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1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over
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Topic: 1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over (Read 19048 times)
Posts: 4481
1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over
July 19, 2011, 02:52:14 PM »
Since we're discussing it a lot in this thread, here's a feature on the state of jrpgs in the West:
Currently playing: Uncharted 3, Dark Souls, Team ICO Collection, Atelier Totori, Child of eden.
Posts: 11829
Re: 1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over
Reply #1 on:
July 19, 2011, 03:00:22 PM »
Sorry, think this is worth it's own thread.
Posts: 4481
Re: 1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over
Reply #2 on:
July 19, 2011, 03:12:37 PM »
OK, thanks.
Currently playing: Uncharted 3, Dark Souls, Team ICO Collection, Atelier Totori, Child of eden.
Posts: 23
Re: 1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over
Reply #3 on:
July 19, 2011, 03:38:20 PM »
I think that it is a little early to say that jpgs are down for the count in europe and na. In my opinion the industry is just at a pretty weird point right now, because of all the new hardware on the market which has yet to establish itself properly and then there are major games that are getting closer to release.. like d3 ma3 and skyrim... most of the japanese developers don't really stand a chance against such giants in the west( in some cases probably in the east too).
Basically i see no profitable future for unknown japanese franchises on consoles ... even the well known ones will probably be selling just above avarage in the west ... the Handheld market however might still have some surprises in store for the western audience. The 3ds has just begun its career and the psvita is not even out yet although they might as well go down thanks to piracy ... i mean pirates wouldn't even pay for ds games.... the new generation is even more expensive.
ps: btw I think nintendo will have to get rid of the regional block on the 3ds .....at least as soon as some titles that definitly won't come over to the west are released... i'm thinking about something as major as the super robot wars series right now.
Fear is the Mind Killer
Posts: 8337
Darkness is Void; Juffo-Wup is light
Re: 1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over
Reply #4 on:
July 19, 2011, 03:48:57 PM »
I didn't know sony, nintendo, micosoft imposed a minimum on games licensed. Interesting.
Posts: 574
Re: 1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over
Reply #5 on:
July 19, 2011, 04:03:13 PM »
The era of classic, turn-based, animu, etc., JRPGs is over.
The dawn of a new era arrived with Demon's Souls. Japanese devs have a choice to either embrace the evolution or stay in denial and continue their steep decline into obscurity.
In all seriousness though, that was a painful read. And for those Japanese devs and related publishers to suffer from the imposed minimum number of retail copies tells you how irrelevant the genre has become on an international level. It simply doesn't put food on the table anymore.
Edit: Seems like it wasn't just me who was shocked by that minimum copies part. I remember reading about it a long time ago though.
Last Edit: July 19, 2011, 04:07:32 PM by hell_snake
"An unanswered question is better than an unquestioned answer"
Posts: 38
Re: 1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over
Reply #6 on:
July 19, 2011, 04:56:53 PM »
I don't agree the era is "over". JRPGs (or most niche markets on consoles for that matter) seem to ebb and flow. Right now FPS is all the rage with the annual COD rehash with the following endless overpriced DLC until the next release. It's reminiscent to me of how EA works their sports games.
The US got next to nothing on the NES. We finally started getting some love on the SNES. Then it came on strong on the PSX and PS2. And while it's definately waned on the home consoles, this generation has still gotten quite a bit on the portables.
But look at where the lack of JRPGs are coming from. Microsoft, though faring better in this generation, still isn't all that popular in Japan. Yet there have still been fair amount of JRPGs for the 360 that made it to the US. The PS3 has an even healthier stable of games that made it overseas. Nintendo is the exception. They've never accepted the genre. The Wii RPG list is just garbage, and you have to fault Nintendo at least partially for that. They release a great GC game like Fire Emblem and put ZERO marketing into it at all, yeah it's going to fall beneath the radar with only die-hards like us noticing. Then shovelware like Wii Play gets released with plenty of coverage and sells like hot cakes.
I agree with the article's argument about piracy being part of the problem. But as far as costs like physical media, boxing, packaging, shipping, inventory, minimum production runs, overstock...the obvious answer to that already exists: digital distribution.
Look at what Xseed did with Wizardry for the PS3. You're basically bypassing all articles' listed hurdles and costs except for the piracy part. And with a new generation of systems coming up, hopefully security will be much better.
Posts: 7563
Re: 1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over
Reply #7 on:
July 19, 2011, 05:31:42 PM »
SquarePenix: I'm actually working on writing an article regarding digital distribution and the JRPG. Another significant issue comes about with parity in the gaming industry. With increased game development cost and there no longer being a "lead" platform, JRPGs are difficult. No longer can a publisher or developer push them out for the PS2 and know that the majority of their owners are going to have that console. Your audience is splintered and development cost is increased if you have to publish on multiple platforms.
Wizardry's a unique bird, too, because of the lack of localization assets. If you were to compare, say, Wizardry to, Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, you're likely looking at a difference of thousands of man hours. Translation is difficult, voice acting is expensive, and localization is important now, too. We don't accept spoony bards or Chaos Wars anymore - not unless the joke is on purpose.
Digital distribution is a good step, but I don't think the current RPG market supports it, at least not for consoles, and few JRPGs are developed for PCs. Question there, does XSEED localize Falcom's stuff for PC and put it on Steam? I'd find that
Posts: 897
Re: 1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over
Reply #8 on:
July 19, 2011, 05:35:25 PM »
This result in an unfortunate catch-22 -- if retailers order too many copies that don't sell, the publisher takes a loss. If they order too few, fans of the game are faced with the equally unpleasant options of pre-ordering the game, purchasing it used at a huge mark-up months later, or not buying it at all.
I've noticed this a lot on the DS. If you don't nab a game on release you're often screwed. I almost missed radiant historia for example because by the time 'best rpg in years' word of mouth got around to me it was sold out, though later I did manage to nab a used copy. Or a few years ago I walked into EB and hadn't bought any games for awhile and had 4 games I was interested in and they didn't have a single one.
Going to kind of go into a forum taboo topic here, but it's kind of the core point of the article. Feel free to snip the paragraph though. They print less copies because of piracy. And the irony to this is it's made me consider DS piracy just to play games that nobody will sell me(Or only have used, atlus didn't see a dime off my copy of radiant historia). Of course were I to open that door I'd be tempted to pirate everything, whether it was available for sale or not. And then the problem just gets worst because of that.
A lot of it's not necessarily a permanent issue though. The article does mention digital distribution and that could turn things around in the future. For example, recettear is a niche game as they come. But it's on steam, physical copies aren't a issue. If you want it and didn't get it last year you can get it right now. If you want to hold off another year or two it'll still be right there. As the industry moves more in the digital direction things will open back up for rpgs.
Posts: 38
Re: 1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over
Reply #9 on:
July 19, 2011, 05:54:54 PM »
Digital distribution is a work in progress. This is just the first generation of it for consoles. Yeah, parity is a problem, and yes as games become more sophisticated, there are definately new costs to go along with that and the new technology. But digital distro HAS caught on in the US at least. I'm not saying it's anywhere near critical mass. But it doesn't have to be, at least right now. The big budget bombs like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest are going to come out regardless of any associated costs. Niche titles are just that...niche. They make up a small segment of the market, and those that enjoy those games will find them. And they will buy them, even if the only means is via download.
This is the Monado's Powerbomb!
Posts: 9196
Little did he know, the fall damage would KO him.
Re: 1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over
Reply #10 on:
July 19, 2011, 06:39:52 PM »
At least with digital distro you have a few advantages for both publisher and consumer in the fact that once its up there, it stays up there. You don't have to worry about leftover stock or blink and you miss them releases.
And its thanks to digital distro that
this getting a release
is within the realm of possibility. Something that Nintendo could've taken advantage of with their VC if they were less retarded about it.
In my vision, I see that one of us is going to KO the other.
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Posts: 1331
Hiding in Inaba
Re: 1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over
Reply #11 on:
July 19, 2011, 07:01:14 PM »
What about the 'collector's" who want physical copies of things? Will digital distribution satisfy the need to have the copy in hand as it were. I mean I know that if there is no other option most would, I imagine, rather have a copy in whatever form than none at all, but I wonder if this facet of the gaming community will become a "force" or if most would capitulate rather easily when faced with the alternative.
Everything's Eventual
Posts: 4257
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Re: 1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over
Reply #12 on:
July 19, 2011, 07:14:35 PM »
I feel like I've already said everything I have to say about this topic in other threads. JRPGs certainly aren't big sellers anymore, and it's kind of a miracle that they ever were. It has only been made worse this generation because of the platform gap: The most popular system in Japan (the PSP) is also the least popular in the US. That's something that can easily change in the next generation (heck, I'm really hoping that the Vita catches on here...), but even if it does we aren't suddenly going to see a huge resurgence in the popularity of JRPGs.
But so what?
As long as niche publishers like Xseed exist I will keep buying their games. And if they don't...well, I've been working on my Japanese skills. The changes we have seen in the video game market are inevitable as it 'matures' (I use that term loosely...). Once upon a time gaming itself was a niche hobby, but now we see a huge market of 'bro shooters' that are popular in a very different demographic than the stereotypical gaming nerd. It's only natural that as the market itself becomes more mainstream the most popular games are going to be targeting that mainstream demographic. These are people who probably weren't playing games at all back when JRPGs were popular, and they aren't going to suddenly start liking them.
But guess what, I hate mainstream tastes and I always have. I don't listen to popular music. I don't watch big Hollywood movies (well, maybe with a couple of exceptions). I have very nearly given up on TV entirely. I have long come to accept that fact that my tastes are different from most people's, and it doesn't bother me. I think a lot of people consider video games differently because it's a hobby that has only recently become mainstream. But the damage has already been done. Heck, this is something a lot of people wanted.
So forget the mainstream. I just hope people continue to make niche games.
Posts: 5119
ee yan~☆
Re: 1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over
Reply #13 on:
July 19, 2011, 07:23:20 PM »
Not just jRPGs. I think the whole industry is going down slowly because of risk management and profit maximization.
I wouldn't be surprised if in 10 years I end up playing mostly indie games.
Posts: 3032
Re: 1UP: Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over
Reply #14 on:
July 19, 2011, 10:01:41 PM »
Quote from: hell_snake on July 19, 2011, 04:03:13 PM
The era of classic, turn-based, animu, etc., JRPGs is over.
The dawn of a new era arrived with Demon's Souls. Japanese devs have a choice to either embrace the evolution or stay in denial and continue their steep decline into obscurity.
In all seriousness though, that was a painful read. And for those Japanese devs and related publishers to suffer from the imposed minimum number of retail copies tells you how irrelevant the genre has become on an international level. It simply doesn't put food on the table anymore.
Edit: Seems like it wasn't just me who was shocked by that minimum copies part. I remember reading about it a long time ago though.
why do so many people seem to think jrpgs need to become wrpg's? despite its country of origin demons souls is a wrpg... thats like telling someone if your black and want to become successful in the world you need to start bleaching your skin and become white.
whatever the case i think the golden age of gaming is over... i think we are due for another crash and one of the big boys is gonna go down.
then again maybe peoples are just over reacting to the summer duldrums...at the very least we have tales of graces and disgaea 4 to look forward too.
Normal is not something to aspire to, it's something to get away from.
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TALLADEGA, Alabama - They have yellow tape on their bumpers, few wrinkles on their faces and not many miles under their fannies. But they are not to be underestimated. Not this NASCAR season, certainly not at Talladega Superspeedway where, as Justin Allgaier put it, "anything can happen anywhere, any time."
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R.N. Clark, G.A. Swayze, R. Wise (USGS - Crustal Imaging and Characterization Team), K.E. Livo (USGS - Minerals Team), T.M. Hoefen, R.F. Kokaly (USGS - Crustal Imaging and Characterization Team), S.J. Sutley (USGS - Minerals Team)
We have assembled a digital reflectance spectral library of over 800 spectra that covers the ultraviolet to near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum along with sample documentation. The library includes samples of minerals, rocks, soils, physically constructed as well as mathematically computed mixtures, vegetation, microorganisms, and man-made materials. The samples and spectra collected were assembled for the purpose of using spectral features for the remote detection of these and similar materials.
Analysis of spectroscopic data from the laboratory, aircraft, and spacecraft requires a knowledge base. The spectral library discussed here forms a knowledge base for the spectroscopic identification of minerals and related materials important to a variety of research programs being conducted on the Earth and other planets. Imaging spectrometers, such as the Airborne Visible/Infra-Red Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS), or the Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) on its way to orbit Saturn in 2004, have narrow band widths in many contiguous spectral channels that permit accurate definition of absorption features from a variety of materials. Identification of materials requires a comprehensive spectral library of minerals, vegetation, man-made materials, and other subjects in the scene. This new database includes minerals found in hydrothermal alteration zones and weathering products that may be important in the exploration of Mars. This library includes all spectra used in the Clark et al, (JGR in Press 2003) Tetracorder imaging spectroscopy mapping system. Chapters of the library are:
Chapter 1: M = Minerals, Chapter 2: S = Soils, Rocks, Mixtures, Chapter 3: C = Coatings, Chapter 4: L = Liquids, Liquid Mixtures, Water and Other Volatiles Including Frozen Volatiles, Chapter 5: A = Artificial (Man-Made) Including Manufactured Chemicals, Chapter 6: V = Vegetation, Mixtures with Vegetation, and Micro-Organisms.
If you would like more information about this abstract, please follow the link to http://speclab.cr.usgs.gov. This link was provided by the author. When you follow it, you will leave the Web site for this meeting; to return, you should use the Back comand on your browser.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 35 #4
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The Kozy Corner building is all but down.
The building, at the corner of Market Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Warren was demolished Monday by a team effort of Wills Builders, John Anderson Construction, Wargo Enterprises, and Letko's Dam Water Hauling.
Lead contractor Wills Builders and demolition contractor John Anderson got to watch the initial portion of the demolition.
Article Video
Kozy Corner building in downtown Warren, Pa. demolished.
Wargo handled that, with dust suppression by Letko's.
"They brought him in to take it down," Wills said of Wargo.
The company was selected to bring down the three-story building because of its expertise with taller structures and "because of the proximity to Pennsylvania Avenue and Market Street and other buildings," according to Jack Wills Sr.
Article Photos
Photos by Brian Ferry
The Kozy Corner demolition begins on Monday and will liekly wrap up today. Video is available at www. timesobserver.com
The first bit of masonry fell to the earth at about 1:30 p.m.
Anderson estimated that the building would be down in four to five hours.
By 6:15 p.m., all of the building, except for the westernmost portion along Market Street, was a heap of rubble. Final demolition is slated to begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
Barricades were set up limiting traffic on Market to two lanes and on Pennsylvania to three.
Wills provided additional traffic control, completely stopping traffic at key times during the demolition.
For the last hour of the demolition, the block of Pennsylvania between Market and Liberty Street and the block of Market from Pennsylvania to Second Avenue were completely closed.
"The building was in bad shape," according to Warren Building Code Official Alan Gustafson. However, "we had not had any action on it, yet."
"It's unfortunate that it had to be torn down," Alan McIntosh, who had looked into buying the building several years ago. ""It was pretty well devastated on the inside. Structurally, it was sound."
McIntosh's plans for the building included turning it into a hotel. In the 1890s, about when the structure was built, it was the Lyric Hotel.


text:
NEW YORK (MainStreet) Where is student loan debt coming from? Which parts of the country have the most? Which parts owe the least?
Also see: Should You Consolidate Student Loans?
The New York Fed's new report, "Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit for 2013 Q1," draws on the Fed's Consumer Credit Panel plus Equifax credit data to form its conclusions. Information is charted on a set of maps that displays its student loan data by region and by state, featuring the extent and location of student debt.
The report, released on May 14, examines student loan borrowers as a share of the U.S. population. The number of people with active student loan debt as a share of the population with a credit record varies substantially throughout the country when identified by region. For example, in Hawaii, under 12% of people with a credit report have student debt, while in the District of Columbia over 25% owe money on student loans.
The report also looks at loan balances per student loan borrower, which the Fed found to be significant in virtually all states. At the state level, debt per borrower runs from just under $21,000 in Wyoming to over $28,000 in Maryland. Washington, D.C. is again the high water mark and in a state all its own: the average borrower in the nation's capital is on the hook for over $40,000. "In general," the report concluded, "we find student loan debt levels are highest in California and along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts."Also see: Will Student Loan Interest Rates Double?
Delinquency rates also rise and fall according to region. Generally higher rates have turned up in the south and southwest than in the north. South Dakota boasts the lowest delinquency ratea little over 6.5%, and West Virginia leads the nation with almost 18%.


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Arader Galleries November 2016 Auction
by Arader Galleries
November 5, 2016, 1:00 PM EST
New York, NY, USALive Auction
Lot 170: Colorful Celestial Charts by Andreas Cellarius(42 views)
Andreas Cellarius (1596-1665) Please Register/Login to access your Invaluable Alerts
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Description: Tychonis Brahe Caluculus Planetarum Cursus, Pl 9. Andreas Cellarius (1596-1665). Amsterdam: Valk & Schenk, 1661 (1708). Each Approximately 20 1/4 x 23 1/4 inches, 32 1/4 x 35 1/2 inches framed. In addition to their lavish aesthetic appeal, the celestial charts of Andreas Cellarius comprise the most sweeping, ambitious project in the history of celestial cartography, one which also illustrates the historical tensions of the time. Cellarius?s maps present the evolution of the field of astronomy from ancient times until his own. In his distinctive visual language, Cellarius portrayed the often-conflicting theories that prevailed. In addition to the relatively obscure notions of Tycho Brahe and Schiller, Cellarius?s charts track the theories of Ptolemy, dating from the 2nd century AD, and Copernicus?s 16th-century challenge to the venerable ancient astronomer. Cellarius?s work remains a landmark of the Golden Age of Exploration, combining great artistic beauty with scientific documentation. The vibrant hues, spanning the color spectrum, give amazing animation to the images, and the skies appear to come alive with bright figures.
Artist or Maker: Andreas Cellarius
Literature: Hand-colored engraving on paper
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SJS: 97-06 Jeep TJ Dual Steering Stabilizer Upgrade
Product Classification:
Dual Stabilizers
MFG Part #:
This product fits the following vehicle(s):
1997-2006|Jeep|Wrangler TJ
Drivetrain (if applicable):
Fueltype (if applicable):
FOR: Jeeps equipped with the Skyjacker adjustable track bar and stabilizer assembly.
Top Gun Customz is proud to offer you this Skyjacker Big-Bore Single Steering Stabilizer Kit for the 97-06 Jeep TJ Wrangler / Rubicon / Unlimited 4WD This kit is designed to mount below the OEM location for a DUAL stabilizer function. This product is being offered by Top Gun Customz .
NOTE: This kit is for Jeeps equipped with the Skyjacker adjustable track bar and Stabilizer assembly. If your Jeep is not equipped, please order Part# TBA10. This Item can be found in our online store.
Special brackets and hardware
New bushings
(1) New Big-Bore steering stabilizers w/ red boot
Complete instructions
This kit mounts as the lower stabilizer shown in picture. NOTE: With the installation of all lift kits and larger tires it is important to check the condition of your steering stabilizer. If the stabilizer is worn or is leaking it should be replaced. Steering stabilizers are designed to restrain "bump steering" and front end vibration, giving added life to tires, ball joints, and other steering components. A multiple stabilizer kit is recommended for vehicles equipped with a snow plow, winch, or larger tires.
Top Gun Customz - Standard Shipping Policy
- All standard shipping guaranteed with-in 10 business days. Upon recieving full payment. (Continental 48 states only)*
- We do not ship to P.O. Boxes.
- Additional shipping fees do apply to Alaska, Hawaii, and ALL other Countries within our shipping range. You MUST contact us prior to ordering, for an exact shipping quote or method to any destination outside the continental U.S. without a previously written shipping quote or method.
- Prior to beginning your install, please verify that you have received all items ordered.
- There is a 15% restocking fee on all uninstalled returns.
- No returns after 30 days.
- Top Gun Customz will not accept checks in any amount over $2,500.00. Any order totals that exceed this amount will have to be paid for by Money Order, Credit Card, Certified Bank Check, PayPal, or Cash at our business location.
- As Check Collect (Disclaimer): RETURNED CHECKS will be processed Electronically for check amount plus State allowed fees.
- Order cancellations before shipment will result in a minimum fee of 5% of total invoice to offset all processing fees. Other fees that may affect your cancellation are any eBay or Paypal fees associated with your purchase..
- **All drop-shipped items are subject to the policies and procedures set forth by the corresponding manufacturer of said products. (ie. If Rough Country drop-shipped the item that you purchased from us, and you decide to return it, it will need to be returned to Rough Country, and you will then incur all additional fees associated that are above and beyond our standard policies.)
*(Our guarantee is based on our ability to process orders in time for our couriers to ship items standard ground within the stated guarantee. Average processing time is within 10 business days from payment received to item received.) This is the time frame that we feel is acceptable for all deliveries within the continental U.S. Individual situations that extend delivery time past this guarantee may be reviewed with a member of our management.


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The New York Knicks aren't exactly replete with cap space this summer.
According to Storytellers Contracts, assuming everyone currently on the roster stays, the team will have a total cap hit of $89.8 million. That is well above the cap threshold.
As a result, the Knicks will only have the use of the veteran's minimum and mini Mid-level contracts to add much-needed help (for a much more in-depth explanation of these numbers, check out Larry Coon's CBA FAQ).
That's not to say there won't be any useful players available for that money. It just means the Knicks have to choose their targets wisely.
Here are some of the players the Knicks should target this summer through the use of those two contracts.


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STATEN ISLAND, NY — Wood chips flavor bacon, ribs and other splendidly fatty meats that smolder in the depths of DaddyO's pit. The smoky bouquet wafts through the February air to stoke appetites beyond Charleston.
Damn, is this state-of-the-art smokehouse's barbecue good!
Let's get the messy stuff out of the way first: DaddyO's does not make the best initial impression. A flashy L.E.D. sign on the side of the building is out of place in this seemingly quiet residential neighborhood. Plus, patrons must walk past exposed gas pipes and meters as they head to the entrance — yet that's always been an unpleasant fixture on this building.
Once inside, the menu doesn't do the food justice in its descriptions. There are no written wine, beer, dessert or kiddie food lists. (Even something written on a chalk board would be helpful.) And on visits, while courteous staffers were welcoming and mouthed promising words like "My pleasure" with every patron request, service was awkward and, alas, disappointing.
The restaurant really is a very casual place but seems to push an upscale element way too hard. Barbecue is barbecue — messy, indulgent, family-friendly.
Own it, DaddyO!
The kitchen, on the other hand, is doing excellent things. Seriously: If the chef keeps it up, he might well put Staten Island on the map as a destination for good barbecue. (And then management won't need to rely on that crazy L.E.D. thing to pull customers in from Arthur Kill Road.)
Seasoned, flour-coated fried pickle chips on the app list — simple but brilliant — come with a lightning bolt squeeze of chipolte mayo on the plate. Thick-cut, cherry-smoked bacon strips are a decadent appetizer as well as a side to a perfectly cooked 22-ounce "Ribeye Steak" or topping for a thick burger layered with onion strings, lettuce and tomato. Smothered rib tips, homemade jalapeno poppers filled with "DaddyO's three cheese blend" are other great choices for starters.
Ooh! Ooh! I can't wait to go back for two things: Soft, moist cornbread baked with corn kernels and served with brisket — tender, seriously juicy, thin-sliced meat pieces served with a small soufflé cup of phenomenal au jus. If the restaurant presented bread on the table, that brisket would have been turned into a sandwich.
Other very good items include meaty smoked "St. Louis Ribs" pre-treated with a flavorful dry rub and half chicken either brushed with barbecue sauce or oven roasted.
For the most part, food hits all high notes. However, the "Smoked Sausage" — overcooked discs of sweet Italian pork sausage with hardly any smoke flavor — was a dog. Plus, the menu's lean on greens with three salads, string beans and broccoli as little rays of vegetable sunshine.
If you're on a diet, the "Family Feast For Four ($74.95)" sounds as scary as it reads: Baby back ribs, brisket, smoked sausage, roasted chicken, smothered rib tips, pulled pork, corn on the cob, corn bread, baked beans, fries and tot-type sweet potatoes. Still, for a hungry crowd, it's an undeniable bargain.
Enjoyable sides such as hard-cooked baked beans and a snappy, creamy cole slaw would have been better presented in larger bowls.
Take a breather at the end of the meal (perhaps a lap around the dining room?), but it's important to stay for ice cream or a dessert topped with some of that super creamy cold stuff.
Molten chocolate tart, like a mud pie, was rich and fudgy, slightly warmed in the center. A hot blondie packed with walnut bits had a pleasant buttery (almost greasiness) to it — sensational! The only drawback on the desserts was their plating — that could have been more polished, better managed.
But make no mistake — the wheels are in motion for a booming operation at DaddyO's. Think of the possibilities for these guys: Staten Island-made barbecue sauce, Charleston-bottled chipotle mayo, DaddyO's corn chips packaged in a grab bag with a separate jar of salsa for purchase.
The sky's the limit for an enterprising kitchen.


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Village Roadshow Theme Parks' $30 million show extravaganza – Australian Outback Spectacular 2 'Heroes of the Light Horse' – has been awarded the prestigious Major Tourist Attraction Award (Category One) at the Queensland Tourism Awards, 2010.
The unique and exciting evening dinner show filled with outback music, drama and action was originally launched in April 2006, with Australian Outback Spectacular 2 'Heroes of the Light Horse' launching in September 2009.
John Menzies, Chairman of Village Roadshow Theme Parks and the show's Executive Producer said that he was thrilled to accept the Major Tourist Attraction Award for Australian Outback Spectacular 2.
"Since opening its doors in April 2006, Australian Outback Spectacular has entertained over one million people from all over the world, with its celebration of Australian stock men and women at work and play and we are honored to receive the highest recognition from Tourism Queensland.
"In addition to an insight into Outback culture, Australian Outback Spectacular 2 pays tribute to the link between our stockmen and the legendary Australian Light Horse.
"Offering unique experiences such as Australian Outback Spectacular 2 increases the appeal of the Gold Coast to the domestic and international markets.
"Village Roadshow Theme Parks is dedicated to the growth of tourism in Queensland and reinforcing the region's position as the number one holiday destination in Australia.
"We are also extremely proud to have such a famous Australian Outback icon, R.M. Williams, as the presenting partner for our show," he said.
Grab your tickets today to get the best Outback Spectacular Prices
Australian Outback Spectacular 2 'Heroes of the Light Horse' – has been awarded the prestigious Major Tourist Attraction Award at the Queensland Tourism Awards, 2010.
A new premium experience 'Top Rail' has arrived at the Australian Outback Spectacular. So why not make an unforgettable night out even more memorable?
'Halls Ransom', one of Australian Outback Spectacular's top bred Australian Stock Horses, has taken out the prestigious Westpac Bank 'Star of the Year' award.
R.M.Williams is proud to present the Australian Outback Spectacular 2, to tell the story of the Nation's outback heritage.
The cast and crew of the show have served over 950,000 Aussie steaks, given away over one million hats and shared the Aussie spirit and sense of humour with people from all over the world.
Visit Australian Outback Spectacular 2 these school holidays with even more show times.
The stockmen and women of performed a commemorative one-off matinee show to pay tribute to the armed forces and the famous Australian Light Horse.
The Australian Outback Spectacular will begin a new chapter with the exciting new dinner show 'Heroes of the Light Horse'.
Australia's favourite entertainment destinations are now available in a range of themed gift cards.
There are currently
tickets in your basket
Here are some things you might be interested in!


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November 2 - 3, 2011
2000 E Spring Creek PkwyPlano, Texas 75074The Plano Centre is conveniently located near a variety of hotels and restaurants, shopping malls, numerous golf courses - both public and private, and historic downtown Plano, with its antique shops and beautiful park settingThe Plano Centre is just 30 minutes from DFW International Airport and Dallas Love Field, and has over 750 free parking spaces.
Homewood Suites2601 E George Bush HwyPlano, TX 75074(800) 225-5466SecureWorld Expo group rate: $125.00 a night plus tax. The reservation deadline is Monday, October 18th. Reservations must be made by this date to ensure receipt of the discounted rate.The Homewood Suites is a full service property with a complimentary breakfast, bar and complimentary shuttle. It is located approximately 5 miles from the Plano Centre.


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RADCO is the 3rd party used for "HUD UM71a certification"
When you need excellent performance in masonry cavity wall insulation, High-R CW Plus insulation from Owens Corning is your best choice. High-R CW Plus insulation combines the outstanding moisture resistance you have come to expect from extruded polystyrene with excellent thermal performance. As with our standard FOAMULAR® extruded polystyrene insulation products, High-R CW Plus is a rigid closed cell extruded polystyrene board.
The main advantage of High-R CW Plus insulation over other extruded polystyrene boards is its higher R-Value per inch. An R-Value of 10 can be achieved with just a 1¾" thick board. Standard extruded polystyrene requires a thickness of 2" to achieve an R-10. This gives the designer the opportunity to increase the air gap (thereby decreasing mortar bridging and improving the cavity performance) while maintaining the same thermal performance as a standard 2" extruded polystyrene board. Additionally, the designer can also choose to increase the thermal performance of the wall assembly by choosing High-R CW Plus insulation with a thickness of 2⅛". This provides an R-value of 12 with only a slight increase in board thickness.
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Other sizes/edge configurations may be available with minimum order.
We recommend FOAMULAR® High-R CW Plus for the following applications:
For immediate assistance, call 1-800-GET-PINK™


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Hope's lacrosse teams marked their inaugural conference games with mixed results on Tuesday. The Flying Dutchmen gained a 21-2 road victory over the Alma Scots while the Flying Dutch suffered a 14-8 loss to the visiting Scots.
MEN: Hope 21, Alma 2
The Flying Dutchmen improved to 6-1 on the season behind a strong start Hope led 4-0 after the first period and expanded it to 15-1 at halftime. Josh Kamstra (Zeeland East HS) scored six goals while his brother Jacob (Zeeland East HS) tallied five and added four assists. Caleb Digison scored four goals and was credited with five assists while Niko Pagkanlungan had both four goals and four assists. Scoring single goals were Nicklas Raycraft and Austin Krehel. Hope held a 59-15 advantage in shots. Goalkeepers Ben Weber and Andrew Johnson combined for seven saves. Box Score / MIAA Standings
WOMEN: Alma 14, Hope 8
The visiting Scots got off to a fast start gaining a six-goal advantage at halftime. The teams matched goal-for-goal in the second half. Molly Greenfield scored three times and had an assist for the Flying Dutch while Laurie Stubenrauch put two in the net and assisted on another. Scoring single goals were Maddie Ferguson, Katie Sabourin and Ally DeMaagd. The Flying Dutch out-shot the Scots 31-27 and won 18-of-24 faceoffs. Goalkeepers Racquel Harrouk and Jessica Donnell split time and each allowed seven goals and was credited with five saves. Coach Tracy Benjamin's Dutch have a 1-7 season record. Box Score / MIAA Standings


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A blast from the past is manning the post at mayoral candidate Dayne Walling's north-end campaign headquarters.
The field operator is none other than Charles Winfrey, who years ago served as an aide to former Mayor Woodrow Stanley. Winfrey brings a reputation for real grassroots political know-how.
Winfrey's official title is field operations coordinator for the second campaign headquarters.
At the standing-room-only grand opening of the headquarters tonight, Winfrey said he's running an "intense" door-to-door and telephone operation there.
Winfrey's avoided the political scene for several years but remained involved in the community as executive director of the McCree Theatre.
The headquarters is located at 3713 Clio Road and is already up and running. It is in addition to Walling's original headquarters downtown at 940 S. Grand Traverse.
The new, larger headquarters on Clio Road allowed the campaign to expand for the general election and reach out more to voters, Walling said.


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"NOVA: Ultimate Mars Challenge" debuts on PBS. TV tweet of the day so far. TV Wednesday.
TV Linkzilla Daily for 11/14/12 starts now.
I've been a fan of the unmanned Mars missions ever since the slow-news July 4 weekend in 1997 when Pathfinder's Sojourner found its way to Ares Vallis. The cable-news coverage of the mission charmed me then, a story that seemed to be about long-haired geeks – as opposed to the flat-top Cold Warriors who oversaw the Moon missions of my youth – hacking a skateboard onto another planet.
I vaguely remember that they played "Twist and Shout" inside the control room at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory when it was clear they'd stuck the landing.
And I was all-in.
Now, I follow @MarsCuriosity on Twitter. Tuesday's tweet:
Curiosity Rover âª(@MarsCuriosity):
M'm M'm Good! 1st solid sample from Mars delivered to my SAM instrument for analysis [info] âªhttp://1.usa.gov/RVEPub
PBS samples Curiosity's back-story in "NOVA: Ultimate Mars Challenge" a DVR special at 1 a.m. Thursday (Nov. 15), with multiple repeats including 3 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 24), on WYES.
The big takeaway from the missions seems to be hat their point is determining whether there's life on Mars, and that's a bit misleading.
"We often have to distill our the scientific goals and themes down to communicate them to the public," said Ashwin Vasavada, Mars Science Laboratory deputy project scientist, during the Summer TV Tour in Hollywood. "And the disadvantage of that is it can get reduced to something like 'Is there life on Mars?' And if the answer is no, that could be a big disappointment. In fact, there's been kind of a roller coaster in Mars exploration where that's actually happened several times, claims of discoveries of life, only to be disappointed when more scrutiny is applied.
"One thing that we're doing with this mission that's, I think, really key to answering this issue is that we're going to a place that's going to unlock the first couple of billion years of Mars history, someplace like we've never seen before, where we're going to understand how Mars evolved in its early history when we think there's all this evidence of water and rivers and lakes and oceans.
"And it's kind of a consolation prize because life would be the key result that will make us all famous. But on the other hand, we're going to learn about this planet that evolved differently from Earth and yet had so many conditions similar to Earth. And that's going to be a huge scientific prize."
Further reading about "NOVA" and Curiosity:
Susan Karlin @ FastCoCreate.com:
After a whirlwind four months culling reams of NASA footage and scrambling for interviews, the producers of NOVA's Ultimate Mars Challenge--airing Nov. 14 on PBS--momentarily suspended their documentary mindset during Curiosity's landing night at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) last August.
"I got so caught up in the drama of the landing, and felt so much for the guys and gals we'd interviewed who'd worked on the rover, it started to feel personal," says Challenge director Gail Willumsen, who also produced the hour special with Jill Shinefeld through their Los Angeles-based Gemini Productions. "The drama of the adventure and achievement to get the technology and engineering to work millions of miles away, and the steps to getting this to land left little leeway for error. If it didn't work, I was going to feel so bad for them. How it impacted the show was secondary."
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has delivered the first Martian dirt sample to its onboard chemistry laboratory, testing out gear that forms the scientific heart of the $2.5 billion robot.
Curiosity's huge robotic arm dropped a pinch of Red Planet dirt into the rover's Sample Analysis at Mars instrument, or SAM. SAM can detect organic compounds — the carbon-containing building blocks of life as we know it — and is thus key to Curiosity's mission, which seeks to determine if Mars has ever been capable of supporting microbial life.
Nancy Atkinson @ Universe Today via Phys.org:
What has Curiosity been up to lately? The rover's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instruments makes up more than half the science payload on board MSL, and it is now searching for compounds of the element carbon—including the enticing methane that has been observed in Mars' atmosphere from telescopes and instruments on Earth. These are the elements that are associated with life, and SAM is trying to determine if methane can be detected from the surface, as well. So far, the rover has not found "definitive evidence" beyond data uncertainty of methane in Mars' thin atmosphere. But that doesn't close the door on the subject. It is still early in the mission, and the methane on Mars has been cyclical in nature.
Watch a preview, then keep reading.
Watch Ultimate Mars Challenge Preview on PBS. See more from NOVA.
TV tweet of the day so far
TVbytheNumbers.com (âª@TVbytheNumbers):
Report: 'The Soul Man' Renewed for Season 2 by TVLand âªhttp://bit.ly/RCMH4bTV Wednesday
See above, plus: "Nostalgic New Orleans Eats & Drinks" airs 7 p.m. on WYES. "Eddie Murphy: One Night Only" airs at 9 p.m. on Spike.
Dave Walker can be reached at email@example.com or 504.826.3429. Read more TV coverage at NOLA.com/tv. Follow him at twitter.com/davewalkertp.


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Healthcare Commission
This study reports an in-depth investigation of the state of the NHS. Each acute trust, primary care trust, mental health trust and ambulance trust was measured on waiting times, hygiene, confidentiality, management of records, reducing deaths from cancer and heart disease, cutting hospital-acquired infections and treating patients with dignity and respect. While there were improvements in many areas, infection control remained a serious problem, with lapses in almost every trust. However, spectacular improvements were found in waiting times and cancer treatment at acute trusts. On the other hand, primary care trusts (PCTs) are failing to improve, with two-thirds rated fair or weak. PCT performance is being pulled down by issues around GP access, convenience and patient choice.
(For summary and comment see Health Service Journal, Oct. 16th 2008, p. 6-8)
J. Laurance
The Independent, Oct. 16th 2008, p. 4
The annual NHS performance ratings show that London, which historically has had the lion's share of NHS resources, is the only area of the country where the quality of services declined in 2007-08. Fewer than half its NHS trusts (48 per cent) scored 'excellent' or 'good' compared to 55 per cent in 2006-07.
(See also The Guardian, Oct. 16th 2008, p. 11 and The Times, Oct. 16th 2008, p. 5)
B. Crump
Health Service Journal, Oct. 2nd 2008, p. 16-17
Describes the role and future direction of the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. The Institute works to find ideas that can be developed, adapted and adopted to help the NHS tackle its biggest challenges. It works on leadership development, on helping people to learn to improve and innovate, on the identification of creative new approaches to healthcare, and on supporting innovators to implement their ideas.
A. Moore
Health Service Journal, Oct. 9th 2008, p. 22-24
In 2007 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells trust was the subject of a damning report by the Healthcare Commission. It detailed the failings that contributed to two significant outbreaks of C difficile and arguably to the deaths of up to 90 patients. This article describes how a new chief executive and board have transformed it, empowering staff and raising morale.
J. Laurance
The Independent, Oct. 1st 2008, p. 1 & 2
Investigations have revealed that the rising tide of protest over the NHS's refusal to provide expensive drugs for cancer and other conditions is being funded by the pharmaceutical industry. Patient groups that have been among the most vocal in spearheading attacks on the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) over decisions to restrict access to drugs on the NHS depend for up to half their income of drug companies but these details are often undisclosed.
R. Allmark (editor)
Health Service Journal, Oct. 2nd 2008, supplement, 13p
This special supplement showcases the work of the NHS Information Centre in supplying accurate and up to date statistical data to support service commissioning and healthcare improvement.
E. Dent
Health Service Journal, Oct. 2nd 2008, p. 20-22
Numbers of people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are growing due to the prevalence of obesity. In addition, up to 500,000 people in England could have undiagnosed diabetes. This article explores why GPs are failing to detect the condition. It goes on to discuss incidences of poor care of patients with diabetes in hospital, the impact of diabetes on pregnancy, and the importance for patients of education on managing the condition.
N. Timmins
Financial Times, Oct. 25th 2008, p. 2
A review by Professor Mike Richardson, the Government's 'cancer tsar', reportedly proposes that patients should be able to buy cancer drugs and other end-of-life treatments without having to meet the full cost of all their NHS care. If it goes ahead, NICE, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, is expected to introduce a big increase in the acceptance threshold when it assesses whether these treatments for relatively rare conditions are effective, and guidance for patients. Any decision is expected to be announced in November.
C. Santry
Health Service Journal, Oct. 16th 2008, p. 12-13
The Healthcare Commission will be merged into the new Care Quality Commission in April 2009. In this interview chief executive Anna Walker reflects on her relationships with Commission Chair Sir Ian Kennedy, senior civil servants at the Department of Health, and other regulators such as Monitor and the Audit Commission.
A. Jamieson
Daily Telegraph, Oct. 20th 2008, p.10
Reports that the health secretary is expected to announce that patients can pay for treatments not available on the NHS privately while still receiving some care free from the health service. The Government has been under pressure to clarify the rules after some NHS trusts told cancer patients that they could not buy drugs privately while receiving free public care while others said the opposite.
J. Lister
London: Middlesex University Press, 2008
Sixty years ago, in 1948, Aneurin Bevan's bold nationalisation of private, voluntary and municipal hospitals swept away a failed market system, and created the most popular of all the public services, the NHS. New Labour reforms are reversing this historic modernisation, and spending more money to create an artificial 'market' in health care which could never exist without government subsidy. The book takes a fresh look at the origins and evolution of the NHS, emphasising the 'reforms' which, in its sixth decade, have begun to transform the NHS into a European-style social health insurance fund, purchasing services from a variety of private- and public-sector providers. It also examines the NHS in an international context and discusses recent tendencies of Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments to follow alternative lines of policy. The conclusion looks at the alternatives for the future development of the NHS. Will ministers roll the wheel of history further back towards a more radical market system? Or will they move forward to a public service based on greater accountability and responsiveness to the needs and wishes of local people and those with greatest health needs?
N. Timmins
Financial Times, Oct. 28th 2008, p. 1
Progress with Connecting for Health, the £12bn computer programme which aims to give doctors instant access to patients' records across the country, has virtually stopped, with just one hospital having installed the underlying patient administration system. The hospital, the Royal Free NHS Trust in London, is having problems getting it to work properly.
(See also: Financial Times, Oct. 28th 2008, p. 4.
N. Timmins
Financial Times, Oct. 16th 2008, p. 2
The Healthcare Commission has warned that up to a third of NHS hospitals risk being refused a licence to operate because they are not meeting core standards of cleanliness, safety, effectiveness and record-keeping.
N. Timmins
Financial Times, 24th Oct. 2008, p. 2
The average wait from seeing a GP to the start of hospital treatment is now 8 weeks, the shortest in the history of the NHS, according to figures released by the Government on 1 October.
(See also The Independent, Oct. 24th 2008, p. 10)
D. Carlisle
Health Service Journal, Oct. 16th 2008, p. 18-20
In July 2008 the NHS published mortality rates for four operations on the NHS Choices web site, enabling users to compare success rates for hospitals in a given area. Supporters hope that this disclosure will lead to greater transparency, improve service quality and facilitate patient choice. However, it remains uncertain how the public will interpret and use the data.
A. Moore
Health Service Journal, Oct. 23rd 2008, p. 12-13
Controversial health service reconfiguration plans in Sussex are being put on hold following intense public opposition to closure of local hospitals. This article considers the lessons to be learned. In the first place, the consultation process was very long, leading to some of the drivers for change disappearing. Secondly, the breadth of the review allowed opponents to gain public support and exploit a belief that the consultation was a fake. Finally, clinicians were not adequately engaged at the outset.
N. Timmins
Financial Times, Oct. 31st 2008, p. 4
The Department of Health has concluded that the private sector will have access to a market worth £10bn a year as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are discouraged from trying to run community hospitals and services. PCTs have been told to create a clear division between their role as commissioners of care and service provision and are seen to be being pushed towards divesting some services.
D. West
Health Service Journal, Oct. 9th 2008, p. 12-13
Welsh Health Minister Edwina Hart has announced plans for a 'national advisory board' to plan, fund and hold services accountable with herself as chair. Twenty-two local health boards, which provide primary care and commission secondary care, and eight acute trusts will be merged into just seven new bodies. Ms Hart will appoint chairs and vice-chairs, who with chief executives will report annually and in public to her board. The internal market will be formally abolished.
R. Willis
Health Service Journal, Oct. 9th 2008, p. 16-17The General Medical Council is the regulator of the medical profession in the UK. It has made a concerted effort to modernise and to counter criticisms of its work that flowed from the Shipman case and its handling of other examples of clinical incompetence. Over the next few years the Council will bring in licences to practise and all doctors will be required by law to hold one if they want to continue with their medical work. In addition to licensing, a new system of revalidation will require doctors to renew their licence every five years. The Council is also preparing to reconstitute its governing body, which from January 2009 will consist of 12 doctors and 12 lay people. The government has decided to merge the postgraduate medical education and training board into the GMC in April 2010. The council will then for the first time be responsible for all phases of a doctor's career, undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing practice.
R. Smith
Daily Telegraph, Oct. 15th 2008, p.10
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has ruled that the drug lapatinib, which can be used to prolong the lives of women with advanced breast cancer by about two months, cannot be provided free on the NHS. NICE says that the drug does not extend life by long enough to justify the extra cost, although the manufacturers have offered to pay for the first doses, with the NHS funding further courses only if it has been shown to work
A. McGauran
Health Service Journal, Oct. 23rd 2008, p. 18-20
Academic health science centres bring together world class research bodies and clinical centres in a single organisation, aiming to compete internationally. University College London, Imperial College and King's College London are forming partnerships to create such organisations to compete with the top American medical schools.
J. Laurance
The Independent, Oct. 27th 2008, p. 16
Ministers are planning the first 'Zagat-style' user's guide to the NHS which will rate hospitals and GP practices on the basis of comments from patients. Star ratings could be given to the most popular NHS establishments in the same way as guides to eating out rank restaurants on the number of positive responses they receive. The scheme is due to go live next year with a TV campaign and dedicated website that patients will be encouraged to use to rate the service they receive.


text:
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Get to know Chef Kyndra and her vision for Ooh La La Catering. You'll see why she'll have you saying Ooh La La.


text:
As if American parents didn't have enough to worry about, we now learn of a profoundly disturbing trend that many educators say is quietly claiming the lives of boys and girls across the nation:
It is, of course, no game at all. For decades, children have gotten a thrill out of finding ways to make themselves briefly lose consciousness. A colleague of mine, for instance, recalls how boys on a schoolyard - when he was a child - would do that to one another using "headlocks."
But according to many educators and grieving survivors, that "game" has reached new and deadly levels of sophistication. If you do a Google using key words "choking game," you'll get a sense of how many children are dying across the nation after using ropes, cords and other means of causing themselves to pass out.
The subject is on the minds of investigators and educators in Syracuse, after two city children died separately this month in almost identical fashion: They hung a belt from a doorknob and slipped their heads through it. The family of the first child, 6-year-old Kareem Pendergraph, told police that he may have been trying to copy "chokehold" moves from a wrestling match.
Whatever the motivation, such civic leaders as the Rev. Jimmie Smiley say it is time to raise an alert about why children would even consider wrapping anything around their necks - and time for helping parents to understand the depth and danger of what is going on.
It also goes without saying that any parent who's heard of children choking themselves as a "game" should report it immediately to local schools or the police.
- Sean
respond at firstname.lastname@example.com or on the forum


text:
|"Bill Turner" <firstname.lastname@example.com>, <firstname.lastname@example.com>
|Re: [TowerTalk] Recommendation for mast on bottom mount rotator
|"Marc Wullaert ON4MA" <email@example.com>
|Sat, 16 Sep 2006 15:53:22 -0000
Better to use flenses to couple the mast .Drill and pin have to be correct otherwise that hole in 1 year will be bigger from friction.if you need some photos how whe do it here let me know Marc on4ma ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Turner" <email@example.com> To: <firstname.lastname@example.com> Sent: Saturday, September 16, 2006 3:24 PM Subject: [TowerTalk] Recommendation for mast on bottom mount rotator > I'm going to move my rotator to the bottom of my 80 foot tower and > would like recommendations for the mast. I will support it at the top > with a thrust bearing, and at least one, possibly two, non-thrust > bearings part way down to prevent side to side movement. > > My question is what would be a good mast material? It would only have > to support it's own weight and I'm wondering if 2 inch water pipe > would be suitable? How about 2 inch EMT? The upper mast section which > actually holds the antenna is high-strength steel. > > I would drill and pin the couplers to keep them from coming loose. The > antenna is a four element quad, about 65 pounds. > > Is there a better way? I want to do it right, so within reason, cost > is not a factor. > > All suggestions appreciated. > > Bill, W6WRT > _______________________________________________ > > > > _______________________________________________ > TowerTalk mailing list > firstname.lastname@example.com > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.12.4/449 - Release Date: 15/09/2006 > > -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.12.4/449 - Release Date: 15/09/2006 _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ TowerTalk mailing list email@example.com http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
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Search for Flights
Here are a few of the airlines and travel sites we search for the best deals...
Why Fly to Phuket?
Most visitors come to Phuket for the dazzling white beaches, world-class dive sites and neon nightlife of Patong. Beyond the obvious draws, Phuket also has a lush, jungle interior and national parks to explore. The island's rainforest is home to monkeys and many bird species. Being the largest island in Thailand, Phuket is also one of the country's most-developed and sophisticated island resorts. You can use Travelzoo's SuperSearch to find cheap flights to Phuket.
Flying to Phuket from the UK
One-stop flights to Phuket depart from London Heathrow. Depending on the stopover duration, these can take from 15 hours. From Edinburgh, Manchester, Newcastle, Bristol and Belfast airlines offer two-stop services to Phuket. You can sometimes get a better deal if you buy a cheap flight to Bangkok and then onward flights to Phuket with a low-cost airline.
Popular Flight Routes to Phuket
Which Airlines Fly to Phuket?
From London Heathrow several airlines including Eva Air, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and Malaysia Airlines operate one-stop services to Phuket. Eva Air and Thai Airways stop in Bangkok, Bangkok Singapore Airlines go via Singapore Singapore and Malaysia Airlines stop in Kuala Lumpur Kuala-Lumpur. From Edinburgh, airlines including Eva Air, KLM and Air France offer two-stop services. Emirates offer a two-stop service from Manchester via London Heathrow and Dubai. Dubai If you like the thought of stopping in Bangkok to break the journey, consider searching for a cheap flight to Bangkok and then booking independent onward flights from there. Airlines including AirAsia and Nokair.com offer low-cost flights from Bangkok to Phuket.
Mini Travel Guide to Phuket
With powdery white sand and turquoise seas, Phuket is a beach-lover's destination. While many visitors flock to Hat Patong, a busy beach backed by numerous shops, bars and discos, Phuket is not all about Patong and its famously wild – and sometimes x-rated - nightlife. Most of Phuket's best beaches are scattered along the west coast of the island. Hat Mai Khoa is the longest of these. It is part of the Sirinat National Park meaning is in a protected area and hasn't been as developed as some other beaches. It is even home to nesting sea turtles at certain times of the year. Phuket's verdant interior is also regularly overlooked, but its rainforest and waterfalls make it worth a visit. To discover local markets and ornate temples, don't miss Phuket Town. Also not far from the town is the Phuket Orchid Garden and Thai Village, a popular attraction where visitors can see a beautiful collection of orchids, as well as Thai dance performances and cultural displays.
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That was pretty amazing!
That was pretty amazing!
That was bad ass.
Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude! Trippy.
Stabbing conventional wisdom in its face.
Anyone who wants to talk nutrition should PM me!
I want to go to there.
Seriously, that looks so fun. And I love that there are lady free runners in this. Not something you see every day. Or any day.
I'd love to get myself into shape enough to start doing some free running. So awesome.
Start: March 2011
Start Weight: 245 lbs.
Current Weight (November 2011): 208.4 lbs. and counting.
Goal weight: 195 lbs.
Are you a college student, trying to navigate college while being Primal? Do you know any other PB college students on a tight budget? Heck, for that matter, are YOU trying to live Primal on a budget? Enroll at Primal University!
For after all what is man in nature? A nothing in relation to infinity, all in relation to nothing, a central point between nothing and all and infinitely far from understanding either.
-- Blaise Pascal
i want


text:
Clear thinking Americans see what is happening. The furious coup on America by a radical communist/Islamist -- best illustrated by the usurpation of the Constitution, the bankrupting of our nation, the illegal grab of private wealth, the infiltration of Islamic supremacism, the abandonment of our allies, the weakening of our military -- is stunning.
Sarah Palin sees it, too. Smart, sharp, patriotic, she best represents the majority of Americans. Not the BO hos in the press, not the chattering elites and the Beltway insiders. Americans. There was no way she would stay on as Governor, as she was unable to fulfill her duties. The leftist wing in America had her tied up in bogus lawsuits (all of which she won). She agreed to pay the travel fees for taking her children on one of her trips. Obama should do the same. Those trips to Paris for his two girls. Pay it back. Pay back the $100,000 it cost taxpayers for his "date" in New York. Pay it back. Pay for those ridiculous $100 steaks. Pigs at the trough. Not Palin.
The hypocrisy knows no bounds.
We want Palin. I heard Michael Steele say on FOX today that she would not run in 2012. Steele is a suit. He speaks for no one. The GOP won't even back Lt. Colonel Allen West. He (nor the GOP) will pick our candidate. Palin is going to help us win back the House/Senate by campaigning and working for candidates in that fight in 2010. And we, the good, decent folks in America, are going to help her win the White House 2012.
We need her. She knows it. She is heeding our call. Is she a hack like Obama and going to campaign on the taxpayers' dime, as he did as a junior senator when he ran for President? No. Extraordinary? Yes. But so is integrity, ethics and decency. The left is calling her a "quitter". Just the opposite, my friends. Just a fighter, a winner. And she is getting into the fight. Baruch hashem!
The American Revolution has its leader.
Check out my oped piece I wrote the day she resigned: Palin in 2012! World Net Daily
From Pollster.com:
July 6, 2009
Palin's Base
As such, it is not completely crazy for Palin want to free herself from the time and travel constraints imposed by her gubernatorial commitments in Alaska. A month ago, Chris Cillizza outlined the logistical reasons why Palin would want to "take a pass" on a second term (resigning now is another story, of course). She has a big base and time is a resource. With more time to travel and speak, she would be able to build a grassroots army as Obama did.


text:
Voters in Washington state will decide in the Nov. 5 election whether to require foods that contain genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, to be labeled. If Initiative 522 passes, the state would be the first with a voter-approved labeling law and could become the first to enact required labeling.
Those on both sides of the issue also think I-522, if it passes, could fuel changes in Oregon and elsewhere.
Jeff Mapes, a senior political reporter for The Oregonian and OregonLive.com, wrote a story about the fight over I-522, including charts on the top genetically modified foods and who's funneling money into pro and con campaigns. Monday at 11 a.m., he'll be plugged into the comments section of this story to answer questions and discuss the issues.
What do you want to know? Do you want your food labeled? Are you concerned about GMOs, or do you think two decades of use shows they pose no health threat? If you live in Washington, how do you plan to vote? Sign in and join Jeff in the comments section below.
-- The Oregonian


text:
How are our resellers making money?Posted: March 22nd, 2015 | Filed under: HQ Updates
Do you own an SEO company, website design firm, or marketing agency? Or do you have existing clients that need mobile websites? If so, our reseller model is perfect for your company. Many of our resellers are having great success with this and below is how they are doing it (really simple model).


text:
Labour Leadership Contest
Ed Balls 'most gay-friendly' of Labour leadership contenders
Post your comment
Comments on this article are now closed.
Reader comments
Ed Balls was responsible for Amendment 70. John McDonnell would be a much better choice if he decides to stand.
Now lets find out if he can match Nick Clegg on marriage equality. I doubt if he will though.
Who cares, new face on old policies – part of a govt that was dead set against gay marriage becuase of relgious issues, part of a govt that argued that marriage was the traditional one between people of opposite sex, part of a govt that propped up unelected bishops in the house of lords ….. what do any of the new leaders think of gay marriage for the UK, removing inequality ?
fvck1ng Queer friendly? Are you joking? What about Amendment 70? Blatant, sickening propaganda.
I take it Pink News supports Amendment 70?
Ed Balls is such a decisive figure (esp. within the labour party) if he is elected it will be out of power for a generation. Vote Ed!
I think they will be out of power for a long time.
I believe Ed is the favoured figure by the Unions.
I think Ed Balls would make an excellent leader of the Labour party. The quality of all the likely candidates is very high indeed.
Currently the Labour party is experiencing a massive boost in membership, since election day it has risen more than 13,000, to 167,000, that is a rise of 8.5 per cent.
It is believed that this is due to huge dessertion by Lib Dem members.
The Labour party is set to become the progressive party in the UK as the Lib Dems are absorbed into the Conservative party. The progressive Lib Dems are joining the Labour party leaving only the Conservative minded behind.
I don't think the coalition is likely to last for a full parliament, so it is very possible that we will be back with a Labour government within a couple of years.
Not related to this PinkNews article but I think very much of interest to those who follow LGBT issues there are reports the Conservatives are going to disband their European Parliamentary grouping the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) before it collapses of its own accord.
The Conservatives are then to apply to join the European Peoples' Party (EPP) once again, that's the group they left of course.
You can read the source of this info here.
If this does happen it will be very good news because it means that the Conservatives propping up of the very far right wing homophobes in their grouping will have ended. Not because they wished it to end of course but because their whole European strategy has been such a disaster.
When the Conservatives reapply to join the European Peoples' Party (EPP) this will be an act of utter humiliation for them.
Progressive Patrick? Is legislating to allow Schools to teach Homophobia progressive?
I really can't see how you can look at yourself in the mirror supporting them.
Ed Balls might be the most gay friedly but he is also the most repulsive of the labour leadership candidates. He was Brown's head henchman and was well taught by his equally repulsive master in the arts, of bullying, smear and spin.
I echo the poster above who welcomes him as leader as it would be one sure way of keeping Labour out of power for another generation.
I note also with wry amusement that despite all their short lists and overpromoting useless non-entities to positions well beyond their capability that Labour are completely unable to produce anything but white men as candidates.
Lets see Cameron match Portugal's conservative president by supporting and signing into law, same-sex marriage equality. But no, he won't because like Blair and Brown, he lives in fear of a backlash from the religious cults and the bigot clergy in the House of Lords. Dumbasses, all of them. None of them progressive let alone radical to make any difference. Cowards all.
Yobbo Ed "So What" Balls for Labour Leader….? Yep if you want Labour out for years! Gets my vote then!!
Amendment 70 is a wet kipper and a rotten one at that. So a few fundie schools dont want anything to do with queers. Their loss i say and lucky escape for us ….. There are more important things to worry about…Move on…..Patrick
ed balls capitulated to religious lobbyists sbout sex education in faith schools, made it perfectly acceptable for faith schools to indoctrinate LGBT children with shame and self hate – so they ac teach 'according to their ethos'. what you have done to the least of us you have done to all of us, mr balls – go to hell, and take LGBT Labour poodles with you, who cry like babies if their poorly written press releases aren't printed verbatim in the gay press.
It's good that these results are in the public domain
it would appear that Ed is not a popular choice round here.
What a shame…
Deluded PatrickJames again. The Labour Party is skint, it cannot even afford to run a leadership campaign until the autumn becasue it is so skint (a bit like ot left the country).
Everyoneone conveniently forget the rumours and smears about certain politicians using dildos and being photographed, do they? Of course nothing to do with Balls, just "Mr McBride".
Pink News again shows it political affiliation / commands, push the Brownite
These comments are un-moderated and do not necessarily represent the views of PinkNews. If you believe that a comment is inappropriate or libellous, please contact us.
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GRAND RAPIDS, MI – David Overholt may have taken a plea deal that keeps him out of jail in exchange for closing his medical marijuana dispensary, but that doesn't mean the court battle is over.
Overholt ran the Mid-Michigan Compassion Club, which operates a "caregiver-to-caregiver" dispensary on Leonard Avenue NW, but that store is slated to close on Oct. 31.
The scheduled closing comes a week before Overholt is to be sentenced by Kent County Circuit Court Judge Mark Trusock following Overholt's plea of no contest to a charge of delivery and manufacturing of marijuana.
The plea came Monday, Sept. 17, the morning the trial was supposed to begin, when Overholt and his lawyer learned Judge Mark Trusock was not going to allow a jury to hear defense arguments based on the fact Overholt was registered under the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act.
Trusock ruled because Overholt was not charged with violating the act, his MMA status was not relevant to the drug law violations with which he was accused.
Kent County Assistant Prosecutor Greg Boer offered Overholt the chance to plead to one of the charges and he would dismiss charges of operating a drug house and manufacture of narcotics.
If found guilty by a jury, the conviction could have put Overholt behind bars for up to four years.
The deal also included no jail time if Overholt closed the Leonard Street operation by Nov. 7, the date he is scheduled to be sentenced.
Overholt took the deal.
But unlike most cases where a plea means that any hope of appeal has to come from a special grant from the Michigan Court of Appeals, Overholt was allowed to preserve his desire to argue he is not guilty due to his MMA status before the higher court.
Boer said that the appeals court is a better venue for clarifying the statute rather than the circuit court.
Overholt's attorney, Richard Gould, said that as soon as the sentence is handed down in November, an appeal is planned.
Without the MMA defense, there would have been no arguing that the Leonard Street operation was in not violation of state law regarding marijuana, Gould said.
But the attorney believes prosecutors in Kent County are not applying the law as intended.
Gould said under the prosecution's view, only patients or caregivers who undertake the expensive, time consuming and cumbersome act of growing their own marijuana would be legally justified under their interpretation of the act.
Gould argues the law does allow caregivers to grow marijuana for other caregivers, which can then be transferred to patients.
"To have the Medical Marijuana Act work, people have to be able to get safe, quality marijuana," Gould said.
Overholt said his only desire is to provide safe, quality relief for people who benefit from medical marijuana.
Overholt is a registered caregiver and medical marijuana patient. He grows plants at his Montcalm County home.
"I did not grow marijuana before the act passed," Overholt said. "I chose not to break the law."
In March, Grand Rapids Police raided Overholt's operation along with Natural Wellness on Taylor Avenue NE and Purple Med on Plainfield Avenue NE.
Overholt's is the first case to come to the trial stage.
Gould said he expects the case will continue onto the Michigan Supreme Court. That means there could be two years or more before this case is truly settled.
The other two dispensaries raided are also in Kent County Circuit Court with 33-year-old Anthony Brown of Holland facing a trial on Jan. 13, 2014, for manufacturing and delivery of marijuana and maintaining a drug house charges coming from the Natural Wellness raid.
Samer Hamed and Rick Hammad, both 42, face similar charges in connection with the Purple Med raid. Their cases have not been set for trial.
E-mail Barton Deiters: firstname.lastname@example.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/GRPBarton or Facebook at facebook.com/bartondeiters.5


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Recent Comments
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Lately, my wife and I have been thinking how much time we spend on TV/Internet/Phones. We've come to the conclusion that we spend too much time on these things. We are sufficiently caught up on all the shows that we … Continue reading
Moved to Arch Linux
I recently wiped the Ubuntu install that I had been upgrading since 2007 and moved to Arch Linux. The main reason was that I have not upgraded my computer for a long long time (2007!) and my machine has not … Continue reading
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It has been a while
It has been a while since I posted on the blog. Blogging took a backseat, but hopefully I am back here now.


text:
"Extra" has your sneak peek at the latest
titillating twists and turns on Wisteria Lane.
Things really heat up on Sunday's episode, as
Edie tries to move in on Susan's newly rekindled romance
with Mike the plumber, Eva's hubby gets all choked up
as she stages a desperate departure and Bree breaks
off her friendship with George.
And as the blockbuster show heads toward the big,
top secret season finale next week, "Extra's" serving
up some "Desperate" dish from two men in
the know, star James Denton and creator Marc Cherry.
So what's in store for the finale? "There
are a number of 'oh-my-god' big jaw-dropping
moments," James teased.
Though producers are playing it close to vest, shooting
multiple endings for the finale, we got James to reveal
one shocking scenario for him and his character: "Yes,
there are some alternatives where Mike wouldn't be back."
And when it comes to the daddy of Gabrielle's
baby, Marc Cherry let us in on a bombshell. "I
haven't decided the paternity yet," he revealed,
telling us we wouldn't find out in the finale. "Something
else big happens but I haven't decided the paternity
Okay then, so what will he leave us in torment over during the summer? "A
lot of the mystery of Mary Alice will be resolved but there are going to be
ramifications of it that will carry on into Season Two," said Marc.
And what about Rex and Bree? Will he drive her into George's arms? "I
think by the end of this season Rex and Bree's marital problems will be resolved," Marc
admitted. "Then we'll be taking the Van de Kamp thing in a whole new
It looks like we've got even more "Desperate" shockers, catfights
and cliffhangers to look forward to!


text:
By HANS MADSEN
TWIN LAKES - The annual Twin Lakes Boat Parade made its way around the lake Friday evening with a group of craft decorated in various holiday themes.
Article Photos
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Santa and Mickey Mouse wave to people watching the annual boat parade.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
How many people can you pack onto an Irish-themed boat? Eight.
Event organizer Roni Engeldinger, of Twin Lakes, said that 11 boats made the trip this year. Prizes were awarded for the best boat with the winner getting a marina gift certificate. She said she enjoys the more than 15-year tradition and hopes to see it keep going.
"It's a tradition I want continue for my grandkids someday," she said.
Shelly Gast, of Story City, enjoyed the St. Patrick Day boat.
"We're going to Ireland," she said.
Her friend, Brenda Gerdes, also of Story City, enjoyed watching the parade pass. She's unable to join in because she lacks a boat.
"We have jet skis," she said, "But it would be fun."
One craft answered the question: How many St. Patrick's Day celebrants can fit into one speed boat? Eight.