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Hyperparathyroidism is an excess of parathyroid hormone in the bloodstream due to overactivity of one or more of the body's four parathyroid glands. These glands are about the size of a grain of rice and are located in your neck.
The parathyroid glands produce parathyroid hormone, which helps maintain an appropriate balance of calcium in the bloodstream and in tissues that depend on calcium for proper functioning.
Two types of hyperparathyroidism exist. In primary hyperparathyroidism, an enlargement of one or more of the parathyroid glands causes overproduction of the hormone, resulting in high levels of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia), which can cause a variety of health problems. Surgery is the most common treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism.
Secondary hyperparathyroidism occurs as a result of another disease that initially causes low levels of calcium in the body and over time, increased parathyroid hormone levels occur.
Hyperparathyroidism is often diagnosed before signs or symptoms of the disorder are apparent. When symptoms do occur, they're the result of damage or dysfunction in other organs or tissues due to high calcium levels circulating in the blood and urine or too little calcium in bones.
Symptoms may be so mild and nonspecific that they don't seem at all related to parathyroid function, or they may be severe. The range of signs and symptoms include:
See your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms of hyperparathyroidism. These symptoms could be caused by any number of disorders, including some with serious complications. It's important to get a prompt, accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Hyperparathyroidism is caused by factors that increase the production of parathyroid hormone.
The parathyroid glands maintain proper levels of both calcium and phosphorus in your body by turning the secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH) off or on, much like a thermostat controls a heating system to maintain a constant air temperature. Vitamin D also is involved in regulating the amount of calcium in your blood.
Normally, this balancing act works well. When calcium levels in your blood fall too low, your parathyroid glands secrete enough PTH to restore the balance. PTH raises calcium levels by releasing calcium from your bones and increasing the amount of calcium absorbed from your small intestine.
When blood-calcium levels are too high, the parathyroid glands produce less PTH. But sometimes one or more of these glands produce too much hormone, leading to abnormally high levels of calcium (hypercalcemia) and low levels of phosphorus in your blood.
The mineral calcium is best known for its role in keeping your teeth and bones healthy. But calcium has other functions. It aids in the transmission of signals in nerve cells, and it's involved in muscle contraction. Phosphorus, another mineral, works in conjunction with calcium in these areas.
The disorder can generally be divided into two types based on the cause. Hyperparathyroidism may occur because of a problem with the parathyroid glands themselves (primary hyperparathyroidism) or because of another disease that affects the glands' function (secondary hyperparathyroidism).
Primary hyperparathyroidism occurs because of some problem with one or more of the four parathyroid glands:
Primary hyperparathyroidism usually occurs randomly, but some people inherit a gene that causes the disorder.
Secondary hyperparathyroidism is the result of another condition that lowers calcium levels. Therefore, your parathyroid glands overwork to compensate for the loss of calcium. Factors that may contribute to secondary hyperparathyroidism include:
Severe vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D helps maintain appropriate levels of calcium in the blood, and it helps your digestive system absorb calcium from your food.
Your body produces vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight, and you consume some vitamin D in food. If you don't get enough vitamin D, then calcium levels may drop.
You may be at an increased risk of primary hyperparathyroidism if you:
Complications of hyperparathyroidism are primarily related to the long-term effect of too little calcium in your bones and too much calcium circulating in your bloodstream. Common complications include:
If the result of a blood test indicates you have elevated calcium in your blood, your doctor will likely repeat the test to confirm the results after you have not eaten for a period of time (fasted).
A number of conditions can raise calcium levels, but your doctor can make a diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism if blood tests show you also have elevated parathyroid hormone.
After making a diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism, your doctor will likely order additional tests to rule out possible secondary causes, to identify possible complications and to judge the severity of the condition. These tests include:
Bone mineral density test (bone densitometry). The most common test to measure bone mineral density is dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).
This test uses special X-ray devices to measure how many grams of calcium and other bone minerals are packed into a segment of bone.
Urine test. A 24-hour collection of urine can provide information on how well your kidneys function and how much calcium is excreted in your urine.
This test may help in judging the severity of hyperparathyroidism or diagnosing a kidney disorder causing hyperparathyroidism. If a very low level of calcium in the urine is found, this may indicate a condition that doesn't require treatment.
If your doctor recommends surgery, he or she will likely use one of these imaging tests to locate the parathyroid gland or glands that are causing problems:
Sestamibi parathyroid scan. Sestamibi is a radioactive compound that is absorbed by overactive parathyroid glands and can be detected by a scanner that detects radioactivity.
The normal thyroid gland also absorbs sestamibi. To eliminate uptake in the thyroid obscuring the uptake in a parathyroid adenoma, radioactive iodine, which is only taken up by the thyroid, also is given and the thyroid image is digitally subtracted.
Computerized tomography (CT) scanning may be combined with the sestamibi scan to improve detection of an abnormality.
Ultrasound. Ultrasound uses sound waves to create images of your parathyroid glands and surrounding tissue.
A small device held against your skin (transducer) emits high-pitched sound waves and records the sound wave echoes as they reflect off internal structures. A computer converts the echoes into images on a monitor.
Your doctor may recommend no treatment and regular monitoring if:
If you choose this watch-and-wait approach, you'll likely need periodically scheduled tests to monitor your blood-calcium levels and bone density.
Surgery is the most common treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism and provides a cure in about 95 percent of all cases. A surgeon will remove only those glands that are enlarged or have a tumor (adenoma).
If all four glands are affected, a surgeon will likely remove only three glands and perhaps a portion of the fourth — leaving some functioning parathyroid tissue.
Surgery may be done as an outpatient procedure, allowing you to go home the same day. In such cases, the surgery can be done through very small incisions in the neck, and you receive only local anesthetics.
Complications from surgery aren't common. Risks include:
Medications to treat hyperparathyroidism include the following:
Calcimimetics. A calcimimetic is a drug that mimics calcium circulating in the blood. The drug may trick the parathyroid glands into releasing less parathyroid hormone. This drug is sold as cinacalcet (Sensipar).
The Food and Drug Administration approved cinacalcet to treat hyperparathyroidism caused by chronic kidney disease or parathyroid cancer. Some doctors may prescribe it to treat primary hyperparathyroidism, particularly if surgery hasn't successfully cured the disorder or a person isn't a good candidate for surgery.
The most commonly reported side effects of cinacalcet are joint and muscle pain, diarrhea, nausea, and respiratory infection.
Hormone replacement therapy. For women who have gone through menopause and have signs of osteoporosis, hormone replacement therapy may help bones retain calcium. This treatment doesn't address the underlying problems with the parathyroid glands.
Prolonged use of hormone replacement therapy can increase the risk of blood clots and breast cancer. Work with your doctor to evaluate the risks and benefits to help you decide what's best for you.
Some common side effects of hormone replacement therapy include breast pain and tenderness, dizziness, and headache.
If you and your doctor have chosen to monitor, rather than treat, your hyperparathyroidism, the following suggestions can help prevent complications:
Monitor how much calcium and vitamin D you get in your diet. Restricting dietary calcium intake is not advised for people with hyperparathyroidism. The Institute of Medicine recommends 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium a day for adults ages 19 to 50 and men ages 51 to 70. That calcium recommendation increases to 1,200 mg a day for women age 51 and older and men age 71 and older.
The Institute of Medicine also recommends 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D a day for people ages 1 to 70 and 800 IUs a day for adults age 71 and older. Talk to your doctor about dietary guidelines that are appropriate for you.
In most cases, elevated calcium is detected by blood tests your doctor has ordered as part of a routine screening, a diagnostic work-up for an unrelated condition or a diagnostic work-up to identify the cause of very general symptoms.
Talk to your doctor about test results if they show you have high levels of calcium. Questions you might ask your doctor include:
To understand the effect of hyperparathyroidism on your overall health, your doctor may ask you questions about possible mild signs or symptoms, including:
Your doctor may ask you additional questions about what medications you're taking and what your diet is like to help determine if you get adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D.


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If you don't have something as
simple as this, you are never
going to succeed online.
All the "work" will be done for
Literally set and forget.
(And make money on auto-pilot)
Our address is Tortola, Providence 1512, British Virgin Islands,
If you do not wish to receive future email, click here.
(You can also send your request to Customer Care at the street address above.)

subset: commoncrawl


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The following originally ran as the Washington Report column in the February 2013 issue of the ESOP Report, the newsletter of The ESOP Association.
When the leadership of the Association authorized the creation of the Employee Ownership Foundation in the mid-90s, a primary goal was to develop macro, untainted evidence of the goodness of our national policy to encourage more employee ownership through the ESOP model.
Clearly it took some years to build up a pot of money, or endowment to use the formal term, and then some years for the spending of that money to have tangible results that the Association could wave around and say, "See what the Foundation can do for you and your ESOP company in saving positive ESOP laws!"
From day one of the Foundation, before it had even a little bit of extra money, the Foundation has supported questions on what is known as the General Social Survey (GSS), which is conducted every four years by an affiliate of the University of Chicago that deals with "shared capitalism." These shared capitalism questions number only a few in the multi-million dollar GSS Survey. These questions are funded with $100,000 from the Foundation. [To explain the shared capitalism term, it was developed by leading ESOP academics at Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations to explore what average pay employees were experiencing in terms of job security, wealth, and work place views in companies with ESOPs, 401(k)s with company stock, cash profit sharing, broad based stock options, and worker owned co-operatives. Clearly, in terms of employee ownership, the ESOP model is the most dominant of these models of average pay employees sharing in the capitalist structure of their employers.]
By having these top researchers at Rutgers, Drs. Joseph Blasi and Douglas Kruse, often in collaboration with Dr. Richard Freeman of Harvard University and the National Bureau of Economic Research, develop the questions on shared capitalism once every four years, analyze the responses, and cross tab those responses to other data from the survey, no one can say that the results were "cooked" up by a group promoting ESOPs and employee ownership.
And what has come from the results of the 2010 GSS is golden as the ESOP community can go to Congressional decision makers and say, "Maintain positive ESOP laws; stop negative agency actions against ESOPs!"
As reported, the 2010 GSS evidences that employee stock owned companies laid off employees during the Great Recession at a rate of less than 3%, whereas conventionally-owned companies laid off employees at a rate over 12% — a four to one ratio.
We, the Association circulated this data to the press and to members of Congress.
But, then we realized that most of the talk in DC was about the Federal debt, along with reforming the tax code to get rid of tax "loopholes" — let us assure you that many Federal officials and financial experts consider all positive ESOP tax laws to be undeserved tax loopholes.
So, we got to thinking with our counterparts at the National Center for Employee Ownership, or NCEO, that when people have jobs, they pay taxes, income, FICA, Medicare, and do not take checks from the Federal government.
So, how much money did the wonderful layoff record of employee stock owned companies save Uncle Sam during a typical year of the Great Recession?
Crunching numbers, primarily by former NCEO Executive Director Corey Rosen, with review by current Director Loren Rogers, and some comments from Dr. Kruse, it was estimated that for every $1 ESOP companies benefited from special ESOP tax laws, Uncle Sam took in, in taxes, nearly $7.
So, when the tax committees decide what tax loopholes to close to save Federal money, we will say, "You want to save money, keep the ESOP laws as they are; and if you are wise, pass laws to encourage more ESOPs."
No question, the most powerful lobbying tactic for ESOPs is the story of your company, told personally in your home town to a member of Congress; but it does not hurt to have that macro data that money from the Employee Ownership Foundation made possible.
In sum, every dollar given to the Foundation by ESOP advocates is worth it, as proven by data gathered from the General Social Survey, and used by the ESOP community to make the case for ESOPs as the best debt reduction policy Uncle Sam has.
If you would like additional information about the GSS study, please use the following links: Employee Owners' Jobs More Stable in a Nervous Economy


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Homemade Linguica
By á-170456
- 2 1/2 pounds pork butt cut 1/2" pieces
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon freshly-ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or marjoram)
- 3/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon red wine (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Servings 2
Step 1
Combine the pork, garlic, salt, paprika, white pepper, oregano, sugar, black pepper and red pepper in a large bowl and mix well. Pass through a food grinder fitted with a coarse die. (Alternately, transfer in 2 batches to a food processor and process until finely ground.) Transfer to a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Add the wine to the meat and stir well to combine.
To test the seasoning, heat the oil in a small skillet, and cook about 2 teaspoons of the mixture. Adjust seasoning, to taste.
Form the meat into patties.
Preheat a home smoker to 250 degrees. Smoke the sausage for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the smoker and use as desired.
This recipe yields 2 pounds.


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We Teach Mobile Home Park Investing
Affordable Housing is the hottest arena in commercial real estate right now. With over 20% of Americans trying to live on $20,000 per year or less, the demand for mobile homes has never been higher -- and the big winners are the owners of the mobile home parks in which those customers reside. This trend will only continue to pick up steam in the years ahead, as evidenced by a recent interview with Warren Buffet (one of the largest owners of mobile home manufacturing and financing in the U.S.) in which he talks about the rapid speed of new U.S. household formations and the lack of housing options that they can afford. Case in point, apartment rents and occupancies have never been higher -- and the U.S. average apartment rent is over $1,000 per month. You can imagine the demand in the $500 per month price category, which is the market that most mobile home parks serve.
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We also provide, free of charge, a mobile home park investing forum on this site, that you can contribute to and learn from, as well as a monthly mobile home park newsletter. It has taken us years to assemble, write and record these materials, and we are very proud of them. In fact, our offerings are the #1 rated mobile home park educational products in the industry. That's because we don't just talk about the mobile home park business -- we do it.
If you ever have a question or comment, we would love to hear from you. Please visit the contact us page.
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- The New York Times March 16, 2014
4833 Front St Unit B-313 Castle Rock, CO 80104


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That one in the ebay link looks a bit different than the one the guys are hacking...Does this one also require hacking?
The problem that I found is that the "Reset" pin on the board is not one you can use to reset your Aquino and start you download. It is an input to the CP2102 to reset the converter chip.The board I got off eBay had an exposed DTR. You need a Capacitor between this 'pin' and reset (pin 1) on the Atmel chip.I attached a couple photos of a board like mine. I got it to work without too much difficulty.


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But if he in fact used force to resist capture, then the U.S. military was entitled to use force against him, the way American police routinely do against suspects who use violence to resist capture.Read that again and try to picture the scenario in Greenwald's dream of justice.
But those are legalities and they will be ignored even more so than usual. The 9/11 attack was a heinous and wanton slaughter of thousands of innocent civilians, and it's understandable that people are reacting with glee over the death of the person responsible for it. I personally don't derive joy or an impulse to chant boastfully....Greenwald primly eschews "the emotional fulfillment that comes from vengeance and retributive justice."
I think there are many, many Americans, including myself, who experienced not glee and paroxysms of patriotism but a dignified sense of closure, a calm reaffirmation of confidence in our military, and simple but strong approval of the continued determination of the executive branch of government.


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When Eve's last album was released, Kanye West was known only as a producer, Drake was playing an awkward teenager on Canadian TV and waitress Nicki Minaj was slinging Red Lobster's famous cheddar biscuits. To say a lot has changed is an understatement.
More than 11 years after that album, countless delays, a focus on acting and more than a few growing pains, the Grammy Award winner's long gestating fourth album, "Lip Lock," dropped last week.
"For some reason it all came together at this moment. It just feels right," the 34-year-old said after a photo shoot at The Times. "I didn't want to put this record out if I couldn't put it out the way I wanted to with a little more freedom."
The rapper, born Eve Jihan Jeffers, found that freedom by splitting from Interscope Records, her longtime label, in 2010 and launching her own imprint, From the Rib Music.
The story of "Lip Lock" begins in 2007, when the project was originally titled, "Here I Am." Eve issued a handful of singles, including the hit "Tambourine." Reviews surfaced, so did more tracks, but no album. "Interscope was going through transition," she casually offers. "We stopped seeing eye to eye, and that was really it. We grew apart."
The Philly bred rapper broke out in 1999 as the lone woman in hip-hop clique Ruff Ryders (DMX, the Lox, Swiss Beatz). Known as the "pitbull in a skirt," Jeffers offered a balance to the sexpot rhymes of Foxy Brown and Lil Kim with her formidable lyrical prowess, brash honesty and fresh swagger.
Her debut, "Let There Be Eve" went straight to No. 1 in 1999. Two more albums would follow, as would a hit TV series, film roles, a clothing line, endorsement deals and a Grammy in 2002 for her Gwen Stefani assisted smash, "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" (the first song awarded for rap/sung collaboration).
Despite being part of a golden era of nimble female voices that included Brown, Lil Kim and Missy Elliott, Eve — who now lives in London with her boyfriend Maximillion Cooper — said she feels like a brand new artist.
And for once she had complete control. "With Ruff Ryders, it was me and 50 other dudes," she said, laughing. "We all moved as one, which was good because you bounced so many ideas off of one another. But at the same time … I was influenced because that was my crew.
"This time it was me and who I picked to be around me," she continued. "It was intimate. Everything was completely different than what it once was. It makes you feel new."
Eve recruited longtime collaborator Swizz Beatz to contribute beats, along with hit makers Claude Kelly, Salaam Remi and Jukebox. Snoop Lion (formerly Snoop Dogg), Dawn Richard, Cobra Starship frontman Gabe Saporta, Pusha T and Elliott are among the guests on the album.
"Lip Lock" is classic Eve, from the siren blazing, self-titled opener to fiery bangers "She Bad Bad," "Wanna Be" and "Grind or Die" wedged in-between feel-good party records. She even dipped into heavier material with the inspirational, pop-leaning lead single, "Make It Out This Town," which she wishes urban radio would have embraced more.
Regardless of the material, that vicious, unforgiving flow that helped her earn that early "pitbull" moniker takes center stage on the disc. She said she hopes people get a chance to see her for who she is.
"I know it's going to be hard because I come from Ruff Ryders. But I want people to see where I am now as a woman, an artist, a person," she said. "I had fun with this record. I didn't want people to try to compare me to anybody — I wanted to make some good ... music."


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Day 2: AHAHAHAHAHA!
Wed Apr 5, 2017 11:25am
Still at the same link.
In which I get my wish, and I
utterly crack up
PPC HQ Hunger Games: Season 5 commences.
Mon Apr 3 8:09am
Episode 1: To Qualify or Not To Qualify I can reveal that everyone who signed up had at least one agent make it through to the main event; that four Boarders still have a full four-Tribute district...
Mon Apr 24 6:09am
(#Da-da-da da duh, the Final Countdown...#) For the very last time (thank the gods), you can find all the gory details by searching for 'Final Days'. We have a winner. I'm not going to tell you who...
Woohoo! *tosses Spikes*
Tue Apr 25 11:27am
I think you meant District Novastorme for Kaatah... (nm)
Mon Apr 24 7:39am
I am clever and can words shaddup. :( (nm)
Mon Apr 24 7:58am
Last interview!
Sergio Turbo,
Mon Apr 24 6:49am
Which might be spoilers, so... SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!...
Day 8: The Oncoming Storm
Thu Apr 20 8:52am
Let me put it like this: there were 14 Tributes. There are now 7. And someone has surpassed Holo-Acacia's kill-count. hS
The Incoming Storme interviews.
Sat Apr 22 3:06pm
Apollo: I never saw my death coming, literally. Although I really want to meet Suta outside of this now. She didn't have to pretend to want to snuggle for warmth, although it was kind of fun to play...
Dear lord. XD
Fri Apr 21 10:35am
Backslash and Suta are being interviewed together. Backslash looks rather uncomfortable, especially since he's sitting right next to the tyrannosaur he shot to death that day. Backslash: "I... I...
Ooh boy. We have a murderous Sakura clone on the loose.
Sergio Turbo,
Thu Apr 20 5:22pm
She's got as many kills as the rest of her district combined. Which, considering Shiro and Ami played well and in line with expectations, is quite something. She's also already my best ranking Agent...
Rigging the System
Thu Apr 20 4:23pm
((No I don't want to apologize and you can't make me.)) Jack: *ahem* "Right, you'll want to hear about that, won't you? Okay. I first got the Idea after I heard they were restocking the Cornucopia. I ...
Zeb is unavailable for comment right now...
Thu Apr 20 10:46am
...thanks to a long-overdue appointment with FicPsych.
Day 7: ONLY THE GOOOOD DIIIIE YOOOONG
Wed Apr 19 10:19am
In which Dafydd is sad, and I accidentally create myself yet another new character. Oops! hS
Day 7 Interviews
Sat Apr 22 3:02pm
Apollo: (noticeably out of breath) Who the [BEEP] thought it was a good idea to put goblins in this? Nasty little buggers almost killed me, and THEN I was captured by one of the others, thankfully...
Thu Apr 20 8:18am
Kaitlyn: ... oh. Well. Bother. I thought this game was supposed to be about fighting? But the one time I tried it, I got eaten like a basket of mushrooms. Morgan: Staying undercover, staying in the...
Post-Day Seven: Holo-Acacia(?) (and Friends)
Thu Apr 20 8:09am
The lab is still a mess from the previous day. The whiteboard is now almost completely blank, with only a very simple drawing of a sad face on it. Daphne and Nass are sitting rather glumly at their...
Uh, Suta doesn't have her kill listed on the latest chart.
Wed Apr 19 8:40pm
I had the biggest, dumbest grin on my face as soon as I read about said kill, though. I know the RNG doesn't play favorites, but I still hope that if Suta doesn't win, she still goes down fighting....
I'm starting to have a couple theories about the simulations
Sergio Turbo,
Wed Apr 19 5:23pm
Considering both Acacia and Ami (well, she isn't technically an AI simulation, more of a simulation body acting as an host for her ghost) seem to have been sabotaged, either there's an Ai-resenting...
Zeb's nose rests on his front paws.
Wed Apr 19 12:22pm
He doesn't look at the camera. ((I think he's well and truly broken at this point.))
Day 6: RAAAAAR.
Tue Apr 18 7:29am
Right where you left it , search for 'Day 6'. In which we have our first district elimination, and I structure the entire episode around avoiding explaining why someone is wildly OOC. hS
Day 6 Interviews
Novastorme ,
Sat Apr 22 2:57pm
Apollo: Gotta admit, didn't think I'd survive a run in with a dragon, but it was actually quite good, even if they did leave me before I woke up. I really need to sort my sleep cycle out. I heard the ...
Post-Day Six: Holo-Acacia (and Friends)
Thu Apr 20 7:54am
Holo-Acacia : Holo-Acacia is currently sitting underneath an artificial tree. There is a concerned look on her face, although it's a bit difficult to tell as her entire form keeps flickering and...
Wed Apr 19 5:38am
Kaitlyn: I'm making frieeeends. I made friends with this awesome lady who has a steampunky dragon, I am so jealous . I think we got on really well, too - she was certainly much more fun than the Time ...
Day 6 on-timeterviews
Larfen J. Stocke, esq.,
Tue Apr 18 9:04pm
The Enervated Rat-Catcher *The bags on his eyes are deep and long and his face has gone red. He is in a sort of daze, leaning against a rock. He looks very enervated.* Hello, PPC legend Acacia Byrd,...
May I also add,
Larfen J. Stocke, esq.,
Tue Apr 18 9:54pm
that this episode, in particular, was absolutely bloody adorable? Those children are both bloody funny and also really, really accurate to how children act. I suppose you got experience with them,...
Thank you! :-)
Wed Apr 19 5:45am
It's been astonishingly difficult working up the motivation to write the episodes (which is why they keep being both late and weird - 'Dafydd talks to camera' is just dull), so it's good to know the...
Did You Just (Interview)
The Triumvirate,
Tue Apr 18 5:34pm
Lu'ci'ten Gyrvain ELIMINATED: 19TH PLACE ... Rat. Did you honestly just push me down an elevator shaft? You turned my death into a mockery. I spent an entire night figuring out how to turn one of my...
Looks like Saki's going to get a Top 16 finish at least.
Sergio Turbo,
Tue Apr 18 5:23pm
... which is quite good for a character who, in her orginal badfic, was pretty much dead before the story even began. Also, she's probably going to get angry at Daphne for her interpretation. Saki...
But how can you be mad at Daffy? She's adorable.
Tue Apr 18 5:55pm
She just wanted to be a magical princess! hS
And Saki's pretty jealous of her own cuteness.
Sergio Turbo,
Tue Apr 18 6:05pm
Don't expect her to be fully rational - she's a twelve years old ball of hyperactivity. But that's also the reaso why she's not goign to be angry for long, I guess. By the way, the image I linked was ...
Yeah, but be kind to the five-year-old. ^_~
Wed Apr 19 3:49am
She's only seen one anime episode ever (at a friend's house), so when you say 'Japanese girl' she immediately jumps to 'magical school uniform'. She'd pretty much wear that if you told her she was...
Sergio Turbo,
Wed Apr 19 6:46am
Now you'rem aking me believe Saki might be the Nursery's favourite contes-wait. Wait. The Nursery kids are watching the Games?
Wed Apr 19 8:14am
... this particular group of kids are involved because they're in the Buds and Sprouts, and because Dafydd's whole family are involved in that movement. I don't think the Illian kids actually go to...
Not to play devil's advocate too hard, but...
Wed Apr 19 7:15pm
Wobbles is a fairly popular figure in the Nursery - and she's in it. I guess it might mean more kids watch it, but at the same time... will the younger kids want to watch HQ's non-ironic Krusty...
Wobbles the Clown is smuggling technology.
Tue Apr 18 11:59am
Wobbles "If I so much as brush past technological artifacts Bad Stuff starts happening sharpish" the Clown. Is smuggling. Sci-fi. Technology. Well then.
It's a screwdriver.
Tue Apr 18 12:11pm
Not a sonic, laser, or hyper screwdriver. Just a screwdriver. "You don't think this is technology? Show me one in Middle-earth, then!" hS
Jewellers use them. Your move. =] (nm)
Wed Apr 19 2:12am
What, in Middle-earth?
Wed Apr 19 3:55am
Elven jewellers just, like, sing the pieces together, dwarves hammer them, and humans are too dirty and stupid to make any jewellery in the first place. ^_^ More seriously, in our history,...
Hoooo boy.
Tue Apr 18 11:37am
Dax: "Avandra's [censored], was a 20 Constitution not enough to save me from that? Did I not get a saving throw? The rules of this universe are stupid." She folds her arms and fumes; her hair, which...
o.O Did we break Zeb?
Tue Apr 18 11:56am
Again ?! hS
He's about as OOC as it gets right now.
Tue Apr 18 6:06pm
And it's stuff like this why I don't consider these games canon for my agents. Zeb would've had to snap pretty damn hard for that to happen.
Tue Apr 18 10:00am
Caprice: *sigh* Well, that was embarrassing. Also painful. But at least I'm in the top twenty! Which is kind of why I did it? I was thinking, you know, there's not that many of us left, maybe it's...
Man, just my luck - and everyone else's, for that matter.
Tue Apr 18 8:18am
Hey, at least she didn't die by eating curare. (nm)
Tue Apr 18 11:26am
Day 5: Movie Mutilations
Tue Apr 11 9:39am
Still right where it's always been . Search up 'Day 5'. In which we're now down to 21 Tributes, and five Districts with only one player each... but still no District eliminations. Day 6 may end up...
Day 5 even-laterviews.
Sat Apr 22 2:49pm
Apollo: Spent the day on the move, felt like someone was watching me, so I tried to lose them as best I could... I think I've gotta move again, bye. Kaatah: I'm never going near Luxury again...
Day 5 lateterview
Larfen J. Stocke, esq.,
Tue Apr 18 8:30pm
The Enervated Rat-Catcher Yeah, dunno. Nuffin much's happened. I saw a lightsaber fight. And I saw someone sharpenin her hair. But other'n that, nuffin much's happened.
*hesitantly pokes* (nm)
Mon Apr 17 3:12pm
Tomorrow. [Ominous music] (nm)
Mon Apr 17 4:01pm
Yaaaaay! (nm)
The Triumvirate,
Mon Apr 17 8:41pm
Awesome. Can't wait! (nm)
Mon Apr 17 4:32pm
Post-Day Five: Holo-Acacia (and Friends)
Wed Apr 12 10:48am
Holo-Acacia : I don't think that was an overreaction. There are only three things The Phantom Menace should be praised for: the soundtrack, the final battle, and Ewan McGregor. Everything else is...
I Like Stuff (Interview)
The Triumvirate,
Tue Apr 11 5:54pm
Lu'ci'ten Gyrvain I am not a hoarder, little voice in my ear. I'm looking for something to use for shoes, since the ones that let me survive well are gone. ...okay, fine, maybe I wanted the dragon...
Farewell, Angel-Face, we hardly knew ye. :(
Tue Apr 11 3:36pm
E.V.L.: "...I'm becoming more and more convinced that the one bloody kill I've had was just a fluke. If I don't get another before dying, Pony Boy is NEVER going to let me live this down." Cupid:...
Revenge of the Fifth
Tue Apr 11 2:49pm
Jack: wearing the stupidest grin "LIGHTSABER DUELS! Ah, nothing finer. You do a couple of backflips, a couple of impractical, flashy sword swings, shout something vague about the high ground, and...
And it's down to only Saki for me.
Sergio Turbo,
Tue Apr 11 10:48am
... Which, conside4ring she's the least skilled of my four contestants for this edition, is quite something unexpected. Shiro Now I understand why Sergio said it's better to stay away from that...
Still hanging in there.
Tue Apr 11 10:16am
Zeb: The Luxury looks rather ashen-faced. He opens his mouth, tries to say something, and lets out a choked sob. Dax: "So, like, my hair's always kind of had a mind of its own when I'm in my natural...
I am not going to draw...
Tue Apr 11 10:22am
... Zeb the Luxury. Partly because I can't decide whether it's blonde Zeb with a bikini, or catgirl Lux in Zeb's colours. hS
Oh jeez.
Tue Apr 11 11:31am
And this is why I should not post right after waking up. I just create mini-Missingno and mix-n-match agents in one go. -_- (I like catgirl!Lux, for the record...)
Dangit, I said
gonna draw...
Tue Apr 11 12:06pm
Yep, so that's a... thing. hS
It's a Luxuray! =] (nm)
Tue Apr 11 12:51pm
In which Levy may be starting to get a little insane
Mattman The Comet,
Tue Apr 11 10:05am
Matthew walks into his RC, carrying a paper bag. Ellie , Toby , and Ajax all have their eyes glued to the TV Matthew : Heya Ajax, how yah feeling? No response Matthew ( Holding up the bag ): I gotcha ...
Tue Apr 11 9:59am
Kaitlyn: So I hung out with that Time Lady, Morrigan or whatever her name is, but got a bit lost come morning. Sooo I hid behind a waterfall. There were mushrooms. ^_^ Morgan: This is... is anyone...
Day 4: Sociopathic Bookends
Mon Apr 10 9:00am
You know where it is . You can search the page for 'Day 4' to find the right spot quicker. In which two of our dear PPC agents prove themselves to be scarily manipulative sociopaths. Also: the death...
Day 4 Interviews
Sat Apr 22 2:45pm
Apollo: Had a nice talk with Evangeline, then overslept and found myself hheld captive by a madwoman, I kind of feel sorry for Ajax, but thankfully his death gave me the time I needed to slip free....
Day 4 lateterviews
Larfen J. Stocke, esq.,
Tue Apr 18 8:11pm
The Enervated Rat-Catcher *he gives a drowsy, bleary thumbs-up, before dropping into sleep. He shudders for a few moments, suddenly bursting awake and howling 'NO, YER NOT ALLOWED THE PORTAL...
Post-Day Four: Holo-Acacia (and Friends)
Wed Apr 12 10:33am
Holo-Acacia : Water. Yeah. Great thing to give a being made of electricity and light. Thanks. Weapons, on the other hand? Much better gift! Especially when it's a gift you take for yourself!...
Tue Apr 11 8:29am
E.V.L.: "Ho hum, ho hum." *She shakes her head in total disappointment.* "Would somebody please walk up to me and say 'kill me now'? I'm getting pretty thirsty." Cupid: "Hey, there has to be at least ...
(And hey, my team's the only one still intact! Welp XD) (nm)
Tue Apr 11 8:30am
Jack's interview
Mon Apr 10 6:58pm
Jack: "I was more than happy to work in shifts with those guys. They're professionals, through and through. Just glad Wobbles didn't take Dee's mugging that personally." The subject of Larkus is...
If you wouldn't mind...
The Triumvirate,
Mon Apr 10 9:23pm
...would you be willing to tell me a little about Jack? The only one I can find on the Wiki doesn't sound much like this one. And this one sounds interesting.
Not at all. :)
Tue Apr 11 12:21am
Not often anyone wants to hear about Jackmy fault for letting the Detective steal the show like the drama queen he is. Jack's a hunter who's been killing creatures scarier than anything in here...
That actually sounds really...
The Triumvirate,
Tue Apr 11 7:16am
Well, cool isn't exactly the right word, but it's the one that comes to mind first. Well, second, because 'sweet' happened first. But it's somefin along those lines.
Don't Test Me (Interview)
The Triumvirate,
Mon Apr 10 5:21pm
Lu'ci'ten Gyrvain I told you to stop talking. It was your fault the replicator broke, not mine. The meal was good. But no, oh no, you just wouldn't. Shut. Up. Well, tell me, then. Since you feel like ...
Day 4 Interview
Mon Apr 10 12:10pm
Evelyn: But...But...But...We were gonna bond over guns! It was gonna be great! But still, to kill me in my sleep. Are we sure she isn't a hunter?
Welp, that happened.
Mon Apr 10 11:56am
Thank RNGsus it wasn't mine... Zeb: "I met this really nice shapeshifter last night and we shared stories. She was... well, nice. But I miss my partner." His ears and tail droop. "Sorry, it's just...
... Uh. I guess I had it coming with Ami.
Sergio Turbo,
Mon Apr 10 11:26am
Shiro *looks at his deck of cards* ...I actually have no idea how I managed to play Solitaire with a deck of Magic: The Gathering cards. Or why I even bothered. Kaitlyn was pretty nice to hang out...
Well... that was thing.
Mattman The Comet,
Mon Apr 10 10:52am
The camera observes Levy subconsciously invoking an "Out, Damned Spot!" moment in a cave with a stream water moving through. Matthew enters the room, exhaling slightly. He runs over to her, trying to ...
The RNG has not been kind to Team Comet. D: (nm)
Tue Apr 11 8:25am
Sole survivor.
Mon Apr 10 10:11am
Caprice: *opens a hatch and pokes her head out from inside the steampunk dragon* Is she gone? Did I lose her? ... Okay. Whew. I should've known better than to ask Luxury for anything involving the...
My interviews:
Mon Apr 10 9:12am
Morgan: I... spent some time talking to Grey's partner last night. She's... I think I need to make time to talk to the Notary once I'm out of here. ... no, the repeated use of 'time' doesn't mean I'm ...
Will try to resume this after the weekend. (nm)
Sat Apr 8 2:08pm
Day 3: The Really Cool Deffs.
Thu Apr 6 4:05pm
Still right where it always was . Search the doc for 'Day 3'. In which there are six deffs deaths, and my lack of inspiration starts to show through... We're down another Boarder, and the only intact ...
Catching Up.
Sat Apr 22 2:40pm
Apollo: I want to be clear on one thing. The ONLY reason I wanted to cuddle up with the Rat-Catcher was so I could stab him with the little dagger I'd found and then pretend he'd died during the...
Post-Day Three: Holo-Acacia (and Friends)
Wed Apr 12 10:15am
Holo-Acacia : Jelly. She holds up the Jellificator and blows across the barrel (despite the fact that there is no actual smoke coming out of it). An important part of any balanced breakfast of...
Caprice. Wat r u doin.
Mon Apr 10 1:09am
Caprice: The Ironic Overpower is messing with me. I resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't gonna get to ride Voltarmi and was cool with that day I spent with Suta and those other guys... but then...
Your imaginings are beautiful. O.o
Tue Apr 11 4:48am
The whole dragon is a brilliant golden colour, with the non-decorated parts almost looking like they're covered in liquid metal. The central torso and the eyes glow a pale blue, which spreads...
Duuuuude, that's gorgeous! (nm)
Tue Apr 11 10:17am
Thank you!
Tue Apr 11 10:23am
I am as shocked as you are, I assure you. I keep looking at it and going "... how did I do that...". hS
Ooooh, that's
. Thank you! ^. ^ (nm)
Tue Apr 11 9:26am
Right, now that I've patched up my ego...
Granz the Ice Cream Monarch,
Sun Apr 9 10:30pm
Michael Of course that is what I did. I was rather tired yesterday, and I required some rest. ... No, I do not know how they found their way in. However, I must thank Evangeline for killing me before ...
Console, eh?
The Triumvirate,
Mon Apr 10 4:59pm
Steele *waggles eyebrows*
Interviews, Day 3
Fri Apr 7 3:05pm
Jack: "I don't cuddle." ((New team-ups, eh? This ought to be interesting.))
Fri Apr 7 12:56pm
E.V.L.: "Finally! I was wondering how soon it would be before I actually managed to kill someone. It was also nice of Suta to help me deal with Michael, because he was putting up quite a struggle...
Day 3 Aftermath Interviews
Fri Apr 7 11:31am
The Notary ( ELIMINATED: 38TH PLACE ): I am not terribly skilled with a lightsabre, I admit, but I still should have been able to beat a small, bespectacled human. I think the turning point of the...
Fri Apr 7 10:20am
Morgan : Grey's out. Hmm. Kyaris : I got friends! So that's kind of awesome. I didn't really expect to spend an entire night and a day actually with people. Kaitlyn : I thought Curff was my friend... ...
Day threenterviews
Larfen J. Stocke, esq.,
Fri Apr 7 2:39am
The Enervated Rat-Catcher The 'no sleep' fing's gettin me horrid. Hallucinations, everywhere. Havin a hard time tellin what's real and what ain't, but after watchin three people arguin about cuddlin...
Another Day Gone (Interview)
The Triumvirate,
Thu Apr 6 6:34pm
Lu'ci'ten Gyrvain A fine meal is a fine meal. I don't mind too much if magic was involved. So, Larkus, you can hush your face and not break any more replicators. They're kind of useful. I am,...
Well, that was fun.
Sergio Turbo,
Thu Apr 6 5:36pm
Shiro Sorry for that, kelly, but even if you were sincere... well, I'm sort of taken. Saki would've killed you if I didn't... possibly more slowly and more painfully. And if she were to believe I was ...
Mattman The Comet,
Thu Apr 6 5:10pm
Levy : VIVA LA REVOLUTION! VIVA LA REVOLUTION! CHAIN STALKERS TO TREES! LEAVE THEM TO DIE! VIVA LA REVOLUTION! Ellie : See, this is what happens when someone inexperienced with the mechanics of a...
Shoot, Nameless could you take care of that topic name pls : (nm
Thu Apr 6 5:11pm
Thanks! (nm)
Thu Apr 6 5:18pm
"Nameless"?! Oh dear oh dear... (nm)
The Nameless Admin,
Thu Apr 6 5:21pm
Day 3 interview
Thu Apr 6 4:51pm
Evelyn: "Well, I got lost, but I made a poisonous thing. I think that's a fair trade. Tomorrow should be more interesting at least...unless I get lost again."
Shame on Dafydd.
Thu Apr 6 4:35pm
Leaving his kids to do his job for him? :P Zeb: "Well, I had to team up with somebody today to hide from another tribute. It was... I mean... she was nice, I guess?" Dax: "Woooooo! I'm a ghoooooost!...
Day 2: AHAHAHAHAHA!
Wed Apr 5 11:25am
More belated interviews
Sat Apr 22 2:00pm
Apollo: Saw Kelly in the evening with someone else and then saw they had a follower, so yes I was thinking about her, partially wondering if she'd get a double kill, but also hoping I'd be able to...
Post-Day Two: Holo-Acacia (and Friends)
Wed Apr 12 9:45am
((OOC: Sorry it took so long for me to post these, I've been getting bogged down with RL stuff.)) Holo-Acacia : So yeah, the leg thing She looks down at her leg, which occasionally glitches and...
Day 2 Interview
Thu Apr 6 5:01pm
Evelyn: "I tried to team up with some people and I think that went ok. There were some weird ghost things going on though. I thought I saw that Time Lady, but now I'm not sure."
What a day!
Thu Apr 6 10:16am
Caprice: It's too bad Voltarmi's out, but I got to ride Suta instead! Our little team didn't wreak fearsome Cretaceous devastation on anyone, but that's okay. We had fun. And I got to hang out with...
Interviews Day 2
Thu Apr 6 9:40am
((Apologies for my lack of interviews. Incredibly busy week at work)) Voltarmi: I knew I should have stuck with the ghost ploy. But what can you do? Sometimes a dinosaur comes along and steals your...
And my interviews.
Thu Apr 6 7:11am
Kyaris: Pfft, did they think they could scare me? I wasn't scared... I wasn't! Didn't you see me chasing Levy around later? Is that the action of a scared woman? I ask you! Morgan : I'm not saying...
Day 2 Aftermath Interviews
Thu Apr 6 7:38am
The Notary: I wasn't warm. She was. What more is there to discuss? Besides, we just... talked. Nothing untoward happened, because Morgan does actually have some standards. And, well... I shared a...
Day twonterviews!
Larfen J. Stocke, esq.,
Thu Apr 6 4:12am
The Enervated Rat-Catcher Met some chaps, and we all decided we'd work together to get a nice sleep, shifts and whatnot. Didn't work. I ain't slept for days, now. Every time I close my eyes, I have...
Wed Apr 5 8:16pm
E.V.L.: "So it seems that even this carnival of carnage isn't going to keep a lady from getting her beauty sleep." Cupid: "GYAAAAH! MAKES-THINGS, I ALREADY SAID I WAS SORRY ABOUT THE INCIDENT WITH...
Welp. That was a night.
Granz the Ice Cream Monarch,
Wed Apr 5 7:20pm
Michael One moment... excellent. This shall serve. Thank you for your patience. My apologies if I would rather be brief today, but, well, I was up all night. I did my best to sleep, but neither Dax...
I leave Saki on her own for this thing...
Sergio Turbo,
Wed Apr 5 5:32pm
... and she goes and takes part in the slaying of a freaking dragon. The thing is, I can totally imagine her going for it given the chance. (Though, since the slaying of Voltarmi seems to be mostly...
Ellie looks at her bow, then back to the camera.
Mattman The Comet,
Wed Apr 5 3:17pm
Ellie : RUDIMENTARY?! YOU CALL THIS RUDIMENTARY!? She takes a breath. WhileIdoadmitthatthisweapondoeslookrather rudimentary...
Time For Tea (Interview)
The Triumvirate,
Wed Apr 5 1:59pm
Lu'ci'ten Gyrvain So those days happened. Yes, Kaatah, I did hear you - Caprice was just quicker. No, Dann, that did not scare me. My eye was watering from the suppression of my laughter at how...
Legard: Welp, I'm dead.
Wed Apr 5 1:27pm
Guess it's normal, getting jumped by surprise never do any good. And I'm still not getting how the duck I found myself being nursed to sleep by that Time Lord. Too damn weird. Now, normally I'd be...
Detective R.I.P.
Wed Apr 5 1:08pm
The Detective: "Excellent, rightgot the cameras going, there's the bit with the interviews, and I can leave? Right, brilliant. I died." sits expectantly "Well, what do you mean you want more? I'm...
Wed Apr 5 12:48pm
Alleb Bravo, Sir Jesse, bravo! The dragon never stood a chance. I shall make a true knight of you yet! Jesse *is downing his entire flask of whiskey in one go* Errant I like the SciFi Sector! It...
Welp, Zeb's hanging in there.
Wed Apr 5 11:35am
Zeb: "Like I said, I'm gonna win this for the Aviator and Elanor! Oh, and Aveif you're watching, give her hugs for me!" Dax: "Man, even though we're in the middle of a giant death arena, that Cupid...
Post Qualifier and Day 1 Interview
Tue Apr 4 6:17pm
Post Qualifier: Evelyn: I'm disappointed. I wasn't able to make a flamethrower before the Qualifier ended. Ah well, better luck next time. Day 1: Evelyn: No chocolate, and no fires to cheer me up. I...
Post-Qualifier and Day 1 Interviews!
Tue Apr 4 6:10pm
E.V.L.: - POST-QUALIFIER: "I amn not sorry, Kur'nak. Not at all. And hey, Anneli died, too, so I suppose I got everything I wanted in the end. Oh, and Curff? Don't pat yourself on the back just yet....
Interfacing of viewpoints, Pre & Post
Tue Apr 4 3:07pm
Pre: The Detective: "Hmm? Oh, I've only done this because Jack wanted me out of the house, and I think it'll be an excellent tactical exercise. The fact he didn't want to go is merely a bonus." Jack: ...
Post Qualifications:
Tue Apr 4 3:11pm
Because the enter buttons on trackpads are deserving of a fate worse than death, The Detective: Claps Jack on the back. "There might be hope for you yet, stabbing someone in the back like that! I'm...
Oh dear!
Tue Apr 4 7:54am
Well, lemme get some prequalifier interviews, plus some post-qualifier interviews. Here we go: Florestan: I mean, it wasn't totally my idea, you know! We all just figured we'd jump in, say hello, and ...
Views of the 'inter' variety
Larfen J. Stocke, esq.,
Tue Apr 4 7:06am
Yocherry Awww, it ent right, boss, I get smacked fair and square and go through, and she just gets stabbed and is done. It ent! She'd bunged my eyes, so I thought that other fellow was her. Kept...
Day 1: Yakety Sax
Tue Apr 4 6:53am
At the same link In which seven agents die, Herr Wozzeck becomes the first Boarder to lose their entire cast (hard luck there!), and we all get to imagine the Notary clinging screaming to a jetpack....
Some belated interviews.
Sat Apr 22 1:53pm
And you'll get a double whammy of them as well (seeing as I don't know where else to put the Post-Qualifier interviews). Post Qualifier. Apollo: The qualifier was fun, well if you count a day and a...
Uh, Kataah?
Hieronymus Graubart,
Sun Apr 23 1:59pm
Running into The Sunflower's Witness may be quite confusing, but mistaking her for a sentient flower is unheard of. How did you manage to do this? HG
My visor was slightly fogged up.
Sun Apr 23 10:00pm
... And I think my emergency induction port was slightly contaminated when I last used it to drink. I was running a slight fever I believe. ((AKA Critical Research Failure))
Day 1 Interviews
Wed Apr 12 8:43am
Sorry for the long wait! I had a lot going on! Anyway, Eusabius' Day 1 interview, at long last: Eusabius: "I... did not expect to go out so quickly. I am almost disappointed, to be honest: I was...
Wed Apr 5 12:55pm
Jack: "I knew meds were gonna be the most valuable supplies later. I didn't know I was gonna be the one needing them." The Detective: "I saw some food, thought to myself, 'Most everyone on my team...
Post-Day One: Holo-Acacia (and Friends)
Wed Apr 5 11:56am
((OOC: As requested by hS. I've added a little something to well, add a little something.)) Holo-Acacia : Right out of the gate, someone tries to jump me! Well, that might have worked on Holo-Jay,...
XD This is glorious and I thank you for it. (nm)
Thu Apr 6 6:46am
Wed Apr 5 8:19am
POST-QUALIFIERs: Alleb A pit. I fell into a blasted pit! *sighs* Well, at least Sir Jesse remains within the arena. Perhaps he will be able to get some decent training. Oh, Sir Yocherry died as well? ...
:( You lot need to update the Wiki more often.
Wed Apr 5 8:36am
There's half a dozen people in here that I've had to contextually guess genders for (the website requires either an M or an F, so 'they' isn't an option). Then again, I think someone's referred to...
Well, for what it's worth:
Wed Apr 5 10:37am
Rhys and Rhys are both girls, and while Dax's default form is female, she turns into men so often he just picks up whatever pronoun seems most fitting at the moment.
Saxety Yak
Larfen J. Stocke, esq.,
Wed Apr 5 2:52am
Yocherry Nevermind about that 'smash' thing I said. Nevermind that. There ent smashen, not today. *He punches the wall to his side, leaving an imprint of his fist.* I'm usually better than this!...
Holo-Acacia and the Sunflower's Witness? Okay.
Granz the Ice Cream Monarch,
Wed Apr 5 12:49am
If they're in my district, alright. This is totally fine. Yup. Ignore the burning house, everything's fine, really. Michael I am not quite sure what it is that causes others to run from me when I am...
Day 1: Yakety Sax
Tue Apr 4 5:03pm
Shiro and Saki (because them both crafting potion means they were together, right?) Shiro: So, this morning I tried teaming up with this Barid dude... I think he was a troll? The good kind of troll,...
Whoops, forgot to sign. Or add a subject. (nm)
Sergio Turbo,
Tue Apr 4 5:03pm
Tue Apr 4 12:56pm
Legard: Well, I'll grant you this, Yocherry, the Notary was indeed strapped to a jetpack, and the sight was indeed really funny. Sorry for killing you, but I'd have to turn my back to you, while you...
"That wasn't curare."
Tue Apr 4 12:20pm
Rhyslea: "Do you hear me? That wasn't curare! Whoever's up there laughing at me because I died from tasting curare , knock it off!" Zeb: "So, uh, I got all this chocolate in the hopes it would...
Whee, jetpacks!
Tue Apr 4 11:03am
Shimon: *sits composedly in front of the camera* Well. I do not pretend to understand the lucid and ephemeral nature of these holograms. Some trick or flaw in their design is the only possible...
Looking at this again...
Wed Apr 5 10:33am
... I realize that I forgot Caprice and Voltarmi are on the same team and have, in fact, met before. *facepalm* If I may, I'd like to revise her final paragraph: "Unless I find Voltarmi first. I saw...
What Just Happened? (Interviews)
The Triumvirate,
Tue Apr 4 10:47am
Lu'ci'ten Gyrvain Well. That was... interesting. I didn't even have a weapon yet. Am I so fearsome that the sight of me causes others to flee? Admittedly, it was incredibly amusing to watch, but...
Day 1 Interviews!
Mattman The Comet,
Tue Apr 4 10:25am
Matthew : Okay Ajax, that was uncalled for. All I suggested was a team up but you went all mental on me. Dramatic Soap Opera Music plays I'm hurt, my own partner, attempting to strike me down! A...
Interviews for Day 1
Tue Apr 4 9:39am
Kyaris: Phew! That biped who smelt of rats was more dangerous than he looked! If this wasn't a hologram, I think I'd be down another head after that fight! Morgan: I got to ride a dragon. I got. To...
Day 1 Aftermath Interviews
Tue Apr 4 8:16am
The Notary: HOW THE [CENSORED] DO YOU [CENSORED] FLY THIS [ VERY CENSORED] THING AAAAAAAAH- Wobbles The Clown: Man, I'm hungry. And bushed. I've done a loooooot of running in my life, most of it away ...
Obviously I would never be so cruel as to draw that.
Tue Apr 4 7:27am
^_^ ("I AM NOT HAVING A GOOD DAY", in Circular Gallifreyan. Yup.) hS
I would think Notary would say something like this:
Tue Apr 4 10:35am
Translation: I BLAME THE CLOWN!
I couldn't resist. :-/
Tue Apr 4 10:07am
The contrast between Morgan's and the Notary's first days was just too appealing. hS
Pre and Post Qualifs Interviews for Legard.
Mon Apr 3 1:35pm
Pre-Qualif Interview: Well, I'll let you know I had some pretty important... professional projects for this spring, but you guys just had to begin to clean up your locals way too much, and Marina is...
Post-Qualifier Interviews
Mattman The Comet,
Mon Apr 3 12:47pm
Matthew : So I've come up with this awesome plan of running away. I regret this plan. A lot. And apparently Albert just wanted to team up, so that was a useless bout of running. Also, was that Ellie...
That was fun!
Mon Apr 3 12:17pm
Zeb: "Well, it looks like I made it to the full games this year." He waves at the camera. "Hi, Ave! Hi, Ellie! I'm gonna win for you!" Rhysaria: "That's what I get for doing the paladinlike thing, I...
Non angeli sed angli. ("angles" is the word. Thanks!) (nm)
Mon Apr 3 12:20pm
Mon Apr 3 12:10pm
Kyaris: I think that was a good start! As last year's Champion, I was obviously in demand during the qualifiers, and I did my best to help people out. I had this little team going during the day,...
What the hay, Shimon?
Mon Apr 3 11:38am
Why're you being so... friendly? O.o Let's find out together! But first: Caprice: Woo-hoo, I made it into the real Games! With a shovel! Look, don't underestimate the power of a good shovel. It's a...
Sergio Turbo,
Mon Apr 3 9:53am
Keiko ... I really, really suck at this. Last time I placed forty-fifth, this time I didn't even get past the qualifiers. Serves me well for getting involved in an ill-planned ambush and trying to...
Also, my own commentary of what happened to my Agents!
Sergio Turbo,
Mon Apr 3 10:00am
Keiko seems to have a knack for mirroring her parents' demises - in her first partecipation, she placed exactly like her mother did, and this time she went out with a failed ambush just like her...
Post-Qualifier Interviews
Mon Apr 3 9:30am
Gabrielle ( ELIMINATED: 50th PLACE ): Uuuum, that was way less fun than I was expecting. I was fighting this super big guy, because I thought that that was what you were supposed to do, but whenit...
Post-Qualifier Interviews
Granz the Ice Cream Monarch,
Mon Apr 3 9:17am
Apecian OH, COME ON! NOT EVEN ONE DAY? Apecian paces around the room, irritated at not having a table to flip. I can't believe I got killed on the first day. Seriously. I mean, I guess I did kinda...
Battle High (interviews)
The Triumvirate,
Mon Apr 3 9:09am
Lu'ci'ten Gyrvain Well. I haven't been in a match like that before. I will admit, a few of these people have a certain artistic touch that I haven't seen in quite a while. Special mention to Cupid,...
Click here to receive daily updates


text:
A first-round pick in fantasy football is always expected to pay big dividends. This year a few marquee players are flat-out failing. If you have Ray Rice, Trent Richardson or Matt Ryan, you are probably scratching your head and asking yourself what should you do.
Ray Rice was a top-five pick at the beginning of the season. Today, he's someone you might consider dropping or playing only when the matchups seem favorable. I think Rice is still limited from a hip injury that caused him to miss a couple of games early in the season, which might be causing some of his problems.
What to do: I don't recommend cutting Rice; I think he is a matchup play. One matchup that should pay off for owners is this week against the Bears' weak run defense. The rest of the schedule also looks good with the exception of the Jets matchup, as they have a great defense.
Matt Ryan with Julio Jones a great fantasy quarterback. Ryan has too many interceptions and not enough touchdowns. Ryan has only two viable weapons right now in Tony Gonzalez and Harry Douglas.
What to do: Ryan is strictly a matchup play. The matchups that look somewhat favorable are against Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Green Bay and Washington. However, even with the favorable matchups I would play Ryan only in an emergency.
In doing my draft analysis, Trent Richardson was someone I really thought was going to have a big year. I was wrong. The only justification I can still give for Richardson being great is when the season started, he was with Cleveland and is now in Indianapolis. Richardson is slow to hit the holes and looks confused in passing situations out of the backfield.
What to do: Richardson's value the rest of the way is slim to none. Therefore, I would strongly suggest dropping Richardson and trying to get him as sleeper next year.
RedEye special contributor Dan Richman hosted a fantasy football show on 670-AM for years. @danrichmanffl
Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye Sports' Facebook page.


text:
Portable Media Players Guide
First Looks: Sony NWZ-E463 Walkman Digital Media Player
The recently released Sony Walkman NWZ-E460 series has a 2-inch QVGA LCD screen and comes in six different colors. It's not just a music player; it plays videos and photos too. Let's take a closer look.
More articles
Creative Pure Wireless Modularity - Rewiring Wireless
Creative's latest series of wireless speakers uses the company's Wireless Modular Bluetooth connectivity to allow users to easily expand from a single-speaker setup to a 3.1 configuration. Sounds interesting? Read on for more details about it and other new products.
First Looks: Cayenne Funbox Wi-Fi Portable Media Player
Corbell has brought in a new portable media player for the local market. Except that it may not be your idea of a portable media player. Read on to find out what the Cayenne Funbox is all about.
IFA 2010 - Press Day Highlights (+ IFA 2010 Summary & Galaxy Tab media Q&A videos!)
The annual IFA consumer electronics trade fair officially opens on 3 September in Berlin, Germany but for international journalists, the show really begins from 1 September, when they are given sneak peeks of what would be showcased before the show. HardwareZone.com was on the fairgrounds to bring you some of these highlights.
First Looks: Sony Walkman NWZ-W252 Portable Music Player
The washable and wearable Sony Walkman NWZ-W252 sounds like a fascinating concept that's especially great for the sporty crowd, but how does this portable media player hold up in our tests?
Philips Audio Visual Extravaganza - Obsessed With Sound & Vision
We've brought you a glimpse of Philips' upcoming audio products with our recent trip to Belgium. Now, witness their incoming AV fleet as we bring you highlights from their official launch held at the ritzy Hard Rock Hotel.
Philips' Sound Obsession - New AV Devices Engineered for Perfection
If you can't do without music, and faithful sound reproduction is all you live for, then this feature is for you. We are currently in Leuven, Belgium, to find out more about Philips' freshly concocted "Obsessed with Sound" campaign and six accompanying audio champions about to grace our shelves real soon.
First Looks: Archos 5 Internet Tablet
Android is going places, and makes its presence felt on internet tablets like the Archos 5 Internet Tablet.
Tuning in to the Microsoft Zune HD
Make way for the Microsoft Zune HD as it's coming at you with earphones blasting. Oh wait - that's only in the US for now. Even so, you have to check out Microsoft's latest attempt to unseat the iPod. For that, we've got a video overview and a full review in this article.
First Looks: Archos 3 Vision Player
The Archos Vision 3, one of the newest PMPs from Archos, sets to impress with its sleek form, but how does it fare overall?
Articles by Product Categories
Related News
- Two or Three New iPods to Launch Together with iPhone 5 on 12th Sept?
- Samsung Unveils S Pebble MP3 Player
- Next Generation iPod touch Rumored to Get A5X Chip
- Samsung Outs Gaming Centric Galaxy S WiFi 4.2
- Next-gen iPod nano Might Feature a Camera
- Sony Launches Its B Series Walkman
- Patriot Introduces the PBO Alpine Android-Powered Media Player
- Apple Recalls First-generation iPod Nano
Just Launched
Boasting audio playback of up to 50 hours, the Walkman NWZ-E460 series comes with EX headphones and Sony's Clear Audio technologies, which r...
Boasting audio playback of up to 50 hours, the Walkman NWZ-E460 series comes with EX headphones and Sony's Clear Audio technologies, which r...
Boasting audio playback of up to 50 hours, the Walkman NWZ-E460 series comes with EX headphones and Sony's Clear Audio technologies, which r...
Weighing at only 32g, the Walkman NWZ-W260 series features a small, compact, ergonomic design with a range of chic colours, and is also wash...


text:
North Africa
Earth : Africa : North Africa
North Africa is the Northern part of the African continent.
Other territories
Atlantic Ocean Islands: Canary Islands (Spain), Madeira Islands (Portugal)
Spanish Exclaves: Ceuta, Melilla
Other destinations
Arabic is without a doubt the dominant language, and is the official language in every North African country. However the Maghrebi Arabic spoken in Algeria, Tunisia and Morroco is nearly incomprehensible to Arabic speakers from the Gulf. However, all educated people would have been taught standard Arabic in school, and while not the first language of choice, would be competent enough to communicate.
French is also widely spoken due to much of the area's history as a French colony, with the exception of Libya and Egypt. In Libya and Egypt, Italian and English are the dominant second languages respectively, reflecting their colonial past. However, they are not as widely spoken as French is in the rest of the region.
Get in
By boat
There are some ferries from Italy, notably Sicily and also the Canary Islands.
See Ferries in the Mediterranean.
Get around
Stay safe
Avoid drinking untreated ground water.
Get out


text: I will check my settings in Beersmith and report back. This may be a dumb question - Doing extract and partial mash even I never really considered efficiency since adding LME/DME usually got me to within a point or two of my anticipated OG, but now that it looks like it is important how do I calculate it?Regarding grain crush: I want to believe my LHBS guy is pretty good, but I could see him milling the grain incorrectly. I wasn't there when he did it. I usually e-mail my order in and pick it up on my way home from work. Will definately look into this more.I have a high tech wooden volume stick I made, so I will have to remember to measure my post-boil volume and grain absorptions as well next time out, but I think 5.5 gallons is a good estimate. Fermenter was at the 5 gal mark, and there was some left in the kettle with hop trub and break material.


text:
Little Town, Big Cheese!
South Wairarapa's artisan cheese shop, C'est Cheese, has become a golden destination for international visitors and locals.
1 / 2
One man's cheese dream has become reality at C'est Cheese on the main street of Featherston, the little town that greets and farewells travellers to the Wairarapa, on State Highway 2 north of the capital city Wellington.
Paul Broughton opened his shop and deli selling dozens of different New Zealand cheeses in 2013.
The store resembles those found in Europe. There is also a comprehensive range of cured meats, olive oils, chutneys, relishes, breads and crackers.
Paul, a commercial property professional, trained at the New Zealand Cheese School and had been making his own cheese for four years before opening C'est Cheese.
During New Zealand Cheese Month, he helped create cheese-based degustation menus and invited guests to special tastings.
The little shop is perfect for stocking up on tasty delights before heading back to Wellington city, either by car or train, perhaps to complement wine purchased from Wairarapa vineyards.
The shop is also a popular spot for those attempting the 115km Rimutaka Cycle Trail between Featherston and Upper Hutt, over the Rimutaka mountain range. It is one of New Zealand's Great Rides.
Stopping at the top to nibble on wedges of cheese sounds sooo European and yet is now so very Kiwi! Try it for yourself – it'll be grate.
Visit C'est Cheese on Facebook.
For information on doing the Rimutaka Cycle Trail as a guided tour or with cycle transport, go here:
For more things to do while you're visiting the Wairarapa head to www.wairarapanz.com. When you're here be sure to call into one of our i-SITEs for advice and trip suggestions.
Masterton i-SITE
Cnr Bruce and Dixon Streets
+64 6 370 0900
Martinborough i-SITE
18 Kitchener Street
+64 6 306 5010


text:
I would like to prove that for a LSC function, its epigraph is closed. I saw some longer proof here, but why would the following not hold ? :
$f LSC := \liminf f(x_n) \ge f(x)$ when $x_n \rightarrow x$
then $x_n,a_n \rightarrow x,a \implies f(x) \le \liminf f(x_n) \le \liminf a_n = a$
so $x,a \in epi(f)$


text:
Headlines archive
Court interpreter training planned for Wausau
Madison, Wisconsin - July 23, 2012
The Director of State Courts Office is accepting applications for a weekend interpreter training session to be held in Wausau on Aug. 25 and Aug. 26 at UW-Marathon County.
While Spanish is the primary language requested by the courts, increased efforts are being made to recruit qualified interpreters for many other languages, particularly those spoken by incoming refugee populations. The state Department of Children and Families Refugee Assistance Services Program is offering a limited number of scholarships to qualified individuals fluent in languages such as Arabic, Burmese, Farsi, French, Khmer, Russian, Somali and Tibetan. Interpreters also are sought for more rare languages from Myanmar such as Chin, Karen, Karenni (Kayah), and Mon. In all, applicants fluent in English and almost 50 other languages, including American Sign Language, are being sought.
Training sessions are intended for individuals who are interested in learning the fundamentals of court interpreting and are designed to give participants an overview of the needs and expectations of the court with emphasis on ethical conduct, legal terminology, court procedure, and basic legal interpreting skills. Small group practice exercises will help to develop interpreting skills. This orientation is intended as an introduction to the complexities of court interpreting, rather than as an in-depth training. Faculty includes judges, attorneys, and certified court interpreters. A $160 fee covers the sessions, lunches, and materials. Each session will run 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on two consecutive days. The deadline for submitting an application is August 10, 2012.
Applications are encouraged from individuals who are currently interpreting in court proceedings or administrative hearings regularly. The court system also seeks applications from working interpreters in other fields who want to broaden their experience to include legal settings and to bilingual individuals who wish to learn more about the court interpreting profession. Participants who attend orientation, achieve minimal testing levels, and meet other requirements will be placed on a public roster of interpreters used by courts, law enforcement agencies, lawyers, and law-related agencies.
This training is part of the Director of State Courts Office Interpreter Program, which aims to improve interpretation and translation in the courts. For more information on these training sessions, and to register, visit the court system Web site. For more information contact Carmel Capati, Office of Court Operations at email@example.com or (608) 266-8635.


text:
When It Comes to NDA Approvals, Is 30 the New 50?
In 2011, the FDA approved 30 New Medical Entities (NMEs) filed either as New Drug Applications (NDAs – small molecules) or Original Biologic License Applications (BLAs – therapeutic biologics). This is the largest number of approvals since 36 new drugs were approved in 2004. Furthermore, on average only 23 new drugs were approved in the previous decade, so the 2011 total is pretty impressive. People are debating whether this represents a turnaround for the biopharmaceutical industry or a one year aberration. Regardless, as good as 2011 was, there is no doubt that the number of new drugs produced by the industry is significantly lower than what it produced in the 1990s.
When people talk about this issue, they always use 1996 as their starting point. In that year, the FDA approved 53 NMEs, an all-time high. However, using the 1996 data as a starting point for a productivity discussion is totally inappropriate as THAT was a one year aberration. In the early 1990s, the U.S. was undergoing a "drug lag," that is, drugs were being approved more rapidly abroad than in the U.S. As a result, a number of drugs were languishing at the FDA for years before approval. Needless to say, Congress got involved and they realized that the FDA was under-resourced to approve drugs in a timely fashion. To solve this problem, Congress enacted the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), a mechanism whereby charges were levied on pharmaceutical companies for each new drug application filed. The revenues from these "user fees" were used to hire 600 new drug reviewers and support staff. This personnel increase enabled the FDA to work through the backlog of NDAs. The record number of NDA approvals in 1996 is a result of this.
(As an aside, the user fee in 1995 for a full NDA was $208,000. In 2012, the fee is $1,841,500. Considering that fewer NDAs are being filed, given the nine-fold increase in PDUFA user fees, one might wonder why all drugs can't be approved with a six months review time.)
Nevertheless, the FDA approved 315 new drugs from 1991 – 2000. Thus, despite the progress in technologies for drug discovery and development, as well as the wealth of information that has emanated from the Human Genome Project, the number of new drugs emerging annually has dropped significantly. What may account for this? For one thing, due to industry consolidation, there are fewer companies producing new drug candidates. In 1988, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturing Association (PhRMA) had 42 members. Only 11 of those companies exist today. While there are biotech companies like Amgen that have arisen over this timeframe, there haven't been nearly enough new companies formed that could make up for this decrease in NDA-producing organizations. Back in 1990, if a new idea for treating cancer arose, 25 different companies would have jumped on it. Given the challenges inherent in R&D, one might assume that 4 or 5 of these companies would have been successful in getting such a drug approved. Things are quite different now. With fewer companies competing, the chances for success drop precipitously. Not only are there then fewer NDAs produced, you also wind up getting fewer entrants in a new class of drugs, which provides fewer choices to patients, physicians and payers.
Another reason for the decrease in NDA output is the result of the higher safety and differentiation hurdles experimental medicines face. For a new drug to be a commercial success these days, it needs to be differentiated from existing therapies. In addition, the FDA is requiring that new compounds are effective in treating the disease itself and not just impact markers of the disease. For example, a new compound that lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol might be of value, but the FDA now requires data actually showing that such an agent actually reduces heart attacks in a patient population with cardiovascular disease. In the 1990s, simply lowering LDL was enough to get FDA approval. Outcomes studies, if they were done at all, would be done after the drug was approved and marketed. Now, extensive clinical trials are needed and the new agent not only has to reduce heart attacks and strokes, it also needs to do so better than the generic statins.
The impact on industry productivity as a result of higher differentiation and efficacy hurdles can be seen in the decrease in compounds clearing late stage (Phase 3) clinical studies. In the 1990s, >90% of compounds entering Phase 3 received FDA approval. Data from Arrowsmith (Nature Reviews Drug Discovery Vol. 10, 87, February 2011) suggests that only 50% of compounds entering Phase 3 get FDA approval. Phase 3, which prior to 2000 served to confirm results from early smaller scale clinical trials, now is a major hurdle in determining a drug's ultimate medical and commercial value. The drugs that emerge from such vigorous trials are likely to be major advances. However, fewer of these occurrences happen now than a decade ago.
For NDA approvals, the 1990s can be viewed as an era when there were many large organizations producing multiple compounds that didn't need to be differentiated from existing therapy nor show multiple year safety and disease reduction in patients. The rules, however, have changed. The hurdles and costs for new drug development are higher than ever before. As a result, to expect the industry to produce 50 new drugs per year is unrealistic, regardless of technology advances. Thirty is the new 50.
7 Responses
I'm wondering what you think these stats on R&D productivity would look like if instead of analyzing the industry in aggregate, we broke down the numbers broadly based on indication categories (ie. heart disease, diabetes, oncology, inflammatory, rare disease,…) Perhaps the R&D data for heart disease/diabetes negatively skews the recent data since the trials are generally much larger, more expensive and only recently, as you mention, the space is crowded with competition and concerns about safety and market access are more pronounced—hence more failures in this area. On the contrary, oncology R&D might be more on the 'up-tick', where next-gen sequencing is providing immediate actionable insights on disease biology, and as a whole is not as crowded as heart disease, safety is manageable, and payer concerns are only starting to become an issue. I think it might be more informative to gauge the health of different components of our industry based on indication, where there exists non-trivial differences in biology and realities in the marketplace. It might be an oversimplification to call us 'one' industry.
You say that "In 2012, the fee is $1,841,500". Where did you find that number? I am not questioning the number but I need to give a reference in a publication.


text: SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Tech stocks recorded mild gains Wednesday, with Salesforce.com Inc. CRM, +1.24% among the advancers. The cloud-based business software company's shares rose more than 7%, to $156.28 after Salesforce on Tuesday reported earnings and sales that topped analysts' estimates. Gains also came from IBM Corp. IBM, +1.39%, Microsoft Corp. MSFT, +1.83% and Facebook Inc. FB, +0.61%. The Nasdaq Composite Index $compq gave up 1 point to slip to 2,915. Trading was expected to be relatively quiet ahead the Thanksgiving Day holiday in the U.S.


text:
Main navigation | Main content
|Alex Schumann
The University News Service video "The Science of Watchmen" featuring Professor James Kakalios, which has received more than 1.5 million views on YouTube, received a regional Emmy Award in the "Advanced Media: Arts/Entertainment" category.
Kakalios was tapped by Warner Bros. as a science consultant for the popular comic book movie, "Watchmen." "The Science of Watchmen" looks at his involvement with the film and the physics behind its extraordinary characters. The video enjoyed enormous success, garnering over 1.5 million views on YouTube, making it one of the most widely viewed videos ever in higher education.
"If anyone had asked me back in grad school if I could imagine winning an Emmy for a YouTube video -- I would have answered, 'what's a YouTube?'" said Kakalios. "This award is a testament to the University News Service who conceived and created the video."
Recognized by his colleagues for his research in condensed matter physics, most students know Kakalios for his popular freshman seminar "Everything I Know About Physics I Learned By Reading Comic Books." A professor in the Institute of Technology's School of Astronomy and Physics since 1988, he is also the author of the science book "The Physics of Superheroes."
The video was produced by the University News Service team, under Elizabeth Giorgi, managing editor, and was nominated by the Midwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The nominated clip can be viewed here. Award winners from the News Service include, Daniel Wolter, Justin Ware, Elizabeth Giorgi and Drew Swain.
The Upper Midwest Emmys is an awards event celebrating regional excellence in television production. The Emmy Awards are put on by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and recognize a variety of categories including news, sports and documentary programming, as well as individual talent. The Upper Midwest region includes Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, western Wisconsin and most of Iowa.


text:
Office of Regulatory Compliance and Safety offering defensive driving courses
The Office of Regulatory Compliance and Safety is offering the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving Course at no charge to university employees, including student workers.
After participating in the one-day session delivered by MSU Safety Officer Alicia Musselwhite, attendees will receive a nationally recognized certification from the National Safety Council. The NSC's certifications are accepted in more states than any other driver improvement or driver education program for insurance discounts.
The Defensive Driving Course offers practical strategies to reduce
collision-related injuries, fatalities, and costs.
This session is limited to 15 participants and a minimum of 7 attendees must be present to hold the class. Training sessions and locations are as follows:
Wednesday, March 16 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 119 at the Life Sciences & Biotechnology Institute
Thursday, April 28 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 119 at the Life Sciences & Biotechnology Institute
If you are interested in attending, please follow the steps listed below to register:
1. Click this link. http://orc.msstate.edu/quicklinks/training.php
2. Under Currently Scheduled Live Classes, you will see the title Defensive Driving. Click the title for the date you wish to register.
3. You will need your NetID and password to access the "Enroll in a Course" page.
4. Click the title for the date you wish to register, and then click "Yes" to enroll, or "No" to be returned to the enrollment page.
If you have questions about this course, please contact Musselwhite at firstname.lastname@example.com or (662) 325-4607.


text:
$1.5M fine levied against ex-Peoria Heights construction firm chief
The former head of a Peoria-area construction firm, which received nearly $60 million in state contracts for building projects at two Illinois universities, was ordered to pay $1.5 million in restitution after pleading guilty to fraud in connection with the deals, The Associated Press has learned.
Thomas J. Williams entered his guilty plea to two counts of mail fraud late Wednesday afternoon in Sangamon County Circuit Court in a case that had been sealed up to that point, according to Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office, which shared details of the case with the AP in advance of general release early Thursday.
Williams, 81, of Peoria Heights, also was sentenced to 2½ years' probation in the case before Circuit Judge John Schmidt.
Williams admitted to falsely claiming that his company would pay minority-owned subcontractors, as required by state law, for millions of dollars of work in renovating historic Lincoln Hall at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and building a new science complex at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
In his plea, he also admitted telling the Illinois Capital Development Board, which issued the contracts, that his company would employ BJB Enterprises of Peoria, a minority-owned firm, on the projects. But BJB did no work and didn't provide any materials, according to Madigan's office.
"Williams Brothers used this subcontractor as a front to win significant state construction contracts," Madigan, a Democrat, said in a written statement. "The company's illegal acts denied legitimate minority-owned businesses from securing public contracts and defrauded taxpayers."
Williams did not return a phone message left at his home Wednesday night. Messages left for his attorney, Michael Monaco of Chicago, were not immediately returned.
Williams resigned as president of the company in February in a decision unrelated to the plea deal, Madigan spokeswoman Natalie Bauer said.
The Capital Development Board referred the matter to Madigan's office in June 2011, Bauer said. She did not immediately know what raised the agency's suspicions. The case was investigated and prosecuted by Madigan's public integrity bureau, which the three-term attorney general formed in 2006 with an eye toward uncovering fraud and government abuse and waste.
Williams Brothers won a $38 million contract as part of the three-year, $64 million renovation of Lincoln Hall at the U of I, an iconic structure opened in 1911. The building reopened for classes last fall and Gov. Pat Quinn hosted its February rededication. Williams Brothers' contract required that $3.3 million of that contract be paid to a minority-owned subcontractor.
The company's deal for the SIU-Edwardsville science complex was $21.5 million, of which $3.4 million was supposed to be allocated to a minority-led business. The cost of building a new science building and renovating the existing one was $78.9 million.
Bauer said she didn't expect additional charges "at this time," but added the office continues to investigate minority-enterprise fraud "in other government contracts."
According to state comptroller's records, Williams Brothers has received $85 million in contracts from the Capital Development Board since 2010, including about half of a $37 million obligation this year. It was not immediately clear Wednesday night if any of that money is connected to the university work.
BJB Enterprises is not listed among companies registered with the Illinois Secretary of State's office, but comptroller records indicate a company by that name has received just one recent state payment — $7,520 from the Department of Military Affairs in 2012.


text:
Shepherding a church or ministry inevitably means dealing with difficult personalities. How can leaders handle hard relationships without buckling under the pressure? Chuck DeGroat, professor of pastoral care and counseling at Western Theological Seminary, as well as a pastor and therapist, tackles the question in his latest book, Toughest People to Love: How to Understand, Lead, and Love the Difficult People in Your Life—Including Yourself (Eerdmans). Daniel Darling, a pastor and author, spoke with DeGroat about embracing vulnerability and avoiding the pitfalls of the church-based "hero culture."
You write candidly about having nurtured suicidal thoughts, even while serving in ministry. Should church leaders publicly share their struggles this way?
I've done research on seminary graduates who had been in ministry five or more years. They were excited to study the Bible, read deep books, and preach. But they weren't prepared for the barrage of criticism, gossip, triangulation, stress, exhaustion, and more.
Throughout my own time in ministry, there have been dark times. I've felt worthless, like it just wasn't worth it, like my wife and I were a thousand miles apart. I've had times when I felt like everyone was against me, when my inner critic was so loud I couldn't think. As leaders, we need greater permission to tell stories that include the darker edges. Every good story involves suffering, death, and resurrection—that's the pattern Jesus set! Why pretend we're superhuman when Christ was fully human?
I distinguish between openness and vulnerability. Vulnerability is saved for a few close friends and one's spouse. Openness is for larger audiences. Good leadership ...1


text:
I'm trying to create a para-virt Fedora 14 Xen vm on a host running CentOS 5.5. The VM appears to initially install correctly (the installer finds
eth0 and can access the installation media). But when I restart the VM after the installation is completed the VM no longer sees any network, only lo. The VM does have one network connection according to virt-manager.
The host is running CentOS 5.5 64bit - completely up-to-date The VM I am tring to install is F14 64bit (installing only the minimal group)
Update: After taking a look at this again, I think the problem has to do with my network setup. In the server I have two NICs (eth0, eth1) that I've bonded together (bond0). I'm guessing that I need to make changes to xen so it recognizes the bonded NICs, though I don't know why the guest gets a network interface during installation.