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Batman: Year One (US - BD)
Our Marcus watches Bruce Wayne become Batman for the first time again
Batman: Year One. The Frank Miller comic book classic is the latest Batman tale to get the DC Universe animated adaptation. Telling the story of the first year of Batman (Ben McKenzie) as he takes up the cape and cowl and hits the crime on the ever corrupt streets of Gotham city, we get to meet a newcomer to Gotham Police Department, James Gordon (Bryan Cranston) and the birth of a new rogue on the streets of Gotham, Catwoman (Eliza Dushku).
Batman: Year One. A comic book that every Batfan will get to at some stage in their Batman reading career. I for one read it early on and didn't really like its dark noir stylings, its gritty art and its darker tone. It wasn't until fairly recently, probably in the last few years that I went back and re-read it and took to it much more. I think my initial middling response to the story when I was younger is because Batman: Year One isn't really a Batman story. It's a story about James Gordon and at the time of first reading this comic I wanted Batman to be the focus, or at least expected it to be that way. Since evolving, my comic book tastes and of course gaining a larger understanding of the world of Batman, a story about James Gordon and his first run ins with Batman is the thing greatness is made of and Batman: Year One works beautifully as an introduction to a character who is so important to the Batman mythology.
Of course we still get our Batman and here he's a broken, vulnerable man looking for direction and is obsessed with finding a path to fix whatever broke inside of him after his parents' murder. Bruce is a whole lot of Rorschach here. Cold, straight to the point diary entries are read in a matter of fact way. Bruce is cold to the world around him and seeing an unestablished Batman is always an interesting angle. Of course I feel the DCU did that in their own way already and got it bang on and with The Mask of the Phantasm (still my favorite feature length Batman animated movie) but that said Year One grounds Batman in the real world and is indeed a classic that Nolan's Batman Begins has a whole lot lifted from it, especially the tone.
So more specifically, how does this adaptation hold up? Well it certainly does the darkness of the original story justice. Scenes with Gordon getting beaten on or Bruce questioning what to do next before the bat smashes through the window are very well handled and distinctly grown up. The dinginess of the original book is captured to a degree but is still adapted to fit the look of the DC animation line and is obviously a whole lot brighter because of it. That said there is something about this project that feels a little tighter than the other recent DCU projects. It's probably the fact Year One is a fairly straight forward story that the animation team have stuck to pretty well but this project feels more focused on the story and really the superhero stuff is happening in and around the drama of Gordon's struggles or Bruce Wayne's first steps as Batman. Really It's only the Catwoman stuff that is being playful and while it's great stuff to see her, her inclusion in the story has always been rightfully off to the side as opposed to main focus. On first viewing I might go as far as to say this equals and possible beats my previous favourite in the line, Wonder Woman but repeat viewing will tell and it's been a while since I've watched Wonder Woman. However Batman: Year One is still a highlight in this ever growing DC Universe animation catalogue and now I think we need an adaptation of Killing Joke or The Dark Knight Returns.
As usual DC Universe provide a beautiful looking presentation in stunning 2D HD. Obviously the adaption doesn't look quite as grimy as the original comics books but the style here certainly celebrates it and the visuals look much more akin to "grown up" Japanese style animation such as Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex as opposed to kiddy friendly stuff, probably more so than any of the animated features to date.
The black levels here are stunning. Deep black suit jackets and of course Batman's cape and cowl look strikingly black and the good old grey simple grey costume look absolutely bat-tastic. Gotham is a mix between obvious static feeling CGI and some fantastic stylised lighting to make the seedier parts of the city feel alive. There's also a lot of layers to the background here and even though there are some simplier shots in the CG assisted car chases, some areas really do show off the artists' work. The east end of Gotham is a fine example with the adult only clubs and low lives on the street all full of glow and the purples and neon lighting really adding a fine level of quality to the production.
The transfer is strikingly sharp, with a perfectly clean image. Small details such as rain drops and the wave of bats called to help Batman out look fantastic and once again DC animation takes a few more baby steps to stand toe to toe with some of the best mid budget animation out there.
The DTS-HD Master Audio track has its moments and they are usually the elements that create some atmosphere. Rains and thunder claps sounds pretty great and thumps and cracks in the fights hit with a nice bit of bass. The score is okay but doesn't really stick out as all that strong and the more subtle tonal elements do their job to set the mood but don't exactly call attention to themselves.
Dialogue is good and clear as is the majority of the action set pieces however as is with the relativity small but dramatic scale of the story everything is quite low key and understated, which totally works at setting a more adult mood but doesn't do much to register above the basics you'd expect from the DC animated catalogue.
The new DC Showcase short is 'Catwoman' (14:50 HD) with Eliza Dushku providing Selina Kyle's vocals once again. It's a pretty risqué short with a whole lot of pole dancing and plunging cleavage but it's a pretty strong showcase of all there is to love about Catwoman and ties in with Year One quite well. Oh and it's written by Paul Dini so we're in good hands.
'The Justice League: Doom Sneak Peak' (10:17 HD) has the majority of the original Justice League Animated Series returning to DC animation and looks like we might be in for a winner. I do wish these sneak peaks would show a little more of the actual animation or end with a trailer (mainly because we know one will be online in a few weeks anyway if the usual pattern follows) but from the little we do see, I'm up for this one in a big bad way, if only for the returning cast. We also get a couple more old sneak peaks for All Star Superman and Green Lantern Emerald Knights.
'Heart of Vengeance: Returning Batman to his Roots' (23:25 HD)is a history lesson in Batman's changing sensibilities from his dark beginnings with guns, through his sixties campy period up to his seventies and eighties rebirth including Frank Millers Dark Knight Returns and of course Year One. Packed with great lessons in Bat history and great artwork, I could watch these things all damn day.
'Conversation With DC Comics' (39:47 HD) is a sit down chat about Batman with Dennis O'Neil, Michael Uslan, Dan Didio and Scott Snyder. Very much stealing the set up of the round table extras from the Pixar discs these four guys chat all things Batman and while it repeats much of the elements from Heart of Vengeance it's still great stuff. We get a good in depth discussion on who Batman is, when he works, when he doesn't, why he's worked for so long and a general agreement he's the best character ever (preaching to the converted there). There's an interesting discussion about the fact that with trade collections being so popular nowadays it's hard for new writers to reimage origin stories as things like Year One are always there to pick up off the shelf but Didio hints that there are ways to do it (what like resetting the entire DC universe comics so you can retell these stories all over again Mr Didio?) and of course there's a discussion about Miller's work and deciding that it was his work that introduced Bruce's mother's broken pearl necklace as such a strong image in the mythology. There's lots to enjoy here and anyone talking about Batman for forty minutes is entertainment to me, so seeing these guys do it make it a little bit more special. Great stuff.
We also get a commentary with Alan Burnett, Sam Liu, Mike Carlin and Andrea Romano for this release. It's another great track and mixes conversations about the animation techniques, the style of the project, the voice work and of course the comic book and the story.
Bruce Timms Top Picks this time out are Catwalk and Cult of the Cat from the Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures. Both great episodes and they both made me miss the old animated series, I really must get onto a rewatch of the entire run.
'Batman Year One Chapter One Digitial Comic' is intended to be a teaser for comic book and I guess to promote digital comics but with no zoom function it makes this a frustration read and other than the great pictures it's pretty pointless.
The trailers we get here and for the DCU Application - the new digital download way of reading the DCU comics . No mention of the all new DC 52's though which seems a wasted opportunity as its the DC big deal at the moment (anyone read 'em yet? I didn't think much of most of them – what did you guys think?), Thundercats (which I think is actually a pretty good reboot), MAD and Young Justice. The disc also opens with a trailer for Smallville the Complete Collection and the new Green Lantern animated series.
Lastly there's a DVD and Digital copy and I have to say the cover art for this one is a stunner.
Batman: Year One shows a great deal of respect to the original comic book and provides a dark, adult Batman story that's Jim Gordon heavy in all the right places and a strong contender as best of the DC Universe catalogue so far. The disc looks fantastic, has a solid audio presentation and has a very good batch of extras that enjoys talking about Batman, a past time I also share, so all in all this is another fantastic disc from the DCU.
* Note: The images on this page are not representative of the Blu-ray release.
Review by Marcus Doidge
Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13
Disc Details
Release Date: 18th October 2011
Discs: 2
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.78:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 French, Stereo 2.0 Spanish
Subtitles: English SDH, French
Extras: Commentary, Featurettes, Sneak Peaks, Bruce Timm presnets x2 cartoons, Trailers,
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Sam Liu, Lauren Montgomery
Cast: Bryan Cranston, Eliza Dushku. Bryan Cranston
Genre: Animation and Drama
Length: 64 minutes
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Giguere helps Avs down Ducks
Anaheim, CA – Colorado Avalanche goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere recently called out his teammates.
Based on their play Wednesday night at Honda Center, they clearly got the message.
Behind 21 saves from Giguere and a three-goal second period, the Avalanche snapped a 14-game road losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks.
Giguere was highly critical of his club following a 3-1 home loss to the Calgary Flames on Monday.
The Avalanche responded with a complete effort against the Pacific Division leaders and notched their first win away from home since Feb. 14.
"Giguere played well tonight. I thought our whole team played well. I thought the guys did a really good job in front of him," Colorado head coach Joe Sacco said.
The Ducks could have clinched a playoff spot by just getting to overtime, but they fell behind early on a John Mitchell goal 1:04 into the game.
Colorado then scored three different ways in the middle frame.
Gabriel Landeskog powered his way to the net from the left side and put a backhander past Anaheim goaltender Jonas Hiller for a shorthanded goal at the 4:07 mark.
With the Avalanche on a power play, Matt Duchene fired a one-timer behind Hiller at 7:54.
The Ducks got on the board when Teemu Selanne went to the far post and tapped in Kyle Palmieri's pass at 11:16, but Jamie McGinn restored Colorado's three- goal advantage with an even-strength tally at 17:30.
Hiller made 12 saves through 40 minutes before being replaced by Viktor Fasth, who stopped all 12 shots he faced in the third period.
"We had no push back for them today," Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau said.
Game Notes
Colorado forward Paul Stastny returned to the lineup after missing eight games with a foot injury ... Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf was back after a lower- body ailment forced him to sit out three games.

subset: commoncrawl


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- AltCar Auto Show
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Auto Show: 2013 Chicago Auto Show
Mopar 2013 Dodge Dart: Chicago Auto Show
- Performance upgrades for suspension, exhaust and brakes
- Ground effects, 18-inch black wheels & Mopar blue leather driver's seat
- Limited to just 500 units
Dodge introduced the Mopar '13 Dart, a limited-edition version of its new compact sedan with special performance and styling upgrades, at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show. Based on the 2013 Dodge Dart, the Mopar '13 is the fourth in a series of Mopar special editions that previously included variations of the Dodge Charger and Challenger and the Chrysler 300.
Those earlier Mopar cars were all powered by Hemi V8 engines, but the Mopar Dart makes do with just half the number of cylinders. Its 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine is turbocharged and paired with a manual transmission. Like earlier Mopar editions, the Mopar '13 Dart is equipped with a list of upgraded finishes and equipment, and will be produced in a limited run of just 500 vehicles.
Each numbered unit includes performance upgrades like a lowered suspension, low-profile tires on special, gloss black 18-inch wheels, a sport-tuned exhaust and upgraded brakes with slotted rotors. According to the automaker, the ground-effects body kit with front and rear spoilers and a rear diffuser improve aerodynamics and downforce.
Past Mopar editions have offered unique styling in addition to performance equipment, and the Mopar Dart is no different. It's painted black with a Mopar Blue racing stripe accenting the hood, roof and decklid.
The color scheme carries over to the interior as well. While the cabin is largely black with contrasting blue stitching, the driver's seat stands out with distinct Mopar Blue leather. Blue accent lighting replaces the red lighting of more mainstream Darts, and a black leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel maintain the sporty look. A numbered plate on the dash reminds passengers that the Mopar '13 Dart is extra special.
Navigation is standard and is displayed on an 8.4-inch screen. A wireless phone charger is also included, a feature the automaker says is the first to be offered in a production car.
The Mopar '13 may not have the awesome Hemi V8 power of earlier Mopar editions, but the special-edition Dart does offer something those larger vehicles cannot: a nice balance of performance and economy. With the 1.4-liter turbo engine and 6-speed manual transmission, the 2013 Dodge Dart is EPA-rated at 39 mpg highway.
What it means to you: Looking for a unique vehicle that's both sporty and economical? Act quickly to be one of just 500 customers to enjoy the limited-edition Mopar '13 Dodge Dart.


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- MFLS Forums
Forums : MFLS Rules and Strategy Forum Thread : Total Team Transfer Value Lottery
[thread started by Arrows SC on Sun 3/1 16:10 ET]
[moderated by 1860 Oakland, SDFC Macross]
from Arrows SC
on Sun 3/1 16:10 ET
Reply to This Message
This is the week for playing the total transfer team value lottery. I've been working for more time than I care to share on how to maximize it before week one is closed (whenever that happens). from The Laws of Lalas
on Fri 3/6 21:36 ET
Reply to This Message
1584, not my best ever but pretty good.
my starters this week were almost all 100s.
my bench guys were pretty widely owned too with the exception of Powell of POR, who i love but was only a 7 and by far my lowest.
just like last year though, most of the "gems" i thought would be low turned out to be pretty high.
there were some head-scratchers though, like the 9 teams starting Cubo and the whopping 19 going with Jermaine Jones (although neither are playing for quite a while). also, 30 teams starting Bradley and paying him his 335 salary? i just don't think he will be worth it considering the schedule.
from Arrows SC
on Fri 3/6 22:24 ET
Reply to This Message
I'm at 1311. Wished I were a bit higher. I am surprised by Pontius (23), Sabo (30) and Husidic (33). from Shaolin Mystigods
on Fri 3/6 22:38 ET
Reply to This Message
Does that mean Ethan White (41) is more popular than
those guys? Talk about fantasy
from Hounds FC
on Sat 3/7 2:58 ET
Reply to This Message
I'm at 1114 (not including the coach - which we don't know about yet). I picked a team looking to not make any transfers early. Didn't work. Dunivant sat the bench and I can see the writing on the wall for him. So, boom. Transfer #1 and Dunivant is gone. from Surreywood Rangers
on Sat 3/7 9:19 ET
Reply to This Message
Sitting at 1270. from Weirder Bremen
on Sat 3/7 9:46 ET
Reply to This Message
1564 for me, counting 100 for Arena. from Arrows SC
on Sat 3/7 11:58 ET
Reply to This Message
I'm one of seven managers with Jesse Marsch. Sweet. from Plattsburgh United
on Sat 3/7 13:15 ET
Reply to This Message
1228 with 2 guys I thought were good picks at (0)
Why is Pineda from Seatle at 0?? he was really productive last year.
from F.C. Bayern Tampa
on Sat 3/7 16:10 ET
Reply to This Message
1370, but not much of that is on my bench.


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Ms. Mary Mack began as a parenting blog that tracked the monumental transition from "me to mom," with the hope of gaining insight, information and wisdom, and passing it along.
Five years later, we've grown into this integral role of parent with confidence and compassion. And now we're widening the focus to include the other interests, influences and important parts of our lives. Join the adventure! [more]
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Nicole Blades is an author and journalist. She's also the mother of perhaps the most delightful little boy on this spinning globe.
Disclosure. This is a personal blog written and edited by Nicole Blades. For questions about this blog, please contact email@example.com.


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How To Become An Avionics Technician in Oklahoma
In order to qualify for Avionics jobs in Oklahoma, it's a smart idea to compare all the technical schools in your target area, as well as consider taking some of your courses online. Check with each engineering school below for assistance with certificate program requirements, degree prerequisites, and class registration. You may request information from several different schools below, without making a commitment.
To prepare for Avionics careers in Oklahoma, you need to complete a technical education in your specialty area, as well as consider taking part of your required courses online. Which college degrees give you the best chances of finding employment after graduation? Accredited engineering programs, combined with a brief internship or prior work-experience, offer a great return on your engineering education. Check with the aircraft maintenance department for course registration deadlines, and engineering program requirements.
Avionics equipment mechanics and technicians repair and perform scheduled maintenance on aircraft. Airplanes require reliable parts and maintenance in order to fly safely. To keep an airplane in operating condition, aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians perform scheduled maintenance, make repairs, and complete inspections. They must follow detailed regulations set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that dictate maintenance schedules for different operations.
Avionics technicians typically are certified through a repair station for the specific work they perform on aircraft, or they hold the Airframe rating to work on an aircraft's electronic and flight instrument systems. An Aircraft Electronics Technician (AET) certification is available through the National Center for Aerospace Transportation Technologies (NCATT). It certifies that aviation mechanics have a basic level of knowledge in the subject area, but it is not required by the FAA for any specific tasks. Avionics technicians who work on communications equipment may need to have the proper radiotelephone operator certification issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Beyond major requirements within the aircraft maintenance department, you may consider Coastal Pines Technical College general chemistry as a complementary elective.


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Wire for Cable in Alviso
Time to wrap up the workweek, so let's break out of the usual Eichler-lite Close to Google. Have you considered buying in Alviso? Maybe this home courtesy of Burbed reader Michael Boltonestater will convince you that the sky is the limit for Alviso. Or is that the smell starts at the limits of Alviso?
2052 Gold St #204
San Jose, CA 95002
2 Beds
2 Baths
1,440 Sq. Ft.
$69 / Sq. Ft.
Built: 1977
Lot Size: —
On Redfin: 101 days
Status: Active
Property Type: Mobile Home (Double Wide)
County: Santa Clara
Community: Alviso (Santa Clara County)
Cozy 2Bed/2Ba Home!Serial#:A/B27032. Living room w/ carpet & wire for cable. Family room w/ carpet & wire for cable. Dining w/ display cabinet & wire for cabinet. Kitchen w/ linoleum, refrigerator, disposal, dishwasher, ceiling light. Guest bed w/ carpet & wire for cable & phone. Guest bath w/ standing shower. Master bed w/ walk in closet & wire for cable. Master bath w/ medicine cabinet & tub. Space rent:$850.00
Perhaps you might think that featuring a mobile home from Alviso is kicking a listing while it's down. We just think there's win, and then there's Burbed win. Kind of like how there's property, and then there's Alviso property.
And then there's Alviso property shot with a fish-eye lens. Or else this home is more than a few bubbles off plumb. But, there is carpet, and wire for cable.


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Food Manufacturers Reformulating Childrens' Foods For More Gluten-Free Options
Chuck E. Cheese experiences the challenges and rewards of reformulating without gluten.
It takes many things to keep a child happy. Especially in the event of a special occasion, such as a birthday or team celebration. Providing joy in the life of little Joey or Jane is a goal for most parents.
To Joe Elliot, it's his business.
As the vice president of research and development for Chuck E. Cheese, Elliot works at keeping kids happy and well fed. The company and its franchisees operate a system of 566 Chuck E. Cheese's restaurants located in 47 states and eight foreign countries or territories. The goal of these outlets is to create lifelong memories through food, musical robots, games and play areas.
Elliot recently won a battle in his war against blandness. Although children (or parents) with Celiac disease or some gluten intolerance aren't a large segment of the general population, he wanted them, too, to be able to enjoy the fun that goes with having a pizza at Chuck E. Cheese.
According to the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, 1 in 133 people have Celiac disease, meaning it affects at least 3 million Americans. It is an inherited autoimmune disorder that impacts the digestive process. When a person who has Celiac disease consumes gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley, the individual's immune system responds by attacking the small intestine and inhibiting the absorption of important nutrients into the body.
The victory for the customer who couldn't enjoy a pizza at a Chuck E. Cheese arrived via a trade show meeting. Elliot chatted with Mike Conte of Conte's Pasta. They worked together to create a tasty gluten-free, individual pizza, which is shipped in a specially sealed package that goes directly into the store's oven. Then it's served to the customer in that same safety packaging so no cross-contamination may occur. Each pizza even comes with its own disposable cutter.
"Yes, it is good to be able to fill a niche like that," Elliot said. "Parents have shown their appreciation and can see to what extent we have gone to provide an enjoyable experience. Often they will buy one or two of our frozen products and take them home."
It was a three-way effort of a food processor, a restaurant/entertainment operator and a packaging company that resulted in a safe, transportable product from the processor directly to oven and to the customer.
It wasn't an overnight success, as the process took a couple of years.
"We wanted to make sure it was safe and tastes good," said Judy Sabella, vice president at Conte's Pasta Co., Vineland, N.J. "We would not serve it to someone and take that chance and at the same time we had to study packaging and discover what we could come up with."
Elliot, who has about 40 years experience in the food industry, had been seeking a gluten free option for a long time, and his forays into a gluten-free pizza were mostly disappointing. Cross-contamination might be a problem in his stores where a young employee might not grasp the importance of keeping one pizza separate from all the others. Taste, though, was still the biggest concern.
"A couple of companies came out with a product to show us," Elliot said, "and most of them were terrible, darn near inedible."
Conte's, which grew from the family matriarch making pasta for neighbors to a restaurant and now to a dedicated Italian food provider for both the foodservice and retail sectors, has a full line of fare. It has become dedicated to the gluten-free market. It constructed a dedicated gluten-free facility in October 2009.
Another leader in the gluten-free movement followed a similar route. Caesar's Pasta began providing Italian delicacies as a deli. It has now branched into worldwide sales.
A brother in the Caesar's family discovered he was gluten-intolerant, and that helped move the business to create gluten-free items as well as certified organic, vegan and dairy-free products.
"It really brings such a joy to us as a company, and people really appreciate our food," said Ron Lodato, senior vice president at Caesar's Pasta, Blackwood, N.J. "It has been very intensive and time consuming for us. But it pays off when a customer says, 'This is great. I haven't been able to enjoy manicotti since I was diagnosed (with Celiac disease)."
Besides the work of creating a flavorful dish from rice flour or other ingredients, it has to have the right elasticity for an entrée such as manicotti. Contamination from wheat products is watched carefully.
"Cross-contamination is a big issue and we take it very seriously," Lodato said. "We remove all the wheat from the facility, test and then test again in the morning. When we start running our gluten-free products we test continually. Our products are less than 5 parts per million, which is the same as gluten-free. We do our best and there is no possibility of cross-contamination."
More than pizza and pasta
There is, of course, much more to the gluten-free revolution than just pizza and pasta.
The American Egg Board cited information from a Mintel Group market research study that has shown gluten-free food sales have grown 27 percent from 2009-2011 to an estimated $6.1 billion. The report said better tasting food, rising incidence of Celiac disease and celebratory endorsements are some of the keys to the 88 percent increase in products using the claim gluten-free from 2008 to 2012. It also shows a 134 percent increase in the gluten-free claim to all U.S. product launches with an egg ingredient.
The Mintel study notes that gluten-free claims on U.S. menus rose an impressive 582 percent since 2008. National chains such as Dominos and Dunkin Donuts have gluten-free options on their menus.
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text: For Patients & Visitors For patients and visitors at Legacy Good Samaritan We want your stay with us — or your visit — to be as pleasant and comfortable as possible. If you have further questions please call 503-413-7711 or 1-800-733-9959. The information below is specific to Legacy Good Samaritan. Here's more information that applies to all Legacy hospitals. Caregiver services For family members taking care of loved ones, we offer information and referral to trained caregivers, caregiver education, respite worker training and adult daycare for older adults with memory loss or confusion. For more information, please visit Powerful Tools for Caregiving. Courtesy services Bank machines: U.S. Bank machines are in the hospital lobby and on the corner of NW 23rd and NW Lovejoy; a Wells Fargo machine outside Good Samaritan Building 1 at NW 22nd and Lovejoy. The Cellar, a gift shop on the third floor of the Good Samaritan Medical Building, is open Monday - Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Legacy Rehabilitation Institute of Oregon. The Healing Garden, located adjacent to the cafeteria, is a tranquil setting open for patients, visitors and staff. Hospitable Gifts - Gifts, flowers, greeting cards, reading materials, plush animals and more. 1015 N.W. 22nd Ave, Portland, OR 97210 Telephone: 503-413-7373 Location: Second floor of the hospital, up the stairway from the main lobby Hours: Open Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Other hours based on volunteer availability Interpreter services: The hospital has access to interpreters for a number of foreign languages. Your nurse will be happy to provide more information this free service. Lost and found items can be inquired about by call Legacy Safety and Security Services, 503-413-7911. Mail, flowers and balloons will be delivered to the patient's room or forwarded to a home address if the patient has been discharged. (Some exceptions in critical care areas.) Because many patients are allergic to latex balloons, please don't bring them to the hospital. Newspapers are available in the front lobby and outside the main entrance of the Good Samaritan Medical Building. Notary services are available to patients free of charge upon availability. Ask your nurse for more information. Prescriptions can be filled at The Apothecary, an outpatient pharmacy on the first floor of Good Samaritan Building 2. Open: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 pm. Phone: 503-413-8122, fax: 503-413-8453 Televisions are provided in each patient room. Wireless Internet service is available in specific areas of the hospital; please ask your nurse. Dining All patients receive nutritionally balanced meals, including those with special dietary needs. Breakfast, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Lunch, noon to 1 p.m. Dinner, 5 to 6:30 p.m. Guest trays may be ordered for visitors; just ask your nurse. A cash payment will be collected on delivery. Lovejoy Station Café, a food court open to the public, is on the first floor of the main hospital. Breakfast: Monday - Friday, 6:30 to 10 a.m. Lunch: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner: Monday through Friday, 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Weekends: 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Espresso Bar on the first floor in the main lobby Monday–Friday, 6:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Vending machines Basement of the Wilcox Building Emergency room waiting area Basement of the main hospital near the pharmacy Third floor of the Good Samaritan Building 2 near Parking Structure 2 Lodging Please see this page of information about lodging for patients and families. Parking/Transportation Bus schedules are available in the hospital lobby, by calling TriMet at 503-238-7433, or by consulting the Trimet website. Free parking is available on the Legacy Good Samaritan campus, with free valet parking for patients at the main entrance. Valet parking is 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. After 8 p.m., please ask campus security to retrieve your vehicle from valet parking. Call extension "0" from inside the hospital or 503-413-7911 and we'll be happy to assist you. If you self-park, please read this guide about our parking garages. Also, see a campus map. Security escorts are available around the clock to escort you to your vehicle in hospital parking lots. Call extension "0" from inside the hospital or 503-413-7911 and we'll be happy to assist you. Taxis can be called via direct line from the main lobby desk: Broadway Cab - 503-227-1234 Radio Cab - 503-227-1212 Safety Electrical equipment — Due to government safety codes, the only items you may use in patient rooms are battery-operated shavers, radios, clocks and laptop computers. Please leave all other electrical equipment at home. Tobacco-free policy — Legacy Health is now entirely tobacco-free. (If you're trying to quit, we can help!) Spiritual care Spiritual Care at Good Samaritan provides spiritual, emotional and non-judgmental support for you and your loved ones during hospitalization. Companionable and experienced staff chaplains are available at all times (24/7) to assist you regardless of religious affiliation or spiritual path. To request a chaplain, call the Spiritual Care Department at 503-413-7057 or, for urgent requests, contact the hospital switchboard (0). Any representative from your own faith tradition or community, with your permission, is welcome to visit you during your hospital stay. The Chapel of the Good Samaritan is located on the west end of the third floor and is open at all times. A non-denominational prayer service is held Monday through Friday at 11:45 a.m. A monthly memorial service is held the last Thursday of each month at 11:45 a.m. to honor and celebrate the lives of those who, in the previous month, may have completed their earthly journey at Legacy Good Samaritan. Visiting hours Visiting hours are generally between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m., but can vary according to patient needs. Please keep in mind: Patients need care. Mornings and early afternoons are busy times for patients, doctors and nurses. Treatments, personal care and consultations usually happen between 7 a.m.– 3 p.m. Patients need rest. Please keep visits brief and limit the number of visitors. On the day of surgery, check with the nursing staff before entering a patient's room. If you'd like to call a patient's room phone, please do it before 9 p.m. Patients need privacy. You may be asked to leave briefly during procedures, treatments or other care activities.


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mattmcb necesitaba un nuevo diseño de impreso o envases y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 12 diseños de 5 diseñadores freelance.
Fast Forward Academy
Fast Forward Academy, LLC provides companies and individuals around the world with the tools to help them efficiently manage their professional education needs. The name Fast Forward Academy reflects the scope of our mission – helping students and professionals accomplish more in less time. To realize this goal we make every effort to provide the most useful and efficient exam prep material in the market place, all designed to help our students Learn Fast and Pass.
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Added by: Ed_8616
Last Updated:
Mon, 25 September 2017
Tribfest is the summers biggest tribute band music festival in East Yorkshire, probably the world, now in its 12th year!
The idea of Tribfest is to enable families to enjoy an affordable, fantastic, fun weekend away, meeting fellow festival friends old and new, whilst listening to some great live music, performed on a stage of high quality with a big screen, top lighting and sound to accompany this.
Last year we booked 45 top tribute bands, 20 playing the main stage which are specifically chosen to cover a wide range of age groups so everyone knows some of the music, or better still, all of it! We also had 25 tribute bands playing the VIP Marquee with lots of other fantastic music, comedy, fun and frolics around the site. Lookalikes, VIP Marquee/Bar, Main Bar, Unsigned Bands, Acoustic Marquee, Laughing Bull Comedy Marquee, Freedom Road Under 20s Marquee, Karaoke/Silent Disco Marquee, Dance Marquee, KidZone, Retail Stalls and Catering Outlets. Plus camping for 4 days.
All the regular services you would find at any other major festival are provided. Toilets, showers, electrical hook-ups, first aid, top security and fun, friendly staff. Our facilities are one of the best in the country.
Tribfest has already made some big waves having been nominated for UK Festival Awards in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014 Best Small Festival, Best Family Festival & Best Toilets.
Tribfest has a capacity of 5,000 so it doesnt get overcrowded like some of the other festivals and has achieved great acclaim in such a short space of time.
Tribfest was featured in The Sun in 2011 and a six-page pull out in the national magazine Esquire. Plus regular appearances on BBC Look North and BBC Radio Humberside and KCFM. In 2012 NME Magazine visited the festival and ran an article on the sometimes weird and wacky world of tribute bands in September 2012. The Sunday People ran an article in mid August 2013, focusing on the bands that would be appearing at Tribfest 2013.
Our aim is to make your stay a memorable one so you will keep coming back, year after year.
So become a part of something great this summer and buy your etickets online today!
For more information, and to buy tickets, please visit www.tribfest.co.uk


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At BCG, we form partnerships with our clients to solve their biggest challenges and shape the future together. The work our consultants do leads to a lasting impact on companies, industries, and society.
BCG's global footprint (more than 90 offices around the world), numerous awards and honors (eight consecutive years in a top-five spot on Fortune's "Best Companies to Work For" list), prestigious partnerships, expanded impact through extended brands, and commitment to diversity make it the place for those who want to discover and nurture their passions and impact the world's most influential organizations and the communities in which they work.
For the third consecutive year, BCG is ranked number one on Consulting magazine's "Best Firms to Work For" list.Read the press release
For the eighth consecutive year, BCG has been ranked in the top five of Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For," placing fourth overall on the 2018 list.Read more about the rankings at fortune.com
Organizations hire consultants for a variety of reasons—but not because they want an outsider to simply prescribe a solution. Whether a client is seeking guidance on the strategic direction of its entire enterprise—or focused on something more specific, such as technology, logistics, or people management—BCG consultants work alongside the client to discover the insights that will direct them toward a solution.Meet our BCGers
BCG partners with our clients in solving the hardest problems challenging their businesses—and the world.
When asked about their favorite part of the job, many BCG consultants talk about the variety—the huge range in types of projects they get to work on, as well as the varying tempo of their day-to-day work life. Consultants do spend some time at a desk doing analysis, but they are more often onsite with clients, out in the field, speaking with employees, vendors, and customers—asking questions and listening hard to the answers.
Consultants work on cases as a team, which includes representatives from all levels of our consulting staff. The team reports to a partner, who guides the work and stays actively involved. Everyone plays a crucial role on the team, irrespective of title or tenure. Collaboration is at the heart of BCG.
Case teams dig up qualitative and quantitative data and form hypotheses. We test theories, and we hone and polish our solutions. And in the end, we enable our clients to put a solution into practice—and run with it.


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Every Time You Cross Our Picket Line, a Kitten Explodes
This wonderful photo brought to you by today's Actors' Equity strike versus American Girl Place, the store that sells the dolls the fearful girl clutches here. There's also a theater of some kind in the store, and management is supposedly playing hardball with the actors who want to unionize. Hence the picket line and flyers thrust upon sweaty little moppets who just want to get a new bonnet for Kirsten. Later, the little girl was doused with a bucket of cow blood on her way out of McDonald's Playland.
American Girl Place Actors and Actors' Equity Rally [Actor's Equity]


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Markus Lupfer
British-native Markus Lupfer's eponymous label took off in 2001 through his celebrated re-invention of basics. Famously a streetwear designer, Lupfer strives to update classic wardrobe essentials to produce strong, looks featuring his signature bold prints, unique embellishments and embroidery. Lupfer's timeless silhouettes are subverted with bold fabric choices, effortlessly elevating his playful aesthetic.
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Further Java Practical Class
Table of Contents
In order to gain a star in the mark sheet you must complete this exercise. Completing the exercise does not gain you any credit in the examination. In this exercise you will write a client which connects to a server and sends and receive images in JPEG[1] format. An example client is shown in Figure 1, "An example image chat client".
Your program should have the following features:
Your solution should contain a class called
ImageChatClient which extends
JFrame inside a package called
Your implementation of
ImageChatClient must contain a constructor which takes two arguments; the first argument should accept the name of the server as a
String and the second argument the port number to connect to, expressed as an
When an object of type
ImageChatClient is instantiated it should create a Swing GUI with at least two components, an AWT
Canvas object to render images sent by the server, and an AWT
Button with the text label "Upload". You may add additional GUI components if you wish.
Your implementation of
ImageChatClient should use an additional thread in a similar manner to
StringChat you wrote for Ticklet 1. One thread should listen on a
Socket object connected to the server and draw any new image sent by the server to the
Canvas object; the other thread should listen for user input.
If the
Button object is clicked, you should create and show an instance of the
JFileChooser class. In the case where a user selects a suitable JPEG file using the dialog and selects the "Open" button, your program should send the bytes representing the JPEG file to the server over a
Socket object; otherwise your program should do nothing.
Clicking on the close button in the top right-hand corner of the Swing window created by the
ImageChatClient class should close the application.
You may test your implementation by connecting to
java-1b.cl.cam.ac.uk on port number 15002.
You may wish to look at the workbooks from last year to refresh your knowledge of the
JFileChooser class (http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/teaching/0910/ProgJava/).
The data sent by the server is a sequence of JPEG images sent as a stream of bytes. You will need to design a method of working out when you have received all the data representing a single image. One solution is to inspect the stream for the JPEG format End Of Image (EOI) marker, which in hexadecimal is
0xffD9. (In your code you can check whether consecutive bytes have the values
-1 and
-39 to detect the end of an image in the stream of bytes; why?)
Avoid using the
ImageIO.read(InputStream is) method to directly read data from a
Socket object since the read method (erroneously in this case!) assumes that only a single image exists in a given stream of data. Instead you should read the data from the
Socket object into a small buffer, perform some manual checks to detect whether you have reached the end of the JPEG image or not (e.g. look for the EOI marker), before writing the data out to a second stream which you can feed into
ImageIO.read(InputStream is). You will probably find a small array of type
byte and the
ByteArrayInputStream and
ByteArrayOutputStream classes useful for this.
Please put the source code and byte code of
ImageChatClient, together with any other classes you wrote to support your application, into a jar file called
crsid-tick1star.jar. Please email the jar file to
firstname.lastname@example.com. You should receive a response via email within an hour. If you do not, please send an email to


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Kershaw eyes another brilliant effort in second start vs. Bucs
Clayton Kershaw tries to follow up an absolutely brilliant season debut on Saturday when the Los Angeles Dodgers continue a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium.
Kershaw tossed the ninth shutout of his career on Monday against the San Francisco Giants, limiting them to four hits, while striking out seven. He even helped his own cause at the plate by hitting the first home run of his career.
"It just erupted," Adrian Gonzalez said of the dugout scene following the home run. "It was tough, getting it through the wind, through the traffic. It was huge. We had opportunities but didn't get him run support, so he did it himself.
"To me, he's probably the best pitcher in baseball."
Kershaw became the first pitcher to go deep and throw a shutout on Opening Day since Cleveland's Bob Lemon in 1953. He's also the first Dodgers pitcher to homer in an opener since Don Drysdale in 1965.
"You got a sense on this day, with the first pitch thrown by Sandy Koufax and the last pitch by Clayton Kershaw, it's almost like a passing of the torch today," second baseman Mark Ellis. "He's the most special player I've ever played with."
The left-hander has faced the Pirates six times and is 1-1 with a 3.09 ERA.
Los Angeles got another well pitched game from their newest starter in Friday's opener, as Zack Greinke impressed with 6 1/3 shutout innings and the Dodgers rolled to a 3-0 win.
Greinke (1-0) signed a six-year, $147 million dollar contract this past offseason with Los Angeles and lived up to expectations in his first start, allowing just two hits and striking out six.
"First impressions are important. But I'm just trying to get one out at a time," Greinke said. "That's kind of what I do, and hopefully everything takes care of itself."
Andre Ethier hit a solo home run while Matt Kemp and Adrian Gonzalez each had RBI doubles for the Dodgers, who had dropped two of three to San Francisco in their season opening series.
"It was a great win," said Kemp. "Greinke came out in his first start and did a great job."
Brandon League pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his first save of the season.
The Pirates, who had just six runs and 13 hits in their opening series against the Cubs, managed just two hits on Friday.
"I'm encouraged by our pitching and our defense. We had good at-bats tonight, but had nothing to show for it," said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. "We're 1-3, but we're in games."
Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones each had a single and Jonathan Sanchez (0-1) was saddled with the loss after surrendering all three runs on six hits in five-plus innings of work.
Pittsburgh righty A.J. Burnett was not as fortunate as Kershaw on Opening Day, as he surrendered three runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings in a loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Burnett is 4-3 with a 3.92 ERA in nine starts versus the Dodgers.
The Pirates lost six of seven to the Dodgers last season, getting swept in a three-game set in Los Angeles from April 10-12. The Dodgers have won seven straight and 15 of their last 17 as the host in this series.


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Rafael Nadal Wins Brazil Open, First Title Since Return from Injury
SAO PAULO, Brazil – Rafael Nadal won the Brazil Open final on Sunday, winning his first title since returning from a seven-month layoff to treat his left knee.
Nadal beat David Nalbandian 6-2, 6-3 thrusting his arms into the air and pumping his fist after a long ball by Nalbandian made him the champion of the indoor clay-court tournament for the second time. The Spaniard also won the event in 2005.
It was Nadal's 51st singles title, and first since winning the French Open for the seventh time last June.
Nadal struggled to find a rhythm in the beginning but was still able to break Nalbandian's serve twice to take the first set. He then rallied from 3-0 down in the second to win six straight games and close out the match in 1 hour, 18 minutes at the Ibirapuera arena.
The 93rd-ranked Nalbandian made his first appearance in a final since he was disqualified for kicking an advertisement board and injuring a line judge at Queen's Club last June. The former world No. 3 hasn't won a tournament since he secured his 11th title in 2010 in Washington.
Nadal, who was coming off two three-set matches, still looked far from his best and didn't seem to be moving well. The knee appeared to be bothering him again and he left many balls unchallenged throughout the match.
But with support from the crowd, which included former Brazil star striker Ronaldo and mixed martial arts champion Anderson Silva, Nadal took control of the match in the second set to secure the victory.
The 26-year-old Nadal, currently No. 5 in the world, is recovering from a torn and inflamed tendon in his knee. He returned to action at the VTR Open in Chile last week, losing the singles and doubles finals.
The final in Brazil was only his eighth singles match since returning. He withdrew from doubles in Sao Paulo after winning the first match with Nalbandian as his partner. Nadal said he wanted to rest his knee for the singles tournament.
The 11-time Grand Slam champion admitted the level of the competition in Brazil was not as high as in other tournaments but said it wasn't bad either, giving him the perfect opportunity to test his knee. The Spaniard will play another clay-court tournament in Mexico in two weeks.
Nadal had won four of his six career matches against Nalbandian, the previous one a three-set victory in last year's Indian Wells quarterfinals. Nalbandian's last victory over Nadal was in 2007 in the final of a Master Series tournament in Paris.
The 31-year-old Argentine made his season debut in singles at the Brazil Open. He was out of action for several months last season because of an abdominal injury.
Bruno Soares of Brazil and Alexander Peya of Austria won the doubles title by beating Frantisek Cermak of the Czech Republic and Michal Mertinak of Slovakia 6-7 (5), 6-2, 10-7.
Reporting by the Associated Press.
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In 601 it says that omicron, by compensative lengthening, becomes oυ, but 681 reads that δαιmov becomes daimων and γεροντ becomes γερων (which is what I thought it should do). Which is correct? Is there something here that I am not understanding correctly?
601 also says that epsilon becomes ει. Why doesn't it become η?
Thank you!! This is a wonderful website for self-learners.


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Milestones: 1974
In Alexander v. Gardner-Denver Co., the Supreme Court rules that an employee who submits a discrimination claim to arbitration under a collective bargaining agreement is not precluded from suing his or her employer under Title VII. The court reasons that the right to be free of unlawful employment discrimination is a statutory right and cannot be bargained away by the union and employer.
In Corning Glass Works v. Brennan, the Supreme Court holds that under the Equal Pay Act the allocation of proof in a pay discrimination case requires the plaintiff to prove that an employer pays an employee of one sex more than an employee of the other sex for substantially equal work.
EEOC revises its Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. The agreement provides that the two agencies share information and that each agency act as the agent for the other to accept charges of discrimination. This provision results from a concern that many workers do not know where to go to file complaints with the government.
As a follow up to the 1973 consent decree with EEOC, AT&T agrees to a second settlement based on the agency's pleadings before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This second agreement provides for $30 million in back pay and wage increases for 25,000 female and minority management employees. AT&T also agrees to establish a new minimum entry salary level for all workers promoted or transferred to management to ensure that minorities and women moving into management positions receive fair compensation.
EEOC, the Department of Labor and the Department of Justice file suit against the nation's nine largest steel producers for discriminatory hiring, promotion, assignment and wage policies directed against women and minorities. These nine companies employ a total of 350,000 workers and produce 73 percent of the country's steel. The government's suit also names the major steelworkers' union, the United Steelworkers of America, as a defendant. After five and a half months of negotiations, the government and the defendants resolve the dispute through a consent decree providing for approximately $31 million in back pay to be distributed to about 40,000 minority and women employees. The companies and the union also agree to a set of goals which include hiring women and minority persons for half the openings in trade and craft jobs and for 25 percent of the vacancies in supervisory jobs. The decree also provides that seniority will now be determined on the basis of plant (rather than departmental) seniority permitting women and minority access to the better paying and more desirable jobs.
EEOC files a record 180 direct lawsuits and 12 interventions. EEOC convinces several courts of appeals that lower court decisions requiring EEOC to file its lawsuit within 180 days of the charge filing and that an earlier lawsuit by a private charging party bars EEOC from bringing suit were wrong. The effect of the lower court rulings had been to slow EEOC's litigation program.
Next: 1975


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Eres Importante : SPANISH text. In this groundbreaking work, Dr. Phil challenges you to find your "authentic self" - that person you have always wanted to be but were too distracted, busy or scared to become. Instead you have created a "fictional self" - taking on the identity of who you believe you are supposed to be. The incongruence between those two selves is what leads you to feel that your life is incomplete, unbalanced and more difficult than it should be. In Self Matters, Dr. Phil helps you demystify your self-concept, and learn how to reclaim your authentic self. You can learn to think beyond the excuses and fears that have masked the person you want to be. By facing the cards life has dealt you, you can relearn how to best react to them.
|Personal Growth


text:
By Walter Villa, The Sports Xchange
MIAMI — Henderson Alvarez pitched 7 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball as the Miami Marlins defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 2-0 on Tuesday night at Marlins Park.
Alvarez (12-6) allowed just five hits and one walk and lowered his ERA to 2.70. The only extra-base hit he allowed was a two-out double by Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels in the fifth.
Philadelphia got just one runner to third on Alvarez. That happened in the second inning, when the Phillies put runners on the corners with two outs. But Alvarez struck out Hamels looking to end the threat.
Alvarez was relieved in the eighth after he allowed a one-out walk. Mike Dunn got...


text:
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Samkhayali to Baroda Deep Travels bus ticket booking online - Get Rs 120 OFF on all Deep Travels Bus tickets reservation from Samkhayali to Baroda. Find Deep Travels Bus Schedule, Routes and Fares.


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Dear LEGO,
The System cow element has still only appeared in two high priced sets. It's a great mold, and deserves to find its way into other official sets as well. Here are my thoughts on what might be realistic set ideas, and I'd love to see what others say as well.
Wild West
I've long argued that the Western theme should have gone a third year, with an emphasis on 'civilian' sets. These could have the added advantage to LEGO of being more gender neutral and expand the market to more girls (think, for instance, of the popularity of Little House on the Prairie with young girls).
Cattle Drive - This could be a small pack with a cowboy and two cows. I could imagine people buying multiples to create a big cattle drive. If we really insisted on introducing an 'action' element, it could include one of the western bandit figs and be rebranded as 'cattle rustler' (really no pun intended on the term 'rebranded').
Covered Wagon - Essentially this could be a rebuild of set 6716, but instead of carrying a soldier and pulling a cannon, this would have a family of pioneers (Pa, Ma, kid). The wagon could be either pulled by an ox, or have a milk cow following along behind.
Homestead farm - The same family, but with a small home and shed, brown baseplate for a patch of plowed ground, ox and plow.
BTW, other set ideas for this 'civilian' line of Western sets include an expanded general store (yes, there was a general store in Gold City Junction), one-room schoolhouse, and train station - which leads to my next set idea.
Train theme
Cattle car - A cattle car with a couple of cows would be popular among train builders. I can imagine people buying multiples.
Alternatively to doing modern cattle cars, I could imagine a steam engine set from the late 1800s as a cross-over between Trains and Wild-West (much like the Motorized Hogwarts Express was a crossover between Trains and Harry Potter). Again, if you needed an 'action' element, you could include some train robbers.
Castle theme
Ox cart - This would be a great small set - something like the cart from the Medieval Market Village pulled by an ox and driven by a peasant. We could certainly imagine other variations on small sets with a peasant and a cow (or a pig, but I'll stay focused on cows here).
Farm subtheme
I'd love to see the Farm subtheme go at least another year. The tractors so far have been great, but we could easily imagine other farm implements to pull behind them (e.g. plow, disk, gravity wagon). When I was a kid we had these metal farm equipment toys that I used to use in the sandbox, things like these, though those look older. The big negative in the subtheme so far has been the buildings. We really should have a barn that is not just a bunch of pillars and big pre-fab roof pieces. More cows in small sets would be good, especially if they were things you could buy multiples of to build up a herd. Imagine a 'pasture pack' with two cows, two fence pieces and a bush. I'm sure a lot of us would buy a whole bunch of these.


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Needless to say, the second night was harder than the first. By the fourth night it was hard to get up when I heard the cries, and after two weeks I was in tears every night myself. The well-wishers had gone home, the presents had stopped coming, my husband had gone back to work, and I was completely alone. It was the most exciting time in my life -- and I had never felt worse.
The list of things no one tells you before you become a mother is fairly exhaustive -- in part because nature arranges for us to forget the hardest parts so that we'll remain open to the prospect of doing it all again; in part because experienced mothers know that if they told the whole, unadulterated truth, it might well mean the end of the species. But for me, no part of new motherhood was as shocking, as overwhelming, as the cumulative impact of sleep loss.
Some days I was so wiped out that I feared I would be unable to meet my babies' needs -- much less do anything besides that. Many more days, I mourned the fact that I was simply too tired to enjoy a time I had so looked forward to.
The lowest point came when I nearly stepped in front of a bus; because I was so disoriented, I looked in the wrong direction crossing the street. My husband marks it differently: For him, the darkest moment came around four one morning, when he watched me pound the bed with my fists and scream "no, no, no" as my son refused to go back to sleep after nearly an hour of nursing and rocking.
My babies didn't start sleeping through the night until they were almost 7 months old. By then, my exhaustion had come to feel like a chronic illness -- something that would always be with me, that might be dealt with, managed, but never cured. But complaining or asking for help seemed pointless. After all, didn't everyone go through this?
Nell Bernstein is a freelance writer and mother of two in Berkeley, CA, who frequently covers children's issues.
A Wake-Up CallYes, just about everyone goes through this -- but that doesn't mean it should be ignored or dismissed. "One of the biggest challenges and surprises to new parents is the impact of sleep deprivation," confirms Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., associate director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and author of Sleeping Through the Night. "Whenever I talk to groups of physicians or medical students who aren't parents, they say 'What's the problem?' They find it difficult to understand why a newborn who sleeps 16 to 20 hours a day would be so disruptive to a family. But as adults, what we need is uninterrupted, prolonged sleep. Even if you're lucky enough to get your eight hours, if it's interrupted frequently throughout the night, then it's not high quality rest."
What makes the sleep loss that comes with new parenthood particularly challenging is that, unlike an all-nighter for work or a bout of insomnia, it often stretches on for months. "Adults can typically tolerate one or two nights of sleep loss," Mindell says, "but when you get chronic sleep debt, it gets more and more difficult. Your memory, reaction time, decision-making, and creativity are all impacted." The most powerful effect may be on what researchers call "emotional regulation." In layperson's terms, Mindell explains, this means that it's a lot harder for a person to keep it together. For a new mother, this feeling is compounded by the fact that her hormones are fluctuating. "No wonder new parents are more likely to be tearful or to fight with their partner," says Mindell. She adds that she sees many couples who argue bitterly over how to handle their infant's sleep issues, disputes that are often triggered by the parents' frustration over their own sleep loss. "I jokingly tell parents, 'Don't consider divorce yet. Wait until you're getting more sleep yourselves.'"
Sleep deprivation may be connected to health conditions such as postpartum depression as well. The symptoms of both, Mindell notes, are nearly identical: irritability, moodiness, and not feeling like yourself. This correlation may start even before the baby is born. Amy R. Wolfson, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, and author of The Woman's Book of Sleep, recently tracked a group of women from their third trimester through 13 months postpartum. The women who had the most difficulty with sleep late in their pregnancies, she found, reported higher levels of depressed moods throughout their baby's first year. That shouldn't be surprising, she says. "If you're chronically sleep-deprived going into the postpartum months, and then your sleep is further disrupted, there's more risk of mood disorders striking."
Accidents also increase as sleep loss accumulates. The sleep-deprived, says Mindell, are likely to cut themselves or trip and fall. The greatest risk may come from driving while sleepy -- especially when it's compounded by the distraction of a crying baby in the backseat. "Driving drowsy is like driving drunk," says Stephanie Faul of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. In 1997, researchers at the Centre for Sleep Research at the University of South Australia released the results of a study that proved exactly that. Forty subjects performed a test designed to measure psychomotor performance -- once after they had been given a potent mixture of alcohol and orange juice, and once after they had been kept awake for a sustained period. After 18 hours awake, their performance was the same as when their blood alcohol level was .05 percent, the same as after a woman has about two stiff drinks. After 24 hours, impairment almost doubled, to the equivalent of being legally drunk in most states.
"You cannot control your sleep," cautions Faul. Military studies of soldiers who suffered extreme sleep deprivation found that they literally fell asleep between steps. "Sleep is like food and water," explains Faul. "If your body needs it, it will try to get it somehow."
The Night ShiftFirst-time mothers, who have less experience in managing both their infants' sleep and their own, may be hardest hit. Kathryn Lee, R.N., Ph.D., a professor of nursing at the University of California at San Francisco, studied the sleep patterns of new and experienced mothers. First-time mothers, she found, experienced significantly more disturbed sleep and were more fatigued at one month postpartum. The reason for this, says Lee, is that the experienced mothers fed, diapered, and got their babies back to sleep faster, so they got more sleep themselves. While first-time moms spent an average of 28 percent of the night awake, veteran moms whittled it down to 15 percent.
Experienced mothers also appeared to get proportionally more deep sleep (the restorative state) in the early postpartum months than first-time moms did. When Lee compared rates of deep sleep in both groups to their rates before they got pregnant, she found that experienced mothers spent more time in this restorative sleep phase than rookie moms, for reasons that aren't clear. Rates of deep sleep between the groups evened out when the babies were 3 months old.
Thankfully, both groups appear to get a boost from breastfeeding, adds Lee. Research indicates that prolactin, which is present in high levels in breastfeeding mothers, may foster deep sleep, helping them squeeze out more benefits from their time in bed.
Dreaming Of SleepWhile most babies start sleeping through the night by 6 months of age, it doesn't always follow that parents do the same. Parents usually settle into a more regular sleep pattern a few weeks later, says Mindell, but that doesn't mean a return to the blissful slumber they remember from their pre-child days.When the National Sleep Foundation questioned 1,004 adults about their sleep habits for its 2001 Sleep in America poll, those with children reported that they slept less during the week, had more daytime sleepiness, and more frequent insomnia than those without. In fact, 76 percent of adults with children under 18 reported frequent sleep problems.
For most parents, time eases the pain of sleepless nights. Babies -- and the tiny bellies that make night feedings necessary -- grow faster than you can imagine, and early months soon become a bleary-eyed memory. "Would we be better parents, spouses, workers if we were getting more sleep?" asks Mindell. "Absolutely. But we get through it. We're quite resilient and we function." In the meantime, taking your own sleep needs as seriously as you take your baby's will help make everyone happier.
Smart Sleep Solutions
As a new mother you'll go to any extreme to protect your infant's sleep --banishing the dog, hushing your husband, pacing the floor for hours with your baby in your arms. But are you taking your own sleep seriously? Before exhaustion overwhelms you, fight for your own right to rest. Here, solutions to help save your sanity.
[BOLD {Pump it up}]
If you're nursing exclusively, you'll likely find yourself bearing the brunt of night duty. In this situation, a breast pump (which you can rent or buy) can be invaluable, allowing you to work out a nighttime shift system with your partner to maximize sleep for both of you.
[BOLD {Work out a shift system}]
Even if your husband has gone back to work, talk with him about doing his share at night --after all, taking care of a baby is hard work too. For example, a nursing mother could pump a bottle of milk and then go to bed at 9:00 p.m. Dad gives the baby the bottle the first time he wakes, and Mom is on duty the second half of the night. That way each parent gets a solid five- or six-hour stretch of sleep each night, plus a few interrupted hours.
[BOLD {Ask for night help}]
When people ask you how they can lend a hand, take them at their word. While spending a night with your baby may seem a lot to ask, most people can weather a single night of sleep deprivation without too much trouble. And they'll take pleasure in knowing they've given you something a lot more valuable than another casserole or pair of footed pajamas.
[BOLD {Turn visitors into nap nannies}]
If an overnight stay seems too much to ask, consider asking visitors to watch the baby for a couple of hours so you can take a nap. Even if the baby is napping too, you'll sleep better knowing someone else is on call. Another option: Have a babysitter come early in the morning before Dad leaves for work. For example, if Dad takes the 6:00 a.m. feeding, and the sitter arrives at 8:00 a.m., you get to sleep from 5:00 a.m. until noon.
[BOLD {Let Momcome to visit}]
If your parents or in-laws offer to come stay for an extended visit, say yes. Have Mom do one of the late-night or early-morning feedings to ensure your rest. This may be the one time in your life when you're nothing but glad to have your mother-in-law come visit!
[BOLD {Hire a night nurse}]
A night nurse will come to your house and take full responsibility for after-hours care --feeding, changing, and soothing your baby while you get some much-needed sleep. Even if you are breastfeeding exclusively, a night nurse can greatly reduce your time awake by bringing the baby to you and putting her back down once she's finished her midnight meal or by feeding the baby bottles of pumped breast milk. Night nurses are expensive (sometimes running upwards of $20 an hour), but even if you can't afford one on a regular basis, bringing someone in for a few nights when you are at the end of your rope may make all the difference. To find a night nurse in your area, contact the National Association of Child Care and Referral Agencies at 800/424-2246, or visit its website at www.childcareaware.org
[BOLD {Consider night care}]
Some childcare centers are open around the clock. While most cater to shift workers who work nights on a regular basis, they may have openings for the occasional emergency --like a mother who is about to collapse from sleep deprivation. To find childcare in your area, try the National Association of Child Care and Referral Agencies.
[BOLD {Take a sleep vacation}]
New parents are often advised to make time for romantic getaways to keep the flame alive during the transition to parenthood. That's great, but if you're lucky enough to have friends or relatives who can take your baby for a night or a weekend, you may want to hold off on that tryst with your husband and try a "sleep-in" instead. Consider treating yourself to a hotel room and putting up the "Do Not Disturb" sign.
[BOLD {Turn off the monitor}]
If your baby really needs you, he'll let you know. In the meantime, lying awake listening to every flutter and murmur on the intercom can be counterproductive.
[BOLD {Start sleep training}]
While it's unrealistic to expect your baby to sleep through the night before 3 to 6 months, it's never too early to start good sleep habits. Learn about the different methods of sleep training to find one that's right for your family. Two helpful books: [ITALIC {Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby,}] by Tracy Hogg, and [ITALIC {Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep,}] by Jodi Mindell, Ph.D.
[BOLD {Practice good sleep hygiene}]
Even the most exhausted mother may have a hard time dropping off to sleep when her mind is racing from a nonstop day of childcare. Practicing basic "sleep hygiene" techniques can help ward off frustrating postpartum insomnia. Keep your bedroom dark and quiet; don't use your bed for working or watching television; schedule exercise, like a brisk walk with your baby, for the late afternoon; and try taking a warm bath a couple of hours before bedtime.
[BOLD {Talk to your doctor}]
Even after a baby is sleeping through the night, it takes most parents two to four weeks to break their own night-waking habit and start sleeping well themselves. If you're still having trouble sleeping after a month or so, a thorough checkup can rule out a medical cause such as thyroid problems, which are common in the postpartum months. Your doctor can also refer you to a therapist who can help determine whether your sleep loss is due to hormonally driven postpartum depression, sleep deprivation, or both.
[BOLD {See a sleep specialist}]
If you just can't bounce back from the disruptions a baby has made to your schedule and your biorhythms, consider seeing a sleep specialist to help you get back on track. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine can help you find an accredited sleep center in your area (507/287-6006; www.aasmnet.org
[BOLD {Avoid driving drowsy}]
If you absolutely must drive after a rough night, take a nap before you get behind the wheel (even 20 minutes can make a significant difference). According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, many sleep-related crashes occur during the afternoon hours, when most people experience a natural drop in alertness, so schedule errands that call for the car in the morning hours. To learn more about sleep contact the National Sleep Foundation at 202/347-3471, or visit www.sleepfoundation.org


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Charlie Hunnam will not be playing the role of Christian Grey in EL James' erotica novel trilogy Fifty Shades Of Grey.
"The filmmakers of Fifty Shades of Grey and Charlie Hunnam have agreed to find another male lead given Hunnam's immersive TV schedule which is not allowing him time to adequately prepare for the role of Christian Grey," Universal Pictures said in a statement according to Deadline.
"I wish Charlie all the best. x" James tweeted shortly after the news broke.
NEWS: Five things to know about Charlie Hunnam
Hunnam was set to star alongside Dakota Johnson and filming was scheduled to reportedly begin November 5 in Vancouver.
Fifty Shades is scheduled to hit theaters in North America Friday, August 1, 2014, with opening dates around the world to be revealed at later times.
Story developing, more to come...
(E! and Universal Pictures are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
PHOTOS: Surprising casting choices


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September 12, 1925 - January 29, 2013
Montgomery, NY
Dolores Davini of Montgomery, NY, formerly of Woodcliff Lake, NJ, a retired Nurse at Bronx Jacobi Hospital, and a resident of the area died Tuesday, January, 29, 2013, in Middletown. She was 87.
The daughter of the late Paul and Agnes Parenti Davini, she was born September 12, 1925 in Jersey City, New Jersey.
She was a member of Most Precious Blood Church and formerly of Our Lady Mother of the Church in Woodcliff Lake, NJ. Dora was a Public Health nurse for the City of New York, then went to work in Beth Israel Hospital and retired from Bronx Jacobi Hospital.
Survivors include her nephew, Mark Palczewski and his wife, Debbie at home; nephew, Hank Palczewski and his wife, Cathy of Woodinville, WA; niece, Barbara Waters and her husband, Steve of Burlington, CT; great nieces, Olivia and Grace Palczewski and Nicole Palcewski, and Rachel and Caroline Waters.
Visitation will be Thursday, January 31, 2013 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Overhiser Funeral Home, 78 Union St., Montgomery, NY 12549.
A funeral mass will be Friday, February 1, 2013 at 12:30 p.m. at Most Precious Blood, 25 Walnut St., Walden, NY.
Burial will be in Maryrest Cemetery in Mahwah, NJ.
Arrangements were made by Overhiser Funeral Home/Millspaugh Funeral Directors. For directions or condolences please visit overhiserfuneralhome.com


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Zuckerberg Helps Christie Beef Up Fundraising
Chris Christie has raised more money from California than any other state except for New Jersey, a haul that points up the benefits of his new friendship with technology stars such as Mark Zuckerberg.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
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BURBANK, Calif. — For a show about genius physicists, The Big Bang Theory shows little understanding of television's laws of gravity.
The hit CBS comedy (tonight, 7 p.m.) has strapped rocket boosters onto its ratings in its sixth season, up substantially in viewers and especially among the young adults prized by advertisers. It's hitting highs at a time of life when the typical show is arcing toward earth and cancellation.
Big Bang is also the No. 1 show in syndication, and the two occurrences are not unrelated. Heavy local repeat broadcasts are combined with plentiful reruns on cable's TBS. (On Tuesdays, for example, between cable and many local stations, viewers can watch seven repeats over a four-hour period.) The repeats, which began in 2011, are pulling in new viewers, who discover they like Bang and head to CBS for new episodes.
"You kind of have to handcuff yourself to a pole in the street to not ever see our show at this point, because it's on every second," says Simon Helberg, who plays engineer and newlywed Howard Wolowitz.
But the boom in Big Bang, created by sitcom vets Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, is more than a simple syndication phenomenon. Over the seasons, the ensemble has expanded, adding new characters and story lines as well as depth and complexity, always a balancing act on an already-popular series. And this season, the critically acclaimed comedy has been even more willing to show its heart.
"I think this is our strongest season. It's my personal favorite," says Johnny Galecki, who plays physicist Leonard Hofstadter, the more socially skilled half of the offbeat roommate duo at the nucleus of Bang. "The story arcs we're now doing, we didn't really do too much in the first few seasons. And the relationship stories, it takes a while to earn that with an audience with comedy."
But the show doesn't push it too far, says Jim Parsons, who has won two Emmys for portraying Leonard's roommate, the abrasive, exacting Sheldon Cooper. "I feel like (the writers) are very careful to keep it from getting sentimental. That would suck the laugh out of the room."
The characters certainly have evolved since the series started in 2007. In the beginning, it was Leonard and Sheldon; their pretty, more socially adept neighbor, Penny (Kaley Cuoco); and their brilliant, nerdy scientist friends, Wolowitz and Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar). The guys had their Star Trek and comic books, but not much going on in the way of relationships.
Their universe has expanded. Leonard's on his second go-round with Penny; self-styled ladies' man Wolowitz is an astronaut married to microbiologist Bernadette (Melissa Rauch); innocent, chaste Sheldon has a steady gal, neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik). There's even hope for tongue-tied Raj, who recently met Lucy (Kate Micucci), whom he may be able to communicate with without having to be drunk.
But don't expect smooth sailing. "These guys are not just going to wake up one morning and be the coolest kids in town. They're going to progress, but they're going to progress slowly," Nayyar says. "These guys are getting older, too. And as you get older, your priorities are going to slightly shift. You are going to start thinking about family and love."
Parsons reminds, however, that it has taken six seasons, longer than the lives of most TV shows, to get this far. "It seems illogical, but what I think has made (the show) develop and given it depth is the painfully slow pace at which they are developing. I think that lends a realistic credence to them. These aren't major changes."
Time and the arrival of newer characters, such as Amy and Bernadette, have helped flesh out the originals, says executive producer Steven Molaro, who took over day-to-day operation of the show this season.
"It's opened up a lot of opportunities for different kinds of stories. It's allowed the characters to grow," he says. "If you told me in Season 1" that Wolowitz would be a married astronaut, "my reaction would have been, 'Well, that sounds ridiculous.' But when you watch it happen over the course of six years, it seems completely plausible and a beautiful thing to watch."
"You can take any two characters in this group and put them in a room, and something funny is going to happen, which is great," Cuoco says.
For Lorre, who has had more than his share of sitcom successes (e.g., Two and a Half Men, Grace Under Fire, Cybill) and headline-generating headaches (e.g., Two and a Half Men, Grace Under Fire, Cybill), Big Bang is unalloyed bliss.
"I don't take it for granted that a TV show should work so beautifully and joyfully on so many levels," he says. A show is "a very stressful environment. It's a family environment for many, many years and, like any family, things go wrong and things go right, and I've seen both. And I certainly cherish when it goes right."
There wasn't much big about Big Bang at its start. During its first season, it aired only eight modestly rated episodes before going on the shelf for four months because of a long strike by writers. That loss of time could have depleted a fledgling series, but the writers, cast and crew redoubled their efforts when they returned, Galecki says. "If anyone had a toe outside of the water before the writers' strike, we just all dove in as soon as we came back."
It worked. After averaging just 8.4 million viewers in that abbreviated first season, the ratings bang has gotten bigger each season save for the fourth, when it moved from Mondays to Thursdays and established a new night of comedy for CBS.
This season, Big Bang is up 16 percent, averaging 18.8 million viewers, making it the No. 2 entertainment show in viewers (behind NCIS) and No. 1 in young adults (up 11 percent). It regularly beats once-dominant American Idol, and a January episode crossed the 20 million-viewer threshold. It's also tops in syndication, averaging 11.2 million viewers a week.
The Comic-Con favorite has leveraged its popularity in the geekosphere, too. A species of Brazilian orchid bee, Euglossa bazinga, was named for Sheldon's catchphrase; the character also has an asteroid (246247 Sheldoncooper) named after him. Physicist Stephen Hawking and astronaut Mike Massimino have guest-starred as themselves; Leonard Nimoy has done a voiceover as Star Trek's Spock.
"It's wonderful," Lorre says. "Imagine that you're working on a sitcom and you look around and go, 'Oh, there's a Nobel Prize winner here on the stage today. And there's folks from NASA here today. And, oh, by the way, yeah, Stephen Hawking will do your show.' It's crazy, it's just thrilling. It's been an amazing experience to see the kind of people who want to come play with us."
There's a mutual respect. "Bill and I never set out to write a show about nerds. When we developed The Big Bang Theory, what was interesting was, could we build a show around extraordinarily intelligent characters who nevertheless have difficulty adapting to daily life?" Lorre says.
Big Bang is taped before a studio audience on a sound stage at Warner Bros., but some scenes are shot in advance. During a "pre-shoot" for the episode airing next week, the gang goes to Howard and Bernadette's place to talk about a letter left to Howard by the father who abandoned him. Howard doesn't want to read it, but they know what it says. Each member of the group seeks to provide solace by offering Howard a different version of what it says.
The scene has science, something called "quantum superposition." It has humor: Sheldon's description is ridiculous and instantly perceived as false. And it has emotion: They all care for Howard, and he is moved. "I think the writers do such a fantastic job balancing the humor and the heart," Rauch says. "The fact that Sheldon interjects something in the midst of all this heart-wrenching stuff is perfect."
Some moments can be both touching and funny, as when Sheldon chooses Amy as his emergency contact. "It gets a ha-ha-ha when people see Sheldon made Amy the contact. (But) I think that's about the most transformative thing our characters could do for each other," Bialik says.
Prady credits Molaro for adding extra emotion. "These are stories that I think would have been uncomfortable in Season 2, but in Season 6, now that we know these characters so well, they feel right," Prady says.
And as for the future?
Where these relationships will go from here is anybody's guess. The writers say they don't plan too far ahead, letting stories gain their own momentum. The actors just don't know what's going to happen.
Cuoco hopes Penny and Leonard will be together at the end of the series, but that's just it, hope. "We could be broken up next week. It's always been so up in the air, which I've actually really liked about it because I feel like it's very true to life."
The actors won't predict how long the show will run — save for Parsons, who offers a Spock-like specific 10 years. "I may be wrong. I'm not saying it like a pat on the back. I'm just trying to be logical about it."
Galecki surmises the show is past its half-life point, but feels it hasn't hit that mark in terms of the stories left to tell. And the actors all say they want to stay on the ride until it ends.
"I'm still trying to grasp that we're here," Helberg says. "It's fun being on a show that in its sixth season is making headlines."
A 'Big Bang' boom propels the hit sitcom
BURBANK, Calif. — For a show about genius physicists, The Big Bang Theory shows little understanding of television's laws of gravity.


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Careers Slideshow: Tech Jobs: Outlook Brightens for Second-Half 2012
By Don Reisinger | Posted 06-21-2012
Gauging the overall health of the IT jobs market is always tricky. Seemingly conflicting reports are issued every month predicting everything from dire hiring stagnation to cautious optimism. The latest report from tech recruiter Dice.com leans toward the brighter side when it comes to the tech jobs outlook for second-half 2012. From May 14 to May 18, 2012, Dice surveyed human resource managers, recruiters, consulting and staffing companies from every region of the country who primarily hire or recruit technology professionals. More than 800 responded to the survey, with 45 percent identified as recruiting for their own needs. Of that group, 35 percent had more than 500 employees. Here are nine highlights from the survey.
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