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A Seedbed of Faith
In Judges 6:11-15, we read this about Gideon,
Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, "The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!" Gideon said to Him, "O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites." Then the LORD turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?" So he said to Him, "O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."
We often think of Gideon as a great champion for Israel, and he was. But when he was chosen, we found him cowering in the winepress. He was hiding, he was fearful, he was negative, he was doubtful, and he was questioning.
While we might be critical of Gideon, I have found that the only people who never question are those who have been indoctrinated. Sometimes you need to doubt. Sometimes you need to question. In fact, a lot of times uncertainty is the seedbed from which faith grows.
If you are struggling with doubt today, if you have genuine questions, don't panic. If you are sincerely looking for answers, God will meet you, and faith will spring from the answers you find.
Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to connect with God.
Click here to watch this week's Answers with Bayless Conley broadcast at LightSource.com or listen on OnePlace.com.
Help bring a living Jesus to the world!
Become a missionary who crosses language barriers, walks right into hurting homes, and even breaks through prison walls to meet people at their point of need. Watch this special invitation video from Bayless to learn how your faithful support can help bring our living Savior to a dying world. To thank you for your gift today, we'll send you a copy of Bayless' message, Unless the Lord Builds the House, along with his booklet, Where Is God When Hard Times Hit?


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- 59 years old
- Date of birth: Jun 27, 1951
- Date of passing: May 14, 2011
|Let the memory of Lt. Dale be with us forever
Lt. Dale H. "Smiley" Gilmore, 59 of LaGrange, formerly of West Point died Saturday, May 14, 2011, at Hospice LaGrange.
Lt. Gilmore was born on Wednesday, June 27, 1951, in West Point, Georgia the son of the late Christian Gunn and Herren James Gilmore. He graduated from Lanett High School and had an associate degree in criminal justice. Lt. Gilmore served the as a police officer with the city of West Point leaving due to ill health after 19 years and 10 months of service. He had worked for the city utility department before becoming a police officer. Lt. Gilmore served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. He was a member of the Peace Officers Annuity and Benefit Fund and an avid Alabama and Atlanta Braves fan.
Survivors include his wife Jenny Gilmore of LaGrange; one daughter, Sunnie Mallory of Statham, Georgia.
Funeral services for Lt. Dale H. "Smiley" Gilmore will be held Tuesday, May 17, 2011, at 2:00 PM EDT from the graveside in Marseilles Cemetery. Reverend Mark McGee and Reverend Theodore R. Book, SLL will officiate. The family will greet friends Monday evening from 6:00 PM EDT until 8:00 PM EDT at McCarthy Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Chattahoochee Hospice, 6 Medical Park North, Valley, Alabama, 36854 or St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Drive, Memphis, Tennessee, 38105.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Lagniappe Red Beans and Rice
alberta smith1
This recipe was in the back of "New Orleans Legancy" a great book by Alexandra Ripley. Loved the book and my whole family loves this recipe.
- 1 lb
- dried red kidney beans
- 2 qt
- cold water
- 1/2 lb
- ham cut into cubes
- 1/2 lb
- hot sausage, slice thick
- 1 bunch
- green onions, including tops
- 1
- green pepper
- 2 stalk(s)
- celery
- 3 medium
- onions
- 1 large
- pinch of ground thyme
- 4
- bay leaves
- cayenne pepper or tabasco sauce
- salt
- pepper
- rice not instant
How to Make Lagniappe Red Beans and Rice
- 1Rinse kidney beans twice. Discard any that look bad. Put beans in big heavy pot, at least 3 quart size.(4 quart is better)
- 2Add water ham and sausage. Set uncovered on burner at medium heat. While the beans and meat are soaking and warming, chop and add green onions, green peppers,celery,onions. Then add thyme and bay leaves.
- 3When the mixture boils, reduce heat and cover. Stir every 20-30 minutes for three hours.Then,with a wooden spoon mash about 1/4 the beans against the side of the pot. If they don't mash easily, try again after half an hour.
- 4Forty minute after mashing the beans, taste and season with cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce.(Don't use too much; this is suppose to be delicious but subtly flavored.) I use a 1/8 tsp cayenne and put Tabasco and cayenne on the table so everyone can add their own heat. Cook for another half and hour while preparing the rice.
- 5Ladle beans and sauce over rice and serve.
- 6It's hard to believe, but all the vegetables cook away to nothing. The mashed beans thicken the sauce to a creamy consistency. It's even more flavorful re-warmed after a night in the refrigerator.
About Lagniappe Red Beans and Rice
Course/Dish: Other Main Dishes
Main Ingredient: Beans/Legumes
Regional Style: Southern
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Product or Service
Visceral Specimen
Profile:Manufacturer - Producer|Ref:PSL56272YH | Country: China | Currency: | Export: No
Thoracic wall and abdominal wall are removed to display organs in the thoracic cavity and abdominal cavity. Some special dissection measures are taken in some parts. For example, in the thoracic cavity, one lung is remained, while the other one is removed and the bronchial tree is remained to clearly display not only the inner structure of lung but also the intercostal nerves and blood vessels along the ribs. The students can obtain more direct messages by means of this kind of specimen. So this specimen is the best teaching specimen for the students to study and understand the forms, positions and relationships of the organs.
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How to Calculate the Number of Dependents on W-2by Lisa Bigelow ; Updated April 19, 2017
The Internal Revenue Service provides the Form W-4 to employers for the purpose of calculating income tax withholding. When you begin a new job, or if you need to adjust your withholding, your employer will provide you with this form. Enter the number of dependents you have, as well as other personal information that helps your employer determine how much to withhold from your paycheck. Who is a dependent is more complicated than you may think, however, and dependents must pass four criteria to qualify.
Take the relationship test. The IRS states that only qualifying children or relatives are dependents - sons, daughters, stepchildren, adopted children, foster children, or any of their descendants qualify. Brothers, sisters, half brothers and sisters, and stepbrothers and sisters as well as their dependents qualify, as do parents, stepparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews -- including in-laws. If any of these people are being claimed as a dependent by someone else, then you can not claim them as a dependent.
Take the citizen or resident test. Only American citizens or legal residents can be dependents, although exceptions are made for adopted children, or for residents of Canada and Mexico.
Take the age test. Qualifying family members must be younger than 19 and you, unless they are full time students. Full time students are dependents until age 24. Alternatively, a "permanently and totally" disabled family member qualifies, regardless of age, according to the IRS.
Take the joint return test. You cannot count as a dependent anyone who plans to file a joint return.
Take the residency test. If the child or relative lived with you for more than half the year, and the child or relative passed each of the previous three tests, then the child or relative is a dependent.
Take the support test. You must have provided more than half the qualifying person's financial support during the year. There is also an earnings limit that varies depending upon the relationship of the person to you.
Calculate the number of dependents. Each child or relative that passes each of these 6 tests qualifies as a dependent.
If you are still unsure about who qualifies as a dependent, contact a tax adviser.
Photo Credits
- Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images


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Food and Drink
Pot Luck: Biero Bar
Posted by Paul Drury
01. Mar, 2012
Today's the last day you can get your fix at Biero, the little bar that packs a mighty beery punch, before it re-locates to a rooftop in Chinatown later this year.
Why should you go? More than just stocking one of Melbourne's best selections of local and imported beers, the owners (ex-Melb Uni beer swilling students) have created BeerVaults, a world first beer delivery system that allows any beer available to be 'on tap' by extracting beer from the bottles to pressure controlled cylinders, looming tantalisingly above the bar.
I don't exactly know how it works, but I do know the beers taste good, and with a massive range spanning Aussie and US micro-brews to the extreme beers of Mikkeller, there's a little bit of something for everyone. At least until they close.
Get in while you can.
525 Lt Lonsdale St, Melbourne
9600 0940
12pm – late
The Builders Arms Two Month Takeover
Beginning today, the Builders Arms is being reshaped by a bunch of artists with a new design, menu, music, screenings and cheaper booze. Yes, cheaper booze.
Let the Beer Run Free at Fed Square
As the mercury nudges 30C quench your hard earned thirst at the Microbrewery Showcase this week.
The Other Oktoberfest: The Crafty Pint's First Birthday
Beer, trivia, prizes, food, music, more beer. What more could you want in a night? Cake? There's cake.
What's On
Tinny Pie Party
The Pie Shop and Young Henrys unite to bring you the first-ever Tinny Pie Party, a day full of funky tunes, fun competitions and prizes, and freshly-baked golden pies. Kicking off from 3.00pm to 10.00pm,
The Great Craft Beer Taste Off
The Aussies and Kiwis battle it out over who makes the best craft beer.
Oktoberfest in Red Hill
Drink loads of beer at the Red Hill Brewery Oktoberfest next weekend.


text: Hello, first of all I hope i'm posting in the right place...I've just discovered this site and i'm loving it!!! thank you I'm looking at purchasing my first designer handbag and purse... I've never owned a designer bag before (closest I think I had was a JAG purse in the 90's)... anywayz I'm looking at a mid range as I can only dream of owning a LV at the moment. I was wondering if anyone could help me out with some suggestions... I'd like to match a coin purse/wallet and handbag and then maybe some accessories later on... but seeing this will be my first purchase I don't want to look like a tool either... hence why I came here!! Does anyone have any suggestions to what I could start out with that has a matching range... and also where would be the best place to purchase online because i'm about 2 hours outside of St Louis MO in the middle of nowhere until May. I appreciate the help Thanx


text:
+ createSignal:
Creates a new signal. This is the preferred way to create a new signal operation or behavior.
Class Methods
+ (RACSignal *)createSignal:(RACDisposable *( ^ ) ( id<RACSubscriber> subscriber ))didSubscribe
Creates a new signal. This is the preferred way to create a new signal operation or behavior.
Events can be sent to new subscribers immediately in the
didSubscribe block, but the subscriber will not be able to dispose of the signal until a RACDisposable is returned from
didSubscribe. In the case of infinite signals, this won't ever happen if events are sent immediately.
To ensure that the signal is disposable, events can be scheduled on the [RACScheduler currentScheduler] (so that they're deferred, not sent immediately), or they can be sent in the background. The RACDisposable returned by the
didSubscribe block should cancel any such scheduling or asynchronous work.
didSubscribe - Called when the signal is subscribed to. The new subscriber is passed in. You can then manually control the RACSubscriber by sending it -sendNext:, -sendError:, and -sendCompleted, as defined by the operation you're implementing. This block should return a RACDisposable which cancels any ongoing work triggered by the subscription, and cleans up any resources or disposables created as part of it. When the disposable is disposed of, the signal must not send any more events to the
subscriber. If no cleanup is necessary, return nil.
Note: The
didSubscribe block is called every time a new subscriber subscribes. Any side effects within the block will thus execute once for each subscription, not necessarily on one thread, and possibly even simultaneously!
Declared In


text: Tuesday, June 10, 2014 - 5:57 PM Source: SportsFan Author: Ben Hocking 1. Rabbitohs (last week 1) Despite losing fullback Greg Inglis and winger Bryson Goodwin to injury the Rabbitohs still managed to smash the Warriors in Perth on Saturday night. The prospect of being able to repeat that feat without that pair and their missing Origin stars against the Wests Tigers on Friday night will be much more difficult though. 2. Roosters (2) Coach Laurie Daley is going to be very unwilling to change a winning line-up, but Mitchell Pearce and James Maloney continue to do everything right to try and work their way back into the NSW line-up, who knows they may even get their chance in game three if things go awry for the Blues. 3. Broncos (3) Brisbane have now won four games in a row, which is a brilliant effort as this period around State of Origin was always going to prove tough. The fact Ben hunt has been called into the Queensland squad will make things even tougher for the next few weeks, especially if he is forced to play. 4. Sea Eagles (5) Daly Cherry-Evans was in magnificent form for Manly and played a massive part in their big win over the Bulldogs before he left the field injured. If he is forced to play State of Origin at less than peak fitness and seriously injures his knee as a result, Geoff Toovey's head may explode. 5. Bulldogs (4) The Bulldogs are the pretenders of the NRL's top four. While they have one of the best forward packs in the competition, they have no spark in the backline and that will always cost them when the whips are cracking. 6. Wests Tigers (6) Fresh from his backflip about leaving the Tigers, James Tedesco put in a brilliant display in his return from a knee injury getting his side across the line against a pretty gutsy Newcastle outfit. Things will be tougher this week against the Rabbitohs without Robbie Farah or Aaron Woods in the side. 7. Panthers (7) The Panthers may have moved into top spot on the ladder with a win against the Titans, but they are still making far too many errors for our liking. 8. Eels (8) Speaking or errors, Parramatta very nearly lost their first game for the season at Pirtek Stadium thanks to a calamitous end to the match against the Cowboys after working themselves into a strong position. As has already proven the case they will almost certainly lose next week when they take on the Bulldogs without Jarryd Hayne in the side. 9. Cowboys (9) Nearly became the first side to beat Parramatta at Pirtek Stadium, which is no mean feat for a Queensland side. Find themselves well placed for this portion of the Origin series with the bye this week and a game against the Knights on the other side. 10. Storm (10) No Cooper Cronk and no Billy Slater make Melbourne Storm pretty pedestrian. Still with the wily Craig Bellamy at the helm and Gold Coast looking equally shallow through the Origin period, they could get across the line for a win this week. 11. Dragons (11) Benji Marshall wound back the clock and reminded us all why he is one of the most exciting players in the competition. Hopefully he has turned the corner, remembered all the tricks he used to have and we get to see more flair for the rest of the season. 12. Warriors (12) Have serious issues defending, allowing an injured Rabbitohs outfit missing Greg Inglis and Bryson Goodwin to run in five tries in the final 21 minutes of the game. 13. Sharks (13) By the time the Sharks play their next game they will have gone at least an entire month without scoring. That is some achievement, although not one they will be particularly proud to have against their name. 14. Raiders (14) If you thought that James Tedesco pulling out of his decision to join the Raiders represented rock bottom for Canberra, you were wrong. Canberra will now be without their best player, Josh Papalii, for up to four weeks with an ankle injury. Surely things couldn't get any worse, unless they announce a Ricky Stuart contract extension. 15. Titans (15) Made just as many mistakes as the Panthers in a match that was comical for the ineptitude on display. Adding to the poor performance from the Titans was a mountain of missed tackles, which were just embarrassing at this level. 16. Knights (16) There were some positives for Newcastle this week, Akuila Uate scored a hat-trick and became the all-time leading tryscorer for the club in the process and their mining uniforms looked fantastic. They did also put in a pretty determined effort, but in terms of stability and concerns about salaries goes, the bad news continues to roll in. http://www.sportsfan.com.au/nrl-power-rankings-round-13/tabid/91/newsid/134079/default.aspx


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Portrait 365/87
4:45 PM, Saturday, March 28, 2015. "This is our first time out on our boards…its a bit early as there is still some ice on the trail." -Stay at home dad Sean Johnson with his sons Brynn (9) and Aidan (11) near Westchester Lagoon.
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text:
The sophisticated style of the living space is a reflection of the owner's personality. We can even say it is the face and the vision of a person reflected in common domestic things. We want to show you how to make such vision thoughtful and stylish. The key to a beautiful home décor is to put your imagination to work and use your creative spirit to design a space according to your very own sense of style.
- Hello Mr. Torchere
You must have forgotten about floor lightings… Believe it or not, this trend has been reinvented and it is now a fundamental part of your home's contemporary design. Today, it is a fusion on the verge of classic and modern, combining several epochs into one.
- Cantilever chairs
A perfect example of the human approach originality and creativity, especially in matters of free space; chairs, standing on the ground are boring and there always is not enough free space for you and your friends to move around a room. Let your imagination run wild and use a completely different approach for sitting.
- Antique accents
Minimalistic modern interior solutions are often complemented with antique décor elements. They could have a special design and refer to a certain epoch of people's history or national tradition. Garden chairs that can be used for several purposes simultaneously are a striking example of combining Chinese tradition with a modern practical design. Another example of sublime luxury is the traditional Mongolian cushion as a cover for a sofa in the lounge zone. Made of the softest type of material, such blanket is the complete opposite of the philosophical and uncomplicated embodiment of Chinese chairs.
- Lighting transformers
Who is not familiar with these ubiquitous adjustable lamps, which can be positioned at any angle you want and cover the entire room, wall or even ceiling? When custom made, this item of décor features a conceptual design; it can even become a statement piece in any working office or studio, adding to the interior a special retro mood.
- Saarinen's genius
Eero Saarinen is the man who created the very concept of single-leg furniture style called "tulip"! The eponymous coffee table with a marble top combines the neo-futuristic style of the author with the simplicity and breadth of structural curves. It is a real godsend for anyone who wants to touch the genius.
- Mirror art staging
Much has been said already about mirrors in the interior. Often, they have primitive frames and are hung on a nail in the wall of the bathroom or the living room. But what if you turn this usual, but a truly magical element of design into something creative? After all, successfully combined original frame, location, and angles already bring good results in widening the available space. And what if the mirror will become a center of the special art object as a gift for your beloved wife, symbolizing her beauty?
- Modernized bar tables
Do you still think that bar tables were out of fashion sometime in the 20s? Look closely, they just turned into something quite unique. It is not even worth talking about what amenities they may offer. Made in a huge variety of styles, chrome and matte frames of these "kids" are combined with modern ultra-thin and highly durable surface materials. An interior art no more no less!
- Smart accessories – flowers & candles
Decorating a space with flowers and candles is the cheapest way (but also smartest) of bringing a room to life. These décor essentials go really well on coffee and dining tables, but also by the window, in the kitchen or bathroom. Choose seasonal flowers for the living area and tall, bulky candles in different colors; for the kitchen, stick to edible plants to give your area an extra touch of "greenness" and freshness.
Transform your home into a warm, welcoming living environment. Invest in practical accessories and décor essentials, but don't overlook functionality. If you don't have enough space in the living area for books, purchase a coffee table with hidden compartments; in case you want to widen a small room, ditch cabinets and go for shelving. There are numerous other ideas and décor essentials you can choose to revamp your home. All you have to do is gather your thoughts, look for some inspiration and get started!
By Jason Phillips and TomFaulkner.co.uk!


text:
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text:
|Numéro de publication
|Type de publication
|Numéro de demande
|Date de publication
|21 sept. 2010
|Date de dépôt
|13 juin 2006
|Date de priorité
|2 sept. 1999
|État de paiement des frais
|Autre référence de publication
|Numéro de publication
|Jay S. Walker, Daniel E. Tedesco, Kathleen Van Luchene, James A. Jorasch, Adam Ware
|Cessionnaire d'origine
|Walker Digital, Llc
|Exporter la citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Citations de brevets (33), Citations hors brevets (41), Référencé par (12), Classifications (6), Événements juridiques (4)
|Liens externes: USPTO, Cession USPTO, Espacenet
The present application is a divisional patent application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/523,653, filed Mar. 10, 2000 and now abandoned, entitled "METHOD, SYSTEM AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR FACILITATING AN AUCTION BEHAVIOR AND AUTOMATIC BIDDING IN AN AUCTION;"
which claims the benefit of provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 60/152,119 filed Sep. 2, 1999. Each of the above-referenced applications is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/423,821, filed on Jun. 13, 2006, and to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/423,834 filed on Jun. 13, 2006.
Auctions for items may be held in many different ways. Bidders may be physically present at one location or may be dispersed geographically. Bids may be submitted during a specified time in advance of the auction. Bidders may submit spoken bids, written bids or electronic bids, for example over a computer or other communications network. Using such a network, an auction may be performed entirely online. In an online auction, a bidder may place bids manually or may use a proxy bidder, which places bids automatically on behalf of the bidder. An example of an online auction with a proxy bidder is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,835,896 to Fisher et al.
Using a conventional proxy bidder, a bidder in an online auction specifies how bids should be placed. Typically, a proxy bidder determines a bid amount and places a bid for the bidder instantly after the proxy bidder detects that the previous bid is surpassed. For example, a proxy bidder may use a maximum desired amount for the item and an increment to add to a previously placed bid. The proxy bidder places bids in the smallest increment needed to exceed the previous bid, until reaching the maximum amount specified by the bidder. In summary, if an auction is performed with proxy bidders, bidding occurs unnaturally, quickly and early.
The outcome of an auction, such as price and/or speed at which the item is sold, depends in part on the way that bidders bid for the item. In particular, the behavior of one or more bidders in an auction may influence another bidder's perception of the value of the item. For example, if one or more bidders place bids aggressively (e.g., bids are placed frequently, subsequent bid prices increase significantly), perhaps due to the use of proxy bidders, another bidder's perceived value of the item may be increased. However, proxy bidders may discourage bidders from participating in online auctions by making the bids appear automated and out of human control. Users also may become frustrated from, for example, being outbid instantly and may become discouraged from participation in the auction.
One or more proxy bidders is associated with at least one rule which determines a time to place a bid. The proxy bidder places a bid in accordance with the at least one rule at the determined time, which may be different from the time immediately after the bidder's prior bid is exceeded by another's bid. Such rules may be selected for all proxy bidders in an auction to encourage a desired auction behavior. By controlling the placement of bids using rules associated with the desired auction behavior, bids may be placed in a manner that seems natural and competitive to bidders in the auction even though they are placed in accordance with selected rules. The desired auction behavior may be selected statically for an auction or dynamically before and/or during the auction. In one embodiment, historical auction data, such as the average period of time between bids and the average increment between bids, may be analyzed to characterize the behavior of an auction. Rules may be generated to correspond to a behavior so as to provide the same average time and increment between bids.
In one aspect of the present invention, a method for managing an auction involves specifying an auction behavior, and specifying at least one rule for controlling when a bid may be placed automatically for a bidder according to the specified auction behavior. At least one bid for a bidder may be placed automatically according to the at least one rule and according to at least one specified bidding behavior. If the highest bid in the auction is not from the bidder, the bid may be placed automatically according to the at least one specified bidding behavior at a time according to the at least one rule. The specified bidding behavior may be a maximum bid amount and a minimum bid increment. An auction behavior may be specified by determining the auction behavior according to information about the auction, which may include information about an item, information about a seller and/or information about bidders.
The auction behavior may be determined by receiving information about one or more prior auctions, wherein each of the prior auctions has an associated auction behavior, and identifying at least one of the prior auctions as similar to the auction based on the information about the auction and the information about the one or more prior auctions. One or more of the prior auctions identified as similar to the auction then may be selected. The auction behavior associated with the selected one or more prior auctions may be as the auction behavior. At least one of the prior auctions similar to the auction may be identified by comparing information about the auction to the information about the one or more prior auctions using a metric to obtain a measure, and comparing the measure to a threshold defining an extent of similarity. The selected one or more prior auctions may be one which has a best outcome among the at least one of the prior auctions identified as similar to the auction. A best outcome may be a highest price or a fastest sale.
A rule may be specified by associating at least one rule with at least one candidate auction behavior from which the auction behavior is specified, and selecting the at least one rule associated with the specified auction behavior. At least one rule may be associated with each candidate auction behavior by determining at least one rule that corresponds to each candidate auction behavior; and storing the at least one rule in a database. A candidate auction behavior is a behavior of an auction similar to the current auction. At least one rule which corresponds to each candidate auction behavior may be determined by characterizing each candidate auction behavior, and selecting rules corresponding to the candidate auction behavior.
In one embodiment, actual auction behavior may be evaluated according to bids received in the auction. The at least one rule for controlling when a bid may be placed automatically in the auction may be modified according to the actual auction behavior. The actual auction behavior may be evaluated by characterizing the actual auction behavior according to bids received in the auction, and comparing the selected auction behavior to the actual auction behavior. The at least one rule may be modified by selecting at least one alternative rule corresponding to the actual auction behavior, for example, by selecting the at least one alternative rule randomly from among a plurality of rules.
In another aspect, a computer program product includes a computer readable medium with computer program instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer program instructions, when executed by a computer, direct the computer to perform the aforementioned method for managing an auction.
In another aspect, a system for managing an auction identifies an auction behavior, and identifies at least one rule for controlling when a bid may be placed automatically for a bidder in the auction according to the selected auction behavior.
In another aspect, a system for managing an auction includes an auction behavior selector and a rule generator. The auction behavior selector provides an indication of a selected auction behavior. The rule generator has an input for receiving an indication of the selected auction behavior and an output for providing at least one rule for controlling when a bid may be placed automatically for a bidder in the auction to encourage the selected auction behavior. The auction behavior selector may include a comparator and a selector. The comparator has an input for receiving the information about the at least one prior auction and information about the auction, and an output for providing an indication of at least one of the prior auctions similar to the auction. The selector has an input for receiving the indication of one or more of the prior auctions identified as similar to the auction and an output for providing an indication of the auction behavior associated with a selected one or more of the prior auctions.
In another aspect, a method for selecting an auction behavior for an auction, includes receiving information about the auction, and matching the information about the auction to an auction behavior. The information about the auction may be matched to the auction behavior by receiving information about one or more prior auctions, wherein each of the prior auctions has an associated auction behavior. At least one of the prior auctions is identified as similar to the auction using the information about the auction and the information about the one or more prior auctions. One or more of the prior auctions identified as similar to the auction is then selected. The auction behavior associated with the selected one or more prior auctions may be selected as the auction behavior. At least one of the prior auctions may be identified as similar to the auction by comparing information about the auction to the information about the one or more prior auctions using a metric to obtain a measure. This measure may be compared to a threshold defining an extent of similarity. The selected one or more prior auctions may be one that has a best outcome among the at least one of the prior auctions identified as similar to the auction, for example by having a highest price and a fastest sale.
In one embodiment, actual auction behavior may be evaluated according to bids received in the auction. The at least one rule for controlling when a bid may be placed automatically in the auction may be modified according to the actual auction behavior. The actual auction behavior may be evaluated by characterizing the actual auction behavior according to bids received in the auction, and comparing the selected auction behavior to the actual auction behavior. The at least one rule may be modified by selecting at least one alternative rule corresponding to the actual auction behavior, for example, by selecting the at least one alternative rule randomly from among a plurality of rules.
The online auction system in
The auction manager 100 maintains information about current bidding status 104 for each auction. The information about the current bidding status typically includes at least the highest bid price, and optionally an identifier of the highest bidder (the bidder that submitted the high bid, or on whose behalf the high bid was submitted). Information describing a bidding time and/or a type of bidder (e.g., whether manual or automatic) also may be included. Other information about the auction also may be provided, including, but not limited to, an identifier of the item, start and end dates and times of the auction, a number of bidders, and/or a minimum increment amount for a bid to exceed a previous bid. The current bidding status 104 is accessible by both manual and proxy bidders to enable bidders to make another bid. Manual and proxy bidders may access the current bidding status 104 by requesting information from the auction manager 100, or by reading the information from some storage location maintained by the auction manager, or by the auction manager sending the information to the bidder, or in any other manner appropriate given the implementation of the auction manager and/or proxy bidders.
Each bid generator 114 receives data specifying at least part of its bidding behavior. The bidding behavior indicates how the bid generator 114 generates a new bid from a current bid. The data specifying the bidding behavior may, in one embodiment, include a maximum bid price 120 and an increment value 122. The maximum bid price 120 indicates the maximum price which the bidder associated with the proxy bidder is willing to bid for an item. The increment value 122 is the amount by which the bid must exceed a previous bid. The increment value 122 may be defined for all bidders in the auction through the auction server, for example, by an individual or by the auction server itself. Alternatively, the bidder may specify his own increment value to be used by the corresponding bid generator. Any suitable interface, such as an HTML form, may be used to permit a bidder to specify the bidding behavior of the proxy bidder. Using the current bidding status 104, the bid generator generates the bid 102 according to the specified bidding behavior. In general, the bid generator adds the increment value 122 to the bid price of the previous bid to yield the bid price of the new bid. The bid price of the new bid may not exceed the maximum bid 120. If the highest bid price received during the auction exceeds the maximum bid price 120, then no bid is placed and/or the actual bidder is notified in some manner (e.g., using electronic mail) that his maximum bid price has been exceeded.
One or more rules 112 may be applied to determine, for example, when the bid is to be placed. Accordingly, the bid is not necessarily placed immediately after the bid generator 114 detects that a previously submitted bid price has been exceeded by another bidder. A rule applied by the bid generator 114 may be obtained from many sources. A rule may be specified by the bidder, by the auction system, by the seller, or any combination thereof. A rule may be created or may be selected from a predetermined list.
A rule specifies at least one condition (also called an "antecedent" or "predicate") and at least one consequent, which may include an action to be performed. A rule also may have an activator (also called a trigger or event), which causes the bid generator 114 to apply the rule. A rule is applied by determining whether its condition is true. If the condition is determined to be true, the consequent occurs, e.g., the specified action is performed. Typically, the action performed is placing a bid having a bid price that is higher than the current high bid price by a specified increment.
A condition may be specified as, for example, an amount of time that has passed and/or a number of bids that have been submitted. Additionally or alternatively, a condition may be specified using other information about the auction, such as the current price. A trigger similarly may be specified as, for example, an amount of time that has passed and/or a number of bids that have been submitted, or by some other event in the auction, such as an auction server indicating to the proxy bidder that it will accept a bid from the proxy bidder.
Both conditions and triggers may be specified using similar information; however, a condition is evaluated by a proxy bidder, whereas a trigger causes the proxy bidder to apply a rule. The specification of conditions and triggers to define a bidding behavior depends on implementation of the proxy bidder and coordination of information exchange between the auction server and the proxy bidder. Unless otherwise specified herein, therefore, the term condition encompasses triggers, except for triggers that specify only that the most recent bid from the proxy bidder is exceeded by a bid from another bidder or that are only a result of coordination by the auction server of acceptance of bids from proxy bidders.
As noted above, a condition generally may be specified using information about the auction or time or other information to determine when a bid may be placed by the proxy bidder. For example, a condition may be specified by a fixed amount of time or a variable amount of time. The variable amount of time may be a function of, for example but not limited to, the amount of time left in the auction, whether the auction has been extended, the rate at which bids are placed in the auction, or the current price of the item. A condition also may be specified by a fixed number of bids, e.g., one, or a variable number of bids. The variable number of bids may be a function of, for example, the amount of time left in the auction, whether the auction has been extended, the rate at which bids are placed in the auction, or the current high bid price for the item. A condition also may be specified by a ratio between a number of bids and an amount of time, which may be fixed or variable. Conditions also may be specified using any other information about the auction, such as who placed the last bid, number of bidders in the auction, etc.
Some example rules include, but are not limited to, placing a bid:
1. periodically at a predetermined time after a previous bid is placed, e.g., five minutes after a previous bid is placed;
2. periodically at a predetermined time after the auction has begun, e.g., every five minutes starting from one hour after the beginning of the auction;
3. according to a frequency of a predetermined number of previous bids, e.g., if the past five bids have occurred within twenty minutes, the proxy bid is placed within five minutes of the last bid; if the past five bids have occurred within one hour, the proxy bid is placed within fifteen minutes of the last bid;
4. after waiting a random amount of time after a previous bid is placed;
5. according to a bid price achieved by the last bid, e.g., if the high bid price exceeds a predetermined amount, the bid is placed more (or less) quickly;
6. according to an amount of time left in the auction, e.g., the bid is placed more (or less) quickly near the end of the auction;
7. at a predetermined time before the end of auction;
8. more or less quickly if the auction is going to be extended;
9. after a minimum number of bids is placed previously, e.g., the bid is placed after three other bids have been placed.
Many kinds of rules can be provided, and the invention is not limited to any particular rules. Rules also may be related to bidding by manual bidders. For example, the speed at which manual bids are placed may determine how the proxy bids are placed. Rules also may be specified at the beginning of an auction, but their application may be delayed until a specified action has occurred. One or more rules also may be specified for one or more proxy bidders to facilitate a desired auction behavior. An auction behavior is a manner in which bids in an auction are placed, for example, the times at which they are placed, the frequency with which they are placed, and the amount by which they exceed any previous bid. Generally, a desired auction behavior is an auction behavior that has a likelihood to provide the best beneficial outcome. The desired auction behavior is selected, by the seller, by an auctioneer or automatically, so as to improve or optimize the outcome of the auction, such as price at which and/or speed with which the item is sold, or other beneficial outcome for a party, whether seller, bidder or auctioneer.
An auction behavior selector 106 may be used to select a desired auction behavior 108. For example, the auction behavior selector may use one or more of the current bidding status 104, current information about the current auction 116, and/or information about past auctions 118. For example, the auction behavior selector may identify a prior auction that is most similar to the current auction, and select the auction behavior of that prior auction as the desired auction behavior. Similarity may be determined by comparing one or more values associated with the auctions, using any suitable similarity or distance metric to obtain a measure of similarity. A measure computed using a similarity metric generally increases with increased similarity of the compared items. A measure computed using a distance metric generally decreases with increased similarity of the compared items. Many kinds of metrics may be used, including Hamming distance, correlation, Euclidean distance and other metrics. The invention is not limited by any particular similarity or distance metric. One or more thresholds may be defined to which this measure may be compared to indicate an extent of similarity. An example implementation of an auction behavior selector 106 is described in more detail below.
Given a desired auction behavior, a rule selector 110 may select one or more rules 112, one or more of which may be applied to one or more proxy bidders in the manner described above. In general, the rule generator may associate one or more rules with each auction behavior, and provide an indication of such rules, given the desired auction behavior.
An example implementation of an online auction system will now be described in connection with
The auction behavior selector 106, auction manager 100, rule generator 110 and one or more bid generators 114 all may be present and operating on one or more computers or other devices acting as a server computer for the auction. This server computer, herein called an auction server, may be accessed by one or more computers or other devices used by sellers, and one or more computers or other devices used by bidders in any manner known in the art (e.g., via the Internet).
The auction server 200 may include one or more communication ports 202, one or more processors 204, an internal data and time clock 206, and storage 208 which includes one or more computer programs 222 defining instructions, which when executed, instruct the computer to perform the operations of the auction behavior selector, rule generator, auction manager and bid generator. The storage also may include a bidder database 210, seller database 212, item database 214, rules database 216, proxy bid database 218 and auction database 220. These programs and these databases will now be described in more detail in connection with
Each database may be any kind of database, including a relational database, object-oriented database, unstructured database or other database. Example relational databases include Oracle 8i from Oracle Corporation of Redwood City, Calif., Informix Dynamic Server from Informix Software, Inc. of Menlo Park, Calif., DB2 from International Business Machines of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., and Access from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. An example object-oriented database is ObjectStore from Object Design of Burlington, Mass. An example unstructured database is Notes from the Lotus Corporation, of Cambridge, Mass. A database also may be constructed using a flat file system, for example by using files with character-delimited fields, such as in early versions of dBASE, now known as Visual dBASE from Inprise Corp. of Scotts Valley, Calif., formerly Borland International Corp. Notwithstanding these possible implementations of the foregoing databases, the term database as used herein refers to any data that is collected and stored in any manner accessible by a computer.
Having now described the databases maintained by the auction server in this embodiment, the various operations performed by the auction server will now be described. Referring to
Referring to
Records in the seller information database of
A table 800 (
Referring to
Referring to
Records in the bidder database of
Referring to
Referring to
A rule identifier associated with the desired auction behavior is selected (1402) from the rule database in
Referring to
The operation of a proxy bidder may be initiated in many ways, and at many times. For example, each proxy bidder may be evaluated by the auction server after each bid is placed, or after each period of time has passed. The auction server may determine whether each proxy bidder could place a bid, for example, by determining whether any prior bid was exceeded and whether the maximum bid was exceeded. If the proxy bidder could place a bid, its associated rule is applied. If the conditions of the rule are satisfied, then a new bid is submitted for the proxy bidder to the auction manager. A bid from each proxy bidder may be computed and submitted, e.g., in sequence, in parallel, in a round-robin manner or in any other manner desirable.
Alternatively, a proxy bidder may be separate program, for example executed on a client machine, or may be one or more separate threads of a program executed by the auction server, or may be an autonomous or semiautonomous agent. If proxy bidders are not centrally controlled, as in these embodiments, the database of data shown in
If proxy bidders are centrally controlled, proxy bidders may be delayed in submitting proxy bids for long enough to prompt the manual bidders to create proxy bidders near the end of an auction. This notification would enable manual bidders to continue participating in the auction and may help increase the purchase price of the item.
After a number of bids has been received in an auction, whether during or after the auction, the behavior of the auction may be characterized, as noted at 912 in
Other historical data which may be used to characterize the behavior of an auction includes information about the bidders, such as the bidder's history with the auction server, including, but not limited to, how many items the bidder has bid for an item, how much money has been spent by the bidder and the auction behavior that enticed the bidder to bid aggressively or spend the most amount of money. The time of the year the auction was conducted also may be relevant. Auctions also may be compared to determine which behaviors are associated with the best outcomes among a set of similar auctions. In this manner, the auction server collects data about kinds of behaviors that produce the best outcomes in various auctions.
If the behavior of the current auction is characterized during the auction, the behavior of the current auction may be compared to the desired auction behavior to determine whether the desired auction behavior is being achieved. The rule assignments then may be changed dynamically during the auction depending on whether the desired auction behavior is being achieved. For example, if the desired auction behavior is to have bids occurring every five minutes, with and average increment of two dollars, and the actual behavior has bids occurring every two minutes, the proxy bidders rules may be changed so as to increase the average amount of time between proxy bids.
Referring now to
Referring now to
A computer system with which the various elements of the auction system of
One or more output devices may be connected to the computer system. Example output devices include cathode ray tubes (CRT) display, liquid crystal displays (LCD) and other video output devices, printers, communication devices such as a modem, storage devices such as a disk or tape, and audio output. One or more input devices may be connected to the computer system. Example input devices include a keyboard, keypad, track ball, mouse, pen and tablet, communication device, and data input devices such as audio and video capture devices. The invention is not limited to the particular input or output devices used in combination with the computer system or to those described herein.
The computer system may be a general purpose computer system which is programmable using a computer programming language, such as C, C++, Java, or other language, such as a scripting language or even assembly language. The computer system may also be specially programmed, special purpose hardware, or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The bidder's device also may be a pager, telephone, personal digital assistant or other electronic data communication device.
In a general purpose computer system, the processor is typically a commercially available processor, of which the series x86 and Pentium series processors, available from Intel, and similar devices from AMD and Cyrix, the 680×0 series microprocessors available from Motorola, the PowerPC microprocessor from IBM and the Alpha-series processors from the former Digital Equipment Corporation, and the MIPS microprocessor from MIPS Technologies are examples. Many other processors are available. Such a microprocessor executes a program called an operating system, of which WindowsNT, Windows 95 or 98, IRIX, UNIX, Linux, DOS, VMS, MacOS and OS8 are examples, which controls the execution of other computer programs and provides scheduling, debugging, input/output control, accounting, compilation, storage assignment, data management and memory management, and communication control and related services. The processor and operating system defines computer platform for which application programs in high-level programming languages are written.
A memory system typically includes a computer readable and writeable nonvolatile recording medium, of which a magnetic disk, a flash memory, and tape are examples. The disk may be removable, known as a floppy disk, or permanent, known as a hard drive. A disk has a number of tracks in which signals are stored, typically in binary form, i.e., a form interpreted as a sequence of one and zeros. Such signals may define an application program to be executed by the microprocessor, or information stored on the disk to be processed by the application program. Typically, in operation, the processor causes data to be read from the nonvolatile recording medium into an integrated circuit memory element, which is typically a volatile, random access memory such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or static memory (SRAM). The integrated circuit memory element allows for faster access to the information by the processor than does the disk. The processor generally manipulates the data within the integrated circuit memory and then copies the data to the disk after processing is completed. A variety of mechanisms are known for managing data movement between the disk and the integrated circuit memory element, and the invention is not limited thereto. The invention is not limited to a particular memory system.
Such a system may be implemented in software or hardware or firmware, or any combination thereof. The various elements of the system, either individually or in combination may be implemented as a computer program product tangibly embodied in a machine-readable storage device for execution by a computer processor. Various steps of the process may be performed by a computer processor executing a program tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium to perform functions by operating on input and generating output. Computer programming languages suitable for implementing such a system include procedural programming languages, object-oriented programming languages, and combinations of the two.
The invention is not limited to a particular computer platform, particular processor, or particular high-level programming language. Additionally, the computer system may be a multiprocessor computer system or may include multiple computers connected over a computer network. Various possible configurations of computers in a network permit many users to participate in an auction, even if they are dispersed geographically.
Each module or step shown in the accompanying figures and the substeps or subparts shown in the remaining figures may correspond to separate modules of a computer program, or may be separate computer programs. Such modules may be operable on separate computers or other devices. The data produced by these components may be stored in a memory system or transmitted between computer systems or devices. The plurality of computers or devices may be interconnected by a communication network, such as a public switched telephone network or other circuit switched network, or a packet switched network such as an Internet protocol (IP) network. The network may be wired or wireless, and may be public or private.
Having now described a few embodiments, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the foregoing is merely illustrative and not limiting, having been presented by way of example only. Numerous modifications and other embodiments may be made. For example, rules may be applied in order to test their effect when placed at specific times during an auction. Rules to be applied to proxy bids also may be specified by the bidder of the item. Such capability may provide the bidder influence on how other bidders behave in the auction, and provide more feeling of control. A bidder may be required to pay for this service. In addition, when proxy bidders are bidding in the last moments of an auction against manual bidders, the auction server could delay submitting proxy bids for long enough to prompt the manual bidders to submit bid ceilings so that they have a chance of remaining in the auction. This notification would enable manual bidders to continue participating in the auction and may help the item be purchased for a higher price, thus benefiting the auctioneer and the seller of the item. The notification may be available only for an additional cost if desired.
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Owner name: INVENTOR HOLDINGS, LLC, CONNECTICUT
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There is a substantial difference between short sale and foreclosure. With a short sale, the borrower still has possession of their property and has all the benefits of home ownership. The property qualifies under the definition of a short sale because the borrower owes their lender more than the property is worth in today's real estate market. If the homeowner were to try and sell the home, they would be short the difference between the sale proceeds and the mortgage balance payoff. Therefore, a short sale always requires the borrower's lender's approval for the sale because the lender is going to have to write off the difference between the short sale proceeds and what the borrower owes the lender.
A foreclosure property is a property that has been foreclosed by the lender because the borrower has defaulted on their mortgage payments. A foreclosure property has already gone through either a formal judicial foreclosure process or a trustee sale, depending on the foreclosure laws of the state where the property is located. When the property has been foreclosed, the borrower no longer has possession of the property or any rights to the property.
Difference Between Short Sale and Foreclosure Credit Implications
A foreclosure is more serious and damaging to your credit report and score. It stays on your credit as a negative item for seven years. The immediate impact is immediately after the foreclosure occurs. It can lower your credit score by as much as 300-400 points. Since there is no reporting category for a short sale, it can be reported as satisfied or paid as agreed. The implications of a short sale are less damaging on your credit score. If the borrower is current on their mortgage payments, then there will be no delinquencies reported. If the borrower is late on their mortgage payments, the late payments will negatively affect the borrower's credit just like any other late payment that is reported by a creditor. Also, participating in short sale allows the borrower to qualify for applying for a new mortgage sooner if they decide to purchase another property within the next two or three years. With a foreclosure, the borrower may have to wait four or more years before applying for a new mortgage.
Benefits of Short Sale
After a short sale, the borrower gets to walk away owing the lender nothing, as long as the borrower and the lender agree that the sale proceeds satisfy the borrower's mortgage balance. It is recommended that the borrower always get a statement in writing from their lender agreeing that the sale proceeds satisfy their debt. The costs of selling the short sale home, including the broker's commissions, are paid by the lender. With a foreclosure, the lender could go after the borrower for a deficiency judgment if the state where the property is located allows deficiency judgments.
Foreclosures and short sales are also often differentiated by costs to the borrower and the lender. A short sale is quicker and costs everyone less time and money. A foreclosure costs the borrower and the lender more money in litigation fees. The lender has to hire an attorney to handle the proceedings, and the borrower may want need an attorney to defend against the foreclosure to keep their home. With a foreclosure, the lender has to wait longer to sell the home and obtain the proceeds because the property has to be sold at a foreclosure auction. If the property does not sell, then the lender has to buy it back and offer it for resale by listing it with a local Realtor. With a short sale, all the lender has to do is approve the purchase and sale agreement negotiated and agreed to between the buyer and the seller and order an appraisal or a broker price opinion. The lender still loses money, but they get the property off their books sooner and they don't need to find a buyer for it.
Even the government has been encouraging lenders to participate in short sales with their
HAFA program. The borrower and the lender must agree to participate in the government's HAFA program in exchange for incentives to do so. The borrower may be able to receive a $3,000 relocation incentive from the government for participation in the program and successfully closing the short sale transaction. For more information about the HAFA program, you can visit the government's website at http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/programs/exit-gracefully/Pages/hafa.aspx.
Knowing the difference between a short sale and foreclosure is important in order to make the right decision on what to do if you are facing a financial hardship and can no longer make your monthly mortgage payment. Short sales and foreclosures are a common theme in contemporary real estate markets – but here the most important thing is not to bury your head in the sand. Be informed and proactive. Contacting your lender right away is recommended to let them know your intentions so that you can move forward with your life and concentrate on other family matters.


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I literally walked into my apartment not more than 15 minutes ago, and had to get on and review Craft.
It. Was. Fantastic.
Let me preface, I am a huge lover of food. I am not overly critical of food unless it purports to be something special; I accept and love food for what it is. But when restaurants want to be hoity toity and charge an arm and a leg, then you better believe I'm going to bring my game face (and palate), And Craft was a fantastic, absolutely phenomenal, memorable meal.
I brought my boyfriend to Craft for his birthday, along with two of our good (hearty, hungry male) friends. We all love good, unpretentious food, and sharing plates, so Craft's atmosphere and dining style suited us perfectly. The decor was lovely, grand and conducive for our convivial, celebratory event. The table for four was large; we ordered lots of plates and nothing felt cramped, but it made talking across the table a bit harder. ;) The noise level was moderate to low; we could hear each other as well as the good music they were playing tonight.
They brought out baskets of bread, white and multigrain, along with their amuse bouche - a rare skirt steak with daikon. I'm sure I missed the other components as they brought it out, but that first bite was a perfect mixture of quality meat, acidity and flavor. It set the tone for the rest of the night and got us excited and ready for our meal.
For appetizers, we ordered the Wagyu beef carpaccio, the sweetbreads, and the ricotta cavettelli with dandelion greens. The carpaccio was perfect; it came with delicate potato crisps and a hardboiled quail egg that tasted amazing. The sweetbreads were decadent and cooked perfectly, the cavettelli the right amount of salty and flawless. As someone who doesn't generally favor Italian cuisine, I was wary about the pasta but it turned out to be full of flavor, and not any flavors I was expecting. My boyfriend never knew sweetbreads could be so delicious. The four of us (keep in mind, it was 3 hungry men and a girl with hungry eyes) ate up every last bit, enjoying every last bite. The sweetbreads came with a leek in the skillet that had soaked up all the flavors, and you better believe we fought over that as well.
For entrees, we ordered the braised short rib, the halibut, the roast chicken and the 28 day aged sirloin. Again, we shared everything and, this is not hyperbole - everything was cooked to perfection. The short rib was rich and luscious and fell apart as I divvyed it up amongst the four of us; the sauce was so good we kept going back to the copper pot long after the meat was gone to spoon out the drippings. The meat was tender and luxurious; almost too much (who am I kidding. It can never be too much.) It was only a single rib, but it was huge and easily fed 3 hungry guys and myself with all the other courses. If it were just me, no sharing, then it certainly would have been enough because of the size and richness of the rib. The roast chicken was cooked to perfection; not dry at all, but moist and flavorful and let me tell you - it was unreal. I rarely, if ever, order chicken at a restaurant because it tends to be boring and/or dry and tasteless, but this chicken was none of the above. And it was a large portion! We each had a quarter of it and the quarter alone could pass for an entree at most restaurants. The sirloin was cooked medium rare, per our order, and was delicious. It came with bone marrow, which only enhanced the flavors. It was quality beef, seasoned well and satisfying, but I have to say, it was probably my least favorite entree. But don't let that convince you that it wasn't good; it was fabulous, but the others I felt had much richer, deeper flavor profiles and were more sophisticated in execution in general. Finally, we ordered the halibut. I can't even begin to describe how well cooked this fish was. It flaked in all the right places, almost taking on the texture of a perfectly cooked scallop. It had exactly the right amount of salt - something some chefs have problems with, for whatever reason. It was definitely an out-of-this-world counterpoint to all the beef we'd eaten.
For sides, we ordered the mushroom medley (why settle for one mushroom when you can have them all?). I highly recommend you do this, even though it's not on the menu. Trust me. We also ordered the carrots and the fingerling potatoes. Three side orders amongst 4 adults was just the right amount. Nothing got wasted and everyone was satisfied without feeling stuffed and on the verge of having a food baby, or worse, going into a food coma.
For dessert, since it was a birthday they brought out the Boston Creme Donuts with a personalized happy birthday message written in chocolate on the plate. It came with orange marmalade, chocolate milk and expresso ice cream. We also ordered the brioche pain perdu, to go with roasted bananas, peanut-butter caramel crunch ice cream and chocolate sauce. We had originally ordered the buttermilk waffles with strawberry sabayon, but they ran out so we had to change our plans. The brioche, bananas and peanut butter crunch MORE than made up for it. The peanut butter crunch was probably my favorite - this could easily be ordered alone as a dessert for those who don't want a heavy, rich dessert. A close second was the brioche. And the donuts were nothing to sniff at - the order came with two donuts, good sized and delicious (way better than Dunkin ;). And take it from someone who is not a dessert person - these were not afterthoughts or throwaways on the menu, but well-executed finishes to the meal. And as a final bite, the mignardises were little banana cream pies...the perfect final note to a great meal.
Now, I'm not one to be easily impressed; I was expecting the meal to be good and tasty but was NOT expecting to rave about it (or post on chowhound about the wonders of Craft!). I cannot remember the last time since maybe Le Bernardin when every course was cooked exactly to my (and the other guests') liking, with the exact amount of seasoning needed and portions perfectly allotted. I would not even try to compare Craft to other restaurants - while some tasting menus are arguably more sophisticated, Craft aims to satisfy deep down with simple preparations of enriching flavors. And that is exactly what it did. It satisfied every part of me, as well as my friends. Nothing felt heavy or overly filling; no bite was wasted and yet no bite felt forced.
Another perk? Even with starter cocktails and 2 bottles of good wine, along with a glass of dessert wine and an espresso, the bill, divided between 3 people (it was a birthday dinner, obviously the birthday boy couldn't pay for himself!), including tax and a generous tip, came to about $200 a person. And as we walked out, they handed us fresh baked blueberry muffins for breakfast tomorrow...looking forward to that one! I highly recommend Craft to anyone looking for a satisfying, surprising meal that is also a great value (at least, for the quality and quantity we received). No sightings of Colicchio (nor was that a goal of the night) but if I ever do run into him, I'm going to have to give him a big hug.


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GILGIT: The newly-appointed police chief of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), Captain (retd) Zafar Iqbal Awan, has issued directives to the police department to swiftly implement the National Action Plan (NAP) drafted by the government in wake of the Peshawar school attack.
According to Mubarak Jan, the spokesperson for the police department, IGP Awan convened a meeting on Friday for the first time since he took charge last week to review regional security and ensure the implementation of NAP.
Jan told The Express Tribune the IGP issued directives to the police department to set up check posts at all entry and exit points in G-B and introduce a strict monitoring system to ensure terrorists do not infiltrate the region.
Headquarters DIG Inamur Rahman Malik, Baltistan DIG Inayatullah Farooqi, DIG Wasal Khan, AIG Waqar Shoaib and other senior police officials attended the meeting.
"IGP Awan directed the police to make foolproof security arrangements for tourists and foreigners working in G-B," said the spokesman, referring to Chinese engineers working on various development projects.
He added in order to enforce discipline in the police force, the IGP hinted at the initiation of a reward and punishment system. "Those involved in illegal activities would be taken to task," Jan quoted IGP Awan as saying.
According to the spokesman, sports competitions would be introduced in the police department to boost the morale of the force.
As a part of the National Action Plan, the G-B government has also been making efforts to stop printing and dissemination of hate material promoting sectarianism.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2015.


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Impressive looking cityscapes
High level of detail
Sloppy controls
Limited gameplay
Poor crash recovery
The story behind Wreckless is fairly simple: you play
as either The Flying Dragons or as spies Ho and Chang. Either
way, you're given a series of missions in which you make yourself
fairly annoying to the Yakuza, either by wrecking their cars
with your own. The purpose for wrecking their cars varies
from protecting other vehicles to taking stuff from the Yakuza.
Wreckless' strong point is the impressive visuals.
Everything is modeled with a high level of detail. Vehicles
and buildings are all exceptionally detailed and look fairly
realistic. The streets are alive with pedestrians, other vehicles
and all sorts of real-life debris. Due to the excellently
handled anti-aliasing, there will be times where you'll swear
the scene was cut from real life. And, in the replay mode,
everything looks even better. The visuals are filled with
nice touches, like moving character models inside the vehicles
and multiple paths in the city areas. In fact, when driving
in the city, if you don't run a corner, you can check the
map to see if you can meet up with your targets at a later
Audiowise, the game is a well-rounded as is is visually.
Music and sound effects help complete the immersive environment.
While the voice acting, script and lip synch in the cutscenes
are laughable at best, they still are on par with most anime.
But since the story is not really integral to the gameplay,
the cutscenes provide what they need to do: background info.
The gameplay, on the other hand, is fairly shallow. The basic
idea behind every level is just to smash something with your
vehicle within a certain time limit or before an opponent
does. While this is fun for a short time, it does tend to
get old. And where most of the challenge lies in the gameplay
is the loose control and lengthy crash recovery. While you
can chalk up the controls to being "arcadey", the
fact is that there's going to be a number of times where you
won't take the corner right and end up smashing into something,
forcing you to hit reverse, pull out, and then rush after
your targets. And Heaven forbid you actually flip or wreck,
because the crash recovery feels like it goes into slow motion.
Your vehicle doesn't reset until it comes to a complete stop,
and by that time, seconds have counted off and your target
is even further away. I think the addition of a button to
automatically reset the car when you want would have helped
cut down lost seconds in a game that so focuses on a limited
amount of time. Also, a better implemented powerslide or hard
turn feature would have helped cut down on the frequent wrecks.
If your looking for a quick fix, arcade-style action driving
game, similar to Runabout/Felony 11-79, then give this
game a rental. I can, in no way, suggest paying full price
for this game. The gameplay will not last you a long time,
but if you want to at least see how good the game looks, head
to the rental store.
- Vane


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A Multicriteria Decision Support Framework For Assessing Alternative Wind Park Locations: The Case Of Tanagra - Boiotia
The focus of the present paper is on the development of a decision support framework for assessing alternative wind park locations using MCA tools. In the first part, it elaborates on the development of such a framework, with emphasis placed on the evaluation stage. More specifically, two multicriteria evaluation techniques are used (ELECTRE I and REGIME) as tools that can relief 'method uncertainty' and deal with conflicts and different perspectives in the decision making process. In the second part, this decision support framework is applied in a real world decision problem, namely the selection of wind park location in a Greek region (Tanagra-Boiotia) for the installation of a wind park that will partly serve the energy demand of a newly planned industrial area. Finally, some conclusions are drawn as to the empirical results obtained by the two multicriteria methods as well as their capacity to deal with multiobjective evaluation problems.
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
Volume (Year): IV (2012)
Issue (Month): 1 (June)
Pages: 105-120
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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- P Nijkamp, 1988.
"Culture and region: a multidimensional evaluation of monuments,"
Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design,
Pion Ltd, London, vol. 15(1), pages 5-14, January.
- P Nijkamp, 1988. "Culture and Region: A Multidimensional Evaluation of Monuments," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 15(1), pages 5-14, March.
- Nijkamp, P., 1987. "Culture and region : a multidimensional evaluation of monuments," Serie Research Memoranda 0071, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
- Finco, Adele & Nijkamp, Peter, 1997. "Sustainable land use: methodology and application," Serie Research Memoranda 0064, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
- Hinloopen, E. & Nijkamp, P., 1986. "Qualitative multiple criteria choice analysis : the dominant regime method," Serie Research Memoranda 0045, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics. Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)
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Should Rex Ryan Be Fired for Mishandling Tim Tebow?October 10, 2012
Rex Ryan needs to be fired, but not because he's mishandled Tim Tebow, per se.
The mishandling of Tebow is but a symptom of a much larger problem within the New York Jets organization. From the top down, this franchise is suffering from a sickness that can only be cured by an all-out purging.
The way this team has gotten progressively worse in the past three years is a clear sign that what the front office and coaching staff has been doing isn't working. What they're doing is pure insanity.
I'm not going to go through and list all the ways this organization has screwed up, though. Let's just focus on Tebow for the sake of this argument.
Asking him to bulk up to the size of a linebacker has devalued him as a quarterback. Sure, Tebow is an excellent blocking fullback, but is that really the best way to use him?
I think not.
Look at the way the San Francisco 49ers have used Colin Kaepernick. He's a threat to throw or run on any given play because the 49ers don't treat him like a utility player. Instead, they treat him like an athletic quarterback who can also run the ball as well as a wide receiver.
Tebow isn't as fast or as lean as Kaepernick, but he's at least as fast and athletic as a tight end, and he can actually make some amazing throws down the field. You wouldn't know it, though, considering that the team has only called two passing plays for him.
When Tebow's behind center, you know it's going to be a run, and worse still, you know it's going to be a run up the gut. When he's on the field with Mark Sanchez, you know it's going to be a pass.
There's absolutely no creativity to the way Sparano uses him, and it's partly due to the fact that Tebow's just not as quick as he used to be—due to the fact that he's gained what looks to be about 15-20 pounds this offseason.
This organization doesn't know what to do with the weapons it has. Nothing the coaches are doing is making any positive impact. Things are getting worse, instead of getting better.
The way Ryan and his coaching staff have mishandled Tebow is but a microcosm of the sickness that has wormed its way into the heart of the franchise.
Ryan needs to be fired, but he's not the only one.
For the love of all that's good and pure in the world, Woody Johnson, get rid of Mike Tannenbaum, get rid of Ryan and the entire coaching staff. Start over from scratch. It's the only way you can save your dying franchise.
Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78


text: For a lot of Accord Owners this comes as a surprise when told the 7th and 8th Generation Accord is not manufactured at Swindon. The 6th Generation Accord was the last Accord which Honda of the UK Manufacturing made in the UK. With the advent of the 7th Generation Accord the production was moved to the city of Sayama in Saitama prefecture. The The Sayama Factory. is ingrained into Honda history it started car production in 1964, it produced the Legend, Accord,Odyssey, CR-V,Inspire,Step Wagon, Erishion,Hurido, Stream and the Jazz Hybrid. The cars are then shipped to the UK or Gent in Belgium for European deliveries they are sent on large car containers to The Honda Distribution Centre at Avonmouth. At the Avonmouth centre the certain factory fitted accessory options are installed as per the orders received form dealers. if the customer wants 18 inch wheel the wheel swaps are done here at the PDI stage. On completion they are shipped across the country by road or by trains to respective dealers.


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Thank you Joyce !!
Wednesday Hodgepodge Vol. #15
1. Did you know there is a national day of pretty much everything in the universe? Feb 23rd happens to be National Inconvenience Yourself Day...when was the last time you were inconvenienced?
Honestly, I couldn't think of anything to put here, so I guess that's a good thing.
Have you heard about the jellyfish that tripped me, sprained both of my wrists, and totally inconvenienced my life for over 6 weeks?
2. When a room in your house needs painting, who does the job?
MJ does the main painting, and I do the edges.
3. Are you friends with your cousins?
I have 36 cousins, and they are all from my mom's side of the family. I have not been very close to any of them until recently. Over the past year I have been in contact with a few of them on facebook, and I am thrilled about that. Last April I even had the chance to spend time with my cousin Matt, after more than 20 years of not seeing each other.
4. Do you use an alarm clock-if yes, is it an actual alarm, music or something else?
We have an alarm clock that sits on the nightstand on MJ's side of the bed. It was purchased about 5 years ago and plays "twinkle twinkle lucky star", by Merle Haggard. It is an alarm clock that you can load your own wake up message or song. (Bought on clearance for $3) I never would have believed that he would still be using it after all these years. I never hear it. He wakes me up by kissing me on the cheek.
I have to share a picture here, because I remembered that there are 3 alarm clocks on his side of the bed, but only one gets used.
5. What do you put ketchup on?
I put it on my scrambled eggs, but I don't gob it on like a maniac. Usually, it's a little swirl for flavor. I don't put it on my french fries, but I do dip my french fries in it. YUM !! If I have hot dogs I will squeeze a line down the dog.
It is a main ingredient in my sloppy joes; and I think that about covers it. (no pun intended) MMMM I think we will have sloppy joes tonight for dinner.
6. What smells make you nostalgic?
Baby lotion. One smell of baby lotion and I am transported back to bath-time with my babies.
7. Did you hear about the high school English teacher recently suspended for some things she wrote on her personal blog? You can read the story here but in a nutshell she vented a lot of frustration onto her blog. She didn't mention individual students by name but she did make some harsh comments about kids in general and their parents.
What are your thoughts-if you're a parent is your child's teacher online and are you a 'friend' or 'follower' there? If you're a teacher are you on facebook and do you accept or friend students there? How about their parents? If you're a student are you friends with your current or former teachers online? Do any of them have blogs you read? If you're a teacher or a parent do you ever use your blog as a place to vent your frustrations with our educational system? So much to discuss....
Yes, I did hear about it and have mixed feelings. I would be upset if she were teaching my child. If she feels the way she does, maybe teaching isn't for her, but we all have bad days when we want to vent, and it seems that she should be able to vent on her own blog. I don't do good on discussion questions, so I will leave it at that.
8. Insert your own random thought here.
The last question gives me a great opportunity to bring up my own rant here.
Last September I called in sick to my job. I won't go into detail, but if I wasn't in bed, I was on the toilet. (enough said) My place of business is a restaurant/bar that is owned by family of family. I have been employed there for 6 years.
The day after I called in sick I happened to post a goofy video of myself on facebook. I was dancing in my living room and just having fun. The video had been recorded about a week earlier. Well, my boss is a friend of mine on facebook. To make a long story short, she took me off of the schedule. Fired me, although they never use those words. They just stop scheduling you. I was leaving town for 4 months to head to our Florida home, so I assumed that she would get over it and everything would be fine when I returned in March. (next week) Apparently she still thinks that I was not sick back in September and I was dancing around the house, not wanting to work, so I have no job now when I return to Omaha. ::shrugs::
Want to see the video?? (It was here for 4 hours and I chickened out and deleted it)


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If you're into tough sports and extreme water adventure, you need an equally tough gadget to capture not just the scenic view but also your once-in-a-lifetime moves. And this is where the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V 18.2 MP Waterproof Digital Camera comes in. Designed as a waterproof and dustproof camera, this Sony DSC-TX200V will sure make a great adventure buddy as it allows you to capture high-quality photos and videos less the worries of getting your gadget damaged underwater or under extreme pressure. And since it features 18.2 Megapixel Back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS Image Sensor and Full HD 1080/60p video, you get only ultra-high definition images and videos even in low light as the sensor enables advanced processing, reducing noise levels up to 6 times more than other sensors.
But aside from the key features mentioned above, this Sony camera is full-packed with other exciting features. One is its slim glass design and 3.3-inch OLED. This is actually one of the thinnest cameras in its class, so you can easily fit it even in the slimmest pocket or purse you've got. And with its 3.3-inch OLED, navigating this camera and viewing its picture effects are made a lot more convenient. Now, if you want to get closer to the subject, you'd definitely love this camera's optical zoom plus clear image zoom. Unlike the typical camera that uses electronic cropping to get closer to the subject, this one uses the clear image zoom, allowing you to capture more realistic and higher-quality photos.
Take advantage of all these great features and more by getting the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V 18.2 MP Waterproof Digital Camera here today.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V 18....