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Email has been sent to you , please check your spam/junk emails if you are unable to find the email.
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Soprano gas coolers cover a large range of capacity for commercial and industrial applications. They are designed for external installations, for all applications in refrigeration and air conditioning. All models are available with vertical or horizontal airflow.


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Weeds in and around your flowers are not only unsightly; they can sap vital nutrients from the soil. You can control weeds either by applying a pre-emergent weed control product (a product that stops weeds before they come up) or by using a post-emergent weed control product (a product that kills weeds after they are up and growing). VPG, Inc. offers a variety of products in either category to help you control weeds in and around your landscape.
As always read and follow label instructions when apply a weed control product. Your local VPG Dealer will help you find the right product for your situation.
Your local VPG Dealer can also show you how to combine Insect control, disease control, weed control and fertilization into a simple program that will help you get the most form your flowers and flowering shrubs.

subset: commoncrawl


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Reduced-intensity Therapy for Oropharyngeal Cancer in Non-smoking HPV-16 Positive Patients
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01663259
Recruitment Status : Active, not recruiting
First Posted : August 13, 2012
Last Update Posted : May 13, 2019
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Taking into account the excellent prognosis of patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer with < 10 pack-year smoking, the investigators hypothesize that reducing the intensity of therapy for these patients will reduce treatment sequelae, notably long-term dysphagia, without affecting their cure rates. The main Aim is to assess whether reducing treatment intensity, by replacing concurrent chemotherapy with cetuximab, will indeed achieve improved long-term toxicity.
The primary objectives include the following: to confirm that reducing treatment intensity in patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer and < 10 pack-year smoking history by replacing concurrent chemotherapy with concurrent cetuximab, does not significantly increase the proportion of patients whose tumors recur, compared to our previous experience in similar patients receiving chemo-RT and to compare the toxicity in patients receiving cetuximab-RT to similar patients treated with 7 weeks of chemotherapy concurrent with RT ("standard therapy") in UMCC 2-21.
|Condition or disease
|Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx HPV
|Drug: Cetuximab Radiation: Radiotherapy
|Not Applicable
The investigators have shown in past experience a high success in getting rid of oropharyngeal cancer (tonsil or base of tongue cancer) using chemotherapy and radiation therapy in patients who have not smoked, or only smoked a minimal amount of cigarettes or equivalent. In these patients, the cancer is thought to be caused by a virus (Human Papilloma Virus, or HPV). HPV is a virus that infects the epidermis (outermost layer of skin) and mucous membranes of humans. In general, patients with HPV-related cancer such as yours have a better prognosis compared with patients whose tumors are smoking-related. Taking into account the good prognosis, it is possible that reducing the intensity of therapy will not affect the high rate of tumor control, while reducing the side-effects of therapy. In this study, the investigators plan to reduce the intensity of treatment by replacing the currently used chemotherapy drugs with an FDA approved drug, cetuximab, which is a monoclonal antibody to a growth factor which helps cancer cells grow. By opposing the effect of the growth factor, cetuximab may help radiotherapy kill cancer cells without a lot of effect on the normal tissue. It differs from chemotherapy in its more selective activity against tumors compared to normal tissue Cetuximab has the chance to preserve the high rate of success in killing the tumor but may reduce the side effects and complications of therapy in comparison to chemotherapy drugs.
The investigators would also like to know if taking cetuximab has any effect on certain cancer-related molecules in the cancer and the normal cells inside the cheek. They would like to test this by taking a small biopsy of the tumor, as well as a swab of the inside of the cheek, before and shortly after the start of therapy.
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|43 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Single Group Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Reduced-intensity Therapy for Advanced Oropharyngeal Cancer in Non-smoking Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)-16 Positive Patients
|Actual Study Start Date :
|January 2011
|Estimated Primary Completion Date :
|September 2019
|Estimated Study Completion Date :
|September 2019
|Experimental: Cetuximab
Drug: Cetuximab
Before Radiotherapy patients you will receive a single loading dose of cetuximab. Patients will also have two additional biopsies before and after cetuximab to determine how the tumor is affected. A Cetuximab infusion will also be delivered once a week during radiotherapy.Radiation will be started (70 Gy in 35 fractions over 7 weeks to the gross tumor, 50-60 Gy to subclinical target volumes) five days a week until the total dose of radiation prescribed by the doctor is reached. Radiation will be delivered concurrent with weekly cetuximab 250 mg/m2, delivered on Monday or Tuesday each week. In order to evaluate swallowing problems from radiotherapy, patients will undergo an evaluation of swallowing by videofluoroscopy (VF). Quality of Life questionnaires will be given before therapy and periodically up to 36 months after therapy. In order to assess if the tumor was completely eradicated, CT-PET scan will be performed 3 months after the completion of therapy.
Radiation: Radiotherapy
Radiation will be started (70 Gy in 35 fractions over 7 weeks to the gross tumor, 50-60 Gy to subclinical target volumes) five days a week until the total dose of radiation prescribed by the doctor is reached. Radiation will be delivered concurrent with weekly cetuximab 250 mg/m2, delivered on Monday or Tuesday each week.
- Rate of Recurrence [ Time Frame: Timepoints throughout 3 years ]To confirm that reducing treatment intensity in patients with HPV ¬related oropharyngeal cancer and < 10 pack-year smoking history by replacing concurrent chemotherapy with concurrent cetuximab, does not significantly increase the proportion of patients whose tumors recur, compared to our previous experience in similar patients receiving chemo-RT.
- Number of Participants with Adverse Events [ Time Frame: Timepoints throughout 3 years ]To compare the toxicity in patients receiving cetuximab-RT to similar patients treated with 7 weeks of chemotherapy concurrent with RT ("standard therapy")
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients must have pathologically-confirmed, previously untreated,stage III-IV(excluding N3 or T4) squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, without evidence of distant metastasis
- Pretreatment tumor biopsy with sufficient tumor for HPV or p16 analysis is required. The tumor must be HPV(+) or p16(+)
Smoking history <10 pack-year or equivalent (including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, and/or marijuana). One cannabis joint is equivalent to 5 cigarettes. (Aldington etal, Thorax 2007; 62:1058-1063). Smoking status definitions (National Health Interview Survey and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (Nelson DE etal al, Am J Pub Health 2003;93:1335):
- Smokers: smoking now every day or some days in past month
- Quitters: at least 100 cigarettes/lifetime and not smoking in the past 1-12 months
- Former smoker: at least 100 cigarettes/lifetime and not smoking >12 months
Never smokers: <100 cigarettes (or equivalent)/lifetime
- KPS > 80 (see Appendix A)
- Patients must undergo pre-treatment endoscopic tumor staging and PET-CT scanning
- Laboratory criteria:
- WBC > 3500/ul
- granulocyte > 1500/ul
- Platelet count > 100,000/ul
- Total Bilirubin < 1.5 X ULN
AST and ALT < 2.5 X ULN
- Creatinine clearance >30 cc/min
- Patients must sign study specific informed consent
- Patients must have, in the opinion of a treating physician, tumor that is accessible to biopsy in the clinic.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Prior head and neck malignancy or history of other prior non-head and neck malignancy (excluding skin cancer and early stage treated prostate cancer) within the past 3 years
- Prior head and neck radiation or chemotherapy
- Any medical or psychiatric illness, which in the opinion of the principal investigator, would compromise the patient's ability to tolerate this treatment or limit compliance with study requirements
- Patients residing in prison
- Patients with prior anti-epidermal growth-factor receptor antibody therapy (antibody or small molecule)
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01663259
|United States, Michigan
|Radiation Oncology , University of Michigan Health System
|Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48109
|Principal Investigator:
|Avraham Eisbruch, MD
|University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
|Responsible Party:
|University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01663259 History of Changes
|Obsolete Identifiers:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
HUM00032219 ( Other Identifier: University of Michigan IRBMED )
|First Posted:
|August 13, 2012 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|May 13, 2019
|Last Verified:
|May 2019
Oropharyngeal Neoplasms
Pharyngeal Neoplasms
Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms
Head and Neck Neoplasms
Neoplasms by Site
Pharyngeal Diseases
Stomatognathic Diseases
Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases
Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
Antineoplastic Agents


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LONDON -- Better-than-expected U.S. jobs figures that included a surprise fall in the unemployment rate to its lowest level since January 2009 shored up markets Friday.
The U.S. government reported that the world's largest economy generated 114,000 jobs in September, roughly in line with markets' subdued expectations. However, upward revisions to previous months' figures and a fall in the unemployment rate _ from to 7.8 percent from 8.1 percent _ reassured investors, who marked stocks higher.
"While the headline number may be viewed as disappointing, there is much else to like in this report," said Dan Greenhaus, chief global strategist at BTIG.
In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 0.7 percent at 5,871 while Germany's DAX rose 1.2 percent to 7,397. The CAC-40 in France was 1.6 percent higher at 3,457.
In the U.S., the Dow Jones industrial average was up 0.5 percent at 13,565 while the broader S&P 500 index rose 0.25 percent to 1,465.
The dollar also lost some ground as investors grew more willing to buy supposedly-riskier assets _ the euro was up 0.2 percent at $1.3049, near its highest level since Sept. 19.
The price of oil, however, remained lower despite the upbeat U.S. figures as investors booked gains made this week, when concerns rose of tensions between Turkey and Syria. The benchmark New York rate was $2.41 lower at $89.31 a barrel.
Europe's financial crisis provided relatively few distractions for markets this week, though Spain's reluctance to tap a new bond-buying facility from the European Central Bank is causing investors some concern. The yield on the country's 10-year bonds edged back towards the 6 percent mark on Thursday, but fell Friday in the more risk-on environment. By late afternoon, it was 0.20 percentage points lower at 5.66 percent.
On Thursday night, Spain's finance minister Luis de Guindos insisted that the country "doesn't need a bailout."
While the country may not want rescue loans for its government, it may still approach the eurozone's emergency funds, which would let the ECB to start buying Spanish bonds, keeping a lid on the country's near-term borrowing rates.
De Guindos conceded that Spain was at the epicenter of Europe's debt crisis, which is entering its fourth year. In October 2009, then newly-elected Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou revealed that Greece's public finances were in even worse shape than feared.
"I would even say that the future of the battle of the euro will be waged in Spain," De Guindos told an audience at the London School of Economics.
Earlier, Asian stocks advanced, with Japan's Nikkei 225 index closing up 0.4 percent at 8,863.30 after the Bank of Japan announced no change in the country's key interest rate following a two-day policy meeting.
South Korea's Kospi gained 0.1 percent to 1,995.17 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.5 percent to 21,012.38.
Markets in China are closed for a public holiday.


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Starting to get used to this island life and find myself waking up early morning feeling rested, must be the combo of warm, sunshine, relaxation and perhaps more importantly, early nights. Cannot recall last time I even considered calling it a day before midnight, well, here I do and it's wonderful, perhaps a good routine to bring a long home…….
Dress from H&M's Conscious Collection, bikini also H&M, sunnies Celine and Havaianas


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July 2008
Finding Appropriate Comparison Groups
When evaluators have research questions about an online program's impact on student achievement, their best strategy for answering those questions is often an experimental design, like a randomized controlled trial, or a quasi-experimental design that requires them to find matched comparison groups. These two designs are the best, most widely accepted methods for determining program effects (see table 3, p. 28).
Evaluators who use these methods must proceed carefully. They must first ensure that comparisons are appropriate, taking into consideration the population served and the program's goals and structure. For example, online programs dedicated to credit recovery* would want to compare their student outcomes with those of other credit recovery programs because they are serving similiar populations. Evaluators must also be scrupulous in their efforts to find good comparison groups—often a challenging task. For a particular online class, there may be no corresponding face-to-face class. Or it may be difficult to avoid a self-selection bias if students (or teachers) have chosen to participate in an online program. Or the online program might serve a wide range of students, possibly from multiple states, with a broad range of ages, or with different levels of preparation, making it difficult to compare to a traditional setting or another online program. Evaluators attempting to conduct a randomized controlled trial can encounter an even greater challenge in devising a way to randomly assign students to receive a treatment (see Glossary of Common Evaluation Terms, p. 65) online.
How might evaluators work around these comparison group difficulties?
Several of the evaluations featured in this guide sought to compare distance learning programs with face-to-face learning settings, and they took various approaches to the inherent technical challenges of doing so. Despite some difficulties along the way, the evaluators of online projects in Louisiana, Alabama, and Maryland all successfully conducted comparative studies that yielded important findings for their programs.
Identify Well-matched Control Groups for Quasi-experimental Studies
In designing the evaluation for Louisiana's Algebra I Online, program leaders in the Louisiana Department of Education wanted to address the bottom line they knew policymakers cared about most: whether students in the program's online courses were performing as well as students studying algebra in a traditional classroom.
To implement the quasi-experimental design of their evaluation (see Glossary of Common Evaluation Terms, p. 65), the program's administrators needed to identify traditional algebra classrooms to use as controls. The idea was to identify standard algebra courses serving students similar to those participating in the Algebra I Online program and then give pre- and post-course tests to both groups to compare how much each group learned, on average. Of course, in a design such as this, a number of factors besides the class format (online or face-to-face) could affect students' performance: student-level factors, such as individual ability and home environment; teacher-level factors, such as experience and skill in teaching algebra; and school-level factors, such as out-of-class academic supports for students. Clearly, it was important to the evaluation to find the closest matches possible.
Under a tight timeline, program administrators worked with all their participating districts to identify traditional classrooms that were matched demographically to the online classes and, then, administered a pretest of general mathematics ability to students in both sets of classes. External evaluators from the Education Development Center (EDC) joined the effort at this point. Although impressed by the work that the program staff had accomplished given time and budget constraints, the EDC evaluators were concerned about the quality of matches between the treatment and control classes. Finding good matches is a difficult task under the best of circumstances and, in this case, it proved even more difficult for nonevaluators, that is, program and school administrators. The quality of the matches was especially problematic in small districts or nonpublic schools that had fewer control classrooms from which to choose. EDC evaluator Rebecca Carey says, "To their credit, [the program's administrators] did the best they could in the amount of time they had." Still, she adds, "the matches weren't necessarily that great across the control and the experimental.… Had we been involved from the beginning, we might have been a little bit more stringent about how the control schools would match to the intervention schools and, maybe, have made the selection process a little bit more rigorous."
Table 3. Evaluation Design Characteristics
|Experimental design
|Incorporates random assignment of participants to treatment and control groups. The purpose of randomization is to ensure that all possible explanations for changes (measured and unmeasurable) in outcomes are taken into account, randomly distributing participants in both the treatment and control groups so there should be no systematic baseline differences. Treatment and control groups are compared on outcome measures. Any differences in outcomes may be assumed to be attributable to the intervention.
|Most sound or valid study design available Most accepted in scientific community
|Institutional policy guidelines may make random assignment impossible.
|Quasiexperimental design
|Involves developing a treatment group and a carefully matched comparison group (or groups). Differences in outcomes between the treatment and comparison groups are analyzed, controlling for baseline differences between them on background characteristics and variables of interest.
|More practical in most educational settings Widely accepted in scientific community
|Finding and choosing suitable treatment and comparison groups can be difficult. Because of nonrandom group assignment, the outcomes of interest in the study may have been influenced not only by the treatment but also by variables not studied.
Source: Adapted from U.S. Department of Education, Mobilizing for Evidence-Based Character Education (2007). Available from http://www.ed.gov/programs/charactered/mobilizing.pdf.
Ultimately, the evaluation team used students' pretest scores to gauge whether the treatment and control group students started the course with comparable skills and knowledge and employed advanced statistical techniques to help control for some of the poor matches.
In their report, the evaluators also provided data on differences between the control and treatment groups (e.g., student characteristics, state test scores in math, size of the school), and they drew from other data sources (including surveys and observations) to triangulate their findings (see Common Problems When Comparing Online Programs to Face-to-Face Programs, p. 30). To other programs considering a comparative study, the Algebra I Online evaluators recommend involving the evaluation team early in the planning process and having them supervise the matching of treatment and control groups.
The evaluators of Alabama's Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, & Students Statewide Distance Learning (ACCESS) initiative similarly planned a quasi-experimental design and needed traditional classes to use as matches. ACCESS provides a wide range of distance courses, including core courses, electives, remedial courses, and advanced courses, which are either Web-based, utilize interactive videoconferencing (IVC) platforms, or use a combination of both technologies. In the case of IVC courses, distance learners receive instruction from a teacher who is delivering a face-to-face class at one location while the distance learners participate from afar.
When external evaluators set out to compare the achievement of ACCESS's IVC students to that of students in traditional classrooms, they decided to take advantage of the program's distinctive format. As controls, they used the classrooms where the instruction was delivered live by the same instructor. In other words, the students at the site receiving the IVC feed were considered the treatment group, and students at the sending site were the control group. This design helped evaluators to isolate the effect of the class format (IVC or face-to-face) and to avoid capturing the effects of differences in style and skill among teachers, a problem they would have had if the treatment and control classes were taught by different people. Martha Donaldson, ACCESS's lead program administrator, says, "We were looking to see if it makes a difference whether students are face-to-face with the teacher or if they're receiving instruction in another part of the state via the distance learning equipment." To compare performance between the two groups of students, evaluators gathered a range of data, including grades, scores on Advanced Placement tests, if relevant, and enrollment and dropout data. The design had some added logistical benefits for the evaluators: it was easier to have the control classrooms come from schools participating in ACCESS, rather than having to collect data from people who were unfamiliar with the program.
Despite these benefits, the strategy of using IVC sending sites as control groups did have a few drawbacks. For instance, the evaluators were not able to match treatment and control groups on characteristics that might be important, such as student- and school-level factors. It is possible that students in the receiving sites attended schools with fewer resources, for example, and the comparison had no way to control for that. For these reasons, the ACCESS evaluators ultimately chose not to repeat the comparison between IVC sending and receiving sites the following year. They did, however, suggest that such a comparison could be strengthened by collecting data that gives some indication of students' pretreatment ability level—GPA, for example—and using statistical techniques to control for differences. Another strategy, they propose, might be to limit the study to such a subject area as math or foreign language, where courses follow a sequence and students in the same course (whether online or traditional) would have roughly similar levels of ability.
|Common Problems When Comparing Online Programs to Face-to-Face Programs
Evaluators need to consider both student- and school- or classroom-level variables when they compare online and face-to-face programs. At the student level, many online program participants enroll because of a particular circumstance or attribute, and thus they cannot be randomly assigned—for example, a student who takes an online course over the summer to catch up on credits. The inherent selection bias makes it problematic to compare the results of online and face-to-face students. Evaluators' best response is to find, wherever possible, control groups that are matched as closely as possible to the treatment groups; this includes matching for student demographic characteristics; their reason for taking the course (e.g., credit recovery); and their achievement level. Classroom- and school-level factors complicate comparisons as well. If the online program is more prevalent in certain types of schools (e.g., rural schools) or classrooms (e.g., those lacking a fully certified teacher), then the comparison unintentionally can capture the effects of these differences. Evaluators need to understand and account for these factors when selecting control groups.
Anticipate the Challenges of Conducting a Randomized Controlled Trial
Evaluators in Maryland had a different challenge on their hands when they were engaged to study Thinkport and its wide-ranging education offerings—including lesson plans, student activities, podcasts, video clips, blogs,** learning games, and information about how all of these things can be used effectively in classrooms. When asked by a key funder to evaluate the program's impact on student learning, the evaluation team chose to study one of Thinkport's most popular features, its collection of "electronic field trips," each one a self-contained curricular unit that includes rich multimedia content (delivered online) and accompanying teacher support materials that assist with standards alignment and lesson planning.
In collaboration with its evaluation partner, Macro International, the program's parent organization, Maryland Public Television, set out to study how the Pathways to Freedom electronic field trip impacted student learning in the classroom and whether it added value. Rather than conducting a quasi-experimental study in which the evaluator would have to find control groups that demographically matched existing groups that were receiving a treatment, the Thinkport evaluators wanted an experimental design study in which students were assigned randomly to either treatment or control groups.
Although they knew it would require some extra planning and coordination, the evaluators chose to conduct a randomized controlled trial. This design could provide them with the strongest and most reliable measure of the program's effects. But first, there were challenges to overcome. If students in the treatment and control groups were in the same classroom, evaluators thought, they might share information about the field trip and "contaminate" the experiment. Even having treatment and control groups in the same school could cause problems: In addition to the possibility of contamination, the evaluators were concerned that teachers and students in control classrooms would feel cheated by not having access to the field trip and would complain to administrators.
To overcome these challenges and maintain the rigor of the experimental design, program leaders decided to randomize at the school level. They recruited nine schools in two districts and involved all eighth-grade social studies teachers in each school, a total of 23 teachers. The evaluators then matched the schools based on student demographics, teacher data, and student scores on the state assessment. (One small school was coupled with another that matched it demographically, and the two schools were counted as one.) The evaluators then randomly identified one school in each pair as a treatment school and one as a control school. Teachers did not know until training day whether they had been selected as a treatment or control. (The control group teachers were told that they would be given an orientation and would be able to use the electronic field trip after the study.)
A second challenge for the evaluation team was ensuring that teachers in the control classrooms covered the same content as the teachers who were using the electronic field trip—a problem that might also be found in quasi-experimental designs that require matched comparison groups. They were concerned because the electronic field trip devotes six class periods to the topic of slavery and the Underground Railroad—perhaps more time than is typical in a regular classroom. To ensure that students in both groups would spend a similar amount of time on the Underground Railroad unit and have varied resources to use, the evaluators provided additional curricular materials to the control teachers, including books, DVDs, and other supplemental materials. On each of the six days they delivered the unit, all teachers in the study completed forms to identify the standards they were covering, and they also completed a form at the end of the study to provide general information about their lessons. During the course of the unit, the evaluators found that the control teachers began working together to pool their resources and develop lesson plans. The evaluators did not discourage this interaction, believing that it increased the control teachers' ability to deliver the content effectively and, ultimately, added credibility to the study. To compare how well students learned the content of the unit, the evaluators assessed students' knowledge of slavery and the Underground Railroad before and after the instructional unit was delivered.
The evaluators' approach to these challenges was thoughtful and effective. By balancing the experimental design concept with practical considerations, the evaluation team was able to get the information they wanted and successfully complete the study.
The evaluations of Algebra I Online, ACCESS, and Thinkport illustrate a variety of approaches to constructing comparative studies. For program leaders who are considering an evaluation that will compare the performance of online and traditional students, there are several important considerations. First, program leaders should work with an evaluator to ensure that comparisons are appropriate. Together, they will want to take into account the program's goals, the student population served, and the program's structure.
|Highlights From the Three Comparative Analyses Featured in This Section
The comparative analyses described in this section produced a number of important findings for program staff and leaders to consider.
Algebra I Online (Louisiana). A quasi-experimental study that compared students' performance on a posttest of algebra content knowledge showed that students who participated in the Algebra I Online course performed at least as well as those who participated in the traditional algebra I course, and on average outscored them on 18 of the 25 test items. In addition, the data suggested that students in the online program tended to do better than control students on those items that required them to create an algebraic expression from a real-world example. A majority of students in both groups reported having a good or satisfactory learning experience in their algebra course, but online students were more likely to report not having a good experience and were less likely to report feeling confident in their algebra skills. Online students reported spending more time interacting with other students about the math content of the course or working together on course activities than their peers in traditional algebra classrooms; the amount of time they spent socializing, interacting to understand assignment directions, and working together on in-class assignments or homework was about the same. The evaluation also suggested that teacher teams that used small group work and had frequent communication with each other were the most successful.
ACCESS (Alabama). Overall, the evaluations of the program found that ACCESS was succeeding in expanding access to a range of courses and was generally well received by users. The comparative analyses suggested that students taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses from a distance were almost as likely to receive a passing course grade as those students who received instruction in person, and showed that both students and faculty found the educational experience in the distance courses was equal to or better than that of traditional, face-to-face courses. The evaluation also found that in the fall semester of 2006, the distance course dropout rate was significantly lower than nationally reported averages.
Thinkport (Maryland). The randomized controlled trial initially revealed that, compared to traditional instruction, the online field trip did not have a significant positive or negative impact on student learning. However, further analysis revealed that teachers using the electronic field trip for the first time actually had less impact on student learning than those using traditional instruction, while teachers who had used the electronic field trip before had a significantly more positive impact. In a second phase of the study, the evaluators confirmed the importance of experience with the product: when teachers in one district used the electronic field trip again, they were much more successful on their second try, and their students were found to have learned far more than students receiving traditional instruction.
Second, program leaders should clearly articulate the purpose of the comparison. Is the evaluation seeking to find out if the online program is just as effective as the traditional one, or more effective? In some instances, when online programs are being used to expand access to courses or teachers, for example, a finding of "no significant difference" between online and traditional formats can be acceptable. In these cases, being clear about the purpose of the evaluation ahead of time will help manage stakeholders' expectations.
If considering a quasi-experimental design, evaluators will want to plan carefully for what classes will be used as control groups, and assess the ways they are different from the treatment classes. They will want to consider what kinds of students the class serves, whether the students (or teachers) chose to participate in the treatment or control class, whether students are taking the treatment and control classes for similar reasons (e.g., credit recovery), and whether the students in the treatment and control classes began the class at a similar achievement level. If a randomized controlled trial is desired, evaluators will need to consider how feasible it is for the particular program. Is it possible to randomly assign students either to receive the treatment or be in the control group? Can the control group students receive the treatment at a future date? Will control and treatment students be in the same classroom or school, and if so, might this cause "contamination" of data?
Finally, there are a host of practical considerations if an evaluation will require collecting data from control groups. As we describe further in the next section, program leaders and evaluators need to work together to communicate the importance of the study to anyone who will collect data from control group participants, and to provide appropriate incentives to both the data collectors and the participants. The importance of these tasks can hardly be overstated: The success of a comparative study hinges on having adequate sets of data to compare.
* Podcasts are audio files that are distributed via the Internet, which can be played back on computers to augment classroom lessons.
** Blogs are regularly updated Web sites that usually provide ongoing information on a particular topic or serve as personal diaries, and allow readers to leave their own comments.


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House Speaker John Boehner, scrambling to close Republican Party ranks, derailed at the 11th hour Friday an antiwar measure that had been picking up momentum this week from within GOP ranks and had appeared likely to pass.
At stake for Speaker Boehner was both the loyalty of the powerful Republican freshman class, which has been fixated on cutting spending and entitlements, and the need to avoid opening a rift between the United States and NATO.
The debate this week over President Obama's handling of US engagement in Libya opened a new rift in GOP ranks. In a rare pairing, conservative Republicans gave a resolution from antiwar Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) of Ohio most of its votes in a failing bid Friday to force Mr. Obama to withdraw US forces from the NATO-led mission in Libya within 15 days.
Instead, the House approved a measure drafted by Boehner that calls on Obama to provide Congress with more information on the war in Libya. It gives the White House 14 days to come back to Congress with a strategy for the mission.
The resolution is not binding on the White House, but "puts the president on notice," Boehner said. "He has the chance to get this right, and if he doesn't, Congress will exercise its constitutional authority and we will make it right," he added during Friday's floor debate.
The Kucinich measure, which failed 148 to 165, drew from the ranks of traditional antiwar Democrats as well as deficit-driven conservatives, wary of new war costs at a time that Republicans are proposing draconian budget cuts. Thirty-four GOP freshmen – nearly 40 percent of the bumper freshman class – broke ranks with their own leadership to back the measure.
"Our loyalty to NATO does not trump our loyalty to the US Constitution," said Congressman Kucinich during the floor debate.
"The president should not be able to simply have wars of choice," said freshman Rep. Jeff Duncan (R) of South Carolina. "The Constitution is very clear. Only the Congress can declare war."
"This is a defining moment for us as a people, for this body, and for Congress as an institution," said Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R) of Utah, one of 76 members of the conservative Republican Study Committee who voted with Kucinich.
The Boehner resolution is "not a remedy," said Rep. Jeff Flake (R) of Arizona, another RSC member. "It's a mild rebuke followed by a questionnaire."
On Wednesday House GOP leaders dropped plans for a vote on the Kucinich measure after it appeared likely that GOP votes would put the measure over the top. In a caucus meeting on Thursday, Boehner appealed to GOP lawmakers to avoid a break with NATO allies and back his alternative.
"Boehner tried to water down and turn into pastels the plain language of the Kucinich amendment," says libertarian Bruce Fein, president of American Freedom Agenda and a former associate deputy attorney general during the Reagan administration.
"The younger [members] are pushing Boehner. They think he flinched on the budget and are pushing him on this," he added.
Friday's floor debate focused both on the cost of the war and on presidential overreach. "There are a lot of tyrants around the world who ought to be replaced, but should the US go anywhere it wants around the world to get rid of a bad guy?" said Rep. Dan Burton (R) of Indiana, who voted for both the Boehner and Kucinich measures.
"The Congress of the United States is the body that is supposed to be consulted before we go to war. The president did not do this. We are contributing over $700 million … and it will be a billion before it's over," he added.
In a nod to the freshmen, GOP leaders gave freshmen Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R) of Illinois the closing speech of the floor debate.
"The greatest disinfectant to terrorism is not necessarily bombs, it's freedom," he said. "But Mr. President, you need to come to Congress and you need to say what our interests are there."
But even with a conservative, tea-party bump, Friday's votes signal that there is not yet majority support for pulling out of Libya. If such a measure had passed the House, it would have faced stiff, bipartisan opposition in the Senate, where leaders on both sides of the aisle squarely favor the NATO mission in Libya.
"Neither party at the end of the day wanted to stop this," says Michael O'Hanlon, a senior fellow and defense policy analyst at the Brookings Institution. "You've got key people on both sides of the aisle who agree that we needed to get tough on [Libyan leader Muammar] Qaddafi and don't want to call off the air campaign, so the debate is legalistic and procedural."


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Mercedes Benz
Advertising associated with the Mercedes Benz automotive brand, as featured on The Inspiration Room. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG. The name first appeared in 1926 but traces its origins to Daimler's 1901 Mercedes and to Karl Benz's 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen.
Website: mercedes-benz.com
Twitter: @daimler, @MercedesBenzUK, @mbusa,
Facebook: facebook.com/MercedesBenz
Google+ plus.google.com/+MercedesBenz
Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/mercedes-benz-usa, linkedin.com/company/mercedes-benz-canada, linkedin.com/company/mercedes-benz-uk-ltd


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|US Presswire/Associated Press
|San Francisco's Alex Smith (left) and Seattle's Matt Flynn both received three-year contracts in the offseason.
One team was the toast of the NFL last season, rising out of a decade-long slumber and landing on the doorstep of the biggest stage in American sports. The other spent the second half of 2011, even while in the middle of franchise overhaul, as one of the league's most dangerous teams, beating the Baltimore Ravens, and blowing out the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears.
But most interesting is that months after an optimism-pumping fall, in a quarterback-driven league, neither the San Francisco 49ers nor the Seattle Seahawks have a definitive answer going forward at the game's most important position.
Yes, the Niners have Alex Smith, who led the club to a 13-3 mark last fall. And sure, Seattle signed Matt Flynn, the biggest quarterbacking name on the market outside of that fella who used to play for the Indianapolis Colts.
But facts are facts. Both Seattle and San Francisco made runs at Peyton Manning. Both clubs have drafted a quarterback outside the first round, but inside the first 75 picks in the past two years.
And for the rest of the story, let's take a cue from "All the President's Men" and follow the money on Smith and Flynn, both of whom signed three-year deals in March. Here's a look ...
Alex Smith's contract
⢠2012: $5 million base salary (fully guaranteed); $3 million roster bonus; $1.25 million in likely-to-be-earned incentives; $1.75 million in unlikely incentives.
⢠2013: $7.5 million base salary ($1 million guaranteed); $1 million roster bonus; $1.25 million in likely-to-be-earned incentives; $1.75 million in unlikely incentives.
⢠2014: $7.5 million base salary; $1.25 million in likely-to-be-earned incentives; $1.75 million in unlikely incentives.
What it means: Smith was guaranteed $9 million upon signing ($10.5 million with injury guarantees), but this could well be a deal that runs a year and is worth only that much. The 2013 roster bonus is due in March, and if Smith is on the roster on April 1 of next year, his $7.5 million base salary will be guaranteed. If they cut him before the roster bonus comes due, they only owe him the $1 million guarantee. So, at least from a practical standpoint, the Niners will have to make a decision next March if Smith will be the starter for 2013.
Matt Flynn's contract
⢠2012: $6 million signing bonus; $2 million base salary (fully guaranteed); $200,000 Pro Bowl bonus; $200,000 NFL MVP bonus.
⢠2013: $5.25 million base salary ($2 million guaranteed); $200,000 Pro Bowl bonus; $200,000 NFL MVP bonus.
⢠2014: $6.25 million base salary; $200,000 Pro Bowl bonus; $200,000 NFL MVP bonus.
What it means: Flynn's guarantee is similar to Smith's -- at $10 million -- but the structure is different. Where Smith's deal forces the club to declare intentions after Year 1, Flynn's deal gives him two years to develop, which makes sense since he's new in Seattle and Smith isn't in San Francisco. If the Seahawks cut Flynn next spring, the cap hit would be $6 million, whereas the hit would be $7.25 million to have him on the roster. That makes the deal almost like a two-year pact with a third-year option.
* * *
From a team standpoint, there's clarity in the Niners' intention to make Smith their starter in 2012 and decide where things go in the future from there. There's more murkiness as to where Flynn fits in for Seattle.
Though Flynn was a big name on the market, Seattle's financial commitment to its first two quarterbacks isn't much different now from where it was last fall. In 2011, Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst pulled in about $8 million, where the club will sink between $9 million and $10 million on Jackson and Flynn this year. Flynn was initially looking for a deal in the neighborhood of what Matt Cassel got in Kansas City, but the Seahawks' message is clear through the finances: A starting job isn't promised.
And that is central to Pete Carroll's "Always Compete" philosophy, as is rookie Russell Wilson's entrance into the fray last weekend. Wilson's performance at rookie minicamp was enough to buy him that shot, which is about as much as a first-year guy can accomplish this early. People in the building will remind you, too, that Carroll, going back to USC and his propensity there for playing freshman, won't shy away from counting on a kid like Wilson. Carroll proved that last year in replacing Brandon Stokley with undrafted rookie Doug Baldwin.
In San Francisco, they have a developmental player at the position, too. Colin Kaepernick was taken just four picks outside the first round in 2011 and one pick behind Andy Dalton, who led the Bengals to the playoffs as a Day 1 starter.
The jury is still out on Kaepernick, with some questions having surrounded his instincts for the position. Conversely, the Niners were comfortable enough with him to take a hard-line approach in the Smith negotiations in March, a tact that could've led to Kaepernick ascending to the top spot of the depth chart for a Super Bowl contender.
Where does that leave us? Two "competitive piece" veterans and a promising young player fighting for time in Seattle, and a starter playing to keep his job with a young player fighting to prove he's the answer long-term in San Francisco.
And around those guys are two nicely rebuilt clubs with plenty to be excited about in 2012.
Maybe that dynamic won't make either of these teams the surest bet to be visiting the Superdome in February. But it sure will be interesting to follow.
Follow Albert Breer on Twitter @AlbertBreer


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DC Government 'Reviewing' Firefighters' Appearance with Obama
(WASHINGTON) -- The District of Columbia's Fire and Emergency Medical Services says there are no plans to punish first responders for their participation in an economic speech by President Obama, but are still reviewing the event.
Earlier this week, Obama surrounded himself with police and other first responders during remarks regarding the real world impact of the across-the-board package of federal spending cuts known as sequestration, looming in March should Congress fail to reach a deficit reduction agreement. But Washington's fire and EMS chief told a local TV station the appearance of three firefighters at the event may have violated department regulations.
"I didn't know about it, the deputy mayor didn't know about it, the mayor didn't know about it," Chief Kenneth Ellerbe said. "There should be protocol followed anytime one of our employees representing the District of Columbia appears at a public event."
Ellerbe told a local TV station that the employees had been ordered to file special testimonies on how they became guests of the White House event and who authorized it. The news report prompted a statement from the city government Friday.
"Contrary to reports in local media, the DC Fire and EMS Department is not considering any disciplinary action against uniformed personnel for appearing alongside President Obama," reads the Friday-night release, adding "DC FEMS is simply reviewing its internal protocols for such appearances to ensure that both the Department and its employees are fully informed."
"We fully support the efforts of President to highlight the essential and life saving work that our first-responders do every single day, and welcome his invitation for our members to participate," the statement said. "We're exceedingly proud of the men and women that wear the DC FEMS uniform, and thank the President for his support."
An after-hours inquiry to the department was unanswered as of press time.
Capt. Ed Smith, president of the DC Firefighters Association Local 36, said it is not likely the department will actively discipline the members who participated in the Obama event, but he remains cautious over the broader implications of the review. The association president told ABC News the officers involved were off duty and that firefighters had routinely attended similar public events in the past without incident. The invitation came from the White House through Local 36′s parent organization, the International Association of Firefighters.
"If it led to discipline later it would be taken as retaliatory," he said, adding he knew of no protocol breached by appearing in-uniform. "There is a pattern of retaliation with the chief and the department and that is a concern of mine."
Smith said he has seen such measures first-hand. In October an independent arbitrator ruled in favor of the captain's claim that he was involuntarily transferred due to his union activities.
The emergency services of the nation's capital have historically gone to good lengths attempting to appear neutral to the national politics embedded there. For example, the police and fire departments generally refuse to divulge crowd counts for the city's many protests and demonstrations. Any estimate given would likely be targeted as politically motivated.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio


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Is anyone here on Facebook? What do you think of it in comparison to Myspace etc?
Is anyone here on Facebook? What do you think of it in comparison to Myspace etc?
Some more info:
Where I am in Oxford in the UK it seems that everyone is switching over to using Facebook rather than Myspace as their social networking tool of choice. It seems to be attracting a broader range of people using it and many people who haven't got Myspace pages.
The attractions seem to be that you don't have any coding to do to personalise your page - its all very simple and much less customisable. It doesn't have any page viewing figures or 'top friends' which eliminates any kind of heirarchy or bitchyness. It also has a (recently added I think) news-feed feature which updates you (upon logging in) on any changes to your friends' profiles such as new photos/comments/new friends etc. This is the most distinguishing feature in comparison to other social networking sites and allows you to really keep up-to-date with what is happening amongst people you know. You can also alter preferences on this feed to allow you to see information about specific people or subjects more or less. There are also additional features which look for useful for promoting events such as the ability to set up groups which people can join and keep updated with news or use group specific discussion boards etc.
Most importantly it is equally as addictive as Myspace after a few days of use and has actually had the effect of Myspace suddenly seeming a little bit oldskool. If you haven't been on it yet I'd really recommend you at least having a go for an explore as its really taking off here. www.facebook.com
..and no I don't work for them! Would be interested to hear any other people views still.
Last edited by DJL; 12-12-2006 at 08:54 PM.
use the myspace for the music
facebook for the personal
much better that way.
as the guy above said, the news feed of facebook is really handy, and its generally a very useful for keeping in touch with people who you don't see much of.
is it a facebook faux pas to use something other than your 'real' name? i've been convinced to sign up but i've gone with a different moniker.
BOOK: sound/bodies // paul.autonomic »» deeptime.net


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KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany -- The 21st Theater Sustainment Command is one of five units selected by the Department of the Army's personnel division to participate in a 180-day sponsorship test pilot program aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the Total Army Sponsorship Program.
The objective of the test pilot program is to develop a process that will ensure the assignment of a sponsor prior to receiving permanent change of station orders for those in the ranks of colonel and below.
The pilot requires the 21st TSC to provide monthly Soldier sponsorship data and feedback directly to the Army's deputy chief of staff for personnel. Results could potentially lead to modifying the current TASP and enhance the Army's ability to sponsor, receive, and integrate newly arriving Soldiers and their families into their unit of assignment.
"The purpose of the current program is to make sure that as our Soldiers and families transition from one location to another, that there is someone there who can help them in their transition before they come and once they arrive as well," said Sgt. Maj. Bryan L. Novak, the human resources sergeant major for the 21st TSC and a Saint Paul, Minn., native.
Novak is overseeing the 21st TSC's effort in gathering and forwarding data during the six-month test program.
Initially, the 21st TSC submitted a report annotating the number of Soldiers identified for assignment instructions. There are currently approximately 500 Soldiers on orders to the 21st TSC, according to Novak.
The command must then annotate the number of assignment instructions issued to Soldiers in 30-day increments to capture if assignments instructions are issued with sufficient lead time to appoint sponsors.
The command will validate its own sponsorship program by recording the number of sponsors validated by the losing units in accordance with established timelines.
Lastly, the pilot data will track the number of orders published and distributed to the 21st TSC, regardless of when the Soldiers were placed on assignment instructions.
According to Novak, the vast 21st TSC's geographic footprint makes it an ideal unit for the test pilot program.
"I don't know why the 21st TSC was chosen to participate in the pilot program, but I can tell you that I think that we're probably one of the best units in the Army to test the program," said Novak. "The 21st TSC is in every community within Europe, so if you can do it right in the 21st then you can do it right anywhere."
The 21st TSC is the only sustainment unit in Europe and has nearly 11,000 Soldiers assigned to more than 15 different communities within U.S. Army Europe, to include Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands.
According to Patrick E. Vestal, the chief of military personnel for Installation Management Command-Europe personnel division and a native of Longview, Texas, the overall goal of the pilot program is not only to make the quality of the sponsorship program better, but also to better link Soldiers and ensure that their transition to a new place is as smooth as possible.
"I think that this pilot is just to validate that the Army is doing a good job in sponsorship already and to see if there is anything else that can be done to make the program even better for Soldiers," said Novak.


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OBJE Targets High-Growth Mobile Gaming App Market With Phantasmic
OBJE Targets High-Growth Mobile Gaming App Market With Phantasmic
SARASOTA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- With the first gaming app produced by OBJ Enterprises' (OTCBB: OBJE) joint venture with Source Street, LLC, entering beta testing before the end of the year, the company anticipates a successful launch in 2013 that will capture a lucrative slice of the booming mobile gaming market.
According to recent figures by the mobile analytics firm Flurry, mobile apps for Apple (NAS: AAPL) iPhone and iPad as well as Google (NAS: GOOG) Android devices generated about $10 billion in revenue this year—an incredible 80 percent of which came from gaming apps. In fact, gaming apps dominate all other mobile categories, with users spending 43 percent of their app time on games.
"The incredible financial success of gaming apps in 2012 and beyond is a tribute to the power of the 'freemium' business model," said OBJE CEO Paul Watson. "Mobile games are driving the growth in the multi-billion-dollar global video game industry, and free-to-play apps represent the most prolific sector in this new era of digital distribution."
Novalon Games, the gaming developer founded by the joint venture of OBJE and Source Street, is set to begin beta testing Phantasmic, the first of two brand new iOS gaming apps scheduled for a 2013 release. Gaming apps like Phantasmic give consumers free access to the core of a game, but charge for virtual items and power-ups through micro-transaction.
The game maker is also developing Wayfarers, a sophisticated online roleplaying game, for release in the coming year as well.
Obscene Interactive is a division of OBJ Enterprises, Inc. that is working to develop innovative products to service the fast-growing social gaming sector alongside companies such as Glu Mobile Inc. (NAS: GLUU) , The9 Limited (NAS: NCTY) and Majesco Entertainment Co. (NAS: COOL) .
Follow OBJ Enterprises on Twitter at www.twitter.com/OBJEnterprises.
About Obscene Interactive
Obscene Interactive, a subsidiary of OBJ Enterprises, Inc. (OTCBB: OBJE), is an emerging global developer of social gaming applications. OBJE's cutting-edge technology platform enables its titles to be accessible to a broad audience of consumers all over the world, supporting multiple platforms for universal appeal. Obscene Interactive is focused on delivering the best in social gaming solutions to the mass market. For investment information and performance data, please visit www.ObsceneInteractive.com/investors.html.
Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements that include the words "believes," "expects," "anticipate" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition, description of anyone's past success, either financial or strategic, is no guarantee of future success. This news release speaks as of the date first set forth above and the company assumes no responsibility to update the information included herein for events occurring after the date hereof.
OBJ Enterprises, Inc.
Paul Watson, 941-952-5825
President and CEO
KEYWORDS: United States North America Florida
The article OBJE Targets High-Growth Mobile Gaming App Market With Phantasmic originally appeared on Fool.com.Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2012 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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So throughout this interminable mortgage crisis, the one very important question that everybody asked, and nobody ever answered very well, was this: how much were all those toxic assets (foreclosed stucco ranches on .1-acre lots) actually worth? Until that was determined, the entire global financial system would continue to collapse under the weight of trillions of dollars of bad debt all traceable to a bunch of subprime mortgages issued in Fort Myers in 2005.
You will recall that last year FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair complained pretty much nonstop about these bad mortgages and how the financial crisis would not halt until we "put a floor under the housing market" and wah wah wah. Meanwhile Hank Paulson dumped several hundred billion dollars into the pockets of his old Wall Street friends, instead, and that money has now vanished forever.
Well, finally President Obama has gotten around to developing a plan that attempts to put a value on homes with underwater mortgages or mortgages that are in danger of going into default. And the shocking answer to the home value question is this: those homes are worth whatever their owners are able to afford to stay in them. Under the plan, owners will be able to refinance at a lower interest rate, extend the term of their loans, or in some cases lower their principal -- basically whatever their bank can be persuaded to agree to change.
The government will chip in some dollars to help make this whole plan more palatable to banks, who seem to be unable to let go of this insane fantasy that they can force several million people with no jobs and no savings to repay the extravagant loans they never should have taken out in the first place.
Anyhow, it's a start! Also Obama will probably nationalize the banks pretty soon, so each and every citizen can own a part of the foreclosed American dream.
Sara K. Smith writes for NBC and Wonkette.


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Samsung has released a rare exclusive app for their scant Windows Phone 8 offerings today simply called "Beauty". The app features Windows Phone 8 Lens support and promises to "…remove all the imperfections on your subject's face such as wrinkles, blemishes and moles", presumably through some nifty photo manipulation algorithms.
The thing is, we can't figure out how it even works and neither can our tipster. The app launches just fine, allowing you to switch cameras (front vs. back) and even snap photos. And that's it. Tapping the image does nothing, there are no settings and outside of sharing the image, there's nothing you can do to it or with it.
We'd like to think that our lack of coffee is the issue here and not Samsung forgetting something (or just bad UI design), so we'll toss it off to you folks to explain in comments. In the meantime, you can grab Beauty here in the Samsung Collection. Thanks, Chris H., for the tip!


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Shippin' Out April 18-24: Monster Hunter Tri
Capcom's latest online action RPG treks to retail alongside Wii Classic Controller Pro, Blood Bowl for PSP.
Capcom's latest online action RPG treks to retail alongside Wii Classic Controller Pro, Blood Bowl for PSP.
We hope you like Monster Hunter Tri because there's not much else hitting shelves this week!
Ubisoft's long-delayed stealth-action game finally creeps into retail along with the Windows and Sony-console expansions for GTAIV; Final Fight: Double Impact hitting XBLA, PSN.
The orcs seem to have a lot to say about the other teams in Bloodbowl!
The front lines of each team make contact and start whacking each other.
A game goes into half time before the next strategic round begins.
Humans eliminate most of the other team and score.
Announcers commentate as a touchdown is scored.
Console exclusives rule the week, as Xbox 360, PS3, Wii headliners join Capcom's Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars.
Skavens vs. Lizardmen Trailer
Goblins vs. Dwarfs Trailer
Link sets out to rescue the princess once again in his latest outing on the Nintendo DS.
If you love Warhammer and American football, then Blood Bowl is for you!
In today's video, the pesky goblins invade the pitch! Showcasing their devious secret weapons and somewhat awkward techniques, they show you how a team that doesn't seem to be made ...
Kick off goes to the dwarves.
Full-contact football in Blood Bowl.
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Warning…there is a monster at the end of this blog post…
One of my favorite books as a child was The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone and illustrated by Mike Smollin. Do any of you remember that book? Furry, lovable, Grover from Sesame Street reads the front cover of the book and is scared silly that at the end of the book there is going to be a monster. With each turn of the page, he grows more and more panicked and more and more irritated at the reader for continuing to turn the page. He builds walls out of bricks, nails up boards, ties ropes… anything he can to keep you from turning the page! Then, we arrive at the end of the book only to discover that Grover IS the monster at the end of the book.
Such a great and engaging story, one which has kept me from having to do the whole "Mommy, there's a monster under my bed" scenario with my kids. When they say they are scared of monsters, I say "Are you being silly? You know that the only monsters we know about are Grover, Elmo, Zoe, etc from Sesame Street. It'd be great fun if they showed up at our house!" They usually giggle and agree and then extend their going to bed time by talking about all the different things they would do with their favorite Sesame Street monsters if they did show up here.
The monster at the end of this blog post is the same kind of monster. A good, fun, colorful monster that you will want to get to know. Monster cookies – the be all, end all of all things cookie. Monstrous because of their size. Monstrous because of your grocery bill once you buy all the ingredients. Monstrous because of the calories. Monstrous because of the flavor. Trust me though… these are one of the best monsters you will ever get to know!
Monster Cookies, from my friend Annalise Marberg
Cream together:
2 lbs Brown Sugar
1/2 cup White Sugar
12 Eggs
1 pound Butter
Next add:
- 8 Tsp Baking Soda
- 3 Tbs Peanut Butter
- 18 Cups Oatmeal
- 1 pound M&Ms chocolate coated candy
- 1 pound milk chocolate chips
- 1 Tbs of Vanilla
- 1 Tbs Honey or Light Corn Syrup
Using an ice cream scoop, place dough on parchment lined cookie sheet. I recommend only cooking 6 at a time if you are doing the full size cookies as they do spread.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 – 15 minutes (I like to hold back a few M&Ms to place on top of the cookies as soon as the are removed from the oven… it just makes them prettier!)


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BPS. A solid steel reputation for durability and dependability.
Few firearms ever earn the level of respect the Browning BPS boasts. The BPS has a solid reputation for long-lasting durability and an uncanny ability to keep on working in spite of what Mother Nature does to stop it. This shouldn't come as a surprise because the BPS has what most other pump shotguns don't — features like rigid dual machined steel action bars, a forged and machined steel receiver, a convenient top-tang safety and bottom ejection for ambidextrous operation, and legendary Browning balance and handling. That's why the BPS continues to be the pump shotgun serious shotgunners like you can always rely on.
View the video below to get a quick overview on why the BPS is still considered the standard of comparison.
That is how many shooters describe the BPS. And it is true. But the advantages are more than just being a great shotgun for the left- OR right-handed shooter. The bottom ejection design and full, two-sided steel receiver combine for a level of durability and strength that is not common among pump action shotguns today. The design is totally balanced, with matching dual steel slide action bars -- one on each side -- that balance forces for very smooth pumping. Top tang safety is functional convenience to the max. The receiver forms a "roof" over the action-- there is no opening on either side for an ejection port, so a drenching rain won't drip into the action. When you shoot bottom ejection makes sure there are no empties flying to the side, across your line of sight, to distract your aim. Those that shoot a BPS are a unique bunch . . . a bit more serious about their hunting guns than most.
Bottom Ejection and Loading
Bottom ejection throws empty shells straight down, out of the line of sight, and makes the BPS the ultimate pump for right- or left-handed shooters. Bottom loading provides operating convenience.
Reliable Pump-Action
The proven pump-action design of the BPS is sound and reliable. All components are durably constructed of solid steel and are housed inside a receiver machined from a solid block of forged steel. Rigid double slide bars are made from heat-treated steel and eliminate twisting and binding for faster, more efficient operation. The result is smooth operation in all conditions and the ability to stay on target while delivering rapid follow-up shots. A convenient serrated slide release is located at the rear of the trigger guard.
The thumb-operated, top-tang safety on the BPS can be easily operated by right- and left-handed shooters alike, even with gloved fingers.
Magazine Capacity
2 3/4": Four in magazine, one in chamber. 3": Three in magazine, one in chamber. 3 1/2": Three in magazine, one in chamber. A three-shot magazine adapter plug is included.
Back-Bored Barrels
12 and 20 gauge BPS shotguns feature Back-Bored Technology.
Choke Tubes
12 and 20 gauge BPS shotguns include the interchangeable Invector-Plus™ choke tube system. 28 gauge and .410 bore BPS shotguns include the Standard Invector™ system.
Available in
28, 20, 16, 12, 10, and .410 gauge
Barrel Lengths:
30", 28", 26", 24", 22", and 20"