU and am just so excited right now. They just have so much to offer."
Even though she's only a Sophomore, the Left-Handed, Power-Hitting Parsons has been heavily recruited by many Top 25 Programs since joining the Tulsa Elite fulltime, including several programs in the Big 12 and SEC, but always wanted to be a Sooner.
NCAA D1 Norman , OK
Elite Coach, Jeff Filali stated "We are very proud of Callie's accomplishments on and off the field. She is quiet and humble, but very consistent at the plate with a very strong arm in the OF and just gets the job done. I asked her at the end of summer where she really wanted to play college ball and she didn't hesitate to say the University of Oklahoma. I told her I couldn't promise her anything, but if she would work hard, I would let them know about her abilities and do everything in my powers to make sure they had a chance to come watch her play."
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Pentax 8.5 x 21 Papilio Butterfly Series Binocular
Pentax Papilio binoculars are the perfect choice for insect observation in the field and in museum and galleries. The enhanced observation capability of the Papilio binoculars is made possible by a Pentax Convergent Lens Optical System Engineering CLOSE mechanism. CLOSE automatically slides the left and right objective lenses toward the center when the focus is fixed at a short distance. Revolutionary, dual axis, single body housing with synchronized eye piece adjustment to assure correct optical alignment for comfortable viewing. Fast and easy center focusing for handling ease. Helicoid eyepiece rings for extra viewing comfort. Fully multi coated optics to eliminate harmful ultraviolet rays while improving light transmission for high contrast images with no glare. High quality BaK 4 prisms transmit more light at the edges to enhance illumination. Tough rubber coated exterior provides a sure grip and protects the internal mechanisms. Includes neck strap, carry case, and eyepiece lens caps.Specifications: Type: porro prism center focusing Objective lens: 2 elements in one group Eyepiece lens: 5 elements in 5 groups Magnification: 8.5X Objective lens diameter: 21 mm Angle of view: 6.0 degrees Apparent field of view: 51 degrees Field of view 1000 m: 105 m Field of view 1000 yd: 315 ft Exit pupil: 2.5 mm Eye relief: 15 mm Prism: BaK 4 Multi layer coating: yes Relative brightness: 6.3 Diopter adjustment range: click stop adjuster in eyepiece Eye distance adjustment range: 2.2 2.9 Focusing range: approx. 0.5 m to infinity Eyepiece ring: helicoid type Vergence correction: focus coupled correction mechanism Water resistant: yes Weight: 10.2 oz.
|Regular Price
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Most Helpful Review
If a connection is broken or disrupted, then the remote server will obtain a view of your environment and server...
Use InfluxData? Share your opinion.
Find out what your peers are saying about Zabbix, Paessler AG, Centreon and others in IT Infrastructure Monitoring. Updated: December 2019.
384,147 professionals have used our research since 2012.
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pricing and Cost Advice
The pricing starts at around 5000 euro. However, this depends on: Your environment, the size of your host, how many hosts you have, how many remote pollers you have, and if you want to use the Monitoring Business Intelligence or Centreon MAP functionalities.
You purchase a package. You have a support contract (there is also a platinum support contract) and it is per module. That means you have to pay, e.g., for the MBI module or the BAM module. Or, if you want to save a lot of money, you can pay for IMP, which is the complete package.
Open-source solutions like this can be very cost effective for an organization looking for a product that they can quickly implement, as there is no initial cost and there are no license renewal fees. However, it is important to take into consideration some of the related costs that may come along as needed, such as training, support, and product enhancements.
The solution is very effective, despite the low price.
I think Centreon's pricing is fair, especially given the criticality of our system. They were cheaper than the other solutions. The licensing terms were pretty straightforward. I believe it was based on the number of hosts.
The pricing is acceptable.
They only sell four hour slots for support, so if you have just one question, then you need to pay for four hours. Or, you need to wait until you have enough questions to fill those four hours. They are not flexible in this.
For more complex tasks, we use prepaid support days and ask Centreon to come onsite.
We did a five-year, multimillion dollar deal.
We're end-of-lifeing it now. Overall, the licensing costs of BMC are a challenge for us in that they're hard costs, whereas open-source monitoring has soft costs, where it's harder to line-item.
The only possible additional cost that I can mention, that you might not be aware of, is that it uses Oracle partitioning, if you use Oracle. There are Oracle partitioning fees that go with that.
It is a large, complex product. So, there is a commitment of manpower to deploy it, as it is not a cheap product.
There is a big upfront cost when you buy the license, then there is annual maintenance. We look at, if I bought a license and paid for maintenance for five years, then average it out, what would be my monthly cost. We have had some of the competing tools come in around four dollars. This is coming in as a premium, which is why I don't have it deployed as I would like it. Therefore, we're in negotiations right now. If I can get it down to the four dollar range, I will triple my deployment in a year and a half.
Pricing is all volume-driven. I think we were paying between $80 and $85 per license. That's per unit, for a perpetual license. You pay it one time and then, every year, you pay 20 percent of that for annual maintenance and support. But now that we've grown, we've purchased tens of thousands of licenses and the cost per license has gone down to something like less than $30...
We pay license fees of between $150 and $200 per asset. There is an enterprise software license fee, and then you pay a percentage for your maintenance, and then Premier Support. For example, if you buy a two-year license for the product, then the maintenance fee is added to that for two years at X percent a year. Then there's a small fee on top of that for Premier Support...
Pricing is very high.
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which IT Infrastructure Monitoring solutions are best for your needs.
384,147 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Top Comparisons
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Also Known As
|ProactiveNet, TrueSight Operations Management
|The Centreon solution, based on a free to download Open Source Platform, monitors all critical IT Infrastructure and Applications with real-time dashboards, analytics and insightful alerts that prevent business-impacting downtimes. Since 2005, over 200,000 IT professionals from SMBs and Fortune 500 companies rely on Centreon to guarantee their organization operational performance.
TrueSight Operations Management is a broad ITOM solution that delivers performance monitoring, event management, end user experience management, AIOps use cases and automated remediation and ticketing . It deploys machine learning and analytics to dynamically learn behavior, correlate, analyze, and prioritize event data so IT operations teams can predict, find and fix issues faster across complex, hybrid environments. TrueSight Operations Management provides a converged view of application and infrastructure performance across physical, virtual, multi-cloud and container environments. With visibility into web, mobile, and on-premises applications, TrueSight provides the insight IT operations needs to deliver high-quality digital services quickly and effectively enough to keep pace with business demands. TrueSight helps IT to ensure that the applications and services that drive the business continue to perform optimally by examining operational norms, automatically revealing abnormalities, measuring service impact, and proactively identifying risk.
InfluxData is the creator of the leading time series database, InfluxDB. The open-source software helps developers and enterprises alike to collect, store, process and visualize time series data and to build next-generation applications — providing monitoring and insight on IoT, application, system, container, and infrastructure metrics — quickly and easily without complexities or compromises in scale, speed or productivity.
For more information regarding InfluxData's products, visit www.influxdata.com/products or contact sales at email@example.com
Founded in 2012 and based in San Francisco, InfluxData is Series D-funded. InfluxData is first and foremost an open source developer-focused company; committed to the collaboration and innovation of the open source community, and has a strong customer base with growing revenue.
Learn more about Centreon
Learn more about BMC TrueSight Operations Management
Learn more about InfluxData
Sample Customers
|Airbus, Bollore, BT, Canal Plus, Kuehne Nagel, Limagrain, LVMH, Oberthur Technologies, Orange, Darty, Addax Petroleum, Plastic Omnium, Auchan, Valeo, Saint Gobin, Clarins, Hugo Boss, JC Decaux, French Government (Defense, Justice, Environment, Agriculture), OptiComm, Thales, Zeiss.
|Ensono Transamerica Boston Scientific Park Place Technologies inContact TD Ameritrade PNC Bank
|InfluxData's customers include Cisco, eBay, IBM and Siemens.
Top Industries
Software R&D Company34%
Comms Service Provider13%
Media Company9%
Manufacturing Company29%
Healthcare Company29%
Financial Services Firm14%
Software R&D Company52%
Financial Services Firm14%
Comms Service Provider6%
Manufacturing Company4%
No Data Available
See also BMC TrueSight Operations Management Reviews, InfluxData Reviews, and our list of Best IT Infrastructure Monitoring Companies.


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Thanks, great article.
Featured Image by Brittany Salerno
It's Friday again, and you know what that means? New music! From eighties/nineties nostalgia to breaking the proverbial music silences, our favorite music makers of today are shaking it up and down to the tune of new, new, and new. Check out our picks to get down with this New Music Friday.
New Singles to Jam to
Kendrick Lamar, "D.N.A."
King Kendrick holds nothing back in this new video. Featuring the rapper taking a polygraph test with actor Don Cheadle (who raps the first verse of the track), the rapper takes on complexity of black experience in America and breaks it down to just the simplest of forms and powerful imagery. You need to sit down, shut up, and listen to this.
Paramore, "Hard Times"
Yesterday, Paramore broke their proverbial musical silence with a new video and new song off of their upcoming album After Laughter. The track and video are a smart, flashy nod to eighties pop, invoking strong Peter Gabriel and 80's MTV vibes, sure to be a summer playlist mainstay. While it is just a first taste of what's to come, we want to hear more. Watch below!
Leif Vollebekk, "Vancouver Time"
If you haven't heard of this delicate folk crooner, you should have. This poetically melodic love song off of his latest album Twin Solitude just hits us right in the feels. What's even better is that you can see it live tonight at World Cafe Live. Get tickets here.
Lana Del Rey featuring The Weeknd, "Lust for Life"
If you're anything like me, you probably had a sharp intake of breath when you saw the title of Lana Del Rey and The Weeknd's latest track. The song is not (and I repeat, is NOT) a contrived moody cover of Iggy Pop's tune of the same name. It IS, however, whimsical pop tune that is just screaming for summer and an obnoxiously delicious bass-drop remix…and the title of Del Rey's upcoming album. Listen below!
Motionless In White, "LOUD (F**k It)"
After opening for In This Moment at the Electric Factory this week, we're kind of obsessed with the Scranton natives. In their newest track off of their upcoming album Graveyard Shift (out May 5), Motionless in White goes full metal anthem and breaks it down for all to hear in "LOUD." Watch and listen for yourself below!
New Albums to Love
Incubus, 8
Will this be an album you get on Record Store Day (April 22)? If the two most recent singles are any indication of what's to come, Incubus's newest and eighth album is part nostalgia and the start of a new era for the band. While they don't stray too far from their signature, late nineties sound, the band is still rocking it. You can get the album here.
Low Roar, Once In a Long, Long While
If you need some new music off the beaten path, look no further than Low Roar. True to its name, the album has a low-in-sound but strong force complete with interesting lyrics and well-orchestrated sounds. You can get it here.
Sheryl Crow, Be Myself
The nineties are alive and well in 2017, and the appearance Crow's latest album is no surprise. The title track features her distinct voice and her signature honest lyrics, but now backed with a 60's-esque keyboards for a refreshing departure. You can get it here.
Which new songs will YOU be getting down to this Friday? Comment below with your new favorites!
Thanks, great article.


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Great Central Railway Salutes Valiant Volunteers
More than three hundred volunteers attended a dinner event at Leicester's King Power stadium. The aim was to celebrate all who give their time to the line and was personally supported by the Directors. The evening culminated with the presentation of the long service awards to people who have loyally served the project.
Chief Executive Andy Munro said, "As we started adding up the numbers, we couldn't believe how many people have been committed to the railway for so long. In total, sixty six people have been volunteers for forty years or more. Combined, that's an extraordinary two thousand six hundred years of service. It is the sort of record many companies can only dream of, so it was absolutely right that we salute their dedication. Along with all of our volunteers, it's their effort which continues to keep the Railway alive".
The original Great Central Railway finally closed in 1969. That year, a number of people met in the waiting room at Leicester Central station to discuss how a section of the line could be preserved as a home for large steam locomotives. At the dinner some of those founding fathers were present, meaning they are approaching half a century of service.
They come from all walks of life and work right across the railway from restoration of priceless heritage to running the trains, all of which will be on show at the Railway's Winter Gala this coming weekend 27-29th January.
Andy continued "we have around seven hundred volunteers at the GCR from all age groups and its great to see young people working alongside more experienced engineers and volunteers. People are passionate about volunteering and helping to shape the future. With major developments coming down the line in the years ahead, there is a real buzz of excitement in the air. It's a great time to get involved and experience the passionate team spirit."
The Great Central is developing a heritage lottery funded museum at its southern terminus in conjunction with the National Railway Museum and Leicester City Council. It is also working to create and eighteen mile heritage railway across the East Midlands.


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WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — It began with bullets and bloodshed one November afternoon. A 21-year-old woman was dead. Two undercover officers had opened fire on her car. The police began asking the usual questions about what had happened, and why.
Their investigation cracked open what one prosecutor called a "Pandora's box of problems" here in Utah's second-largest city, where Mormon pioneers once raised milk cows and sugar beets. There have been accusations of stolen drugs and missing money, abuses of police power and a cloud of corruption that defies Utah's reputation for sunny optimism.
Over the past few months, accusations of bad police work in the narcotics squad of the West Valley City Police Department have engulfed the town and sent shock waves through Utah's justice system. Prosecutors have tossed out 125 criminal cases. Dozens of convictions may have to be re-examined. The F.B.I. is investigating the Police Department and several officers.
Officials in Utah say they have never seen anything like it.
"Chaos," said Sim Gill, the district attorney for Salt Lake County.
And West Valley City, a diverse blue-collar suburb of about 132,000 people that has tried to overcome its image as the state capital's scraggly stepchild, has been knocked on its heels. Instead of discussing new office parks and glimmering shopping malls, city officials are facing a drumbeat of negative news coverage. The city is now likely to face lawsuits from people whose drug arrests have been undermined by accusations of police misconduct.
"As you start to put these things together, each one individually is concerning," Mr. Gill said. "Collectively, they are devastating."
The uproar began with the killing on Nov. 2 of Danielle Willard in the parking lot of a run-down apartment complex.
Ms. Willard, who had struggled with drug addiction for much of her life, was shot and killed by undercover officers from the West Valley City Police Department's neighborhood narcotics unit. The police say that Ms. Willard had been seen buying drugs, and that when officers approached her silver Subaru Forester, she backed up in their direction, striking one officer. They opened fire, hitting her in the head. She was unarmed.
As police investigators combed through the crime scene, they popped opened the trunk of the car belonging to Detective Shaun Cowley — one of two narcotics officers who had been on the scene of the shooting. Inside, they found drug paraphernalia and items linked to previous drug cases. The discovery touched off an investigation into the actions of Detective Cowley and the other officers in the unit.
Lindsay Jarvis, a lawyer for Detective Cowley, said that the evidence found in his car was in sealed, marked bags in a lockbox. "Was there something criminal about it? Absolutely not," she said. "Shaun is being used as a scapegoat for all of the activities going on in the narcotics unit."
In a department with about 180 officers, the neighborhood narcotics unit was a squad of seven officers, one sergeant and one lieutenant that focused on smaller-scale dealers and users, according to Anita Schwemmer, the acting police chief. The unit handled hundreds of cases each year.
As weeks passed with little information about Ms. Willard's killing, questions multiplied. Ms. Willard's family seethed, publicly calling West Valley City's silence a cover-up. Articles in The Salt Lake Tribune raised questions about the department's policies, and people started asking whether West Valley City's residents could still trust its police force.
"It really heated up," said Wayne Pyle, the city manager.
Over the winter, West Valley City's retiring police chief shut down the narcotics unit, leaving drug arrests to patrol officers and other departments. The unit's nine officers were put on administrative leave. And last month, West Valley City officials offered a few details from their investigation into the drug squad.
They found that officers had mishandled evidence and had placed tracking devices on suspects' cars without getting necessary warrants. Confidential informers had been misused. In some cases, officers had removed trinkets like necklaces or candles from the scene of drug arrests as "trophies." In a few instances, drugs and money were missing.
City and police officials say the problems appear to be confined to the narcotics unit, and said most of the missteps were relatively minor, like taking change or DVDs from seized cars that were bound for the auction block. Officials said that only a few officers appeared to have a hand in the most serious breaches.
"Do I believe it's widespread corruption up and down the department?" asked Mr. Pyle, the city manager. "No, I do not."
Whatever its scale, the revelations upended scores of criminal cases.
After Joseph Hu, a network engineer and part-time student, was arrested on charges of drug distribution and weapons possession last September, his lawyer filed a request for West Valley City to test the $40 in heroin they claimed to have seized. A few weeks later, the city dismissed the case with no explanation and let Mr. Hu out of jail.
"All we knew was something was wrong," said Mr. Hu's lawyer, Kelly Ann Booth. "But we didn't know what."
The pattern was repeated in case after case, defense lawyers said: When they decided to challenge drug charges rather than accept a quick guilty plea, West Valley City folded up the cases. Then the district attorney, after reviewing hundreds of cases, began dismissing them by the dozen, saying he could not successfully prosecute them.
"There was not a single case I wanted to dismiss," said Mr. Gill, the district attorney. "We had no choice."
Advocates for Hispanic residents were jarred by one detail: In 93 of 114 cases dismissed by the district attorney, the defendants had Latino last names. City officials say that reflected a reality of how drugs are traded and trafficked in central Utah; activists said it indicated bias.
"This is racial profiling all the way," said Tony Yapias of Proyecto Latino de Utah. The group has been meeting with city officials as they try to rebuild bridges in the community.
So far, no criminal charges have been filed against anyone in the department, and no officers have been fired.
In Washington State, Ms. Willard's mother, Melissa Kennedy, said that she is getting tired of waiting. Her daughter, she said, was a goofy and bubbly girl who was falling into a heroin addiction by the time she was a high school senior. Her parents had sent her to Utah to a rehab program near Salt Lake City. It seemed to work for a while, but Ms. Willard fell back with friends who were drug users.
Ms. Kennedy said that she does not know whether her daughter had started doing drugs again, but she said she was a 21-year-old who should still be alive. Ms. Kennedy has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city.
"I've been lied to, my daughter has been murdered and I don't know why," she said. "There is not one thing they could say to me that I would believe."


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Bleach, bleach, bleach... I absolutely love my bright blonde hair - but after years of maintaining this colour and trying to constantly patch over my puddle water roots my hair has taken quite a battering. Therefore I do suffer with quite dry hair.
To tackle this problem I have recently been using Percy & Reed 'Smoothed, Sealed & Sensational Volumising No Oil, Oil (for fine hair)'. This lifesaver nourishes, repairs and adds volume to hair. The oil is lightweight and silky smooth, which absorbs instantly once applied to towel dried hair. The pump top means you don't end up wasting any oil which is a bonus and another great thing about this product is a little goes a long way - which is what we all want to hear.
The smell is fresh and yummy - containing violet extract it gives a smooth and shiny finish to your hair. You can also buy this product for thick hair as well.
Having had short hair for the last 4 years I have to say I am extremely lazy when it comes to my hair i.e. styling etc - but Percy & Reed Superstar Supersized Bodifying Cream is super easy to apply and causes barely any additional time to getting myself sorted. A recommendation by Percy & Reed was to combine the No oil, oil with the 'Superstar Supersized Bodifying Cream' to create more texture, volume and shininess to my hair. Considering my hair dries naturally dead straight I thought I would give it a go - and wow you should check out my va va voom ladies! I love it!
Percy & Reed Smoothed, Sealed & Sensational Volumising No Oil, Oil - 60ml £14.00 c/o & Percy & Reed Superstar Supersized Bodifying Cream - 150ml £14.00 c/o
Hugs & Kisses


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Lets jump into the numbers to see what interesting information is coming out of the match. Again, I just want to preface this by saying that the sample size for these stats are still very small and can fluctuate greatly from week to week. Even with this being the case, I still feel that there is interesting information to be found.
- Alvaro Saborio and Joao Plata have now played 171 minutes together. In that time RSL has scored 4 times or a goal every 42.75 minutes.
- Nat Borchers and Aaron Maund have played 161 minutes together. In that time the team has only given up 1 goal.
- Luke Mulholland has played 93 minutes so far this season. During that time RSL has scored 4 times or a goal every 23.25 minutes.
- If Mulholland's goal from last week would have counted (as it should have) RSL would be scoring a goal every 18.6 minutes when he is in the match.
- RSL has not scored in the 87 minutes that Mulholland has not been on the field.
- Plata has been on fire. So far he has 2 goals and 1 assist on the season. He has taken 7 shots and all 7 have been on goal.
- Plata currently has a COR score of -62.9 (the lower the score the better).
- RSL has given up 27 shots in each of the last two matches. Prior to 2014 RSL had never given up as many as 27 shots in a game. In MLS history, only one team (Miami 1998) had given up 27 or more shots in two consecutive matches. Thanks to Peter Hirdt (@PeterHirdt) for this stat.
So what do these numbers mean? It is great to see that the starting duo of Plata and Saborio picked up where they left off last year. Statistically they were the best strike partnership for RSL with the team scoring every 33 minutes when they played together last year. They seem to really compliment each other when they play.
|Luke Mulholland
Photo courtesy of Real Salt Lake
Plata has seemed to improve in almost every area of his game. Last season his finishing was very poor. Only 38% of his shots were on goal and only 8% of his shots hit the back of the net. Both of these were the lowest among all RSL forwards. As mentioned above, all of his shots so far have been on frame and he has scored on 28% of his shots taken.
RSL had problems defending set pieces during the middle portion of the season last year. Two of San Jose's goals also came off of set pieces. This is an area of the game where Chris Schuler is missed the most. Schuler is pretty dominate in the air and his return from injury last season helped the RSL back line tremendously. This is one reason why I was saying that Schuler is the most important player for RSL this year.
Saborio has been struggling in these first two matches. Last season 40% of his shots were on goal. So far this year he has taken 8 shots with only 1 of them being on frame (12.5%). He has also missed some chances that normally he puts away. Again we are only two games into the season but this is something that you might keep your eye on.
Finally I have to say I am concerned by the amounts of shots that RSL has given up in the first two matches. Watch for a round table discussion later this week exploring this topic.


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I was finally able to sit down and figure out which books I'm purging from my shelves. I'm ashamed to say that I've only read three books out of this stack. Let's just say I didn't enjoy them as much. I figure, there's no point of me hanging on to them if I had no plans of every reading them anyway, so I might as well give them to someone who would probably give them the love I never could.
There are 17 books in this pile. A couple are popular series that I just didn't enjoy. There are also 5 ARCs and 5 new releases this year. I hope who ever wins them will give them all the love they rightfully deserve.
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken
In the After Light by Alexandra Bracken
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
(ARC)Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn
(ARC)The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal
(ARC)Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen
(ARC)The Name of the Blade by Zoë Mariott
(ARC)The Jewel by Amy Ewing
Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick
Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios
Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White
One Past Midnight by Jessica Shirvington
Falling into Place by Amy Zhang
- Must be at least 13 years old to enter.
- God smites those who will cheat.
- US/CAN only (International followers may enter provided that they will carry the cost of shipping).
- Host will not be responsible for loss and damage while in transit.
- I will probably ask you for your phone number as I will have to insure these books.
- This contest will run from December 22nd to January 15th, 2015.
International followers:
Of course I haven't forgotten about you! Since shipping will cost me my first born child, I figure I should give you the chance to win something too! So here you go:
- Two (2) winners of $20 Amazon gift cards.
- One (1) winner of two (2) books of choice from Book Depository or Amazon whichever you choose.
- OPEN TO EVERYONE. So US and Canadian entrants will have a chance to win in here as well.
- Must be 13 years old to enter.
- There is a place in hell for those who cheats.
- I will not be responsible for loss or damage while in transit.
- This contest will run from December 22nd to January 15th, 2015.


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There's been a strike at my university so the vice-chancellor brought our mid-semester break forward. This doesn't work out to my advantage since I still have work to do for my classes. Usually my mid-semester break is spent catching up on reading but it doesn't look like that is going to happen anytime soon. It is for that reason that my September TBR is a mix of books for college and some really amazing Netgalley reads that I can't wait to start.
Assigned Readings for Class:
1) A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi Wa Thiongo: this is the last book for my previous English module. I actually missed out on the classes on this section because the strike was violent so I didn't go to campus.
2) English Handbook: I'm going to be honest with you guys…I'm probably not going to read this until just before exams. Reading the articles based on the books we've studied in class is my way of preparing for exams.
3) A Grain of Wheat Study Guide: I found this in the library and I'm in awe. I've never found a study guide for any of my college books so this is so fascinating to me. I'm still undecided as to whether I will be reading this now or in preparation for exams.
Netgalley Reads
1) Rise of the Chosen by Anna Kopp: I've heard really great things about this book so I can't wait to start it. Preferably before the book releases.
2) Immortal Writers by Jill Bowers: I was actually reading this before university closed and it was so fun. The Immortal Writers are writers who are so talented that their characters COME TO LIFE! How exciting is that? I get giddy imagining what if that could really happen.
3) The Pleasure of the Rose by Jane Bonander: I've never read anything by Bonander before but I love historical romance so I was really excited to read this.(I say "was" because this was a while back and I can no longer remember what the book is about. I do know that I really liked the plot though).
4) Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky by Holly Martin: I love love love Holly Martin's writing. Her characters are always so colourful and lively and her writing is very entertaining. I can't wait to start reading this book.
Library Books
I hate hate hate my local library (we'll get into that some other time). However when I visited them to get a copy of A Grain of Wheat, I ended up with the books pictured above. Am I going to finish them all? Probably not. But I'd love to try.
What books are on your TBR for the month?


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One More
Posted on October 13th, 2008 in Uncategorized) by admin | 2 Comments »
And a slightly more 'traditional' shot lest you all think I shot Sun Flare in every.single.photo :-)
Just can't say enough how great these two people are. The world could use a lot more like 'em. (aww, group hug, I know) I'm done being mushy. Enjoy the photos and go back to work, everyone!
(PS) Check out those awesome yellow shoes that Liz is wearing!


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|Peter Rogers
In this article I will introduce the following:
1. The concept of 'Creativity meets Technology'
2. A new form of resourcing which combines education with recruitment
3. The next generation of web application development
4. The relevance to iOS 8 development
5. An example of service design being used to help companies harness their workforce
I begin with the following question: What happens when Creativity meets Technology? Studio 13 is Cognizant's Beta Studio. Our strategy is to start with Service Design and build-up from there to offer actualisations of creative visions. We apply the following:
- Technology
- Creativity
- Deep understanding of people
The technology component is of critical importance. By considering technology as a parallel to creativity it takes us beyond a Service Design Studio and gives us the power to bring Beta products to market quickly and efficiently with a carefully defined handover point to the massive scalability of a traditional consultancy. It makes us a Beta Studio with the scalability of a consultancy and that is our ultimate goal.
The more time I spend in technology though, the more I realise I should be spending time thinking about people. A digital transformation can only be successful if the people come along on that journey. Too many times we suggest a new technology without asking the developers. The impact of technology on people is as important as the technology itself.
With Google Glass finally launching in the UK we will see the challenges with the law in regards to driving a vehicle while potentially distracted, potentially recording a film in a cinema and spying on people in public places. The way people react to this technology is probably the most important aspect of wearable technology and certainly Steve Mann devoted a large portion of his time to the sociological aspects.
Let me share my recent experience. We opened a Nearshore Centre in Europe. We started by hiring, training and on-boarding students. It took three months for them to be ready to work for a world class financial institution. I have long complained about the merits of resourcing methodologies, so why not hire the people fresh from an area of large unemployment, personally train them and then arrange for commercial experience to follow. Of course we needed to filter the students for aptitude to learn and English skills, and most importantly to get customer buy-in upfront. We chose a location where students were hungry for work and looking to prove their skills in the real-world. The added bonus here is that we were able to also solve unemployment challenges and provide these young adults a chance to kickstart their career.
This sounds difficult and it is. First, we needed a University, of which we found a suitable location and acquired a floor to build lecture theatres and secure network connectivity to the customer. Second we needed eager students which took a lot of filtering and a dedicated customer buy-in session from one of the University halls. Third we needed a teacher, and this is where I came in. I did not want to teach the team in the local language, as the end customer was in a different country and spoke a different language. Luckily my wife is Czech and I speak none of the language, so I constantly find myself communicating in near telepathic and body linguistics to get my point across. This three-point plan was enough to open a Nearshore Centre where we successfully trained and employed our first batch of students.
What was I teaching the students? The next generation of web frameworks - Web 3.0. Web 3.0 brings us governance. Gone are the days of fly-by-night JQuery Web Apps consisting of 10,000 lines of code inside a single function. The decade of 'Write an App in 30 seconds' long expired its sell by date and in its place a generation burnt by the promises of yesteryear and eager to consider what happens in the next 6 months of a project. Life cycle management is the new 30 second app. Of course you cannot trust people to actually do governance these days as most people will just self-govern and who governs the governor? The answer is simple, choose a framework which has governance built into it.
We selected Angular because it was supported by Google, open source and most importantly built to support Test Driven Development. It clearly learnt from the past. Famo.us originally didn't want to support Angular but now it has the largest activity because they listened to the community and are working on delivering what they wanted. Angular offers governance through its very DNA. It does not stop there though, we wanted to use CoffeeScript which is a far more intelligent scripting language than JavaScript and that easily compiles into it. Most importantly it produces one output which is the very best JavaScript that can be produced. It Lints as it goes along and throw in Strict Mode and the resultant JavaScript is even stronger.
We used a next generational workflow using technologies like Jade, Compass, Jasmine and the philosophies of Test Driven Development and Continual Integration.
We also introduced the MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express, Angular and Node) which allowed us to use MongoDB as a Service offerings (like MongoLab) in combination with JSFiddle. This in turn allowed us to prototype, teach from code examples and share code snippets. In means that the students can start programming from day one without having to set up dedicated environments.
I believe this is the most reliable and future proof web development stack. This is what I am currently teaching at the micro-University. The most important aspect here is the people. Training is not easy. Training in a locale with a different language and a populace of mostly graduates possessing a general lack of cutting edge commercial experience, is even harder. If it works then we have a new form of combined resourcing, recruitment and education which is ready for the next decade of staffing requirements. I give this the handle of 'Edu-cruitment' which is the combination of education and recruitment which focuses largely on the people aspect.
On the last day of the course Apple announced Swift for iOS 8. Whilst a million Objective-C programmers shed a silent (and not so silent) tear, a whole new batch of hungry students were born overnight. Of course on flicking through a few Swift guides it became abundantly clear that Apple's plan was to lower the point of enter for App developers. This appears to involve taking a strong steer from ECMAScript 6 and CoffeeScript. After teaching both the languages for many weeks then I felt far more confident that I could pick up Swift and even teach the language, than I could pick up C# as a professional Java developer.
Often that Chinese translator you were looking for is one desk behind you in London and really you don't have 5000 C# developers at all and so it is really time to start hiring. It also gives staff the capability of assessing themselves and seeing in which direction they want to take their careers.
Identifying potential at an early stage makes career planning far easier for companies and this is traditionally a big challenge in the IT space. The mobility aspect gives you the chance to push assessments out to your workforce and to socially collaborate with them in real-time. It becomes far more than just a limited desktop based exam that nobody really wants to take. Mobility allows you to bring the assessment to the people, rather than the people to the assessment. People will generally only do things if they are enjoyable and that is where the limitations of traditional assessment falls flat.
Studio 13 wants to help the world solve problems and this comes from a deep desire to listen to what customers are saying. It wants to offer not just an unattainable creative vision, but one that is deliverable through the carefully considered application of next generation technology - and that also takes into account the wider impact on the people involved.
Maybe the combination of creative, technology and people will cause the Universe to explode, but if it does then I feel the Universe was somehow broken in the first place.
"Once there was only dark. If you ask me, the light's winning." [Matthew McConaughey , True Detective]
Kevin Benedict
Writer, Speaker, Editor
Senior Analyst, Digital Transformation, EBA, Center for the Future of Work Cognizant
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***Full Disclosure: These are my personal opinions. No company is silly enough to claim them. I am a mobility and digital transformation analyst, consultant and writer. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.


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