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Ballmer gets less than 'A' grade in compensation
Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer was awarded 79 percent of his target bonus for the company's latest fiscal year, with the software giant citing falling profits for its Windows division and sluggish sales of the Surface tablet.
The $550,000 award was detailed in a securities filing Thursday and is tiny compared with Ballmer's $11.3 billion fortune in Microsoft stock. But it reflects the Microsoft board's dissatisfaction at a key turning point in the company's 32-year history as it tries to become a devices and services company, moving beyond mostly software.
Ballmer, 57, said in August that he'd step down within 12 months and Microsoft is searching for a new CEO.
Ballmer has long requested relatively low pay for the CEO of a major U.S. company, mainly because his wealth is already tied to Microsoft's fortunes. Including salary of $697,500, his total pay for the fiscal year that ended June 30 was valued at nearly $1.3 million, down 4 percent from the year before.
Over the year, Microsoft's adjusted revenue grew 4 percent to $77.3 billion but adjusted operating income fell 5 percent to $26.96 billion and earnings per share dropped 6 percent to $2.62. Earnings were hit by an 18 percent decline in operating income at its flagship Windows division, despite the launch of Windows 8 last October.
Poor reception of the newest operating system, which attempts to bridge the gap between tablets and PCs, has been cited by some analysts for accelerating the decline of global PC sales. Later this month, Microsoft is releasing a free update called Windows 8.1 that aims to fix some of the problems users have complained about.
The company also launched its first self-made tablet computer, Surface, last October. In July, it booked a $900 million write-down on excess Surface inventory and slashed prices to stimulate demand. It updated the tablet with Surface 2 models last month.
It also said last month that it would buy Nokia's mobile phone business for $7.2 billion, pushing it further into the hardware business. Nokia phones account for the vast majority of devices sold that use Microsoft's Windows Phone platform.
Microsoft's stock price rose 13 percent in the fiscal year to $34.54 on June 28 from $30.59 a year earlier as investors still valued its steadily profitable enterprise software business and Office suite of software. However, the stock price has been around that level since the early 2000s.
The company's profitable enterprise software businesses prompted a $2 billion investment in April by activist investment firm ValueAct Capital, which said Microsoft was undervalued even if one took a very pessimistic view of Windows' decline. In August, Microsoft agreed to give ValueAct a seat on its board starting with the first quarterly board meeting next year.
Compared to Ballmer, other top Microsoft executives were well rewarded, all receiving bonuses that were 100 percent or more than the target, with the exception of outgoing Chief Financial Officer Peter Klein who did not collect a bonus.
Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner was awarded a total package valued at $10.4 million; new CFO Amy Hood's was $7.5 million; Server and Tools president Satya Nadella, now executive vice president of cloud and enterprise, received one worth $7.7 million; and Office division president Kurt DelBene, who's leaving at the end of the year, received compensation valued at $7.6 million.
The Associated Press formula calculates an executive's total compensation during the last fiscal year by adding salary, bonuses, perks, above-market interest that the company pays on deferred compensation and the estimated value of stock and stock options awarded during the year. The AP formula does not count changes in the present value of pension benefits. That makes the AP total slightly different in some cases from the total reported by companies to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The value that a company assigned to an executive's stock and option awards for 2013 was the present value of what the company expected the awards to be worth to the executive over time. Companies use one of several formulas to calculate that value. However, the number is just an estimate, and what an executive ultimately receives will depend on the performance of the company's stock in the years after the awards are granted. Most stock compensation programs require an executive to wait a specified amount of time to receive shares or exercise options.


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Delaware's Elena Delle Donne ends career with 33 points in 69-62 loss to Kentucky in regionals
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – With a few seconds left and her team facing an insurmountable deficit, Elena Delle Donne walked off the court for the final time in a Delaware uniform.
Her incredible journey at the school had come to an end.
"It was definitely an emotional moment," she said. "It had sunk in a little bit before that the game would be over and we weren't going to be on top. It's extremely emotional as it was a goodbye to the fans and Delaware, I got a little teary eyed."
The 6-foot-5 star, who grew up in the state and brought national attention to the women's basketball program, helped the Blue Hens advance farther than before. They fell just short in the end, losing to second-seeded Kentucky 69-62 on Saturday.
As she's done for her entire career, Delle Donne tried to lift the Blue Hens to victory. She scored 33 points against Kentucky, but it just wasn't enough as Delaware's 27-game winning streak came to an end. Delle Donne scored 33 points in each of the Blue Hens' three tournament games this season.
Coach Tina Martin subbed out her star pupil and the two embraced in a long hug as the crowd gave her a loud ovation.
"Giving her the moment was the right thing to do. That's why I did what I did," Martin said. "She's so special to the University of Delaware, the state of Delaware. I wanted them to have one last time to say thank you to her and the legacy she set for the program."
Delle Donne ended her career as the fifth all-time leading scorer in NCAA history with 3,039 points. She passed former stars Cheryl Miller, Chamique Holdsclaw and Maya Moore on Saturday. She finished well short of Jackie Stiles' all-time scoring mark of 3,393 set at Southwest Missouri State from 1998-2001.
Delle Donne said she had no idea she had passed those women's basketball greats.
"I wasn't aware of anything of that nature," Delle Donne said. "That's incredible and it's definitely humbling to be amongst those names."
There's little doubt that Delle Donne may have broken the scoring mark had she not missed 22 games in her career. The 6-foot-5 star who is averaging 26.6 points in her career — the third best mark ever — sat out six games this season with a reoccurrence of the symptoms of Lyme disease that forced her to miss a dozen games two years ago.
She did all she could to take Delaware to the regional final. Trailing by 14 early in the second half, the Blue Hens cut their deficit to 62-60 with 2:47 left on a jumper by Delle Donne that touched nearly every part of the rim before dropping in.
That was as close as they could get as Kastine Evans sand a 3-pointer and Delaware couldn't get a basket.
"Kastine hit the biggest shot of the game with that 3-pointer," Martin said. "That broke our back, giving them enough cushion at end of the game that they were able to sustain it and finish the game off."
Delle Donne had little help in the first half as her teammates struggled from the field. The senior forward scored 13 straight points as Delaware trailed 17-15 midway through the first half. Then Kentucky took over by scoring the next 10 points. Bria Goss got the run started with a jumper and capped it with a layup for a 27-17 lead.
The teams then traded baskets the rest of the half with Jennifer O'Neill hitting a 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer to make it 41-27. O'Neill finished with 19 points and A'dia Mathies added 16 for the Wildcats, who advanced to the regional final for the second straight season.
The Wildcats, who already have a school record for victories, lost to Connecticut last season by 15 points.
"When we were here last year and go back and watch those games I think we're more talented than the team last year," Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell said.
The Wildcats would love to get down to New Orleans, the site the Final Four. It's the same city where the Kentucky men's team won the national championship last season.
"That's something isn't it," Mitchell said. "We'd love the opportunity."
It was the third straight NCAA game that the Blue Hens trailed at the half. They were able to rally against West Virginia and North Carolina at home and tried their best to pull off another.
Lauren Carra had a big second half and finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds to provide a second offensive threat for the Blue Hens.
Delaware, which had never made it past the second round before this season, played its first two games at home in front of a raucous crowd that included Vice President Joe Biden.
While Biden didn't make it up to the game Saturday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie did. He graduated from Delaware and met his wife Mary Pat at the school. Christie wore a yellow Delaware fleece, had pictures taken and signed ticket stubs for fans.
The game was originally planned for the governor's state. Trenton was supposed to host the regional until the NCAA moved it in November, citing a new law that allowed gambling on college sports in New Jersey. The switch didn't seem to impact ticket sales, as Saturday's session was sold out with nearly 8,600 fans expected to attend each session.
The two teams had only played once before, with Delaware winning 86-70 in 2006.
Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg

subset: commoncrawl


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EditWelcome to the Transformers: War for Cybertron wiki guide.
Autobot or Decepticon, it's all the same: Shoot the guys on the other team, and find the hidden emblems. Our guide combines all the wisdom of Cybertron, with campaign strategies, boss battle tips, and the locations of all 50 hidden Autobot and Decepticon symbols scattered throughout the energon-infused landscape.
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September 11, 2010
Carl R. Ingling, an OSA Fellow who was an internationally recognized color vision researcher, passed away on Saturday, 11 September 2010, after a prolonged illness. He was 74.
Ingling received his B.S. (Physics) from Duke University in 1958, worked at Eastman Kodak Co. for three years (1958-1961), and then entered graduate school at the University of Rochester, receiving his Ph.D. (Psychology) in 1966. From 1966-68, he was an NINDB postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Visual Science at the University of Rochester. In 1968, he joined the faculty of the Department of Biophysics (now the Division of Sensory Biophysics) at The Ohio State University, where he was a central member of the University's Institute for Research in Vision and was widely recognized for his innovative research in human color vision. Ingling later moved from Biophysics to the Department of Zoology. He retired from the university in 2000.
Ingling believed that the best research is based on the principle of strong inference, in which each experiment is designed to test a specific hypothesis. He was passionate in his quest to advance the understanding of how the visual system works, and he had a remarkable talent for transmitting that passion to his students. His research efforts were aimed at revealing the relationships between the underlying receptive field structure of single retinal neurons and the mathematical structures of color vision. He developed a highly cited opponent vector model of color vision capable of describing many aspects of vision from threshold to suprathreshold appearance. He also made early and significant contributions to the understanding of how the responses of individual cone classes are related to both spatial vision and color vision. Ingling served as a mentor to many doctoral students who remain active members of the vision science community.
Ingling was elected an OSA Fellow in 1978 and became an honorary member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) in 1993. He was also a member of Sigma Xi, AAAS and the Psychonomic Society.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Craig Powell, three children and four grandchildren.
A private memorial event was held on 18 September 2010. The family requests that donations go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, ATTN: Tribute Gifts, Church Street Station, P.O. Box 780, New York, NY 10008-0780, or online.


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Buro Happold
After graduating from Bath University, Neil joined Buro Happold in 1989. He has since been made a Partner in the practice and currently heads up our London office as regional director. He also leads our Building Environments and Sustainable Technologies teams.
With a truly holistic approach to engineering projects, Neil's wealth of experience in delivering sustainable buildings to meet highly specific criteria is invaluable. His early career was spent developing better ways of understanding how buildings and people interact. This knowledge now forms a key component of his work in designing efficient and comfortable building environments.
Neil has been involved in the design, construction and delivery of many prestigious buildings across a number of sectors including museums, theatres, galleries, offices and bespoke facilities. He also takes an interest in lighting design, having undertaken an MSc in Architecture, Light and Lighting Design in 1995-97. This balanced understanding of every aspect of a building allows Neil to design iconic structures that meet both stringent regulations and any number of specialist requirements.


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Amanda Knox's priorities upon being freed from an Italian jail were simple: to touch the grass for the first time in four years, to enjoy a Chinese food takeaway dinner.
Her first public outings have been equally low-key, and observers say she looked at ease back out in society.
Knox spent her first weekend of freedom shopping and taking a day trip with friends and family, according to Britain's Daily Mail.
Released from an Italian prison earlier this month after her murder conviction was overturned, Knox, 24, was photographed walking with an unidentified male friend Saturday going to a local store near her home in Seattle. She was dressed casually in jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers, and carried toothpaste and a chocolate bar.
The following day, she took a ferry trip with her mother, aunt and some friends to Puget Sound.
RELATED: Amanda Knox Will Reunite with Ex-Boyfriend, Her Dad Says
"Nobody approached her or even seemed to recognize her," an onlooker told the newspaper. "She wasn't hiding away. She just looked happy and relaxed."
Knox reportedly has been staying in a house not far from her parents and has a bodyguard after receiving death threats. She and her family celebrated her first night of freedom at home with pizza, chocolate cake and wine, her father said.
Knox's family is also said to be expecting a visit from her Italian co-defendant and former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, before the end of the year.


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While African-Americans make up 13 percent of the population, they make up 4 percent of total lawyers in the United States. Despite this disparity, the National Black Law Students Association with its 6,000 members is the largest student-run organization in the country.
On Feb. 13, the Mid-Atlantic chapter of NBLSA brought its 45th Annual Convention to Pittsburgh for five days of networking, workshops, engaging speakers, community service projects, and mock trial and moot court competitions. Joined by local and regional law professionals, the event also tackled the broad issue of raising the number of Black lawyers locally and throughout the country.
"When you get there, handle your business and leave the door open," said Allegheny County Public Defender Elliot Howsie. "You have to get your foot in the door and then you have to open it for another African-American or minority to get there."
Howsie was one of several panelists at the convention's "Excellence in Action" luncheon series "Brother to Brother and Sister to Sister." When asked to address the dismal representation of African-Americans in the law profession, and how the numbers can be improved, the panelists revealed some harsh realities about how minorities must operate in today's still stodgy law firms.
"Whether you realize it or not, you represent all African-American attorneys. You have to realize that you're always being watched and critiqued," Howsie said. "My kids might want to go to law school some day. Don't mess that up."
The panelists spent time discussing attitudes toward physical appearances and warned the students that many law firms would not respect cultural differences such as a woman's decision to wear her hair "natural." However, they also said it was up to the students to decide whether they want to work somewhere where they are not valued.
"You want to blend in. Don't stand out. Don't go in there being a radical," said Emanuel Oaks, clerk for Judge Kim Clark. "But what is so wrong with opening your own law firm? We don't have a major minority law firm here in Pittsburgh."
"If you're looking to work somewhere that values diversity, look at their diversity statement. Do they have one? Most firms don't," said Lisa Barnett an attorney with Eckert Seamans.
Despite the advice from the panelists on how the students should behave once they gain their first internship or position with a law firm, the students worried enough doors weren't opening to give them that first chance to begin with.
"What I hate hearing is the bar is going to be lowered if we let in more minorities," said Tracey McCants Lewis, a Duquesne University law professor, acknowledging the students' fears. "The color of my skin doesn't mean I'm less qualified."
Duquesne law student Stephanie Johnson, who served as the regional coordinator for this year's convention, said she wants to increase Pittsburgh's diversity, but attracting minority talent to such as insular city can be difficult. In hopes of creating a diverse experience for her fellow members, she invited members from organizations like the Allegheny County Bar Association, which gave students the opportunity to network with prospective employers.
"I'm from Atlanta and Atlanta is very rich in diversity; they have a huge middle class of minorities. When I came to Pittsburgh I was shocked at the difference," Johnson said. "This convention was the perfect combination of my passion for law and helping my people."


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Glimpsed at the Walters Enthusiasts happy hour: Katie Peck
Katie Peck, 30, knows how to pop basic black. For the Walters Enthusiasts happy hour at the Center Club, the Federal Hill resident added a chartreuse cotton J. Crew skirt to her black long-sleeved Banana Republic sweater, black tights and black leather Land's End ankle boots. Then she added more pizzazz with a turquoise-colored statement necklace from Pandora's Box. "I usually wear a strong necklace," she said. Both her black leather clutch and watch came from the Michael Kors store, a favorite designer - particularly when it comes to her favorite accessories, watches. The occupational therapist at the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center describes her style as "sophisticated but simple."
Colby Ware, For The Baltimore Sun
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|2011-04-06, 04:17
|Link #61
Deploying Funnel Cakes
Join Date: Jan 2008
It like it. Looks like the dudes behind it know their stuff.
Wild Tiger is the old school brawling super hero. Lots of collateral damage, tights, high ideals, fisticuffs, low budget costume, low tech etc.
Barney has a different take on it. He's more professional, doesn't care for gimmicks or secret identities. Most of the other heroes are already more technologically advanced and have evolved past Wild Tigers old school methods. Barney is the next step.
Anyone find that the title of this series doesn't really convey what it's about? The second hero doesn't have a secret identity, he's just Barnaby... a.k.a Barny.
The title should be Tiger and Barny... unless Bunny is what Tiger calls Barnaby to screw with him.
I guess these heroes will get tested. In will come a supervillain like no other and Wild Tiger will show Barny how to save the world the correct way.
|2011-04-06, 05:22
|Link #62
Miria's #1 Disciple
Join Date: Apr 2007
|2011-04-06, 05:52
|Link #63
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
|2011-04-06, 16:30
|Link #65
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Clinton, Maryland
|2011-04-06, 16:48
|Link #66
|2011-04-06, 18:40
|Link #67
Miria's #1 Disciple
Join Date: Apr 2007
I noticed a comment on RC that pointed out something interesting.
Last year was the Year of the Tiger, and 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit.
So it helps back the whole Tiger being the past and Barnaby being the present/future.
|2011-04-06, 21:52
|Link #68
Giga Drill Breaker
Join Date: Jan 2009
|2011-04-07, 14:24
|Link #70
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Can't help but think Tiger and Bunny's suits are homage to Ultraman and as a duo a tribute to Kamen Rider 1 and Kamen Rider 2.
Tiger having a daughter and trying to be hard boiled is like a homage to Kamen Rider Double. Soukichi Narumi, KR Skull, keeping his Hero identity secret from daughter is similar. Partnering with a bishi and his ideals of being a hero reminds me of Shotaro Hidari, half of KR Double. Bunny seems to have a sense of respect for his senior yet wanting not to be under his shadow. Aside from the partner deal there would likely be some mentoring.
|2011-04-08, 20:19
|Link #72
~Official Slacker~
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Xanadu
Age: 24
The plot about exposing Super Heroes' super powers for merchandise and broadcasting is a new thing to me that got me interested in this. The comedy is also good at times, I can defiantly find myself watching this anime for a bit
|2011-04-09, 10:32
|Link #74
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Philippines
I think you're asking more about why this isn't more popular than that? Who knows... a lot of people complain about "generic" shows getting more attention but even they tend to post more in the "generic" threads instead of posting in less conventional anime works.
Don't worry though, I'm sure that most of the interested posters just want to see where ep2 leads before they really follow the show - and promote more discussion of it.
|2011-04-09, 21:05
|Link #76
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: NY, USA
Age: 28
Looks like I actually have a show to watch this season.
The dynamic between Bunny and Kotetsu remind me of the Green Hornet duo of Britt Reid and Kato to a certain extent. And I really like it. Hopefully, they can continue on this trend.
|2011-04-09, 23:27
|Link #78
reads too much
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: you know that's a great question.....
It's probably not going to be my favorite show of the season (there are just so many airing now!) but it's a fun watch and it looks like we had a major villain/villainous organization with ties to Barnaby's (sp? can I just call him Bunny?) past, should be interesting to see how that plays out.
|2011-04-10, 01:15
|Link #79
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Ep 2 was pretty lukewarm, but all in all it got the job done in showing Tiger and Bunny's (lol I like how the nick was derived though ) team compatibility.
However, after finishing the recent Star Driver with its abysmal character development, contrived romances/bromances, and villain of the week format, I can only hope T&B goes a different direction. Superhero shows tend to follow a certain format though and so far T&B seems to be fitting in with the typical weekend morning cartoon style.
1)Tiger and Barnaby will grow on each other, especially when they end up saving the other's personal life in some shape or form, most likely related to their families.
a)Tiger will end up getting hurt saving his daughter, thus revealing his identity to her as well as regaining her trust and respect.
2)Villain of the week conversion to the hero side or changing the mindset of the other fellow competitors
3)Broadcast lady will get some sort of redemption and forgo ratings to develop her own sense of justice
1)The organization behind Hero TV are discovered as the masterminds behind the seemingly random NEXT powers and started the whole thing obviously for wealth/power.
a)Said conspiracy will tie in with Barnaby's hatred of Ouroburos.
b)Tiger and Barnaby will end up toppling the organization with the help of their competitors/allies and form a "true" superhero league of sorts.
With a show like this, I really doubt it'll become dark and gritty, but I still hope I'm wrong with my predictions and that the show will toss us some curveballs.
|2011-04-10, 01:52
|Link #80
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: somewhere on earth
After watching episode 1, it seems alright for me. The idea of advertising by using real super hero is nice. But I just not that much into this type of anime, so may not follow it all the way.
|mecha, sunrise, tiger & bunny, tsundere
|Thread Tools


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Mac AVI to ProRes, how to convert AVI to FCP on Mac?
AVI is a popular container format, AVI files can contain both audio and video data in a file container that allows synchronous audio-with-video playback. In some situation, you many have many AVI files and need to make some editing with these files in Final Cut Pro(X) on Mac. But AVI format is not compatible well with FCP, so we must do somethings so that AVI files can be imported to FCP on Mac.
Converting AVI to FCP supported video formats like MOV, MP4, etc is the best choice. Mac AVI to FCP Converter is such a software for Mac users to convert AVI to Apple ProRes 422 for FCP. With this program, you can experience the best converson process. It also allows users to convert AVI to other video formats like MKV, VOB, FLV, MPG, 3GP, etc to meet your needs.
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Now, the following step by setp guide shows you how to convert AVI to FCP on Mac.
Step 1. Add videos into this Mac AVI to FCP Converter
After downloading and running Mac AVI to FCP Converter, click "Add" button to upload AVI files which you want to convert from your Mac to this program .
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In this step, you can chooose the output format form the "Format" drop-down list. Here you can choose "Final Cut Pro" > "Apple ProRes 422(*.mov)" as the output fornat. Then chooose the destination from the "Browse" drop-list.
Step 3. Start converting
There are some editig functions which allow you make you videos before convert AVI files, like add watermark, trim video, crop video. When all things are ready, just click "Convert" button to convert AVI to FCP on Mac.


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DragonAgeInquisition.exe is not responding - DragonAgeInquisition.exe has stopped working - crash to desktop
Dragon Age Inquisition video game
Dragon Age Inquisition video game is not responding or Dragon Age Inquisition video game has stopped working ? or video game is crashing to desktop ? crashing at start ? Then first thing to do is to uninstall video game with this software and clean traces or if your game has been installed via steam, you need to re-check downloaded files.
Another way to fix these errors, can be fixed by downloading and installing : Framework + directx, Gaming visual c++ all editions.
New way to fix this added ! What way you wonder ? Actualy we added 2 guides. One tutorial is about how to fix those crashing by uninstalling video game but with a special software that can erase all game traces to erase errors and another is to fix your hard disk for errors where the Dragon Age Inquisition video game is installed. Try to follow this guide >
New method to fix this added ! Also be sure that you run game as administrator with admin rights - here is guide
The next method is a bit risky ! - Dragon Age Inquisition
Also if you have already all these tools installed and also if you`ve already tried to re-install video game and these errors still occurs, you can try to install video game with your antivirus turned OFF and internet connection unplugged !!
Why ? maybe your antivirus is blocking a file that game needs to be installed
Tags: dai crash, crashing when start game, after a while game is crashing, after a while games stopped to work, Unhandled exception crash, dai game crashes, game has stopped working, game is not responding
DragonAgeInquisition.exe crashed - DragonAgeInquisition.exe is not responding - DragonAgeInquisition.exe has stopped working


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Editor's Note: This paper was among those submitted to the ASIS&T 2003 SIG/III International Paper Competition.
Involving Journalists in Innovative Information Dissemination Strategies: The POPLINE Contest for Journalists in Senegal
Modou Fall Sall is head of the Information and Documentation Center/African AIDS Research Network in Dakar, Senegal. He can be reached by email at firstname.lastname@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Most African countries are characterized by the following problems:
In health and related subjects fields, African countries need to make great efforts, as shown in the following table, to inform people about the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Because of the severity of the problem and the lack of resources, Africa is a region where appropriate strategies for supporting sustainable development are a real necessity. Initiatives to encourage the availability of relevant information tools and their utilization in development research and programs could have a substantial impact.
Information Access for STI/HIV/AIDS Issues in Senegal
Even if Internet access in Senegal can be officially dated from March 1996, libraries and research and information centers began to use international networking services in the 1980s. CD-ROMs are also widely used in research institutions in several fields. POPLINE, an important database on reproductive health and STI/HIV/AIDS, is available on a CD-ROM, which is used by the general public in Senegal to access scientific literature related to health.
The Information and Documentation Center of the African AIDS Research Network is the POPLINE Support Center in Senegal. Some of the main activities developed by the POPLINE Support Center/Senegal include the following:
Following a one-day introduction to POPLINE use for seven Senegalese journalists, the Information and Documentation Center of the African AIDS Research Network and POPLINE Digital Services of Johns Hopkins University, in collaboration with the Senegalese Journalists Network in Population, decided to organize a three-day POPLINE national workshop for Senegalese journalists from all regions of the country who were involved in reporting on reproductive health and population issues. The main aim of this training was to enable these communication professionals to better understand the database in order to make judicious use of it.
At the end of the training POPLINE and the African AIDS Research Network organized a contest designed to encourage journalists working in population issues to understand and use POPLINE and other relevant resources related to the topics it covers.
Methodology of the Contest
The contest was launched at the end of the national journalists' training. It essentially consisted of two elements: encouragement to journalists to write articles and feature stories to be published in national, regional or international journals based on information found in POPLINE or other relevant tools; and encouragement to journalists to produce radio or television reports using information found in POPLINE and related resources.
To publicize the contest launch, the sponsors distributed a message about the contest on the African AIDS Research network email list and on SAFCO, the email list of UNAIDS in West and Central Africa; sent leaflets to journalism schools in Dakar; and distributed leaflets to individuals who use the Information Center.
The following rules were devised for the four-week contest:
A jury of researchers and communication professionals with experience in reproductive health, population, and STI/HIV/AIDS judged the submissions.
Results of the Contest
By the end of the contest, 14 articles and reports six videos, four radio reports and four newspaper articles from three African countries (Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Senegal) were submitted.
The participating journalists worked in private and public radio, for independent and public journals, and in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) active in population issues. Some of the journalists were trained in POPLINE use during the national workshop. Others came into the Information Center at the African AIDS Research Institute where the librarian conducted research in POPLINE for them.
A five-member jury judged using these criteria:
After examining the submissions, the jury decided to award two prizes:
Dissemination of the Results
The results of the contest were disseminated at both the national and international levels.
Dissemination at national level. A press release, which explained the purpose of the contest and described the two winners and their productions, was distributed to newspapers and to the national press agency. Articles were published in five daily newspapers in Senegal. Letters of congratulation were sent to the winners and to all other candidates who participated in the contest.
Dissemination at international level. A press release was also sent to PanAfrican News Agency (PANA) and to French Press Agency (AFP), both of which published articles related to the contest. A message was published on the SAFCO list. Results of the contest were also put online by POPLINE at www.popline.org with photos from the ceremony where the awards were distributed to winners and their representatives.
Lessons Learned
This activity, which included both promotion of resources and user training, enabled Johns Hopkins to fulfill the following goals:
The POPLINE contest enabled the librarians involved to play a more effective and proactive role in information sharing and in building the skills of journalists to conduct effective research. In very much the same way, other groups such as medical students, nursing students, graduate and undergraduate students, health professionals and the general public could also receive training in how to use resources like POPLINE more effectively as part of a research strategy.
Similar training activities, combined with library support services, can enable others, in the same way that it helped these journalists, to make effective use of appropriate information resources and to become more actively involved in understanding African development issues.
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Information Science and Technology


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
The New York State Department of Transportation announced this week that bridge maintenance has begun on the Robert Moses Parkway, in the vicinity of Four Mile Creek State Park, in the Town of Porter.
As a result, the Robert Moses Parkway northbound, between the entrance to Four Mile Creek State Park and NY Route 18, is closed to all traffic. Traffic will be directed to follow a posted detour route. This closure is expected to last for approximately four weeks.
This work is weather sensitive and will be delayed in the event of inclement weather.
Motorists are reminded that fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. In accordance with the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual's driver's license.
For real-time travel information, call 511 or visit www.511ny.org. Find NYSDOT on the Web at www.dot.ny.gov, and on Twitter at @NYSDOTBuffalo.


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Is it weird to have a favorite deathtrap? Any time I have a visitor in Seattle, I always drive them from the airport across the Highway 99 Viaduct. It may be a deathtrap (well… no… it definitely is a deathtrap). It may be a huge ugly freeway cutting through the waterfront of Seattle. It may even take longer than interstate 5. It may not be up to any sort of code, but the thing is, it's got that view.
Everyone knows it has to go. In the '96 earthquake, the damage was significant and the state has been monitoring it closely ever since. A similar freeway in Oakland pancaked cars and people in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Something needed doing. But still – the view.
This is the poor man's penthouse. The only caveat is you can only see it at 50 miles per hour out of the corner of your eye. Oh… and also it might kill you. This morning, demolition on the southern mile was started. The public got a chance to take a look from the top before it all comes down. What you see is a freeway that probably outlived it's useful life many years ago.
Through the expansion joints, you can see the lanes below. Concrete worn smooth and metal chipped and rusting is the name of the game.
Construction crews are wasting no time here. Even as people are strolling the deck, demolition is on. I'm not sure what these guys were up to, but it was taking them a whole crew to do it. Farther down, the bulldozers are rolling:
They've got 9 days to tear down the southern mile and reconnect a bypass route that traffic will be using until the end of 2015 as scheduled. Since our wonderful political establishment has decided that the viaduct replacement will be the largest diameter deep bore tunnel ever built (like… in the world), the chances of things going as scheduled aren't great. Cross your fingers and hope for no earthquakes before 2017 or so.
Behind the temporary parking lot, they hung a huge banner from the viaduct. Right in front of it, the jaws of death loom. I thought that was fitting, but a little macabre. So it goes.


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PLEASE NOTE: The authors based their SQL Server 2000 articles for this issue on pre-Beta 2 versions, so you might notice some differences between Beta 2 and the behavior or interfaces we describe in this issue. In particular, please note that the indexed views feature will be available only in SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition. However, you can install Enterprise Edition on NT 4 Server and Windows 2000 (Win2K) Server. You don't need NT 4.0 Enterprise or Win2K Advanced Server.
One of the most eagerly awaited features in SQL Server 2000, support for XML, is also one of the most nebulous in terms of immediate, practical value. Everyone's heard the hype about a language to bridge all languages, and nearly every relational database management system (RDBMS) now claims XML support. But when and where do you use XML and why?
XML, an Internet standard for information exchange, lets you publish data types in a platform-independent manner, facilitating interoperability and e-commerce. XML also separates data from presentation information within Web pages, giving you a standard way to define and exchange data between applications and databases. (The sidebar "XML—The Current Big Thing," page 42, explores the business benefits of using XML to separate data from its presentation.)
As a language for defining markup languages, XML's primary value will come from either the widespread acceptance of a particular language defined in XML or the widespread acceptance of XML and the availability of utilities, tools, and infrastructure to support its use. Although XML has several excellent defined languages—such as BizTalk, Directory Services Markup Language (DSML), and Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)—it isn't for everyone, especially if you're in a pure Microsoft shop developing 32-bit Windows applications. For data transfer across a LAN, ADO result sets are the obvious choice. However, in this Internet age, few organizations are an island unto themselves. And even within organizations, a pure environment of any one server, platform, or language is rare.
Although SQL Server 2000 is the first SQL Server version to feature XML support, Microsoft's XML technology preview runs under versions 7.0 and 6.5. (You can download the technology preview from Microsoft's SQL Server Web site at http://msdn .microsoft.com/workshop/xml/articles/xmlsql/.)You can also provide XML support in SQL Server 7.0, 6.x, and 4.2 by writing extended stored procedures and standard stored procedures, although standard stored procedures can drag down performance for large data sets with a complex structure. In addition, certain SQL Server 7.0 functions, such as full-text search, let you store XML as text. So what features make SQL Server 2000 officially XML-enabled?
Traditionally, you can request two kinds of XML from a database: static XML stored within the database and dynamic XML generated from data within the database. Even the first version of SQL Server could serve as an XML repository, and developers have used pre-SQL Server 2000 versions to create applications that generate XML. But SQL Server 2000 supports an XML data type, letting you store XML natively in the database. Having a native XML data type is just one of the criteria that makes SQL Server 2000 XML-enabled. SQL Server 2000 also lets you use
- URLs to access SQL Server through HTTP
- the FOR XML clause in the SELECT statement to retrieve results in XML format
- system stored procedures for manipulating XML data
- update grams for batch operations
- SQL Server OLE DB provider extensions for XML
Let's look at SQL Server 2000's XML enhancements and an example of how you can XML-enable your existing systems by extracting data from SQL Server 2000 as XML, formatting the data the way you want, then using that data in your applications.
Accessing SQL Server Through HTTP
With SQL Server 2000, you can enter an SQL statement into a URL in Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 5.0 and retrieve records in XML format. The following pseudo URL query shows the query's various components:
/ ?sql= +FOR+XML+RAW
First, the query uses the HTTP protocol, giving you a large client base for any system you might produce. The query then directs its request to the Web server, Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS), through a virtual root on the IIS server that you must configure to use the SQL Server XML extensions.
Next, the query requests the data you want. When requesting data from a Web server, you typically use an HTML FORM with one of two standard HTML FORM methods: GET or POST. GET passes FORM data from the client to the Web server as name/value pairs appended to the URL. However, this mechanism has several well-known drawbacks, including a limited URL length and limited security. POST, the preferred method in application development, passes FORM data as name/value pairs stored inside the body of the HTTP request. This article's examples use the GET method to send queries to the database so that you can see the data request.
You can also use SQL statements or stored procedures to access data in XML format. Or you can run an XML template, an XML document that contains one or more valid queries, statements, or update grams. Templates follow the form
You can invoke templates by including them in the GET or POST request or by calling them as files saved in the Web server's virtual directory.
If your SQL queries are long, IE can't display them in its location bar and you'll have a hard time typing them again and again during testing. For these and other reasons, you can store template queries in a file in the virtual directory and reference them as follows:
The myquery.xml query asks for a given customer ID's customer order information and looks like
<ROOT xmlns:sql="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xml-sql"> <sql:query CustomerID='ALFKI'> SELECT OrderID, OrderDate, RequiredDate, ShippedDate FROM ORDERS WHERE CustomerID=? ORDER BY OrderID XML RAW </sql:query></ROOT>
You can also use parameters with template queries, then combine the queries with Extensible Style Language (XSL) to provide a quick substitute for boilerplate Active Server Pages (ASP) code that queries a database and formats the resulting records as an HTML table. XSL describes how to format or display XML data. Using template queries with XSL stylesheets this way resembles the use of Hypertext Markup Language extension (HTX) files with Internet Database Connector (IDC), which ASP replaced and improved on. Although SQL Server's XML features alone can't replace ASP, for simple data retrieval, the XML features are faster and easier to implement. Screen 1 shows the output for the following simple query, which combines an XML template query with XSL:
http://auril/Northwind/myquery .xml?CustomerID=vinet&xsl=ptab.xsl
Using FOR XML
Using SQL Server 2000's new FOR XML clause in a SELECT statement lets you retrieve results as an XML document instead of a row set. You can use the FOR XML clause in both queries and stored procedures. Arguments for the FOR XML clause are XML mode, SchemaOption, and ELEMENTS.
XML mode. XML mode specifies the XML mode (RAW, AUTO, or EXPLICIT), which determines the shape of the resulting XML tree (see Table 1 for a description of the modes). EXPLICIT mode is the most useful, letting you create an XML tree that (if you have all the requisite data) lets you provide XML data in your preferred format.
SchemaOption. This option specifies that the database return a schema. SchemaOption can be Document Type Definition (DTD) or XMLData. DTD returns the schema and adds the root element to the results. XMLData returns the schema but doesn't add the root element. If you specify SchemaOption, the clause prepends schema to the document. Otherwise, the database doesn't return any schema.
ELEMENTS. If you specify the ELEMENTS option, the SELECT statement returns columns as subelements. Otherwise, the statement maps the columns to XML attributes. SQL Server 2000 supports this option only in AUTO mode.
You specify XML mode in the SELECT statement's FOR clause by using the syntax
FOR | \[XML mode \[, SchemaOption\] \[, ELEMENTS\]\]
System Stored Procedures
SQL Server 2000 adds six system stored procedures for manipulating XML data: sp_xml_preparedocument, sp_xml_fetchdocument, sp_xml_removedocument, sp_xml_insertfromxml, sp_xml_removexml, and sp_xml_fetchintoxml.
The stored procedures for manipulating XML data are on a per-connection basis, which isn't ideal for n-tier applications, for example, that rely heavily on connection pooling to provide scalability. However, the procedures provide useful functionality, letting you store XML (preparedocument) and retrieve it using a pointer (fetchdocument). You can also delete an entire document or specified elements within the document (removedocument, removexml) and insert into an XML document from a table or into a table from an XML document (insertfromxml, fetchintoxml).
Although SQL Server 2000 provides thorough programmatic access to XML, several XML-specific engines and XML add-ons, such as Oracle8i's interMedia, provide a finer grain of control over XML for such tasks as querying a set of XML documents and finding a specific element or pattern in a document. However, other SQL Server 2000 enhancements, such as user-defined functions, might close the gap by letting you code additional functionality as you need it. But even with its current XML functionality, which lets you use XML as a transport medium for relational data, SQL Server 2000 fully meets the requirements for an XML-enabled database and excels in ease of use. For example, you can build an XML-enabled customer service Web application for the Northwind database in just a few hours.
Update Grams
Update grams are XML-based insert, delete, and update batch operations with the following general format:
<sql:sync xmlns:sql="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xml-sql"> <sql:before> <TABLENAME \[sql:id="value"\] col="value" col="value"...../> </sql:before> <sql:after> <TABLENAME \[sql:id="value"\] \[sql:at-identity="value"\] col="value" col="value"...../> </sql:after> </sql:sync>
To perform an INSERT, you use only an sql:after block. To perform a DELETE, you use only an sql:before block. And to perform an UPDATE, you use both. The database must complete all operations within an sql:sync block for a transaction to succeed.
OLE DB Provider Extensions for XML
SQL Server 2000's new OLE DB provider extensions for XML—ICommandText::SetCommandText and ICommand::Execute—let you set XML documents as command text, execute the command, and retrieve the result as a stream, which you can then use in further processing. For example, you might pass the XML document to the Document Object Model (DOM), an interface that lets programs and scripts dynamically access and update a document's content, structure, and style.
SQL Server also supports templates as command text; you just pass DBGUID_
MSSQLXML as the command's globally unique ID (GUID). The consumer must call ICommand::Execute to execute XML templates. To obtain the result set as an XML document, set the riid to Istream, which tells the provider to return the result set as a stream.
An XML-Enabling Example
The first thing most SQL Server developers will want to do with XML is to get standard relational data into XML format. Although many organizations will be developing new applications as well, the first order of business will be to quickly leverage what they already have by publishing existing data as XML. Here's a simple example that should get you on your way.
First, set up a login and user for the Northwind database to use for all XML-related querying. Then, select Programs, Microsoft SQL Server 2000, Configure SQL XML Support in IIS to reach the screen that lets you configure IIS's XML SQL Server extensions.
Screen 2 shows the configuration screen, with most of the defaults selected. However, I selected Allow URL queries so that I could perform ad hoc queries. As explained earlier, a URL query is an SQL statement embedded in the URL of an IIS machine configured to support SQL Server XML. In ad hoc queries, the URL passes the SQL statement as a single parameter. I also configured the connection settings to use a SQL Server account I had already set up. (Note that SQL Server Books Online—BOL—currently refers to a virtual root of Nwind throughout, so you might want to change the virtual root's value to correspond.)
I'm running both the Web server and SQL Server 2000 on the same, clean installation of Windows 2000 (Win2K). If you install SQL Server 2000 on a machine already running SQL Server 7.0, make sure you refer to the correct SQL Server version.
Now, let's look at a URL query example:
http://auril/ Northwind?sql= SELECT+CustomerID, ContactName+ FROM+Customers+ FOR+XML+RAW
where auril is the name of the machine running IIS, /Northwind refers to the virtual directory set up for XML support, and ?sql= is the single parameter that describes an SQL statement. The rest of the query is the actual SQL statement that you encode so that it's safe for passing as a URL. SQL Server receives the statement as
SELECT CustomerID, ContactName FROM Customers FOR XML RAW
The query requests RAW XML, which returns each row as a separate element, with fields in each row listed as separate attributes of that element. Screen 3 shows an example of this query's output.
In n-tier applications that use a limited number of stored procedures with set parameters to control data access, you can modify the database schema without modifying any client code by simply modifying the relevant stored procedures. Consider the stored procedure from the Northwind database in Listing 1. To XML-enable this stored procedure, you create a new stored procedure with the additions highlighted in Listing 2. You then send SQL Server an "execute customerodersxml 'VINET'" request by entering the following URL from IE 5.0:
http://auril/northwind?sql= execute+custordersordersxml+ VINET
You'll receive the results as XML-formatted records within your browser, as Screen 4 shows. This example uses the "execute <spname>" T-SQL convention, but the SQL Server XML extensions for IIS also support the ODBC-style CALL function.
This query demonstrates basic but useful functionality. And by adding XSL, you can quickly generate an HTML document that contains a customer orders tracking report. Just combine this XML document and an XSL document (available online at http:// www.sqlmag.com), which represent a total of about 40 lines of code.
The advantages of the XML method over the traditional ASP method is that XML offers more flexibility for simple data presentation and you can implement it quickly. To show you all the possibilities, you can expect a slew of sample applications by the release version of SQL Server 2000.
Scratching the Surface
With XML, you can define standard document types that let you share, transmit, and transform business information and facilitate automated business processes. The box "XML Links," at left, points to some Web sites that can help you research XML and its benefits.
This article barely scratches the surface of what you can do—and do quickly—with XML in SQL Server 2000. For example, I recently created a simple HTTP-based service—a set of URLs with well-defined query parameters that return XML data—in a staggering 10 minutes. I had the URL running in less time than the phone call asking whether the specification had arrived. This kind of productivity enhancement will make SQL Server 2000 a platform of choice for XML delivery.


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Ashes, East Winds, Hope That Rises - A Story of Rohan - Chapter One
A tip of my cap to Steve McDonald's "Sons of Somerled" Celtic CD, the closest I've found to the music of the Rohirrim, "rich and rolling in part, and else hard and stern as the mountains."
by ErinRua
We left the enemy's reeking ashes as carrion for the crows, and regretted only the good earth thus fouled. A blow struck - but not enough. It may never be enough. I am twenty-seven years old, and I have lived to face the end of days.
Even the Moon hid her face as we waited in the dark and we let the enemy see our watch fires and know that their deaths came with the dawning. Aye, and even the night that shielded them was no comfort when they found my Riders' blades and arrows in the dark. Then red dawn brought us battle and red dawn saw us victorious, even though my King forbade our very presence there. Yet the Enemy has trod too long and too boldly upon our lands - our lands! - and not a man among us hesitated. We hunted them down like fleeing dogs, and slew them as we found them. Their chieftain at least dared await me at the edge of the Fangorn, and there we fought and there he died, and black my sword is yet. Regret lies only in the fifteen men who will not ride back with us. Fifteen men, good and true, are gone, gone into the Shadow that creeps like a thief upon us, and twelve of our best horses lost, as well. Ah, let us sing of the fallen sons of the Riddermark, for thus we must remember them. Sing weeping, sing proud, and let us remember who we are, though soon all the world may forget us . . .
I have forgotten when we did not fear. I have forgotten when we did not have such skill at building mounds for our dead and pyres for the enemy. I have forgotten when my King was bold and I was a free man, and the Rohirrim knew no master. Our master now is fear. The Enemy is ever around us, and where once our horse herds were tended by stripling boys, now we dare post only warriors. It is horror to even think of it, these magnificent animals who have known only the touch of our loving hands since they first stood to suckle their mother's milk, lost to the enemy's foul, cruel governance. They take the black horses. Black as their purposes, I deem, and they leave us only the old and lame blacks, now. They leave us penned and hemmed by fear and doubt and half-heard tales, and whence comes our counsel? Whence comes our hope?
My presence here is in defiance of he who is both my king, my uncle and my foster-father. Where once he would have led us with sword and spear, he listens now to one whose words sap his will like a wasting sickness. Not even Théodred his son can win his ear, though he commands the Westmark and awaits what Isengard may send. Théodred shares my fears, and if blood and friendship were not bond enough, now we find ourselves united against enemies both without and within. Too often we must plan our defenses between the two of us alone, for seeking our king's guidance gains us only the mechanizations of the Wormtongue; do nothing, wait, delay.
Not four days ago came word of orcs down from Emyn Muil upon our eastern marches, and yet even then that false counselor bid my king be still. Thus I called my men in darkness and we fled away like thieves to find the foe we should have marched on openly, and here I wet my sword in payment for their audacity, and for all that has been taken from us. We have heard no word from lands south. The shadow grows to the east, the raiders from the west become bolder, and the dark-winged messengers of evil fly brazenly across our lands, yet no news has come. Boromir of Gondor borrowed one of our horses weeks ago, but of his errand we hear naught, and his horse has returned riderless. Of the many things that could signify, none are good. We must presume he found no aid for any of us, and perhaps we will fall together and separately, Rohan and Gondor and all the free lands.
But I shall fight. My Riders shall fight. So long as we breathe, so long as we have homes and loved ones to defend, whether our King leads us or sickens and fails upon his throne, we shall fight. We fight, but alas, the victory we carry back is bitter. Would that I could bring instead some joy or promise. Yet none comes. Hope lies in ashes, even as we left the bones of our enemies.
We are done now with burning and burying. I turn to my lieutenant, whose taut, still face must mirror my own.
"Come, Éothain. We must away home."
He nods, once, and says wearily, "To whatever awaits us there."
Yes, he fears and despairs even as I do.
The land at least was unchanged. How I love this country of my fathers. My heart beats within its earthy breast, and my spirit soars to see the sweeping expanses of grass that ripple beneath the hand-stroke of the wind, like waves running across a golden sea. Even in the fading days of February, when spring was but a soft green blush, the long hills rose and fell before us in soft heaves of space and distance, and the great blue dome of sky arced unhindered above us. To the thunder of our hooves we flew between heaven and earth, and lacked only wings to leave mortal dust behind.
And I was proud of them, these men who rode with me. My kinsmen, my brethren, their spears like a forest and their faces fierce as eagles'. If I had no other joy, at least I had them. We rode now at a swinging trot, the powerful reach and surge of Firefoot's gait thudding into my bones as my own heartbeat, and if I should die so, there could be no better death. Let there be but one perfect day, one perfect battle, and I would regret nothing. No other hopes had I, any more.
Then from the day and from the sleeping plains, and from beneath our very feet a ringing voice cried out, where none but empty grass had been.
"What news from the North, Riders of Rohan?"
It was as if the earth itself suddenly rose up in human form - if indeed mortal these three strangers were. Clad in grey, they appeared in our vision from lands that could not have concealed a lone fox. However, we had seen too much to let shock overcome us, and at a mere lift of my hand my éored wheeled into the running circle of attack. Be they Men or be they sorcerers, these intruders would know our measure. I will credit them, these strange three held fast before our rush, and they remained still and watchful as we closed around them. The heavy circle of our horses huffed and stamped, as one hundred and five spears and bows fixed upon our trespassers. However, two of them did not even rise to their feet, while the first stood facing my spear without as much as a blink.
Aye, and a closer look might gentle his manner. I nudged my horse forward until he could have touched my spear point by simply raising his hand. Speaking in the Common Tongue, I addressed him plainly.
"Who are you, and what are you doing in this land?"
"I am called Strider," he said calmly. "I came out of the North. I am hunting Orcs."
Hunting Orcs? The three of them afoot and alone? He either was mad or thought me a fool and we had not time to bandy with either. I dismounted in the same moment Éothain leaped down beside me, and I handed him my spear. The stranger bore a sword at his side, and I let him hear the ring of my own good steel, ere I faced him.
And the shock of his gaze nigh stopped the breath in my throat. Grey eyes he had, unblinking and impassive as the stare of a hawk, and I had the ridiculous sense that if a man offered him anything but truth, he could flay that thought naked with a mere glance. Suddenly I was very glad of the bare blade in my hand, although looking into those eyes I doubted very much that swords would ever be enough, against this man. My wits had scattered like quail, and I seized upon the first thought to settle.
"At first I thought you yourselves were Orcs," I said, and drew courage from the cold, watchful readiness of my Riders. "But now I see it is not so. Indeed, you know little of Orcs, if you go hunting them in this fashion. They were swift and well-armed, and they were many. You would have changed from hunters to prey, if ever you had overtaken them."
I may as well have spoken to carved stones, and my unease grew. Who were they? This one was without question their leader, neither young nor old but grim with care and the simmering power of his presence could not be denied or underestimated. I would know his purpose here, if only by the strength of our spears.
"But there is something strange about you, Strider," I said, and met that grey hawk's stare once more. "That is no name for a Man that you give. And strange too is your raiment. Have you sprung out of the grass? How did you escape our sight? Are you elvish folk?"
"No," he replied mildly, and might have been responding to a query about the weather. "Only one of us is an Elf, Legolas from the Woodland Realm in distant Mirkwood. But we have passed through Lothlorien, and the gifts and favors of the Lady go with us."
The one named Legolas stared back at me, his princely face as remote and flawless as the face of the silver moon, and I felt the small hairs crawl on the back of my neck. Many were the allies of the Enemy, and not all were foul to look upon. Nor had we heard aught from the realms of the elves that gave us reason for trust.
"Then there is a Lady in the Golden Wood," I replied. "As the old tales tell. Few escape her nets, they say. These are strange days! But if you have her favor, then you are also net-weavers and sorcerers, maybe."
Enough, then, of dancing with words! If their leader would not speak plainly, perhaps the other two could be goaded.
"Why do you not speak, silent ones?"
The bearded one rose - or at least so far as his short stature permitted - and leaned his hands upon the sturdy haft of his ax. Nor did I see welcome in his snapping dark stare.
"Give me your name, horse-master," he growled. "And I will give you mine, and more besides."
"For that," I replied. "The stranger should declare himself first. Yet I am named Éomer son of Éomund, and am called the Third Marshal of Riddermark."
I should have known none of this strange company would know respect, and this other simply stood himself more squarely.
"Then Éomer son of Éomund, Third Marshal of Riddermark, let Gimli the Dwarf Gloin's son warn you against foolish words. You speak evil of that which is fair beyond the reach of your thought, and only little wit can excuse you."
Fool, and thrice fools! We should have hoisted them on our spears as spies and been done with them, and I felt the rumble of matching temper among my men, surrounding us. Speech came to me only through the hot coils of tightening anger.
"I would cut off your head, beard and all, Master Dwarf, if it but stood a little higher from the ground!"
Between two blinks the Elf was on his feet with an arrow nocked to his drawn bow.
"He stands not alone. You would die before your stroke fell."
And suddenly, one of us was about to die.
"Your pardon, Éomer!"
My sword was stayed only by Strider leaping between us and the hand he raised, empty and without harm offered.
"When you know more you will understand why you have angered my companions," he said quietly. "We intend no evil to Rohan, nor to any of its folk, neither to man nor to horse. Will you not hear our tale before you strike?"
I looked again into his face, and there I saw . . . something . . . in his eyes. I cannot give it name but it reached to me like a hand on the shoulder. Suddenly I wanted to believe him - bless me, I did, and that urge brought me the rarest sort of discomfort.
"I will," I said, and let my sword drop to my side. "But wanderers in the Riddermark would be wise to be less haughty. First tell me your right name."
"First tell me whom you serve," he countered. "Are you friend or foe of Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor?"
Almost I could have laughed, to find my own suspicions turned so neatly against me, if it were not for the keen stab of pride that came with it.
"I serve only the Lord of the Mark, Théoden King son of Thengel," I replied, and spoke more besides.
Aye, I would have him know who my true and only lord was, and though Théoden sickened from the evil draining us all, he would ever be my lord and king, and I would ever be a champion to him and our people. We serve no allegiance to the Black Land or any other, and that I spake to this Strider plainly. Around us lapped the dark sea of other people's wars, and none of it was of our making. It seemed precious little to ask that we be left to our own lives and freedom, even as our fathers had lived before us. Sad it was that hospitality had fled from among us, but now I wished these strangers gone from our land, and all that and more, I told him.
"Come!" I said, then. "Who are you? Whom do you serve? At whose command do you hunt Orcs in our land?"
If I had hoped to see him give before my demands in the least, I was terribly, woefully mistaken. That hawk's gaze pinned me like a knife against my chest, ere he spoke.
"I serve no man," was Strider's silken reply, and power rose like a storm in his voice. "But the servants of Sauron I pursue into whatever land they may go."
Have you ever trod upon ground that you thought was solid, only to feel it crack and sink towards a vast precipice beneath you? So I felt then. The warning shouts in my mind almost drowned out his voice, and I could only stand silent while he spoke to me as a man rebuking a foolish youth. How had I dared question his right to hunt where and as he would, and least of all to avenge friends taken by that enemy? How had I dared speak at all, when now my very heart cringed beneath the battering certainty that I knew nothing, was nothing, compared to the dark ways this man Strider long had traveled? Then he swept his cloak from his sheath and his sword leapt to hand, and it blazed in a cold, white fire.
"I am Aragorn son of Arathorn!" he said, and his words struck like wind-driven hail. "And am called Elessar, the Elfstone, Dúnedan, the heir of Isildur Elendil's son of Gondor. Here is the Sword that was Broken and is forged again! Will you aid me or thwart me? Chose swiftly!"
I felt the world tilt under my feet in a great, slow sweep. Riddles and visions and prophecy and sorcery - we seemed awash in all the legends of history, and now they walked abroad beneath the shining Sun. Nor could any good come of it, this dread settled like a stone within me. Strange days, strange days, dreams and legends springing to life from the grass.
Yet he waited still, with that fabled blade glinting shards of sunlit ice, and I had no answer. We heard riddles from Gondor, whispers from the East, we found the enemy bold upon our lands, and I had no answers to any of it. Seek for the Sword that was Broken ... Doom is near at hand ... fragments of that grim verse echoed in my mind. I found my tongue, however poorly, and what I asked now, I asked almost as a child of a master.
"Tell me, lord, what brings you here? And what was the meaning of the dark words? Long has Boromir son of Denethor been gone seeking an answer, and the horse that we lent him came back riderless. What doom do you bring out of the North?"
"The doom of choice," Aragorn replied quietly, and though the thunder dimmed and the blade found its sheath, never again would I misread him. "You may say this to Théoden son of Thengel: open war lies before him, with Sauron or against him. None may live now as they have lived, and few shall keep what they call their own."
Doom, indeed, and the swift shadow of a passing cloud brought a chill to all who heard. He spoke again of his search for captive friends, asking news of the Orcs whom he so ardently sought. That at least I could answer clearly.
"You need not pursue them further," I said with grim satisfaction. "The Orcs are destroyed."
"And our friends?"
"We found none but Orcs."
"But that is strange indeed," Aragorn replied, and his brow furrowed in worry. "Did you search the slain? Were there no bodies other than those of orc-kind? They would be small, only children to your eyes, unshod but clad in grey."
His concern was now mirrored clearly in the faces of the Elf and Dwarf, and I took comfort in that glimmer of compassionate feeling. But whatever it was he sought, I could offer no tidings. Neither dwarves nor children nor any but Orcs had lain among the dead, and we had been thorough in our examination and disposal. This I told them, but seemingly with little relief to them. They were hobbits, the Dwarf said, not children.
"Hobbits?" I asked. "And what may they be? It is a strange name."
Halfling was the name Gimli the Dwarf now gave us, even as spoken in that dark riddle Boromir had brought from Gondor, and that made even less sense. Éothain agreed, for he suddenly laughed.
"Halflings!" he exclaimed. "Halflings! But they are only little people in old songs and children's tales out of the North. Do we walk in legends, or on the green earth in the daylight?"
Well he might ask, for it seemed the twain had become one. Éothain then spoke to me in our own tongue, pressing me to either bind this odd company for Théoden's attention, or set them loose, but the day was fast waning. Yet I would have further words with the heir of Isildur, and I bid my grumbling lieutenant to have the éored gather and wait for me nearby.
Strider - now Aragorn - spoke only the truth. My heart knew this as clearly as my own name, for we are a people to whom truth is the only way a man may speak. Deceit glares as a black blot, and in Aragorn, son of Arathorn there shone only light. Seek for the Sword that was Broken, the riddle had said - and yet here it came to me with no seeking at all. What did this mean? The rest of it was more than I could grasp, halflings and doom and Isildur's Bane - suddenly I was as adrift with too many questions, and I found myself looking to the heir of ancient kings for answers.
We took counsel there in the whispering grasses, Aragorn and I. Of Boromir he spoke, and an errand of great importance and mystery, then he surprised me with mention of the wizard Gandalf, who had come from his own ill-fated dealings with us to lead their company from Imladris.
"Gandalf!" I cried. "Gandalf Greyhame is known in the Mark; but his name, I warn you, is no longer a password to the king's favor."
Aye, that he was not, and my lord's fury still rang in my ears. Long had Gandalf been a visitor to our lands, and with each visit it seemed he was a harbinger of ominous events. The last was no different - he claimed to have proof of the treason of Saruman the Wise - but when my King refused him to hear him, Gandalf avenged his displeasure by requesting a horse upon his leaving. Nor did he chose just any horse, but Shadowfax, father of horses and scion of Eorl's own mighty steed; favored of all my King's stable. Shadowfax returned seven days since, but he ran now upon the grasses wild and untouchable, and Théoden's wrath remained kindled.
Aragorn listened quietly to my account, then sighed and turned his gaze outward across whispering distance. "Then Shadowfax has found his way alone from the far North, for it was there he and Gandalf parted." A moment passed, before he looked at me and I saw grief naked in his eyes. "But alas! Gandalf will ride no longer. He fell into darkness in the Mines of Moria, and comes not again."
Strange, how the same breezes whispered and the same cloud-shadows drifted in great, silent dapples across the sun-kissed plains. How could they, when all the world was changing? Gandalf at least had always brought truth, however bleak, and if a wizard could fall, what chance was there for any of us?
"That is heavy tidings," I said, then bethought me of warning. "At least to me, and to many, though not to all, you may find, if you come to the king."
Nor was Aragorn through with his tales of woe, for he spoke further of his company's journey. He had taken the captaincy in Gandalf's stead and led them the many leagues through Moria and Lorien - here a severe glance from the Dwarf assured me that an education yet waited me - and so they traveled down the Great River to the falls of Rauros.
"There," he said heavily. "Boromir was slain by the same Orcs whom you destroyed."
"Your news is all woe!" I cried, and found myself struggling for expression. I had not known Boromir well, for his wars lay to the east and he did not come to us often. Yet I found great liking for him the times we did meet, and I knew him for a bold and valiant captain, and a presence that filled a room simply by entering it. To imagine Gondor without him -.
"But we have had no word of this grief out of Gondor. When did he fall?"
"It is now the fourth day since he was slain. And since the evening of that day we have journeyed from the shadow of Tol Brandir."
Four days? Well I knew the leagues between, and I simply stared at him.
"On foot?" I asked stupidly.
"Yes," Aragorn said, and the first glimmer of wry humor warmed his face like the passage of sunlight. "Even as you see us."
"Strider is too poor a name for you, son of Arathorn," I said with a laugh, and in that moment my heart was lost to him. How could I not love a man such as this - who strode unblinkingly into legend for no other cause than the love of his friends and comrades? "Wingfoot I name you! This deed of the three friends should be sung in many a hall. Forty leagues and five you have measured ere the fourth day is ended! Hardy is the race of Elendil!"
His wan smile was my treasure, before I remembered the troubles I would confide in him, in return. If he had aught for me, I must needs know swiftly. He listened with keen attentiveness as I spoke of how things were with Rohan, the shadow of war pressing ever closer, and yet the king lent his ear to the counsel of cowards.
"But we shall not forsake our old alliance with Gondor," I assured him sternly. "And while they fight we shall aid them: so say I and all who hold with me."
Quickly I sketched the disposal of my folk, all but my guards and scouts withdrawn to dubious safety beyond the Entwash.
"Then you do not pay tribute to Sauron?" asked the Dwarf.
Hard his head was, hard as the stone his people delved, and it struck me that I could learn to like him for that. Yet I spoke sharply enough that he would not misunderstand me.
"We do not, and we never have, though it comes to my ears that that lie has been told."
I spoke bitterly of the Dark Lord's desire for our black horses, and how our refusal to sell at any price sparked raids by thieving Orcs. How I grieve the loss of sleek ebony forms pounding with the wind across the plains, and as I spoke, perhaps I saw a softening in the watchful eyes of the Dwarf and his comrade Elf.
Saruman's treachery took precedence even over the loss of our horses, however, and I detailed from memory a report of events transpiring in the Riddermark. I knew not what intelligence Aragorn had of these lands, and I would not see him go forward uninformed. Of Orcs and Wolf-riders and even Men I warned him, all sworn to Saruman's service. The Gap of Rohan was also closed, so I feared attack now from both east and west, though brave Erkenbrand held the Fords of the Isen westward.
"It is ill dealing with such a foe," I said. "He is a wizard both cunning and dwimmer-crafty, having many guises. He walks here and there, they say, as an old man hooded and cloaked, very like Gandalf, as many now recall."
Nor do I believe that all Saruman's spies dwell within Isengard, which suspicions I told Aragorn. Saruman's birds own the skies, and there are whispers even within the Golden Halls of Meduseld.
"But if you come to the king's house, you shall see yourself." A sudden eagerness seized me even as the words left my mouth. "Will you not come? Do I hope in vain that you have been sent to me for a help in doubt and need?"
"I will come when I may," said Aragorn.
My heart sank within me, and I clutched desperately for that small hope I had found in him. "Come now! The Heir of Elendil would be a strength indeed to the Sons of Eorl in this evil tide. There is battle even now upon the Westemnet, and I fear that it may go ill with us."
I was pleading, I confess it. I abandoned all shame when I told him how I disobeyed my king and left his house but weakly-guarded, to pursue the reports of my scouts. But my disobedience was not without merit, for my darkest suspicions were proven in the bodies of the Orcs we slew yesterday dawn. They bore the White Hand of Saruman, and they were greater in strength and fury than any other Orcs. Orthanc and the Dark Tower were now allied, I was certain, and though the knowledge came at the cost of fifteen men and a dozen horses, we now knew what we faced. Nor could we, cold truth whispered, face it alone.
"Will you not come?" I begged. "There are spare horses, as you see. There is work for the Sword to do." I cast a swift glance at the Elf and Dwarf, as well, for I saw them listening closely. "Yes, and we could find a use for Gimli's ax and the bow of Legolas, if they will pardon my rash words concerning the Lady of the Wood." Earnestly meeting their eyes, I added, "I spoke only as do all men in my land, and I would gladly learn better."
However, Aragorn was already shaking his head, albeit with the appearance of genuine regret.
"I thank you for your fair words, and my heart desires to come with you; but I cannot desert my friends while hope remains."
Aye, and how mighty a heart it was, to cling when all was lost. Gently but firmly, I said, "Hope does not remain. You will not find your friends on the North-borders."
He protested, as I knew he must. They had found no trace of their friends on the back-trail, no sign turning from the Orcs' path, nothing but one last token that one captive, at least, still lived. How could they be lost, if no sign remained, aye or nay? Nor was Aragorn inclined to mistrust his own skills. Sadly, I asked what he thought had become of them, and still that stubborn, magnificent faith burned true. In the same breath that he admitted they could have been lost and burned with the bodies of the Orcs, he also embraced my certainty that no little people had been among them. The only answer then must be that his friends were carried away into the forest before the battle.
"Can you swear that none escaped your net in such a way?" he demanded.
"I would swear that no Orc escaped after we sighted them," I said cautiously. "We reached the forest-eaves before them, and if after that any living thing broke through our ring, then it was no Orc, and had some elvish power."
"Our friends were attired even as we are," Aragorn stated, and one eyebrow tilted slightly. "And you passed us by under the full light of day."
"I had forgotten that," I said, and breathed in, then let go a long breath. Hope. A thing fleeting and fickle as sun through clouds, but no less precious. Legends walked and myth looked me in the eyes; how did a man find his way, when all the world had become strange to him? With clear eyes, so Aragorn reminded me, for good and evil have not in all the ages changed their natures.
Among my waiting éored their horses stamped and blew, and the shadows grew longer beneath us. The time for counsel was past and only duty remained. Aye, and the son of Arathorn was a hard man, even on the brink of our seeming accord. I reminded him that my law bid me command these strangers to an audience with my King, for permission to pass upon these lands. However, Aragorn's own stern, strange laws bid otherwise, and he denied the label of stranger outright, upon the names of both my father and my king. He would go on, with or without my leave.
"Come now, son of Éomund," he said. "The choice must be made at last. Aid us, or at the worst set us free. Or seek to carry out your law. If you do so there will be fewer to return to your war or your king."
Ah, my heart broke, not for his gallant defiance, but for what I saw in the faces of Legolas and Gimli, who waited but their captain's command to leap headlong into battle and certain death. I envied - yes, envied! - that they could love him so, whilst I must turn aside from a man whom I suddenly knew I could follow to the very ending of the world.
"We both have need of haste," I said finally. "My company chafes to be away, and every hour lessens your hope. Here is my choice. You may go; and what is more, I will lend you horses. This only I ask: when your quest is achieved, or is proven vain, return with the horses over the Entwade to Meduseld, the high house in Edoras where Théoden now sits. Thus you shall prove to him that I have not misjudged."
I looked him hard in the eyes as I added, "In this I place myself, and maybe my very life, in the keeping of your good faith. Do not fail."
"I will not."
And I believed.
(Continued in Chapter 2)


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10 Outdoor Finds: Under $10
Does your outdoor space get the last of your decorating attention and budget? Check out these 10 accessories that will perk up your patio or liven your lawn — all for under $10.
1. Cute blackboard markers make it easy to tell the parsley from the cilantro. Williams-Sonoma, $9.95.
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3. A pop of color and a flickering candle add style day or night. West Elm, $7.
4. The easiest way to elevate your plants is to get them out of those plastic pots. This steel planter will do the trick. CB2, $9.95.
5. A great hostess gift, a fun bottle opener adds whimsy (and you can never have too many!). Pottery Barn, $8.50.
6. Add a little shimmer to your space. These mercury votives will sparkle under the stars. West Elm, $4.
7. Keep the bugs at bay when you fill this etched glass burner with citronella oil. Pier 1, $8.
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9. Bring the garden to the picnic table with these bright floral plates. Target, $9.99.
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• 5 Colorful Accessories for Your Garden
• Orla Kiely Garden Accessories
• Green Thumbs Up: Stylish Pots and Planters
(Images: as linked above)


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Robbie's dad to join him for tour
Robbie Williams is set to welcome a special guest for his upcoming UK tour - his dad.
Pete Conway, 64, will perform on stage with his superstar son throughout the tour to promote his album, Swings Both Ways, according to the Daily Mirror.
It's believed the father and son have been rehearsing a few different Frank Sinatra tracks to choose from for their duet.
The pair previously duetted together at the London Palladium and Pete recently hinted that they could be singing together again soon, saying: " I loved doing the Palladium with him. It was great. I really enjoyed it. We're going to do something together soon. It will be announced shortly - I just don't know all the details yet."
Robbie, 40, also talked about what a great time they'd had at the Palladium: "I just loved being up there with Dad. Music has always been what connects us, well, that and family. So I was thrilled to see how much the audience loved him too.
"From being a kid, Dad's been my idol and I wouldn't have all this success if it wasn't for what I've learned from him."
Pete sang at Robbie's wedding to Ayda Fields in 2010 and the former Take That star returned the favour when his dad married Melanie Mills last May.
Robbie is set to play 17 UK dates in June and July before taking his tour to Australia.


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What Ford's Outlook Says About U.S. Economy
Ford reported a 15% increase in its first-quarter profit as a record financial performance in the company's North American division offset softness in other regions, Mike Ramsey reports on MoneyBeat. Photo: AP Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... Ford Motor company for one of the equation was pretty simple ... the law to fly F series pickup trucks in North America ... hope that makes up for the weakness in Europe for earnings up in the first quarter where the meat the company would mean for a loop on the U S economy my grams is here with the story ... Europe covering this one ... I you are on a conference call right ... yes ... it will allow honest are the covered Call actually what we learned at a conference call ... he sees me in a conference call letters ... for talking about on the negative ... me say they received from ... selling more cars and ... small SUV's ... anything ... in this year though the company said we had a button or margin fell from last year from twelve percent North America ... to letters sent by way of those numbers are ... outstanding ouster rest industry by a longshot ... but isn't the reason is we got some ... submitted next week ... they sold more or ... less profitable ... cars and the revenue shot up ten of our shares shot up to the profit margin ... went down because as a percentage of total sales ... they sold ... more cars than in the Senate ... giant ... pickup trucks which ... is ... one of his great ironies of the business in the last four is doing very well North America ... in the market share the revenues are up twenty percent ... and Dom it's scaring them and the rest the world by ... a longshot ... so the link I called a market that up to my apologize that we meaning my obviously ... loves for and that the North American market in the view that of durable goods report this morning ... from March through more durable for March ... was not a good number ... you know ... that if callers plugs into that directly one and what do for its earnings say about the U S economy ... it ... car companies in general United States in a tree ... falling attractive real estate tax ... which is that when ... when the recession hit the Chinese fans it's ... just one minute and in a manner not just below the normal timeline but far far far below the normal trendline ... and even snapback fact ... there's still much to the level they were two thousandseven and they're off several million units ... over that ... time you start to get ... it ... a huge pent-up demand for people's they get vehicles ... there are very old energy to be on the road is eleven years ... in and people can pull off any longer ... the money to buy a used car used car values are super high ... so the equation by new car is better than it used to the sewer system we're saying is that the car ... industry is going to continue to ... defy the rest of the economy into batter until that ... demand is satisfied that was happening Ford hopes for another U S automakers as well the real estate markets for me ... because they sell so many ... trucks ... and there is a direct correlation between pickup truck sales and new housing starts ... and I am a card will more than eleven years old that with that he knew what ... they what they say that the rest of the year today I'd give anything on the outlook ... the other issue with the forties and they seem to feel like things bottomed out in ... the session and then maybe for other people is well ... and that in and actually that ... anything that they they said they had increased production of one of the SEC's in euro ... aam because you is that they don't have enough ... that the area I didn't hear from anyone in Europe right now ... it's a good sign that this is the ... bond market are all countries for sure see demand ... level off and maybe even increase a little bit ... so ... we actually are buys at the other thing is that for ... aam is doing well in Asia investing billions of dollars there and losing money and it's all this year earnings for the score ... he was in a tiny six million dollars profit in a chair ... that that's indicative of ... things really turn around its revenues are shooting up their sales are shooting up in onesies Capital extensive down in my star ... producing a lot of money there ... been other auto makers and other companies continue to ... to ... benefit from growth in China and even though there is a leveling off the diesel that I think that the momentum is so big that even a level off can tell ... you to drive ... profits by Mike Ramsey in Detroit think you're a much sir ...


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History of Academic Excellence
Aurora University has a history of high-quality academic programs — centered on students like you.
With an Aurora University education, you will:
- Build critical thinking and communication skills
- Foster intellectual and ethical development
- Engage in life-changing, hands-on learning experiences
- Be prepared for a life of meaning, leadership and service
If you're still deciding on your major, don't worry. AU will give you the opportunity to explore many different programs and majors so that you can discover — or clarify — your passion.
Academic Programs
With approximately 5,500 students, we are small enough to offer you the personal attention and support you need to succeed —but large enough to offer:
- 40 undergraduate majors and minors
- A wide variety of master's degrees
- Numerous graduate certificates in education and business
- Doctoral degrees in education and social work
- Undergraduate and graduate degree programs at the George Williams College campus in Wisconsin
Transformative Faculty
Our student-faculty ratio is 17:1 and our average class size is 23 students. That means you'll get to know your professors — and they'll get to know you and how you learn best. Our faculty members are award-winning scholars but that doesn't mean they're unapproachable. They're teachers first who are dedicated to helping students like you succeed.
Strong Partnerships
AU believes your needs as a student are best served through partnerships with like-minded institutions and organizations. Our social work students, for example, collaborate with area social services agencies. The John C. Dunham STEM Partnership School on the Aurora campus—a collaboration among AU, local school districts, and corporate and non-profit institutions—is a model for education that prepares students for achievement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics while engaging teachers from the partner districts as faculty. These teachers complete AU graduate coursework in STEM fields and become leaders in mathematics and science education.
Distinctive Opportunities
Aurora University believes in surrounding you with the support — and opportunities — you need to get the most out of your college experience. These include:


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The mission of R.C. LaPerche Elementary School, as an inclusive learning community devoted to high standards and best teaching practices for all students, is to inspire life-long learning and to develop responsible, self-confident children capable of effective communication and problem solving, through a collaboration of parents, teachers, students, and the community, which fosters a safe, respectful environment, recognizing diversity and individuality.
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Raymond C. LaPerche Elementary School is one of four elementary schools in the Smithfield Public School system. Our school is dedicated to Raymond C. LaPerche, a former teacher, principal and superintendent in the Smithfield Public Schools for 41 years. LaPerche first opened its doors in 1968 and presently serves students in kindergarten to grade five.