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Update: I am so excited that so many people are loving and trying this project! Please note that as I do not have a dishwasher in my home, I have not personally been able to test washing my pieces in a dishwasher. To date, I have had zero issues washing my pieces with normal dish soap and a soft cloth. Some people are reporting issues with the marker washing off, so you may choose to do a test first.
Today's DIY project was completely inspired by this pin that I've been obsessing over on Pinterest for a while now. According to the pin, you can write or doodle on dinnerware with a Sharpie marker and bake it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and the design will stay permanently. Guess what? It really works!
And it really is that simple. So I tried out a few different designs to create my own custom dinnerware and today I'm going to show you the pretty little things I came up with. This is so simple and such a sweet idea!
How to Make Sharpie Plates and Mugs
First up, remove any stickers or labels that might be on your dishes. I picked mine up at Christmas Tree Shop for $1 each. Then I washed and dried each piece and finally gave them a good scrubbing with glass cleaner and a soft, lint-free cloth just to make sure they were all clean and shiny.
The first piece I tackled was a little dessert plate. I found a pretty adhesive stencil with a botanical design at Michaels, positioned it where I wanted it on the plate and filled in the stencil with a fine tip black Sharpie marker. You can use any color you like, although I really loved the black on white and used it for all of my pieces.
Next up, the cutest little polka dot bowl! I decided to just freehand cute oversized polka dots all over the outside of the bowl, eyeballing the size and placement as I worked. I was a little worried it would end up looking too homemade, but I love the slightly imperfect vibe.
It's modern and fun. These would be perfect for whipping up for a party or for making special, custom ice cream bowls for midnight snacks. You could even make personalized cereal bowls for everyone in the family! Seriously, the ideas are endless.
Then I tackled my favorite – super sweet and sentimental personalized mugs! As soon as I saw that now infamous pin, I knew I needed to make a pair of adorable mugs. This one was a little trickier as I just freehanded with marker onto each mug.
I had to try each one a few times to get them just right, but luckily you can just wipe off the marker with some glass cleaner and a bit of elbow grease and start over if you mess up. That said, remember that the hand drawn quality is what makes these pieces so darling so don't obsess over perfection!
I completed all of the pieces one after the other and then baked them at the same time, using the 30 minutes at 350 degrees specified by the inspiration pin. To bake them, I simply placed them directly on the rack in the cool oven, then turned on the heat. After 30 minutes I turned off the oven and let it cool completely before removing my fancy new dinnerware.
Once everything was completely cool, I tried scrubbing the designs and the marker didn't budge a bit. Voila! It actually works!
Note: I should note that I don't have a dishwasher in my apartment, so I can't say for sure if they'd hold up to the dishwasher, but hand washing will get the job done.
For most of my pieces I kept the marker design on the exterior, with the exception of the dessert plate. I'm not entirely sure if this would be considered non-toxic or not, so if you have little ones around I would definitely suggest just using the plates for decorative purposes, but the bowl and mugs are totally usable!
You can do this on any dinnerware you'd like to jazz up or do what I did and pick up some inexpensive pieces and give them a custom look for literally pennies. These would be perfect as bridesmaids or hostess gifts, stocking stuffers come holiday season, a sweet little trinket for your beloved…you get the idea!
[Design + styling by Cyd Converse for The Sweetest Occasion. | Photos by Alice G. Patterson.]
Make unique dinnerware using Sharpie markers and inexpensive plates, bowls and mugs!DIY Sharpie Dinnerware


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It's festivals galore in the country and we can't get enough of the festivities. After the celebrations of Navratri and Dussehra, the preparations of Diwali have taken over us. While our weekends are booked for Diwali cleaning, not a lot of people don't know why exactly we celebrate Diwali. After Ravana kidnapped Sita, Lord Ram headed to Sri Lanka to rescue the Goddess. Eighteen days after defeating Ravana, Lord Ram, Sita, Laxmana returned to Ayodhya and that day is celebrated as Diwali.
This auspicious day signifies good over evil and light over dark. The word Diwali is taken from the Sanskrit word Deepavali which signifies rows of lighted lamps. While most of the country celebrated the return of Lord Ram, in Southern India, this festival is celebrated as the day Lord Krishna defeated demon Narakasura. But before his death, Narakasura requested a boon that his death be celebrated with colourful lights. And the night before Diwali, is celebrated as Naraka Chatur Dashi.
Diwali also holds importance for Indians as a day dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi. Bestowed with good fortune, prosperity and wealth, devotees begin the pooja by praying Lord Ganesha followed by a pooja for Goddess Lakshmi to ward away obstacles. According to legends, on this day Goddess Lakshmi visits each of her devotees and bestows them with gifts and wishes. In order to welcome the deity into their house, the devotees clean their house, wear new clothes and light up the house with new lights every year. The pooja begins by opening all the doors and windows the welcome Goddess Lakshmi into our homes.
While we gear up to ring in this beautiful festival, here's wishing everyone a Happy Diwali.

subset: commoncrawl


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Starting with issue one, Gold Key created a unique look at what Star Trek might have been without the philosophy of Gene Roddenberry and basis in scientific extrapolation. The pulp wackiness of the series has delighted readers for close to 50 years.
In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Matthew Rushing and Dan Gunther finish their look at the first volume of IDW's reprints. We talk about some of the ways things from the show begin to creep in to the comic, issues 4-6, where we laugh a lot, and give our ratings.
In our news segment, we review Ongoing #44.
Literary Treks 101: Rainbow Rings of Terror! The Gold Key Comics, Volume One (Part 2) |
Previous episode: Literary Treks 100: In the Shadow of the Emissary
Next episode: Literary Treks 102: What You Leave Behind


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First lady goes with classic, traditional Christmas decor
WASHINGTON D.C. (AP) - First lady Melania Trump has opted for a more traditional decor for her family's first Christmas in the White House, adding a few new touches to the standards.
New this year are wreaths hanging from the exterior of every window. Another new touch are glistening wintry branches lining an East Wing hallway that leads guests to a tree decorated with the Trump family's official Christmas ornament, a gold-toned bauble featuring the presidential coat of arms surrounded by a wreath of holly.
The family Christmas card is framed and on display. "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year," says the card signed by President Donald Trump, the first lady and Barron, their 11-year-old son.
Among the Christmas standards is an 18-foot fir tree in its traditional spot in the Blue Room, decorated with ornaments bearing the seals of every state and U.S. territory.
The 350-pound gingerbread house this year offers a view of the White House from the south.
"The decorations are up!" the first lady tweeted Monday morning. "@WhiteHouse is ready to celebrate! Wishing you a Merry Christmas & joyous holiday season!"
Her theme is "Time-Honored Traditions," which the White House said pays respect to 200 years of holiday traditions at the executive mansion.
The first lady's office previewed the decorations for journalists on Monday after more than 150 volunteers from 29 states spent 1,600 hours during the long holiday weekend decking the White House halls. Mrs. Trump has also invited children and students from a nearby military base to come see the decorations and work on holiday arts and crafts.
The White House said she personally chose every detail of the decor. She did a final check late Sunday after returning from the family's Thanksgiving at their home in Palm Beach, Florida.
The holiday celebrating begins later Monday with a party for the volunteer decorators and will continue well into December with receptions and parties - sometimes two a day - for the next several weeks. More than 25,000 visitors are expected to tour the White House for the holidays and the kitchen is ready: a total of 31,000 cookies have been baked, including 15,000 sugar cookies.
Mrs. Trump's signature Christmas includes 71 wreaths, 53 Christmas trees, more than 18,000 lights, more than 12,000 ornaments, more than 3,100 yards of ribbon and more than 1,000 feet of garland, the White House said.


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"Finding the right strategic and financial investor is one of the greater challenges entrepreneurs face. We have been very fortunate with the Wamda Capital investment as Wamda brings to the table not only strong financial might but also smart, strategic insights and guidance and access to resources and portfolio companies that present information, resources and tools that help us to make smarter and faster decisions. Wamda is also aligned with us in the passion for innovation, excellence and hyper speed and building a business that creates impact and with solid unit economics."
Mona Ataya, Founder & CEO, Mumzworld


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Grayslake, Illinois, United States / October 1, 2011
Mick Cullen threw a 8 frac12;" X 11" piece of paper 336 inches.
Stride's setting 100 records in 100 days. At the end of 100 days, we'll verify if you are the standing Record Holder. If you are, you'll get $500 for each record you managed to hold with your guile, talent, and sheer will.
General caution and common sense required. We show the Stride Team at work, but recommend that these challenges be done at home.
- must measure distance from takeoff line to final resting position of paper
- must attempt record indoors in a room without any wind or breeze
- may not blow paper or do anything to create greater movement
- measure distance from takeoff line to closest point of paper after it comes to a stop
- must attempt on a flat surface
- must use standard printer paper (glossy or thicker not permitted)
Brandon Naylor
you mean A4
Mick Cullen
No problem. We felt we were following the rules, since there was nothing said about rolling, but we also fully expected it to be denied. It was still fun. :)
Rob Birdsong
DENIED: Paper was rolled before the throw. (Sorry Mick)
mandy zhang
Zach Neal
Not that i'm accusing anyone of anything, but why is Bens frame so small?
Neil Moallem
Someone could easily have been sitting out of view of the camera and then moved the paper back. This is not legitimate. At least when we did our record it was in an enormous hallways where we were the only people there
Neil Moallem
I agree with Zach
Benjamin Gross
-paper may not be folded or crumpled in any manner. I would argue that "rolling"/"bending" is a manner of a fold.
alex Gross
becasue my brother used diffenet cameras so that he always had one that was fully charged
Benjamin Gross
pretty sure you would be able to hear someone move it, plus it would have to be really fast i turn the camera and stuff pretty quickly. You can tell by the trajectory of the paper and by the shadow of it going down it went that far. Anyways I could just as well said that in yours "someone could be waiting in a class room and moved the paper and then went back in"...GOML
Rob Birdsong
This video doesn't clearly show the takeoff line, and doesn't show the trajectory of the paper as it travels through the air. Consequently, we are left with no option but to revert our decision and deny the attempt.
Justin Lister
I agree with Mike. Review it
Mike Blanchard
This needs to be redone with the camera behind you instead of facing you. You clearly cant see the paper going that far this needs to be reviewed
Rob Birdsong
Vernon - Ben, There is not enough evidence in shown in the video to prove there was no folding or bending of the paper. Please document your attempts in a manner that clearly show your achievements.
Ben Jenkins
My paper just flew that way. It wasn't prebent/folded. If that is indeed why it was denied.
Vernon Frenzel
Ben Jenkins's submission - Denied because of the folding/bending of the paper I assume
eva-1 su
Vernon Frenzel
Bwahaha xD Got 91.5 inches.... If only it was a tile floor xD
Vernon Frenzel
That's totally cool bro, imma use 24 pound. And keep workin on it till i get it back :) And thanks.
Brian Pankey
I never wanted you to be denied Vernon. I was Ok with the record you did. I hope you up the ante. Your a cool record holder!
Vernon Frenzel
Awe, well, that's fine to deny the record :) i'll make sure I check the Bond weight now on :) I'll be giving it another try/ I'm kinda leaning towards it's more of the way you throw the paper, rather than the type of paper. Expect a submission later tonight ^-^ Grats Brian.
Dan Rollman
The original intent this category, was, as Peter says, to create fair and consistent competition by getting everyone to throw standard office paper. While creative, using glossy photo paper is against the spirit of the category.
Accepting Vernon's submission would open the door to longer debates about what kind of paper is acceptable. As a result, we've decided to deny his submission. Moving forward, we will only accept submissions that use standard printer paper that is either 24lb bond or 39lb bond. Anything that appears heavier will be denied.
Brian Pankey
I just feel like the stock paper would be cheating since it heavy duty paper. it is called 100lb card stock
Brian Pankey
actually I have a lot of stock paper this size. Stock paper is what they print business cards on. you could do 20 ft easily with it.
Vernon Frenzel
Submitted one without any gloss and proof of no lamination. Went further as well, still photo paper though.
Peter Craig
That was supposed to be "golf balls" not "old balls" - stupid autocorrect :)
Peter Craig
Millions of dollars are spent in research and development to improve the airstreams reacting with dimples on old balls, form and padding in running shoes, streamlined body suits and caps for running and swimming, brands and materials for making javelins, running tracks etc. All sports and activities have areas that can have valid evolution in technology and technique but there needs to be boundaries established with the criteria enough to keep most of the variables the same and fair.
Peter Craig
There are a lot of valid points being posed regarding criteria and what is an acceptable median that can be agreed on. Although the adjudicators and moderators have the final say, it's heavily influenced by discussion and debate such as this to come to a collective decision. Paper I took to be standard "office paper" but these other types are also considered office photo paper. I think the intent of the record was that it be standard paper and for people to have a fair and consistent competition using the same materials. I think the criteria needs to determine what paper is OK mostly based on paper thickness/weight I'd day, otherwise you could use a "thick" paper which would essentially be a rigid card. Think the gloss would make the paper hold it's form much better than untreated paper but the debate needs to be whether this is a valid evolution of technique or stretch in a criteria loophole.
Vernon Frenzel
We have a ton of different papers, matte photo paper (basically unglossed),Post Card paper,Greeting card paper, Card Stock Paper. I'll find my dad and just beat our record sometime tonight if it bothers people.
Vernon Frenzel
"Professional Glossy Inkjet Photo Paper" Not laminated. Glossy on one side. If you want a link to a site with the exact paper I used, I can get ya one.
Good Bye
The judges are getting too lenient with a lot of these records.
MaAnn P.
It is not laminated. It's photo paper, a glossy paper they used when printing photographs from a digital device
Benjamin Gross
personally i think paper is paper as long as its the correct size..its just photo paper that kind you can buy at any office store and its marketed as "paper" so i don't see the problem.
Neil Moallem
Based on how it looks and how it sounds when he throws it and when it lands, my friends and I feel like this is definitely a laminated piece of paper
Brian Pankey
Vernon is cool I say let it stand!
Rob Birdsong
Feels like a piece of laminate...what do others think?
Brian Pankey
Rob Birdsong
I second what Peter says...excellent points.
Peter Craig
Nothing to do with records or this one in particular, and maybe something to discuss further in a new forum thread if you http://recordsetter.com/forums but briefly, we all live a life and we make it what we want where we can. We are born into families of financial wealth, character wealth, families of poverty and war, broken families, large families, no families. We all get opportunities and decisions. We have beliefs, freedoms, guidelines passed down from parents, family, friends, school, work and it's up to us how the opportunities we are given are used. It's nobody's fault for being born into poverty, war, riches or any circumstance and nobody's place to judge except for what we make of it. Demonstrate a strong character regardless of circumstance and learn from mistakes and take opportunities as they're given.
Christophe Flodstrom
I had a very nice house to live in, good money etc. But my brother was killed when I was 10, my mom died soon after, and my dad left when I was a little kid. Now, Philosoraptor asks you, who has nothing? Poor living conditions, or broken but wealthy home? Eh?
Vernon Frenzel
Defiantly, we got a good one earlier, but as you can see, once they view it, coffee table stopped it from sliding a bit. :/
Peter Craig
This one's such a tough one to film because it requires a large enough indoor space.
Brian Pankey
I wasn't talking to everyone Vernon. Your cool just these California kids on some of these videos. When I said that. I grew up in a 55 ft. long trailer for the first 17 years of my life sharing it with 3 other people. My bedroom 6 X 8 ft. I had nothing nothing growing up. Some of the people in these videos the bathrooms are big as a house! That is why I said that! I am doing better now a little
Vernon Frenzel
"Spoiled lil rich brats." Lmao...
Peter Craig
I LOVE this record idea. I've always wondered how far it could go because there's so many variations in technique - I think a Frisbee throw might work like playing card throwing... look forwar d to seeing the submissions!
History (13)
PavolDurdik on 8/8/2015
BenjaminGross on 10/11/2011
NeilMoallem on 10/5/2011
MickCullen on 10/1/2011
BenjaminGross on 9/29/2011
BenJenkins on 9/28/2011
BenjaminGross on 9/18/2011
VernonFrenzel on 9/15/2011
NeilMoallem on 9/14/2011
legendary on 9/14/2011
VernonFrenzel on 9/14/2011
TaylorBall on 9/14/2011
Stride on 9/14/2011


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For the first time since President Trump lost his bid for reelection, Vice President Pence appeared on the campaign trail on Friday to boost Senate Republicans at a pair of rallies north of Atlanta.
Two U.S. Senate seats in Georgia remain to be decided in runoff races on Jan. 5. The outcome will dictate which party will run the upper chamber come next year.
And with Trump and Pence still declining to concede their loss, GOP has been left with a tricky argument in Georgia for a high-stakes Senate battle as they try to navigate the president's false claims.
"As our election contests continue, here in Georgia and in courts across the country, I'll make you [a] promise," Pence told supporters at an outdoor rally in Canton, Ga. "We're going to keep fighting until every legal vote is counted. We're going to keep fighting until every illegal vote is thrown out."
Pence and other Republicans, including GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, who are vying to win those Georgia Senate seats, are arguing the state is a final line of defense against Democrats.
The House will remain controlled by Democrats, though at a slimmer margin thanks to gains by Republicans.
"We are the battleground," Loeffler told supporters. "We are the firewall."
The November elections have so far handed Republicans 50 seats when the new Congress convenes in January. They'll need to win one of Georgia's two runoff races to retain control of the chamber.
Democrats, on the other hand, will need a sweep of the Georgia seats to gain the majority. With President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris at the helm, Harris could break ties for a 50-member caucus of Democrats and two independent senators.
On Friday, Pence made clear he was in Georgia on Trump's behalf.
"I'm here because I stand with President Donald Trump. And I'm here because President Donald Trump and I stand with Senator David Perdue and Senator Kelly Loeffler," Pence said.
Since Election Day, Pence, like Trump, has largely kept out of public sight. Trump himself has been a source of disinformation, issuing false claims of widespread voter fraud and that he could overturn the election's results.
Had they won, the GOP wouldn't need the Georgia seats to retain their Senate majority as a Republican in the White House could break ties in their favor for a 51-member majority.
"This is the last line of defense. This is my last word to you today," Perdue said in Canton as he was interrupted by cheers of "stop the steal!"
It was a nod to Trump's false claims in the election targeting Democrats. For his part, Perdue paused, and then resumed with his same pitch without addressing the falsehood.
"What we have to do right now is hold the line," Perdue said.
For Pence, his Friday campaign rally appearances are the most to date since Election Day on Nov. 3. He spoke for more than 40 minutes at the two separate events in Canton and Gainesville.
Each rally drew hundreds of supporters, including families. Many waved Trump/Pence signs and other campaign merchandise, and booed at the mention of Democrats.
Pence also used the rallies as an opportunity to highlight the past work that the Trump administration has done, from supporting robust budgets for the military to the confirmation of new Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
Perdue and Loeffler are facing shifting demographics in the state.
On Thursday, just as Pence's motorcade made its way to its first rally in Canton, the state had said it had certified election results confirming Biden had won the state. He's first Democrat to do so since 1992.
But the GOP has seen a good run in special elections in the past. That includes a costly 2017 Atlanta House district race where Democrat Jon Ossoff lost a challenge to his GOP counterpart.
Now, Ossoff, a documentary filmmaker, is facing off against Perdue, a one-term senator who is seeking reelection.
Loeffler, who was appointed to her seat in January, is running against a popular Democrat in Raphael Warnock. Warnock is senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. was a co-pastor.
Loeffler and Warnock are vying in a special election to fill the seat of retired Sen. Johnny Isakson.
In her short time in the seat, Loeffler has faced controversy over dumping $20 million in stocks after a closed-door Senate briefing on the coronavirus in January. Loeffler, who has held a stake in the WNBA team, the Atlanta Dream, also came under attack for her remarks regarding the Black Lives Matter movement.
On Friday, she framed her attack against Democrats as one against an unrestrained party that could threaten conservatism.
"We are going to stand up for conservative values because look at what Donald Trump has done for our country," she said to cheers to a crowd in Gainesville, which responded with chants of "U.S.A!" that Loeffler joined in on.
Biden was only mentioned by former Georgia Gov. and current Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue at the Friday rallies. Perdue, the cousin of the senator, was attacking the president-elect, as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
"We're going to reelect Senator David Perdue and Senator Kelly Loeffler so that Schumer and Pelosi and Biden can't have a blank check on America's values," Sonny Perdue said to cheers. "You're the ones — America is counting on you and we're counting on you."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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I just inherited a bunch of old school adventures for AD&D 2nd Edition, which I'm going to adapt for Pathfinder.
At the beginning of many of these old adventures it lists what levels characters should be for the game to be challenging but not unbeatable. Basically, it just says what it's recommended level is.
So, I'd like to know, in AD&D 2nd Edition, what is the maximum level characters can be. I'd also like to find out if a 2nd Edition says a game is best suited for characters of Level X, would the same level work for characters using Pathfinder? Or, should adjustments be made.
I feel that if the maximum level overall is 10th, then clearly a 5th level character in that game would be much more powerful than a 5th level character in Pathfinder. I feel this would be the case since level 5 is 50% of the maximum level in AD&D, but is only 25% of the maximum level in Pathfinder.
If anyone wants to shed some light on this, I would appreciate it.
If it makes any difference, I'm going to start using the adventures found in "Ravenloft Chilling Tales" to bring my players into their this new campaign setting.
Thanks a lot! I know some of you can help me out here!


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Sun. 10/21/18
Beast & Prep Cup Sunday Playoff Schedules
The Beast semifinal schedule for Sunday morning at UMass:
8:00 am Practice Rink - # 1 River Rats vs # 5 Springfield Rifles
8:00 am Arena - # 2 Selects Academy vs # 3 Yale
9:40 am Practice Rink -- # 3 North Jersey Avs vs # 7 River Rats
9:40 am Arena -- # 1 Selects Academy vs # 4 Rochester Coalition
11:20 am Practice Rink -- # 2 North Jersey Avs vs # 3 Springfield Rifles
11:20 am Arena -- # 1 River Rats vs # 5 Selects Academy
U15-2:40 pm Arena
U16- 4:20 pm Practice Rink
U18- 4:20 pm Arena
U14 Games Sunday at the Prep Cup
Red Division
Playoff Round
#3 seed (Northern Cyclones) vs #6 seed (Rochester Monarchs) -- 9:00 am at Winchendon
#4 seed (River Rats) vs #5 seed (Academie St-Louis) -- 10:00 am at Cushing
Semi Finals
#1 seed (South Shore Kings) vs River Rats/ASL winner -- 1:20 pm at Cushing
# 2 Seed (CT Jr Whalers) vs Cyclones/Rochester winner -- 12:20 pm at Winchendon
3:45 pm at Cushing
Consolation Games
#7 (Elite Hockey Program) vs #8 (Islanders Hockey Club) -- 10:00 am at Winchendon
#9 (California Golden Bears) vs #10 (Boston Jr Rangers) -- 12:00pm at Cushing
#11 (NH Avs) vs #12 (PAL Islanders) -- 11:40 am at Worcester Ice Center
U14 White Division
Semi Finals
9:20 am -- Utica Comets vs VT Dynamo -- at Worcester Ice Center
9:30 am -- California Wave vs Mount Academy --at Worcester ice Center
1:00 pm Worcester Ice Center
Consolation Games
8:10 am -- #3 seed (Bay State Breakers) vs #3 seed (Boston Jr Eagles AAA) -- at Worcester Ice Center
8:00 am -- #4 seed (Jersey Shore Wildcats) vs #4 seed (Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights) -- at Worcester Ice Center
U13 Games Sunday at the Prep Cup
Playoff Games
8:00 am- Ottawa Myers vs Rochester Monarchs at Cushing
9:00 am -- Buffalo Regals vs RI Saints at Cushing
8:00 am -- CT Jr Huskies vs Assabet at Winchendon
8:15 am -- Providence Hockey Club vs AY Northstars at Fitchburg
Semi Finals
11:00 am -- Ottawa/Rochester winner vs Buffalo/RI winner at Cushing
11:20 am -- CT Huskes/Assabet winner vs Providence/Northstars winner at Winchendon
2:20 pm -- Championship Game at Cushing
Consolation Games
9 (CP Dynamo) vs 10 (Palmyra Black Knights) 9:15 am at Fitchburg
11 (North Jersey Avs) vs 12 (Boston Jr Rangers) 10:35 am at Fitchburg
13 (PAL Islanders) vs 14 (Valley Warriors) 11:55 am at Fitchburg
15 (Washington Little Caps) vs 16 (Springfield Rifles) 10:30 am at Worcester Ice Center
17 (Utica Comets) vs 18 (Vt Dynamo) 10:20 am at Worcester Ice Center
19 (Middlesex Icemen) vs 20 (VT Flames) 11:50 am at Worcester Ice Center
Note all consolation Games are full games, all playoff games are 30 minute games.
Wed. 10/31/18
'I'm Speaking Out in Suppport of My Kid'
With mid-term elections Nov. 6, Tabor Head Coach Gerry Dineen is urging Massachusetts voters to vote yes on Question 3, which protects the civil rights of transgender people.
"I'm speaking out in support of my kid," Dineen said. "We're hoping it will pass resoundingly."
Dineen's son, Charlie, is a transgender senior at Tabor, having transitioned in the spring of his freshman year at the school. He rows crew and is into drama and the arts.
"We're a family that loves each other," Dineen said, "and I want to make sure Charlie is protected."
"I get it that it makes some people uncomfortable," Dineen added. "But it's an important time in the country and state. I have to step forward and do something, even if I only manage to convince one person."
Dineen said that when Charlie announced his decision several years ago, he found it disorienting and confusing. "There are certain constants in life," he said, "and one of those had suddenly changed."
"I'm a school teacher and so is my wife. I tend to be a problem-solver, and approached it that way. We were learning on the fly. I needed to educate myself, to figure the whole thing out. What I realized is there's nothing to figure out. It's just the way a person is.
"Once I got there, I was able to ask myself, 'What's my job? I'm a parent. What can I do to help my kid?'
Dineen is now doing just that, in his own understated way. "People might be, 'Wow, I didn't know Gerry Dineen was going through this. But this is real. This isn't the Jerry Springer Show. We're a close family, and we've been all-in for a while now"
Dineens' older son, Brett, a former Tabor defenseman now playing for Middlebury, where he is a junior, wrote a piece in the form of a letter to his younger brother. It appeared on The Players' Cave website in the summer of 2017 and it's quite moving. (See link below.)
"Brett did that on his own," Dineen said. "He wanted to stand by his brother. This was a way to say that, to put it out for everyone to see."
Middlebury Defenseman Brett Dineen's Letter To His Brother
Tues. 10/30/18
1st Annual Eastern Exposure Cup Program
Matt Miles, the head of the Eastern Exposure Hockey Group, is hosting a 14U/13U tournament in New Hampshire this weekend (Nov. 2-4), with games rotating between Tilton, New Hampton, Proctor and Plymouth State College.
Thirty teams will be on hand: 22 Bantam 14U teams and 8 Bantam 13U Minor teams. Some teams are New England-based, but others are coming from a long way off. There will be 10 Canadian teams, all but one from Quebec and Ontario. The team traveling the greatest distance is the North Shore Winter Club (North Vancouver, BC), which has developed dozens of future NCAA players as well as a couple dozen who went on the NHL, e.g., Paul & Steve Kariya, Brett Hull, Evander Kane, Jordan Weal, and Drew Shore.
This tournament is set up as a showcase for kids who might be interested in what New England prep schools and colleges have to offer.
Here's the program book. It's a 28-page PDF that includes directions to the rink, brackets, schedules, and 30 rosters.
1st Annual Eastern Exposure Cup Program
Wed. 10/24/18
Fall Beantown Schedule
The Fall Beantown is back. There will be a small number of games late tomorrow (Thurs. Oct. 25) before things go full-tilt Friday through Sunday.
There will be U18, U16, U15, U14 divisions, as well as USPHL games.
The tournament will use the New England Sports Center as a primary venue, along with the Worcester Ice Center, the Navin Rink (Marlborough, Mass), and the Northstar Arena (Westborough, Mass.).
The final schedule is here:
2018 Fall Beantown Final Schedule
Thurs. 10/18/18--updated Fri. 10/19
Beast Playoffs Program Book...
Click below for the program book for this weekend's Beast playoffs. It includes complete rosters, a schedule, and rink directions. All games will be played in Western Mass -- the Pioneer Valley, to put a fine point on it -- and it's a two-day affair, i.e. Saturday and Sunday.
2018 Beast Playoffs Program Book
... and the Prep Cup
Also, here is the program for the Prep Cup (14U, 13U) taking place Fri. Oct. 19 through Sun. Oct. 21 at several different rinks in Central Mass. The program book has rosters, schedules, and directions to rinks.
2018 Prep Cup Program Book
Thurs. 10/18/18
2018 Prep Cup Schedule
The 8th Annual Prep Cup is set to face off tomorrow, Fri., Oct. 19th, and continue through Sun., Oct. 21st. All games will be played in Central Mass -- at Cushing Academy, Winchendon School, Worcester Ice Center (home of Worcester Academy), and Fitchburg State. There will be twenty U14 teams (2004s) broken up into a Red (top level) and White (second) divisions. There will also be twenty U13 (2005s) team.
The top teams at each age group are as follows:
U14 ('04s): South Shore Kings, Neponset Valley River Rats, Northern Cyclones, Academie Saint-Louis, California Golden Bears.
U13 ('05s): Ottawa Myers, Providence Hockey Club, Connecticut Jr. Huskies, Boston Jr. Rangers, Springfield Rifles.
The Ottawa Myers are said to be the best Ontario team that has come down for the tournament, slightly better than the '03 Ottawa 67s team that lost in the 2017 semifinals, a game that featured two standouts in big, strong 67s defenseman Roman Schmidt and small, skilled LI Gulls forward Jeremy Wilmer. The Gulls would win the game, 4-2, and go on to beat the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers in the championship game. Both Schmidt and Wilmer have since committed to Boston University.
We hope to have rosters as soon as they are ready, so please check back.
Updated Fri. 10/19:
Prep Cup Program
Tues. 10/16/18
Beast Playoff Schedule
The Beast playoffs will be held in Western Mass this weekend (Sat.-Sun. Oct. 20-21). Saturday's games will mostly be at the UMass practice arena. Other rinks being used Saturday are Williston-Northampton School, Fitzpatrick Arena (Holyoke), and Cyr Arena (Springfield).
On Sunday, all games will be at UMass -- both the practice rink and Mullins Arena. (There's one tiny typo in Sunday's schedule. The 2:40 playoff game scheduled for the practice rink should read 2/7 loser vs. 3/6 loser.)
It's a very strong field, the weather will be appropriately cool, as will the foliage. Here are the seedings:
1. Neponset Valley River Rats
2. North Jersey Avs
3. Springfield Rifles
4. Yale
5. Selects Academy
6.Rochester Coalition
7. CT Riverhawks
8. Philadelphia Jr Flyers
1. Selects Academy
2. Yale
3. North Jersey Avs
4. Rochester Coalition
5. Mercer Chiefs
6. Springfield Rifles
7. Neponset Valley River Rats
8. Philadelphia Jr Flyers
1. Neponset Valley River Rats
2. Selects Academy
3. Yale
4. Rochester Coalition
5. Springfield Rifles
6. North Jersey Avs
7. CT Riverhawks
8. Philadelphia Jr Flyers
Fri. 10/12/18
ECC College Cup Schedule & Program
The 2018 East Coast Classics College Cup is on tap for this weekend, Fri.- Sun. Oct. 12-14, which is, of course, the weekend that NCAA Div. I college teams begin to play meaningful (more or less) games.
The tournament, an 18U, 16U, 15U affair, will be played at six venues over the weekend, with the bulk of the games at the three-sheet Northford Ice Pavilion (Northford, Conn.).
Click below for the program, which includes full rosters and a schedule.
ECC College Cup Schedule & Program
Thurs. 10/4/18
North American Challenge Cup Schedule
There's plenty of action in the Boston area this weekend, with two tournaments going on simultaneously. There's the EHF-Selects Jamboree, which we posted the schedule of a couple of days ago. But there's also the North American Challenge Cup, a U18/U16/U14/U13 tournament which runs from Friday Oct. 5 through Mon. Oct. 8, which is not only Columbus Day but also, in Canada, Thanksgiving.
Most of the action at the NACC will be centered around the Canton Ice House (two sheets) as well as the Worcester Ice Center (also two sheets). We have a link to the Excel spread sheet schedule below. The first page, i.e. the Canton Ice House tab, doesn't specify the age group, but it's the young ones, i.e., U14s.
Schedule for the North American Challenge Cup
NACC Website
Wed. 10/3/18
NHL Central Scouting Preliminary List
NHL Central Scouting has released its Preliminary List, a link to which may be found below.
A 20-page document, it covers the OHL, QMJHL, WHL, USHL, NTDP, US High School (East and West), Canadian Tier II, NAHL, NCAA, and International Leagues.
Preliminary Rankings are exactly that -- preliminary. An A-B-C ranking system is used, with an explanation on the cover page.
Former prep players -- now with the NTDP -- Spencer Knight (Avon), Matt Boldy (Dexter), and Trevor Zegras (Avon) all were given A's.
NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Rankings
Tues. 10/2/18
Columbus Day Showcase
The Eastern Hockey Federation (EHF) vs. Selects Jamboree is on tap for this weekend, Fri.-Sun. Oct. 5-7, at several area rinks -- primarily in the city -- at Boston College and Warrior Arena. A good number of games will also be played at NorthStar Ice Sports (Marlborough, Mass.), Harvard's Bright Hockey Center (Allston, Mass.) and the Daly Rink (Newton, Mass.).
There are plenty of good teams in this U18/U16 tournament. Check out the schedule through the following link:
Columbus Day Showcase Schedule


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(Rear quarter view; without spoiler) A ZR-350 in GTA San Andreas. It is the only vehicle in the game with hidden headlights, seen here popped-up. | |
Appearance(s) | GTA San Andreas |
Vehicle type | Civilian car |
Body style | 2-door sports car |
Capacity | 2 (driver and passenger) |
The ZR-350 is a two-door sports car featured in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
The ZR-350 is based on the 1992–1995 Mazda RX-7 but it is scaled much longer. It is the only car in GTA San Andreas with hidden headlights, and also one of a handful of cars to prominently feature its model name, sporting a "ZR-350" marque on its rear light cluster. There are two versions of this car; one with a rear-spoiler and one without.
The "ZR-350" name could be a reference to the 1990–1995 Corvette ZR-1 which had a 350 cu in engine (it should also be noted that the elongated front can be mistaken for a C5 Corvette). Also, the ZR-350's name could also be a reference to the 2002-2009 Nissan 350Z, which was in production at the time of GTA San Andreas' release year (2004).
The ZR-350 has a good top speed and acceleration. However, it has poor handling when driving at high speeds. It is also damage-resistant, and slow collisions do not affect the vehicle that much.
The ZR-350 can be modified at a TransFender, featuring a moderate range of modification options.
Italicized pricing denotes prices at the Las Venturas TransFender, which charges 20% more except Colors.
- A model car of the ZR-350 can be found in Zero RC shop in Garcia, San Fierro.
- The default radio station in the ZR-350 is SF-UR.
- It is the only car to feature hidden headlights in GTA San Andreas.
Prominent appearances
- A black ZR-350 is the vehicle that Carl Johnson uses for the mission Farewell, My Love.... This version has off-road tires, fitting to the terrain of the race track. Also, Grand Theft Auto III protagonist Claude owned this ZR-350 prior to losing it to Carl in an earlier race.
- Also, there is a special red ZR-350 that appears in 555 We Tip, accessorized with a unique red interior.
- Spawns often while driving a Washington/Emperor through King's/Financial, San Fierro.
- Spawns while driving a Euros in Easter Bay Airport, San Fierro (Thursday).
- Commonly spawns in Las Venturas and San Fierro.
- Parked in the Las Venturas Airport parking lot.
- Found at the parking lot of The Clown's Pocket along The Strip, Las Venturas (only when wanted for export).
- Available for import at Easter Basin, San Fierro every Friday after completing export lists (Costs $36,000).
- Commonly spawns near commercial districts in all three cities.
- Usually found parked at the LVA Freight Depot next to the entrance facing the airport.


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By Maxine Williams, Global Head of Diversity
Today we're making Facebook's current diversity figures available publicly for the first time.
At Facebook, diversity is essential to achieving our mission. We build products to connect the world, and this means we need a team that understands and reflects many different communities, backgrounds and cultures. Research also shows that diverse teams are better at solving complex problems and enjoy more dynamic workplaces. So at Facebook we're serious about building a workplace that reflects a broad range of experience, thought, geography, age, background, gender, sexual orientation, language, culture and many other characteristics.
Below is the current demographic data for the company:
As these numbers show, we have more work to do – a lot more. But the good news is that we've begun to make progress.
Diversity is something that we're treating as everyone's responsibility at Facebook, and the challenge of finding qualified but underrepresented candidates is one that we're addressing as part of a strategic effort across Facebook. Since our strategic diversity team launched last year, we're already seeing improved new hire figures and lower attrition rates for underrepresented groups.
We're also implementing a variety of programs and strategies to help increase the overall pool of talent from underrepresented communities. This involves partnering with other organizations working to achieve the same goal, and developing new recruiting strategies to drive our search for talent and attract diverse candidates. These are just some of our current efforts:
- Partnering with the Anita Borg Institute and the National Center for Women & Information Technology to support the careers of technical women
- Expanding our "Facebook University" – an internship at Facebook focused on undergraduate college freshmen from underrepresented groups who demonstrate an interest in STEM/Computer Science
- Partnering with "pipeline" programs including Girls Who Code, Code 2040, National Society of Black Engineers; Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and Management Leadership for Tomorrow
- Collaborating with Yes We Code in its mission to connect 100,000 low opportunity youth to programs teaching them to code
- Providing unconscious bias training for employees
- Inclusive approach to programs and services provided through our employee benefits program
- Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) dedicated to supporting employees from diverse backgrounds, including Asian American Pacific Islanders, Black, Differently Abled, FB Women, Interfaith, Latin, Pride and Vets
We have a long way to go, but we're absolutely committed to achieving greater diversity at Facebook and across the industry.
*"Other" Includes "American Indian or Alaska Native" and "Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander"
For more information, here is our EEO-1 Report. The categories listed reflect the US government reporting requirements.


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Bret Michaels Threw 'Good Vibes' to Encourage Motley Crue Reunion
Poison singer Bret Michaels stopped short of confirming that his band is about to announce a tour with Motley Crue and Def Leppard.
However, he did say he had some involvement in persuading Motley Crue to reunite five years after they vowed never to tour again.
An announcement is expected at 4.30PM ET today, but before that, Michaels discussed the rumors about the three-band roadshow that have been circulating for weeks.
"Here's what happened: Everyone who knows this about me, I came in the spirit, right?" Michaels told Bionic Buzz (via AntiMusic). "I always try to throw what I call gratitude and a positive attitude out there. So I kept throwing the good vibes out there. I said, 'It would be insane for the fans if we had Def Leppard and Poison, and then if Motley Crue would pull it back together, that would be incredible.' ... It's only a rumor right now, but I'm thinking this week early, we may be mentioning something. It'll be incredible."
Michaels was also asked about the possibility of all three bands taking part in a finale at the end of each concert.
"Everyone knows when they come out on the road with me, I bring everyone up onstage," he said. "It's like a big jam at the end of the night. We're hoping that that's gonna happen. But no matter what happens, I ask for one thing: that all the bands on this put an amazing, amazing show on for the fans. That's all. Everyone's having fun … we want the fans to have fun, but I wanna have the time of my life too."


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Author's note: This piece is a combination of known facts and conjecture based on the best available public information. Anyone with concrete facts related to these matters is welcome to submit those facts to me, with documentation, so any errors contained herein can be corrected.
One thing about legal maneuvers is that they always leave a paper trail… somewhere. Such was the case when the assets of the original Excapsa, the holding company for online site UltimateBet, were scheduled for liquidation as part of the plan for moving forward after the late 2006 passage of the United States' Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). While the question of whether Internet poker is or is not legal remains legally untested in the US, the people behind Excapsa decided that a restructuring and sale of the firm was in order, to better shield it from the potential threat of US prosecution or seizure. The signing of the UIGEA also meant that Excapsa had to abandon a public stock offering made just months earlier on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market (AIM). Excapsa itself would soon go away, at least in name.
The plan the owners came up with seems to have been two-pronged. Prong one was to sell the various portions of the business – already split into several international firms and holding companies – into a brand new holding company, picking up new investment and a new management structure that would further shield UB from the ominous threat of the US. The second prong involved getting rid of the "Excapsa" name entirely and drawing down some of the excess capital held by the firm, to be returned as a capital gains dividend to shareholders. For this purpose a Canadian legal firm, Mintz and Partners, was subsequently retained.
Moving operational control of UB farther from US reach was, of course, vital to UB's interests moving forward. What was needed was a "white knight" to create plausible distance. This white knight, the new investment group, was named Blast-Off Limited, and was officially owned and operated by Tokwiro Enterprises, the firm created by Joseph Tokwiro Norton. More on Norton and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in a future post, but for this tale Norton's interest in Blast-Off is the topic. Norton has been represented in Blast-Off Ltd. press releases as the sole owner of the firm, though numbers associated with the public sale of Excapsa's "sale" to Blast-Off suggest that the "sole ownership" claim made by Norton is highly debatable. Instead it seems likely that Tokwiro purchased a minority share in the entity responsible for distributing dividends, along with operational control, with the original Excapsa owners set up with some form of irrevocable "consultant" status tied in percentage terms to the previous Excapsa shareholdings. After all, it matters not who owns something on paper; instead, it matters wholly who gets paid what.
The sale, announced on October 14, 2006, stated that the total purchase price was $130 million, with only $10 million of that paid at the time of purchase, and the rest of the purchase price to be made in deferred payment installments. In fact, that press release was partially a lie: court documents later showed that the initial cash payment made by Tokwiro's Blast-Off firm was for only $5 million, not $10 million, with the figure perhaps doubled to at least make it sound a little bit less than the panic move most onlookers thought it was. The real remainder of the purchase, $125 million, was subject to be paid mostly through monthly installments of $1 million, to be accelerated to $2 million monthly one year later, and to be paid off in its entirety by December 31, 2012. The sale itself was decried by British stock market onlookers as being illegal, in part because of the deferred payments.
Illegal or not, the sale went into effect, and as part of the sale itself, Excapsa "went away". Even though the folks behind Excapsa were still in line to be paid, Excapsa's name was changed to the far more anonymous "6356095 Canada, Ltd." Phone number? Canadian government-assigned, sequential incorporation number? Who knows?
As the dust settled following the passage of the UIGEA, operations continued to move forward at UB and sister firm Absolute Poker. The two firms had grown ever closer through the years, and one of three major merger rumors floating when the UIGEA became law was that UB would be purchased by Absolute. This rumor can now be seen as being partly true. According to letters later made public, the management team from Absolute was brought in to oversee operations at UB following the official sale, and two years later the firms were joined together into the CEREUS Network.
Meanwhile, there was the matter of cashing out that $47 million in liquid assets. Mintz and Partners was brought on in early 2007, and one of the liquidator's first moves was to shift $40 million of relatively fluid investments from funds in Canadian and US dollars over to British pounds. As this occurred roughly in the timeframe of the massive US seizure of roughly $150 million from online payment processor NETeller, it seems plausible that these transfers were done to move the assets away from any possible US seizure. $27 million was soon distributed to 6356095 Canada (formerly Excapsa) shareholders in the first part of 2007, but trouble was brewing; there would be no dividends in 2008.
The trouble, of course, was the explosion of the online cheating scandals, first at Absolute Poker and then UltimateBet. Absolute Poker's scandal will be another "future posts" topic, though it's worth noting that the earlier insider cheating occurred at UltimateBet, even though Absolute's scandal broke first.
While allegations of insider cheating had dogged both rooms for some time, it was in September of 2007 that the first insurmountable evidence in the Absolute scandal emerged, that being the notorious "Potripper" tournament spreadsheet, plus statistical analyses of high-end cash-game play that showed impossible profits.
Over at UltimateBet, the accusations began to heat up in November, 2007, but it wasn't until January of 2008 that a similar impossible-results analysis showed that the UB account "NioNio" was almost certainly involved in insider cheating. And after a delay of a couple weeks, UltimateBet finally issued a release in February, 2008, admitting that the site had been affected – perhaps infected – by inside cheaters.
But here's where it gets snaky: Blast-Off Limited suspended its monthly payments to 6356095 Canada, but not in February 2008, when the UB scandal was officially acknowledged. Instead, Blast-Off stopped its payments in September, 2007, when only the AP scandal was officially on the radar.
The AP scandal rocked the poker world, and blame was eventually assigned to a single anonymous "consultant," whose identity has long since been widely distributed and who was likely only a "consultant" for legal and tax purposes, much as the consultant example conjectured above. But if the AP management was also responsible for UB day-to-day control during 2007, then why would Blast-Off have stopped making payments in September of 2007? One would think a firm exposed as having at least one rotten egg would be more than eager to keep its proverbial ducks in a row, but instead the opposite seems to have been true… with the likeliest reason being that the cheating at UB had also been uncovered at the same time, though it wasn't publicly acknowledged until the poker world slapped irrefutable evidence at the company's virtual feet over the next several months.
This is one of the reasons why it remains difficult to have any confidence in things stated by or on behalf of UltimateBet. The poker world has been told "new owners, new management," though this and other obfuscations have been done under the aegis of at least some of that new management.
Meanwhile, negotiations were on. Blast-Off, which officially held Joe Norton's newly acquired interest in UB, was exposed to fraud claims and refunds which might eventually reach tens of millions of dollars, and it had evidence that the fraud was enabled through software code long buried in the software it had purchased. Failing to issue refunds would result in the company going under and leave Blast-Off with nothing to show for its investments. Therefore, along with the original Excapsa ownership bloc, the two sides needed to hammer out a way to keep the company operational and restructure payments due to the "damaged" nature of the company, all while trying to manage the ongoing liquidation of the original Excapsa holding company. Blast-Off filed against Excapsa/6356095 Canada to protect its newly acquired interest, though court documents regarding the later dumping of liquidator Mintz and Partners show that the two sides also tried to work out a loan deal, wherein Excapsa reinvested some of their liquid assets back into Blast-Off to help get the company through the rough patch that 2008 promised to be.
But as far as I can tell from the available documents, while both the Blast-Off and Excapsa sides were fine with the proposed loan deal, it was the liquidation attorneys, Mintz and Partners, who refused to go along with it. Therefore, to reinvest some of the liquid assets back into the firm and prepare for the pending wave of refunds, the UB folks had to dump the liquidator. Mintz and Partners had also been acquired by North American accounting giant Deloitte and Touche by this time, which may have been an additional complication.
Replacing the liquidator required a majority vote of all original Excapsa shareholders, along with Canadian court approval, and it was in the paperwork and appendices for this removal, filed by then-CEO James Ryan (also an inspector in the liquidation process), that the rough details of these other agreements became part of the public record. Ryan himself was soon discharged as an inspector because of his move to PartyGaming, but in July of 2008, a majority bloc of 56.4% of the original Excapsa stock submitted signed forms voting for the removal of Mintz and Partners. That firm was replaced the following month with another, XMT Liquidations, Inc., which oversees the official liquidation of "6356095 Canada" (formerly Excapsa) to this day.
In the process, that 56.4% ownership share in Excapsa became publicly known, even if not all of the people behind the blind trusts and foreign registrations can be confirmed. In addition, other documents from the change in liquidators identified additional shareholders, if not necessarily the amount of shares held by those entities.
Next "Just Conjecturing'": Inside the Excapsa Ownership Bloc


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It's the fourth quarter of the year. That means that salespeople are scrambling to get deals signed, finance people are getting ready to close out the year, and that the dreaded self-appraisal is upon us. The self-appraisal is a common performance management practice. Ostensibly, an employee's self-appraisal and rating should give the manager valuable data on the quality of an individual's performance. It previews what to expect when the two sit down to discuss the employee's performance over the previous year.
The self-review is, at its core, a deceptively attractive technique. It makes both employees and managers feel that the performance appraisal is a sort of negotiation. We all know that nothing is further from the truth. The performance appraisal is a manager's evaluation of the quality of an employee's work. There's no negotiating, and there should be no surprises (more on that later). And, while a few companies are moving away from this outdated method of feedback, most still have a formal performance review and assessment program in place. So, with that in mind, here are some tips for writing your self-review:
Work on it throughout the year. Most people don't do this, and then they sit and stare at the screen at the end of the year and wonder what to write. Your company's performance management software probably has a function that allows you to make updates and track achievements on an ongoing basis. If you do this, 75% of the pain associated with doing the self-evaluation will be eliminated.
Be honest. Have a candid conversation with yourself about not only what you did well during the previous year, but also where you fell short. Ask yourself what you've excelled in, and where you could have done better.
Be mindful of the language you use. I say this all the time, but it bears repeating: Language Matters – a lot. How you frame something can make the difference between your message being warmly received or being rejected outright. You don't want to come off as bloviating or bombastic, but you also don't want to be self-deprecating. Find a medium with which you're comfortable. Also, be sure to quantify any impact that your projects had. For example, if you brought in revenue, reduced costs, or saved time, be sure that you highlight those achievements.
Assume control. Your boss expects that you are going to have questions. Be proactive, and have them prepared. This demonstrates your commitment to your personal and professional commitment. If you bring it to the forefront, you get to drive the direction of the conversation that eventually will occur.
Know your audience. This is the best advice for any communication. But when you're writing your self-assessment, you must understand what your boss prioritizes. What are his or her pet projects, and how have you contributed to those? If you make your self-evaluation align with what your boss values, it will be better received.
The bottom line
The formal performance appraisal is here to stay, at least for the time being. You should be having ongoing, regular conversations with your manager about your performance on various projects. As such, the performance review should never spring any surprises on you. Document your achievements throughout the year to make the exercise less painful for everyone involved.


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This three-day workshop is a tool for your leadership development. It is designed to help you create and accomplish your personal best, and to help you lead others to get extraordinary things done.
At its core, leadership means setting goals, lighting a path, and persuading others to follow. But the responsibility entails much more. Leaders must get their message out in a way that inspires, make the most of their limited time, and build roads to precious resources. They must negotiate alliances, improve their colleagues, and align the ambitions of the many with the needs of the organization.
What makes for a great leader? Is it something to do with inward characteristics, such as confidence and focus? Is it more about outward presence, including charm and compassion? Or is it about the ability to create a vision and get others to commit to it?
The answer is all of the above. By accepting the challenge to lead, you come to realize that the only limits are those you place on yourself.
Introduction and Course Overview
You will spend the first part of the day getting to know participants and discussing what will take place during the workshop. Students will also have an opportunity to identify their personal learning objectives.
About the Learning Organization
In the first session, participants will explore Peter Senge's vision of a learning organization. Is your company one where all employees are committed to lifelong learning? How can it encourage continual growth and development?
Achieving Personal Mastery
Next, participants will identify some strategies for understanding what our own strengths are, as well as where we want to go.
Analyzing Our Mental Models
Often, we create our own realities without even realizing that we do so. This session will give participants some ways to explore and change their own mental models.
Achieving a Shared Vision
This session will give participants some ideas for building commitment within a team using shared vision. Participants will also explore a model that will help them move their team to greater independence.
Team Learning
Next, participants will learn what a leader's role is in a team, and how to lead them through a discussion to reach an agreement point.
Systems Thinking
To wrap up the morning, participants will look at some different cycles and what impact they may play in team efficiency.
Understanding Leadership
In this session, participants will study Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard's Situational Leadership II® model, which outlines four leadership profiles. Participants will also explore their own style; learn about servant leadership; and look at leadership in an organization through practices like onboarding, orientation, and performance management.
Five Practices
Day One will conclude with information on five essential leadership practices that experts James Kouzes and Barry Posner have identified. Participants will explore these practices through two exercises and some group discussion.
Building Trust
Day Two of this workshop will begin by looking at how trust and performance are related, and how a leader can build trust in team members.
Managing Change
Next, participants will learn ways to successfully lead a group through change. Participants will have an opportunity to work through a personal change scenario and to apply learning points to a case study.
The Four Room Apartment
Psychologist Claes Janssen describes the process of change like moving from one room to another in a four-room apartment. This session will look at the key aspects of that theory.
Time Management Tips and Tricks
To wrap up the morning of Day Two, participants will learn some ways to organize their workspace, conquer e-mail, and manage their time more effectively.
Managers vs. Leaders
In this session, participants will explore the differences between management and leadership.
Types of Thinking
Next, participants will learn about directional vs. consequential thinking. A brief discussion on ethics is included.
Influence Strategies
At the very core of leadership is the ability to influence people. This session will give participants some ways to persuade individuals to change. Robert Cialdini's influence strategies will also be covered.
Managing Relationships
Day Two will conclude with a detailed look at different aspects of relationships, including the relationship cycle, leading a team through conflict, and managing stress.
A Simple Problem Solving Process
Day Three will begin with an introduction to a simple, systematic problem solving process that participants can apply in any situation. Participants will also have an opportunity to apply the steps to a personal problem.
Strategic Planning
In this session, participants will learn about the SWOT technique, which helps to identify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of any person, organization, product, service, or process.
Doing Delegation Right
This session will give participants an opportunity to practice delegation through a group exercise and a role play. Participants will also learn about the different degrees of delegation.
Criteria for Useful Feedback
To wrap up the morning, participants will receive some tips for giving good feedback.
Feedback Techniques
Next, participants will delve deeper into the art of feedback and learn some specific techniques. Constructive criticism will also be discussed.
Mastering Your Body Language
We are always sending signals to others, whether we like it or not. Body language combined with vocal tone can override or even cancel the meaning of the words we say! In this session, participants will learn how to master the art of body language and subtle signals.
Meeting Management
Did you know that the average manager wastes seven to ten hours per week in meetings? In this session, participants will learn how to make the most of meetings.
Pumping Up a Presentation
Next, participants will learn seven steps to pump up a presentation.
Personal Development
To wrap up the workshop, participants will review their pre-assignment and identify next steps.
Workshop Wrap-Up
At the end of the workshop, students will have an opportunity to ask questions and fill out an action plan.


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Happy Thanksgiving listeners! We hope you've recovered from your food comas in time to join us for episode 68 of inThirty – Justin jumped the gun and said it was number 69 at the top of the show and his confusion maintains itself throughout. We leave tech on the table and Chaim takes us through something called "football" with the help of regular contributor Drew Pitchford. Harry is absent, but missed, and we bet he's thankful that he decided to take this episode off because passing around the pigskin is not his forte. Chaim and Drew try to explain the college football Bowl Championship System to Justin and all three soon realize that figuring out whether Apple really did infringe on Samsung's wireless patents would be easier. Touchdown.
Episode 68 Hangout: http://youtu.be/zpwttYkQ3OU?t=4m13s
Drew Pitchford, War Eagle
Show Notes
Rutgers headed to Big Ten | ESPN
The road to the BCS has been a long one | ESPN
Obama's BCS Options | The Washington Times


text:
Let's discuss the question: how to put your snapchat in your instagram bio. We summarize all relevant answers in section Q&A of website Countrymusicstop in category: Technology. See more related questions in the comments below.
How story points are calculated in Jira?
Story points enable the team to estimate stories in comparison to other stories, instead of forcing them to determine the time it will take to complete each story. Velocity is then worked out based on how many points the team can complete in each sprint. 23 thg 6, 2020
Why are story points not showing in Jira?
Check your Custom field Configuration context (Jira Settings > Issues > Custom field ) for Story point and ensure that the context and default values allows Story point to be visible in your Project.
How do I add story points to scrum?
To check if it's done are not, follow the step below. Goto Projects (Choose a Project) > Click On '+' Sign (on left side) >Go to Configure Fields >Click on Where is My field > Search Story Points. If story Point is present then Good, if not then follow steps below to fix it. 13 thg 2, 2020
How many hours is 5 story points?
For 2 story points, the number of hours might need 3 to 4 hours. For 3 story points, the number of hours might need 5 to 10 hours. For 5 story points, the number of hours might need 10 to 15 hours. 20 thg 12, 2020
How many hours is 3 story points?
4 to 8 hours Some teams try to map the story points to hours – for example two story points correspond to a task that will take 2-4 hours, and 3 story points can be mapped to tasks from 4 to 8 hours long, and so on. 6 thg 2, 2020
How do I see total story points in Jira backlog?
2) Use the Backlog To Sum Jira Story Points There's also an option to select Epics so you can look at the summed up story points values of individual Epics. You can select individual Epics and see the summed up story points values of each one. 29 thg 3, 2021
What is the difference between story points and story point estimate in Jira?
The main difference between this field and the field "Story points" is that the "Story points" field (a field which belongs to the "classic" projects) allows you to edit its context, while "Story Point Estimate" is locked.
Are story points used in kanban?
Kanban does not require something like story points in estimates. Depending on the maturity of your team, you may need to use estimation until you feel that the stories are written in a consistent manner that the size is usually the same.
Can you convert story points to hours?
Some people even get inventive and translate hours into story points, though self-defined conversion scales say, "1 story point = 6–8 hours." 5 thg 9, 2018
Why story points are better than hours?
Story points give more accurate estimates, they drastically reduce planning time, they more accurately predict release dates, and they help teams improve performance. 16 thg 5, 2013
What is the difference between story points and hours?
hours. Traditional software teams give estimates in a time format: days, weeks, months. Many agile teams, however, have transitioned to story points. Story points are units of measure for expressing an estimate of the overall effort required to fully implement a product backlog item or any other piece of work.
How many days is 2 story points?
Story Points represent the effort required to put a PBI (Product Backlog Item) live. Each Story Point represents a normal distribution of time. For example,1 Story Point could represent a range of 4–12 hours, 2 Story Points 10–20 hours, and so on. This time distribution is unknown during estimation. 2 thg 1, 2017
How many story points is a 2 week sprint?
You should be able to estimate about as many story points your team can manage during a two-week sprint, or whatever timeframe you're working to. For example, if your team can usually get through 3 story points per day, this might add up to 30 story points across a two-week sprint. This is your velocity. 22 thg 9, 2020
Should you extend a sprint or let the story fail?
The Sprint length should remain predictable. In the real world, it's occasionally necessary to make a Sprint shorter, move end-of-Sprint events up, or reduce the volume of work planned for the iteration. However, you should never extend a Sprint in order to accomplish more work. 29 thg 8, 2018
How do I add story points to Kanban Jira?
You need to go into the project settings to FEATURES tab and enable "Estimation". That will expose the Story Point field. 16 thg 4, 2021
How many hours is a story point?
People want an easy answer, such as "one story point = 8.3 hours." The truth is, though, that the relationship, while real, is not quite that easy to quantify and will vary greatly from team to team. … How Many Hours is a Story Point Worth? Login Login Login 1
How many story points is a sprint?
5 to 15 user stories per sprint is about right. Four stories in a sprint may be okay on the low end from time to time.
What are story points in user stories?
What are story points? A story point is a metric used in Agile project management to understand the implementation difficulty of a certain user story. Fundamentally, it is a number that showcases how challenging a story is for the team based on complexity, risks and efforts. 28 thg 1, 2021
Are there iterations in Kanban?
Kanban doesn't have iterations, that's the point of it. It's a board where things arrive, get worked on and move to done. When you're ready to release the stuff that's done, you do so. The closest you'll get to an iteration in Kanban is to use a backlog.
How are Kanban stories calculated?
The kanban lead time calculation is the average amount of time it takes to move a card across the board. This can be calculated by adding up all the "lead times" for each column in your kanban board and dividing that number by the total cards (or tasks) completed on that board's columns. 20 thg 8, 2021
What is the difference between Kanban and Scrum in agile?
Kanban methodologies are continuous and more fluid, whereas scrum is based on short, structured work sprints. Agile is a set of ideals and principles that serve as our north star. DevOps is a way to automate and integrate the processes between software development and operations teams.
Why story points should not be converted to hours?
When story points equated to hours, team members can no longer do this. If someone instructs team members that one point equals eight (or any number of) hours, the benefits of estimating in an abstract but relatively meaningful unit like story points are lost. 16 thg 9, 2014
How many hours is 13 story points?
A 1-story point story (base story) takes, let's say, two hours to complete. A 13-story point story might take 26 hours in the best-case scenario — if nothing goes awry or gets in the way. 8 thg 6, 2021
Are story points immutable?
Story Points are of no value whatever to a business because they can't be used to predict cost or delivery dates. Even the Scrum team cannot make any predictions as to how many Story Points it can complete in a sprint (velocity) until it's got a few sprints under it's belt, some months down the road.
What can I use instead of story points?
Here are three alternatives: No estimates. Seriously, it's a thing. It's easy and it can work. … 1 story = 1 point. Focus on writing good stories and this works as a charm. … The estimate goat. The goat knows and it is as good as putting the team together for 3 hours. 30 thg 8, 2017
How do we estimate in points?
3 steps to Agile story point estimation Use Fibonacci sequence numbers. It's tempting to assign items with a linear scale, but those integers aren't differentiated enough to clearly define an estimate. … Determine a matrix. … Hold a round of planning poker.
Is a story point one day?
That includes the common practice of pegging story points to a certain number of hours or days (e.g., "One story point = one day"). Doing so strips your team of the most powerful reason to use story points—increasing your velocity. 25 thg 1, 2021
How are story points calculated sprint?
The average story points (team velocity) completed during the last 3 sprints will be 18 (15+20+18 divided by 3). Now say, you need a capacity of 198 story points for a release. Based on 18 point velocity, the team may take 11 sprints to complete the release backlog. 8 thg 7, 2020
How do you calculate story points for the first time?
How do we calculate Story Points? Adjust the Definition of Ready. … Use the first story as a benchmark. … Compare stories in the first sprint. … Determining the implementation effort in time. … Starting the sprint. … Repeat the process for a few sprints. … Compare the complexity to the very first story. 8 thg 10, 2019
Can user story span multiple sprints?
A particular Deliverable should be completed in a single Sprint. User Stories often span multiple Sprints, and in some cases, they may never be "completed". 18 thg 11, 2016
How many sprints are required to finish the project?
You need to successfully complete at least 3-5 sprints and check your completed story points in each of the prints, this will give you better visibility and help you in planning future sprints, when planning your sprint, velocity will provide you reference how much user stories can be completed in a sprint, by using … 10 thg 1, 2016
What do you do with incomplete stories on sprint?
4 steps to manage unfinished stories at the end of a Sprint. It is the last day of your Sprint. … Identify the stories you won't be able to finish. … Document and estimate the remaining. … Move the story back to the Product Backlog. … Take the unfinished stories to the Sprint Retrospective. 30 thg 8, 2019
How do I move a story to another sprint in Jira?
To replicate this in Jira, do the following: Navigate to 'Active Sprints' and click 'Complete Sprint'. Select 'Move issues to the backlog'. Drag the issue into the next Sprint. 14 thg 11, 2017
Are story points useful?
Story points help you estimate what your team can get done in a given amount of time. This kind of accuracy means smoother releases that go to plan – and is especially valuable when you have multiple teams with multiple dependencies. 25 thg 9, 2020
What does story points mean in Jira?
Get a Better Insight into What is a Story Point in Jira! Story points are one of the most common ways to beat the issue of underestimation that could help in getting accuracy or project completion. They are the estimation units that are used to estimate the overall effort needed for the task and its completion. 17 thg 11, 2021
Is kanban is better than scrum?
Choose Kanban if you're looking for project flexibility. Choose Scrum if you're up for continuous devotion to projects. Go for Kanban if you prefer visualization of workflow through metrics. Scrum is recommended in case of intense human collaboration and rapid feedback.
Is Kanban Agile or Lean?
Scrum is a specific implementation of Agile. Kanban is a specific implementation of Lean. They are lightweight frameworks in contrast to heavy-weight systems like CMMI and RUP, they only prescribe a handful of practices (in the case of Kanban), or a double-handful (Scrum). 3 thg 10, 2017
Can kanban have sprints?
"Kanban isn't necessarily focused on cross-functional teams, and it doesn't use sprints. 29 thg 10, 2021
Do you estimate in Kanban?
Estimates are by definition not exact and affected by multiple risk factors. The Kanban method suggests data-driven, probability-based future predictions using only historical performance records. Learn how to use these scientifically proven methods to make accurate Kanban estimates.
What is a story in Kanban?
Kanban teams pull user stories into their backlog and run them through their workflow. It's this work on user stories that help scrum teams get better at estimation and sprint planning, leading to more accurate forecasting and greater agility.
What are story points agile?
Story points in Agile are abstract measurements that developers use instead of hours. Points are relative values, so a story with a value of four is twice as hard as a story with a value of two. The actual numbers don't matter — you could assign values between 1,000,000 and 5,000,000 if you want. 5 ngày trước
Is Jira a Scrum or Kanban?
Since Jira version 7. x, Jira Agile has become Jira Software, which is a tool developed by Atlassian and designed to support Agile methodologies – both Scrum and Kanban – within Jira. It enables project teams who are already using Jira to adapt to Agile practices, the easy way. 25 thg 10, 2018
Is Kanban a waterfall?
Waterfall works best for projects completed in a linear fashion and does not allow going back to a prior phase. Agile focuses on adaptive, simultaneous workflows. Agile methods break projects into smaller, iterative periods. Kanban is primarily concerned with process improvements.
Why Kanban is not Agile?
Agile process focuses on constant communication whereas Kanban process have shorter sprint lengths forced to break up items to fit within sprint boundaries. Agile process allows Iterative Development whereas Kanban process does not allow Iterative Development. 18 thg 2, 2022
Why story points are Fibonacci numbers?
Story points are used to represent the size, complexity, and effort needed for completing or implementing a user story. Each story point is assigned a number from the Fibonacci scale. The higher the number, the more complex the story point, and presumably, the amount of effort it will take to complete.
Should subtasks have story points?
Summarizing story points from sub-tasks in parent task. We are currently estimating our work on a sub-task level by using story points. The user story (or other issue type) has no story points if it has sub-tasks. If there are no sub-tasks, then we add the user stories to the story itself.
Does Scrum require story points?
Myth: Story Points are Required in Scrum For those unfamiliar with Story Points; teams that use this technique estimate effort with relative estimates instead of time-based estimates (e.g. hours, days). This is usually done with a simplified version of the Fibonacci sequence (0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 20, etc). 18 thg 12, 2017
How many hours is 5 story points?
For 2 story points, the number of hours might need 3 to 4 hours. For 3 story points, the number of hours might need 5 to 10 hours. For 5 story points, the number of hours might need 10 to 15 hours. 20 thg 12, 2020
How many hours is a story point in Jira?
Note that "1 story point = 4 hours" defeats the purpose of using story points, you might as well just use the time estimates directly. 2 thg 7, 2020
How many hours is 3 story points?
4 to 8 hours Some teams try to map the story points to hours – for example two story points correspond to a task that will take 2-4 hours, and 3 story points can be mapped to tasks from 4 to 8 hours long, and so on. 6 thg 2, 2020
Can Jira story span multiple sprints?
The answer is, again, Jira doesn't enable this. There's no reason that you should not be able to stretch a sub-task across sprints along with its story. This is an attempt for the tool to be prescriptive of the workflow rather than the tool accommodating the workflow.
What are 3 C's in user stories?
Whether you are a newbie or a seasoned veteran, the 3 C's of User Stories help keep the purpose of the user story in perspective. The first C is the user story in its raw form, the Card. … The second C is the Conversation. … The third C is the Confirmation. 11 thg 8, 2017
What is difference between epic and story in agile?
On an agile team, stories are something the team can commit to finish within a one- or two-week sprint. Oftentimes, developers would work on dozens of stories a month. Epics, in contrast, are few in number and take longer to complete. Teams often have two or three epics they work to complete each quarter.
How many times a week should you sprint?
Incorporating sprints into your exercise routine is an efficient and effective way to train your anaerobic system, burn calories, and improve the lean muscle mass in your legs. Since these types of workouts are very demanding, you should only perform sprint intervals two to three days a week. 8 thg 7, 2019
How long should sprints last?
between 1 and 4 weeks Sprints in scrum can be as long as you want; however, it's most common for sprint length to be between 1 and 4 weeks. Teams running Scrum sprints need to decide what makes sense for them. 29 thg 3, 2022
How do I find sprint velocity in Jira?
Calculating velocity Velocity is calculated by taking the average of the total completed estimates over the last several sprints. So in the chart above, the team's velocity is (17.5 + 13.5 + 38.5 + 18 + 33 + 28) / 6 = 24.75 (we've ignored the zero story point sprint).
Can you add stories to a sprint?
Select Team > Iteration Planning (or Sprint Planning) > Iteration Scheduling (or Sprint Scheduling). Select a sprint/iteration on the left. Choose one of the following: Select the Add Story Inline or Add Story, enter the required information, and then click Save. 30 thg 8, 2021
Can you change story points mid sprint?
Many teams adopt a compromise approach whereby tasks are broken out for each user story, and only the estimates (often in hours) are updated. By the end of the Sprint the task estimates will effectively be actuals. However the story points themselves will not be amended. 11 thg 8, 2020
Should a sprint be timeboxed?
As noted in the Scrum Guide, a Sprint planning meeting should be timeboxed at 8 hours or less for a one-month Sprint. The shorter the Sprint, the shorter the timebox should be for Sprint Planning. At Scrum Inc., we recommend one-week Sprints and a two-hour timebox for Sprint Planning. 1 thg 6, 2017
How do you deal with a sprint spillover?
Increase the time spent on sprint planning. Scrum experts suggest a four-hour sprint planning session for a two-week long sprint. Poor planning may (will) result in spillovers. Evaluate the time required based on the complexity or size of what you are trying to achieve.
How do I reopen a sprint in Jira?
Reopening a sprint Choose Projects and select a project, or choose View all projects to visit the projects directory. Select the relevant project. Click Reports, then select: … Select the relevant sprint from the sprint drop-down. Select more ( ) > Reopen sprint. … Click Reopen.
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GVK Biosciences Extends the License of its SAR Databases to Astellas Pharma
October 24, 2011
Hyderabad, India — October 24, 2011 — GVK Biosciences (GVK BIO), Asia's leading drug discovery research & development organization, announced today that Astellas Pharma Inc. (Tokyo:4503, "Astellas") extended and renewed its license to the GVK BIO SAR Databases (GOSTAR).
GOSTAR (GVK BIO Online Structure Activity Relationship (SAR) Database) is an online scientific database product of GVK BIO. It integrates information on compounds from discovery & development stages and marketed drugs. Information provided includes SAR, ADME, toxicity, preclinical, clinical and structural data for over 5.1 million compounds and 16.7 million SAR points.
Sreeni Devidas, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Informatics, at GVK BIO said, "We are excited that Astellas has decided to extend the license to the GOSTAR database. The GOSTAR database is becoming an indispensible tool for scientists in drug discovery. Several publications that have used the GOSTAR data validate the utility of this product."
Informatics at GVK BIO
The Informatics division is responsible for analyzing data to transform chemical / biological patterns into knowledge. Informatics offers Custom Curation, Cheminformatics and Bioinformatics services to global clients. It also licenses and sells databases to Biotech and Pharma companies.
About GVK Biosciences
GVK Biosciences (GVK BIO) is Asia's leading Discovery Research and Development organization. GVK BIO provides a broad spectrum of services, stand-alone and integrated, across the R&D value chain. Our discovery services consist of Chemistry, Biology and Informatics; the development services include Clinical Research, Clinical Pharmacology and Process R&D. GVK BIO's diverse portfolio of more than 150 customers includes some of the world's largest pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agro, life-sciences companies and leading academic institutions.
About Astellas
Astellas Pharma Inc., located in Tokyo, Japan, is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. Astellas has approximately 16,000 employees worldwide. The organization is committed to becoming a global category leader in urology, immunology & infectious diseases, neuroscience, DM complications & metabolic diseases and oncology. For more information on Astellas Pharma Inc., please visit our website at http://www.astellas.com/en.
E: firstname.lastname@example.com


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'Tis the season to support indie authors and show a little #indieluv. For your shopping pleasure, I have compiled a list of minion books. These are hard-working, talented people and if you can't buy their stuff, sharing this post so that other shoppers can find it will be so appreciated.
Books are organized by genre and then author last name (books in a series are listed in order). All prices are current to date of post, 12/16/14 and are not guaranteed past 12/18/14. A lot of them are on sale just for this brief time, so snap them up now!
Special thanks to Joni Lynn and Blue Harvest Creative for designing our awesome #DFQ Literary Gift Guide image!
Click on the book cover or the format links (Kindle/Paperback) to buy.
And without further ado…
Cutthroats and Curses: An Anthology of Pirates edited by Michael Wombat, with stories by Michael Wombat, Lisa Shambrook, Boyd Miles, Marissa Ames, Bryan Taylor, Beth Avery, Eric Martell, Michael A. Walker, Alex Brightsmith, et al.
Genre: Anthology, adventure.
Kindle: $2.99
Flash Dogs: An Anthology by 34 authors, including Eric Martell and Rebekah Postupak
Genre: Anthology, collection of 110 stories, proceeds benefit children's charity.
Kindle: $2.99
In Creeps the Night: An Anthology edited by Laura Jamez and Marissa Ames, with stories by authors including Ailsa Abraham, Beth Avery, Christine Fitzner, Cory John Eadson, Eric Martell, J. Whitworth Hazzard, Joni Lynn, Kevin Hammond, Laura Jamez, Leslie Fulton, Michael A. Walker, Mary MacFarlane, Marissa Ames, Michael Wombat, Nick Johns, Rebecca Fyfe, Ruth Long, Sorcha O'Dowd, Spencer Stoner and Theresa Miller, et al.
A creepy collection of flash fiction for horror lovers.
Genre: Anthology, horror
Kindle: $3.99
Paperback: $13.32
Orange Karen: Tribute to a Warrior by Christina Esdon, Jennifer Gracen, Steven Luna, Mark Ethridge, Anne Baker, Anna Meade, Jeff Tsuruoka, James Hazzard, et al.
Laugh. Cry. Swoon. Gasp. All the feels in one book.
Genre: Anthology, proceeds go to medical bills of Karen Delabar
Kindle: $3.99
Paperback: $13.35
Blood on the Ground and other Short Stories by Michael Wombat
A cornucopia of adventure that absorbs, amuses, thrills and terrifies.
Genre: Anthology, short stories by one author.
Kindle: $2.99
Paperback: $7.33
Minstrel: The First Book of Tir Athair by Marissa Ames
How does playing for the king spark a civil war?
Kindle: $4.99 99 cents (for three days only!)
Paperback: $13.35
Vassal: The Second Book of Tir Athair by Marissa Ames
Peasants tell stories of her sacrifice.
Soldiers tell about him.
Kindle: $4.99 $3.99 (for three days only!)
Orison by Daniel Swensen
The power to change the world is now in the hands of a sneak thief — if it doesn't kill her first.
Kindle: $3.99
HORROR/MYSTERY (includes Dystopian, Suspense/Thriller)
Gasher Creek by J. Birch
Jack Devlin awakes with a shotgun pointed at his face. Sally, a whore, lay dead beside him. Jack remembers nothing; could he really have killed her? And if so, why?
Genre: Mystery, Western.
Kindle: $2.99
Zombie War by Jean Booth
What began as a cure…became a nightmare.
Genre: Zombie Dystopian.
Kindle Presale price: $3.95 (until Feb. 7)
Viennese Waltz by Alex Brightsmith
A calculated dance of duty and deceit.
Genre: Thriller
Kindle: $2.00
Paperback: $11.47
Find the Lady by Alex Brightsmith
Somebody's nightmare, somebody's dream, but who is Kathryn Blake?
Genre: Thriller
Ebook: $2.99 $1.99 (use voucher discount code MD62C)
Countenance by Joy Ross Davis
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Suspense
Haunted B&B with secrets, ghosts, demons, and angels.
Kindle: $6.00 $5.00
Paperback: $14.99
Church of Bacon by Kevin Hammond
A man ends up in prison with a transvestite and a supernatural radio
Genre: Horror
Kindle: 99 cents
Dead Sea Games by J. Whitworth Hazzard
One year after the Emergency, the island of Manhattan is a prison. If Jeremy Walters manages not to get killed, he'll still face every teenager's greatest fear: an angry mother.
Genre: Zombie Dystopian
Kindle: $5.95 ($1 Kindle MatchBook program + Kindle Lending Library for Prime members)
Paperback: $15.95
Dark Holidays by Jeffrey Hollar
The holidays are not always a time of goodness and light. With this collection of tales, you'll realize just how dark the holidays can be.
Genre: Short story collection, horror with holiday focus.
Kindle: $1.99
Paperback: $6.64
Kitchen Antics & Other Tales by LE Jamez
Collection of creepy Flash Fiction.
Genre: Flash fiction collection, horror.
Kindle: 99 cents
Not a Whisper (A Klondike Mystery Book 1) by D.B. McNicol
Cherie finds herself in the middle of a local crime wave where arson, kidnapping, embezzlement and a decades-old murder are just the tip of the iceberg.
Genre: Mystery
Kindle: $4.99 (on sale Dec. 31, 2014 – 7 am PST to Jan. 2, 2015 – 7 am PST for $1.99)
Fog by Michael Wombat
When all you know is to run for your life…
Genre: Supernatural Thriller
Kindle: $2.55
Paperback: $13.72
Beneath the Rainbow by Lisa Shambrook
It's those silly dreams that keep us alive, and Freya won't let death stand in her way…
Genre: Contemporary Drama
Kindle: $3.99 or £2.50
Paperback: $9.99
Beneath the Old Oak by Lisa Shambrook
Meg thinks her mother is broken. Is she broken too?
Genre: Contemporary Drama YA
Kindle: $3.99 or £2.50
Paperback: $9.79
The Complicated Geography of Alice by Jules Vilmur
"I'm always angry because I'm always sad, and I'm always sad because I am a girl." These were the words that changed everything.
Genre: Memoir/Narrative Non-Fiction
Kindle: $9.99
Paperback: $14.77
Becoming: A Game of Heroism & Sacrifice RPG by Brian Engard
Choice (Origins of the Supernaturals Book 1) by Jean Booth
It was chance, guided by the hands of a god that brought them together.
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Kindle: $4.99
Paperback: $9.99
Hunted Heart by Alison DeLuca
When Tali's hired to cut out the heart of Prince Kas, the huntress can't refuse. Tali realizes there's no escape from the dark magic of the queen's mirror, though her own feelings for the prince are too complex to understand.
Genre: Adult Fairytale, Genrebent Snow White (18+ only). Proceeds go to SavetheChildren.
Kindle: 99 cents
Autumn Getaway (Seasons of Love Book 1) by Jennifer Gracen
Genre: Romantic Women's Fiction
Kindle: $3.99
Paperback: $13.79
Winter Hopes (Seasons of Love Book 2) by Jennifer Gracen
Genre: Romantic Women's Fiction
Kindle: $3.99
Paperback: $11.17
Love Before Honor by Nicole Zoltack
A medieval knight. A Regency lady. The magical Christmas that brings them together.
Genre: Time-travel Romance, Christmas
Kindle: $2.99
The Test of Time by Nicole Zoltack
If Katia can't master the test of time, she'll never be reunited with Landon.
Genre: Time-travel Romance
Kindle: $3.99
YOUNG ADULT & CHILDREN'S (Includes YA and MG)
Captured: A White Road Tales Novella by Jackie Castle
He will lose everything if their secret is found out.
Genre: YA Fantasy
Kindle: 99 cents
Illuminated: The White Road Chronicles Book 1 by Jackie Castle
If the Wizard of Oz swept you away and Narnia enchanted you, then follow the White Road Chronicles for a new kind of adventure
Genre: YA Inspirational Fantasy
Kindle: 99 cents
Storyteller, Book 1: The True World by Lisa T. Cresswell
Lily Lightfoot can make weird things happen while storytelling.
Genre: MG Fantasy
Ebook: $2.99
Storyteller, Book 2: The Quest of Galamar by Lisa T. Cresswell
The tale of half-breed fairy Lily continues.
Genre: MG Fantasy
Ebook: $2.99
Swallow Me, Now! by Melissa Gijsbers
Could life at Sam's new school get any worse?
Genre: Middle Grade, Age Level 8-12
Kindle: $4.99
Paperback: $15.28
Flight of Blue: Keeper of the Keys Chronicles by A.E. Howard
One boy stands between the Darkness and everyone he loves.
Genre: MG Fantasy
Kindle: $2.99
Paperback: $11.45
Ghostnapped by Ashley Howland
Genre: MG
With the help of a ghost named Susan and her trusty Labrador Thuds, Alex must solve the mysteries of the present – and the past – to rescue her brother from a monster before it's too late!
Paperback: $8.99
Obi the Super Puppy and the Mystery of the Red Mist by Ashley Howland
Who's behind the evil red mist, which controls animals and toys? Can Obi and his friends save the day before it's too late?
Genre: MG
Paperback: $3.61
Bump in the Night by Michael Johnson
A bedtime story for clever children who do not frighten easily
Genre: YA Horror/Dark Fantasy
Kindle: $5.99
Paperback: $13.35
Edgar Wilde and the Lost Grimoire by Paul Ramey
Everybody needs a hobby. Edgar's is digging up a town's dark, forgotten past.
Genre: YA Mystery
Kindle: $1.99


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The source code for many components of Harmattan release have been released yesterday at gitorious. That is great if one is interested in digging through the code or compiling it. For those who just want a quick test drive there is demo available for N900. It is actually rather simple:
- Click this link.
- Follow the installation steps
- Launch "Widgets Gallery" from launcher
Easy, enjoy, but beware, this is rather heavy, prefer WLAN.