text:
Skip Navigation
Please Note: You are viewing the non-styled version of
Ohio Department of Insurance. Either your browser does not support Cascading
Style Sheets (CSS) or it is disabled. We suggest upgrading your browser to
the latest version of your favorite Internet browser.
The department currently offers the following examination types:
Resident agent applicants must complete the following pre-licensing education program requirements from an Ohio approved pre-licensing provider, prior to taking an examination.
Ohio resident applicants must complete pre-licensing education from an approved pre-license provider for each of the above-mentioned lines of authority. The educational requirements may be met by either completing a 20-hour classroom course or successfully completing an approved self-study course.
Upon completing the required pre-licensing education program, applicants will be issued a course completion certificate for each line of authority completed. This certificate is valid for a period of 180 calendar days, and the corresponding exam must be successfully completed during this period. Applicants will not be admitted to an exam without the original, unaltered course completion certificate(s) for each corresponding line of authority. If a student is taking a combined exam, they will need to submit two course completion certificates (one for each line of authority).
* Public insurance adjuster and title applicants are not required to complete pre-license education and therefore may not have a course completion certificate.
A list of approved pre-licensing education providers is available for your review.
Pre-License Education Waiver:Applicants that have a bachelor or associates degree in insurance may request a Pre-License Education Waiver prior to registering for an exam. These applicants may have the education waived for all major lines of authority (except for Surety Bail Bond). This waiver is valid for a period of 180 calendar days, and the corresponding exam must be successfully passed during this period. The pre-license education may also be waived for applicants with the following designations for the below-noted lines of authority.
LifeChartered Life Underwriter "CLU"Certified Employee Benefit Specialist "CEBS"Chartered Financial Consultant "ChFC"Certified Insurance Counselor "CIC"Certified Financial Planner "CFP"Fellow of the Life Management Institute "FLMI"Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow "LUTCF"
Accident & HealthRegistered Health Underwriter "RHU"Certified Employee Benefit Specialist "CEBS"Registered Employee Benefits Consultant "REBC"Health Insurance Associate "HIA"
Property, Casualty and/or Personal LinesChartered Property and Casualty Underwriter "CPCU"Accredited Advisor in Insurance "AAI"Associate in Risk Management "ARM"Certified Insurance Counselor "CIC"
Privacy Statement | Disclaimer
| Bulletins
| Rules / Ohio Administrative
Code | Ohio Revised
Code | Fee Schedule |
ODI Forms |
Website Maintenance |
The State of Ohio is an Equal Opportunity Employer


text:
IPhone 4s are already starting to pop up days ahead of schedule. First, we heard that Apple pre-orders were shipping early. Then, suddenly, they were on FedEx trucks, and now they're showing up on people's doorsteps. So, how's yours?
Along with every other tech outlet, we'll be diving in for our iPhone 4 review soon enough. But everyone uses their phone every day, and we're officially bestowing upon you the title of "expert."
If you've lucked out and landed yourself an iPhone 4 early, we want to know what you think. Unbox it. Shoot it. Caress it. Whatever.
- Twitter people can tweet @gizmodo with iPhone 4 pictures and initial hands-on thoughts
- Facebook users can upload pictures or post their iPhone 4 impressions directly to Giz's Facebook Wall for all to see (you'll have to "Like" the page to post.)
- You can always let us know where yours is right now in the comments on this post.
- Or just shoot us an email and show us what you've got.
Image credit Gil Cabrera

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Claim Reopenings
Apply to reopen your claim if your injury worsens.
You and your doctor may apply to reopen your claim. However, there must be objective medical evidence that the condition caused by the same workplace injury has worsened and needs more medical attention.
Questions workers have about reopening a claim
How long do I have to reopen my claim?
You may apply to reopen your claim (for medical treatment only) at any time.
What benefits am I eligible for if my claim is reopened?
You are eligible to receive both time-loss and medical benefits. However, if your claim has been closed for more than 7 years, you need special permission from the director of L&I to receive time-loss benefits.
Can I see the same doctor as before?
Starting January 2013, if you need to reopen your claim, you will need to see a health-care provider in our network. If your regular doctor is not in our network, encourage them to join, or find one that is in our network.
Can I get independent advice on how to reopen my claim?
If you need assistance, you can call Project HELP at 1-800-255-9752. They are a cooperative effort between L&I and the Washington State Labor Council (AFL-CIO), and can provide you with one-on-one counseling to help you navigate the claims process.
Project HELP staff can assist you with both self-insured and state fund claims, but they are not attorneys and do not give legal advice.
What if I live or move out of state?
Your rights, benefits, and responsibilities for your claim will remain the same. Washington laws will always apply to your claim regardless of where you live.
Many doctors and health-care providers in other states don't accept workers' compensation cases. Find a Doctor in your area.
Did you know?
If your reopening application seeks time-loss as well as medical benefits, you must apply within 7 years of the date your claim was first closed (10 years for eye injuries).


text:
Funeral Held for Former Tuskegee Airman | Community Spirit
Title (Max 100 Characters)
DENVER (9News) - A funeral service will be held on Monday for Colonel Fitzroy Newsum, a former Tuskegee Airman who was well known for his passion for flying and community involvement. He was 94 years old.
The service begins at 10 a.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Church at 2201 Dexter Street in the Park Hill neighborhood.
RELATED | Museum of Aviation Honors Tuskegee Airmen
A luncheon reception follows at 11:30, and the burial will be at 2:15 p.m. at Fort Logan National Cemetery with full military honors provided by Buckley AFB personnel. Newsum passed away on Jan. 5.
He had been living in a nursing home in Centennial. He was surrounded by his family at his passing.
Newsum served in a segregated airbase in Tuskegee, Ala. in 1943 and was a founding member of the local Hubert L. "Hooks" Jones chapter of the national Tuskegee Airmen.
In 1989, he received the Brigadier General Noel F. Parish Award. The Tuskegee Airmen received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 - which Newsum was a part of. In 1991, he was inducted into the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame.
He retired from the Air Force in 1970 as Vice Commander of the 381st Strategic Aerospace - now called Lockheed Martin.
Newsum was born in New York City in 1918 and was the first member of his family to be born in America. He was raised in Barbados and Trinidad, but he later returned to New York in his teens. He grew up loving planes, but he was denied entry to the U.S. Army Air Corps because of his race.
He graduated from the Tuskegee program as a multi-engine pilot in December 1943.
He is survived by his wife of more than 63 years, Joan Carney Newsum. He has four children, Brian, Dani, Eric and Gail and four grandchildren: Nicholas, McKenna, Taylor and Savannah.
Morgan Aguilar contributed to this report.
(KUSA-TV © 2013 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)


text:
WFAN Fantasy Phenom II
Congratulations to John Jastremski, this year's WFAN Fantasy Phenom winner.
John will host a show on WFAN for up to one year.
WFAN would like to thank the hundreds of constants that participated in Fantasy Phenom – Year II. Five finalists showed their skills at Mike Francesa's Summer Beach Party at Bar A in Lake Como, New Jersey on Friday. Listen to each finalists' monologue below.
Patrick Totaro from Brick, New Jersey
Patrick Creighton from Bethpage, New York
Mike McMaster from Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Neeraj Joshi from New York, New York
John Jastremski from Staten Island, New York


text:
PbiblxHelp > AdvancedUse
Guides to advanced pBiblx2 usage.
Child Threads:
New - TableTest1 Interesting examples of tables used for multi column publishing.
New - PbiblxWebDesign - Features being added to pBiblx2 making it easier to incorperate into your web pages.
New - PbiblxCreateIndexes How to create your own pBiblx2 indexes.
New - PbiblxCreateRandomQuote How to create a Random Quote of the Day file.
New - PbiblxCreateWikiContent A brief guide on writing your own wiki content.


text:
|Send News. Want a reply? Read this. More in the FAQ. News Forum - All Forums - Mobile - PDA - RSS Headlines Twitter
The Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission issued an order yesterday to Rogers Communications giving the internet provider until September 27 to formulate a plan to cease throttling online games such as World of Warcraft, reports the Calgary Herald. Noting that Rogers own traffic management policy states that "online games, such as World of Warcraft, should not be throttled or slowed down, and would only be affected if Rogers misclassifies the games and other peer-to-peer applications were running at the same time." For its part, Rogers states it has corrected the issue with World of Warcraft and is "not aware of any problems with any other online games." Thanks Ant via Slashdot.
Copyright © 1996-2019 Stephen Heaslip. All rights reserved.
All trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
Privacy Policy. Manage Cookie Settings.
News CGI copyright © 1999-2019 James "furn" Furness &
Blue's News.
All rights reserved.
Chatbear v1.4.0/blue++: Page generated 16 September 2019, 10:04.
Chatbear Announcements.


text:
The Theremin is one of the oldest electronic instruments, and the only one known that you play without touching.
By moving your hands in the space around its antennas, you control pitch and volume. Theremins have been used on great classic recordings like Good Vibrations and '50s sci-fi soundtracks, and add amazing coloration to any performance or recording or can be played as a serious solo instrument. Like the Ethervox, the Etherwave is an authentic adaptation of inventor Leon Theremin's original design.
The Etherwave is a quality theremin with a design that retains many characteristics of the original theremins, including a five-octave pitch range and reliable spacing between notes for sophisticated playability. Rotary pitch, volume, waveform, and brightness controls let you fine-tune your performance. Antennas are nickel-plated 3/8 inch brass tube and cabinets are furniture-grade hardwood, finished with a custom Moog stain. The Etherwave is fitted with an adapter for mounting on a standard microphone stand and is designed for use with a musical instrument amplifier such as the Moog TB-15.
All Etherwaves include a power supply and two video tutorials on one DVD: Clara Rockmore: The Greatest Theremin Virtuosa, and Mastering The Theremin, featuring Lydia Kavina.
Understanding the Etherwave
How the Etherwave Works
There are several resonant circuits, or tuned circuits, in the Etherwave theremin. Since resonant circuits are not as common or accessible in today's electronic gear as they used to be, we'll define some basic terms and concepts that will help you understand how the theremin circuit works.
A resonant circuit consists of a capacitor (sometimes called a condenser) and an inductor (sometimes called a coil). A capacitor is a device consisting of two conductive plates separated by insulating material such as air or polyester. The capacitance of a capacitor depends on the size of the plates and the distance between them. An inductor is a device consisting of a coil of wire, sometimes wrapped around an iron or ferrite core. The inductance of an inductor depends on the number and size of the turns of wire and the material of the core. A resonant circuit has the property that its electrical impedance changes radically within a narrow frequency band, the middle of which is called the resonant frequency of the circuit.
Hand Capacitance
When you bring your hand near a theremin antenna, you are actually forming a variable capacitor in which the antenna is one 'plate' and your hand is the other. For the high frequencies and very low currents that we're talking about, your hand is effectively grounded by being attached to your body, so the antenna and your hand form a variable capacitor to ground. We call this variable capacitance hand capacitance. You increase the hand capacitance by bringing your hand nearer to the antenna. In normal theremin playing, hand capacitance is less than one picofarad, a very small capacitance change indeed! In addition to hand capacitance, a theremin antenna has a fixed capacitance to ground, which we'll call the antenna capacitance. Antenna capacitance depends mostly on the size of the antenna, and is typically 10-15 picofarads.
A large inductor, called the antenna coil, is connected to each antenna inside the theremin. The antenna coil, antenna capacitance, and hand capacitance form a resonant circuit. In this Theremin's design, the resonant frequencies are about 285 kHz for the pitch antenna, and about 450 kHz for the volume antenna. At or near the resonant frequency, a tiny change in hand capacitance results in a larger change in the impedance of the antenna circuit as a whole.
The Etherwave Circuit
Before looking at the schematic diagram itself, we'll review the functions of the Etherwave's circuit.
Tone Production and Pitch Control
The volume antenna circuit consists of the volume antenna itself, in series with several inductors. It's connected to the output of the volume oscillator, which provides a high frequency signal. When the antenna circuit resonant frequency is at or near the volume oscillator frequency, a high frequency current flows through the inductors, which induces a high frequency voltage across each of the inductors. These voltages are at a maximum when the antenna circuit's resonant frequency is exactly the same as the frequency of the volume oscillator, and decrease when the antenna circuit's resonant frequency is decreased by the addition of hand capacitance to the volume antenna. The volume antenna circuit also includes a detector, which converts the high frequency voltage across one of the inductors to a direct (DC) voltage. This voltage, which is called the volume control voltage, controls the gain of a voltage-controlled amplifier (VCA). Thus, as the player brings his left hand near the volume antenna, the volume control voltage decreases, the VCA gain decreases, and the audio output signal goes from loud to complete silence. The audio output signal is line level, and may be fed to a line input of a power amplifier or mixing console.
The pitch antenna circuit is connected to the variable pitch oscillator in such a way that increases in hand capacitance will decrease the variable pitch frequency as much as 3 kHz. This is how the pitch antenna circuit, in conjunction with the beat frequency oscillator circuit, enables the player to cover a usable pitch range of some five octaves (two octaves below to three octaves above middle C) simply by moving their right hand through a distance of two feet or so.
Volume Control and Timbre Control
The Etherwave's tone is produced in a circuit configuration called a beat frequency oscillator. It consists of two high-frequency oscillators, plus a detector circuit which extracts the difference frequency, or beat frequency. One of the high-frequency oscillators (called the fixed pitch oscillator) operates at about 285 kHz, while the other high-frequency oscillator (called the variable pitch oscillator) operates over a range of about 282 - 285 kHz. The difference frequency ranges from zero to about 3 kHz, which is three and a half octaves above middle C.
Front panel controls include four potentiometers: two for antenna tuning and two for timbre control. The Pitch Tuning potentiometer is connected to the pitch tuning circuit, which adjusts the frequency of the fixed pitch oscillator over a small range. Similarly, the Volume Tuning potentiometer is connected to the volume tuning circuit, which adjusts the frequency of the volume oscillator over a small range. These circuits provide the player with a way of fine-tuning the antenna responses during performance. In earlier theremin designs these tuning functions were implemented with large variable capacitors. Such variable capacitors are no longer generally available at reasonable prices.
The VCA is deliberately designed to distort the difference frequency waveform, thereby adding desirable harmonic content. The Brightness and Waveform potentiometers vary the biases on the VCA input, which change the way in which the audio waveform is distorted. The Brightness potentiometer determines how much the waveform is distorted, and therefore the amount of the total harmonic content. The Waveform potentiometer determines which harmonics will be strong, and which will be weak. It is similar to a Rectangular Width control on analog synthesizers.
The entire theremin circuit runs on 12 volts, which is supplied by a simple, small power supply. Total current consumption is about 30 milliamperes.
WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
MSRP: $39.95 Save: $15.00 (38%)
MSRP: $24.95 Save: $14.00 (56%)
MSRP: $40.99 Save: $16.04 (39%)
MSRP: $30.60 Save: $8.68 (28%)
MSRP: $21.65 Save: $6.66 (31%)
MSRP: $79.95 Save: $50.00 (63%)
What started as a simple string and pedal sales catalog has grown exponentially over the past thirty years. The early days were a time where catalogs didn't have much of a presence in the industry, but what began as a college dorm room operation grew rapidly. In 1986 we moved to a full product offering and 64-page catalog, which over the years has grown to 162 pages. Join the AMS family and get your free catalog now!
Copyright © 1996-2019 American Musical Supply, Inc. All rights reserved. American Musical Supply reserves the right to correct pricing and/or product specifications in the event of typographical errors found in our print catalog or on our website. If a product is listed at an incorrect price due to such errors or because of inaccurate information received from a supplier, American Musical Supply shall have the right to refuse or cancel any orders placed, whether or not the order has been confirmed and your credit card charged. If your credit card has already been charged for the purchase and your order is canceled, American Musical Supply will issue a credit to your credit card account in the amount of the charge.


text:
Press Release
From: Johnson Space Center
Posted: Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Earth comes closer to Mars this month than it has in nearly 60,000 years, but one new opportunity for seeing details on the red planet comes from a vantage point much closer.
The public has an unprecedented opportunity to suggest places on Mars that should be photographed from a spacecraft orbiting that planet. Camera operators for NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft are ready to take suggestions online for new places for images from the Mars Orbiter Camera.
The spacecraft, managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif., has been orbiting Mars since 1997, with more than 20,000 orbits so far. The Mars Orbiter Camera has already taken more than 120,000 pictures of Mars. Many of the camera's images have sharp enough resolution to show features as small as a school bus. The images have revealed relatively recent gully erosion, ancient sedimentary rocks and many other spectacular scientific surprises.
"We've only covered about three percent of the surface area of Mars with the high-resolution camera. We want to be sure we're not missing some place that could be important, so we're casting a wide net for new suggestions," said Dr. Ken Edgett, staff scientist at Malin Space Science Systems, the San Diego firm that supplied and operates the camera for NASA. "We're looking for excellent suggestions of areas on Mars that we have not already imaged," Edgett said. "We'll look at every request that comes in."
"NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft team will examine each request to ensure the safety of this priceless 'eye in the sky' above Mars," said Dr. Jim Garvin, NASA's Lead Scientist for Mars Exploration at NASA Headquarters, Washington.
Information about how to submit requests is online at the new Mars Orbiter Camera Target Request Site, at:
Requesters should describe the purpose for the suggested image. Suggestions for target sites already imaged by the camera will be disqualified unless there is a convincing reason for repeating the target. An online gallery of pictures taken by the camera is at:
"Some of the best requests may be places nowhere near any site the Mars Orbiter Camera has imaged before," Edgett said. As with pictures desired by Mars scientists working with the camera every day, new suggestions will need to wait until the Mars Global Surveyor flies directly over the selected target, which could be several months or longer. The first images from this public suggestion program will probably be released this fall.
JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages Mars Global Surveyor for NASA's Office of Space Science in Washington. JPL's industrial partner is Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, which developed and operates the spacecraft. Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the Mars Orbiter Camera. Malin Space Science Systems operates the camera from facilities in San Diego.
For information about NASA on the Internet, visit:
Information about Mars Global Surveyor is available on the Internet at:
// end //
More news releases and status reports or top stories.
Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
Recent Articles


text:
Keith Wright scored 15 points and grabbed six boards to lead the Crimson past Columbia, 57-52, Saturday night (photo courtesy Gil Talbot).
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The No. 23 Harvard men's basketball team is off to its best start in program history, as the Crimson defeated Columbia by a score of 57-52 before a sold out crowd at Lavietes Pavilion Saturday evening. The Crimson improves to 20-2 overall surpassing the 1945-46 team. Harvard is also 6-0 in conference play, marking the best Ivy start in program history (1980-81, 5-0).
Harvard has now won at least 20 games in three straight seasons.
Laurent Rivard scored 20 points, while Brandyn Curry chipped in 12. Keith Wright added 15 points and six rebounds in the win, as the Crimson collected its 25th straight home victory. Harvard shot 16-of-37 (.432) for the game and blocked five shots as a team. Brian Barbour paced the Lions (13-9, 2-4 Ivy) with 15 points.
Curry opened the game with a triple from the top of the key, but Columbia answered to knot the game, 5-5. With 17:21 left, Rivard was fouled attempting a trey and hit two free throws, making it 7-5 in favor of Harvard. Rivard drew contact again trying a 3-pointer, but made one this time around, 8-5. Curry converted on another 3-pointer with just over 15 minutes left in the first, stretching Harvard's lead to five, 12-7.
The Lions came back to tie the game, 16-16, with a 9-4 run, but Keith Wright grabbed an offensive board and put it back for a layup, 18-16. Wright added another bucket, and Curry followed with a basket of his own in the paint, as Harvard opened up a six-point lead, 22-16.
With Harvard leading 25-21, Rivard went to the line again and made both, stretching the advantage to 27-21. Wright tried a spin move under the basket for two points, as Harvard led, 30-25, with just over one minute remaining in the first.
Rivard led all scorers with 12 points at the break, while Curry was 4-of-5 from the field, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc for 10 points in the first 20 minutes. Harvard shot 47.6 percent from the floor (10-of-21), but was only 7-of-12 from the line (.583).
Neither team managed to score in the second half until Wright converted a layup with 18:00 left, giving Harvard a five-point edge, 32-27. With 14:02 remaining, Kyle Casey hit a jumper before the shot clock expired, making it 36-29. Columbia answered with back-to-back baskets to get back within three, 36-33, but Curry hit one at the line to put Harvard back up by four.
With 10:45 remaining, Corbin Miller found a wide open Rivard for a triple, as the Crimson extended its lead to 40-33. Steve Moundou-Missi went to the foul line with 7:46 left and hit the first, giving Harvard a six-point advantage, 43-37. After Columbia got within four, 47-43, Casey hit one of two foul shots, giving Harvard a five-point edge, 48-43.
With 2:38 left to go, the Lions cut the deficit to just two, 48-46, but Wright connected on a layup under the hoop to make it a four-point game, 50-46. With 1:11 remaining, Oliver McNally grabbed a defensive board and was fouled. McNally drained both free throws, giving the Crimson some breathing room, 52-46. With 34.7 ticks left on the clock, Curry made the second of two foul shots, making it 53-48. Columbia got back within three, 53-50, but Rivard put the game out of reach with two successful free throws, 55-50.
The Crimson will visit Penn Friday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.


text:
By John Goralski
Sports Writer
For more than three hours, Lady Knight tennis coach Robin Thompson proved that her lessons at varsity practices are more than just words.
On Sunday, Aug. 25, the high school coach partnered with a friend to push a pair of high school players to three sets and a tie breaker before losing in the finals of the women's doubles brackets at the Kenny Hill Jr Memorial Tennis Tournament. She was finally toppled, but the coach out-lasted at least four of her former and present players.
How would you like to answer for that during next spring's preseason practices?
"She really went toe-to-toe with some young ladies, and they really came close to winning it," said tournament director Ken Hill Sr. "Every point was a long point because the ball just kept going back and forth. There were a lot of great shots, and it seemed like they just didn't want the game to end."
For Hill, the varsity coach's run to the finals was a perfect example of what the annual tournament is designed to accomplish. As one of the final tennis events before classes begin this fall, it is designed to be competitive. But even more important is that it's designed to be fun. It's become a battle for bragging rights with the charm of a small tournament and the competition of a large one.
That's just what Hill envisioned when he began the charity event 12 years ago when his son, a high school tennis captain, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep in the days leading up to graduation. Hill and his wife Laurie began the tournament to give teammates, family, and friends a chance to honor their son's memory while celebrating his biggest love and raising money for a pair of local scholarships.
After a dozen years, it's still going strong.
"What's fun is that I can remember some of the high school players this weekend when they were playing as juniors in this tournament, and they still couldn't get around the court," said Hill. "Now, they're the No. 1 or No. 2 players on the high school team, and it's still a lot of fun."
The tournament offers off-season work for incoming seniors like Alex Angelillo, Nate Mullins, and Susan Murphy as they prepare for their final varsity seasons. It helps underclassmen like Luke Pfanzelt, Kunal Kataria, Rianna Susco, Alex Barmore, Caroline Rodman, and Cassidy Race to position themselves for competition, and it allows ecent graduates like Mike Rabiej, Matt Downes, and Emily Sheehan to give back to the high school program.
It even allows up-and-coming players to hone their skills in the junior division and coaches to prove that they still have something to teach their young players.
Barmore was even able to advance into the finals of the women's singles competition.
"It was fun to see how skilled they've all gotten over the years," said Hill. "I'm not surprised that this has grown so much because we've worked really hard to keep it fun. I think that people keep coming because it's a relaxed atmosphere."
On the other hand, it is a competition that's filled with tournament regulars. Megan Fitzgerald was a runner-up in two brackets last year but returned to capture the women's singles title. She also partnered with MacKenzie Blair to win the doubles championship.
Jeremy Reichentahl was the main champion in the mens brackets with a title in the championship singles division and an upcoming finals match with Casey Barry against Ron Zeiger and Larry Tannenbaum to conclude the challenger doubles compettiion.
"We've kept it small, so it still has its character," said Hill. "We haven't gone crazy on advertising, but we still manage to get the right number of players. We get a good number of skilled players, and we got some new players this year that heard about it from others that really enjoyed it."
Zeiger and Tannen-baum captured the title in the masters doubles competition. Eric Henne and Sue Henne teamed up for a victory in mixed doubles, and Shrenik Agrawal outlasted Rohan Katria in a split-set victory decided by tie breaker to capture the juniors title.
"It's competitive, but it isn't crazy," said Hill. "Everybody's just having a good time. Our No. 1 rule is to have fun, and that's what we do."
First rule: Have fun; Kenny Hill Jr Memorial Tennis Tourney has become a summer staple
By John Goralski


text:
Formula 1 Powerpac A Lesson 4, Multiplication facts through 45
Average working time 20 minutes per lesson.
Each of the six lessons per Powerpac represents a highly motivating approach to a basic math skill. Each concept is introduced in simple terms and is taught in a step-by-step sequence increasing difficulty to build understanding and ensure success. The tone of each lesson is informal and positive, and a listen-respond-evaluate technique is used throughout to gain a high degree of student involvement.
Each Powerpac lesson is designed to be a self-contained unit of instruction.
Use: Lessons in the Powerpac are self-directing and enable the student to work independently. However, they may also be used successfully in small group situations involving students with similar needs and abilities.
Organization: Each audio, with its accompanying student activity pages constitutes a self-contained lesson. The lessons in the Powerpac may be used in any order, depending upon the needs and abilities of the individual student.
The Audio: Each audio begins with an informal greeting from the narrator, setting the tone for personal interaction which is maintained throughout the lesson. The narrator not only explains the material and directs the student's work, but contributes the strong personal support and encouragement.
Occasional pauses allow the student to respond to the narrator's questions. For most of the actual problem solving, however, the student is directed to turn off the player and complete work on the activity page. After finishing the work prescribed by the narrator, the student starts the player again and checks answers at the narrator's direction.
The use of headsets is recommended for individual and small group use to avoid disturbing other students and to eliminate room noise.
The Student Response Pages: Each audio is accompanied by 4 printable activity student response pages. In most lessons, the first three pages are completed by the students as while listening to the audio. The responses on these pages are self-checked with answers given by the narrator. However, it is recommended that the teacher look over the student's work at the end of the lesson to determine the degree of understanding of the concepts presented. For most of the lessons, the last page contains review exercises which the student is asked to complete after the audio has finished playing. Work from this this page will allows the teacher to ascertain the extent to which the student has understood and applied the concepts presented in the lesson.
It should be noted that the narrator does not ask the student to mark incorrect responses. If you wish the student to do so, instruct accordingly before audio is started.
The Teacher's Manual: This teacher's manual contains individual lessons guides for each lesson in the Powerpac. The first part of each lesson guide includes an estimate of the time needed by the student to complete the entire lesson. It should be remembered that individual differences among students will account for some variation in this time.
Under the section entitled Background Needed, you will find a statement of the prior knowledge a student should have to derive the optimum benefit from the lesson. The section entitled In the Lesson contains a summary of skills and topics presented in the order in which they are introduced on the audio. Also provided in this section are special instructions concerning the organization of the activity pages or the need of scratch paper or a ruler.
Under the Vocabulary heading, the special term and symbols introduced in the lesson are defined. The Evaluation portion deals with the review page of the activity pages, usually page 4, which is completed by the student after the audio has finished playing.
For convenience in evaluating student performance, each lesson guide includes reproductions of the response activity paged with answers overprinted.
Formula 1 Powerpac A Lesson 4, Multiplication facts through 45
- Brand: EDCON Publishing Group
- Product Code: ED2031-A4
- Availability: In Stock
Related Products
Tags: Formula, Powerpac, Lesson, Multiplication, facts, through, Math, Powerpacs, EDCON


text:
Middle East Today: Turkey --- 1st Death as Protests Spread
Protest in the village of Ayvalik (pop: 40,000) on Tuesday
Thousands of protestors returned to Istanbul's Taksim Square on Tuesday night --- Turkish pipe music and singing blared over speakers as the crowd clapped and danced in a festive atmosphere.
In Ankara, residents carried out ther nightly protest of banging pots and pans, leaning from their windows, and marching in the street. Some waved red and white Turkish flags and drivers honked their horns, amid yells directed toward Prime Minister Erdogan: "Tayyip, resign!"


text:
*Item may not be exactly as shown.This upholstered piece may have many different fabric choices for your home and may be shown differently in our showroom than as pictured on the website, price will vary depending on fabric chosen. This online price may not reflect the price of the item with the options shown.
This item is not on display at any of our locations.
Get any style of recliner, from plush and cozy to sophisticated and traditional, for a low price tag when buying from this manufacturer.
Unlike recliners that are built with a two- or three-piece seat and leg rest cushion, this recliner has a single chaise cushion that extends from the seat to the feet. This style offers a fuller comfort and support for your legs, as well as eliminating the open gap that toddlers can get fingers or toys stuck in.
Everyone will love to gather on this sectional for watching TV or chatting with family and friends. Textured microfiber adds contemporary style to this comfortable reclining sectional with a dual reclining ends, and a console. The console features a padded armrest that lifts up to reveal storage and two cup holders. You will enjoy the support of its plush pillow arms and divided back cushions. Relax and entertain with casual look of this cozy reclining sectional group.
The Toletta - Granite Reclining Sectional with Console by Signature Design by Ashley at Crowley Furniture & Mattress in the Kansas City Area: Liberty and Lee's Summit, MO & Overland Park, KS area. Product availability may vary. Contact us for the most current availability on this product.
You have tons of options for creating a comfortable and stylish living room with the Toletta motion collection. Its soft, textured upholstery in an earthy tone complements any casual contemporary decor. As you lounge you will be able to appreciate the comfort of the thick, pillow top arms and plush, divided bustle backs. Put up your feet as you relax and recline with the pieces in this group. They are the start of a great new entertaining space.
The Toletta - Granite collection is a great option if you are looking for Casual furniture in the Kansas City Area: Liberty and Lee's Summit, MO & Overland Park, KS area.
These images are representative of this group as a whole and may differ from this item.
Browse other items in the Toletta - Granite collection from Crowley Furniture & Mattress in the Kansas City Area: Liberty and Lee's Summit, MO & Overland Park, KS area.
This item has been tagged as: Sectional with Recliner, Recliner Sectional, Reclining Sectional, Seating, Couches, Couch, Sofa, Reclining Home Theater Furniture, Living Room Furniture, Accent Furniture, Reclining Love Seat, Loveseat Recliner, Reclining Couch, Reclining Sofa, Couch with Recliner, Sofa with Recliner, Motion Furniture, Moving Furniture, Living Room Furniture, Family Room Furniture, Great Room Furniture, Den Furniture, Home Furnishing
Nothing on this page may be copied or reproduced without explicit permission.


text:
Holiday Hoopla with A Simple Kinda Life (Dec 1st-15th)
Saturday, November 21, 2009
You all are probably going to say that I'm crazy. I'm currently involved in the Holiday Gift Guide at Santa's Picks, I work full time, I'm a single mom, and now I'm telling you about Holiday Hoopla.
Yup, I'm crazy - but I had an overwhelming response for sponsors this year so I'm doing my own event here at A Simple Kinda Life.
The beautiful button is below (thanks Angie!) and the code to put it on your blog is there also - if you grab this button now and post in the comments that you've got it, you'll get 5 extra entries into every Holiday Hoopla giveaway that is posted between December 1st & the 15th. (Remember this only counts as Holiday Hoopla giveaways since I am involved with other companies that sometimes provide products to me - Holiday Hoopla items with clearly be marked.)
Remember to comment here if you've grabbed the button and put it on your blog!


text:
Santo Bugito
Item #: AJ2443
All Products
(6 Total)
View by Size:
Getting , please wait.
|A variation on Victor Hugo's classic novel by means of the story of a man whose life is affected by and somewhat duplicated by the Hugo story of the beleaguered Jean Valjean.
|Directed by:
|Claude Lelouch
|Jean-Paul Belmondo, Michel Boujenah, Alessandra Martines, Salom? Lelouch, Annie Girardot, Philippe L?otard, Cl?mentine C?lari?, Philippe Khorsand, Ticky Holgado, Rufus, Nicole Croisille, William Leymergie, Jean Marais, Micheline Presle, Darry Cowl


text:
It's been a crazy few days for superhero movies and TV shows. Numerous rumors about Wonder Woman and Nightwing/Dick Grayson being in Batman vs. Superman have popped up; a TV show about DC's Hourman was announced for The CW; Marvel and Netflix announced four new shows and a miniseries (about Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist); and Arrow star Stephen Amell hinted that he might appear in the future Justice League movie.
But the news tornado isn't over yet - now we have word about more actresses being up for the female (possibly Wonder Woman) role in Batman vs. Superman, as well as the possible appearance of Flash and "several members of the Justice League." Say what?
The newest report comes from Variety, which confirms that Olga Kurylenko is up for a female role described as "tall, brunette, athletic and exotic." Now, which DC female character does that most accurately describe?
Other actresses up for the role include Elodie Yung (G.I. Joe - Retaliation), Gal Gadot (Gisele in the Fast & Furious series), and a possible fourth that has yet to be revealed - though Variety insists that it's not Jaimie Alexander, who they claim is committed (contractually speaking) to Marvel. But if that's the case, what were all those recent rumors about? And why was she goading them on?
It's worth mentioning, as Variety and its sources have, that this female character could very well turn out to be some (relatively) run-of-the-mill love interest for Bruce Wayne. And frankly, there's actually good reason to believe that's the case - each one of these actresses has very thick accents that one doesn't typically associate with Wonder Woman.
Though Wonder Woman is from the mythical island nation of Themyscira, she has never been depicted with an accent (besides an American accent, that is) and it seems kind of unlikely that Warner Bros. would build a brand-new multimillion dollar franchise around an untested actress whose grasp of the English language could be a barrier for American audiences.
According to Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter (via Bleeding Cool), while Wonder Woman WILL appear in the movie (as "Diana"), the actresses up for the "tall, athletic, exotic" role will likely not be playing Wonder Woman, whose part in movie will be insignificant - and possibly just a cameo.
Check out his tweets below:
Since the cat seems to out of the bag...here's what I heard: Wonder Woman will not be in Supes vs Batman. But a certain Diana may show up.
— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) November 8, 2013
And I'm pretty confident these tests are not for WW, who will have a minor minor role. This is Supes vs Bats. Not Supes vs Bats vs WW.
— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) November 8, 2013
Having said all this - though I do fall on the side that believes that these actresses are probably not up for the role of Wonder Woman, it does seem a bit strange that Zack Snyder and co. would include two very similar characters (in terms of physicality) in the same film.
If this movie will, at some point, briefly introduce "Diana" to the DC Movie Universe, why would producers want to steal her thunder with an equally tall, athletic, and exotic female character (with brown hair)?
Needless to say, it's all pretty confusing.
NEXT PAGE: The Flash and other JLA members in 'Batman vs. Superman'...


text:
Monday's Reds game postponed
Tonight's game with the Chicago Cubs has been postponed due to rain. At a later date, there will be an announcement regarding the rescheduling of today's game.
Fans do not need to exchange their tickets today. Ticket exchanges are available at Great American Ball Park throughout the regular season in advance of game day only.
Please check your ticket for specific rain check instructions. Keep your ticket. It is your rain check and may be exchanged at face value for a 2014 Cincinnati Reds regular season home game (exclusions apply), subject to availability or your ticket can be used for the same seat to the rescheduled game with no exchange necessary.
Check reds.com/rainout for ticket information and valid rain check dates.
If you ordered your tickets online at reds.com or over the phone through Ticketmaster you may contact Ticketmaster customer service at 1-800-745-3000 to exchange your tickets.
Straight A tickets can be exchanged for any remaining Straight A date.
Fans holding a ticket with no price printed or tickets with a $0.00 value may use their same tickets for the make-up game only with no exchange necessary.
Fans holding tickets purchased through StubHub may use their same tickets for the make-up game with no exchange necessary or contact StubHub with questions.


text:
Casino Summary
Established in 1997, 888casino is one of the few true authorities in the online gambling industry. The casino room is part the publicly listed gambling giant 888.com and operates with licenses from Gibraltar and the United Kingdom. 888 casino gives access to hundreds of casino games and is available for PC, Mac, tablet and smartphone.


text:
Products offered by us have been divided into two broad categories - Management and Technical.
Under each category there are multiple subject areas. Please select the desired subject to get a listing of titles available. The number of products available on the respective topic is given in brackets.
Management Topics


text:
Wall Street Oasis Conference - 2014
Margret Hardardottir
Saturday, June 28, 2014 from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM (EDT)
Event Details
***Get all the latest announcements via our Conference Blog***
Description: The 2014 Wall Street Oasis Conference is designed for individuals interested in pursuing a career in the finance industry.
Areas of focus include: investment banking, private equity, trading, hedge funds resume writing and review, advanced degree selection as well as several question & answers sessions. More importantly, attendees will have ample opportunities to meet and network with experienced finance professionals and conference speakers. Direct exposure with experts in these field sets our conference apart from other career conferences.
See a list of all the reasons for why you should attend here.
Latest Upate: Join us at the Pre-Conference Happy Hour (21+) at Galway Hooker. Under 21? Don't worry, the after party on Saturday at 6:00pm is 18+ at a bar in Midtown East (will be announced on the agenda at the conference!)
Conference Keynote Speakers:
1) Aswath Damodaran, is a Professor of Finance at the Stern School of Business at New York University. He teaches the corporate finance and valuation courses in the MBA program as well as occasional short-term classes around the world on both topics. Professor Damodaran has received his MBA and Ph.D degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles. His research interests lie in valuation, portfolio management and applied corporate finance and his papers have been published in the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, the Journal of Finance, the Journal of Financial Economics and the Review of Financial Studies.
2) Joshua Rosenbaum, author of Investment Banking: Valuation, Leveraged Buyouts, and Mergers and Acquisitions is a Managing Director at UBS Investment Bank in the Global Industrial Group. He originates, structures, and advises on M&A, corporate finance, and capital markets transactions. Previously, he worked at the International Finance Corporation, the direct investment division of the World Bank. He received his AB from Harvard and his MBA with Baker Scholar honors from Harvard Business School.
2012 Photos Below:
The target audience for the WSO Conference consists of current college students and young finance professionals or anyone interested in gaining a competitive edge in these competitive industries. Panel speakers from top Wall Street firms will attend the networking reception following the day conference to provide feedback and information about their respective companies.
Attendees will walk away from the WSO Conference with a larger professional network, a stronger resume, extensive knowledge about the finance industry, and an acute awareness of their post-graduate professional goals.
Dress: Business Casual.
Other Benefits:
* Free 3 months access to WSO Job Board ($45 Value)
* All attendees will receive a free 3 month subscription to the WSO Video Library ($100 value)
* Free WSO T-shirt (Priceless)
* $50 Off Boost Pro from Wall Street Prep
* All attendees will receive 50% of their first Wall Street Mentors session.
* $10 Off any WSO Guide
To get access to any of the above (except the t-shirt, which will be given out at the conference): Email email@example.com a receipt of your ticket purchase with a request of what you would like.
FAQs BELOW!!
Some FAQs:
Will there be food/drinks?
There will be a simple lunch and refreshments provided.
What is the conference schedule (meet/greet, speech, q&a, smoke break, lunch, speech,etc...)?
We will have our keynote followed by a mix of panels, a networking breakout sessions, workshops and additional speakers.
How many people do you project to attend?
We estimate 300 will attend (sell out).
Which WSO super-users will be there?
IlliniProgrammer, Intheflesh, Monty09, ANT + many more
Who is conference designed for? Target audience?
It is designed for individuals interested in pursuing a career in the finance industry. The target audience consists of current college students AND young finance professionals or anyone interested in gaining an edge in these competitive industries. Overall, it will provide a great networking opportunity for both college students and young finance professionals.
Do you offer group discounts?
Yes, for groups of 10 or more, please contact email@example.com for details.
What is the dress code?
Business Casual.
I'm a certified user and interested in sitting on a panel, is it too late?
We are still in the process of adding a few more panelists. If you are interested sitting on a panel, please e-mail your resume (and maybe the type of panel you think you'd be best for - PE related, IB related, career related, advanced degree related, etc) to email@example.com so I can see if there is a good fit for any of our remaining spots.
How quickly can you access the job board after paying? How do we access it?
You can start your 3 month Job Board access anytime in 2013. To access it you e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com your username - must be an account that uses the same email you registered with.
If more perks will still be announced, do they get grandfathered to prior payees, or only act on those who pay from that point forward?
As more perks get announced, if you have a ticket you get ALL the perks. That is why it's a huge advantage of getting in now before prices jump again.
I'm really contemplating on going. But i feel like being a freshman/rising soph. I'll get frowned upon and it won't be much beneficial to me, thoughts?
This will be a very valuable networking opportunity especially for someone trying to break into financial careers. It is never too early to start networking...ok, if you're 12, may be a bit too early.
Who from WSO will be there?
Patrick - CEO, Justin - Job Board & Co. Database Manager, some of our writers/interns/campus reps, plenty of Certified Users, and other partners/friends of WSO.
How can we get a discount on the Hotel?
Call Hotel Pennsylvania (location of the conference) at 800-223-8585 and mention the group "Wall Street Oasis Conference" and you'll get the following rates for Friday & Saturday:
* $149/night for a king bed ($348.94 total w/ taxes) and
* $169 ($394.96 total w/ taxes) for 2 double beds.
When should i get my ticket?
ASAP before the price goes up & it sells out.
All of the announcements so far have been for speakers. Patrick mentioned that there's going to be panels. Who's going to be on those panels? Is it going to be a bunch of current analysts/associates?
Yes, the panels will be a mix of current and former analysts / associates / VPs (some cases MDs) from various groups and industries (IB / PE / HF, etc)...we are filling out the panels as we speak.
Is there anything happening the night before the conference?
There will be an informal happy hour the night before at Galway Hooker Pub (36th and 5th/Madison) to welcome those that arrive into town on Friday night. More details to come soon. 21+ only.
Where is the after party?
Announcement during the conference, will be 18+!
I won't be able to make it. Will there be blog / twitter posts live from the event? If so, is there a twitter #hashtag?
We will likely have someone live blogging / tweeting from the event in real time....but much better if we can meet you in person! Twitter tag is #wsocon
Is there gonna be a monkeying around panel?
Maybe a monkeying around room? we could maybe have little people in monkey suits in that room to help make people relax if the networking gets too intense in the other rooms...breathe.
Will there be a guy in a monkey suit there?
I will either rent a monkey for the conference to serve as our mascot and/or get a guy to dress up in a monkey costume for photos with all the attendees. :-) just like the spirit of WSO, we want the conference to not only be useful, but also fun.
Patrick, are you planning on hosting this every year?
Refund Policy?
On or before June 1, 2014 you will get 100% of your ticket price back.
June 2, 2014 to June 15, 2014 you will get 75% of your ticket back
June 16, 2014 to Day of Conference (June 28, 2014) - Strictly no refunds since we have to commit to final # then.
What people are saying about it:
Compbanker: "Very excited for the conference. I've met a number of the users from the forums and there are definitely some great people here. Anyone who doesn't have a ticket yet should get one NOW!"
IlliniProgrammer: "Will be there. I'm giving up a nice summer Saturday of hang gliding to come- I think it's going to be a great time. As the economy starts to pick up, the ticket price and cost of getting here starts to look a bit more like an investment in your career than an expense- especially when it's amortized over several conference."
Monty09: "I am helping to run things so you know it is going to be top notch"
rufiolove: "I am very excited about the conference and the opportunity to meet users and prospective monkeys looking to learn more about the industry. It's truly amazing how many awesome people Patrick has lined up: Monty, Compbanker, Rosenbaum and others... That is a ridiculous list industry experts looking to drop knowledge and answer questions. You guys should be stoked."
Definitely gotta pick up a ticket if you haven't done so already, it's gonna be Legen... wait for it, wait for it.... DARY!"
When & Where
Hotel Pennsylvania, PennTop Ballroom
401 Seventh Avenue (at 33rd St.)
Penn Top Ballroom
New York,
Saturday, June 28, 2014 from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM (EDT)
Add to my calendar
Margret Hardardottir
Wall Street Oasis is one of the largest and most entertaining finance communities online. With over 1,000,000 posts to date, 100 million unique visitors and over 3.5 million page views a month, you can be sure that your questions will get answered in our finance forums by experienced professionals.


text:
Which one of these is the easiest/fastest choice for developing simple Android apps/games? I'm familiar with all this technologies.
• Android SDK or NDK
• C# on MonoDroid platform
• Adobe Flash & Adobe AIR
• Corona SDK
• Converting tools like PhoneGap
Fundamentally, Could you explain adventages and disadventages of this methods.


text:
The price of oil fell Friday to its lowest level of the year on worrisome economic developments in the world's two largest oil-consuming nations.
The prospect of U.S. government spending cuts raised concerns about oil demand in the world's leading economy while China's manufacturing grew at its weakest rate in five months in February.
By late morning in New York, benchmark crude for April delivery was down $1.19 to $90.86 a barrel. Earlier, it hit a low for 2013 of $90.44.
While there have been signs of an improving U.S. economy in recent weeks, attention Friday was focused on the increasing likelihood that about $85 billion in spending cuts could start taking effect later in the day as part of an earlier budget agreement between the White House and Congress.
The International Monetary Fund has predicted that the spending cuts could reduce U.S. growth by some 0.5 percentage points in 2013.
In China, two surveys showed that manufacturing growth slowed last month as demand faltered and factories shut down for the Lunar New Year holiday.
Brent crude, used to price many kinds of oil imported by U.S. refineries, was down 71 cents at $110.67 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange In London. That's close to Brent's low for the year.
In other energy futures trading on the Nymex:
- Wholesale gasoline fell 1 cent to $3.10 a gallon.
- Heating oil lost 2 cents to $2.93 a gallon.
- Natural gas rose 2 cents to $3.50 per 1,000 cubic feet.


text:
Who was the first African-American Catholic Priest?
The answer is . . . it depends on who you ask and how you ask the question! And sometimes the same person will give two different answers!
First a small personal admission: I don't think I ever saw a black Catholic priest until I was well into my adulthood. I guess I assumed that there were some somewhere; I just never thought that much about it.
The leading contenders are Father James Healy (1830-1900), ordained 1854; and Father Augustine Tolton (1854-1897), ordained 1886.
The simple genealogical data would seem conclusive: James Healy was the first African-American priest. But it's not quite that simple.
The 1830 census of Jones County, Georgia, helps tell part of the story. That census shows a household that consists of a single white man and a number of slaves. Despite the characterization on the census, the slaves are in fact Michael Healy's wife and children. According to Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African-American Experience, co-authored by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Michael Healy had been an Irish soldier in the British Army who deserted in the War of 1812. He eventually made his way to Georgia where he acquired land and slaves. He began a relationship with a slave named Mary Eliza Smith and had children with her. Some reports claim that Healy and Mary Eliza were married by an itinerant preacher. Such a marriage would have been illegal under Georgia law at the time.
Michael Healy acknowledged his children and was concerned for their welfare and education. He arranged for Mary Eliza and three of their sons, Hugh, Patrick, and James, to be sent north so that the boys could be educated.
The Healy sons were enrolled in a Quaker school in New York State. Sometime later, they transferred to Holy Cross College in Massachusetts. James was the valedictorian of the 1849 graduating class. While at Holy Cross, James felt the call to the priesthood.
Blacks were not admitted to American seminaries at the time, so James went first to a Canadian seminary in Montreal and then to the Sulpician seminary in Paris. In 1854 in Paris, he was ordained a priest of the Boston diocese. Healy spent some time as secretary to the bishop and then as an assistant pastor. In 1866, he became pastor of St James Church, the largest parish in Boston.
Father Healy was a strong spokesman for Catholics in what was then a hostile environment. His work at St James led to his being selected as bishop of Portland, Maine, in 1875.
Many parishioners apparently did not realize that the light-skinned Father Healy was of African descent. He did not particularly make that fact known. For several years, he declined to attend the Congress of Colored Catholics, expressing the view that, "We are of that Church where there is neither Gentile nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian nor Scythian, slave nor freeman, but Christ is all and in all."
Some African-Americans and others accuse Father Healy of forfeiting his relationship with the black community by not explicitly acknowledging his background.
Father Augustine Tolton was born in 1854, the same year Bishop Healy was ordained. He was born in Ralls County, Missouri, the son of slaves. Some reports say that his father left the family to join the Union Army, but my cursory search found no evidence of that. In any event, during the Civil War, the family escaped slavery and moved to Illinois, a free state. One report claims that the slave owner, a man named Elliott, actually freed the Tolton family. An extension of that story and likely apocryphal, says that upon being freed, young Augustine was baptized in the waters of Brush Creek, with Mrs. Elliott as his godmother.
The family ended up in Quincy, Illinois. Augustine attended Catholic schools in Quincy and heard the call to Holy Orders. But black men still were not permitted to attend American seminaries. In 1880, he went to Rome to attend seminary. He was ordained in 1886 and returned to the diocese of Alton, Illinois.
Father Tolton became well-known in Illinois and was either loved or hated. At some point, he was transferred to Chicago. Some say this move can as the result of the antipathy of a white priest in the diocese.
In Chicago, Father Tolton initially was assigned to a basement church that later became known as St Monica's. His reputation grew and he did not hesitate to travel and speak to various groups of Catholics. Unlike Bishop Healy, Father Tolton attended and spoke at the 1890 Congress of Colored Catholics.
Father Tolton died of heat stroke in 1897, at the age of 43.
So who is considered the first black priest in America? Some say it can't be Bishop Healy, because he never "proclaimed" himself black. Less charitable folks say that Healy was "passing." But by the racial rules in place then and now (although different "rules" now) Bishop Healy is properly considered the first man of African-American ancestry to be ordained a priest. Father Tolton is properly considered to be the first man with two slave parents to be ordained a priest.
But, wait! There's a third candidate!
When I was in my 20s, my dad began the practice of sending me a calendar every year from an order of priests called the Josephites. This is an order of priests, officially known as the St. Joseph Society of the Sacred Heart, formed in 1893 to minister to African-Americans. The man given credit for leading the founding of the Josephites was Father Charles Randolph Uncles, a native of Baltimore. November 8 will mark the 152nd anniversary of Father Uncles' birth in 1859.
So, given what we know about Frs. Healy and Tolton, where does Father Uncles fit in? His parents, Lorenzo Uncles and Annie Marie Buchanan, both had been slaves. Charles Randolph Uncles was ordained in 1891 –after both Healy and Tolton had been ordained. But remember, it depends upon how you ask the question. Uncles was ordained in New York City. Both Healy and Tolton, though Americans, could not attend seminary in the United States because of racism and therefore were ordained outside the United States. So Father Uncles rightfully can be called the "first black priest ordained in America." [It should be noted, speaking of the "rules" of racial identity, that Charles Uncles and his parents were described as being light enough to pass for white.]
Indeed, at the time, it was big news. Here's the New York Times headline from December 19, 1891:
The Times story noted:
The congregation gathered to witness and participate in ceremonies was more than usually large and included many of the best colored people of the city. A special reason for the presence of the latter was that the first man of their race to be ordained a priest in the United States and that he was to have that high honor bestowed upon him by the Cardinal Archbishop himself–the primate of episcopacy of the country.
Lorenzo and Annie Uncles were Catholics. They and their family attended Mass at St. Frances Xavier Church in Baltimore which was, as the New York Times put it, "a church for colored people, but from which whites were not excluded."
As a young man, Charles was an altar boy at St. Frances Xavier. He graduated number one in his high school class. After that, he taught in the Baltimore County public schools until he was 25 years old. During this same period of time, he was being tutored by a priest from St. Joseph's seminary (for black men only) in Baltimore. Finally in 1883, Charles Uncles went to St. Hyacinthe College in Quebec, graduating in 1888. Back in Baltimore he then entered St. Joseph's seminary. But he applied to attend classes at St. Mary's Seminary which was then for white men. The faculty of St. Mary's put the matter to a vote of the seminarians. They were unanimously in favor of admitting Charles Uncles. And so it was that three years later, he was ordained a priest. He began teaching at the Epiphany Apostolic College, which was then located in Baltimore. In 1925, the college moved to New Windsor, New York, and Father Uncles moved also.
He died on July 20, 1933 at the college, and is buried there.
To put this subject in perspective, the following might be said:
1. James Augustine Healy (1875-1900), ordained in Paris in 1854 for the Diocese of Boston, was the first priest and the first bishop of African ancestry in the United States.
2. Augustine Tolton (1854-1897), ordained in Paris in 1886 for the Diocese of Alton, Illinois, was the first priest of acknowledged African slave ancestry in the United States.
3. Charles Randolph Uncles (1859-1933), ordained in Baltimore in 1891 for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, was the first priest of African ancestry to be ordained in the United States.
[Acknowledgements Donna Pointkouski directed me to a biography of Father Tolton, From Slave to Priest, which is available on Amazon.com. Later I heard from Sabrina A. Penn, third grand-niece of Father Tolton's. She's written a book about him called A Place for My Children, which is available at http://www.publishersgraphicsbookstore.com/]


text:
Boxing Conditioning
Boxing Conditioning teaches basic boxing skills and techniques, designed to increase muscular strength and cardio endurance—the perfect boxing class to get shredded! Boxing Conditioning will include cardio calisthenics, shadow boxing, bag work (150lb. bag) and core strengthening exercises. You will sweat like crazy, build a rock solid core and burn hundreds of calories.*
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Gi)
In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Gi), students will learn the foundations of BJJ working on basic techniques and advance in technique and focus. Level 1 includes Takedowns, self-defense techniques, Position Controls, Position Escapes and Submissions for 50 mins. In Level 2, students will master the fundamental techniques and sequences, learning Takedowns, Submissions, Submission Escapes, Combo Attacks, Combo Escapes and BJJ technique drills for 80 mins. The program peaks at Level 3, where students can focus on more advanced techniques and sequences. This program includes Combination Takedowns, Takedown Counters, Live Takedowns, transition techniques, High Level Attacks & Escapes, High Level Counters & Submissions and specific BJJ games for 80 mins.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (No Gi)
Students will learn the foundations of BJJ working on basic techniques. The program includes Fundamental Takedowns, self-defense techniques, Position Controls, Position Escapes and Submissions. BJJ No Gi classes are less technical and offer a faster and more dynamic style of fighting. Students do not qualify for belt or stripe ranks in the BJJ No Gi program. 50 mins.
Daily Ultimate Training (D.U.T)®
Daily Ultimate Training (DUT®) is UFC GYM's signature high-intensity interval training boot camp designed to consistently shock your system and deliver results. The focus is on safe technique and physiological function improving your overall strength and athletic ability. Each DUT class is a unique combination of modalities guaranteeing you will be challenged to the end.* Be prepared to sweat through speed, agility, quickness, core strength, body weight and circuit drills incorporating equipment such as battle ropes, jump ropes, TRX suspension trainer, plyo boxes, kettle bells, medicine balls, and free weights.
Family D.U.T™
Our signature daily training bootcamp, tailored for the whole family to enjoy. Family DUT™ delivers both a fun and challenging experience to encourage teamwork. Each class offers a unique combination of challenging modalities and focuses on safe technique and physiological function to improve overall strength and athletic ability. Be prepared to sweat as a family through speed, agility, quickness, core strength, body weight, and circuit drills incorporating equipment such as battle ropes, jump ropes, TRX suspension trainer, plyo boxes, kettle bells, medicine balls, and free weights. Exercises, weights, and challenges are family friendly and safe for all Youth & Adult members.
UFC GYM Boston Financial District, located in the Financial District, offers classes for every fitness level. Whatever your fitness goals are: lose weight, increase strength, sports conditioning, we have daily classes including boxing, kickboxing, functional training, youth programs, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & personal training to help you reach those goals.


text:
Summary Meeting Notes: August 29, 2012 Networks PEG
August 29, 2012 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
PEG Attendees: Aaron Brown; Ivy Dunlap; Mike Faha; Eric Hesse; Keith Liden; Linda Nettekoven; Gavin Prichard; Lidwien Rahman; Allan Schmidt; Irene Schwoeffermann; Chris Smith; Peter Stark; Jay Sugnet; Pia Welch; Courtney Duke; Jim Owens
Other Attendees: Radcliffe Decanay, Sara Schooley, Salim Mayberry, Jennifer Moore, Mary Vogel, Bill Beamer, April Bertelsen
Facilitator: Jim Owens
Key Points and Outcomes:
Presentations were made on local and regional demographics and on a framework for applying health equity criteria to transportation projects. Addressing service inequities inEast Portland and the placement of schools in relation to transportation services were identified as key issues that could be informed by additional demographic information. The health equity framework was seen as a model for assessing and prioritizing other network elements. Topics for consideration by the PEG, including those identified by BPS and by the PEG in prior meetings, were prioritized based upon the recognition that choices need to be made about where to focus the group's time over the next 8-9 months.
Introductions and June Meeting Summary
Presenter: Jim Owens, Facilitator
Summary: PEG members, staff and members of the audience were asked to introduce themselves. Other than a name spelling correction, there were no corrections or edits to the July 25 meeting summary.
Review of Schedule and Scope of Work
Presenter: Jim Owens, Facilitator
Summary: No conflicts between the September meeting date and Yom Kippur were identified. The group was reminded that the October meeting will be convened at 2:00 pm versus 3:00 pm to accommodate Halloween events. It was agreed to reschedule the December meeting; staff will doodle members for an alternative date. Jim advised the group to plan for longer meetings (3:00 - 5:30) as it addresses policy issues in more detail.
This is Portland Too – Local and Regional Demographics
Presenter: Radcliffe Decanay, BPS
Summary: Radcliffe provided an overview of the demographic information that the Bureau has been collecting to inform the Comprehensive Plan Update.
Discussion included:
- Graphical depictions of density differences across the City will be critical.
- How much of the demographic information is available at the neighborhood scale? Response: Some, but not all.
- How is the lack of transportation services inEast Portlandbeing addressed? Response: The Infrastructure Equity PEG is specifically addressing this. Also addressed in East Portland Action Plan,East Portlandin Motion, and various other City and Metro initiatives.
- Has median age been mapped; has there been any visual depiction of the aging of the population across the city and region? Response: This can be provided.
- Mapping of the placement of schools in proximity to transportation services is needed.
It was agreed that PEG members will forward requests for additional demographic information to Courtney or Jim.
Meeting Handouts and Presentations:
- PowerPoint Presentation: This is Portland Too – Local and Regional Demographics
Health Equity Framework
Presenter: Sara Schooley, PBOT
Summary: Sara described the process to develop a framework for applying health equity criteria to prioritization of transportation projects as part of the Transportation System Plan update. PEG members identified the framework as a model to be used in assessing other aspects of their Networks agenda. Discussion included ensuring that the framework does not directly or indirectly identify freight movement only as a negative factor; the benefits for freight movement from a health perspective need to be recognized.
Meeting Handouts and Presentations:
Prioritization of Major Policy/Work Plan Choices
Presenter: Jim Owens, Facilitator
Summary: Jim led the group through an exercise to prioritize among the policy topics identified by BPS staff at the last PEG meeting and those additional topics identified by PEG members in previous meetings. The two sets of topics were separately prioritized; those topics identified by PEG members that BPS plans to include as part of other discussions were intentionally not prioritized.
Policy Topics Identified by Staff (Votes identifying topic as high priority)
- Access to nature, building green networks (9)
- Measuring transportation services (10)
- Green transportation hierarchy
- Mode prioritization and mode split targets
- Level of service policy
- Integrate Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030 (6)
- Role of streetcar and frequent / enhanced bus (5)
- Maintaining freight access (7)
- Local street improvements policy (10)
- Trails, reconcile Parks and PBOT recreational trail maps and programs (9)
- Safe Routes to Schools (4)
- Relationship of growth management plans relate to transportation goals, plans (4)
- Incorporate "Health Equity" work (7)
Policy Topics Identified by PEG (Votes identifying topic as high priority)
- Waterway commuter system (1)
- Off-street parking, recognizing that this is a major topic for Neighborhood Centers PEG (2)
- Parking generally, recognizing that this is a major topic for Neighborhood Centers PEG (1)
- Burying or capping I-5 on the eastside (1)
- High speed rail (2)
- Future of transportation - how networks might be different in 2035/ designing to meet a future vision now (4)
- Funding (8)
- Transparent system for financing improvements, recognizing the linkage to the funding discussion (4)
- Transportation portals in/out of the City -- controlling how they function through street classifications (3)
- Number/types of uses authorized within the public right-of-way (12)
Topics to be Addressed as Part of Other Discussions (Primary Topic)
- Freight mobility (Freight)
- Given transportation hierarchy, application of different street standards without changing the purpose of the street (Green/Active Hierarchy)
- Economic prosperity, recognizing that this is more than a freight issue (Freight and Integration)
- Bike Plan – conflicts with street classifications, parking standards, and loading/offloading (Bike Plan)
- De-silo the treatment of transportation among agencies (Integration)
- Water treatment as part of the networks hierarchy (Green Infrastructure)
- Application of a networks hierarchy needs to the specific situation (Green/Active Hierarchy)
- Sustainable freight policy (Freight)
- Avoiding partial improvements (Street Frontage Approach)
- Options for integrating Bike Plan (Bike Plan)
- Role of state highways (Integration)
- LOS – how to address other modes; performance measures that are not mode specific; other policy dimensions (LOS)
- Role of corridors that go through districts rather than stop at districts; streets that serve wide variety of districts (Green/Active Hierarchy)
- Project selection criteria (Green/Active Hierarchy)
- Separation of systems as needed (Green/Active Hierarchy)
- Transportation equity vis-à-vis specific geographic areas, e.g. employment zones (All Topics)
- Designing trails based on function (Trails)
- Illumination, ADA, other features that facilitate use of trails (Trails)
- Changes in uses of trails over time (Trails)
- Policies that support well-designed trails vis-à-vis amenities, etc. (Trails)
- Rail - Accommodating expanding use; addressing effects (Freight)
Discussion included:
- Should the Fire Bureau be represented on the PEG?
- What level of detail will the topics identified for other forms, including by other PEGs, be addressed?
- Is the PEG limited to policy-level discussions or is it developing the details of the TSP?
Meeting Handouts and Presentations:
- Handout: Topics for Consideration
Public Comment
One comment was forwarded through a PEG member by an individual who left before the public comment period:
- What community input was solicited in development of the Health Equity Framework?
For more information, please contact either Courtney Duke, PBOT at 503-823-7265 or firstname.lastname@example.com or Jim Owens, Facilitator at 503-278-3452 or email@example.com.


text:
Diversity, inclusion analysis shows University-wide progress
Diversity, inclusion analysis shows University-wide progress
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Results from an unprecedented, self-driven assessment of Penn State's diversity and inclusion efforts ranked the University among the top 20 higher education institutions in the nation.
Penn State is "definitely at the high end of its peers" in terms of the University's diversity master plan and its organizational capacity, effectiveness and impact, said Rona Halualani, principal and founder of research/analytics firm Halualani & Associates. Halualani, whose firm conducted the exhaustive University-wide analysis over the past year, also noted that Penn State still has work to do, like many other institutions across the country.
"Penn State has a robust, vibrant, impressive diversity and inclusion infrastructure as well as a strategic framework and a process for that, and in my opinion, is a standout model, but there also are avenues for further growth," said Halualani, an academic researcher in intercultural communication and diversity.
"The report shows that we're a leader among higher education institutions in diversity and inclusion initiatives, but that doesn't mean any of us are where we need to be."
— Terrell Jones, vice provost for Educational Equity
The analysis was based on data reports and a campus visit in spring 2013, the midpoint of the third iteration of the University's diversity strategic plan, "A Framework to Foster Diversity at Penn State: 2010-15." The Framework was first implemented in 1998 and is based on seven consistent fundamental Challenges.
The firm studied more than 3,000 pages of documentation across 43 colleges, campuses and units, and conducted a two-day site visit in February. Halualani shared its findings on Dec. 2 during a workshop presented by the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity and the Office of Planning and Institutional Assessment and held at University Park, with 13 other University locations participating via videoconference.
The report's comparative content is based on the firm's diversity database of about 7,500 U.S. institutions. The first-of-its-kind database, called Atlas, analyzes an expansive amount of data through more than 70 different diversity and inclusion categories and dimensions to give a holistic picture of college and university environments and initiatives.
Halualani found that Penn State ranks in the top four in comparison to peer institutions for diverse undergraduate student enrollment, diverse student graduation rates and new minority faculty hire numbers. She added that the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity leads one of the top 10 diversity strategic planning frameworks in the country, and also stands out as one of the few offices nationwide that focuses on diversity achievement outcomes and impact.
"The report shows that we're a leader among higher education institutions in diversity and inclusion initiatives, but that doesn't mean any of us are where we need to be," said Terrell Jones, vice provost for Educational Equity. "Now we need to push beyond our goals with increased emphasis on assessing outcomes and impact. We've already turned the corner to start heading in that direction."
"Penn State is right around the corner from transformational achievements, and to be a national model is the next step up."
— Rona Halualani, academic researcher in intercultural communication and diversity
Halualani pointed to areas on which the University should continue to work, including:
— Better measurement of diversity outcomes and impact;
— Shaping groundbreaking curricular components that infuse diversity, intercultural relations and intercultural/global competencies;
— Creating interdisciplinary alliances around diversity and inclusion;
— Employing new tactics for diversifying faculty and staff;
— Encouraging collective responsibility and participation; and
— Integrating diversity and inclusion in everyday work across University units and campuses.
"Penn State has an assessment structure in place and a process, and it's leaps ahead of other universities, but it's about closing that loop where you are able to identify the impact," she said. "Penn State is right around the corner from transformational achievements, and to be a national model is the next step up."
Halualani pointed to membership structures on review panels, necessary committees and councils, and different levels of University-wide diversity initiative participation as signs of structural diversity integration at Penn State.
Noting the University's consistency in its diversity strategic planning and goal setting since 1998, Halualani added, "What stands out for me compared to other institutions is that this is not something new at Penn State. There's a historical foundation that has been set. There's a continuity, and that's what I really appreciate. Some universities would say, 'We've done this and this and this, we're done, we're going to do six or seven new ones,' and Penn State hasn't. That continuity for me is key."
Penn State leaders see the potential as well and are looking to continue and expand that consistency.
"Our goal is to have diversity and inclusion initiatives institutionalized so that they aren't dependent on leadership and budgetary changes," said Victoria Sanchez, assistant vice provost for Educational Equity. "We want to make the goals deeply integrated so that they will endure."
In addition to studying where Penn State was positioned nationally, Halualani & Associates benchmarked the University against 10 of its institutional peers, including several Big Ten schools, universities such as Princeton and Cornell that are working on innovative diversity initiatives, and other universities like Auburn that have visited Penn State as a diversity example institution.
Halualani said that, unfortunately, the national higher education outlook isn't as positive as the initiatives she sees at Penn State.
"The integration of diversity depends on the structure set up at a university, and it's still really a new frontier, even though diversity and inclusion work has been around since the '70s and '80s," Halualani said. "It's something that is hard to establish because it requires the participation of all campus members and leaders. This is all new, innovative work in higher ed."
Halualani, a faculty expert in institutional planning, inclusive excellence and intercultural communication at San Jose State University, previously served in the capacity of its chief diversity officer. She has completed diversity and inclusion assessments at more than 50 colleges and universities.
The Halualani & Associates report and a video of her presentation can be found on the Office of the Vice Provosts for Educational Equity's website.
In October, Penn State was selected as a recipient of the 2013 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award by INSIGHT into Diversity magazine. The University was one of 56 higher education institutions in the nation to be recognized for exceptional having strategies and programs in place to help achieve diversity and inclusion across campus.
Assistant Vice Provost for Educational Equity Victoria Sanchez introduces a workshop about Penn State's diversity and inclusion efforts. Results from an unprecedented, self-driven assessment of Penn State's diversity and inclusion efforts ranked the University among the top 20 higher education institutions in the nation.


text:
'House Of Cards' In 4K Will Eat Broadband Caps Like Popcorn Shrimp
from the pricing-innovation deptAfter years of pretending that broadband usage caps were necessary because of network congestion, the cable industry not all that long ago admitted that congestion had nothing to do with it. While the industry still pretends that usage caps on broadband networks are about their expression of "creativity" and "pricing innovation," most people realize caps were always designed to milk yet more money out of an already profitable network (and make no mistake, unlimited, flat-rate pricing is profitable), while allowing gatekeepers to simultaneously cash in on and inhibit Internet video. Carriers are relentlessly trying to expand usage caps under the banner of "fairness," and they're aided by an uncompetitive broadband market.
Despite claims that imposing caps is about altruism or even helping grandmothers, most consumers understand that ISPs want them to pay more money for the same product at a time when network hardware and bandwidth costs are falling. Generally, ISPs that do impose caps insist that these caps will be flexible as modern usage evolves. That claim is about to get tested more seriously as next-generation game console downloads and 4K video slowly come to market.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings not that long ago stated the company's planned 4K streams will need at least 15 Mbps but optimally 50 Mbps. Streaming a 1080p 3D movie from Netflix at the moment eats around 4 to 5 GB per hour, a total that could jump to closer to 20 to 30 GB per hour with 4K video. Similarly, Sony is cooking up a 4K video download service that could involve downloads as high as 100 GB per title. It's a subject getting revisited with everybody binge-watching "House of Cards." Tacking 4K video on to existing bandwidth consumption begins to get very bandwidth intensive when you're talking about entire series at 4K resolution (how much modern compression codecs like Google's VP9 or H.265 will help are very rough estimates):
"Streaming in 1080p on Netflix takes up 4.7GB/hour. So a regular one-hour episode of something debiting less than 5GB from your allotment is no big deal. However, with 4K, you've got quadruple the pixel count, so you're burning through 18.8GB/hour. Even if you're streaming with the new h.265 codec—which cuts the bit rate by about half, but still hasn't found its way into many consumer products—you're still looking at 7GB/hour. But you're not watching just one episode, are you? Of course not! You're binging on House of Cards, watching the whole series if not in one weekend then certainly in one month. That's 639 minutes of top-quality TV, which in 4K tallies up to 75GB if you're using the latest and greatest codec, and nearly 200GB if not. That means, best case scenario, a quarter of your cap—a third, if you're a U-Verse customer with a 250GB cap—spent on one television show. Throw in a normal month's internet usage, and you're toast."Gizmodo doesn't note that many people's bandwidth caps are even lower. CenturyLink, Suddenlink and AT&T lay claim to tens of millions of DSL users (which the companies don't intend to upgrade anytime soon) who face 150 GB monthly caps on top of a significant flat monthly fee -- plus sometimes the cost of a mandatory copper voice line and all the additional, annoying fees that entails. Those slower, 3-10 Mbps connections in reality cost very little to provision and provide, but there's the rub: these customers are being aggressively beaten about the head and neck on price because of limited nationwide competition. Innovation and creative pricing, indeed.
ISPs have long defended low bandwidth caps by claiming that the majority of today's users wouldn't be impacted by them, knowing full well that the majority of tomorrow's users would. That day is coming quicker than you'd think, and it's worth watching whether ISPs are flexible on allotments, or if they keep existing allotments firmly in place to intentionally clothesline Internet video customers -- especially those looking to cut the cord.
Filed Under: 4k, broadband, house of cards, reed hastings
Companies: netflix


text:
And like a familiar tide, I find myself being pulled back out to the blogging sea, adrift on my annoyance and frustration.
I had planned to write a full summation of Mists of Pandaria thus far, but I've been having too much fun actually playing it to sit down and blog. It's been really intense to like an expansion so much that I rarely have time for other things, but there you have it. However, as you may have guessed, the new content is not without its problems. The specter of something sinister was already there waiting to greet me as I hit the shores of this new continent.
That something is sexism and rape culture.
It sucks, let me tell you. I'm really having fun and enjoying myself for the first time in a while and I hate myself for seeing this stuff. However, I hate it more for being there. It shouldn't be. I shouldn't have to be reminded of the real world, of the grotesque behavior of people, when I want to escape to the bright world of Pandaren and farming and oooh shiny. But unfortunately game developers are still dudes. They still add stuff like this without realizing that this hurts people or how it might come off. Much like Ji Firepaw, I suspect this is a decision to include things that developers see as "normal" — this only enforces my opinion that this stuff exists for many people as something humorous or positive. Maybe I'm giving them too much credit to say that this is unintentional. Maybe it is just a lie I want to believe more than the alternative.
When I was questing to 90 on my main, one of the first zones I really got into was Valley of the Four Winds. The serene music, the lightly falling rains on a verdant farmland looked like it was ripped straight out of a Miyazaki film. But one of the quests early on set the alarm bells a-ringing – The Farmer's Daughter. Cuppy over at Borderhouse Blog went over this quest's problematic elements in great detail, which is one of the reasons I felt like writing my own post. Mina having to dance with her furry feet while virmen pelted her with carrots may seem really lighthearted, but much like some of the other things I found later on in the game, it is floated really heavily on an entire set of stories and cultural touchstones that bother me. The idea of a farmer's daughter (which was mentioned as being a common joke/trope) being kidnapped by sentient rabbit creatures (the mobs are called oglers, for fuck's sake) to amuse them is weird. It obviously distressed Mina and so I find myself distressed as well. But I brushed it aside because I'm used to doing that. The first thing that anyone tells you when you speak up about something being sexist or part of rape culture is that "you are seeing things that aren't there." So I kept on questing (but not without taking a screenshot, incidentally.)
I got into farming at Halfhill in a really bad way. One of the dailies that you do at level 90 for Gina Mudclaw (a relative of Mina, incidentally) is called "Money Matters." It is pretty obvious to anyone who spends any amount of time in the Heartland that the Mudclaws are a family that run the entire place. They have powerful positions on the Tillers in terms of voting (Gina and Haohan respectively comprise two of the five votes you need to enter your farm) and Gina herself runs the market as both the quartermaster and coinkeeper. She has a lot of prestige and money. This money gets loaned out (without the vig, even!) to various townspeople, and gets collected by you, the hired muscle. The quest has a circulating batch of responses from all of the debtors – some days they pay up, some days they do not. On the days they do not, you are given the option to either pay their debts for them (usually 1G) or beat them up. The first couple of times I did the quest, I paid for people because I felt sympathetic. I wasn't really reading many of the responses people give, which are sometimes downright obnoxious about Gina. However, it is Spicemaster Jin Jao that takes the grossness cake.
"Gina? That girl down in the marketplace? Hah!
Tell that pretty little thing to come collect the money personally. I'm sure she and I can come to some sort of… agreement."
His attitude and his desire to rectify his debts with sexual favors made my skin crawl. Despite the fact he owes her money, he still treats her like a frivolous child, but a woman he's still attracted to and feels that he can "pay back" with sex because he desires her. Her money nor her power or agency are not even a concern here. It's weird as hell. This one little thing really rubbed me the wrong way. Needless to say the only recourse I had for this was threatening him with violence.
However, that shouldn't even be in the game in my opinion. Sexist crap shouldn't be a short-hand (as someone people have argued with me) for "bad character." You can show evilness or flaws without falling back on gross attitudes that women have to deal with in real life. Someone like Garrosh comes to mind in this instance — they are already priming him for loot pinata status by making him a fascist dictator but his part in Tides of War as sexist scumbag was so fucking awful. When he backhanded only Kelantir Bloodblade (the only major female Horde presence in the book, I might add) or referred to Jaina as "that Proudmoore bitch," I winced. It isn't sexism to make a point, it is sexism because that's what you know as a writer or a designer to indicate certain things about someone. Very often, it isn't even to indicate bad things. It just exists there because it is normal and natural for you. Garrosh might be getting painted as a super-bad character (because sexism is that last great bastion of evilness, apparently) but people like Spicemaster Jin Jao? Oh, that's part of a natural stack of responses to a woman asking you for her money back.
My question is why it has to be there at all? Why do we have to use things that make us as woman players feel uncomfortable and reminded of real life in order to strew character development here and there? Why do characters in a video game have to participate in the same shit some of us deal with every day?
One of the final things (so far) that really bothered me was brought up to me by a guildmate. She was doing Golden Lotus dailies and got to the single-time quest that you do when you get to Honored. The quest called "The Secrets of Guo-Lai" and has you entering the Guo-Lai halls with He Softfoot (the worst rogue in the world) in order to find out what the Mogu are planning in Vale. He inevitably gets caught by Zhao-Jin the Bloodletter, who starts crushing the life out of him by a Jade Statue proxy. The quest has you futilely trying to save your friend but you end up both caught.
Zhao-Jin the Bloodletter says: How noble, rescuing your friend from certain death…
Zhao-Jin the Bloodletter yells: …and all for nothing. Take them!
The adventurer and He are both trapped in nets.
Zhao-Jin the Bloodletter says: Your struggle is pointless.
Zhao-Jin the Bloodletter says: You are ignorant to the powerful secrets contained within this vale. I will take them, and then I will destroy all of your kind.
Zhao-Jin the Bloodletter says: Throw these prisoners in the cages. Let the men have their way with them.
— source, last emphasis in red is mine
I feel like Fox Mulder when I say that "I want to believe." I want to believe that the quest designers forgot that the most common insinuation with "have your way with someone" is rape. Granted, it gets prettier terms like "ravaging" or "ravishing" but let's get down to brass tacks, it means rape. It is never consensual. I want to believe that meant that the Mogu were just going to beat you and He up or feed you to a pack of quillen or something. However, as a woman, this quest chilled me a lot. It bothered quite a few women in my guild and for good reason. It's a pretty accurate portrayal of stuff that's happened to women in both our fictional worlds and even real worlds. Get taken prisoner, get put in a cage, be left to get raped by your captors. This stuff isn't the fancy of someone's imagination, it is stuff that's happened to real people. This is why it bothers me so much to have it turn up in my video game. Yes, I get that it is a war game. Warcraft is chock-full of rape if you look close enough at the dragonflights, at Draenei/orc relations. But to have it be a part of the player's own peril just brings it a step too close for me.
The fact that it came up in an interview with Dave Kosak goes to show that Blizzard feels that this is a part of their storytelling, their quest design. And the fact that I keep finding it turn up in unexpected places goes to show that sexism and rape culture is alive and well even in this new continent of Pandaria. It bothers me wholeheartedly that I have to put up with this in my video games, even in one that has been making strides including more varied and strong women in their quests. So I'll keep being bothered and talking about it. I hope that Blizzard, like with Ji Firepaw, realizes how much it affects their player-base and moves away from it. I don't want to deal with it anymore.