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The Steelers have 10 players left from the 2004 duel in Dallas: Ben Roethlisberger, Max Starks, Brett Keisel, Casey Hampton, Larry Foote, James Harrison, Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu, Charlie Batch, and Plaxico Burress. The Cowboys only have 2: Jason Witten and Tony Romo.
The Steelers have 4 coaches left from the 2004 duel in Dallas: defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, tight ends coach, James Daniel, defensive line coach John Mitchell, and linebackers coach Keith Butler. The Cowboys have no one. In fact, Todd Haley, who was the Cowboys receivers coach at the time, is now the offensive coordinator with Pittsburgh.
The last time the Cowboys faced two AFC opponents in December was in 2008 when the Cowboys traveled to Pittsburgh on 12/7/08 and faced the Ravens in Dallas on 12/20/12.
The Steelers are the first AFC team since the Kansas City Chiefs ('98, '05) to have faced the Cowboys in consecutive Decembers ('08, '12).
The Steelers are the only team the Cowboys have played a regular season game against in the month of August. The Cowboys opened up in Pittsburgh on 8/31/97 and beat the Steelers 37-7.
Cowboys Stadium is the third Metroplex venue in which the Steelers have played. They won in the Cotton Bowl 35-28 on 9/24/60 and lost in Texas Stadium 13-17 on 10/8/72.
An average Steelers frontrunner will remind you that the Steelers lead in Super Bowl wins with 6. However, the Steelers and Cowboys are tied for most appearances with 8 each, and tied for most postseason wins with 33 each.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys both have Catholic references in two of their memorable playoff wins: The Immaculate Reception (1972 AFC Divisional Playoffs) and the Hail Mary (1975 NFC Divisional Playoffs). Interestingly enough, the two teams that lost those games, the Raiders and Vikings, ended up facing each other in Super Bowl XI.
The Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers were once division rivals from 1961 to 1966 in the old NFL Eastern Conference with the division series standing at 6-6. The Steelers swept the Cowboys in '63 and the Cowboys swept the Steelers in '66.
The Dallas Cowboys' first ever game was a 28-35 loss to Bobby Layne and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Cotton Bowl on 9/24/60, a Saturday game.
The Cowboys earned their first franchise victory on 9/17/61 against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Cotton Bowl.
Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau are each 0-1 against the Cowboys as head coaches. However, Haley is 1-0 against the Cowboys as an offensive coordinator and Dick LeBeau is 5-1 against the Cowboys as a defensive coordinator.
Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Todd Haley's father is George "Dick" Haley, who was the Steelers' Director of Player Personnel from '71 to '90.
Dick LeBeau was the Steelers' defensive coordinator in Super Bowl XXX when the Cowboys beat the Steelers 27-17.
On 12/11/60, Dick LeBeau picked off Cowboys quarterback Eddie LeBaron in the Detroit Lions' 23-14 win over the expansion franchise.
Dick LeBeau's only playoff game came against the Dallas Cowboys in the Cotton Bowl, where the Cowboys prevailed 5-0 to advance to the first ever NFC Championship game in 1970.
In Cincinnati, the Dallas Cowboys faced old defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. This week, they are facing their former "passing game coordinator" in Todd Haley. The last time the Dallas Cowboys faced a former defensive coordinator and then a former offensive coordinator was in 1999 when the Cowboys played the Miami Dolphins defensively coordinated by Dave Wannstedt only to face the New England Patriots the next week offensively coordinated by Ernie Zampese.
The Dallas Cowboys have been defeated by each of their Modern Era NFC East rivals, while the Pittsburgh Steelers have never lost to their AFC Central/North rivals. Only when the Jaguars and Titans left the AFC Central to go to the AFC South did those former AFC Central teams defeat Pittsburgh in the playoffs.
By the time the NFL-AFL Merger was complete in 1970, the ten year-old Dallas Cowboys played in five postseason games, two NFL title games, and had one playoff win compared to the 37 year-old Pittsburgh Steelers who only had one playoff game to show for it.
The last time the Dallas Cowboys beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dallas was on Thanksgiving Day 1991 when Michael Irvin had 8 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown in Dallas' 20-10 victory.
The Dallas Cowboys are 3-2 in December against the Pittsburgh Steelers:
1963 (DAL): 24-19 Steelers
1964 (DAL): 17-14 Cowboys
1968 (DAL): 28-7 Cowboys
1969 (PIT): 10-7 Cowboys
2008 (PIT): 20-13 Steelers
The Steelers have played in four venues in Pittsburgh: Forbes Field ('33-'63), Pitt Stadium ('58-'69), Three Rivers Stadium ('70-'00), and Heinz Field ('01-present). Here's the Cowboys' record in all four venues:
Forbes Field: 0-3
Pitt Stadium: 3-2
Three Rivers Stadium: 2-3
Heinz Field: 0-1
The Steelers played in Cowboys Stadium in Super Bowl XLV without having yet faced the home team. This has never happened, because they faced the Saints prior to playing in Tulane Stadium for Super Bowl IX, the Dolphins before playing in Super Bowls X and XIII, and the Rams before playing near Los Angeles in Super Bowl XIV.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of two teams to have claimed Comiskey Park as a home venue. The other team was the Chicago Cardinals.
The Steelers have the NFL's second-longest streak of having an African American quarterback on their roster:
Kordell Stewart: 1996-2002
Charlie Batch: 2002-present
Byron Leftwich: 2008, 2010-present
The Eagles have the longest going back to 1985, while the Minnesota Vikings have the third-longest going back to 1997. The Steelers are the only team Randall Cunningham did not begin that streak with.
Jason Garrett coached against the Steelers only once before as the Dolphins quarterbacks coach in Week 1 of 2006. Miami quarterback Daunte Culpepper went 18/37 for 262 and 2 INT's.
Jason Garrett was born in Abington, Pennsylvania. He joins Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells as the only Cowboys head coaches to have coached against two teams playing in the state of his birth.
Last year, against the AFC East, Jason Garrett went 2-2, winning two games at home. This season, Jason Garrett is 2-1 having won one game on the road.
Jason Garrett currently has a 5-5 December record, which ties for the franchise's second-best. Here's how Cowboys head coaches compared after their first 10 December games (Chan Gailey only coached in 8 total):
Tom Landry: 1-8-1
Jimmy Johnson: 4-6
Barry Switzer: 6-4
Dave Campo: 4-6
Bill Parcells: 5-5
Wade Phillips: 3-7
Jason Garrett is now 20-17 in his first 37 games. By the time Mike Tomlin had coached in 37 games, he was 25-12 with two playoff appearances, two playoff wins, and a Super Bowl victory.
Jason Garrett and Mike Tomlin were both members of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004 when Garrett backed up Brad Johnson and Tomlin coached the defensive backs.
Going back to 1970, the Dallas Cowboys have faced only 3 Steelers head coaches: Noll, Cowher, and Tomlin. The only two teams that come close are the Broncos and Dolphins who have each trotted out 5 different head coaches against Dallas in the same span.
Since 1960, the Steelers have had 6 head coaches compared to the Cowboys' 8. Frontrunners and bandwagon riders cite this as evidence of the Steelers being a great franchise and the Rooneys being a great family. But consider this: from 1933 to 1960, Art Rooney's Steelers had 14 head coaches. Only the Bidwill's Cardinals had a worse track record with 15 head coaches in the same span. A Steelers' head coach could expect to stay 1.9 seasons before being canned.
Here's the Steelers head coaching records against Dallas, including postseason:
Buddy Parker: 6-3
Mike Nixon: 1-1
Bill Austin: 0-4
Noll: 6-4
Cowher: 1-3
Tomlin: 1-0
Not counting division games, the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of 5 teams that Tony Romo has lost his initial encounter with and had a chance to rematch (NO, Det, NE, Pit, Bal). In rematch games, the only teams Romo has lost to have been AFC teams (NE & Det).
Tony Romo is 3-2 in third December games. His stats are 104/174 for 1,305 yards, 8 touchdowns, 6 INT's, and an 84.1 passer rating.
Romo's interception to Reggie Nelson last week in Cincinnati was Romo's first interception since 12/27/07 against the Washington Redskins.
Here's how Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks have performed against the Pittsburgh Steelers, including postseason:
Don Meredith: 6-4
Eddie LeBaron: 0-2
John Roach: 0-1
Craig Morton: 2-0
Roger Staubach: 0-4
Danny White: 1-1
Steve Pelluer: 0-1
Steve Beuerlein: 1-0
Troy Aikman: 3-0
Vinny Testaverde: 0-1
Tony Romo: 0-1
Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman are the only Cowboys quarterbacks who faced the Steelers in the Super Bowl. They are also the only Cowboys quarterbacks who faced the Steelers exclusively in Three Rivers Stadium in the regular season.
Aside from Super Bowl XXX, Troy Aikman only played twice against the Steelers in Pittsburgh and each time was on Opening Day.
Here's how other Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks' records in their third December games (playoffs where applicable):
Don Meredith: 3-2
Roger Staubach: 6-1
Danny White: 3-3
Troy Aikman: 4-5
Ben Roethlisberger is 2-0 against the Cowboys. Here's how other Steelers quarterbacks have compared:
Bobby Layne: 2-2
Rudy Bukich: 1-0
Ed Brown: 3-1
Bill Nelsen: 1-1
George Izo: 0-1
Ron Smith: 0-1
Kent Nix: 0-1
Dick Shiner: 0-1
Terry Hanratty: 0-1
Terry Bradshaw: 5-1
Mark Malone: 0-1
Bubby Brister: 1-0
Neil O'Donnell: 0-3
Kordell Stewart: 0-1
Ben Roethlisberger: 1-0
Including division games, the Dallas Cowboys are one of 8 teams that Ben Roethlisberger has faced at least three times and won the first two encounters (Cin, Cle, Hou, Mia, NYJ, Sea, Was, Dal). Only the Jets and the Texans have defeated Roethlisberger in that third encounter, and they each did it in their respective home stadiums.
Ben Roethlisberger is 2-1 in the state of Texas. His lone loss came at the Texans last season 17-10.
Ben Roethlisberger is the 5th first round quarterback the Steelers have taken since 1953. The others were Ted Marchibroda (1953), Len Dawson (1957), Terry Bradshaw (1970), and Mark Malone (1980).
In the month of December, Ben Roethlisberger is 23-10. He is 597/971 for 7,890, 47 touchdowns, 26 INT's, and a 92.2 passer rating.
Ben Roethlisberger has a 24-6 record against the NFC. The only teams he's lost to are the Giants, Eagles, Falcons, Cardinals, 49ers, and Bears. The Giants were the only NFC team to beat him in Pittsburgh.
With last week's loss against the Chargers, Ben Roethlisberger is currently on a two-game losing skid in December for his career (last loss: 12/19/11 at San Fransisco).
This is the fourth time since Super Bowl X in January 1976 that the Cowboys have played the Steelers on CBS.
This is only the second time the Steelers have played the Cowboys on CBS since gained the AFC package in 1998. Only the Jaguars ('00, '02, '10) and Dolphins ('99, '03, '11) have faced Dallas on CBS the most times.
In the Landry era, the Cowboys could only win their Super Bowls when broadcast by CBS (Super Bowls VI and XII). The Steelers are the only team to have beaten the Cowboys in a CBS-broadcasted Super Bowl (Super Bowl X).
The last time the Steelers played the Cowboys on CBS was on 10/17/04 when rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger led Pittsburgh to a 24-20 fourth quarter comeback, the first of his career.
This will be Jim Nantz and Phil Simms' first Cowboys game to call for the season. The Cowboys' record with Nantz and Simms' calling the action is 9-5.
The last time Jim Nantz and Phil Simms called a Cowboys game was Thanksgiving Day 2011 when the Cowboys edged the Dolphins 20-19.
Since 1972, the Cowboys have played 5 early games, 4 late games, 1 Monday night game, and 1 Thanksgiving game against the Steelers. They are 3-2 in early games, 1-3 in late games, 0-1 on Monday night, and 1-0 on Thanksgiving.
This is the first December game that the Cowboys have played on CBS since 12/13/09 when the San Diego Chargers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 20-17. Jim Nantz and Phil Simms called that match.
Last week, the Cowboys faced Marvin Lewis, who coached linebackers under defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau in Pittsburgh in 1995. The last time the Cowboys faced an "apprentice" and then the "master" the following week was in 2008 when the Cowboys faced John Harbaugh's Ravens and then Andy Reid's Eagles.
The Dallas Cowboys have been 7-6 only thrice in their history: 1986, 1999, and 2011. Only once did they make the playoffs. If the Dallas Cowboys fell to 7-6, as they did in '86 and '11, they failed to qualify. If they improved to 7-6, as they did in 1999, then they made the playoffs.
The AFC is currently 3-4 in Cowboys Stadium, with the AFC being on a three-game losing streak.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had three different head coaches for all eight Super Bowl appearances. But they have only had two different defensive coordinators for all eight appearances: Woody Widenhofer and Dick LeBeau.
In each of his three seasons with Dallas, Shaun Suisham missed at least one field goal (2005: 3/4; 2006: 1/2; 2009: 2/3).
Since 2011, Shaun Suisham is 47/56 (83.9%) while Dan Bailey is 57/64 (89.1%).
The Dallas Cowboys are 3-4 on 12/16. Perhaps the most memorable game played on this date was Roger Staubach's last regular season game where he led the Cowboys on double-comebacks to best the Redskins and take the NFC East and home field advantage:
1990: Cardinals – 41-10, W
1973: @Cardinals – 30-3, W
Sunday's game does not bode well for the Cowboys when taking into account the moon phases. The Cowboys are 0-2 on 12/16 under new moons, and Sunday's game will be played under a new moon. Here's how Dallas has done during the other phases on 12/16:
New Moon: 0-2
First Quarter: N/A
Full Moon: 0-2
Last Quarter: 3-0
Because the Steelers are like the Packers and Cowboys in their national following, they are susceptible to getting obnoxious bandwagon riders. Here's one way to root them out: ask them who has the only retired number in Steelers' history. Naturally, answers containing Terry Bradshaw and Joe Greene will be common, but the shibboleth is when they answer with Ernie Stauter, whose #70 has been retired with the Steelers since 1964. For Cowboys fans, this should be an easy fact to remember since Ernie Stautner coached with Tom Landry from 1966-88.
Special Thanks to assistant Brady Miller who helped in the assembly of this week's photos.
Tags: Dallas Cowboys Dick LeBeau Jason Garrett Pittsburgh Steelers The Landry Hat


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Hellenic Seaplanes S.A., a new airline set to start flying tourists between Greek islands this summer, forecasts that sea-based commercial carriers could generate 1 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in annual revenue as European travelers return to a country emerging from recession.
Netgear Inc.'s victory over patent- infringement claims by Fujitsu Ltd. and LG Electronics Inc. was upheld by a U.S. appeals court, while some allegations by Royal Philips Electronics NV were allowed to proceed.
Outside New York's Winter Garden Theatre, where "Mamma Mia" is nearing the end of a 13-year Broadway run, unwitting tourists board a bus bearing the name of a company U.S. regulators tried to close two years ago.
Toronto, host to this weekend's Group of 20 summit, is preparing for an invasion of world leaders, police and protesters by shutting its doors.
The members of Swedish pop group ABBA are back together for good. Dressed in their 1970s finest, they belt out the hits: "Dancing Queen," "Mamma Mia," "Waterloo."
"Avatar," James Cameron's 3-D blockbuster, helped push U.K. box office last year to a record 944 million pounds ($1.4 billion), the U.K. Film Council said.
The Daily Bugle newspaper continues to founder along with Peter Parker and his alter ego.
It's lunchtime on opening day at Polpetto and the small eatery in London's Soho is almost full.
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP hired two U.S. government general counsels, Dan Berkovitz from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Mark Cahn from the Securities and Exchange Commission, to the firm's securities department in Washington.
The lacquered hair, the stern look, the commanding voice: Meryl Streep does a splendid impersonation of Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady."

subset: commoncrawl


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Slovakia has earned its rightful spot as part of hockey's big seven, albeit the nation is currently the runt of international rink litters and far from being top dog.
But never make the mistake of thinking this proud hockey nation's bark is bigger than its bite. Led by the sniping skills of Marian Hossa and Marian Gaborik, backstopped by a much-improved Jaroslav Halak and with blue line beast Zdeno Chara easily tossing aside any player who dares to crash the net, Slovakia could well chomp into an Olympic medal.
Ranked tenth on the IIHF's list heading into the Vancouver games, Slovakia's best shot at a medal was slated to come from the the twin Marians, Hossa and Gaborik. Hossa might end up an Olympic singleton. During practice with the New York Rangers on February 9th, Gaborik tried to jump over goalie Henrik Lundqvist in a one-on-one drill only to end up with a lacerated leg. He sat out Wednesday's game and only managed 4:02 TOI in Friday's game versus Pittsburgh. Gaborik will likely sit out Sunday's game against Tampa Bay so that the 21 stitches in his leg heal up in time for Slovakia's game against the Czech Republic.
If Gaborik misses even a few games, the Slovaks will be hard pressed to replace his scoring touch – 35G, 34A in 58 NHL games. Marcel Hossa's 32 goals for Dynamo Riga tops all other scorers in the KHL; compatriot Jozef Stumpel's 37 assists are tied for second behind Alexei Yashin and Branko Radivojevic is a respectable eighth with 34 helpers. Slovak stalwart Zigmund Palffy leads the Slovak Extraliga in both points (53) and assists (36) but that's the extent of the forward scoring threat.
Team Slovakia's NHL forwards aside from Gaborik and Hossa, have collectively tallied 54 points, a far cry from the 89 that Russia's Alexander Ovechkin has racked up.
Luckily that's where the rearguards become front and centre. Slovakia's blueliners have a knack for playmaking and leading the rush. Zdeno Chara and Lubomir Visnovsky's combined 66 points are 12 more than what forwards Michal Handzus, Tomas Kopecky , Miroslav Satan and Pavol Demitra have mustered to date.
Slovakia's biggest question mark was goaltending but Jaroslav Halak has steadily improved this season. The Montreal Canadiens netminder's .923 SV% ranks him higher than Roberto Luongo and Henrik Lundqvist. Make no mistake that Halak is more than capable of stealing a game here and there, and in short tournaments, sometimes one thieving glove hand is swift enough to steal a medal.
The team's biggest advantage heading into the Games is health. Other than Gaborik, no players have admitted to injuries.
This Central European nation has seen its fair share of ups and downs since achieving nationhood in 1993, the hockey high point being the 2002 World Hockey champions. Now if you're under the mistaken impression this small landlocked country is in Eastern Europe, any Slovak will promptly set you straight, politely pointing out their capital city of Bratislava is merely an hour away from Vienna.
Beyond statistics, a glance through the Slovak roster mirrors aspects of key national traits. Like the domineering Tatra Mountains, a massive and chiselled Zdeno Chara towers over all the players to surround him.
Perhaps no player embodies Slovak resilience quite like Richard Zednik. Just as Slovakia long suffered foreign knives carving it apart, the forward recovered from his gruesome skate to the neck injury incurred February 10, 2008. He returned to the Florida Panthers the following season before moving onto his current team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. His production has remained steady with 18 points in 35 games but the winger's biggest asset will be the proverbial intangibles he brings to the table.
Generations of Slovak men spent their lives toiling deep in the earth, digging deeper and deeper in their quest for coal. The modern day hockey equivalents will be mucking and grinding, digging deep into the offensive zone in their quest for gold, silver or bronze.


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Silvio Berlusconi
It seems the era of the Italian dinosaur playboy is well and truly over, as Silvio Berlusconi was sentenced to seven years in prison and a lifetime ban of holding public office, after being found guilty of having sex with an underage Moroccan girl, Karima El Mahroug (otherwise known as 'Ruby the Heart Stealer').
Though, it can hardly be said though that the former Italian prime minister didn't make a good go of it – media tycoon, three times elected prime minister and owner of AC Milan - throughout his career he could always be relied upon to say something indelicate. His bizarre humour and insults were always a source of international outcry.
So in honour of Il Cavaliere's insalubrious career, we take a look back at his most outrageous quotes…


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Character Award to Keith Springer
Keith Springer '69, of Fisher, Ill., has dedicated his life to serving others, both locally and around the globe. While studying mathematics and secondary education at Goshen College, Springer participated in basketball and baseball. He set career-scoring records for men's basketball, finishing with 1,531 points from 1965-69. Springer taught math and coached 9thgrade boys basketball at Concord Junior High School in Elkhart, Ind. from 1969-71.
In 1971, Springer and his wife, Kathy (Newcomer) Springer '71, served for two years at the American School of Brasilia in Brazil with the Mennonite Board of Missions (now Mennonite Mission Network) as overseas mission associates. While there, he taught high school math and physics and coached boys basketball. In 2004 and again in 2011, the Springers travelled to Argentina to visit and share with churches of the Patagonia Mission Project. In 2012, they did volunteer work at Nazareth (Israel) Village.
Springer served for six years on the Christian Nurture Commission of the Illinois Mennonite Conference. Since 1977, he has operated a cash grain farm with his brother. He is a member of East Bend Mennonite Church in Fisher, Ill., where he is the chairman of finance and is vice president of the board of directors for the Illinois/Iowa chapter of Everence Financial. The Springers have two adult sons, Ryan '96 and Eric '99.
The above is quoted from the news release "Five exceptional Goshen College alumni awarded for commitment to core values."


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Master Forecaster: Mark Sponsler and Stormsurf
by Heidi Trilling
Aug. 1, 2010 — Some little boys dream of being cowboys or pirates when they grow up. And some dream of being surf-forecasting meteorologists.
"I guess I was a quirky kid," says Mark Sponsler, founder and CEO of Stormsurf, the preeminent surf-forecasting and marine weather website. "My friends were fascinated by cartoons and baseball, but I was interested in pressure systems, hurricanes and wave mechanics!"
And Sponsler had plenty to keep him busy.
Growing up in Miami and Cocoa Beach, Florida, Sponsler and his family witnessed fearsome hurricanes with roaring 100-mile-an-hour winds, power outages, and all kinds of objects crashing into their house. "Our big family movie was The Wizard of Oz," Sponsler says. "The tornado scene, in particular … that sort of thing just stays with you, you know?"
It stayed with the whole family.
Sponsler's parents were avid watchers of hurricanes. His kid brother Stephen got a degree in meteorology, worked with the Air Force, the National Weather Service, and then produced storm-chasing blogs.
Sponsler, a self-taught meteorologist and big-wave surfer, is the official surf forecaster for the Mavericks Surf Contest in Half Moon Bay. His forecasts are syndicated across a host of other websites, and Stormsurf clients include Nightline, 48 Hours, FoxTV and IMAX. Sponsler is also credited in scores of books, magazines and films. Since its inception in 1998, Stormsurf has become the industry gold standard for accurate marine weather forecasting data.
"It's great to work with Mark," says local big-wave surfing legend Jeff Clark. "He's precise, he's intuitive, he surfs Mavs. He knows the ocean as a scientist and an athlete. That's why his forecasts are so accurate, so right on it."
Big-wave chargers Mike and Sarah Gerhardt agree. Mike says: "Mark keeps all of us tapped into the breaks. We couldn't do what we do without him." Sarah adds: "He's a great friend of ours. A guru and an oracle for all of us surfers. We have his number on speed dial!"
The international surf community relies on Sponsler's forecasts to help call the Mavericks Surf Contest each winter.
"The jet stream flows from Japan right into Oregon all winter long," Sponsler says, "and storms follow that track like a super highway across the North Pacific. Mavericks is situated perfectly to get the swell — but not quite all the wind and storm energy associated with it. … So, if the storms are following that bowling alley, we're gonna catch 'em. Maybe then we'll get a candidate storm for the contest."
Candidate storms and big surf at Mavericks can occur any time between November and March.
"I think Mavs — Half Moon Bay, in particular — gets way more big surf in any given year than Hawaii ever gets," Sponsler says. "But the reality is that 95 percent of all winter activity here just doesn't meet the criteria of the contest. … It's a tricky business getting everything right. That's why it's so much fun when it all comes together. … Providing this service is a pleasure for me, as a forecaster and as a surfer."
A pleasure for the media, too.
"Mark's one of the best forecasters on the planet," says filmmaker Curt Myers of Powerlines Productions. "His website is killer. He's a huge resource for our filmmaking and surfing, and a great guy all around."
Filmmaker Eric Nelson of Powerlines says: "Stormsurf is the backbone of the surf industry … a treasure chest of info for serious surfers, filmmakers, photographers, everybody."
Soon, Sponsler will be the guru to skiers and snowboarders, as well. His next meteorological business venture is forecasting snowfall, just as he forecasts surf.
Sponsler says: "Who wants to be a weather geek, unless you're getting something out of it, right? And I am. Killer surf at Mavs, killer snow in Tahoe! It's like a giant gift! I'm just thankful for everything that's come down. It's like a wonderful dream trip that I'm on."
An accomplished skier as well as surfer, Sponsler believes these sports rejuvenate body and spirit.
"I'm from the '70s school of surfing," Sponsler says. "It's communing with nature, getting in touch with your inner self. It's a meditative activity, a re-nourishment of your soul. … Hyper-civilization, political games at work — surfing wipes all that away and you get back to who you really are."
Sponsler says this mindset can renew the workplace and society as a whole. He ensures that Stormsurf follows this credo, avoiding over-commercialization and profits at any cost.
"There needs to be more integrity in business, more honesty and general caring," Sponsler says. "Do something good for people who share the same interests you do. Don't be so concerned about money. Just do the right thing. And let's build something that everyone can enjoy and share and that makes their lives a little bit easier and better."


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Fall colors
October 3, 2013 in Lake County News-Chronicle
October 3, 2013 in Lake County News-Chronicle
August 22, 2013 in The Dickinson Press
Although southwest North Dakota's grain harvest is behind where it was in 2012, experts are calling this year's crop a success to date. Continue Reading
September 30, 2012 in Grand Forks Herald
Fall's my favorite time of year for the colors, the changes in weather and the wardrobe. Continue Reading
September 29, 2012 in The Dickinson Press
Chad Jahner, standing, continues to rake leaves Saturday in front of his home on First Street West in Dickinson, while his son, Eastyn, 4, searches the pile for toy cars he was playing with in the leaves earlier in the day. Continue Reading
September 26, 2012 in Grand Forks Herald
September 26, 2012 in Grand Forks Herald
Fall is finally here, arriving sometime Saturday.
And appropriately, it was accompanied by the season's first hard frost Sunday morning, although the leaves have been changing color, and we've been experiencing cool, crisp weather for a couple of weeks. Continue Reading
September 25, 2012 in Worthington Daily Globe
Trees show off their fall colors on the east side of Lake Bella Tuesday afternoon south of Worthington. Continue Reading
September 22, 2012 in The Dickinson Press
The colors of fall could be seen Saturday past this Dakota Prairie Grasslands sign near Bennett Campground. Continue Reading
September 22, 2012 in Grand Forks Herald
If appreciation of autumn's perennial show of colors is intensified by its fleeting nature, then this year's production could be precious indeed. Continue Reading
September 21, 2012 in Grand Forks Herald
This weekend and next weekend offer a number of opportunities to get out and enjoy the fall foliage. Continue Reading


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Back, Neck & Spine
Pain in the back, neck or spine can be excruciating. But UAB Orthopaedics offers a skilled approach to caring for these sensitive areas. Our physicians are on the cutting edge, offering unsurpassed care in a compassionate environment.
About our Care
Should your spine issues create a need for orthopaedic treatment, UAB Orthopaedics offers a wide array of services to care for you. Whether you need surgical intervention for a disc herniation or treatment for spinal stenosis, our physicians will work with you to ensure you receive the care you need. Additionally, UAB spine specialists are leaders in treating trauma victims, operating within the only Level I trauma facility in the state.
Additionally, patients with disorders of the spine have the benefit of musculoskeletal radiologists in the same clinic, providing skilled x-ray reading and interpretation with state-of-the-art equipment. This collaboration means a more accurate diagnosis and treatment for patients.
Our Specialists
UAB Orthopaedics spine subspecialists treat only patients with spine issues of the neck or back, and have decades of experience. Our fellowship-trained subspecialists received advanced training in the treatment of spinal disorders and have devoted their careers to further study and research in that area. In addition, they share their expertise by training other surgeons and by lecturing throughout the United States. As members of national medical societies including the Scoliosis Research Society, the North American Spine Society and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, our physicians stay on the cutting edge of research and education.
Conditions treated
- Herniated disc
- Sciatica
- Spinal stenosis
- Nerve disorders
- Spinal deformities
- Trauma to spine
- Neck Pain
- Back Pain
Treatments and Procedures Performed
- UAB spine specialists perform a number of services, including:
- Spinal Trauma – neurologic and orthopaedic
- Diagnosis and management of all of back and neck disorders
- Treatment of various spinal compressive disorders including:
- spinal stenosis
- herniated discs
- sciatica
- Correction of spinal deformities, including:
- scoliosis
- kyphosis
- Surgical treatments, including:
- fusions
- discectomies
- osteotomies
- Surgical alternatives, including:
- physical therapy for spinal stabilization and sacroiliac joint dysfunction
- Facet, epidural, spinal nerve injections
- UAB spine physicians are the only subspecialists in Birmingham to perform minimally invasive spine surgery through a lateral approach. This approach results in a smaller incision on the side of the body, rather than a large incision on the front of the body. In fact, UAB physicians have trained other physicians in this lateral approach.
- UAB spine physicians are leaders in trauma, caring for more Level I (the highest and most serious level) of trauma patients.
UAB Orthopaedic spine subspecialists see patients in the Orthopaedics Clinic on the 2nd floor of UAB Highlands. To make an appointment, call UAB HealthFinder at 1-800-UAB-8816.
UAB Highlands
1201 11th Ave. S
Birmingham, AL 35205
Referring physicians should call UAB MIST at 1-800-UAB-MIST (1-800-822-6478) for information.


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Josh Groban27 February 1981, Los Angeles, USA
33 years
January Jones
American singer/songwriter Josh Groban is often compared to Andrea Bocelli. His mother is half-Norwegian. He names Sting, Peter Gabriel and Radiohead as a few of his inspirations.
RSS feed with Josh Groban
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Ben Affleck Will Live On $1.50 A Day From Now On!
Wednesday 5:17 PM, 24/04/2013
Ben Affleck is a part of the Global Poverty Project's Live Below The Line campaign, and will be living on $1.50 dollars a day during the cam...READ MORE ▶
Tags: Hot News
Celebs' Favorite Xmas Gifts!
Tuesday 8:52 PM, 27/12/2011
Even though we're supposed to care about more mature stuff, one of the most exciting things about Christmas are the gifts! Of course we love to get gifts ourselves, but it's also so much fun to give your loved ones gifts that they really love. This makes us wonder, what did the celebrities get for Christmas, that they really loved? Click on the pictures to find out!
Tags: Adrian Grenier / Top Lists / Top Lists
Latest news!
January Jones is Preggo!
Monday 4:30 PM, 02/05/2011
Mad Men star January Jones has announced that she's pregnant and is expecting her first baby later this year but has yet to tell us who the father is!
She's been romantically linked to Ashton Kutcher, Josh Groban, and SNL comedian Jason Sudeikis. We wonder if one of them is the dad?!
January is super excited and we're so happy for her, she's going to be a beautiful mom! (Wenn)
She's been romantically linked to Ashton Kutcher, Josh Groban, and SNL comedian Jason Sudeikis. We wonder if one of them is the dad?!
January is super excited and we're so happy for her, she's going to be a beautiful mom! (Wenn)
Tags: Celebrity babies / Mad Men
All Kylie wants for Christmas....?
Wednesday 10:58 PM, 01/12/2010
The Rockefeller Center in NYC held a huge party for their official tree lighting ceremony last night and they had some real A-list performers on show! Kylie Minogue, fabulous as usual in a huge white coat and gloves, Josh Groban, Sheryl Crow, Jessica Simpson and so many more, even Boyz11Men were on stage! Take a look and feel the Christmas spirit coming early!
Tags: Kylie Minogue / Hollywood celebrity
The New We Are The World Song - Hit or Miss?
Wednesday 10:16 AM, 17/02/2010
As everyone knows by now, the huge hit song from the 80's "we are the world" written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, was remade this year to help the people of Haiti. The song debuted this weekend at the opening of the Winter Olympics in Canada. Even though the song went to number on iTunes this weekend and has already raised a lot of money to help the poor people of Haiti hit by earthquakes, not everyone is a fan of the song. Artists like Jay-Z have said they think there should have been a brand new song written, instead of a new version of the first "We are the world". Jay-Z thinks the first one was so special, it should have stayed untouched by a remix. What do you think? Here is the new version and the old for you to watch and vote on!
The New Song:
The Original:
The New Song:
The Original:
What do you think?
Tags: Michael Jackson / Youtube / Hollywood celebrity
Odd Couple Alert: Katy Perry and Josh Groban!
Tuesday 8:40 AM, 24/03/2009
Katy Perry onced referred to Josh Groban as her "most embarrassing crush". Now it seems like he has gone from embarrassing to no.1! Yes, we have heard that this unlikely pair is now dating, but trying to keep it quiet. We are really wondering what these two have in common, but actually they do look kind of cute together...(The Sun)
Are they a good match?
Tags: Josh Groban / Celebrity couples / Trends celebrities 2009 / Celebrity rumors / Hot


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The devil created separation of church and state http://bit.ly/MehWPY
Americans United for Separation of Church and State has filed a complaint with the IRS concerning a Catholic bishop who sparked outrage by comparing President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.
[caption id="attachment_594" align="alignleft" width="460" caption="Catholic Mass"][/caption]
Bishop Daniel R. Jenky of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria said the President was "intent on following a similar path" of the two mass-murderers and that his "radical, pro-abortion and extreme secularist agenda" threatened the First Amendment rights of Catholics. He added that "every practicing Catholic must vote, and must vote their Catholic consciences."
"Bishop Jenky's intervention in the election wasn't just extreme and mean-spirited, it also seems to be a clear violation of federal law," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director. "Churches are tax-exempt institutions, and they aren't allowed to intervene in partisan politics."
Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code prohibits charities and churches from intervening in political campaigns on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate.
Even though the bishop never explicitly said not to vote for Obama in 2012, Americans United said his controversial remarks still ran afoul of the law.
"Bishop Jenky compared Obama to Hitler and Stalin and accused him of pursuing policies that will close Catholic institutions," Lynn added. "Moments later, he exhorted members of his flock not to vote for candidates who fail to uphold Catholic values. It is impossible to interpret this as anything but a command to vote against Obama."
Read more: Raw Story
New Rule http://bit.ly/IFGLD5
Daily Mail reports:
David Cameron has issued a rallying call for a 'Christian fightback' against attempts to ban the wearing of crosses and town hall prayers.
The Prime Minister – who joked that he had felt like he 'needed someone to pray for me' during the recent rocky period for the Government – used a pre-Easter meeting with church leaders to say Britain needed the values of the Bible more than ever.
[caption id="attachment_362" align="aligncenter" width="460" caption="David Cameron, British Prime Minister"][/caption]
He issued a public plea for them not to 'fall out' with the Government over plans to allow gay marriage.
Mr Cameron quoted from the Gospel of St Luke to suggest Christian values could create a happier and better society for everyone. He also signalled that he wants a big expansion of faith-based education, saying he would 'celebrate links between churches and schools, indeed mosques and schools and synagogues and schools'.
His celebration of the religious and moral code of the Bible is notable, as leading politicians have shied away from using religious rhetoric and arguments in recent decades.
Tony Blair, for example, was talked out of doing so by spin doctor Alastair Campbell, who told him: 'We don't do God.'
Mr Cameron's decision to 'do God' so overtly will be seen in part as an attempt to reach out to the Christian Right in his party after the most difficult period of his leadership, including a badly received Budget and the petrol crisis.
His intervention is also an attempt to defuse a row with church leaders over plans to allow gay marriage in civil ceremonies. He told church representatives gathered at Number Ten: 'I hope we won't fall out too much over gay marriage. There'll be some strong arguments and some strong words.'
Mr Cameron sought to reassure his audience that the proposals would 'change what happens in a register office, not what happens in a church'.
Read more: Daily Mail
Who could possibly be anti-anti-bullying? That's right. The homophobic Christian agenda. The Guardian reports:
Thirteen million children are bullied every year. According to the American Psychological Association, approximately "40% to 80% of school-age children experience bullying at some point during their school careers." Suicides like Jacob's take place somewhere in America every single month. According to a Yale University study, children who are bullied are two to nine times more likely to end their own lives. Kids are bullied for all sorts of reasons: for being fat, shy, poor, rich and for no reason at all, although everyone familiar with the phenomenon knows that sexual orientation is a common excuse.
Solutions to the problem of bullying aren't easy. They have to do more with changing the culture than changing the legal codes. Families bear the chief responsibility for teaching their children to respect others.Schools can help, though, by educating students and teachers about the problem, setting up clear and effective policies for dealing with cases and establishing accountability, and fostering a safe and welcoming environment for all students. State legislators in New Jersey, Michigan, and Illinois, among other places, have taken important steps in this direction with useful anti-bullying bills.
In Michigan last year, the "anti-anti-bullying" lobby went on the offensive with some legislation of their own. In a bill dealing with the bullying issue, they inserted a provision that would have exempted bullies who acted out of "a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction". With an irony that seems more than usually cruel, the bill was named for a Michigan teen who had committed suicide after years of bullying.
A national outpouring of disgust at the Michigan legislature's attempt to legitimize faith-based bullying ultimately resulted in the removal of the provision from the bill. But now the lawmakers of a Tennessee plan to make good on the loss. In what must count as an extraordinarily perverse way to mark the suicide of Jacob Rogers, they have introduced a bill that follows the trail blazed by the Michigan lawmakers, with some inconsequential changes in language, to open up a loophole for verbal bullying that is motivated by religious prejudices. Given that theTennessee legislature approved Bill 368, which is intended to bring "creationism" into the state's biology classrooms, on 26 March, the prospects for this anti-anti-bullying bill have to be considered good.
Many people will undoubtedly conclude that these efforts by the anti-anti-bully lobby are lacking in Christian charity or common sense. But their proponents do have a point that we should carefully consider. To be sure, the notion that the anti-bullying initiatives are driven by "the homosexual agenda" – a phrase that conjures the vision of gay hordes aiming to seduce children into lives of abomination – is preposterous. But the sense that anti-bullying initiatives involve teaching children "acceptance" of LGBT peers, to use the word of the Concerned Women of America, is not. If you want the school to tell students to stop harassing kids like Jacob Rogers because they are gay, you have to let them know, at some point, that the school thinks it's OK to be gay.
As Americans, we all like to believe that we can establish laws and policies that are neutral with respect to religious belief. But the truth is, we can't, and we don't. Sometimes, we have to make a choice. We have already made such choices – obviously, the right ones – with respect to race or ethnicity. No state or school would or should entertain for a moment the notion that it is acceptable for students to tell those of another race or ethnicity that they are inferior and degenerate because their religion teaches them – as some religions in America did, until quite recently – that certain races are less worthy before God than others. Maybe, it's time to come clean about sexual preference.
Read more: The Guardian
you know he's thinking it http://bit.ly/GP9xRK
Christian Nation? http://bit.ly/GKASDr
UD Pledge of Allegiance (pre god propaganda) http://bit.ly/GV9ZKv


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'Game of Thrones' Adds Gwendoline Christie as Brienne Tarth
The 6'3" actress will portray Brienne Tarth, the only daughter and heiress of Lord Selwyn Tarth of Evenfall Hall; she had three siblings, none of which survived childhood. Larger and stronger than most men, Brienne is a skilled warrior and longs to be a knight. She has an awkward personality, but is also honest and stubborn.
She holds a naïvely idealized notion of knighthood despite the insults she receives from many knights, who call her "Brienne the Beauty" to mock her ugliness. She is also known as "Brienne, the Maid of Tarth," but her most common and neutral nickname is "Brienne of Tarth," as she is both from the House and island of Tarth.
Season 2 of Game of Thrones will premiere Spring 2012 and begins production this summer.
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@dan1 I'll be honest...I've yet to see Monster. I've had my eye on it, but haven't gotten around to it
3 years agoby @bawnian-dexeusFlag
@bawnian-dexeus I thought that was in response to what @ejk1 said, about Theron in Monster :P
@bawnian-dexeus Oh. Dur. lol.
@dan1 I'm talking about Gwen, not Theron
3 years agoby @bawnian-dexeusFlag
@bawnian-dexeus You never saw The Devil's Advocate? North Country? Aeon Flux (though that one was sh*tty)?
@dan1 Just now I'm learning she was in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, but that's it. It's not like her name will ring any bells. Not for me at least.
3 years agoby @bawnian-dexeusFlag
@bawnian-dexeus :O What?!!!
Never heard of this woman.
3 years agoby @bawnian-dexeusFlag
@bawnian-dexeus Haven't seen that film, but saw enough of the commercials to know they did a good job. But I wouldn't call Thompson a babe either. I guess Charlize Theron in Monster is the best comparison I can come up with.
@ejk1 Ok, how bout Emma Thompson in Nanny Mcphee?
3 years agoby @bawnian-dexeusFlag
@bawnian-dexeus I didn't see that film, nor do I think of Carey as pretty anymore. Haven't for close to ten years.
@ejk1 Same way with Mariah Carey in Precious?
3 years agoby @bawnian-dexeusFlag
She'd make a fine warrior
3 years agoby @bawnian-dexeusFlag
..thats one tall biatch
3 years agoby @highcaliberincFlag


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Selena Gomez takes center stage at KISS 108′s 2013 Jingle Ball held at TD Garden on Saturday night (December 14) in Boston, Mass.
The 21-year-old actress/singer hit the stage in her red hot outfit alongside Robin Thicke, Fifth Harmony and Flo Rida.
December 14: Selena performing "Naturally" at Kiss 108's Jingle Ball in Boston
December 14: Selena performing "B.E.A.T" & "Undecover" at KISS 108's Jingle Ball in Boston


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|By RealWire News Distribution
Article Rating:
|July 1, 2014 08:00 AM EDT
Fully compliant with European Union (EU) data privacy and security laws, FlexNet Manager Suite Cloud is the only full-function, software-as-a-service (SaaS) Software License Optimisation Solution for a global marketplace
Maidenhead, UK - July 1, 2014 - Flexera Software, the leading provider of next-generation software licensing, compliance and installation solutions for application producers and enterprises, announced today further commitment to its rapidly growing European business with a new EU-based datacenter for FlexNet Manager Suite Cloud, Flexera Software's market-leading Software license Optimisation solution. The new datacenter for EU-based customers is compliant with EU Directive 95/46/EC - The Data Protection Directive, and is EU/US Safe Harbor-certified, ensuring that Europe-based customers will have full confidence in the security and safety of their data as called for by EU regulations.
"The European Union represents an enormous and rapidly growing market to Flexera Software and we are increasing our strategic investments in this market to widen our lead here in the Software License Optimisation space. We understand that our EU-based customers demand that their cloud providers ensure compliance with EU laws and regulations," said Richard Northing, Senior Vice President of Products and Services at Flexera Software. "FlexNet Manager Suite is the gold-standard in Software License Optimisation and our commitment to excellence includes offering world-class data privacy and security."
The primary instance of Flexera Software's European datacenter resides in Frankfurt, Germany. A disaster recovery datacenter is located in Dublin Ireland.
Localised in English and German languages, FlexNet Manager Suite Cloud is the only full-function, software-as-a-service (SaaS) Software License Optimisation solution in the world. It is used by thousands of organisations to gain control of software licensing, reduce risk, and optimise spend across the enterprise.
Products in the Suite include FlexNet Manager Platform, and purpose-built products for optimisation of Adobe, IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, SAP, Symantec, and over 20,000 engineering and concurrent-licensed applications. Together, they allow organisations to efficiently maximise application utilisation, ensure continuous compliance with software license agreements, optimise software spend, manage concurrent license servers, and reduce denials of service. FlexNet Manager Suite is also tightly integrated with App Portal, the market-leading enterprise app store, enabling organisations' consumerisation of IT strategies via an employee self-service portal that helps ensure accountability and control over software license compliance.
FlexNet Manager Suite is the winner of the 2014 Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) CODiE Award for best asset management solution.
# # #
FlexNet Manager Suite for Enterprises includes the following components:
- FlexNet Manager Platform
- FlexNet Manager for Microsoft
- FlexNet Manager for Adobe
- FlexNet Manager for IBM
- FlexNet Manager for Oracle
- FlexNet Manager for Symantec
- FlexNet Manager for SAP Applications
- FlexNet Manager for Engineering Applications
- Workflow Manager
- Read our Blog on Software License Optimization
- FlexNet Manager Suite Success Stories
- Related Flexera Software Webinars
- Software License Optimization White Papers
Follow Flexera Software…
About Flexera Software
Flexera Software helps application producers and enterprises increase application usage and the value they derive from their software. Our next-generation software licensing, compliance and installation solutions are essential to ensure continuous licensing compliance, optimized software investments and to future-proof businesses against the risks and costs of constantly changing technology. Over 80,000 customers turn to Flexera Software as a trusted and neutral source for the knowledge and expertise we have gained as the marketplace leader for over 20 years and for the automation and intelligence designed into our products. For more information, please go to: www.flexerasoftware.com.
About SIIA
The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education, and intellectual property protection to more than 700 leading software and information companies.
The SIIA Software Division provides a forum for companies developing the applications, services, infrastructure and tools that are driving the software and services industry forward. For further information, visit www.siia.net/software
About the SIIA CODiE™ Awards
The SIIA CODiE™ Awards, originally called the Excellence in Software Awards, were established in 1986 by the Software Publishers Association (SPA), now the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), so that pioneers of the then-nascent software industry could evaluate and honor each other's work. Since then, the CODiE Awards program has carried out the same purpose - to showcase the software and information industry's finest products and services and to honor excellence in corporate achievement.
For more information, contact:
Vidushi Patel / Nicola Males
Vanilla PR
[email protected]
*All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Copyright © 2014 Flexera Software LLC. All other brand and product names mentioned herein may be the trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Source: RealWire
Read the original blog entry...
- Innodisk | Efficiencies for Cloud Hardware at Cloud Expo New York
- Join Gartner, IBM, + AWS at AppSphere and save $200 when you register in August!
- In 2014 Big Data Investments Will Account for Nearly $30 Billion - Eventually Accounting for $76 Billion by 2020 End
- Global Cloud Security Market Growing at 15.7% CAGR to 2020: Forecast & Analysis in Research Report Available at ReportsnReports.com
- Video: DevOps and Security
- Worldwide Indoor Location Market Growing at 46.0% CAGR to 2019 Says a New Research Report Available at RnRMarketResearch.com
- Flexera Software's InstallAnywhere 2014 Simplifies Multi-Platform Installation for Physical, Virtual and Cloud Environments
- Mobility News Weekly – Week of August 3, 2014
- Searchmetrics Drives Over 200% World-Wide Growth As More Business Leaders Begin To Recognize The Value Of Search
- Mobility News Weekly – Week of August 17, 2014
- Digital Transformation's Impact on Enterprise Mobility and App Design Strategies
- Web Analytics Market by Solution (Search Engine Tracking & Ranking, Heat Map Analytics, Marketing Automation, Behavior Based Targeting) & by Services (Professional Services, Support & Maintenance) - Worldwide Forecasts & Analysis (2014 - 2019)
- Mobile Commerce News Weekly – Week of August 3, 2014
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- Dolphin Announces Open API With Over 50 Add-ons Including Dropbox and Wikipedia
- Cloud People: A Who's Who of Cloud Computing
- 21st century Modern Alarm systems continue to play a key role in various institutions and industries
- SEO/SEM Tips & Tricks: How and When Should You Submit Your Website to Google?
- Cloud Expo 2011 East To Attract 10,000 Delegates and 200 Exhibitors
- Tips For Press Releases in Reputation Management from Industry Veteran Brandon Hopkins
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- Google Version 2.0: Googzilla - The Calculating Predator
- ManageWP Powers Over 100,000 WordPress Sites Within Three Months of Launch
- Ulitzer's Amazing First 30 Days in Public Beta
- Google's Competitive Advantage: It Leverages "The Power of Free"
- Ulitzer vs. Ning - a Quick Review
- AOL To Enhance Video Search Engine by Adding RSS Feeds
- Confessions of a Ulitzer Addict


text:
Christina Torode oversees coverage for SearchCIO.com. She has been a high-tech journalist for more than a decade. Before joining TechTarget, she was a reporter for technology trade publication CRN, covering a variety of beats, from security and networking to telcos and the channel. She also spent time as a business reporter and editor for Eagle Tribune Publishing in eastern Massachusetts. Write to her at firstname.lastname@example.com.
- Website:
- http://searchcio.techtarget.com
- Blog:
- http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/total-cio/
- Follow:
Contributions from Christina Torode, Editorial Director
- The CIO position: Why you need to eat your own dog food
- The hows and whys of securing mobile endpoints
- DR infrastructure revamp gets industry attention
- Turn your mobile sales app gap into new opportunities
- Virtualization vendor strategy: Beware the pitfalls
- Social engagement: Get people to 'like' your vision
- Optimizing storage capacity for a virtual environment
- Custom fitting a big data strategy
- PPM: Validating the Value of IT
- Resistance isn't futile
- Cybercrime on the minds of board members; CIOs rejoice
- Mobile app dev meets agile best practices
- Incident response plan of attack in the data age
- Developing mobile apps: The faster, the better?
- Lean principles lead to ITSM optimization
- Optimize and tune your business to the mobile channel
- Tech evolution: IPhones, wall calendars and human hosts
- The future data center is a hybrid
- Data center facility die-hards versus the cloud
- Job satisfaction: Why senior IT leaders stay or go


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Zu Online Expansion, The Blood DemonÂ's Assault, Release Imminent SuperCheats News
The anticipated expansion of the online game Zu Online,The Blood Demon's Assault (version 1.19.00), is scheduled to be released from December 27th,
Zu Online - The Blood Demon's Assault, features 12 big new features that include brand new instances that will test your strength, and new systems that will let players learn new skills!
Posted: 15th Dec 2010 by Team SuperCheats
Tags: ZuOnline,
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General Requirements
Degree Programs
Course Distribution Requirements for the Bachelors of General Studies (B.G.S.)
Twelve (12) credit hours are required in each of three learning areas: arts and humanities, science and mathematics, and social and behavioral sciences. Students must also complete an 18 credit hour concentration in one of these three learning areas. The 12 credit hours required in each learning area, as well as the 18 credit hour concentration, must include courses from at least two academic departments.
An additional 66 hours of elective credit—including a minimum of 15 additional credit hours in the arts and sciences and no more than 30 credit hours in any one professional school or technical program—must also be completed to fulfill B.G.S. requirements.
|Arts and Humanities
|12 credit hours
|Science and Mathematics
|12 credit hours
|Social and Behavioral Sciences
|12 credit hours
|18 credit hours
|Arts and Sciences Electives
|15 credit hours
|General Electives
|51 credit hours
|Total Credit Hours
Required for the B.G.S.
|120 credit hours
Completing Course Distribution Requirements
Each general studies degree requires completion of course work in three learning areas: arts and humanities, science and mathematics, and social and behavioral sciences. These requirements provide students with a broad exposure to the humanities and sciences. To fulfill the requirements, students may choose from a wide variety of subject fields within each learning area. These subject fields are described below. Note: The subject fields grouped under the three learning areas may vary among Indiana University campuses. Students should consult their General Studies Degree Program counselors for their campus's specific requirements.
Arts and Humanities
The distribution courses in this learning area provide knowledge and interpretive frameworks through which students may reflect on the complexity of human history, assess the difficulties of determining moral values, appreciate the range and value of human emotion and thought, and be sensitive to the varieties of aesthetic expression. The following departments offer courses that fulfill the arts and humanities distribution requirement:
- Afro-American Studies
- American Studies
- Classical Studies
- Comparative Literature
- English
- Fine Arts
- Folklore
- Foreign Language Courses
- History
- History and Philosophy of Science
- Musicology and Music History
- Philosophy
- Religious Studies
- Speech
- Theatre and Drama
Science and Mathematics
The distribution courses in this learning area provide an appreciation of the physical and biological environment, introduce students to the discipline of systematic inquiry, provide insight into experimental methods and results, and illustrate the role and methods of the mathematical sciences. The following departments offer courses that fulfill the science and mathematics distribution requirement:
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Astronomy
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Geology
- Mathematics
- Microbiology
- Physics
- Plant Sciences
- Zoology
Social and Behavioral Sciences
The distribution courses in this learning area provide students with the means to analyze and understand the social institutions in which they live, as well as the behavior of individuals in relation to one another and the world. The following departments offer courses that fulfill the social and behavioral science distribution requirement:
- Anthropology
- Economics
- Geography
- Linguistics
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Sociology
Completing B.G.S. Concentration Requirements
B.G.S. students must complete a concentration area by adhering to the following guidelines:
- Students must complete an additional 18 credit hours in one of three learning areas: arts and humanities, science and mathematics, or social and behavioral sciences.
- Students must complete courses from at least two departments in the learning area they select for their concentration area.
- Students must earn a minimum grade of C– in courses used to fulfill the concentration requirement. Passing grades below C– may be used only as elective credit.
Completing Elective Requirements
B.G.S. students may select any of the nonremedial, nondevelopmental courses offered by Indiana University to fulfill elective requirements. These electives enable students to explore diverse academic areas of interest and to tailor their general studies degree to their individual needs. Students are encouraged to consult with their General Studies Degree Program counselors and to choose courses in subjects related to their academic, professional, and personal interests.


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HOME College Wichita State Shockers Gear Wichita State Shockers Mens Wichita State Shockers Mens Hats (21 items) Product ID: 1736058
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Order today, receive no later than
Order today, receive no later than
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$4.99 3-day shipping. Need it faster?
Keep your sights set on Wichita State victory in this classic Crew adjustable hat from Top of the World! Bright Shockers graphics sit at the front of the cap for a pop of color and raucous team pride. The adjustable slide strap back ensures the perfect fit and a comfortable feel. Plus, the curved bill helps you train your eyes on the prize—a Shockers win!
- 100% Cotton
- Adjustable slide strap at back
- Curved bill
- Imported
- Officially licensed
- One size fits most
- Quality embroidery
- Unstructured
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Special event items are produced by manufacturers only after the outcome of a game or event. These are advanced sale items and will ship immediately after they are received in our warehouse.
Manufacturer direct items are shipped directly from the manufacturer. These items are not available for international or expedited shipping.
Customized items can be personalized with options such as your name, your favorite number, and/or designs. Some options may be limited by league rules.


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Today, Mayor Adrian Fenty joined Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser and DC Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper to celebrate the end of demolition at the Petworth Neighborhood Library with a wall-breaking ceremony.
"Today, we break the interior wall through 70 years of history to revive this library to meet the needs of this community while maximizing this historic landmark's use," said Mayor Adrian M Fenty. "This new facility will function as a major focal point for community meetings, reading and recreation for years to come."


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Hollywood celebrity gossip tells us that KIM KARDASHIAN is jealous of her sister KHLOE KARDASHIAN's potential hosting gig on "The X Factor."
Worried she'll outshine you, Kim?
Khloe Kardashian is reportedly a front-runner to become the newest host of "The X Factor" and it's making her fame-hungry sister, Kim Kardashian, a tad bit jealous… which is not a surprise, considering Kim's knack for wanting to be in the spotlight 24/7.
We can't really blame her though—Kim has gotten worldwide attention for her infamous sex tape and has been the most famous Kardashian… and not for any kind of "talent" other than baring a lot of skin.
And now that Khloe—like her younger half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, who are making it as models and future authors—is about to embark on a new career path, Kim can't help but feel a little envious.
A source revealed to Hollywood Life:
"It's a done deal with Khloe and 'The X Factor.' Can't nothing go wrong. It's a wrap for her and [she's] more than excited to get out there and do the show and get more notoriety."
About her alleged sibling rivalry over Khloe's future job, the insider dished:
"There was a little beef at first between Khloe and Kim because Khlo made a joke to Kim about Kanye [West] not getting the Idol gig. I think Khlo said something to Kim like 'I guess America thinks I'm a better talent judge than your man.' Kim got pissed at Khloe but you know how these girls compete for everything."
Do you think Khloe could end up being more famous than Kim if she ended up hosting "The X Factor"?
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The wand V5***
© dizzyg, Feb 2011
Route: the wand
Climbers: Kenny wright
Camera used: Samsung VLUU L200 / Samsung L200


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© RockAngel, Feb 2007
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Celebrate life on June 8th at the 24th annual Abbotsford Right to Life – WALK FOR LIFE
For over 30 years Abbotsford Right to Life has helped many women choose life for their children and has opened the eyes of countless people to the prcious of all human life from conception to natural death. Walk for Life is a fun and positive way to make a real difference in your community!
This Year's Project: Walkers will help us raise money for our new pregnancy centre opening in 2013.
New! REGISTER AND FUNDRAISE ONLINE! Visit www.walkforlife2013.ca to create your own fundraising page. Friends and family can sponsor you by making a tax receiptable donation (for donations of $10 or more) right on your individualized page.
4K Fun Walk: Enjoy a fun Walk or Run around beautiful and scenic Mill Lake in Abbotsford. Perfect for strollers and wheelchairs.
8K Challenge Walk: Challenge yourself by walking or running 8km through the city centre of Abbotsford.
T-Shirts – Any walker raising $100+ in sponsorships will receive a free T-shirt! T-Shirts will also be available for sale at the Walk registration base for $10. Wear your pro-life T-shirt if you already have one.
The Route – Walkers can choose between the full 8km route or a 4km route beginning at Mill Lake Park. It is easy, level and wheelchair and stroller friendly and participants can either walk, run, roller-blade or cycle the route. Several water stations will be set up along the course and refreshments will be served upon completion of the walk. Route maps will be available at the registration base.
Make a difference for Life – Abbotsford Right to LIfe's powerful public awareness campaigns have been saving lives for over 30 years. This year, your support will help us save even more lives as we expand our front line aid to women in crisis and open a pregnancy centre in Abbotsford.
Everyone can participate – either by walking or by sponsoring a walker! And, if June 8 doesn't work for you, just do the Walk on another day that does!
If you can't walk or don't know whom to sponsor, simply call the office (604-852-4623) to make a donation by credit card, or, fill out the sponsor sheet with yourself as the sponsor and mail you tax receiptable donation to Abbotsford Right to Life, P.O. Box 8000-518, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 6H1. Every donation helps!
Be a part of making the 2013 Walk for Life a great success!
Invite a friend to join you!
For More Information
Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved.


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A New Year's Day shooting inside a restaurant and bar in the west end of Las Vegas was preceded by a fight involving a man suspected in the incident, police said.
Documents were released Thursday detailing the incident that took place at the XS Café Bar off of S. Jones Boulevard. Las Vegas Metro police said 27-year-old Alen Kareyan was charged with attempted murder with a deadly weapon and burglary with a deadly weapon in connection to the shooting.
According to police, several witnesses said they saw a man they identified as Kareyan walk into the bar area of the business at about 5:20 a.m. with a handgun.
The man walked up to a man, who was identified as Borislav Glavas, at the bar and pointed it at his head, according to an arrest report.
Witnesses said the two then struggled over the gun, which led to a gunshot. After the shooting, the gunman went outside to a black BMW and left the area while Glavas collapsed, according to the report.
Police pulled over the BMW a short time later and detained the driver, who was identified as Kareyan, documents said.
Glavas was rushed to Sunrise Hospital Trauma with a critical gunshot wound to his abdomen, police said.
In documents, several witnesses at the business said Kareyan and another person were involved in a fight with another group of people outside the bar. Witnesses told police Glavas was one of the people who tried to hold back another person involved.
The fight broke up and Kareyan was seen leaving with another man in a BMW, the report said. Witnesses told police the same BMW was seen returning to the business about 20 minutes after the fight ended. That was when Kareyan entered with a handgun, witnesses said in the report.
The report also stated one witness hearing the gunman yell, "Who hit me?" three or four times before walking up to Glavas.
In documents, police said Kareyan did not want to answer officers' questions while he was under arrest but claimed the shooting was in self-defense. Police also said Kareyan had fresh injuries to his head at the time of his detainment.
Kareyan was booked into Clark County Detention Center.
Copyright 2014 KVVU (KVVU Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved.
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson posted a statement on his Twitter account Monday, hours after the team announced he would be active for Sunday's game. The former NFL MVP said he could not discuss the details of his child abuse case, at his attorney's request.More >
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson posted a statement on his Twitter account Monday, hours after the team announced he would be active for Sunday's game. The former NFL MVP said he could not discuss the details of his child abuse case, at his attorney's request.More >


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Love Stories: Sanjay Dutt-Madhuri Dixit
Sanjay Dutt-Madhuri Dixit
Sanjay's life had always been an emotional rollercoaster of sorts. His mother's death had a devastating effect on the then young man, who sought drugs to ease his pain. As a result, his personal and professional life took a serious beating.
A short drug phase and quick marriage later, Sanjay became the proud father to a daughter - Trishala, whose mother was lost to cancer soon after. Richa Sharma's death loomed over Sanjay like a dark cloud in a clear sky.
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MN.IT @ DNR's GIS program was presented with a Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award at the Esri International User Conference (Esri UC) in San Diego on July 10. This award acknowledges vision, leadership, hard work and innovative use of Esri's geographic information system (GIS) technology.
"This award recognizes an amazing body of work by many individuals to elevate the MN.IT @ DNR GIS program to world-class status," said Robert Maki, Chief Information Officer for MN.IT @ DNR. "It is great to see the program recognized through this prestigious award. We seldom stop and take stock of our accomplishments. This is a great opportunity to do so."
The Department of Natural Resources uses Esri ArcGIS technology as an essential tool in fulfilling its three-part mission of providing outdoor recreational opportunities, conserving natural resources and contributing to the economic vitality of the State of Minnesota. MN.IT @ DNR staff oversee all ArcGIS deployments within the department, providing comprehensive geospatial data management services, software development, user technical support and classroom training.
During the GIS program's 20-year history, the DNR GIS user community has expanded from 20 specialists, to over 800 natural resource scientists and managers, plus millions of citizens making use of mapping functionality on the DNR website. Program staff members have always placed a high value on external collaboration, and championed "no-fee" distribution of public data and software resources within Minnesota and beyond.
Organizations from around the world honored at the Esri UC range across various industries, including agriculture, cartography, climate change, defense and intelligence, economic development, education, government, health and human services, telecommunications, and utilities.
"The SAG Awards identify the organizations and people that are using the power of geography to improve our world and drive change," says Esri president Jack Dangermond. "At Esri, we are always deeply inspired by the passion and innovation of our users. They deserve recognition for both solving their communities' greatest challenges and for their invaluable contributions to the continued evolution of geographic science."
For more information about the 2013 Special Achievement in GIS Award winners, including project information and photos, please visit esri.com/sag.
Northland's News Center featured a story about the work of the Natural Resources Research Institute in Duluth and MN.IT @ DNR to detect erosion from the 2012 floods. The story explains how the Light Detection and Range (LiDAR) technology can be used to pinpoint erosion that could become problematic in the future. Learn more by watching the video from the Northland's News Center.
MN.IT staff members from @ Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and the Central office provided technical expertise in the creation of the MN Department of Veterans Affairs' (MDVA) newly redesigned website. The site is part of the MDVA's continuing efforts to provide the best service and care for the state's 370,000 veterans.
MN.IT staff worked closely with the MDVA Communications Department, to translate the desires of Minnesota Veterans collected through focus groups, to an extremely user-friendly and easy-to-navigate site. The technical effort included providing a stable development environment, migration of data, design and implementation support. MN.IT also completed extensive testing ahead of the site's launch.
Since the launch in June, the new site has received a significant increase in hits from as far away as Australia and accolades from Veterans, counties and Veteran groups.
Created specifically with Veterans and families in mind, the website is designed to be user friendly with improved navigation that will serve as a vehicle to help Minnesotans get timely information and news. It is also expected to help Minnesotans better differentiate MDVA from its close partner, the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.
The site will promote and be accessible through the URL of www.MinnesotaVeteran.org, but will also be accessible through the official state website address http://mn.gov/mdva.
Carolyn Parnell, Minnesota's State CIO and Commissioner of MN.IT Services – the state agency that delivers information technology to state government – has been named one of several recipients of the 2012 Tekne Award for leadership in Public Service. The award was presented to seven of Minnesota's public officials by the Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) in recognition of the honorees' efforts to consolidate IT services from more than 70 state agencies into a single organization, MN.IT Services (formerly the Office of Enterprise Technology).
"I'm honored to be named a recipient of this award," said Parnell. "This recognition validates that we're heading in the right direction – to provide innovative IT solutions that help build a better government for a better Minnesota."
Since the consolidation legislation passed in July 2011, MN.IT Services brought together roughly 2,100 IT employees from separate agencies into the new organization, and completed comprehensive service level agreements with each state agency, outlining the costs and level of service for all IT services, projects and applications – a level of IT management that is rare in both the private and public sectors.
Given annually, the Tekne Awards honor companies, innovations and individuals with technological breakthroughs that positively impact the lives and futures of people living in Minnesota and all over the world.
The State of Minnesota has been named a recipient of National Association of State CIO's (NASCIO) 2012 Recognition Award for Enterprise IT Management Initiatives.
The honor, awarded yesterday at the NASCIO 2012 Conference in San Diego, recognized Minnesota for the executive branch's seamless migration to a single Enterprise Unified Communication and Collaboration (EUCC) cloud-based platform. The project unified all communication technology across state government to increase productivity, providing state workers new communications tools and the ability to collaborate easily and effectively across agency lines. The move to the cloud delivered enhanced constituent services without adding infrastructure or capital investments.
"This was a significant project that eliminated redundant systems, improved security and, in the simplest of business terms, made it possible for the Governor to finally send one email to all State of Minnesota employees," said Carolyn Parnell, Minnesota's State CIO and Commissioner of MN.IT Services, the state agency that delivers information technology to state government.
The consolidated cloud-based system has the capacity to serve Minnesota government beyond the executive branch. "We knew we were a success when St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman made joining the state's email system a key goal in his 2012 state of the city address," Commissioner Parnell explained.
Today, Minnesota has what is largely considered the most advanced communication and collaboration ecosystem in the public sector. The project brought all 70 state agencies into a single communications platform, including email, voice, video conferencing, instant messaging, desktop sharing, web collaboration, storage, and mobile phone options, in addition to other services. All this was accomplished while also keeping the system flexible enough to meet ongoing business needs, yet ensuring security levels befitting the work of law enforcement.
"Moving in a new direction takes courage, commitment and a willingness to challenge assumptions," said Parnell. "Winning this award tells our Minnesota IT team that we are going in the right direction. It validates our path toward additional innovative projects as we optimize our recent statewide consolidation and lead Minnesota government toward solutions that benefit Minnesota citizens. We appreciate being recognized by our peers in other states, and we look forward to sharing our experiences on the road to new IT challenges."
Work on the custom-designed project was done in partnership with Microsoft. The EUCC system is cloud-based and modeled on tools from Office 365.
St. Paul, MN August 8, 2012 - Microsoft, the State of Minnesota's business partner on the Enterprise Unified Communications and Collaboration (EUCC) move to the cloud, has received the national Top Tech Integrators Exceptional Service Award for their collaborative work on the project. Microsoft was nominated by MN.IT Services, Minnesota's enterprise IT organization, and selected by e.Republic's Center for Digital Government as one of the 11 best organizations in the country that tailor technology solutions for government.
The Exceptional Service Award recognizes an integrator's role as a key change agent or catalyst for process or operational change within an agency or jurisdiction. Earlier this year, MN.IT Services and Microsoft joined forces to move 40,000 emailboxes into the Cloud, increasing benefits like collaboration, system security and mailbox capacity, while also realizing decreased costs.
"Our partnership with Microsoft resulted in ground-breaking work for state government," said Ed Valencia, CTO for the State of Minnesota. "This project pushed the boundaries of innovation by focusing not just on innovative technology, but also through such a strongly collaborative business relationship. We're very proud of the groundbreaking work our team completed with Microsoft as our partner."
The EUCC transition was completed in a short time with very little disruption to users. The system is expandable and available to other jurisdictions as well – like boards, commissions, cities and counties. The City of St. Paul has recently migrated to the system, for example.
Winners were selected from nominations, submitted by public sector IT entities, of companies who partnered on projects addressing such areas as health and human services; finance and administration; transportation; and economic and business development.
The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. The Center is a division of e.Republic, a national publishing, event and research company focused on smart media for public sector innovation.
For more information on the award and the other 2012 winners, go to the Center for Digital Government's award site.
April 23, 2012 -- The Office of Enterprise Technology has announced a new brand for the organization: MN.IT Services.
MN.IT Services applies to all executive branch information technology and everything that is done at both the MN.IT central and agency-based offices, and to the services that continue to be provided to other Minnesota government entities.
The information technology staff at 70 State of Minnesota agencies, boards and commissions were consolidated into a single IT organization through interagency agreements signed in October 2011.
The change occurs that the time that the new organization has developed and published operational strategies for the consolidated organization that will now function as a single entity that makes enterprise-wide decisions and manages resources collectively.
A new name acknowledges the change that is happening everywhere, and begins to build the brand and mindset among staff and customers that all of the State's IT services are MN.IT Services. The new name provides additional clarity on roles and relationships among MN.IT offices and staff, and helps to describe the organization in a clear and consistent way.
Through a strategic planning process, the new organization has developed a new mission statement: "We provide government with high quality, secure and cost -effective information technology that meets the needs of government, fosters innovation, and improves outcomes for the people of Minnesota."
MN.IT Services has also released a new state Master Plan that describes the technology goals and priorities for executive branch over the next five years.
The State of Minnesota has been recognized as a national leader for its use of technology to better serve citizens, increase operational efficiencies, and promote increased collaboration between state and local government agencies, according to the results of the Digital States Survey, a comprehensive biannual review of the technology practices of state governments by the Center for Digital Government.
Minnesota's grade for electronic service delivery moved up to a grade of A-, from a B+ in 2010, putting the State behind only Michigan and Utah, and on a short list of states that lead the country in using technology to "improve service delivery, increase capacity, change cost structures and reach policy goals."
"When we talk about making government work better for the people of Minnesota, we mean it," said Governor Mark Dayton. "This is another success in our continuing effort to build a better government for a better Minnesota. I congratulate our Chief Information Officer, Carolyn Parnell, and her team for this outstanding achievement."
The Digital States Survey results come just one year after Minnesota initiated a comprehensive IT consolidation effort across the executive branch – centralizing all executive branch technology functions within a single statewide, IT agency, MN.IT Services. Under the state's new model, MN.IT Services acts as the central IT service provider to all state agencies.
"We have found that we are stacking up well against similar efforts underway throughout the private sector," said Parnell. "But this evaluation by the Center for Digital Government is particularly gratifying, as it recognizes Minnesota as leaders in the government space."
Within a year of consolidation, MN.IT Services transferred roughly 1,500 IT employees from 70 separate agencies into the new organization, and completed comprehensive service level agreements with each state agency, outlining the costs and level of service for all IT services, projects and applications – a level of IT management that is rare in both the private and public sectors.
While the survey recognized the early success of Minnesota's strategic transformation of IT over the last year, its focus was on how states use technology to better engage, inform and interact with citizens and make government more transparent. Minnesota's survey submission highlighted several examples of this type of innovative use of technology:


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Written by:
The dark, the black,
The pain, the lack.
Your absence, your unknown love,
A haunted moore, a dead cove.
The light, the white,
Your face, your sight.
Your slight presence, your friendship,
A small part, just a sip.
The dusk, the gray,
A struggle, no say.
The love, the pain,
The hope, is it all in vain?


text: Our top 6 scarf knitting patterns Wrap yourself in warmth this winter! Choose from one of our easy, cosy winter scarf knitting patterns. By CanadianLiving.com Knit a mohair scarf or wrap This cosy scarf or wrap is knit from just one or two balls of luxurious Rowan Kidsilk Haze – it's an affordable luxury project that's perfect for intermediate knitters. Knit a cabled scarf Stay cosy when it's cold outside with this cable-knit hat and scarf set. Knit a striped skinny scarf This cosy scarf is knit in the round, creating a warm double-layered fabric. Knit a handy scarf with case This summer-weight scarf with case will come in handy on cool evenings and in air-conditioned buildings. Bow knot scarf This clever scarf, made from novelty yarn, can be whipped up in no time. Knit a long rainbow scarf Brighten even the dreariest winter day with this colourful scarf. Now that you know your neck will be warm this winter, find a pattern for a cute and cosy pair of mittens. Page 1 of 1 Related Video How to tie a scarf five different ways Looking for a chic way to update any outfit? Assistant Style and Beauty Editor Julia McEwen shows you how to tie a scarf five different ways. See more like this video


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Creator: Rula Halawani | 2004
"Every day hundred thousands of Palestinians must cross Israeli checkpoints on their way to work, school, family or friends. Everyday the same gestures are repeated, the same words spoken, and the same humiliation suffered. But given that new checkpoints may unexpectedly appear or be removed, that governmental policies may change on a daily basis and that each checkpoint boss enjoys considerable autonomy, you never know if you will arrive at your destination with all your things."
#Rula Halawani #2004 #checkpoint


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Ustwo co-founder and wigged evangelist, Mills, has been hyping a reboot of Whale Trail with tweets like, "I can't wait to Free Willy", making it quite obvious that Whale Trail was about to get a freemium makeover.
As an avid Whale Trail fan, and a developer, I awaited with great anticipation for what this AAA developer's take would be on the always evolving "collect & spend".
As evidenced by this very post, it was a gold mine.
First Impression
WOW! So many things are done right. Simple and easy (albeit familiar) methods to purchase and spend in-app currency (Krill - awesome). Most currency will be spent upgrading Willow's main attributes:
- Frenzy Length
- Frenzy Blast
- Cloud Resistance
- Max Trail Length
- Max Multiplier
- The extra life: Respawn
- The "fast-forward": 8x multiplier
- Whale Trail specific powerups: Trail Fill & Insta Frenzy
There are a slew of cosmetic upgrades that are irrelevant to the scope of this post, but they are entertaining to say the least.
Pricing of early upgrades is near perfect, and in the beginning, upgrades come after almost every play. This is essential to getting users hooked. Failure to achieve this leaves them feeling lost and unmotivated: "Why am I collecting [currency] again?".
This early euphoria continues...
I truly can't believe I haven't seen more of this: in-app currency reward is bound to the core game metric: points. More often than not you will see independence, like Limbic's Nuts! or Imangi's Temple Run, where you are trying to accomplish one thing with currency collection being somewhat tangential. While doing this creates an additional challenge (and an additional upgradeable), I always find it more chore like and frustrating because I'm not being rewarded for surmounting the core challenge.
In Whale Trail, at the end of a game, your points are divided by 500, and that is your krill reward. 500,000 points? Here is 1000 krill. Love it. In addition, you get krill bonuses for various achievements or "Missions" as they call them. Another step in the right direction, but the reward amounts are far too flat, and far too low to be interesting. You end up accomplishing most of them by accident.
One mechanic I've been obsessing over recently, and is prevalent in Whale Trail, is the slot machine. Simultaniously, I've been interested to see how certain games "grease the gears" to get users in the habit of using consumables (See any NimbleBit title, or the new Mega Run).
Whale Trail nails both with one hammer, well, almost nails both.
On your journey, you'll encounter mystery pick-ups. You don't get to find out what they are until the end of the game. They can be a krill bonus (25, 50, 100), or very frequently, one of the consumable power-ups (but never an extra life).
Nice, an awesome slot machine that dispenses loads of gear grease. Take notes, devs.
However, once again the krill bonus is too flat. Later in the game a +25 krill bonus is like getting a rotten egg. What if one in a hundred was a +1000 krill or even +5000? Like any good slot machine, the chance of an epic win makes for true addiction.
Euphoria still intact, I continue.
Whale Trail is a difficult game, and it got more difficult with this update. This by itself is not a problem, in fact, I think it's great! When I'm playing Whale Trail this time around, games feel more concise, and when they last, it's a rush. The level design is great and more varied than version 1.
I Hit a Wall
Right around the time you start occasionally getting 500,000 points it seems almost impossible to do much better. Worse yet, you often will score < 200k points with full upgrades. You think to yourself, "Man, I got that score with half the upgrades I have now, wtf!".
There are many reasons for this, and I've been thinking all morning how to properly explain them.
Double threat.
The game faces the problem of having two (seemingly) linearly increasing difficulties which combine to create an exponential difficulty. As you progress, the cloud mazes become more difficult to navigate, and the scattered colored bubbles become more sparse. These two difficulties also interact. Having fewer bubbles makes it harder to spot the best path and harder to recover from an increasingly likely collision with a cloud.
Many games have multiple increasing difficulties, but in Whale Trail they form an all too steep exponential difficulty experience.
Don't double punish me bro!
The point multiplier is the heart of progress and replay-ability in many mega hits. Think Tiny Wings and Temple Run. Whale Trail's approach is great: You can upgrade you maximum multiplier, but you have to re-earn your multiplier each game.
Higher multipliers are reached sequentially, so it takes a long time in each game (even with the 8x head start) to collect enough colored bubbles to get the multiplier to your allowable max.
The extreme challenge comes with the fact that getting zapped by clouds not only drains your flight fuel, it also drains your multiplier!
So even if you manage to get that 32x multiplier, then hit a patch of clouds and manage to survive, you're left with a 4x or 8x multiplier. What is the point in continuing? There is no way with sparse bubbles and crazy cloud mazes you are going to be able to regain the previous glory that was only possible with accumulated success from the easier beginning. At this point dying actually becomes desirable when Krill farming.
Here is how I visualize the difficulty variables previously mentioned:
I then multiplied these variables and some logical weight values and graphed the result - a very crude way of approximating overall difficulty.
I also graphed two examples for aggregate Krill collected in a run: one when making few/no mistakes, and one when making an early, harsh, but survivable one (Maybe you use a Trail Fill power-up to recover).
I want to see krill collection correlate somewhat closely with difficulty, but it doesn't:
Things that are wrong to me:
- Difficulty seems Exponential. Obviously my numbers are made up here, but i'm just trying to quantify/visualize my experience.
- A mistake will end you. If the mistake doesn't take your life, it will lead you to the next issue...
- No way to recover Krill/Point collection. As is reflected in my graph, with the low amount of bubbles in the late game, it is just not possible to get your multiplier back up when it takes a hit.
- End of your life sucks. Except in the case of sudden death, your last moments in Whale Trail feel like a pointless struggle as you aren't earning many points/krill. Instead, these moments should be the most profitable.
- Trail is too elastic. It grows and shrinks too quickly
- Adjust difficulty so that the late game is very slightly more survivable/recoverable. Addresses problems 1, 2
- Show the paths of moving clouds
- Increase the number of bubbles in the late game - no need to make consistently more, but add occasional dense pockets/strings. (also see trail suggestions to see how this won't be a big deal).
- Don't make the camera zoom in so much when you are down low
- Remove the multiplier cloud penalty Addresses problems 2, 3, 4
- It's hard enough to get the multiplier maxed, no need to take it away
- To manage high scores take control over length of play
- Make the trail less 'elastic' Addresses problems 1, 5
- Increase the max trail 'length' (not visually)
- Make each bubble grow the trail less
- Don't change how the multiplier grows
- Use a more complex/fair cloud zapping scheme than ~2 zaps per second - goal: avoid punishing small mistakes. Addresses problem 2
- Reduce cloud collision area by 10%-20% (perhaps make a function of cloud resistance)
- Modulate collision damage by direction of travel relative to cloud. 1 - (Dot product of direction of travel and vector to center of cloud) = forgiveness factor when grazing
- enter cloud from sky: zap
- enter cloud from another cloud: no zap
- zap 1 per 1-1.5 seconds after first zap while still in cloud
- If finger is pressed (you are changing direction) zap twice per second
- Ask for a review after the player's first 200k/300k/500k point run - there is no reason this game should have anything less than 4 stars.
- Increase Upgrade Pricing. Many of these changes will naturally lead to more krill earnings. No need to try to scale down scores. Just increase higher end upgrade pricing.
- Throwing a number out there, but just raise current prices to the power of 1.2 (eg 10 -> 16)
- Consider making the top multiplier upgrade even more elastic say raise to the power of 1.3
- Minor Suggestions
- Make mission rewards larger
- Make wildcard reward krill bonuses more elastic
I hope this analysis gives other devs some insight as to how I look at certain game attributes. In general, I'd love to see more devs sharing their technical perspective on mechanics.
I love Whale Trail, but more importantly, I love how Ustwo strives for excellence and embraces change.
Whale trail was update with a few changes to ease difficulty and promote fun. The late game is more survivable/recoverable (both in terms of trail and multiplier) and there is a temporary +500 krill slot machine reward - all steps in the right direction - but missing the key element of making the late game the most profitable by removing the cloud multiplier penalty.


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(Quelle: mysimpsonsblogisgreaterthanyours, via jazzrelatedstuff)
MONK would follow this tumblr. / Start here for the jazz and stuff that looks like jazz sounds. (Beautiful) Ask/Say
Mai 5, 2013
Mai 6, 2012
"I'm a fuckin' walkin' paradox, no I'm not…"
I'm still not sure if I should like Tyler, The Creator and his boundless provocation or if should have fear…
Mai 5, 2012
The Beastie Boys are one of a few rap / hip-hop groups I like and I understand why people like them. Today the massage that Adam 'MCA' Yauch died yesterday reached the world of music. Rest in Peace.
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