text:
Time trial bike development has seemingly accelerated to supersonic rates as of late and a number of design elements have become increasingly routine: aero-profiled tubing, seat tubes with deep cutouts, hidden brakes, fully-integrated forks and componentry, smooth lines. Yet Look has taken a somewhat unconventional approach with its latest speed machine, the 596.
First previewed at last year's Eurobike show, the new 596 does bear some common TT bike traits such as the deep-section down tube, seat tube and seat stays. However, instead of bringing the frame sections closer to the spinning wheels and reducing the gaps to the legal limit, Look has bucked the trend and added space both around their edges and sides.
Closer is better… or is it?
The key word from the previous statement is 'spinning'. Look claims that tight clearances work well in the wind tunnel under static conditions but setting the wheels in motion creates high pressure drag in the confined spaces that actually make the bike slower. As a result, the seat stays and fork crown on the 596 are fairly wide-set and there's also more room around both wheels' circumference than we're used to seeing to let air easily flow through.
Unfortunately we have no easy way of verifying that claim (
Regardless, one thing that can't be argued about the 596 is its substantial weight advantage over the outgoing 496 (which will still be available in track form). Claimed weight for frame and fork (but no headset) is just 1840g (4.06lb), knocking roughly half a kilo (1.1lb) from its predecessor while supposedly giving up nothing in terms of rigidity. Game on.
A new level of integration
The front end of the 596 is fitted with an all-new version of Look's radical Monoblade fork. Just as on the 496 where it first used the concept, the front of the fork extends all the way up to the stem and acts as a fairing for the head tube (effectively increasing the aspect ratio beyond the UCI-mandated 3:1). On this new edition though, the entire unit is markedly deeper throughout and capped with a far lighter two-piece carbon stem that is adjustable in angle and available in four lengths.
The one-piece hollow carbon assembly is claimed to weigh just 320g.
The new Zed crank is where things get particularly interesting. This new setup, limited to the 596 for the time being, is similar in concept to BB30 in that it uses oversized bearings pressed directly into a standard-width bottom bracket shell. However, the Zed spindle is roughly 50mm in diameter (instead of 30mm) and the hollow carbon fibre arms and spindle are all molded as one piece. A slight depression in the spindle allows installers to snake the whole bit through the bottom bracket bearings and a threaded collar on the non-driveside holds it all together.
Mechanics can think of the Zed as an analogue to a one-piece steel BMX crank but even those who can't remember 'righty tighty, lefty loosey' will be able to appreciate that it's way lighter. Claimed weight with bearings and chainrings is just 604g and we'd expect nothing short of monstrous stiffness given the section sizes (Look claims double the stiffness-to-weight of a 7800-series Dura-Ace crankset).
Moreover, a clever integrated carbon spider allows for both standard 130mm and compact 110mm chainrings and Look's novel Trilobe pedal interface quickly adjusts to provide 170, 172.5 or 175mm effective crank lengths. Trilobe will only work with a special KeO pedal though, so those on other systems should ready themselves for the swap should they decide a 596 is in their future.
The top of the 596 is capped with Look's now-familiar E Post
Naturally, Look has also capped the top of the 596 with its elastomer-cushioned E Post integrated seat mast design. The 596 will come stock with a 32mm-setback R32 version, thus keeping it UCI-legal, but users can swap in the adjustable E Post Ti or 5mm-offset R5 variants depending on the situation.
Official retail price for the 596 is US$4,999 which sounds rather insane until you consider that it includes the frame, fork, headset, integrated seatpost, stem, bottom bracket, crank and even pedals. Heck, that almost makes it a bargain.
Other new road models
Multisport athletes also get a new 576 model to whet their appetites complete with a tri-friendly 78° seat tube angle. The seat tube, down tube and seat stays get the usual deep-profile and Look has imbued the 576 with similarly wide-set front and rear ends as on the 596. A conventional fork replaces the 596's Monoblade design though, and the integrated seat mast is fitted with the nearly-straight E Post R5.
Though not as advanced as the 596, the 576 shares some of its design philosophy.
Frame weight is a competitive 1100g (small size, uncut mast) and pricing is attractive, too. Framesets will fetch US$1,999 and complete bikes with a Shimano 105/Ultegra mix will command an equaling attractive US$2,999.
Speaking of attractive pricing, Look is also making a bigger push towards the lower end of the spectrum with its new (and surprisingly attainable) 566 road model. In keeping with that segment's usual demographic, the 566's carbon frame sports slightly more upright positioning that includes a slightly longer head tube.
Ride quality is also skewed a little more towards the softer end with its flattened stays and top tube coupled with a smoother-riding fork. Though noticeably softer than Look's competition-ready 595 and 586 models, first impressions are that the 566 is still a decent performance machine.
Perhaps more importantly, its fantastically upscale appearance well outstrips its relatively modest US$1,999 price tag (frame, fork and headset). And at just US$2,499 with SRAM Rival or US$2,999 with Shimano Ultegra SL, we expect the 566 to do quite well against some of the bigger brands out there.
What's new for the 595, 586 and 585, you ask? Not much, but that's hardly a bad thing. All three get new colorways (including the black, white and gold Pro Team scheme seen at this year's Tour de France under the Crédit Agricole team) and the 595 and 585 will come stock with Look's Head Fit headset system. No point messing with what isn't broken, we suppose.


text:
Media Statements & Speeches
Chairman Jon Wellinghoff Statement
December 20, 2012
Docket No. AD13-3-000
Item No. A-4
California Cap and Trade Overview
Thank you Pat and Team for this very informative briefing. I will be watching the development of this program with great interest. Because the costs of compliance may soon contribute to the establishment of market prices in California, and possibly other parts of the West, it is important that our staff monitor and understand the effects on electricity prices in the region. So, I am pleased that Staff is preparing for this monitoring and analysis and look forward to discussion as the program develops.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Jump to main content
Undergraduate 2017-2018
Undergraduate 2017-2018 > Course Descriptions
Course Designations
Each course is assigned a prefix that identifies the discipline, field or program offering the course. For example, course numbers in Mathematics are preceded by MATH; and courses in Visual Arts are preceded by ART.
Five groups are identified by course numbers, generally to indicate the difficulty of a course and its location on a continuum of study that leads to general mastery of the content and methodology of a discipline:
Courses with variable titles may have additional prerequisites assigned to specific sections scheduled.
Occasionally, courses that do not appear in the Catalog may appear in the Schedule of Classes. These course numbers end in "98" and are considered experimental. For example, an experimental course in geology might be GEOL 398. Courses ending in "98" cannot be used to meet Liberal Arts Core requirements.
Courses bearing the designation "gtP" are in gtPathways, Colorado's Guaranteed Transfer Program. These courses are guaranteed to transfer to all Colorado institutions of higher education.
Privacy Policy
Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity/Title IX Policy & Coordinator
Powered by SmartCatalog IQ


text:
> select price
Dearest Treasure
Vase Arrangement
Product DescriptionOur dearest treasures are the ones we hold closest to our hearts. Treat your dearest treasure to a special arrangement filled with lovely pink roses, gerberas, snapdragons and white Oriental lilies. These delicate flowers are bursting with color and perfect for many occasions.
You might also be interested in these arrangements
When you order custom designs, they will be produced as closely as possible to the picture. Please remember that each design is custom made. No two arrangements are exactly alike and color and/or variety substitutions of flowers and containers may be necessary. Prices and availability of seasonal flowers may vary.
Our professional staff of floral designers are always eager to discuss any special design or product requests. Call us at the number above and we will be glad to assist you with a special request or a timed delivery.


text:
By Jeannette Crenshaw, DNP, RN, IBCLC, NEA-BC, FAAN, LCCE, FACCE, and Linda J. Smith, MPH, IBCLC, LCCE, FACCE
Ask anyone how much sleep you're likely to get after your baby is born and they'll all tell you the same thing: Not much. But ask where your baby should sleep and you'll probably get several different answers. Even the professionals can't agree. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises parents not to take their babies with them to sleep at night (called bed-sharing) due to the belief that this increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The AAP recommends that babies have a separate but nearby place to sleep, such as a crib in the parents' bedroom. No research is available to support the notion that it's safer for babies to sleep alone, or that those who do become more independent than babies who sleep with their parents. In fact, some experts suggest that bed-sharing may actually promote self-reliance and self-esteem. At the end of the day (literally), the choice is yours.
Skin-to-Skin & Rooming-In
Since the beginning of time, women have needed and wanted their new babies close to them. Today we know that this yearning for closeness is a physiological need shared by both mother and baby. Studies have shown that newborns who are placed skin-to-skin on their mother's chest right after birth will adjust more easily to life outside the womb, stay warmer, cry less and breastfeed sooner than newborns who are separated from their mothers.
So it's important that your baby stay as close to you as possible in the days following birth. When you share the same space (called rooming-in), you'll soon learn your newborn's needs, as well as how to best care for, soothe and comfort her. Rooming-in also offers the best start for breastfeeding. The nearer your baby is to you, the sooner you will make more milk and the more likely you are to breastfeed longer and exclusively. (Experts recommend exclusive breastfeeding no other foods or liquids during the first 6 months of life.)
Many new parents are concerned that if they sleep with their baby, everyone will wake often and no one will sleep deeply. This may be beneficial. Scientists with expertise in infant sleep believe that lighter sleep states and frequent awakenings are normal and healthy for babies and may be related to a lower risk of SIDS and suffocation. They agree that, despite frequent awakenings, a baby who sleeps in her parents' bed spends more total time asleep, since she falls back to sleep more quickly than if she were in a separate room. Plus, bed-sharing can harmonize sleep and wake times between the mother and baby.
Bed-sharing also is linked to successful breastfeeding, since the baby is right beside you and nighttime nursing is more convenient. Sleep researchers found that a breastfeeding mother usually sleeps on her side, encircling her baby with her upper arm above the baby's head and her knees bent below her baby's feet. This natural position keeps her baby near her breast and safe.
Safe Sleep
It's safety that should concern you most. No matter where your baby sleeps, always put her on her back when you lay her down. This is the best known SIDS prevention tactic. Keep the bedroom at a temperature you find comfortable when lightly clothed, and dress your baby for sleep the same way. Overheating can be dangerous. Her crib, bassinet or cradle should meet current safety standards and be free of soft bedding and plush toys, which are suffocation hazards.
If you choose to bed-share, remember that adult beds are not designed to keep babies safe. Be sure that you have a firm, flat mattress that fits tightly against the headboard, bed frame and wall, so your baby won't get trapped or stuck. Cover the mattress with a light sheet and remove heavy bedding and soft objects like comforters and pillows before you go to bed. Take steps to reduce the chance that your baby will fall out of bed (such as pushing the bed snugly against the wall).
Be sure your partner knows your baby is in bed with you. If an older child shares your bed too, you or your partner should sleep between your child and your baby. Never let your baby sleep alone in an adult bed, with a pet, or with anyone who is overtired, smokes, drinks, abuses drugs or takes a drug that may cause drowsiness. And don't forget that it's not safe to fall asleep with your baby on a water bed, sofa, recliner, or armchair.
The safest choice for your baby to sleep? A place near you. She may share your bed or just your room, sleep with you some nights and in her crib on others, or fall asleep in your bed with you after nursing. What's most important is that you and your baby are near each other and get some sleep.
Additional Resources


text:
by Elizabeth DePaul
When traveling chef Sharon Holland is on the go, don't expect her to grab fast food for a meal. The Germantown resident and culinary queen is the owner and head chef at Grabba Plate, Inc., serving up to the community delicious meals with a side of nutrition.
Holland, 44, established Grabba Plate, Inc. in 2006 as a way to educate people of all ages to better their diet by eating healthier meals. A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Holland spent her childhood in the kitchen cooking for her family, where she not only discovered her passion but also saw the need arise for awareness regarding food education and diets.
Graduating from the International Culinary Schools at The Art Institute in Philadelphia and Wharton Small Business Development Center for Strategic Business Planning provided her with the solid base needed to share with others what she so avidly supported and believed in — spreading awareness concerning healthy eating through education. Grabba Plate, Inc. was created, its name an ode to hospitality and her passion to teach others.
And to this day, she does just that. As a traveling chef, Sharon goes wherever she's needed — homes, churches or parties in the tri-state area. She teaches classes customized specifically for the client, ranging from a cooking demonstration to a lesson in preparing a meal. Grabba Plate, Inc. offers classes focusing on vegetarian cooking, healthy ingredients for diabetics, cooking for two and much more.
You can find her in the local community teaching numerous classes at the Mt. Airy Learning Tree, many of which are geared towards children. (She is not teaching in the current MALT semester.) Classes such as "Healthy Children's Snacks" and "Smoothies and Juices" make kids aware of healthy alternatives to the chips and sodas that dominate so many diets. In the "What's In Your Fridge?" class, Holland shows you how to take the food found in your fridge and turn it into a nutritious and delicious meal.
According to the traveling chef, the programs "strive to educate children not just on the diverse varieties of foods, but also how to properly run a kitchen, including lessons on kitchen tools." It is Holland's hope that the children share the knowledge they learn in her classes with their parents and families. The classes may focus on cooking, but Holland insists they also teach children teamwork, leadership, and good behavior — principles needed both in the kitchen, and in life.
Grabba Plate has no shortage of enthusiastic testimonials from customers who have used Sharon's services. For example, Connie T., a local woman who used Grabba Plate for her husband's surprise 40th birthday party, wrote: "I was deeply impressed with (Sharon's) professionalism and skill. As an event planner and chef, she was courteous, honest and extremely patient with my many questions and requests … The food was hot, delicious and beautifully arranged. She was well organized, cheerful and incredibly professional during the entire event."
Cecilia M., of the Circulation/Youth Program at the Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, was delighted with Holland's participation in their annual "Ladies Day Out" event. "We were quite impressed," she wrote, "with the continual attention from (her) waitstaff as well as the presentation and quality of the food … Just the smell of the crispy fried chicken and perfectly spiced chicken stew attracted many people to the library."
As for the future, Holland plans on continuing to travel and teach, and she hopes to eventually "start an education program for inner city schools once I receive the financial support I need. My personal career goal, however, is to have my very own cooking show."
For more information: http://www.grabbaplate.com/, firstname.lastname@example.com or 215-326-9614.


text:
Kimberley Hasselbrink has produced a beautiful cookbook called Vibrant Food that shows how appealing bright colours are on the plate.
Six O'Clock Solution: Roast chicken with spring onions and salsa verde
Roast Chicken With Spring Onions and Salsa Verde
Serves 4
MONTREAL — The colour of our food can whet our appetites. Just remember the last time you faced a plate of beige foods with nary a sprig of parsley to liven it up. U.S. photographer Kimberley Hasselbrink, who writes a blog called The Year in Food, has produced a beautiful cookbook called Vibrant Food (Ten Speed Press/Random House, $29.95) that makes the point of how appealing bright colours are on the plate. It's a seasonal book with chapters on adding edible flowers to the plate, photos showing loads of trimmings on every bowl of soup, and artful close-ups of, for example, purple basil, a scoop of grape sorbet and purple cabbage slaw. Take note, too, that it's a collection of gluten-free recipes.
Today's recipe uses contrasts — the golden-coloured chicken leg, caramelized onions and deep-green chopped flat-leaf parsley.
4 whole chicken legs
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
6 small spring onions, trimmed, halved lengthwise
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salsa verde
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped capers
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Grated peel of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Wash chicken legs and dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine onions with a little oil, salt and pepper. Grease a 9- by 12-inch baking dish and arrange chicken and onions in a single layer in dish.
Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until thick part of leg registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Let meat rest for about 10 minutes.
Salsa verde: In a small bowl, whisk together the parsley, oil, capers, garlic, lemon peel and salt.
Serve chicken with salsa verde spooned on top and additional salsa verde offered on the side.


text:
During his latest weekly press conference, Rep. Collin Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, discussed progress on writing a new farm bill. The Minnesota Democrat spoke on the difficulties encountered, the approach by the Bush administration and the role of the South.
Among his comments:
On the proposal that farmers could use either the current counter-cyclical payment or a revenue payment...
"We had that scored and it came back fairly high. That surprised us and (USDA head Mike Johanns). Given that score we don't have the money to do it.
"We're still going back-and-forth with CBO to see if there's any way we can get it into the realm of (possibility). We're trying to work with them on things, but as I told (Johanns) yesterday, the committee will write the bill and we're working to make our members comfortable with a bill that, in the end, the committee feels is good for U.S. agriculture and rural districts. The committee will work its will — and that's the way it should be."
On Johanns' concerns about putting advance payments off for a year and tinkering with some operating/administration costs for crop insurance…
"I don't know what the concern is. These are things the Republicans have used before, these reconciliations. The OMB and President Bush use these things all the time in their budgets.
"I told (Johanns) if he has such a problem, he needs to go talk to his boss about it. They keep doing it all the time.
"There was some press I saw yesterday where they said we're just using these shifts. Well, our economists tell us over 70 percent of the offsets we've identified are actually cuts or reductions in the programs. So, I think we've done a better job than anyone else has in these kinds of situations.
Sen. Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat and chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said the Senate committee would write a six-year bill. That will mean and going to out years of 2013 to 2017 to come up with extra funds to make it work. Harkin claims he's not seeing much progress on the offset front. Peterson's reaction?
"Concern about that has been raised by some Republican members. I don't hear any concern from our side of the aisle.
"The way we view it is we believe the best thing we can do to ensure a successful outcome is to do the work, to put a good bipartisan bill together that we can get passed on the floor.
"If we have a good bill that can be done prior to the August recess, that helps a lot. And that's a worthwhile goal that we're still pursuing…
"What I'm concerned about is if this thing gets strung out too far, the pressure will mount to do an extension. And I'm not sure passing an extension will be easy. People assume it will be, but I'm not sure.
"A lot of the interests wanting to be included in this bill will be left out with an extension.
"In reality, the issue is that the South needs to have some certainty on this. The longer we string this out into the fall, the more difficult their situation is. They have to make decisions and the more they know earlier, the better.
"You could get beyond Sept. 30 for a while and it may not be a problem. But at some point, it does become one because the South needs to know what the situation is a lot earlier than we do.
"If we have a House bill and a Senate bill in September and we're still not in conference, at least people would know kind of (what to expect to happen). The sooner we can get to this, the better.
"People just assume there will be an extension. I don't know that they should do that.
"The 1949 law is still on statute. I asked (Johanns) about that yesterday, whether he was ready to implement the 1949 law if it becomes necessary. He got a startled look on his face. But that's the underlying statute if nothing is passed.
"We hope to keep the pressure on, do the right thing and have a good bill."
On the 1949 law…
"It's based on parity… it also requires referendums and supply management. There are complications to it, but there are some who believe that wouldn't be a bad idea. It goes back to parity and puts prices based on other commodities. If it ever is implemented, it would give us a heck of a baseline."
On a potential six-year bill…
"That gets us nowhere. Our biggest problem in getting this bill under CBO/pay-go shape is the second five years. We've had a bigger problem (shaping) the second five-year pay-go than with the first.
"We have meet two tests: five-year and 10 years. The 10-year test has been harder."
Sen. Harkin says his baseline is about $60 billion in the second five years and about $57 billion in the first…
"Yeah, but we still have to meet the pay-go rules in both timeframes. A lot of people miss that in the baseline for commodities — with the exception of cotton — there aren't any counter-cyclical or marketing loan gains projected in the first five years. There's considerable (amounts) projected in the last (portion) of the bill. That's been an issue in making this work.
"There's no way you can shift things without causing problems in the second five years. There are tails on all these programs and CBO scores some of them a lot higher later than they do now.
"From what I've seen, I'd think what (Harkin) is talking about would make things harder.""
What's the real cost to the core of agriculture — the major commodities — if commodity title funds are shifted to other programs?
"It would depend. Clearly, if we go back to Freedom to Farm … it would have potentially devastating results. You'd eliminate the safety net.
"People say, 'Well, we have high prices and that won't be a problem.' That's exactly what we heard in 1996. I was here and I didn't support Freedom to Farm even after hearing the arguments. It just didn't work. Prices fell and there was no safety net in place. We ended up spending a huge amount of money to bail everyone out.
"One thing I know about farmers: if prices are good, they'll overproduce. I have no doubt that if we continue to have $4 corn, at some point we'll overproduce corn. That's the history of farming…
"We need to have a safety net in place. The committee is trying to maintain that."
On funding renewable energy…
"The idea has always been to use the HR6 money. We've been getting generally bad news from CBO. But in leadership meetings yesterday, it was reported that CBO has given HR6 a higher score. That's the first good news we've had in a while.
"The indications are that they expect to provide offsets from HR6 for what I've put together on the energy title in the bill. The only question is how the timing works and comes together.
"(Speaker Nancy Pelosi) and I will meet this afternoon … I've told her, and she understands, that the sooner we get resolution on any of these things, the easier the committee's job and the happier people will be.
"I think the energy thing will work out.
"The Senate is moving on this. There's a possibility that they may take the work we've done and put it into an overall energy package and move it through separate from the farm bill. I don't have a problem with that as long as pay-go is met, the language is in our control and the jurisdiction stays in our title and statute. If they want to package it with everything else, fine."
But it's all contingent on funding coming from HR6?
"Yes, that's been the plan from the start. I think it's clear the Senate will do something similar.
"Eighty to 90 percent of the public wants us to do this."
On proposals for government-backed grain reserves…
"That's been out there and comes from a number of sources. Some of the meat industry people tell me of concerns about lowest stocks-to-use ratios in a while and whether we need some kind of reserve not only for ethanol but feed.
"We've been working with the Republicans and I think this is a non-starter with them. There haven't been any really serious discussions about it."
e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
For police, Sailfest planning pays off
New London - Area police departments prepare months in advance of Sailfest, coordinating a large police presence to direct traffic and control crowds.
Those preparations appeared to be successful Friday and Saturday as New London and Groton City police responded to a small number of minor incidents.
New London Deputy Police Chief Peter Reichard said plans for this year's Sailfest began as soon as last year's came to a close.
Immediately following Sailfest 2012, Reichard said, the police department began discussions on what could be done differently - different traffic patterns, where officers need and don't need to be stationed, and if barricades and signs can replace actual police presence.
This year, the department has 15 fewer officers, so the 60 or so working during Sailfest had to be shuffled around, he said.
Coordination with other local departments begins about three months or so in advance, Reichard said. That includes Stonington, Norwich, Waterford, East Lyme, Plainfield and State Police, as well as Amtrak police and state police's Emergency Services Unit. Homeland Security agents and one FBI agent also coordinate with local police.
In all, 19 additional officers from neighboring towns assist New London police throughout the weekend.
Police have stations set up at the waterfront, on Bank Street, and at the department's unified command center at the New London Fire Department. A mass casualty trailer is also set up on Bank Street.
Reichard said a bomb sweep is done every morning of the event, though he declined to say in which specific locations.
Immediately following the fireworks, Reichard said, the biggest police priority is directing traffic and ushering vehicles out of the city. Officers remain in place until the crowds disperse in the evening. This is usually the most active time for local police, Reichard said of the nighttime crowds.
Across the river in Groton, Lt. Bruce Lowe of the Groton City Police Department said police take several weeks to pinpoint critical areas for pedestrian and vehicular traffic and to distribute officers, which includes which streets to barricade.
Thames Street becomes a "pedestrian mall" during the fireworks, Lowe said, and the road is blocked off accordingly from Bridge Street to Eastern Point Road. The road is shut down around 6 p.m. and opens back up after pedestrians have dispersed, typically around 10:30 p.m.
Lowe said the department coordinates in the weeks leading up to the fireworks with Groton Town, East Lyme, Ledyard, Montville, Groton Long Point and State Police as well as the Coast Guard. A State Police bomb unit does a sweep around 5 p.m. at two main viewing locations - Thames Street and Fort Griswold.
Twenty-three officers from Groton City patrol the streets during the fireworks and 24 from Groton Town; about 15 more join them from neighboring police departments.
The FBI also has one agent posted in Groton at its command post at the Groton City Fire Department's Company 2 in the event of a "significant incident," he said.
"In light of how fortunate we have been, one doesn't have to think too far back to think of what happened in Boston," Lowe said. "We're always mindful of that type of thing, having a potential … something devastating like that happening."
Most incidents are typically minor, he added - the occasional drunken driver or a fight that breaks out at a private party.
"We usually try to keep a pretty good lid on that," he said. "We have a decent number of officers that are available and they're posted in key locations so they can clamp down on anything that seems to be getting out of hand."
On the water side, Operations Petty Officer Jeff Thor said the Coast Guard coordinates with multiple local law enforcement agencies and emergency services and fire departments to keep an enforcement presence on the river.
Thor said he is in charge of putting together an "incident action plan" - the Coast Guard's in-house policies and procedures and steps taken to enforce safety and security on the water - to present to local fire and police departments during meetings over the couple of months leading up to Sailfest.
The Coast Guard keeps two boats on the water; for the fireworks, a total of 13 fire and police boats - including those from State Police, the Mystic Fire Department, Goshen Fire Department, the Quaker Hill Fire Department, Ledyard Police, East Lyme Police, Old Saybrook Police, Groton Town Police and Waterford Police - were on the water.
High school referee Tony Gigliotti and NBA referee Josh Tiven
Mueller report: No evidence Trump campaign 'conspired' with Russia in 2016 election


text:
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Pleading for the future of the former Mt Roskill Borough Council Municipal Building
3 comments:
I tried to post the following comment on the Blogsite, but I don't have membership of the appropriate accounts. Perhaps you might like to pass this comment on for me.ReplyDelete
"This looks like it was styled along the art deco type buildings. Was it Architect designed and if so was the Architect famous. It might help if he was. Also I have for at least 10 years been trying to get Council to change the definition of Heritage to include some of the post heritage era buildings. This change could also be requested officially by the Local
Boards and get other Local Boards to support it."
Vivienne Keohane
Kaipatiki Local Board member.
Yes, Vivienne, the building was designed by Stephen Wright, who also designed the Mt Roskill War Memorial Hall and the memorial proper on May Road.
This looks like most of it is still original except for maybe elements of the front entrance portico part?ReplyDelete
Yup, they added the glass squares, for one thing.ReplyDelete


text:
Nectarine: Nutrition . Selection . Storage
Nutrition information for nectarines and tips on how to
select, store and prepare them. Health Benefits
select, store and prepare them. Health Benefits
The nectarine is actually a subspecies of peach that lacks the gene for fuzz.
How to Select
Choose firm nectarines with smooth skin.
How to Store
Store unripe nectarines in paper bag until ripe, then store at room temperature for use within 2-3 days.
Nutrition Benefits
Low fat; saturated fat free; sodium free; cholesterol free; good source of vitamin C.
Health Benefits of Fruits & Vegetables
The natural antioxidants in fruits and vegetables will help keep your body working at its best, so consuming a diet that meets your daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to give your body a strong defense against disease. Fruits and vegetables are protective to health as they're helpful at reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and some cancers. They're also low in calories, which helps prevent obesity … a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.


text:
Heritage Palms, FL Real Estate
If you've ever had a dream of living on a private golf course in Southwest Florida — make it come true at Heritage Palms. Single–family homes, twin villas, two–story verandas and condos are surrounded by beautiful tropical landscaping. Heritage Palms offers resort style living and is convenient to SW Florida International Airport, white sandy beaches, shopping, dining and entertainment.
Search for properties in Heritage Palms
Heritage Palms Golf And Country Club10436 Curry Palm Ln
Heritage Palms
Fort Myers, FL
$575,000 | 4 Beds, 3 Baths Favorite
This listing is courtesy of Premiere Plus Realty Company
Heritage Palms Golf And Country Club10506 Wine Palm Rd
Heritage Palms
Fort Myers, FL
$529,000 | 3 Beds, 2 Baths Favorite
This listing is courtesy of Kerri Theisen Realty, Inc
The data relating to real estate for sale on this limited electronic display come in part from the Broker Reciprocity Program (BR Program) of M.L.S. of Naples, Inc. Properties listed with brokerage firms other than John R. Wood Properties are marked with the BR Program Icon and detailed information about them includes the name of the Listing Brokers. The properties displayed may not be all the properties available through the BR Program.
We're sorry, but no properties that meet this criteria are currently available.
We're sorry, but no properties that meet this criteria are currently available.


text:
Ray R. Harris needed a new banner ad design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 85 designs submitted by 31 freelance designers.
Every month, we mail out 50,000 postcards to announce a new teaching series at our church. For Easter, we are doing a series called "The Cage: Toe to Toe with JC (Jesus Christ)" that features six different people from the Bible and what happened to them when they went "toe to toe" with Jesus.
The Pointe Church
The Cage is an American Ultimate Fighting (Wrestling) feature for top matches when two people enter a wrestling ring and cannot leave until a victor is established. We are going to be teaching on the changed lives that occur when the cage comes down on the ring and a person is toe-to-toe with the champion (Jesus).
Before you start, check out our website at http://www.ThePointeChurch.com. We launched our church in a movie theatre and now have our own place. For this series, we will turn the stage into a wrestling ring and place a cage in the ceiling to drop down when we get ready to teach.
Please do not design any pretty pastel or churchy stuff your grandma would love. Our target is a 33 year old guy who thinks church and God are irrelevant. The postcard needs to be very intriguing, gritty, and masculine.
We mail out these postcards every month to the same households so it has to fit into our brand. See our site to get an idea - right now we have a "Dangerous - Crash of Rhinos" card featured on the home page. It will help you get a sense of what we do.
The Postcard must CREATE TENSION not resolve tension. Do not tell the end of the story but rather the start of one. It should not have pictures of Jesus or life change or anything that might be cheesy. It should cause the reader to wonder what the series is about not tell them what it is about. Intrigue not explanation.
- Item 1...Headline to be "The Cage"
- Item 2...Subhead to be "Toe to Toe with JC"
- Item 3...Pointe Church Logo - just provide a small 1" wide by 3/4 inch high space for us to drop our logo into the design. It is a text only logo.
- Compelling illustration or photo or artwork.
- This design is for FRONT SIDE POSTCARD ONLY - we will layout the back copy and mailing side.
- Item 1...Show the card to your grandma. If she hates it, you may have a winner.
- No WWF characters or pop-culture personalities
- No Fight Club ripoffs
- If you go to istockphoto.com and throw some text over a picture, then you better have a very good fit. While the first card we did thru 99 designs won that way, it is not likely this one will.


text:
American Representation Study, 1958: Candidate and Constituent, Party (ICPSR 7292)
Version Date: Feb 16, 1992 View help for published
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s)
Warren E. Miller, Unknown; Donald E. Stokes, Unknown
Version V1
Summary View help for Summary
This dataset belongs to a three-part study on American representation conducted shortly before and after the 1958 congressional election (see also AMERICAN REPRESENTATION STUDY, 1958: CANDIDATES [ICPSR 7226] and AMERICAN REPRESENTATION STUDY, 1958: CANDIDATE AND CONSTITUENT, INCUMBENCY [ICPSR 7293]). The survey administered to the candidates was designed to elicit information on what they considered to be the most important issues of the campaign, their views on these issues, and their perceptions of the positions of their constituents. The candidates were also asked what influenced them, and what they felt influenced the outcome of the campaign. Derived measures calculate 85th Congress roll-call scores on social welfare, foreign involvement, and civil rights issues. Roll-call data and information on committee activities of the congressmen are also provided. The two combined candidate and constituent files (this collection and ICPSR 7293) contain the same candidate information as in ICPSR 7226 but are structured around the district as the unit of analysis. This data collection provides candidate and constituent information, organized by party identification of candidates, while ICPSR 7293 is organized by incumbency status of the candidates. In addition to the survey information on the candidates, this collection contains data on constituents taken from the 1956, 1958, and 1960 AMERICAN NATIONAL ELECTION STUDIES (ICPSR 7214, 7215, and 7216) for 114 of the 146 districts. Demographic information on candidates includes sex, race, year of birth, size of birthplace, highest graduate degree, prior occupations, public offices previously held, several indices of spatial mobility, religious preference, and ethnic background.
Citation View help for Citation
Export Citation:
Subject Terms View help for Subject Terms
Geographic Coverage View help for Geographic Coverage
Time Period(s) View help for Time Period(s)
Date of Collection View help for Date of Collection
Data Collection Notes View help for Data Collection Notes
1) Sixty-five districts from self-representing primary sampling units (PSUs) and six from non-self-representing PSUs were weighted four times. The remaining 80 districts, all from non-self-representing PSUs, were weighted seven times. The weights produce a sample reflecting the distribution of congressmen and congressional candidates throughout the United States. The 251 candidates were weighted to 1,364. 2) The codebook is provided by ICPSR as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. The PDF file format was developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated and can be accessed using PDF reader software, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader. Information on how to obtain a copy of the Acrobat Reader is provided on the ICPSR Web site.
Sample View help for Sample
The sample was drawn from the 187 districts partly or entirely included in the Survey Research Center's sampling frame for AMERICAN NATIONAL ELECTION STUDY, 1958 (ICPSR 7215). From multiple stratification within self-representing and non-self-representing primary sampling units, a total of 151 districts and 285 candidates were selected for inclusion in this study. For a response rate of 88 percent, 251 candidates from 146 districts were actually interviewed.
Universe View help for Universe
Incumbents to the 85th United States House of Representatives, their opponents, any third candidates associated with the 1958 congressional elections, and constituents from 114 electoral districts.
Data Source View help for Data Source
personal interviews
Method of Data Collection View help for Method of Data Collection
Original Release Date View help for Original Release Date
Version History View help for Version History
- Miller, Warren E., and Donald E. Stokes. AMERICAN REPRESENTATION STUDY, 1958: CANDIDATE AND CONSTITUENT, PARTY. Conducted by University of Michigan, Survey Research Center. ICPSR ed. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [producer and distributor], 197?. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR07292.v1
1984-07-06 ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
- Standardized missing values.
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions.
- The citation of this study may have changed due to the new version control system that has been implemented.
This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.


text:
Central Connecticut junior Kirsten Daamen will finish her finals on Monday and then turn her attention toward international competition. The Blue Devils' starting center will be spending the next two months playing with the Dutch National Team.
Daamen, who went to high school in Massachusetts, was born in the Netherlands and lived in the country for a few years as a child.
"I was born in Amersfoort and lived there until I was 6 years old," Daamen said. "My family and I moved to Massachusetts for my father's job at that time and I have been back a few times, but not since I started playing basketball."
As a junior at Central in 2011-12, Daamen became the school's all-time leader in blocked shots, while stepping into a fulltime starting role for the first time. She registered career-highs with 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Her career total of 140 blocks is already 26 more than the previous record holder. She also served as a team captain for the Blue Devils this past year.
Moving into international competition will bring new experiences and challenges on and off the court for Daamen, including a new position.
"I will be playing the four-position for the Dutch Team. At Central I have always played the five, that will most likely be the biggest difference. I will not be posting up as much and will have to be on the perimeter a lot more. I have watched a lot of film from the national team's past games, they don't run as many set plays and most of the time play with five players on the perimeter. The head coach has also said it is more of a physical game there."
Off the court, Daamen's father will help her readjust to living overseas.
"My dad will be flying with me and will help me become reacquainted with the area and language for the first week. I am sure my mom is nervous, but she thinks it is a great opportunity and that I will learn a lot from the whole experience."
Head women's basketball coach Beryl Piper spent time playing in Europe following her own career as a student-athlete at CCSU and is excited about the opportunity Daamen has earned.
"I am really excited that Kirsten has the chance to play for the Dutch National Team," Piper said. "What a great opportunity to travel to multiple countries and learn about different cultures as well as improve her basketball skills. This is something that will broaden Kirsten's college experience athletically and academically."
Both Piper and Daamen view this summer's competition as beneficial toward the player's development and the Blue Devils' success next season.
"I think that this will definitely help me going into my senior year. I will be playing competitive basketball for most of the summer and hopefully, after this summer I can play the four and five at Central. Also, the play in Europe is going to be more physical, I hope to become a little tougher and stronger."
"I hope to make the most out of this opportunity and I am ready to work hard every day. The experience I will gain from this will be what I am taking away from it, how it will prepare me for my senior year and possibly a future with basketball after graduation."
Dutch National Team Schedule
May 17-20: Practice and Games in Hungary
May: 25-27: Tournament in Italy (vs. Italy, Bulgaria and Greece)
June 1-2: Game against Puerto Rico (in Holland)
June 8-10: Games in Croatia (v Croatia, Argentina and Japan)
June 13: Game against Lithuania
June 20: Game against Slovenia
June 23: Game against Slovakia
June 27: Game against Belgium (in Holland)
June 30: Game against Lithuania (in Holland)
July 7: Game against Slovenia (in Holland)
July 11: Game against Slovakia (in Holland)
July 14: Game against Belgium (in Belgium)


text:
The Forge Forums Read-only Archives
The live Forge Forums
. Please
March 23, 2019, 02:42:57 PM
1 Hour
1 Day
1 Week
1 Month
Login with username, password and session length
Forum changes:
Editing of posts has been turned off until further notice.
Advanced search
Posts in
Topics by
Members Latest Member:
Jason DAngelo
Most online today:
- most online ever:
(November 03, 2007, 04:35:43 AM)
The Forge Archives
General Forge Forums
Ron Edwards
[Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions?
« previous
next »
Topic: [Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions? (Read 9677 times)
Callan S.
Posts: 3588
Re: [Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions?
Reply #15 on:
March 04, 2010, 08:35:14 PM »
David, huh? Your first couple of posts try and solve a problem that isn't the real problem, as far as I can tell. I start getting down to the real roots of what's the problem AFAICT and importantly, I thought you were with me on that. Now you've snapped back on how to fast forward again, or something or other from your first post. To me, you've just regressed.
And yes, responding to Josh can take up too much space, I'm fully taking that on board. But of the prior two posts to yours, mine was addressed soley to you.
It's not some mistake of posters to diverge from an original post with an incorrect assumption. I would prefer you just say your not mistaken and are right about your original two posts than seem to be going with me, then suddenly call me off topic.
Philosopher Gamer
David Berg
Posts: 612
Re: [Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions?
Reply #16 on:
March 04, 2010, 09:51:03 PM »
I thought all your ideas were great ones to explore, but I think I've failed to get anywhere with them. We didn't really diverge until your last post, so I'm sorry that my request to change focus came out of the blue.
of "What would the characters do in this situation?" are something I won't compromise. However, the
of such actions is more flexible ("How much play time gets spent on it?"). Perhaps that flexibility is insufficient to make Dan & John happy, and what I really need to do is avoid handing them situations with tons of decision-making and no drama or time-pressure. I'm still hoping that another solution might be found, though...
Those are all cool things that could come up in Delve. A few of them already have! But this sounds to me like an account of situations wherein the players
get what they want when they want it. I'm not sure how to extrapolate from your ideas to cover when that's not the case.
Maybe giving the characters a safe place to stash stuff should be an early-on GM priority? But that's not much help when you go on an adventure far away... which is something I don't want to rule out...
Yeah, I wish my friends could play late to get to a good end point! Damn work schedules.
here's my blog
, discussing Delve, my game in development
Posts: 469
also known as Josh W
Re: [Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions?
Reply #17 on:
March 05, 2010, 05:09:13 PM »
Quote from: David Berg on March 04, 2010, 09:51:03 PM
But this sounds to me like an account of situations wherein the players
get what they want when they want it. I'm not sure how to extrapolate from your ideas to cover when that's not the case.
I was mostly trying to hedge out the class of situations associated with this problem, so you keep the game as it is but just tune setting specifically not to hit these buttons.
But on the core of what you were talking about, it seems like there is another thing I hadn't considered until that last post; you currently have a lovely dial that doesn't apply to all situations; how do you normally deal with setting the dial to high speed in problem solving situations? Has it come up before? Because every time that you go to a fastforward and then slow down again, there is that loss of fictional resolution that has to be built up again; so if you go "we fight some dudes, we do really well, wait, zoom in" then it's sort of like scene framing, filling in those gaps that have been created by all the ways you could have gone.
In that sense dealing with this is similar to a problem you will face many times; where an activity done at a low detail level has impacts at a high detail level. If you want to make the fast-forwarding a pure aesthetic choice, then you need to insure that people are not tactically disadvantaged by doing so.
For an example of setting-mandatory dial shifts, say people are rapidly running and weaving their way through the market streets of a town only to be stopped by a series of guards. Now at that point the pace of the story has shifted. Should that dictate where to put the dial, or should they be able to go "ok we bribe the guards and it costs us .... this much"? It seems like your game by nature pushes towards the real-time point on the curve, would it still be a worthwhile game to you if it could all be completed in high speed? Also if games can be played at that speed through high sensitivity decisions, then coming off the other end is much more like scene framing from PTA, so maybe it's natural for players to shift style a little and explain how there characters got there, because it could be part and parcel of shifting the dial down.
David Berg
Posts: 612
Re: [Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions?
Reply #18 on:
March 06, 2010, 09:30:04 PM »
The title of this thread covers the dial's problem area. When there aren't meaningful decisions to be made, no one minds skipping ahead. Resolving what was skipped over is usually a combo of (a) GM asserts whatever outcome he deems most likely and (b) GM rolls randomly among multiple plausible outcomes.
Identifying the class of problematic situations sounds like a good idea to me. I'll try:
"Lots of leads to follow and questions to ask with no time pressure or danger" is a contender.
, though, it can be sped through. We've played through interrogating every possible source on the haunted castle when that was fun, and jumped ahead to, "So what did we learn?" when it wasn't.
Actually, that latter has gotten slow when I've said, "Tell me what you cover in the fast-forward, so I can tell you the results." Then they start thinking of specific questions for specific people, etc. Sometimes I'll offer, "Do you just spend however long it takes to talk to everyone you can reach?" but they'll say no when I describe what that would consist of and they deem it silly.
Maybe I could try leaving more gaps in the fictional data sequence? Like, it's okay to not know what the characters were doing during "a week of info gathering"? These thing always seem to matter later, though. When you try to go incognito, then all of a sudden we need to know whether you went house to house earlier.
I think the problematic situation comes down to "many options, but each with consequences". But that's also kind of the meat of the game -- that players follow their interests, self-initiate quests, and that what they do matters in the setting. What I might need is just a way to help them choose in a quick and satisfying matter.
Hmm. In the real world, how is this done? What's the most efficient/enjoyable way for 3 or 4 people to form a plan of action?
Ways to help Dan and John agree when enough is enough would go a long way. A quick reference for "cover your bases" might also help.
here's my blog
, discussing Delve, my game in development
Paul T
Posts: 369
Re: [Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions?
Reply #19 on:
March 12, 2010, 08:20:30 AM »
Some really interesting discussion here.
I'm with Ron, I think:
If you value your fun over the integrity of the fiction, you need a metagame solution, to step back for a second from the game and figure how to make it work.
I think I might have done something like:
"We all want to move on [the next event], right? So, let's skip ahead and then we can start next session as a flashback at the moon rock. This means we have to agree right now that whatever you decide to do with the rock, it won't be helpful to you in [the next event], which we'll play tonight. Cool?"
The next best thing would probably be to engineer some in-fiction excuse for moving on--for instance, why couldn't they take a chunk out of that rock and carry it with them, only to shape it later?
David Berg
Posts: 612
Re: [Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions?
Reply #20 on:
March 12, 2010, 12:05:18 PM »
Your solution might be perfect for
of the "we're not in the mood for this right now" moments. Someone would simply propose the flashback and then the group would agree on whether or not "no impact on next activity" was plausible. If it wasn't, though, we couldn't use it. My hope is still to achieve fun
ever sacrificing the integrity of the fiction.
As GM advice, "make resources portable" might be one of the options toward "avoid situations of many decisions with no pressure"...
here's my blog
, discussing Delve, my game in development
Posts: 469
also known as Josh W
Re: [Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions?
Reply #21 on:
March 12, 2010, 05:08:40 PM »
I didn't state it very clearly in the last post, but my brainwave was that with the dial, you imply that the game can handle every situation that will come up (and it's associated GM-player interactions) at 15 different detail levels. So you can pull back from that, and say, "actually we won't do coffee drinking in bullet time!" but in a way, it would be awesome if you
In terms of making the game work interactively at that the scene summary level, you probably need to set up the basic abstractions at that scale, like (((attack)->fight)->war), so that people can say, "ok I do this" and talk at the appropriate level of abstraction. At the moment the different speeds have cues as to what to ask for, and how to talk IC, but not how to describe your actions. I know I'm just restating the problem here, but hopefully that will help you know where to start.
Hopefully if you get something like that going, it will hopefully still feel like delve in the faster parts, but it will be more like the memories of a busy day; a feeling of the motion, and a few snatches of detail here and there.
The slowdown system makes a lot of sense to me, though obviously it has tactical implications: How we partition the possibility space decides the weighting of a certain type of outcome, you know, "do we win this way this way or this way, or do we lose? roll a d4". You can go further with weighted random switches, or you could specifically watch for that and just sticking duplicate states down. One rule I like is that when dealing with things in the general view, you just turn the situation specific tactics someone would have done into a random factor, so that we know they did something well or badly, just not what it was. It means they can state their strategy from a low detail scale, then roll for extra twists that tactics put into it.
I get a feeling your making things quite hard for yourself by doing that kind of transition though, because although from a system modelling point of view it's cute to automate players responses and your own moment to moment whims with randomisation, it means that you will be filling in a lot of the content that would normally be being created by the players. An alternative? How about you have players suggest what their character might have done when it becomes important, you suggest an alternative where they weren't so on the ball, and they roll to see if their character was lucky enough/had sufficient foresight to predict this situation. In other words unreliable prediction of the future becomes unreliable ability to retroactively use current information. It's a more general version of "your character would have known about this". It would mean that the moon-rock-carving would be spread throughout the later scenes, in lulls or when relevant. How much you could keep reusing a scene would probably need to be kept track of; as they fill up earlier scenes with extra details, the GM would have his priority being to insure that it could plausibly have happened then, pretty much like normal!
The requirement to state in general terms what your guys were up to would also limit this, and the short dialog when deciding it would provide an inspiration for actually coming up with flashback suggestions.
I reckon you won't have to systematise people's coming to agreement, providing the learning curve is smooth enough, and you make it so it's not all meat all the time!
Jeff B
Posts: 24
Re: [Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions?
Reply #22 on:
March 12, 2010, 07:35:01 PM »
Regarding the comments about John, I myself am unable to judge without hearing the tone of voice and feeling the dynamic of the room, whether or not his attitude is causing things to drag.
The problem as I see it is in the stone itself. What I"m writing is not intended as a criticism of the GM in this case, but perhaps illustrating how the GM has laid the perfect trap to catch both the players and himself in a quandary.
The trap functions on various levels. For one, the item is non-portable, so it must be dealt with WHERE IT IS. The stone is an open-ended exercise in creativity: It can be used in a potentially huge number of ways...an EXCESSIVELY huge number of ways. There is the sense that using it incorrectly will be a waste of a terrific resource. There is also a sense that failing to exploit the opportunity now may result in complete waste of the opportunity. But there is also no single, pressing need for an item so as to present an obvious choice or a productive platform for party debate.
In effect, the GM has placed an item and said, "This treasure is worth between zero and one million gold pieces, depending upon how you use it. And you need to use it now [because it can't be moved]." This piques the Gamist instincts of the players, driven to perform as well as they possibly can and reap the greatest possible gain. But the way is completely unclear. The truth is, they don't actually need any one object that desperately. But it's unthinkable to simply waste such an opportunity.
They are also being faced with colliding views of physics. This stone is mythic by nature, but the techniques being employed are physics-bound, (e.g. the discussion of making a whole sword out of stone). If the world is mythic, a fantastic sword should be possible, made entirely of stone. If the world is not mythic, the stone probably should not exist. This stone is a collision point between imagination and fact which causes discomfort.
Solution: 1) Make a similar treasure but which is portable, so it becomes an "ace up the sleeve" of the party. 2) Make the location so secret that they have no fear of it being found and can return in the future, when they know what they want. 3) Give the players a Wish to play with, instead of a physical object. This stone is essentially an unformed wish, but because of its physical nature, they are almost certain to under-utilize its potential; they sense this and are unwilling to leave the stone, even though they'd rather be adventuring.
I might suggest this stone would be better used as a trap laid by a dragon to ensnare whole groups of adventurers at once, as they sit and fret about the potential uses, gradually losing track of their surroundings, eventually falling asleep there, whence they can be easily eaten. The existence of the stone is reminiscent of the way Gandalf the Grey tricked some trolls into arguing amongst themselves until sunrise, whence they all turned to stone, in "The Hobbit".
Paul T
Posts: 369
Re: [Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions?
Reply #23 on:
March 16, 2010, 04:35:55 AM »
I`m curious to hear your thoughts on one of the suggestions above:
How do you feel about mechanics that abstract decision-making on the part of the characters retroactively?
So, for instance, you might say, "let's skip over the interrogation bit, ok, guys?" But if it becomes important much later, you can make a roll based on the character's Interrogation skills or perceptiveness or something, "Well, did you figure out to ask him about the Moon Rock, or were you not smart enough to?" Likewise, various kinds of expertise-related skills might cover for various situations. It could be open to interpretation, too, if that works for your group--like: "John's character is always thinking about covering his back. Let's say he has a very high chance of having kept his eyes on the back door during the banquet in the earlier scene."
C. Edwards
Posts: 558
savage / sublime
Re: [Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions?
Reply #24 on:
March 16, 2010, 01:55:43 PM »
As far as fictional integrity goes, I think it's important to remember that during play we're already skipping over great swathes of activity that we just don't find playworthy or that we don't consider important enough to focus any play time upon. We're playing characters in a fiction, so we have that luxury. If that were not the case we'd be sitting through every bowel movement, every uneventful minute between point A and point B, and so on.
Plus we're dealing with a limited commodity; play time. So we usually skim through even more things that may or may not end up being important or relevant later on down the line. This creates gaps in the fiction that are usually of no consequence. But every so often those gaps are of importance. Short of playing through every minute of a character's life or making players give a vast amount of instruction and detail for the moments we do play out to account for future contingencies, it's almost a necessity to have some way of accounting for what the characters did during those gaps that aren't covered during play.
Most of the time the handling of such situations is completely informal. "You did what back at the stone? Okay, cool." But it doesn't sound like that is really going to sit well for you, Dave. I'm not sure there is an option that is going to fit well with your vision of fictional integrity.
Many games handle physical resources, such as money and food, with a general value or rating. Perhaps such a thing would work to measure the quantity or quality of the characters "gap time" in Delve? Just a thought. It sounds like Paul is proposing the same sort of idea, but with existing character traits.
David Berg
Posts: 612
Re: [Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions?
Reply #25 on:
March 16, 2010, 10:11:49 PM »
Hi guys,
I want to reiterate here that the issue I need help with relates to
meaningful decisions
. Delve skips over and/or summarizes crap that no one cares about just fine.
Also, lest the term "fictional integrity" lug any baggage along with it, let's just say that making decisions in character, using your character's knowledge, is important in Delve. If your character can't wait till problems arise, then time travel back to prior decision points to make optimal decisions in anticipation of said problems, well, then, as a player, your retroactivity options are limited.
So, on to the latest round of ideas:
Best practices: enabling and making decisions
I agree completely with Jeff's assessment of the situation. I am comfortable calling the rock an instance of Bad GMing. The suggestion about the dragon's trap is right on. So, how should Delve GMs avoid such situations? I need some rules of thumb to go along with "don't beg many decisions with no time pressure". Here's one stab:
the more options for a resource, the more important that it be spendable on demand
Portability, secret locations, and Wish magic all strike me as specific implementations of this principle.
To go with this effort on the GM's part, it might be useful to give the players an Adventuring Company's Best Practices guide, with wisdom like, "If you have one thing you're excited about doing, don't worry about probing other opportunities instead. If time and choices not made close some opportunities, fear not; others will always arise."
When is a decision too meaningful to skip, and when isn't it?
Paul and Josh are probing how to establish stuff when the players
comfortable skipping over decisions they could have made. Which isn't going to answer how to proceed when they're
comfortable, but hey, maybe we can find what determines comfort/discomfort and figure out how to expand the comfort zone.
Rendering my quandary inapplicable might be more doable than "solving" it, so I'll do my best.
There was one session of Delve that took place under odd circumstances. John had to miss the session, but we knew he'd be back for the next one. So, I teleported Dan and Merlin's characters off somewhere and gave them a mini adventure. Dan and Merlin knew they had 4 hours to do this adventure and get teleported back home to reunite with John's character. So, we did a fair amount of play in Summary mode.
my journal
Roll 1 Situation:
Having been given directions to the town of Theravia, Dan and Merlin headed there in search of a way to return home.
Roll 1 Objectives:
They told me, "We want to find this Nikolai Ibanescu guy and maybe learn a bit about him. Failing that, we want to talk to the prophet child. We also want to ask everyone we see whether they recognize the 6-circle design from the door that sent us here."
Roll 1:
I picked up Dan's d30, said to myself, "High is good; 20-30 finds Nikolai, 10-20 finds prophet, 0-9 finds nothing," and rolled a 24. Then I made a second roll for the unrelated goal of glyph info, just to make the players think there was some chance they might get it. There wasn't.
Roll 1 Narration:
I told them, "You learn Nikolai has recently returned from being away. He is not well-liked, and some believe him to be in league with the evil on the island. You get directions to his cabin. That's about it. No luck with the 6 circles." I then felt it would be proper to give them some sense of the color of their investigative experience, so I told them about swampy terrain, scarce fields, meager dwellings, and skinny, depressed villagers. A lot of my description was similar to what I would tell them in chunks as they approached and then entered the village.
This worked well for "keeping things moving" purposes, and the sacrifice in experience didn't matter because the PCs left the area. However, we all agreed that more color would have been needed if they'd stuck around.
The rolls I made were not character-specific. In Delve, you play your own brainpower, so there are no ratings on that. "How good are Dan and Merlin at wrangling info out of folks?" is something that vaguely informed my decisions about the odds.
I don't want players to ever have to choose between immersion and effectiveness, so any Persuasion stat you had would need to be clearly less effective than roleplaying some persuasion.
So, given that, my instinct is that "mostly random, but colored by past behavior" is best for die rolls. I think Josh is on my wavelength about this with his luck/foresight idea.
Josh's next idea, to establish outcome limits via "best plausible outcome players can envision" and "worst plausible outcome GM can envision" is interesting! During the communication of those stakes, the past becomes a bit more real. The players' concept is likely to be horribly biased -- it's hard to un-know what you know now, even with a good-faith effort -- but perhaps a spectrum of results will render this not an issue. Like, if the players' and GM's outcomes are both pretty rare, and somewhere in-between is more likely.
In-betweens would be a bitch to moderate impartially, though. And negotiation ("Alright, I'll give you covering the back door, but not overturning the tables." "No! We'd rather have the tables!") would render the results hideously contrived.
I think what this means is that, rather than resolve multiple questions with one roll, it's better to roll for each question. The process takes a little longer, but I don't think that ruins anything. As a matter of fact, this is basically what I was doing in the session with Dan and Merlin.
The next roll:
Roll 2 Situation:
Having convinced Nikolai to come with them to the place they teleported into, the PCs wanted to pump him for info on the walk.
Roll 2 Objectives:
They wanted to know about his plans to fight Theravia's enemies, his affinity for dark powers, his knowledge of the teleporter, his familiarity with the Brotherhood, anything about Dakmour's creepy Nobility, and where he got his weird clothes. They also wanted to convince him that it was not okay for him to kill the guy they were about to meet.
I figured Nikolai would have objectives of his own, wanting to know about all the PCs' magical experiences, particularly those that led up to the teleportation. I asked the PCs what they'd willingly share, and they volunteered a long enough list that I judged it'd occupy the whole trip (they wisely specified a few things they wouldn't share too). If they'd been less generous, I would have had to pose some, "If you don't talk, neither does he," scenarios and maybe roll dice.
Roll 2:
I decided that Nikolai would happily talk honestly about the Nobility, his clothes, and his ignorance of the Brotherhood, so I didn't roll for those. I rolled a d10 each for the remaining 4 topics of interest, deciding that 10 was maximum candor and 1 was refusal. I didn't think about lying; I probably should have.
I rolled high for dark powers, low for teleporter, and middling for enemy plans and "don't kill" compliance.
Roll 2 Narration:
I just fed them info. Very little color beyond, "He brags about X," and, "He won't tell you Y because it's his bargaining chip." We were on the clock at that point, as I needed to end the session and get back to work.
So, to the point: Why were Dan and Merlin comfortable giving up control over the many decisions they'd normally make in play, instead letting me roll randomly?
A lot of it had to do with the limited investment of an isolated one-session adventure. Beyond that, I think:
1) There was a certain enthusiasm about getting to the next big scene quickly. "Will Nikolai try to kill the informant when he realizes this man's been holding Nikolai's child? Let's find out
2) There wasn't any danger. The consequences of failure were investigative dead-ends. And the consequences of those dead-ends were never discussed. I knew what the consequences were, and maybe Dan and Merlin did too from having played with me:
a) "Now you need to think of another plan," and/or
b) "Now you need to pay for info." I think I can safely say that payment in the form of knowledge or small amounts of money would have been acceptable. Paying with weapons, armor, or magic items would have been unacceptable, and prompted them to try a different plan.
Note that this still requires a plan. And "covering bases during planning" is a frequent cause of session slow-down.
The rock-shaping equivalent would be "GM rolls randomly to see what you made." But the cost may well be that awesome magic axe that you later wish you had. In Delve, that's a pretty high cost.
Given the opportunity to just come up with "awesome axe!" and have it so, I'm not sure how often the players will risk "let's do it later, retroactively, with a die roll". If the answer is "only when they're really bored" then that's good enough. If it's "not even when they're really bored" then the problem remains. Perhaps I'll playtest the outcome-limits-defining retroactive resolution and find out.
I already know that Dan will be more willing to use the retroactive system than John will. Again, arbitrating this is an issue of "compromise" versus "most bored wins". How disengaged should Dan let himself get before he says "enough is enough"? I feel like I should give him some guideline on this.
Because goals need establishing before success in them can be resolved, I wonder if it might be necessary to do the following:
When players declare, "We'll skip over this part and establish later what we did," they write down a quick list of general priorities. Not specifics like "hide behind tables", but broad strokes like "best position". The group can then discuss whether these priorities are mutually exclusive, or in other ways not kosher.
Then, when resolution time comes, there'll be less argument about "What's the likelihood you guys would have taken cover while doing all that other stuff?" and fewer questions of "Is it possible to do X, Y
here's my blog
, discussing Delve, my game in development
Posts: 26
Re: [Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions?
Reply #26 on:
April 29, 2010, 07:03:09 AM »
Have you considered some kind of narrative override resource? What I mean is, is there a way for players to push a skipped result after the fact.
Here's my thinking, the players want to do something else but they feel they need to resolve the current situation first. It sounds like what you might want in that situation is way to put that scene on hold and get back to it later. The problem there is that if the scene sets the direction of the later scenes skipping it can make starting the next scene harder.
What I'm suggesting is giving the player a way to establish a few key details and end the scene. They're basically saying "Let's get back to this later. Right now I want to go this way." The idea is to give the players a limited resource that lets them create their own leads for getting out of these sticking points.
David Berg
Posts: 612
Re: [Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions?
Reply #27 on:
April 29, 2010, 11:00:45 PM »
Hey there, I'm not sure how that differs from some of the earlier suggestions in this thread. Care to elaborate?
A good solution to my quandary should be used whenever it can be used; no need to make it a limited resource.
As for establishing facts, remember, players can only do that via character actions! I dunno if that shoots down your idea or not, because I'm not clear on what concrete applications you were envisioning.
here's my blog
, discussing Delve, my game in development
Posts: 26
Re: [Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions?
Reply #28 on:
May 01, 2010, 07:40:28 AM »
The idea was to let the player's push for a desired follow up scene without needing to resolve the problem scene first. This may very well involve establishing fact, even it it's just "we found a lead to this last scene". You want that as a limited ability so a player doesn't just skip with impunity. Another way of handling that would be with a unanimous vote.
It looks like your setting up restrictions that make this a very hard problem to solve. Let me see if I've got this right.
1) For certain situations, the next scene will depend on the outcome of the current scene.
2) In some of those situations, the current scene is not something the players want to engage in at the moment.
3) The players have no way of getting an outcome without going through the steps in character.
Is that about right? If so I have no idea how you intend to fix that without either decoupling the linkage in point 1 or adding some kind of shortcuts to point 3.
David Berg
Posts: 612
Re: [Delve] fast-forwarding through meaningful decisions?
Reply #29 on:
May 01, 2010, 09:14:25 PM »
Yeah, sorry, although your idea sounds like it could be cool in another context, I don't think it's compatible with some of the foundations of Delve I've described.
here's my blog
, discussing Delve, my game in development
« previous
next »
Jump to:
Please select a destination:
Welcome to the Archives
=> Welcome to the Archives
General Forge Forums
=> First Thoughts
=> Playtesting
=> Endeavor
=> Actual Play
=> Publishing
=> Connections
=> Conventions
=> Site Discussion
=> RPG Theory
=> GNS Model Discussion
=> Indie Game Design
Independent Game Forums
=> Adept Press
=> Arkenstone Publishing
=> Beyond the Wire Productions
=> Black and Green Games
=> Bully Pulpit Games
=> Dark Omen Games
=> Dog Eared Designs
=> Eric J. Boyd Designs
=> Errant Knight Games
=> Galileo Games
=> glyphpress
=> Green Fairy Games
=> Half Meme Press
=> Incarnadine Press
=> lumpley games
=> Muse of Fire Games
=> ndp design
=> Night Sky Games
=> one.seven design
=> Robert Bohl Games
=> Stone Baby Games
=> These Are Our Games
=> Twisted Confessions
=> Universalis
=> Wild Hunt Studios
Inactive Forums
=> My Life With Master Playtest
=> Adamant Entertainment
=> Bob Goat Press
=> Burning Wheel
=> Cartoon Action Hour
=> Chimera Creative
=> CRN Games
=> Destroy All Games
=> Evilhat Productions
=> HeroQuest
=> Key 20 Publishing
=> Memento-Mori Theatricks
=> Mystic Ages Online
=> Orbit
=> Scattershot
=> Seraphim Guard
=> Wicked Press
=> Review Discussion
=> XIG Games
=> SimplePhrase Press
=> The Riddle of Steel
=> Random Order Creations
=> Forge Birthday Forum
Powered by SMF 1.1.11
SMF © 2006-2009, Simple Machines LLC
design by


text:
20 September 2011
Tuesday's Tip – Penny For Your Thoughts?
As often happens with genealogical research, I took a bit of a hiatus from my blogging. It certainly wasn't intentional, but life happens. Heh. So, if you're new here, or just need a quick 'catch-up', I'm a consulting Archivist who's been doing my own genealogical research for a little over 15 years. I was spurred into action by the death of my grandmother (she was 97!), and my mom's wish to find out if we were really eligible to be members of the Daughters of the American Revolution and descendants of William Penn (yes and no). By early 1997, I'd found a line (Burrows) that confirmed our eligibility for the DAR and our paperwork was on its way. But I'd caught the bug. It's not so much a bug as a…a passion, for genealogy.
Of course, doing research in 1997 was very different from today when we have so many wonderful on-line resources available to us. It's truly remarkable the amount of material that's been digitized or indexed, and how easy it is to locate. Websites such as Cyndi's List and Heritage Quest make getting accurate and reliable information easier still. And of course, there are the 'tried and true's; places like the Newberry Library, LDS, local historical repositories, etc. for locating evidence of our ancestors.
But what about non-traditional resources? I found one that would have NEVER occurred to me. I blogged about the fact my family's oral history included a story that one (or more) of my ancestors emigrated from Europe in the 1860s, but came to the United States via Brazil. When a benevolent distant cousin sent me a letter, there was also mention of Brazil. I was truly confounded by how, and more importantly why, anyone would have purposely gone to Brazil in the early 1860s from Europe.
I hope you'll humor me the quick history lesson, since I found this fascinating, and pertinent, to my search. Brazil was ruled by Emperor Dom Pedro II from 1831 to 1889. He was the son of Pedro I of Brazil, also known as Pedro IV of Portugal and Maria Leopoldina of Austria. He was only 5 when his father abdicated and returned to Portugal. His rule was long and beneficial for Brazil with the height of his reign falling in the late 1850s to mid 1860s, right about the time my ancestors would have been there.
How could I find out whether or not they'd actually been there? Again, keep in mind, this is 1997. There weren't a lot of resources for Brazilian information, and the little bit was in Portuguese…which I hadn't learned yet. (I know enough to be dangerous). I threw up my hands in frustration, and moved on to verifying other lines in the family.
And then, one afternoon somewhere around 2006, while I was visiting my parents, my mom asked me if I'd take her father's coin collection to have it appraised. Victor Wersel had kept it as one of his prized possessions, and my mom held onto it dearly as a remembrance of him. But times were tight, and she was hoping to be able to possibly sell some of it. I took the collection, having no intention of parting with this treasured family keepsake. Whenever mom asked about it, I always told her that I hadn't gotten around to locating someone to look at it; in a few years time, with her memory failing her, she stopped asking.
Late last year, I was cleaning out my "research closet", the closet where I keep my Hollinger boxes filled with my research, when I saw the leather binder of coins. It was a dreary day, and I decided to take it out, scan the coins so I'd have a visual record of each one, and create a proper inventory for insurance purposes. Guess what I found?
That's right! This is a 40 reis coin from Brazil. There's also a 20 reis coin that's worn too badly to be able to date. But, I am confident, confident, that this coin did not find its way surreptitiously into my grandfather's collection. It is just one more piece in the puzzle, and a wonderful, albeit untraditional, resource for my research. What resources have you come upon that may not be 'mainstream'?
4 comments:
What a saga! Just shows that we have to be intuitive and creative in tracing our family trees. Thank you so much for sharing this story.ReplyDelete
Marian, thanks for your comment! That's what appeals to me the most about genealogical research...you MUST be creative in locating the pieces of the puzzle. And thank you, for taking the time to read my blog...I appreciate it!ReplyDelete
Marian, thanks for your comment! That's what appeals to me the most about genealogical research...you MUST be creative in locating the pieces of the puzzle. And thank you, for taking the time to read my blog...I appreciate it!ReplyDelete
What a great find, Laura. You never know when that missing puzzle piece will present itself!ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Blog Archive
- ► 2013 (34)
- ► 2012 (53)


text:
The University of Colorado risks losing nearly $1 billion a year in federal funding because of the looming decriminalization of marijuana in this state under Amendment 64, President Bruce Benson warned alumni in an e-mail sent late Friday night.
That message quickly drew a pointed response from U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, who took to Twitter to decry Benson's e-mail as "false and misleading" and claim that "the president of CU should not spread lies about the will of Colorado voters just because he personally disagrees."
In his e-mail, Benson, a Republican, notes he personally opposed Amendment 64 and "worked on my own time to defeat it." Since the measure's passage by voters last month, Benson wrote, CU is trying to determine the implications it will have on the university.
"Marijuana threatens to cost the university nearly a billion dollars annually in federal revenue, money we can ill afford to lose," Benson wrote. "The glaring practical problem is that we stand to lose significant federal funding. CU must comply with the federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, which compels us to ban illicit drugs from campus.
"Our campuses bring in more than $800 million in federal research funds, not to mention nearly an additional $100 million in funding for student financial aid. The loss of that funding would have substantial ripple effects on our students and our state. CU contributes $5.3 billion to Colorado's economy annually, a good portion of it derived from our research."
Polis, in string of tweets, called Benson's claims "FALSE," adding, "Nothing in Amend64 requires CU let marijuana on campus" and "CU has made great progress in improving its reputation but President Benson jeopardizes it by pushing his personal opposition to Amend 64."
Polis, at an unrelated event on Saturday in Boulder, called Benson's e-mail -- sent after 11 p.m. Friday -- a "bizarre midnight tirade."
"I call on President Benson to retract his statement and clarify that CU's federal funding is not in danger," Polis said. "This can hurt the reputation of the university by scaring parents and students."
And in an e-mailed statement, Polis noted, "The legality of marijuana in Colorado tomorrow will not impact CU any more than the legality of alcohol today," and noted that the university's existing campus ban on drugs and alcohol already satisfies federal requirements to ban drugs.
In response to the criticism, university spokesman Ken McConnellogue said on Saturday that Polis has a been a good friend to the university and his opinion is valued, but disputed that Benson's e-mail was factually inaccurate.
"The fact is we have an obligation to comply with federal law and one of the consequences if you don't is a loss of federal funding, so I don't know what is false," he said.
Since the passage of Amendment 64 last month, CU officials have repeatedly said that marijuana use will remain prohibited on the Boulder campus. On an informational Web page about Colorado's impending legalization, CU officials note that the "passage of the law does not permit use of marijuana on university grounds, in university buildings, facilities, or public areas."
McConnellogue said Benson's e-mail was not meant to stir fears about the impacts of Amendment 64, but rather to answer questions from some alumni and clarify the university's position on an issue that has received national media attention.
"Any threats to our funding are threats that need to be taken seriously," he said.
Since being named CU president in 2008, Benson has been a staunch opponent of marijuana legalization and worked to stamp out the annual 4/20 on-campus marijuana smoke-out -- efforts he vowed to continue in his e-mail Friday. In 2012, the CU administration and student government combined to spend $278,797.52 to curtail the smoke-out.
Mason Tvert, a co-director of the campaign in favor of Amendment 64 and a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, said the amendment in no way requires CU to allow marijuana on its campuses. He said he hopes Benson will someday understand that a majority of Colorado voters do not favor police resources being dedicated to low-level marijuana enforcement.
"It's unfortunate that the leader of our state's university system is on the wrong side of history and prefers to needlessly continue the arrest of adults simply for possessing marijuana," Tvert said.
Contact Camera Staff Writer Joe Rubino at 303-473-1328 or email@example.com.


text:
Police would need court approval to seize pictures, text messages or other material on cell phones or other personal electronic devices under a bill approved Monday by a Senate committee over the objection of police and prosecutors.
"It's very important that we secure information that I believe is private," said the bill's sponsor, Sen. Jeff Brandes, citing the proliferation of personal information that now is stored on people's cells and tablets.
The Senate Criminal Justice Committee approved the bill (SB 846) on a 5-2 vote, sending it next to the Judiciary Committee. It also needs approval from the Appropriations Committee before it can go to the floor. A House companion bill (HB 797) by Rep. Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami, is awaiting its first committee hearing.
Currently, police can search the possessions – including the contents of a personal electronic device - of someone who is arrested. The bill would require a warrant except under certain circumstances, including scenarios related to national security and missing children.
Sign Up and Save
Get six months of free digital access to the Miami Herald
The bill also would require police to get a court to sign off on informational tracking of an electronic device for investigative purposes.
Law enforcement officials noted that the question of search and seizure rules related to personal electronic devices are the subject of two cases pending before the Florida Supreme Court.
In Smallwood v. State, a cell phone search was upheld by the 1st District Court of Appeal, though it asked the state Supreme Court to weigh in. In Tracey v. State, the 4th District Court of Appeal ruled on real-time tracking of such devices, finding that people have no real expectation of privacy while driving around on the open road – but also acknowledged that the changing nature of technology for cell phone tracking begged for a higher court ruling on the issue.
The top lawyer at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said lawmakers should wait to avoid a situation where the new law might be at odds with a Supreme Court decision.
"We'll be in a mess trying to figure out … what is the law," said Michael Ramage, FDLE's general counsel.
But Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, brushed off the idea of waiting for a court ruling. Courts, interpret the laws legislators write, he said.
"We are elected to make them," said Brandes. "We'd be sending a strong message to all Floridians that this Legislature will stand up for the Fourth Amendment to the (U.S.) Constitution."
Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, who was a prosecutor in the 1990s, and Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, a former sheriff, voted against the bill.


text:
Matt Harvey settled down after a rocky two-run first inning to produce one of his most impressive starts of the season in a 3-2 victory at Wrigley Field. The victory was the Mets' second straight after losing six in a row.
ON THE MOUND: Flirting with perfection is one thing, but pulling it together when it isn't going well is more indicative of what he'll normally face. Harvey gave up three hits in the first inning and only two after, at one point retiring 14 straight.. … In 7.1 innings, Harvey gave up two runs on five hits and no walks with six strikeouts. … Bobby Parnell worked the ninth for his fifth save.
AT THE PLATE: David Wright homered in the first, Daniel Murphy homered to tie the game in the fourth, and Harvey drove in the game-winner with a seventh-inning single. … Wright had three hits. He also stole his ninth base. … Ike Davis snapped a 0-for-25 slide with a single in the sixth.
IN THE FIELD: Davis missed coming up with Ruben Tejada's one-bouncer that allowed two runs to score in the first. Amazingly, the official scorer gave Alfonso Soriano an infield hit and a throwing error to Ruben Tejada. … Marlon Byrd threw out Darwin Barney at the plate to preserve the lead in the eighth inning.
METS MATTERS: Zack Wheeler returned to Triple-A Las Vegas and resumed throwing today. He received a cortisone injection in the AC joint of his right shoulder Wednesday. … Terry Collins suggested a platoon with Justin Turner at first base and/or dropping him to fifth in the order if his problems continue.
THEY SAID IT: "The run support has been lacking, but most of our starters can complain about run support the last couple of weeks. … Pitching, run support and defense; we got all three of those.'' – Wright on Harvey's performance.
BY THE NUMBERS: 18: First-pitch strikes thrown out of 27 hitters faced by Harvey.
ON DECK: Jeremy Hefner attempts to win for the first time in eight starts Saturday afternoon.
Your comments are appreciated and I will attempt to answer them. Please follow me on Twitter @jdelcos