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Nigeria: World Bank Presidency - US vs the World? (PERSPECTIVE)
By Yemi Ajayi
*Since this article posted on Monday, the World Bank board voted to confirm Jim Yong Kim as the next World Bank President. He will start his tenure on June 30 when Robert Zoellick steps down from this same post.
The race for the World Bank presidency will enter the homestretch Monday when the bank's 25-member executive board votes on who succeeds its outgoing president, Robert Zoellick.
It is a defining race for the Bretton Woods institution (comprising the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund) founded in 1944. It is also a race that has assumed the character of a clash between an arcane tradition and the quest for change in the way the international finance institution with the official goal of fighting poverty picks its president.
In the race for the World Bank presidency were initially three candidates: Nigeria's Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former Colombian Minister of Finance, Jose Antonio Ocampo and a public health expert and president of Dartmouth College in the United States, Jim Yong Kim. The number was reduced to two last Friday with Ocampo's withdrawal for the post.
However, the candidates are merely instruments in a proxy war between Washington and its European allies, which has traditionally produced the president and the rest of the world that is clamouring for a paradigm shift in how the leadership of the World Bank emerges.
The clamour has pitted the rest of the world against the US, which is out to defend its tradition of producing the World Bank president since foundation.
For US President Barack Obama, he cannot afford to fail where his predecessors had succeeded. Losing out in the jostling for the post, especially in a crucial election year, is to hand the Republicans the ammunition to make a bid at undoing his attempt to renew his tenancy at the White House.
Withdrawing from the race last Friday, Ocampo, in a letter to the World Bank, said he was doing so because "it is clear that this is becoming no longer a competition on the merits of the candidates, but a political exercise."
"For me, as an economist and as a Colombian, it has been a great honour to participate in this first open competition for the presidency of the World Bank... to facilitate the desired unity of the emerging and developing economies around a candidate, today (last Friday) I am retiring from the race to support the minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who I wish the best of luck in this final stage."
If it were going to be a straight fight based on merit on a level playing field for the candidates, Okonjo-Iweala could start preparing her handover notes for her successor in Nigeria and return to the organization where she was managing director before her call to national duty last year.
Even though she was reluctant to join the race some weeks ago, her candidacy has gathered rave endorsements from the media at home and abroad, 35 former World Bank economists and managers, Africa and other developing nations since she threw her traditional headgear into the ring.
She is the official candidate of Africa and its allies who have canvassed the argument that someone with high-flying credentials and requisite experience like hers is better placed to make the World Bank deliver on its goals of helping developing nations to improve on their peoples' wellbeing.
Since March when Obama picked him as the US candidate for the post, Kim has come under global scrutiny. Despite his credentials and achievements, especially in public health, including his stint as a director of HIV/AIDS at the World Health Organization, he is considered as one who lacks the "appropriate finance and economic credentials" to lead the World Bank.
In contrast, Okonjo-Iweala has institutional knowledge, hands-on experience in development economics and public finance and has proven to be reform minded. In her first appointment as Nigeria's Minister of Finance, she superintended over the country's historical debt relief, an exercise that earned her global accolades; spearheaded the reform of the public sector in Nigeria leading to greater transparency and the monetization policy of the federal government; and championed the creation of the Excess Crude Account that largely provided a buffer for Nigeria during the global economic crisis between 2008 and 2009.
Notwithstanding his diminished credentials, Kim, by some quixotic arrangement, is most likely to succeed Zoellick who bows out on June 30 after a five-year term during which the bank provided over $247 billion to help developing countries boost growth and overcome poverty. His being the US candidate, which some analysts have described as a "wrong call," guarantees him victory under the weighted voting system that Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are calling for a review.
Under the voting system, the US, which is the bank's largest shareholder, Europe and Japan control 54 per cent of the votes. The trio has formed an alliance which ensures that the bloc votes are delivered to the US' candidate. Europe is under obligation to back the US as repayment for its support in always ensuring that the headship of the International Monetary Fund, is held by the continent under an informal pact.
According to reports at the weekend, so far, US, Russia, Canada and Japan are lining up behind Kim alongside Spain, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia and South Korea. This follows a move last Friday by the US members on the World Bank executive board to block the board from transparently assessing the outcome of the interviews of the three candidates, which took place earlier last week.
With Ocampo's withdrawal for Okonjo-Iweala, his backers - Brazil and Argentina - may team up with the three African constituencies to vote for the Nigerian minister.
However, the straw poll held by the bank's board last Friday before Ocampo's withdrawal, showed that Kim was guaranteed 36 per cent of the votes, Okonjo-Iweala about five per cent and six per cent for Ocampo. The votes reflect the voting rights of the countries or regions backing each of the candidates.
The undecided were the European Union with 29.2 per cent; India, 4.6 per cent; China, 3.4 per cent; Switzerland, 3.0 per cent; Saudi Arabia, 2.4 per cent; and Asia, 9.5 per cent bloc votes.
Monday's decision by the bank's executive board was some three weeks ago clearly encapsulated for the members by the Financial Times. The newspaper in an editorial on March 27, in which it endorsed the candidacy of Okonjo-Iweala, said: "In this less than ideal world, Mr. Kim's appointment seems inevitable. But if the Bank's shareholders wanted the best president, they would opt for Ms. Okonjo-Iweala."
Will the board heed the voice of reason as the World Bank, for the first time in its 68 years of existence, chooses between candidates?
Well, if the Nigerian minister loses, as that fact cannot be discounted, given the high stakes politics, she can take solace in the immortal word of American journalist and writer, Damon Runyon, "The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong...."
--- This editorial originally appeared in AllAfrica HERE.


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It's the season of blossoming romance; new couples are coming together, and long-time daters are popping the question to their girls. Everyone's falling in love. Serena Williams and Common were spotted not too long ago, looking very "dating" and cozy in the same car, leaving a club. From Perez Hilton: "Serena Williams and Common were […]
Entries Tagged 'Common' ↓
Common & Serena Williams: Spring-time Sweethearts!
March 23rd, 2008 — Common, Serena Williams

subset: commoncrawl


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Philippines to host 2014 Asian Men's Volleyball Club Championships
Manila, Philippines, January 13, 2014 – The 2014 Asian Men's Volleyball Club Championship will be held in Manila from April 8 to 16.
Following Vietnam's withdrawal, the Philippines stepped in to host the Championship signaling the country's comeback on the regional volleyball scene. In doing so the Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF) is moving ahead with its plans to form national pools for men and women.
The PVF Organising Committee is composed of highly-respected sports personalities and top corporate sponsors include Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT). Philip Ella Juico, former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman will head the Organising Committee. Juico, who also served as an agrarian reform secretary is currently chairman of the PVF and the Philippine Super Liga.
"This tournament is aimed at putting the Philippines back in the groove of international volleyball activities," said Juico during the tournament's media launch, where the reorganisation of the men's and women's national teams was also announced.
"A grassroots project is also now in place to complement the PVF's general programme, including the structures for the standard teams for men and women and also beach volleyball," Juico added. "We are looking at more participation in regional and international meets on top of maintaining our good financial standing before the FIVB and the AVC."
As this is the first time the Philippines is competing in and hosting the tournament, PVF President Karl Chan has appointed SportsCore Event Management and Consultancy, Inc. (Score) to oversee the event.
"This tournament is already a big step being taken by the PVF. We are awed by the project, but this is an opportunity that we could not let pass," Chan said. "We owe it to the AVC, our sponsors and the Organising Committee that we are being recognised as capable of hosting a big event such as the Asian Men's Club Championship."
With the Philippine Long Distance Telephone and its subsidiary Fibr, the country's most powerful broadband company, backing the event, volleyball has been given a boost in the country.
Only Korea, Kazakhstan, Qatar and China are tipped as strong challengers to Iran, although teams from Saudi Arabia, Japan, Chinese-Taipei and Indonesia also have experience playing in the tournament. The Championship is expected to be a baptism of fire for the Philippine team, which is being reorganised for the very first time in years.
Ramon Suzara, Chairman of AVC Development and Marketing Committee and member of the FIVB Development Commission, said the Philippines will gain from the event as it will help raise the level of awareness and interest of Filipinos in men's volleyball, which is currently dominated by women's leagues.


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Personalized Martingale Dog Collar Leash Set Free Engraving Matte Black Extra Small Medium Large Breeds
This is a handmade dog collar in martingale style and rolled round leash set. It is made of a soft genuine leather.
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WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Friday upheld a federal occupational safety agency's finding against SeaWorld Entertainment Inc following the workplace death of one of its killer whale trainers.
The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit could have a major impact on how SeaWorld presents its shows because it would require increased separation of humans and killer whales.
The three-judge panel, split 2-1, held that SeaWorld had violated its duties as an employer by exposing trainers to "recognized hazards" when working with killer whales.
A spokesman for SeaWorld, which operates 11 parks around the United States, had no immediate comment on the ruling.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had fined the company $75,000 after trainer Dawn Brancheau died in February 2010. She drowned after being pulled underwater by Tilikum, a 12,000-pound (5,400-kg) bull orca at the SeaWorld site in Orlando, Florida.
The fine was later reduced to $12,000 but SeaWorld was more concerned by the federal agency's application of federal safety law to an unusual workplace situation.
OSHA has told SeaWorld it could resolve the problem by requiring trainers to be protected by physical barriers or by adopting other abatement measures.
The appeals court concluded that OSHA did not overstep its authority in bringing the action against SeaWorld.
"Statements by SeaWorld managers do not indicate that SeaWorld's safety protocols and training made the killer whales safe; rather, they demonstrate SeaWorld's recognition that the killer whales interacting with trainers are dangerous," Judge Judith Rogers wrote on behalf of the court.
She played down SeaWorld's concerns about the impact on its operations, saying that improved safety "does not change the essential nature of the business."
Judge Brett Kavanaugh wrote a dissenting opinion noting that people who work in dangerous fields in the sports and entertainment context are aware of the risks.
OSHA has "departed from tradition and stormed headlong into a new regulatory arena," he said.
The case is SeaWorld v. Dept. of Labor, 12-1375. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Howard Goller and Tom Brown)


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Not Just for the Straight Guy: 'Queer Eye' Reboots & Rebrands Itself on Netflix
It's been over a decade since the hit makeover show "Queer Eye," once known by its longer title "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," ended its five season run on Bravo. A lot has changed since it went off the airwaves in 2007, including the repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" measure and the legalization of same-sex marriage in the U.S. Rebooted and rebranded, the second iteration of "Queer Eye," which hits Netflix on Feb. 7, offers something more substantial than just hair care tips or clothing advice. The new Fab 5 wants their viewers to know beauty isn't only skin deep.
In the weeks leading up to the rebooted "Queer Eye," series creator David Collins promised the new series will push the envelope when it comes to a number of social issues, including LGBTQ rights and the Black Lives Matter movement.
"It's a new time with a new audience," he told Entertainment Weekly in December. "If the original round was about tolerance, this time it is about acceptance.
"If you think about the original five, we definitely weren't going to be talking about that Tan [France] is married to a Mormon cowboy, let alone that he's Muslim," Collins added. "So it's those authentic moments that really pay off in this new version of 'Queer Eye.'"
The first "Queer Eye," which debuted in July 2003, gained notoriety for "normalizing" gay life thanks to its Fab Five - five men who were openly gay and not ashamed of their sexuality were in the homes of millions of Americans across the country. Though 2003 may not seem that long ago, the U.S.'s views on LGBTQ people were starkly different than today and marriage equality was still a dream - it wasn't until 2004 that Massachusetts became the first state to recognize same-sex marriage.
From left to right: Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown and Jonathan Van Ness in a scene from "Queer Eye." Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix
In the show, the Fab Five took over the lives of (usually) slobby straight men, making them and their homes over while teaching them life skills. That format is still the case for the rebooted "Queer Eye," which features a brand new crew. The new Fab Five is made up of Karamo Brown (culture), Jonathan Van Ness (grooming), Tan France (fashion), Antoni Porowski (food and wine), and Bobby Berk (design). Unlike the first series, which was set in New York City, Netflix's version finds the Fab Five heading down South - specifically, Georgia, which doesn't have the best track record when it comes to LGBTQ equality and protection.
Collins may be hyping up the new "Queer Eye" as the "woke" version of the show but the new Fab Five only scratch the surface of what could be a provoking unscripted series. That doesn't mean "Queer Eye" is bad or not worth your time - it's an enjoyable and easy watch that's fully entertaining.
In a few moments throughout the eight episodes provided for review, "Queer Eye" edges up to discussing important issues but avoids getting in to the weeds. The new show lacks the political bite it promises - if you're looking for a deep discussion about LGBTQ rights by five proud gay men with Trump-supporting police officers from Georgia this isn't it.
One of the most interesting moments from the show comes in the third episode when straight guy Cory - the aforementioned Trump-supporting cop - and Karamo are bonding while driving in car alone together. Earlier in the episode, Cory's friend, also a police officer, pulls the Fab Five over while Karamo, a black man, is driving. Though the incident ends up being a gag, it's a tense moment that finds Karamo worried about how he'll be treated by the authorities. It later serves as a talking point when Karamo expresses his feelings over the faux pull over.
Cory Waldrop, left, with Tan France on "Queer Eye." Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix
"The perception right now, especially between black people and cops - it's tension," Karamo says, adding that when he was pulled over he was "freaking out."
"I thought, 'This is going to be that incident when I get dragged out of the car,'" he continues. "...My whole thing is, obviously not all black people want to be lumped in one category as criminals, which sometimes we feel that way."
"And all police officers don't want to be lumped into being the bad guy," Cory says. "I get stereotyped because of that 10% shown on the media of being excessive or killing a black guy that didn't need to have deadly force used upon him."
Cory then recalls a recent nearby incident about a cop kicking a man in the face after he was handcuffed.
"There was nothing that makes it alright," he said.
"I got to tell you just even hearing you acknowledging that the officer that used force should never have just heals me and gives me a little bit of relief," Karamo tells Cory. "All I ever hear usually is cops sticking together, saying, 'What about us?' And it is true, what about you all? But it's also like, what about us? We're both dealing with the same pain on two different ends. But none of us are acknowledging it."
Karamo Brown, left, and Jonathan Van Ness in "Queer Eye." Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix.
"It does go both ways and I'm glad you feel that way," Cory responds. "Black lives matter. They weren't able to be heard and the police officers weren't able to be heard. If we could sit down and have a conversation like you and I just did, things would be a lot better in society. Everyone wants to talk but nobody wants to listen."
In his confessional later, Karamo says, "The beauty with what is happening here is that I am open and I'm going to stay open because I need him to learn from me and I need to learn from.
"Right now our country seems to bet getting worse and worse and worse and it has to start somewhere and I'm not saying a conversation with one police officer and one gay guy is going to solve problems but maybe it can open up eyes to something more," he adds.
Indeed, Karamo is right - it's a start and an admirable effort with a moving payoff. But these moments come far and few between in "Queer Eye."
In the fourth episode the Fab Five make over civil engineer AJ, who is gay. AJ is shy and not out to his stepmother, who was married to his late father. Part of the episode finds the Fab Five guiding AJ, who has kept his life and boyfriend separate from his family, into feeling comfortable with talking with his stepmom. Though the episode is touching, it also has a concerning moment when AJ is speaking with Tan about his conservative style. AJ gets anxious when Tan explains his fashion plans for him.
AJ Brown, left with Karamo Brown on "Queer Eye." Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Tan says he wants AJ to dress younger and "dress sexy, feel sexy"
"Just don't make me look feminine - or just some regular guy on the street. Keep me original still," AJ says.
"I want to mention one word that you just mentioned: 'feminine,'" Tan says. "Why are you concerned about that? And it's a concern a lot of gay guys [have]."
"A lot of my friends they live more free with what they wear and I just couldn't do it," AJ responds.
"...You being your true self isn't going to offend anybody," Tan says. "It's very unlikely people are going to cause you an issue just be cur being yourself. And if their concerned that's ton them - your happy."
Though Tan's advice is sound, it doesn't go far enough in correcting AJ that there really isn't anything wrong with dressing "feminine." Again, a commendable moment but one that doesn't quiet go there.
"Queer Eye" is a well-meaning reboot that can be easily binge-watched - the new Fab Five hold their own and are all thoroughly charismatic. It's also a cathartic experience, with almost every episode in the season ending in tears and the men expressing their admiration and respect for the Fab Five, proving the country has indeed come a long way when it comes to LGBTQ rights. Netflix's "Queer Eye" may not the remedy to solve America's deeply rooted divide but it does provide hope, proving even straight cis white men from the most conservative parts of the U.S. appreciate a fierce makeover, honey.


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Whether she's coaching a transgender aspiring model on America's Next Top Model or putting The Advocate's cover line "Gay Is the New Black" up for debate on her eponymous talk show, Tyra Banks always struts the right side of the runway between exploiting and celebrating gay people. The 35-year-old former supermodel was even honored with the prestigious Excellence in Media Award at the 20th annual GLAAD Media Awards in March. Now sizing up the competition for cycle 13 of Top Model, which premieres September 9 on the CW, Banks shares some drag-worthy beauty secrets and reveals who's still in the running towards becoming her next gay best friend.
By Brandon Voss
The Advocate: You've done so much to educate people about gay issues. What did we do to deserve so much of your attention?
Tyra Banks: As a model immersed in the fashion industry, I was lucky to be embraced by the LGBT community, and many of them became my dear friends. They've shared the stories of their struggle, pain, and excommunication from their families, as well as their triumphs. Those friends have really become a second family to me, and I would never be where I am today without their support.
What did it mean for you to receive the recognition from GLAAD?
2008 was a really big year for me — my talk show won an Emmy, True Beauty [which I executive-produced] became a hit, and Top Model continued to grow — but I have to say that I was incredibly honored to receive that award. I feel so fortunate to have the power to put a transgender woman like Isis on Top Model last year; that was a very proud moment for me, and it took a lot to get there. Of course, there have also been a number of lesbian contestants on Top Model since the very beginning, but I don't pay attention to anyone's sexual orientation; I focus on their modeling ability. And I'm proud to have my talk show as another platform that allows me to address important LGBT issues, so to have that community recognize me for my efforts is very rewarding.
Any behind-the-scenes scoop on the New York awards ceremony?
Before the show kicked off, I hung out backstage with my good friend Clay Aiken, who presented me with the award. He's such a funny guy, and he loves making fun of me, so it was great to catch up. When it came time for the actual show, I realized I should have made a bathroom stop as soon as I sat down. I didn't want to miss a minute of the show, so I held in my pee for five hours. But my only regret is not powdering my face before accepting the award because my face was so oily it looked like I dipped it in bacon grease.
Speaking of which, how was the free dinner? I follow you on Twitter, so I know you like to eat.
[Laughs] The food was incredible! The sauce on the chicken was so delicious that I debated licking my plate.
In your acceptance speech you apologized for stealing the word "fierce" from the gay community and then overexposing it. You also said you were currently taking suggestions for the "new fierce." Have you found a worthy replacement?
The new word I've started using is "disgusting." I did have a funeral for "fierce," but I have to admit that she rose from the dead.
From the many hot gay topics you've tackled on your talk show — including last year's GLAAD Media Award–nominated episodes "Don't Ruin My Gay Wedding," "Gays in the Ghetto," and "Transgender Triumphs" — what's the biggest lesson that you've learned?
We did an episode on domestic violence where one of the abusive relationships we featured was a lesbian couple, and the studio audience did not take it seriously. I was surprised by their reaction, so I had to explain that this was a real issue that extends beyond sexual orientation, because abuse is abuse no matter the gender of the abuser. At that moment I realized that this is still a major issue, and there's still a lot more that needs to be done to increase awareness and support of the LGBT community.
The upcoming cycle 13 of Top Model is limited to contestants 5-foot-7 or shorter. Are there any gay or trans shorties in the mix?
Yes, there is a lesbian contestant in the final 14 of the petite cycle. She loves her girlfriend so much she has her name tattooed on her shoulder.
Let's say that I wanted to be your new gay BFF. What would it take for me to break into your posse?
The most important quality you need is honesty. I don't need a friend telling me I look fierce, but I need one that tells me when I smell funky. People might think that I'm really into fashion and glamour all the time, but I'm not. So when I'm just chillin', my BFF can't be afraid to tell me that I need some mascara or I've got a weave track showing.
Promise you wouldn't yell at me?
My gay BFF can't be intimidated or feel he can't tell me the truth, even if it may sting a little. I used to dress in old T-shirts and jeans when I was off work and didn't really care about how I looked. Finally, one of my friends staged an intervention and said, "Tyra, I know this is your off-time, but it's embarrassing how casual you're dressed right now. Spend a couple minutes on minimal makeup, girl, because you don't want anyone to see you and say, 'Miss Top Model looks busted!'" [Laughs] I'd also want my new gay BFF to not talk about work. I spend the week working on Top Model and the talk show, so even if I've done fun stuff like tape backstage with Beyoncé or hang out with Miley Cyrus, I don't want to think about work on the weekends. I love to laugh, and sometimes being silly with a good BFF is just what I need.
What would we do for fun?
Maybe take an African dance class, go for a run outside, or kayak. My perfect Sunday would include walking around the city in sweats and a pair of Keds, buying jewelry from NYC street vendors. A potential BFF should also have a love — no, an obsession for good food like I do. I am obsessed with trying new restaurants and exploring cool cuisines, but you can just as easily find me dipping into a movie on a Saturday afternoon for buttery popcorn and a soda. The last movie I took in with a good gay best friend was Brüno — pure craziness!
RuPaul's Drag Race on Logo is clearly inspired by Top Model, and RuPaul has even instructed contestants to be "hotter than Tyra wearing a fat suit in July." But if a drag queen really wanted to emulate you, what would be your best advice?
The key to a drag queen doing me is overdoing me. You've got to go all the way over the top, times 10. First of all, get a honey brown weave or wig, some green contact lenses, and some big-ass chicken cutlets to stuff the bra. You also need a killer runway walk, but that weave has to be fly. The bigger the better, but quality is key — no cheap weave hair! And always be ready to smile with your eyes — "smize" — at the drop of a hat.
The Advocate, October 2009; extended online version.


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The Pro Tour is for those who need the details but love to do some exploring for themselves. Just enough support to make your trip seamless but enough freedom to do your exploring on the bike and in Girona´s small alleyways. This tour can be booked at any time with no minimum number of guests, though some of your rides may be grouped with others who may have booked during the same dates.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: August 13Pro Tour
Later Event: September 6Gravel Tour


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Inquiry Question
Supplementary Resources
National Park Service
Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site is a unit of the National Park System. The site is located at Monroe Elementary School in Topeka, Kansas. Monroe was the segregated school attended by the lead plaintiff's daughter, Linda Brown, when Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was initially filed in 1951. The park's Web page provides information on the park's establishment as well as directions and hours of operation.
The National Register of Historic Places' on-line travel itinerary, We Shall Overcome: Historic Places of the Civil Rights Movement provides information on 49 places (in 21 states) listed in the National Register for their association with the modern civil rights movement.
The National Register of Historic Places online itinerary Places Reflecting America's Diverse Cultures highlights the historic places and stories of America's diverse cultural heritage. This itinerary seeks to share the contributions various peoples have made in creating American culture and history.
Racial Desegregation in Public Education in the U.S.
Library of Congress
Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute
Little Rock Central High School
The Eisenhower Library and Museum
PBS: The American Experience--Stand Up for Your Rights
For Further Reading


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CareerCast.com says here in their annual ranking that philosopher is the 16th best job. Surgeons are a lowly 100. Yeah, they make ten times as much money, but they have to get up at the crack of dawn, and apparently it's a really stressful job being elbow-deep in blood 'n guts. A roustabout makes half as much as a junior philosopher, and it's apparently the worst job. So, looking at some of the jobs that ranked pretty low on the list, I realized that I know quite a few people who have those jobs. My dad had one of those jobs, and I don't remember him ever complaining about it. And I reckon my dad would be happy that my job is in the top 20.
Just sayin'.


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Leading Energy Supply and Services Company Uses the CPF Market to Further Invest in Distributed Solar
San Francisco —[January 8, 2014]— Clean Power Finance® (CPF) and Integrys Energy Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Integrys Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE: TEG), a leading Midwestern utility holding company, today announced the creation of a residential solar finance fund through the CPF Market®, an online platform that empowers electric power companies to invest in residential solar. The fund enables Integrys Energy Services' investment in the residential distributed generation (DG) solar sector.
"CPF's business model and industry expertise make us the natural partner for innovative power companies that want to develop attractive new assets," said Nat Kreamer, CEO of Clean Power Finance. "CPF is currently the only residential solar finance company that allows a retail energy company such as Integrys Energy Services to set the parameters of its fund, promote its brand to consumers and own 100 percent of the asset. We look forward to helping Integrys Energy Services deploy its capital in residential DG solar systems that support strategic goals such as customer load retention."
CPF connects multiple electric power investors with the largest network of qualified solar professionals in the U.S. Integrys Energy Services plans to make the fund available to CPF partners in many of the key solar-friendly states such as California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Massachusetts.
"Integrys Energy Services has a strong track record of investing in solar assets at customer sites," said Dan Verbanac, president of Integrys Energy Services. "Since 2008, we have deployed more than 50 MW in the commercial solar sector across the U.S. The CPF Market's flexibility and strong underwriting capabilities provide us with an efficient way to bring customers a residential solar offering. We are excited to be able to offer residential solar as a complementary product for our growing customer base of residential and aggregation customers."
About Clean Power Finance
Clean Power Finance (CPF) is a financial services and software provider for the residential solar industry. CPF connects solar professionals with institutional investors through the CPF Market, the online platform that allows electric power companies to invest in residential solar. CPF also provides the solar industry with CPF Tools®, a leading solar sales SaaS application. Solar professionals use the CPF Market to access a variety of unbranded, third-party owned finance products. Investors and lenders use it to invest in solar assets that provide reliable rates of return with managed risk. Founded in 2006, CPF manages half a billion dollars of project financing on behalf of third-party solar investors that include major corporations, electric power companies and financial institutions. To learn more about CPF, please visit http://www.cleanpowerfinance.com.
About Integrys Energy Services, Inc
Established in 1994, Integrys Energy Services, Inc. provides competitive energy supply solutions, structured products, and strategies that allow retail residential, commercial, and industrial customers to manage their energy needs. Its principal energy marketing operations are in the northeastern quadrant of the United States. Through its subsidiary, Integrys Energy Services – Natural Gas LLC, Integrys offers natural gas products to a full range of end-users throughout the Midwest and MidAtlantic. Areas of generation expertise include cogeneration, distributed generation, renewables such as solar and landfill gas, as well as clean fuel generation, with facilities in selected markets throughout the United States. More information about Integrys Energy Services is available online at www.integrysenergy.com.


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Profile Home
Environics is a world leader in computerized gas flow instrumentation. Our headquarters for design, manufacturing, sales and service is located in a modern 11,000 square foot facility in Tolland, Connecticut. Environics is also ISO 9001 certified, having received ISO 9001 Quality Systems Certification in April, 1997.
Environics is a privately held, Woman Owned business, founded in 1986 and incorporated in the state of Delaware. Our five year projections show continued growth through the introduction of new products and product innovations. All service is handled factory direct. Sales are handled direct and by selected manufacturers representatives and distributors worldwide.
Environics' gas mixing technology is based on very precise control of thermal mass flow controllers. Normally, thermal mass flow controllers offer an accuracy +/- 1% of full-scale flow. However, when combined with Environics computerization and calibration, this accuracy specification is improved to +/- 1% of setpoint. The full-scale error vs. setpoint error document shows the 10x improvement in accuracy of a thermal mass flow controller when using Environics controlling technology. Environics' calibrators and gas dilution systems exceed the accuracy required by the EPA for Ambient Calibrators (ref: Method 205, 40CFR51, 40CFR60, 40CFR75). For more technical information, see the technical documents section on their website, which contains current articles and CFRs pertinent to Environics' technologies.
Environics encourages you to challenge them with your most difficult requirements. They have thousands of systems in the field and have developed an extensive library of custom applications and solutions to meet their customers' needs. The application of Environics' technology has enabled them to become the world leader in user-friendly computerized gas flow instrumentation.


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James Gandolfini's 'Sopranos' co-stars from Long Island react to actor's death
Four "Sopranos" cast members with LI connections have weighed in on the untimely death of James Gandolfini:
Edie Falco (Northport), who played wife Carmela Soprano: . "I consider myself very lucky to have spent 10 years as his close colleague. My heart goes out to his family. As those of us in his pretend one hold on to the memories of our intense and beautiful time together. The love between Tony and Carmela was one of the greatest I've ever known."
Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Jericho), who played daughter Meadow Soprano: "I spent 10 years of my life studying and admiring one of the most brilliant actors, yes, but more importantly one of the greatest men. Jim had the ability, unbeknownst to him, to make you feel like everything would be all right if he was around."
Lorraine Bracco (Westbury), who played shrink Dr. Jennifer Melfi: "We lost a giant today. I am utterly heartbroken."
Joseph R. Gannascoli (East Rockaway), who played gay mob associate Vito Spatafore, said he was "forever indebted to Gandolfini," adding: "He came with his son and spoke at my wedding, came to my restaurant to meet fans sick as a dog in the rain and stayed for hours...Just a humble and gifted actor and person."
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On January 7, 2013, Sony announced it had stopped production of the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Google says that more than 1.5 billion games sold for the PlayStation 2 worldwide in its 12-plus-change years of success.
The PlayStation 2 was everywhere at a time when video games were not everywhere. Not everyone had a PlayStation 2, though most people who identified as game-players had one. And as DVD finally replaced VHS — I sold my parents on DVD by explaining you didn't have to rewind them — the PlayStation 2 made a whole bunch of extra sales. Who can forget the "Compatible with PlayStation 2" stickers on every other DVD, back then?
Was the PlayStation 2 the most successful game console in history? Maybe it was.
Much as I'd like to say that the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was the best and most historically important, maybe it's not — maybe the Nintendo Entertainment System is.
What the PlayStation 2 had, though, was market penetration and literally thousands of games. The PlayStation 2 allowed some awesome people to make some weird stuff. I worked at Sony in Tokyo back in the early PlayStation 2 era, for a couple of years. Part of my job was playing games as they came out. I tell you what: there was a lot of weird stuff on the PlayStation 2, and so much of it was brilliant. There was a puzzle-action game about working at a Yoshinoya beef bowl shop. I played a dozen for-girls dating sims I'd never have played if they weren't free in a stack on my desk.
This isn't an obituary or a eulogy.
The PlayStation 2 isn't "dead". It's just that they aren't going to be making them anymore. This is hardly a sad occasion — look at how long Sony held on to the darn thing! They didn't abandon it. Remember when Microsoft abandoned the Xbox in order to focus on Xbox 360? Look how Sony doesn't abandon the PSP even today, with the Vita on the market. The biggest upcoming Japanese Vita games have PSP versions available on day one. That's borderline insane, business-wise, though talk about customer service.
The PlayStation 2 is the child of the PlayStation, which was home to the beautifully scary-weirdest collection of brilliant games we'll likely ever see on one non-iOS console (Jumping Flash! Suikoden II! Popolocrois! Breath of Fire IV! Tail of the Sun! Tail Concerto! Linda Cube! Devil Dice! No One Can Stop Mister Domino! Incredible Crisis!).
In time, PlayStation games will become The New Retro — it was not until the PlayStation 2 days that retro pixel art became the cool sort of thing to put on a T-shirt. In two years' time, when Hot Topic shoppers gaze upon Megaman and weep, it will be Megaman Legends Megaman upon whom they gaze while weeping. It will be Jumping Flash — not Sonic the Hedgehog — that everyone pretends to have always loved. Well, maybe this is a fantasy of mine — I am in fact a bit of a polygonist. [Editor's note: Watch it, Tim.] Though I like to think it was because Sony was so benevolent toward weird ideas that they ended up with so many great games on the PlayStation, and that it was because the PlayStation had so many quirky games that it attracted a mainstream-enough audience (Gran Turismo!) which allowed for the PlayStation 2. Say what you will of Sony's next (and current) business moves; PlayStation and PlayStation 2 were a golden age for games — maybe the golden age for games. And on PlayStation 2, there are so many that no critic might ever know them all.
I come to you today with a list of my absolute favourite, most-adored PlayStation 2 games, and a few words about why each one of them is special to me.
I owned many dozens of PlayStation 2 games in my day; what follows are the ones that will stay on my Shelf Of Heroes for eternity, alongside The Best Films Of All-Time: "Apocalypto," "Conan The Barbarian", "The Fifth Element", and "Heist" (which isn't even on Blu-ray yet).
My failure to include legendary games such as Persona 3, Persona 4, Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, Katamari Damacy, or any number of other fantastic experiences is not meant in the least as a slight. I tried to pick games I consider overlooked or under-appreciated. Lack of Metal Gear Solid games, however, is in fact meant as a slight. Sorry! (Just kidding: Metal Gear Solid 3 is an all-time great.)
I will not mention Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, or Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, because those games, though brilliant, were mere prototypes of the experience I believe Rockstar will deliver in the future. The same general rule applies to the Devils May Cry (which, for the record, I love) the Gods of War (which, for the record, I hate), or the glorious Winning Eleven Pro Evolution Soccer games. I prize holisticism, completeness, and the spice of originality. These games are complete experiences.
Get thee to a GameStop, then, before used PlayStation 2 titles go the way of Dreamcast and Gamecube.
8. Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy
I don't have too much to say about this game, other than that the Japanese box art is by frequent SNK contributor Shinkiro, and it is amazing. I lost my original Japanese copy in a freak accident, though it will never leave the shelf in my heart. Psi-Ops is a weird shooter, and you know what? As the next entry will illustrate, we need weird shooters. We absolutely need them.
Psi-Ops' chief weirdness is your character's telekinetic ability: you can push and throw boxes around. No, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has absolutely nothing on this. Psi-Ops is relentlessly, stupidly smart and its action is full of more nifty nuances than a box full of nifty nuances. Aside from that, I don't have too much to say — just that I'd have to shoot myself in the face with a potato gun if I didn't mention it.
7. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Developer cavia (that's trademarked lowercase) is one of those game development tragedies. They were a weird sort of super-group cobbled together from frustrated developers of yearly series such as Ace Combat who, after striking out on their own with huge ambitions, ended up doing only licensed games. Sometimes, the mission was to make a Naruto or Dragon Ball Z game, which was easy enough. Other times, they had to turn a marathon runner (Naoko Takahashi) into a video game, somehow, anyhow. What happened more or less every god darn time was — well, they made something brilliant. Even Naoko Takahashi's Let's Run A Marathon! is a pretty original sort of quirky decision-heavy (fitness-themed) graphical adventure.
Their first original title — Drakengard — didn't set the world on fire, so they hopped back over to sports games and licensed games, eventually developing the not-so-profitable Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex for the PlayStation 2 in 2004. Here's the reason licensed games usually suck: Activision's James Bond 007 games may be made with the Call of Duty engine, though why would Activision pay 20 full-time level designers competitive salaries for two years to make a game they're going to owe royalties on? They want those guys over on something they own. Now, for a starting-out company like cavia, they have to prove themselves somehow. So they raged into Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and no one noticed because it was "just a licensed game".
American reviews summarised it as banal. It's most certainly not: I love this game like a little brother. It's a Japanese-made proto-third-person-shooter with platform elements (wall-jumping!). The guns pop. The camera movement is smart. The levels are spatially striking, dynamic with regard to elevation, and typically small in scale. Every gunfight is a frictive, snappy, tight little contest. It's by no means The Perfect Video game, though it is crammed so deliciously with perfect 30-second bursts of level design that it warrants a re-study or two.
Win Back: Project Poseidon, a questionably late, cavia-developed sequel to Koei's patently unloved Win Back for the Nintendo 64, feels very much like Stand Alone Complex (for excellent reasons), though Stand Alone Complex has neat platforming, some Yoko "Cowboy Bebop" Kanno music, and voice-acting by Akio "Solid Snake" Otsuka, so it wins out. Win Back: Project Poseidon, however, is available for $US9.99 as a PS2 Classic on the PlayStation Store, whereas Stand Alone Complex most certainly is not).
6. Steambot Chronicles
Beneath any "wacky" summary — an open-world role-playing game where you customise a stomping, punching, shooting robot and can play a harmonica rhythm minigame on the city streets to grind for cash — you have what is easily the biggest exhibition of "heart" in the history of video games.
I glowed about this game in Edge magazine and gave the US marketers at Atlus a fantastic smorgasboard of review quotes for the box, though they ended up going with a Hardcore Gaming 101 quote: "If Hayao Miyazaki made a sandbox game", the quote insisted, Steambot Chronicles would be it. I am not so sure about that — I would rather say, if Shigeru Miyamoto tried to make a Final Fantasy game, it would be Steambot Chronicles. It's beautiful, huge-big, and weird.
Do you know anyone who loves Megaman Legends? If so, hug them. And then, know that Steambot Chronicles delivers a whole ladleful more of what that game promised. The sadness is that sequels or inspired-bys never came. The game is glitchy and rushed and is bursting at the seams. (For the love of god, it's $US5 used at GameStop.)
5. God Hand
I have been a big evangelist for this game, over the years. I said in my review that it's "like writing a friendly letter by hand while wearing brass knuckles".
It's like using a chainsaw to cut your birthday cake.
It is true that, as I wrote, the first time you play it, God Hand makes about as much sense as the first time you wear ice skates. Anyone coming to the game today — it's $US9.99 as a PlayStation 2 classic on the PlayStation Store — might say they hate the way the camera moves, or the way the character moves. You might want the right stick to control the camera. However, the right stick is for your hyper-multi-directional dodge. You are going to need that dodge.
This is a game soaked in its milliseconds. It is brutally beautiful. It is brutalful.
Its story is flaming hideous nonsense, with a voice script reading like the work of a vintage typewriter dropped down a spiral staircase. Its visual themes exert passing familiarity — definitely not what we'd call "knowledge" — of several genres of film, such as "western" or "schlock", and its music is incredibly peppy-weird stuff. Though Shinji Mikami's next game, Vanquish, carried the banner of God Hand's weird mechanical playfulness, nothing — nothing (nothing) — beats God Hand.
Like a wizard, it shows up precisely when it means to. There is no harder game — where, by "hard", I mean tough and real.
4. Spartan: Total Warrior
Spartan: Total Warrior is the sharpest game in existence, bar slitting your wrist with a DVD shard. I once called it the twenty-fourth-best game of all-time, shunning even God Hand.
Spartan is action game perfection, with exactly as many tells and telegraphs and single-frame-precise parries and blocks as a game would need. It happens to be set under the umbrella theme of "Ancient Greece", so its graphics are pleasantly full of glittery bronze armour, silver swords, and brown sandals. I was there, at the E3 where this game was announced: the first God of War was in the booth next door. Journalists were forced to make an unfortunate comparison between the two. Lacking God of War's bombast, Spartan was eventually passed down the ladder and compared to Dynasty Warriors, of all things. It is not Dynasty Warriors. To paraphrase Bruce Lee, enemies in Dynasty Warriors don't hit back. In Spartan, they're always hitting back, flinging themselves at you with terrifying ferocity.
The folks at Creative Assembly — makers of the Total War series — unfortunately erred in the choice to be decent and respectable about the mythology theme. Oh, well. Spartan: Total Warrior, with its nail-sharp combat and strategic level design, is the online deathmatch e-sport game we deserve here in the 21st century. It was never meant to be: Creative Assembly made one more action game (the stumbly open-worlder Viking: Battle for Asgard) before heading back to strategy games, probably for good.
A sharper, snappier, stickier, crunchier action game you will not find, not among the Devils May Cry and the Gods of War or even the Bayonettas.
3. Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter
Where others would place Shadow of the Colossus, I place Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter.
It's a sort of work of art.
It's dark, it's depressing — and it has an opening voiced monologue in that same made-up language used in Shadow of the Colossus. Hey! What a coincidence. I love this game.
It's a fantastic twist on the "escape from an undesirable place" theme of prior games like S.O.S., and later games like Dead Rising. The player is a police officer of sorts in a city deep underground. The common knowledge is that the human race had to head underground thousands of years ago, when the surface became uninhabitable. Some bad things happen. You meet a girl. She has fairy wings. You're supposed to kill her. She's too cute and frail, so you don't, and your partner turns on you. A mysterious bounty hunter shows up. You escape. You, the girl, and the bounty hunter spend the rest of the time climbing — (rough rock) walls, (dilapidated metal) stairs, (rickety) elevators. What's up there? Who knows. Your instruments for answering the big question are a rock-solid battle system (in which fights occur on in-game terrain using a sort of prototypical Valkyria Chronicles real-time movement scheme), the ability to start the whole game over whenever you want, and a blast of omnipotent dragon breath which slowly depletes a long, always-on-screen (always!) power meter. It's perma-death when that meter runs out.
To top it off, the music (by Final Fantasy Tactics' Hitoshi Sakimoto and Chrono Cross's Yasunori Mitsuda) is incredible. The main criticism at the time of its release was that it was "too short". Too short! It's 10 hours long. An amazing 10 hours.
2. Raw Danger
Raw Danger, Irem's nearly invisible sequel to Disaster Report, is one of the best video games ever made. Disaster Report gave players a somewhat boring tour through the life of a survivor post-massive-earthquake. Raw Danger is denser and weirder, taking place in a high-tech floating city on a futuristic man-made island. The opening scene sees the player as a waiter, pushing a service cart at a packed dedication ceremony in a fancy hotel ballroom. Oh, also, it's Christmas. Hard rain is pelting on the roof above, and Christmas carols are jingling. When you head back to the kitchen after your first successful service, you just barely see an object fall over. Water is seeping in under the door.
This isn't some graphic adventure, either — it's a fully realised three-dimensional sandbox world — one from the same heartful public-lovers at Irem who brought you Steambot Chronicles.
Little things add up — help someone find a contact lens in the ballroom, make eyes with a politician's daughter — and sooner or later the kitchen staff are up to their ankles. Things get terrifying with horrifying quickness, and sooner or later you know a dozen fictional peoples' names and are squeezing your controller so hard it might crack.
Then, you finish the game, and learn that your decisions — this is, after all, a love story and a survival story hugging in a restless spiral — actually meant something.
Now you can play as someone else . . . and then someone else, and then someone else. And hey! There's Previous You, doing what you previously did. It's all the charms of the graphic adventure games people love, in an action-game world full of beautifully-sketched soap opera characters.
Released at a time when critics were just starting to seek for a "Citizen Kane" of games, unfortunately no one was looking for the "General Hospital Hugging Die Hard" of games, so Raw Danger fell into obscurity (also, it is ridden with performance-related bugs (still holding out hope for a PC version (that was a joke))). Whenever I tell people I want a "romantic comedy Grand Theft Auto", I'm probably thinking about Raw Danger, and the rainy flu-sick four-day weekend of my life it once painlessly devoured.
Maybe now that Walking Dead is sweeping all those awards, we'll see Raw Danger's legacy avenged.
1. Jak II
Though my weird jerk heart burns to put some weird jerk selection at the top of my hall of fame, there is only Jak II. After Crash Bandicoot, Naughty Dog claimed their next series was going to be something truly special. Was it? I'm not sure. Jak and Daxter was the vanguard of many Sony-published, excellent cartoon-mascot games on the PlayStation 2 — among Ratchet and Clank and Sly Cooper — though did it set the world on fire, even a little bit? Did any of those series become household names? I don't reckon so. I reckon Angry Birds won that battle.
Jak and Daxter was a weird little Banjo-Kazooie-like, which was itself a Super Mario 64-like. Jak and Daxter was the video game equivalent of a Saturday morning cartoon. Jak II was a cartoon they'd maybe play on Saturday afternoon at around two-thirty.
Jak II is the PlayStation 2.
It's got guns and cars and hover-bikes and a hovering skateboard that can grind up rails. It's got a massive, living, breathing city. It's got alternate French, German, Italian, Korean, and Japanese voice tracks. It's got hours upon hours of voice acting. It's got wacky writing. It's got a huge plot. The hover skateboard feels amazing — like Tony Hawk shaking hands with Sonic the Hedgehog before hugging Super Mario. One can't overestimate the involvement of Hirokazu Yasuhara, game and level designer of the original Sonic The Hedgehog games.
Again — this was a time when people were just starting to wonder what the "Citizen Kane" of games would look like. Here was the spark of a Saturday morning cartoon, captured sublimely, possessive of the size and scope and verve of a Final Fantasy and the virtuoso of a Super Mario, and though financially successful, oh, how it went critically un-screamed at.
With an enormous budget comes great gameplay variety, and so Jak II is home to some still-mind-rending action set-pieces.
You can get all three Jak games in one beautiful high-definition package for your PlayStation 3 for 20 darn dollars, man. Let me warn you, though: the game is crazy-harder than it looks like it'd be. You'll be a superhero by the time you're done. (And when you're done, check out Jak 3, home of possibly The Greatest Plot Twist in games. And also superlative dune buggy physics.)
Special Bonus: I'm A Weird Jerk Section
As mentioned briefly, earlier, I am a weird jerk (thanks for not pointing it out), so I have some other games here on my PlayStation 2 shelf. I didn't include them in the above list because they are not, strictly speaking, holistically perfectly recommendable works. I love so many things about them, though, so here we go. (Note: these are games that might not be available in English, feature defunct online play, or some similar sadness.)
Resident Evil: Outbreak
This was an experiment that didn't work. It's a weird little online Resident-Evil-themed action game that can best be described as a "sitact", or a "SAG" — a Situational Action Game. OK, that's a terrible word. Though hey! It's mine and I made it up and you can't have it.
Outbreak sees players inhabiting the roles of various zombie-movie-stereotypical characters, and cooperating to complete small-scale objectives ("Get Out Of This Room", for example). It's heavy on cooperation and contextual voiceless chat. I mean, it's you personally who are voiceless: your character can talk just fine. You're playing with real people, and you need to communicate with them by delivering (at the push of a button) simple single-word phrases delivered in-character. It sounds stupidly simple, though trust me: I played this game at the height of its unpopularity, and its level design elevated the chat mechanic to transcendentally incredible. So — nope! Journey didn't invent that feature. Sorry, Journey: you're still cool (and a much better game than Resident Evil: Outbreak).
Berwick Saga
Do you scoff at people who say Final Fantasy Tactics is their favourite Final Fantasy game? Do you agree with people who say Fire Emblem is a better game? Have you ever maybe slightly disliked a person, found out they prefer Fire Emblem, and then wished you had a reason not to like Fire Emblem anymore? First of all, you may be a sociopath. Second of all: hey! Berwick Saga!
Shouzou Kaga, original creator of Fire Emblem, left Nintendo to form his own studio, Tirnanog, who released the really hard Tear Ring Saga for PlayStation in 2001. Berwick Saga, Tear Ring Saga's sequel, arrived in 2005, and I required a parking lot full of ambulances (metaphor) to recover from what then ensued.
I was a real adult with a job and a significant other and a band and a life, and here was a strategy game ripping my heart out and feeding it to me eight hours a day for two solid weeks. In Berwick Saga, there is only God Mode, by which I mean the computer is God, and not you. It's probably the best tactical strategy RPG I have ever had the pleasure of playing.
It is like, what if Advance Wars were a serial killer? That's this.
Next time someone says Final Fantasy Tactics is "like chess", scoff at them and say, "More like Connect Four — you haven't played Berwick Saga you dumb noob." Then put on your sunglasses and dolphin-flop out the nearest thirty-story window.
Armodyne is a strategy RPG by the developer of Culdcept, with art by the author of the manga "Gantz"!
How can you not love that?
Well, it's possible that you don't know or care who those people are, and I'm with you on that. It also has music by Yasunori Mitsuda, and is one of the best strategy RPGs I have ever played (and I have played them all (literally)). Lots of what the world loved in XCOM: Enemy Unknown was flopping around fish-gasping on dry land here in Armodyne.
It's a mega-mapped turn-based strategy game with high unit numbers and pseudo-real-time flourishes. To wit: you give a unit medium-term orders, instead of short-term. What I mean is, you tell a unit where you would like it to eventually be. You then assign it an adverb from a short list ("cautiously", "fearlessly", et cetera), and it instantly moves as far as it is able. It will stay that course over multiple turns, altering its path with attention to its adverb to account for enemy movement ("cautiously" = "avoid the enemy", et cetera). At each new turn, you can tweak individual units' orders, or simply hit "next".
If variety is the spice of life, minor borderline predictable randomness is the spice of heck yes. This game could have been an arena sport. It's got some strapped-on dating-sim-like neat systems, too: assign pilots fitness or training regimens in the barracks to level up their skills in battle. And you know what?:
I sort of like Yasunori Mitsuda's phoned-in soundtracks more than some of his passionate ones.
Drakengard 2
I am a weeping widow at the grave of cavia, whose Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Win Back: Project Poseidon I have already recommended you. Well, here's the sequel to Drakengard, their would-be Dynasty Warriors With Panzer Dragoon Elements. The first was a weird game with a weird plot, and the sequel is a soupy chaos of aspiring art-fragments. It is, however, faster than Drakengard, and brutally harder. It has a sweet parry mechanic, the spears feel nice, and its set-pieces brought me back to my childhood spent watching my brother throw GI Joes at the Millennium Falcon.
It's atmospheric and dynamic — you can jump on a dragon, shoot guys from the air, and then jump off! — and it has, as mentioned above, a sweet parry mechanic.
Spoiler: if I ever make an Xbox 360 Obituary Article, cavia's Bullet Witch and Nier (Drakengard 2's pseudo-sequel) will probably be up at the top of the list.
Wild Arms V
Sometimes I like dumb RPGs, and none are dumber than Wild Arms V. Its battle system, however, is neat — it's more or less Final Fantasy X, on hexagons, with location-specific attacks and movement of characters. It's Wild Arms IV's system, grown into its own. The dungeons have little puzzles. The characters are cute and say cute things. It's a Saturday morning cartoon sort of game, and it good-touches the brain during the boss battles. I'm not trying to pass it off as literature, not by a longshot, though it's a sweetly-nice little software-gesture, one that people who shrieked about Xenoblade might have a heck of a weekend with, if they were so inclined.
Tim Rogers is someone you can follow on Twitter. You can also follow his game studio Action Button Entertainment. check out insert credit dot com for a wacky weekly video game-related podcast starring him and his friends from Gamasutra.


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Films are anchored by a story, which often follows a
deliberate plan. Filmmakers usually chart out the beginning, middle and end of
a sequence of events, detailing the actions of their characters from scene to
scene on a storyboard. This is a kind of map, displaying the arc and rhythm of
a story. If you plan your story before you shoot, you will find you achieve
the best results. Watch this clip to learn more about storyboarding on paper
before you turn on the camera and yell "Action"!


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Sleeping packs are overnight products, generally a gel type texture that you apply and wash off in the morning. It sinks into the skin as normal cream would so you can sleep and not worry about it getting everywhere!
The earliest type of 'sleeping pack' I tried was RMK recovery gel. You apply it at night time and wash it off in the morning for a nourishing boost.
Sleeping packs come with various benefits, some are for whitening, some for hydration, some are for smoother skin and acne care. The idea is that you should wake up a lot better the morning after than the night before!
Brands to try: Tony Moly, Laneige, Baviphat, Etude House, Skinfood all do sleeping packs.
Candy Says: I am a bit new to these sleeping packs – I have tried one by Laniege and Baviphat and I love both (reviews coming up). So far I LOVE them. I do feel like they brighten up the skin and leave things smoother, HOWEVER I need to try more to decide which are the best.
Have you tried sleeping packs? What do you think?


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New Traditions Begin at Stevens Institute of Technology's 141st Commencement Ceremonies
Hoboken, N.J. – Stevens Institute of Technology commemorated the graduation of more than 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students on May 23, 2013 in a rousing, culminating day which both broke and set new traditions, reflecting the university's steady growth and upward progress.
With one of its largest graduating classes ever, Stevens outgrew its Hoboken, N.J. campus for 2013 Commencement. For the first time in its 143-year history, Stevens hosted off-campus Commencement ceremonies at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., and the university did it in style.
The undergraduate Class of 2013 arrived at the arena on their own private train – "the graduation train" – after processing together in cap and gown from the Stevens campus to the Hoboken station, taking in the stunning views of the New York City skyline that they will always associate with their alma mater.
The day also included perhaps the first-ever on-stage "shuffle" by the valedictorian speaker, and it represented the last Commencement in 15 years in which retiring Stevens Board of Trustees Chairman Dr. Lawrence T. Babbio, Jr. '66 will confer degrees upon Stevens graduates.
The new chapter in Stevens history kicked off at 10 a.m. with the graduate Commencement ceremony, celebrating the achievements of 1,062 master's degree and 48 doctoral candidates. Proud family and friends seated in the lower section of the 20,000-seat stadium cheered loudly as graduates were announced and took the Stevens-red-draped stage. And many across the nation and world who could not attend in person tuned into a live stream of the ceremony on the Stevens website.
Dr. Stephen T. Boswell '89, president and CEO of Boswell Engineering, addressed the graduates with a stirring speech about making your own luck. Boswell, a member of the Stevens Board of Trustees, earned a Civil Engineer degree and Ph.D. from Stevens. A licensed professional engineer in 28 states, he is head of a civil and environmental engineering consulting firm which was founded by his grandfather in 1924 and today is renowned for its design and management of roadways, bridges and water treatment facilities. Boswell's philanthropy to Stevens has included support for athletics programs, campus facilities, and a scholarship fund for undergraduate engineering majors.
The theme of Boswell's speech was that luck and prosperity are not related, but that preparation and prosperity are inextricably linked. There are lessons to be learned from some of the world's most successful people – from the Beatles who practiced for years in tiny British clubs before making it big, to Thomas Edison who failed thousands of times before finally inventing the light bulb, to NASA who spend $12 million developing a zero-gravity pen to use in space while the Russians simply used a pencil – and they had little to do with luck, he said.
"If you combine the education you received at Stevens with hard work, the right attitude, mental agility, a healthy skepticism and deep integrity, there is no limit to what you can achieve," Boswell said.
Stevens President Nariman Farvardin echoed Boswell's thoughts as he urged graduates to think big and be bold.
"Never let failures go to your heart or successes to your head," he said. "The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use them."
The undergraduate Commencement ceremony followed in the afternoon, with a jubilant crowd of spectators – live and online – celebrating 502 bachelor's degree earners from the Class of 2013.
Remarks were delivered by Babbio on his official retirement day from the Stevens Board of Trustees. Babbio, who earned his B.E. from Stevens, had a distinguished 40-year career in the telecommunications industry, during which he was president and vice chairman of the board of Verizon and president and COO of Bell Atlantic. His generosity to Stevens helped inspire the Lawrence T. Babbio, Jr. Center for Technology Management, the signature leading-edge structure on the lower campus that bears his name.
Babbio outlined the great opportunities for college graduates grounded in technological education and possessing an entrepreneurial mindset, in an information age in which people and corporations are adopting new technologies at a rate never seen before.
"As graduates of a technology-based school, you should be pleased with the opportunity before you," said Babbio, who was named Chairman Emeritus after his address. "You have the chance to leverage your education and what you learned here to your advantage, and I believe, the benefit of society."
He went on to describe seven characteristics that will serve the graduates well as they enter the workforce – integrity, respect, execution, intellectual property, customer satisfaction, efficiency and agility.
Stevens Class of 2013 valedictorian Brad Warren, who earned a B.S. and M.S. in Computer Science at Commencement after finishing his Stevens career with a 4.0 grade point average, also had an important message about the next phase of life for his graduating classmates. Warren, who was a varsity wrestler and a member of the Stevens Cooperative Education program, will soon launch a career in quantitative finance with a full-time position in options trading at Morgan Stanley.
Warren called for his classmates to live their lives guided by a trending motto in popular culture – YOLO, an acronym for "you only live once."
"You've probably heard YOLO used to excuse irresponsible behavior, but I think of it in a different context – that you only live once, so make it a good one," he said.
He said finding your passion is what will help you dream big, and committing to a path based on those passions is what well help you achieve those big dreams, even when hard work is involved. Personally, Warren said he was inspired to learn to dance the "shuffle" by watching a music video by LMFAO, and after a lot of practice, he eventually became his fraternity's lead choreographer. To demonstrate, he performed a perfect shuffle across the stage to the great enjoyment of the crowd.
Farvardin also encouraged the class to reach for the stars.
"Think about your responsibility to make the world a better place, and know that to solve the world's biggest challenges, we need to take risks from time to time," he said.
Like the thousands of business leaders, scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs who came before them, the job prospects for this year's Stevens graduates are excellent. With a degree from the university which ranks 9th nationally for 30-year net return on investment, bachelor's degree earners of the Stevens Class of 2013 were recruited by prestigious corporations, government entities and non-profit organizations.
Based on an 88 percent response rate to a survey from the Stevens Office of Career Development, approximately 68 percent of the bachelor's degree awardees from the Class of 2013 are entering the workforce. Many have secured promising positions in engineering, finance, computer science, information technology and other fields at leading international employers like Verizon, Ernst & Young, L'Oreal, Goldman Sachs and Johnson & Johnson. The average starting salary for this group is $66,000.
Approximately 10 percent of the class is going on to pursue advanced degrees in business, law, the sciences, medicine and other fields at elite universities like Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Cornell University.
For more information about Stevens' 141st Commencement, including photos and video, please visit stevens.edu/sit/commencement.
About Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology, The Innovation University®, is a premier, private research university situated in Hoboken, N.J. overlooking the Manhattan skyline. Founded in 1870, technological innovation has been the hallmark and legacy of Stevens' education and research programs for more than 140 years. Within the university's three schools and one college, more than 6,100 undergraduate and graduate students collaborate with more than 350 faculty members in an interdisciplinary, student-centric, entrepreneurial environment to advance the frontiers of science and leverage technology to confront global challenges. Stevens is home to three national research centers of excellence, as well as joint research programs focused on critical industries such as healthcare, energy, finance, defense and STEM education. The university is the fastest-rising college in the U.S. News & World Report ranking of the best national universities, and it is consistently ranked among the nation's elite for return on investment for students, career services programs, and mid-career salaries of alumni. Stevens is in the midst of a 10-year strategic plan, The Future. Ours to Create., designed to further extend the Stevens legacy to create a forward-looking and far-reaching institution with global impact.


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Joseph Gordon-Levitt may now be starring in the time travel film "Looper," but the actor has long made giant leaps look easy.
From "10 Things I Hate About You" to "Mysterious Skin" to "Brick" to "(500) Days of Summer" to "Inception," Gordon-Levitt never does the same thing twice. In the last year alone, his screen roles have had him battle cancer ("50/50"), support Batman ("The Dark Knight Rises") and pedal for his life ("Premium Rush").
In writer-director Rian Johnson's exceptional "Looper," opening Friday, Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, who in 2044 works as a looper, an assassin who kills people sent back from 30 years in the future. When he's assigned (and fails) to kill the future version of himself (Bruce Willis), Joe has a big, mind-bending problem on his hands.
The 31-year-old L.A. native always has been protective of privacy—to the point that he won't even specify what else he'd like to do on screen. In the dark, wooden bar at the Peninsula Hotel, he talked about a glitch of the brain, kicking your own ass and the difference between meeting Daniel Day-Lewis, his co-star in the upcoming "Lincoln," and the real President Lincoln.
Your recent comments about our perception of time possibly being an illusion were interesting. What do you think of the concept of déjà vu?
Oh, that's a good one. Let's see. What do I make of the concept of déjà vu? I don't have a solid theory about it, but … our brains I think do construct this picture of the past, present and future because we need it to solve our basic problems like figuring out how to survive—how to get food or whatever. But I don't think that's necessarily how the universe works. Like it's all in one linear, forward-moving time thing; I think that's something our brain does. It's a survival mechanism. So déjà vu is probably some glitch in that activity.
And sometimes we don't know how to get food, as evidenced by "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle."
[Laughs.] But they're trying really hard. I just saw that movie, actually, first time.
What did you think?
I loved it, actually. [Laughs.] It completely surpassed my expectations. I thought it was really good. I can't wait to see the second one.
When Joe sees that he grows up into Bruce Willis, why doesn't he know right away that he'll try to kick his own ass?
[Laughs.] I think he does know that. He knows it very soon. He ends up on the ground, passed out, because he just got his ass kicked.
So there just wasn't time to react.
Well, yeah. He was probably sort of stunned to see his own self. And older Joe took advantage of that.
How do you feel like the complexity of "Looper" compares to the complexity of "Inception"?
They're two completely different movies, but they're both movies that are on the one hand really fun, bangin' action movies that you can just have an entertaining time at. And on the other hand they give you something to think about, something to talk about. And hopefully it stays with you once you've left. It gets at some deeper questions. I love movies like that that can kind of walk that balance.
We haven't seen much from "Lincoln" yet. How much does the movie cover his vampire hunting days?
Very little.
But a little bit?
Um, no. Not at all. Sorry.
What's something you feel like you learned from Daniel, and what's something you might have taught him?
Well, I wouldn't presume to say anything to the second part of that question. But I mean, when you're acting it's all about commitment. It's about going for it 100 percent or more. And Daniel does that as much as if not more so than anybody I've ever seen. And I think that's something that applies to more than just acting.
For a long time you've talked about wanting to be a chameleon on screen, someone who people may not be sure if it's you sometimes. Do you see him as someone who represents that?
Yeah, he's the epitome of that. It's an honor, and I had absolutely no problem ever just believing that I was speaking to President Lincoln. Luckily I was actually—I was there working on the last day of shooting, so I got to see him shed it. Just a really incredible thing to see.
What was that process like?
I had never met Daniel. I had only ever really interacted with the president. He was a great guy. But [he was] completely different than later that night. He showed up in jeans and T-shirt and I heard his voice for the first time.
Was he like, "Nice to meet you"?
No, he didn't say "Nice to meet you," but it was sort of a re-meeting. It was on completely different terms. He's such a sweetheart and struck me as a normal guy having a Guinness like I would with any number of my friends.
What performances come to mind that feel like they were inspiring to you, when you saw actors and they didn't seem like themselves on screen?
Well, certainly Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood." I actually remember the first time I saw "The Dark Knight," it had been a number of years since I had seen "Batman Begins" and it slipped my mind, 'cause maybe I was watching the movie in a certain state of mind, that I just forgot that Gary Oldman was in it, and I remember when the credits rolled and it said that Gary Oldman was playing Commissioner Gordon, I was like, "Holy [bleep], that's right! That's Gary Oldman!" He's so different as Commissioner Gordon than he is in so many of his parts. That's another good example.
You're hosting "Saturday Night Live" again soon. How did you feel it went the last time?
It was one of the greatest nights of my life. I will not try to repeat it. I'll try something else.
Why was it so meaningful fo you?
'Cause it was "Saturday Night Live." I grew up watching it. Ever since I was a kid it was one of my favorite things to do is stay up late Saturday night and watch. I grew up when it was Phil Hartman and Mike Myers and Dana Carvey. Really really fantastic cast. It was a great era of the show.
I'm interested in the porn addiction story "Don Jon's Addiction," your feature debut as a filmmaker. How difficult was it to do research, all that porn you probably had to watch?
[Laughs.] Yeah. Really, really tough. [Laughs.] I thought that porn was a really funny and also a cinematic symbol for a guy who just objectifies everything in his world.
Is there a movie in particular you watched as research that was particularly helpful?
Well, movies that you could reference, you could talk about "Shampoo" as one. That's a good one to reference. Warren Beatty in that movie plays a Don Juan type of character who has something to learn, and it's funny but it's also a character study.
A lot of people seem to talk about you as going from an old soul in a young body when you were younger to now being an extremely youthful adult. What do you think of that characterization?
It's very flattering. I still feel like an old man.
I don't know. Maybe I just think old men are cool and it's wishful thinking.
This bar is a good setting for feeling like an old man. Why are we not smoking pipes right now?
[Laughs.] I don't know. Do you have one?
One-sentence reflection on the experience of making:
"Premium Rush." "I got to ride a bike around New York City all summer. It was a lot of fun, and so is the movie."
"The Dark Knight Rises." "Man, how do you sum that up? 'Premium Rush' is much easier to sum up in a sentence than 'The Dark Knight Rises.' I was Gotham City police department. What's cooler than that? Or how about this: I have a badge from the Gotham City police department."
"Looper." "I got to make a movie with one of my dearest friends in the world."
"Lincoln." "Daniel Day-Lewis is a phenomenon."
On Chicago: "I really haven't spent much time at all. I've done this a few times, but that's about it. I really have not seen any of the city."
What he listened to to pass the three hours in the makeup chair each day for "Looper": "This American Life," Bill Evans, Glenn Gould. "Pretty gentle stuff because it was usually before the dawn. So just easy piano music."
If there's anything he didn't get to do in "The Dark Knight Rises" he would want to do if he got to play Robin again in any capacity: "Well, it would be a completely different movie. I don't see that character, the character that's in "The Dark Knight Rises," I don't see that as a set-up for a continuation. I see that as a really well-done conclusion to the story that Chris was telling in those three movies."
Guilty pleasure movie: "Well, I don't feel guilty about any movies I like. How about 'Attack the Block' that came out last year? Just a really fun genre movie that was extremely fun to watch."
Watch Matt on "You & Me This Morning," Friday at 6:55 a.m. on WCIU, the U
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Debt Relief: The Results Are In
Pressure is building from civil society to build on the successes of debt relief by addressing past odious debt and creating a fairer system for future borrowing.
Today, the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation was introduced in the House of Representatives by a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders, including Maxine Waters (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-VT), Spencer Bachus (R-AL), and seven other Republican and Democratic representatives. The bill would increase the number of nations eligible for debt relief from 40 to 62 and create a framework for responsible lending, so countries won't get back into debt in the future.
The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008 but did not come up for a vote in the Senate before the congressional session expired.
Debt relief works
Peter Chibize walked twelve miles from his village in southern Zambia to the nearest health clinic, unsure how he would convince the doctor to treat his chest pains, headache, and cough for free. He agonized until a nurse told him that he did not have to pay. "It was like a dream to me," said Chibize."Not to pay anything when you visit a clinic is amazing."
Before debt cancellation, even the most impoverished Zambians had to pay to see a doctor, making it impossible for many to access desperately needed care. Now, health care is free for the poorest.
This is one of the stories featured in a new report, "Debt Relief Works: The Impacts of Debt Cancellation in Africa and Latin America" by Jubilee USA Network, an alliance of over 75 organizations working for definitive debt cancellation for impoverished countries and reform of the international financial institutions and architecture.
Zambia is one of dozens of countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia whose debt has been canceled as the result of a citizen-led global movement. Through two international debt deals in 1999 and 2005, more than $100 billion has been delivered back to the world's most impoverished countries to be used for desperately needed social services.
Debt relief now has a 10-year record of success across the Global South. Over this period, countries that have received debt cancellation have seen a 75 percent increase in spending on social services. Drop-out rates for primary school students have decreased significantly in countries that received cancellation.
In Ghana, where 30 percent of the population lives on less than $1 a day, debt cancellation has helped the government dramatically increase spending on education, health, and access to water. Primary school enrollment is now at 91 percent, helped by 268 new classrooms. Debt relief funds have also helped build 36 new health care clinics, 10 new hospital wards, and 36 water boreholes.
Tanzania has also used its debt cancellation money for education, building 2,500 new schools and putting 50 percent more children in those new classrooms than before.
To ensure that the money is used for poverty reduction, countries have to meet strict public management and transparency criteria to make sure funds are being used for poverty reduction.
The bigger picture
Many impoverished nations shoulder crushing debt burdens, often the legacy of dictators or faulty business deals. Between 1970 and 2002, for example, Sub-Saharan Africa received $294 billion in loans. It has repaid 90 percent of that sum—but because of high interest rates and other factors, $201 billion in debt remains.
The Way to a Just Foreign Policy
The United States faces some pivotal choices now that its brief time as the world's sole superpower is coming to a close. Becoming a good neighbor is one of them.
The principle of debt cancellation is simple: Countries that are no longer forced to use their precious resources to service their debt to wealthy creditors can instead use the funds to provide basic services, like education and health care, to their citizens.
The reality is a bit more complicated, and still imperfect. Debt cancellation has historically come with harmful strings attached—for example, requiring impoverished countries to privatize public resources, such as water and education, or to freeze all hiring and salaries for health care workers.
On an international level, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has set up a new initiative to establish a set of guidelines for responsible lending and borrowing. The goal is to set in place commonly agreed practices of responsibility, thus avoiding the build-up of new bad debts.
While debt relief has brought better social services to millions of people and freed dozens of countries from the chains of debt, more remains to be done. An estimated 20 additional countries need immediate debt cancellation to solve the basic development crises they face.


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Jeff Hurley necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 72 diseños de 21 diseñadores freelance.
We are a team of Realtors and real estate support professionals working together to deliver a more fluid and dynamic buying and selling system. Under our system the consumer receives support with more depth and consistency; with a highly trained person always available to assist in a fun, instantaneous and professional manner.
"The Team that ROCKS!"
"The Team that ROCKS!" is a collective and layered team of Realtors and affiliated real estate professionals whose image and theme is centered around the structure of the music/entertainment industry. In an otherwise stuffy, conservative, white collar, suit-and-tie industry, where the consumer looks up to the realtor- We aspire to be the edgier, contemporary, trendier professionals that the consumer can RELATE to. Even though we've taken the music angle for our niche, we want to be able to identify with the masses. Some may work with "The Team that ROCKS!" because of the musical reference, where others won't care or relate. So we just want the "ROCK" to be more universal, recognized as an affirmation and imply action and movement, a state of mind. "To rock" being a descriptive word like "this movie rocks", "that pizza rocked" or of course… "My Realtor rocks! He sold my house in three weeks!"
- We want an abstract, contemporary logo with dimension.
- Professional and sophisticated, yet edgy and youthful that would catch the eye of generation X and Y, but their parents (older generations) will still respect and appreciate.
- A logo that is recognized without the brand name attached, that burns into someone's memory, black and red.
- Able to use universally on print, signage, car wraps, etc.
- Current logo utilizes "Rock hand" or "metal fingers" (the universal sign of rock - see http://www.myspace.com/therealtorthatrocks) and a residential building profile. Interested in possibly continuing use of same imagery, but also seeking other suggestions and alternatives.
- We don't want obvious imagery that relates to ROCK or music, so no instruments or boulders.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Gregory Protopsaltes the Byzantios was a Lambadarios and Archcantor of the Great Church of Constantinople during the decades of the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. He was a musical genius, musician, and teacher of music.
Gregory's date of birth is uncertain, but tradition sets his birth in Constantinople, as either in 1777 or 1778, to a priest named George and a mother Helen, on the same day that the renowned Peter Lambadarios the Peloponnesian died. During his youth he learned the Armenian language and music. Then, his father sent him to the Sinai, at Valata where under the abbot archimandrite Jeremias he learned the Greek language and, with his fine voice, became a reader and cantor.
During the time between 1800 and 1810, Gregory married and began raising a family with a number of children.
Gregory was a passionate music student under a number of cantors including Iakovos Protosaltes, Peter Protosaltes the Byzantios, and George the Cretan. From 1800, Gregory was in Constantinople chanting as either Lambadarios or First Domestikos with his teacher, Peter Protosaltes. By 1810, Gregory had definitely advanced to a position as Lambadarios.
On June 21, 1819, Gregory was advanced to Protosaltes, and he chanted as Archcantor until his death on December 23, 1821.
Byzantine music
During his life time Gregory participated in a historic reform of byzantine music notation. Gregory, along with the archimandrite Chrysanthos and Chourmouzios Chartophylax, often referred to as the Three Teachers, systematized into a single method the theory of Byzantine Music. In 1814, they developed an explanation of the old notation and transcribed the melodies as used from before 1814 into the new notation that they had developed.
To dispel suspicion that the Teachers were inventing new Psalmody, the Three Teachers presented their new method of teaching and learning Byzantine music to the Holy Synod of the Church of Constantinople. After thorough discussions, the Synod, under the chair of Patriarch Cyril VI, approved their work.
To facilitate the use of the new method, a school was founded at the Sinai Metochion to teach the new method of music, its rules, and grammar. The teachers at the school were the monk Chrysanthos and Gregory, the Lambadarios of the Great Church, who presented the new method to over 200 students each day in classes that included hierarchs, protosyggeloi, and deacons, as well as many laymen.


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The summer is flying, all the faster because the Sunday jazz concerts on the steps of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery have been so good. This year, The Buffalo News Jazz at the Albright-Knox festival is on a tear. All three artists featured so far – Cindy Miller, Mike Costley and pianist Douglas "Trigger" Gaston, who performed last Sunday, have been terrific.
This Sunday, the fun is sure to continue, because Don Rice, the featured attraction, has a great track record with the festival. Rice is a marvelous tenor saxophonist with a special gift for ballads. His soulful but breathy and understated tone harks back to Lester Young, Stan Getz and Zoot Sims. He will be performing Sunday with pianist Bobby Jones, bassist Wayne Moose and drummer Dan Hull, a wonderful trio.
It all begins at 2 p.m. Sunday on the back steps of the Albright-Knox. Get there early for the choicest seats on the grass. The concert is free.
– Mary Kunz Goldman


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Back to All Events
Earlier Event: October 27A Strange Thing | Costume Party
Later Event: November 12Trivia! (every Monday)
*CLOSING EARLY Monday, October 14th at 3pm
We are a café, bar and bottle shop located in the Hamlet of Highland, NY, off Route 9W and just a short walk, run or bike ride from the famous Walkway over the Hudson and the Hudson Valley Rail Trail. We offer specialty coffees, teas, espresso and wine, and our 10 taps of constantly rotating craft beers are carefully selected and include many local favorites. Bring your growler for a fill, choose a unique bottle to go or stop in for a pint and something from our kitchen.


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Houston At The Crossroads: Resilience and Sustainability In The 21st Century
Missed Jim Blackburn's recent lecture at the Museum of Natural Science? Then enjoy this Power Point presentation of the complete lecture. Click here to download the presentation. This is a large file and may download slowly. After opening, click Slide Show in the top bar and then view in "Presenter View" to see the transcript with the slides. Unable to access "Presenter View"? Slides and transcript can also be scrolled through in the Home window.
Want more after viewing? Then pick-up Jim's latest book, A Texas Plan for the Texas Coast, available at Brazos Bookstore or online at Amazon. Click here to purchase at Amazon, and select Urban Harvest as a beneficiary of your purchase.


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Ontario police are holding patrols focused on drunken drivers Saturday.
The patrols will be from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. Police plan to pay special attention to areas where crashes occur involving motorists who are driving while under the influence or where officers make many DUI arrests.
The California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provided funding for the operation.
Reach Melissa via email or call her at 909-386-3878.
Get the latest crime and public safety news on Twitter @IECrime.


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Vernon, CA — August 19, 2009 — Van's International Foods has issued an allergy alert and is voluntarily recalling the following product: 12.4 ounce package of frozen Van's Wheat Free Homestyle Pancakes with the lot number listed below because they contain undeclared wheat, gluten, milk and egg in the product. People who have allergies or sensitivities to wheat, gluten, milk or eggs may run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.
The 118 cases of recalled Van's Wheat Free Homestyle Pancakes may have been distributed in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Idaho and Hawaii, through retail outlets that include but may not be limited to Whole Foods, Wegmans, Giant Carlisle, Sprouts and Martins. The distributors and the retail customers involved have been notified.
The product comes in a 12.4 ounce package which is beige with an orange stripe on the top and a triangular blue gluten-free call out in the upper right-hand corner with the lot number 200060629B1 located on the side flap of the box. The "Best if used by" date is March 30, 2010 also printed on the same flap.
|Package UPC
|Description – Retail Label Weight
|Lot #
|Best if Used By Date
|Van's All Natural Wheat Free Homestyle Pancakes, 12.4 ounce
|March 30, 2010
"Our customers have trusted Van's with their special dietary needs for more than 20 years, and their health and safety are our first priority," said CEO of Van's International Foods, Eric Kufel. "Van's has immediately implemented advanced quality procedures above and beyond what we already have in place to ensure the continued safety of our products."
The voluntary recall was initiated immediately after a packaging operator error, limited to one shift, was discovered. The company has immediately reinforced its Quality Assurance and Packaging procedures and believes that the problem was a one-time incident. Consumers who are allergic to or have sensitivity to wheat, gluten, milk or eggs, should not consume this product. Consumers should return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund or send the box top with the printed lot number to the address below to receive five free coupons for any Van's waffle, pancake, or French toast stick product 12.4 ounce or smaller.
Van's International Foods, Inc.
Attn: Wheat Free Pancake Product Recall
3285 East Vernon Avenue
Vernon, CA 90058
Consumers with questions may contact the company at (303) 848-6013. For more information on this recall, please visit www.vansfoods.com for details.
The Food and Drug Administration has been notified of this voluntary recall.