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X-Men Legends was the best selling X-Men title to date. X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse is an all-new title action-RPG from Raven Software that looks to improve on its predecessor with an all-new storyline and a whole host of improvements.
X-Men Legends II kicks off with a fantastic cutscene showing Magneto, Sabertooth, and Mystique infiltrating a military base. Halfway through their assault on the base they meet up with Wolverine, Storm, and Cyclops, but instead of squaring off for battle they team up to free Professor Xavior from capture. As soon as he is freed he reveals that one of the X-Men was captured. It is at this point that The Brotherhood of Mutants and the X-Men team up to face their most powerful adversary – Apocalypse.
Building on the successful formula of X-Men Legends, this title allows you to play as the powerful X-Men, but also as members of The Brotherhood of Mutants. Not just the 3rd string bench-warming mutants either – you'll get to play as Magneto! These well established enemies will have to put their deep-rooted mistrust, as well as any pre-conceived notions about each other aside if they are to have any chance of defeating their ultimate adversary.
X-Men Legends II, similar to its predecessor, is a cel-shaded title. The similarities in the engine are apparent, but it is also obvious that Raven has done some fine-tuning on the engine. The graphics, in general, look more sharp than the previous game with the characters having a more detailed look to them. The lighting system has also returned with improvements, such as more brilliant lighting and better seamless transitions between one effect and another.
The detail level in the character models are much improved. The same black outline present in all cel-shaded titles is present, but it looks like Raven has thinned it a little bit to clean up the character model. They don't look like cut-outs as much anymore and seem to be a better representation of the characters from the comics.
There are three (somewhat expected) issues that really sting the PS2 version of X-Men Legends II. The text in this version is nowhere near as clean as the 720p Xbox version and that makes reading the stat management and power page a bit of a chore. The load times are also a bit longer than all of the other versions. Finally, there are a few framerate issues with the PS2 when you get a great deal of people on the screen at the same time. This is especially true when you are playing online as you have to combine the latency of the connection with the latency of loading information into limited memory.
Associated Production Music and Gregor Narholz composed the original score for this title. Narholz, who scored Return to Neverland, The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, The Rookie, Soul Plane, Star Trek, X-Files, Seinfeld, Friends, and Saturday Night Live, did an amazing job with the score. The music swells and ebbs with the nature of the action and gives this game an epic feel.
I have to tip my hat to Activision for securing Patrick Stewart to reprise his role as Professor X in X-Men Legends II. Stewart turns in his usual exemplary performance and gives this game a great production value. The other voice actors in the game are up to the job as well, each giving life to their selected characters. A good portion of the interaction between the individual characters is done with voice work, and it helps suspend the immersion of the title.
There are a few repetitive voice-overs in the game, but you'll be trading out your characters often enough where it shouldn't become a nuisance. The environmental effects in the game are polished. When you go to the island of Genosha you'll be squaring off against vile insects that make a disgusting crunch and splatter sound when you pummel them. Similarly, robot sentries make a whooshing sound as they fly by. They also make a metallic echo and a satisfying metal scrape as you bash them into scrap. When you combine powers with another member of your team and pull off a combination, you'll get a disembodied voice that booms "Combo!" in an over the top cheesy manner. It's all in good fun.
X-Men Legends II features a combination system that is deceptively deep. For instance, you can pop up an enemy by hitting X X O in succession. You can stun with O X O O. You can even trip your enemies with X O X. Pulling off special moves is about as simple – just pull the R2 trigger and hold it, then press square to boost, press X or O to use a superpower, or press triangle to launch into your Xtreme power. Each character's power is vastly different than the next, so knowing which power to use and when will add a bit of depth and strategy to the title.
The D-Pad allows you to select which character you are going to use. On-screen you'll have your currently selected characters, and hitting the D-pad in the direction of the hero on-screen will immediately switch control to that character. You can play the game with as many characters as you desire from 1 to 4. You can also make this selection for multiplayer. This would, of course, have an effect on your character selection as you'll have less people to choose from.
The controls are well set up for the PS2, and navigation through the menu system is very simple. This is a good thing as the system underneath those menus is very complex. Each character has body, focus, strike, and speed. These affect the character's ability to take damage, dish it out, use their powers, or attack and dodge rapidly. When you level up, you are given a number of points to allocate to your character's abilities. You also get a point to allocate to the powers menu, giving your character new latent or active abilities.
X-Men Legends II features almost double the number of active and latent powers giving you an incredible array of options in which to customize your mutant team. Want to make Wolverine have more advanced claw strikes but no regeneration? Easily done. Want to make Magneto able to fly almost indefinitely? Just allocate the points accordingly. This level of customization and 16 characters to select from, you could have a different team every time you play.
The only issue with the controls is one that rears it's ugly head in almost any 3D title – the camera. While the camera can be controlled with the thumbstick, it never feels quite close enough to the action or quite far away enough. When you are trying to manage four players, it can't be far enough out so you can keep an eye on your team. When you are playing single player, the camera just won't get close enough in an isometric view to really enjoy the details. That said, this camera is far better than many other 3D titles, I just wish I had a little more control over it.
Tinkering with the X-Men license is delicate work. The first title did well but only let you play one side of the story. With X-Men Legends II, you get to play both sides, and it is more fun than you might have imagined to play as the bad guys. As you move through the twisting and turning storyline, you'll encounter more than 100 varieties of enemies. In a Diablo 2-type fashion, enemies can have random mutant powers and are often lead by bosses with unique powers. They may be immune to cold or extra armored or a wide variety of other augmentations. It breaks up the monotony of just smashing the same enemies over and over as some of them are very tough.
As tough as the randomly generated enemies are, they don't hold a candle to The Four Horsemen of Apocalypse. Apocalypse's henchmen are often what I'd call 'puzzle-battles' where you have to use your environment to defeat them. This can mean using an enemy's own explosives against them, breaking a particular shield item in the area or – for the simple ones – just getting into melee range and bashing them into oblivion. You'll face long-standing enemies, friends that have turned to the other side, and some classic enemies from comics long past. Even my favorite enemy, Archangel, makes an appearance.
The game features more interactivity with the levels and more action than the previous game. Once you pass certain points in the game you can select from a wide variety of missions, 70 in all, that allow you to further the story and build up your mutant teams. As you go through missions you can find hidden items such as comic books and CDs for the Danger Room, just as in the previous game. These unlock training missions for your characters, as well as pictures from original comic issues.
In addition to the online 4-player co-op, you can also play 2-players on a single PS2, or 4-players if you have a multitap. You can also play in skirmish or sparring modes to allow you to duel against other players in an online or offline arena.
The heart and soul of X-Men Legends II is the cooperative multiplayer game. The single player game feels like a button-masher as you try to mind the health, power levels, powers, and location of four characters. Put plainly, this is a party game. With the addition of online, it can be a party game for players thousands of miles away.
The downside of the local-only co-op player in the original title was the constant pausing to level up your character. This has been fixed for the sequel as your characters have an AI system to allocate health potions, energy potions, skills and skill points, and equipment. This allows players who like their RPGs lite to set their AI to manage the bulk of the items and stat management without their intervention. If you are a hardcore micromanager you can individually level your characters, set your stats, and load up your equipment as you see fit.
The equipment issue has been fixed on this title as well. In a more Diablo-like fashion, you can get normal equipment, rare gear, and unique gear. The unique gear can grant a specific character incredible power and it adds the 'collectable' element to the game. Given the amount of gear that drops, you won't be fighting over the gear in multiplayer – there is plenty to go around. The non-normal gear that drops is often obviously aimed at a specific character. For instance, Bracers of the Seasons enhances Storm's powers nicely.
Overall, the gameplay of X-Men Legends II: Rise of the Apocalypse is suited to high-speed run and gun action. It is a great deal of fun if you can find a friend to play with. Now that you can find a friend online, getting some multiplayer action is a lot easier. It's time to give in to the forum effect…pick up this title, arrange a game in the forums – I'll see you online.
There is a ton of collectable gear in this game. You can select from 16 players and customize their powers and stats any way you'd like. Don't like Wolverine? Don't use him! This is your game to play any way you'd like. There are four difficulty levels to select in the game, the final one being locked until you finish the game once.
Playing the game single player shaves a bit off the overall fun level. Playing it multiplayer, even with just one more player, makes this game incredibly fun. With the mission system allowing you 70 missions to play this could be your 'weekend game' until the release of the 360!
There is an issue with the replay of the game – the game is very linear once you get into the missions. Sometimes you are simply searching for a part, a player, an enemy, or the next exit, and you won't be able to move on until you find it. This will make the second run through slightly less exciting and somewhat predictable. It's a small thing, but worth mentioning.
The graphics issues mentioned above do impact the replay value of the title. The framerate issues and load times will turn off many players to this version. If you only have a PS2, these issues should not deter you. If you have a second console, run with it.


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Calculating BTUs!
Here's how we calculate BTUs for safes:
- We take the total amount of fireboard insulation installed in the safe (ceiling, walls, doorjambs and door) and calculate the fireboard's total BTU value (how much heat those layers can take).
- We take the thickness of the steel (body and door) and calculate the total steel's BTU value (how much heat the steel can take).
- We then ADD BOTH TOGETHER and get a TOTAL BTU VALUE for the safe.
- The total BTU value tells us how much heat a safe can take before the inside temperature goes above 350 degrees.
The higher the BTU fire rating, the more heat the safe can take and the longer it will last in a fire.

subset: commoncrawl


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Luys body –>
subthalamic nucleus
a circumscript nucleus, shaped like a biconvex lens, located in the ventral part of the subthalamus on the dorsal surface of the peduncular part of the internal capsule immediately rostral to the substantia nigra. The nucleus receives a massive topographic projection from the lateral segment of the globus pallidus, and a somatopically organised projection from the ipsilateral motor cortex; a smaller bundle of afferents from the centromedian nucleus of the thalamus terminate in the rostral part of the nucleus The subthalamic nucleus projects to both pallidal segments, to the pars reticulata of the substantia nigra, and in a small way to the ipsilateral pedunculopontine nucleus.
Synonym: nucleus subthalamicus, corpus luysi, luys body, nucleus of Luys.
Luys body
Luys body –>


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Missing New Hampshire college student believed dead; suspect in custody
DOVER, N.H. -- A 19-year-old University of New Hampshire student who disappeared this week is dead, authorities said Saturday, and a man was charged with second-degree murder in the case.
Elizabeth "Lizzi" Marriott had attended a class Tuesday night and made plans to visit friends in Dover. Her cellphone was last used in Dover that night, according to fliers that family members posted, but authorities said her car was found several miles away in a parking lot on campus in Durham.
Authorities believe she is dead but have not found her body, Assistant Attorney General James Vara said Saturday at a news conference. He did not say how she died.
A 29-year-old man has been arrested and is in custody. Vara didn't say whether the man knew Marriott or what led to his arrest. Vara said the investigation was continuing.
Authorities had been searching Peirce Island in Portsmouth, on the New Hampshire coast about 12 miles southeast of Dover, since Friday night.
Lizzi Marriott's grandmother, Susan Marriott, was tending the phone at the Chester home where her granddaughter lives on Friday while other family members were out handing out fliers and searching for her.
She said the FBI and other investigators were at the house for much of the day interviewing family members.
"She is a good student and she's hard-working," her grandmother said. "She is a person that doesn't have a multitude of friends but she has good friends, a small group of good friends."
Lizzi Marriott was a 2011 graduate of Westborough High School in Massachusetts. She lived with an aunt in Chester and commuted to the Durham campus.


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tide, alternate and regular rise and fall of sea level in oceans and other large bodies of water. These changes are caused by the gravitational attraction of the moon and, to a lesser extent, of the sun on the earth. More generally, tides are the deformations of celestial bodies from a perfectly spherical shape that result from stresses created by their mutual gravitational attraction (see gravitation). Another way of viewing the tide is as the longest possible ocean wave, one which stretches all the way around the earth. The tide regarded as a wave is sometimes referred to as a tidal wave, although this term has been commonly applied to the shock wave propagated by an underwater earthquake. (To avoid confusion, such shock waves are now called tsunamis, their Japanese name, or seismic sea waves.) Numerous schemes have been proposed to harness the earth's tides, especially in various estuaries, as a practical source of power, but none as yet have proved economically or technologically feasible.
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- Direct and Indirect Tides
- The Prediction of Tides
- The Magnitude and Effects of Tidal Ranges
- Tidal Effect on the Earth
- Bibliography
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Geology and Oceanography


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April 08, 2014
Hudson and Spring Hill, FL – In commemoration of Earth Day, Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point and Oak Hill Hospital, in collaboration with Stericycle, Inc. and Cintas Corporation will provide a recycling opportunity for employees and the general public on Tuesday, April 22. Stericycle, Inc. will provide huge bins for staff and the public to donate small electronics that they have lying at home and are no longer using. Employees and the general public are encouraged to bring ink and toner cartridges, cell phones, digital cameras, MP3 players, laptops and any small electronics to have them recycled. These can be broken, old, used, or new but be sure to remove SIM card from the cell phone.
In addition, there will be shredding by Cintas Corporation. The public and the employees are invited to bring documents that they wish shredded. Documents will be placed in secured containers for shredding.
The Earth Day event will take place on Tuesday, April 22:
- From 9 am to noon at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, 14000 Fivay Road, Hudson, Florida. Bring all materials to the loading dock area.
- Then from 12:30 to 3 pm at Oak Hill Hospital, 11375 Cortez Boulevard, Spring Hill, Florida, also at the loading dock area.
For more information contact the Director of Environmental Services: 703-297-7467 at Oak Hill Hospital and 727-869-5413 at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point.


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Remember that scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade when, to get the Holy Grail, Indy has to step into a chasm as a leap of faith? Multiple scientists have done similar things to babies.
Why would you do such a thing to a helpless baby? And does the baby get a magical cup of immortality as a reward? Find out all about the weird saga of the Visual Cliff experiments.
Ever have any qualms about your job? Well, at least it didn't involve trying to tempt a baby to step off a cliff. That's no joke. There seems to be an ongoing branch of science that involves trying to get a baby to crawl over a sheer cliff to certain doom — at least, from the baby's point of view.
From the scientist's point of view it's perfectly safe. Remember that great scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, when Indy has to take a "leap of faith" and jump into a shadowy chasm, and when he takes a step he finds that there's a bridge cleverly painted (or something) to blend in with the opposite wall? It seems that science likes to test babies, the exact same way God tested Indiana Jones.
In the Visual Cliff Experiment, a baby pen is set up that has a high shelf on one side and a drop-off on the other. Both have a pattern so that the drop-off can be clearly seen. Plexiglass is placed over the side with the drop-off, so if an infant crawls onto it, the baby will be just fine. Still, the drop is unnerving.
The first experiment was set up in 1960, when E.J. Gibson and R.D. Walk wanted to find out if infants had any practical conception of physical reality. They placed the infants on the shelf, and had their mothers show a toy to them. The babies eagerly crawled toward the toy. They then had their mothers put them back on the shelf, and move around to the far side of the visual drop-off. Again, the mothers showed the babies the toy and encouraged them to come and get it.
The researchers found that, starting at around eight months, the babies were reluctant, or even refused, to crawl over what they saw as a cliff. The babies avoided the cliff even when they put their hand on the glass and felt its solidity. Most of the thirty-six babies tested just wouldn't go over. Younger babies could be tempted to try to wriggle themselves over the cliff, making researchers believe that they hadn't gotten the visual or spatial maturity to understand that anything was amiss yet.
(Incidentally, the researchers tried the same thing with baby goats, who avoided the cliff one hundred percent of the time even when the goats were only a few hours old. This sample may be biased, though, since it's unlikely that the researchers got the goat's mother's cooperation in the experiment.)
About a decade later, scientists had decided that they hadn't yet gotten tired of freaking out infants. Where they'd gone wrong before was giving the infant a behavioral say in whether it wanted to be on the ground or plunked down in mid-air, apparently about to fall to its death. They attached cardiac monitors to babies too young to get themselves around and placed them on either side of the cliff. Weirdly, they seemed less distressed over the drop than they did when they were over the shelf. Their hearts decelerated on the drop-off side, and they exhibited more distress when placed, apparently, on solid ground. So clearly the babies could understand that there was a difference, but weren't concerned by the visual doom the way older kids were.
In fact, the older kids got, the more they seemed reluctant to step out over a cliff. A later study showed that just-walking babies were even less likely to walk out over the plexiglass than crawling babies.
In the last few years there has been a shift in interest, from what babies perceive to how they make decisions. The latest version of the visual cliff involves more input from the baby's primary caregiver than before. Again very young children were placed on a visual cliff presented with their caregiver — generally their mother — and a toy, on the far side of the drop. The children touched the glass and looked up at their mom. Their mothers were asked either to give them a look of fear, or to reassure the babies and beckon them over. To no one's surprise, the babies whose mothers showed fear stayed away, while the babies whose mothers encouraged them to walk over the plexiglass came over. It's not just physics, but outside guidance that will help a child decide what to do.
Perhaps the next experiment will involve a baby, a puppy, and a kitten in a race to get ice cream on the far side of the cliff. Or two babies. Let's see if competition will get kids to take risks that physics and maternal guidance can't. And for the sake of cinematic tradition — let's put the ice cream in a grail.


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When protestors gathered in public squares in Cairo, Sanaa, Tunis, London, New York (and the list goes on) over the course of the last couple of years, there was a celebration of people power, of citizen activism on the fringes, outside the conventional channels of participation (political parties, civil society etc). Unruly politics was about the emergence of collectivities from the cracks, and their power to rupture status quos. Whether unruly politics has the power to change things for the better was always beside the point, because the focus was not on the outcome but on the acts that rupture. After the Egyptian revolution was hijacked by the military and the Muslim Brotherhood, and we began to witness a gradual encroachment on rights and freedoms, we would converse with citizens about what was happening. People would shake their heads and say "There is a limit. Never again. People now know the way to Tahrir Square and they will not bow down low again".
But so far, the assumption is that people will rise to oppose violation of rights or demand more rights. But what about when people rise to demand the deepening of authoritarianism? What if they take to the streets to express their support for fewer rights for the citizenry?
When there was a close call between the presidential elections Ahmed Shafik and Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood mobilized thousands to take to Tahrir Square to express their support for Morsi. Rumours circulated in Egypt that if Morsi did not become President, the Muslim Brothers would turn the country into a bloodbath in revenge. It worked. People were terrified of the consequences of Morsi not winning the elections, even if they did not want him in power.
On August 11th, 2012, President Morsi issued a "constitutional declaration" giving himself the right to issue laws and decrees, assemble and adjourn parliament, appoint all members of the government and most importantly select the Constituent Assembly members responsible for drawing Egypt's new constitution. In essence it meant a centralization of legislative, judicial and executive powers in the person of the President. If this is not a move towards authoritarianism, then what is? Yet again, upon his announcement of the seizure of powers, the Muslim Brotherhood immediately took to the streets to defend Morsi's moves. But defend his moves against what and against whom? Against citizens who are concerned with the policies of a leader who is usurping the rights of institutions that enjoy a high degree of legitimacy, such as the Supreme Constitutional Court? In view of the fact that Morsi already had assumed full power over the military and the Ministry of Interior, what was the point behind mobilizing his people – the Muslim Brotherhood – to rise to his defense?
Just yesterday, President Morsi announced that he is going to "cleanse" the judiciary and will grant the Constituent Assembly legitimacy even if the Supreme Constitutional Court declares its membership unconstitutional. The judiciary has been the greatest thorn in the side of the Muslim Brotherhood since their political ascendency to power. They have resisted and rebelled against the executive's infringement on the autonomy of the judiciary and have objected to articles compromising its independence in the draft constitution. As for the Constituent Assembly membership, it is currently dominated by the Islamists (in all their streaks: the Muslim Brotherhood in power, the ultra-radical Salafis and the so-called moderates such as el Wasat comprising 67% of membership), its legitimacy has been questioned in light of its insistence on drawing the constitution through majoritarian politics rather than through reaching consensus.
Once again, a few minutes after Morsi's announcement of another "constitutional declaration" with the above policies only serving to deepen authoritarian rules, the Muslim Brotherhood supporters took to the street to express their endorsement of the President. Again, the mobilization of the masses of Brothers (no women on the scene) is expressed in terms of positive citizen agency: "the People want to cleanse the judiciary".
The face of these protest suggests the use of unruly politics (at least as far as people acting collectively using the language of citizen demands is concerned) in a positive way. I beg to differ. When unruly politics is instrumentalized to promote the monopolization of power in the hands of a ruler, this can only mean inversely, a contraction of the prospects of building a democratic state. When the masses are mobilized to go to the street to express their love for a dictatorship that has only one name: fascism. Even Mubarak at the epitome of his power could not rely on the mobilization of such masses to endorse his dictatorship. The outcome of fascistic unruly politics, in the Egyptian context can only be one of two things: bringing the country onto the brinks of a civil war (if the opposition also goes to the streets to express their demands for freedom, justice and dignity once more, as at the time of the Egyptian revolution) or alternatively, the intimidation of the majority of citizens not to dare to protest or resist, because the pro-president masses are on the street.
Read other recent blogs by Mariz Tadros:


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Patients occasionally enter the office with a torn meniscus of the knee. In these cases, it is important to determine if they could respond to conservative care. Meniscal tears may be either traumatic or degenerative, and degenerative tears are closely associated with osteoarthritis.Based on symptomatology, examination and age, one might consider a degenerative meniscal tear from a plain X-ray, but acute tears do not have any specific radiographic findings.1
While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered the best method for visualizing the knee meniscus, the tear appearing on MRI has no significant basis unless it is based first on the history and physical examination. Between 36-76 percent of asymptomatic patients show tears on MRI and the percentage greatly increases with age. Asymptomatic patients older than age 65 show meniscal tears at a 67 percent rate, and tears are prevalent in 86 percent of patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis.2 Since asymptomatic meniscal tears are common, it is essential that a practitioner be certain that the meniscal tear is the source of the patient's pain.
One of the most important factors with conservative vs. surgical care is the location of the tear with regard to meniscal vascularity, since the areas of the meniscus with the most vascularity have the greatest ability to heal. The periphery of the menisci is where the blood supply originates (perimeniscal capillary plexus), which derives its supply from the outer medial and lateral geniculate arteries.
Only the peripheral 25-30 percent of the meniscus is vascularized,1 leading to a division of the meniscus with regard to its circulation. The outer third is called the red-red zone, the middle third is called the red-white zone and the remainder of the internal zone (adults) is called the white-white zone. In the red-red zone, bleeding can result in the formation of fibrovascular scar tissue and attract anabolic cells due to cytokines released during the inflammatory phase. The red-white zone has less vascularity and healing potential is therefore less. The white-white zone receives nutrition from synovial fluid by passive diffusion, which can be stimulated by knee joint motion, but since a healing response is not created, the prognosis is poor regarding surgical repair in this zone.
Healing is influenced by the pattern of the tear and the type of vascularity. Longitudinal tears heal better than radial tears. Simple tears heal better than complex tears. Traumatic tears have higher healing rates than degenerative tears, and acute tears heal better than chronic tears.3
Of the many tests used to diagnose a meniscal tear, tenderness at the medial joint line scores highest in terms of accuracy (76-86 percent), the Apley grinding test 46 percent, painful hyperextension 43 percent, Steinmann I sign 42 percent, and McMurray test 35 percent. Most meniscus tests attempt to trap abnormally mobile fragments of the menisci between the femur and the tibia, causing either pain or clicking; but the use of joint-line tenderness in patients with both a meniscus tear and an acute anterior cruciate ligament tear has been shown to be completely unreliable. Joint-line tenderness is most reliable when the tenderness is localized to the posteromedial or posterolateral corner of the knee, since anterior joint-line tenderness is usually present with patellofemoral disease.4
A simple "squat test," whereby the patient raises and lowers themselves from a crouched position, is more indicative of a patellofemoral problem as long as the squat is less than 90 degrees flexion. In 90 degrees knee flexion, 85 percent of the joint load is transmitted through the menisci.4
A particular soft-tissue method I have found beneficial over the years for meniscal tears relates to the treatment of peripheral tears. Free nerve endings of the meniscus are only found on the peripheral one-third, and since palpation of the meniscus at the joint line seems to be the most acceptable test for determining a meniscal lesion, you might assume that the lesion may be more peripheral where the circulation is most prominent.
For the medial joint-line tender area, if it is the right knee, flex the patient's knee 90 degrees and externally rotate the foot and tibia to open up the medial space. Externally rotating the foot also puts pressure on the medial meniscus tear from the medial femoral condyle. Internally rotate the foot and tibia for a lateral tear. Use friction massage with your finger or Graston Technique over the area until you feel a marked decrease in tissue density. (This might take up to 5 minutes.) Do not repeat this treatment for at least five days.
Pain during knee flexion implicates the posterior horns. Pain with extension implicates the anterior horns. Internal rotation tests the lateral meniscus while external rotation tests the medial meniscus.
Manipulation may be performed within the first 24 hours of acute locking (swelling may prevent manipulation) or in chronic locking. Mennell describes a manipulation for a medial-locked torn meniscus as follows.4 He states that in all his years of treating meniscal locking by manipulation, he has never had to treat a lateral lock.
- Standing on the supine patient's left side, flex the patient's left knee approximately 110 degrees.
- Put your left forearm over the patient's lower tibia and medial malleolus, grasp the calcaneus with the hand and then externally rotate the foot (the entire procedure may also be attempted with the foot internally rotated).
- With the right hand, steady the knee with a minor valgus stress. It is important that the tibia remain in a sagittal neutral position (no varus or valgus) during the entire manipulation.
- Fully flex the knee, literally kicking the knee into the buttock.
- If locking is not immediately reduced, the patient should be referred to an orthopedist.
Estimation of the severity of the lesion, the age of the patient, the degree of knee instability, and the patient's occupation all have significance in determining whether conservative treatment may be attempted. Prolonged loss of knee extension, chronic severe pain, locking, and swelling are definite indicators for possible surgery. An acute injury in young patients (usually in their 20s) should always make one suspect more than just the isolated meniscus lesion. Usually there is pain, swelling, giving way and locking. Often the meniscus tear is associated with an MCL or ACL lesion.
In an athlete, an acute meniscus lesion usually prevents the individual from walking off the field unaided. (This is not the case with an isolated ligamentous injury.) The patient usually complains of a giving way at the time of injury. The meniscus may displace, causing an immediate loss of extension. Patients with medial meniscal tears create a knee locking at 10-30 degrees of flexion, while laterally displaced meniscal tears lock in greater degrees of flexion, especially posterior tears at more than 70 degrees.
Pain at extreme knee extension is affecting the anterior horn, while pain at extreme knee flexion is affecting the posterior horn. The pain in a medial meniscus injury is more often in the posterior medial or medial joint line and is rarely localized anteromedially. Lateral meniscus joint line pain is more often midlateral than posterolateral.4
A degenerative tear of the meniscus in an older patient (40 years or older) is more likely to be an isolated lesion. Older individuals may develop a tear for no apparent reason or feel it as they arise from a chair. If they develop chronic symptoms, they may present with thigh atrophy and weakness associated with pain, effusion, and giving way.
An isolated meniscus lesion will develop mild effusion gradually over a few days, compared with the almost immediate swelling of an anterior cruciate lesion, although swelling can be rapid in a meniscus tear if it occurs in the peripheral vascular zone. If the swelling occurs a day or so later, the tear is probably in the nonvascular central meniscal area. Immediate locking (loss of knee extension) may occur, especially if a bucket-handle tear (longitudinal type) occurs.
Failure to extend the knee may be due to eventual effusion (hamstring spasm and pseudo-locking), so it is important to question the patient to find out whether it was possible to extend the knee fully immediately after the injury. Rarely, a posterior vertical tear of the lateral meniscus will cause a locking in full flexion.4 The majority of the time, knee locking occurs in extension. Of course, rehabilitation, stretching and strengthening should be included with a conservative approach.
- Mazak TG, Fabricant PD, Wickiewicz TL. Indications for meniscus repair. Clinics in Sports Med, 2012;31(1):1-14.
- Greis PE, Bardana DD, Holmstrom MC, et al. Meniscal injury: basic science and evaluation. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2002;10(3):168-76.
- McCarty E, Marx RG. Meniscal tears in the athlete. Operative and nonoperative management. Phys Med and Rehab Clin North Amer, 2000;11(4):867-878.
- Hammer W. Functional Soft Tissue Examination and Treatment by Manual Methods, 3rd Edition. Jones & Bartlett: Sudbury, MA, 2007.
Click here for more information about Warren Hammer, MS, DC, DABCO.


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Land for sale in Settiscarth, Orkney Islands, Scotland (Other Settlement)
Under Offer, Land for sale in Stenness
Search for Plot with PP in Stenness
Under Offer, Planning consent (OIC ref 19/091/PIP) to replace ruin with new dwellinghouse.
Redevelopment for sale in Sandwick
Search for Redevelopment in Wasbister
Offers subject to the purchaser receiving planning consent to replace the existing dwelling
Land for sale in Orkney. 2 acre plot with outline planning permisson for 5
Search for Plot with PP or Water Views or Private Sale in Brinian
Land for sale in Orkney. 2 acre plot on Rousay, Orkney. Southfacing, stunning sea views. OPP for fiv...
Plot for Sale in Rousay
Search for Plot with PP in Brinian
Planning to erect a 1-2 bedroom dwelling house with open plan living room / dining room/ kitchen.
Plot for Sale in Stronsay
Search for Plot with PP in Whitehall Village
Planning permission to erect a 2 bedroom dwelling house with detached garage.


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Marimekko presents its spring/summer 2017 ready-to-wear collection at Paris Fashion Week in a Marimekko home
September 2016
Marimekko will present its spring/summer 2017 ready-to-wear collection at Paris Fashion Week on Sunday 2 October 2016. The collection will be shown to media and industry professionals in a Marimekko home, set up in the Finnish Embassy in Paris. By bringing the Marimekko home to Paris Fashion Week, the brand challenges traditional boundaries between fashion and design.
Celebrating timelessness of Marimekko design
In 2017, Marimekko will focus on the theme of courage and being true to who we are.
"The spring/summer 2017 ready-to-wear collection celebrates the timelessness of Marimekko design. The concept of luxury is changing, and people are more and more interested in investing in a sustainable lifestyle and wardrobe, enjoying life as it is and following their own path. By presenting the collection in a Marimekko home, we want to showcase our point of view on what good design is," says Creative Director Anna Teurnell.
The collection presented in Paris will be available in stores in spring 2017.
"Finland celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2017. Being a very iconic Finnish design house based on Finnish values, I think it is wonderful that we will have the possibility to present our unique point of view on design to fashion and design professionals during Paris Fashion Week in a Marimekko home set up in the Finnish Embassy," adds Alahuhta-Kasko.


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HOPE, Ark. (AP) — A dedication ceremony is planned in south Arkansas for Southwestern Electric Power Co.'s new coal-fired power plant.
The ceremony is planned for 11 a.m. Wednesday in Hope. SWEPCO initially planned to have the event at the John W. Turk Jr. Power Plant, but moved the ceremony to Hope because of the threat of severe weather.
The 600-megawatt coal-fired plant began commercial operations in December 2012. Construction began in 2008, though SWEPCO encountered several legal obstacles after environmental groups sued to stop the project.
The Turk Plant serves customers in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas but it does not include retail customers in Arkansas.
The Arkansas Supreme Court overturned the air permit SWEPCO received from the state public service commission. SWEPCO chose not to seek a new air permit.


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Listings in Accounting & Bookkeeping, Spa, Bodycare, Health & Wellness and Mortgages
BDO Canada LLP - Accounting, Tax Advisory - Paul Coltura (Langley, BC)
in Professional Services, Accounting & Bookkeeping, Tax Planning, Langley Central Rotary Club
BDO is one of the leading accounting and advisory firms in Canada. Paul Coltura is a Partner in Audit and Assurance at BDO, in the Langley, BC office. With over 20 years experience as a CA, Paul deals primarily with owner-managed businesses.
220 - 19916 64 Avenue
Langley, British Columbia V2Y 1A2
Peoples Bank (Burlington) - Holly Peterson
in Mortgages, Financial Services, Burlington Midday Rotary Club
Holly Peterson, with the Burlington branch of Peoples Bank, will help you through the loan process by keeping open lines of communication and providing you with ample time to answer any questions - from origination to closing.
822 South Burlington Blvd.
Burlington, Washington 98233
United States
Fax: 360-404-2208
Soul2sole Esthetics and Body Care - Marissa Wood
in Health and Medicine, Beauty Products and Services, Spa, Bodycare, Health & Wellness, Chilliwack Fraser Rotary Club
Soul2sole Esthetics and Bodycare invites you to come enjoy peace, tranquility and relaxation. Our goal is to provide you with the finest treatments available in a soothing environment and to help you develop a healthy lifestyle and well-being.
#10 - 45966 Yale Road
Chilliwack, British Columbia
Numbers Unlimited - Doris Woodman-McMillan
in Accounting & Bookkeeping, Abbotsford Rotary Club, Tax Services
When it comes to choosing a team of accountants - for your bookkeeping, payroll or taxes - you want to make sure they've stood the test of time. We've been in service since 1999.
2306 McCallum Rd #102
Abbotsford, British Columbia V2S 3P4
Toyer, Dietrich & Associates - Bruce N. Dietrich
in Accounting & Bookkeeping, Everett Port Gardner Rotary Club
Whether doing your income taxes, providing Quickbooks training and consulting, or providing expeft business financial advice, you will find our staff is committed to providing the best service in Everett, Marysville and all of Snohomish and beyond.
3801 Colby Avenue,
Everett, Washington 98201
United States
Fax: (425)259-7048
Archer Halliday, PS (Public Accounting & Business Consulting) - Bernadette Halliday
in Accounting & Bookkeeping, Burlington Rotary Club
Archer Halliday, PS, is a Certified Public Accounting and Business Consulting Firm whose mission to each client is, "Providing solutions to your success".
1621 Cornwall Avenue
Bellingham, Washington 98225
United States
Flexure Accounting, LLC - Travis Huisman
in Accounting & Bookkeeping, Sedro-Woolley Rotary Club
Flexure Accounting is an accounting and advisory business serving clients on the West Coast from California to Alaska.
PO Box 898
Sedro Woolley, Washington 98284
United States
Fax: 360.406.5224
Terry Greer, C.P.A.
in Accounting & Bookkeeping, Passport Rotary club
Terry W. Greer, Inc., P.S. is a comprehensive accounting firm located in Stanwood WA, who are committed to helping our clients improve their long-term financial success. Your financial security is our business.
9332 271st Street NW
Stanwood, Washington 98292
United States
Fax: 360-629-9365
KPMG - Sean Reid, CPA, CA
in Accounting & Bookkeeping, Chilliwack Rotary Club
Sean Reid is a partner with KPMG, working in the Chilliwack, BC office. KPMG is a Canadian leader in delivering Audit, Tax, and Advisory services.
200-9123 Mary Street
Chilliwack, British Columbia V2P 4H7
Dominion Lending Centre Mortgage Broker - Robin Klassen
in Mortgages, Chilliwack Rotary Club
I help people find the right mortgage for their purchases, refinances and mortgage renewals. I work for you – not the lenders – to ensure you receive the best rates and products available in today's marketplace.
15-45966 Yale Road
Chilliwack, British Columbia V2P 2M3


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Something's fishy here, the timing and everything. And I mean oily-fishy, if you get my meaning. They all do these things. What about all those Repugs who "disgraced Congress" for a dozen years in charge, and took corruption to whole new levels, and had no "trials" or "hearings," basically got away with it? They made what Rangel's accused of look like child's play! And what ever happened to going after all the Bush White House lawbreakers, even W. himself, Cheney, Gonzales, Ashcroft, Powell, etc etc etc?! (So much for their "Christian nation"!) Some of us only voted for Obama/Biden because of that promise — not revenge, merely justice, The Rule of Law. Rangel's charges are little worse than Lewinskygate. But the MSM will hype this to the hilt, 24/7, we'll have a special prosecutor who'll find some link to Obama-Girl, and "What will we tell the children!"
What we'll tell them is that there really are Two Americas, like de jure 47th Vice-President of the USA* John Edwards said. But I'd describe them this way: One America of Law, "for the little people," and Another America Free of Law, for BP and Verizon and Comcast and Corporate lobbyists and Republicans and Teabaggers and militiamen.
But a progressive senior Black Democrat in the leadership, selling out to Big Business? As Andy Samberg's Rahm Emmanuel would say, "You f*ing turncoat!"
(*–Lieberman was 46th, not Cheney.)


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The Boost.org Steering Committee has made public news of its Boost Library Incubator website this month. Boost provides free peer-reviewed portable C++ source libraries.
As Dr. Dobb's readers will know, Boost libraries are intended to be widely useful, and usable across a broad spectrum of applications and the Boost license encourages both commercial and non-commercial use.
The resource was conceived, designed, and implemented to try to alleviate the "log-jam" of libraries waiting to be reviewed by Boost.
The goal of this website is to help C++ programmers produce C++ code libraries as good as those libraries accepted into Boost.
It helps new library submitters through the process, encourages development of an initial user base, and accumulates feedback in the form of comments, test results, and Boost style reviews.
The Boost Steering Committee has voted to recommend using the Boost Library Incubator as a prelude to getting a library reviewed by Boost. The Steering Committee recommends libraries currently in the Boost review queue be added to the Incubator by their developers.
According to a steering committee statement, "The relationship between Boost and the Incubator is purely informal, but there as several things Boosters can do to help make the Incubator a success. Authors can submit their libraries and respond to feedback. Users can experiment with submitted libraries and provide feedback on their experience. WordPress/PHP developers can contribute enhancements to the Boost Library Incubator implementation."
The steering committee has extended its thanks to Robert Ramey for launching the Boost Library Incubator.


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With recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and shift in mobile usage, banks need to shift their communication and start having conversations with their digital customers.
Conversational User Interfaces (CUI), based on messaging platforms and voice- or text-based interfaces, are becoming an increasingly popular customer interaction paradigm for digital natives and digital skeptics alike.
According to several indicators and analysts, Conversational User Interfaces open up new and unexplored challenges to traditional Banks organizations. With Conversational, banks have access to a new channel where all their automated interactions are reshaped in a unified, customer-centric interface that must reflect both the bank's brand identity and customer's individual profile. Long-term, banks will have to understand how to differentiate their conversational channels, reconciling their brand identity attributes with bots' personalities.
Commerce is embracing conversation; we're surrounded by devices that listen, learn and respond to our thoughts and questions, as we share information about ourselves we once kept private. This has created streams of data and insights into how we live, how healthy we are and what we buy.
Our mobile apps have also reached a tipping point, transitioning from transactional use to interactional, as apps develop the ability to talk to speak to other service providers.
Internet and mobile banking growth is showing signs of saturation in more advanced countries. In addition, digitized customers say they miss the personal interactions once provided by tellers, although the cost of maintaining traditional branch networks is increasingly unsustainable.
Conversational channels have the potential to help banks solving this customer interaction conundrum, capitalizing on three major consumer and technological trends:
#1 Messaging is now the preferred customer touchpoint
Messaging apps are now the dominant form of mobile interaction, enabling easy, fun interactions on the move. Their simple, intuitive text or voice-based interfaces are loved by Millennials, as well as by consumers typically more reluctant to embrace digital channels too. They're also AI-ready, offering easy integration with chatbots and cognitive agents.
#2 AI is becoming ready for B2C
As AI continues to develop, bots are becoming more human-like in their interactions, and can now be built with self-learning capabilities. That enables not only the automation of repetitive customer care tasks, but also low-value advisory services.
#3 Mass personalization and liquid expectations
By leveraging new data-driven insights, companies are able to offer unmatchable customer experience and personalized digital services at a mass level. This creates competition across, as well as within industries, as customers' "liquid expectations" means each digital interaction is expected to be as good as the best last experience, regardless of brand or industry.
The obvious first step in a conversational banking strategy is a chatbot or virtual assistant. These cognitive agents are booming, thanks to advances in natural language processing, speech capabilities and object recognition, together with the increasing availability of low-cost cloud computation and real-time access to almost limitless volumes of data.
Established messaging apps have embraced chatbots. And as the bots proliferate, they're becoming a part of consumers' everyday lives. There are already more than 33,000 bots on Facebook Messenger, offering automated customer support, e-commerce guidance and other interactive experiences.
A chatbot might be a sensible starting point in a journey to setup a conversational channel, but it shouldn't be confused with the final destination. Most bots today have limited capabilities: some are merely interactive replacements of static FAQs, or low-cost / limited service alternatives to human-based customer services.
As AI and Digital Assistant tools evolve rapidly, banks will need to recruit in new skills and talent including neuro-linguists, voice recognition experts, AI experts, and CUI designers.
Appropriate technology is needed to support Conversational Banking; platforms must be up-to-date and enabled to facilitate real-time actions.
Banks must establish trust with customers and ensure they implement robust privacy protection policies, as AI has access to highly personal information.
Successful face-to-face conversations rest on a sense of trust and openness; banks must be honest about when they're using AI.
When launching a CUI, banks need to carefully select the channels to prioritize, depending on geographic factors, target audience, and on privacy protection offered by each platform.
Developing engines where AI and humans work in tandem, mitigates the risk of chatbots operating independently, and enables humans to step in based on the nuance of customers queries.
Conversational banking is still at an early stage. But it's a new digital channel that will surely become mainstream and a key element of an omnichannel distribution network for banks. In order to successfully exploit it to best fulfil customer needs, it will require banks to recruit and nurture new skills, integrate new technologies and focus on a strong marketing strategy to differentiate their services.


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December 31, 2013
Book Review - The Dunbar Case by Peter Corris
Another Cliff Hardy installment. This is a classic of the hard bitten private detective genre. Cliff is on the hunt for some historic information from a convicted criminal. He gets involved in current murder and mayhem, reconnects with an old flame and annoys local gangsters. Taut writing and believable plotting, Cliff has still got it. Wendy
December 29, 2013
Book Review - Return to Priorsford by Evelyn Hood
This is a gentle village drama with a varied cast of characters. I am new to this series but you can catch up fairly quickly. We follow two pairs of lovers and some assorted other families through some twists and turns in a quintessential English village. There are the impoverished gentry, the struggling famer, the local store keepers and publicans in the mix. It's undemanding yet quietly satisfying. Wendy
December 28, 2013
Book Review - The Caspian Gates by Harry Sidebottom
The next installment of The Warrior of Rome story is packed full of battles, adventure and travel as Ballista and his familia experience an earthquake in Ephesus and then head for the Caucausus Mountains to rebuild the Caspian Gates, a barrier to hold the mountain passes against the marauding Alani barbarians. The author teaches classical history at Oxford University and is well versed in the period detail. More importantly, he tells a rollicking good yarn. His warriors are men who fight and kill and face death. They live with honour according to their various gods and customs. Ballista is a northerner of Germanic origin, taken as a hostage as a boy and now a veteran soldier of Rome, whose fate is unfortunately as often decided by the labyrinthine politics of the region as by his skill in fighting battles. The complicated Roman social and political structure is explained enough to let you concentrate on the fighting, the drinking and the sex, with the odd bit of philosophy thrown in. The meditations on being exiled are pertinent and thought provoking. A complete escape from the modern world and well worth a visit. Wendy
Labels: Action Adventure, Ancient history, Fiction, Historical
December 27, 2013
Book Review - Beseiged: siege Warfare in the Ancient world by Duncan B. Campbell
This informative volume charts the development of strategies and equipment used in besieging towns and cities in the classical worlds of Greece and Rome. Ancient texts, archaeological finds and modern re-constructions of war engines are used to explain when and how they were used. Famous generals such as Hannibal, Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great feature, with descriptions of their successful and unsuccessful attempts to subdue fortified towns. It was quite important for towns to defend themselves, because if they fell, the men were generally killed and the women and children enslaved by the victors. Filled with illustrations and extensively annotated. Wendy
Labels: Ancient history, History, Military, Non-Fiction
December 25, 2013
Book Review - The Teleportation Accident.
This book starts out in 1930s Berlin in the louche world of theatre and art. The protagonist, Egon Loeser, is desperately in love with a girl, Adele, who seems to love every body but him. His story takes many twists and turns in this dark, funny, quirky novel. There are many characters in his book, all practicing deceptions, seeking love, studying physics, avoiding blackmail, seeking advancement, getting married and working for governments of all persuasions. Read it – you'll either love it like I did, or you'll give up very quickly. If you stay, you will be rewarded. Wendy
December 23, 2013
Book Review - The Scriverner's Tale by Fiona McIntosh
I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Fiona McIntosh's series and this one picks up the story of one of them, several generations later in time, but adding a travel to different worlds segment incorporating modern day Paris. I don't really think this one works for me. I found the exposition rather long and as it was some time ago that I read the previous series, it took a while to work out where some of the characters had their genesis. That said, the explanations to explain the back story did seem to obtrude once I found my bearings. Eventually, you do get to where the current characters'stories take off and that is quite satisfying. However, I would recommend this for interest's sake to the fans and recommend new readers to start with 'Myrren's Gift', volume 1 of 'The Quickening' series or her other series which are excellent. Wendy
December 22, 2013
Book Review - The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood
Love and loss changes a person and the way your life unfolds cannot always be predicted. Mary Baxter is dealing with a great grief. Though reluctant, she joins a knitting circle and finds that this helps her move on through the stages of her healing journey. The book has a simple premise, that people dealing with grief and loss can find a way forward through starting a simple physical process of learning to knit. The process engages the hands and distracts the brain so they can do it at a level they can manage. The more complicated stitches and patterns can be introduced gradually to match their developing functional capability. The act of creating even a simple scarf, out of a repetitive and almost meditative process is quite therapeutic. It also connects them with other people on a very unthreatening level and helps to break down the isolation of their grieving. Even getting help to unravel a tangle or rescue a dropped stitch is practice interacting with and receiving help from other people. As they start to develop knitting skills, they, in turn can 'pay it forward' and help start others on their journey. As Mary gets to know each of the other knitters, and their stories, she finds how to love and live again. This is a quiet novel of loss and grief and it made me cry. It's also a novel of healing, sharing, friendship and love. I'm glad I read it and I'm glad I have found friends who taught me how to knit. Wendy
December 21, 2013
Book Review - Keep Your Mouth Shut and Wear Beige by Kathleen Gilles Seidel
Don't you just love it because of the title? It doesn't disappoint. This is a dissection of a modern family by a penetrating but compassionate hand. The advice in the title is for a mother-in-law to be. The heroine finds that her main rival is not her future in-laws but her ex-husband's new wife. By turns funny, touching and dramatic, this is a lovely read. You may then wish to read her earlier novel 'Summer's End', another heartfelt story about blended families and what is really important about family traditions. Wendy
December 20, 2013
Book Review - Deity by Steven Dunne
This one sat at the bottom of my reading pile for a while, but what a treat when I finally got to it. Another debut novel. It is an intricately plotted combination of two investigations; one into an unidentified corpse in the river who unaccountably is missing some internal organs; and another into several missing students. The usual suspects are included, the young intelligent female, the maverick brilliant loner with poor interpersonal skills, the supervisor with an eye on the budget and the political realities. The writing is fresh however, and this is another new author to add to my list of ones to look out for. Recommended. Wendy
December 18, 2013
Book Review - Not in the Flesh by Ruth Rendell
Inspector Wexford is getting on and feels the creaks and strains of advancing age which suits me just fine as I do too!. I hope this doesn't put off younger and more active readers because Ruth Rendell is still on top of her game as the unidentified body count rises. Strong police procedural although she does rather telegraph some of the answers. Wendy
Book Review - The Cleaner of Chartres by Sally Vickers
The cleaner has a troubled background but has the capacity to see what is real and hold up a mirror to others allegedly more fortunate. A moving and lovely portrait on the lives she touches. Wendy
December 17, 2013
Book Review - Standing in Another Man's Grave by Ian Rankin
It's Rankin and it's Rebus and he is right back into solving crime whilst upsetting as many of the rule followers as possible. What more do you need? He may have been retired to cold cases but that doesn't stop Rebus from taking over a current investigation, running too close to his informers for Complaints section's liking and further complicating Siobhan Clarke's life. Why do strawberry-coloured trousers have a fascination for the Edinburgh man? (cf Alexander McCall Smith) Wendy
December 16, 2013
Book Review - Eye Contact by Fergus McNeill
This is the first novel from an experienced computer game developer and it is therefore no coincidence that his protagonist has set up a complicated game of murder with its own internal rules, rewards and penalties. A series of seemingly random deaths are connected across police districts as painstakingly detailed work by dedicated investigators does eventually bring rewards. It took me a little while to warm to this one but it was worth it. Another new author to look out for! Wendy
December 15, 2013
Book Review - Gallows View by Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson is one of my favourite British mystery writers with his excellent Inspector Banks series. This story takes us back to when Banks first comes to Eastvale and he has a job to solve crimes and win over the locals. A non-London based police procedural at its British best. I also like Banks' taste in music. Wendy
December 13, 2013
Book Review - Sleep No More by Iris Johansen
Another Eve Duncan story. The author spins a good tale if you can suspend disbelief as to the latest freakishly talented person who helps their investigation and the rather implausible previously unknown sibling. I think that the Bonnie stories stretched on for too long and am rather glad that Bonnie's role in this story is much reduced. You can read this as a stand-alone or you can check back through the earlier stories which are held by the library. Wendy
December 12, 2013
Book Review - A Week in Winter by Meave Binchy
Maeve Binchy liked people and loved to tell stories that show everday happenings, doubts, decisions and love stories. Attachments to places and people are complex and here, she uses the device of a Bed and Breakfast being brought back to life to entwine several stories about people at crossroads in their lives. A charming and gentle read masterfully created to flow effortlessly and reveal truths about very human people. Vale Maeve Binchy. Wendy
December 10, 2013
Book Review - A Killing in the Hills by Julia Keller
Another atmospheric mystery set in the back blocks of the USA. This time it's the Appalachian Mountains. A beautiful but deadly setting. A scattered small town society where the mines have closed down, there are few jobs and the quickest way to easy money is to feed the habits of intergenerational drug users. The county's Prosecuting Attorney grew up here and has come back to make a difference but questions her decision as a murder investigation involves her family. The author does such a good job of depicting the unrelenting misery of most of the town's inhabitants, that this obscures a fine development of cause and effect. Wendy
December 08, 2013
Book Review - 1356 by Bernard Cornwell
The English and the French are engaged in the Hundred Years War and the English are using their deadly weapon – the long bow- to good advantage. Cornwell hits the mark with another of his muscular historical novels. Mixing in a little religious mystique with full blown battles where you can almost smell the sweat and the blood, this one has an intriguing story amongst the grunt. You can feel the years of training and the strength it takes to wield the long bow. Training that must begin in youth and continue as adult stature is reached. Looking after your bow was one thing but a successful army also needs strategy, as well as supplies of arrows and food and all the logistical supports. The story races along, buoyed by meticulous attention to detail and crafted by a master storyteller. Wendy
Labels: Action Adventure, Bernard Cornwell, Fiction, History, U.K.
December 07, 2013
Book Review - The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
Another thought provoking, layered mystery featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. His life experience has led him to develop a great understanding of and compassion for human frailty. This time, he and his offsider, Inspector Beauvoir, are still recovering from a difficult police operation where fellow officers were killed, when they are unexpectedly placed into an isolated monastery to investigate the murder of one of the monks. The monastery is famous for Gregorian chants and although a small house of 24 monks, they have been a destination of choice for monks with a passion for divine music and an ability to harmonise. Someone has broken this harmony and murdered the choir director. Gamache is used to reading people and is disconcerted by the ease with which the monks read him. Living as they do under the rule of silence, they have become expert at shielding and reading unspoken emotion. The investigation proceeds slowly but is accelerated by the arrival of a Dominican monk from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith at Vatican (otherwise and previously known as the Inquisition); and Gamache's superior officer, a man he neither likes or trusts. Unless they can uncover the divisions that culminated in this brutal death, they will not solve the mystery. Beauvoir struggles with the isolation, finding it hard to empathise with the monks' vocation and choices. Gamache finds solace in the divine music but he will need all his formidable skill to solve this one. Classic murder mysteries provide a closed community and a reason for the outside world to be at a distance until the murder is solved; this setting in a remote Canadian wilderness provides all the classic elements in a modern and thoroughly entrancing read. Highly recommended. Wendy
December 05, 2013
Book Review - Inside by Alix Owen
Three stories are intertwined in this novel by a Canadian author. Grace, a psychiatrist, who has a suicidal boyfriend and a particularly troubled teen patient. Mitch who tries to help a desperate Inuit boy, and Anne, an actress trying to make it in New York. Eventually events unfold so we know how these three connect . This sounds depressing and it is not a depressing novel but it also doesn't have a particularly happy ending. The characters do arrive at a greater understanding of themselves in the world, however, and it was a strangely satisfying read. It was also interesting to discover snippets of how daily life is affected by snow which is not something I have ever lived with. Wendy
Book Review - Mrs Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn
This is a first fiction book by an historian who clearly feels very familiar with the British Royals. An imagined and unexpected journey by the Queen who is aided by a disparate company of household staff and hangers on, takes her to Edinburgh to see the decommissioned yacht 'Britannia'. Initially rather mired in its own capacity to explain why so many of the Royal staff are homosexual, it develops into a pleasant story where several of the characters come to a better understanding of themselves and each other. Not for everyone, it would help to be a monarchist and an Anglophile, I found it gently drawing me in to the rather predictable conclusion. It's a diversion, not a main meal Wendy
December 04, 2013
Book Review - There and Back Again: J.R.R. Tolkien and the Origins of The Hobbit by Mark Atherton
One for the Tolkien enthusiasts. The influences that formed the Hobbit came from many areas of Tolkien's life and interests. History, language, literary sources and geography are discussed in this readable exploration of the many facets of The Hobbit. What, for example, were the previous iterations of dragons and their attachment to hoards of gold? Where did the riddle games that Gollum and Bilbo play originate? A treasure trove to dip in and out of. But the best advice is probably to go back and read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings one more time! Wendy
Labels: Non-Fiction, Tolkien
The "Who, What, When and How" of Australian Reading
An interesting new survey on Australian reading habits has been published recently. A Changing Story: Trends in Reading Amongst Australians found that the most well-known Australian authors were: - Bryce Courtney - Tim Winton - Matthew Reilly - Colleen McCullogh - John Marsden - Di Morrissey The most identified international authors were: - J.K. Rowling - Stephen King - James Patterson - Jodi Picoult - Dan Brown For the full report, click here.
December 03, 2013
Book Review - The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling
You have probably heard about this one by now. I enjoyed it thoroughly. It deals with the effect on a town, of the death of a small town's councilor thus creating a casual vacancy on the council. His death affects many in the town. From those who are jockeying for his council position to others who only now realize that their relationship was in some way buffered by his presence. I heard a review which said that the dead man was the only nice man in the town and I can see why that is the impression but the writing is more nuanced than that. It doesn't shy away from problems of the disconnected and the poor, viz drugs, abuse, bullying and teenage sex but I found the characterizations compelling and the situations realistic. Wendy
December 02, 2013
Book Review - The Vanishing Point by Val McDermid
An assured and intriguingly different novel from the queen of mysteries, this is a standalone, not part of her successful mystery series. A child is abducted at an American airport while his guardian, Stephanie Harker, is going through security procedures. Who knew they would be where they were and who had a motive? Stephanie tells her story to the FBI and investigations begin on both sides of the Atlantic. Just when you think there is an answer, there's another twist in the tale and the story goes on. A truly surprising ending and a page-turning read. Wendy
December 01, 2013
Book Review - The Trouble with Keeping Mum by Rosie Wallace
A light hearted entertaining novel which yet touches on serious subjects. Annie Cochrane is a Member of the Scottish Parliament, a government minister and the divorced mother of a teenager. Through the course of several months, she delivers on a major new government initiative, manages to have her first affair of the heart for many years, deals with her mother's failing health and tries to stay connected meaningfully with her son. The machinations of some of her colleagues and some personal dramas mean some major re-arrangements in her life. A humorous take on a working mother trying to hold it all together. Wendy
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text: Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums :: View topic - A penpal or msn friend Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in A penpal or msn friend Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> English Schools View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message Alp121Joined: 06 Feb 2005Posts: 6Location: Istanbul Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 1:17 am Post subject: A penpal or msn friend I wanna correspond with a penpal or msn friend to improve my english anybody who is interested in can give his/her msn or mail adress_________________ThEbLaCkEaGlE Back to top sunshine_101Joined: 05 Feb 2005Posts: 39Location: somewhere in China Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 11:44 am Post subject: hey welcome .U can talk to me,i will try to help you. _________________Sunshine loves Beauty of nature Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> English Schools All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Student Forums----------------ComputersCurrent NewsCultureEnglish SchoolsFamilyFilm and CinemaFoodHealth and FitnessHelp CenterHobbiesHolidaysLearning EnglishLiteratureMaking FriendsMusicOpinionsPetsScienceSportsThe Strange and MysteriousTOEFL and Other English ExamsTravel You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Dave's ESL Cafe is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Banner Advertising | Bookstore / Alta Books | FAQs | Articles | Interview with Dave Copyright © 2018 Dave's ESL Cafe | All Rights Reserved | Contact Dave's ESL Cafe | Site Map Teachers College, Columbia University: Train to Teach English Here or Abroad Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group


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OMG! Gossip Girl is ending! That's right, the CW's Upper East Side drama will soon leave the air for good. But before Gossip Girl signs her last "XOXO," there are plenty of loose ends to tie up. Will Chuck and Blair finally get their act together? Will Lonely Boy really take down all of his friends? Will Nate finally become interesting? And most importantly, who is Gossip Girl?! Catch up with where we left our favorite Upper East Siders and see what's coming up this season.
Blair (Leighton Meester)
Where We Left Off: After B's life history was splashed across the pages of Gossip Girl (thanks partly to Serena) Blair had to do major damage control. She told Serena she never wanted to see her again and then admitted she loved Chuck and not Dan. (Duh!) Although Chuck rebuffed her advances, she followed him to Monte Carlo and went all in on his future.
What's Next: Don't expect a lengthy "Chair" reunion, as Blair will put her focus squarely on running Waldorf Designs. The job will prove harder than it seems thanks to a ghost from Blair's past, but Blair's still's got a few surprises up her sleeve — or should we say, around her neck.
Will Gossip Girl's identity be revealed in the final season?
Serena (Blake Lively)
Where We Left Off: After losing her job as heir to the Gossip Girl throne, Serena pushed away the people that mattered to her, both accidentally (the real Gossip Girl published Blair's diary) and purposefully (she manipulated Dan into cheating on Blair with her). When last we saw S, she was on a train headed for a return to her drug-using ways.
What's Next: After hitting rock bottom,
Serena Sabrina will try to start fresh with an older man (7th Heaven's Barry Watson), who has a big secret of his own. When Serena's time off the grid begins to alarm her family, an apologetic Blair blows her cover, forcing her to return to NYC — where a new enemy is waiting to take Serena down.
Dan (Penn Badgley)
Where We Left Off: Lonely Boy was just that: Blair chose Chuck over him and he rebuffed Serena's manipulations to get him back. The silver lining? Dan found new determination to write a juicy and revealing sequel to Infamous. Only this time he's using real names — and working with new writing partner Georgina (Michelle Trachtenberg).
What's Next: Dan will have trouble finding a publisher for his delicious novel, but he will find a helping hand from an old friend from the Upper East Side who also stands to benefit from the book's publication.
Gossip Girl Promo: Who's getting exposed? Who's getting slapped? And who's getting hitched?!
Chuck (Ed Westwick)
Where We Left Off: Bart's resurrection from the dead was bad news for Chuck, who was ousted from Bass Industries. Chuck turned his energies to taking his father down and taking back the company with the help of his uncle, who also helped Chuck reunite with Blair.
What's Next: In order to take back Bass Industries, Chuck must first figure out why his dad played dead all these years. The task will prove difficult considering his father's deep secrets — and even deeper pockets.
Nate (Chace Crawford)
Where We Left Off: Nate was left high and dry after Serena's cousin/half-sister Lola ditched him to tour with Wicked. However, Nate's old fling Diana gave him a juicy video showing a hooded individual stealing Serena's Gossip Girl laptop.
What's Next: While Nate hopes to expose Gossip Girl once and for all and put The Spectator on the map, but he may not be able to hold on to the damning footage. Also look for Nate's love life to heat up with a new flame who has surprising connection to Serena.
Check out photos from Gossip Girl
Lily (Kelly Rutherford)
Where We Left Off: Lily annulled her marriage to Rufus in favor of rekindling her relationship with her believed-to-be-deceased husband Bart Bass (Robert John Burke).
What's Next: When Lily returns from a romantic summer getaway with Bart, her main concern will be finding Serena. However, she should really be concerned about Ivy (Kaylee Defer), who took Lola's portion of CeCe's estate and promised to ruin the woman that put Lola's mom in jail for fraud.
Rufus (Matthew Settle)
Where We Left Off: Rufus tried to save his marriage to Lily and trick Bart into signing annulment papers.
What's Next: Dan, and the world, will be completely freaked out to see just who Rufus is shacking up with — both literally and figuratively.
Gossip Girl's final season starts Monday at 9/8c on The CW.


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Ranger Boots
1 Item(s)
Ranger Boots: Men's A380 Yellow Rubber Buckle Concrete Overboots
$62.00 3 Reviews
The number of Rewards Points earned by Rewards Program members when purchasing this product.
Rewards Points can be used to redeem gift codes that are used as currency on a future order.
1 Item(s)
I would like to thank you for an absolutely fantastic online shopping experience. I am extremely happy with every aspect of our transaction, including the high quality product, the quick shipping, as well as the prompt and updated communication. I received e-mailed updates at every point during the transaction, leaving no room for guesswork when it came to my order. I am completely happy with my Bates 2184 Side Zip Enforcer Series Paratrooper Boots. The quality is second to none. The only unfortunate part about the whole thing is that I will probably wear these boots for years, and have to wait until I wear them out to buy another pair, which I will certainly do, once again from you. I look forward to using your store for the other fine products that you carry, and I will surely pass on the word that your store is the place to go."
J. Russell from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


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Press Releases
Citrix and NetApp Collaborate on Secure File Sharing and On-Premise Storage Solution for Enterprises
Joint Solution Simplifies Data Sharing and Storage for On-Premise, Virtual and Cloud Environments
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – November 7, 2012 – Citrix today announced that it is partnering with NetApp to help enterprises simplify and accelerate on-premise, large-scale data sharing and storage deployments. In response to strong market demand, the companies intend to deliver a solution optimized for Citrix ShareFile™ with StorageZones and leverage their joint partner communities to bring it to market.
Organizations are seeking a secure alternative to consumer file sharing services that will give them full control over enterprise data. Many also face data sovereignty and compliance requirements that vary by country. At the same time, mobile workers need access to their data from any device, anywhere and at any time to maximize productivity.
Introducing NetApp Storage for Citrix ShareFile with StorageZones
Citrix ShareFile is an enterprise follow-me data solution that allows users to sync and share data from any device. ShareFile with StorageZones allows IT to manage corporate data on-premise, or in Citrix-managed secure cloud storage options or a mix of both. Citrix ShareFile customers now have access to FAS and V-Series storage systems running clustered Data ONTAP®. This allows customers who are storing their data on-premise to tap NetApp® Data ONTAP software to access data, scale performance and capacity, reduce datacenter footprint and manage costs tightly.
A Secure, Efficient and Scalable Data Sharing Solution for Enterprises
Optimized to work together, StorageZones with Data ONTAP offers a secure, efficient and scalable solution for anytime access to data. The technologies provide a powerful platform that provides easy file access and synchronization while meeting security requirements. StorageZones and Data ONTAP together offer the following benefits and features:
Control and protect enterprise data
- Keep data on-premise to help meet compliance and data sovereignty requirements
- Employ robust device security policies, including remote wipe and poison pill
- Generate custom audit logs by tracking and logging user activity
- Backup/recovery based on Snapshot™ technology
Optimize performance and availability
- Speed data access by keeping data close to users with customer-managed StorageZones
- Maintain accessibility to data
Achieve efficiency and scale
- Start small and grow storage performance or capacity
- Use fewer disk drives, less power and less datacenter space with NetApp storage efficiency
- Store all of your data for Citrix ShareFile, XenDesktop® and XenApp® on a unified architecture
For more information on today's announcement, visit: www.citrix.com/featured-partners/netapp/sharefile-enterprise.html
- Tim Haynes, Director of Information Technology, Best Best & Krieger, LLP
"Data is our business because we use information to provide effective, timely and service-oriented solutions to complex legal issues facing public agencies, businesses, and individuals. Our firm focuses on virtually all areas of law in nine offices across California and Washington D.C., and we continue to grow in key practices and geographies. To address these growth and client business needs, we needed a 'one-box' IT solution to lower overall system costs, streamline system management and reduce the overall complexity of our environment. To put it simply, we need to focus on law and our clients, not IT management or how to access our data."
- Matt General, CTO, Entisys Solutions
"Together with NetApp and Citrix, we share a vision for storing and delivering secure data for the mobile enterprise today. We are working together to provide our customers enterprise-ready, validated solutions to help them simplify and accelerate large-scale data sharing to remain productive anywhere at anytime."
- Jesse Lipson, VP and GM, Data Sharing, Citrix
"Citrix believes that enterprises should be able to store their data wherever it best meets their requirements for security, compliance, performance and cost. Our recent release of StorageZones empowers them to choose where their ShareFile data is stored – on-premise, or in the cloud or a mix of both. StorageZone Connectors allow enterprises to leverage data in existing network shares and make it accessible for secure mobile access by employees. Partnering with NetApp accelerates this strategy and makes it even easier for enterprises to deploy ShareFile with StorageZones."
- Patrick Rogers, VP, Solutions and Integrations, NetApp
"Our mutual enterprise customers want to confidently access and share data regardless of location. With today's announcement, organizations can reap the benefit of mobility and collaboration while also having enterprise security and control over their data. NetApp looks forward to working with Citrix on technologies that accelerate the transition to a mobile and secure enterprise."
Related Links
- Video: Introduction to ShareFile Enterprise
- Expert blog: Simplify Data Sharing and Storage with Citrix ShareFile and NetApp
- Expert blog: Citrix and NetApp helping customer success with BYOD
- Solution brief: NetApp Storage Solution for Citrix ShareFile Enterprise
- Announcement: Citrix Amplifies Enterprise "Follow-me Data" Strategy with New ShareFile Innovations
Follow Us Online
- www.citrix.com/sharefile, www.citrix.com
- Twitter: @ShareFile, @Citrix
- Blog: blogs.citrix.com
About Citrix
Citrix (NASDAQ:CTXS) transforms how businesses and IT work and people collaborate in the cloud era. With market-leading cloud, collaboration, networking and virtualization technologies, Citrix powers mobile workstyles and cloud services, making complex enterprise IT simpler and more accessible for 260,000 organizations. Citrix products touch 75 percent of Internet users each day and it partners with more than 10,000 companies in 100 countries. Annual revenue in 2011 was $2.21 billion. Learn more at www.citrix.com.
For Citrix Investors
This release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance. Those statements involve a number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including risks associated with the impact of the global economy and uncertainty in the IT spending environment, revenue growth and recognition of revenue, products and services, their development and distribution, product demand and pipeline, economic and competitive factors, the Company's key strategic relationships, acquisition and related integration risks as well as other risks detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Citrix assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the announcements described herein.
The development, release, timing and combination of any features or functionality described for our products remains at our sole discretion and are subject to change without notice or consultation. The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not a commitment, promise or legal obligation to deliver any material, code or functionality and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions or incorporated into any contract.
For media inquiries, contact:
Lori Shen, Citrix
408-807-4860 or email@example.com
Citrix®, Citrix ShareFile™, XenDesktop® and XenApp® are trademarks or registered trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. and/or one or more of its subsidiaries, and may be registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries.
NetApp, the NetApp logo, Go further, faster, and Data ONTAP are trademarks or registered trademarks of NetApp, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.


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Reviewed By Angela K (Decatur, AL) Reviewed for a 2008 Audi TT —1/15/2015 8:39 PM
These mats far exceed the OE mats. The are far more plush and very attractive. They, put the other interior carpet to shame. Makes me want to recarpet all of the interior carpet. They are a wonderful gift from my wife.


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Best of Breed Christmas Gift For Your Dog
Whether a German Shepherd Dog or a Rottweiller or a powerful Mastiff, this indestructible dog ball can be the best gift ever!
Indestructible; hence he cannot destroy this toy
Playing with this dog ball your dog is going to get a full-body workout
Best gift for overly energetic dog
It is 100% safe and you do not need to supervise
Buy Christmas Dog Toy - The Indestructible Dog Ball here at low cost. Read more...


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PORTSMOUTH — On Wednesday, April 24 at 7:30 at The Players' Ring, Generic Theater will present "Other Desert Cities" by Jon Robin Baitz as part of their free monthly play reading series.
Ben Brantley of The New York Times calls the play "The most richly enjoyable new play for grown-ups that New York has known in many seasons — leaves you feeling both moved and gratifyingly sated."
In "Other Desert Cities," Brooke Wyeth returns home to Palm Springs to visit her parents after a six-year absence. A once promising novelist, she announces to her prominent republican family the imminent publication of a memoir dredging up a pivotal and tragic event in the family's history.
Baitz is also the author of "The Film Society" and "The Substance of Fire," which Generic Theater produced in 1997. This month's reading, directed by Richard DiMario, will feature: Susan Turner, Helen Brock, Alan Huisman, Peter Michaud, Kate Quisumbing and Betsy Kimball.
The Players' Ring is at 105 Marcy St. For information, call 603-436-8123 or visit www.playersring.org.


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Brandi McIntosh describes herself as a giver.
"I'm a giver, not a receiver," she said. "I give and I give and I give."
That's why she had a tough time at first saying "yes" to an offer of help from an area church group.
"It was very hard, but I had to realize that I can receive," she said.
And once she agreed, her Fayette residence became the target of "Extreme Home Makeover, Our Lady of Mercy Style."
More than 50 volunteers from at least seven communities met at Brandi's house Saturday morning to tackle a variety of tasks—items that Brandi is either unable to do or unable to hire out for help.
As a single mother of three children who is trying to put herself through school, cash can be a little tight for projects such as re-roofing the garage, replacing a portion of the foundation, replacing siding where windows were removed, replacing missing fascia and soffit, etc.
Volunteers lacking the skills for those jobs attacked items such as painting a deck, cleaning gutters, cutting grass from sidewalk edges, weeding, mulching, trimming and more.
Considerable remodeling had already been done inside the house, but Brandi said she had become a little blind to the maintenance needs outside.
"It's weird how a few things will make such a big change," she said after the work wrapped up. "It's a big difference and it's a very good difference. It all looks so refreshed and pretty."
Among the various jobs completed, she points to the paint on the foundation as the thing that changes the appearance the most.
Painting the deck was also notable, she said, because for some reason, she says, it makes it look so much larger.
Traci Maginn of Fayette, who organized the event with her husband, Mike, was delighted with the outcome.
"It was an amazing day filled with humor, patience, persistence, creativity and friendship," she said. "We will all take away from the day much more than we were able to give."
Members of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, along with a few friends of the family, came from Fayette, Morenci, Lyons, Archbold, Alvordton, West Unity and Waldron. Work continued until about 8:30 p.m. Saturday. There are a few items to finish up, so volunteers will show up again this Saturday to complete the job.
Saturday's effort marks the second year of the Extreme Makeover program.
"It was such a good time," Traci said. "Everyone was very grateful to Brandi for letting us into her home and giving us the opportunity to take her into our hearts."
And now Brandi can go back to giving.


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game with lots of chicken to kill. The legend of the Green Archer continues with an archery defense game. Use the mouse to aim and shoot, the gameplay is very well explained inside the game. Use your bow to kill all animal waves in each level. Get a good score and buy better bows with more power and damage.more hide
Sport, Shooters, Arcade


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NEWS this week that Crown's Macau joint venture is under investigation for allegedly funnelling $170 million worth of illicit gambling funds from Taiwan to Macau may not have affected the share price of James Packer's casino operator, but it does highlight the risks it faces from a business that will increasingly define its fortunes.
Until now, Crown has had trouble getting the local market to appreciate the value of its investment in Melco Crown, but a 50 per cent rise in Crown's share price since last April shows investors are finally coming around to the fact that the contribution from Macau cannot be ignored.
Citi forecasts the investment will account for 39 per cent of Crown's net profit for this financial year, up from 6 per cent just two years ago.
Melco Crown's good fortune is more than just dumb luck.
The company has actively targeted Macau's mass market – and not just the VIP play, which dominates the gambling enclave but experienced little growth in the December quarter.
It means its business is dominated by a segment that was still growing 30 per cent for the December quarter, and on much stronger margins than the high rollers who tend to come with hefty commissions for the junket operators needed to attract them.
Citi estimated profit margins on VIP players may be as little as 9 per cent compared with the mass market where margins are 35 to 40 per cent.
The Taiwanese investigation into the Melco Crown subsidiary – which allegedly involves illegally circumventing the country's tight foreign-exchange controls to allow high rollers to get their gambling money to Macau – highlights other potential risks of the VIP market.
For now, the only proven blemish on Crown's record will come from its siege of the rival casino operator Echo Entertainment.
While Crown has soared over the last year, Echo has lost some of the takeover premium priced into the stock when Crown, and then Malaysian casino operator Genting, acquired shares in it last year.
Now that Packer has shown his hand with plans to separately acquire a casino licence for his luxury hotel at Barangaroo, the value of his stake in Echo may have lost as much as $70 million during the December half, according to analyst estimates.
The decline of Echo's share price is not necessarily a reflection on the company, which has finally demonstrated it is more than a sitting duck for Packer.
The company has overhauled its boardroom, and found itself an experienced chief executive in Las Vegas veteran John Redmond, who formally took the reigns on Friday after receiving the necessary regulatory approvals. He will step down as a non-executive director of Echo to take the post.
The redevelopment plans for Sydney's Darling Harbour precinct will also help the cause of Echo's flagship asset, the Star, which has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to entice VIP gamblers, and the mass market, through its doors.
The big question is whether Echo's new CEO will stick with the return targets on Echo's massive investment in the Star now that the CEO, and chairman, who set the targets have departed.
For other players in the gambling industry it could be a tougher year ahead.
Merrill Lynch says the loss of the rugby league sponsorship by Tabcorp's Sportsbet to upstart Tom Waterhouse indicates the company's profit margins may be under threat from costly new competitors.
"Competitive pressure seems to be increasing with online pure-plays continuing to spend aggressively on promotional activities," Merrill Lynch gaming analyst Mark Bryan said.
He said the threat of online competition will continue to intensify over the next one to three years with Tom Waterhouse's $10-million-a-year deal with the NRL giving some indication of the "significant cost inflation" facing Tabcorp.
The impending market entry of one of Britain's largest bookmakers, William Hill, via its acquisition of Sportingbet, will also introduce a rival with deep pockets and what appears to be aggressive expansion plans in Australia.
"Sportingbet's vast customer base [172,000 active accounts versus 315,000 for Tabcorp and 230,000 for Tatts] combined with William Hill's expertise could further drive increased competition in the region," Merrill Lynch said.
The acquisition is expected to be completed in March this year.
The original release of this article first appeared on the website of Hangzhou Night Net.


text: Persol is a luxury Italian designer brand, specialising in producing sunglasses and optical frames. Envisioned by Giuseppi Ratti in 1917, Persol originally catered for pilots and sports car drivers - in particular protection from the sun as the brand name derives from the Italian 'Per il Sole' – meaning 'for the sun'. Affiliated with producing versatile glasses for the high-octane occasion, 100 years on from its formation, Persol have refined their eyewear's look to encompass beautifully crafted designs with the reliability of old. Frames are orchestrated from resistant materials like acetate and alloy metal to create glasses which will transcend generations yet stay classic in appeal. Persol have never been a brand to delve away from the limelight – supplying spectacles for legendary film The Artist in 2011 to footballers such as the biblical Alessandro Del Piero. Unlike The Artist however, Persol's Prescription Glasses are available in more than just black and white – from lavish gold's to striped Havana, at Glasses Station we have you covered. Browse our extensive collection of men's glasses, including the cosmopolitan Persol Glasses PO3007V.All Persol Glasses


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Manning, Brady headline All-Decade team
Quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady joined two-time selections Willie Roaf, Larry Allen and Warren Sapp among the 53 players announced Sunday as members of the NFL's All-Decade team.
Bill Belichick and Tony Dungy were selected as the best coaches of the decade, and Dante Hall made it as both a kick and punt returner.
Roaf, Allen and Sapp were also part of the 1990s team.
Manning and Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney, along with New Orleans safety Darren Sharper, were part of the team and will be playing in the Super Bowl. A dozen players on the 2000s squad also were playing in Sunday's Pro Bowl.
Shaun Alexander, Jamal Lewis, Edgerrin James and LaDainian Tomlinson were the running backs, with Lorenzo Neal at fullback. Marvin Harrison, Torry Holt, Randy Moss and Terrell Owens were the wide receivers, and the tight ends picked by the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee were Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez.
Completing the offense were linemen Walter Jones, Jonathan Ogden, Orlando Pace, Alan Faneca, Steve Hutchinson, Will Shields, Olin Kreutz and Kevin Mawae, Roaf and Allen.
On defense, Ray Lewis, Derrick Brooks, Joey Porter, Zach Thomas, Brian Urlacher and DeMarcus Ware were the linebackers, Julius Peppers, Michael Strahan, Jason Taylor and Freeney were the ends, with La'Roi Glover, Richard Seymour, Kevin Williams and Sapp at tackle.
The secondary included Ronde Barber, Champ Bailey, Ty Law, Charles Woodson, Brian Dawkins, Troy Polamalu, Ed Reed and Sharper.
Specialists were kickers David Akers and Adam Vinatieri, and punters Shane Lechler and Brian Moorman. Devin Hester and Joshua Cribbs, the NFL's career leader with eight kick return touchdowns, joined Hall as returners.