text:
***This form doesn't play well with some tablets/mobile devices. You may have to use a PC to enter.***
a Rafflecopter giveaway
PS: Stay tuned to the blog to see who the next "Saturday" Cozy Chick will be!
You'll be missed!
We will all miss you here, but I'll see you on Facebook, and hopefully in person again in March!! *big hugs*
And I forgot to tell you one of my favorite things, but I bet you can guess - getting to see you!
I am so glad you spent time as a Cozy Chick - it's how I "met" you and began reading your books. So thankful for the opportunity to have heard you in this special place and will miss your posts. One of my favorite things is Burt's Bees Buttermilk Bath Soak. It is so soothing, both the fragrance and the feel of it in the bath. Ahhhh. Wishing you all the best!
I will miss you on Cozy Chicks. My favorite thing is reading. I am a book addict.
One of my favorite things is...Reading! (big surprise!) Actually, as I explained to co-workers just days ago, it isn't that I just enjoy reading...I can't NOT read....I always have to have a book going. I do admit to having a little bit of panic if I realize I finished my book stack and don't have anything ready to read as soon as my current book is finished. Thank you, Heather (and other authors) for always writing new things! It helps us with our addiction! :)
As you already know, I will miss you. I will still see you on Facebook and your own blog, but the cozy chicks, is just, cozy. I am very glad to have discovered your books, as I love them. My favourite thing is of course reading, but one detail of that, is discovering new authors to love and then devouring their backlists.
Merry Christmas Heather!
What a wonderful question! And I love your answer. Out of all the possibilities, you picked your readers. Your books are fabulous, no wonder you have fans all over the world. Have a wonderful holiday, Heather.
Will miss seeing you here but facebook is still an option and also thru the written word!
Thanks, Dianne. :)
Yes, March! And you'll be happy to know I've been putting my crochet hook to good use. :)
I'll have to try it, Kristin! And thanks for always visiting me here and on my own blog. xoxo
Thanks, Kaye! Reading is all kinds of wonderful, isn't it?
Vicki, we can't do what we do without wonderful readers like you! xo
Merry Christmas to you, too! And I'll definitely still see you online. xo
Wishing you a wonderful holiday, too, Mary! xo
I'll definitely be seeing you on FB, Noreen! :)
I've enjoyed your posts on the blog, and as I follow you already on FB I can keep up! Enjoy your time writing and musing, and yes working in jammies is the BEST EVER!
Love your books. See you on Facebook:-)
Thank you, Carrie! (I totally agree about the jammies!)
Thanks, Paula! Yep, I'll see you there. :)
One of my favorite things, watching/listening to my daughter read. She's six and has been reading for several years now (early reader). She just recently "got" chapter books. She cannot wait to see what happens next, so we end up reading far longer than expected. I have loved watching her discover my one true love, reading for pleasure.
Apologies on entering the second giveaway. My page wasn't loading correctly and when I refreshed, I had entered that one! Please ignore. :)
LOL, Kiy. Technology--so tricky. I loved watching my kids read, too. I remember the poignancy very well when they started reading ME bedtime stories. So wonderful. I'm not sure if your sweet little girl loves horses, but my baby girl devoured the Pony Pal series. xo
Liked your new book, but LOVE your Wishcraft series! Can't wait for Darcy's next adventure!!!
Thanks! I'm working on copy edits of THE GOODBYE WITCH right now. It's a good one! ;)
Sorry to see you leave the Cozy Chicks, but will still follow on Facebook & anxiously await each new book!
Glad that you are not going far, I do follow on facebook.
I am retired and have lots of time to read. My favorite genre is cozy mysteries. I am currently reading A Potion to Die For and I love it. Thanks for your wonderful works.
I love following you in Facebook, but will miss your write-ups here. Can't wait to see what you turn out next ; )
Favorite things: a nice hot cup of tea, a good book, any homemade baking - especially fresh bread!
It's sad to see you leaving Cozy Chicks, but I'll make sure to keep up to date with Twitter and Facebook!
I'm sorry you are leaving. One of my favorite things is books (I love your books!) If I didn't have books I wouldn't know what to do. I have your latest waitong for me for when I finish moving and christmas is over.
I love reading….and I love your books…It's a win win…We still have FB!!!
Thanks for all your cozy posts and best of luck in all you do. I know I'll be hearing form you soon!
One of my favorite things is being able to live a happy life filled with animals and books...and wine!
You will be missed. I know what you mean about speaking softly. I tried to speak louder and couldn't do it either. One of my favorite things is reading.
We'll miss you but contine to love your books.
Favorite things: Relaxing on a Saturday morning with a cup of coffee (with peppermint mocha creamer) and my Nook reading a good book. That will be my morning today! See yon on Facebook! :)
Thank you, Jan! :)
Nancy, thanks! I'll see you there.
So happy you're enjoying POTION, Pam! And thank you. :)
You made me tear up, Heather.
I like that the reader gets to connect with the author in an incredibly fabulous way. I love author blogs; I love author Facebook posts. I love my author's books. Thank you for having done these blogs. Your Facebook posts are great! It gives the reader an opportunity to embrace the author in a more complete way. We not only get to love your talent, but we come to love "you", as you are revealed. How fun is that for a reader and their favorite author. That is why I not only like the connection, but I love it! I think readership has been given a gift when blogs, Facebook, etc. came around. What's not to like?
Thanks, Laura! Also check out my personal blog. I'll post there from time to time, too. :)
I've just started drinking tea and love it. :)
Aww, thank you, Tracy. Hope you enjoy the book. As someone who just moved, I know you'll need to escape for a while. :)
Yes, a win-win! Love it.
One of my favorite things this season is to sit with a cup of coffee while looking at the Christmas tree before I get busy.... Just a few moments of quiet. I'll miss you hear, but see you on Facebook.
Those sound like some lovely favorite things! And I'll definitely see you on FB!
Becky, I keep trying, too, which is frustrating! LOL. Oh, and having to repeat yourself over and over...GAH! And I love reading too.
Thanks, Jeanine!
Ahhh, that sounds wonderful. It's rainy here today, too. Perfect for curling up.
{{{Hugs}}} Sniffle.
Frankly, I'm amazed that any author can get any writing done these days, what with Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and websites all demanding input in the quest for self promotion. While I miss people when they cut back on all the sites, what I miss most is seeing their books. So, enjoy your writing time!
I love this, Margaret. Thank you.
Alicia, that's a favorite of mine, too. So tranquil. I'll see you on FB!
You've made me all mushy and I have guests coming shortly!!! I love your books because I love your sense of humor, you sense of family, and your sense of justice and fair play. I also love a good cup of coffee while reading them. ;-) I'm sorry that you will no longer be writing here, but I'm very glad to hear that you will continue to write your books...they are a delightful carrot that has gotten me through more "chores" then you will ever know. Thank you.
It's an interesting balance, Patty, for sure. :) But worth it for the friends I make. I'm working on edits today, then it's back to writing the second Potion book. No rest for the wicked, er, weary? LOL. :)
Aww, Mare, now you've made me mushy, too. xoxo <3
I'm glad you're making this choice!!! Love your books and thank you for this giveaway. I'll tell you, I will never stop being starstruck with I get to speak directly to an author, thanks for giving us that opportunity!
I have enjoyed your posts here. I just signed up for your newsletter, so I won't miss you too much.
I would say reading Cozy Mysteries is one of my favorite things. Which is even better if one have chocolate near by to eat!
Thank you for being so open to us as readers! I enjoyed the blog post and enjoy getting to know you through Facebook! Good luck in your new adventures!
One of my favorites is to sit in my comfy chair, with a cup of hot tea, a book, a blanket, and pups all curled around me and the blanket. That is when all is right with the world!
Whoops, left out my favorite things!!! Chocolate chip cookies while playing Super Mario Bros (hehe!!), French pressed coffee w/cream and a lotta sugar!!, and museums :)
Not only one of my favorite things but my most favorite thing is reading, reading, reading. So I'm very glad that you will continue to write books :-)
I haven't been with Cozy Chicks for too long but I will see you on FB and in your books, too.
One of my favorite things is my computer. I can go so many places and see so many people with it.
I love writing as well, and as you mention, there are so many things to love about writing. However, I do fight traffic and can't wear my jammies to work, but when I get the spare time to write I love it because I am creating!! I think writer's touch other people's lives in ways they may not even know :)
Those are some good favorite things. ;-) I too chose a career that helps accentuate my 'weaknesses' aka being silly and childish! Daycare! :D Which brings me to one of my favorite things. Making people smile, particularly those little folks! =) I love trying to get a cranky baby to stop crying and smile or even giggle! Of course it's just as fun if they were happy to begin with. Of course jammies and a good book rank right up there as well! :)
I enjoy all your series. I was luck to meet you , Denise and rest of the Deadly Divas in Oct 2012. As a reader it is a huge honor to meet authors the enjoy reading! We, cozy fans thank you, Heather for always keeping us entertained and excited to read your newest release! Round of applause!
We have the same favorite things! I also love listening to music, especially at Christmas time. Good luck to you and thanks for the giveaway!
Knitting in a cozy room with a cup of coffee nearby! Thank you so much for all of your great posts!
I will miss reading your blogs I have enjoyed it so much. But I will always be a devoted fan and read your books. My favorite thing is to grab a good cup of coffee and curl up on the couch with a good book. I look forward to many more wonderful books in the future. Many ((hugs)) and much love to you my friend from Oregon :)
Many blessings for your new year!
Chocolate and books.. my fave things!
The early morning hours when I'm the only human awake and it's just me, the dogs, the hedgehog, a cup of coffee and a good book.
Will miss you here on Cozy Chicks Heather. I wish you all the best with your writing, and love the fact that there will be more books coming out from you. Yay!!!!! As for favorite things: books, chocolate, animals.
good luck!
I will miss your posts! I still follow you on Facebook and read your other blogs, so I'm glad you aren't going "offline" entirely!
I applaud you for blogging here so many years! You know I love all of your books, and if freeing up some time means there will be even more, I'm thrilled! Wishing you all the best, Heather! Merry Christmas to you and your family! <3
I'm glad your not totally gone at least I still have FB. I can't wait for books. Thanks for the cake!
One of my favorite things is reading especially cozy mysteries! Have a wonderful holiday season.
Seems like yesterday that we met here. I responded to one of your posts regaling my woes of gardening on a steep hillside, of strapping my body to trees to keep from tumbling downhill. You sent me red hot candies and one of your Nina books. The candies are gone, but I still have the tin. And the book, it's on my keeper shelf alongside all your other titles. I'm happy I met you, Heather. You changed my writing life, but then you know that. Stay close. And best of luck.
I will miss seeing you here on this site but I know you will still be around! 8 years is a long time to do anything so I applaud you. You have become like family to me and I am sure so many other fans and we only wish you ALL the best! I can't wait to see what you have in store for us next. Merry Christmas to you and your family and most of all Happy Writing!!
I can't wait for the next few books you have coming out! Merry Christmas!!
Love your books, you will be missed here. My favorite thing is books of course.
Favorite things - family, books, chocolate. Will miss you. Merry Christmas!
I finished A Potion to Die For and loved it, thanks for the chance to win and see you on FB.
As I take a big bite out of my scrumptious virtual hot lava cake oozing of warm chocolate and dripping with fresh cherry compote, I say goodbye to a Blogger Heather and congratulate Writer Heather! I'm very excited for you for taking that big step. I know it's hard to say goodbye to such as huge part of your life.
There are great adventures ahead of you and I'm looking forward to reading every one of them in your upcoming books!! :D
Best of luck!! Merry Christmas :-)
I enjoy your books and will continue to see you on Facebook!
Oops...forgot to mention one of my favorite things. In this moment, one of my favorite things is the homemade fudge that my husband makes for our family (and just made last night!). Best I've ever had!
Good luck. I love this "good bye" party. What a creative idea.
My favorite thing/s are my grandchildren. They can make me laugh at a moments notice. They love me even though they think I'm "old."
My favorite people are my grandchildren..my favorite things are my books. Looking forward to your next book!!!
My Grandson..28Months Reading to him..Just being with him=Joy...Thanks for Sharing your Voice with us through your Books...Thats very Special...Will always Have Great Memories on BN FirstLook "Truly,Madly" Discussion and patiently waiting for the next and next in The Lucy Valentine Series that we all love...Will visit you on FB,Your Blog and Twitter to keep up...xx
My favorite things are books, boots and white chocolate. Thanks for the giveaway!
One of my favorite things is drinking chai tea and reading one of my favorite books.
Chocolate chip cookies are a fave of mine, too. Mmm. Now I want some. :)
Thanks, Rachelle!
Thank you, Susan! Love your favorite things.
Mine, too, Angela. :)
Oh, that's a good one, Linda. I love my computer, too.
I agree, Karin. :)
Babies are one of my favorite things, too. I kind of can't wait to be a grandma (shh, don't tell my kids).
Candace, I remember! And thank you for the kind words.
I've had Christmas music playing nonstop for weeks. My family is finally getting used to it. ;)
Thanks, Karen!
Thanks, Christina! I'll see you on FB!
Thank you, Fayelle! You too.
Don't tell Son #2 about the hedgehogs--he's been wanting one forever! So cute.
My favorite things are books and coffee
Thanks, Linda! I'll see you on FB!
You can't get rid of me that easily! :)
Thanks, Laura! Wishing you a wonderful Christmas, and I'll see you on FB!
I kind of wish I had real cake. :)
You, too! (And cozies rock!)
Sniffle. (((Hugs)))
I'll definitely see you around! The other Cozy Chicks will be right here, :) Wishing you a wonderful Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you, too!
Thanks, Mo!
Thanks, Karen! Merry Christmas to you, too!
So happy you loved it! And yep, see you on FB!
So, sweet! And cut me a piece of your cake. YUM!
Merry Christmas! And YUM on the fudge.
Thanks, Vivian! See you on FB!
Thanks! :)
So sweet. :)
Thanks, Cheryl!
Aw, thanks, Susan!
Boots! Love those, too.
Sounds perfect!
Mine too! :)
My favorite thing is that I passed on my love for reading to my eight-year-old daughter. She loves Nancy Drew just as much as I did when I was her age. I'll miss your blog posts! I fell in love with Nina, Lucy, Darcy, and now, Carly, and hope that this will gives you plenty of time to continue their stories.
I Will miss your blog. My favorite thing to do is go shopping .... For books. XD am glad that you'll be in Facebook still and twitter.
Aw, thank you so much, Rebecca! And I love your favorite thing.
Natalia, book shopping is sooo much fun. :)
I have enjoyed your posts and will miss them. One of my favorite things is to read. I sit in my favorite chair and read, read, read even when I should be doing other things. Keep up the good work. I have enjoyed your books and hope to read all of them in the future.
My most favorite thing is a beagle puppy. Other favorite things are a good cozy book and an Elvis record.
While I'll miss you on here, I know that the new Lucy book will be coming a lot sooner :)
Selfishly hoping this means more releases. I love your novels!
Favorite thing? Great stories.
Thank you! Lots of books to come. :)
Oh, puppies are so sweet. And if you've read my books, you know I'm an Elvis fan, too.
I'm hoping it'll be out at the end of winter. Cross your fingers.
Me, too, Jenn! LOL.
Definitely, Lynn. Definitely. :)
See you on Facebook while eating one of my favorite things...tiramisu.
One of my favorite things-sitting on my couch drinking great coffee while reading a really great book.
You will be greatly missed, but I will check in on facebook and your blog.
One of my favorite things is cold weather. I've always lived in Florida, and while it was a bit chillier earlier this week, the high today was 88. I could have gone swimming 4 days before Christmas! Crazy. I love cold weather and peppermint hot chocolate and sweaters, cute scarves and hats and everything cold weather-ish.
Your books are among my favorite things!
My favorite thing is watching the wonder of my boys' eyes as they open gifts and wat hing Polar Express on Christmas Eve.
My favorite thing is a good mystery and that is why I've grown addicted to Cozy Mysteries! I love your books! Your heroine Darcy is so real as are all your wonderful characters. I look forward to collecting and reading more of your books and series in the future. You will be missed on The Cozy Chicks Blog but it does sound like you could use a break from some of your activities. I don't know how you do all that you do and write but I am so grateful that yo do! I didn't get to be on here earlier today because I have been helping an Uncle celebrate his 80th (yes 80th) birthday! I wish you all the best and look forward to your future visits with The Cozy Chick Blog.
Yum! See you on FB!
Thank you! I've got my coffee right now... :)
Ooh, I'll trade you some cold for some warmth! Although I'd LOVE a white Christmas (not going to happen). I adore your favorites, too.
Awww, thank you!
So sweet!
So sweet, Sharon! Thank you. And happy b-day to your uncle!
Congratulations to La Toya, Melody T, Pam M, and Natalie S -- your emails have been sent! Thanks, everyone, for joining me for the good-bye party! I'm leaving here with lots of great memories. :)
I will miss you so much, Heather! I my heart, you'll always be a Cozy Chick!
Thanks, Ellery. In my heart, too. :)


text:
Order-to-Cash Software
Order to Cash in SAP ERP
Boost sales, margins, and customer satisfaction. With the order-to-cash functionality of SAP ERP, you can automate and accelerate the entire order-to-cash process – from order management and product fulfillment to accounts receivable.
- On-premise deployment
- Support for end-to-end sales activities
- Real-time, multichannel information on pricing, products, customers, and contracts
- Automated billing
Key Benefits
Support your activities end to end
Manage the entire scope of your sales-order lifecycle, from presales tasks and the initial order to all post-sales activities.
Gain new levels of efficiency in order management
Reduce the amount of time you devote to order administration, status checks, and resolution of late or lost shipments.
Crush your sales goals across all channels
Drive profitable revenue growth by increasing engagement with customers – no matter how they prefer to interact with your business.
Key Capabilities
Order and contract management
Hit your sales and delivery targets with accurate multichannel information on pricing, products, customers, and contracts in real time and streamlined order-to-cash processes.
Receivables processing
Manage customer accounts receivable with integrated software that can record and manage accounts receivable data for all customers while minimizing manual effort and cost.
Customer Successes
12.5% higher optimization of warehouse space
See how Qualimer enabled just-in-time inventory management and visibility into stock movement with interconnected processes.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Holiday Decadence
'Tis the season for warm meals. 'Tis the season for family. 'Tis the season for holiday celebration! If there were ever a time for celebration with loved ones, it is now. Yes, holidays are a time to come together and be happy over food and drink. The days are shorter, the weather is colder and it is the perfect time to stay indoors and enjoy a warm meal. Most people allow themselves little indulgences in the month of December. We all tend to eat more, drink more and be a bit merrier this time of year. So why not make this year more decadent than ever? We have put together a list of the most decadent and unique holiday indulgences. Because, isn't the more the merrier?
You can serve these items at your holiday party, or just enjoy them alone on a cold winter's night. No matter how you indulge, these ingredients are sure to make it worth the revel!
Lambrusco: Nothing says celebration like this sweet red sparkling wine. Its light, fruity flavor and cheerful effervescence make it the perfect sip for holiday toasts and good cheer.
Oysters: What's more decadent than raw oysters before a meal? Their crisp flavor and buttery texture make them the perfect bite with bubbles. Get them fresh and shuck them on the spot for an unforgettable and simple amuse-bouche.
Morels: Also known as Sponge Mushroom, these meaty mushrooms are delicious with pasta, steaks or simply on their own with toast. You can add them to scrambled eggs in the morning or incorporate them into a roasted veggie dish for an added touch of umami. Get them fresh or dried and cook with plenty of butter!
Ankimo: Also known as monkfish liver, ankimo is the Foie Gras of the sea. Its smooth and silky texture and rich, briny flavor make it perfect to spread on toast, or better yet, steak! Finish with daikon, ponzu or minced chive.
Black Truffle Essence: Thanks to a wide variety of black truffle infused salts and oils, you can now include this decadent essence without breaking the bank. Make your own truffle butter for steaks and green veggies or elevate your scrambled eggs. Black truffle essence adds a depth and earthiness to just about anything!
Chocolate: Chocolate should be the second to last stop for every decadent meal. It pairs great with red wines and spans the flavor spectrum from earthy and nutty to floral and even spicy. Look for a chocolate with low sugar content as sugar can mask the natural flavor notes.
Époisses de Bourgogne: Also known as Époisses, this gooey French cheese is the most delightfully decadent way to finish a meal. Bathed in brandy and aged in caves, this soft cheese is delicious with baguette or simply by the spoonful. Widely available in stores and online, it is perfect paired with Burgundian wine.
What's your go-to item to make your meals more decadent? Share pictures and ideas with us on twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #ZojiHolidays. We can't wait to hear from you!
Miso Soup: A Japanese Classic Finds New Life
When you hear miso soup, you probably think of that delicious bowl of soup you get before sushi or the instant package miso soup you find at the store. Did you ever think that it could be more than that? The truth is that it is. Miso soup is one of the most versatile and healthy things you can make at home. It's also fun and easy to get creative with it! Add sweet potatoes, lobster or even corn for a warming bowl of deliciousness this winter season!
Miso soup is traditionally a "dashi" stock – made from dried fish, kelp and katsuobushi – with miso paste. You'll find it served with tofu and seaweed most of the time. In Japan, it is a soup often served with rice as part of a traditional meal. In some regions, you might find it with small shrimp, mushrooms or sliced daikon.
Now that you know a bit more about it, take your miso soup to the next level by starting with a homemade broth or "dashi" made using your favorite ingredient from simmered lobster shells to chicken or vegetable stock. Try adding dried kombu for another layer of umami. Play with different kinds of miso, or try mixing a few together by using white, red or yellow miso paste. And finally, get creative with your vegetables and use the season for inspiration. You can add thick meaty mushrooms to match the tofu, deep green beans or even baby shrimp! The possibilities are endless! Happy cooking!
For a dashi recipe, click here.
Did you know that there were once over 3,000 castles in Japan? Primarily constructed for their military defense reasons, the castles guarded important strategic sites, such as ports, river crossings or crossroads, and almost always incorporated its surrounding landscape into their defense. As small battles were fought, the need for stronger fortifications began, resulting in a total of over 3,000 castles – including Azuchi Castle, one of the famous castles built by the dominant warlords of Nobunaga. However, once peace was brought to Japan under the Tokugawa rule, the need of castles vastly declined to nearly 170 castles.
Japanese castles follow a classic structure that begins with selecting the right plot of land where the castle rests. It utilized walls that were cut from the mountainsides and carved out moats to add to the fortification. The central part of the castle is the most recognizable. Many castle towers have a five story structure on the outside and eight stories on the inside. This gave a military advantage to protect the building from attackers.
One of the most famous castles in Japan is the Himeji Castle. It has the classic hilltop architecture and is a collection of 83 interconnected buildings. This structure was built with advanced military fortifications during the feudal period. It is the best example of a prototypical Japanese castle. The family crests that signify the various Lords who inhabited the structure can be found throughout the castle. The Himeji Castle is the largest and most visited castle in Japan.
Product of the Month: Gourmet Sizzler® Electric Griddle (EA-DCC10)
Zojirushi would like to introduce the newest addition to the family of great appliances, the Gourmet Sizzler® Electric Griddle EA-DCC10. If you were looking for an electric griddle with a large cooking surface, this is it! This model has a nonstick coated ceramic cooking surface that is 50% larger than our other electric griddle – perfect for large groups. It comes with a lid to help reduce cooking time so that you can sizzle up a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner on the table faster!
One of the highlights of this product is its safety feature. The heat-resistant handles allow for safe and easy transport. Also the cooking plate sits low inside the body to protect against scalding. Perfect for family holiday parties!


text:
Book your Train ticket to BenicassimSpain
#1 distributor of train tickets and rail passes
The simplicity of one-stop-shopping
European experts
Benicassim, it has everything you ever wanted
How lucky you are to stay in such a pleasant town! Benicassim has a perfect location on the mediteranean coast of Spain, is easily reached by train and has everything you are looking for! Share your time between nature and culture, and just enjoy!
Benicassim is a seaside resort and that is the perfect place if you need to relax and to enjoy sunbathes on the Costa Azahar.
80 km away from Valencia, this 16.000 inhabitants city offers every year in july the famous International Festival of Benicassim ("FIB"), an important music event. Besides the pleasures of the sea and the cultural life, Benicassim is worth the visit in many respects. Visit the parish church, a gem built during the 18th century in a neoclassical style. You can also stroll around the Saint Vincent watchtower or explore the Montornés medieval castle.
Nature lovers will like to have a walk around the Bartolo peak (729 m).
Getting to and from Benicassim
|From Barcelona
|From Madrid
|From Tarragona
|To Tarragona
|To Barcelona
|To Madrid
Train Station(s)
While you're there
Travel forum
From our travel community
Read all


text:
There's a thing I've found that a lot of people want in their lives but don't have. Today I'm calling it the information sluice. Other times I've called it an epistemological entry vector and other, even sillier, names.
The idea is that in an age of change you need lots of data about your environment and your options, and these data have to be a kind of stream or flow rich in nutrients that is both constantly regenerating but also getting processed, evaluated, the good stuff noted, and pulled out, and built upon. Like an oyster filtering specks of food out of the ocean or a classic newspaper clipping service on a massive scale. Or the baleen of all the whales together, or some kind of moisture collector system perched on outcrops of rock in a romantic desert on the planet Dune, or, in my new way of looking at it, as if it were a sluice.
You can pan for gold painstakingly in the stream alone with your hole-y overalls and your one little pan that doubles as your complete set of table china, and you can might pick up a little gold dust. That's the analog grammarian's way of prospecting, maybe.
But you can also build a living channel to direct a big onrush of water to slowly wash the hillside away and you can create some filters in that sluice to net the fish, as it were. Put a weir in your sluice. And you can have some people watching and tending and regulating the flow and adjusting the filters, or the stakes in the weir, learning which size mesh to use, etc. That's the Corpus Linguistics gold mining method. That's gold prospecting at volume.
The bad part of this sluice metaphor is of course that in the real world this kind of mining destroys the earth. The good part of the metaphor, though, is that there's a flow and it's constant and refreshing and it generates a lot of dirt, but wondrous good stuff, if you tend it, and you're attentive in your tending, comes out of that dirt. And you wouldn't get that wondrous goodness by just sitting around camping or watching TV or panning in the old way, staying on the surface, that is. And of course this is not real earth we're talking about but rather the hillside is of ideas, an inexhaustible mound, and the gold is not gold but the invaluable, discomfitting idea, the game changer, the second idea that adheres to a first and makes a connection, etc.
A workplace with a sluice has a group–or everyone–involved in the process of gathering and sorting and sharing info. This gathering could be conducting primary research, it could be reading other people's research, it could be reading blogs, it could be site visits and talking to people, it could be taking notes at community meetings, it could be listening to feedback when you give a talk. It's probably a smorgasbord that combines formal and informal kinds of knowing across disciplines, mixing the sublime and the ridiculous, and mixing now and then, because the good ideas are not going to be in the places you'd expect. You have to look where you don't want to look. The ideas that change the way you think about things aren't going to pop up comfortably pre-categorized within an existing system. They'll misbelong, like jokers in the card deck, and they'll have been discarded or ignored by people playing according to Hoyle.
A key part of all this is the conversation between the sluice-tenders. For one, no one person can filter as much as three or four or five, so more learn faster over all than their individual parts, if they share. For two, the other people serve as the necessary feedback on your own filtering: confirming whether your mesh is set correctly, etc. For three, it's more fun when you learn with other people. This conversation and sharing requirement is important to talk about, because it's hard. It's relatively easy to have a one-person sluice. But it's hard to build it up between several people, and it requires more investment in communication and willingness-to-be-affected-by-others than I think most people expect to make except in their personal relationships, if even there.
Which may explain why it it seems most people don't experience work as a sluice-tending, weir-adjusting, gold-gathering process. Some people seem to want anything but a flow of new, possibly discomfiting data (although they probably wouldn't mind if someone else managed the data and delivered them in safely wrapped packages like a lamb chop from the butcher's). They are happy to simply camp by the creek (and maybe not even prospect at all). But many people do want the sluice, and often they feel alone in the wilderness, intuiting that there's a limit to their pan-prospecting, but not knowing where to find the partners to aid in the construction of the torrent (and maybe even a little afraid of that torrent themselves).
But I suspect that sluices are on the way. I talk too much about what age it is. I've said it's the Age of the Gums, the Age of the System. I'll do it again and predict that this will be the Age of the Sluice. In a recent post I noted the trend in the business community to see people's ideas as a thing to cultivate and grow and tend and respect, as a forester loves a forest of pine–that's a pro-sluice mentality. At an IT Governance meeting on campus the other day I was delighted to hear a broad-based outcry for a kind of "marketplace of ideas," through which everyone could know what everyone else was doing–that's a pro-sluice idea, too (I'll blog on this particular event later).
Before I leave you, three additional thoughts.
1. It's Recursive. A weird thing about this sluice — when it really works, what comes out of it changes the people using it, and changes how it works itself. Or you might say, the person-sluice hybrid evolves. On a simple level you can see that happening when people adjust the filter mesh for better results. But this kind of double-loop learning has infinite possibilities for spiraling evolution into unknowable complexities. So we have to see the sluice as a thing to some degree turned back upon itself and always in the process of becoming something else. What would that something else be? A sluice that evolves into a sluice of sluices, a meta-sluice? A sluice that fills the mound of ideas back up, that discovers, evaluates and creates? A sluice that takes away its need to be there, like self-absorbing stitches? I am not sure. Let's find out.
2. This is what all those smart people do. You know those Ted talkers and Steve Jobses, people who are always popping up with wisdom and new ideas and opening your mind to something–they have found a way to have a flow of ideas pouring through, they are looking for good ones, and when they find them they hold them and start to layer others on as they come in. Doing it makes you better at doing it. This is how they are able to keep generating their Ted talks.
3. Having ideas is an artistic skill. Alan Kay says learning to have great ideas is a mastery skill like any other, like playing an instrument, say, and if you put in 4 – 5K hours, you'll get there (this from a NITLE talk I summarized in a recent post). As he said, "A good idea is really improbable, but you won't have any if you filter too early." The trick is learning to adjust the filter and increasing the probability by accelerating the flow. The fine arts reference is meaningful–artists know all about this sluice idea. What does a painter do, sit around waiting for an idea to pop up and only then get out her paints (the gold-panning method)? Or does she paint a lot and consistently and every day, and discover in her flow and volume the nuggets that become the elemental matter of her personal periodical table? Ask Stephen King or Anthony Trollope: it's the second option.
4. In another way the sluice is a replacement of school. Your formal education is kind of like a sluice that someone else filters, pointed at you. You wake up every day and have ideas dumped on you; isn't that the general experience? That's bad in ways–as in it's a kind of teacher-centric focus on content that the progressive pedagogy movement has decried for a long time–but in others it's not bad. Having the intuition or habit of what a flow of ideas is, learning to feel a passionate need for that flow, sense that that flow is related to your personal growth, that's all good. For many these feelings are lost when they shift to work, and they desperately want to replace them, and I think that's a salutary impulse. The trick is, of course, to see also that you need to be the sluice-tender, not just the passive recipient, because the thing you're changing is your way of knowing, not the cumulative amount of knowing you do.


text:
The Worlds Leading Designers of High Quality Handmade Footbags & Juggling Balls
Thanks for stopping by Flying Clipper!
You can stay up-to-date with our monthly specials and discounts. Simple fill out the simple form below.
Close this box by clicking "No Thanks" below or clicking anywhere outside of the box.
everybody, Jim here at Flying Clipper introducing you to our Tossaball Hybrid
juggle balls. Many jugglers ask me what is a Hybrid juggle ball? And I say
this:The Hybrid juggle
ball is a hand sewn ball that uses two very different filler materials which do
not co-mingle, that is to say that one filler material is isolated from the
other. The Tossaball Hybrid juggle ball looks like an ordinary pentagonal
dodecahedron but actually each pentagon has another pentagon sewn flat against
it. Just before each pentagon is completely sewn into the ball, a weighed
amount of heavy crushed rock filler is added between the panels and then it is
sewn shut. A pentagonal dodecahedron is made up of twelve pentagons which are
exactly the same size and that uniformity enables us to achieve a balanced
weight ratio within each pentagon. Crushed rock being heavier than plastic
pellets insures that most of the balls weight is isolated to the outside edge
of the ball. The interior of the ball is then filled to volume with recycled
plastic pellets.
Some interesting things occur when so much weight is isolated to the outside of a sphere. Jugglers have called it �true flight� which translates into predictable flight. Because of the weighted rim, Hybrid juggle balls go up and down like no other balls before. As all good jugglers know, any small improvement in the performance of your prop can make a big over-all difference in a juggling experience for both the juggler and the audience.
Another attribute of these fine juggling balls is absorption of shock. When Hybrid juggle balls collide, the shock is absorbed rather than radiated. Crushed rock against crushed rock tends to absorb shock and not reflect shock. Collisions become less troublesome and the balls do not tend to roll when dropped because of the absorption tendencies of crushed rock.
Still another fine characteristic of Hybrid juggling balls is two layers of fabric used in the construction. Double layers of fabric result in double strength in regards to the shell of the ball and less stretch over each panel of the ball as two layers act as a bias.
Because of the isolated weight to the rim of the ball, you will never find a hand sewn juggling ball that rolls and stalls like a Tossaball Hybrid juggle ball.
And lastly if all of this was not enough, Tossaball Hybrid juggle balls are completely washable.
Hybrid juggle balls were first introduced in fall of 2008 at the Portland juggle Festival and I have been continually perfecting them since that time. I draw from my own experience and I listen to what the jugglers tell me. I have personally hand sewn more than 50,000 footbags and 25,000 juggle balls in my career as a craftsman which has spanned more than 31 years. Regrettably, because of repetitive motion problems in my arms and shoulders, I can no longer do the craft that I love. As a way of re-inventing myself and the craft, I began to dabble in the physics of juggle ball design which has lead to the development of what I think is a great line-up of high quality juggle balls.
Lastly the term "Hybrid" came about because this new way to hand sew a ball is our attempt to "cross over" as it were to a new line-up of hands and feet juggling balls which is our ultimate goal. We are not there yet but we think in the future more and more jugglers will be using all four limbs to manipulate objects into the air. Hats off to good friends like Peter Irish who has shown us the way.
Jim Fitzgerald ~ Hybrid Designer


text:
Developers have fixed more than 900 bugs in a brace of popular open source projects and applications since details were first made public last month.
Defect tracking specialist Coverity said developers have fixed bugs in 32 open source packages and applications at a rate of one every six minutes. In just seven days alone, defect density for the 32 dropped from 0.434 per thousand lines of code to 0.371.
Coverity catalogued the defects under a study sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security designed to assess the security of open source software. The company said the stampede to fix the software got underway in the week following publication. The list of packages tackled play a strong part in the Linux, Apache, MySQL, Perl/PHP/Phyton (LAMP) stack.
Coverity chief technology officer Ben Chelf said in a statement the long-term goal of the study is to understand how to improve the development process and security for open, as well as closed source, software.
For more details of defects click here. ®


text:
Gluten and Sugar-Free Sweet Potato, Pecan and Ginger Biscuits
Feel that nip in the air? Perhaps not, but that doesn't mean you can't follow the lead of The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking and whip up some sweet-potato biscuits.
Reprinted with permission from The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking by Peter Reinhart & Denene Wallace. Copyright © 2012. Published by 10 Speed Press. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.
Read more: Bake the Book: Gluten and Sugar-Free Sweet Potato, Pecan and Ginger Biscuits
- Yield:makes 12 to 15 biscuits
- Active time: 15 minutes
- Total time:30 minutes
- Rated:
- 2 cups (8 ounces) almond flour
- 1 cup (4 ounces) pecan flour
- 1/2 cup Splenda or Stevia Extract in the Raw, or 1/4 cup New Roots Stevia Sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) cooked, mashed sweet potato or yam, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon sugar-free maple-flavored syrup
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly mist a baking pan with spray oil or line it with parchment paper or a silicone mat and then mist the surface.
In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, pecan flour, sweetener, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, and ginger and whisk until well mixed. In a large bowl, whisk the egg, sweet potato, and syrup together until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 to 2 minutes to make a stiff, playdough-like dough.
Oil your hands and gently form the mixture into small balls, using about 1 oz of dough for each. Place the balls on the prepared pan, spacing them about 3 inches apart (to allow space for pressing down). Once all of the batter is formed into balls, rub some oil on the pinky-side edge of your hand and press down on each ball with the oiled part of your hand twice, forming a crisscross shape and slightly flattening the balls.
Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate and bake for about 10 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch.
Immediately transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool for 3 minutes. Split and serve them while still warm.
This Recipe Appears InBake the Book: Gluten and Sugar-Free Sweet Potato, Pecan and Ginger Biscuits
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


text:
First Edition Beginner Books
> Up until the mid-1950s, there was a degree of separation between illustrated educational books and illustrated picturebooks. That all changed, dramatically and with much national fanfare, with the 1957 publication of Dr. Seuss's The Cat In The Hat (Random House). Here was an early reader, full of 220 madly rhyming words, which made its way into our elementary school classrooms.
The Cat In The Hat is a tremendously important book. Not just an important picturebook or an important children's book, but an important book without any qualifiers! The publication of the book in 1957 forever changed the way in which children would learn to read and be educated. Reading COULD be fun!
The following table is an excerpt from the Children's Picturebook Price Guide. The estimated values are for first edition books, with dust jackets. The Children's Picturebook Price Guide explains in understandable terms the methods to correctly identify first edition Dr. Seuss books.
The Beginning of Beginner Books
> The Cat In The Hat was published by Random House. However because of it's success, an independent publishing company was formed, called Beginner Books. Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, was the president and editor.
Beginner Books was chartered as a series of books oriented toward various stages of early reading development. The second book in the series was nearly as popular, The Cat In The Hat Comes Back, published in 1958.
Springing from this series of beginning readers were such standards as A Fly Went By (1958), Put Me In The Zoo (1958), Green Eggs and Ham (1960), Go, Dog. Go! (1961), Hop On Pop (1963), and Fox in Socks (1965), each a monument in the picturebook industry, and also significant in the historical development of early readers. All are still in print and remain very popular over forty years after their initial publication.
Creators in the Beginner Book series were such luminaries as Jan & Stan Berenstain, P. D. Eastman, Roy McKie, and Helen Palmer (Mr. Geisel's wife). The Beginner Books dominated the children's picturebook market of the 1960's, and still plays a significant role today within the phases of students' reading development.
Before The Cat
Prior to the publication of his first children's book in 1937, And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street (Vanguard Press, 1937)), Theodor Seuss Geisel was a prominent and successful humorist illustrator for such magazines as Judge and Life.
By the time of The Cat In The Hat's publication, Dr. Seuss was a very successful children's book illustrator, having published twelve children's books, three of which had won Caldecott Honor awards. Actually, prior to the publication of The Cat In The Hat, one could easily say that Dr. Seuss had already had two successful illustration careers, one as a humorist and one as a picturebook creator.
John Hersey and Dr. Seuss
Mr. Geisel created The Cat In The Hat in reaction to a Life Magazine article by Pulitzer Prize winning author John Hersey, published in the May 24, 1954 issue, titled "Why Do Students Bog Down On First R? A LOCAL COMMITTEE SHEDS LIGHT ON A NATIONAL PROBLEM: READING." In the article, Hersey was critical of the then current state of school primers,
In the classroom boys and girls are confronted with books that have insipid illustrations depicting the slicked-up lives of other children. [Existing primers] feature abnormally courteous, unnaturally clean boys and girls." "In bookstores, anyone can buy brighter, livelier books featuring strange and wonderful animals and children who behave naturally, i.e., sometimes misbehave. Given incentive from school boards, publishers could do as well with primers.
Hersey's arguments were enumerated in some ten pages of Life Magazine, which was the leading periodical of its time. After detailing many issues contributing to the dilemma with student's reading, toward the end of the article, Hersey redundantly asked:
Why should [school primers] not have pictures that widen rather than narrow the associative richness the children give to the words they illustrate - drawings like those of the wonderfully imaginative geniuses among children's illustrators, Tenniel, Howard Pyle, "Dr. Seuss," Walt Disney?
Geisel responded to this "challenge" by rigidly limiting himself to a small set of words from an elementary school vocabulary list, then crafted a story based upon two randomly selected words - cat and hat. The results of this personal challenge are nothing short of amazing!
After The Cat
Successful before the publication of the The Cat In The Hat, after it's publication, Dr. Seuss became an 'overnight' national phenomenon.
After the publication of The Cat In The Hat, numerous feature articles were published in Life, Look and other prominent periodicals. The book's characters, along with other Seuss creations, were extended into toys and other products, occurring long before co-merchandising and line extensions became commonplace for children's character marketing.
Values for the First Fifty Beginner Books
The values in the following table are for first edition books, with dust jackets. In most cases, the first edition book cannot be properly identified without the dust jacket.
Collecting First Edition Beginner Books
First printings of the each of Beginner Books published from 1957-to-1973 should be considered by children's book collectors. Many collectors are on the lookout for the Dr. Seuss books, however there has not been as keen an interest in the non-Seuss Beginner Books. The non-Seuss books are relatively inexpensive in the market place, however locating first printings is difficult. Part of the difficulty is due to the uncertainty in the industry in identifying true first printings of the early Beginner Books. To help rectify this issue we published first edition identification for the first fifty-five Beginner Books on our website.
In 2001 Publisher's Weekly created their lists of the All-Time Bestselling Children's Books, for both hardcover and paperback books. We consider copies sold one of the key factors in the collectibility of a children's book (when the initial printing is low relative to the eventual copies sold). Twenty of the Beginner Books made the list, with eleven in the All-Time Bestselling top 50. Several of the Beginner Books are from the 'Bright and Early' sub-series which was started in 1967.
Not surprisingly, Dr. Seuss books dominate the list, although all of the first printings are desirable. Some of the non-Seuss first printings are very difficult to come by, especially Are You My Mother?, Go, Dog, Go! and Put Me In The Zoo, each of which have out sold many of the Dr. Seuss books. You should also be on the lookout for first printings of a A Fly Went By and Book of Riddles.
The first twelve Beginner Books were published between 1957-to-1959 and should be on your 'watch for' list. First editions are easily identifiable, as all but Cat In The Hat state 'First Printing' on the copyright page. We've documented first edition identification points for Cat In The Hat on our blog.
Another key book in the series is Helen Palmer's A Fish Out of Water, illustrated by P.D. Eastman. Palmer was Geisel's wife, and wrote several of the early Beginner Books. However we think Dr.Seuss should be given co-authorship as we wrote in an article A Story Of Two Fish: Dr. Seuss Out Of Water, comparing A Fish Out Of Water to Seuss's Gustav The Goldfish.
© Stan Zielinski
© Stan Zielinski. Author of the Children's Picturebook Price Guide
This work by Stan Zielinski is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License.
In layman's terms, that means you may excerpt, share, and use this material as long as you credit Stan as the author and provide a link back to the specific content page. And do not sell it or use it for commercial purposes.
The information offered on 1stedition.net and the blog is offered free of charge. Any uses, references, and or copies of this website in whole or in part must include the bibliographic citation, including author attribution, article title, date (in the case of blog posts) and link to the URL 1stedition.net. Include the copyright notice.
In no event shall a Creative Commons Attribution License or Stan Zielinski be liable for any damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the use of the articles on this website. This website is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. Descriptions of, or references to, persons, websites, or businesses does not imply endorsement of that person, website or business.


text:
Results 1 to 3 of 3
Goal Line Blitz - New Football MMORPG
Just wanted to pass along a new football game I discovered recently that's called Goal Line Blitz. It's an MMO that's still under development (currently in their second season). For those who don't know, an MMO is an online game for a very large number of people. In this one, you create your own players and then manage their skills and career. There's an experience system, so your skills improve over time through training and game experience. You get to receive and accept contract offers and then use your earnings for training and equipment. You can also obtain an entire team and manage it, offering contracts and setting your lineup to compete for a championship. Best selling point: it's completely free. Acquiring more players and teams happens through a "flex point" system; you can buy more flex points for cash or earn them through referrals, and you get enough when you create your account to make 2-3 players, or to make one player and improve him a few times.
The game has room for improvement, but it's fairly bug-free and has a decent amount to explore. If you decide to give it a try, here's the signup page:
The front page with the game description is here, but please use the link above if you're going to sign up so it gives credit for a referral.
Also, if you want any advice on building a player, just send me a PM. Hopefully this can help some of you with the football withdrawal from the long, dull offseason!
Last edited by Gabrosin; 05-18-2008 at 11:38 AM.
Re: Goal Line Blitz - New Football MMORPG
This is good craic this game. I've got four players on the Fresno Ninjas in USA AAA#1 league, 2nd longest winning streak in the entire game I think we own.
It's good fun if you want to go in depth and own/run a team or if you just want a player on a team. There are some people on there who take it far too seriously but they can be ignored and it's pretty good fun all in all.
01-04-2012, 09:35 AM #3Rookie Poster
- Join Date
- Dec 2011
- Posts
- 27
Re: Goal Line Blitz - New Football MMORPG
A MMO Football game! Wow! Must download when I get home. I on a laptop right now in starbucks. Lol


text:
West Des Moines, IAHome Menu
Board of Adjustment
The Board is composed of five West Des Moines residents appointed by the Mayor of West Des Moines. State Code allows the Board to make special exceptions from the zoning ordinance, such as setback requirements. In addition, the Board holds a hearing for any property owner who does not agree with the action of the City in their interpretation of zoning codes. The Board is also responsible for reviewing and ruling on Permitted Conditional Use Permit requests.
The Board of Adjustment reviews Permitted Conditional Use Permit requests, Sign Code Variance requests, and setback variances for building additions and fences. Code variances and setbacks are identified in the Zoning Ordinance.
The members of the Board of Adjustment are:
Tom Cunningham
Michele Stevens - Vice Chair
Erik P. Christiansen
Angie Pfannkuch - Chairperson
Mike Blaser
Citizen's Guide to the Board of Adjustment
Board of Adjustment Rules of Procedure
Board of Adjustment Meeting Guide
Public Meeting Presentation Tips
CANCELLED Board of Adjustment
This meeting has been cancelled.
- Date: 12/04/2019 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
- Location: Police Department
250 Mills Civic Parkway
West Des Moines, Iowa 50265
This meeting has been cancelled.


text:
ROVER RESCUE via Crowdrise
June 13, 2011
EVENT: Honda LA Marathon 2012
TEAM ROVER RESCUE 2012 ...Run for the Life of a Dog!
Join TEAM ROVER RESCUE 2012 as we run the Honda LA Marathon 2012!
Rover Rescue is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue and placement of homeless dogs from Los Angeles animal shelters. We have rescued and placed over 1300 dogs since our inception in 2001. Many of the dogs we rescue are in dire need of medical attention, and Rover Rescue covers the costs of medical treatments and life saving surgeries. All of our dogs are boarded up until the right home is found, and we provide "beauty makeovers" and "attitude adjustments" (training, working with our animal behaviorists and trainers) to help these precious dogs find their forever home!
In addition, we strive to lower the rate of euthanasia in our local shelters by providing spay/neuter vouchers for the dogs of low income residents of LA County.
Please join our team and run with us to help save the lives of dogs! Or consider a donation to help our cause!
The Team: $7,918 TOTAL RAISED SO FARJOIN THE TEAM
Donor Comments
You beat your goal, buddy. Nicely done. I'm so proud of you. Thanks for being my friend. 8 years ago


text:
downloadable content
Tight and punchy drum loops for your projects
Sliced loops with perfected regions for use in Slicex that sound natural at any tempo and swing setting and unsliced loops for use directly in the playlist as audio clips.
Light compression means you can apply as much or as little additional processing to the loops in your own projects as you like.
Load the corresponding FL Studio projects to edit the drum patterns or adjust the mix of the source material to your specific needs.
Created with layered FPC kits for realism.
Note: To load the FL Studio project files or FPC preset files you need to download all the free FPC sample content via the FL Studio content library. Use a releasing volume envelope in Slicex for drum hits to decay naturally at faster tempos.
Oldschool Breakbeats


text:
I went to B.A.M. (Books-A-Million) today, against my better judgement. It is where Borders used to be and it is thoroughly depressing. I liked Borders. (More on that can be found here.) It was a place where I could find books on just about anything and be happily amused for hours.
My son wanted to go to B.A.M. today when we were in the area, so I reluctantly agreed. After all, there are still books there. Since the store opened, however, I have noticed that the Religion section has grown exponentially. I didn't think much about it at first but now I can't help but notice the sheer volume and prominence of Christian goods. There are some token books on religions other than Christianity, but the Christian section is gigantic. There are Bibles of every flavor, Bible covers, devotionals, and a variety of Christian gifts. It looks like a whole Christian bookstore in the middle of a store that also carries Christian literature.
I have also noticed that there are Christian-themed books cleverly interspersed throughout the store. The wall that used to have neat science and nature books and kits for kids now has a generous assortment of children's Christian literature, everything from a book from a child who says he met Jesus when he died to a Bible for toddlers. The toddler Bible has a convenient handle so Junior can carry it everywhere.
I tried an experiment. I found the Science/Nature section, which took up less space than the Laminated Maps section did in Borders. I looked carefully at the selection. There were the usual Idiot's Guide to Astronomy, The Smithsonian's Universe, etc, and, seemingly strategically placed, were books that were more Christian apologetics than books about science. I think some of them may legitimately belong there but it seemed suspicious to me. They weren't there in the science section at Borders.
The experience generated a discussion with my son, during which I told him that some Christians try to cleverly market their religion just like toy manufacturers try to sell their goods. He has spontaneously told me that he resents being marketed to so I used that concept to explain evangelical Christianity. I want him to understand that people will be duplicitous in order to convert others to their beliefs.
I think the store should present itself for what it is - a Christian bookstore that also sells other books. I wonder if I am being paranoid or overly critical. I feel a bit put off by this. Has anybody else experienced this type of thing or have any other thoughts about it? Before anyone says anything, I know I don't have to go to the store. What bothers me is that many, many others will go there and will not think twice about it at all. And bam! - there's a huge Christian bookstore in a main shopping center in New Hampshire's capitol. It looks like a creeping Christian state to me.
Views: 285
BAM is evil.
There is literally nothing good about that store. Find a Barnes and Noble if you can.
I love Barnes & Noble but the nearest one is 22 miles away. If I really want to go to a book store, though, I think it is worth the trip. Your reply prompted me to search the internet about B.A.M., and within seconds I found this:
I was in my local Barnes and Noble last week. There was a guy seated reading "God is not Great" with the biggest grin on his face. He caught me grinning and we traded a look of mutual understanding. There is half floor dedicated to Science and "non-religious" books. There is another bookshop a few streets away with only a tiny science section and a disproportionate religion section. Someone keeps placing "The God Delusion" between the books on those shelves, just for the hell of it.
I once asked the sales girl with the huge crucifix around her neck if she had the God delusion :-).
I once asked the sales girl with the huge crucifix around her neck if she had the God delusion :-).
oh man....that's clever....
thanks for the heads up. I'm sure a BAM will open soon around here. Here
is a interesting list of religious companies.
I once asked the sales girl with the huge crucifix around her neck if she had the God delusion
I did a similar thing and ended up getting into a huge argument about evolution with the poor guy.
Thanks for the heads up.
Don't insult the schizoaffective!
I happened to have a unique email address I used when signing up for Borders emails. Not long after they went out of business, I started getting all kinds of spam and crap to that email address. I concluded that whoever bought the customer database was less interested in product quality than in amassing eyeballs.
The Barnes and Noble in my area has a huge wall called "Christianity" right across from a long row of "Christian Inspiration." Followed by several cases of "New Age," and one and one-half bookcases called "Philosophy" on which there are two shelves of atheist books mixed with christian apologetics. Two years ago there was only one shelf, so I consider this quite an improvement! I mean, I am in Northrin Kintuckuh, so what do I want?
They also have a whole case of sociology, two on science, one on math, another on cultural studies, 3/4 of a case on African American Studies, four on history, and one and a half shelves on Native American Studies. The Woman's Studies and LGBT shelves get mixed in together and the LGBT shelves are full of cheap fiction and various iterations of coming out stories and erotica...which I find to be a little lacking in gender theory, activism and history. We've got our dessert but where are the meat and potatoes?
I've also noticed a lot of christian books make there way next to or on top of "sin"-related books at the books sales put up by the local library. I don't think the books are migrating there on their own steam. ;-)


text:
New HA23x7.6BE Offers Advanced Optical Technology for Demanding HDTV Studio and Field Applications
WAYNE, New Jersey, May 21, 2008 – Fujinon, a major manufacturer and distributor of optics and lens assemblies for the broadcast, digital cinema, and industrial markets will showcase several new HD lenses at this year's HD Expo (Booth #407). First introduced at NAB2008, Fujinon will exhibit its HA23x7.6BE HDTV lens and HD Select Series of cost-effective ENG lenses, the ZA series. The new family of lenses for 2/3-inch HD video cameras consists of three ZA Series HD ENG lenses: including the ZA22x7.6BE HD telephoto ENG lens, ZA17x7.6BE HD standard ENG lens, and ZA12x4.5BE HD wide-angle ENG lens. The HD Expo is scheduled for June 3rd through 5th at Navy Pier in Chicago, IL.
Fujinon's new HA23x7.6BE HDTV lens, a Premier Series lens offering advanced optical technology, is also making its HD Expo debut. As the newest member of Fujinon's HA Series of Premier lenses, the HA23x7.6BE is a lens that includes updates to its predecessor, the HA22x7.8BERM. The new HA23x7.6BE is designed to support a wide range of demanding, high-end applications: including HDTV broadcast news, sports, special events, commercial, and network television production. It also benefits feature film shooting, documentaries, and government production, as well as broadcast equipment rental companies.
�The new HA23x7.6 is a superior, advanced 2/3-inch HD lens that incorporates our highest optical and mechanical specifications while ensuring unmatched performance in the most rugged of production environments,� said David Waddell, Marketing Manager for Fujinon. "This superior lens craftsmanship allows for uniform, high-quality imaging with a reduction in chromatic aberration.�
The HA23x7.6 has 23 times magnification and a focal length ranging from 7.6mm at the wide end, zooming out to 175mm to capture extreme telephoto shots. At 1X, the lens has a maximum relative aperture of 1:1.8 up to 122mm and 1:2.65 at 175mm and a minimum object distance of 0.8 meters from the front of the lens. With the 2X extender engaged, the focal length ranges from 15.2 to 350mm, with a maximum relative aperture of 1:5.3 at 350mm. This compact lens measures 100×223.6mm and weighs only 1.8kg.
Fujinon's Select Series was designed to meet the performance needs of the next generation of cost-effective HD cameras. Fujinon worked closely with all major camera manufacturers to engineer true HD lenses that are designed specifically to enhance the performance of lower cost HDTV cameras.
The new ZA series is well suited for applications such as: professional and corporate video; independent filmmakers; cable TV, news and sports production; houses of worship; education; event videography; municipal, state and federal government agencies; and rental companies supporting these markets.
"Our new Select Series of lenses will give producers and videographers an affordable option that is well-suited to a wide range of production circumstances,� said David Waddell, Marketing Manager for Fujinon. "These affordable, high-performance HD ENG lenses will open the door to producing many more news, sports, special events, and independent productions in HDTV. These lenses are the perfect complement for today's new low-cost HDTV cameras because they maintain the superior imaging standards and optical performance that Fujinon is known for.�
The ZA22x7.6BE, an HD ENG telephoto lens, has 22 times magnification, a 7.6 focal length at the wide end and 167mm focal length at the telephoto end. A 2x extender is incorporated for extreme telephoto shots. The maximum relative aperture is 1:1.8 from 7.6 through 120mm, and 1:2.5 at 167mm. The minimum object distance is 0.8. from the front of the lens The lens, which weighs 1.75kg, measures 100×222.6mm.
The ZA17x7.6BE, a standard HD ENG lens, has 17 times magnification, a 7.6 focal length at the wide end and 130mm focal length at the telephoto end. The maximum relative aperture is 1:1.8 for 7.6 through 102mm, and 1:2.3 at 130mm. A 2X extender is standard. The lens, which weighs 1.53kg, measures 85x203mm.
The ZA12x4.5BE, which is a wide-angle HD ENG lens, has 12 times magnification, a 4.5 focal length at the wide end and 54mm focal length at the telephoto end. A 2X extender is a standard feature. The maximum relative aperture is 1:1.8 for 4.5 through 41mm, and 1:2.4 at 54mm. The minimum object distance is 0.3 m from the front of the lens. The lens, which weighs 1.93kg, measures 95×237.5mm.
The new ZA Series feature Inner Focus, a servo module with Digi Power, Quick Zoom, One Shot Pre-Set, Cruise Zoom and remote control via RS232.
Fujinon is a major manufacturer and distributor of optics and lens assemblies for the broadcast, digital cinema, and industrial markets. The company's line of television zoom lenses are used in virtually every segment of the broadcast industry, including electronic newsgathering, studio and field production, and high definition television. For more information about Fujinon broadcast and communications products, call 1 (973) 633-5600 or visit our web site at


text:
Whether the war can be won remains to be seen. But the Panthers won the battle, and the fight.
On a day when Rams defensive end Chris Long was ejected for throwing a punch, and there were numerous smaller scrimmages between two aggressive teams, the Panthers escaped with a 30-15 win.
It marks the first winning streak under coach Ron Rivera that didn't include a game in December, and gets them to .500 for the first time since a 1-1 start in 2012 (which was followed by five straight losses).
Whether it's a sign of true progress or another jury of their peers game (after beating the combined 1-10 Vikings and Giants), we'll find out, and Thursday's trip to Tampa Bay might not tell us more.
But the Panthers are playing incredible defense at the moment, and Cam Newton isn't making mistakes (15-of-17 passing for 204 yards and a touchdown). On a day when they got a defensive touchdown and forced three turnovers, that was enough.


text:
14 March, New Zealand v India, Centurion
Craig McMillan (New Zealand)
It's the second ball of the innings. New Zealand desperately need a good start. Their tenure in the tournament looks precarious, but it is in their own hands - for a while. Craig McMillan's had a pretty nondescript World Cup 2003 - just the 75 against Bangladesh in the 'credit' column, but you know what they say : "Cometh the hour, cometh the man." The ball is pitched up on leg stump. Craig flicks at it, the ball flies to square leg and The Dentist, Killer Harbhajan takes the catch. Yes, "Cometh the hour..". The hour is 10.01 am local time so the man is obviously Zaheer Khan. Soon be eating one of those wonderful Malaysian Airlines dinners, Craig.
DD rating - 4.5 lilypads
Nathan Astle (New Zealand)
The one-time leader in the lilypad league seems intent on securing the title he considers his by right as he registers his third entry in the competition and his second in successive games. Three ducks. As many as Nicky de Groot and Gerrie Snyman. OK, we know you've got that undefeated ton against Zimbabwe so you're not in their class yet, but you're working on it. This first-baller, though, was as straightforward as they come. Zaheer Khan delivers, pitched up on middle, it would have hit the same about halfway up if it hadn't been for the pad getting in the way. Not much to write home about so don't bother - you can tell them about it yourself in a couple of days. The roast's pretty good on the plane, but don't have the duck.
DD rating - 1 lilypad


text:
At Babson for almost two years now, Andrew Corbett came to campus because he believes there's no better place to teach entrepreneurship. Now the associate professor of entrepreneurship and director of The John E. and Alice L. Butler Venture Accelerator is helping Babson break new ground by teaching its first 100 percent Web-based program, Entrepreneurship 101 Online, geared to educate aspiring entrepreneurs about the skills needed to launch a business. Developed in collaboration with the staff at Babson Executive and Enterprise Education, the course was piloted as a traditional face-to-face program last fall and was well received, spurring the idea to offer it online for people around the world. Here Corbett shares some insights on teaching via the Web.
Have you taught online courses before?
Yes, in the past at other places, and I've used online as part of a course. But I think online education is evolving. What people thought of online courses maybe as little as two or three years ago, certainly 10 years ago, has changed.
How has online education changed?
Things have evolved dramatically. Back then an online course was a bunch of PDFs to read and some PowerPoints to watch. Now we'll use various technologies. You can click and listen to a lecture. Click and read something. Click and find slides. CITG [Curriculum Innovation and Technology Group] built a beautiful interface that makes it easy to use. Students can do this on their own all week, and then we can come together once a week and discuss topics. They can interact, ask questions, virtually raise their hand.
Do you lose anything being online?
We get all the seeing, listening, and interacting with this technology. That's the beauty of how this can work if it's done well. The people in CITG and Exec Ed, they're a great team. We're way ahead of the curve than most places doing this. I don't see online completely replacing an undergraduate education. There is so much more to education. But when it's done well with the tools that we have, it's very powerful.
What about human interactions?
Yeah, you might argue that there are certain advantages to face to face. You don't get those spontaneous collisions. The pure networking isn't there. Those things are great. But think of it this way. We already have people coming from Brazil, Nigeria, the U.K., California, Chicago. When we delivered this program last fall, three or four people flew in for this one-day session. One came from as far as India. This is a much better and more efficient way for them to learn this concept.—Donna Coco


text:
Get the jump on new items at Anthony's Comic Book Art! Join our mailing list today!
Original Comic Art // Colton Worley
Featured Pages
Kato Origins #2 Cover - Beat Up Baddies - 2010 Signed
Art Type: Cover
Price: $325
|Eddie S.(NY) - Anthony, I recieved the GHOST RIDER PAGE today and man, that was FAST. Congrats on your appearance on COMIC BOOK MEN, pricing that TMNT sketch, AWESOME. Thanks so much for everything . Eddie S. (NY)
|about us | contact us | how to order | cart


text:
Delegate decision-making to suit the way you recruit
Recruit faster with software that makes sense
Generate reports and analyze key data with ease
Align and automate workflows to suit your business
Develop your own database of top talent
Seamlessly integrate QJumpers with your HR system
Talk to real people in your language
Add and remove functions for greater customization
At QJumpers we appreciate the small steps, but we live for the giant leaps. That's why we are at the forefront of an online recruitment revolution more than a decade ago.
Now we've taken another leap forward, by putting the power of recruitment into the hands of those who can use it best.


text:
The NX Project, also known as the NX program or NX test program, was Starfleet's effort to develop a starship using the engine designed by the Warp Five program. Prior to the NX Project, Human ships were incapable of exceeding warp two.
During the 22nd century, the Earth Cargo Service was Earth's only real presence in outer space; the crew of these ships would spend years traveling from one planet to another and the Humans with the most space experience were boomers: the first generation of humans who were born in outer space.
The NX Project was an effort to allow humanity's knowledge to expand and continue space exploration; it was overseen by Commodore Maxwell Forrest from its initial stages in the early 2140s. During this time, the program fielded several test vehicles with prototype versions of the warp five engine. These prototypes were piloted by Commanders Jonathan Archer, A.G. Robinson, Gardner, and Duvall. Captain Jefferies was an engineer on the NX program, and Lieutenant Charles Tucker III worked on his team.
After some initial progress at speeds below warp 2, the project quickly stalled sometime prior to 2144. Robinson's test flight of the NX-Alpha ended in an explosion after the engines were pushed slightly beyond warp 2. On the recommendation of the Vulcan Advisory Council, the project was indefinitely suspended. However, Lieutenant Tucker and Commander Archer believed the design to be fundamentally sound. Tucker's analysis showed the intermix ratio of the fuel flowing through the antimatter injectors proved to be the root of the problem. Tucker's corrections allowed the NX-Beta – illegally piloted by Archer and Robinson – to enjoy a more successful test flight.
Though their efforts were a contravention of direct orders, Tucker, Archer and Robinson had effectively confirmed the utility of the warp five engine. Nevertheless, the Vulcans required about a year of additional ground-based simulations following the NX-Beta flight. A final test flight, made by Duvall in the NX-Delta, would break the warp 3 barrier eight months after the Vulcan program of simulations concluded. Construction began five years thereafter on the Enterprise NX-01, and it was launched in April of 2151. At that time, another three vessels of the Template:ShipClass were on the drawing board. Forrest was promoted to admiral, and he selected Archer as the ship's commanding officer, over the objections of Vulcan Ambassador Soval, who felt that Gardner would have been a better choice. (ENT: "First Flight", "Broken Bow")
Enterprise was joined by the Columbia NX-02 in November of 2154, delayed from June due to engine trouble. (ENT: "The Expanse", "Affliction")
In 2154, Forrest was killed in an embassy bombing on Vulcan while saving the life of Soval. He was replaced in overseeing the NX program by then-Admiral Gardner. (ENT: "The Forge", "Awakening")
Ships of the NX program
- NX-Alpha
- NX-Beta
- NX-Delta
- The Template:ShipClass of starships
- Mirror universe NX class ships:
- ISS Enterprise (NX-01)
- ISS Avenger (NX-09)
- If the NX Project continued to follow the order of the United States of America's space shuttle program, the NX-03 and NX-04 would be named Challenger and Discovery respectively.
- It is somewhat unclear just how long the NX Project remained a unique subdivision of Earth Starfleet. It is possible that the project proper ended after Enterprise was launched. This is perhaps suggested by the disappearance of the NX Project logo after 2151. It is notable the Enterprise crew wore only an Enterprise patch, whereas NX test pilots wore both the project logo and what appeared to be the emblem of their particular vessel on their flight suits. Following that logic, Enterprise crewmembers should have been wearing an NX Project logo, had the project still been regarded as an active subdivision of Starfleet.
- The Pocket ENT novels Kobayashi Maru and Beneath the Raptor's Wing depicted the manufacture of four additional NX-class ships, Challenger (NX-03), Discovery (NX-04), Atlantis (NX-05), and Endeavour (NX-06), before the program was shut down in favor of the Daedalus class of starship, which could be built faster and cheaper.


text:
Pets can develop "food allergies" or "food intolerances" to ingredients found in commercial cat food. What's the difference? Food intolerance, which is much more common, is an adverse reaction to something in the food, such as dyes, preservatives, texturizers, or other additives. Food intolerances typically produce digestive symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea. A true food allergy is due to an immune system reaction called "hypersensitivity." In particular, it is a Type I "immediate" hypersensitivity reaction in which the immune system makes antibodies to the allergen (allergy-causing substance).
The symptoms of food allergy are typically either skin-related, although occasionally digestive symptoms are seen.
- Skin symptoms include rashes (particularly around the face and ears), excessive licking (typically paws, legs or tummy), and inflamed, itchy ears. Secondary yeast and bacterial infections are common and must also be treated.
- Digestive symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea. These are similar to the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, which may itself be triggered by a food allergy.
Cats are more likely to develop true allergies to foods than are dogs. Only about 10% of dogs with skin and ear symptoms are food-allergic, but food allergies may account for as many as 50% of cats with the same symptoms.
The top allergens in pets are: beef (often referred to as "meat by-products" or "meat and bone meal" on pet food labels), dairy products, chicken (may be labeled as "poultry"), fish, wheat, eggs, corn, and soy. These allergens are, not coincidentally, the most common ingredients in pet foods.
An allergy can develop to any protein to which the pet is repeatedly or constantly exposed. Feeding the same food for years on end is the best way to create a food allergy. This is why we recommend varying the brands and flavors you feed your pet.
Conventional Treatment
The first step in any suspected food intolerance or allergy is a "hypoallergenic" diet trial. These diet trials use "novel" ingredients that are not commonly found in pet food. Novel protein sources include kangaroo, emu, venison, rabbit, and duck. Novel carbohydrate sources include green peas, potatoes, and barley. Lamb and rice used to be novel, but since the introduction of lamb and rice foods years ago, many animals have (predictably) become allergic to those, too. The prescription-type diets (using green peas and novel meat sources) are available from some veterinarians. OTC choices include Nature's Variety Prairie (lamb, duck, rabbit and venison), EVO 95% meat varieties, and Merrick Thanksgiving Day Dinner (turkey).
A diet trial lasts 8-12 weeks (it takes a long time to resolve skin symptoms) and must include only the test food; no treats, no exceptions. Just one diet slip (such as giving a treat containing chicken) could invalidate the entire trial, make your pet miserable, and force you to start the entire trial over from the beginning.
The main drug treatment for food allergy is steroids (also called "corticosteroids" and "glucocorticoids" to distinguish them from the anabolic steroids that bodybuilders and athletes sometimes use), hyposensitization, and diet therapy.
Steroids can be given by long-lasting injection ("Depo-Medrol" or other injectable cortisone) or by mouth in the form of a tablet. The two most common oral steroids are prednisone and prednisolone. Prednisone is hard for cats to metabolize and must be converted to prednisolone in the liver before it will work. Therefore, it is simpler and less stressful to give prednisolone itself.
The primary action of steroids is to suppress the immune system, so that the inflammatory reaction to the allergen does not occur. However, steroids have many dangerous side effects, including diabetes and ulceration in the digestive tract. Dogs are much more sensitive to the effects of steroids than cats; steriods should be used with extreme caution in all pets. Pets receiving steroids should not be vaccinated because the steroid prevents the immune system from responding to the vaccine.
Hyposensitization is another potential treatment, but is used more in dogs than cats. It requires knowing precisely what the pet is allergic to. This is best accomplished with a skin test done under anesthesia. The skin test is considered the "gold standard"; but there is also a blood test for allergies (sometimes called a "Rast" test). While both work well in dogs, they are not accurate for cats. Once the allergens are determined, each substance is diluted; they are then mixed together and injected. The tiny amount used tells the immune system that the substances are not harmful and it doesn't need to over-react.
Holistic Treatment
Holistic treatments for food allergies include:
1. Homemade, or raw diets using fresh, whole food ingredients. Even though a dog or cat is allergic to a protein in commercial pet food, that same protein, fed fresh, may not be problematic. That's because heat-processing of canned and dry foods can alter the natural proteins, creating abnormal shapes that trigger an immune reaction. If possible, when starting out, it's best to use a novel protein source to allow time for the immune system to calm down and the gut to heal. Once symptoms resolve, you can re-introduce other ingredients one by one to test for reaction. If using a commercially prepared food (including raw or dehydrated diets and all supplements), always read the ingredients. Some products claim to be low-allergen but still contain chicken, fish, or other likely allergy suspects.
2. Natural anti-inflammatories. Antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids have good anti-inflammatory action; Omega-3s are also beneficial for skin healing. Fish and cod liver oils are the best source of Omega 3s for pets, and high-quality distilled oils should not contain any fish proteins; but if your pet is allergic to fish and reacts to a fish oil product, you may want to substitute flaxseed oil. Always read the label to make sure that there are no potential allergens used as a flavoring or base. Safe, excellent-quality products include:
Pure Essentials for Mature Dogs
Genesis Resources Feline Antioxidant Formula
Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet and Cod Liver Oil
3. Digestive support: Enzymes and Probiotics
Giving digestive enzymes with food helps the gut break particles down and reduces the chance that allergenic proteins will remain intact long enough to provoke an immune response. Probiotics help protect the intestinal tract and promote a healthy bacterial population, which may reduce inflammation. Here are some convenient, safe products:
Pet Naturals Digestive Support for Dogs and Cats (contains enzymes and probiotics)
Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes and Probiotics
It should also be noted that even in pets who are not specifically allergic to something in the food (such as dogs with atopy, or cats with asthma) still often do better with a hypoallergenic diet. It seems that the fewer allergens the immune system has to deal with, the less chance it will over-react.


text:
A user on the XDA Developers forum may have discovered a simple trick to improve the touch response on Microsoft's Surface tablet.
XDA Developers member tamarasu posted the method to the site's forum on Thursday, and since then several other users are reporting successful trials with it.
The trick is actually just a registry edit that lowers the value for latency and sampling of touch prediction on the tablet.
Because of the reduction in latency, it's been noted on the forum that this registry edit could cause battery life of the machine to suffer.
Faster than Surface
As the method described above involves editing registry keys, it's worth stating that users should try it only if they feel comfortable with registry edits.
Tamarasu, however, also uploaded the registry "fix" to the forum for those who want to try a more automated approach.
So far, no users have reported a trial of the touch trick on any third-party Windows 8 tablets.
For those looking to try it out for themselves right away, here's the registry key and edit for this technique:
The key is: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\TouchPrediction
Edit key for latency from 8 to 2.
Edit sample time from 8 to 2.
Via XDA Developers


text:
Tohoku Pacific Coast Earthquake (Report No.8)
This is a report on the status of restoration work as of 16:00PM, March 21.
1. Status of damage and restoration work at ROHM
The following provides a damage and a status of restoration report for ROHM Group production sites whose operations have been suspended. An announcement will be made as soon as possible regarding any scheduled restoration of operations.
OKI Semiconductor Miyagi Co., Ltd.
|1 Okinohira, Ohira Village, Kurokawa County, Miyagi 981-3603
|Water and electric power have yet to be fully restored at this time and preparations are underway to restart operations as soon as the infrastructure is repaired. In addition, a substitute production system is being formulated at the ROHM Kyoto main factory and ROHM Hamamatsu Co., Ltd. Efforts are being made to maintain a supply system that will fill customer orders.
ROHM Tsukuba Co., Ltd.
|10 Kitahara, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki 300-3293
|Transistors, diodes
|The water for factory operations has restored and purified water related process has got started running. We continue to make efforts forward full restoration. In addition, thanks to the formulation of a substitute production system at ROHM Wako Devices Co., Ltd. and ROHM Apollo Devices Co., Ltd., a supply system is maintained to fulfill customer orders.
1. Effects of Scheduled Power Outages in East Japan
The following ROHM Group locations are subject to scheduled electric power outages in the East Japan region as of today.
OKI Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (Hachioji City, Tokyo)
ROHM Yokohama Technology Center (Kohoku-ku, Yokohama)
Yokohama Business Center (Kohoku-ku, Yokohama)
West Tokyo Business Center (Hachioji City, Tokyo)
Takasaki Sales Branch (Takasaki City, Gunma)
Service problems in the transportation network have hampered the commuting schedules of some employees, however, operations are continuing at all locations as much as possible with necessary adjustments.
Not affected by scheduled power outages of the Tohoku Electric Power Company.


text:
Dear Players,
After our first launch on Steam, we are very happy to see that you are having fun with The Exiled, we will keep working hard to improve the game and, of course, fix all those problems that you are reporting to us, also we would like to take this chance to thank you for your amazing feedback! please keep doing it
These are the details of the Hotfix 1.0.1 that will be implemented on February 28th, 2017. Please check out our list of known issues before playing and reporting bugs.
Performance Improvements
- Major performance improvement: There are no more lag spikes when large numbers of mobs spawn at the same time.
- Major performance improvement: Massively reduced the base load of the game servers, leading to a smoother experience.
- Balanced quality settings are no longer capped at 30 FPS.
Map Changes
- Fixed some holes in the environment colliders that separate world map areas from each other.
- Removed the invisible collider on the eastern map unlock (debris) in the swamp.
- Meteorites and carcasses do not spawn outside of the game world anymore.
- Meteorites and carcasses should not spawn in ruins anymore.
Usability Changes
- Fixed a number of smaller localization issues.
- Identical popup messages do not open multiple times in a row.
- Added a cancel button to the server selection screen.
- Changed the layout of the controls window.
- Added a message that notifies you when you cannot log in due to being banned.
- Fixed a bug that prevented some Linux users from confirming their email addresses.
- Fixed a bug that prevented Steam users with special signs in their nicknames from logging into a game world.
- Fixed a bug where characters migrating over from a dead game world did not get resurrected anymore.
- You should get stuck in buildings like the Dojo less often.
- Made sure that players have an easier time getting unstuck.
- Fixed a bug that made some chat tabs unselectable (Whisper).
- Fixed a bug where some servers were greyed out in server selection unnecessarily.
- Fixed a bug where some players could not leave broken "ghost clans" and join new clans anymore.
- Disabled some developer hotkeys that could confuse players by disabling the HUD.
- Fixed a bug that scrolled all text windows with the mouse wheel instead of only the active one.
- Fixed a bug where a loot window would open multiple times while you walk away from the containing entity.
- Fixed a bug that prevented meteorites and carcasses to be looted by everybody in their last phase.
Thank you for supporting The Exiled! Do not hesitate to share your feedback with us and visit our
The Exiled Team


text:
I Want One of Those!
Forget training wheels. The Gyrobike keeps beginners upright every time. The novel bike features a gyroscopic flywheel fitted into the front wheel.
Inventors Hannah Murnen '06, Augusta Niles '07, Nathan Sigworth, and Deborah Sperling '06 won the Phillip R. Jackson Award for most outstanding overall performance in last fall's ENGS 21 (Introduction to Engineering). M.E.M. candidate Jon den Hartog '03 was the team's teaching assistant.
Four-Wheel Jog
The four-wheeled "Better Jogging Stroller" improves on the stability and steering of three-wheeled models. A twist of the handlebar turns the front wheels right or left. ENGS 21 students Jennifer Crist '07, Kevin Olds '07, Patrick Rodjito, Brenda Zarate '05, and Mike Hart '07 designed the stroller. The team's teaching assistant was M.E.M. candidate Jeff Hebert '04.
Categories: The Great Hall, I Want One of Thosecomments powered by Disqus


text:
Corona-virus update:
As we work from home and are self-contained, we are able, for the moment, to continue dispatching orders placed online. We appreciate your business, support and understanding during this difficult time and we hope you are all OK and staying safe.
Due to increased demand we are finding it takes slightly longer to fulfill and dispatch orders. Please bear with us and allow just that little bit longer to receive your order.
Thank you, Katie and David.


text:
A Hike to Ancient Rocky Outcrops
Reston Museum presents "A Hike to Ancient Rocky Outcrops along Twin Branches and Lake Audubon Trails,"
Saturday, Nov. 10, at 1 p.m. Meet at the Walker Nature Center, 11050 Glade Drive, Reston (near intersection of Glade Drive and Soapstone).
Gary Nobles of USGS and Dr. Robert Ridky, national education coordinator of the USGS, will tell the story of these ancient rocks and lead a two-and-a-half mile walk along Twin Branches and Lake Audubon trails to see the rocky outcrops. At 1 p.m., join a brief orientation at Nature House, complete with maps, analyses and fascinating observations before heading out on the trail.
Reston straddles the edge of the sedimentary rocks of the Triassic lowland and the western margin of the crystalline rocks of the Piedmont. The rocks of this area capture a dynamic story of compression, folding, faulting from plate tectonic forces that extends back more than 600 million years.
Carpools to the Nature Center will leave from the Reston Museum, 1639 Washington Plaza, and also from 20190 Lake Anne Village Center at 12:30 p.m. For information call 703-709-7700 or visit www.restonmuseum.org on the web.
IPAR to Honor Public Art Supporters
The Initiative for Public Art—Reston (IPAR) will celebrate another year of making art and culture a vibrant part of everyday life at its IPAR Annual Reception, Thursday, Nov. 15, 6-8 p.m. at Midtown, Reston Town Center.
The public is invited to join the party, which honors the people, businesses and organizations that have contributed to the achievements and growth of IPAR and make public art a reality in Reston. In the past, recipients have included Jen Sterling, founder and president of Red Thinking and former chairman of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, and documentary filmmakers Rebekah Wingert-Jabi and Vicki Wingert. This year's honorees will be announced at the reception. And, as in year's past, plans for new projects also will be announced.
A live auction, conducted by Del. Ken Plum, will include: a chef's table for eight at Mon Ami Gabi restaurant in Reston Town Center, a one-night stay at the Hyatt Regency Reston and a gift certificate for dinner at Morton's, an original necklace by artist Pam Tobey, two tickets to any show of choice at Reston Community Center's CenterStage, two tickets to Greater Reston Arts Center's annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival pre-party, and more.
Catering is by Chef Cynthia Stowers and her culinary arts students from South Lakes High School, and the South Lakes High School String Quartet entertains.
IPAR Executive Director, Anne Delaney said the event is "Both fun and important, this annual event supports IPAR and its mission to create a new generation of public artworks in Reston. Public art contributes to the quality of life of the community. It inspires, engages and challenges both the mind and heart. Anyone who has enjoyed IPAR's projects (permanent and temporary) and its outreach programs—like its current exhibition on Reston's public art history at the Reston Museum—should attend this event. So should all those who would like to learn more about us."
Single $50 tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, visit the IPAR website at, www.publicartreston.com.
Knee, Hip Pain to Be Discussed
Creaky, achy joints are not a natural part of aging. Join Dr. Mark Madden of Commonwealth on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 6 p.m. at Reston Hospital Center, Classroom C, 1850 Town Center Parkway in Reston for a discussion of common causes of knee and hip pain and the latest treatment options. Light refreshments will be served. This event is free but reservations are required. Call 1-877-689-DOCS (3627) to reserve your spot. For more information, visit restonhospital.com and select Events & Classes.
Discussing Causes and Treatment of Back Pain
Back pain affects 80 percent of Americans and is one of the most common reasons people go to the doctor or miss work. Join Dr. Brian Subach, of Virginia Spine Institute, on Thursday, Nov. 15 at Reston Hospital Center, Classroom C, 1850 Town Center Parkway in Reston, for a discussion of common causes for back pain and the latest treatment options. Light refreshments will be served. This event is free but reservations are required. Call 1-877-689-DOCS (3627) to reserve your spot. For more information, visit www.restonhospital.com and select Events & Classes.