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|PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
|Square Enix
|Square Enix
|Traditional RPG
| 03/09/10
It's hard to write about a game such as Final Fantasy XIII without bringing into account its storied history. Being in development for the better part of a half decade, Final Fantasy XIII achieved a near cult status among gamers as a beacon of superiority that PlayStation 3 owners could hold over everyone else derisively. Then came the announcement of the end of the game's exclusivity, which caused many to literally break down to tears at the perceived betrayal. Conspiracy theories about corporate corruption flew, angry forum posts were posted, petitions were signed, and boycotts were sworn, but the Square Enix continued concurrent development of the game on both systems despite the outrage.
The mere moniker 'Final Fantasy' incites countless debates of quality and its 'right' to bear the Final Fantasy name. There are many who pride themselves in 'just knowing' what a Final Fantasy game 'should be,' and cling desperately to the 'tradition' of the series, but in truth of fact each entry is very nearly a franchise in of itself. Each new game takes the series in a new direction, meant to be a fresh experience for all. Perhaps the only 'tradition' of a Final Fantasy game is the inevitability that each entry will divide the fanbase into enthusiastic supporters and vicious detractors. The question I always ask of a game that is riding on the Final Fantasy namesake is if it evolves or raises the bar in a certain aspect of the series in any meaningful way. Does it improve upon its predecessors, whether in story or in gameplay?
To maintain as much objectivity as possible - and also because I had a negligible interest in the game itself - I played the game with no real expectations and without any intent to judge it one way or the other. It is telling, then, that despite this, I still came away from the game with a somewhat tangible amount of disappointment.
The story of Final Fantasy XIII takes place on the world of Pulse, inhabited by Godlike machine beings called fal'Cie, each of whom watches over the humans living under its area of jurisdiction. Floating above Pulse is the city of Cocoon, also maintained by its own fal'Cie. Each fal'Cie can choose humans under its jurisdiction to become l'Cie - agents under its employ that must fulfill a certain role, or Focus. Those who fulfill their Focus turn into crystal and are granted eternal life, while those who do not are turned into hideous monsters called Cie'th. The problem lies in the fact that no l'Cie is ever given clear knowledge as to what his or her Focus is, and thus must find out and fulfill it or face transformation.
Cocoon and Pulse live in fear of each other, both in constant terror that the other side is preparing for an all out assault - an attack that has not come despite centuries of propaganda painting the other side as vicious monsters. The fear is such that anyone in cocoon who comes into contact with any trace of Pulse is quarantined and sent away (or "Purged"), along with anyone who is associated with them in even the most remote fashion. As the story begins, a group of Cocoon residents are branded as Pulse l'Cie, but instead of submitting to the unfair practice of Purging, the small group of ragtag warriors fight against their chosen fate.
The story itself is serviceable, but at its base level it achieves none of the standards set by previous games in the series. The characters don't develop in a meaningful or realistic manner, and much of their motivations and personal revelations end up being absurd or unbelievably thin. The only main character I found to be believable was Sazh; while the other characters suffer from terrible writing and trite motivations, Sazh's relationship with his son and desire to keep his child safe offers possibly the most moving characterization in the game. The relative dearth of believable character development detracts from the overall story, which itself is not groundbreaking or even particularly well written. This wouldn't be a problem if not for the fact that the game was designed in total service to the story. From the battle system to the dungeon design, the game was crafted to completely accommodate the narrative.
Make no mistake, the story is not bad so much as it is generic and clichéd. The fact that the first half of the game suffers from an abysmally uneven pacing (possibly the worst in recent memory) only serves to highlight the inadequacy of the story. While many interesting themes are touched upon - such as blind discrimination against innocent outsiders and mindless loyalty to obviously unjust state policies - they are never really explored in any meaningful way, instead bludgeoning players with the message that "A is right, and B is wrong." It seems almost like the developers were attempting to make a commentary on current social norms but chickened out when push came to shove. After the incredible character development of the main character in X, and the excellent execution of the story in XII, the step back on all fronts is genuinely disheartening. This may be a problem with the base script itself, but even then a superior presentation could have salvaged it - Square Enix is no stranger to excellent localizations, as games like Final Fantasy XII, Vagrant Story, and War of the Lions attest to.
Fortunately, the same cannot be said of the visuals; the graphics in Final Fantasy XIII are absolutely gorgeous, no two ways about it. Even during cutscenes utilizing the in-game engine, the meticulous attention to detail, not only of the characters but also their surroundings, is honestly staggering - to say nothing of the actual CG cutscenes that are littered throughout the game. Square Enix has always been an industry leader when it comes to production values, but they've really outdone themselves with this game - it's hard to believe that it can possibly be surpassed in terms of graphical quality by future games. It should be noted that, despite a slightly noticeable lack of visual fidelity, the port to 360 is still breathtaking in every sense of the word. Of course, it shouldn't be any surprise that Square Enix's flagship series has gorgeous visuals, but the obvious attention to the stellar graphics is to be commended.
Aurally, Final Fantasy XIII is a mixed bag. The soundtrack is generally forgettable - since Nobuo Uematsu passed on the project in favor of scoring the music for Final Fantasy XIV, Masashi Hamauzu took up the helm in composing the music in XIII. While none of the music is outright bad, the soundtrack as a whole isn't terribly remarkable; most of the tracks are forgettable, with certain notable exceptions. The battle music, in particular, will most likely be stuck in your head for weeks after the game's conclusion. The voicework of the game is excellent, and each of the voice actors gives an incredible performance that is head and shoulders above most other JRPG localizations. Troy Baker does an admirable job as Snow, and Reno Wilson as Sazh always delivers some enjoyable lines in the form of bizarre colloquial terms.
The area where Final Fantasy XIII will truly be divisive among players is the gameplay. Let's get the most controversial aspects out of the way first: Final Fantasy XIII is linear, almost to a fault. Each dungeon is large, but ends up being what amounts to an incredibly long road from point A to point B with some small branches that lead to either dead ends with enemy encounters or treasure orbs that give mostly negligible spoils. This extends to towns, as well - each town is basically a dungeon without battles. There are no townsfolk to converse with, no shops to buy items from (as all shopping is done through save points), and no sidequests to embark on. In short, almost every locale in the first half of the game only act as links from one story point to the next; even small glimmers of exploration possibilities are stifled as the player will realize that even some places the minimap indicates can be traversed end up being blocked by invisible walls or NPCs.
About halfway through the game the areas open up, and the game gives players access to large open fields ripe for exploration, but by this time the many players who couldn't stomach the 20 or so hours of running through one-way dungeons would probably have already dismissed the game. The question is whether the mere existence of an area with the potential for exploration late in the game negates or eclipses the sheer linearity of the preceding 20 to 25 hours. This of course is up to each individual player, but I found myself nearly giving up before reaching this point due to the fact that the game was doing nothing but shepherding me along without even giving me the choice of party composition for much of my time playing it.
As always, the meat of the game is in the battles. Final Fantasy XIII features the return of the ATB combat system that has now all but become synonymous with the Final Fantasy name. Players control one character (the party leader) out of a potential party of three, and when the leader's HP reaches 0, the game is over. However, the most notable element of battle is that now the default command is 'Auto Battle.' Auto battle usually chooses the best abilities that fit the situation, and using Libra (which shows enemy weaknesses and resistances) allows auto battle to choose the strongest attacks against enemies. While players can still manually choose the abilities that their characters use each turn, they are strongly encouraged to use auto battle due to the frantic pace of battles. However, this does not give players carte blanche to keep mashing the confirm button to cruise through battles. Instead of dictating the actions of their party leader manually, players need to focus on Paradigm Shifts.
Each character can become one of six major classes that fit into attack, defense, and support. Paradigm Shifts are commands executed in battle that change the classes of the party into configurations that are decided by the player in the menu screen. At any given time the player may have six different Paradigm configurations to select in battle. Most boss battles (and some normal ones) simply can't be beat with one specific set of classes, and as such, effective use of the Paradigm system is required to progress. The system rewards players that approach battles from a different angle when a prior one fails. If the party suffers from a devastating attack, it would be prudent to spend time in a defensive paradigm to recover before continuing the offensive.
The other major aspect of the battle system is staggering. A requirement to fighting some of the stronger enemies in the game is to stagger them. While staggered, the damage against them is increased significantly and they become much more manageable. To stagger enemies, their chain gauge needs to be completely filled, and dealing damage to them is the most effective method to do this. However, the gauge slowly decreases when the enemy is not attacked, so skillful use of Commandos (who slow the decrease of the chain gauge) and Ravagers (who increase the chain gauge quickly) is a necessity. Added to this is the existence of battle techniques, abilities that give tangible benefits in combat. These include abilities such as Libra (which identifies enemy weaknesses), Quake (which increases the chain bonus for enemies), and Summon (which is self explanatory). These abilities expend TP, which can be recovered by doing well in battles. Because TP is incredibly limited, and the best battle techniques often use a large amount of TP, these options should be used sparingly, and only for the most arduous of fights.
The problem with battles becomes thus: the developers' desire for visual panache permeates the battle system as well, and this can cause some unnecessary headaches. Too many of the characters decide that they need to pose dramatically while they attack, and during this animation it is all too easy to knock them out of whatever they're doing, wasting precious time and possibly canceling one of their attacks. This doesn't just extend to combat actions, either; whenever a Paradigm Shift is executed, party members do a Dragonball-esque 'Power Charging' pose that stops them in their tracks, while the enemy still has free reign to attack as it sees fit. This means that a lot of the damage the player incurs isn't due to bad planning, but rather the developers' habit to make characters act like they're performing in a Matrix film. While this isn't a major problem, it has cost me more than a handful of battles that I otherwise would most likely have won.
Individual characters progress stat-wise through the Crystallium, which serves as the leveling system of the game. It is essentially a cross of the Sphere Grid system in Final Fantasy X and the job system in Final Fantasy V. There are six main classes in Final Fantasy XIII, and characters expend CP gained from battles to advance their progress in each class. However, each character progresses through each class in different ways; one may obtain more powerful curative spells first, whereas another may only be given a first level Cure for most of the game but early access to the revival ability. This strikes a near perfect balance between having each character being the same ability wise and having each character be functionally unique. Each character leans towards particular roles in battle, but can fulfill any role competently.
Final Fantasy XIII is a long game. Those who stop playing a game right after the end credits roll are looking at a minimum of 30 hours of game time, which is extended considerably if the player partakes in activities such as maximizing character abilities and monster hunts. However, there is still not much in the way of auxiliary content; having to grind for CP and items to progress each character to their maximum potential is a poor substitute for actual sidequests and extra content that could otherwise enrich the unique and beautiful world that the developers have created. As it stands, Pulse and Cocoon feel sort of empty and artificial.
From the general tone of my review, some may believe that I disliked Final Fantasy XIII, and this assumption couldn't be farther from the truth. I honestly enjoyed the game a great deal. As an RPG, it is an excellent experience that provides a beautifully crafted world and engaging battle system. However, as a Final Fantasy game, it falls short of expectations somewhat. While its forebears always pushed the envelope in some respect, Final Fantasy XIII is an all around above average game that fails to set the bar for any one area. The beautiful environments feel hollow and lifeless, and the otherwise decent story is bogged down by bland or nonexistent character development and a lack of depth in execution. Considering the amount of time spent in development, what we got was underwhelming. However, this does not change what Final Fantasy XIII is: a beautiful and enjoyable, if flawed, entry to the series.


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Do you use DropShots for iOS? If you're an iPhone or iPad user, then you should because the app gives you more speed and flexibility than the mobile site.
We've just released a new version of the DropShots app that has the following changes:
- fixed albums layout
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Last May the Harper government gave a $12 million grant to a frozen pizza maker that really irked the Canadian restaurant industry.
While the frozen pizza industry is subsidized by the government to make up for the higher cheese prices that come as a result of the supply managed system of tariffs, quotas and price-setting, pizzerias are not.
Apparently some have decided to take matters into their own hands.
On Monday — in a story you might expect from the Onion – CBC reported that the Niagara Regional Police is investigating a cheese smuggling ring.
"With U.S. cheese being as little as a third the price it is in Canada, drivers are making $1,000 to $2,000 a trip," the story says.
Adding to the absurdity, the police department's internal affairs division is also investigating, because officers were allegedly involved.
Mario Sebastiano, the owner of Super Mario's pizza in Port Colborne, told the CBC he was approached by a Fort Erie man.
"He was gonna sell me a case for 150 bucks — normally its $240," he said.
Brandon Elms, from Volcano Pizzeria in Fonthill, assured CBC he wasn't part of the "mozzarella mafia."
"We thought it was a joke at first. We get all our stuff legit," he said.
There has been speculation the Harper government is considering dismantling supply management through either the Trans-Pacific Partnership or Canada-EU CETA negotiations, but many see the estimated $30 billion compensation cost as an insurmountable obstacle.


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One of the first things I realised is how much there is to learn. While I feel I've placed rhythm at the centre of my practice and music for around 5 years, and I feel comfortable playing things like quintuplets and septuplets in a variety of groupings, playing over grooves composed using Marcelo's Coelho's 'rhythmic line' concept was extraordinarily difficult, as was playing Love for Sale at 250 B.P.M. in 11/4. Finding out you're terrible at something is always a great thing: there's always more work to do.
Also, I was struck by everyone's willingness to engage in any demonstration; singing and clapping was present almost constantly. This stands in contrast to many attitudes I've experienced in Australia: trying to get people to stand, sing and clap is often met with fear. What students seem not to realise is that involvement of this kind is the best way to gauge where you're at with the materials; if it's not in your body and voice you don't stand a chance of playing it on your instrument.
As always it's good to be reminded of the international standard: it seems more and more musicians all around the world are placing rhythm at the centre of their musical concerns. From what I can see so far, this is resulting in music as complex as ever. No doubt some people hate this direction for improvised music, and I must that, personally, I swing between loving it and hating it, depending mainly on the aesthetic the performers bring to this sort of music.
If you remember my post about the work concept in jazz, it might come as no surprise to you that I'm wary of complex written music in improvised music becoming and end in itself. Personally I prefer to marry complex rhythmic structures with interactive ensemble playing. What this means is that I'm conscious of avoiding structures that hinder the use of a multitude of rhythmic speeds, as I believe that these are key to maintaining the expansive ensemble sound I enjoy in jazz and improvised music.
Thinking more about students, Ronan Guilfoyle's lecture outlining his compulsory four-year rhythm studies course at the New Park school in Dublin, Ireland made it clear that very soon 5/4, 7/4, 9/4 and 11/4 will no longer be thought of as 'odd' time signatures, and that an understanding of Konokol and Korvai will be basic knowledge for any student who has a Bachelor degree or equivalent. With huge amounts of information available online, it is really up to students to get to work on this stuff sooner rather than later.
The discovery of Jose Eduardo Gramani two books: "Ritmica" and "Ritmica Viva" has been a revelation. While I've only just grazed the surface of what is in these tomes, it seems pretty clear that hundreds, possibly thousands of hours of practice and frustration await me. Marcelo Coelho is in the process of translating his doctoral thesis which possible various musical applications the ideas contained in these books; I look forward to reading it.
All in all, the conference has been incredible, and I've learnt a lot. I have every intention of applying to attend the next in Sweden.


text: They are known by many names: Gypsies, Travelers, and Roma which is how they prefer to be known. Whatever you call them, Roma are among the most widely dispersed and yet the least understood ethnic groups on earth. VOA's Adam Phillips filed this report on Romany culture and its influences in New York, where thousands of the world's estimated 12 million Roma make their home.


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Modern Pattern Design – Harriet Pepin
StephC Removing back thigh fabric from her Clovers (tutorial)
More Pants fitting links on 3HoursPast
Flat Seat adjustment aka the fisheye dart from the Sewing Space (video tutorial)
Colette's Cheatsheet for pants fitting. Not all go to tutorials but I'm guessing more are in the works.
Of note, Colette has up a pictutorial for both flat and full butt. Start with the butt and crotch.
Sewaholic pants fitting resource links (but really, it's the same Colette and Sunni links)
Sunni's crotch talk from her trouser sewalong
A Fix for a Baggy Seat by Kenneth D. King
Madalynne talks about crotch hook width
If I'm missing a really great online fitting tutorial please let me know. I'm looking for all kinds of fitting instructions but specifically how to fit slim fit/skinny pants/trousers/jeans.


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Himalica chose to set up and promote a sea buckthorn value chain in Pakistan to strengthen the livelihoods and resilience of mountain men and women in Gilgit Baluchistan. The sea buckthorn value chains was selected based on its ecological significance, comparative advantage, and market potential, as well as its socio-economic benefits and the growing relevance of plant and animals in a changing context affected by climate change and other factors.
Over a relatively short time period, the Himalica pilot has mobilized farmers and local organizations, increased their awareness and skills on farming practices, and contributed to value addition at the local level. It has also fostered market development, rural enterprise development, and private sector linkages.
Sea buckthorn is found in most of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, and is a niche high value multipurpose crop. Building on the successful experiences of its Pakistan pilot, ICIMOD would like to explore the regional potential of a sea buckthorn value chain to strengthen alternative livelihood options for mountain men and women across the HKH.
ICIMOD would like to explore avenues for regional collaboration with potential partner organizations (public and private) for the exchange of knowledge, research, and business-to-business linkages. The centre hopes that such regional partnerships will evolve as necessary and sustain in the long run.
Objectives/expected results


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Etymology 1[edit]
From Middle English yielden, yelden, ȝelden ("to yield, pay"), from Old English ġieldan ("to pay"), from Proto-Germanic *geldaną ("to pay"), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeldʰ- ("to pay"). Cognate with Scots yield ("to yield"), North Frisian jilden ("to pay"), Saterland Frisian Saterland Frisian jäilde ("to be valid; matter; count; be worth"), West Frisian jilde ("to pay"), Low German Low German gellen, Dutch gelden ("to apply, count, be valued, be regarded"), German gelten ("to apply, count, be valued, be regarded"), Icelandic gjalda ("to pay, yield, give").
yield (third-person singular simple present yields, present participle yielding, simple past yielded or (obsolete) yold, past participle yielded or (obsolete) yolden)
- (obsolete) To pay, give in payment; repay, recompense; reward; requite.
- (Can we date this quote?) William Shakespeare
- God 'ild [yield] you!
- (Can we date this quote?) William Shakespeare
- Tend me to-night two hours, I ask no more, / And the gods yield you for 't.
- (Can we date this quote?) Beaumont and Fletcher
- God yield thee, and God thank ye.
- (Can we date this quote?) Gareth and Lynette, Alfred Tennyson
- The good mother holds me still a child! Good mother is bad mother unto me! A worse were better; yet no worse would I. Heaven yield her for it!
- (Can we date this quote?) William Shakespeare
- To furnish; to afford; to render; to give forth.
- (Can we date this quote?) John Milton
- Vines yield nectar.
- Bible, Job 24.5:
- The wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.
- (Can we date this quote?) John Milton
- To give way; to allow another to pass first.
- Yield the right of way to pedestrians.
- To give as required; to surrender, relinquish or capitulate.
- They refuse to yield to the enemy.
- (Can we date this quote?) William Shakespeare
- I'll make him yield the crown.
- (Can we date this quote?) John Milton
- Shall yield up all their virtue, all their fame.
- To give, or give forth, (anything).
- c. 1610-11, William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act I scene ii[1]:
- […] We'll visit Caliban, my slave, who never / Yields us kind answer.
- c. 1610-11, William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act I scene ii[1]:
- (intransitive) To give way; to succumb to a force.
- 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula, chapter 21:
- He turned the handle as he spoke, but the door did not yield. We threw ourselves against it. With a crash it burst open, and we almost fell headlong into the room.
- 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula, chapter 21:
- To produce as return, as from an investment.
- Historically, that security yields a high return.
- (mathematics) To produce as a result.
- Adding 3 and 4 yields a result of 7.
- (linguistics) To produce a particular sound as the result of a sound law.
- Indo-European p- yields Germanic f-.
- (engineering, materials science, of a material specimen) To pass the material's yield point and undergo plastic deformation.
- (rare) To admit to be true; to concede; to allow.
- (Can we date this quote?) John Milton
- I yield it just, said Adam, and submit.
- (Can we date this quote?) John Milton
- submit - To fully surrender
- capitulate - To end all resistance, may imply a compensation with an enemy or to end all resistance because of loss of hope
- succumb - To fully surrender, because of helplessness and extreme weakness, to the leader of an opposing force
- relent - A yielding because of pity or mercy
- defer - A voluntary submitting out of respect, reverence or affection
- give way - To succumb to persistent persuasion.
- surrender - To give up into the power, control, or possession of another
- cede - To give up, give way, give away
- give up - To surrender
- produce - To make (a thing) available to a person, an authority, etc.
- bear - To produce something, such as fruit or crops
- supply - To provide (something), to make (something) available for use
- give in
- to trade away - to let others get hold of a property or right of yours.
Etymology 2[edit]
From Middle English ȝeld, from Old English ġield, from Proto-Germanic *geldą ("reward, gift, money"), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeldʰ- ("to pay"). Compare West Frisian jild, Dutch geld, Low German and German Geld, Danish gjæld, Swedish gäld, Icelandic gjald. See also geld.
yield (countable and uncountable, plural yields)
- (obsolete) Payment; tribute.
- A product; the quantity of something produced.
- Zucchini plants always seem to produce a high yield of fruit.
- (law) The current return as a percentage of the price of a stock or bond.
- 2013 July 6, "The rise of smart beta", in The Economist, volume 408, number 8843, page 68:
- Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.
- (finance) Profit earned from an investment; return on investment.
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English lemmas
- English verbs
- English words following the I before E except after C rule
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English intransitive verbs
- en:Mathematics
- en:Linguistics
- en:Engineering
- en:Materials science
- English terms with rare senses
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with usage examples
- en:Law
- English terms with quotations
- en:Finance


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To the relief of many, the build-up to the forthcoming shinty campaign has been relatively free from the sort of wrangles which have enveloped the sport in recent years.
In the absence of late changes to the league structure, sparked in 2015 by last-minute team withdrawals and requests to move down the divisions, this time the focus of attention is firmly where it should be — on the park.
This year's Marine Harvest Premiership will again be keenly fought at either end of the table, and on the west coast there is the extra spice of having two teams in the division for the very first time as Skye prepare to join neighbours Kinlochshiel.
At the summit Newtonmore will be again be looking to consolidate their position as the sport's dominant team. The premiership trophy has found a home at the Eilan for the past six years — a period in which the club's strength and depth has been reflected in the clutch of other trophies won at senior and junior level.
Yet every season there are two schools of thought which still persist around the champions who, while unstoppable in the league, have been prone to vulnerability in the cup competitions.
Is their cup record a sign of a weakness that ought to be more regularly exploited? Or does the fact that Newtonmore keep winning league titles — at a time when several other clubs have proved themselves capable of lifting trophies — indicate a talent and strength of character which doesn't always get the credit it deserves?
The latter probably carries more truth than the former — Newtonmore's cup record is still pretty good, and last season they lost just once in 18 premiership matches to win the league by 10 points. But the chasing pack should also have cause for encouragement.
Last year there were historic cup wins for both Glenurquhart and Lovat and, with Kyles and Kingussie also relatively fresh from success, the indications are that the competition in the top flight ought to be fierce.
Squad strength and consistency seems to be what sets Newtonmore apart from the rest, but over the next few months we'll find out if anyone else has what it takes to get close.
Can Lovat — on the back of a first Camanachd Cup triumph in 60 years — kick on and add further silverware? Will Glenurquhart — who also banished a hoodoo in lifting the MacTavish Cup in 2015 — challenge on a more regular basis? Will Kyles' talented team — runners-up in both league and Scottish cup last year — be able to go one better this time around?
Last season just six points separated fourth-placed Lochaber and Kingussie, who were ninth and needed a play-off victory against National Division runners-up Kilmallie to avoid the drop. This year there will be no such luxury for the team in second-bottom spot so a relegation scrap — from which possibly only one or two clubs are immune — can be expected.
LOOKING AHEAD, Camanachd Association president Jim Barr anticipated a vibrant premiership battle to unfold.
"There's a lot to look forward to — and we can expect things to be pretty well matched," said Barr, who is going into his second full season as the head of the sport's governing body. "All the teams have something to offer and we have a new club, Skye, joining on the crest of a wave.
"Below that I am pleased the national league will have its full complement of eight teams. The jury is still out on this division, and we know there is hardship involved for the teams to compete. But we want it to become sustainable and competitive, and to bridge the gap between the top flight and area leagues. To do this needs eight teams to fight it out.
"From what I have seen Kilmallie could well be the team to watch there this year, but others will also have a say."
As ever the weather will be a worry, and officials have tried to draw up a fixture list which limits lengthy travel in the early weeks of the season. A new byelaw has been introduced which requests teams to give at least 36-hours' notice should a pitch look like it might be unplayable, giving greater scope to find an alternative venue.
Another perennial problem is a shortage of referees.
Although there are just about enough officials to cover games, the recruitment of more former players to take up the whistle continues to be a priority.
So too will be finding a new sponsor for the game's most sought after prize.
A long term deal with SSE/Scottish Hydro to sponsor the Camanachd Cup concluded in 2015, and officials are on the hunt for a new backer for what is still considered the sport's blue riband competition.
CAMANACHD ASSOCIATION chief operating officer Torquil Macleod said increasing participation numbers, and the addition of a new youth development officer, augured well for the sport.
He added: "We are now into year two of the current strategic plan for shinty. Good progress was made in 2015 against the various targets and we aim to maintain the positive momentum.
"A key target is to achieve 20 per cent growth in active members by the end of 2017 — that would be a membership figure of 3,300 in 2017, up from 2,750 in 2014. I am pleased to confirm we are well on track.
"Despite all the good stuff there are still lots of challenges. The key things for us are the development of playing facilities that keep pace with other sports, and the recruitment of match officials."
There's more coverage previewing the shinty season in this week's West Highland Free Press


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HIPS: With your feet together, measure around the fullest part of your hips to ensure you'll have enough room to move comfortably.
TALL: All tall sizes are 5 cm longer than regular sizes and are marked with a T behind the size
SHORT: All short sizes are 5 cm shorter than regular sizes and are marked with a S behind the size
Ultra-tight, second-skin fit that keeps you locked in.
A slimmer, athletic cut that allows total mobility but eliminates the bulk of extra fabric.
Fuller cut for complete comfort, total range of motion & greater breathability.
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Not only did the threading thought the suit start to unravel but the thigh area crumbles after 2 or 3 wears I really love the way this outfit feels and fits but it's coming apart literally at the seems
I have two pair of this pants and the "Move" hoodie, I must say they are very stylish and comfortable. I rarely wear them and not receive complements and again they feel amazing. However they all have tears or ripped fabric in less than a month. I got an exchange and the new version tear right at the pocket as well. Hopefully they update the move line and move 2.0 is better quality.
Fits true to size I am 6'2 with linger legs a large fits perfectly like a glove. Please note it fits snug so if you like not next to skin order a size up. Most comfortable pants I also bought the UA move hoodie both highly recommend.
Great joggers at first but then they started to pill and wear quickly. I would hope that they would last longer for the price
I'll start with the good. I was searching for good travel/ casual pants and these nailed it. A waist band that doesn't crush your stomach, zippered pockets and that awesome internal phone pocket. The material is great and the pants just look cool.
However, I wore them only twice so far and the second time I was taking them off and while putting my foot through the cuff it started to tear off. I was actually scared this would happen as the cuff is very tight and even with carefully taking them off they ripped. It's clearly a design flaw and an unfortunate one for the price of these pants. A zippered lower leg would make these the ultimate pants.
I've bought 4 of these sweatpants. One in each color, 2 green, black, and burgundy.
1st green pair developed a hole when the thread came out at the thigh.
Thought it was bad luck, returned 2 weeks ago to buy a second pair and the pocket is already having the thread fall out and deteriorate.
Highly unacceptable for the price of these sweats.
I actually got these in the mail just before I went to the gym, and am happy I did! Not only was I comfortable during my workout, but these pants are flexible and move with you. They are true to advertisement! They keep you cool when necessary and warm when necessary as well. I highly recommend snatching up a pair of these beauties!
These are now my preferred go to cool/cold weather running pants. Have used down to 30 degrees. Nice fabric, comfortable, functional, and I like the fit, not too tight, just right! Lite weight ankle zips might be a nice addition. I am 6'3" 205 and went with the XL. Definitely would recommend.
Love the fit. I'm 5'7", 150 lbs, 31" waist, 30.5" inseam, and an avid road cyclist. Medium size is perfect. Of note, tapered sweats typically don't fiit me well for 2 reasons: 1) my cycling calves are usually too tight. 2) my shorter legs mean usually the legs bunch up at the bottom above the elasticated cuff. These have addressed both concerns. The 29" inseam is perfect, the cuffs are snugger than usual, and the calf area above the base nicely accommodate my calves without being snug. Added bonus, super comfortable and look great on. Highly recommend for those like me!
Después de un sólo uso está destrozado, lleno de carreras como si de unas medias de mujer se tratase.


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text: Charlotte aka the "Queen City" is the state's largest municipality and has an active recycling program in conjunction with Mecklenburg County, for its residents and businesses through its Solid Waste Services Department. In April, Charlotte sponsored a week-long series of special events designed to educate citizens about the many programs currently underway in various neighborhoods. Read the rest of this entry »


text:
Barring Gifted But Poor Students from College
I try to stay away from the New York Review of Books. It is a trap for aimless readers like me. I may enjoy a piece on the last Khan of Mongolia. But that makes me want to sample a letter about derivatives or a review of what Titian thought of Tintoretto. Pretty soon it's bedtime and I have forgotten to do important stuff like talk to my wife and watch "The Closer" on TNT.
Yet I couldn't resist a piece in the May 14 issue by Columbia University humanities professor Andrew Delbanco about the sorry state of American higher education. In most respects, it was a splendid analysis of what ails our universities: bad investments, recession, elitism, etc. But on one crucial point he lost me. That was his conclusion that "a great many gifted and motivated young people are excluded from college for no other reason than their ability to pay, and we have failed seriously to confront the problem."
I noticed he did not identify even one person to whom this had happened. Like many writers in the review, Delbanco was observing from the scholarly heights. His was a wide-angle view, full of national statistics and global analysis. That was one of the pleasures of reading the piece, to see all these issues in historical and social context.
What troubled me as I read his conclusion was this thought: In 27 years of reporting on urban high schools, the sort of places where you would most likely encounter gifted and motivated kids denied a chance at higher education because of money, I have never found a single student who fit that description.
If I had, it would have been a great story. An impoverished student with an A average who could find no way into college would have grabbed my editors' attention. Letters of indignation at our society's failings would have flooded the editorial page. Big checks and offers of scholarships would have poured in from businesses and colleges to ensure that this student realized his dream.
Maybe I am not nearly as a good a reporter as I think I am. Maybe I just missed those stories. At the end of this column, I will ask your help in testing that thesis. For the moment, however, let's put aside my inadequacies and consider what I have observed, many times, that is keeping potentially gifted and motivated young people out of college. It has little to do with their ability to pay.
Delbanco's conclusion rests on data from the 2002 "Empty Promises" report by the federal Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. The study authors estimated that more than 160,000 students with annual family incomes below $50,000 were qualified for college admission but did not attend even a two-year community college because of financial barriers.
The report didn't identify any of those students either, and its data don't make Delbanco's case. The report's definition of college-qualified -- a 2.7 grade point average or an 820 combined math and verbal score on the SAT -- did not match Delbanco's portrait of gifted and motivated applicants.
I am convinced that the problem is not colleges putting up too many financial obstacles in the way of bright kids, but public school systems failing to give our many potentially successful high schoolers -- and their elementary and middle school siblings -- the academic skills and working habits they need to be ready for college.
Average reading and math achievement for 17-year-olds is like my patience with traffic jams: It has not noticeably improved in the past 30 years. Low-income students with good brains continue to perform poorly in large part, I think, because they attend high schools run by people who don't believe such kids can learn very much and who don't try very hard to teach them. Educators who do believe in their potential find it difficult to get the resources they need because too many policymakers, politicians, voters and taxpayers do not share that optimism.
When the poor but gifted and motivated students Delbanco describes materialize, they are treated like 6-11 power forwards looking for athletic scholarships. College recruiters underline their names. High school teachers load them up with awards. Counselors decide which of many interested colleges might be best for them. I can name scores of Washington area educators, and organizations like the DC College Access Program, who make sure students like that are not overlooked.
Staying in college is still a challenge for them, but at the moment we are assessing the notion that they can't go at all. Even in the worst of circumstances, their teachers and counselors find community colleges for them and help them stay on track to a four-year college. Doing anything less, given the rarity of such students, would be inconceivable to the educators I know.
But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe, as Delbanco says, we are ignoring many accomplished but poverty-stricken young scholars. Help me test that theory. My e-mail address is at the bottom. Send me the name and contacts of any gifted and motivated students you know who have been unable to go to college because of money. If their stories check out, I will confess my ignorance, tell why this happened to them and help them get where they want to go.
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Jay Mathews
| July 27, 2009; 3:18 PM ET
Categories: Metro Monday
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Jay said:
"I am convinced that the problem is not colleges putting up too many financial obstacles in the way of bright kids, but public school systems failing to give our many potentially successful high schoolers -- and their elementary and middle school siblings -- the academic skills and working habits they need to be ready for college."
academic skills, working habits, and KNOWLEDGE
It's the knowledge, or content, that public school students lack. This needs to be addressed starting in kindergarten all the way through middle school.
Posted by: Nemessis | July 27, 2009 3:45 PM | Report abuse
I was shocked at the small amount of material being taught by some teachers and how students could get A+s and master the material and then move on to Jr High where they were slammed with a lack of knowledge. Right now too many students are exceeding very very low expectations by clumsy teachers. While the previous poster talked about "public school" at college I felt the people least prepared went to Catholic school and some had straight As, but were stymied by the lack of religious classes that were easy As
Posted by: bbcrock | July 27, 2009 6:34 PM | Report abuse
Jay said:
"But on one crucial point he lost me. That was [Delbanco's] conclusion that "a great many gifted and motivated young people are excluded from college for no other reason than their ability to pay, and we have failed seriously to confront the problem.""
Delbanco seems to conclude that (1) there are lots of smart people who cannot afford college, and (2) there is a problem with this situation. Neither of these statements should confuse you.
Also, while I agree that "the problem is not colleges putting up too many financial obstacles in the way," extra-curricular activities like eating still cost money. Regardless, there more important barriers to higher education than the disparitiy between public/private high school students.
Posted by: moemoney5 | July 27, 2009 10:10 PM | Report abuse
Jay said:
"Low-income students with good brains continue to perform poorly in large part, I think, because they attend high schools run by people who don't believe such kids can learn very much ..."
I don't think teachers have access to such kids's income statements. Even if they did, I hope no teacher would assess a student's potential based on their tax bracket. And what about shy kids who never say what their dad makes/yr?
Posted by: moemoney5 | July 27, 2009 10:29 PM | Report abuse
Right on Mr. Matthews. Grades from schools with mostly poor students are basically meaningless anyway. I will always remember my algebra teacher in middle school who had the temerity to give out only 2 A grades in the class. She was despised for that, and parents complained, but I sat in class with those kids and they just weren't getting it. They probably needed to take the class again, and maybe the pre-algebra class again, but even she couldn't fail them all. She based the grade primarily on test scores, and many kids had been skating through the prior courses based on getting most of their grade just by turning in their homework every day. Grades should be almost 100% based on tests.
Posted by: staticvars | July 28, 2009 9:24 AM | Report abuse
Sorry, but I don't see how this could be a real problem. All college aid is either need or merit based. If you have both, you are golden. Anybody with a family income under $50,000/yr would qualify for a Pell Grant and all kinds of state aid, regardless of merit. If they could get accepted into a college, they would have no worries about how to pay for it. If they can't get accepted, then they aren't the "gifted" students that this guy was talking about.
Posted by: margaret6 | July 28, 2009 10:06 AM | Report abuse
Most financial aid is loan-based, not grant-based, margaret6. And most scholarship money can only be used for academic expenses (not rent, utilities, groceries, etc.).
Getting good grades does not give you a free ride! Instead of taking out more loans, students often hold jobs to make money. Even working part-time during the semester takes away from time studying or sleeping. I'm a broke college student and right now I'm saving money for textbooks.
I don't know anyone who pays their own tuition; they either go into debt or their parents pay the bill. However, lots of college students don't want to take money from their parents anymore, especially if they have younger siblings.
Sorry, but even gifted poor people are not "golden."
Posted by: moemoney5 | July 28, 2009 2:00 PM | Report abuse
Absolutely: content knowledge. I'd also add writing ability and study skills/organization. Far too few schools really teach writing, which includes grammar and spelling. Study skills aren't necessary in the usual school environment, since so little material is covered and so little expected on assignments. I also agree with the comment that grades should be based heavily on tests/quizzes/written work (including in-class compositions that don't reflect someone's else's input). It's intellectually dishonest to give an A to a student with nothing but Cs-Fs on tests and quizzes. That was in honors algebra II in an affluent suburban school, too. Educational malpractice would also describe it, if the education establishment acknowledged the concept.
Posted by: momof4md | July 28, 2009 4:28 PM | Report abuse
The greater loss is not the gifted-and-motivated-with-no-money, but the not-so-gifted-or-motivated-with-no-money. There are many, many, many more kids who fall into this latter category. Upper middle-class, and upper-class kids who aren't terribly gifted or motivated often have school counselors who will track down nice colleges/universities that are good matches for them, and parents who can pay for their educations. They get four (or more) years to find themselves, and develop a career plan, and come out ready to find decent jobs.
Families without those resources can't buy four more years of growing-up time for their kids, with the result that those kids are all too often left to their own devices as far as career plans go. Far too many of them go exactly nowhere.
Posted by: contrarymom | July 31, 2009 10:22 AM | Report abuse
The comments to this entry are closed.


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This interesting strategy game has generated quite a stir, partly because it was created by former Westwood people behind the original Command & Conquer games. Filed as a turn-based strategy game with a social twist, Highborn offers a casual tactical experience rather than frenetic RTS play for die-hards. Based on the classic good-versus-evil formula, the game combines two different concepts.
The first is a tactical bird's eye map view where you move your units and secure spells, and the second involves a 3D combat view. Although you can play the nine included campaigns in single player, Highborn has been designed from scratch as a social strategy game that lets you play against your Facebook friends or one-on-one via WiFi or 3G. And since it's turn-based, you can take your time and ponder your next move in round-based play against your friends. In fact, you can even conduct multiple games at once.
Highborn also sets itself apart from other strategy games with the off-the-wall humor in the story and graphical heroes who reveal their wacky attitude in a bunch of witty dialogue lines that the developers describe as "full of miscommunications and outrageous assumptions." There are over eighty crazy heroes at your disposal, which is pretty much unheard of for an iPhone game. Just a few examples…
TWO MODES Map (left) is where you move your troops and discover spells and 3D view (right) is where the battling takes place.
Archie, leader of the Highborn and one of the strongest and sturdiest heroes, wields a mighty sword that can reduce most enemies into oblivion in one fell swoop. Floyd, Archie's nemesis and the supreme leader of The Decay, you won't see much in the game. When you do, however, you better bring a full army with you.
Then there's Trillian, a female hero fighting on the side of the Highborn, even though she has a bit of a shady past. Silent and deadly, Trillian uses her stealth moves and the terrain to sneak up on enemies. Enzo represents the obligatory race of magicians and as such is vulnerable to direct melee attacks, but his spells can inflict a great deal of damage from range, including the ability to freeze all enemy troops.
Other heroes include knights, skeletons, sorcerers, and dozens of other unworldly creatures and fantasy races. Besides magic, Highborn sports a variety of weapons of war for mid- and long-range attacks, like slow but powerful catapults for laying sieges around structures on the map.
GEARS OF WAR Varied weapons, like catapults (left) or the War Machine (right) serve different purposes, like conquering structures to gain new units.
Use them to capture castles in order to gain militia units, basically your fast-moving cannon fodder. Or, take War Machine, a devastating special unit that moves at a snail's pace, but you'll definitely wanna keep out of its way. If that's not enough content for you, additional single player campaigns and multiplayer scenarios will soon be available as in-app purchases.
Highborn has been developed by Las Vegas, Nevada-based Jet Set Games, founded in 2008 by the people who created the original Command & Conquer games, including Westwood Studios co-founder Brett W. Sperr.
Highborn (app icon)
Highborn for iPhone (Archie artwork)
Highborn for iPhone (Enzo the Mage artwork)
Highborn for iPhone (Floyd artwork)
Highborn for iPhone (Trillian the Rogue artwork)
Highborn for iPhone (Archie dialgoue)
Highborn for iPhone (Enzo dialgoue)
Highborn for iPhone (Floyd dialgoue)
Highborn for iPhone (Archie character)
Highborn for iPhone (Enzo character)
Highborn for iPhone (Floyd character)
Highborn for iPhone (Trillian character)
Highborn for iPhone (Archie screenshot)
Highborn for iPhone (Archie vs Skeletonsscreenshot)
Highborn for iPhone (Catapults screenshot)
Highborn for iPhone (Enzo map mode)
Highborn for iPhone (Floyd screenshot)
Highborn for iPhone (Knights vs Gorgons screenshot)
Highborn for iPhone (Militia screenshot)
Highborn for iPhone (Sorceress screenshot)
Highborn for iPhone (Trillian map mode)
Highborn for iPhone (Trillian vs Skeletons screenshot)
Highborn for iPhone (War machine screenshot)
Highborn launched yesterday at a limited-time introductory price of $3. The 70MB download runs on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad with at least iPhone OS 3.0 or later. The developers are at work creating a version specifically for iPad that will arrive "later this summer," we've been told. More information is available at the Highborn game site.
Highborn in bullets
- A light touch: the casual concept lets you kill a few minutes of your time, but also spend hours in the game
- A new-breed strategy: the game combines a map overview where you move your troops with 3D combat
- Multiplay at your pace: turn-based concept lets you focus on strategic thinking before acting, especially in one-on-one multiplayer against your Facebook friends
- Varied play styles: unlockable characters give you access to a bunch of different abilities that result in different strategies and play styles


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This short year has been an exciting one for the band Tonight Alive. Not only have they been named to the 2012 Warped Tour, but their new album, "What Are You So Scared Of?" drops Tuesday, February 14th. I recently sat down with the band's singer, Jenna McDougall, who touches on the new album, the Warped Tour and what the music industry is like in their native Australia.
Q - Real quick, where did the name Tonight Alive come from?
A - A few months after we formed, our first show was coming up and we'd recorded a handful of demos to get out on the Internet. We were making a MySpace page but didn't have a name for it so one night after rehearsal we all sat down on my bedroom floor and brainstormed. We wanted something catchy that would reflect the energy of our sound and Tonight Alive seemed to work in our favor!
Q – The band is from Australia. How different is the music landscape there versus the United States?
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Check out the review of "What Are You So Scared Of?" here: Tonight Alive's 'What Are You So Scared Of?' Is a Pop/Punk Masterpiece. – Music Review
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Author: Samikshasam
4.5 (562 ratings)
' A Tooth for a Tooth , An Eye for an Eye , you wish I never come back alive , if I do then I promise , I'm going to pay you back , all the pain I received. The burning fire and my dripping hot blood as the witness , I promise , I'll make you suffer more than I did . If I get a second chance , if I get a second life , I'm surely going to take my revenge '
Saying her last words , she closed her eyes , her skin felt hot by the burning fire , her breath started to slow down , her heart stopped to work , she remembered , her mother , her grandparents , who were the only one , who loved her truly ,yet they were no more alive . her heart beat stopped , her breathing put on a long break , she lost her consciousness, lost her soul , lost her life .
' Boom'
Suzy , a twenty four years old girl , gets tricked , schemed and betrayed by her own people , whom she trusted and loved the most. She gets betrayed by her own biological father , her step mother and step sister whom she treated as her own blood sister , her own bestfriend , and her fiance . She was tricked and was taken advantage , when she finally found their true face it was already too late , she was already in the bed of death .
She gets a new life , to seek her revenge , to pay back for their evil schemes , and finally she meets a man who truly loves her , supporting her in every aspect , becoming a wife slave , her childhood darling , Kim Tan .
Their are lots of schemes , lots of revenge , lots of romance and lots of thrilling scenes in the story , catch up the female leads Revenge in her new life .
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Complete the daily and EXP missions, as well as every week's reading missions to obtain EXP and SS as rewards.Learn more about the rules 1. You can obtain the corresponding EXP and Bonus SS as rewards by completing daily missions and EXP missions, as well as weekly reading missions. 2. The obtained EXP can raise your user level. 3. Bonus SS can be used to unlock chapters, gift authors, etc. They are effective for 30 days. 4. Daily Tasks and corresponding rewards renew daily at 00:00 UTC+8. Don't forget to claim your rewards in time. 5. Weekly Reading Missions refer to the time you spend reading novels and comics on Webnovel every week. 6. The weekly reading time is calculated while your device is connected to the Internet. This might result in a delay of several minutes.
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Breastfeeding Child shall provide you with wealth of information on breastfeeding. Learning how to
breastfeed is nowhere near as daunting as you believe it may be if you have never done it before. With a good
but simple step by step guide, you can be breastfeeding in no time.
If you ask all moms to be what aspect of motherhood they are dreading the most,
a high number will say learning how to breastfeed. There is something about the process that is incredibly scary.
Some mothers say it is like riding a bike – after doing it once you never forget but for some other women it is not
that easy and can take an awful lot of time to grasp. This is why having a breast feed step by step guide on hand
can help you and that is exactly what can be found below.
If you are looking to learn how to breastfeed and it is actually your first time
breastfeed then the first thing you should do is relax. It is a natural process and one that is only complicated if
you put obstacles in your way. Taking your first breast feed step by step is a must and following steps as outlined
below will help you.
Learning how to breastfeed is as simple as that. After the above four steps are
complete, baby will do the rest of the work to get the nourishment he needs. You may want to look for a more
comfortable position when you get used to the technique but be sure to perfect this first so that baby and mommy
are both getting what they need after learning how to breastfeed properly. Find out more
on how long to breastfeed and how often should a baby breastfeed.
There are plenty of terrific resources out there you can turn to as well
about how to breastfeed. Make sure you are only using those resources that are credible. Read information online in
books. You want to see plenty of pictures too so find illustrations about how to first time breastfeed. You can
also find breast feed step by step videos online. This is a great one to watch....
As you are exposed to the information of how to breastfeed, take note of
any questions you have. Then you can go out there and find the answers to those questions. You can ask friends,
family members, and even your medical professionals to help you find the answers. Being well informed on
breastfeeding child is the first step to being involved in the proper nutrition of your baby.
The basics of the breastfeeding child process aren't difficult but you
need to give it time to find get comfortable with it. Make sure you are in the right position with your body before
you begin. You also need to be relaxed which you will be if you understand all the basics of how to breastfeed
before you start.
The position of your baby is also important. The child should be on its
side facing towards you. As your feeding sessions go by you will find which positions your baby enjoys the most.
Make sure you alternate breasts too so that one of them doesn't become engorged. Many babies tend to favor one side
but you need to encourage your child to feed equally from each breast. You can learn how to breastfeed properly so
have some faith in yourself and discover what it is all about.
Lying Down
To begin with, place a few pillows behind your back for support and
comfort. Next, position your baby's tummy in line with yours. Adjust to the point where your baby's mouth is
directly facing your nipple. To avoid the baby from rolling backwards, do place a support behind your baby's
The Cradle Hold is
the position which most mothers will use. To start with, position your baby across your stomach, with her face
and knees facing your body. Make certain that the baby's head is positioned in the bend of your elbow, with her
mouth directly facing your nipple. The baby's body should be positioned in a straight line. For better comfort,
you should tuck the baby's lower arm around your waist.
Cross Cradle
The Cross Cradle
Hold position is relatively similar to the Cradle Hold, but you will be holding your baby in the arm opposite
the breast from which your baby will latch onto. Ensure that the baby is positioned at the level of your breast
with her mouth facing your nipple. This is the ideal position if you are encountering problems latching on, or
if your baby is small in size. This position enables more control of your baby's head.
Football Hold
The Football Hold is similar to the cross-cradle hold, but the baby is not
resting on the abdomen. Your baby is tucked under your arm and lying along the side you will be feeding on for this
position. Remember to place a pillow beside you. Your baby shall be positioned on top
of the pillow with your arm being the support. The back of the baby's head will be in the palm of your hand and
his/her back will be supported by your inner forearm. This position is ideal for mothers who have
c-sections, small babies and babies who are encountering problems latching on.
Using a breast pump can offer your child excellent nutrition that fits into your
schedule. Finding a suitable breast pump doesn't have to be a difficult process at all. You can find out more
information on suitable breast pumps and selecting a good breast pump for breastfeeding child. Attaining all these useful knowledge on how to breastfeed and using
breast pumps will definitely benefit you in many aspects.
BreastfeedingChild.com - Copyright © 2009-2011 All rights reserved.


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Today's featured category in the GeekWire Awards voting is a big one, literally.
The Next Tech Titan — brought to you by Wave Business Solutions — will reward the company that's moving from the tough trenches of startup land to the big leagues.
The Pacific Northwest is loaded with those up-and-comer companies, and our judges had a tough time limiting the number to five finalists this year. You can cast your ballot below.
We kicked off voting for the GeekWire Awards yesterday, and we'll continue tabulating the votes in the 14 categories over the next two weeks as we release a category each day. The winners will be revealed at the big GeekWire Awards bash on May 9th at the Experience Music Project in Seattle.
Last year's winner in the Next Tech Titan category, Tableau Software, set a high bar. It filed for an initial public offering last month. Could any of these companies follow suit?
Apptio: Apptio CEO Sunny Gupta has not been shy about his desires to build the next great enterprise software company in the Pacific Northwest. And the Bellevue company, which helps CIOs at large corporations better manage and analyze IT spending, was well on its ways last year. Apptio raised $50 million in venture funding from the likes of T. Rowe Price, Madrona Venture Group, Greylock and others last year at a huge $600 million valuation.
INRIX: The Kirkland provider of real-time traffic information and Microsoft Research spinout is reportedly on the road to IPO, bolstering its board with appointments like former Microsoft CFO John Connors and adding key executives like CFO Saul Gates. INRIX raised a $37 million venture round from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and purchased its biggest European rival in 2011. Its technologies for analyzing traffic data are now used by more than 200 companies, including Ford, TeleNav, Microsoft, Google and others.
SEOmoz: Led by the charismatic Rand Fishkin, SEOmoz went on a serious acquisition spree in the past 12 months, gobbling up three startups with roots in Portland. That followed an $18 million venture round last May, money that Fishkin called "validation" of the Seattle company's search engine optimization and social media analysis software. Growing fast, SEOmoz has about doubled staff in the past year. And Fishkin wants to make some of those staffers rich, noting in a blog post last fall that "there's a strong desire to build a big, public company in Seattle."
Urban Airship: Urban Airship is flying high, kind of like the iconic dirigible in its logo. The Portland upstart, which helps companies such as ESPN, Groupon, Waze and others with push messaging on mobile devices, raised a $25 million funding round from August Capital, Foundry Group, Intel Capital, True Ventures, Founder's Co-op and others in February. That followed the company's acquisition of Silicon Valley-based Tello in December. Led by entrepreneur Scott Kveton, Urban Airship now employs more than 100 people and boasts over 25,000 customers.
Zulily: While daily deal sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial have faltered, Zulily has continued to grow its e-commerce business with a laser focus on providing unique products to busy moms. With more than 600 employees, Zulily raised $85 million at a $1 billion valuation last year from Silicon Valley power broker Andreessen Horowitz. At the time of funding, it had more than 10 million members. It's now eyeing an expansion in Seattle, looking to take over a large chunk of the RealNetworks building on Elliott Avenue. Founded by former Blue Nile execs Mark Vadon and Darrell Cavens, the office move would mark its fifth in four years.
The awards — originally started by Seattle entrepreneur Marcelo Calbucci — are in their 5th year now. Past winners have included Tableau Software, PopCap Games, angel investor Andy Sack, Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh, Zillow Chairman Rich Barton and many others.
We're expecting a sell-out this year, and since early-bird tickets expire later this week, make sure to get your tickets today.
Thanks again to our "Next Tech Titan" category sponsor: Wave Business Solutions.
Previously: GeekWire Awards: Vote for Young Entrepreneur of the Year


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Hello readers
Guitar restringing process,the string is a new brand.Made in France. Didn't know the french could manufacture strings.It should be pretty simple like all other strings.I been stringing guitars with many brands like Elixir,Daadario,Ernie Ball,Cleartone,Rotosound,Curt Mangan,Kerly Quest and many more I couldn't remember.
After the process is done come tuning time and setup.Suddenly I'm hearing funny dampened tone from the Low E and A string.My thought could be the pickup height so I lowered it.Bad tones still there on both strings only,the rest are fine.
I looked for instruction on the pack telling consumer to cut at the ball end only but none was found.
I believe this Skull String was flawed from the factory.If you're installing this on a double locking trem be aware at where you cut it.
My thoughts,
Skull string should've wind it tight from start to end of the string.Don't take it out of the machine until the winding process is finish.This could be a propriety technique from Skull itself but all the brands I've dealt so far don't have this winding flaw hence not seeing another pack of Skull in my workshop it's not a loss.Not a loss at all.Who the fuck are Skull String for me to care about.Last but not least,get your spelling right,Is it Areef not Areet?
Thank you


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According to sitemeter or something, nobody reads my blog. Which is great! This means that I don't have to worry about censoring myself and worrying that my brothers might read about what i've really been doing with my nights and ship me off to rehab. Perhaps I've installed my sitemeter thing incorrectly, which is possible.
Sadly, I haven't been doing much. I come home at nights and crawl into bed after having a smoke.
Friday night totally ruled my pants tho. I went to see Radiohead at MSG and the motherfuckers played "Creep"... which i'm not embarassed to say is my second favorite RH song (the best rh song is "Let Down"). I spent the entire time jumping up and down and up and down wanting to dry hump the person standing next to me cause i was so stoked that they were playing that song. Vicki and Alex finally arrived and I chilled a bit and experienced Radiohead the way God intended me to. I FUCKING ENJOY RADIOHEAD LIVE. I love them live like way too much. When I'm at their show I forget about Hail to the Kid Amnesiac and I just remember why I fucking love that band. Hail to the Kid Amnesiac songs make my nipples go stiff when they're played live. I'm a fucking loser.
After the show I went to the after party with Vicki and Alex and we had a fucking great time. Colin Greenwood seemed as interested in meeting me as he would be about getting Genital Warts or something. I dont really blame him. He played party host and had a lot of people to say hello to. So many people were pulling and poking at him that I probably would've been like "yes, nice to meet you" and run off as well if I were him. I did have a nice conversation or 4 with members of Sigur Ros (including Jonsi the singer!). I didnt see Thom there, but Alex swears he saw him. I nearly tripped over Ed O'Brien when i was leaving. It might be hard to trip over someone who is clearly a foot and half taller then me, but i should point out that it was an open bar.
Saturday I went shopping with Vicki and then went home to watch Justin Timberlake on SNL before passing out.
Sunday I discovered my new favorite activity: Dog Runs. Brian and I went to two of them and saw lots of dogs humping each other, and playing fetch, and chasing each other. Dogs fucking rule.
One last thing: RIP THE MODERN AGE


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What is your best partner when it comes to home decoration and improvement? Perhaps, you might think that the best partner is the constructor and the architect. Some of you might even think that the interior and exterior designer is the greatest partner for you. Yes, indeed, they can really make sure that your home improvement and decoration can be done in a great way.
However, you should also realize that the best partner for home improvement is actually your own self. Just ask yourself about your own capabilities to cope with the home improvement and we are talking about financial matters. It is not a secret that home improvement will demand you to spend quite big sum of money. Do you really have the money? If you do have enough money to cope with such matter, then, there should not be anything worrisome for you. You can cope with the home improvement without any troubles. However, if you do not really have the money, well, you need to think about it. You should seek for the right partner. The constructor and home designer are so great in dealing with the practical matters. However, they cannot help you with your lack of money.
In order to make sure you can still carry on the home improvement, to be honest, the best partner for you is AntiRetailHome.com. This service is able to let you get the things that you need for home improvement like the furniture and the other accessories. And of course, the prices of those things are so affordable. That is why it is still possible for you to carry on the desire to cope with the home improvement even though you do not really have the money. Don't you think this service is definitely the best partner for you? Just go get the coupons and vouchers offered by the service and redeem them, you can find that everything you need for home improvement can be more affordable for you.


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Is Nutrisystem the Answer?
While a lot of people who are looking to lose weight and improve their overall health by achieving their weight loss goals through their diet, many are not prepared to put the work into it that is required to get the most out of it.
Most of the better Nutrisystem reviews will tell you that this is a diet plan designed to cater for people who have very little free time but still need a simple, convenient and easy to do diet that saves them time and effort while still helping them to lose weight.
A Convenient Option
While on the outside, this would appear to be the case, it cannot be ignored that such a diet plan would also appeal to those that simply can't be bothered cooking for themselves or working with a more natural, home based diet plan. Far too many overweight people spend too much time slumped in a chair or on the sofa in front of the TV set, or playing computer games and they don't want to change that.
They would rather be reading online magazines or chatting to online friends via one of the big social media websites like Facebook than actually going out of the house and meeting these friends for some real human interaction!
What is the answer to their need to lose weight, without forcing them to make essential lifestyle changes that they will naturally resist?
Home Delivered Low Calorie Ready Meals
Diet food delivery companies such as Nutrisystem exist to cater to that sector of the overweight population as well as to those who work long hours with little free time and have entirely different reasons for not being able to work with a regular diet plan. But on behalf of the TV addicts and online chatters, we have elected to focus on whether Nutrisystem is really the answer to their weight problems, or if it is just an easy way out that will provide results in the short term.
Certainly, this is a diet plan that can and does help a lot of busy people to lose weight in situations where they simply cannot work with the more common kind of diet, which is one where you must shop for, prepare and cook your own food, while counting calories, measuring portions and keeping records of what and when you eat.
The Meals that Appeals!
Surely then, you can see the appeal to someone who wouldn't want to miss an episode of their favorite TV soap or miss what might be an Earth shattering piece of news. Oh no, not because they had to go into their kitchen (that's the room with the sink, cooker and fridge among other things if you're not sure) to prepare a meal.
It would shock health conscious people to know that many TV addicted overweight people actually keep their microwave in reach of their sofa so they don't even have to get up to heat up a store-bought ready meal! Just lean over, shove the meal into the microwave, slam the door and hit "start".
Some can do it without even taking their eyes off the TV in case they miss a really important part of the show they're watching!
Magic Bullet it is Not
To this kind of person, Nutrisystem must seem like a magic bullet come from out of the sky to fix their weight issue while they keep their eyes glued to the screen. In some cases, it might be possible to actually lose some weight this way, but for many people caught up in the rut of TV or computer game addiction hell, their metabolism has probably dropped so low that no diet will make much of a difference.
That's because their bodies are doing so little activity that they simply won't burn any excess calories, no matter what they do or do not eat.
In this case, Nutrisystem or any other diet you care to name would be largely useless. The only way to make a difference when the person has sunk so low as to be almost completely chair bound is for them to decide to get up and do something about it. That takes a huge amount of will power to break free of a habit addiction that is one of the toughest there is.
The Need to Do It For Yourself
Like they say, a drunk is never reformed until they decide to stop drinking. The same goes for an overweight or obese TV addict.
They have to decide to get out of their chair, switch off the TV and walk away from it, preferably not stopping at the front door, but going outdoors and going for a very long walk. No one else can make that decision for them.
But once that decision has been made, then the feeling of liberation is exhilarating. Then, a diet such as Nutrisystem or any other that suits the person in question would prove to be very effective at helping the weight loss process along in leaps and bounds.
Posted on Fri, 19 Jun 2015 in Diet | 0 Comments