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Background note: Mauritania.
Area: 1,030,070 sq. km. (419,212 sq. mi.); slightly larger than Texas and New Mexico combined.
Cities (2004): Capital--Nouakchott (pop. 708,000). Other cities--Nouadhibou (72,000), Rosso (50,000), Kaedi (34,000), Zouerate (34,000), Kiffa (33,000), Atar (24,000).
Terrain: Northern four-fifths barren desert; southern 20% mainly Sahelian with small-scale irrigated and rain-fed agriculture in the Senegal River basin.
Climate: Predominantly hot and dry.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Mauritanian(s).
Population: 3,162,338.
Annual population growth rate: 2.5%.
Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber (White Moor), Arab-Berber-Negroid (Black Moor), Haalpulaar, Soninke, Wolof (Black African Mauritanians).
Religion: Islam.
Languages: Arabic (official), Hassaniya (Arabic dialect), French, Pulaar, Wolof, and Soninke.
Education: Years compulsory--six. Attendance (student population enrolled in primary school)--82%. Adult literacy (% of population age 15+)--59%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--67/1,000. Life expectancy--64 yrs.
Work force: Agriculture and fisheries--50%. Services and commerce--20%. Government--20%. Industry and transportation--10%.
Type: Republic.
Independence: November 28, 1960.
Constitution: Approved 1991. Original constitution promulgated 1961.
Branches: Executive--president (head of state). Legislative--bicameral national assembly, directly elected lower house (81 members), and upper house (56 members) chosen indirectly by municipal councilors. Judicial--a supreme court and lower courts are nominally independent but subject to control of executive branch; judicial decisions are rendered mainly on the basis of Shari'a (Islamic law) for social/family matters and a western style legal code, applied in commercial and some criminal cases.
Political parties: 21.
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
National day: November 28, Independence Day.
GDP (at official exchange rate, 2009 est.): U.S. $3.029 billion.
Annual growth rate (2009): -0.9%.
Per capita GDP (2009): $939.
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, iron ore, gypsum, copper, gum arabic, phosphates, salt and gold.
Agriculture (13% of GDP 2007): Products--livestock, traditional fisheries, millet, maize, wheat, dates, rice.
Industry (47% of GDP 2007): Types--mining, commercial fishing.
Services (41% of GDP 2007).
Trade: Exports (2009) 1.37 billion: iron ore, fish and fish products, gold, copper, petroleum. Export partners (2007)--China 30.5%, France 9.5%, Italy 8.6%, Spain 8.5%, Japan 5.5%, Netherlands 5.3%, Belgium 5%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.7%. Imports (2009)--$1.43 billion: machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods. Import partners (2007)--France 16.7%, China 8.2%, Spain 6.8%, U.S. 6.2%, Belgium 5.8%, Brazil 5.5%.
Currency: Ouguiya (UM).
USAID: Total FY 2009 USAID humanitarian and development assistance to Mauritania--$11,100,000.
From the 3rd to 7th centuries, the migration of Berber tribes from North Africa displaced the Bafours, the original inhabitants of present-day Mauritania and the ancestors of the Soninke. Continued Arab-Berber migration drove indigenous black Africans south to the Senegal River or enslaved them. By 1076, Islamic warrior monks (Almoravid or Al Murabitun) completed the conquest of southern Mauritania, defeating the ancient Ghana empire. Over the next 500 years, Arabs overcame fierce Berber resistance to dominate Mauritania. The Mauritanian Thirty-Year War (1644-74) was the unsuccessful final Berber effort to repel the Maqil Arab invaders led by the Beni Hassan tribe. The descendants of Beni Hassan warriors became the upper stratum of Moorish society. Berbers retained influence by producing the majority of the region's Marabouts--those who preserve and teach Islamic tradition. Hassaniya, a mainly oral, Berber-influenced Arabic dialect that derives its name from the Beni Hassan tribe, became the dominant language among the largely nomadic population. Within Moorish society, aristocratic and servant classes developed, yielding "white" (aristocracy) and "black" Moors (the enslaved indigenous class).
French colonization at the beginning of the 20th century brought legal prohibitions against slavery and an end to interclan warfare. During the colonial period, the population remained nomadic, but sedentary black Africans, whose ancestors had been expelled centuries earlier by the Moors, began to trickle back into southern Mauritania. As the country gained independence in 1960, the capital city of Nouakchott was founded at the site of a small colonial village. Ninety percent of the population was still nomadic. With independence, larger numbers of ethnic Sub-Saharan Africans (Haalpulaar, Soninke, and Wolof) entered Mauritania, moving into the area north of the Senegal River. Educated in French, many of these recent arrivals became clerks, soldiers, and administrators in the new state.
Moors reacted to this change by trying to Arabicize much of Mauritanian life, such as law and language. A schism developed between those who considered Mauritania to be an Arab country (mainly Moors) and those who sought a dominant role for the Sub-Saharan peoples. The discord between these two conflicting visions of Mauritanian society was evident during intercommunal violence that broke out in April 1989 (the "1989 Events").
The country's first president, Moktar Ould Daddah, served from independence until ousted in a bloodless coup on July 10, 1978. Mauritania was under military rule from 1978 to 1992, when the country's first multi-party elections were held following the July 1991 approval by referendum of a constitution.
The Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS), led by President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, dominated Mauritanian politics from April 1992 until he was overthrown in August 2005. President Taya, who won elections in 1992 and 1997, first became chief of state through a December 12, 1984 bloodless coup which made him chairman of the committee of military officers that governed Mauritania from July 1978 to April 1992. A group of current and former Army officers launched a bloody but unsuccessful coup attempt on June 8, 2003.
On November 7, 2003, Mauritania's third presidential election since adopting the democratic process in 1992 took place. Incumbent President Taya was reelected. Several opposition groups alleged that the government had used fraudulent means to win the elections, but did not elect to pursue their grievances via available legal channels. The elections incorporated safeguards first adopted in 2001 municipal elections--published voter lists and hard-to-falsify voter identification cards.
On August 3, 2005, President Maaouya Ould Taya was deposed in a bloodless coup. Military officers, led by first cousins and tribesmen Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall and Colonel Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, staged a coup while President Taya was attending the funeral of Saudi Arabia's King Fahd. Colonel Vall established the ruling Military Council for Justice and Democracy, a military organ responsible for running the country. The council dissolved the Parliament and appointed a transitional government, which quickly adopted a timetable for the establishment of democratic rule within two years that led to successful parliamentary elections in November 2006, and free and transparent presidential elections in March 2007. A new democratically elected government under President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi--the first in 29 years--was inaugurated on April 19, 2007.
On August 6, 2008, President Abdallahi was overthrown in a bloodless coup. General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz seized power after President Abdallahi issued a decree dismissing General Aziz and three other senior military officers. The country was officially run for eight months by a 12-member High State Council (HSC) composed entirely of military officers. For the first time in the history of Mauritania, the coup encountered considerable opposition both nationally and internationally. On April 15, 2009, Aziz resigned from the government and the army and announced his presidential candidacy for elections on June 6, 2009, which were boycotted by main opposition leaders and ultimately rescheduled. A Government of National Unity was instituted on June 27, 2009, followed by President Abdallahi's voluntary resignation in compliance with the Dakar Accord negotiated under the aegis of Senegalese President Wade, the African Union, and an International Contact Group and signed on June 4. Aziz scored a first-round victory in elections organized on July 18. The results of those elections were recognized by the international community, and President Aziz was inaugurated on August 5, 2009.
Following the 2008 coup, the opposition organized under the Front National Pour la Defense de la Democratie (FNDD), an umbrella organization of anti-coup parties, and opposition leader Ahmed Ould Daddah's Rassemblement des Forces Democratiques (RFD). These groups joined forces to organize coup protests and to boycott unilateral elections organized by the junta for June 6, 2009. General Aziz governed the country at the head of the HSC until April 2009, when he resigned both from the government and the military to run for president in the controversial planned June 6 elections. Senate President Ba Mamadou M'Bare, an Afro-Mauritanian, was appointed interim President, and the HSC was relegated to a national security role. Mauritania's 10-month-long political stalemate ended with the June 4 signing of the Dakar Accord, which was brokered by Senegalese President Wade, the African Union, and the international community and signed by the three parties to the crisis--the Aziz camp, the FNDD, and the RFD. The accord called for President Abdallahi's return to form a consensual Transitional Government of National Unity and sign his resignation, which would open the way to constitutionality. The new government would organize elections on July 18 under the supervision of the international community.
After delays implementing the accord, which stemmed from disagreements about the future of the HSC, Abdallahi returned to form a Transitional Government of National Unity and resigned on June 27, 2009. In this interim government, the pro- coup camp, also known as "the majority," appointed the Prime Minister and 50% of the government, while the opposition controlled the remaining half, including the Ministry of Interior and Communications. The opposition also controlled two-thirds of the National Independent Electoral Commission. Presidential elections took place on July 18, with General Aziz scoring a first-round victory with over 53% of the popular vote. Three presidential candidates contested the result but the Government of National Unity, international observers, and the international community declared the elections free and fair.
Mauritania's government bureaucracy is composed of ministries, special agencies, and parastatal companies. The Ministry of Interior controls a system of regional governors and prefects modeled on the French system of local administration. Under this system, Mauritania is divided into 13 regions (wilaya), including the capital district, Nouakchott. Control is tightly concentrated in the executive branch of the central government, but a series of national and municipal elections since 1992 have produced some decentralization, and efforts to decentralize the government continue.
Politics in Mauritania have always been heavily influenced by the military and by "strong men" or personalities. A leader's ability to exercise political power depends upon control over resources; financial means; perceived strength; and tribal, ethnic, and family considerations. Conflict among White Moor, Black Moor, and Black African Mauritanian groups, centering on unequal access to power, language, government, education, and land tenure, continues to be a major challenge to national unity. Slavery, and the repatriation and compensation of victims from the 1989-90 purges of Afro- Mauritanians known as the "passif humanitaire," are still socio-political issues awaiting resolution, but Mauritania took several important steps toward reconciliation in 2009. On March 25, 2009, the HSC signed a framework agreement to compensate 244 widows of Afro-Mauritanian military personnel killed during the 1989-91 expulsions of Afro-Mauritanians and held a memorial for the victims on the same day. The agreement and memorial represented the authorities' first public acknowledgement of the government's role in the ethnic killings and expulsions of 1989-91. During 2009 President Aziz' government also conducted a census of former teachers among returnees in order to reinstate them in their former positions with the Ministry of Education.
Principal Government Officials
President--Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz
Prime Minister--Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation--Naha Mint Mouknass
Minister of Economy and Development--Sidi Ould Tah
Minister of Finance--Ousmane Kane
Ambassador to the United Nations--Abdelrahim Ould Elhadrami
Ambassador to the United States--vacant
Mauritania maintains an embassy in the United States at 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-232-5700, fax 202-232-5701) and a Permanent Mission to the United Nations at 211 East 43rd Street, Suite 2000, New York, NY 10017 (tel. 212-986-7963, fax 212-986-8419).
Before Mauritania's August 2005 coup, U.S.-Mauritania relations had been excellent, but had undergone several transformations since the country gained independence. From 1960 to 1967, the United States maintained cordial relations with Mauritania and provided a small amount of economic assistance. During the June 1967 Middle East war, Mauritania broke diplomatic and consular relations with the United States but restored ties 2 years later and maintained relatively friendly relations until the late 1980s, despite disagreement over the Arab-Israeli issue.
The 1989 rupture between Mauritania and Senegal (the "1989 Events"), which resulted in Mauritania's deportation of Senegalese citizens and also the purge of tens of thousands of Afro-Mauritanians from the military and government and their expulsion to Senegal and Mali, negatively affected U.S.-Mauritanian relations. (The Mauritanian Government, assisted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), began repatriating Mauritanians displaced to Senegal and Mali in early 2008. The repatriation of returnees from Senegal ended in December 2009.) Moreover, Mauritania's perceived support of Iraq prior to and during the 1991 Gulf war further weakened strained ties.
Relations between the U.S. and Mauritania reached a low in the spring of 1991, as details of the Mauritanian military's role in widespread human rights abuses surfaced. The U.S. responded by formally halting U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) operations and all military assistance to Mauritania. Relations also suffered in the 1990s as a result of repeated reports that slavery continued in some parts of Mauritania despite legal proscriptions.
By the late 1990s, the Mauritanian Government: adopted policies facilitating the return of those expelled or who fled during the 1989 Events; turned away from Iraq and toward the West; and initiated a poverty reduction strategy while securing debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Improved relations with the United States, including the return of military cooperation and training programs, accompanied these changes.
The United States condemned the 2005 coup and the unconstitutional assumption of power by the Military Council for Justice and Democracy, and called for a return to a constitutional government through free and fair elections as soon as possible. The U.S. Government supported Mauritania's transition to democracy, providing election-related assistance for voter education, political party training, and democracy building. Following the successful series of 2006-2007 parliamentary and presidential elections, the U.S. mobilized considerable amounts of development assistance.
The United States strongly condemned the 2008 military coup that overthrew President Abdallahi, the legitimate and democratically elected president. U.S.-Mauritania relations were strained due to the U.S.'s principled position in defense of democracy; its rejection and active denunciation of the coup; the suspension of all development and cooperation programs; its call for international sanctions; and the imposition of travel restrictions on the junta and its supporters. The Dakar Accord signed on June 4, 2009 was a significant diplomatic achievement, as it succeeded in bringing radically opposed positions closer together in the best interest of Mauritania. President Abdallahi's return to sign the Government of National Unity decree and his own voluntary resignation, two conditions crucial to the U.S. for a return to constitutionality, helped pave the way for diplomatic rapprochement.
The United States, along with the Government of National Unity and the international community, accepted the July 18, 2009 election of former General Aziz as reflecting the general will of the Mauritanian people. Following the international certification of the 2009 election, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) re-launched their development programs in Mauritania, which had been suspended following the coup. The U.S. congratulated President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz on his victory and called on all Mauritanian political leaders to continue to work together constructively and respectfully in the interest of their people.
Since then, the United States has worked energetically with the Mauritanian Government on a wide array of issues, including counterterrorism cooperation, food security, trade promotion, and efforts to strengthen human rights and the rule of law.
Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--Mark M. Boulware
Deputy Chief of Mission--Dennis Hankins
Regional Security Officer--Robert Castro
Political Officer--Nitza Sola-Rotger
Acting Public Affairs Officer--Nitza Sola-Rotger
Management Officer--Susan N'Garnim
Economic Officer--Stephen Kochuba
Peace Corps Country Director--David Solomon
The address of the U.S. Embassy in Mauritania is Rue Abdallaye, BP 222, Nouakchott, Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Tel. (222) 525-2660/525-2663; fax (222) 525-1592.
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises Americans traveling and residing abroad through Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings. Country Specific Information exists for all countries and includes information on entry and exit requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or unstable.
For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://www.travel.state.gov/, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings can be found. Consular Affairs Publications, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad, are also available at http://www.travel.state.gov/. For additional information on international travel, see http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml.
The Department of State encourages all U.S. citizens traveling or residing abroad to register via the State Department's travel registration website or at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Registration will make your presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary to contact you in an emergency and will enable you to receive up-to-date information on security conditions.
Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or the regular toll line 1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the U.S. and Canada.
The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport information. Telephone: 1-877-4-USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778); TDD/TTY: 1-888-874-7793. Passport information is available 24 hours, 7 days a week. You may speak with a representative Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) and a web site at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/trav el/default.aspx give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. The CDC publication "Health Information for International Travel" can be found at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentYellowBook.aspx.
Further Electronic Information
Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://www.state.gov/, the Department of State web site provides timely, global access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers of Foreign Service posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) provides security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies working abroad through its website http://www.osac.gov/
Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and market information offered by the federal government and provides trade leads, free export counseling, help with the export process, and more.
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Has Marc Webb found yet another character to add to Amazing Spider-Man 2? The Spidey sequel has already cast Mary Jane Watson, they're looking for a Harry Osborn, and everyone suspects the Green Goblin, Norman Osborn, will also be making an appearance, thanks to the post-credits jail scene in the first film. But if you watched closely, lightning was also featured prominently during this extra scene. Which directly correlates to this new bit of casting news.
According to Collider, Django Unchained's Jamie Foxx is in line to play Electro! Electro, the villainous electrical engineer who acquired superpowers after he was struck by lightning. This lines up quite nicely with the lightning hints the first film. Talking to Collider, Webb revealed why he wanted this particular villain:
"I think Electro is an incredibly visual, exciting, dangerous villain. There is a lot of appealing stuff that is going to happen as the world emerges."
Can't wait to see if he keeps the mask.

subset: commoncrawl


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Gretchen1 needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
2 winners were selected from 106 designs submitted by 22 freelance designers.
Bayou Manor
Bayou Manor is a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) located in Houston, Texas. Set on a spectacular seven-acre campus in between Meyerland, West University and the Medical Center. We offer residents Independent Living, Assisted Living, and a 60 bed Nursing Facility. It is the best life has to offer without any of the headaches.
Bayou Manor offers "Life Care" which allows you to age in place.
As Houston's FIRST "Life Care" Retirement community, Brazos Presbyterian Homes, which owns and operates Bayou Manor and the Hallmark, has nearly 5 decades of experience in caring for Houston-area seniors.
Simply stated, "Life Care" is a continuum of care providing all levels of care from Independent Apartments to Nursing. It is a complete plan for your future long-term care needs and the best way to ensure that all of your needs will be met at a predictable cost. "Life Care" provides everything you need to remain happy and healthy at an unquestionable value.
We provide a full array of wellness based amenities and programs to engage the body and mind, including an on-site clinic, physical, speech and occupational therapies, as well as several exercise programs.
You will gain peace of mind by knowing that your future health care needs will be provided for at a predictable and affordable cost with Bayou Manor offering lifetime access to our health care center.
Retired adults 62+.
Multiple logo conceps using the following:
PROPERTY NAME: Bayou Manor
TAGLINE: A Brazos Presbyterian Community
Russet - 1817U or 7516U
Orange - 160U or 7510U
Green - 126U or 118U
Gold - 1535U or 117U
* Variety of serif and sanserif fonts
* 4-color and 2-color printing options
* DO NOT use the "BM" designation anywhere as a reference or abbreviation for the community name
* Location is in suburban Houston ... avoid visuals of cattails or anything too "swampy" implied
* Upscale should be the overall feeling
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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STEM Robotics Platform
Yaskawa America, Inc.Updated 07/01/2013
The Yaskawa Motoman STEM Robotics Platform offers a selection of pre-engineered robotic solutions to meet the requirements of secondary (2- and -4 year) educational programs focused on advanced manufacturing and robotics. The standard configurations and available options, including components provided by the Yaskawa Motoman Education Consortium* (YMEC), result in a package of leading technologies typically encountered in advanced manufacturing environments. This product provides educators with the ability to purchase a complete package, or purchase components and build a custom education system that best fits the planned coursework and classroom layout. STEM Robotics Platform features:
- General-purpose platform with MH5F or MHJF robot with FS100 controller. Includes multi-purpose pneumatic grippers and valves
- Welding education platform also available with MH5S robot and DXM100 controller. Includes industrial weld equipment from Miller Electric Mfg. Co.
- Mobile platform design fits through standard doorways
- Work-space overlay provides endless exercises
- Additional options available (2D Cognex vision, QC conveyor, Visual Components simulation software and other peripherals)
Associated Categories


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Mistakes Are Just Concepts Modern Society Has InventedThursday, February 4th, 2010
It's a fact that you can learn from a mistake after you admit you have made it, and that you cannot blame anyone else for your actions because you'll never learn anything from what you've done. You have to own up to your mistake and become responsible. Once you're able to admit that, you can move the focus of the blame away from others.
Making Mistakes in Modern Society
People are taught in school, in their families, or at the workplace that a mistake is something you should feel guilty about even though setbacks are inevitable and part of everyday life. Unfortunately, these same setbacks also seem to explain why people give up in life: they are not prepared to make a mistake and fail. What we need to recognize as a culture is that goals are challenging and setbacks will become more frequent – you must become dependent on your ability to learn from your mistakes and overcome them.


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Bake Up Boyz feat Jim Jones - Now I Can Do That [8-2-07]
It was released On August 02, 2007 http://myspace.com/bakeupboyz. Shout Out To RealTalkNy&IP=22.214.171.124
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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Pasta, Alcohol
440 Church Street,
Richmond, 3121
Ordering alcohol? You must be 18 or over and may be required to show ID.
Free delivery
10% off today on orders over $45
Smokin' Joes Pizza & Grill uses their own specialised couriers to deliver their food.
Warning - Under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 it is an offence to supply alcohol to a person under the age of 18 years (penalty exceeds $18,000), for a person under the age of 18 years to purchase or receive liquor (penalty exceeds $700).
Menulog tries to accurately copy the item descriptions, allergy information, ingredient information and other information relating to the contents of dishes ("Dietary Information") from the menus that are provided to us by our partner restaurants.
However, it is the restaurants themselves that prepare the dishes, and are responsible for providing this Dietary Information and ensuring that it is factually accurate. Please use the comments box to specify particular allergies or dietary requirements.
If you are in any doubt about the presence of allergens, the contents of a particular dish or any other Dietary Information, you should confirm with the restaurant directly before ordering from Menulog.
Enter your location to find food near you.
Sorry, but this restaurant is closed right now.Find open restaurants near {0} Pre-order a delivery order Pre-order a pick-up order
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For more you can place your order
You can't order drinks without food. Please add food to your order
High five! You're ready to order


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Mayor Don Wesely and StarTran officials today invited everyone to participate in "Ride for America" Day Thursday, October 11. No fare will be charged that day, but donations will be accepted for the disaster relief funds of the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.
"This idea came from StarTran employees, and we haven't heard of any other local bus systems taking on this project," said Mayor Don Wesely. "Many of our regular riders are low-income citizens who can't afford to make donations, so this provides them with a way to contribute to the relief efforts."
The adult fare to ride StarTran is $1. The fare for elderly and disabled citizens is 50 cents, and children under four ride free. The October 11th promotion also applies to the $2 Handi-Van service.
Transit Manager Larry Worth said StarTran's average income for one day is about $2,800, but he's hoping the amount left in fare boxes will be greater. Checks can be made out to the Red Cross and/or Salvation Army, and those unable to take the bus can mail donations to "Ride for America," StarTran, 710 "J" Street, Lincoln, NE 68508. Everyone who contributes will receive a flag pin.
"Not only will riders be contributing to a good cause, they will also be taking a positive step for the environment," said Mayor Wesely. "In Lincoln, cars and trucks account for three-fourths of the air pollution emissions. Increasing bus ridership can lead to better air quality in our community."
Worth said he hopes those who try the bus for a day will realize the convenience and cost savings
and become regular riders. Information on riding StarTran is available by calling 476-1234 or
on the city web site: www.lincoln.ne.gov under Public Works and Utilities.
Media Release


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Verizon has announced their financial results for Q4, 2012, and out of 9.8 million smartphones sold, 6.2 million of them were iPhone. That's over 63%. They also announced that their 4G LTE network now reached 273 million people in 476 U.S. markets. According to [Verizon] chairman and CEO, Lowell McAdam:
Verizon seized growth opportunities in the fourth quarter to cap a year of solid progress across the entire business. We delivered a total return of 13.2 percent to shareholders in 2012, and we enter 2013 ready to accelerate the momentum we've achieved and create significant shareholder value in the years to come.
It was also a record quarter for tablet sales, including the new introduced iPad mini and iPad 4.
This comes following the usual doom-and-gloom rumors and reports which seem to precede earnings announcement weeks, the last 10 days of which suggested demand for the iPhone 5 was weak and Apple should pack their bags and go home. If that turns out to be the stock manipulation at the expense of Apple and regular, more easily frightened investors, then it would be nice to think oversight would occur and such reports wouldn't find purchase in the most trusted financial papers of record in the future.
But who am I kidding, that particular type of bullshit services way too many agendas for anything approaching ethics or common sense to counter.
Meanwhile, more the 3 out of every 5 phones Verizon sold over the holidays were made by Apple.


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General Comments: Futures closed higher in consolidation trading. The fundamentals are considered bullish, but chart action shows that much of the fundamental news might be part of the price. Worries are that there will not be enough Cocoa beans available for processing for end of the year holiday demand. Cocoa is between crops, and offers are light. Rains have returned to West Africa. Ideas are that crop conditions there are generally improving, but that already harvested beans can get moldy due in part to producer holding patterns and poor storage facilities. Ideas are that drought and hot temperatures seen earlier in the growing season has hurt bean size and yields. Malaysia and Indonesia crops appear to be in good condition and weather is called favorable.
Overnight News: Scattered showers are expected in West Africa. Temperatures will average near normal. Malaysia and Indonesia should see scattered showers, but southern áreas could be dry. Temperatures should average above normal. Brazil will get mostly dry conditions and warm temperatures. ICE certified stocks are lower today at 4.265 million bags.
Chart Trends: Trends in New York are mixed. Support is at 2555, 2540, and 2510 December, with resistance at 2610, 2625, and 2650 December. Trends in London are mixed to down with no objectives. Support is at 1670, 1660, and 1650 December, with resistance at 1710, 1730, and 1750 December.
General Comments: Futures closed higher after a week of poor export sales. Worries about US production. Some short covering was noted on ideas that the crop is less than expected, in part due to the recent big rains. US crop conditions right now are generally good with moderate to warm temperatures and dry conditions in the forecast for Texas this week and dry weather in the forecast for the Delta and Southeast.
Overnight News: The Delta and Southeast will see mostly dry weather. Temperatures will average above normal. Texas will see dry weather. Temperatures will average above normal. The USDA spot price is now 82.23 ct/lb. ICE said that certified Cotton stocks are now 0.011 million bales, from 0.014 million yesterday.
Chart Trends: Trends in Cotton are mixed. Support is at 84.60, 84.10, and 83.70 December, with resistance of 85.50, 85.80, and 86.50 December.


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Recipe adapted from "I love butter cake by Kevin Chai".
150g butter
140g sugar (reduced)
3 eggs
50g digestive biscuits (blended)
100g cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
100g milk chocolate chips
~ Grease baking pan or any mould you'll like to use with alittle butter. Preheat oven to 180'C.
~ Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
~ Add in eggs one at a time.
~ Fold in blended biscuits, flour, baking powder and chocolate chips.
~ Mix until well blended and spoon into prepared moulds or pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked at 180'C.


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TopShop Well Positioned to 'Crack the U.S.'
Just as one major British retailer is about to leave America with its tail between its legs, another has announced big plans to expand in the U.S.
The day after Tesco said it intends to sell or close its U.S. brand Fresh & Easy, billionaire British retail tycoon Philip Green announced the sale of a 25% stake in his Topshop fashion chain to U.S. private-equity firm Leonard Green & Partners for £500 million, a partnership Mr. Green hopes will lead to mass expansion across the Atlantic.
But why does Mr. Green think he can succeed where so many others have failed?
After all, the U.S. market is notoriously tough to crack for British retailers. Marks & Spencer drew a line under its disastrous attempts to expand in America when it sold the Brooks Brothers brand in 2001 for less than a third of the price paid for the company in 1988. U.K. supermarket J Sainsbury also sold out of the U.S. in 2004 after more than 20 years and Tesco yesterday ended five unprofitable years in the country with the admission that it wouldn't be able to generate returns for shareholders.
Topshop has already tested the water in the U.S. It recently opened stores in Chicago and Las Vegas, with a third planned for Los Angeles next year. Mr. Green also has considerable knowledge of the U.S. retail market in new partner Leonard Green, the co-owner of J. Crew.
It's worth noting that J. Crew's Chief Executive Mickey Drexler and Mr. Green are old acquaintances. This should help oil the wheels of their U.S. adventure.
So far, it seems retail experts are cautiously optimistic about Mr. Green's overseas plans for TopShop…


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Need a life-saving surgery for a beloved pet, but can't afford the cost?
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Website co-founder and owner Stacey Nutini, a 1997 Olentangy High School graduate, said she and her boy-friend launched the site in October 2012 following the death of their dog, Sassy, two months earlier.
Nutini adopted Sassy from Hilliard's Capital Area Humane Society in 2002.
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Fund A Pet Miracle was born out of Nutini's desire to help other people in similar situations. Pet owners, rescuers or veterinarians can post projects for animals that need surgeries or treatments and people can donate to those specific animals at the website.
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Nutini is the daughter of Don and Pat Gindlesperger of Powell.


text:
Illustration by David Dees
December 19, 2012: Was the day that ended life in what was the United States. The "SEE" of Tranquility marks the point when all the words that have meant nothing, came face-to-face with the stone-cold-reality of the slaughter that will end it.
In 1964 I began to "QUESTION EVERYTHING" in the government of the old USA. It took two years to identify what had gone wrong. I did over six-hundred sketches for a project that needed to be done—just to outline this problem that had the nation by the throat. During the coming time-frame I reduced the number of images down to 66 drawings that became "The State of the Nation 1966". (1)
That began the task that started me on this road, 48 years ago. Since that day everything both nationally & globally has continued to change until we've reached this place where WAR is PEACE, Freedom is Slavery, IGNORANCE is STRENGTH and where
LIES are TRUTH.
The global population has been asleep. Over the decades I fought to try and wake what I thought were the slumbering-hordes. There was clearly a passive-dismemberment at work-globally that continued to slaughter our dreams and individual futures. In the early 70's I did a series of images based on the work of poet Robinson Jeffers. He fought his battles for our thoughts against those who professionally-wrestled with ideas that would later change the world—one nightmare at a time.
Jeffers wrestled with this dilemma in his1941 poem. Robinson Jeffers saw it this way. I painted that thought in The Journey, Part one. (2)
"Be Angry at the Sun"
Published by Pomegranate Publications
With permission from Random House
© Kirwan 1974
"That public men publish falsehoods
Is nothing new.
That America must accept like the historical republics,
Corruption and empire
Has been known for years.
Be Angry at the Sun for setting
If these things anger you.
Watch the wheel slope & turn,
They are all bound on the wheel,
These people, those warriors,
This republic Europe, Asia.
Observe them gesticulating,
Observe them going down.
The gang serves lies,
The passionate man plays his part;
The cold passion for truth hunts in no pack.
Let boys want pleasure,
And men Struggle for power, and women perhaps for fame,
And the servile to serve a Leader
And the dupes to be duped.
Yours is not theirs."
This article titled "Through the Looking Glass-Darkly" was scrubbed from the net in 2011. This image for that article is still valid today.
Today is the first OFFICIAL- DAY of the New World Order.
Everything will now begin to CHANGE. This will not be the promised change that so many have hypothetically anticipated. NO. This will be the beginning of the end of this nation forever. Too many still refuse to understand the forces they have never seen or felt. Yet, it is these same forces that absolutely control their lives.
Obama is Baiting the Next American Civil War. (3)
Followed by this Red Alert on the same day!
'The lunatic in the Tarnished House just could not wait – he's done it! Vice President Joe Biden will be going after weapons, beginning January 1, 2013. This government will begin seizing weapons and Criminalizing Americans for owning legal guns!' (4)
So many, now, are so self-satisfied with "their tiny little world of rightness" that they have demanded the wider world unconditionally-accept. These same "deniers" of life, of pleasure, of purpose and human dignity have always been the minority in this war-torn world. Yesterday "THEIR CHAMPION" the lying, criminally-obsessed psychopath they worship, assumed total control of the entire government. This ended all the laws that once existed to protect the people and the land on which we live.
The existence of congress or the courts are officially
This one act will save a huge amount of money;
It will provide even MORE of MORE for the owners
While they KILL the rest of us!
When the barbarians come into their homes and destroy all their oh-so-precious-property the cowards might finally begin to understand just how WRONG this decision of theirs was. But it will be too late. By then they will be either dead or on their way to prison. It will not matter whether or not they actually had, or have ever had, any weapons! This is NOT and never was about having WEAPONS. This is all about THE GOVERNMENT'S need to exterminate most of the population that lives here now.
The announcement yesterday by Obama to
Was the final straw that ended the Republic.
This simply gives him and his owners the excuse they needed to arrest anyone they have already decided to arrest or kill. There will be no arrests, no trials, NOTHING, just thugs and cops running rampant anyplace where they are not being met by firestorms of public RESISTANCE—thanks to the FREE-PASS that the brain-dead gave OBAMA, because of the twisted-events of and in Sandy-Hook last week.
The overflowing jubilant-celebrations of the fools who have swallowed the bait—hook-line-and-sinker—will never give any-thought to what they are about to be forced into: BECAUSE they did this final CRIME, against themselves, WILLINGLY!
Government acts like this is just routine. Supposedly this begins on January 1, 2013 – just like all the other criminal actions that will go into effect on that same day. Those of us who have been out here on the edge-of-oblivion for decades know what will happen. This is nothing like what this government announced yesterday.
People will begin to disappear. On whatever pre-prepared schedule certain communication-sites and people will cease to exist. Thus providing for the triumphant TAKEOVER of what was the Republic. This will go hand-in-gloved-fist: With the federal-seizing of funds, the closing of accounts, the raiding of safety-deposit boxes, the termination of retirement accounts and safety-nets that were supposedly designed to keep the old and the unemployed from being slaughtered by the thousands. That's separate from the millions that will die because of massive holes in OBAMACARE: Put there on purpose to kill off useless eaters who they deem "need to die" rather than to continue to take up space and money, which the Élites believe they are ENTITLED to seize.
If you want proof of what's coming just look at those that have still not received any real help in New York City since Hurricane Sandy and her companion storm destroyed so many lives. They still have not received any help (No heat, electricity, food or shelter) from FEMA, the City or the State of New York: much less from the Federal government on any level. Look it up!
This entire edifice (government) was built over several hundred years to function as the power behind the people to protect us all. Yet the government has now clearly become the ENEMY of all Americans. It's a fact now. You can see it in the deeds which this government has done since Bush stole the Oval Office in 2000. Nothing exists anymore of what were the LAWS that once supposedly governed this place. All that remains is to massacre the public so that our owners, who no longer live here, can get on with their new lives in other places in their roles as part of the New Illuminati World Order.
We made that possible yesterday by unconditionally surrendering our lives to the barbaric-associates who serve this worldwide-Zionista-criminal-organization.
Three-hundred or so million Americans probably won't be missed: Or so the Zionists believe. Having already assumed that we will not be able to resist their hostile-takeover—most will be taken, killed or captured—because of our own ignorance. Our avid-surrender to those that came to DISARM THE PUBLIC and to hasten the end of the USA should never be forgotten!
The next twelve days will see unbelievable and irrevocable changes to this nation that no one alive today will be asked to approve of.
We will from this day forward be TOLD what to do, what to think and how to live. If we hesitate for even a second, we will be killed outright—unless of course there really is an American BACKLASH!
Here's an overview of what was being done to us—just before the cowards and their Zionista friends succeeded in shutting down America. "Obama Baits the Next American Civil War" (5)
Obama defied the Second Amendment yesterday. (6)
The time for petitions has passed. The time for action is here.
Read and listen to the links below. Decide for yourself whether you will take this laying down, or whether you will join the fight. This is about your own life, as well as the lives of everyone else that chooses to RESIST the TRAITORS.
Nature will not "take-a-number" or wait for anyone to 'get-ready'.
"NOW" has finally arrived!
1) Oklahoma – The State of the Nation 1966
2) The Journey
3) Obama's Baiting Next American Civil War – 10 min 47 sec video
4) Red Alert!! Obama GUN CONFISCATION Starts Jan 1, 2013 – 7 min 25 sec video
5) Does Any Government Dare Do This
6) Article Two: The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Back to top
All images are © kirwan, all rights are reserved (unless otherwise noted).


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March 30, 2010
Wabash College is a private liberal arts college for men located in Crawfordsville, Indiana and was founded in 1832. Long known as one of the nation's finest liberal arts colleges, Wabash is home to the Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts and also is included in Loren Pope's book, Colleges That Change Lives. Visit www.wabash.edu for more information. For a more complete description of each event go to the Wabash College Calendar Web site at: www.wabash.edu/calendar


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Friday, October 31, 2008
What the Hell?
Seriously, Blizzard, this is a breakdown of your design and development procedures of monumental proportions.
24 comments:
Either that or due to bugs in the beta and PTR were unable to identify issues with Retribution burst damage believing the numbers were due to a known bug on the test realms. When it went to live, they discovered that they had, in fact, made Paladin numbers too high. They also uncoupled two skills from each other that people weren't used to attempting to use together. When people finally left the old paradigm and discovered this new trick, it added fuel to an already blistering fire. They need to fix things on the live realms in order to get enough play testing with the changes to see if everything is kosher before the expansion hits and everything is in flux again until people hit 80 and start their raid progression at which point they'll be able to get real numbers again.ReplyDelete
Either that or Blizz hates us and wants to nerf us to the ground.
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
im not normally one to complain bias.. but wow.. i have been getting pummeled by arms warriors, rogues and warlocks routinely since i started playing wow.ReplyDelete
i have never seen them so obsessive about a class being regularly dominant in bg's..
- Gryphonheart1:49 AM, November 01, 2008
Actually, has there even been any other non-bug-related hotfixes, just for class balance?ReplyDelete
i propose a paladin revolt!!!!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous5:22 AM, November 01, 2008
Thanks for posting a reasonable theory to a question that was right on my mind after reading this post. "What happened in the dev process that they missed this?"
I also wonder from a quality control aspect if the Wrath release date was too ambitious. The poor devs are probably working crazy hours and they are most likely pushing too hard too fast - and it shows. How else would you explain such panicked hotfixing.
It is worth noting that the whole Pally overhaul is probably the most significant revamp to an existing class since, well, the last Pally overhaul at the 11th hour of the original beta. Patch 3.0 is an odd window into the development process in which it is easy to forget that there is actually still a beta test going on; this patch arguably should not be live to begin with, but Blizzard wanted to build some hype and work out the worst of the server stress issues before launch day of the expansion, so here we are with a beta-in-progress build on live.ReplyDelete
That aside, I'm pretty staggered too. You'd really think that they would have gotten the balance numbers closer, even if that meant overnerfing on beta so the subsequent changes could be tuning buffs (like they did with Death Knights a few months back).
- Anonymous5:39 AM, November 01, 2008
Ret may be perfectly balanced in a Lich King world at level 80. The problem is they're loose in a Burning Crusade world at 70.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous5:47 AM, November 01, 2008
I seem to recall druids getting hit fairly hard shortly after BC released, but in a patch rather than a hotfix. Maybe my memory is wrong.ReplyDelete
I am surprised it got this far. Ever since the start of beta paladins have been all over Northrend shouting about how OP they are, or maybe it blended in with the fact that everyone seems OP right now. What is surprising is that Blizz reacted so slowly. I guess maybe PvP on beta was not representative of PvP on live servers.
Lets put aside all of the things people are saying about hotnerfing paladins for a second.ReplyDelete
Lets put aside all the design ideas they implemented for paladins having been undone for a second.
This hotnerf now makes wings/bubble WORSE than before 3.0. Forbearance is now two minutes! They doubled the time on it. Forget using wings in a raid if you want to ever have the escape of bubble again. It is absolutely outrageous!
Didn't warriors get a hotfixed nerf after a video of someone running around two-shotting elites with slam? Even if that's true though, that was in the middle of the game, when balance was a pretty high priority. 60 was the cap and would be for at least 2-3 more years after that. Currently Blizzard knows and anticipated that balance would be screwed up at 70. They didn't freeze arena titles before 3.0 for no reason at all. They knew this was coming.ReplyDelete
I can understand that they'd want to get some amount of balance since we're so disliked. It wouldn't be good for sales to have lolret running around wrecking everything in sight. However there is a middle ground between shooting us down some to bring a bit of balance and shooting us down into a grave.
Just a quick update as more people read BoK. In addition to the listed hotfixes we also have:ReplyDelete
JoJustice now lasts only 10 seconds in PvP (down from 20).
The Sanctified Wrath talent in Ret no longer allows 50% of damage to bypass damage absorption shields.
- Anonymous10:37 AM, November 01, 2008
Yeah this is pretty ridiculous...I mean, even if it is broken, why can't they just leave it until the xpack comes out? I mean, the arena season is over, and raids hardly mean anything right now.ReplyDelete
Uhm, post-patch Forbearance was upped to 3 minutes. They reduced it to 2 minutes in the Avenging Wrath nerf-hotfix.
This is actually a buff to Paladins.
@1st Anonymous:
Balance is different than 'done'. They could sit and balance until the cows come home. All of the features are in (pretty much, they've got plans for a few other things that they have absolutely no time for at the moment). However, the classes are currently in a 'complete-ish' state. None of the features are in the 'Not Yet Implemented' column at the moment. Yeah, things could get swapped around next major patch and/or added, but the same could be said for every major patch. They're talking about re-working how bear armor works for the 3.1 patch. Things are done, but not perfect. Things will never be perfect, so might as well launch the expansion.
@3rd Anonymous:
One word: 'Testing'. They need classes to run around battlegrounds and make sure that the devs didn't miss some obscure gear/skill combo that causes massive amounts of power (like the one Warlock set bonus causing new talents to go out of whack and allow for a couple million damage per second). If people feel frustrated by getting killed over and over by a slightly over-powered class, it skews all of the testing to be done. Once the xpac goes live all numbers are going to be in flux. Forum posts will be along the lines of "Hi, I'm in random quest greens and can be beat by the other guy in random quest greens and I don't think it's fair." Is the other guy's quest greens better? Does the first guy just need better skills? Is one of the skills under/overpowered at that level? Who knows? Right now, people are comparing level 70s in known gear configurations against other level 70s in known gear configurations. Tada, we've got fairly consistent data that way.
I hate being one of those conspiracy theorists guys, but I'm getting the feeling, more and more, that Blizzard pushed 3.0 and will push WotLK far soon than they are really ready. Stuff like this should have never made it out of Beta into the PTR, let alone into live.ReplyDelete
I just can't shake the feeling that WAR frightened Blizzard pushing out Wrath far sooner than it was ready. You have stuff like this, the timing of a huge influx of players to the Wrath Beta (right around the time of WAR going live).
Blizzard is a company that was known for pushing back release timeframe again and again to make sure it's good enough. This doesn't even come close to good enough.
I was comparing what Paladins have now on Live with what we had pre-3.0.
If Avenging Wrath and Diving Shield were OK for MONTHS on live with a 30 second or 60 second Forbearance, why the hell do they think it needs to be two minutes now? They expect us to believe they are putting any thought into this?
How can they possibly be testing accurately if all the testing is not done at the same time? Where are the counter balances that are being planned, they never made it to live.
Vengence, Righteous Vengence, Judgements of the Wise, Divine Storm, Sanctified Wrath... ALL nerfed. 11 days to launch and they are guessing at how to make us whole. They have no fucken clue and are basically admitting it.
- Anonymous4:05 PM, November 01, 2008
It's simple: Blizzard hate Paladins...having played one for 3.5 years I can't stomach the though of becoming a healadin again. My beautiful holy ret warrior was nurfed to the ground in BC and again now in WoTLK releging me to a spot up the back in raids spamming two spells (and we can;t even down rank anymore). WTF are they doing to us? I too have been pummeled to the ground by locks and stun locked by rogues more times than I care to remember. If Blizzard continue this way, well, I don't quite know how I can put words to the strength of feeling I have against this. /sadpandaReplyDelete
if you don't understand, you shouldn't even try. NOTHING have they done after the patch a buff, including the "DOT buff" that they're trying to push it.
Before the 3.0.2, we had 1 min forbearance on all 4 spells divine shield, divine protection, blessing protection and AW.
After the patch, they took it away for AW so it was a buff for AW but nerf the other 3 spells to 3min forbearance. Then now, they hot fix a huge nerf to AW AND the other 3 spells ...even worse than time pre-3.0.2 to have 2min on everything now.
Lol, Gryphonheart, Reckoning doesn't count. That's just hilarious. And it not capping charges is closer to a bug/exploit than an actual design decision.ReplyDelete
Kaziel, actually in my opinion, except for the paladin class, Wrath is ready to go.ReplyDelete
All the other classes are more or less done. A couple need slight tweaks. I think Hunters need to be dropped a bit, Warlocks nudged up a bit, and Elemental Shaman need an AoE spell. But they're all in pretty good shape.
All the initial content looks good, the initial zones, quests and raid are fine, as far as I know.
It's really only the paladin class that Blizzard has lost control of.
People will always think their class is the least powerful and all other classes need to be nerfed.ReplyDelete
Ofc your class is the one you see and notice changes the most, but really, all classes have nerfs and buffs and even very big changes all the time.
Druids are a completely different class now then they were in wow 1.0.
The speccs are not even remotely what they used to be and got changed multiple times up to what they are now.
The warrior class has been changed a lot.
Like hell of a lot. It's not the same as it was in 1.0.
The priest class has seen significant changes to both the shadow and disc tree (and partly the holy tree) to become what it is now.
Shamans have seen very massive changes as well.
Basically blizzard struggles and always did struggle with hybrid classes.
Either they are too powerful and dominate or they're not powerful enough and get min/maxed out of party/raid/arena groups for better classes/speccs.
So yes the paladin class got quite a few significant changes.
Noone really complained when the retri specc became as overpowered as it is now.
Noone complained because prot leveling is the most imbalanced, downtime free fast leveling method in the game (at least not paladins)
Get over it really.
Yes your class gets a few nerfs and isn't completely balanced yet but since they change that already and not in the middle of WotLK it's a good thing imho.
They'll do fine. They did quite ok so far for most classes (Except prot warriors who were a joke in TBC ... yeah i play a warrior.... go figure ;))
Seeing comments like these makes me realize why the MUD I played back in the day never announced any balance changes to damage on skills. They would only announce things that the players could actively prove had changed such as skill duration.ReplyDelete
If Blizzard saw the issues with Retribution burst damage and lowered the coefficients without telling anyone, would people notice? Especially as close after the patch it was? Probably not. You'd see the Avenging Wrath change and bitch about it, but would be completely blind about how your damage on seals was pulled back. You'd be blissfully ignorant that Blizzard did any balance changes. I'm still doing high dps. I'm still doing slightly better damage than my gear level (which is starting to become difficult to tell as we've been decimating raid instances and rummaging through loot pinatas).
I've heard very few of you point out the beauty that is the new Repentance. It is wonderful for pulls as I can nullify a caster/healer while the group works on the rest of the pull. Divine storm is a fun skill and still does a decent amount of damage. Art of War instant flash of light allows me to toss a HoT on the tank or myself to help keep the the group up. Two minute seals are also a wonderful change. Six second cooldown on Holy Shock. The mana regen for Blessing of Salvation. Itemization changes for Prot and Ret.
We got a lot of cool things. We got a massive overhaul. It's extremely understandable for Blizzard to find things they missed.
Just a note, the next class they're likely to start doing tweaks on is Hunters. Some of the new pet talents are a bit too good and will likely be nerfed.
I feel the same, the Paladin treatment is poor considering that they have been making the game for more than a few years now.ReplyDelete
To say "get used to it" or "everyone thinks they're getting nurfed" is ahem - wrong. Rogues and Hunters have been boosted, overall most classes have been improved. Paladins have been twisted and thrown every which way...again.
Enough that I think I'll stop playing mine.
- Anonymous6:12 AM, November 12, 2008
well now lets see for one its about time that the warriors are capable of something as everyone knew they suckd all around!!! and the ret palidans the DO NEED A SUPER NERF JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!! how is it that one such as me and be wearing full s3 s4 gear and do almost 23k damage to a paladin that has 8k damage and he wins hmmmmmm well now lets see ret paladins are op and they are uhm op and wait uhm they are op oh yeah of course they are OP so yes they need a nerf and if you are any good at all at the game with your ret paladins you too will realize that wow i am op. its only the ppl that DO NOT KNOW HOW TO PLAY THEIR RET PALADINS that think all this nerfing is ridiculous. they now have all the healing things i hit them and they get healed and i take damage just for hitting them is complete BS!!!!! and they can attack in bubble with is even more BS. IMO pallys do not need a nerf they need a remake start over with the trees and for the love of god make longer CD's on their abilitiesReplyDelete


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Country singer Daryle Singletary dies at the age of 46
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) - Country singer Daryle Singletary has died at the age of 46.
Singletary died suddenly at his Lebanon home Monday morning. The cause of his death is not yet known.
Singletary is survived by his wife Holly and four young children.
"Completely heartbroken to learn of the passing of our friend Daryle Singletary this morning. He was one of the best men we've had the privilege to meet and work with in this business, both professionally and personally. Please keep Daryle's wife, Holly and their four young children in your prayers." - McAlpin Entertainment said in a statement.
Singletary is best know for his hits "I Let Her Lie," "Amen Kind of Love" and "Too Much Fun."
According to TMZ, he performed Friday at "The Rodeo Club" in Alabama. He also recently played in tribute shows for Randy Travis and Mel Tillis in Nashville.
Funeral arrangements have have not yet been announced.
The country music world took to Twitter to express their sadness at the loss of Daryle:


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'Game of Thrones' Season 3 Deleted Scenes: Jon Snow Meets Mance Rayder, Tywin Fishes and More!
This past Sunday HBO bestowed on us another epic 'Game of Thrones' season 4 trailer, while the season 3 Blu-Ray hit stores stores today. And while the home release arrives just in time for fans to rewatch before the April 6 premiere, check out a complement of deleted season 3 scenes that tease where the action might go next!
While we'd already seen the deleted scene between Tywin Lannister and Maester Pycelle, wherein the latter finally drops his confused old man act, the surrounding 'Game of Thrones' season 3 deleted scenes offer up extended looks at Jon Snow's meeting with "King Beyond the Wall" Mance Rayder (Ciaran Hinds), along with Robb Stark (RIP)'s meeting with the Tullys, and Jon Snow's first attempt at leaving Ygritte behind.
In the meantime, there's always photos, trailers and teases for the April 6 premiere, while HBO has cast in known roles Joel Fry as Hizdahr zo Loraq, Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Mace Tyrell, Pedro Pascal as Prince Oberyn Martell, Indira Varma as Oberyn's lover Ellaria Sand, Yuri Kolokolnikov as Styr, Magnar of Thenn, and 'Sherlock' star Mark Gatiss as Tycho Nestoris. 'Treme"s Michiel Huisman will replace Ed Skrein as Daario Naharis, and Hafthor Julius Bjornsson will take over the role of Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane from Ian Whyte, among other recastings.
Well, what do you think? Will we see more of Mance Rayder and his Wildlings, after the former's brief appearance in season 3? Check out the 'Game of Thrones' deleted scenes above while they last, and tell us what you want to see from season 4 in April!


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text: What celebration brought together some of the worlds top fashion designers Marc Jacobs, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Calvin Klein? The answer is.... Wilhelmina Models president, Sean Patterson's birthday party that took place last week of course. Ricky Martin and Esther Canadas led the "Happy Birthday" chorus in style. Some of the other stars on


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SOCIALIFE News Magazine is compiled of individuals who have a passion for culture and people. Without our staff, we would lack the drive and enthusiasm it takes to capture life's moments through video, photos, and words. We love what we do and love to share with our site visitors the beauty there is in the Rio Grande Valley. The Borderland community is made up of individuals who hold strong family and community values. SOCIALIFE displays this great quality of South Texas through online and print publication. Our passion is framed with the work we do and the exclusive coverage and attention put into each event and article. Here you will find photo galleries, video galleries, articles and calendars for the typical RGV socialite.
SOCIALIFE is a regional magazine that creates a perfect luxury landscape for readers who appreciate fine dining, expressive culture, and extraordinarily crafted events happening in the Rio Grande Valley. With our team of ardent personnel, we create a flavorful online and print magazine to shed light on the region's best.
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AMC has renewed "The Walking Dead" for a fifth season in 2014, the network announced Tuesday.
Scott Gimple will return as showrunner, as will executive producers Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Greg Nicotero and Tom Luse.
"The Walking Dead" won the ratings last for scripted shows last season, breaking viewership records for a cable drama. So far in Season 4, viewers have been flocking to the show like zombies to brains. The premiere drew 20.2 million viewers if you factor in VCR viewership numbers, with the original 8 p.m. airing grabbing 16.1 million viewers.
Here is the full announcement from AMC:
AMC announced today that it has renewed The Walking Dead for a fifth season. The number one show on television among adults 18-49, The Walking Dead returned for a fourth season earlier this month and the premiere episode set a new record for the series, delivering 20.2 million viewers, live+3, and 13.2 million adults 18-49, a new record for any non-sports cable telecast.
"We are very happy to make what has to be one of the most anti-climactic renewal announcements ever: 'The Walking Dead' is renewed for a fifth season," said Charlie Collier, AMC president. "This is a show that has erased traditional distinctions between cable and broadcast. Its expanding base of passionate fans has grown every season, most recently – and most notably – with the season four premiere earlier this month, which broke viewership records for the series and became the biggest non-sports telecast in cable history. On behalf of the incredible team on both sides of the camera, thank you to the fans and here's to more Dead."
For season five, Scott Gimple will return as the series' showrunner along with executive producers Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Greg Nicotero and Tom Luse. AMC also recently announced that it is developing a companion series to The Walking Dead, based on a new story and new characters from Robert Kirkman.
Want more? Discuss this article and others on Show Patrol's Facebook page.


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Many CCC graduates transfer to incredible four-year institutions, including Cornell University, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and Binghamton University.
Whether you want to become a nurse/doctor, engineer, entrepreneur, mechanical expert, or anything in between, CCC will put you on the path to success. An Associate in Science (A.S.) or Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree prepares you for easy transfer to a four-year college or university to complete a baccalaureate (B.A. or B.S.) degree.
- Business Administration (AS)
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- Health and Physical Education Studies (AS)
- Liberal Arts and Sciences: Childhood Ed/Teacher Ed Transfer (AS)
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- Liberal Arts and Sciences: Humanities & Social Sciences (AA, AS)
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http://www.livescience.com/55118-great- ... sided.html
I guess it isn't too bad from a percentage point of view.
Moderators: Minimalist, MichelleH
circumspice wrote:What's 5.5 inches on a scale so grand, from a time so distant? It doesn't mean shit to a tree...
It's there & it'll still be there when we're all dust... Unless E.P.'s Ancient Alien Cat Overlords decide to either move it or demolish it...
I can see why pyramidiots want to dissect it to the Nth degree... They want to make money off of it.
I'd rather they spent their money on stabilizing other more fragile monuments in Egypt.
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Based on the philosophy of bringing up sound youth through sports, the company has maintained the tradition of specializing in the manufacturing of sports shoes and clothing using original ideas and applying epoch-making techniques.
As the Japanese people recovered from the Second World War and began to appreciate the benefits of sports, Onitsuka Tiger shoes were on their feet. The first basketball shoes in Japan had a Tiger face design on the arch of the foot and this became Onitsuka's trademark. In the 1960's, Onitsuka Tiger shoes were worn not only by the Japanese, but also by top foreign athletes.
Since Onitsuka Tiger began back in 1949, it has gone on to become an iconic, global 'sports-fashion' brand with a unique Japanese sports heritage. In 2000, ASICS quietly resurrected the Onitsuka Tiger brand with original models of Onitsuka shoes and Onitsuka clothing updated in today's flavourful colours. Today Onitsuka Tiger for their Autumn – Winter collection fuses direct remakes of their back catalogue with a fresh representation of the forward looking face of modern metropolitan Japan, that reflect the innovative & original spirit of the brand.
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ELON — When it comes to Rachel Wilkinson's cooking, husband Bill says "I've got so many favorites, it's hard to pick just one."
But the Taco Pie that Rachel once made for the Nazarene Youth International, a youth ministry of the First Church of the Nazarene, is definitely at the top of the list.
The recipe, Rachel said, is 40 years old. When she was youth leader at the church in west Burlington, which is now Powerline Church of the Nazarene in Elon, she would make it often.
"The youth loved it and you can make it in small or large quantities and I still make it today," she said. "It is a complete meal consisting of bread, meat and a salad."
Rachel and Bill have a blended family of six children between them. Rachel joked that it was " 'The Brady Bunch,' but our children never fought like those kids on the TV show."
They've been married for 40 years now and have seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
"When the kids were at home, I cooked every day," Rachel said. "We raised a garden, too. My children never ate fast food or candy — if they wanted something sweet, well, I'd bake it for them."
Rachel helps out with fish frys and cookouts at Powerline Church of the Nazarene as well as preparing food for the senior ministries at the church.
"I take them goodies," she said with a smile.
Her German Chocolate Cake fetched $350 during a church auction, with the money going to a mission trip.
Rachel began cooking when she was 11 years old. Her mom worked outside the home and she was the oldest of the four girls.
There were eight children in the family.
"Dad taught me how to make biscuits," Rachel said. "From there, I began to make simple meals."
Back then, all of the children would help out at the farm and it was Rachel's job to have meals on the table when her Dad and siblings came in from the fields.
"We farmed and raised and canned all of our food," she said. "I can never remember going hungry."
Rachel was born in Greensboro and the family moved from Liberty to Mebane to Burlington. She can remember churning butter, milking cows and cooking on the family's wood stove.
"We didn't have electricity and we would get water from a spring. We didn't have indoor plumbing, either, that's what the outhouse was for," she said. "But we were happy. We didn't have nothing, but we didn't worry about nothing, either."
When Bill met Rachel for the first time, he was 17 and she was 13. He said she not only could cook, but "she was the prettiest, too."
"He used to drive the city market truck and he fell in love with my Mama's banana cake," she said with a smile.
"They amazed me," Bill said. "Those kids would work as hard as any adults I've ever seen."
Rachel's sister-in-law, Colleen Payne of Mebane, nominated her for Cook of the Month by saying "she makes the best banana pudding and cakes and pies."
Rachel said she loves to bake and try new recipes, some of which she gets from the Taste of Home magazine. She also prepares banana pudding, from her mother's recipe, and at family gatherings, she makes one big enough for 20 people.
"She's a good cook — an extra good cook," Bill said with a big smile.
No-bake Strawberry Dessert
¾ angel food cake (cut into cubes)
2 packages sugar-free strawberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 20-ounce package unsweetened whole strawberries, chopped (see cook's note)
2 cups skim milk
2 packages (1-ounce each) sugar-free, instant vanilla pudding mix
16 ounces light whipped topping
Arrange cake cubes in a 13-by-9-inch dish or pan. In a pan, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in chopped berries. Pour over cake and press down. Refrigerate until set — about an hour. In a bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix until slightly thickened. Spoon over cake and spread whipped topping. One serving is 92 calories.
• Cook's note: I use more than the 20-ounce package of strawberries.
Easy Microwave Potato Casserole
In a casserole dish, slice one layer of potatoes (dot with margarine and garlic salt and pepper or Mrs. Dash). Add a layer of sweet Vidalia onions (dot with margarine or Mrs. Dash). Make as many layers as wanted. Cover with plastic wrap and bake in microwave until done (about 10 to 12 minutes). Take out and layer with shredded Cheddar cheese and place in microwave until melted.
• Cook's notes: I don't measure on this one; use as many potatoes as will fit in whatever size casserole dish you have; same goes for the onions (use enough to make a layer and make as many layers as you want.)
German Chocolate Cake
1 package sweet German chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup margarine
4 egg yolks, beaten
2½ cups plain, sifted flour
4 egg whites, beaten
½ cup boiling water
Pinch of salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
Melt chocolate in boiling water and cool. Add vanilla and salt. After chocolate is melted, cream margarine and sugar. Add beaten egg yolks and ¾ cup buttermilk, alternating with flour. Dissolve soda in ¼ cup of the buttermilk. Add to mixture. Stir in chocolate. Fold in egg whites. Bake in four 9-inch pans at 350 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes.
3 egg yolks
4 teaspoons flour
1½ cups sugar
1 large can evaporated milk
1 stick margarine
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
Beat egg yolks and mix flour, sugar and salt. Stir into milk. Add melted margarine and cook over low heat until thickened or it comes to a boil for 2 minutes. Then, add chopped pecans, flaked coconut and vanilla.
Mama's Banana Pudding
2½ cups sugar
½ cup flour
Pinch of salt
2 cans (12 ounces each) evaporated milk
2 cups milk (1 percent or skim)
5 egg yolks, beaten
1½ teaspoons vanilla flavoring
8 bananas, sliced
1½ box vanilla wafers
5 egg whites
¼ cup sugar
Combine first six ingredients in a 3-quart saucepan and mix well. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in vanilla flavoring. Alternate layers of pudding, bananas and vanilla wafers in a 9-by-13-inch dish. Beat egg whites in bowl until soft peaks form. Add ¼ cup sugar, gradually until mixture becomes stiff. Spread meringue mixture on top and bake at 400 degrees F. until meringue is brown.
Stove Top Easy Cheesy Chicken Bake
1 6-ounce package Stove Top Stuffing Mix for chicken
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 14-ounce package frozen broccoli florets, thawed and drained
1 10¾-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
½ cup milk
1½ cups Kraft shredded Cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare stuffing as directed on package. Combine chicken and broccoli in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Stir in soup, milk and cheese; top with stuffing. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is done and casserole is heated through. Makes 6 servings.
• Cook's note: I boil the chicken and prepare it that way.
Taco Pie
1½ pounds lean ground beef
1 package taco seasoning mix
½ cup chunky salsa
2 cans small refrigerated biscuits or 1 large can of biscuits
1 package shredded Cheddar cheese (or another cheese, if you prefer)
Shredded lettuce, to taste
Diced peppers, to taste
Diced onions, to taste
Diced tomatoes, to taste
Ranch dressing or sour cream
Brown ground beef; drain grease. Add one package taco seasoning mix; mix well. Add ½ cup salsa and cook on low until done. In a 9-by-9-inch pan, spray with cooking spray. Mash biscuits with hand until they cover the bottom of the pan. Layer taco mixture over biscuits and cook in oven at 375 degrees F. until biscuits are done. Take out and sprinkle with shredded cheese and put back in oven until the cheese melts. Take out of the oven and layer with shredded lettuce, peppers, onions and tomatoes. Cut into squares and serve with ranch dressing or sour cream.
• Cook's notes: This makes a beautiful and colorful meal. You can add other toppings such as jalapeno peppers, if you wish. If you want a larger one, double the recipe for a 9-by-13-inch pan.
Cranberry-Apple Sweet Potatoes
5 to 6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, or two 18-ounce cans sweet potatoes, drained and cut into bite-size pieces
1 21-ounce can apple pie filling
1 8-ounce can whole cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
Cut fresh potatoes into bite-size pieces. In a large saucepan, cook potatoes, covered, in enough boiling salted water, about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside. Spread pie filling in an 8-by-8-by-2-inch baking dish; arrange cooked fresh or canned sweet potatoes atop. In a small mixing bowl, stir together cranberry sauce, apricot preserves and orange marmalade; spoon over sweet potatoes. Bake, uncovered, in a 350-degree F. oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
• Nutritional information: 354 calories, 2 grams protein, 83 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol and 29 milligrams sodium.
Source: Emily Kay, Bellerose, N.Y.
Microwave Strawberry Jam
4½ cups crushed fresh strawberries (wash and stem before crushing)
1 box (1¾ ounces) powdered fruit pectin
7 cups sugar
Place berries and pectin in a 3-quart casserole; stir well. Cover and place in microwave oven and cook (high power) 8 to 10 minutes until mixture is at a full, rolling boil.
Add sugar to boiling mixture and stir well. Return uncovered to microwave oven and cook mixture 8 to 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes, until mixture reaches a full, rolling boil. Then, time for a minute of boiling. Remove from oven and skim off foam with metal spoon; stirring jam about 5 minutes before ladling into prepared glasses. Seal.


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Please download an electronic copy of our summary pamphlet HERE
This international and interdisciplinary research network funded by the AHRC offers a forum for reassessing the place of creativity in urban economic growth. It uses the limitations and shortcomings of the creative city model exposed by the recent financial crisis, and the uneven urban prospects of recovery, to review and rethink the historical and theoretical relationship between culture, economy and urban development.
Between January and July 2011, workshops were held in London, Leeds and Plymouth bringing together academics, artists, planners, architects, policy-makers and other key stakeholders. These will be used to provide a geographically and historically aware critique of current creative city models, and to try to reshape the policy and conceptual frameworks required to stimulate new creative urban futures.
To receive occasional updates about the network and associated events and outputs please join the mailing list.
Photograph © Martin Slavin


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Mickey Rourke continues to be Team Gibson all the way in the Joe Eszterhas/Mel Gibson feud -- telling our photog that Joe is just upset that Mel didn't want to make a movie with him.
Rourke -- who would only talk to us for a second straight day if our camera guy bought him ice cream -- said that Eszterhas is just bringing up "old s**t" because he has a personal beef with Mel.
Rourke supports Mel even though he knows it's not the popular thing, telling us, "I know my agent is going to yell at me tomorrow for sticking up for Mel, but ... somebody has to."


text: New Energy Dashboard Monitors Electricity Consumption News Home 09.30.13 By: Mark Tarnacki For the moose in the lobby of the new Dion Family Student Center at Saint Michael's College, some days are better than others. "Knightly the Moose," so named by Facilities Department chief Dave Cutler, is an animated creature that "lives" within a new "Energy Dashboard" on a big flat screen that hangs on the wall near Einstein's Bagels, monitoring campus electricity consumption. Knightly thrives or looks distressed based on real-time energy use as measured against pre-established optimal benchmarks for different times of the day or year. Pushing any of several buttons on the screen allows students or other Quad Commons guests to think and learn more about conservation opportunities on campus, from saving electricity to recycling to riding the bus. Cutler says he and his team have enjoyed watching students engage with the dashboard from the first day that Quad Commons opened in late August. A purposeful emphasis on interactive education distinguishes the Saint Michael's dashboard from other more casually informational models springing up at colleges around the U.S. as they try to cultivate a "greener" community mindset, says Heather Ellis, sustainability coordinator at St. Mike's. "We wanted a 'Wow! Factor' technology piece as green technology grows on this campus," says Ellis, referring particularly to such Quad Commons features as geothermal heating/cooling, high efficiency windows and boots on the roof for future solar panels. She's been collaborating for about a year on the dashboard project with Cutler and Nick Wheelock, the Facilities worker who runs the controls for all campus Heating/Air Conditioning/Ventilation (HVAC) operations. Wheelock explains that power comes into campus via tall pieces of equipment located by the bushes behind McCarthy Arts Center. "We have a meter tied to that which is connected to the campus energy-management system," he says. For years, that energy-management system has provided a more-technical "dashboard" to monitor operational information for in-house experts and engineers. But this is the first time the public has been offered an understandable way to keep an eye on consumption. Cutler says the college's earliest Honeywell energy-management system was already in place when he started in 1982, with successive updated versions based on that original. Wheelock says the old system - mainly the computers required to run it - was housed during the early 1990s in the basement of Founder's Hall before moving in 2003 to a newer, still massive computer-hardware-based system in the Jeanmarie IT rooms. Now, he says, everything runs on "virtual servers" in that IT room, which saves lots of space and money with great potential for future savings as he and his team continually learn new ways to optimize the system's efficiencies. "Instead of having 150 large servers with all that hardware taking up tons of space, now they have maybe 8, so it uses a whole lot less power," he says. One of those newer servers runs the new dashboard that is viewable in the Quad Commons, while the others run the energy management system that Wheelock and his team use for the rest of campus. "Basically we can set time schedules to turn air handlers on and off, set points for different rooms and control how much mechanical cooling we want. It also lets us know when equipment fails, when temperatures are too hot or cold," says Wheelock, who also now monitors the new geothermal system for the Quad Buildings through the system, which he can access through his computer, whether on campus or at home. Ellis is excited to have the new dashboard in Quad Commons and also now available to anybody via their computers or smartphones. "There's six meters connected to the dashboard including for all the four quad residence halls connected to the Commons" she says. She'll use that as a springboard for residential education programs and competitions among dorms. A "leaderboard" viewable on the dashboard tracks kilowatt usage by dorm, and kilowatts are explained in terms people can relate to - "it might say the amount you saved is the equivalent to heating this many homes or running this many computers, for instance," she says. Since Honeywell didn't really deal in educational software packages when Cutler, Ellis and Wheelock started looking into it, Cutler and Wheelock shopped around for such a package that might be compatible and found QA Graphics, based in the Midwest. QA has helped develop the graphics and interfaces and done trouble-shooting. "We've made a great relationship and have been able to share ideas that benefit both of us," Cutler says. "We got a lot of design engineer time since we worked together on things that might be of interest to other colleges later, so we got what we wanted at no additional cost," he said. "The stars aligned and it was an excellent choice for us." Wheelock says enabling the public educational dashboard "entailed getting meters installed and programmed and making them communicate from our system over to the dashboard software - getting old systems to talk to newer equipment and setting up another server to manage all the data to send to the dashboard." He says it would be easy in the future to add monitoring software and displays for gas or water too, even sewer usage, if the college finds funds to support it down the road. Ellis says if too many people in residence halls leave lights on or run appliances all at once, Knightly could "almost die" in his "worst" animated scenario - one of four levels of consumption-based distress that QA Graphics developed. "His antlers will droop, his fur gets all matted and his pond and environment will look dried up and scary with storms in the sky," she says. "But lately Knightly has been happy since usage is so low - we did lots of projects over the summer to cut back kilowatt usage overall."