text:
I've been suggested to this site by some nice people at mathoverflow.net
Before I get started, let me tell you a little about myself. I'm a fourth year Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Michigan, Dearborn Campus. This said, I am not a mathematician, however I do know a bit about math, and I also enjoy doing math.
Please excuse any redundancies I may make and my "lack of rigor".
The problem I'm working on now is an interesting one, and it goes as follows:
Suppose we have some unknown function of some real variable x, namely f(x), which is "well-behaved" on some known, finite interval, {a,b}. What is meant by "well-behaved" is that it is at least once differentiable, once integrate-able, smooth, and continuous on {a,b}.
Suppose further that we are given some finite area-under-the-curve A, and some finite arc-length S. Suppose finally that we are given f(x=a) and f(x=b).
The problem is this:
Given the above restraints on f(x), prove that there always exists some unique function f(x) that "fits the bill".
For example:
Say f(x) = Sin(x), a = pi/2, and b = pi.
We know that:
f(a) = 1, f(b) = 0, A = 1, S = Sqrt[2]*EllipticE[1/2] ≈ 1.9101.
The problem in this case would be to prove that f(x) = Sin(x) is the only function that has the known area A, and known arc-length S.
Side Note: f(x) in this case could also be Cos(x - pi/2), however, this would not constitute two unique functions, f(x).
A corollary question could be posed if a proof to the first problem was given, and is as follows:
Given the same criterion for f(x) as before, devise a method of determining what f(x) would have to be to "fit the bill". That is, like in our previous example, given: A = 1, S = 1.9101; devise a method of determining that f(x) must equal Sin(x).
Another Side Note:
I have realized (with help from mathoverflow.net) that f(x)=(x-1)^2(x+1) and f(-x) have the same Area and arc-length on [-1,1]. Making a potentially erroneous proposition, let us say that for all polynomials of nth order P(x), P(-x) will have the same Area and arc-length on any [-c,c].
This would prove difficult to prove analytically due to the "ugly" expression for arc-length.
While in general f(x) and f(-x) are unique functions, there must be some way of thinking about them as similar enough to "lump" them into one unique function... Just a thought
Thank you all. I look forward to any insight you can shed on the problem.


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I'm travelling around a few cities in India, from Delhi to Bangalore. What type of plug adapter should I pack?
Don't pack anything. You'll find much cheaper, and probably better, plug adapters all over India. Expect to pay Rs 15-30 for simple ones that just accommodate US-style plugs, and Rs 40-50 for full universal ones. You can find them at any general store/convenience store in major cities and tourist locations, but might get a better selection at electrician's shops.
I agree with @R.. I spent over four months in Delhi in 2009, and while I did bring over a couple of plug adapters with me, it's much easier and cheaper to just buy them there. Any market will have them. (Just remember that the price of almost anything in India is negotiable!)
In addition to buying a couple of plug adapters, you can also purchase a universal power strip with surge protector once you're there. It looks like this and I think I paid the equivalent of $5 USD for one in a market in Delhi. These are a good idea if you're bringing multiple electronics like laptop, tablet, phone, ipod.
The universal power strip is great for a couple reasons: 1) You can plug in all of your electronics at once. My experience is that many Indian hotels/hostels/guest houses do not have many outlets so if you have multiple things to charge, a power strip is your best friend.
2) Surge protection is really important (especially if you're traveling during summer in India, though you didn't specify when your trip was). Brownouts, blackouts, and power surges are common, and you don't want your laptop to get fried.
3) If you have one of these, you don't need to buy a lot of individual adapter plugs that are small and easy to lose.
As I mentioned before, though, this is something you'll want to buy in India to make sure the powerstrip itself has the right plug. (It'll probably be a grounded plug that looks like this.)
The last thing is to make sure you check voltage requirements for anything you bring with you to plug in. A lot of electronic devices can automatically convert, but things like hair dryers typically need a voltage converter to do it for them.
I went to India (from the US) last year and brought one of these. It's only an adapter, not a voltage converter. It will work with your laptop, phone charger, etc. if they support 110V and 220V. If you have devices (electric shaver, hair dryer, etc.) that only operate on 110V this won't work. Some "international" hotels will have a 110V outlet in the bathroom for shavers.
You'll need something like this:
What I do when I need confirmation is to check this website:
It has an EXHAUSTIVE list of each and every type, the voltage and the countries that use them. It's been handy for some of the stranger countries I've been to and hasn't failed yet.
Myself, I have a multi-adapter. The only country it doesn't seem to handle is South Africa, which has 3 giant prongs - bigger than the UK ones!
Good luck, and enjoy India!
I would highly recommend this one from Amazon. It appears that a 3rd party is selling it at the moment...I have used this extensively in Europe, India, the South Pacific and the US as well. Can't beat the price point and convenience...
Caveat - The build quality is not excellent, but considering Radio Shack sells individual adapters for upwards of $10 USD each, this is well worth the price, many times over...
It depends where you're from. Most of my devices have the two pin mainland Europe plugs. For these you don't need an adapter at all. All the power points take them as well as three pin Indian plugs. For my one US plug I bought a very small/light US to Europe adapter for 20 US cents. UK and Australian ones need a bigger one available everywhere in India for 80 cents.
Pick up a road warrior travel adapter. It is small and durable and has only two pieces that convert into every plug configuration imaginable! It is pretty cheap ($20) and you will have an adapter for life that you can take on all your adventures!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Collections and Agreements
- HeinOnline United Nations Law CollectionIncludes all United Nations treaties & documents, and international court of justice documents, all searchable using keywords, subjects, and citations
- United Nations Treaty Collection
- United Nations Treaty Collection - Monthly Statement of Treaties and International Agreements
- Core International Human Rights Instruments and Their Monitoring BodiesOffice of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
- The FLARE Index to TreatiesMultilateral treaties, includes links to OHCHR and EISIL.
- Multilaterals Project - The Fletcher SchoolThe Multilaterals Project, begun in 1992, is an ongoing project at The Fletcher School, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts to make available the texts of international multilateral conventions and other instruments. Although the project was initiated to improve public access to environmental agreements, the collection today also includes treaties in the fields of human rights, commerce and trade, laws of war and arms control, and other areas.
- The Avalon Project at the Yale Law SchoolThe Location of American Diplomacy - 1778 to the Present. Text of all treaties.
- European Conventions and Agreements, 1949-PresentConventions and agreements opened for signature between 1949 and 2003 were published in the "European Treaty Series" (ETS No. 001 to 193 included). Since 2004, this Series is continued by the "Council of Europe Treaty Series" (CETS No. 194 and following).
- U.S. Senate Treaty PageThe Senate's Role in the Treaty Process - Treaties in Force - Historic Treaty Debates
- Congressional Treaty DocumentsWith electronic search capability
- U.S. Department of State - Treaties in ForceTreaties in Force is prepared by the Department of State for the purpose of providing information on treaties and other international agreements to which the United States has become a party and which are carried on the records of the Department of State as being in force as of its stated publication date, January 1, 2007.
- U.S. Department of State Treaty ActionsThis site contains a record of actions taken by states in regard to international agreements. This information is provided by the Office of Treaty Affairs.
- U.S. Treaties on LEXIS (USTRTY)The U.S. Treaties on LEXIS (USTRTY) file is a unique electronic compilation of full-text ratified and unratified treaties and international agreements, where the United States is a party or signatory. This includes not only treaties signed by the President with the advice and consent of the US Senate, but also international agreements from the U.S. Government. Documents are obtained directly from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Senate, as well as authoritative U.S. government publications, including:
Research Guides
- Research Guide to International Law: TreatiesASIL By Jill McC. Watson
- Frequently-Cited Treaties & Other International InstrumentsUniversity of Minnesota Law Library Research Guides
- Researching U.S. Treaties and AgreementsLLRX.com by Marci Hoffman
- Researching Non-U.S. Treaties and AgreementsLLRX.com by Stefanie Weigman
- Guide to Treaty ResearchColumbia University Law School
Last Updated March 2012
- Treaty Research GuideGeorgetown University Law Center
Last updated 2007
Links last updated 2008
Other Sources
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law Edited by Rüdiger Wolfrum, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law. This comprehensive resource contains peer-reviewed articles on every aspect of public international law.
- National Treaty Law and PracticeEdited by Duncan B. Hollis, Merritt R. Blak
Available in print and E-books format


text:
Signs and Stages of Labor
Feeling anxious about labor is normal and to be expected. Knowing the signs and stages of real labor can help you manage.
Bring It On
Although labor is a natural progress, you can try some techniques to help it along.
The First Stage of Labor
Your baby is ready to make her way into the world. Take a look at how she starts her journey.
How Will I Know I'm in Labor?
After anticpating this for so long, you may worry about not knowing when labor has finally started. Here are some clues.
Failure to Progress
If your cervix doesn't dilate or your baby doesn't drop, your doctor may use some techniques to help speed up the process.


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Which game(s) do you want to receive for Christmas? Or maybe you want a console in your list too?
Which game(s) do you want to receive for Christmas? Or maybe you want a console in your list too?
Knights of the Old Republic III
- - - Updated - - -
Knights of the Old Republic III
How can anybody still have faith in BioWare? I just don't know.
Stop making new threads dammit. You'll use up all the internets.
The internet is already almost fully used up anyway, we need a new source of sustainable internet or the human race could die.
This is a General Gaming question, not for official game thread.
I'm down for AC3 Liberation and LBP Vita, though!
And don't forget make less threads, post in more.
NSMB Wii U
BLOPS Wii U
Make sure to include a gift receipt, Lilith_Gamer. And thanks for being so generous!
1 vs 100
I did like it. It was killed off quietly, probably because Microsoft realise they make less money if they use the membership fee to actually provide content.
Microsoft kills a single game in fear of losing money, yet Sony releases full retail, blockbuster, games (sometimes multiples) every month FOR FREE!!!
Sounds about right.
Also wtf is Chrismas? Are we celebrating Chris Evans?
Too many games for me to even play, that's for sure. Tangential, but I hope that by the time PS4 releases, the Vita has $60 64GB memory cards and full Remote Play -use the Vita as a controller and TV for any PS4-. I'll continue to buy games with Cross Buy that I probably wouldn't otherwise, so maybe when this time comes, I can finally use the device in the manner I hoped to initially, and I'll have a collection of nice PSN games to boot. To bring this back to relevance, it'd be the best Christmas present from Sony ever. Also, an Xperia Play 2 with more PSMobile games.
You'll need to give Santa a handjob to pull that tall order off.
All the reindeer and elves, too.
Oh yeah there is a topic and question to this thread. I will answer!
Nothing. There are no games I want. I hate games.
I am however planning on playing Skyrim, Trine 2 and maybe a few other things over the holiday for the first time.
Skyrim!? That's like 100 years old! Isn't that on the Amiga or some shit?
Pretty much. Now it's no longer cool to be playing it I can join in the fun!


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Another week and still no solutions found. I guess I'll have to see where 12.04 takes things... hopefully in the right direction.
Another week and still no solutions found. I guess I'll have to see where 12.04 takes things... hopefully in the right direction.
In reply to Stevenswall #9:
I have precisely this sentiment! Slowly Ubuntu is turning into a Windows system that forbids you to change anything.
I had to install Ubuntu, Ubuntu-2D, Ubuntu-no-effects, Gnome-3, Gnome-2 and finally even Fluxbox to get back to a working system.
After MORE THAN 6 WEEKS, the Ubuntu standard interface MAKES MY COMPUTER CRASH! No reply from ubuntu, no fix.
The solution at the moment is to run GNOME-2.
Maybe a revert to Debian or Slackware is the only possibility?
I also have this problem. I'm running Lubuntu Oneiric with 3.0.0-15-generic kernel on a eeepc 1000HE (elantech touchpad).
I have tried many suggestions but I can't seem to get the 3 finger tapping working.
xev output shows that 3 finger tapping is recognized as a normal button 1 command.
The output:
Any ideas on where to look further for a solution?Code:ButtonPress event, serial 41, synthetic NO, window 0x3200001, root 0xaa, subw 0x3200002, time 23010536, (21,28), root:(649,238), state 0x0, button 1, same_screen YES
The problem is with the ubuntu patches against xserver-xorg-input-synaptics package.
The solution to the problem is simple - just replace the ubuntu-provided package with one without those patches.
Here's how:
Download the appropriate Debian package from this site: (choose your architecture, either i386 or amd64)
Then remove the original package from your system and replace it with the one downloaded.
Reboot the system and 3-finger tapping should be working again.
Please, help to install the downloaded package. I've extracted the package and it contains:files
I've typed in the terminal: ./configure && make
When I've typed: make install
And got the message: make: ** No rule to make target `install'. Stop.*
Please, give me right steps to install this package.
Last edited by kventin-le--mans; January 15th, 2012 at 07:34 PM.
First of all remove the original package
Do not extract the contents of the .deb file. Just type the command:Code:sudo apt-get remove xserver-xorg-input-synaptics
then restart.Code:sudo dpkg -i xserver-xorg-input-synaptics_1.4.1-1~bpo60+1_amd64.deb
There's one more thing. The update manager will try to replace it back. If you have synaptic package manager, find the newly installed package and "lock version" (there's an option in the menu, once you select the appropriate package)
Last edited by ryszka3; January 17th, 2012 at 07:58 PM.
okay! i do not have the complete solution to this - as i'm currently facing the very same problem - but i know one thing for sure that 3 finger tap is enabled. but there is some predefined setting in 11.10 that grabs the event. proof try doing it inside a window that is not maxmized.
as i'm relative newbie to ubuntu so i can't offer a solution this. but here's a clue if anyone figure it out
Last edited by hus787; January 29th, 2012 at 11:50 PM.
Thanks for the solution. But could u please explain what was causing this? cuz as i previously stated that 3 taps are being detected but are extracted by some predefined function/settings
plus if u have experienced this, u might be knowing the name of that feature which used to pop-up when i 3-finger tapped inside an unmaximized window providing me with 4 resize option (one at each corners) and a move option in the center?
This the feature i'm talking about don't know its name though


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An in Depth interview with the ever so modest Tuffy Stone.
I first met Tuffy Stone at the Jack in 2008. I was setting up some stuff getting everything in order for a night of watching the pits when this lithe lanky guy strolls over with a genuine smile on his face. He sheepishly introduced himself and asked if I would be the first person to sign his Jack lid. I knew who he was well in advance of him coming over. I had read about him and his accomplishments many times prior to this first meeting. I could not believe the Tuffy Stone would take the time to come all the way over to the International section (well apart from all the US teams) and ask a Canadian Chick to sign his lid. To me that was incredibly cool.
Since that first meeting I have had some truly heartfelt conversations with this incredibly humble man. I can proudly call him a friend and also a BBQ mentor. I have been blessed to have many BBQ mentors over the last 4 years. I have eaten at his restaurant Q Barbeque. Its terrific competition quality. More than ever he is a modest man with more Culinary skills that I could ever dream of. He has cooked with some of the finest chefs on the planet – Thomas Keller, Jacques Pepin, Julia Child……( Some whose restaurants are on my own personal bucket list. )
Ok just another warning Tuffy likes to talk. A lot. Its a good thing. It also makes it near impossible to leave out things. Get comfortable.
We begun our interview as he was leaving Richmond, VA to go to Hampton taking drawings to the health department and meeting with his partners. He has been pushing himself really hard the last few months. Juggling a successful restaurant (Q Barbecue) ,a Gourmet Catering Company (a Sharper Palate), Competitions, and now the TLC BBQ Pitmasters Series.
In his own words he says "I beat up the road pretty hard the last 3 months. To be in Richmond and not have to go anywhere has been a transition. It is becoming therapeutic. It's interesting. It was like when I first didn't have to go anywhere it was good – I feel healthy again. "
Q- How did you get the name Tuffy?
TS- My mother gave it to me when I was about two. When we opened A Sharper Palate, I thought I would put George on my business card, to be more professional. It lasted about a week, as everyone in Richmond already knew me as Tuffy. So Tuffy it is.
Q- What can you tell me about your new BBQ restaurant?
TS-Its going to be a really cool place. I am really excited. Located in Hampton Virginia Peninsula Town Centre. It will be a Lifestyle centre. We are working with an architectural group out of Ohio that has really enhanced and embraced our brand.
It is about 3500 S feet 120 seats indoors and about 32 outdoors. I am excited about the designs I think it's once again casual quick dining you order your food and we bring it to you. The smokers are going to be visible once again – in a glassed in room that will house two smokers so it will be once again a very visual maybe even more so that Q in Richmond.
It's comfortable it will appeal to grandmothers and grand babies – We are getting that at Q already. I love looking out in the dining room at Q seeing all ages and backgrounds.
I love a BBQ joint but I didn't envision Q to be a joint. All that being said – I have thought about what I wanted it to be… I wanted to have a farmer in one booth and a Doctor in another booth. I want it to appeal to everyone. The design is fresh and perhaps modern I don't want to scare anyone away.
Q-What made you decide to open another restaurant?
TS-We had a situation come to us. The developer for this town centre is very successful man who happens to have been one of the developers of two or three largest lifestyles centres in the Country Ohio. My partner and his reputation have brought the man around. When he saw Q he really wanted to put Q in this location. HE courted us and we struck up a good relationship and a good deal. It's probably sooner than I would have expected for us to do a second property but it makes sense to do it.
Q-When will it be opened and what will it be called?
TS-I believe it's going to be called Q. Our date for opening is March 11, 2010
I have lots of trademarks that have been in the works for a long time all of this stuff to should be coming to a close. It's a painful process. I have also thought of Cool Smoke as a name – it's close to my heart. But overall I think it will be Q.
Edward who has designed Q Has won lots of awards. He drips with talent. He has been featured in CA magazine. This whole thing is such a passion for both of us. We spend hours on the phone working on all sorts of cool stuff. Making it better. We have a new website going live on Thursday (Dec 3 2009) we are having fun together.
Q-How did you transition from being a gourmet cook to a BBQ'er
TS-My catering company A Sharper palate is so formal. I have been cooking for a living since the 80s. Sharper Palate is still alive and kicking and pays the mortgages for a lot of people. We are into the process of reinventing ourselves there for the next 15 years.
BBQ is how I got reconnected with cooking. It's fun and its refreshing and I can spend hours talking about why BBQ is so beautiful. BBQ came along… and you don't have anyone intimidated by BBQ.
BBQ initially kicked my ass. I came in there knowing how to make Beurre blancs but BBQ is harder than it looks.
Q- Do you see shades of yourself in Paul Petersen.
TS- I can relate to Paul Petersen. I never saw the Paul Petersen where he is cocky. He might have been there in the original stages (I can't relate to that part I am not cocky) I can relate we had a good conversation after Mesquite after awards in the first episode.
When I came in to BBQ with all of the things I had learned as a gourmet chef over the years I thought I would be able to apply those things and make it and define BBQ better. Demi glace on briskets. Or white truffle sauce so aromatic and sexy and lovely and that might be a nice flavour enhancer on brisket. The further I got away from the typical BBQ in the sense of flavour profile or expectations the worse I did. That being said the first competition I did I got a 2nd place pork and a 7th brisket call. I didn't do bad coming out but I did have to regroup. I had to try to figure out what people thought of BBQ. Plus what I think it takes to do well. Hopefully you should never get too far away from the traditional flavours. I told all this to Paul Petersen take the skills from the kitchen but do not reinvent BBQ or surprise them.
So I guess how I relate to Paul Petersen is having an interesting Gourmet food. I can relate in a lot of those kind of things. There is always a level to us.
Q-Seriously Smack talk?? From you? How hard was it for you as you are lovingly referred to as the professor, Mr Rogers and so beloved by the BBQ community.
TS-Well I was part of the sizzle reel . John has hinted around that he had cast me as the professor as I could speak easily about BBQ . John only wanted us to smack talk if it felt natural. Keeping things genuine. I thought about this. I gave it great thought. I figured it all in my head. I had to figure out how I would be in front of the camera in general.
What could I say to keep true to myself but also add to the show? It all panned out as far as they were concerned. I always thought or guessed that you always had to be too overly confident or held yourself in high regards to talk smack. I think my grandfather come out because I am much more humble than that. I said those things in good fun and good nature.
I have a good rapport with Johnny Trigg. You have to be able to take it and dish it out as well. It took me many years to dish it out to him. He dishes it out a lot more. He is much more proficient at smack talking that I am.
Q-How did you become involved with the show?
TS-John called me about the show. I have known John Markus for a bit now. I got to know him through Johnny Trigg mainly. John Markus is such a wonderful and interesting person. I love to read what he has to say and listen to what he has to say. I wish I could speak as well as he does he is so eloquent. His words are so eloquent.
It doesn't matter how brief a conversation may be with John Markus or what's talked about its always going to be that way with him. He always impresses me.
We have a rapport and I got to know him more then he got his Geer pit and in a couple of contests and giving him my thoughts on cooking on it and BBQ. Trying to hopefully help him with that process. We were neighbours in Dover Delaware one year and close at the GAB and those times cooking on the Geer pit. I know I am scolded sometimes for sharing or telling too much I can't help it just bubbles out.
He came down to a competition and he filmed a little bit and my thoughts about Myron . When he was leaving he said "I have something else to talk to you about." I was cooking by myself at Dillard Georgia and I got the call.
He sent me a text message one day while I was playing football with my son Sam. I had sent him a txt wishing him luck as I knew they would be doing the pitch to TLC on the Friday. Later I got a message back and they had picked up the show and at the time they had purchased 6 episodes that I helped sell the show and got a thank you from him.
I didn't want to come across unexcited so I sent him back a txt expressing my congratulations. He went on to give me more details. He didn't come out and say I was on the show and then later on John Markus said I was in. I didn't respond quickly. I had been playing football. I didn't want him thinking I was unappreciative.
Q- What were some of the Challenges of the show?
TS-The show has a lot of challenges I like them. I continuing to learn and grow- I am 47 now. I keep trying to take on new things in life. My perspective is just like the Nike tag line- just do it.
Q- What are some of the details on how you came to a life of BBQ and your first pit.
TS-I had already really worked hard to be a gourmet cook. But I had worked hard to raise my skills as a cook not to be just a cook but a great cook. My catering business is part of that. I would say that in mid 90s I used to volunteer to cook at an even at the masters of food & wine in Carmel CA (just some of the chefs names-Alice Waters ,Jacques Pepin, Charlie Trotter ,Julia Child_. I would do anything they asked (I would make tomato confit, I overcooked Jacques Pepin duck breast -thats a long story LOL) and fill my brain as much as I could after working 16 -18 hours and writing my journal. I wanted to make my impact. For some reason to be a chef owner of a Gourmet catering company- it's difficult to make a name for yourself like going into a James beard dinner , I really needed to have a public venue. While I had a successful company and food and provided good employment for myself and employees I needed to stop worrying about being in the Gourmet part. I had convinced myself of that. So I just tried to go to be about a good dad, employer, husband, son and cook.
Our business grew but I got disconnected with cooking. In this process for some reason I knew it would be with a wood fire. I spent all this time researching pits. Then through that process I found the BBQ forum in 2004. I asked all those questions. I got a load of hickory and my first pit was a Lang 84 I went off to my first contest Johnny Trigg was there- I was stuffing wood in my pit all night as I thought that's what you had to do and stick burners seemed to be the ones who had to stay up all night. He hadn't even lit his pit. I didn't know who he was. He had this big motor coach and this pretty pit. I was really curious. About 330 / 4am he was just getting his pit lit. I walked over and started talking to him. He won that contest and I fell in love with Geer pits.
I went down this path of BBQ. I love all the different pits out there. I think I cook on a stick burner (a Geer Pit) because its primal and basic. I think anyone who ever had to bake a cake with a wood burning oven could make it better than anyone. Having to run that fire clean is something. This whole world of BBQ turned me on to a whole new world of people. On a side note I have had to change my cell phone plans so many times because I get talking and its a $400.00 bill. The talk is always about BBQ. I want to keep talking everywhere. It's the way I feel.
This whole BBQ thing got me reconnected to cooking. I love the humility of it all. I like the fact that BBQ kicked my ass. You take modest cuts of meat and you have to coax out greatness. What seems so simple on the outside is so really complicated on the inside. I love that it appeals to everybody. I would probably say globally. There are so many wonderful things about it. The BBQ family is a beautiful thing. I love competing against my friends seeing them win and myself as well.
It's been one journey of a lifetime.
Q- When do you believe it is the right time to label yourself a pit master?
TS-Golly. You can ask that question many ways. I always had such a reverence for the word chef. Being called a pit master is like that. It was given to me by others before I was comfortable with it. If someone calls me a pit master today would I be comfortable? / I would just say I am just getting comfortable with the start of it. A couple or three years ago technically I think you could have called me a pit master but I think i may just be starting to get comfortable
Q- What's the definition of pit master to you?
TS-You have to have knowledge of your own pits but it needs to go beyond that – that you could step up to anyone's pit and figure it out and have the knowledge to do it. Reading can help but no teacher is better than doing it. You need to understand butchering. It wouldn't hurt to know how break down a pig or cow. You need to be able to know how to make a BBQ sauce or BBQ rub. So how to cook all the different meats to the right tenderness. How to retain good flavours and moisture.
Q- When will you teach a bbq class?
TS-I am not yet ready yet.
(He already has taught many culinary classes but when asked if he would do a BBQ class he pauses.)
I have hesitation due to my abstract thinking. I babble and I drift. To me subtleties and nuance and observation and things that move on you that you have to follow and watch I worry that if it was a class I would want to teach it would be a very abstract moving process. I would worry that too many people would want to know when and how to do things at an exact time. My cooks schedule is like that but it would be abstracted and I can talk a long time about smoke and cooking. I think there would be a population that would dig it and some people who would just say- what time do you put the rub on?
I know there is good money to be made and some of my friends are already doing it. For me though I think I am still learning so much.
I think I will want to share BBQ with people. I have always taught- I teach in Richmond all the time. I have been involved in a culinary arts program. I love what I am doing now. I see teaching a class at some point. I just hope the story I have to tell and what I want to convey will help people do really well. I am sure at some point I will.
Right now I am still digging in.
Q- What have been your observations about different pits (ie Charcoal and Pellets) since you are a stick burner.
TS-Charcoal cookers (stumps, wsm, backwoods -any small charcoal closed in pits) are different. I would have to become a real student of the fuels ahead of time so I could embrace and absorb that. I would want to learn all about them thoroughly.
Pellet cookers have to do what I do in reverse. Stick burners and charcoal cookers have to worry about too much smoke and too much flavour. Pellet cookers (because they burn so clean) they have to focus on how to get more smoke and more flavour in – it's the opposite.
Q-Do you think your modesty is a big hold back for you?
(He gives loads of credit to his Mom, Dad and Grandfather. He is uncomfortable with receiving compliments of any kind at all. He cringes at any mention of his accolades and his well thought of personality)
TS-My father is so funny and proud of the successes we have had at Cool Smoke, He is knocking on the door of 70 and this makes him happy. He embarrasses me sometimes when we are together. He likes to talk about it. When I am exposed to it I can't stand it. He laughs. For example – We are pumping gas going to some competition and someone will say- nice pit. My Dad is right in there saying this pit won 3rd place at such and such a competition. I'll turn to him and say "Dad why can't you just say thank you very much. He is so proud of me" One day he turned to me and said You know what Tuffy there's really not much fun in achieving so many things if you can't tell people. I really didn't have a response to that (he says with a chuckle).
For me, it's just a challenge it's the next contest not the last contest.
Now we have this TV show. It's funny they did a piece on me near Richmond. One of the producers called me the Clark Kent of BBQ. Here I am filming a TV show. However no one in Richmond knew. Going all over the country going BBQing and no one knew in my own town of Cool Smokes achievements.
It's interesting to me the second show we filmed was in Decatur. The first one I wasn't uncomfortable in Mesquite. I didn't know many people and we all were off to our own section. When I was in Decatur however a bunch of my friends were there. It seemed like everyone I knew was there. I was miked up and cameras were following me everywhere. I was so embarrassed all weekend. It goes back to my modesty. I want to make a difference in this life and I want to be humble. For me it was so weird having TV crews following me. I am still me.
A writer from Richmond asked me if I was going to have a big party for the premiere tonight. I said "no way." I am going to be holed up in my house all by myself. Why? She asked. I just want to see what it's like. She then asked comically-" Have you turned into a diva??" I just laughed that's so not me.
Q- Any contest in North America that you have never done before that you still want to do?
TS- I am going to go and cook Memphis in May this year.
Also until this year till this show I had never cooked a whole hog a couple of small suckling pigs but never a whole hog. Honestly speaking – (as a pitmaster) I always felt lacking as a BBQ person as I had not done a whole hog. This year I cooked a 165 lb hog. I bought a JOS (Jack's Old South) cooker to do it in and peach wood. That was in a contest setting. It was cool.
Q- Do you think it will be easier after the TLC Pitmasters show that the public will understand the love of our sport of BBQ
TS-The people making it think it will. I am sitting here waiting for what it will end up being. I hope it shows how cool it is – what we all love to do each weekend.
There is such a depth and character to the personalities of this show and of all BBQ'ers. They all have passion. That's what it is : passion.
I hope it gives it a really good face I hope its good TV. I think there are so many things that are depressing out there that I hope this is a really positive, joyful, experience. I Think the things that we do, the friends that we make is a really great group of people. I hope it gives them a good snapshot of this. I really think this show will do that.


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Beautiful historic queen anne located by The University of Arizina. Walk to all the best shops and reataurants. All suites are designed for extended stay with kitchens, Free WiFi
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6 Real Historic Battles Decided by Divine Intervention
#3. A Sudden Wind Saves Orleans
Joan of Arc is a bit of an oddity in human history. We know enough about her life -- hell, we even know whether she was hot or not -- but even scholars scratch their heads over how the hell a 17-year-old farm girl was able to be taken seriously by any male-dominated medieval military, never mind a French one.
It was kind of a boys club.
Jean de Dunois, better known as the Bastard of Orleans -- seriously -- was one of Joan's earliest critics at this crucial juncture in her career. Not only did she have boobs, but Joan had no military experience whatsoever, she sincerely believed her orders came from the archangel Michael, and frankly, her full-time job as "peasant" was not all that impressive, even in 1429. As a result, the Bastard would have been more than happy keeping Joan out of battle and, for the most part, ignoring her, which was exactly what he did.
The bastard himself.
The Divine Intervention:
The Siege of Orleans started off pretty shitty for Joan once she found out that Dunois left her out of his war counsels simply because she lacked the testicular girth. When Joan complained about this to the Bastard in person, he blew her off by saying he was more concerned about the strong wind preventing his army from receiving supplies from the Loire than her griping. This was Dunois' way of saying he had more important things on his mind than this teenager bullshit and that losing wars was something better left to the men of the French military.
Photo c/o deputy Van Halen of the San Dimas police.
Well, according to the Bastard himself: "All of a sudden, and as though at that very moment, the wind -- which had been contrary and which had absolutely prevented the ships in which were the food supplies for the city of Orleans from coming upriver -- changed and became favorable. From that moment I had good hope in her, more than ever before." Forced to believe that Joan had stopped the wind with her mind or something, Jean de Dunois used his military and political clout as the Bastard to become one of her greatest supporters in the male-dominated French military.
The Siege of Orleans ended up becoming Joan of Arc's greatest victory, the turning point of the Hundred Years' War and one of the most decisive battle in history, ever, thanks to a gentle breeze and a sexist bastard's sudden change of heart about a schizophrenic teenager.
Sounds a lot like a Disney Channel Original Movie.
#2. The Second Battle of Britain is Turned on a Dream
When we mention the "war against the machines," the time frame that pops into your mind isn't usually the 1940s. For that reason, this is one of those rare occasions when real history is actually more awesome than what you learned in school.
During the period of World War II known as the Second Battle of Britain, Allied troops were pitted against something called the V-1 buzz bomb, a flying murderbot designed by the Nazis.
Terminator: Episode I
Without a pilot, a complex engine or really any weak points at all, the V-1 was as hard to kill as the T-1000, and on top of that, it was faster than anything the Allies had in the air. So, as if being a Londoner during the 1940s wasn't bad enough already, the public had to deal with newsreels like these about the old-timey robot uprising they were fighting.
The Divine Intervention:
Fortunately for the Allies, they had a 29-year-old techie on their side named David B. Parkinson, who apparently graduated from the same Jedi academy as Luke Skywalker. Shortly after the Dunkirk evacuation of 1940, the secret to defeating these marauding sky horrors came to him in a dream.
The dream started off as typical war-geek fantasy -- Parkinson dreamed he was on a Dutch anti-aircraft gun crew alongside "a marvelous automatic robot gun."
After successfully downing just about every airplane in the sky, "one of the men in the crew smiled at me and beckoned me to come closer to the gun," at which point Parkinson discovered it was driven by the same recording equipment he had recently developed for Bell.
The next morning, Parkinson forced his equally-nerdy friends at Bell Labs to hear all about his dream from the night before, presumably prompting reasonable objections like, "we don't invent weapons, we invent recording devices." But he wore them down, and working together they used his dream-schematics as a starting point to invent the M-9 electrical anti-aircraft gun complete with robot detector, even though "neither of them knew anything about guns, ballistics or fire control." That's pretty awesome, considering that we at Cracked have about the same level of qualification, but all of our anti-aircraft guns have so far been miserable failures.
The M-9 entered military service in 1943, and in one month, "90 percent of German V-1 buzz bombs destined for London were shot down over the cliffs of Dover." In a single week, 89 of 91 V-1 bombs launched from Antwerp were shot down using "radar-guided 90-millimeter guns controlled by M-9s," a victory that may not have occurred had Parkinson only dreamed about showing up to the war in his underwear.
Fret not, Free World. The Force will be with you.
#1. The Battle of the Bulge
The single bloodiest battle in American history was a desperate surprise attack launched by Germany in December 1944. The most serious shit during the Battle of the Bulge went down in the Belgian town of Bastogne, where 12,000 men from Private Ryan's old outfit were encircled and under siege. The U.S. Third Army's Gen. George S. "Old Blood and Guts" Patton hoped to break the siege using tanks greased with the "goddamned guts" of dead Germans.
Actual grease would probably have worked better, but whatever. Some people have a flair for drama.
But Patton had a more pressing problem on his hands at the moment: The weather had been relentlessly shitty all month. All he needed was 24 hours of good weather so that he could send in his Third Army, rescue the 12,000, kill the blitzkrieg and strut out with enough gut-grease to last him all the way to Moscow.
Dude had his driving gloves and everything.
But since no weapons of mere mortals could crack a dent in the atmosphere, Patton had no choice but to resort to more unconventional means to improve the five-day forecast.
"Old Blood and Guts" on a good day.
The Divine Intervention:
After screaming at the clouds for days on end and insisting that they were all "goddamned cocksuckers," Patton took matters into his own hands and decided to appeal to the only entity capable of actually changing the situation. He summoned Third Army chaplain Col. James O'Neill to draft up a prayer for him that could double as a weather machine.
O'Neill was a bit weirded out by this request, never mind the fact that Patton was "dead earnest" about it, and the general staff of the Allied nations condemned the move as an insult. Nevertheless, the chaplain formulated an awesome rain-destroying prayer that Patton distributed to his men on 250,000 wallet-sized cards, then chilled out the next few days to let God sort out the enemy's growing bulge.
Now, we're not claiming that God literally reached down with his fists and punched a hole through the clouds directly because of Patton's prayer, but the weather did suddenly clear up, just long enough for the Third Army to break the German encirclement and reinforce Bastogne. Decide for yourself. We're just a comedy site.
Anyway, the heroic feat went down in history as Patton's finest hour, and the general celebrated by immediately awarding chaplain O'Neill the Bronze Star "for writing a prayer." According to O'Neill himself, Patton then "cracked me on the side of my steel helmet with his riding crop. That was his way of saying, 'Well done.' "
Well done, indeed.
For more biblical badassness, check out 6 Saints and 5 Nuns Who Could Kick Your Ass.
And stop by Linkstorm to see how God wouldn't touch the Internet with a 10-foot poll.
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These days, our noble Saudi people are engaged in a decisive battle against the power of evil and destruction that is represented in the deviant and misguided group of terrorists. On behalf of my brother, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, and every citizen of this country, I would like to address the security officers in particular and the men of the military bodies in general, who are the first line of defense in the battle against these criminal murderers, by saying to them that all of the Saudi people are proud of your sense of patriotism, and also proud of your courage, as well as praising the spirit of magnanimity that you demonstrate every day.
I say to them: Were it not for your vigilance, the people would not have peace; and also, had it not been for the hardships you have faced, no one would know the taste of comfort. Moreover, without your sacrifices, the deviant group would not have succumbed to their defeat.
I say to these courageous security men, that we will treat as our own, the dependents of those among you who gave their lives; that your injuries cause our own hearts to bleed; and that your blood is a symbol of honor that permeates the soil of our fatherland.
I say to them: This faithful nation will not forget anyone who gave his life defending our religion and our country; will not forget a hero who receives injuries while performing his duties; and will not neglect an orphan whose father died in the battle of good against evil.
Brother citizens: In the conflict between the power of good and the power of evil, there is no room for neutrality, nor for hesitancy; there is only one path before honorable believers, and that is to stand in one line against the corrupt oppressors in the holiest places on earth - Makkah and Madinah.
I am calling on every citizen to stand as if he were a security officer, to be a support to the security forces, and to be their eyes, ears and hands.
I warn every misled or misguided person by saying clearly: he who protects or sympathizes with a terrorist is himself a terrorist, and will receive his just punishment.
I pray to God to have mercy on those who have sacrificed their lives for us, and we will go forth along our path, believing in God, depending upon Him and remaining confident of victory.


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The Cabinet today approved the Ninth Development Plan covering the period 1431/1432 - 1435/1436 H. (2010 - 2014). Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz directed all government departments and agencies to implement the programs and projects within their set time limits. King Abdullah said that development spending has reached SR 1.444 trillion [$385 billion], an increase of 67% over the Eighth Development Plan. The a majority of the spending was allocated to human resource development, social development, health, municipal services, housing, culture, and transport and communications.
Minister of Economy and Planning Khalid Al-Gosaibi said the development plan is part of the Kingdom's long-term strategy of achieving sustained development and aims at eradicating poverty, providing housing, employment, education, health care and other public services and facilities. Minister Al-Gosaibi expects an annual economic growth of 5.2 percent during the development period. "We also expect that the per capita income would grow from SR46,200 [$12,320] in 2009 to SR53,200 [$14,187] by 2014," he said. The private sector is expected to grow 6.6 percent annually while non-oil sectors by 6.3 percent and investment by 10.4 percent.
The Ninth Five-Year Development Plan will establish 117 new hospitals, 750 primary health care centers and 400 emergency centers, Minister Al-Gosaibi said following the Cabinet's decision. Other projects include 25 new colleges of technology, 28 higher technical institutes and 50 industrial training institutes, as well as expanding the capacities of public universities to 1.7 million students and primary, intermediate and secondary schools to 5.31 million students. The development plan also calls for doubling the present capacity of desalination plants from 1.05 billion to 2.07 billion cubic meters annually by 2014.


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Maggy Thorsen is back! When the coffeehouse owner is dragooned into emceeing the barista competition (think Iron Chef, but with coffee) at the industry's scaldingly competitive trade show, she fears nothing good will come of it. Sure enough, the morning of the finals, Maggy discovers the body of her chief rival and conference organizer, Marvin LaRoche, under the trophy table.
Finding herself not only the fill-in conference coordinator, but also chief suspect, Maggy must track the murderer, save her coffeehouse and, if she has some spare time, heat up her love life.
©2007 Sandra Balzo (P)2012 Sandra Balzo
"Not particularly recommended"
I had read the first book in the series, recalling that I hadn't been all that wild about it. Still, this one was showing at a steeply discounted price, so ... why not pick it up? Answer: weak plot, unlikeable characters, and creepy overtones to both. In order to get into the book, one has to find the world of coffee interesting; if not, there's a lot of coffee-related detail to slog through. We start with a sort of prologue of finding the corpse at the Java Ho! convention, and are promptly yanked back a week or so for all of the details of setting up the event, and of the activity (such that there was) until we're back to the corpse again. Many of the characters are highly unlikeable, although the sheriff and Jerome-the-junior-journalist are downright nice. Maggy herself came off as often whiny, but that could've been the narration. By the end, I decided that the book was barely worth the discounted price, although the story of the baby creeped me out a bit. As far as narration went, Savage started at a fever pitch, as though she were facing some sort of looming deadline to get to the end, but I noticed she'd calmed down by the later part of the story.
Overall, I felt the book was worth the low price I paid as something to fill a few hours. At full price (or one Audible credit), I'd say skip it, or read it as a library book. Maggy and Jake's relationship doesn't "advance" so there's not much to miss otherwise in terms of the overall series arc.
"Coffee anyone?"
Another series that fills in the time while driving or doing boring stuff at work. Really very enjoyable and entertaining, but not great literature. I rate a listen a 4 if I intend on listening to more in the series. It will never make a 5 though.
Report Inappropriate Content
If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.


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Is there a way to stop a specific person from sending you event invitations without removing them as a friend on Facebook? If it isn't built in, perhaps there is an application that lets you remove yourself from events after you are invited?
Easiest way is when you click decline on one of the person's event invitations, there is now a popup box which asks you to leave a message, and there's a link there to block event invites from that person.
You should be able to stop receiving Event Invites by following these steps:
For a page that allows you to see everyone who's currently blocked in one way or another (event invites, app invites, totally blocked, etc.) and allows you to add more people to block, currently this URL works like a charm: https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=blocking
Try this Chrome extension called "Facebook Invitations Blocker" to block all invitations (Like pages, Join events and try Apps).


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Micro Velvet Flannel 4 Pcs Queen Sheet Set for $21.99 + free shipping
These Micro Flannel Sheets will keep you cozy and warm all year long. Snuggle up in this luxuriously soft and comfy bedding and sink into a good night''s sleep. Made of 100% Polyester.
What''s Included:
1 x Fitted Sheet (88" x 102")
1 x Flat Sheet (60" x 80")
2 x Pillowcase (20" x 30")
Condition: New
2 Comments add a comment
Only the Dark Red variety is available at this time. Need ivory color for our room.
My personal pet peeve (that I've complained to CustSrvc here on Woot, as well as 1SaleADay and DailySteals): What's the fitted sheet size depth? Are these for 12", 14", 16", 18" or... mattress?? Selling me the BEST sheets in the world at a great price, but they don't fit my mattress depth, is a waste of money - and only sours the customer to your [website] brand.


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"From wherever you stood, the opposing side offered respectable, credible views. In today's fractured culture the evening struck a blow for civility."
- The Huffington Post
May 11, 2012
We are thrilled to announce our return to the Chicago Ideas Week (CIW) on Wednesday, October 10! "For one week each October, CIW brings together… more
May 09, 2012
I've been reading a good amount of background in preparation for our upcoming debate – on obesity and government responsibility – and I suspect this… more


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No matter where you fall on the hot-button topic of climate change there is no denying it's an important issue. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a summary of its most recent set of findings and figures in March. The WMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations with a membership of 191 Member States and Territories (as of January 1, 2013). It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was founded in 1873. Established in 1950, WMO became the specialized agency of the United Nations in 1951 for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.
As weather, climate and the water cycles know no national boundaries, international cooperation at a global scale is essential for the development of meteorology and operational hydrology as well as to reap the benefits from their application. WMO provides the framework for such international cooperation.
This summary and website can lead you to a ton of other international sources on climate and environmental law. Use the list of topics at the top of WMO's home page or the facets on the left to find relevant information that may be more difficult to get to simply by using the web site search box. Evaluating and making use of all access points (also known as finding aids) are important research processes.


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How do you set up the domain (I'm using GoDaddy) to mask the server URL but to append the sub-page link.
I'm thinking something like the Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/something (or, if it would require httpd.conf access, setting it to append the default subpage link eg.
Currently I can set up the domain to either be masked completely without showing any sub-page links or to simply redirect my domain to my web server.


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Tasha Isenberg was found wandering on Cave Mill Road early Monday morning.
Police are continuing to investigate. We will update when we have more information.
Officials are looking for 22-year-old Tasha Isenberg of Bowling Green.
She went missing from the Pascoe area in Bowling Green around 7:30 Sunday night.
She is about 4'9" and has short hair with a mohawk. She was last seen wearing blue jeans, blue leggings, and a long sleeve grey turtleneck.
If you have any information, please call Bowling Green Police at 270-393-4000.


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Chelsey Brumbaugh ('13) | Speech Pathology
Communication sciences & disorders
major from Lewisville, Texas
Chelsey Brumbaugh expected to find academic excellence at ACU, but she also got a few surprises during her freshman year.
ACU's diverse student body has definitely opened my eyes. When I am surrounded by students from literally all over the world, I am constantly reminded of the expanse of God's creation.
"ACU's diverse student body has definitely opened my eyes," she says. "When I am surrounded by students from literally all over the world, I am constantly reminded of the expanse of God's creation. He made each and every one at ACU and loves each of us with an unfailing love no matter what race, gender or culture. I love having that reminder every day I'm on campus."
A few surprises
Chelsey, a junior speech pathology major from Lewisville, Texas, also was surprised by ACU's emphasis on mobile learning.
She had visited the campus before enrolling and was moved by the Christian atmosphere shown through the actions of both faculty and students.
"It's encouraging to walk through campus and see people constantly holding doors open for those behind them, people screaming across the courtyard to their friends just to say 'hi,' and the genuine love of Christ seen in the eyes of others," she says.
She had expected to develop personal relationships with her professors, to find faith the classroom and to choose from numerous research opportunities.
"I chose ACU based on all of these qualities," she says. "But the one I didn't plan on was the knowledge I would gain through ACU's technological advances."
Chelsey was amazed by how the iPhone was integrated into her classes and life on campus. "The iPhone has helped me adapt to the advances made in technology and will help my technological capability when I acquire a job," she says.
Learning from the best
Chelsey also has been impressed by the quality of ACU's faculty.
"Contrary to popular belief, the iPhone is not the students' primary educational tool - our professors are," she says, noting that more than 80 percent of ACU's faculty have attained their Ph.D.
Her professors in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department have been "amazing," she says. "Their love for young adults and their want for each student's success begins the first day of your freshman year. They really listen to your heart and objectives and assist in any way they can to align your godly gifts and passions alongside your education."
Chelsey's particular passion is helping others. "As a speech pathologist, I will have the ability to work with people of all ages, from birth to the elderly, and I will be intimately involved in their struggle to overcome their adversity," she says. "I will have the opportunity to be God's enabler who encourages them in times of weakness and celebrates with them in times of strength."
Now, a year into her education at ACU, the prospect of achieving those goals comes as no surprise to Chelsey at all.
Learn more about attending ACU
Visit Campus
Satisfy your curiosity about what it means to live and learn at ACU!
Apply to ACU
Learn more about our application and admissions process.
Connect Online
- Shelby Shipley ('13) Speech Pathology
- Alex Guiton ('10) Speech Pathology
- Jamie Stephen ('09) Speech Pathology
- Chelsey Brumbaugh ('13) Speech Pathology
- Dr. Denise Barnett Communication Sciences & Disorders
- Jessica Moore ('12) Speech Pathology
- Study Abroad: The World is Your Classroom
- ACU Connected: Mobile Learning
- University news, events and fun!
- Follow between issues on the magazine blog
- Follow ACU on Twitter


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Meet and Communicate with Fun Singles Near You on BBW Personals Plus
Register now to search thousands of members and post your FREE profile!
mgmohamed is a 51yr-old single woman in Espanola, New MexicoView Profile
Just a laid back person. I like to chill and have fun whenever I can. I love my friends and family n just enjoy life.
laidbacklady is a 20yr-old single woman in Espanola, New MexicoView Profile


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Simply guess the game shown in the extremely small picture shown below (called a chop) and if you get it right, its your turn to test others. If you've guessed correctly, you can immediately find a game screenshot and cut out a tiny bit like I did, then upload it somehow (ImageShack is good) and post it in this topic for others to guess. (There are instructions on how to do this further down the page) If you don't want to cut out the image but you've got the answer, simply say so.
As the person who has chopped, you may give hints as time passes if nobody is guessing or guessing correctly.
There is a tally further down this page that shows who has the most guesses and who has at least 1 correct guess.
Please PM me the answer to the chop so that I can better regulate the game.
- If you are entitled to post a chop (you guessed the last chop correctly and the chop poster approved), you must post a chop of a screenshot that is considerably smaller than the screenshot (see other people's chops for reference). The chop must also not be named '<gamename>.jpg' as that gives away the answer. Chops should be cropped so that people who have played the game before would recognize the game, if the game is a popular game you may make the chop more difficult as to set apart the amateur game 'X' players and the hardcore game 'X' players.
- UPDATE: Please PM me the answer to the game to make sure winners get chosen!
- When you post a chop for everyone to guess, you must post a reply to any answers within 2 days (48 hours) from the time the answer was given and you should do so before the chop ends (5 days) saying nobody guessed it right or saying who guessed it right. If you don't then I will try to see if anyone got the answer right after the 5 days (120 hours), but only if I am available, otherwise nobody will get a point from the chop.
- If someone has guessed a chop correctly and it has been confirmed, they should post a new chop within 2 days (48 hours) of confirmation or tell the others that they would like someone else to chop. If the person who guessed the chop correctly doesn't decide on anything within 2 days (48 hours) of the answer being confirmed, then anyone may post another chop.
- Chops can go for a maximum of 14 days without being answered, after this time has passed anyone may post another chop. (check the date and time of the chop's posting)
How to post a chop
original by Jahkaivah, modified by XenoX101
1.) Find a picture of the game on the net or in the game, press the PRINT SCREEN(PrtScrn) Button.
2.) Open Microsoft Paint (Start > All Programs > Accessories > Paint) and then hold CTRL and press V (paste).
3.) Use the marquee tool (dotted square) to drag a box around the area you want to take out of the picture to post here.
4.) Hold CTRL and press X (cut) so that it removes the area you want from the picture. Now you need to drag the little square in the bottom right corner upward and left so that you get an area much smaller than the portion you just cut out.
5.) Hold CTRL and press V (paste) to put the chop you originally removed into the tiny canvas, if a pop-up appears just click yes, the canvas will resize itself from tiny to the exact size of the chop, removing any worries about blank areas around the chop.
6.) Save the chop and make sure the file name doesn't give the game name away (we could have just quoted your post and we would know it)
7.) Go to ImageShack or photobucket (for photobucket you must register an account). Then go to the upload section of photobucket or simply click browse in ImageShack
and find your file, double click it then click "Upload" (or something similiar).
8.) Now you will see either boxes with text in them or a link somewhere, you can either highlight a tag that starts and ends with [ IMG] [ /IMG] and simply Copy (Ctrl+C) > Paste (Ctrl+V) it into your post or if you can't see the tags around the link in one of the text boxes, or just want to write the tags yourself, highlight the link on its own, Copy (Ctrl+C) > Paste (Ctrl+V) it into your post and surround it with a [ IMG] at the front and [ /IMG] at the back.
9.) Post it in the thread and PM me the answer, If you don't let the winner know they've won, I'll let them know OR you can tell people hints if nobody got it right. In the end I will tell people some hints and if they don't get it, another person can post a chop in the next 2 weeks.
1.) First post of the 100th page - 3 points and a signature or avatar made by me if you'd like.
Congratulations MegamanXLanDarkZero for the 100th page first post!
3.) First person to 30 guesses answered correctly - Surprise!
Congratulations Weegee_101 for being the first to guess 30 answers correctly!
Weegee_101: 34
L33tfella H: 33
riq: 27
MegamanXLanDarkZero: 17
hackerwacker: 16
Bruce Fwaaa: 13
PwnStar: 11
kmjnhb: 10
mobiusone: 10
Jahkaivah: 9
Korru: 8
Krisp: 8
ThE_MarD: 7
Takkyu: 6
Hrugnir: 6
eedok: 5
evol262: 5
Lupin3: 4
ComaAmerica: 4
Vishamon: 4
Skullknocker: 4
Verrückter: 4
T w i Z t i 4
KillerEwok: 3
Vengeance: 3
Zllig: 3
Boycey-Ganglionz: 3 (Banned)
People with 2 Points
Fascination, NarcMunky, hoot86, UGF~, TriXR4Kidz, The_Zooloo_Master, Cross, Saq, NightHawk_b, SilentKill, Cyclohexane, BaderG, dloko, [PTH]Guaripolo, Joby, Hoggman, ChaosJester, hasjustbeenpwned
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Stickied due to awesomeness -Hrugnir


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The Blackbirders {Reposted RP} - 04-05-2010, 04:06 PM
1. Please PM me first before joining, unless you are experienced at RPing. If you are unsure as to whether or not I consider you experienced, then I'd prefer it if you messaged me rather than just jumping in.
2. Obey the main forum rules.
3. No Mary Sues or Gary Stus. Or I will hit you.
4. Please abide by the plot rules. This universe has electricity; it's called something else in the book, but for simplicity's sake, I'm calling it electric. There are no cars, but carriages that run by electric. There are no aeroplanes, but instead people travel by zepplin airship. There are still carriages pulled by horses and people travelling by horseback, too. If you have any questions, PM me rather than asking in the RP.
Welcome to a completely new world. This world is similar to ours in some ways, but in other ways, the differences stand out markedly. In our world, our souls are one complete whole and are housed within us. In this world, half our soul remains within us and half is outside us, as a daemon. Daemons take the form of animals; they can change their shape during our childhoods, but when we mature into adults, they remain in one shape which they stay in for the rest of our lives. This usually happens after you hit sixteen, and your daemon's final shape is chosen by your personality traits, whatever they may be. After all, a daemon is part of you and therefore must show as part of you. Your daemon is your best friend, your one and only and your only true other half; no-one knows you like your daemon does. You can't imagine being parted from your daemon, ever. The thought of a person without a daemon puts you in mind of horror stories you shivered at when you were little; meeting someone who didn't have a daemon would be as unnatural as meeting a person without a head. But there is a danger. Children are being kidnapped, from the slums, the middle class areas and even from the parts of town where the rich live. No-one is safe, and no-one knows quite when the kidnappers will strike.
The children play games about these so called "Blackbirders", and pretend to themselves that they're not scared, but they are. And with good reason. The Blackbirders steal the children away and take them to a place in the north where scientists have developed a machine that will separate a person from their daemon. Anyone who goes thru this process will be sundered from half their soul, and both person and daemon will be as zombies, mindless and obedient, to their master. He keeps himself secret, only emerging every so often to check on what's going on in his headquarters, a huge building surrounded by snowy plains, where the children are taken. He has a plan; to use his creations to build up a deadly army, an army that knows no fear and attacks obediently and blindly, in order to take over the world and make himself ruler of it. He does not use this process on himself or his most trusted followers however, which to itself speaks of lies and betrayal. He justifies what he's doing by saying that it's all to the better, to keep children pure forever, as their daemon's sticking in one shape means that they have become infected with sin. But it is all a lie. If it were so good, then why does he shield himself, his daughter and his followers from it?
The severing process used to be thought permanent, and the victims of it left mindless, but a rogue scientist working at the headquarters, quite by accident, discovered a cure. She was forced to flee, fearing for her very life, in order to hide out at a secret location in a town on the other side of the world. She cannot reveal her identity or her purpose for fear that her old employer will track her down and kill her to prevent her revealing the cure to anyone or practicing it on his minions to give them their lives and souls back. Who are you in this fierce struggle? Are you a mother, perhaps, who's had a child taken and now is determined to find them, whatever the cost? Or maybe you're a child who fears the Blackbirders, yet plays the games with all the other children, knowing a friend of a friend who was taken, yet hoping against all hope that it won't happen to you. Or perhaps you used to work alongside the scientist who's discovered the cure; do you support her work or condemn it? What side have you chosen?
Rules For The Plot.
Certain elements from the book Northern Lights, which was made into the movie The Golden Compass, have been taken and adapted into this RP. I haven't taken the exact plot, as it would be too complex for an RP and also was solved in the books. The most difficult aspect for most people to understand would be the daemons, so I'll explain those in full, as well as impressing on players certain rules that must be followed as far as daemons are concerned. Here they are:
1. Daemons can change shape in childhood but are fixed in adulthood. For the sake of the RP, I'm making this as sixteen when your daemon fixes its shape. If you have problems thinking of what animal your character's daemon will be, just think of the Animagus forms in Harry Potter; ie, the animal shape can not be chosen and instead reflects the person's personality. Daemons also do this; for example, a brave person may have a lion daemon; a sneaky one a snake, an independant person a cat, a vain person a peacock and a flighty one a squirrel. Look at your character's personality, if adult, and choose a shape to fit them. If your character is a child, then their daemon can change shape at will. The daemons of servants, incidentally, are always types of dog.
2. Men have female daemons and women male. You must remember this, and choose a suitable name for your daemon. Don't forget that the daemon is not a pet, it is part of you. So your character converses with them as they would another person.
3. Any animal can be a daemon, including reptiles and birds, and also insects. Be creative. Don't just pick the same daemon as someone else did, if you figure your daemon is a cat, then choose another type of cat, for example, a serval or ocelot.
4. No-one must touch another person's daemon. It's the worst taboo you could imagine. The only exception would be between lovers, for example, but in most cases only the person who's daemon belongs to them will touch that daemon. If your daemon is hurt, then your character is hurt.
5. A person and his/her daemon must stay within a short distance of each other. Forced separation causes unimaginable pain, both mental and physical, even if both are reunited. The people who are severing the children from their daemons are doing so in the most brutal way, and some of the children die from the experience.
(Yeah, character limit. As always.)
Character Form:
Appearance: (written please, no pictures)
Daemon: (if a child, then just put the daemon's name)
Name: Rian Emerald
Age: 13
Appearance: Black hair, green eyes. Average height
Personality: Very childish for his age, can be rude, sulky and bratty. Likes to deliberately annoy people, steals. He's also loyal to his friends, and brave on occasion
Bio: Rian's father is in prison, and his mother couldn't cope with him so at an early age he was adopted. His adopted mother Gwen is an alcoholic, and pays little or no attention to her adopted son, instead letting him run wild. He knows of the Blackbirders and so does Gwen; but she doesn't really care, and he doesn't think it'll ever happen to him.
Daemon: Maris.
Rian crept alongside a wall behind the stalls in the marketplace, his daemon Maris in the shape of a fox at his side. "I'm not so sure about this," Maris said in barely a whisper. "What if you get caught? If you get beaten, remember, I get hurt as well." "I'm not going to get caught, and I won't get beaten," Rian muttered back to Maris in the same low tone. "You know as well as I do that Mum won't bother to get us anything to eat; she just spends all the money she can get hold of on drink. This is the only way. Either that, or we starve." Maris gave a sigh, and nodded. "Alright. Just be careful." Rian crouched down low behind a stall selling hot pies. He waited for the right moment, then pounced. He seized a pie, wincing slightly due to it burning his hands and was away, running hard with Maris flying by his head in the shape of a finch, by the time the stallholder and his jackal daemon spotted them. The stallholder shook his fist and his daemon growled angrily, but fruitlessly as Rian was well away.
Rian stopped running as soon as he got to a convienient alleyway, that ran up the side of an abandoned, derelict house. He sat down, out of breath and Maris flopped down next to him. "I didn't get caught, did I?" he said to her, before starting to eat his prize. "Not this time, true," Maris replied, "But what about next time?" "I ain't thinking about next time," Rian said between bites. "I just think about now. That, and to make sure the Blackbirders don't get me." Rian along with the other children who lived along the street in the terraced houses often shivered in delicious fear and played games about the Blackbirders, but it became real when a child they knew disappeared. Mothers often used the Blackbirders to threaten their kids with, saying, "Do your homework now or the Blackbirders will get you!" "Eat up your dinner, or the Blackbirders will come" or "Come in this instant, or I'll tell the Blackbirders to take you away!" but they too feared their children being taken by the merciless kidnappers.
Name: Nelle Winters
Age: 12
Appearance: Short and thin, brown eyes, chin length spiky brown hair.
Personality: Quiet, Suspicious of people she doesn't know, can be quite rude and abrupt, not good with other children, she can be pretty cold at first but is very protective of her few friends.
Bio: Her mother went missing when she wa slittle so her father and her have moved quite a bit. He's found a place at the market's around the area though and makes a small but steady income. He's too busy most of the time to pay much attention to his daughter and her whereabouts.
Daemon: Felix
Nelle stood at the edge of the market, staring at the bustle with no obvious emotion. "You know your father worried about you, not having any friends and all," Nelle's daemon, Felix, a wildcat looked up at her. Nelle frowned. "He ain't got nothing to worry about, I can look after myself, I'd hardly want friends, they ain't good for anything." Nelle answered. She was lying to herself, truthfully she envied those children who could make friends so easilly, ever since her mother had dissapeared Nelle has told herself she hadn't needed anyone much to her father's despair.
She felt around in her pocket and pulled out a small stone.
Felix jumped from her arms to the ground, "We should go, no point hanging around here all day, they'll think you're a thief." Nelle nodded and turned around, there was not much to do around the markets anyway. She ahd no interest in the games the other children played about the mysterious 'blackbirders'. Many times her father had warned her about them, If any blackirder tries to take me Nelle had told herself, I'll scratch his eyes out. With a spiteful kick she sent the stone skidding along the ground and walked slowly away from the marketplace.
Name: Calli
Age: 16
Appearance: Fairly scrawny, average height. Has black hair and pale brown eyes.
Personality: Tends to snap a lot, has a short temper, but despite this she's incredibly protective of the people she cares about.
Bio: Calli has never gotten along with her mother, a former upper-class lady who married "for the stupid reason of love." Her father was a working-class butcher who swept the woman off her feet; and currently the marriage is on the rocks, prompting Calli to stay away from home as much as possible.
Daemon: Ahijit, a small black snake.
Calli wandered through the market, taking care to stay in the edge of the crowd near the stalls. A little farther down, she could hear a shopkeeper yelling at someone who'd stolen a pie; now, who'd do that? She shoved through the crowd to the stall and threw some money down; at least her dad still gave her some money, considering her mother hoarded everything she earned to make herself seem rich when she went out. "I'll have a pie too, there's enough cash for two. Sorry if somebody took one, sir." She used her sleeve to grab a still-hot pie, and a tiny black head stuck its head out to sniff it. "Ahijit! Stop that." She giggled. "Come on." She continued walking, squealing a little as her daemon wriggled up her sleeve to her collar. "Come on, stop it!" She smacked him lightly on the back and found her way to a derelict house. "Hello? Anybody here?" She sat down on the creaky, broken stairs. "I brought pie!"
I stare at the girl in the mirror: T-shirt, torn up jeans, no beauty queen.
But the way that you see me, you get underneath me, and all my defenses just fall away, fall away.
I am beautiful with you, even in the darkest part of me. I am beautiful with you;
Make it feel the way it's supposed to be!
Name: Kiki Jackson
Age: 5
Appearance: Kiki has dark blonde hair down to her waist, and insists on always wearing pigtails. She has grey eyes and short lashes, and has a dimple on only one cheek when she smiles.
Personality: Kiki is a tattletale, but only because she hates it when people do wrong things; she wishes everybody could play nice. Shes very open, honest, and naïve.
Bio: Kiki grew up in a middle class family, and is cherished by her mother, but her father is rarely home. He occasionally beats her, so she avoids him at all costs.
Daemon: Gigi (pronounced jee-jee)
Name: Nicole (Nikki) Jackson
Age: 20
Appearance: Nikki is a short brunette with blue eyes, and an upturned nose. She is slightly pear shaped, and has small feet.
Personality: Nikki is a bit of a doormat, and has almost no will of her own. Her daughter is the only thing that matters in her world, and she would do anything for Kiki.
Bio: Nikki grew up with strict parents, and then married an abusive, adulterous husband because he impregnated her out of wedlock at the age of 15. She hates the fact that she cant find it in her to even yell at her husband for cheating, let alone fight back when he hits.
Daemon: Chris, a little grey field mouse
Kiki had left the house; daddy was home. She hated daddy; he was mean, and he even once had hit Gigi. So she was wandering the streets, even though mama didnt like it, because she was afraid of the Blackbirders. Kiki was too young to really understand the concept of the Blackbirders. So she meandered from street to street in her drab, white sundress and sandals. Gigi was nervous; while Kiki was relatively unconcerned about falling to harm, Gigi was freaked to the point of paranoia; he saw somebody hiding within every shadow, thought every footstep or voice calling out was the sound of someone following or chasing after them. So, when Kiki rounded a corner and saw a young teen shoving bits of pie into his mouth, Gigi, in the form of a parrot, quacked and turned into a ferret, then crawled into her shirt. Its okay, Gigi. Kiki cooed to her daemon. They wont hurt us, theyre kids, like us.
B-but theyre b-bigger. Much bigg-ger! Gigi protested.
Well, it doesnt matter now, cause your noise-making was so loud that they gotsa know were here. Kiki replied.
Meanwhile, Nikki had long since made dinner and was calling for Kiki and Gigi, obviously to no avail. She was worried. Beyond worried, actually; what if someone had stolen her baby, her only reason for living?
Suddenly, a large man came up behind her; he appeared to be in his late twenties, if not thirty already. So the little brat is gone, eh? Oh, well, that means more for me! He laughed.
How can you say that? Shes your daughter! Nikki thought. She didnt, of course, say this aloud; that would result in a beating. Yes, dear. She said meekly; it was best to just placate him, stuff him full and then let him sleep. Then she would be free to search for Kiki and Gigi.
Ooc: RP is starting now.
Rian looked round suspiciously when he heard the shouting; he couldn't make out what was being said and wondered if it was someone coming to have a go at him.
Maris changed into a wildcat and jumped on to his lap. "If it's anyone bad, we can always run," she said.
Calli pouted a bit. Ahijit stuck his head through her collar and tasted the air, before turning his head in a direction. "Thanks, snickety."
"Ssssnake." He stuck his tongue out at her, quite childishly, before ducking back into her jacket. She just shook her head and went in the direction that he'd smelled.
"Hello? Heelloooooo!"
I stare at the girl in the mirror: T-shirt, torn up jeans, no beauty queen.
But the way that you see me, you get underneath me, and all my defenses just fall away, fall away.
I am beautiful with you, even in the darkest part of me. I am beautiful with you;
Make it feel the way it's supposed to be!
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Alphabet Matchup
- Clothespins
- Paper
- Tape
- Pen or marker
- Old magazines
- Scissors
- Write the letters of the alphabet on small pieces of paper and tape them to clothespins, or print the letters right on the clothespins.
- Cut out magazine pictures, one for each letter of the alphabet, and have your child match the clothespin letters to the beginning sounds of the objects in the pictures.
- Clip the clothespins to the corresponding pictures.
More on: Activities for Preschoolers
Copyright © 1998 by Patricia Kuffner. Excerpted from The Preschooler's Busy Book with permission of its publisher, Meadowbrook Press.
To order this book visit Meadowbrook Press.


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Palladino: Schools wrestle with how to react to tragedy
By Joe Palladino Republican-American
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BEALLSVILLE HIGH and elementary schools held a mini Rally For Life Assembly on Thursday and distributed three more checks to two cancer patients and a freshman student at Beallsville high school to help pay for her medical costs.
Delmas Moore reminded the students that through their extraordinary efforts and with tremendous support from the community and faculty that a new school record of $31,200 was raised in 2012. Adding recent donations to the account Moore announced that the new total for the six year campaign was $114,357.30.
Lou (Scooter) Tolzda, chairman of the event, told students that this year the board had decided to expand the program allowing the school to lend assistance beyond the normal scope of cancer patients residing in Beallsville or related to Beallsville students to be recipients of checks.
Article Photos
Check?recipients gathered for a group photo are Payton?Ward (front), Rich?Gibson, Larry Pittman accepting for wife Lisa, with Ron?Talbot gas card recipient. Additional images may be found at cu.timesleaderonline.com
"One is a person who has been very good to this school for many years who is a cancer patient and the other is a student here with some major medical expenses," Tolzda explained.
The first check for $1500 was given to Larry Pittman who was attending the rally representing his wife Lisa. Casey Tolzda presented the check and spoke of the exemplary character of the family and their faith.
The second recipient was the Times Leader's own Rich "Hoot" Gibson. Long time Blue Devil coaches Dave Caldwell and Scooter Tolzda spoke of the dedication and service to the school and sports programs given by Hoot and the Times Leader.
"The guys from TL are family," said Tolzda. "They always have the best interest of our athletes and students and we felt it was appropriate to help someone from that group."
The coach referenced Gibson's 31 years as a sports writer in which he has covered Super Bowls, the NCAA Final Four, baseball's World Series and had the opportunity to interview very many famous athletes and important people.
Caldwell illustrated Hoot's ability to make post-game interviews pleasant, even after a tough loss and spoke of his writing style which put a 'positive spin' on the games when he covered the young athletes.
Megan Palmer, represented the senior class of Beallsville High School which came down to the floor for the presentation.
"I understand from a personal perspective just what this means to members of our community," Palmer said brushing tears from her face and pausing occasionally to regain her composure. "Three members of my family have been recipients of the generosity of Beallsville Rally for Life and I want you to know that know you have made a real and significant impact on their lives and all of those we help with the money we raise."
"I want to express my thanks for your generosity," Gibson told the assembly of just over 400 students K-12 in the gymnasium. "I have always enjoyed coming to Beallsville and covering the Blue Devils."
Gibson explained that he was caught off guard when he was diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) cancer in July. MCL is a cancer of the blood. It is a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and that he had recently wrapped up 8 weeks of chemotherapy and would be undergoing a bone marrow transplant at at Ohio State's Cancer Center later this year.
"I'm a proponent of anyone who is trying to make a difference in people's lives," Gibson related. "It is a wonderful program and gives everyone an opportunity to impact people's lives in a positive way."
The final check would be given to one of Beallsville's own students, Payton Ward. The freshman is confined to a wheel chair and will be leaving school for a while and traveling to Columbus where she will under go surgical procedures which will hopefully restore her ability to walk.
Madison Neiswonger represented the ninth grade class and spoke of her friends' special caring personality.
"Since kindergarten Payton has always there to take care of us," said an emotional Neiswonger. "She has shown great courage"
"I know you have to go but we will all be thinking of you, praying for you and supporting you. Keep trying."
Shirley Brown, director of the Gas Card Program told the students that a total of $61,000 had been given in gas cards to Monroe County cancer patients
She introduced Ron Talbot, a lung cancer patient who spoke to the students about his illness and treatments and how their efforts helped him pay for fuel to make monthly trips to Belpre for chemotherapy.
Talbot explained that there is no cure for his cancer and it is inoperable, it will eventually kill him and that in addition to the chemo he was given a shot each trip, "Each shot costs $5,660.40 but through your generosity and with your support I will keep on fighting."
Lori Wickham, serves as a Literature and English teacher at BHS. She teaches English 9, 10, 11, and 12; she also teaches 8th and HS Art. Wickham told students about a new fund raising program she has come up with for 2013. She explained that she had not cut her hair in 13 years and it was now five feet long. She will cut off one foot for each $500 raised for her hair challenge,
"If we raise $2,500 I will shave my head," said Wickham as she let down her hair for the students to see the length.
Colette McFadden, Guidance Counselor at Beallsville, announced that she is an avid reader and will be collecting books for a book sale. Students or community members can donate new or used books for sale by dropping them off at the high school office.
Micah Fuchs, Principal introduced Mr, Monticello who rallied the students with a rousing speech which set the bar for the 2013 Rally,
"We all do a little but and look at what we have accomplished," Monticello said. "We are a small school that raises an incredible amount of money for our size. We are an inspiration to other schools and groups."
"What are the possibilities if we give a lot bit?" Monticello asked. "This year every last one of us is going to give a lot bit. I'm up to the challenge how about you?"
Palmer can be contacted at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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In cycle racing, there are five grades or categories for climbs - Category 4, 3, 2, 1 & Hors (Above Category or HC). How do they decide what is category 1 and what makes it so hard it is a HC?
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As has been mentioned, the actual categories are fairly subjective. Things such as the fame of a climb as well as how the organizers feel about giving out King of the Mountain points on a given stage will affect rankings.
That said, there are some general rules of thumb if you want to get an idea of how your local climb rates up to a given ranked climb in the tour though. There are always exceptions to climb rankings, but this should give you a basic list to start with.
As I mentioned though, you can find exceptions for any of these. Some examples would include:
As noted above, part of the ranking of a climb depends on its placement within a stage: usually, the ending climb of a stage gets "bumped up" by a category. You can see that in the plots below, which show climbs as categorized by the organizers of the Tour de France itself for the 2012, 2007, 2005, and 2004 editions of the Tour, and plotted by the length of the climb and its average gradient. If given the length of the climb and gradient, you can calculate the total elevation change for that climb, and the dotted contour lines in each plot show that. Cat 2, 1, and HC climbs are named. For example, in 2004 the Vilard de Lans climb was classified at a Cat 2 climb rather than (evidently) a Cat 3 because it was the end of the stage. Similarly, in 2005 the climb to Pla d'Adet ended the stage, and it appears that its category was also increased from (arguably) Cat 1 to HC.
As an aside, the Madeleine was climbed in both 2004 and 2005 but, as you can see, the length and gradient of the climbs were different in those years. In 2004, the Madeleine was climbed from the southern side; in 2005 and 2012, the approach to the Madeleine was from the north.
The tour organizers rank them subjectively based on their steepness, length, and also where they occur in the stage (climbs near the finish garner a higher ranking). Another criterion which seldom makes a big difference is road condition. Some people feel that the ratings have been inconsistent over the years, or have been inflated in recent years. In short, there is no scientific way of rating the climbs, it's just a judgement call from the race organizers.
Note, others have indeed tried to quantitatively rank the climbs. You could apply their methodology to climbs near where you live to figure out how a local climb might be ranked at the end of a tour stage.
For Strava climbs there is an objective categorization that is length in meters times grade in percent, with this categories:
For example Alpe d'Huez has a length of 13800m and average gradient of 8.1% (according to Wikipedia), giving a score of 111780, which would place it as a HC climb since its score is way above 80000.
Another important criteria is where the climb is placed. If you put an otherwise cat 1 climb at the end of a mountain stage with an uphill finish, it becomes an HC climb.
I prefer the cycling lore that it was decided by which gear of a Citroen 2CV you needed to be in to drive up the hill/mountain. For HC climbs you had to go up them in reverse.
Scientific? Not so much. Perceived Gallic? Mais oui!


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Tournament 12 (T12) is a national amateur baseball tournament held at Rogers Centre, September 14-19, 2016. The goal of T12 is provide a showcase opportunity for the best 160 amateur baseball players born in Canada, with college eligibility. T12 acts to centralize the best Canadian baseball players, with the intention of exposing them to as many pro and college scouts as possible. Simply put, the Blue Jays Baseball Academy's intention is to provide a platform that both highlights and markets the high level of amateur baseball talent in this country.
Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar will act as the tournament commissioner and will receive assistance from his father Sandy, along with Blue Jays alumni Paul Quantrill, Tanyon Sturtze, Devon White, Lloyd Moseby, and Duane Ward. The tournament will consist of 8 teams: (1) BC-Orange, (2) Alberta-Red, (3) Prairies-Purple, (4) Ontario- Black, (5) Ontario-Green, (6), Quebec-Blue, (7) Atlantic-Maroon, and (8) Futures-Navy. Each team has 20 players.
Player Eligibility:
Amateur baseball players who are between the ages of 14-19 (as of September 1, 2016) are eligible. If a player is selected to participate in T12, the player will be assigned to the team representing the Province/Region which they were born.
Evaluating and Selecting Potential Players:
Players will be evaluated by the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Academy and the Toronto Blue Jays Scouting Department, in conjunction with the MLB Scouting Bureau. All final roster decisions will be determined by the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Academy.
T12 is not only looking for professional prospects, evaluators are looking for players that have the ability to play baseball at the next level (Professional, D1, D2, D3 or Junior College). We also put a strong emphasis on recognizing the potential top players in each class and exposing them to the showcase as early as possible.
There is no relevance to where the player was born in Canada, or what program/team they currently play for, or have played for. All potential players are all evaluated based on their own skill and ability. In addition, a player's individual statistics on their club team or participation in national tournaments have no bearing on the selection process.
See all the scores — including Gameday stats — for the Baseball Academy Tournament 12.
Find out who played in Tournament 12.
See who coached the 2015 Tournament 12.
Read all the news about Tournament 12.
Find out about T12 Tryouts.
The 2016 T12 Schedule has been released.


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Home > Food > Recipe Slideshows > 15 Ways to Disguise Vegetables
15 Ways to Disguise Vegetables
14 of 16
Turn your kids on to wok cooking and have them assist with washing and cutting up the vegetables. Try chicken-vegetable stir-fry, beef-vegetable stir-fry, or seafood-vegetable stir-fry. Pour them all over rice or linguini and hand out the chopsticks.
Next: Dip
excerpted from:
Excerpted from:
Excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Total Nutrition © 2005 by Joy Bauer. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
To order this book visit the Idiot's Guide web site or call 1-800-253-6476.
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