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Industry engagement – why bother?
We all want our training, assessment and resources to be relevant to employer and student needs. It is therefore crucial that our trainers and assessors have the current skills and resources to deliver this training. But how do we ensure that our staff are well-trained and informed while being aware of the most recent developments in their specialist areas? Through industry engagement.
But what does this mean?
Clauses 1.5 and 1.6 of the Standards for RTOs 2015 prescribe how an RTO should undertake this practice. However, these clauses do not specify any particular method or approach. They do, however, specify that RTOs need to demonstrate how, on an ongoing basis, they:
- Utilise a range of strategies to consult with their industry stakeholders.
- Systematically use this information to determine the:
- mode of the study, training and assessment strategies and resources, and
- the currency of their trainers and assessors, as well as
- How these align with the current methods, technology, products and performance expectations in the workplace.
A generic template which can simply be signed off by an industry stakeholder won't cut it to demonstrate compliance of these clauses. But businesses are busier than ever, so how can your RTO ensure that it engages with industry without making it burdensome on your industry contacts?
Here are some ways to make it easy:
1. Take a workforce development approach
We've acknowledge that people are busier than ever, so taking the time out of their busy work schedules without it being advantageous to them or their business can be hard to justify. So, approaching your industry contacts using a workforce development approach can provide an effective win-win situation. This approach is where you ask your industry contacts if they will meet with you to answer some questions about their business's needs, in exchange for some workforce development advice through a training needs analysis.
This process may also lead to additional training opportunities for your RTO, but the workforce development advice shouldn't only include information about accredited training, as this is only a small component of the training that a business needs in order to upskill its staff. Rather, it should include a range of workforce development strategies, such as work shadowing and coaching/mentoring, which will meet the business's overall training requirements.
You could use your mobile phone audio app or an MP3 audio recorder to record these discussions as evidence of your industry engagement. To reduce travel time and costs, you could host these discussions in an online meeting room such as Google Hangout or any other online meeting room tool which also allows you to record the discussions.
2. Feedback through existing industry contacts
Every business is looking to work smarter and this is why they have their staff undertake training. This means that you can utilise the industry contacts that send their staff to your RTO for training, by asking them to contribute to a (hidden) course feedback discussion forum. This can be included within the online or blended course set-up in your learning management system (LMS) to help facilitate the training and assessment.
This approach also helps improve the business relationships between your trainers and the employers, as they communicate with one another through regular contact. This will give these employers more buy-in into the delivery of the training, by offering them the opportunity to have input into how their staff are being trained.
And, once all of the feedback is captured in the forum, your trainers can post the actions that will occur as a result of this industry engagement, and then post another response when the action has been completed. All of these posts will be date and time stamped in the forum as to when they were recorded. Trainers can even upload the audio recording of your workforce development discussions to this forum, so that all of the information is stored in one place.
Credit: Volunteers by 1295178
3. Monitor trends online
Once you have established what your industry needs in the way of skills and knowledge for a particular qualification, skill set or cluster of units, you need to continue to monitor changes within this industry. A simple way to do this is by participating in industry online groups and forums through webinars, and by subscribing to industry e-newsletters and blogs.
Online professional spaces such as LinkedIn offer numerous industry-led online groups where people share and discuss latest industry news and changes. Industry and professional associations also host a range of online forums through webinars. In both of these spaces you can 'lurk' (aka look but not contribute), or you can ask questions or request feedback related to understanding whether your training, assessment, resources and trainers are all meeting your industry's needs.
In addition to this, subscribing to industry and professional e-newsletters and blogs means that you will have current industry information delivered to your inbox on a regular basis. You then record how you will use this information to verify or improve your training and assessment practices by recording your ideas and actions in a note-taking tool such as Evernote or OneNote. You can even do this on your mobile phone and then upload these needs into the above discussion forum for continuity.
Pulling it all together
If you follow these strategies, you will have recorded you industry engagement through audio/webinar recordings, posts in online groups and forums, and recorded notes and actions. By saving all of these recordings into the one discussion forum within the online course where the training and assessment is taking place, you have now created a one-stop shop for tracking your industry engagement.
Here's a table to summarise it all:
|Engagement strategy
|Training & assessment
|Trainers / Assessor currency
|Workforce Development
|Monitoring trends
It's not all about ticking the boxes
The Standards for RTOs 2015 outline the minimum that an RTO should do to engage with industry. This process should not just be about being able tick the boxes for an ASQA audit, however. Rather, we must ensure that our students are receiving the most current and relevant skills and knowledge required to be successful in the workplace and in business. Do you have other approaches to industry engagement that don't make life difficult for your industry contacts? I would love to hear about them.


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(3) Prisoner of Azkaban
Aunt Marge Theories
Aunt Marge Theories
Member since 11/18/2016
In this case I would say, 'Hello, fellow Ravenclaws~', but since this is public to all students I won't. Hello everyone! How are you? That's my first question to you all. This is my first 'proper' forum, since the ones before were just to do with Y1 herbology and things. But now.. things a' gonna get serious. So, the first appearance of 'Aunt Marge' (Uncle Vernon's sister) was of course in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. But, after Harry eventually blows her up, she is not seen again after those events. So I am asking for your guys' theories on what really happened to her. Did she eventually have a son? Did she find out about Lily, Aunt Petunia's sister and her magical abilities? Did she find out that Harry was a wizard? When Harry married Ginny, do you think his aunts and uncles and other Muggle friends and family came to the wedding, and that was how Aunt Marge found out? Do you think they would be allowed to come to a wizarding wedding? I would love to hear your opinion on what happened. Think about what to theory on. Silly suggestions are accepted, but anything rude will be reported or removed. Lay out your post like this: -LAYOUT OF POST- Question (your question that you are going to answer further on in the post): e.g. Did Aunt Marge find out about Harry's magical abilities? Hypothesis (a short story/theory of the question): e.g. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia hear about Harry's marriage to Ginny, and tell Aunt Marge. Angry that she was never told at once, she tracks down Harry by the sources of Aunt Petunia and knocks on his door. Harry opens it and is surprised by the guest. In the distance Aunt Marge sees Ginny practising some sort of charm, which leads to her questioning them at once. They have to give up their secret. Analysis (say what your hypothesis shows, and what you have proven): e.g. I have proven that Aunt Marge has found out about Harry's magical abilities, and who he has chosen to marry. Evaluation (say the good and bad points of your theory, and what you think you will need more proof on): e.g. I think I need more proof on how Aunt Marge exactly tracked down Harry's house. ---- If you want to, you can skip out the evaluation and analysis but it will be appreciated if you do all terms. I myself will be doing this, and I am excited to see your theories on what exactly happened in the end. Remember, think carefully about your theory and take your time! Thank you for reading, Amy :)
posted on 12/06/2016 3:15 p.m.
Broda Ferdan - MC Team -
(Student (Prefect))
Member since 01/14/2017
Hello! Here are my fact based ideas: Question: What happened to aunt Marge after she was blown up? Hypothesis: After the incident, the ministry of magic end up altering her memory and deflating her. So she has no memory of what happened to her. She never visits the Dursleys when Harry is there anymore, and never finds out about his abilities, or anything about the wizarding world's existence. Analysis: I have shown that aunt Marge has no recollection of blowing up or of Harry's powers, and continues to regard him as a boy with mental issues. Evaluation: I think I need more proof on if she ever does see or speak to him again, but since there is no mention of her coming over anymore or ever visiting Harry, I think I'm correct in saying that she still despises him and doesn't know about magic. Thanks!!
posted on 01/15/2017 2:16 p.m.
Theo Braith-Lupin (Teas)
(Smol Potato)
Member since 04/07/2015
I would guess the Ministry clears her memory, like Broda said ^^. But what if something else happened? Like in an alternate timeline. What if as Harry was inflating her from anger the Ministry was slowly getting taken over? Instead of erasing her memory they only deflated her and reported this to Voldemort/fellow Death Eaters. They started to slowly plan the whole thing with the Triwizard Tournament and used her for information. Maybe eventually Aunt Marge escaped but was badly damaged. She started to look into family history and found out about Harry being a wizard. Proving as a threat to Wizardkind by spreading rumors and gossiping she was later killed by Voldemort. But that's just something that could've happened in an alternate universe. Probably nothing like that actually happened ;3
posted on 04/30/2017 5 a.m.
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subset: commoncrawl


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There are a few options in Lyons; Longmont is about 10 miles away, and Estes Park and Boulder are each roughly 15 miles away, in different directions. Planet Bluegrass does not offer lodging, but here is some information that might point you in the right direction.
Best Western Plus Plaza Hotel Longmont
Come stay at the Best Western Plus Plaza Hotel Longmont, only 15 minutes from the festival! Amenities include: complimentary breakfast buffet, onsite restaurant and bar, and complimentary wifi.
BestWestern.com/PlusPlazaHotel | 303-776-2000
WeeCasa is a tiny home hotel and vacation location in Lyons, Colorado. WeeCasa offers over a dozen tiny homes of different shapes, sizes, and designs. In keeping with the belief that life should be a balance of freedom and sustainability, we strive to express a new vision of the "American Dream." Stay overnight, learn, and experience tiny homes in a breathtaking setting.
WeeCasa.com | 720-460-0239
Festivarie Inn
The Festivarie Inn is a quirky, boutique inn located in downtown Lyons. The Inn holds a total of eight rooms (including a two-bedroom family suite) plus a large banquet room for year-round gatherings of any kind. The front door opens to a cozy sitting area for guests to enjoy reading, work on their laptops, or have a nice continental breakfast and coffee while soaking up the morning sunshine.
Other Area Lodging
- Stone Mountain Lodge & Cabins (Lyons): 800-282-5612 | www.stonemountainlodge.com
- Aspen Leaf Motel (Lyons): 303-823-6181
- Holiday Inn Express (Boulder): 303-442-6600 | www.hiexpress.com/boulderco
- Super 8 Motel (Longmont): 303-772-8106
- Westwood Inn (Longmont): 303-776-2185
- Comfort Inn (Longmont): 303-684-6779
- Hawthorn Suites (Longmont): 303-776-2000
- Courtyard by Marriott (Longmont): 303-682-1166
- Residence in by Marriott (Longmont): 303-702-9933
Helpful Lyons Resources
- Lyons Area Chamber of Commerce:
303-823-5215 | www.lyons-colorado.com
- Town of Lyons:
303-823-6622 | www.townoflyons.com
- National Forest Sevice camping:


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Japan's toy company Kubrick offers the iKub iPod holder. The iKub is a iPod holder in the shape of a white robot.
The Kubrick iKub has movable arms and legs so you can create different positions for your iPod.
The iKub from Kubrick for iPod is one time only special edition item only available from HMV Japan.
Audio Cubes has reserved 98 units!! from HMV ready for dispatch on November 7th, 2004. The price is $89.00.
Rerserve a Kubrick iKub iPod Holder before they are gone.
See Also:
HP iPod starts Selling
New Rio Carbon goes against iPod mini
naviPod Wireless Remote For iPod


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Tammy Toriello, LMHC is a well-respected mental health clinician. Tammy provides office-based services to children, adults, couples, and families in RI and CT. She is taking NEW CLIENTS at this time.
Tammy earned a bachelor's degree in Developmental/Adolescent Psychology and a master's degree in Professional Counseling from Liberty University. Tammy has a broad knowledge base of client-centered, strength-based treatment approaches.
Tammy has focused her career on helping individuals recover from trauma and has extensive experience working with individuals ages 4-94. Tammy has specialized training working with Veterans, children, and adolescents manage symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, sexual abuse, rape recovery, and addictions. Tammy has helped many develop skills for emotion regulation, relaxation, mindfulness meditation, anger management, assertive communication and assertiveness training, ADHD, behavioral management and positive parenting.


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"Fundamentally we do not take seriously the threats of the Zionists," Ahmadinejad told reporters, according to Reuters. "We have all the defensive means at our disposal and we are ready to defend ourselves."
Reuters adds:
On Sunday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with Ahmadinejad and warned him of the dangers of incendiary rhetoric in the Middle East.
Ahmadinejad did not heed the warning and, speaking to reporters through an interpreter, alluded to his previous rejection of Israel's right to exist.
"Iran has been around for the last seven, 10 thousand years. They (the Israelis) have been occupying those territories for the last 60 to 70 years, with the support and force of the Westerners. They have no roots there in history," he said, referring to the founding of the modern state of Israel in 1948.


text: 14 Jun 2019 ExpediTom AFAC Auckland Freshwater Angler's Club New Zealand 002 by Tom | | 0 Share this:PrintEmailFacebookTwitter Leave a Reply Cancel replyComment Name * Email (will not be published) * Website Notify me of new posts by email. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


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What is the West Town Bike Friendly Business District
West Town Bike Friendly Business District
The Bike Friendly Business program, of the West Town Chamber, is a shop local and discover West Town initiate. It is a fun and easy way to promote your business to a growing and vibrant customer group: people who ride bikes.
How Does the Program Work?
You Join: Simply complete a sign-up form (available on the application page,) include your business name, location and special offer, You'll receive a stylish decal for your window to show customers that you're a Bike Friendly Business.
We Promote: West Town Chamber will promote and advertise Bike Friendly Businesses through ou Mobile App (compatible with Android and iPhone) and mobile webpage http://m.westtownchicago.com/companies/
Download the application HERE and become a Bike Friendly Business Today.
Everyone Wins: You get a source of new customers to help grow your business and help us spread the message that "biking means business."
Visit These Local Bike Friendly Businesses, Show a BFBD sticker, or helmet to take advantage of discounts and hot deals.


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Storage Units Off 3309 Alma Drive in Plano, TX
1 of 5
Address3309 Alma Drive
Plano, TX 75023
Get directions
Office Hours
- Mon-Fri 9:30am to 6:00pm
- Sat-Sun 9:30am to 5:00pm
Gate Access Hours
- Mon-Sun 6:00am to 9:00pm
Available units that match your search criteria are limited in this area. Please change your search options.
Plano Storage Units Near Sam Johnson Highway
At the intersection of Alma Drive and Parker Road is this Plano Public Storage, with great self storage options in all sizes.
One mile west from the Central Expressway and a quick trip north from President George Bush Turnpike, this is an ideal storage location for customers throughout southwest Collin County.
Indoor storage units provide customers with entry from an interior hallway, while outdoor storage units allow a vehicle to pull right up to the unit for easy unpacking. This facility also offers the option of a climate-controlled storage unit for sensitive objects, as well as rental parking spaces for vehicles, boats and RVs.
A 5x5 unit can store outdoor gear and recreational equipment for trips out to Jack Carter Outdoor Pool or High Point Park, while a 10x10 unit can hold small furniture items, bicycles, tools and boxes with ease.
Local businesses near Park Boulevard that may be running out of room to serve their customers can open things up with a 10x20 unit as extra office storage, and families near Bunker Hill View, Kimberlea or Harvestwood can declutter the entire home with the help of a 10x30 unit.
A community with a rich Texas history that often charts as one of the state's most livable cities, it's hard to beat life in Plano. Whenever a little extra space is needed, check out this Public Storage for an affordable answer.
At Public Storage, You'll Always Find
- Keypad Access
- Friendly Staff
- Month-to-Month Rent
- Moving Supplies Available
- Free Parking
- Well-Lit Facilities


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Increase Revenue Through Strategic Management Solutions
Broad Experience. Focused Expertise.
Clients usually come to DBS with a specific issue or need that requires solutions. We want to make sure that where your business pain manifests itself is the real problem and not some other hidden issue. DBS utilizes a CORE Analysis that investigates the issues and probes deeper to uncover base causes within the company. That analysis is centered on the four areas of REVENUE, FINANCE, PEOPLE and TECHNOLOGY. DBS' partners then prepare a recommendation to address the critical issues discovered and suggest appropriate solutions and their business impact and the pricing for us to engage our partners.
The concept of being able to provide "CORE" Solutions to every aspect of a company's operations based on "assessed needs" is unique, but more important is the capabilities of our partners. They not only have focused areas of subject matter expertise, but they have the experiential base of having run businesses at the C-level and other senior management positions. They have worked through and solved many of the same issues your company is experiencing. Unlike many consulting firms, DBS doesn't just leave a report – our experienced partners stay engaged with you throughout the entire implementation.
Our bottom line is based on your bottom line increasing! It is our philosophy that accelerating revenue growth and corporate valuation requires the ability to understand all of the various intricacies of your organization while being capable of coordinating appropriate targeted strategic and tactical initiatives. Our capacity to manage complexity while creating and increasing value is the key to our success…and yours!
DBS is ready to serve your needs in the following four CORE areas.
- Revenue
- Finance
- People
- Technology
We have made suggestions of basic areas in which we can assist. However, rest assured that no matter your critical needs, DBS will work with your business to fulfill its destiny.
The right people, in the right place, at the right time is a strategy for success in any business. That's why DBS has people as one of its CORE areas. Not to be confused as just HR functions or a recruiting firm, we exam strategically, from CEO to an single employee, how the right people and systems will positively affect your company's success.


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Five Most Loved Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas that are 40th
Writing a suitable cover for an article you have created isn't a really ambitious undertaking whatsoever, nonetheless it's the many discounted. Within this part of the write up, we will supply you with some hints for writing a brilliant reflective composition. A student may also add descriptive details in her or his article. Now that you merely know, just the way to compose a reflective article, here's a record of theme suggestions for a reflective essay which you can pick from. Ergo, you really need to choose the beginning of your own brooding essay seriously. Openings to documents could be composed in the end, when you collect a suitable penetration of your own article. The advent of the article must be quite intriguing. There are specific conventions for composing introductions. There are numerous varied matters that you can use on paper process documents. I will be going to actually miss English 10 Honors since I was subjected to lots of new ways of authorship and lots of fresh tendencies of literature.
Some academics feel composing there is a quick composition way better.
This is a real amazing reflective exercise for learners to assess by themselves if they're writing properly – produced paragraphs. Essay writing is an uncommon art. You never need to claim for or against the subject you're composing on. Brain storming on a specific topic is occasionally called concentrated free writing. Let your firsthand expertise be placed into words, in case you are writing a reflective essay. Composing great compositions is vital within the Englishlanguage within the feeling that it permits the pupil absolutely help communicate what's in her or his mind regarding a specific problem. This may undoubtedly help provide a pleasant voice in your composing. Though the decision is straightforward and can really be reached in two or three sentences, this is a really crucial facet of your essay that you simply require not to take for granted.
You may also employ different games such as mrs, mister, neglect, doctor, engr.
Let's take a gander at the critical points which must be held in mind whilst composing a thesis statement, together with a couple samples of thesis statements. This definitely is an example of the poor thesis statement since it is too universal in addition to vague. Below are some situations that can enable you to make a fantastic thesis declaration. A fantastic composition is the one which conveys the right information in a straightforward and comprehensible style. It's possible That You discuss the issues for a complete paper or only a conclusion or an instance. The ideal / brilliantly part about creating an educational article could be the enormous variety of topics you can pick from. This list relates to quite a few the straightforward to write essay topics.
It's been an enriching and useful knowledge to workin this firm for such a long time.
Before writing, you need to spend a considerable time frame, in contemplating about that problem. One unique common error that numerous folks do while writing it, is creating an overall statement about what they're actually going to compose within the article. Due to this very purpose, they find it challenging to create this kind of article. In many proceedings, this may be your instructor or classmates, or anyone you happen to be feeling comfortable studying the essay that will enable you to proofread it. Although it's possible to write almost any team of article for practically any topic, your professor may demand a selected strategy. This doesn't need to be in the official article kind or ideal sentences. Expository essays may comprise distinct approaches, for example compartmentalization or cause and effect. A reflective article is only a fictional structure that's typically composed by pupils essay help within a British class.


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Sydney Food Trucks have one of the foodie hypes recently and I have been so jealous of my friends posting up their food truck dinners on their instagram. So there was really no other option but to get my red hot hands on one of these babies. I heart food street food, street food on wheels makes it so much fun.
|Eat Art Truck


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Most Popular Pontoon
Max Capacity10
Tow Bar
Our most popular pontoon boat holds up to 10 people. With 115 horsepower Yamaha 4-Stroke Engine, this 24 foot pontoon boat is great for a day on the water just cruising around or enjoying water activities such as tubing, water skiing, or wake boarding! This pontoon comes with a bimini top, ladder and stero to make your day out on Lake Norman relaxing and fun! Reserve now!
Similar Units


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Book Review: Billy Graham in Quotes
Divided into dozens of topics, such as: abortion, anxiety, children, temptation, suffering, parenting, sin, etc. Each topic features a couple of pages of quotes from Billy Graham on the topic at hand. For instance:
On the Bible: The Bible is the only Book in the world that predicts the future.
The Bible is more modern than tomorrow morning's newspaper.
On Heaven: Only one answer will give a person the certain privilege,
the joy, of entering heaven.
"Because I have believed in Jesus Christ and
accepted Him as my Savior.
On Sin: Neither the devil nor the world,
nor even our own evil heart can compel us to sin
It must be by our own consent and will.
On Suffering: The most remarkable thing about suffering is that
God can use it for our good.
Though anyone who has been blessed by Billy Graham's ministry would enjoy this book, this book would be a great resource to writers, pastors, and ministry leaders to use in their ministry to others. I enjoyed reading Billy Graham's perspective on so many topics. All in all Billy Graham in Quotes is a good read and recommended resource.
Disclaimer: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review program for bloggers. I was not asked to write a positive review, but simply, an honest one.
Copyright © 2011 Brooke Espinoza.
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BetEasy Rebrands To CrownBet Via GPY&R
BetEasy has rebranded to CrownBet, launching a new campaign via GPY&R last night.
The new brand represents the combination of Crown's global integrated resort company and the largest Australian owned online wagering company.
Ed Owens, CMO of CrownBet said: "The campaign will work to build both immediate and high levels of awareness and registration.
"With the combined technology and sporting knowledge of this brand, we really are going to change the game for online wagering."
CrownBet, chief executive officer, Matthew Tripp, added: "The new CrownBet name and branding further solidifies our ties to the iconic Crown Resorts brand. The synergies between CrownBet and the Crown Signature Club will provide unparalleled value to our respective customer bases and new members."
Julian Bell, GPY&R managing partner, said: "It's a rare privilege these days to launch a big, serious Aussie brand… and it's been one that GPY&R has thoroughly enjoyed. It's particularly exciting to work with a team that can blend such deep sporting knowledge with technological innovation. They're a great team to work with."
The campaign will be led by Brand, Autumn Racing and AFL 30 sec TVCs, backed by a fully integrated national campaign.
CMO, CrownBet: Ed Owens
Head of Brand, CrownBet: Alana Mason
Group Account Director: Ella Ward
Account Director: Paige Prettyman
Snr Account Manager: Emma Lazarou
ECD: Ben Coulson
Creatives: Luke Simkins, Charles Bayliss, Joe Sibley, James Wills
Executive Producer: Romanca Jasinski
Producer: Eliza Malone
Production Company: Finch
Director: Nic Finlayson
Executive Producer: Corey Esse
Producer: Cath Anderson
DOP: Crighton Bone
Post Production: The Butchery – Phil Horn/ Matt Evans/ Kate Guest
The Refinery – Eugene Richards/ Martin Greer/ Kali Bateman
Crayon – Garett Mayow/ Cedric Austria/ Richard Osellame
Music Supervisor: Karl Richter – Level Two music


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Category: Dailies
Not so big name free agents #2
When I said I was going to write several blogs about the "Not so big
name free agents" I figured I would have to write two or three a week
to keep up with the Hot Stove, but an unpredictably slow off season has
allowed me to take my time with these blogs. Considering I suffer from
chronic procrastination, works out great for me.
So without further ado, lets get the blogging underway.
Sean Casey
Casey has to be one of the most underrated players in Major League
Baseball. Yes, I am full aware that he has had a slight injury history,
but if you take a good look at his list of injuries you would be hard
pressed to find anything that screams he has a serious chronic issue.
His list of injuries is quite an extensive list but nothing that would
normally scare off potential teams looking to fill a void at first
base. But I guess when you add neck stiffness, thumb injury and
strained hip flexor just to name a few. Could he just be made of glass
or has he suffered from dumb luck?
Any way you look at it, there
are a lot less talented players out there that still get multi year
deals every season. Why not take a chance on a player with a career
.302 BA and a career .367 OBP? Not to mention the fact that he plays a
pretty solid first base. He has never committed more than 8 errors in a
season and he only reached that number once in his career.
essentially we are talking about a .300 hitter that gets on base almost
40% of the time and possess a career .995 FPCT with a zone rating of
.875. Now grant it an .875 zone rating is not an astonishing number but
when you take into consideration that Albert Pujols has a zone rating
of .893, you will see he is not far off the mark of a Gold Glove winner.
often as teams take ill conceived risk by signing questionably healthy
free agents with less talent, it really just makes zero sense that no
one has taken a risk and signed Sean Casey to at least a three year
deal. Maybe the slow moving, light burning Hot Stove will play into
Casey's hands and he will finally get his multi year deal that he
Possible teams that may be interested in Sean Casey: Angels, Athletics, Rangers, Mariners, Nationals
Not so big name free agents #1
There are a ton of big name free agents out there this year.
Manny, Mark, CC, Sheets, AJ and Lowe just to name a few. But what are some of
the smaller names out there that may provide a big boost to some teams?
I am going to do a series on these players one at a time.
Jim Edmonds:
batting average has nosed dived the past 3 years, but he proved last year he
can still hit homeruns. Edmonds
belted 20 dingers for the season in 2008 which was up from the 12 he hit in
2007. If you are looking for the 20 to be the anomaly you would be wrong. 12
homers is the lowest homerun count in almost a decade for Edmonds. Every other year he has had 20 or
more homeruns. So the anomaly would be the 12 mark.
is not the fielder that he once was but considering the reckless abandon that
he played game with for so many years and the fact that he will turn 39 during
the 09 season, you have to expect him to have lost a step or two in his game.
Even an Edmonds
with a lost step he is still and above average fielder and would man any
centerfield in the majors just fine.
Now do not expect to see the Jim Edmonds of old by any stretch
of the imagination, but a formidable one could and should be expected. He is
still capable of posting a .260 BA and hitting 20 dingers which would be a good
upgrade in centerfield for MOST teams.
Teams that Jim Edmonds would be a good fit for: Houston
Astros, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals
The Houston Astros Offseason
Now that the free agent market is open I thought
I would type up what my team the Houston Astros need to do to be
competitive next season. So here we go.
Free Agents:
Brad Ausmus – Catcher
Mark Loretta – Infielder
Doug Brocail – Bullpen
LaTroy Hawkins – Bullpen
Randy Wolfe – Starting Pitcher
Starting Pitching:
than Roy Oswalt the Astros started out with squat in the rotation.
Chris Sampson, Brandon Backe, Wandy Rodriguez and a series of minor
league pitchers. Brian Moehler ended up in the starting rotation early
in the season and ended up being a decent number 5 starter, but that
was the problem. The Astros have 4 number 5 starters already. But never
the less Brian was rewarded for his work and given a new contract
towards the end of the season.
At the trade deadline Ed Wade
pulled off a trade to get Left Handed Pitcher Randy Wolf. It was a bit
puzzling at the time, but I kind of understand what he was doing. He
picked up a starting pitcher to help a weak rotation and to possibly
lay the ground work for signing Wolfe for 2009 and beyond.
If the Astros start the season tomorrow this is what the rotation would look like.
1. Roy Oswalt
2. Wandy Rodriguez
3. Brian Moehler
4. Brandon Backe
5. Any and all Triple-A players in the organization
A rotation like that does not strike fear into anyone. The Astros need to sign two
free agent pitchers. And I mean sign two and not trade for two. The
Astros do not have enough talent to give up. What talent they have they
An Andy Pettite return would make a lot of sense for the
Astros. Andy is not the pitcher he used to be, but if he is brought
back to the National League his numbers would be a lot better.
Wolfe would also be a great signing if Pettite was added to the
rotation. Wolfe but up some very solid numbers after he was traded to
Houston. He went 6-2 with a 3.57 ERA in 12 starts with the Astros and a
combined 12-12 with a 4.30 ERA in 33 starts for the Padres and the
Astros. Not bad numbers for an end of the rotation starter.
the Astros were able to sign both Wolfe and Pettite that would give
them a very formidable rotation. But it would mean that the Astros
would have to non-tender Brandon Backe which would not hurt my feelings
in the least bit.
The new rotation would look like this.
1. Roy Oswalt
2. Andy Pettite
3. Randy Wolfe
4. Brian Moehler
5. Wandy Rodriguez
Yes, that would be an extreme left handed rotation, but that might be a good thing.
bullpen was probably the strongest link in the Astros chain. Jose
Valverde, Doug Brocail, Geoff Geary, Wesly Wright, Chris Sampson, Tim
Byrdak and LaTroy Hawkins all did a greatjob for the Astros and I
would love to have each of them back.
Chris Sampson struggled as a starter, but was great out of the pen. He did a great job as a long reliever.
Doug Brocail and LaTroy Hawkins are free agents and LaTroy has already
been resigned. Now if the Astros can resign Brocail the pen will be set
for 2009.
The catcher position was a
constant nightmare for the Astros last season. JR Towels was believed
to be the catcher of the future, but when handed the starting job he
failed miserably. Towels batted .137 as the starting backstop. His
numbers made Brad Ausmus look like Babe Ruth.
Even with Brad
Ausmus on the bench the Astros decided to split time with Ausmus and
Humberto Quintero. "Q" did a decent job behind the plate and his
offensive numbers were a big improvement over Towels, but they were
hardly respectable. "Q" posted a .226 batting average.
starting pitching, a new catcher is a high priority for the Astros. I
would not expect the Astros to sign a Pudge Rodriguez or Jason Varitek.
They will most likely be out of the Astros price range. I would not be
surprised to see Greg Zaun or Toby Hall in an Astros uniform next year
The Astros infield is pretty well
set for 2009 unless Ed Wade make a huge mistake and trades off someone.
Lance Berkman, Kaz Matsui, Ty Wigginton and Miguel Tejada should all be
back manning their positions for next season.
While Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence are locked into the corner outfield positions, center field is up for grabs. Or it should be.
Baldelli is the best free agent centerfielder out there, but he comes
with a high risk of injury. In the past three years he has not played a
full season. He has a ton of potential, but playing potential leaves a
big opportunity for failure. Just look and the Michael Bourn project.
trade for Juan Pierre would not be a bad idea at all. He is seeking a
trade and the Astros are seeking a centerfielder. He should come
cheaply in what the Astros would have to give up player wise for him,
but the Astros would surely have to pay all of Pierre's contract. I am
actually ok with that.
I would also be ok with the starting job
being handed to Darrin Erstad. Why he even took a job as a bench player
just baffles me to begin with.
The Astros
bench was a huge saving grace for the team. With injuries to Ty
Wigginton, Kaz Matsui and Carlos Lee, the bench had to eat up a lot of
playing time. Mark Loretta and Geoff Blum filled in great in the
infield, and Darrin Erstad was Darrin Erstad in the outfield.
but Mark Loretta are signed through the 2009 season. I would not expect
Mark to return, but after the performance of David Newhan I can see how
the Astros would let Mark leave. The Astros are sure to offer Loretta
arbitration because he is a Type-B free agent. It would be surprising
if Mark accepts it, but the Astros were surprised last season when he
accepted their arbitration offer.
If the Astros can pick up two
starting pitchers and a catcher I would expect them to be very
competitive in 2009. Will they be competitive enough to over take the
Cubs to finish on top of the National League Central Division? Probably
not. Then again, you never know.
MLB Transactions to Date. (Well the biggest of them anyways)
I can no decide which is harder to wait for. Is it the start of the
regular season where every team still has a fighting chance? Or is it
the start of the off season free agent hot stove? On one hand you have
the actual start of play and something exciting to come home and watch
every day almost. Then on the other hand the excitement of "will my
team sign a big name free agent" is always exciting. It is just hard to
tell, but one thing is for sure. I can not wait until November 14th
gets here so the fun can really begin.
So for now I figured I
would type up an article on the trades and signings that have already
gone down. Some of these are rather boring, but some could have a real
impact on the 2009 season.
MLB Transactions: (or at least the "Best Of" anyways)
1. In a some what surprising move, the Washington Nationals sent Dmitri Young outright to Triple-A Syracuse.
After the 2007 season Young was named the National League Comeback
Player of the Year after only playing in 48 games in 2006. In 2008
injuries and difficulties in his battle with Diabetes limited Young to
only 30 games. Even so, Young be sent outright to Triple-A is a bit
puzzling to me.
2. The St. Louis Cardinals signed back up catcher Jason LaRue to a one year deal. LaRue played in 61 games for the Cardinals last year backing up Gold Glove winner Yadier Molina.
3. On November 6th the New York Yankees declined the option of Damaso Marte only to resign him six days later to a 3 year $12 million contract.
4. In an expected move the Texas Rangers exercised Hank Blalock's $6.2 million option.
5. San Diego Padres exercised the $9 million option of Brian Giles.
With the state of the Padres right now no one was for sure if they
would pick up Giles' option. On any normal circumstance it would have
seemed like a no brainer for the Padres to pick up his option.
6. Right handed Taiwanese pitcher Chia-Jen Lo's dreams became a reality when he was signed to a minor league contract by the Houston Astros.
Chia-Jen Lo has always been a closer and the Astros seem inclined to
leave him in the role he feels comfortable. But do not worry Astros
fans, Chia-Jen Lo is not about to replace Jose Valverde anytime soon. The Astros believe the young Taiwanese pitcher is still a few years from the major league level.
7. LaTroy Hawkins
was rewarded for his stellar work out of the Astros bullpen. The Astros
signed the veteran pitcher to a one year $3.25 million contract. This
could mean the Astros are not as pressed in signing Doug Brocail even though they would also like to bring him back aswell.
8. The Washington Nationals acquired LHP Scott Olsen and OF Josh Willingham from the Marlins. To complete the deal the Marlins received for INF Emilio Bonifacio, RHP P.J. Dean and INF Jake Smolinski.
9. In the biggest offseason move so far, the Oakland Athletics acquired OF Matt Holliday in exchange for closer Huston Street.
Colorado also received LHP Greg Smith and OF Carlos Gonzalez. This puts
the Athletics in a position to contend in 2009. If they are able to
sign Jason Giambi to be their DH then the A's may have a fighting chance.
10. The Kansas City Royals made a trade for power hitting first baseman Mike Jacobs Sending RHP Leo Nunez to the Marlins to complete the deal.
11. Shortstop Edgar Renteria will be a free agent now that the Detroit Tigers
declined his option. Edgar is classified as a Type A free agent and a
lot of teams may be unwilling to give up their first round pick for
him. There is an outside chance the Detroit Tigers can resign him to a
cheaper contract.
12. For the first time in a decade the purest swing in the game will be on the free agent market. The Chicago White Sox declined the option on veteran power hitting Ken Griffey Jr.
Even though Junior's numbers have fallen off a bit do not look for him
to sign cheap. I would guess he would sign with a team he feels will
compete in 2009 so do not look for a Seattle reunion. (Even though he
said he is open to the idea)
13. Catcher Rod Barajas will be in Toronto in 2009. The Blue Jays have picked up the option on his contract.
14. Carlos Delgado had his $12 million option picked up for 2009.
15. The Boston Red Sox picked up Tim Wakefield's
option for next season. In case you are unaware of how many option
years Wakefield has left on his contract I will let you know. The
number is indefinite. As long as Boston wants the knuckleballer then he
his theirs for $4 million a season.
Now, these are just the
transactions that have already gone down. These do not count the
endless Jake Peavy rumors that are swirling around. Or the Manny or CC
contract offers that have already been made.
I was kind of
hoping this blog would carry me into the beginning of the opening of
the free agent season, but sadly it has only brought me a couple of
hours closer.
General Managers Meetings
Well, the General Managers meetings have come
and gone once again. Unlike last year when the Astros traded Brad Lidge and
Eric Bruntlett to the Phillies for Michael Bourn and Geoff Geary, there were no
major trades. (Although Lidge, Bruntlett, Bourn and Geary trade were not
considered a major trade when it happened) But we did get a lot of swirling
rumors to come out of the General Managers meetings.
The Jake Peavy Train
One of the biggest rumors heading into the meetings was of
course where the "Jake Peavy Train" will stop now that it has "left" San Diego. The Atlanta
Braves and the Chicago Cubs are two teams that seem to be leading the race to "arms"
so to speak. But like any race there is a dark horse in the mix and that would
be the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Braves seem to have the slight lead in the Peavy Derby because
they can not only match the Padres demand with talented young pitching, but
they could also throw Yunel Escobar to fill the hole at shortstop the Padres
will have when they trade off (probably in the same deal with Peavy) Kahlil
Do not think for a second that the Cubs are out of the race,
because they are not. Do not expect Jeff Samardzija to be involved in any trade
for Peavy or other trade for that matter. Contrary to some postings and
articles, Samardzija has a full no trade clause and not a partial no trade
Samardzija's no trade clause does not mean the Cubs are out
of the race for Peavy, they still have Rich Harden that can be part of any trade
to land Jake Peavy. If the Cubs are willing to put Harden in the deal with a
young pitcher and Felix Pie or Ronny Cedeno I would be very surprised if the
Padres turn down a deal like that.
For the Dodgers to land Peavy would probably mean they
would have to give up a lot more talent considering they are in the National League
West with the Padres.
Matt Holiday
Matt Holiday's surprise appearance at the General Managers
Meetings started the wheels of the Rumor Mill turning. Are the Rockies making the power hitting outfielder available for
trade? Does Holiday's appearance mean the Rockies
have given up hope of signing him to long term contract?
New York Mets
Omar Minaya stated that the Mets would be more
active in the free agent market than the trade market. Signing a free agent
will not cost a team a current prospect already in the team's organization. The
only thing a team will lose is a draft pick in next years draft.
LaTroy Hawkins
The Houston Astros signed LaTroy Hawkins to a
one year deal for $3.5 million plus bonuses. Hawkins was rewarded for is work
for the Astros have they acquired him in a trade from the Yankees. Hawkins
posted a 0.43 ERA in 24 games.
Andy Pettite
Andy Pettite informed the New York Yankees that
he would like to pitch again next season. The Yankees have stated that they
want Pettite back, but it is widely believed he would have to take a
significant pay cut from the $16 million he made last season. A two year deal
should be a long shot for Pettite. Brian Cashman does not seem to be in too big
of a hurry to ink Pettite to a contract. The signing or retirement of Mike
Mussina will play a big role in Pettites return. There is a chance that Andy
could end up back in Houston
or with the Texas Rangers.
CC Sabathia
The Milwaukee Brewers have formally made an
offer to CC Sabathia. Right now they are sitting and waiting for a counter
offer from CC's agent. The offer is believed to be a 5 year 1$100 million
Manny and the Dodgers "Window Dressing"
Manny has received is first official offer from
the Dodgers. Some call the offer a "Window Dressing". It is believed to be a 2
year deal for $45 million and a third option year. I doubt that Manny and Scott
Boras have given this offer more than a seconds thought.
Type A/B Free Agents
Does everyone understand the importance of Type A and B free agents?
Here is how that works according to www.mlbtraderumors.com
"If the Diamondbacks offer Dunn arbitration, he may decline because he prefers to play elsewhere or prefers to seek a multiyear free agent contract. If he declines the Reds' offer and signs elsewhere, the Diamondbacks will receive two draft picks.
Let's say the Yankees sign Dunn. The Diamondbacks will then receive one '09 draft pick from the Yankees. If the Yankees have, say, the 22nd overall pick next June, the Reds get that in addition to their own normal first round pick. The Diamondbacks also get a supplemental draft pick squeezed in between the first and second round of the draft.
The Diamondbacks only get the Yankees' first-round pick if it falls between #16-30. The first 15 picks are protected. So if the Nationals sign Dunn, the Diamondbacks are kind of screwed because they do not get the Nats' #2 overall pick. Instead, they get the Nats' second round pick and the supplemental pick.
A free agent can also be classified as a Type B based on his stats from 2007-08. This might happen with Jon Garland. Say the Angels offer him arbitration and he declines and then signs with the Dodgers. The Dodgers would not give up any draft picks, but the Angels would get an extra pick between the first and second round. Another rule to consider: the "losing" team can receive draft pick compensation without offering arbitration if their free agent is signed before December 1st."
Here is an interesting note too. If your team only loses one Type A player via a free agent signing then that team is only allowed to sign one Type A free agent.
Lets take the Yankees for example. They have four type A pending free agents. Andy Pettite, Mike Mussina, Ivan Rodriguez and Damaso Marte. Now if they resign both Pettite, Mussina and Marte they would only be allowed to sign one major free agent. So they would not be able to chase after CC, Teixaria, AJ Burnett and Derek Lowe even though every Yankees fan with a blog would have you believe. It is just simply not possible.
Dumb MVP Picks (at least to me)
Dumb 2008 NL MVP Picks Pt. Deux
I think that everyone should
realize that Manny Ramirez is not a viable MVP candidate in the NL, and
surprisingly, there are people out there who know this and are not
going to waste their MVP pick on a guy who played only fitty games in
the NL. He's wrong, horribly, horribly wrong, but hey, he's trying
Phillies' Howard deserves NL MVP over Cardinals' Pujols
the idiocy begin. To borrow a phrase from one of the worst Homer
broadcasters ever: it's time to sinch'er up and hunker down here,
folks. Cause when Bob Matthews is writing, you best believe the crap is
gonna start flying.
Ryan Howard is my pick for National League Most Valuable Player,
you are a dumb-butt. Here is Howard's stat line for the year:
.251/.339/.543. Those first two numbers are quite pedestrian, yet you
make him your MVP choice? Sure, he hit 48 HR's, which definitely helped
his team, but the dude struck out 199 times! That's one less than 200!
Even Adam Dunn would say, "Jesus, Ryan take some pitches!"
but Albert Pujols is my choice for first baseman on the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Team.
Ok? Did you say that just to make up for your crazy MVP pick? You ain't foolin' me, Bob Matthews.
Bob Matthews:
Well, Albert, I didn't pick you for the MVP this year because I put too
much emphasis on RBI's and and didn't even look at Ryan's strikeout
numbers, but hey, you are on the depth chart for the MLB All-Star Team!
How's that for accomplishments?
Albert Pujols: Who the heck are you, fat man? What are you doing in my bedroom?! Get theheck
out of my house you bafoon! Don't you know that RBI's are a suspect
statistic, anyways? Jeez!
Here's why.
for Bob Matthews): "Because I'm a traditional baseball nut-job that way
overvalues RBI's and Home Runs and have no clue what OBP is. I like MVP
voting because I can dick-around for the first 5 months of the season
and then really only vaguely watch August and September to get my MVP
For your reference, here is a list of NL players
that have better VORP numbers than Howard's (good, but not MVP-quality)
35.3 and below Pujols' leading 96.8.
Hanley Ramirez
Chipper Jones
Lance Berkman
David Wright
Jose Reyes
Chase Utley
Matt Holliday
Carlos Beltran
Ryan Ludwick
Brian McAnn
Manny Ramirez
Nate McClouth
that list is too long. Ryan Howard is 30th in the NL in VORP. He's not
even leading his own team in VORP! I'm sorry, back to the RBI's we go…
My All-Star Team is based on season-long performance, and Pujols had a better overall offensive season than Howard.
Just better? That one sentence cannot possibly begin to describe how
much better Pujols' .357/.462/.653 season was than Howard's abismal
.251/.339/.543. Pat Burrel (123) and Chase Utley (133) both OPS+ed
either the same or more than Howard's 123, while Pujols was busy
putting up an OPS+ of 190. 190!
But Howard was red hot in September (.352, 11 HRs, 32 RBI) and carried Philadelphia to the NL East pennant.
it was all Howard. Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels and Brad
Lidge? They all phoned it in in September, leaving Howard to pick up
the slack. Give me a freaking break with this "hot in September" crap,
it really proves my sarcastic point that you only watch the last two
months of the season.
St. Louis faded in early September when Pujols cooled off
you serious? "Cooled off"? He went .321/.427/.702 in September, which
admittedly is down from his August line of .398/.491/.745, but cooled
off? He was still OPSing over 1.000! The 2008 NL MVP Candidacy: .400 in
September or Bust.
But what about your savior of the NL, Ryan
Howard? Did you happen to look at his monthly splits? Or, again, is
September the only month in which you allow yourself to watch baseball?
had an AVG of .300+ only twice this season, and those two times were
the only times he even sniffed .250+. He went .213/.328/.463 in August
with 36 K's and only 7 Home Runs. I don't know if you, like, know
anything about baseball but, that sucks. Kind of like this article.
In fairness, he was due for a mini-slump after carrying the Cardinals for several months.
I refer you to the rant in the above paragraphs about the "mini-slump".
just several months? How about the entire freaking season? How about
putting up an MLB-leading VORP of 96.8! And "carrying the
Cardinals"…isn't that within your definition of "Valuable" in the
MVP? Just a thought.
If Pujols finishes on top in the official NL MVP balloting, it would be fine with me.
Then just freaking pick him! He is the most viable candidate out there!
I figure he got robbed of two NL MVP awards when Barry Bonds beat him out with bloated muscles and numbers.
Pujols deserves the 2008 NL MVP because he got screwed by Barroid, and
not because he is far superior to any player in the NL this year? Wow.
Here are my picks for the major individual awards:
screw you. I'm done reading your baseball-ignorant crap. You and Bill
Plaschke should get together and whack it to the thoughts of old scouts
and how the statheads are ruining the game of baseball. Get bent you
Article by 643 Sports Jon


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Sunday, February 7, 2010
Actual Water - Double Negatives
Actual Water are LOUD. That's about all you really need to know. From Toronto. Cassette from 2008. If you're into Times New Viking, Meth Teeth, or other bands hell-bent on blowing your speakers, you'll surely enjoy this. Thanks to
for this one. Jesus Christ I'm lazy.
- Dan
Double Negatives
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I have several special use case VMs that boot from an ISO file stored on a datastore. During a recent storage refresh, I found that we had the need to update the ISO path on all of these VMs from the old datastore to the new. PowerCLI came to the rescue once again and tackled it with just a few lines of code:
$vms = get-vm -location "cluster name" $oldPath = "[Old_ISO_Datastore] boot.iso" $newPath = "[New_ISO_Datastore] boot.iso" foreach($vm in $vms){ $cd = get-cddrive -VM $vm if($cd.IsoPath -eq $oldPath){ set-cddrive -CD $cd -IsoPath $newPath -Confirm:$false } }


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Since I already said what I had to say in the video tutorial I uploaded on "how to draw a horse for kids", I'm just going to give you a brief description or pass over some of my comments. I had a lot of fun drawing this horse, and one of my favorite aspects of the design is the head. The horse's mane flows nicely around and on the face, and the colors I chose for the hair and body are absolutely perfect. The white stripe in the middle of the forehead and the white around the horse's nose also makes the color scheme supreme. I am really happy with the way this horse came out, which means if I like it, you will too. Have fun teaching yourself how to draw a horse for kids.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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Pine Crest junior diver Kevin Mendez of Fort Lauderdale is one of 24 divers chosen to represent Team USA at this year's Junior Pan American Championships in Arizona.
Mendez, who turned 10-years-old last July, will be competing as an individual in the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard, and the 5-meter platform for the 11-and-under category.
"This is my first year going to the Pan American Games, and it's truly an honor to be representing the United States," Mendez said.
Mendez qualified for the team based on his results at this year's Junior Nationals where he won two USA Diving National titles in the 11-and-under boys platform and 1-meter springboard diving events. Earlier this year, he also scored big at the Junior East Nationals where he won every national event as a 9-year-old.
Janet Gabriel, coach at the Pine Crest Diving Club, has been training Mendez for the past year and a half and says when Mendez joined the Pine Crest School's diving team he was already a national champion.
"Kevin came with a real strong background in developmental diving. When he joined Pine Crest Diving, he went on to the U.S.A Diving's Junior Championships," Gabriel said. "He medaled and placed in the finals as an 8-year-old. His achievements speak to his personality that he has excelled so early in his life."
Mendez's father, who hails from Manizales, Colombia, said his son's love for diving was evident at the age of 3 when he asked his mother to put him on a springboard after watching the Plantation dive team practicing at their local pool.
"He took his first dive at the age of 3 under the direction of Coach Paul Breitfeller and he has not stopped since," said Kevin Mendez Sr.
"This whole journey has been a learning process for all of us," mother Kellie Mosley-Mendez said. "We didn't know anything about diving, and both Paul Breitfeller and Jennifer Floyd were instrumental during his first 5-years of Kevin's development.
In preparation for the Junior Pan American games, Mendez and Coach Gabriel are putting in some intense training times.
"Kevin is currently training as much as a college student. He's very dedicated and committed in that sense," Gabriel said. "Kevin has worked really hard for the chance to go to the Junior Pan Ams, and it will be exciting to see him make his international debut down in Tucson."
The Junior Pan American Games is one of the most competitive of all the other competitions because finalist and top ranking divers go on to present their country at all national and international diving meets.
The Junior Pan American Games are held every other year at various locations in the Western Hemisphere. This year they are taking place for the first time since 2005 in the United States. At least 150 divers from 10 different countries will have the chance to compete for gold at the Hillenbrand Aquatic Center on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson, from Sept. 26-29.


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This week the Catlin Seaview Survey is heading out to the remote Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, some 500 nautical miles south of the Republic of the Maldives, which itself is already over 300 nautical miles out to sea south of India. We will be leaving Australia a few days early, because the only way of getting to this remote atoll system, some 3,400 open sea miles east of Africa and 3,000 miles west of Indonesia, is by military aircraft, requiring more time for coordination. We will be guests on the territory patrol vessel, called the Pacific Marlin, whose usual work is to conduct resource protection patrols, keeping the vast 644,000 square kilometer Fisheries Conservation and Management Zone free of illegal fishing. This vast area, which consists mostly of blue water but also includes 58 low sandy islands and hundreds of individual reefs, is nearly twice the size of Britain. Some areas were not even mapped until late in the 20th century, with the 1998 charts still having regions marked with dotted lines and the legends "existence doubtful" and "position approximate" on some features.
This protected area, only established in 2010, is the largest no-take reserve anywhere in the world's oceans, and in fact is nearly the size of all the other no-take reserves in the world added together. The largest single coral atoll in the world is located here, enclosing the Great Chagos Bank, which covers some 12,642 square kilometers. These are some of the healthiest and cleanest tropical reef systems anywhere on the planet. The local stressors so common and so damaging on coral reefs around the world are for the most part not present here, including overfishing of reef fish, wholesale removal of the top predators like sharks for international trade, discharge of raw sewage into the waters, and discarding plastics and other solid waste onto the reefs. However, this is not to say that the reefs of the Chagos Archipelago are unaffected by man, for the global stressors of sea surface temperature rise and ocean acidification are beginning to exert themselves here, like every other location in the biosphere. The Catlin Seaview Survey research mission here will be doing surveys and taking samples with this interesting dichotomy in mind -- that diving in this area will be like taking a step back in time to an era when reefs were thriving, but that we may still be looking at an underwater landscape already demonstrating the silent impacts of global change.
There are few other places left on earth with thriving ecosystems that have been so little affected by humans as the Chagos Archipelago. We are anticipating that the coral cover, the abundance of sharks, the biomass of herbivores, and all other indications of ecosystem health will be superlative. What we hope to do is to observe and catalogue as much of this as we can on our small mission, and to bring these images to the online world in panoramic form, so that the rest of the world can also appreciate the wealth and value of these unique islands.


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OUR SPECIALIST TEAM: Prof John Porter, Supervisor Dr Perla Eleftheriou, Coordinator and many other valuable colleagues. FUNDING: A stipend of $2000 USD/month for each successful candidate, which intends to cover the successful candidate's accommodation, daily transportation and basic living expenses. Any expenses above this amount will be the responsibility of the ...Read More »


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text: Kudos to Melanie Golder and the ILL team for filling the first Occam's reader request as part of the GWLA consortium. The e-book, Third International Handbook of Mathematics Education, was loaned to the University of Missouri. The book was 1,119 pages. How very exciting for CUL to be part of the first loan of an e-book.


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September 2012
View from the store window to production.
View from the store window to production.
From Cool As A Moose looking at a window that looks down on production to where shirts are bring printed.
One row of printing and drying equipment is up and running. The second row is scheduled for delivery next month.
The office area has been occupied. Lighting has not been installed yet so the electricians will have to work around furniture.
Basement storage, still unpacking.
Artforms is in the house!
The first printing machine has been installed. The dryer is in the background. The second set of printing machines will be relocated to Brunswick after this first set is in production.
Production equipment is being moved in and assembled.
Office furniture being unpackaged and assembled.
Cabinets and appliances installed in the employee break room.
Ductwork for the production dryers in the basement. Equipment is scheduled to be delivered the second week of September.
View from the art department to the offices below.
View from the second floor conference room towards the office below.
View of Artforms offices looking towards the first floor office/conference room.
Finishing touches in the offices of Artforms.
The cable railings create wonderful shadows on the balcony wall.
The existing joists that remain have been painted and the lighting is almost completed in the production area.
Artforms has been mocking up the location of the printing equipment on the basement floor.
The view from Cool As A Moose retail, looking out to the production floor to see where and how your clothes are printed.
The production floor, lighting being installed.
The cables have been installed.
View from the balcony with new cables installed.
The office area has been sheetrocked.
The railing along the production area balcony has been installed. Cables will be installed later.
Kip Stone and Caroline Kurrus at the Brunswick Downtown Association breakfast in May, 2012.
Kip accepting an historic preservation award for the Town Hall Place / Cool As A Moose renovations.
The award.
These windows in the retail store allow customers to watch their clothing being printed for sale upstairs.
Basement production area, ductwork being installed.
Loading dock from the basement.
Basement storage area.
Corner office windows of the Production Manager's office in the basement.
Production walls and ceiling have been painted.
Borrowed lite frames between the office and production area on the first floor.
Hanging gypsum board on the first floor ceiling. The second floor office needs a rated separation between the office and production area.
Office area with new windows, floor removed, and ductwork installed.
One of the few items to remain in this multi-phased renovation, the original store stairs of Grand City.
Ductwork lined up in the basement waiting to be installed.
Elevator wall framed out.
Kip Stone reviewing drawings.
The production area in the basement has a much better feel now that the floor has been opened up.
View from the employee break room, looking down onto production and to the windows in the Cool As A Moose retail store.
The plywood has been removed! View from the production area to the new skylights.
Another view of the second floor opening with the ductwork installed, to be a double-height space in the office.
Making great progress hanging gypsum board. The plywood is covering the large floor opening.
View from the future conference room and art department overlooking the offices below.
Ductwork being installed in the office area.
All of the elevator equipment has been delivered to the site.
The elevator shaft has been constructed.
Town Hall Place in the early morning light.
DMA came back out in November to check on phase 2. A little slow, things are happening again.
A little sun has come out and the leaves are happy. Grand opening is scheduled for the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.
Curbing is being installed. The asphalt will be poured later this week and then the pavers will be installed over the subbase next week.
Granite curbing is being installed along the rear of the building. The new entrance has been installed, too.
Life is good side of the store.
After the ribbon cutting ceremony, the bronze plaque was unveiled by Mike Ouellet, general contractor, and David Matero.
Missy, the store manager, about the cut the ribbon in front of Brunswick council and chamber members.
Ribbon cutting ceremony.
Open for business.
The back exit has been completed, except for the cleaning.
Town Hall Place at night.
Herbie greeting visitors from the exterior.
Store opening is one full day away.
The merchandise is beginning to be highlighted.
Greg Day taking a break from aiming lights.
Greg Day aiming lights. Lights are a combination of halogen (for color rendition) and LED (efficiency) track-mounted fixtures.
Toilet room is almost completed.
The valance has been installed on the lights.
Furiously unpacking, folding, tagging, and shelving.
The Life is good sign is up.
Mike, the millworker, made a mockup of the light valance for the changing and toilet rooms.
Installing lights in the new canopy.
Mocking up the "Life is good" sign.
The mechanical units have been delivered.
The back stair has been opened up. Waiting for phase 2.
Denis from Perfect Signs has delivered the bronze plaque commemorating the original Town Hall Building located on this site until it was torn down in 1961. The plaque will be unveiled during the ribbon-cutting ceremony next week.
The store and future office exit is beginning to be bricked.
Nicole Pilgrim painting Herbie the Moose.
The metal deck has been removed in the office area. Diffused light will flood the offices.
The metal deck has been removed in the office area. Diffused light will flood the offices.
Looking through the borrowed lites from the retail to the future printing area.
Lights mounted to the storefront will highlight window displays.
The interior fit out of retail continues.
The morning light reflecting the Town Hall Place letters. The perforated metal helps to create a dynamic sign with static elements.
A combination of halogen and LED light fixtures are being installed throughout the retail area to achieve good color rendition and energy efficiency.
Shelving being installed in Cool As A Moose.
Cabinetry is being installed in the Life is good area. The windows (borrowed lites) from the store look out to the screen printing area in the basement.
View from below.
The precast concrete sills have been installed along the Maine Street windows, along with the sunshades.
Notice the quality of light from the skylights. The plywood is on the floor for staging but when this is removed the light will make it down to the basement.
The skylights being installed. These will bring daylight to the printing area in the basement.
The interior of Cool As A Moose with paint and flooring going down.
The Town Hall Place sign with lights.
The interior of Cool As A Moose is being primed.
The canopy frame is here. It is scheduled for installation soon.
The skylights are being installed above the future printing area. Part of the floor is covered by plywood to act as staging but eventually that and every other joist will be removed to bring light into the basement. The windows into the retail area will allow shoppers to watch their shirts being printed.
The upper part of the staging is down, unveiling half the building.
Sheetrock has been installed.
The sign behind the curtain.
John Lotfey (electrician), Jacques Santucci (Opus Consulting), and Karen Bushey (Cool As A Moose).
This UFO is acutally roof decking being removed for the skylights.
The architect and Jada looking at the finishes. Tracy Davis from Urban Dwellings (see photos below) chose a very nice palette of colors.
The existing roof membrane is being cut away for the installation of the skylight curb.
The roofers are replacing insulation with new insulation and a fully adhered EPDM roofing.
Denis from Perfect Signs holding one of the letters from Cool As A Moose.
A job meeting with Ouellet Associates and the owner, Kip Stone, in red.
The perimeter walls of the retail area have been sprayed insulated. This picture is also a good example of how the windows work, good light distribution and no glare.
The skylight frames have been constructed on the second floor. Once the roofers are ready, these will be carried out onto the roof. The glazing in the skylights are by Kalwall.
The retail framing is complete and the rough-in is well on its way.
Wall framing is set off the block so that spray insulation will create a thermal break between the block and metal studs. Note the Solera glazing on the upper windows.
Washing the brick of the debris from cutting in the windows. Once the precast concrete sills are installed, the windows will be sealed tight.
The aluminum sunshades are constructed as part of the Kawneer storefront system.
Windows along the south wall are being installed. The aluminium sunshades will help block direct light during the summer but allow solar heat gain during the winter. Above the sunshades, Solera glazing will diffuse and distribute daylight to the interior.
The first of the aluminum sunshades have been installed. This is the view from the interior.
More welding for additonal roof reinforcing. The roof needed to be upgraded to current code standards.
The storefront windows along Maine Street have been installed. The vision glass is in, but we are waiting for the Solera glass that will be installed in the upper panels. Solera glass will help diffuse and distribute light to the interior.
The last of the floor grinding at newly poured concrete.
The kickers have been installed. Waiting for the exterior canopy steel.
A section detail by the structural engineers, Casco Bay Engineering, of the front canopy.
The canopy beams will slide into these tabs.
These tabs are being installed at the location of the front canopy.
Kickers will be slotted into the tabs welded to the beam at the roof. These kickers will angle down to connect to the canopy steel so assist with the cantilever loads of the canopy.
The tabs for the canopy are being cut. This beam will be raised above and the kickers will be inserted into the tabs you see between the steel flanges (see kickers above).
STEEL AND BAR JOISTS ARE HERE! Now we can start building.
At the new entrance / exit being cut into the south wall, a copper pan was installed under the concrete and sloped to the exterior. Trying to alleviate the problem at the main entrance where water penetrated to the inside and rusted the structure.
Pouring concrete near the front entrance, above the resupported (rusty) beam.
Pouring concrete at the area of existing floor and metal deck that needed to be removed.
Maybe a little hard to see, the window height along Maine Street will be almost 2′ higher than the original storefront windows. These large steel braces anchored wood blocking that supported a fabric awning frame. Removing the bottom of the braces and wood blocking will bring in more natural daylight through our Solera glass above the sunshade system.
As you can see, rust has eaten a majority of the beam embedded in the foundation. A bent steel plate will be bolted through the foundation wall below and welded to the underside of this beam to provide new support.
Eric Dube from Casco Bay Engineering and Don Ouellet from Ouellet Associates inspecting a severely rusted beam to determine whether to replace it or restructure it.
It was the right time to renovate the old Grand City building. Concrete was removed at the front entrance to expose rotting metal deck and a steel beam. Now is the time to take care of this.
A mock up of the aluminum storefront window. To cover the edge of brick that has been cut, brake metal is wrapped around the edge. The storefront manufacturer has done a good job constructing this trim detail.
Remember that brick wall in poor condition? It has been rebuilt behind the curtain.
Staging and a protective structure for all the work that is beginning on the Maine Street facade.
Detail of a window opening. Note the old way of installing brick ties. Every 6 courses bricks were laid on a header course and mortared into the concrete block. The disadvantage to this system is there is no air space between the brick and block so the brick does not work as a rain screen. However, it has worked for over 50 years.
Protective boxes have been installed in the openings, but they will be reused when the windows arrive. The wood frames will remain as nailing blocks for the frames. Insulation will be filled beween the wood and concrete.
Many of the brick openings have been cut. The openings will have barriers until the windows arrive.
Light! The first of the brick openings along the south side of the building have been cut. What a way to end the year. Here's to a great start to 2011.
The forms have been removed, water is still being pumped out below the pit. Once the waterproofing is installed and the hole is backfilled the water should not be an issue anymore.
This is what happens when only the window remains in place at the front. All the metal and flashing has been removed above the window. Water and ice are doing their own design work to our rendering. Storefront shop drawings have been approved and the aluminum windows and doors are being fabricated.
The elevator pit has been poured. Now that Kip can see it, he is thinking of turning it into a Jacuzzi. One might think the elevator button for this floor 'P' stands for Production, we all know it means "Pool."
The elevator pit will be dug to 5′ below the slab. It has to be this wide to build the pit foundation walls.
The hose goes down to the basement. This is a really big vacuum cleaner.
The pump truck is pumping out dirt for the new elevator pit.
The front gable has been removed as specified for the "Town Hall Place" sign. It's likely we will have to remove this wall and rebuild it because of the quality of the brick veneer structure.
The last of the cutting for the new lintels on the south facing brick wall. Once the lintels are in, the window openings can be cut out. The storefront windows and sunshade system have been approved and are on order.
The second-floor brick and block has been cut out for the installation of the lintels, and some are in. Also note the amount of concrete slab that has been removed. The metal decking remains as staging until the new windows are installed. Once the windows are in the metal deck will be removed to bring in light to the offices below.
The front gable wood panels have been removed. The quality of the brick was a surprise. We expected clean brick veneer, even the clamshell paneling was formed into the brick out of wood. We will be meeting masons on site to determine the next course of action.
South façade. Lintels are being installed from the interior so the wall does not need shoring or bracing.
View of the future screen printing room. Eventually, every other bar joist will be removed.
This is what happens when moisture is allowed to migrate inside. Just below the vestibule above, moisture and salt have combined to rust out the metal decking in this area. There are 3 or 4 places throughout the building where this has happened.
The existing vestibule has been removed.
To install plumbing under existing concrete slab, the slab and grade must be trenched. A sawcutting machine will cut the slab into manageable pieces.
Perimeter framing, the metal studs are set off the wall so that foam insulation can be sprayed behind the studs creating a thermal break between concrete block and metal. The ceiling in this area must be covered to create a fire rating between the production area and the second floor.
The old handicap lift is being removed piece by piece. You can just see Lance's hard hat bottom left.
Photo of a railing mock-up. The railing will be surrounding the new floor opening down to the screen printing area. The railing must be see-through so that visitors to the retail store can watch their garments being printed.
Interior designer, Tracy Davis, Urban Dwellings, reviews finishes with Karen Bushey, Cool As A Moose, and Kip Stone (not in photo).
Wall framing has begun.
The new windows have been designed to fit within brick and block coursing so the work can be accomplished from the interior. The steel lintels will be installed before the concrete block and brick is removed.
Owner's Rep, Dale Akeley, Architect David Matero, Electrical Engineer, Will Bennett and Electrician, John Lotfey reviewing the plans.
Shadows in the basement after removing existing flooring and allowing light in. One of the many images during demolition that you will not see again once construction begins.
Owner, Kip Stone, and the electrician looking on as Greg Day, DayMatero studio, reviews the lighting design.
Location of new openings in the exterior wall painted on the concrete block.
Concrete has been removed from this portion of the second floor. Metal deck remains because new windows will be cut out of the brick and concrete block wall and the contractor can still use the floor for staging.
All concrete and metal decking has been removed in this location. Every other bar joist will eventually be removed. Screenprinting will take place below, in the lower level. The removal of existing flooring will allow light into this space.
After the concrete slab is removed, the metal deck is welded off the bar joists.
Of the 40,000 sf of existing concrete floor, about 5,000 sf will be removed for multi-level spaces and light.
Serious demolition now. These walls were the old employee toilet rooms on the second floor.
The interior walls are either concrete block or, in this case, metal lath and plaster.
The dumpster arrives for the beginning of the easy demolition.
Existing stairs will be salvaged and relocated.
The main stair from the first floor to the basement with an old handicap lift.
View of the front entrance at the old Grand City.
Approved South Elevation with new storefront windows, diffused glazing, and sun shade system to allow natural, non-glare daylight into this 1960's building.
Brunswick Village Review Board approved the proposed design of Town Hall Place as presented by David Matero, DayMatero studio, for the new home of Artforms and Cool As A Moose. Notice the removal of the gable, new canopy, new storefront and window shade system.
Town Hall Place road towards the Brunswick Fire Station. This brick wall faces south. Picture this façade with new windows.
The old Grand City department store on Maine Street in Brunswick, Maine. The 40,000 sf store and restaurant in the heart of downtown Brunswick went on the market in 2009 and was purchased in early 2010 by Kip Stone, owner of Cool as a Moose and Artforms.


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It's now up to the Senate to make sure this dangerous bill stops dead in its tracks.
Nearly 4 out 10 Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of smog pollution—where it's literally dangerous to breathe. Yet at the height of the summer smog season, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would delay the implementation of crucial smog standards for nearly a decade.
It's now up to the Senate to make sure this bill stops dead in its tracks—and that only happens if you raise your voice.
Take action today and tell your Senators to put the health and safety of Americans above the interests of the dirty air industry.
Please oppose any attacks on clean air protections
Dear [Decision Maker],
Sincerely,[Your Name] [Your Address] [City, State ZIP]


text:
Umbrellas can add a fun element to any setting and this deep, rich purple umbrella will also add lots of pizazz! Birthdays, showers, receptions, weddings and parties - anywhere and everywhere that you need a pop of color and energy!
Hang different colors together to create an exciting visual display or you could even illuminate from underneath to give an explosion of color. Paint on your logo, theme or design or add decorations with crystal or acrylic stickers and strips of diamond wrap. Fully open, the nylon canopy is 31.5" in diameter and is almost completely flat. Closed, it's 20" long. The spines and straight handle are made from real wood. Create your own umbrella focal point and the sun is sure to shine!


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Smuggler's Bounty – Black Friday Deals
I did this deal last year and it allowed me to catch up on all the boxes that I missed prior to…Read More
I did this deal last year and it allowed me to catch up on all the boxes that I missed prior to…Read More
Golden R2-D2 is finally on sale at Hot Topic. It's a little earlier than last year's Black Friday release of BB-8, but it's…Read More
The last time we see Finn active in The Force Awakens is when he is fighting with Kylo Ren, trying to defend Rey,…Read More
Today, November 18, 2017, is LOCAL COMIC SHOP DAY!!!!!! Get out to your local or favorite comic shop and support those guys…Read More
It looks like the Han Solo TaunTaun Dorbz is about to get some friends. Coming to Disney Stores near you, it looks like…Read More
Earlier this month, Funko announced that they will be releasing the rest of the Star Wars Movie Moments on November 18th, which possibly…Read More
STAR WARS: DOCTOR APHRA (2016) #14 Published: November 15, 2017 Rating: Rated T Writer:Kieron Gillen Penciler:Emilio Laiso Cover Artist:Ashley Witter Doctor Aphra's antics are causing…Read More
Many people have been hoping for a Sith box for quite some time, and it's finally coming! Although Funko will probably release the…Read More
Today is the last day at your chance to grab your November Smuggler's Bounty Box. Order today for your chance at some great…Read More
Just saw this via email from Hot Topic. Check them out today to round out your latest collection of Star Wars PoP!s. Click…Read More


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Shaunne McNamee, Licensed Acupuncturist
acupuncture and massage for pain and stress relief
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Shaunne has long been a student of health and natural medicine techniques. In 2006, she earned her Master's degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (also known as East Asian Medicine) from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in Portland, Oregon. Besides her formal studies she has been a student of Thai Yoga Therapy, Reiki, and Body Talk Therapy, as well as nutrition and kinesiology.
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Your Destiny awaits, Guardian.
Nearly everything about this game is superb. Yet it is only the beginning.
The story literally drops you into the middle of an epic saga. So much has happened, yet so much of it is shrouded in mystery - information lost in the near-extinction of the human race. Think "Dark Ages" times a few billion.
We start at the beginning of the turn - the moment where a battered, beaten group of survivors has finally gathered the strength to begin pushing back and retaking and rediscovering all that was lost.
A lot of reviewers just don't get this. They don't like the story because it isn't a nice, clean little box that gives them a start, middle, and ending that neatly wraps everything up and explains it all do you. There is no spoon here. It isn't fed to you. It is neither really shown to you or told to you - but it is there. The Grimoire gives a lot of great detail, yet sadly most gamers will never read a word of it. The story is also not the typical dark, gritty, edgy affair that dominates the video game world, as well as the box office. If something isn't edgy and emo, dark and gritty it's not "hip" enough for the modern consumer. Destiny is a story of hope. Of a new beginning, a return to the light. Even though it is set many years after a great apocalypse, it is not really a post-apocalyptic setting. People just don't get that. They don't understand a story about hope. The music really gives it away, if you take the time to listen.
As much about the past and history and why things are the way they are will be revealed as the timeline moves forward as well. It's a bold move - a choice by Bungie. They probably new people would can the story, but they know how much more of it is left to tell. They are willing to take the hit on the nose in the short term, because they believe at the end of this 10 year saga we'll look back and marvel at the universe they've created. The decade or so of an experience unique to the gaming world they have marvelously crafted for us.
There isn't much to be said about the core game play. The moment to moment game play loop mechanics are flawless. I expected no less from Bungie. Abilities and weapon feel, look, and sound amazing and are fun to use. Enemies, especially at the higher difficulties, will challenge you, intimidate you, and bring great satisfaction when they finally fall. There is as much variety in enemy type here as any shooter, or Halo game, with the interesting use of D&D inspired naming convention. These enemies are thralls, wizards, knights, and acolytes -what WE call them, as so little is still known of their origin, their ties to the Darkness, and their true motivations.
Team play is splendid as well. You'll be doing yourself a great disservice playing this game alone. This is certainly once of the aspects taken from the MMO playbook, yet Bungie's own history of incredible co-op play in the Halo series is on full display here as well.
Another piece taken from the MMO lineage is the repetition. The grind for better loot. This is, after all, an ARPG is it not? Like any Diablo or World of Warcraft, you best content in order to gear up to best the next tier of content. Repetition is the name of that game. What makes it engaging is the core game play, the excellent team play, and the clever use of modifiers and placement of elite/champion mobs to challenge you and make each run a unique experience.
In the post-20 game, firefights are frantic, nearly chaotic affairs only beaten by a steely reserve and itch trigger finger. Strategy, tactics, clever use of abilities, and coordination are the only way you will ever beat the Weekly Strike challenges. They give us a glimpse into what Raiding will be like, and it is truly amazing how much of the role-based group dynamics Bungie was able to successfully meld into the core shooter game play.
Bungie said it themselves, you will do things in these high level encounters you have not done in other shooters before.
The game is not without flaws, however. Travel between destinations is an annoyance, the ability to travel directly from game play space to game play space without having to congregate in orbit first would be a welcome addition. Even forming a fire team and getting everyone to party up and be able to use voice comms is often a challenge. Voice comms in PUG situations, or even in a proximity basis out on Patrol or in the Tower would go a long way - as long as there are easy methods to mute and report music blarers, singers, static disruption, and the hopefully rare jerk/troll/etc.
The 3 player group limit is an odd choice. Yes, there are 3 classes and 6 total sub-classes, but 4 players has been the standard for competitive and cooperative multiplayer on console since the days of Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast. I'd like to see the Strike/Story cap raised to 4, and the Patrol cap raised to 6.
There also needs to be level 20+ levels of all planets for Patrols, not just the Story/Strike instances. They've proven the tech for great phasing, dynamic instancing, etc. as well as content and difficulty scaling. I do not see why we cannot have a level 20+ version of Old Russia for Earth-bound patrols and Public events.
This makes many of the bounties seem completely pointless once you are level 20 and above. It is not like there is any interaction on the Moon between a level 25 grinding through 6 Patrol missions for a bounty and a level 8 there for the first time doing the campaign. I have run into high level areas hidden on the planets, however just randomly - not led their specifically by a bounty or patrol mission due to my high level.
Competitive multiplayer, PvP in the Crucible, is fast and fun. It certainly has a learning curve, being just different enough from Halo and just different enough from Call of Duty to have its own niche. The movement abilities and Guardian powers add a dynamic to the PvP that is unique to the game, though you certainly get a vibe from Halo, Titanfall, Call of Duty, and your standard MMO battleground experience.
Loot can be earned through earning and spending marks and reputation, similar to any MMO gear grind, or via the luck of the drop both during a mission or in the post-completion wrap up. RPG mechanics are vague, with three core stats the difference is only noticeable once you gear up enough to build up considerable values. As it stands now I am up to Light level 25 with 2 legendary (purple) pieces of armor, one looted and one purchased, and the rest level 19-20 Blue (rare) pieces.
There is a lot of variety in the weapons, even two say Auto Rifles will play vastly differently based on their rate of fire, accuracy, stability, range, and the modifiers earned by leveling up these weapons to add special effect.
I'm just starting to appreciate the differences in your character's Guardian class build and how much impact they can have. I found an entirely different skill set required for the Crucible versus playing PvE, and when grouped with others on higher difficulty content, yet another build. I'm close to completing one subclass, and barely half way into the second on my Titan. The difference in play style and tactics is extreme. I move from jumping head first into the thick of the fray to skirting around the edges, timing my grenade and ability uses for maximum impact. I cannot wait to equip Exotic pieces of gear that will allow me additional access to class abilities and traits, further diversifying my build choices.
I'm excited to see what the future holds. Raiding is the first goal on the horizon for myself and my clan mates, and I am curious to see what kind of events Bungie is planning to sprinkle into the game each week. I've purchased the Expansion Pass, so there are at least two new content additions on the horizon, and hopefully the PS exclusive Strike will come my way in time as well.
Destiny needs more content, but thus can be said for any game - old or new. Bungie has given us plenty do until then, and an extremely enjoyable experience to keep us enthralled for many years to come. It's not for everyone, just like MMOs and ARPGs aren't for everyone, but Destiny successfully melds the best of both genres into a unique experience, that flaw aside, is a brilliant masterpiece of game design and execution.
Your Destiny awaits, Guardian.


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On this particular Friday, can I just brag on my hubby ladies? He has been nothing short of ahhhhmazing this week as I have transitioned back into being a working mom after having been a stay at home mom for the last eight or so weeks. On Monday I came home from work to find that Kevin had done all of our laundry. I'm just going to be honest here and admit that that was no easy feat as we had three overflowing baskets of laundry that I'd been putting off for a few weeks now. As if that wasn't good enough, for dinner Kevin ordered my favorite take out from Monterreys, a local Mexican joint that I am obsessed with and picked up God's Not Dead from Redbox since I've been dying to see it. After the babe was down for the count, Kev and I spent the remaining evening on the couch watching the movie. Might I add I even got a foot massage during the movie?! It was probably the best part of the evening considering my feet just weren't used to that much standing anymore!
On Tuesday I came home with the intention of cooking dinner but one look and Kev knew I was exhausted. I was so excited and relieved when he offered for us to go grab something out for dinner. As per my request we grabbed some seafood and swung by and got some ice cream afterwards. On our way home Kevin surprised me with The Other Woman... another movie I had been hoping to see. So after we got Harper in bed we settled on the couch chowing down on ice cream and watching a movie!
Unfortunately I can't say our week continued to go as well. Wednesday night I came down with what I guess was the flu or a virus. I had a fever, chills, & ached all over. By the time Kevin got home from a long day at work I was useless. Despite how exhausted he was from pulling a 12+ hour day he was so thoughtful enough to take over Harper duty. He made sure Harp was fed, got her ready for bed, & looked after me as well. And last night he did the same plus took care of our dinner since my appetite was back!
Best husband award definitely goes to Kevin Holt. Sometimes in our hectic and crazy life I forget just how lucky I was to snatch this guy up. I'm definitely thankful for this crazy week because it was a great reminder for me to focus not on what the hubs doesn't do for us but on all the things he does do! Without a doubt the positives far outweigh the negative by a long shot. I couldn't imagine doing life with any other guy!


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From New York Times bestselling author Liliana Hart, comes a sexy, new contemporary romance novella in her MacKenzie Family Series, DAWN OF SURRENDER, brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights! Grab your copy of this amazing novella today! Liliana Hart is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author in both
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