text:
Does that mean that I can claim Final Post?
Of course later I'll have to explain that all subsequent posts are due to consumer demand for more.
This is the 14th and final time! And that's FINAL!
Yes, I said "was fired" because this is what is in practice, despite the announcement. The rest is always the same people, with different positions.
Personally, I find this announcement more worrying than the state of the game (which I've been enjoying, despite its flaws). The risk is that the "new" team will try to pull a "NGE-like" thing and scrap what was good and different about XIV to fix the problems the game has.
Mod parent up. Saying there was nothing good about FFXIV is insightful and spot on in this context. The reality is there's not a single thing in FFXIV that can be "ruined" by some sort of NGE.
So, the title says the developers were replaced, but the summary says the leadership was replaced.
TFA would seem to indicate that two people were taken out of leadership roles and replaced with a third guy.
In the link to the "bad news for PS3 owners", there is actually a lot more info on the dev team changes:
[Organizational Changes to the Development Team]
To improve the service of FINAL FANTASY XIV, Square Enix has made the following changes to the development team:
Managerial Changes
Naoki Yoshida
Section Leader Changes
Assistant Director
Shintaro Tamai (FINAL FANTASY X, Front Mission 5: Scars of the War)
Lead Game Designer
Nobuaki Komoto (FINAL FANTASY IX, FINAL FANTASY XI)
Lead Combat System Designer
Akihiko Matsui (FINAL FANTASY XI)
Technical Advisor
Yoshihisa Hashimoto (Next Generation Game Engine Development)
Lead Programmer
Hideyuki Kasuga (FINAL FANTASY XI, DIRGE OF CERBERUS -FINAL FANTASY VII-)
Senior Concept Artist
Akihiko Yoshida (FINAL FANTASY XII, Vagrant Story)
Lead Artist
Hiroshi Takai (FINAL FANTASY XI, THE LAST REMNANT)
Lead UI Designer/Lead Web Designer
Hiroshi Minagawa (FINAL FANTASY XII, Vagrant Story)
more like unrealistic shipping dates gave rise to a rushed product. However if you're management its much easier to blame the monkey rather than you the organ grinder because as we know, management is all but infallable.
No, this isn't an unrealistic ship date problem. This is a fundamental design flaw problem. This game has the worst UI of any MMO post-WoW, and even most ones pre-WoW (the exception being FF XI). It was clearly designed for consoles with a very bad PC port.
The game was shipped with no AH and no mail, and a completely awful player store system instead that makes it a giant timesink just to *find* things that are for sale, let alone do price comparison and things that any modern game should allow.
A post documenting all the flaws in this game would be about five pages long, so I'll stop now. Suffice to say that the problems are much worse then simple lack of time.
In that case, fire the designer and the people responsible for making those shitty decisions, not the guys who had to implement it, most likely against their own better knowledge. But don't fire the only people who know the friggin' code! They're about the only ones that could possibly pull the cart out of the moat.
I've been trying my hand at FF14. And I was appalled that a game like this can make it to the release in 2010. We're dealing here with a game that is not even on par with the standards of 2002 MMO gaming. You nailed the main problems quite well already:
1. A console game ported to PC. It feels, smells and plays like a console FF game. Which may be good considering the FF audience, but looking around my friends, few die-hard FF players jumped onto the game. It was rather the MMO players amongst my friends who tried it. And of course quickly tossed it, because of tedious gameplay. Everything you want to do contains a friggin' 5-10 seconds animation you have to endure. I say endure because that's what it becomes after the n-th time. Take gathering. It's not even the usual "We now watch our figure for 2-3 seconds while it does something" kind of animation. It's "5 seconds to get the tool from the back, 2 seconds for the interface to finish loading, 1 second to play the "hit the button at the right time" minigame, 5 seconds watching gathering animation, repeat from minigame for 5 times, then repeat the whole sequence 5-6 times". THIS IS NOT FUN! This is tedious and boring to the extreme. This was acceptable in 2002 when crafting in DAoC was a little like that. But even back then it was less tedious because at least you could do something sensible in the minute it took for your character to finish crafting that bow or staff.
2. Actions are handled by the server. A good idea to prevent cheating (hehe, as if... but I ramble), but it means it's HORRIBLE to play unless you have an insanely good connection... and even then it mostly depends on how much load the FF server has to suffer under. Let's keep it at that, you'd have to try to notice just how "sluggish" it feels. Imagine running on ice.
3. No AH, no sensible group finding tools, nothing to facilitate your interaction with other players. Sorry, but this is just not acceptable in 2010 anymore. Even in 2005 MMOs noticed the need to give their players an easier way to gain access to other players and cooperate, find groups, find sellers and buyers and so on. It needn't be the proverbial ebay AH system, but at least SOME way to facilitate interaction. Right now, if you wanted to buy something, you'd spend hours trying to find someone selling it. Or you keep watching the spam in the trade channel for a few hours. Either is just not what MMO players would accept anymore this time and age.
In short, the game is stuck somewhere a decade ago with its gameplay. Even free-2-play games have better player interaction tools by now. A full price game certainly must not be worse than that. And FF14 is worse.
In that case, fire the designer and the people responsible for making those shitty decisions, not the guys who had to implement it, most likely against their own better knowledge. But don't fire the only people who know the friggin' code!
As far as anyone can tell, that's exactly what they did. "Development" in this case means "game development" and not "software development" - they fired the people responsible for designing the game, not implementing the software.
Of course, the client software is shit too, but...
No AH, no sensible group finding tools, nothing to facilitate your interaction with other players.
This aspect really pisses me off, because these are all things that Square Enix already tackled in FFXI. FFXI had a working auction house. I wouldn't call the group finding tools in 11 good but they were still miles ahead of FFXIV.
Square Enix not only managed not to learn the lessons that they should have from the rest of the industry, they managed not to learn the lessons that they already had learned from their own MMO.
Maybe it's time for Square Enix to learn from their past and come out with Final MMORPG
I believe I heard that FFXI is WHY they didn't want an AH in XIV... groups of players, often RMT, would monopolize the selling certain necessities or high-value items. In theory, not having an AH can do away with that issue.
Not saying I agree with their decision, as I believe the convenience of an AH is more than worth the cost of possible cheaters and price-fixing, but I can see their point.
3. No AH, no sensible group finding tools, nothing to facilitate your interaction with other players. Sorry, but this is just not acceptable in 2010 anymore. Even in 2005 MMOs noticed the need to give their players an easier way to gain access to other players and cooperate, find groups, find sellers and buyers and so on. It needn't be the proverbial ebay AH system, but at least SOME way to facilitate interaction. Right now, if you wanted to buy something, you'd spend hours trying to find someone selling it
Creating inefficient tools isn't a good way to promote socialization. I played Everquest in the early days, and frankly, I just didn't bother with the marketplace. It wasn't worth the hassle. Similarly, in Guild Wars, because there's no marketplace, I just don't bother trading with other players. In Everquest II, there was a fantastic market system and I made use of it. This made absolutely NO difference in how much I socialized with other players in-game.
Some MMOs in development are trying some differ
Creating inefficient tools isn't a good way to promote socialization.
Thinking of it as "creating inefficient tools" is the wrong way to frame the question. The core mechanic of the game is an inefficient character builder tool from that perspective.
Carrot > Stick.
EXACTLY. The trouble with WoW's AH is that they've put the carrot and stick in the wrong place.
In everquest you skipped the marketplace and got your items through interacting with guild mates, picking them up off monsters in groups, completing q
I have heard a few people express the same opinion as you. Simply put, some people enjoy shopping.
If Macy's was always empty and I could get in, find what I need and get our, fine. I can live with that. I don't want to do it, but if I need to I will. If I have to go to the mall to get something because I don't know which store will carry it, if any, ouch... It will take a lot to get me to do that.
Now consider a bazaar system. Bazaars are the worst possible type of store. They are a store that can car
Simply put, some people enjoy shopping.
And WoW is ostensibly a game where to advance you form groups kill monsters gain xp, and loot items. It isn't primarily a shopping simulator. Its fine that it has a shopping component. But as soon as it becomes more efficient to "go shopping" than "form groups kill monsters and loot items" something is broken.
For the low/middle/mid-high game in WoW, it is more efficient to "go shopping" than to "get gear from encounters".
Given this scenario most people will do exactly
All nice and fine, but the core problem of FF14 is a different one:
1. Square Enix wanted to make crafting a "worthwhile experience" on par with adventuring (i.e. killing mobs).
2. Mobs hence do not drop any equipment but only equipment parts (wool, linnen, ore, raw food ingredients...) that require a crafter to make something useful out of them.
And while I definitely enjoy the idea of making crafing a "worthwhile experience" (I love crafting in MMOs), crafting without fighting can only work out under one of
It becomes quite impossible to level crafting sensibly if neither exists.
Agreed. Thanks for the clarification.
Personally I really think "crafting without fighting" and craffting being the sole way of gaining equipment is sort of a flawed game premise in that there is no connection between your equipment and your accomplishments.
But I concede that may be a personal bias.
I disagree. I think the WoW AH does more to harm player interaction than enhance it. And I'd prefer a game that de-emphasizes the importance and relative ease of player trade. I my opinion too many players end up motivated to gear up by farming / trading rather than adventuring because its more efficient.
In my opinion the path to gear upgrades and advancement in general should *never* be "farm spider silk", or "collect ore", then sell it at the market, and buy nice gear."
Its perverse because very few players actually enjoy this activity, but it is by far the most efficient use of time in terms of generating wealth / gear.
Consider everquest in its early days, before automated market places. It was exactly the situation you describe... there were a couple meeting grounds that worked as de facto open air markets with people hawking their stuff. If you wanted to buy or sell something it was a "hassle", it was time consuming, and to do it well you had to develop relationships (gasp) with other people. You had to physically meet up with the person you wanted to buy from. Because people weren't on 24x7 you had to come and go and keep checking the market.
It was primitive and inefficient.
It was also one of the fondest memories a lot of players had. It really felt like a bazaar. It was alive and it had its own pulse... you knew if you came in at such and such a time who would be be around would probably have some perfect pelts, you knew who specialized in spell research.
Their was haggling, arguments, and games. You'd ooc you wanted something unique and leave word with a few of the marketplace fixtures, and move on... perhaps getting a tell half an hour later, and then coordinating with a guildmate to pick it up for you since you were deep in a dungeon.
If was a "hassle" but hassles are what build friendships.
That's not to say EQ was perfect. There were many flaws with its marketplace that needed to be fixed. But a searchable spreadsheet and instant delivery to your mailbox a la WoW was not the right solution, or even a good one.
Did "farming take over adventuring" in WoW or any other MMO that has an AH or sensible trading options? Not really. Why? Because the player made stuff is invariably inferior to the "end game loot". Also, if you look at the way FF14 works and the choices it offers, you will notice that the existence of a simple way to trade is pretty much a necessity, given their promise that crafting is supposedly a "job" just as viable as adventuring, and the lack of "drops" suggests that they did want to create a similar
and even most ones pre-WoW (the exception being FF XI)
Maybe now, but at launch, it actually managed to be worse than FFXI's, and that takes antiskill. Mainly because of minor things, like the inability to sort your inventory or the fact that replying to tells worked inconsistently at best. (Both of those were supposedly fixed in the November patch, I haven't actually checked because I only logged in long enough to verify that yes, the game still sucked.) I think they may have managed to get the interface on par with FFXI's, although you're still never going to
Though it's abundantly clear that they released a product that wasn't ready, at least they aren't forcing the players to pay. Of course, this would have been the death of any game if it didn't have the vast backing of a major company. Square would prefer to write this off as a loss rather than a failure, but it appears that they simply have lost touch with their player base.
Well, if they charged now, they could just as well turn it off and give everyone a few free months for FF11 instead because then FF14 would certainly crash and burn. Right now, they're desperately trying to keep the ones who're still playing playing by humoring them.
They simply took the formula of FF11 and tried to coat it in new graphics. FF11 wasn't the most "convenient" game either. Long travels, long, tedious quests (the few that were), a grindfest if there ever was one and very little "help" from the g
The couple diehards I know who are still playing XIV play for about 3-4 hours a week. Compare that to your average XI session where if you weren't on for 3-4 hours a session* you were taking it easy. Or WoW, where people will spend their entire free time logged in and playing.
What changes in the combat to make it the most fun of any MMO you have played?
I made it to 20ish on both cnj and thm before I burned out. Combat was pretty much, 1,1,1,2,1,1,3,2,1,1,1,... 1 = sd, 2 = shield, 3 = cure. I really didn't get it. Also, no auto attack makes chatting impossible. And with all the animation clipping and.. I just didn't get it...
Well since they changed the SP system so that you get SP based on the mob's rating an not based on individual actions, you can get more creative. I do things like Banish II (damage + lower astral def) then Dia. Or Aborb ACC, then initiation to give it to a LNC or MRD so they hit more often. Basically, finding ways to make combos out of the skills. Also, having two mages or fighting more reasonable mobs so you dont have to constantly heal is more fun. Oh and I got this shadow dart thing with guild marks that
From how its being described in this thread (long travel times, attempted player-driven economy, long-winded quests), it sounds like they tried to do a swords-and-sorcery version of EVE Online, rather than yet another WoW clone.
I liked EVE Online; I welcome imitators. There's no saving it if it's a shitty implementation though; a bad game is a bad game.
Then again, maybe one EVE Online is enough.
Quite the opposite. EvE is very "open". Do what you feel like. Mine, hunt, do missions, trade, play FedEx, do PvP, do
FF14 is nothing close to that. In no aspect.
Traveling is EvE at least feels like you're crossing epic distances. You're flying between stars! And most of it can be automated. Click-click, fly from system 1 to system 33 in the next 30ish minutes (ok, faster now that you can jump closer than 15km to the gate), go read a book or take a dump and come back t
FFXIV was and is a disaster but at least Square is dealing with it, not in outright denial like some companies *cough*Funcom*cough*.
The problem with the games might however be beyond fixing. At its core the current game is a Korean Free to Play style grind-fest. NOT a western quest/story MMORPG. And yet they price it very high, the 10 or so bucks is only for the base game, without ANY character slots. You need a character to play and those are extra. An extra charge EACH and EVERY month. 3 chars is 18 euro. EACH month.
And what do you then get? A rather bare world designed on the idea of MORE OPEN SPACE WITH ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN IT TO RUN BETWEEN, some lovely animation and lots of scripted scenes.
The combat itself is moronic and for a long time (until I stopped) unplayable. Take an action, wait minutes, see it hit. This wasn't lag anymore, this was insanity.
There are no quests and the story while intresting isn't related to the quests. It is more gain X levels, see a cut scene.
Anyone expected a western style MMO was deeply disappointed. This was a korean grind-fest with cat-girls. They are cute but there is only so many times you can
FFXIV is game that gives you the feeling it was designed by people who never ever played a MMO or a PC game and setout with a blueprint of the previous FF MMO and went, grind is good, content is bad. The game has so many wrongs in it, it is beyond believe. The cat-girls look nice. The ONLY good thing.
Anyone expected a western style MMO was deeply disappointed.
You expect Final Fantasy XIV to be a Western style MMO? I think you are looking at the wrong game...
I was expecting a MMO on the PC to have a UI that's reasonably playable with a keyboard and mouse.
Guess that expectation was off too. They should include a free Xbox 360 gamepad with every copy, since that raises the UI from "sucks donkey ass" to "sucks balls".
If it makes you feel any better, it's even less playable with a controller.
If it makes you feel any better, it's even less playable with a controller.
Agreed, so many times over. I tried with the mouse and keyboard for a while when the game first came out. Fed up, I hooked up the controller. Mapping everything and no uniform configuration options (or at least, I didn't see them) made using the controller more painful than using the keyboard mouse combo. It felt like they were intentionally trying to piss me off.
That, and the menus don't seem *quite* right for a controller. I still play with keyboard/mouse (only annoying) after trying controller (borderline unplayable except for targeting in combat, where the controller does seem MUCH better).
And looking at the mods, I have to wonder, how was my previous post a troll?
I'll have to second your comment. Occasionally there is some lag in combat, but even in the FFXIV beta, it was not significantly worse than any other MMO I've played (AC 1, WoW, Eve, FFXI).
Got to agree with the GPs comments about minimal quests so far, and grindfest.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
(Well, normally I wouldn't answer to a sig, but it being in a thread about MMOs I figure it's on topic;)
Aye, but some of us want it to be a loving and intimate relationship, not a quick gangbang with whatever 24 guys were available. Err... I mean... I'm not the kind of slut who'll give everyone a go for attention, you know?
I mean, take my latest case from City Of Heroes. Classic story of boy tank meets girl healer, we seem to hit it off just nice, and soon I invite her to see my supervillain lair. And this time I don't mean mom's basement. They actually have lairs in the game. We hit it off just fine, then we change into spandex and are happily bumping uglies over the head. I mean zombies in the sewer. Can't get much uglier than those.
And then she says, oh God, then she says, "let's bring 6 more guys, it will be FUN!" (Groups in COH have up to 8 members.) I mean, geesh, I'm not even demanding monogamy, but SIX MORE GUYS. It's like she's trying to tell me something. Like that I'm not enough for her. Geeze, it can make a guy awfully insecure, you know?
So I get talked into it against my better judgment. I can tell she's having the time of her life, what with all those ranged DPS-ers all around her, while I'm not even getting a second look. Says that's her role. Yeah, right. More fun in a group my ass. Which reminds me, the only one paying me attention is the melee DPS-er. That guy is practically getting on top of me all the time. I wonder aloud about that guy's sexuality. He calls me weird. Hey, I'm not the one trying to get on top of another guy, buddy.
So then we get to the big archvillain and he's this big and muscular guy, and I get thinking, "I bet HIS girlfriend doesn't ask for six more guys." And I'm in front of this guy as the tank, and everyone is looking at me and expecting me to perform for the big finale, and... oh god... I got performance anxiety and lost the erection. They eventually got the melee DPS-er to tank him.
Made me feel like I wasn't a man any more, it did...
So then next day I go to work, I come back and she's 10 levels higher. I figure she must have soloed it in the meantime. I'm no stranger to soloing an orgasm... err... quest or two myself, lemme tell you.
I ask her what happened, she says, "ah, there were these 7 guys who needed a healer for the respec taskforce, and then we kinda went at it all afternoon." Geeze, like I was saying, I'm not even asking for monogamy, but SEVEN GUYS? And is it that much to ask that I at least be around?
Fucking slut. I threw her out of the lair and changed the locks.
Now everytime I LFG, I will feel dirty
Anyway, if you are a guy, you are supposed to get 7 chicks! That is were you went wrong. Trust me, you find it a while different experience.
Try this.
Wife: I stayed home and got all hot and bothered and screwed the mail man.
Husband: Bitch!
Wife: I stayed home and got all hot and bothered and screwed the cheerleader from next door, she is waiting for us upstairs.
Husband: I love you!
Find seven chicks? SEVEN CHICKS? Gee, buddy, way to make a guy even more insecure.
Some of us are happy if we can even find one whose name doesn't end in
Plus, last time I found one, she whipped and tormented me and called me a loser. And didn't even want to give me my money back when I said that wasn't what I asked for.
Anyway, what was I talking about? Ah, right, some of us are happy to find even one chick. Or half a chick. Finding a
The game in its current state is barely playable. Even if you stick with it past the gruesome interface and crippling performance issues, you're going to run head-on into over-complicated and badly explained class and tradeskill mechanics, boring combat and a serious lack of anything to actually do. Oh, and with all of the servers concentrated in Japan, Western gamers can expect fairly heavy lag even at the best of times.
There have been a number of updates since the game launched, but for the most part, these have been window dressing. There is, apparently, an update to the UI incoming, which is something, but even if this patch ushers in a new era in UI-perfection, it will still leave many serious flaws in the game that would need to be fixed before this could even reach the stage of being a low-quality, content-light WoW clone. Believe me, that's a stage that FFXIV can only dream of right now.
Anecdotally, the problem seems to be that Square-Enix resorted to that tried and tested technique for delivering high-quality, cutting-edge software. They drew up a loose, under-defined spec and pushed it at a Chinese outsourcing house. Given the spotless track record of this technique elsewhere, you can imagine their shock on getting back a shoddy, under-developed, non-cohesive game that even Square-Enix themselves didn't understand properly. It's a good thing for gamers that they just decided to push it out the door and hope for the best.
Sarcasm aside, heads do indeed need to roll over FFXIV. Going for the lead developers is a start, but they need to go much higher. They need to go for whoever decided that they could do a modern MMO with the budget, development time and support resources they wanted to make available. They also need to go for whoever decided that Square-Enix should become a kind of Japanese EA, grinding out a constant succession of low-to-middling quality handheld titles, which seem to be locked into a cycle of commercially diminishing returns. As little as 5 years ago, Square-Enix were a great company putting out great games. It pains me to see what they've become.
And as for FFXIV, as it stands, it is dead in the water. A few fiddling-at-the-margins patches and a PS3 version won't save it. I would say that unless they want to flush good money down the drain after bad, they have two options. First, they could pull the plug now and forget the game ever happened. Second, they could close the game down on an interim basis and push it back into closed development for at least a year. Re-release the game when it's actually in a competitive state, ensuring, of course, that those who bought it first time around get a free-pass for the rerelease.
The UI update has been already delivered, two weeks ago. The "anedocte" was also found to be completely baseless (an unconfirmed report on IM, without any other external sources).
Oh, and don't expect servers to move: the good thing about FFXI, shared with FFXIV is that the servers were cross region.
Right, it's been more than 2 weeks since I last logged in. I guess I should take a look at the new UI. There's a lot more basis to the "anecdote" than one IM; such as the large quantities of typos in the original Japanese version that looked like they'd been a rushed translation from Chinese.
And the world-wide servers thing for FFXI was a worthwhile experiment, but ultimately, experience has proven the WoW-style regional model to be superior. I remember the huge disadvantage that Western players had trying
As little as 7 years ago, Square was a great company putting out great games
I see what you're getting at, but...
Final Fantasy XII and Kingdom Hearts 2 were both 2006 releases and both were, in my opinion, among the best games Square(-Enix) has ever put out. FFXII wasn't universally popular, but to me, it was the FF series at its best; different to its predecessors, willing to innovate and capable of hiding surprising depth behind an initially shallow exterior. KH2 (which there's a fairly recent post on in my journal) was, for me at least, probably the best game of the PS2 generatio
I must confess that I'm pretty disappointed with how FFXIV is looking, particularly after FFXIII was so totally underwhelming.
FFXII really impressed me. Beautiful, intricate, lovingly-crafted world; innovative gameplay that took some of the drudgery out of it; even a translation that made the English version even better than the original.
FFXII contained a lot of MMO elements, and with some of the obscure items and monster spawn conditions and the like, even managed to be a kind of meta-MMO in that players
The numbered series should have either been killed off long ago [livingwithanerd.com], or become what the offshoots are: explorations of genres with original stories, and attempts at not just different ideas, but NEW ideas.
Think back to the 4th, 5th, and 6th entries in the series. They all had intricate plots, with a huge number of characters and twists everywhere you looked...but they were still simple! Despite how much was crammed into each game, it was all laid out simply. The twists and turns were smooth, well-executed, a
It would seem logical that the first person to deliver a decent modern MMO on a console would become an instant goddamn bajillionaire. And yet, here we are five years later without one. MS seems actively hostile to the idea. Sony keeps promising but never delivering. Every time someone promises an MMO on a console, it gets delayed, delayed, delayed, and finally cancelled (DC Universe Online, I'm looking in your direction).
In additional news...
Square Enix announced that the people responsible for the sacking have been sacked.
Does that mean the game is now a cutscene streamed from a server instead of a disc?
The problem is that they're beating a dead horse to a pulp, and then they're beating it to a fine powder, then they're beating the ground that the powder used to sit on.
Final Fantasy is done. The sooner they realize that, the better.
"I have not the slightest confidence in 'spiritual manifestations.'" -- Robert G. Ingersoll


text:
When guests check into their hotel rooms for the Ryder Cup golf tournament this week, they will be greeted by artwork and short essays by children in elementary school welcoming them to Illinois and the Chicago area.
The children tout Chicago's beautiful downtown, the Chicago White Sox, great golf courses, the Illinois Prairie Path and good people as reasons to visit.
"I'm a golfer and I love to golf," wrote 9-year-old Katie of Wheaton in a note sure to touch the hearts of Ryder Cup players and fans.
"It has great golf places like Cantigny. If you have kids, they can climb on the tanks," offered Trista, 10, another student from Wheaton.
Those warm greetings were collected by David Stewart, a member of the Medinah Country Club that is hosting the Ryder Cup and co-chairman of the club's community relations committee. The project had the enthusiastic support of the PGA and area hotels, he said.
Stewart started visiting elementary schools in Medinah and surrounding communities in April to seek their help with the project.
"It came with a lot of excitement. Almost every school wanted to participate," he said. "The teachers were so enthusiastic."
In the end, Stewart collected about 1,000 welcoming cards from students in roughly two dozen elementary schools. The art/essay project exposed the kids to the Ryder Club and gave them a part in news in the making, he said.
"It's probably one of the biggest events that we'll have in DuPage County," he said. "People are coming in not only from around the country but around the world. We wanted to make them feel welcome."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
We are mere days from November, mere weeks from the start of the college basketball regular season. So we all should be starting to fantasize about all those November tournaments loaded with elite teams from all over the country.
Well, not really.
The truth is that conference expansion is already having an impact on the quality of tournament fields. The guideline (it's a rule, but some exceptions are being made because of league membership shifts) is that no tournament should include more than one team from any given conference. When we had six "BCS" conferences plus three or four quality "fringe major" leagues, it was easier to get an attractive field in place.
Last year's Puerto Rico Tip-Off included an opening-day game between Akron and Oklahoma State. Those teams went on to win a combined 50 games. Don't expect many such matchups this time around.
There will be some inviting Invitationals, though. These look like the three most promising:
Battle 4 Atlantis, Nov. 28-30, Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, Bahamas
Tournament favorite: Kansas
Likely NCAA Tournament teams: Iowa, Tennessee, Villanova, Xavier
Potential spoilers: USC, UTEP, Wake Forest
The chance to see freshman Andrew Wiggins and his Kansas classmates is intriguing enough. But there are no true mid- or low-majors to hide against here. So they'll start against Wake Forest and promising forward Devin Thomas, and if they win there it could be Villanova in the semis and Tennessee in the final. Yeah, that's worth enduring a weekend in Paradise.
Maui Invitational: Nov. 25-27, Lahaina Civic Center, Hawaii
Tournament favorite: Syracuse
Likely NCAA Tournament teams: Baylor, California, Gonzaga
Potential spoilers: Arkansas, Dayton
Darkhorse: Minnesota
Rounding out the field: Chaminade
One way to know if a tournament is really good is how hard it is to keep the best teams away from genuine challenges in the opening round. Syracuse, a top-10 team for most who've done preseason rankings, has to face a Minnesota squad that returns its top two scorers: veteran guards Andre Hollins and Austin Hollins. The Gophers have to rebuild their frontcourt, but we've always liked 6-11 center Elliott Eliason.
Wooden Legacy, Nov. 28-Dec. 1, Honda Center, Anaheim
Tournament favorite: Marquette
Likely NCAA Tournament team: Creighton
Potential NCAA Tournament teams: Arizona State, Charleston, San Diego State
Potential spoilers: Miami, George Washington
Rounding out the field: Cal State Fullerton
Nothing against oil companies, but this event has undergone a significant upgrade with its name. We can't say the field is as good as in recent years, but it's better than most. Which tells you something about the rest of the multi-team events.
2. You wrote about college basketball's new defensive rules earlier in the week. Which teams will have the most to do to adjust to them?
DeCourcy: A couple of years ago I might have said Butler, which reached consecutive championship games based largely on the ability to transact a sort of benign mayhem along the perimeter. If you watched those Bulldogs from afar, they looked like a band of undersized overachievers. Up close, they were like ninjas. But with power forward Roosevelt Jones lost for the season to injury and coach Brad Stevens gone to the NBA, Butler has bigger issues to manage.
So right now the team in the spotlight is Louisville, which won its third NCAA championship based largely on the ability to manhandle opponents with pressure defense. The Cards' press might have been the most physical ever unveiled in college basketball, surpassing the brand John Thompson Jr. employed at Georgetown back in the late 80s/early 90s.
Whereas North Carolina won the 2009 NCAA championship based on its overpowering offensive talent, the past several winners have been successful largely because they fielded destructive defenses: Connecticut in 2011, Kentucky in 2012, the Cardinals last year.
Under ordinary circumstances, the departure of shot-blocker Gorgui Dieng from a team that wasn't all that successful wiping out shot attempts—Dieng was responsible for nearly half of the team's blocks—might have led the Cards more in the direction of bump-and-run defense. If these new rules are applied, that won't be possible.
Here's the good news for Louisville, though: If opponents can't put their hands on guard Russ Smith, how will they even have a chance to guard him? In spite of what we've discussed here, coach Rick Pitino has greeted the rules changes warmly. It could be that he recognizes how imbalanced the aesthetics of the game have become. Or it could be that he realizes opponents trying hands-free to keep Smith out of the lane have no chance.
3. Is Texas coach Rick Barnes right? Will we see more zone defense played because of the new rules?
DeCourcy: I had a conversation today with a coach who agreed with Barnes, adding that the person who's really laughing about all of this is Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, who's been employing zones for a quarter-century and doesn't have to worry much at all about handchecking on the perimeter and arm-bars in the post.
Of course, that coach added Boeheim would laugh more if he had guards who could slice up opposing defenses with penetration, guys like Michael Carter-Williams or Dion Waiters. He does not.
I'm not bothered by the idea of teams playing more zone. If the game evolves that way, it will make shooters more valued by college coaches, which might trickle down to players preparing for college and the NBA. We already know that shooting is precious to NBA teams. Why that's not conveyed to young, aspiring NBA players is anybody's guess. If the colleges join that movement, though, it's going to be hard for middle- and high-school players to ignore it.
4. You've seen Kentucky practice, and what they have as strengths. Now break down their potential weaknesses.
DeCourcy: We're all guilty of this: When teams exist on paper, we consider how much offensive talent they possess and tally it all up from there. If there's a particular defensive weapon, such as an Aaron Craft or Nerlens Noel, we might give it some consideration. But we mostly think about how teams will be able to score.
Well, Kentucky will be able to score. Almost every rotation the Wildcats employ will include five players capable of averaging mid-teens scoring at the Division I level. How about this group: Andrew Harrison at point, James Young at shooting guard, Alex Poythress at small forward, Julius Randle at power forward, Willie Cauley-Stein at center? Yep, given reasonable access to the ball, each could do it, however unlikely it may be that all of them could do it while playing concurrently.
But can that team guard? John Calipari is an excellent defensive teacher. His UMass teams were great defensively. His 2008 Memphis team was No. 2 in defensive efficiency. His 2012 champs at Kentucky ranked No. 1 in field goal defense. But all that history didn't help when Noel was injured a year ago; a team that had been effective defensively to that point crumbled to No. 129 in defensive efficiency.
Noel's not back. We have every reason to believe new point guard Andrew Harrison will be better on the ball than predecessor Ryan Harrow—mostly because it's hard to do worse. Freshman Marcus Lee will be a dynamic shot-blocker, but how much will he play? The wings have terrific size, but will they move their feet?
If Kentucky falls short of winning it all this season, it won't be for lack of talent. Might it be for lack of D?
5. What is Louisville without Chane Behanan? Rick Pitino argues he has a top-five team should Behanan be unable to come back.
DeCourcy: To me, this is one of those truly pointless exercises, like re-imagining how World War I would have turned out if the Allies had photon torpedoes. Because I have every confidence Behanan is going to play this season, as he does.
OK, though, so what if it doesn't happen? Is Louisville still a top-5 team? Frankly, no. They're still a top-10 team, but it's already a pretty close call among the top six teams: Kentucky, Michigan State, Louisville, Duke, Arizona and Kansas. There's not a lot separating them at this point. UK has the fewest apparent lineup soft spots and the most pro-level talent, but each of these teams is loaded.
So if you take away a significant star from one of them, in this case Behanan, that team is likely to slip behind the other five. Behanan was the singular difference in the NCAA championship game, ripping away several key offensive rebounds when Michigan thought it had stops. If he weren't playing, that's going to be missed.
In truth, Louisville would replace him with a superior talent, Montrezl Harrell. But Harrell was likely to wind up playing as the Cards' regular center. That position now would be filled by senior Stephan Van Treese and redshirt freshman Mangok Mathiang. Van Treese is a tough, reliable backup. Mathiang is entirely untested.
They'd still have Smith and juco transfer Chris Jones to form an irrepressible backcourt. And the frontcourt would feature U.S. U19s hero Harrell and Final Four hero Luke Hancock. That's a great team. But not one of the five best in college hoops.


text: This year's presidential debates have no Latino moderators on the slate. So one network is taking matters into its own hands. Univision's Jorge Ramos is set to moderate discussions with each of the major party presidential candidates. He tells host Michel Martin it's time for the Commission on Presidential Debates to move into the 21st century.


text:
Come on out to the Minnesota PASS SQL Server User Group (PASSMN) tomorrow and hear me speak about extended events. It'll be my first meeting since joining Pragmatic Works a couple months back and first presentation as a Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008.
The meeting starts at 4:00 PM with my presentation beginning at 4:15 PM. So, if you are interested, here's the abstract:
Extended Events: Work Smarter Not Harder
Of the many ways to monitor your SQL Server environment, Extended Events is one of the newer platforms that can help you investigate and resolve performance problems. In this special 90-minute session, we'll review Extended Events and learn the ins and outs of how to get and analyze detailed information on the errors and events that occur within SQL Server. With a few T-SQL statements, you can research in minutes issues that used to take weeks to investigate.
This is the same presentation material that I did this year at the PASS Summit. There might be a couple changes thought, since then. Afterwards, hang out with us for a bit because I think some of us will be heading over for drinks and appetizers at the bowling alley around the corner.


text:
Transit meeting set for Tuesday, Jan. 15
Even though the Mammoth Lakes Town Council eliminated the Mobility Commission, there is still unfinished business on the table, beginning Tuesday, Jan. 15.
Members of the public and business community are encouraged to attend the Mobility Commission Transit Workshop in Suite Z of the town offices, beginning at 4 p.m. This workshop will provide the opportunity for the public to respond to the reduction in transit services as a result of the Town's recently adopted restructuring plan.
The town's transit budget was reduced by 10 percent this year, which resulted in direct impacts to local transit services.
In 2012, Eastern Sierra Transit Authority (ESTA) implemented several cost-saving measures to achieve the 10 percent reduction: Lakes Basin trolleys started one hour later, Dial-a-Ride service hours were reduced, and late-night winter trolley service was cut from 2 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (However, once ski season began, the lack of late-night trolley service from Canyon Lodge to The Village to Snowcreek was brought to council's attention, and as a result, "one-time" money was secured to fund the late-night service for the rest of the peak winter season.)
The true cost of the four hours for two trolleys is almost $40,000. Mammoth Mountain Ski Area partnered with the town by contributing the necessary additional funding.
The Mobility Commission, ESTA staff, and town staff are asking for public input at the meeting, or in any written form, noting the importance of current transit services to you, our guests, employees, and businesses.
The council clearly stated its support of late-night winter trolley service by its recent action. Many changes and improvements have come about as a result of past suggestions from local transit riders, especially related to the continually increasing ridership of the Purple and Gray lines.
Participants are requested to bring questions about our local transit service to the workshop, where representatives from the Town and ESTA will be available to respond to all comments and questions.
A goal of the workshop is to solicit comments and suggestions to help find ways to meet the transit needs of the community in these challenging economic times.
Written e-mail comments should be directed to Ray Jarvis, Public Works Director (email@example.com) or to John Helm, ESTA Executive Director (email@example.com), or addressed to P.O. Box 1609, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546.


text:
It happens every time Apple announces a new service, or product without fail. A company, already holding or using the name of a newly announced service by Apple, sues the big piece of fruit for copyright or trademark infringement.
Apple then uses its mountain of money to make the complaints of the small company go away. Well it finally happened with iCoud. A company called iCloud Communications is suing Apple. Here's an excerpt from the suit:
The goods and services with which Apple intends to use the iCloud mark are identical to or closely related to the goods and services that have been offered by iCloud Communications under the iCloud Marks since its formation in 2005. However, due to the worldwide media coverage given to and generated by Apples announcement of its iCloud services and the ensuing saturation advertising campaign pursued by Apple, the media and the general public have quickly come to associate the mark iCloud with Apple, rather than iCloud Communications.
However, the Phoenix based company (the suit was been filed in Arizona) does not appear to have the iCloud namesake trademarked. While a specific filing of the trademark does not need to exist for them to take Apple to court, it could make things more difficult for the small company. Especially since they're asking for "all profits, gains, and advantages" in addition to the delivery for destruction of "all labels, sign, prints, insignia, letterhead, brochures, business cards, invoices, and any other recorded material."
A pittance really.
Do not be surprised if Apple settles out of court and iCloud Communication gets their hands on some of Apple's money tree.
Or the mighty wrath of Jobs wipes their company out. Either or.
Source: TheNextWeb


text:
Page content
May 21, 2012
Colonial Williamsburg Provides Free Admission to Active Duty Military, Veterans, Reservists, Retirees and Their Dependents May 25-28
During Memorial Day Weekend, Friday through Monday, May 25-28, Colonial Williamsburg offers free admission tickets to active duty military, reservists, retirees, veterans and their families.
The "Honoring Service to America" ticket provides admission to Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area, including the daily Revolutionary City® program, Capitol and Governor's Palace and to the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum and Bassett Hall, the Williamsburg home of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. The tickets also include an Orientation Walk, a walking tour that provides an overview of Colonial Williamsburg and its Restoration, free shuttle bus service to and from the Visitor Center, a viewing of the movie, "Williamsburg, The Story of a Patriot," and free parking at the Visitor Center.
The service member need not be present, and free "Honoring Service to America" tickets will be provided to dependent family members of currently deployed troops, with appropriate identification.
Military veterans who separated before retirement can bring a copy of their honorable discharge paperwork, DD Form 214, as identification of service. These weekend-long admission tickets are available at the Colonial Williamsburg Regional Visitor Center.
In addition to providing complimentary admission tickets to these honored guests, Colonial Williamsburg offers special rates to military personnel and their families at any of its five onsite hotels, the closest lodging to Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area, museums, dining, shopping, golf, children's activities and more.
For more information, visit www.colonialwilliamsburg.com.
The Memorial Day Commemorative Program begins at 10 a.m. Monday, May 28 in Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area. Colonial Williamsburg's Fifes and Drums lead a procession to three sites – the Governor's Palace, Bruton Parish Church and Providence Hall – to honor military veterans who were interred in or near those sites from the American Revolution and the Civil War.
The Memorial Day service begins at the Governor's Palace where graves of Revolutionary War dead are marked with a memorial wreath. Prayers are offered and the militia fire musket salutes.
The procession then advances to Bruton Parish Church, where a wreath is offered to a church representative who will lead prayers in memory of those veterans interred in the churchyard followed by musket salutes.
ticipants move to the French gravesites near Providence Hall to recognize the French allies in the final victory of the American Revolution. A third wreath is laid, and final cannon salutes are fired by the militia artillery crew. Providence Hall is the only site where cannon volleys will be fired.
Memorial Day service is free and open to the public.
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is the not-for-profit educational and cultural organization dedicated to the preservation, interpretation and presentation of the restored 18th-century Revolutionary capital of Virginia. This town-sized living history museum tells the inspirational stories of our journey to become Americans through programs in the Historic Area and through the award-winning Revolutionary City program.
Williamsburg is located in Virginia's Tidewater region, 20 minutes from Newport News, within an hour's drive of Richmond and Norfolk, and 150 miles south of Washington, D.C. For more information about Colonial Williamsburg, call 1-800-HISTORY or visit Colonial Williamsburg's website at www.history.org.
Media Contact:
Penna Rogers
(757) 220-7121


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Could you not have smiled at the child and said, "No, thank you."?
My typical response is "No, sorry, but good luck!"
When I'm in the mall it's pretty easy for me to brush past salespeople at kiosks without saying a word. A lot of them want to put lotion/perfume/whatever on me or they say "Ma'am may I ask you a question?" I don't consider this rude behavior on my part. However, the other day there were several children with buckets. I forget the specific charity, but they were waiting at the top and bottom of escalators to ambush people. Every time they saw someone they'd run up in groups of four or five, holding out their buckets, and yell "Ma'am would you like to donate [amount] to help cure children's [disease]?" I ignored them a couple of times but I felt weird about brushing by kids. At one point one of them ran back to her father and he started walking after me, saying "Ma'am! Ma'am my daughter wants to ask you if you'd like to donate [amount] to help cure children's [disease]!" I walked quickly away. I still feel a little funny about it but I suspect that's why they're using kids-people feel fine ignoring an adult whose job it is to aggressively market a product. The adults are unfazed by it but ignoring kids can feel weird. What do you think, ehell?
I stopped going to my regualr grocery store for this. I had to run a gauntlet of beggars. And most of it was to fund cheerleading competitions, travel for Lacrosse etc. I pay my own kids school dues etc. So I wrote the manager and corporate office and got as many people as I could to do the same. They have cracked down on it.
Page created in 0.22 seconds with 18 queries.


text:
Eli's Cheesecake Company
The Schulman family has been in the restaurant business over 50 years and bakes their cheesecakes on the northwest side of Chicago in a 62,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art bakery. Eli's is sold in 50 states and internationally.
Eli's cheesecake is a unique Chicago style cheesecake baked with a high profile and has a firm outside and very creamy inside. Their butter cookie crust is baked to a golden brown. For example, Eli's Original Plain cheesecake ingredients are pure and simple with: cream cheese, sugar, eggs, sour cream, pure vanilla, salt and no preservatives.
Eli's Cheesecake is a family-run business. That means that each and every person they meet has a special place in their hearts, and well, in their kitchen. And they've had the pleasure of meeting some famous people and some famously wonderful people that have made a difference in their family and like-wise, in their business. Check out their website to read about their unique stores.
At Eli's Cheesecake they value community and have a strong desire to make whatever difference they can. This desire started with Eli Schulman
himself with his great generosity and charity to those in need and has lead the way to what has become a tradition of charitable giving at Eli's
Marc Schulman, President, continues the support. Most recently he received the Excellence in Agribusiness for Agricultural Education from the Illinois Leadership Council for Agricultural Education. Schulman serves as Co-Chair on the Business Advisory Board for the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences. The Agricultural industry is fortunate to have such strong partnerships with industry and education as our young people become the upcoming leaders and workforce.
TOUR: To learn and experience the Eli's way and see the path a cheesecake takes from scratch to finishing touch check into one of their tours. It's fun and educational to watch Eli's bakers use their super-sized mixers and bowls to transform mind-boggling amounts of ingredients. You'll be there when the cakes travel through a 70-foot tunnel oven, take a ride on a 20-foot high cooling rack and then line up for hand decorating. No tour is complete without a complimentary slice of Eli's Cheesecake. Eli's state-of-the-art bakery tour was voted the #1 food tour in the country by "Top 5" on the Food Network .
DINE: Enjoy lunch at Eli's Cheesecake Café, the perfect destination to enjoy homemade soup, freshly prepared artisan sandwich, gourmet salad, or cheesecake shake. Of course, it wouldn't be complete without a slice of the rich and famous Eli's Cheesecake! Dine in our vaulted ceiling coffeehouse atmosphere or on our outdoor patio during pleasant weather. Eli's Cheesecake Café was voted Chicago's #1 restaurant for dessert by America On Line City Guide.
SHOP: Take time to shop in our amazing store where the selection of cheesecakes and desserts are endless. We also have a fresh bake shop with scratch recipe muffins, loaf cakes, crème puffs, big cookies, holiday treats, macaroons, bagel chips, tarts, cakes
and cheesecakes for you to enjoy here in our café over a cup of coffee, cappuccino, or espresso (or take-out!). They make sure everything they bake deserves to be called "Eli's"!
CONTACT INFORMATION: Eli's Corporate Office, Bakery, Retail Store and Dessert Café is located on the northwest side of the city of Chicago at 6701 Forest Preserve Drive (at the corner of Forest Preserve Drive and Montrose). Call 800-ELI-CAKE for tour information, times, and availability.
The Eli's Cheesecake Company
6701 W. Forest Preserve Drive
Chicago, IL 60634
Phone: 800-ELI-CAKE (Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm CST)
EMAIL: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
16 U.S. Code § 4261 - Findings
prev | next
§ 4261.
FindingsThe Congress finds the following:
Asian elephant populations in nations within the range of Asian elephants have continued to decline to the point that the long-term survival of the species in the wild is in serious jeopardy.
The Asian elephant is listed as an endangered species under section 1533 of this title and under appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Because the challenges facing the conservation of Asian elephants are so great, resources to date have not been sufficient to cope with the continued loss of habitat and the consequent diminution of Asian elephant populations.
The Asian elephant is a flagship species for the conservation of tropical forest habitats in which it is found and provides the consequent benefit from such conservation to numerous other species of wildlife including many other endangered species.
Among the threats to the Asian elephant in addition to habitat loss are population fragmentation, human-elephant conflict, poaching for ivory, meat, hide, bones and teeth, and capture for domestication.
To reduce, remove, or otherwise effectively address these threats to the long-term viability of populations of Asian elephants in the wild will require the joint commitment and effort of nations within the range of Asian elephants, the United States and other countries, and the private sector.
(Pub. L. 105–96, § 2, Nov. 19, 1997, 111 Stat. 2150.)
Short Title of 2007 Amendment
Pub. L. 110–133, § 1, Dec. 6, 2007, 121 Stat. 1362, provided that:
Short Title of 2002 Amendment
Pub. L. 107–141, § 1, Feb. 12, 2002, 116 Stat. 13, provided that:
"This Act [enacting section 4265a of this title, amending sections 3709, 4214, 4245, 4246, 4263, 4265, and 4266 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 4214 of this title] may be cited as the 'Asian Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2002'."
Short Title
Pub. L. 105–96, § 1, Nov. 19, 1997, 111 Stat. 2150, provided that:
"This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the 'Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997'."
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


text:
IUCN's Mozambique country office has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Institute for Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises (IPEME) to establish and operate a community-managed sandalwood bank in the district of Matutuine-Djabula for processing and trade of wood that will initially be targeted at Maputo-based artisans.
Signed in Maputo, Mozambique, the MoU establishes the partnership framework between IUCN and IPEME under the Livelihoods and Landscapes Strategy (LLS), which is supported by the Dutch Development Agency (DGIS).
A major aim is to provide evidence on the importance and the role of forest resources and ecosystems in poverty alleviation as well as on the sustainable and improved social and economic well-being of rural communities.
Hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Mozambique, IPEME's mandate is to promote and stimulate the establishment of micro, small and medium enterprises in line with the Strategy for Rural Industrialization in Mozambique.
IPEME will provide support through development and implementation of participatory business plans and marketing strategies, training, and transfer of technologies adaptable to the rural context. IUCN and IPEME will use this unique opportunity to use Djabula Sandalwood Bank as a pilot and demonstration center for the development of rural industries.


text:
View galleryView galleryView galleryView gallery
When you're ready for a snack, a beverage or casual conversation, the exclusive Onboard Lounge offers the perfect mid-flight diversion.
Located behind the upper deck, the Onboard Lounge offers five-star delicacies prepared by some of the world's leading chefs. If you're looking for the perfect beverage, you can savour a fine wine carefully chosen by our sommeliers or even have your favourite cocktail prepared for you by our dedicated bartender.
Whether you're socialising, snacking or simply stretching out, you can relax in the height of comfort in the Onboard Lounges.
View galleryView galleryView galleryView galleryView gallery
Every Business Class seat on the Emirates A380 converts into a flat bed at the touch of a button. Using the touchscreen controller, you can adjust your seat to suit your own preferences and comfort. Each seat extends to form a flat bed up to 79 inches long.
The Flat-bed seats also include several features tailored to the way you like to travel, from a personal storage area and in-seat massage functionality to a privacy divider. An in-seat power supply for laptops, dual port USB and extra-large table provide a comfortable workspace, and over 1,200 channels of entertainment are available on our ice Digital Widescreen TV. And there is even a built-in mini-bar in every seat.
Meals should relax and restore as much as satisfy your appetite. That's why we offer great tasting, regionally inspired menus, including healthy options, all presented on Royal Doulton fine bone china with exclusive Robert Welsh cutlery – providing Business Class dining that's unmatched. Enjoy multiple courses and complimentary champagne and vintage wines, along with other cocktails and beverages.
Learn more about Business Class dining
A touchscreen remote and a state-of-the-art digital widescreen provide access to a whole world of entertainment. Whatever you're in the mood for, whether it's international movies and TV programmes or music, video games and news from around the globe, the ice system's 1,200 channels will deliver on-demand entertainment when you want it.
There's always something on, so relax and enjoy.
Learn more about inflight entertainment
From Private Suites to our onboard Shower Spa, flat-bed seats and award-winning entertainment, find out more about the experience you can enjoy on your flight.
Enter your flight number or your departure and destination airports to start exploring.
Share this page:


text:
Home > Events
Kansas City Fall Golf Tournmanet Links: Home | Registration | Photos | Contribute
To make a general contribution, without registering to play, please complete the form below.
Neither the United States Marine Corps nor any other component of the Department of Defense has approved, endorsed or authorized this activity. No Federal or United State Marine Corps endorsement intended.
Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation 909 N. Washington Street, Suite 400 Alexandria, VA 22314 Tel: +1703.549.0060 Fax: +1703.549.9474
Contact Us | Site Map | Stay Connected
© 2013 Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use


text:
November 7, 2012
15 comments:
- Debra said...
Cute post! :)
- November 7, 2012 at 10:49 PM
- Rocky Mountain Woman said...
I used to cry every time Lassie fought the mountain lion. It was really traumatic for me!
- November 7, 2012 at 11:26 PM
- edenhills said...
Cute! I think my Stella would be a little too big and neurotic for the part.
- November 8, 2012 at 1:25 AM
- ArtMuseDog and Carol said...
Wonderful photos ~ adorable post ~ (A Creative Harbor) ^_^
- November 8, 2012 at 2:53 AM
- Jim said...
I like this, Nora. Dogs like to perform, most of them.
My Adi who died this September starred in eight YouTube videos. One with her blinking to the Christmas tree lights now has had 11,512 views.
Adi was a very good dog (link)
- November 8, 2012 at 5:44 AM
- Sarah~Magnolia Surprise said...
Oh I dearly loved Rin Tin Tin! Lassie was OK but Timmy? Not so much... and I've never heard of Uggie! I had a Benji lookalike but, alas, he had a bad habit of digging out from under the fence -- I had to bail him out of jail many times!! I don't know if they'd like a new Benji with a record!
- November 8, 2012 at 7:29 PM
- Naperville Now said...
darling pup -- a perfect Benji possibility.
- November 8, 2012 at 9:23 PM
- Lmkazmierczak said...
Ordinary Words...yes I'm an Uggie fan♫♪ I'm noticing more dogs in tv shows lately!
- November 8, 2012 at 11:23 PM
- Draffin Bears said...
Hi Lola and Nora,
Cute post and love all the sweet dogs, especially the last photo, darling.
Thanks for visiting me and was so good to see you back again.
Hope you have a lovely weekend
- November 10, 2012 at 5:30 AM
- Sue said...
Rin Tin Tin was a favorite of mine, and of course Lassie. But your little pooch is as cute as any of them!
- November 10, 2012 at 5:59 PM
- Tina´s PicStory said...
all the pet stars :) nice!
- November 12, 2012 at 10:25 AM
- Karen said...
So cute!
- November 12, 2012 at 5:31 PM
- Andrea said...
Oh they are so lovely, and the expressions of their faces are so real. I received an email message of a rescued dog that gave unusual caring for all strayed animals, no matter what they are, in the compound he is kept. He even provided a motherly attention to a baby roe deer, a guinea pig, cats, other stray dogs, etc. It was so touching and inspiring.
- November 13, 2012 at 3:13 AM
- Liza said...
Cute dogs!
My Ruby.
- November 13, 2012 at 4:46 PM
- Jenny said...
That's a lot of xcellent looking canines!
Thanks for the smile!
- November 14, 2012 at 12:54 AM


text:
Happy Easter! I'm submitting this lil' guy before the avalanche of Easter pics comes. Yes, i am aware that less than 50 people will see this, and i don'...
Scooped by
Laura Brown
onto ASCII Art
Get Started for FREE
Sign up with Facebook Sign up with Twitter
I don't have a Facebook or a Twitter account
Your new post is loading...
Your new post is loading...


text:
Many of you may remember Grant Thompson who joined Benny and me during our College Football America shows on NowInLA.com. Well...
Grant all done growed up and now has his own weekly show on the site starting today. It's called The Sports Pulse with Grant Thompson and airs for 2pm-4pm EST (11am-1pm PST).
Be sure to check it out.
UPDATE: Yours truly is going to be a guest on the show at 2:15 EST/11:15 PST
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
We feel so proud today
1 comment:
- John said...
will you guys be having a show on their anytime soon?
- January 17, 2007 5:34 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
A day one patch for the Wii U adds many elements of its online functionality through the Nintendo Network, including the Miiverse that serves as the heart of its social features. The prompt comes up automatically during the set-up process, but be careful: interrupting it could turn your shiny new Wii U into a very expensive paperweight.
Ars Technica reports that consoles that lose power during the install have been bricked. Most users are reporting that a power interruption is to blame, though some claim that the problem can be caused by an Internet outage as well.
The download is reportedly 5 GB and, depending on your connection speed, can take roughly an hour to download and install. Obviously, you shouldn't yank the plug in the middle of the download, but if something happens beyond your control you can contact Nintendo's customer service. Affected consoles should be covered by the warranty.
For more details on the Wii U, check out our review.


text:
First student convocation at UH Hilo a rousing successUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Director, Media Relations, University Relations
Over 400 new students and their families took part Tuesday in the first-ever Student Convocation at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Performing Arts Center.
The event, part of Fall Orientation and the brainchild of the Task Force on New Student Programs, is designed to be a bookend to Commencement. The new students gathered as an entering class to meet their faculty and deans at the beginning of their collegiate experience, as they do upon graduation.
"The Student Convocation was successful beyond our expectations," said Chancellor Rose Tseng, who welcomed the new students to UH Hilo. "It was an opportunity for the students to celebrate their entrance into the University, as well as to reflect upon their very real commitment to strive for academic excellence."
Students were introduced, college by college, to their respective deans. The student body president then led students in a pledge of commitment. UH Hilo administrators then expressed their expectations to the new students and impressed upon them the importance of the educational journey they are about to take.
"I believe the ceremonial nature of the Convocation provides the new students with a preview of the excitement and the accomplishment they will feel upon achieving the goal of graduation," Tseng said.


text:
Rock Island, IL Rental Homes and Apartments for Rent
Search rentals in Rock Island, IL. At RentalGuide.net, we have comprehensive rental listings to help you find Rock Island apartments for rent. You can also find rental houses and condos. Click on a listing to view details, or refine your search for Rock Island apartments to search by price, beds and other criteria.


text:
Here's something we haven't seen in a while: advice from Mark Penn: "So here is a radical suggestion: Rather than sparring on the Republican playing field to determine the rougher and tougher leader, Democrats should introduce more clearly substantive differences. How about this for a message — ending the war in Iraq now, making an Apollo-like investment in alternative energy and starting a revolution in health care to cover every American. I suggest making clear that this election is not about who is strong or weak, but about who is right or wrong. Maybe the key will be to emphasize that there will be real policy differences between a Democrat and a Republican in the White House next year and that those differences will — as they did in the past eight years — make all of the difference in the world to the country and the lives of its people."
The New York Times' David Brooks has allowed himself to get caught up in summer polls. Brooks argues Obama is struggling to put this race away because voters have yet to get a sense of who he is. "If you grew up in the 1950s, you were inclined to regard your identity as something you were born with. If you grew up in the 1970s, you were more likely to regard your identity as something you created. If Obama is fully a member of any club — and perhaps he isn't — it is the club of smart post-boomer meritocrats. We now have a cohort of rising leaders, Obama's age and younger, who climbed quickly through elite schools and now ascend from job to job. They are conscientious and idealistic while also being coldly clever and self-aware. It's not clear what the rest of America makes of them."
The New York Daily News: "Bill Clinton refuses to say Barack Obama is 'ready' for White House."
Sounding a humble tone as he celebrated his 47th birthday last night, Obama recalled his disappointing loss in New Hampshire nearly seven months earlier and said that the disappointment and extended primary fight that followed was actually for the best, NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli notes. "This may sound like some Pollyannaish thinking," he told donors in a high rise building overlooking the Boston Harbor. "I said I thought it was a good thing because winning shouldn't be easy. Winning the presidency should not be easy… This had to be earned."
He admitted the campaign had a "giddy" feeling after winning Iowa, but that the reality check they faced in the Granite State was a needed one. "Cynicism is a natural response to what people have seen over the past 20, 30 years," he said. "There's no reason why they should buy into a lot of flowery language and nice speeches without lifting the hood and kicking the tires to see if this thing is for real. And so we worked harder, and we worked smarter … and we were able to emerge after an incredibly hard-fought battle as the presumptive nominee. And we're now in the process of bringing the party together so we come out of the convention entirely unified and ready to take on the last leg of this journey."
As reflective as Obama was, he also did not spare criticism of his rival. The Illinois senator said that McCain had "rendered extraordinary service" to the country, and deserved credit for showing some independence from his party in his 25 years in Washington. "And he's got I think an image, certainly among the press and in the country that is formidable," he added. "[But] we can't assume that just because we've endured eight years of some of the worst arrogance in our history -- [and] that [because] John McCain has embraced some of those policies -- that we will automatically win."
The campaign would not say how much tonight's event raised, but an invitation listed minimum contributions to the Obama/DNC Victory Fund as $1,000, with co-chairmen raising as much as $28,500. Obama also came away with a few gifts, including a Hawaiian-style Red Sox jersey, and a "Happy Birthday" rendition by Harry Connick Jr.
Sen. John Kerry, who introduced Obama, joked that what he really wanted for his birthday was "Indiana, Colorado and Virginia." But instead, Kerry offered even harsher criticism of McCain. "The other thing is that John McCain has showed a willingness to shift on almost every issue," he said. "John McCain said America wanted a different kind of campaign; wanted a campaign of big ideas, not insults; wanted a campaign that took us to a different place. Here we are, with a campaign as we've seen in the last weeks, that has taken the lowest road possible according to every major judgment."
The Boston Globe says the fundraiser raked in $5 million.


text:
Latest update : 2012-09-18
'US behaving badly'
INTERNATIONAL PAPERS, Tuesday 18 September: We take a look at how Lebanese papers have reacted to the rare public appearance of Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah; the China Daily claims the US are "behaving badly" despite their calls for calm in the region; and there's an exclusive in The Independent about possible new links between the News of the World and private detectives.
Get the France 24 press review on your iPhone or become a fan on Facebook.
International Herald Tribune: 'Tension in China'
China Daily: 'US behaving badly'


text:
A fourth suspect allegedly involved in the armed robbery and shooting at the Ameriental food store made his initial court appearance Friday in Eau Claire county circuit court.
A criminal complaint says 19-year-old Richard "S" Vang of Minnesota drove the three alleged robbers to the Asian food store to commit the robbery.
Vang says waited outside while the robbery took place.
When he was arrested last Saturday in Minneapolis, the criminal complaint said police found a handgun in his possession.
Vang is being held on a $150,000 cash bond and is expected back in court next week.


text:
Pakistan's disgraced fast-bowler Mohammad Amir is positive about making a comeback to international cricket for Pakistan and feels if West Indies all rounder Marlon Samuels can make a successful return then he can also do the same.
Amir was sentenced to six months in prison in England for bowling no-balls at prearranged times during a match at Lord's in August 2010 after fellow Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were also sentenced for spot-fixing.
Amir, who was 18 at the time of the incident, pleaded guilty and returned to Pakistan earlier this year.
"I want to come back with my head held high, with a new spirit and as a role model. I accepted everything and pleaded guilty only to give myself peace," the Dawn quoted Amir, as saying to a news website.
Amir likened his situation to Samuels, who endured a turbulent 12-year career since his debut in 2000, having seen his bowling action questioned before being suspended for two years in 2008 for alleged links with bookmakers, and starred in the World T20 win.
"If [Marlon] Samuels can make it then there is no reason why I can't make it," Amir said.
"I am taking my comeback to be similar to when I was 13 and used to think about playing for Pakistan. The difference this time is that I have had the international experience. There are people who are making their debuts at 30-plus these days, so I still have plenty of time," he said.


text:
Garrett Rank might need to take a break from refereeing Ontario Hockey League games in April.
He might have more important things to do.
The 25-year-old from Elmira, Ont., could instead be playing in the Masters. Yes, that Masters, the big golf tournament held annually in Augusta, Ga.
Rank will take on three-time champion Nathan Smith of Pittsburgh in the 36-hole final of the U.S. Mid-Amateur championship Thursday at the Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Ill., after winning a pair of matches Wednesday. The Mid-Am is the American championship for golfers 25 and older.
After beating Matthew Mattare of New York 3 and 2 in the quarterfinals, Rank, the youngest player in the field, booked himself a berth in the final by edging Todd White of Spartanburg, S.C., in the semis.
"I'm used to high-pressure situations," Rank said on the tournament website. "You definitely get nerves officiating. There are big moments and you draw off those. It definitely can't be of harm to the golf game. I have aspirations of playing professional golf and would love to play the PGA Tour.
"But by the same token, I have been to some NHL developmental camps for referees. The problem is, you can't achieve something like that with only 75% of your eggs in one basket."
Rank will have his hands full against Smith, who won the U.S. Mid-Am in 2003, 2009 and 2010. He beat two-time winner Tim Jackson of Germantown, Tenn., 3 and 1 in the semifinals after downing Corby Segal of Santa Clarita, Calif. in the quarters.


text:
Among the most rewarding careers in the world today is to be a nurse in Olanta PA 16863. First, nurses will have a lot of opportunities as opposed to doctors when it comes to engaging patients at great length since they spend most of the time taking care of patients, most especially after certain medical procedures. Second, nurses usually share more meaningful experiences with their patients. But then, apart from personal satisfaction along with the gratifying experience, nursing in Olanta PA 16863 could actually become a very lucrative career as well. The best thing about studying as well as training for such kind of medical profession is that you can now speed up your education process by taking up accelerated nursing programs in Olanta PA 16863.
Facts About The Accelerated Nursing Programs
These programs in Olanta PA 16863 will be very intense – this is due to the fact that what is generally accomplished in 4 years can actually be finished in less. In fact, you can even become a nurse in just one year. Indeed, this is a very amazing career option people must consider nowadays. Remember though that the schedule will be frantic. Also, there will be a lot of work to do. The main benefit is that you can graduate faster than the individuals who study in the traditional way.
Indeed, with these programs, you can fast-tract your career of becoming a nurse. Since there is a nursing shortage worldwide, these programs will greatly help you in entering into the workforce very fast. Certainly, you can begin gaining excellent experience, allowing you to further enhance your position within the medical facility in Olanta PA 16863.
Statistics show that there in an increasing aging population. This is among the main reasons why nurses are in demand today and for many more years to come. Apart from that, the recent reforms within the healthcare industry likewise fuel such demand for such professionals. These various reforms have allowed millions of people to have access to medical services. Due to the fact that more and more people are in need of medical services, a lot of nurses and doctors are necessary in order to meet such increasing demand.
It is highly emphasized that these programs will help you advance your career in the medical field. And if you want to apply for a higher position, consider taking on a kind of management duty or perhaps wish to accept more responsibilities, you can go from RN to BSN programs in Olanta PA 16863.
Surrounding Areas In Pennsylvania
Olanta Information
[ssyelp location="Olanta PA" term="schools" limit="10"]


text:
A- the player im fighting is so horrible and unpredictable that its impossible to get a read on his kicks (if he even knows when to kick or not)
B- hes a master of the mind games and an amazing player that psychs you out by not kicking things he should and then randomly kicking things he should at a later date
ill spend a good 2 seconds fake casting only to cast and the guy doesnt kick. should i say F it and just hardcast everything unless im low?
it seems stupid but im sure some of you have fought this player whos kicking patterns are random. much like a bad war is scarier to cyclone then a good one simply because all game he hasnt noticed your clones then he randomly does and cost u the game vs KFC
Edited by zzyzzyzz, 23 December 2012 - 03:24 AM.


text:
To access members-only content on cta.org, please sign in below.
Register Now
Sacramento—The state Education Coalition today urged lawmakers to involve all stakeholders and wait for final guidelines as they consider potential education reforms related to the federal Race to the Top competitive grant program. Education leaders called on Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg and Senate Education Committee Chair Gloria Romero to slow down efforts to push through Senate Bill 1 5X, a new measure on which Romero held a hearing this morning. Among other things, the proposed law would seek significant changes in how the state addresses its lower-performing schools, the current cap on charter schools, student transfer rules, and how data is used to measure teacher and administrator effectiveness.
"Education reform shouldn't be a race; it deserves serious attention that will actually help kids and improve student achievement," said CTA President David A. Sanchez. "Proposed reforms need thoughtful discussion with all stakeholders, including parents, teachers and community members. They should not be sprung on the public just hours before last-minute hearings if any meaningful input is really going to take place."
"By rushing to enact legislation before the release of final federal regulations," said CSBA President Paula S. Campbell, "the California State Senate is jumping to conclusions about what is required by the federal government as well as what makes good sense. For example, while districts should have a wide range of options to improve low performing schools, SB1 5X instead limits reform options by forcing districts to choose from options that research has consistently shown to have a limited chance of success. It makes no sense to act quickly if the result is a step backward for school reform."
"At this time we should be focusing on working together to develop a thoughtful Race to the Top plan, rather than adding new laws that may be unnecessary or that may conflict with the final guidelines," said ACSA president and Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools Charles Weis. "Our analysis shows there is no need for changes to state law to apply for Race to the Top, and premature reforms may have long term and potentially unnecessary consequences for students and schools."
"We fully support efforts to turn around persistently low performing schools, improve student achievement and close the achievement gap, but such efforts need to be done in a thoughtful manner with input from all stakeholders including parents and community members," said Debbie Look, director of legislation for the California State PTA. "We acknowledge the sense of urgency created by the short timeline of the application process for Race to the Top funds, but our sense of urgency is based on providing all students, especially the historically underserved, opportunities for a high quality education."
"In this time of unprecedented budget cuts to schools, we should focus on thoughtful proposals to help our schools, not further hinder them. Students are not best served through premature and rushed decisions made in emergency legislative sessions. None of the proposals in SB 1 5X is of an urgent nature that needs to be passed right now," said Allan Clark, president of the California School Employees Association.
California Federation of Teachers President Marty Hittelman said, "The Legislature should wait to respond to the published regulations that will come out as a result of formal review at the federal level - there is no reason to rush the process and move in directions that are both educationally disruptive and are not responsive to the final federal regulations."
Every child deserves a chance to learn and no child succeeds alone.
© 1999-


text:
Sign up
Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date with our latest news and eventsSubscribe to our newsletter
Date: Wednesday 12 February 2014
Time: 4pm
Price: Free
Categories: talk
50 years on from the first archaeological excavation of Masada, Head of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Masada excavation team Dr. Guy Stiebel talks about excavations of the site undertaken during the past 25 years.
The myth of Masada is one of the formative myths of Israeli society. To a large extent, the attitude to Masada and its transformation over the years mirror processes that took place in the Jewish society in Palestine and Israeli society ever after 1948. However, an examination of the archeological and historical information teaches that reality in Masada at the time of the rebellion was far more complex than it was previously perceived. The lecture will focus on a critical presentation of the community of rebels at Masada, which reveals itself as a heterogeneous community, alongside an examination of populations that are often excluded from the archeological discourse, such as women and children. Lastly we will dwell upon the new understanding of the Roman siege and its dramatic end.
This talk is in association with the Observer's Masada Exhibit, which will run from Tuesday 21 January to Friday 21 February in the foyer of the newspaper's HQ at Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9GU. The exhibition concentrates on the Observer's role in championing the excavations and includes testimonies and memorabilia from some of the volunteers. Access is free, 10am to 6pm each day, 7 days a week.
Box Office: 020 7284 7384 / email@example.com
Partially sponsored by British Friends of Hebrew University.


text:
Sorry if this is in the wrong section, please move if needed.
first off I havent got a clue about what I am about to post below,
I am just trying to get some ideas if possible to help out a forum I belong to, so sorry if I sound pretty thick on all of this.
so anyway....
we have a new buggy forum http://www.beachbuggy.info/index.php
one of the users runs his own little site and would like to embed photo albums from his site into the buggy forum.
his site is a mixture of PHP and HTML.
all the albums are stand alone HTML objects.
they are running in an iFrame, but that cant be used on the forum because of security risks...so the people that run the thing ecommweb say.
they cant think of a way, so I thought I might as well run it past here.
do you have any ideas ?
all the above I dont undersdtand..it might as well be made up by harry potter, but any ideas that I might be able to take back would be great.


text:
BOSTON — The day before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final with your team down 1-0 probably isn't the best time to "put things in perspective."
But that's what Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas tried to do today as he talked after practice about getting mentally prepared for the Bruins' must-win game tomorrow night at the TD Garden.
"I think you should get mentally prepared. It can get all-consuming but I don't think really that's the right way to go," he said. "These hockey games are important, they're important to us, they're important to the city, but to be realistic, it is just a game. You look around at what's going on in the world right now, Israel was attacked on numerous fronts yesterday. It can really make you put it in perspective."
Well, Timmy, thanks for your concern for the state of Israel. But there have been horrible things going on in the world for centuries and yet the NHL exists and you're being paid pretty handsomely — $5 million a season — to stop a puck and reward the people that pay hundreds of bucks to see you play in person and on television with a victory.
So, yes, a hockey game isn't war. But it is important when it's your livelihood. I'm not sure if Thomas was just making a convenient excuse for himself should things not go his way in this series, or maybe he's just belittling us media types whose job it is to chronicle his every move and his team's every game and take it seriously.
Sorry Timmy, we all can't have the courage to go report from the Middle East. Just like some of us have a talent to get paid millions to play a sport while teachers and factory workers are getting laid off. Sports is big business partly because of the media granting so much attention to the games and players and asking questions that fans want answers to, regardless of how insignificant you think they are.
That's the way the world works. Hopefully thinking about the 2012 presidential race won't make you miss the next Brett Clark backhander.


text:
For a lot of people, gardening is a labor of love, where the work involved is more than made up for in the beauty that results.
Every master gardener had to start somewhere, or at least that's what I told myself Saturday as I toured the nine gardens featured on this year's McHenry County Garden Walk, hosted by the University of Illinois Master Gardeners in McHenry County and McHenry County College.
This year's walk featured gardens in Woodstock, Richmond, Spring Grove and McHenry, as well as the demonstration garden at MCC in Crystal Lake.
The gardens ranged from a colorful and casual quarter-acre city lot in McHenry to a 5-acre farm in Spring Grove with goats, chickens and sheep, as well as grapes, herbs and vegetables.
So what's an amateur gardener like me supposed to take away from these magnificent, out-of-my-league gardens?
I asked a couple of the hosts what tips they would offer to newbies.
"Give it time. Good gardens take time. It's an evolution," said Matt Olk, who along with DeAnne Warner has turned a corner lot in McHenry into a relaxing oasis.
Sometimes things have to be moved, Olk said, or the soil needs to be amended.
Wendy Wu, whose Spring Grove garden features perennials and a spectacular waterfall and pond, emphasized that gardens are a work in progress.
But what if I plant something in the wrong place, I asked.
"Don't be afraid to try new plants," she said. "You can always dig them up and move them."
Even the experts "fail," she assured me. "We all do it."
Of course, one wouldn't come to that conclusion by looking at any of the gardens on the tour, which offered picture-perfect examples of many types of gardening.
A Victorian vegetable garden with brick pathways? Check.
A cottagelike garden outside an 1883 Victorian home with whimsical touches from a retired Woodstock art teacher? Check.
A wine press passed down through generations converted into a focal planter in the garden of former local restaurateurs? Check. (So good to see you, Joey Tallurico and Steve Scully, and how I miss Joey T's.)
Why, there even was a chance to meet a gardening celebrity. While touring Lou Emmons' lovely garden in Richmond, my group ran into Trudi Temple, who is the founder of Market Day. She was more than happy to regale us with her methods of composting and keeping the insects away from her broccoli.
That's the beauty of master gardeners. Most are more than happy to share their wealth of knowledge.
If you get a chance, the McHenry County Garden Walk is a wonderful way to collect ideas and learn a few tricks.
I'm told that it's going to be even bigger next year, in honor of the 35th anniversary of the Master Gardeners program.
So I just might have to bring a bigger notebook.
• Joan Oliver is the assistant news editor for the Northwest Herald. She can be reached at 815-526-4552 or by email at email@example.com.