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A long time ago, Amazon thought of Kindle as a means to replace not just books (the physical shell of books) but paper itself.
Since that time, a lot has changed. Now Amazon is more enamored by Kindle Tablets and all the multi-tasking digital-content-buying rainbows and unicorns that Tablets promise.
However, the question and the opportunity remains. Replacing paper is, if you think about it, a far bigger opportunity than Tablets.
Do eReaders have a realistic chance to replace paper?
Well, let's consider what aspects eReaders have to cover to be able to have a shot at replacing paper –
- Cheap. Getting to be as cheap as paper is difficult. However, eReaders should be cheaper than they currently are. We are already approaching $50. For eReaders to truly replace paper, we'll need prices in the $5 to $20 range.
- Runs Forever. For this we'll need solar-powered batteries or some other renewable/infinite energy source. This, however, is a problem on the price front as solar cells aren't cheap.
- Doesn't break. This is a very problematic area. We have flexible eInk close to being released. However, is it merely 'hard to break' or is it really 'unbreakable'? Also, flexible displays cover just the screen. What about the internal electronics?
- Light. We're close here. eReaders are already in the 5 oz to 8 oz range. That's good. It would be better to get even lighter eReaders.
- Compact and/or Foldable. Flexible eInk displays might be able to address this. There will be issues around making the electronic components fit in with the 'foldable' designs.
- Writable. This is a big problem area. It's really, really easy to write on paper. Most eReaders don't really have handwriting recognition or stylus support. Those, if added, add to the cost. Also, most eReaders have really tacky input methods. Paper is still far quicker for writing and much better suited.
- Intuitive. Hard to say whether eReaders can be made as intuitive as paper.
- Crisp and Readable. eInk is almost there. eReaders perhaps need 2-3 generations of further improvement before they can rival paper on readability.
- Tearable into pieces. This may or may not be possible and desirable. One of the good things about paper and paper notebooks is you can tear off a piece or a page and do something with it.
- Easy to Store and Carry and Transport. This is a tough one. eReaders are very fragile. Paper is fragile too – However, it's easy to store and carry and is fragile in a narrower sense of the word. Flexible eReaders that have unbreakable screens will help make eReaders less fragile. However, we still have a lot of vulnerabilities.
- Available in lots of sizes. This is quite a tall order. Kindle DX is selling for $299. For eReaders and eInk to be able to replace paper we need eInk to be splittable and joinable OR available in lots of different sizes. Given that the yield of screens goes down dramatically as screen size increases, thus leading to much higher costs, this might prove to be one of the toughest problems to solve. There's no easy way to get eInk screens in different sizes while keeping prices low.
- Color. With paper you can use different color pens and pencils and crayons and get a lot of different colors. Color eInk eReaders aren't yet available.
- Drawing. Paper allows for easy sketching and drawing. This isn't possible with eReaders yet (the easy part).
- Multiple Color Backgrounds. Not sure whether this will be easy once Color eInk gets developed. For now, all eInk screens have white backgrounds only.
- Tactile Feedback and the Feel and Friction of Paper. Paper has a very nice friction and feel to it. In some cases it's necessary (writing with a pen or paper). In some cases it just gives you a nice feel (turning pages). What can eInk do to afford easy writing (based on friction) and easy tactile feedback?
- Long Life. Journals and notebooks last for decades, sometimes centuries. Books last longer. Our eReaders might last 5-10 years if we're lucky.
- Ownership Rights. Everything you buy on an eReader is licensed and owned by someone else. With paper and books you can share and resell and hand it to your kids or their kids.
If you consider all the items in the list above, and any other qualities of paper we've missed, it's a very tall order. The interesting thing is, we're slowly but surely getting close to knocking items off the list. Companies like Kobo are showing that even if Amazon forgets eReaders and fixates on Kindle Tablets and Kindle Phones, the push to make eReaders and eInk better will continue.
eReaders and eInk have several advantages of their own. This means that eInk doesn't have to match every item on the above list. It just has to match some of the qualities of paper. After that, the paper qualities it replicates, combined with its own unique advantages, will make it a better choice than paper.
Things eReaders do better than Paper
- Reusable. Use a sheet of paper and it's gone. You can't really reuse it. With eReaders you can reuse the screen again and again.
- Large Storage Capacity. eReaders can store thousands of books or millions of sheets of notes. eReaders with SD cards can store even more. EReaders effectively double up as your bookshelves.
- Easy to Search. Want to quickly search through all your books and notes – do a quick text search on your eReader. Much better than having to go through 20 notebooks and 200 books to find what you're looking for.
- Adaptable. You can read books and magazines or search the Internet. You can play a simple game or write a journal entry. eReaders are more adaptable and can be used for lots of different things. Note: This is still heavily limited by the reluctance of eReader companies to open up their devices, especially when it comes to apps that could be used to organize, manipulate, or process ebooks.
- Switch between Pages and Books quickly. It's much easier to switch between books, and to jump around within a book, with an eReader.
- Not as Easily Lost. It's easy to lose a sheet of paper. eReaders are comparatively harder to lose or misplace. The downside is that if you lose an eReader the monetary loss is much, much higher.
- Don't use Trees. eReaders save trees, at least to an extent.
- Double up as a Bookstore. You can shop from the eReader itself and get books instantly.
- We can come up with more advantages. Hopefully, the above eight advantages gives a good idea of what eInk and eReaders can offer beyond the capabilities of paper and paper books.
eInk basically replaces the physical 'paper' and 'books' and 'notebooks' with digital versions. This makes transportation and replication and browsing and searching much faster and easier. It also provides near-infinite storage capacity and offers lots of possibilities.
eReaders and eInk offer a lot of possibilities that are untapped
We haven't really seen any 'open' ecosystem that allows third-party developers to extend eReaders. In a way, companies making eReaders are holding back eReaders and eInk from what they could be. Imagine if there were a few hundred thousand apps for eReaders – Who knows what creative uses and features 3rd party developers would have figured out.
Most common pain points – poor PDF support, poor organization, no easy way to print, no easy way to get notes off of the device, no easy note-taking, no writing features – would be easily fixed if one or more eReader companies took a more sensible view of what eReaders could be, and how other companies and people could help.
Everything we have seen so far is just the handiwork of a handful of high-strung companies, working in a very tightly controlled environment. Once access to eReaders and eInk gets democratized, we'll see the features and power of eReaders grow exponentially. It's almost as if the companies want to hold back eReaders – as if they fear unleashing all the possibilities of eInk.
These companies are restricted by their imaginations and by their need for profit and control. Their vision of what eInk and eReaders could be is far too narrow. Imagine if the iPhone had no Apps. If the Internet had no websites except for a few hundred 'approved' by a handful of companies that controlled the Internet.
That's basically what we're seeing with eReaders and eInk. A technology and a class of devices that are held hostage by a handful of companies that lack the wisdom and intelligence to leverage the power of hundreds of thousands of third-party developers. Sooner or later, some company is going to figure out that what is truly needed is to set the technology free. Sell screens. Sell blank devices. Let people make apps and accessories that interact with the devices and with the ebooks.
Let the technology grow naturally and freely. You aren't God, just a gardener.
Even without Apps & Freedom, eReaders and eInk will grow
While companies making eReaders are showing a striking lack of ambition and imagination, the companies making the screen technologies are much more active and are persevering.
Companies like eInk/PVI, Qualcomm, and Pixel Qi are trying out eInk and multi-mode screens in various areas – smart phones, smart watches, tablets, displays. As they keep pushing, they are bound to find some areas that stick. They are also going to run into a smart company sooner or later. A company that leverages all available resources and focuses on replacing paper instead of artificially narrowing down the scope of what eReaders and eInks can do and what they can be.
It's only when we expand the scope of eInk and eReaders, that we can make real progress. Focusing on books limits what eInk can do. Even simple improvements in vision like trying to add 'writability' will result in big jumps. The real progress and biggest jumps will happen when companies focus on replacing paper in all senses of the word. Right now it's as if they've inherited a car and are using it only to exercise horses.


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About PBGC
The definitions in this glossary are simplified. Some are PBGC-specific in their usage. None of the definitions takes precedence over legislation, regulations, or specific interpretations or rulings.
Accrued-at-Normal Limit - A limit on PBGC's guarantee of a participant's monthly pension benefit. PBGC guarantees only up to the monthly amount that the participant's defined benefit plan would have paid the participant as a straight-life annuity starting at normal retirement age. PBGC cannot guarantee the portion of any combined early retirement benefit and temporary supplemental benefit that is above this amount. See page 3 of PBGC's Guarantee Limits-an Update.
Accrued Monthly Benefit - The amount that a participant has earned under the terms of a pension plan, payable as a monthly benefit starting at "Normal Retirement Age."
Alternate Payee - A participant's spouse, former spouse, child, or other dependent who, under a "Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO)," has a right to receive some or all of the participant's pension benefits under a pension plan. Alternate Payees are considered beneficiaries. See Qualified Domestic Relations Orders & PBGC for more information.
Annuitant - A person receiving an annuity.
Annuity - Regular payments (usually monthly) to a person for a set period, such as for a certain number of years, or for life. The type of annuity affects the amount of the payment and how much, if anything, a beneficiary will receive after a participant's death. For example, payment amounts typically are reduced if an annuity has a survivor feature. See Your PBGC Benefit Options for more information.
Assets - Cash, stocks, bonds, real estate, or other property held by a plan.
Bankruptcy Filing Date (or Bankruptcy Petition Date) - The date a bankruptcy case is begun by, or against, a plan sponsor. See the section "When Companies Reorganize: Bankruptcy" in the General FAQs About PBGC for more information.
Beneficiary - Generally, a person designated by a pension plan participant, or by the plan's terms, to receive some or all of the participant's pension benefits upon the participant's death. (An "Alternate Payee" under a "Qualified Domestic Relations Order" also is considered a beneficiary.) See Payments to Beneficiaries for more information.
Benefit Accrual - The earning of a benefit, or of additional benefits, under an ongoing pension plan, usually through active employment service covered by the plan.
Benefit Determination - PBGC's determination of a participant's or beneficiary's benefit payable by PBGC under the terms of the participant's plan and Title IV of the "Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)."
Benefit Freeze - See "Frozen Plan."
Benefit Offset - A partial or total reduction in a person's pension benefit because the person (1) owes money to the pension plan, or (2) is receiving (or has received) other benefits that must be subtracted based on plan terms, such as a benefit from a related pension plan or from Social Security.
Benefit Service - See "Credited Service."
Cash Balance Plan - A defined benefit plan that defines a participant's benefit in terms of a hypothetical account balance based on a formula using pay credits and interest credits. Cash balance plans are insured by PBGC.
Certain-and-Continuous (C&C) Annuity - An annuity that pays benefits for a set period or for a retiree's lifetime, whichever is longer. PBGC offers a 5-year, 10-year, or 15-year C&C annuity. If the retiree dies before the end of the period chosen, the designated beneficiary will receive the same monthly benefit for the rest of the period. If the retiree dies after the end of the period, benefit payments end. The 5-, 10-, or 15-year period starts when the retiree's benefit payments start, not when the retiree dies. See Your PBGC Benefit Options for more information.
Credited Service (or Benefit Service) - The amount of time that counts toward a participant's pension benefit. Credited service typically is the number of years the participant worked for a company while participating in the company's pension plan. (For participants who worked part-time, credited service may be less than the number of years worked.) Credited service usually ends when the participant retires or otherwise leaves the company, but can end sooner if the employer freezes the plan (see "Frozen Plan"). Credited service ends if the plan is terminated (see "Termination").
Date of Plan Termination (DOPT) - See "Plan Termination Date."
Date of Trusteeship - The date that PBGC takes over a terminated defined benefit plan and becomes responsible for making payments to plan participants and beneficiaries.
Deferred Vested (or Terminated Vested) Participant - Generally, a former employee who worked long enough to earn "Vested Benefits" in a pension plan, but who left the company sponsoring the plan without receiving a retirement benefit immediately. Such a participant can receive benefit payments from the plan once he or she reaches the plan's "Normal Retirement Age" or, if the plan allows, the plan's "Early Retirement Age."
Defined Benefit Plan - A pension plan that promises participants a specified benefit, usually a monthly amount, at retirement. The benefit usually is based on some combination of the participant's years of credited service, salary, and age. PBGC insures most defined benefit plans sponsored by private (non-governmental) employers.
Defined Contribution Plan - A plan in which an employee and/or employer makes contributions to the employee's individual plan account. Each participant's retirement benefits are based on the amount in that person's own account, including investment gains and losses and plan expenses. Common types of defined contribution plans are profit-sharing plans, 401(k) plans, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), thrift savings plans, and money purchase plans. PBGC does not insure defined contribution plans.
Department of Labor (DOL) - The U.S. Department of Labor. DOL shares administration and enforcement of the federal pension law - the Employee Retirement Income Security Act - with PBGC and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The Secretary of Labor serves as Chair of PBGC's Board of Directors.
Disability Benefit - A benefit paid by some pension plans as a result of a participant's becoming disabled while employed. PBGC guarantees a participant's disability benefit if the participant's plan provides such a benefit and the participant became entitled to that benefit on or before the "Plan Termination Date" or the "Bankruptcy Filing Date," as applicable (For more information on which date applies, see "Are there any special rules if my plan ends in bankruptcy?" in the General FAQs About PBGC). See Guarantees for Disabled Participants for more information.
Distress Termination - A termination of a defined benefit plan that an employer requests when it is in financial distress and the plan does not have enough assets to pay all benefits that have been earned under the plan. The plan administrator must notify participants and PBGC before the proposed termination, as well as take other required actions. Generally, the employer must prove to PBGC or to a court that it cannot remain in business unless the plan ends. See Distress Terminations for more information.
DOL - See "Department of Labor."
Earliest PBGC Retirement Date (EPRD) - The earliest date that PBGC will start paying benefits to a participant. Typically, a participant reaches his or her EPRD at age 55 unless (1) under the participant's plan, the participant could not receive an annuity benefit until a later age, or (2) PBGC determines that participants typically retire under the plan earlier than age 55 (for example, under a '30-and-out' benefit).
Early Retirement Age - If allowed by a plan, the age at which a participant can first receive benefits from the plan before the participant's "Normal Retirement Age." PBGC cannot recognize an early retirement age that is earlier than the participant's age as of his or her "Earliest PBGC Retirement Date."
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) - The federal law that establishes the basic requirements for employee benefit plans. The authority for administering and enforcing ERISA is divided among three federal agencies - the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and PBGC.
Fiduciary - Generally, any person or organization with control over a pension plan or its assets. Plan fiduciaries typically include plan trustees, plan administrators, and members of a plan's investment committee. See DOL's Meeting Your Fiduciary Responsibilities and ERISA Fiduciary Advisor for more information.
Flat-Rate Premium - The fixed premium rate that all PBGC-insured plans pay annually to PBGC for each participant. The rate is higher for single-employer plans than for multiemployer plans. Single-employer plans also may owe a "Variable-Rate Premium" depending on the plan's funding level.
Form 5500 - The annual return/report that a pension plan must file with DOL's Employee Benefits Security Administration to provide information about its financial condition, investments, and operations. See DOL's Form 5500 Web site for more information.
Frozen Plan - An ongoing pension plan in which the plan sponsor "freezes" benefits, that is, stops some or all future benefit accruals. A plan can be frozen in several ways. Under a partial freeze, a plan can be frozen for some, but not all, current participants based on, for example, years of service, job classification, or plant location. Under a soft freeze, benefits typically are increased for wage growth, but not for additional service. Under a hard freeze, no participant accumulates any further benefits.
Most frozen plans are closed to new entrants. A plan can be closed to new participants without restricting future benefit accruals of participants already in the plan. Generally, such closures also are viewed as a type of plan freeze. See PBGC's study Hard Frozen Defined Benefit Plans (2008) for more information.
Fully Funded Plan - A defined benefit plan with enough assets to pay all benefits that have been earned under the plan, whether or not the benefits are guaranteed by PBGC. A plan's funded status can vary depending on the method used to value the plan's assets and liabilities. See also "Underfunded Plan."
Guaranteed Benefit - The amount of a participant's pension benefit that PBGC guarantees based on ERISA's legal limits. The benefits that PBGC may guarantee include pension benefits payable at normal retirement age; certain early retirement benefits and disability benefits; and annuity benefits for survivors of participants. The guarantee applies only to benefits earned on or before the "Plan Termination Date" or the "Bankruptcy Filing Date," as applicable (For more information on which date applies, see "Are there any special rules if my plan ends in bankruptcy?" in the General FAQs About PBGC).
PBGC's guarantee is subject to several legal limits, including the "Maximum Guaranteed Benefit," the "Accrued-at-Normal Limit," and the "Phase-in Limit." See PBGC's Guarantees for Single-Employer Pension Plans Fact Sheet and Multiemployer Benefit Guarantees for more information.
Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) - A tax credit that may be available to certain PBGC-benefit recipients if they are age 55 or older and are covered by qualified health insurance. The HCTC program is administered by the IRS. See Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) FAQs for more information.
Involuntary Termination - A PBGC-initiated termination of a defined benefit plan. PBGC may seek a plan's termination to protect the interests of participants or the pension insurance program. PBGC must begin terminating any plan that does not have enough money to pay benefits currently due. See Plan Termination Fact Sheet for more information.
IRS - The Internal Revenue Service, a part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The IRS shares administration and enforcement of the federal pension law - the Employee Retirement Income Security Act - with PBGC and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).
Joint-and-Survivor (J&S) Annuity - An annuity that typically pays a participant a fixed monthly amount for life and, after the participant dies, continues payments to the participant's spouse or other designated "Beneficiary" for the rest of the beneficiary's life. The beneficiary's monthly benefit typically is 50%, 75% or 100% of the participant's monthly benefit. If the beneficiary dies before the participant and payments have already started, the participant's monthly benefit usually will not change and the participant typically cannot name a new beneficiary. Certain J&S choices require "Spousal Consent." See Your PBGC Benefit Options for more information.
Joint-and-Survivor 'Pop-Up' Annuity - An annuity that, unlike the typical form of a joint-and-survivor annuity, increases ('pops up') the participant's monthly benefit to the "Straight-Life Annuity" amount for the rest of the participant's life if the beneficiary dies before the participant. See Your PBGC Benefit Options for more information.
Lump-Sum (or Single-Sum) Payments from PBGC - Payment of a person's plan benefit in a single payment, rather than as an "Annuity." PBGC normally pays a lump sum only if the total value of the benefit is $5,000 or less at the plan termination date. See Lump Sums from PBGC for more information.
Mandatory Employee Contributions - Money that participants must contribute to a defined benefit plan as a condition of employment or plan participation, or to get employer-funded plan benefits. See also "Voluntary Employee Contributions."
Maximum Guaranteed Benefit - The largest benefit amount that PBGC can guarantee by law. Generally, the maximum guarantee for a defined benefit plan is fixed as of the "Plan Termination Date." However, if a plan ends during a plan sponsor's bankruptcy that began on or after September 16, 2006, the maximum guarantee is fixed as of the "Bankruptcy Filing Date."
For participants already retired, the maximum guaranteed benefit is based, in part, on the retiree's age on the plan termination date or bankruptcy filing date, as applicable. For participants not yet retired, the maximum is based, in part, on the participant's age when he or she retires. The participant's maximum guaranteed benefit also is adjusted to reflect whether the form of benefit includes a survivor benefit. See PBGC's Guarantees for Single-Employer Pension Plans Fact Sheet for more information about limits on PBGC's guarantee.
Multiemployer Guarantee - When a multiemployer pension plan fails, PBGC provides financial assistance in the form of loan to the plan. The amount of financial assistance is tied to the amount by which plan assets fall short of what's needed to provide benefit payments up to the statutory limit, referred to as the "multiemployer guarantee limit." The limit varies based on how many years each affected employee worked and the rate at which benefits were earned.
Multiemployer Plan - Generally, a collectively bargained pension plan maintained by more than one unrelated employer, usually within the same or related industries, and one or more labor unions. See Introduction to Multiemployer Plans, Multiemployer Insurance Program Fact Sheet, and PBGC's Multiemployer Program for more information.
Multiple Employer Plan - See "Single-Employer Plan."
My PAA - My Plan Administration Account, PBGC's secure online application through which plan administrators, plan sponsors or pension practitioners must electronically submit annual premium filings to PBGC. See Online Premium Filing (My PAA) for more information.
MyPBA - My Pension Benefit Account, PBGC's secure online application through which participants and beneficiaries in PBGC-trusteed plans can access their personal information and perform benefit-related transactions with PBGC. See Online Transactions are Easy: MyPBA FAQs for more information.
Normal Retirement Age - An age defined in every pension plan. The age cannot be greater than the later of age 65 or the participant's age at his or her fifth anniversary of participation in the plan.
Normal Retirement Date - The date when normal retirement benefits may begin under a pension plan (typically, the first day of the month on or after the month that the participant reaches normal retirement age).
Ongoing Plan - A defined benefit plan that has not been terminated (see "Termination"). The "Plan Sponsor" of an ongoing plan is responsible for maintaining the plan and making benefit payments.
Participant - A person who is earning or retaining a pension benefit under a pension plan, whether or not the person is currently working for the employer.
PBGC - The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the federal government agency that insures private defined benefit plans. See Who We Are for more information.
PBGC-Trusteed Plan - A defined benefit plan that has been taken over by PBGC and for which PBGC is responsible for calculating and paying benefits.
Pension Benefit - A retirement benefit payable under a pension plan to a participant or the participant's beneficiary.
Pension Plan - Generally, any plan, fund, or program that is established or maintained by an employer and/or employee organization and that provides retirement income to employees.
Phase-in Limit - A limit on PBGC's guarantee of new benefits and recent benefit increases under a defined benefit plan. The limit applies to new benefits and benefit increases added to the plan less than five years before the "Plan Termination Date" or the "Bankruptcy Filing Date," as applicable (For more information on which date applies, see "Are there any special rules if my plan ends in bankruptcy?" in the General FAQs About PBGC). For each full year the increase was in effect after the later of its adoption date or effective date, PBGC guarantees the larger of 20 percent of the increase or $20 per month up to the amount of the actual increase. See PBGC's Guarantees for Single-Employer Pension Plans Fact Sheet for more information.
Plan Administrator - The person or entity identified in the plan document as having responsibility for running the pension plan. If the document does not name an administrator, the plan sponsor is the administrator.
Plan Document - A written instrument under which a pension plan is established and operated.
Plan Sponsor (multiemployer plan) - The association, committee, joint board of trustees, or other entity that oversees a multiemployer pension plan.
Plan Sponsor (single-employer plan) - An employer that establishes or maintains a pension plan for its employees.
Plan Termination Date (or Date of Plan Termination) - The date a defined benefit plan ends.
Plan Year - The calendar year or other fiscal year on which a pension plan's records are based.
Practitioner - A professional who administers or consults on the administration of a pension plan. Practitioners include third-party administrators, benefits specialists, consultants, accountants, actuaries, attorneys, and others who deal with pension plans.
Premium Filer - A plan administrator, plan sponsor, or pension practitioner that submits premium filings and associated payments to PBGC for PBGC-insured pension plans.
Priority Categories - Under ERISA, six categories (referred to as Priority Category 1, Priority Category 2, etc.) to which pension benefits earned by participants in a PBGC-trusteed plan must be assigned. The plan's available assets are then matched up with the benefits in the priority categories to determine the extent to which PBGC can pay benefits that it does not guarantee to a participant. See Priority Categories for more information.
Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) - A domestic relations order that gives an alternate payee the right to receive some or all of the benefits payable under a plan with respect to a participant, including survivor benefits. A plan administrator or PBGC, if applicable, must determine whether the order meets certain legal requirements. See Qualified Domestic Relations Orders & PBGC for more information.
Qualified Joint-and-Survivor Annuity (QJSA) - A "Joint-and-Survivor Annuity" that meets certain legal requirements and provides a monthly survivor benefit equal to at least 50% of the amount the participant received. The main difference between a QJSA and a general joint-and-survivor annuity (J&S) is that a QJSA beneficiary can only be the participant's spouse (or former spouse under a QDRO), while a J&S beneficiary can be anyone. ERISA requires that a QJSA be the automatic benefit form for a married plan participant except where the total value of the benefit is $5,000 or less. A QJSA may be waived by the participant only with "Spousal Consent." See Payments to Beneficiaries for more information.
Qualified Preretirement Survivor Annuity (QPSA) - An annuity paid to a surviving spouse (or former spouse under a QDRO) when a participant with vested benefits dies before starting to receive benefit payments. The annuity is paid for the life of the surviving spouse based on the benefit that the participant earned before death. A QPSA typically pays an amount equal to the survivor's portion of the QJSA. ERISA requires that a QPSA be provided to the surviving spouse of a married participant except where the total value of the benefit is $5,000 or less. A QPSA may be waived by the participant only with "Spousal Consent."
The spouse can begin receiving a QPSA benefit as early as the date the participant would have been eligible to receive a benefit from PBGC. See Payments to Beneficiaries and "Earliest PBGC Retirement Date" for more information.
Recoupment - The method by which PBGC seeks repayment of a benefit overpayment when a participant or beneficiary is receiving annuity benefits from PBGC. When PBGC first takes over a plan, it pays estimated benefits to retirees until it determines each plan participant's benefit entitlement under Title IV of ERISA (see "Benefit Determination" and If You Are Already Receiving Benefits for more information). If estimated benefit payments were more than the benefit as determined by PBGC, future benefit payments will be reduced by a percentage (typically no more than 10%) until repayment is complete. PBGC does not charge interest if a participant receives more than allowed by law. See also "Recovery."
Recovery - The method by which PBGC seeks direct repayment of a benefit overpayment, typically when a participant or beneficiary is not entitled to annuity benefits from which to recoup the overpayments. In some cases, recovery is a result of legal action. See also "Recoupment."
Retiree - A pension plan participant who has begun collecting benefits from the plan or from PBGC.
Single-Employer Plan - Generally, a pension plan sponsored by one company or a group of companies under common ownership. It may or may not be collectively bargained. (A multiple employer plan is a type of single-employer plan that is maintained by two or more unrelated companies and does not meet the requirements of a "Multiemployer Plan".)
Single-Life Annuity - An annuity in which benefit payments are based on the age and other characteristics of only one person. Examples include annuities that will pay only one person (see "Straight-Life Annuity"), and annuities that in some cases pay a surviving beneficiary after the person dies (see "Certain-and-Continuous Annuity"). See Your PBGC Benefit Options for more information.
Spousal Consent - A spouse's written and notarized agreement to allow the participant to waive the "Qualified Preretirement Survivor Annuity" or elect a form of benefit other than a "Qualified Joint-and-Survivor Annuity."
Spouse - Husband or wife as determined under applicable law.
Standard Termination - An employer-initiated termination of a defined benefit plan that has enough assets to pay all plan benefits. The plan administrator must notify participants and PBGC before the proposed termination, as well as take other required actions. See Standard Terminations for more information.
Straight-Life Annuity - An annuity that pays benefits, typically monthly, for one person's life, with no survivor benefits after that person dies. See Your PBGC Benefit Options for more information.
Summary Plan Description (SPD) - A document that a plan administrator provides to plan participants (and beneficiaries receiving benefits) that describes important features of the pension plan in plain language. The SPD includes information on when employees begin to participate in the plan, how service and benefits are calculated, when benefits become vested, when and in what form participants may receive benefit payments, and how to file a claim for benefits. The administrator must inform participants of major changes to the plan either through a revised SPD or in a separate document called a Summary of Material Modifications.
Supplemental Benefits - Temporary payments made by a plan in addition to a participant's lifetime early retirement benefit. A plan may offer temporary payments from the participant's early retirement age to a specified age, such as age 62 (when a participant becomes eligible for Social Security) or normal retirement age. PBGC may not fully guarantee supplemental benefits; see "Accrued-at-Normal Limit."
Surviving Spouse - The living spouse of a deceased participant. A QDRO may provide that a participant's former spouse is to be treated as a surviving spouse for purposes of a "Qualified Joint-and-Survivor Annuity" or "Qualified Preretirement Survivor Annuity."
Survivor Benefit - The benefit payable to a designated beneficiary upon the participant's death. The most common types of survivor benefits are (1) a qualified preretirement survivor annuity that typically is paid to the surviving spouse of a participant who dies before retiring, and (2) the survivor portion of certain benefit forms (for example, a joint-and-survivor annuity) that is paid to the surviving beneficiary of a participant who dies after retiring. See Payments to Beneficiaries for more information.
Terminated Vested Participant - See "Deferred Vested Participant."
Termination (for single-employer plans) - The ending of a single-employer defined benefit plan. The three types of termination are standard and distress terminations, which are initiated by the plan sponsor, and PBGC-initiated (involuntary) terminations. See How Pension Plans End and the Plan Termination Fact Sheet for more information.
Trustee - The person or entity that has the exclusive authority and discretion to manage and control the assets of a pension plan.
Trusteed Plan - See "PBGC-Trusteed Plan."
Underfunded Plan - A defined benefit plan without enough assets to pay all benefits earned by participants. A plan's funded status can vary depending on the method used to value the plan's assets and liabilities. See FAQs: Plan Funding and "Fully Funded Plan."
Unfunded Benefit Liabilities - The amount by which the value of a defined benefit plan's promised pension benefits exceeds the plan's assets.
Unfunded Vested Benefits (UVBs) - The amount by which the value of a defined benefit plan's "Vested Benefits" exceeds the plan's assets. UVBs are the underfunding measure on which the "Variable-Rate Premium" is based.
Variable-Rate Premium - The premium that an underfunded single-employer defined benefit plan must pay to PBGC based on the amount of the plan's unfunded vested benefits. The variable-rate premium is in addition to the "Flat-Rate" per-participant premium, which all PBGC-insured plans must pay regardless of funding status.
Vested Benefits - Generally, benefits that a participant has earned a right to receive from a pension plan that are not subject to forfeiture. (Under PBGC's premium regulations, specific rules apply for determining whether a benefit is vested for purposes of calculating a plan's variable-rate premium.)
Voluntary Employee Contributions - Amounts that participants contribute to a defined benefit plan, as allowed by the plan, that are not mandatory employee contributions. See also "Mandatory Employee Contributions."


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RT-N18U print
Router infoOpenWrt supported: yes (info)
dd-wrt supported: yes (info)
Cpu: 800 MHz
RAM: 256 MiB
Flash: n/a
WiFi: 300mbps (bgn)
WAN-ports: 1
WAN-speed: Gigabit (10/100/1000)
ETH-ports (LAN): 4
ETH-speed: Gigabit (10/100/1000)
USB-ports: 2
Hard reset instructions for ASUS RT-N18U
Through the web-interface
- Open your browser and navigate to the default gateway ip (check default settings below)
- Sign in to the web-interface with the username and password you have selected, or try the defaulr username and password (check default settings below)
- Under the advanced settings menu, select administration
- Find the link "Restore/Save/Upload Setting"
- Beside Factory default click on Restore
- If prompted, click ok
With the reset button on the router
- Locate the reset button on the backside of your unit
- with a sharp object, e.g. a paperclip or pencil, press and hold the reset button for 5s or until the power led starts flashing
The 30-30-30 resetIf the above instructions don't work you can always try the 30-30-30 reset as follows:
- When router is powered on, press the reset button and hold for 30 seconds. (Use a paper clip or something sharp)
- While holding the reset button pressed, unplug the power of the router and hold the reset button for 30 seconds
- While still holding the reset button down, turn on the power to the unit again and hold for another 30 seconds.
Default factory settings for ASUS RT-N18U
Default Gateway IP: 192.168.1.1
Default admin username: admin
Default admin password: admin
Default subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Default DNS server: 192.168.1.1
User Manuals for RT-N18U
|save UserMan (click to download)
|475.15 kB
|May 7, 2014


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Publications Tagged: Bouchat
- Added August 16, 2007
- An Introduction to Theater Strategy and Regional Security. Authored by Lieutenant Colonel Clarence J. Bouchat (USAF, Ret.).
- Theater strategy and theater security cooperation (TSC) are two of the most important tools available in attaining national security. This paper explains what theater strategy is, its basis, how it is formulated, and how it is executed with emphasis on theater security cooperation.


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YesStyle.com ships to the United States.
"Fashion passes, style remains" - Coco Chanel knew well that style comes not only from apparel, but also from spirit and attitude. In 1922, Chanel introduced Chanel No.5, a fragrance that reflected her personality. It still remains the world's best-selling perfume. She also introduced her personal shade of vibrant red lipstick, Rouge de Chanel, to the public, sparking a sensation among women who previously dared not wear such a bold color. Today, CHANEL offers apparel, accessories, fragrance, makeup, and skincare products that give people freedom to feel and look their best.


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Talgov.com, the Official Website of the City of Tallahassee
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Citizens of Tallahassee enjoy a high quality of life. From public safety to reliable utility services and everything in between, the City strives to maintain the highest caliber of service and keep its citizens at the heart of everything it does.
With so much sunshine, it's hard to stay put in Tallahassee! The City offers a wide variety of ways for its citizens to enjoy nature, build social networks and stay active throughout their lives.
The City of Tallahassee is focused on seeing the local economy thrive. Here you will find information on programs geared to small and big businesses alike, information on doing business with the City, employment opportunities within the organization and more.
The day-to-day operations of the City of Tallahassee are as diverse as its citizenry. It is responsible for a variety of infrastructure as well as quality of life amenities. Be it a road project or budget report, the City strives to keep citizens as informed and involved as possible.
The mission of the City of Tallahassee is to provide excellent services and facilities to support a high quality of life for the community.
The City of Tallahassee is the seat of and only incorporated municipality within Leon County. It is the capital of Florida and home to two state universities.
October 11, 2013
Tallahassee Animal Services is providing a rabies and identification clinic exclusively for cats on Tuesday, Oct. 15, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Tallahassee-Leon Community Animal Service Center. At the clinic, free microchips, rabies vaccinations, collars and personalized ID tags will be provided at no cost! Be the Solution Inc. will also be providing spay/neuter vouchers to attendees.
This is the purr-fect opportunity for owners of finicky felines to bring their pet in for these services without worry of dogs and other animals startling their cat.
Almost 70 percent of the more than 6,000 animals the ASC has received this year were stray animals without a collar and tag, and only seven percent of cats were returned to their original owner. Through efforts like Tuesday's rabies and ID clinic, Animal Services aims to prevent more lost pets from entering the shelter, as animals with a collar and ID tag are more likely to be returned home by the finder than turned into the shelter.
City of Tallahassee Animal Control reminds you that your free roaming cat is required by ordinance to be spayed or neutered, microchipped and wear its rabies tag. This clinic is an easy way to come into compliance without extra costs.
Tallahassee Animal Services is offering this free clinic thanks to a generous grant from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. While the event is free, a suggested donation of $10 will help to cover the cost of future clinics. Photo ID and proof of Leon County residency are required, and cats must be secured in a carrier.
The Animal Service Center, located adjacent to Tom Brown Park at 1125 Easterwood Drive, is operated and maintained by the City's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs Department. For more information on the ASC and to view animals that are currently available for adoption, please visit Talgov.com/animals. You can also keep up-to-date by liking the Tallahassee Animal Service's Facebook page or following @COTAnimals on Twitter.
Erika Leckington, Animal Service Center, 891-2959; or Carrie Poole, Communications Department, 891-8533
Sign up to receive our news releases via email, along with many other features, with our Email Subscription Service.
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Showing 1-9 of 9 items found in History
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Clark County Genealogical Library
You'll find census records, newspaper clippings, birth and marriage records, and other files of interest helpful to geneological research.
Crawford County VFW 459 Military Museum and Memorial Wall
The remodeled ICCR depot features an etched granite memorial wall and various artifacts of military memorabilia.
Illinois Oilfield Museum & Resource Center
One of only seven of its kind in the nation, this museum at Oblong Park highlights an industry that revolutionized the country.
The Lincoln School Museum is a restored 1880's one-room brick school located one mile north of Martinsville, Clark County, Illinois on a spur of the National Road. The Lincoln School is representative of the brick construction of one-room schools built during the 1880's, representing the typical one-room school of the era, and the education available of that time. The Lincoln School Museum is open to the public on weekends from June through August and any time by appointment.
Hutson Memorial Village Church Services
Evening services are held in this log cabin church every other Sunday, beginning with the first Sunday in June and running through the last Sunday in September.
The Clark County Historical Society is dedicated to the preservation and education of all things pertaining to the people and places of Clark County, Illinois. Learn about the Lincoln-Douglas debates and unique area country architecture here.
Six log cabins recreate life as it had been in Illinois back in 1812. Visit the homestead belonging to the Hutson family before a fatal Indian attack killed Isaac Hutson's entire family.
Whether you are looking for history, unusual plant life or recreation, Lincoln Trail State Park has something to interest you. The area is named after the Lincoln Heritage Trail where Abraham Lincoln's family followed en route from Indiana to Illinois in 1831. Lincoln Trail State Park offers American beech woods and a nature preserve with hiking trails, boat rentals, camping, biking, bird watching, fishing, ice fishing and ice skating. Restaurant open seasonally.
Fort Lamotte is a construction of a civilian style early 19th century American fort, featuring a two story block house and small log cabin. Construction began in spring of 2007 with all volunteer labor, donations of materials by various people and businesses. The block house is mainly constructed of popular logs as is the cabin. Local hickory was used for the cantilever logs, between 1st and 2nd stories with a puncheon 2nd story floor and persimmon trusses. The stockade walls are of locally grown hedge and black locust. This is the third fort to bear the name Lamotte.
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Organizer says it's a 'regular people' win
Head started recall, sees it to the finish
This was a victory for "the regular people."
That's how Victor Head, one of the main recall organizers with Pueblo Freedom and Rights, summed up the historical recall of state Sen. Angela Giron, D-Pueblo, on Tuesday night.
"Here it is — we're all regular people. No one in here is extraordinarily special, has a big political career or big into organizing. We're all ordinary people. But when you put something like this together and 100 percent volunteer, we all had our heart in it, not a paycheck," said Head, a plumber by trade.
In the middle of Head's speech, the crowd of about 75 at Pueblo Freedom and Right's headquarters roared in applause as the final results of the recall election flashed on the television.
"Not even our allies necessarily thought we could do this," Head said. "It just proves the old adage that anything is possible. We wouldn't have gotten anywhere without all the volunteers. No one thought we could've made it this far. The biggest message we're going to send here is all the money in the world can't buy an election."
George Rivera, the Republican candidate who will take Giron's Senate seat, echoed Head's gratitude for the grass-root effort.
"It has been amazing to see that when people get together to work, things come together. Things come together for sure," the former Pueblo deputy police chief said. "I congratulate Pueblo Freedom and Rights on the outcome of the recall election. This recall has been about holding our elected officials accountable."
This recall wasn't about political parties, Head said. It was about the controversial and stricter gun laws passed in the last legislative session, and constitutional rights.
While Giron lost in Pueblo, state Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, also was recalled.
"And I have a special message for John Morse," Head told the crowd. "I don't know if everyone heard him on MSNBC, saying it wasn't grass-roots and it was an unemployed plumber who started (the recall). Who's unemployed now?"


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The future of banking is becoming clearer. It is a future of more capital, more liquidity and less risk. And, inevitably, it is a future of lower returns on capital, higher costs of doing business and slower growth with ultimate effects being felt by investors and end-consumers. Close scrutiny of bank performance by investors, regulators and other stakeholders is likely to continue.
Basel III, together with the broader regulatory change agenda, is set to redraw the banking landscape. It will have a profound impact on profitability and force many banks to transform their business models. It will also require firms to implement significant process and system changes.
It is critical that firms take steps to reset their business models to the new capital and liquidity standards. By acting now, firms not only start to tackle Basel III's many challenges but are also in a better position to respond to competitive pressures and deal with the complexities and uncertainties of the wider regulatory landscape.
Our dedicated team has the expertise, insight and global reach to help provide comprehensive support for all the business challenges in today's Basel III world. If you would like to discuss the implications of how Basel III will affect your organisation, our team of leading advisors can help. Please speak to your usual PwC contact or one of those listed above.
The level of regulatory change is significant and complex and requires fundamental business change.
The implications of regulatory change in the UK banking industry
The implications of regulatory change in the German banking industry
The challenges of Basel III for Australian Banks


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Directions to Family Pension KalikAddress: Brezanska 12, Prague, Czech Republic
Average rating: 69%
Rooms from: US$ 45.95
Directions to Family Pension Kalik
To get to the guesthouse take metro line A to Strasnicka. You can also take tram number 7 , 5 or 13 to Zborov. Trams go every 5 minutes and they also run through the night. Buses numbers 133, 155 and 208 also pass the guesthouse and the closest bus stop is at Plananska. From the airport the best way is by taxi CEDAZ. It is fix price 480,-CZK / 1 � 4 people or 960,- CZK/ 5-8 person . But only taxi CEDAZ ( white mikrobus volkswagen), the another taxi are more expensive. Another way is by public transportation. It is very easy and you will go about 40 min. First go by bus numer 119 to the stop DEJVICKA (end stop) , after go by subway line A to STRASNICKA and from STRASNICKA go by tram numer 7 to the stop ZBOROV. ( three stops) From there it is about 2 min. by foot. Go street like the tram to the corner. At the corner go left ( street MALINSKA), at the end go right ( street KOUNICKA) and after first left is BREZANSKA. Go up to number 12. From the train station go by metro line C to MUZEUM and after change to line A and go to the stop STRASNICKA. From there go by tram numer 7 to ZBOROV At the airport or train station you can buy public transport tiket, which can be used for metro, trams, buses or any combination of them.: 1 houre ticket 20,- CZK 1 day ticket 80,-CZK 3 days ticket 220,-CZK 7 days ticket 280,-CZK 14 days ticket 320,-CZK The publik tranportation in Prague is very good. The metro has about 3-5 min. interval and the trams 5-8 minutes. The tram goes all night


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Does anyone want them?
I have every volume and chapter, 32 volumes total. Ive looked forever and no one has them translated or scaned and dragon gaurd fell behind in scans a while ago. Viz media finally decided to start printing out the rest of the series in english, but it looks like it wont finish till october or so, and theres only like 3 volumes left till the series is complete.
So if you want the raws, tell me =D
Oh, and im 90% theyre chinese. =|


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This was written by cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia and author of "When Can You Trust The Experts? How to tell good science from bad in education." This appeared on his Science and Education blog.
The PIRLS results are better than you may realize.
Last week, the results of the 2011 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) were published. This test compared reading ability in 4th grade children.
U.S. fourth-graders ranked 6th among 45 participating countries. Even better, US kids scored significantly better than the last time the test was administered in 2006.
There's a small but decisive factor that is often forgotten in these discussions: differences in orthography across languages.
Lots of factors go into learning to read. The most obvious is learning to decode–learning the relationship between letters and (in most languages) sounds. Decode is an apt term. The correspondence of letters and sound is a code that must be cracked.
In some languages the correspondence is relatively straightforward, meaning that a given letter or combination of letters reliably corresponds to a given sound. Such languages are said to have a shallow orthography. Examples include Finnish, Italian, and Spanish.
In other languages, the correspondence is less consistent. English is one such language. Consider the letter sequence "ough." How should that be pronounced? It depends on whether it's part of the word "cough," "through," "although," or "plough." In these languages, there are more multi-letter sound units, more context-dependent rules and more out and out quirks.
Another factor is syllabic structure. Syllables in languages with simple structures typically (or exclusively) have the form CV (i.e., a consonant, then a vowel as in "ba") or VC (as in "ab.") Slightly more complex forms include CVC ("bat") and CCV ("pla"). As the number of permissible combinations of vowels and consonants that may form a single syllable increases, so does the complexity. In English, it's not uncommon to see forms like CCCVCC (.e.g., "splint.")
Here's a figure (Seymour et al., 2003) showing the relative orthographic depth of 13 languages, as well as the complexity of their syllabic structure.
Orthographic depth correlates with incidence of dyslexia (e.g., Wolf et al, 1994) and with word and nonword reading in typically developing children (Seymour et al. 2003). Syllabic complexity correlates with word decoding (Seymour et al, 2003).
This highlights two points, in my mind.
First, when people trumpet the fact that Finland doesn't begin reading instruction until age 7 we should bear in mind that the task confronting Finnish children is easier than that confronting English-speaking children. The late start might be just fine for Finnish children; it's not obvious it would work well for English-speakers.
Of course, a shallow orthography doesn't guarantee excellent reading performance, at least as measured by the PIRLS. Children in Greece, Italy, and Spain had mediocre scores, on average. Good instruction is obviously still important.
But good instruction is more difficult in languages with deep orthography, and that's the second point. The conclusion from the PIRLS should not just be "Early elementary teachers in the US are doing a good job with reading." It should be "Early elementary teachers in the US are doing a good job with reading despite teaching reading in a language that is difficult to learn."
Seymour, P. H. K., Aro, M., & Erskine, J. M. (2003). Foundation literacy acquisition in European orthographies. British Journal of Psychology, 94, 143-174.
Wolf, M., Pfeil, C., Lotz, R., & Biddle, K. (1994). Towarsd a more universal understanding of the developmental dyslexias: The contribution of orthographic factors. In Berninger, V. W. (Ed), The varieties of orthographic knowledge, 1: Theoretical and developmental issues.Neuropsychology and cognition, Vol. 8., (pp. 137-171). New York, NY, US: Kluwer


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By PATSY STODDARDEditor
The American Legion members from Huntington, Lawrence, Elmo and Cleveland honored Veterans on Veteran's Day in Castle Dale. The Veterans gathered at the Veteran's Memorial which was constructed and dedicated last year on Veteran's Day. The monument is on the grounds of the Museum of the San Rafael.
Commander Ray Quinn welcomed the Veterans and visitors to the ceremony. "We salute our Veterans and their willingness to defend our country. Without them we would not be here. Many thousands of men and women have defended our country. Do anything you can to be sure they aren't forgotten. God bless America and all it stands for this day," said Quinn.
American Legion member Blake Jones recited the Ragged Ole' Flag accompanied by Eldon Holmes on the guitar. "Thrills run up and down my spine as I render this poem. I am not sorry for the time I spent serving my country. I have a great love for my country. I honor my country. I love the ragged old flag and the privilege we have of living in America. I honor the Veterans and appreciate what we have. I appreciate the liberty and freedom we have in America," said Jones.
Brett Mecham played taps while the flag was raised from half staff to full mast. The American Legion members gave a 21 gun salute to conclude the ceremony.


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Earthquake shakes Greater Victoria
A minor earthquake was felt in Greater Victoria Tuesday morning, at 8:36 a.m.
The 3.2 magnitude earthquake originated 23 kilometres northeast of Victoria, around the San Juan Islands, according to the National Earthquake Information Center.
It was felt in Victoria, Saanich and by some as far west as Sooke.
Scott McDonald, who lives near Esquimalt Lagoon in Colwood, was in his bedroom when he felt shaking.
"I felt a jolt and a bang and the whole room shook for a very brief second or two," he said.
His wife had just left to take their child to school and because the bedroom is above the carport, he initially thought his wife had backed their van into the house.
"Apparently that wasn't the case," he said, noting that he'd felt many earthquakes previously while living in Japan.
"This was a baby (earthquake) — but it gets the adrenalin rushing to be sure," he said.
On the Richter scale, earthquakes of a magnitude between 3.0-3.9 are considered minor. They are often felt but rarely cause any damage.


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Poetic Licence All Mixed Up Platform Pump
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Item # 282376
Stay fashionable and fun in this platform pump from Poetic Licence! The All Mixed Up pump is truly one of a kind.
- Printed woven fabric upper
- Crochet flower detail at round peep toe
- ¾" platform, 4¼" covered heel
- Synthetic sole
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Logic for Law Students: How to Think Like a Lawyer
Ruggero J. Aldisert
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Stephen Clowney
University of Arkansas - School of Law
Jeremy Peterson
Arnold & Porter LLP
University of Pittsburgh Law Review, Vol. 69, No. 1, 2007
Law schools no longer teach logic. In the authors' view this is tragic, given that the fundamental principles of logic continue to undergird the law and guide the thinking of judges. In an effort to reverse the trend, this essay explains the core principles of logic and how they apply in the law school classroom. The manuscript begins by examining the basics of the deductive syllogisms and then turns to inductive generalizations and the uses and abuses of analogies. The authors claim that students who master the basics of logic laid out in this article will be better lawyers and will feel more comfortable when they find themselves presenting arguments to judges and juries.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 22
Keywords: Logic, legal education, syllogism, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, reasoning, legal analysis
JEL Classification: K4, K49, K19, I21
Date posted: March 2, 2007 ; Last revised: June 28, 2014
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"It reminds me how funny living in LA can be; You go to a friend's barbecue and you leave the face of Victoria Beckham's look book."
Said by: Alice Greczyn, the 25-year-old who recently became the new face of Victoria Beckham's denim line. Read more about this serendipitous story at Denimology.
Tags: Alice Greczyn, denim quote, model turned actress, victoria beckham denim


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|Posted by Dale's Plumbing Service, Inc on July 29, 2002 at 04:32:18:
|In response to Re: OUTDOOR FAUCET TOO CLOSE TO HOUSE
: 24 YER-OLD HOUSE HAS OUTSIDE FAUCETS THAT ARE JUST ABOUT 3" FROM THE BRICK AND TURN WITH A WHEEL LOOKING DEVICE. NOW HAVE BUSHES THAT ARE 24" DEEP AND i CAN'T REACH THE TURN ON - IS THERE A READY MADE EXTENDER OF SOME SORT THAT WILL MAKE IT EASIER TO TURN ON MY FAUCET?
Linda, you need to relocate the faucet or start trimming the schrubs.Just my thoughts.
|Replies to this post


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Five Marks of Love Lenten Workbook: 'This six-week series provides the opportunity to observe and to reflect on the ways in which the Divine Life expresses itself in and through us; individually and in our faith communities, as well as in the world around us. Each week will explore the Anglican Marks of Mission (Tell, Teach, Tend, Transform and Treasure) through videos, questions and exercises so we can speak more clearly and act truthfully, motivated always by hearts marked by God's love.' From the Society of St John the Evangelist.
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2016 Episcopal Relief & Development Lent Meditations. In English and Spanish.
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2015 Lenten resources from the Anglican Church of Canada.
2015 Episcopal Relief & Development Lent Meditations. In English and Spanish.
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Resources for Lent, Easter, Pentecost. A detailed list of resources for worship and home, complied by the Reformed Church in America.
From earlier years
50 Days of Fabulous. Readings and Reflections for Eastertide.
Carrie Swanlund and the Allegri Miserere. This is the first in a six-part series of brief meditations on Lent from the Church of St Martin in the Fields, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA.
Episcopal Relief and Development Lenten Resources (updated annually).
Feeding and Fasting: Reflections for the Lenten Season. From CREDO.
Growing in Christ: Bearing Fruit by Our Life together. A diocesan Lent course for 2013 from the Diocese of Wakefield.
Kaam thiin ciek yic - Moments: The 2013 Wau Diocese Lent Study Course. 'Written by staff of Wau Diocese in the Episcopal Church of Sudan, this is a simple Lent course designed for use by anyone anywhere.'
Lent Appeal 2013. From the Diocese of London.
Lent Madness. 'Lent Madness began in 2010 as the brainchild of the Revd Tim Schenck. In seeking a fun, engaging way for people to learn about the men and women comprising the Church's Calendar of Saints, Tim came up with this unique Lenten devotion. Combining his love of sports with his passion for the lives of the saints, Lent Madness was born on his blog "Clergy Family Confidential."'
Lenten Reflections on Food. From the Anglican Church of Canada's Primate's World Relief and Development Fund.
Mission Project 2013. In Lent 2013, 'We will work hand-in-hand, in partnership, with The Mama Ada Foundation to transforms lives within the faith communities of Kenya and the Episcopal Church in Minnesota. We will help release the Rift Valley Province of Kenya from the bonds of poverty by enabling children's futures with tuition scholarships and alleviating families' hunger with seeds.'
Montreal Marks of Mission. 'This bible study was initially conceived so that parishes could work and pray together over our biblical text during the season of Lent, developing seeds of growth for themselves and for their parishes.'
Praying Our Lives: Daily videos for Lent 2013. From the Society of St John the Evangelist, Cambridge USA.
'This is our story: Journeys of faith'. Lent course for 2013 from Churches together in Britain and Ireland.
Transforming Lives. Lenten resources for 2013 from the Anglican Board of Mission (Australia)
40 Ideas for Lent
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Bach and Dürer: Passion Music and ImageryA site where you can simultaneously view a woodcut from Dürer's 'Large Passion' series, along with the text and audio from a congruent area of Bach's St Matthew Passion. 'The images are from the AMICO image library; the originals are held by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The audio clips and text (both German and translation) are taken from the Karl Richter recording of J.S. Bach's Matthäus-Passion. The audio clips are in RealAudio format'.
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Idaho Senate approves student religious group bill
BOISE, Idaho - Idaho's public universities would be barred from denying official recognition and other benefits to religious student groups under a bill passed by the Senate.
The measure approved Thursday on a 30-5 vote gives university religious organizations freedom to restrict their leadership positions to those truly committed to their faith.
Boise Republican Sen. Curt McKenzie said the legislation protects religious clubs. University of Idaho has come out against the bill, saying it could force colleges to fund groups with objectionable goals like white supremacy.
Ketchum Sen. Michelle Stennett called this a solution in search of a problem, arguing religious groups already can elect leaders as they see fit. She said she also worries the legislation carves out a special benefit for religious organizations.
The bill now moves to the House.


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I played the most, maybe AD&D 2nd.
I loved the most, definitely Amber (though I love Zelazny's writing too, so I'm maybe biased a bit). The diceless system was a great novelty, and with a good GM it had the most boundless freedom I've experienced during my p'n'p era
The Dark Eye, a German PnP game, in old days also known as "Realms of Arcania" and the CRPG series "Northland Trilogy". German "Das Schwarze Auge". I love it, because unlike D&D it is much less based on combat. In D&D you move from combat to combat, in the Dark Eye, combat is rather the exception, and it is mostly about a story you experience and act in.
Second place would go to Traveller. I REALLY would love to see the Traveller Universe in a MMO. It was such a cool setting, especially the Third Empire era.
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
For me some of the most fun and my fondest times have been been playing AD&D 1st ed. I disliked almost everything about D&D 2nd ed., hell it barely had anything worth cherry picking that I thought was good enough for my own campaign. As a matter of fact we had more or less dropped AD&D from our gaming rotation. That is until D&D 3.0.
D&D 3.0 and 3.5 really hooked me. I had been using feat in my own campaign, but it was unrefined. 3.0 & 3.5 just cleaned everything up and made it work.
And then we got 4.0, which I despise. No, which I fucking despise. Its literally WoW style rules in PnP. And it sucks, D&D has lost its soul. Thats when I found Pathfinder (the PnP game).
Pathfinder is the spirtal successor to the souless turd that D&D 4.0 has become.
Now about the same time I was falling in love with AD&D I found another TSR game which I came to love, Star Frontiers. That game holds a special place for me. I loved the space expansion Knight Hawks. I spent many many hours of game play just freighting around cargo and passengers and dodging pirates and Sathar. Sometimes playing the bounty hunter and sometimes the smuggler.
This game took a whole lot more effort than any AD&D campaign. It was intentionally left very bare so that the game master could custom build their own game.
Then my next big thing was actually a WWIII game called Twilight 2000. No fantasy no sci-fi. Just a great post apocalyptic military game. Great complicated ruleset that was easy to understand and use. Lots of fun hours playing that.
But my next passion ended up being Mechwarrior and all the supplements. Talk about dropping some cash when I really couldnt afford it. This game Ihave as much love as I do for 1st ed AD&D and 3.5 D&D. For me this is/was kind of like Star Frontiers X 100. It took it to a whole 'nother level.
In many was I like the lore of this game even better than I like Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms.
Even though I never really got to play Shadow Run; the game , the lore, the setting, the time period has been like a splinter in my mind. I want to play this..bad. I want to find a good group and if I did I'd trade my MMO playing time to play Shadow Run.
Best PnP experiences, see above.
So in order of best PnP that Ive played. With great lore, easy to use but detailed rules, play style variation I'd have to say-
1- Mechwarrior
2- Pathfinder (core rule books, not setting)
4- AD&D 1st ed
5- Twilight 2000
6- Star Frontiers
? - Shadow Run (from the little I seen, I'd say it deserves 4th)
I havent had a lot of game time with Pathfinder but I think it could be 1st place, but Mechwarrior had/has more depth.
"I understand that if I hear any more words come pouring out of your **** mouth, Ill have to eat every fucking chicken in this room."
Originally posted by PWN_FACE
Yeah, I played Gamma World back in the day. I had all the TSR games. By 1st Ed. D&D, do you mean Advanced Dungeons and Dragons? I have the old Gary Gygax DM guide published in 1979 with the big red demon with a sword holding a princess in his hand one. Is that the same?
Im not sure how much Garret if familier with the D&D and AD&D brand but I think he must be talking AD&D.
Although for those of you who dont know. There were two versions of Dungeons and Dragons.
There was AD&D - Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, a more complex ruleset.
And there was D&D- Dungeons and Dragons,kind of like a prestep to AD&D. This had the classic Red Box (Basic) D&D, Blue Box (Expert) D&D.
Although TSR did publish a campaign world that used these ruleset. Isle of Dread is really all I remember from it, although I have a really nice hardbound 2nd ed book set in there, packed away somewhere.
D&D 3.0 and 3.5 really cleaned up the rules. Most DM's were using heavly modified AD&D rules by the late 80's. D&D 3.0 and 3.5 really cleaned up the game. So instead of just having a Magic User, you could specialize. Illuisionist isnt a seperate class anymore. Its now a Specialist Mage.
Or remember how a MU couldnt use a sword or wear armor? Now the can, they just have penalties. Or they can spend a "feat" point and use that sword or wear that armor with out penalties (or woth reduced penalties) but thats at the expense of boosting their magic with magic feats.
Pazios Pathfinder has refined and added to the 3.5 ruleset even further. and it is an even better RPG than it ever was. Look into this, trust me.
I myself am a huge fan of Greyhawk. But Pazio has won me over. And you can still use their rules in a Greyhawk setting.
While WoC (Wizards of the Coast) has turned D&D 4.0 into...more or less a video game in PnP form. Its now all about combat, the encounter, the loot, thats it. There really is no reason to RP in that game anymore. As a matter of fact there is no reason to play D&D 4.0 when you can quite literally just log into WoW and have the same experience except in a 3D world.
Or maybe to put it another way Pathfinder is closer to the AD&D you know than even the WoC 4th edition of D&D is, by a long shot.
"I understand that if I hear any more words come pouring out of your **** mouth, Ill have to eat every fucking chicken in this room."
I grew up on the thaco. Loved D&D. Robotech was the game my friends and I played the most. However, Marvel was a blast.
Currently playing Iron Kingdoms and Call of Cthulhu.
My Favs:
Call of Cthulhu (just purchased the dvd of the original movie). So much potential. All of us are backstabbing each other, its like paranoia except no cheese. I even created my own secret society. Od how nobody has asked why a univercity professor is a expert with handguns (99%).
Robotech, for the memories, not the system. Palladium system is was to easy break.
Aces & Eights. Love the system and the whole shot clock. Wild west themed is way under appreciated.
D&D 3.5, fun at times. I hate the min maxing that goes on though. I had to make a monk just to shut up all the damm overpowered casters. Cant cast when grappled on your back.
Roses are red
Violets are blue
The reviewer has a mishapen head
Which means his opinion is skewed
I wont be making an exact list but I will recommend you a few favorites:
Pathfinder is based on D&D but a lot better. It have a high level of customization (but you really need the advancad players book besides the rulebook) so while it have classes you can customize your character to be very different from others of the same class while the game still have pretty good balance (better than any D&D edition).
This game is perfect if you want to play in a D&D campaignworld like Forgotten realms, Dragonlance or Ravenloft and as a GM you need to do few changes from any D&D 3rd edition sourcebook even if there are plenty of differences in the system.
Well made, fun and the best levelbased system I played. A must if you want a fantasy game (or steampunk) close to D&D.
Shadowrun is a rather odd mix of fantasy and cyberpunk with a unique leveless system (I think it would work fine in a MMO BTW). The best thing about it is the world in itself which is set 60 or so years in the future, most of the world is controlled by corps, some controlled by dragons and there are elves, dwarfs and orcs around as well. It sounds rather silly but the game pulls it off fine.
Call of Cthulhu (Chaosiums version, not the D20 which suck):
CoC is usually set between the world wars. The players are usually investigators who are investigating weird cases and this is a game for people who likes handouts and puzzles. Of course it is best for shorter stuff since people tend to spend a lot of time in insane asylums or dying and have to be replaced. The world is based on Lovecrafts Mythos and full of tentacles, evil old gods and insane cultists.
CoC is the most fun horror RPG ever made (in my opinion). It also have a version called "Delta green" where players are special forces soldiers who face the same world, it is also fun.
Star wars: Edge of the empire:
This game is not even out yet, but the beginners box and beta rulebook is out. It is the first of 3 parts of Fantasy flights SW RPG and based on the scum of the empire, like smugglers, bounty hunters and similar people. This game uses some weird dices (even for P&P) and that had me a bit worried but the game is actually really fun, fast to play and captures the movies way better than the D20 and D6 versions.
There is some balance things still but from what I read on the beta forum most if not all of them are fixed. Sadly it is not a game for you if you want to play jedi, at least until the third rulebook which is jedi focused comes out but it will be at lest a year from now.
These games are my current favorites and RPGs I like to play right now. There are plenty of older games that have been great but these ones are the ones I recommend right now. And yes, only Pathfinder is D20 based but I feel that levelbased P&P games tends to get really unbalanced and somewhat silly when the players have gotten a few levels. I do play in a SW D20 revised campaign right now and anyone who didnt made a Jedi guardian are more or less useless in combat at lvl 8, even my Mandalorian bountyhunter are nowhere close to the Jedis and there really are no point in making more than one class of character. They also lack a lot of logic and realism. Pathfinder though is really good even if it is D20 based and that is why I recommend it, in our campaigns have all classes actually been useful when we play.
Originally posted by pharmenza
... 1. Warhammer (Death on the reik, is the best Campaign i ever played) ....
The campaign was called "The enemy within", Death on the reik is just the first part but I have to agree with you there. It was fun and well written even if the campaign lost a little in the 2 last parts.
It is really something I recommend for any people who enjoy dark humor and a long fun campaign.
But you should play it with the original Games Workshop rules, not with Fantasy flights lousy system. It was not on my list since it hasnt aged perfectly but it is still a acceptable system with a lot of good sourcematerial.
Originally posted by garrett
1st edition D&D, RIFT, Gamma World.
+ GURPS, Champions, several lesser beasts (Paranoia, Cthulu, various Steve Jackson games--we were big on Assassin in the dorms, briefly)
But 2nd ed. D&D (+beer) is the one that consumed must of my college grades.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
Easy for me. There are two games that are great, but one is better than them all.
Fast paced, violent, dangerous, fun, and no magic.
The second best to me is...
Twighlight 2000.
Come on who doesnt want to play a soldier stranded in Europe after WWIII?!
So much crap, so little quality.
I'm big on freeform, open world style play. Although I enjoyed D&D (all versions) and Shadowrun, at the end of the day both games were heavily walled in with absurd rules.
Seriously, I just found this +5 Two Handed Axe of "I'm gonna splode your intestines all over the walls", but because it says right here that the only weapons I'm allowed to use are a staff and daggers, then my only choice is to sell it? Seriously? Those kinds of things always took a sledgehammer to the immersion factor for me.
I remember being weened on AD&D and Shadowrun 1-2nd edition and thinking all RPG's were this way. Then I met this guy, and he says "Hey we're gonna run this "Prison Break" campaign at my house starting next week." I ask, "What's prison break?, I've never heard of that RPG". Then he proceeds to explain to me that he's running it from a system called GURPS, and we're allowed to make pretty much any character we want, within the points limit he's established, and we all start off as prisoners on this prison planet. The goal of the campaign is to escape from prison.
I was stunned. I didn't even know where to go from there at first. I'm asking him things like "So I can be Elvis, who really was abducted by aliens, and then somehow ended up in a galactic prison"
"What If I want to be a 1965 Marine M60 gunner in Vietnam that got sucked into a dimensional vortex during a battle one day and then ended up in prison after assassinating an alien ambassador?"
"Go for it"
"Jedi padawan?"
"You won't have a lightsaber, but sure"
I was sold, and I still am. It's the most open gaming system I've ever played. Creating a character with GURPS is one of the most liberating experiences a pen and paper RPG'er will ever have after having their dick repeatedly stomped on with "NO YOU CAN'T DO THAT" in the walled in, class based RPG's.
Now I get to swing that brand spanking new +5 Two Handed Axe of "I'm gonna splode your intestines all over the walls", whenever I feel like it and no one's gonna tell me I can't. Doesn't mean I'll hit anything with it, but that just adds to the fun.
Oh lord, where to begin...
I loved D&D in all it's incarnations right up 'til 4.0, then it just went to shit.
I loved the worlds of Shadowrun and Earthdawn, but thought their systems needed help, so we used Gurps with those backdrops, worked out well.
I played a few games of Traveler with my cousins, it was set in the "Aliens" mythos, thought that was kinda cool.
The Morrow Project was an interesting idea, as was Twilight 2k, we used it for some interesting post alien invasion of earth campaigns.
Space Opera was pretty cool, my first "Star Wars"-esq type rpg.
Tried the West End version of Star Wars, didn't much care for it, I enjoyed the D20 system.
I have a soft spot for Rifts and all things Palladium (robotech, fantasy, etc) Aside from Gurps I thought it was a great generic system, that much like Gurps, with a little tweeking here and there can accommodate just about every genre you would want to play in.
White Wolf games came out with a very rich vampire and werewolf mythos, the system wasn't too bad, but I have to say I did enjoy it a bit more through Gurps.
Rollmaster was a fun experience, somehow I ended up with a non-undead monastic lich...I still can't figure that one....
The list goes on, I have played many games out there a time or two, ran a few long campaigns myself, some I liked more than others. I guess the real thing is find yourself a solid group of friends, find a genre that you enjoy and just mess around with it. There is no game out there that can take the place of the table top as far as creativity, story and scope, graphics are limited by the descriptions given by the dm, and your imagination
I created my own with Legos, I had 2 editions Put some paint or something on a sword to make it a +1 or Ice, Fire whatever you want.
Also liked Star Wars, WEG, because it was Star Wars.
I'm actually going to say 4e DnD (which I'm sure makes most posters here cringe). Mostly I think that's because there is no good PnP gaming system in existance, past or present.
I believe that fluff has little to do with mechanics, which is essentially what much of the customization in 3.5/pathfinder is: fluff expressed through mechanics.
I also think that out of combat play should be rules lite.
Most importantly I want meaningful customization and balanced mechanics. I don't want to simply pick a class and be like every other archetypal character of that class that anyone has ever made. Likewise, I dont' want to be able to make a character so uber powerful that the game becomes meaningless.
So 4th does all of this better than any other system, especially the balance. Unfortunately, it brings to light a couple of issues that I didn't notice (mostly due to how bad mechanics were in 3.5).
Grew up playing tons of PnP RPGs. AD&D was our favorite, but when that got old we would go to Rift, Shadowrun, Paladium, or Road Hogs (think TMNT meets Mad Max). There was a James Bond RPG that we would play once in a blue moon. I'm sure I'm missing something but oh well.
The most fun we ever had was when 100+ AD&D players got together and rented a conference room in the biggest hotel in my small town for a 3 day weekend. We played for 72 hours straight, some would catch cat naps in the corners and others would come and go.
There were people that showed up that walked and it was like OMG! YOU play DnD? Didn't you used to call us nerds and geeks for playing? There were rich people and poor, jocks and nerds, dopers and church goers that showed up. Everyone got along and we had a blast! I have a lot of good memories playing PnP RPGs with friends when growing up. Those were the days.
Let's play Fallen Earth (blind, 300 episodes)
Let's play Guild Wars 2 (blind, 45 episodes)
For its wonderfull background and infinite plot potential : Vampire, the Mascarade.
I think Vampire can really fit to a lot of different kind of PnP players and did not suffer from its age. (I'm not saying Vampire is a old game, just that he's not on his youth anymore.)
For the player : being a vamp, a werewolf or a mage is just so cooooooooooooooooooooooooooool. No matter your kind of trip (brutish-actionnish or RP-intriguish).
For the GM : dangerous drug, great fun for those who loves a great mise en abyme of plots inside plots.
Old school french hardcore whiner. Online since T4C.
I was "Namless" and "Daroot" in AO (Rk2)
Been known as "Vindicar" (Aion (EU), SWTOR (EU), WoW (EU).
Recently Known as "Wundicar" and "Wundee" in Age of Wushu (US) and Wulin (EU)
Franky Rivera Reyes , From the Reyes Brotherhood (Star Citizen)
We were introduced to AD&D when we were 10 which started a lifelong passion for RPGs. We quit AD&D when we were 12 or 13 because we found it too unsophisticated. These are some of our favourite RPGs we played and explored over the years (in no particular order):
- Twilight 2000 (Post-Nuclear War)
- Call of Cthulhu
-Iron Crown's Rolemaster sytem and Shadow World Milieu (Our go-to Fantasy rpg which we felt surpassed all others)
-Stormbringer/Elric (in all its incarnations)
- Battlelords of the 23rd Century (Space Opera at its biggest and best. We also played traveller back in the day)
-Emperor of the Fading Suns (A fantastic space-based RPG with a twist. Roleplayer's/Adventurer's dream).
-Cyberpunk 2077
I probably bought almost everything made in those days (and still have all the books) and we played them all. Some once, some a lot, including: Villains and Vigilantes, Marvel Superheroes, Traveller/Mega-Traveller, Gamma World, Phoenix command, Robotech, Battletech....and a lot more. But those 7 I listed first are tops.
I saw someone mention the Morrow Project, nice. I never did get my hands on that one.
Dishonorable mentions: Shadowrun, AD&D (Yah despite it being our gateway drug I have a bit of a hate-on for D&D)
Check out Battlelords or Emperor of the Fading Suns, these are more recent and have a lot of great stuff. ICE has a lot of the Rolemaster/Shadow World books available on PDF and new stuff is still being released.
Finally a Thread that doesnt criticise a game.
Not in any order:
1. Gamma World 1st edition
2. Star Frontiers
3. AD&D- Forgotten realms
4, Stormbringer, Elf Quest, and Call of Cthulu (loved Chaosium games)
5. Old world of Darkness
All my opinions are just that..opinions. If you like my opinions..coolness.If you dont like my opinion....I really dont care.
Playing: ESO, WOT, Smite, and Marvel Heroes
as a gm this is the most fun
you can do so many things to your players
one instance i remember we set up the game room with a desk and bed side lamp aimed to point in the players faces
then calling in each player to report to there comander on there previous mission and the info they all gave got them all shot
mutant commie traitors always get what they deserve
no idea if this game is still the same but was fun when we played it
CoC - in various formats. I liked the DnD version for the spell system though felt the insanity could also have been modified to fit with the rest.
MERP/Rolemaster mainly because that was the system for Middle-earth. The latest The One Ring however appears to be much better all round.
I quite liked Space Master, it had some good concepts.
Pendragon was excellent and I even ran some games based in Middle-earth using the system.


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Experience the adventure of Bungy in Auckland with our 40 meter Bungy Jump from the Auckland Harbour Bridge. This unforgettable 40-minute experience involves jumping from the purpose-built jump pod suspended over the sparkling Waitemata Harbour. As part of the Bungy, you'll enjoy an exclusive bridge walk to the "Bungy Pod".
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Auckland is home to the worlds first Harbour bridge Bungy Jump and is operated by the Bungy originals. As part of the Bungy experience you'll enjoy an exclusive bridge walk out to the specially-constructed and sensationally-suspended retro "Bungy Pod". It's here you'll build up the courage to leap out over the Waitamata Harbour.
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Traveler Reviews
Reviewed by: Doug E, January 2017
Exhilarating - a definite must do!
Reviewed by: Lynn C, July 2016
Awesome!! Highly recommend it. Staff was very nice!


text: Wow what a cool chapter, Zebra is so strong, but its nice to see he has a limit. Can't wait to see them in action, Toriko better have something up his sleeve or hes going to get killed by Zebra haha. I wanna see him eat all those animals, that would be ridiculous! Now there are no more monsters in the death forest :( but at least with Zebra they can go into the gourmet world