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Monday, August 22, 2011
Loving Luis Perez and Other Weekend Reflections
Well then. Who among you knew who the hell Luis Perez was coming into this season? (And if you're getting all like Horshack, straining to raise your arm until you throw out your shoulder, shouting "Ow ow ow...Mr. Kot-Tao! I knew who he was", then just stop. You didn't. You saw him on the 40-man roster and thought: "Who dat?")
Perez' start yesterday, impressive though it may have been, was far too small a snapshot for us to draw any real conclusions. But in a year in which the Jays have required 11 pitchers to take the ball at the start of the game, Perez has been a pleasantly surprising asset. He's shown himself to be a respectable arm who can throw hard and down in the zone and eat bullpen innings, and to get through 162 games, you need someone dependable to do just that.
One more question: Who figured that on August 22, Luis Perez would be rocking the same 0.3 WAR as Jason Frasor, Frank Francisco, and Shawn Camp? And that he would have produced more value than Jon Rauch, Octavio Dotel and Kyle Drabek combined?
Oh, of course you did, smarty pants.
Frankly, on Franky Frank
When Frank Francisco couldn't answer the call yesterday afternoon, we saw mostly joyous exaltations of Casey Janssen and jovial ribbing of the Jays sorta-not-really closer. And yet, it bears mentioning that Francisco's output since his terrible outing in Cleveland on July 7th has been pretty exemplary. Just one run allowed in 13.1 IPs with 11 strikeouts and one walk. Hitters posted a .204 OBP against him, and he hasn't allowed an inherited runner to score.
So before you make your comments about how it won't be a big loss to replace Franky with whatever random organizational arm we can scrounge up, think about how that tomato can is going to replace those numbers as opposed to a couple of disaster outings in the distant annals of the season.
Kyle Davies Is a Blue Jay
A number of you flipped this news to us on the weekend, and the weird thing is that when we'd heard that the Royals were giving him the heave-ho, we had this sneaking suspicion that the Jays would pick him up. We won't embarass ourself with some sort of rationalization of how he's an arm that might have something left and worth a flyer, because he's really been terrible since his not-awful 2008 season.
Then we reach for out standard "...but still...you never know...", only to be reminded of how Jo-Jo Reyes' opponents have OPSed .910 against him since his rebirth as an Oriole.
And yet...He's an arm. You never know.
House of Grim
Is there any more depressing sight than watching your team struggle against the A's in Oakland? Watching as much of the games as we could (usually on some errand-induced delay), it was just a depressing vibe to see the Jays whiff and pop up into the expansive foul territory of the deserted Alameda County Mausoleum.
For whatever history that team has in that market, they've got to get out of that stadium and out of that town. The San José A's has a ring to it.
11 comments:
- allisauce said...
You can make the case tat FF has been quite good for longer than that, too. Since June 1, he's had a 2.74 ERA, striking out 23 while walking 7 in 23 IP.
- August 22, 2011 at 1:14 PM
- Callum said...
The Coliseum is truly the most awful ballpark I have ever set foot in.
- August 22, 2011 at 1:24 PM
- rwag said...
I wrote about the Davies signing on my blog yesterday. In short, not a bad zero-risk, medium reward ply.
In full:
De3buting in this game for the 51s was the newest member of the Blue Jays' system, RHP Kyle Davies (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K), recently released by the Kansas City Royals. A former top prospect of the Atlanta Braves, Davies was traded to the Royals back in 2007 in exchange for RHP Octavio Dotel (small world!) as new Royals GM Dayton Moore sought to fill his organization with as many members of his ex-employer's system as possible. Receiving chance after chance for the Royals over approximately 4 full seasons, Davies put up some of the worst pitching seasons since the happy ball 1930′s. The reports on his stuff remained positive, as he pitches in the low-mid 90′s, with decent secondary pitches. It seems his command was not strong enough to get batters out consistently. It has been suggested in some circles that Davies has the tools to make a decent reliever. Like most pitchers, he has been more effective (relatively speaking) the first time through the batting order than in subsequent matchups. His appearance in the 8th inning of a close game here suggests that the Jays are going to try him in that role. This is a good low-risk, medium reward move by the organization.
- August 22, 2011 at 1:33 PM
- Drew said...
Jays fans love to talk about Fenway park being cheap and the Red Sox cheaters for playing in said park. How is that toilet not cheating? Ricky Romero would win the Cy Young every year if he pitched there.
- August 22, 2011 at 2:07 PM
Two surprising factors to the Davies signing for me:
1. The AAA season is over in three weeks - are they that desperate for arms in Vegas that it's worth picking him up now?
2. Given that he was popped for disorderly intoxication the day before the Royals gave him his walking papers, he doesn't exactly fit with AA's stated preference for players with 'character'.
- August 22, 2011 at 2:36 PM
- Tao of Stieb said...
Drew - Somehow, it only seems to be cheating when it pumps up offense. But watching a bunch of low scoring games this weekend, I can see how Barry Zito made his bones in that park. It's crazy.
mlaffs - Not sure if the deal with Davies was that the disorderly intoxication was part of a larger issue, or if it was just the last straw on top of a bad few years. Scouts always loved his arm, if not the results. I can imagine a room full of scouts would have clamoured for giving him a shot.
Raiders of Baseball, yo!
- August 22, 2011 at 2:52 PM
More on Jokeland's stadium:
"well, first of all, and to get it out of the way before all those asshats in the comments who've never actually been to our fair city make the tired joke, it's in oakland. second of all, mt fuckin' davis. not only did it replace a spectacular view with an eyesore that reminds all in attendance of the corpse that ruined oakland sports, it also fucked with the wind patterns to the point where, on the worst nights, it can be downright candlestick-esque. this is particularly harrowing for me as it brings back memories of a drunken father, a shitty team, and a darker time when i was, ugh, a giants fan. third, it's a big old mess of concrete and plastic seemingly designed only for sterile functionality which, aside from the few planted areas outside the stadium, would look more at home in the eastern bloc than the east bay. add to that the fact that it's situated between the nimitz freeway, a mostly stagnant bay runoff, the train tracks, industrial wasteland, and one of oakland's gnarliest neighborhoods and you've got the basic foundations for the world's stereotype of our city. on the plus side though, it's not in fremont, i've never had an easier time smuggling in booze, and you can generally find a joint rotation to weasel your way into in the smoking section." (Ian H.)
- August 23, 2011 at 12:59 AM
The TORONTO BLUE JAYS have acquired 2B KELLY JOHNSON from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for 2B AARON HILL and IF JOHN McDONALD. The Blue Jays will also recall C BRIAN JEROLOMAN from Las Vegas of the Pacific Coast League (AAA).
- August 23, 2011 at 3:36 PM
Hey, Alameda County Coliseum's OK. Yeah, Raider Nation may not be everybody's cup of tea but security is good and -- oh, you're talking about baseball -- oh, well then yeah, it sucks, and not too many people want to take a family of little kids into Oaktown.
Don't hold your breath on any changes though. Ask anybody who's lived in California lately just how hard it's become to build anything, develop anything, do anything there -- it's pathetic.
- August 23, 2011 at 10:35 PM
- @dwbudd said...
I lived in San Jose, Calif for many years, and had the "good fortune" to spend several evenings a the Coliseum watching what at the time were pretty mediocre to awful A's teams (the mid-90s were not a glory days for Oakland). They did put together some good teams later on, but still, no one came to the "park" to watch.
In reality, the Coliseum had everything going for it as the worst stadium in the big leagues. Location? Tucked in between the Nimitz Freeway and a mess of freight and BART tracks, within gunshot distance of the war zone otherwise known as the Fruitvale Neighbourhood. It was a nightmare to get there (the Nimitz was regularly one of the worst commutes in the Bay area, and that is saying a lot; the alternative was to drive from the Valley up to Fremont, which required 30 minutes on the Nimitz parking lot, and then BART to the Coliseum station - not the safest way to travel). The stadium was sterile and unwelcoming. Massive, poured concrete facades; little to no organic charm. A mile from the seats to the field. Poor visibility. And the evenings in Oakland in the "summer" are not warm. The ushers were surly and rude. The team was being run on the cheap, so anyone who was any good was quickly gone.
All in all, if I were not a transplanted Jays' fan, I would not have bothered.
For what it's worth, Candlestick Park was really only marginally better - another frigid, unwelcoming park set amongst one of the worst neighbourhoods in San Francisco, with few options to get to - the Bayshore Freeway was if anything, worse than the Nimitz, and there was NO public transport to the Stick...
- August 24, 2011 at 9:18 AM
- www.segovia-3d.com said...
Quite worthwhile info, much thanks for the post.
- October 30, 2011 at 1:29 PM


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Short romances! Great stories! Available on Amazon on April 14th. My birthday!
All of my stories take place in Western PA, since I am a native of Pittsburgh. I began writing in 1996, when I lived in Erie, PA and continued writing after I moved to Florida. As a Mainstream Romance Writer, all my settings are real and my characters are true-to-life people. I am very passionate about my writing. I do hope you will enjoy my books.

subset: commoncrawl


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orionpax76 wrote:great collection!looks a lot like my tf room.we set ours up the same way.lol.great link sword and shield too.mebbe i should hang up my buster sword and gunblade.i am inspired.
Thanks dude. I love how the Master Sword and Hylian Shield compliment the collection. You should definitely hang up your swords. I'd love to see pics of that, especially since you say our setup is similar.


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Speed Racer Pictures, Videos, Cast and Plot
Directed by: Lilly Wachowski Lana Wachowski
Written by: Lilly Wachowski Lana Wachowski
Cast: Emile Hirsch Christina Ricci John Goodman Susan Sarandon Matthew Fox Hiroyuki Sanada Richard Roundtree Ji Jung
Studio: Warner Bros
Genre: Action
Official Site: http://www.speedracerthemovie.com
Release Date: 2008-05-09 (wide)
Born to race cars, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless. His only real competition is the memory of the brother he idolized—the legendary Rex Racer, whose death in a race has left behind a legacy that Speed is driven to fulfill. Speed is loyal to the family racing business, led by his father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), the designer of Speed's thundering Mach 5. When Speed turns down a lucrative and tempting offer from Royalton Industries, he not only infuriates the company's maniacal owner (Roger Allam) but uncovers a terrible secret—some of the biggest races are being fixed by a handful of ruthless moguls who manipulate the top drivers to boost profits. If Speed won't drive for Royalton, Royalton will see to it that the Mach 5 never crosses another finish line. The only way for Speed to save his family's business and the sport he loves is to beat Royalton at his own game. With the support of his family and his loyal girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), Speed teams with his one-time rival—the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox)—to win the race that had taken his brother's life: the death-defying, cross-country rally known as The Crucible.


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Images Powered by Leonardo
The mountains just inland from the Los Angeles area tend to trap air pollutants, resulting in smog, an unhealthy haze that, at its worst, can give the sky a brownish hue (smog alerts are most frequent during the last half of August and much of September). If the smog level is high, you may have to restrict your outdoor activities. If you have respiratory problems—including common allergies or sinus problems—let your doctor know you'll be in a high-pollution area and ask for advice.
The hot, dry Santa Ana winds (which usually come in fall and winter) blow with less intensity in Los Angeles than elsewhere in Southern California, though dust clouds may occasionally powder some parts of the city (and like the smog, wreak havoc on sinus sufferers). Coastal cities usually don't experience the Santa Anas at all.
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After adding quarterbacks AJ McCarron and Jason Campbell this offseason, the Cincinnati Bengals cut ties with Josh Johnson.
Johnson was the primary backup for Andy Dalton last season. He appeared in two games, threw zero passes and ran the ball seven times for 20 yards.
The 27-year-old spent four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and signed with the Cleveland Browns late in 2012 before spending last season in Cincy.
The Bengals announced Johnson's release while adding 10 undrafted free agents headlined by Texas guard Trey Hopkins and Stanford tight end/H-back Ryan Hewitt.
The "Around The League Podcast" wrapped up the draft by picking our winners and losers.


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In the Navajo community, witchcraft is viewed with the highest contempt and is a very serious crime. But the most volatile and dangerous of these witches is the yenaldlooshi, which when translated means "with it, he goes on all fours" or "he that walks like an animal." Also known as the Mai-Coh or Limmikin, it is more commonly known by outsiders as the Skinwalker. These people are witches that shapeshift into animals using magic animal skins. These people are evil to the core, bent on nothing more than destroying the lives of those around them.
The Skinwalker, while most commonly male, may be of either gender (some are even transvestites). As mentioned earlier, the Skinwalker is a type of shapeshifting witch that uses enchanted animal hides to initiate a transformation into any animal that they desire, but the most common animal forms taken by the Skinwalker are those of a wolf, a coyote, a fox, a dog, a cougar, a bear, a crow, or an owl. The shape taken by the witch depends on the sort of abilities that it may need for a given period of time. The skins of the wolf, the coyote, the dog, and the fox grant stamina, enhanced senses, and the ability to traverse great distances at speed, while the bear gives great strength, endurance, and formidable claws and teeth. The cougar's hide bestows speed, grace, and stealth, and the form of the crow and the owl gives keen vision, sharp talons, and the ability to soar through the air without alerting anyone to its presence. The Skinwalker may use its abilities to fight off or escape pursuers, with the power of each animal giving it decisive advantages in a life-or-death situation. It is said that the animal form of the Skinwalker is larger and more powerful than any natural beast. To the Navajo, the Skinwalker is regarded as having a preternatural degree of strength, speed, endurance, agility, and animalistic cunning whilst in animal form, in addition to having human intelligence. This creature is said to be able to run faster than a car, and is able to jump mesa cliffs with little effort. In addition to being a dark adept (that is, a practitioner of the dark arts), the Skinwalker may be regarded as a sort of werebeast, one that is very similar to the European Werewolf.
In order to become a Skinwalker, the witch must commit an unthinkable crime: murdering an immediate relative. This is a very serious taboo to the Navajo people, and is a terrible crime regardless of one's cultural heritage. As was said earlier, the Skinwalker is evil to the core, most being homicidal and violent. The creature cares for nobody other than itself, and the Skinwalker most often kills out of greed, anger, envy, spite, or revenge. The creature resorts to grave robbery to increase its own personal wealth, as well as to collect much-needed ingredients for use in its own brand of black magic. Yet another common method of becoming wealthy used by Navajo witches is the unethical practice of fee-splitting. This is done when a Skinwalker causes a victim to become ill, and a healer (usually a witch himself) heals the victim. The healer is then paid, and the culprits then split the proceeds, each taking half of his or her share.
It is said that some particularly powerful Skinwalkers have the power to steal the skin or the body of a victim. By merely locking eyes with the intended victim, the Skinwalker can absorb that person into its body, effectively enabling the creature to become that person at will. This may be somewhat like hypnosis, and the stronger the victim's will, the more difficult it is for the Skinwalker to take possession of the victim's body. In theory, the absorption attempt may be able to be resisted, although only if the victim's will is stronger than that of the Skinwalker. When the Skinwalker takes over a victim's body, it takes complete control, making the victim say and do things that are completely beyond their ability to control. And all the while, the victim remains fully conscious and alert to the horrors being committed with their body, and all the while being helpless to stop it. Exactly how this is done isn't really known.
However, the Skinwalker's eyes may be the key to identifying the creature in its human form. The Skinwalker will avoid bright lights when it can, not because it causes the creature any harm, but because the eyes of a Skinwalker burn red like coals in a fire. When the Skinwalker is in animal form, its eyes do not glow at all. It is said that, in addition to being able to shapeshift, the Skinwalker is also able to control the creatures of the night and to make them do its bidding. Some Skinwalkers are necromancers, able to call up the spirits of the dead and to possibly reanimate the corpses of the recently dead to attack their enemies. The Navajo themselves absolutely refuse to touch a corpse, for fear of accidentally summoning the shade of the deceased or making oneself vulnerable to the Skinwalker's dark magic.
Except for an animal skin, the Skinwalker prefers to go about naked, even in the dead of winter. Because of the Skinwalker's choice of shapeshifting into predatory animals, wearing the skins of those particular animals is a major taboo, and is deeply frowned upon by the Navajo community. Wearing the hide of a sheep or a cow is acceptable, but if an individual should choose to wear the skin of a predator, he is liable to be accused of being a Skinwalker. The Skinwalker is also known for wearing the skulls of the animals it becomes in addition to their skin, which is said to bring additional power to the witch. Sometimes, the Skinwalker does not do evil of its own accord, but instead works under the will of another. Occasionally, a truly vile person will hire the Skinwalker to perpetrate some evil deed, for which the Skinwalker will be amply rewarded. When it comes down to punishing the Skinwalker if it is caught in the act (a rarity, indeed), Navajo law is very direct and straightforward when it comes to witchcraft: when a person becomes a witch, they immediately forfeit their humanity and their right to exist, and thus the Skinwalker can be killed without any legal or moral consequences.
The Skinwalker and most Navajo witches are usually active at night, when they are less likely to be seen and they may conduct their profane rituals in secrecy. These rituals are the Native American equivalent of the European Black Mass, which undoubtedly involves bloodletting, sex, and desecration of religious icons. Navajo witchcraft itself is known as the "Witchery Way," in which the magic revolves around the use of human corpses in various concoctions that are designed to curse, harm, or even to kill an intended victim. The four basic ways of Navajo witchcraft are "Witchery, Sorcery, Wizardry, and Frenzy." These ways have no connection to European witchcraft, but are merely additional pieces of Navajo spirituality. According to these beliefs, people must live in harmony with each other and the Earth. It also teaches that there are two types of beings: the Earth People (humans) and the Holy People. These entities are invisible spirit beings that have the ability to either help or harm people. The Navajo also take a spiritual approach to sickness, disease, and personal problems. These things are believed to be due to disorder within an individual's life, and they can be remedied with prayer, singing, various herbs, help from a shaman, and traditional rituals. However, there is a dark side to the religion. While the shaman uses his knowledge to heal and to help his people, there are others (like the Skinwalker) who use witchcraft to direct and control supernatural forces in order to cause harm, misfortune, sickness, or death to others. But despite this, Navajo witchcraft is only another aspect of the Navajo religion as a whole.
In regards to magical practices, Skinwalkers are said to gather in small groups in dark caves in order to initiate new members, plot their activities, kill people from a distance with black magic, engage in necrophilia with female corpses, and to commit cannibalism, incest, and grave robbery. Here, they perform their dark ceremonial rites, which are blasphemous mockeries of traditional Navajo religious ceremonies. Instead of sprinkling pollen (which is sacred to the Navajo and is used for blessing), the Skinwalkers scatter dust made from the powdered bones of infants in order to curse their victims. The Skinwalkers use bows carved from human shinbones to attack their victims, while the arrows are made of hardwood and tipped with flint (the arrowheads themselves may be cursed). They also make traditional sand paintings using colored ash, upon which the Skinwalkers will spit, urinate, and defecate, profaning and desecrating the religious nature of these paintings, which are usually of their intended victims. The leader of the Skinwalkers is usually an old man, perhaps a very powerful and long-lived Skinwalker. A small feast may take place, during which the participants eat coyotes and owls, as well as a type of ground-up blue lizard. As stated earlier, the Skinwalker goes about naked, wearing only beaded jewelry and ceremonial paint. All the while, they sit around in a circle and walk or run on all fours, singing or howling like wolves.
The Navajo themselves fear the Skinwalker so much that they are very hesitant to speak with outsiders about these creatures, and absolutely refuse to speak about it at night. One might suppose that this is a variation of the phrase "Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear." The Navajo fear any consequences or attacks from the Skinwalker in retaliation for allowing outsiders to meddle in their affairs. In regards as to how the Skinwalker actually chooses to attack its victims, the methods are both numerous and terrible. It may choose to bite and claw the victim to death in its animal form, but the Skinwalker is usually far more subtle. At times, the Skinwalker will try to break into a home in order to frighten, harm, or kill the inhabitants. Each Navajo home (called a hogan) has a small opening in the thatched roof to provide ventilation. The Skinwalker takes advantage of this by making use of a deadly dust, known as corpse powder, made from dried and powdered human remains. The corpse powder may be sprinkled through these holes, causing grave sickness and eventual death to those dwelling within. If this powder is blown into a victim's face, it causes the tongue to turn black and to begin swelling, followed by convulsions, paralysis, and the eventual death of the victim. It is said that the corpses of children, especially twins, are the best source for this powder.
The Skinwalker may make strange sounds, like banging on the walls, knocking on the windows, and scraping noises on the roof. These noises are all signs that the Skinwalker is out and about, trying to gain the attention of its victim. Rarely, an animalistic, beastlike figure may be seen standing outside of a window, looking inside with glowing red or yellow eyes and a fanged snarl on its face. This ferocious creature (possibly the Skinwalker's man-beast form) will attack vehicles in hopes of causing a serious or even fatal accident. The Skinwalker is described as being extremely fast, agile, and impossible to catch. Attempting to shoot or otherwise kill the Skinwalker is usually unsuccessful, and the Skinwalker itself may even seek revenge for the attempt on its life.
According to Navajo legend, the Skinwalker has the power to read human thoughts, allowing it to use the victim's own fears and secrets against them. The Skinwalker has the ability to control the minds of its victims, forcing them to comply with whatever the Skinwalker may have in mind. The Skinwalker is also able to mimic any human or animal sounds it chooses, perhaps using the voice of a loved one to lure a potential victim out of his or her home. It may also use this ability to distract homeowner so that it may steal property (like livestock) or to escape. The Skinwalker is adept in the use of black magic, using charms, chants, and spells to induce supernatural fear into its chosen victims, so that it may manipulate them into doing the Skinwalker's bidding. It may use this ability to induce fear to curse its victims or even to kill them. It is possible that the Skinwalker's very presence induces supernatural fear into both people and animals. The Skinwalker has a wide variety of weapons at its disposal, in addition to the human shinbone bows and arrows mentioned earlier. One of the most potent of these is a tiny bone pellet, which is fired from a blowgun into a victim's body. These pellets imbed themselves into the skin without leaving so much as a mark, and afterwards causes sickness, social misfortune, and eventual death. Bone dust, once again made from ground-up infant bones, induces bodily paralysis and eventual heart failure. Another spell that the Skinwalker uses to kill is done by acquiring some of its victim's hair, wrapping it around a potshard, and placing it into a tarantula's hole. Live rattlesnakes may be released into the victim's dwelling or his bed, causing him to grow sick and die from the rattlesnake's bite. The Skinwalker also loves to cause trouble between the world of the living and the realm of the dead. The Skinwalker digs up a corpse, severs a finger or another small body part, and hides it inside the home of the intended victim. The ghost of the deceased will rise from the grave in search of its missing body part, and will then haunt whoever possesses it. The home's owners will be both confused and terrified as to why this is happening to them.
The Skinwalker is notoriously hard to kill, and defeating one requires the assistance of a powerful shaman, who knows spells and rituals that can turn the Skinwalker's evil back upon itself. These medicine men charge an exorbitant fee for their services, but most victims are more than willing to pay after being unduly harassed by the Skinwalker. As for more mundane means, attempting to shoot or otherwise kill one of these creatures is usually unsuccessful, as the Skinwalker can use its magic to make guns jam, and can even stop the bullets in mid-air. Even if the bullets do hit the Skinwalker, they may not have any effect whatsoever. However, if the creature actually is wounded by chance and manages to escape, a similar wound will appear on the Skinwalker's human form. In the Werewolf folklore of Europe, this phenomenon is known as sympathetic wounding. This leaves the creature clearly marked and makes it vulnerable to discovery, and will be dealt with according to tradition. If one knows who the Skinwalker truly is, he must say "(name of the accused), you are a Skinwalker." The witch will fall sick and die within three days time. Similarly, if a Skinwalker is captured and the news is broadcast, the witch will die within a year.
The only way to kill a Skinwalker, according to Navajo legend, is to shoot the creature with bullets that have been dipped into white ash (although some legends say that silver will work as well). The bullets themselves must be hollowpoints, which are filled with white ash and then sealed with melted wax. Even then, the Skinwalker must be shot through the neck while the witch is in animal form. The bullet will strike the Skinwalker's real head, and any shot that is aimed elsewhere will pass harmlessly through the body. It is said that, if wounded, the Skinwalker will bleed a yellow liquid instead of blood. However, there is a way to defeat the Skinwalker without actually killing the creature, although if the attempt is successful, it will surely prompt the witch's revenge. The Skinwalker is able to speak while in animal form, but it will not willingly do so because it may cause the witch to permanently lose his powers. If one could trick the creature into speaking while in animal form, it will reassume its human form and will be unable to shapeshift ever again.
It is said that sometimes the Skinwalker is invisible to human eyes, but it will leave tracks that are larger than those of any natural beast. It is very bad luck to cross over a Skinwalker's tracks if the creature is in front of them – one must step over them. As well as the creature's eyes, the Skinwalker can be distinguished from a real animal in that its tail hangs down and moves constantly, while their ears move up and down constantly as well. The Skinwalker's eyes, as well as glowing when the creature is in human form and vice-versa in animal form, are seen as mere slits in their masks. Against the Skinwalker's poison, the gall of an eagle, a bear, or a mountain lion are the best remedies. Sweats will help rid oneself of the fear of Skinwalkers.
Arnold, Neil. Monster! The A-Z of Zooform Phenomena. Great Britain: CFZ Press. Copyright ©2007 by CFZ Press.
Brown, Nathan Robert. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Werewolves. New York: Penguin Group, Inc (USA). Copyright ©2009 by Nathan Robert Brown.
Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters. New York: Facts on File, Inc. Copyright ©2005 by Visionary Living, Inc.
Hall, Jamie. Half Human, Half Animal: Tales of Werewolves and Related Creatures. Bloomington, Indiana: 1st Books Library. Copyright ©2003 by Jamie Hall.
Kluckhohn, Clyde. Navajo Witchcraft. Boston, Massachusetts: Beacon Press Books. Copyright ©1944 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College.
Kriss, Marika. Werewolves, Shapeshifters, and Skinwalkers (For the Millions Series). Los Angeles, California: Sherbourne Press, Inc. Copyright ©1972 by Marika Kriss.
O'Brien, Christopher. Stalking the Tricksters: Shapeshifters, Skinwalkers, Dark Adepts, and 2012. Kempton, Illinois: Adventures Unlimited Press. Copyright ©2009 by Christopher O'Brien.
Kelleher, Colm and George Knapp. "Skinwalkers - What Are They?" Rense.com. August 9, 2007. Accessed on February 25, 2017. <http://www.rense.com/general77/skin.htm>


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The planets should consist of different terrains and dangers.
If theres variety it makes the game more fun and enjoyable.
Types of planets:
Rocky/sand-native species, kordor aliens (small body with a big brain exposed greyblue skin, big eyes, - traders and non violent- desert mites, a bug that attacks in packs and feast on metal and flesh.
Forest- native species pharolines- cat face humanoid bodies, experts in war, love to trade and are defensive against attackers- corteks a breed of aliens who have no understanding and eat flesh for a leaving (human body- shorf- and onehuge eye- and sharp teeth
swamps- moisture, ponds, and lots of jungle, need a hovercraft to travel around in planet, native species -humans- swamp eaters ( fish face, like the green monster from the lake horrod stories and movies) randomly appear in the water and take people down to the water to feast on them- mineral: plutonium, argon gas.
Under water -native species Squitos humanoid with squid face and tentcle mustages. Extrmely territorial, hate outsiders- the kraken a giant squid that attacks under water bases- mineral under water oil and ore.
Astroid: rocky surface, extremely dangerous due to possible astroid collision on surface - mineral titanium
A planet like (cloud city) with no floor just clouds. - tourist place to make a base and attract tourists, inside base you can produce stuff.
I could post more buts its 4:02 am in Texas
PC version (Different planet types)
If only we could hear you scream in space.
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- stevetranby
- Developer
- Posts: 387
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- Location: Colorado
Re: PC version (Different planet types)
Love the ideas. Check out http://starcommandgalaxies.com/ and hopefully we covered most of your planet types currently as completed tile art assets that will make their way into the game eventually.
"I see dead codes, and create instances of Deja-vu in the galaxy."
Development (Mobile Team) • Game Design • Business • Warballoon Co-founder
Development (Mobile Team) • Game Design • Business • Warballoon Co-founder
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Accounting Courses
880-22500 Financial Accounting NLA
Introduction to the basic measurement and reporting concepts underlying the accounting system for communicating financial information to users external to the organization and to internal managers. Topics include information processing, preparation of financial statements, the role of ethics in accounting decisions, analysis of financial data, and valuation and reporting issues for assets, liabilities, stockholders' equity, revenues, and expenses. Projects require team activities and written reports. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or above. 3 credits. (F-S,Y)
880-22600 Management Accounting NLA
Study of the uses of accounting information in managerial decision making, planning, and control within the firm. Areas examined are cost estimation; budgets; short-, intermediate-, and long-term planning; product costing; and special reports for managerial use. Emphasizes the uses of accounting outputs in the decision-making process rather than the concepts and methodology of accumulating accounting information. Projects include the use of basic computerized spreadsheets. Prerequisites: 880-22500; sophomore standing. 3 credits. (F-S,Y)
880-31500 Cost Analysis and Decision Making NLA
A study of various cost systems, theories, and models of cost and revenue behavior. The course focuses on cost management, cost analysis, and both structured and unstructured decision making with cost information. Product costing and the interface with the financial reporting system will also be covered. Prerequisites: 880-22600; junior standing. 3 credits. (S, Y)
880-32000 Accounting Information Systems NLA
Acquaints students with the functions, design, implementation, and documentation of information systems. The general topic of information systems, focusing on accounting applications (both financial and managerial), is covered. Extended coverage of transaction processing, internal controls, and computer security. Prerequisites: 312-11000 or 312-17100; 880-22600; junior standing. 3 credits. (IRR)
880-34500 Intermediate Financial Accounting NLA
This one-semester course for students in the accounting and finance concentrations covers essential topics related to balance sheet valuation and income measurement. Includes an overview of generally accepted accounting principles, financial statements, cash, accounts receivable, inventories, operating assets, current and long-term liabilities, stockholders' equity, cash flows, and revenue recognition. All is covered at a professional level, but in less detail and theoretical depth than in a two-semester course. Students intending to sit for professional accounting examinations are expected to take a second course, Financial Accounting Theory and Reporting, to provide the required additional background. Prerequisites: 880-22500; junior standing. 3 credits. (F,Y)
880-34600 Financial Accounting Theory and Reporting NLA
This one-semester course for students in the accounting major and the accounting concentration is a continuation of Intermediate Financial Accounting. It covers complex topics related to balance sheet valuation and income measurement and includes both topical coverage and reporting considerations. Students are expected to deal with detailed pronouncements and the advanced concepts in Intermediate Financial Accounting such as
accounting for pensions, income taxes, earnings per share, and accounting changes. Reporting issues and requirements are also covered. Text and cases are used. Intended for those planning to pursue public accounting certification (CPA). Prerequisites: 880-34500; junior standing. 3 credits. (S,Y)
880-39700 Selected Topics in Accounting NLA
Topics of current interest to faculty and students. Experimental courses are offered under this number and title. May be repeated for credit for different selected topics. Offered on demand only. Prerequisites: As appropriate to topics; junior standing. 1-3 credits. (IRR)
880-40200 Advanced Accounting NLA
In-depth analytical study of special problems in financial accounting. Continuous emphasis is placed on the relationship between theory and practice to reflect the latest professional pronouncements. Highly technical topics related to corporation, partnership, government, and not-for-profit organizations, including consolidation, branch and consignment, reorganization and liquidation, foreign transactions, and essentials of accounting for governmental and not-for-profit organizations. Prerequisites: 880-34600; junior standing. 3 credits. (S,Y)
880-40600 Auditing NLA
Theory of independent examinations of financial statements. Discussion of relationships with clients; working papers; audit procedures, including evaluations of internal control; accounting principles; preparation of reports; accountant's liability; and professional ethics. Prerequisites: 880-34600; junior standing. 3 credits. (F,Y)
880-49300 Tax Accounting NLA
Introductory course in taxation covering structure of present tax law; bases for income tax computations; concepts of gross income, adjusted gross income, deductions, exemptions, and credits. Emphasis is on tax questions and problems relating to individuals. A student may not receive credit for both this course and 880-31100. Prerequisites: 880-34500; junior standing. 3 credits. (F,Y)
880-49400 Advanced Tax Accounting NLA
Advanced study of income tax provisions relating to individuals, corporations, and partnerships. Sophisticated tax provisions, such as corporate liquidations, capital charges, stock options, and pension plans. Solutions to complex tax problems through use of a tax service; practical experience in locating applicable code sections, regulations, IRS rulings, and court decisions; class presentations. Prerequisites: 880-49300; junior standing. 3 credits. (IRR)
880-49600 Practicum in Tax Accounting NLA
Supervised work experience in tax return preparation and tax advocacy that mirrors tax practice in accounting firms. Students undertake an intensive course preparing tax forms for individuals and must successfully pass the IRS VITA volunteer tax preparer exam. Students then are responsible for maintaining the professional requirements of the established tax practice. Tax returns are computerized and electronically filed. Students and faculty utilizing collaborative learning strategies provide tax advocacy and disseminate information to taxpayers who have English as a second language. Professional skills are emphasized. Prerequisites: 880-49300 or junior standing with instructor permission. 3 credits. (S,Y)
880-49700 Selected Topics in Accounting NLA
See 880-39700. Offered on demand only. (IRR)
880-49800 Internship: Accounting NLA
See 882-49800. Also offered at the Ithaca College London Center. Note: Business majors who plan to study in London should confer with their faculty advisers early in their programs; otherwise, they may not be able to fulfill all program requirements in four years. 3 credits. (F-S,Y)
880-49900 Independent Study: Accounting NLA
A variable amount of credit may be earned toward the degree. To qualify, students must have a 3.00 cumulative grade point average and must have completed at least six credits in the subject matter. Guidelines are available at the School of Business office. 1-3 credits. (F-S,Y)
A. Ozolins, Office of Publications, 21. October, 2002


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Every week -- often with your help -- FOOD52's Senior Editor Kristen Miglore is unearthing recipes that are nothing short of genius.
Today: Filet mignon has a midlife crisis, and stops being so boring.
This recipe calls for 3 (edible) ingredients and has more in common with a crafting project than cooking. It will make your family and your dinner guests think you've finally gone too far, until they taste it.
It's called Lomo al Trapo (literally "beef tenderloin in cloth") and it goes a little something like this: Wrap a big hunky piece of filet mignon in two cups of salt sprinkled with dried oregano, tie it in an old rag and throw it in flaming coals. Exactly 19 minutes later you will have dinner. It sounds like a prank, but Steven Raichlen said it was genius, so I tried it. And he's right.
Steven Raichlen has been writing about barbecue for 20+ years, chasing it all over the world. In researching Planet Barbecue, Raichlen traveled to 60 countries, collecting obscure grilling techniques like smoking mussels over pine needles in France, and cooking fish saucy eggs in their shells in Cambodia. (Having accomplished basically everything on the world grilling beat, these days he's writing romance novels).
He'd be the first to tell you that this recipe isn't his alone -- the method is traditional to several countries in South America, particularly Colombia. But Raichlen translated it for and popularized it among English-speaking barbecue enthusiasts, so we're going with his version.
As Raichlen teaches us, Lomo al Trapo combines two genius techniques, to great effect: grilling in the coals and salt-crusting. Read on below for what each one can do for beef tenderloin, which Raichlen admits is "normally a pretty boring piece of meat."
Grilling in -- not over -- the coals
Cooking bare pieces of meat directly on live coals has something of an underground following in grilling circles.
It was Dwight D. Eisenhower's preferred steak-cooking method; a brief but colorful recipe from 1949 is reprinted in The Essential New York Times Cookbook. The hearth-cooking pioneers at Al Forno in Providence called theirs "dirty steak" because yes, it gets a little ashy, though not as much as you might think. Adam Perry Lang's hot new book on grilling includes an entire chapter on the technique, which he calls "clinching" (a boxing term for holding your opponent within arm's reach, like steak pressed up against coals).
Here, the smokiness -- the rugged ancient sport of it -- is combined with salt-crusting to create a more delicate result.
There isn't much to the tenderloin, as muscles go, but a salt crust livens it up in so many ways:
• Naturally, it seasons it -- but not too much. The salt is packed on at the last minute and most of it is brushed away.
• The thick layer of salt seals off the surface, allowing the beef to simultaneously roast and steam in its own juices (plus salt and oregano juices).
• Salt diffuses the direct heat of the coals, while creating a miniature kiln. In doing so, it gives the beef a texture almost like sous vide filet. Instead of a bullseye leading from a rare center to a charred crust, you get an extended radius of medium rare, tender all the way to its well-seasoned edges.
• Not least of all, there's the "dramatic and visceral thrill of taking this thing that looks like a cast on a broken arm, cracking it open tableside, and there's this beautiful piece of meat inside," as Raichlen describes it.
You should know that you will lose a dish towel to the flames. But think of it as cleansing, an opportunity to ceremoniously burn your mangiest rag. Or, as described on this blog, use the leg of an old pair of jeans instead.
I'm tempted to advise against substituting cheesecloth, the most disposable of kitchen fabrics, because when we tried, the cloth was so flimsy that it burned away in large patches. But the salt crust held and the beef was still perfect. So if you want to spare your towels (and your jeans), you can use cheesecloth -- just don't disturb it till the crust has solidified.
This all seems quite a lot to commit to. Beef tenderloin isn't cheap. A practice run could set you back a good $25. As much as you want to be the badass pitmaster taming the burning log of meat, you're probably secretly terrified that you will bust open the salt to find only a well-done lump of smoldering disappointment and failure. Good news: You have insurance. You can push an instant-read thermometer through the salt crust to be certain.
Taking such precaution will only make you a little less of a caveman. But your guests will have turned into wolves by now, and forgotten all about it.
Steven Raichlen's Salt-Crusted Beef Tenderloin Grilled in Cloth (Lomo al Trapo)
Adapted slightly from Planet Barbecue (Workman Publishing Company, 2010)
Serves 1 hungry Colombian; 2 Americans
1 center cut piece of beef tenderloin, meticulously trimmed of all fat and silver skin (about 8 inches long and weighing 12 to 16 ounces)
2 cups salt (we used Diamond Crystal kosher salt)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Other items needed:
1 square piece of clean cotton cloth, 16 by 16 inches (an old-fashioned cloth diaper or piece of cotton sheet works well)
See the full recipe (and save and print it here).
Got a genius recipe to share -- from a classic cookbook, an online source, or anywhere, really? Please send it my way (and tell me what's so smart about it) at [email protected].
Photos by James Ransom
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Alnylam this week responded to Tekmira's Complaint a month ago in which it alleges Alnylam to have repeatedly misappropriated and misused Tekmira property (see also blog entry 'Enough is Enough'). In its Response, Alnylam points to the various legal arrangements between the two companies which the company feels entitles it to broad use of Tekmira's property. In the good tradition of David vs Goliath, Alnylam filed a counterclaim against Tekmira saying that they were wronged by Tekmira for including Alnylam confidential information during a patent prosecution. The full Response can be found here, Alnylam's press release here.
Tekmira's grievances against Alnylam can be summarized in that Alnylam behaves as if its contractual relationships and past payments entitle that company to essentially and indiscriminately all of Tekmira's property, never mind non-disclosure agreements and the contractual limitations on Alnylam's use of Tekmira know-how, trade secrets, and only non-exclusive access to IP generated by Tekmira after October 2008. Tekmira insists that it is still the owner of much of the IP that Alnylam licensed from them, and as the licensee Alnylam has an obligation to inform the owner, Tekmira, in how it uses the licensed technologies. Moreover, Alnylam is alleged to have engaged in a deliberate scheme to misappropriate delivery IP and used all this to marginalize Tekmira in their partnership discussions by posing to be the true liposomal siRNA delivery innovator and enabler.
Alnylam on the other hand, cites those very same agreements as evidence that it, generally speaking, indeed possesses great freedom in how it uses Tekmira property. In their Response and Counterclaim to Tekmira's Complaint, however, Alnylam did not discuss the important question of how it has been portraying liposomal delivery to Alnylam's past, current, and potential future partners (including Roche, Novartis, Takeda, and Sanofi-Aventis), an area where I expect some of the juicy revelations to emerge from.
Instead, Alnylam is focusing our attention on the ownership of the new star lipid 'MC3' and Tekmira's supposed interference with one of Alnylam's VSP-related patent applications. The MC3 issue opens the whole can of worms related to the historical animosities among some of the world's top liposomal researchers in Vancouver and Alnylam's meddling therein. The VSP issue to me seems like a red herring, quite common in patent prosecution and normally to be resolved by the USPTO in the ordinary course of patent prosecution. It adds, however, to the ample evidence contained in Alnylam's Response that there have been tensions between Alnylam and Tekmira/Protiva going back to at least 2007 which is in contrast to Alnylam's initial reaction that Tekmira's Complaint completely caught them by surprise.
The Surprise Myth
That Alnylam was 'surprised' (see the 'Big Surprise Interview' in Xconomy) by Tekmira's apparent grievances is a tough sell at best, if not purposefully insincere. Most industry watchers have been well aware that this has been a very delicate relationship. Alnylam's own Response actually is one of the best pieces of evidence for this. It cites a history of differences between the parties of how Alnylam was able to use the very same confidential information that are now at issue (from the Response):
"19. In contrast, Tekmira has sought to preclude Alnylam from obtaining the benefits of the agreements, including by interfering with Alnylam's inclusion of information that is not owned or controlled by Tekmira in Alnylam patent submissions. Tekmira has also claimed confidentiality over information that is either in the public domain or to which Alnylam has contractual rights. Tekmira has also asserted an ownership interest in technology that was funded and/or independently developed by others including Alnylam."
Furthermore, Alnylam describes that AlCana was set up specifically to avoid Tekmira eventually suing Alnylam over technology developed by Tekmira's ex-employees. Clearly, Alnylam felt uneasy about hiring Tekmira's ex-employees as consultants to work on competing technology.
That the tensions go back to at least 2007, is illustrated by that article in Gene Silencing News where it was reported that David Bumcrot publicly discredited Protiva's technology only to shortly thereafter find Alnylam, hat in hand, seek help from Protiva with the clinical development of their product pipeline (here my take at the time). It is also a myth that Roche and others were altruistically led by Alnylam to Protiva/Tekmira. Roche and Alnylam, as evidenced by Roche's Factor VII patent application, obviously tried quite hard to make liposomal siRNA delivery work without Protiva and in fact could serve as yet another piece of evidence of Alnylam's attempts to marginalize Tekmira. That Roche ended up working with Tekmira is most likely because Alnylam was afraid that it would not be able to keep the promises it made to Big Pharma when it sold those hundred million+ licenses. Alnylam's supposedly selfless efforts in re-uniting Tekmira have to be seen in the same light.
Considering the admitted tensions over confidentiality and complaints/objections by Tekmira made in private, it rather seems to me like Alnylam is splitting hair in accusing Tekmira for not following the contractual dispute resolution mechanisms before going public. I am in no position to tell in which way Tekmira expressed its grievances to Alnylam. Email, phone call, CEO-to-CEO chat, registered letter to company headquarters or not, it is also debatable whether such procedures would even apply in a case of pre-meditated IP theft as alleged in the Complaint, or if irreparable harm were imminent. This I leave up to Tekmira's attorneys to decide which to me look quite capable in making such a judgment.
Alnylam further cites as evidence for Tekmira's failure to resolve their issues in private a 6-month absence of discussion between the companies' CEOs:
"Indeed, where the initial dispute resolution procedure of the companies' agreements requires a defined period of discussion between the company CEOs, Tekmira's CEO's last communication of any form with Alnylam's CEO occurred over six months prior to the e-mail correspondence notifying Alnylam of the currently filed complaint. These actions have irreparably harmed Alnylam's reputation with its collaborators and investors."
I am not sure how Alnylam thinks this unambiguously proves their claim that Tekmira failed to try and resolve the dispute(s) in private. A 6-month absence does not exclude prolonged and heated discussions before the period of quiet. In a partnership that important, such a long period of no high-level discussions seems rather odd and indicative of a poor relationship. Curiously, 6 month before Tekmira filed their Complaint would seem to coincide with Novartis' 'surprise' decision not to expand their relationship with Alnylam (see 'Novartis wake-up call'). Novartis, of course, is one of the companies named in the Complaint.
It may also be worth mentioning that it is Barry Greene, President and COO of Alnylam, that seems to be more the senior contract guy at Alnylam, as supported by the evidence provided by Alnylam (the Greene-Murray Letter). I just mention this since Alnylam seems to be awfully concerned about technicalities, not the spirit of their arrangements with Tekmira.
Alnylam Confused Over MC3 Inventorship
Ownership over the MC3 ionizable lipid is certainly one aspect of the Complaint. While Tekmira is constantly improving its lipids, it obviously would hurt Tekmira's competitive position if Alnylam could also offer improved lipids without sharing the benefits with Tekmira, especially if Tekmira believes that what lipids Alnylam wants to sell belong to Tekmira after all.
Alnylam cites as evidence of their ownership over this lipid a letter by Barry Greene (not JM) to Mark Murray on March 13, 2010, in which Mr Greene seeks to confirm Alnylam's exclusive rights to this lipid (subject to limited rights of Tekmira to use MC3 for their own product candidates), apparently concerned that Pfizer might access this lipid without Alnylam's involvement. Mark Murray signed that letter.
As another piece of evidence of Tekmira blessing Alnylam's ownership over MC3, the Reponse says that onAugust 7, 2009, Tekmira reviewed and signed off on the provisional patent application for MC3 presented to it by Alnylam. Finally, Alnylam says that in July 2009, as part of AlCana's founding, Tekmira waived its rights to sue Alnylam over technology invented by ex-Tekmira employees ('Supplemental Agreement').
While this seems to make MC3 a cut-and-dry case, two aspects about the MC3 inventorship had made me pause when I first saw that patent application, even before the current dispute: (1) the absence of key AlCana founders as inventors in the subsequently published patent application; and (2) the fact that the two ex-Tekmira employees that are named as inventors, are named so only for United States purposes.
Provisional patent applications are normally not available from the public domain. Provisional patent applications are a way of proving one's possession of the invention in order to secure the priority date. This can be done by providing a bunch of early data and the guidelines are rather loose. This also means that no formal inventors' oaths have to be provided. It is therefore possible that Tekmira signed off these documents due to incomplete information, under the false impression that this indeed was an invention by Alnylam. Importantly, it was only on December 16, 2010, that the MC3 patent application WO 2010/144740 was published and presumably available to Tekmira. Before that, in conference presentations and the Q3 2010 conference call in November 2010 in which it praised MC3 as the new wonder-lipid (see 'Alnylam Green Shoots' blog), it was clear that Alnylam wanted keep the exact nature of this lipid secret.
In their Response, Alnylam claims that MC3 and certain derivatives were the invention of the scientists fired from Tekmira and that would go on to form AlCana:
"49. The MC3 lipid and certain derivatives were invented by the scientists who were fired from Tekmira and who formed AlCana, pursuant to research funded by Alnylam and with respect to certain MC3 derivatives, under a research plan agreed to by Alnylam, AlCana, UBC, Tekmira and Protiva."
But looking at the (published) patent application, all these key people are actually missing as named inventors. I would identify these key scientists as Thomas Madden, Sean Semple, and Michael Hope and it would have been natural for Tekmira to have non-compete arrangements in place for these individuals. Importantly, these are also the senior authors on the KC2 Nature Biotech paper from January 2010, a lipid from which MC3 is derived (see also e.g. slide 28 in August 4, 2010, presentation by Alnylam at the International Liposome Research Days held in…Vancouver).
However, despite of Alnylam's assertions that it was the fired Tekmira employees now working, for apparently legal purposes, at AlCana (but practically for Alnylam) that invented MC3, the published patent application only lists Alnylam employees (and maybe some consultants) as inventors and Alnylam as the applicant: Akinc, Dorkin, Qin, Cantley, Manoharan, Kallanthottathil, Narayanannair, Jayaraman; and (for US purposes only) Chen, Ansell. (the latter two being the two ex-Tekmira employees, but no mention of AlCana).
You would think that, as the inventors of KC2, the inventive contributions by Madden, Semple, and Hope would have played an important role in MC3, much more so than the number of trained oligonucleotide chemists from Alnylam listed as inventors on the application. Given that the Response admits that Alnylam hired the ex-Tekmira employees that would eventually form AlCana as consultants, it seems highly unlikely that Madden, Semple, and Hope played no role in the MC3 patent application.
It is equally strange that the two ex-Tekmira that are named as inventors, Chen and Ansell, are named so only for US purposes. It will be interesting to find out whether they were only added at the time that the 'real', that is not provisional patent application was first filed with the US, i.e. after Tekmira signed off on the provisional.
Why this is important is because the US as a first-to-invent jurisdiction is particularly strict about inventorship. In most of the rest of the world where first-to-file is practiced, particularly in Europe, inventorship isn't that important. Practically anybody can be named as inventor on a patent application as long as nobody else challenges that inventorship. This could be used to hide the real people behind an invention as long as they are fine with it.
To be fair, there is no reason for me to believe that Chen and Ansell did not contribute to the invention, and Chen is listed with an AlCana address on the KC2 Nature Biotech paper. The absence, however, of their former, more senior colleagues at Old Tekmira and now running AlCana is rather strange and raises questions and stands in sharp contrast to Alnylam's own assertions in the Response that it was them who invented MC3 and certain derived lipids.
Why the haste in establishing Alnylam Canada, oh I meant AlCana
In their Response, Alnylam admits that AlCana was established in order to prevent Alnylam being sued by Tekmira over inventions made by Alnylam's consultants. As Tekmira's lawsuit proves, Alnylam had good reasons to believe that it is in a gray legal zone here- at best. Non-compete arrangements are pretty standard in the industry and just as Alnylam will do in the case of key inventive people among the 25-30% of its workforce that it fired post-Novartis, it would surprise me if Tekmira had no such arrangements in place.
Also, why would Alnylam seek to establish a separate legal entity with AlCana, when it could easily have hired these ex-Tekmira people as full Alnylam employees? After all, Alnylam de facto owns and controls AlCana as it is fully funding AlCana's operations and enjoys exclusive rights to those inventions. It's even in the name, 'Alnylam Canada', oh I meant to say AlCana.
It would be wrong to underestimate Alnylam's legal savvy. Alnylam must have had a very good reason not to hire these people directly, and don't be surprised to find Alnylam focus on legal technicalities instead of on the spirit of Tekmira's allegations.
In October 2008, following the merger of the Old Tekmira-Protiva research organizations (note: the two organizations were kept separate until that date in order to avoid Merck accessing IP made with the help of Alnylam's funding of Old Tekmira), the Protiva management that took over the reins at New Tekmira fired a number of Old Tekmira people, likely the result of the long-standing rivalries between these two groups. Be that as it may, Alnylam has no business in expressing its disgust over the firings, just as Tekmira does not meddle in Alnylam's affairs when Alnylam fires 25-30% of its workforce- not all of which were Novartis FTEs in case you believed that myth, too. It's just another example of Alnylam's patronizing attitude towards Tekmira which finds its ultimate expression in their apparent belief that it is entitled to essentially all of Tekmira's property.
As mentioned above and in yet another show of altruism, Alnylam hired these people as consultants. In little more than half a year, in June 2009, the provisional patent application for MC3 was filed. This means that the work leading up to that filing must have started at least in early 2009, a spark of invention that must have occurred right after being fired from Tekmira, but also before AlCana was formed.
Curiously, the 'Supplemental Agreement' in which Tekmira supposedly waived its right to sue Alnylam over AlCana inventions, was signed just a month after the provisional filing date on July 27, 2009. This to me looks like trying to cover your legal bases after the fact, and it remains to be seen whether that waiver also applies to inventions made by ex-Tekmira employees before the Supplemental Agreement.
Considering the timeline of events, Alnylam was obviously very keen to put in place numerous legal arrangements in light of MC3 and AlCana (Barry Greene Letter, Provisional Review and Sign-Off, AlCana Waiver). These are certainly good arguments in favor of Alnylam. However, these are only indirect pieces of evidence, and the question that will decide over the MC3 ownership issue is whether Alnylam purposefully misled Tekmira in getting their various agreements signed by hiding the true inventorship history. The inventorship data around the MC3 patent application is just too unusual to ignore.
MC3 Timeline of Events
March 2008: Tekmira-Protiva merger. Because of their rivalries with Merck, Alnylam requires Protiva and Tekmira to operate separately until 2008.
October 2008: Combination of the Protiva and Old Tekmira research organizations, and date whereupon Alnylam only has non-exclusive licensing rights to subsequently generated Tekmira IP (possibly MC3). 'Protiva management' promptly fires Old Tekmira scientists with which Alnylam subsequently enters into consulting arrangements and which would go on to form AlCana.
June 10, 2009: Provisional filing/priority date of MC3 patent WO 2010/144740 A1.
July 27 2009: "Supplemental Agreement" in which Tekmira waives right to sue over AlCana inventions, i.e. inventions of their former employees.
August 7, 2009: Provisional patent application 61/185,800, which was assigned to Alnylam and filed on June 10, 2009, provided to Tekmira for review. Tekmira signs off on provisional patent application. Note: A provisional patent application is a simple priority document and typically not in the public domain. It has lax requirements, also with regard to inventorship data.
March 13, 2010: Greene-Murray Letter seeking to confirm Alnylam's exclusive rights to MC3. Mark Murray signs off.
April 15, 2010: KC2 patent application WO 2010/042877 published. Named as inventors are Hope, Semple, Chen, Madden, Cullis, Ciufolini, Mui.
December 16, 2010: First publication of the MC3 patent application naming as inventors Akinc, Dorkin, Qin, Cantley, Manoharan, Kalllanthottathil, Narayanannair, Jayaraman; and (for US only) Chen, Ansell. Chen and Ansell both ex-Tekmira employees. However, despite Alnylam's assertions that it was the key Old Tekmira scientists that invented MC3 and certain derivatives and that would go on to form AlCana, Hope, Semple, and Madden are missing as inventors. Hope, Semple, and Madden were also key authors in the 2010 Nature Biotech paper on KC2 from which, also according to Alnylam's presentations, MC3 is derived. Only Chen is shared with the KC2 patent application.
Alnylam Trying Hard to Find Reason to Countersue Tekmira- Try Harder
That Alnylam would countersue Tekmira could have been expected. After all, Alnylam is the one with the cash and wants Tekmira to feel it. I am surprised, however, that despite the intricate relationship between Alnylam and Tekmira, all Alnylam could come up with were two patent applications that, due to the vagaries of patent prosecution, happened to collide with each other. Hardly a pattern of Tekmira willfully and illegally sabotaging Alnylam's development plans.
In their Response, Alnylam says that Tekmira used confidential information from Alnylam to obstruct a patent by Alnylam related to ALN-VSP02. Specifically, Alnylam states that in 2006, Tekmira filed for a patent on Eg5 (Kinesin Spindle Protein). In that patent application, Tekmira, as was customary at the time, claimed essentially all possible siRNAs that would cover the target gene. It is also worth mentioning that Tekmira filed this patent application to claim not an siRNAs against Eg5 in isolation, but when formulated in LNPs. In addition, Eg5 was just one of the cancer-related target genes contemplated by that application.
When asked by the patent examiner to narrow down its sequences, Tekmira elected the siRNA sequence used in ALN-VSP02 (SEQ ID 20) which is the reason why the USPTO has now decided that the two patent applications clash with each other and called for an Interference. Importantly, Alnylam claims that Tekmira could only have selected the VSP sequence due to confidential information Tekmira had as a result of their collaboration. What is unusual, Alnylam claims that by the machinations of Tekmira's patent agent, the publication of Alnylam's patent was delayed to 3 years after the initial filing of the provisional, instead of the customary 18 months:
"58. Normally, US patent applications are published approximately 18 months from the filing date of the first priority application. However, due to the actions of Tekmira through their agent, Townsend and Townsend and Crew (now Kilpatrick Townsend and Stockton), the Alnylam VSP patent application did not publish for nearly three years from the date it was filed;
59. During this time, Alnylam freely shared details of ALN-VSP with Tekmira. In connection with the parties' manufacturing agreement, Alnylam provided Tekmira with confidential information regarding the composition of ALN-VSP, including the 21-nucleotide sequence Alnylam used as the active ingredient in its ALN-VSP drug to target the Eg5 gene;
60. In response to a request from the US Patent Office related to their patent application, Tekmira was required to select one sequence to patent from the many thousand sequences disclosed in its patent application. Tekmira elected to patent the exact sequence present in Alnylam's ALN-VSP drug, that was demonstrated by Alnylam to be particularly effective and which Tekmira could only know by virtue of its access to confidential information as part of their manufacturing agreement."
For this claim of misuse of confidential information to stand, the nomination of SEQ ID20 by Tekmira would have had to occur, at the minimum, before the publication of Alnylam's patent application. After such a publication, this sequence is fair game. There are a couple of items that are at odds with Alnylam's claim:
Firstly, in their Response, Alnylam mentions the filing date of its patent application for what would become US patent 7718629: March 2007. If Alnylam's claims were true, the publication of that patent application should not have occurred until after 3 years of the filing of the provisional patent application:
"56. The application to the Eg5 component of ALN-VSP was filed on March 30, 2007 as U.S. Patent Application No. 11/694,215, assigned to Alnylam Europe AG (and subsequently to Alnylam), with David Bumcrot, Pamela Tan, Hans-Peter Vornlocher and Anke Geick as inventors. It issued on May 18, 2010 as United States Patent No. 7,718,629."
Instead of citing the patent application date, it would have been more helpful for Alnylam to mention that the provisional filing date for '629 was March 2006. This difference of one year may be important, because according to my study of the patent history of Tekmira's patent application in question, No.11/807,782, Tekmira chose SEQ ID 20 in May 2010, which seems well after the supposed Alnylam provisional application date. Mind you, '629 issued in the same month.
What is stranger still, the information page on Alnylam's '629 patents shows the publication date for underlying US 2007/0281899 A1 to be...October 11, 2007 just as one would have expected from the normal prosecution of a patent application, and well before Tekmira's election of SEQ ID20. No sign for a Tekmira-induced delay.
In summary, even assuming that the information on the Alnylam patent has it all wrong about the publication date (I highly doubt it) and that the patent publication was delayed not to three, but even four years after the initial provisional filing and more or less coincided with its issuance (has never happened in patent history IMO), is this all the dirt that Alnylam thinks, hopes it can get on Tekmira? If not, this looks like desperation and obstruction of justice by seeking to delay the resolution of the Tekmira Complaint.
VSP Patent Timeline of Events
March 2006: Alnylam files provisional application No. 60/787,762 which would become the '629 patent covering siRNA sequences against KSP and used in ALN-VSP02.
May 2006: Protiva (Tekmira) files provisional application No. 11/807,782 directed towards LNP formulations with siRNAs against Eg5 and other cancer-related genes.
March 2007: Alnylam files US patent application (US 2007/0281899) for what would become the '629 patent
August 14, 2007: Original Protiva License Agreement following which Alnylam provides Protiva/Tekmira with confidential information related to ALN-VSP.
October 11, 2007: Alnylam's US 2007/0281899 publishes. This date is in sharp contrast with Alnylam's claims of substantial delays in the publication of this patent application.
June 11, 2009: Protiva patent application publishes as US 2009/0149403. It seems that if anything, it was the publication of the Protiva patent application that got delayed, not the 'Alnylam VSP patent application' as paragraph 58 of Alnylam's Response claims. But then again, maybe Alnylam, once again, mistakes Protiva's property as their own:
"58. Normally, US patent applications are published approximately 18 months from the filing date of the first priority application. However, due to the actions of Tekmira through their agent, Townsend and Townsend and Crew (now Kilpatrick Townsend and Stockton), the Alnylam VSP patent application did not publish for nearly three years from the date it was filed."
May 4, 2010: Upon the request of the US patent examiner, Tekmira elects SEQ ID20 which is the same as the KSP siRNA sequence in Alnylam's VSP. At this point, Alnylam's sequence was long in the public domain.
May 18, 2010: United States Patent No. 7,718,629 issues.
February 28, 2011: USPTO declares Interference.
The Alnylam Response: An Exercise in Saving Face
Overall, the Response by Alnylam to Tekmira's allegations seems meek. Alnylam knows that without digging into the data, their audience will find itself confronted with two equally plausible views. Rightfully, Alnylam admits in its Response that it is concerned about its reputation, a reputation that in the past caused many in Big Pharma to seek out Alnylam instead of Protiva/Tekmira, also for liposomal siRNA delivery.
However, upon review, Alnylam's superficially convincing arguments leave open alternative explanations, do not get to the ground of Tekmira's allegations, and contain a number of factual inaccuracies:
- Alnylam claims broad use of Tekmira property, but Alnylam fails to explain how they represented Tekmira property to partners, a key allegation in Tekmira's Complaint;
- Alnylam provides indirect evidence in the form of legal documents, but fails to explain the relevant background for these, especially it does not provide adequate inventorship history of MC3;
- In making these arguments, Alnylam paints a complicated web of relationships, a web however that contains a number of inaccuracies and conflicting information, e.g. (a) claiming that it was the ex-Tekmira employees that invented MC3 and went on to form AlCana, yet the patent application names mostly Alnylam oligonucleotide chemists and, for US purposes only, two ex-Tekmira employees that are not the key people of AlCana; and (b) materially getting the VSP timeline wrong.
My prediction: If this comes anywhere close to trial, somebody will get caught in their web of lies, and it won't be pretty given the emotions running high in Vancouver and Alnylam's meddling therein. There are three outcomes:
- Alnylam swallows its pride and makes Tekmira a takeover offer too sweet to ignore;
- The White Knight scenario, where Merck, Novartis, or another Big Pharma company takes advantage of the lawsuit and sticks it to Alnylam by acquiring Tekmira;
- Alnylam and Tekmira drag each other down by delaying a resolution.
It's getting late, but it's not too late yet.
Disclosure: The account above reflects my personal beliefs only and is based on my studies of publicly available documents and could contain material mistakes. No company has contributed to or encouraged the account, and no money or other forms of compensation was or is expected to be received.


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Halo 3: ODT [Full Length Xbox 360 Video Game Trailer]
Halo 3: ODST Full-Length ExTrailer Platforms: Xbox 360 Posted: Release Date: September 22, 2009
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Air purifiers remove allergens, odors, and pollutants from the air. They range in size, function, design and price. With so many options and brands, deciding on the best HEPA purifier for your needs can be confusing. We offer the best ozone-free air cleaners that address a wide variety of needs including smoke and odor control, allergy, asthma, multiple chemical sensitivity, and air quality issues like pollution, cigarette smoke, pet dander and dust. If you are considering your first air purifier, read our Air Purifier Buying Guide for more information.
Air Purifier Technology
There are many types of air purifier technologies. HEPA filters remove 99.97% of all airborne particulates like pollen, dust, and animal dander. Many of the HEPA air cleaners we offer use activated carbon to remove chemicals and odors. Combining both a HEPA filter and a carbon filter provides the most effective air cleaning filtration.
Manufacturers vary on the technology used to clean the air we breathe. In addition to HEPA filters and granulated carbon filters, several manufacturers go a step further and use ultraviolet light and even photocatalytic oxidation. UV light can be used in addition to HEPA and carbon filter technologies to eradicate bacteria, viruses and mold spores. UV light, when paired with titanium dioxide, can safely and effectively oxidize a wide array of VOCs, smoke and chemical vapors. And regardless of the manufacturer, none of the models we carry produce any ozone, that also means all of the UV models we offer are ozone-free as well.
Some manufacturers implement pre-filters in conjunction with the other filter technologies mentioned above. Pre-filters extend the life of the HEPA filter and increase air cleaner efficiency by trapping larger particles before they get to the primary HEPA filter. Others still will combine UV bulbs with filtration to sanitize the air, killing microbes as they pass through.
Additionally, manufacturers use electrostatic or electronic filtration technology. Electrostatic air cleaners use very small levels of positively and negatively charged particles to attract particles to collecting plates or filters. For example, airborne particles entering an air purifier are positively charged; and, the collection media is negatively charged causing the two to attract to one another. Manufacturers like Blueair have ionizers built into their units, but these are features that are not primary to their air filtration process. Other units, like 3M air purifiers, rely solely on electrostatic filters as an inexpensive alternative to HEPA filters.
Another process used in air purification to clean the air is called ozone generation. We recommend avoiding this technology. We follow the Environmental Protection Agency's guidelines which state that ozone generators should not be sold as air cleaners. We do not sell, recommend, or endorse ozone generators, nor do any of the models we offer that have ionizers produce ozone.
Air Purifiers for Allergy Relief
Air purifiers help allergy sufferers by removing allergens in a room specific environment. We recommend starting in the bedroom since people tend to spend more time in this room than any other in their house. Air purifiers only remove airborne contaminants and allergens. Particles that are heavier than air should be removed with a quality HEPA vacuum cleaner. Particles that are lighter than air include pollen, mold spores, animal dander and dust. These particles can be effectively filtered from the air in your home by using a quality air purifier. HEPA filters are essential for proper air filtration. A HEPA filter removes at least 99.97% of all particles as small as 0.3 microns, though some of the air purifiers filter particles as small as 0.1 microns with up to 99.99% efficiency.
Air Purifier Air Exchanges
A quality air purifier operates efficiently and quietly in a one room environment. To be effective, an air purifier must have a motor attached to a fan that draws air into the unit. Once the air is pulled into the unit, it is filtered through various types of filter media. Clean air is released back into the one room environment to start the cycle all over again. The amount of time it takes and air purifier to cycle through all of the air in a room is referred to an "air exchange."
The more air exchanges per hour, the better air quality in the room. The number of air exchanges is determined by two things: the cubic volume of a room and the cubic foot per minute (CFM) output of the air purifier. More air exchanges will result from a smaller room and a greater CFM output. Ideally, we would like to see between 4 and 6 air exchanges per hour. There is no such thing as overkill when talking about air exchanges. The more air moving through the unit; then, the more the air purifier will filter the air.


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If you're already using the basic tools in Adobe Photoshop CS5, take your photo-editing skills to a new level!
In this course, you'll become an expert at using layers, layer masks, and other advanced features that let you change images easily long after you create them (and long after the Photoshop "undo" command expires).
Non-destructive editing lets you work faster and reuse parts of images over and over. In these lessons, you'll learn how to save every single pixel in your original image so you never have to say, "I'm sorry—I tossed that information." In addition, you'll discover how to use Smart Objects so you can crop or resize an image and return it to its original size months afterward. (You'll even learn some clever tricks for warping Smart Objects!)
After that, you'll find out how to add shadows or embossing non-destructively. And if you want to design page layouts you can fill with different images, you'll learn how to create templates you can reuse.
Whether you use Photoshop to edit photos, make scrapbook pages, or design original artwork, this course will give you all the skills you need to let your creativity shine. Once you see what non-destructive editing can do for your projects, you'll never look back!
Sherry London is a noted Photoshop and Illustrator expert, an artist, a writer, and a teacher. Her fiber art has been featured in magazines and exhibitions. Her published works include Photoshop CS2 Gone Wild, Photoshop Magic, Photoshop Effects Magic, Photoshop In Depth, Photoshop Textures Magic, and Illustrator f/x and Design. She wrote the Tips and Tricks column for Photoshop User magazine for many years and is a two-time nominee to the Photoshop Hall of Fame. She has taught for the prestigious Thunder Lizard Photoshop Conference and the Professional Photographers of America seminars, as well as for Drexel University, Moore College of Art, and Gloucester County College. Sherry holds a Master's Degree in Information Systems and has taken doctoral-level courses in curriculum design.
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3 January 2008 8:27 am (fink | lisp | mac os x)
ECL has a new release, and thus a new Fink package update. It is still under validation, so until it is committed you can use this file. To install it, just type:
$ tar zxvf ecl-0.9j-fink.tar.gz $ sudo cp ecl-0.9j-fink/* /sw/fink/dists/local/main/finkinfo/ $ fink index; fink rebuild ecl; fink install ecl
Please, note that when the official ECL Fink package is updated you will have to remove your local copy (from /sw/fink/dists/local/main/finkinfo/).


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Sim Lim Square – Singapore Computer Peripherals Haven
So you're in Singapore, and you ran out of media storages in your Digital Camera. Or worse, you lost your camera and you need to get a replacement. Maybe you just need some computer pheriperals and you'd like to top them up when you're here. Introducing Sim Lim Square, Singapore's PC Walmart.
The Place
Located just a few minutes stroll away from G4 Station, Sim Lim Square gets pretty busy usually over the weekends packed with tourists and locals doing their IT shopping. It's best to go there after 1PM when most shops are open and before 6pm. Yea I know, short hours 😉
The Shops
If you are afraid of having different kind of treatment as a tourist as compared with locals, the easy way out would be getting a local friend to tag along with you. I could do it if I'm free (bwahaha). Most of the shops do have fixed pricing especially when it comes to computer pheripherals, but rest assure the prices are really competitive.
One reason I could explain on the cheaper price would be the stocks that they take for their goods are in more bulk as compared to the rest of the departmental stores around the island. Try walking around the mall to get the price lists and have it compared.
The shops that I could recommend you in Sim Lim would be:-
Fuwell #04-52 , Video-pro #04-33, Bliss #04-02D – for PC pheripherals
Active Foto & Electronics #04-60 – For media storages such as SD cards, Flash Drives, CF cards etc.
Alan Photo Trading #01-38 – For digital cameras purchase (If you need help with recommendations of other shops, hola me in G4 Station, there are a few more in other places which I would strongly recommend.)
Some of the shops in Sim Lim Square has some


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News Release
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|Qatar Airways to join oneworld alliance
Qatar Airways is to join oneworld®, adding one of the world's fastest growing and most highly rated airlines to the world's leading quality airline alliance.
Its election as a oneworld member designate was announced today (October 8, 2012) at a press conference in New York – home of oneworld's central alliance management office – with senior executives of Qatar Airways and the alliance's established member airlines in attendance.
Qatar Airways, named Airline of the Year for the past two years by the Skytrax independent airline quality rating agency, is the first of the three major airlines based in the Gulf to sign for any of the global airline alliances. It is also the second largest full service airline in the world not, until today, aligned to one of big global airline alliances.
The Doha-based airline's implementation into oneworld is expected to take between 12 and 18 months.
The carrier is set to move into a brand new home in 2013 with the opening of the New Doha International Airport, designed to strengthen its position as a premium global hub with an eventual capacity for 50 million passengers a year.
As a member of oneworld, Qatar Airways will fly alongside some of the biggest and best brands in the airline business. British Airways will serve as its sponsor in joining oneworld, supported by the central oneworld alliance team, mentoring the recruit through its alliance implementation programme.
Qatar Airways will be oneworld's second member airline based in the Middle East, alongside Royal Jordanian, which became the first airline from the region to join any of the global alliances when it boarded oneworld in 2007.
In just 15 years of operations, Qatar Airways has built up a solid international route network flying to key business and leisure destinations worldwide - and winning countless awards for high service levels, including the Five Star accolade given by Skytrax.
Qatar Airways' network serves 120 destinations in 70 countries in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, North and South America, Asia and Australasia, including oneworld hubs Amman, Berlin Tegel, Buenos Aires Ezeiza, Hong Kong, London Heathrow, Madrid, Melbourne, Moscow Domodedovo, New York JFK, Osaka Kansai, Sydney, Tokyo Narita, and the Kuala Lumpur home of oneworld member elect Malaysia Airlines.
Fifteen of its destinations and three countries - Iran, Rwanda and the Seychelles - will be new to the oneworld map. More significantly, Qatar Airways will substantially strengthen oneworld's customer offering by providing superior routing alternatives across many hundreds of city pairs. For example, passengers flying between Asia and Southern Europe or between Asia and Africa will now have convenient one-stop connections not previously available within the oneworld network.
Qatar Airways operates one of the world's youngest and most modern fleets, currently standing at 111 Boeing and Airbus aircraft with an average age of just four years old.
Qatar Airways already code-shares with oneworld member designate Malaysia Airlines. It will develop bilateral links with more airlines in the alliance as it moves towards becoming a member of the group.
Two established oneworld member airlines currently serve its Doha home - British Airways from its London hub, and Royal Jordanian from its Amman base - along with member elect SriLankan, from its Colombo hub. Opportunities for increasing the alliance's services to Doha will be explored as Qatar Airways prepares to join.
When Qatar Airways becomes part of oneworld, its customers will gain access to the alliance's truly global network. The 2.2 million members of its Privilege Club frequent flyer programme will be able to earn and redeem rewards on any of oneworld's other carriers, with top tier members able to use any of the group's 550 plus airport lounges, and its network will be covered by oneworld's market leading range of alliance fares.
At the same time, the 125 million frequent flyer cardholders of oneworld's established airlines will be able to earn and redeem rewards when flying on Qatar Airways and access Qatar Airways' lounges.
What the CEOs say
Among those alongside Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker at today's New York press conference to welcome the airline to oneworld were American Airlines' Chairman and Chief Executive Tom Horton, Chairman of the oneworld Governing Board; Chief Executive of IAG, parent of British Airways and Iberia, Willie Walsh; oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby; and senior representatives from other oneworld member airlines.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: "Alliances are playing an increasingly important role in the airline industry today - and that will continue long into the future. Qatar Airways has carefully reviewed its strategic options and it is very clear that joining oneworld is by far the best way forward for us as we look to strengthen our competitive offering and give passengers what they fully deserve - more choice. Like Qatar Airways, oneworld is focused on quality and providing the best connections between the places most important to today's frequent international travellers.
"In Qatar Airways' relatively short history, we have quickly established a reputation for innovation, quality and excellence in everything we do, raising standards which our industry peers have watched with envy. We are pleased to build on that by becoming the only major airline from the Gulf to date to be invited to join any of the global airline alliances - and we are proud to have been invited to join the best of them, in oneworld. We look forward to completing all the joining requirements as soon as possible, and to fly alongside some of the best airlines in the world long into the future, bringing heightened benefits offered by oneworld to our customers."
American Airlines' Chairman and Chief Executive Tom Horton, Chairman of the oneworld Governing Board, said: "Quality has always been the hallmark of oneworld, so we are pleased to welcome to our alliance another of the world's highest quality airlines. oneworld aims to be the first choice alliance for frequent international travelers the world over. Adding Qatar Airways will significantly improve our connectivity between many of the destinations that are most important to those customers, so today's agreement with Qatar Airways will enable us to offer even more value."
Willie Walsh, Chief Executive of IAG, parent of British Airways and Iberia, said: "In Qatar Airways, oneworld is pleased to welcome another great airline that will enhance oneworld's network and product offerings in one of the world's fastest growing regions for air travel demand. Its fine reputation for customer service mirrors oneworld's own focus. British Airways is delighted to be serving as the sponsor of Qatar Airways in joining oneworld."
oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby added: "The big three Gulf carriers have been embraced by millions of consumers the world over - just as consumers have embraced global airline alliances. Our own analysis clearly demonstrated that Qatar Airways is the best fit for oneworld's network, requirements, philosophy and strategy. oneworld is delighted to be the first of the global alliances to welcome a member airline from this region, enabling us to be the first to offer consumers the services and benefits offered by both a global alliance and a Gulf carrier. We look forward to welcoming another great airline to oneworld.
"oneworld's flexible approach to bilateral cooperation with carriers outside our alliance means that links already established between our member airlines with other carriers from this region may continue in tandem with Qatar Airways' addition to oneworld, further strengthening the choice and convenience we collectively offer our customers."
For more information please go to the oneworld website


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I'm Alexandra, 21, I recently graduated college for Game Design and now I'm just being a slacker at the moment.
I'm "somewhat" new, I stalk these forums often and I had a previous account but made a new one.
If anyone wants to chat with me Steam is the best way, I would love to make some new friends.
Psst hey kid, wanna talk about video games?
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Maurice Thompson, The Story of Louisiana, (Boston: D. Lothrop Co., 1888)
The New York Public Library, Humanities and Social Sciences Library, Milstein Division
Louisiana slaveholders' fear of black Saint Domingans materialized when slave driver Charles Deslondes, of Haitian origin, led the largest slave rebellion in United States history. On January 8, 1811, he and several hundred men took part in an uprising north of New Orleans. Defiant but poorly armed, they were headed for the city when federal marshals intercepted them. Governor Claiborne wrote to Secretary of State Robert Smith, "The Negroes in the County of German Coast . . . are in state of Insurrection; their numbers are variously stated from 180 to 500. This insurrection commenced at the plantation of Col. André about 36 miles above this city. . . . A detachment of U.S. Troops and two Companies marched against the Insurgents. The whole militia of the City are ordered under arms, and you may be assured of its safety." One week after their capture, Deslondes and twenty-one other insurgents were tried and executed. Their heads were hung on mile markers along Bayou Saint John to deter future revolts.
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Our alumni members fondly remember the roar of the crowd during their days on the hardwood. With that in mind, our Association has two special membership offerings for fans to join the NBRPA.Sign Up Now
NBA, ABA or Globetrotters Alumni are eligible for membership in the NBRPA. Our Association is an exclusive fraternity that offers unique fellowship and a host of programs to help former players navigate life after basketball.Sign Up Now


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The Temperance Movement began in the early 1800s and by 1833 there were 6,000 local societies in the United States. The Franklin County Temperance Society held its annual meeting in November, 1837, and elected officers and an executive committee. Even though women were active members of temperance societies, they rarely held any offices as can be seen in this list of men only. The Gazette & Mercury was the newspaper in Greenfield, Massachusetts, from June 27, 1837 to July 13, 1841, when it changed its name to the Gazette & Courier.
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"Temperance and Abolition Celebration at North Leverett" article from the Gazette and Courier newspaper
The Constitution of the Deerfield Temperance Society
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Extended graphic cards support: GeForce 3/4 and Radeon 8500-9200 as well as all previously supported cards.
Language support: Now supports several different languages. A big Thank You to the community for the translations.
Extended options: All effects can now be set in-game, allowing users to tweak them for best possible game experience.
Fixes and additions: A general overhaul of the game fixing reported issues and bugs as well as adding some minor new additions to the game.