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Fast, vicious and dirty, that's how the bear-thing fought. It dodged and spun, using the two-wheeled contraption to get behind the dwagon and stab it with the hat. It literally fought circles around her.
She decided to dismount and take it on separately, dodging the dwagon's feet and lashing tail. As it came around the frustrated mount's backside, she timed a huge wind-up of her sword, favoring her left arm for power.
The swing connected with a beautiful crit, knocking the nasty little creature right off its wheeled mount and halfway across the courtyard. It cracked its skull on the stone wall and landed on its rear end, already croaked before it hit the ground.
"That's right!" Jillian spat. "Why don't you have a seat over there?"[1] She caught her breath, panting hard. Good fight. Wow. Whatever the thing was, she'd have to be on guard against those in the future.
One jutting wheel of the bear's cart contraption wound squeakily down to silence. A chill wind blew through the courtyard. She looked around for more unfriendlies, then glanced up at the pennant atop the tower.
Her new city was a mess, she'd seen that much from the air. But it was even worse from inside. Chief-again Jillian took a cursory tour of some of the frigid gray streets and buildings. Everything she poked her head into was completely ransacked and empty. There was nothing to scrounge from the armory or the larder. (Fortunately, Crapsack already decided he was happy enough to eat the bear.)
Jillian didn't much care what had happened in this miserable place, but one detail grabbed her attention: Goodminton had once been a capital. Her orders put her out here scouting for capital sites.
Of course, being right in the middle of Haffaton's vast empire, this one didn't meet the mission requirements. But it was worth considering for a moment. Was there any way they could evacuate Faq and bring everybody here? She didn't see how, even if there was a good enough reason to. Come to think of it, she didn't even know how her father planned to get everyone out of Faq, regardless of their intended destination. They didn't have anything like the flyers it would take to evacuate all units—
Oh, right. No, she did remember. The casters were going to travel into the Magic Kingdom and wait. Everyone else could be expended. Hooray for casters.
Funny how little she'd thought about home. As a fugitive, getting home was the goal. But she'd conquered homesickness a long time ago. The particulars of Faq and its precarious situation weren't much comfort out here, so she didn't dwell on it.
Coming up empty on supplies was a disappointment, but now that her upkeep was tied to Faq's treasury, it wasn't serious. Today was still a big, big win. There was one last thing she wanted to scrounge from this empty hole before she razed it, though: maps. Knowing what was up ahead from here could save her life.
She entered the tower through its splintered doors, seeing broken panes of glass and other signs of close combat. As she climbed, she thought about the last set of tower stairs she'd taken, in a Haffaton city she had just conquered. The similarity was unsettling. Here again was that feeling, too, the one that said, "don't celebrate, there's a nasty surprise for you up ahead."
So what could be waiting upstairs for her? Another of Lady Firebaugh's mannequins, maybe? She'd punch it to dust. Or some other trick... Staying on her guard was all she could really do. Anyway, at least there were no... distractions this time.
The wind whistled and moaned through the empty stone tower. Feeling the chill through the tear in her leather jacket, her bad shoulder throbbed. She shifted Bart's sword to her off hand. Somewhere up ahead, a wooden shutter was banging at an empty windowsill.
The Chief didn't have far to climb before reaching what was clearly the command floor. The main situation room took up most of its space. There were maps all over the place, and cabinets full of books and papers. Sunshine poked in through a few high windows, and a small log burned in the hearth. Otherwise, the light in the room was magical.
The big map table was fully set up and undisturbed. For a few eager moments, she pored over it, ignoring the little figurines and markers of a conflict long ago won and lost. There were two really nice routes she could take from here. She decided to play it a little paranoid and take the slightly harder and less obvious way.
Jillian began to commit the route to memory by a rote recital method she'd developed on the trail: forty repetitions out loud, then quiz yourself. Forty more if you fail the quiz, dummy.
"Southeast, southeast, south, southeast, south, southwest and hunt, southeast, southeast, southe—"
She stopped on repetition twelve. Her eyes had wandered off the map to a scribbled note, held to the table by a brass paperweight. It was the unit key to this map, a pretty standard list indicating which figurines represented which unit types and classes. Below it was a numbered list for the flagged commanders, starting with "CW P. Fritz."
And the second name read: "CC W. Firebaugh."
"No flippin' way..." whispered Jillian. Her eyes shot to the map, looking for the slate blue commander piece with the #2 flag. Ah, there it was. Out on the road, with the #3 flag ("W A. Firebaugh," the key said), and a whole mess of uncroaked.
Now she absorbed what the pieces on the map were telling her. The situation was bad, of course, but the forces which tore this place apart weren't represented on the battlefield. Goodminton had felt bold enough to send Lady Firebaugh out to counterattack. But that was a sucker play; something they never knew about hit this city—the tannenbaums, and maybe some air forces, judging by how the tower spells had been spent.
Huh. That didn't click. Haffaton didn't really do flyers. And how would you sneak in tannenbaums that close without detection? Their move was crap. Minimal scouting would've seen them coming turns away. She shook her head.
So this was Lady Firebaugh's original side, and she was out in the field when the city fell. They didn't capture her first, because her marker was still on this map. So she had to've been heir to Goodminton.
Lady Firebaugh, with "A. Firebaugh." She didn't know who that was, but there were a few very large stone monuments in the Croakamancer's park that she hadn't been allowed to visit.
"Yeah whaddya wanna bet? Oh, this is too good," she said, shaking her head again. Now she cared. Now she had to know the whole story behind it all.
Figuring to start here and then explore the tower for more clues, she threw open the nearest cabinet.
A top hat tumbled to her feet.
"Oh. Oh, no way. This can't be one," she said, stooping to pick it up.
It was. Abjure/conjure hat, armor 1. "No-ho way!" she laughed.
She could talk to home now, too. Unbelievable! "Okay, where's the wand?" she said, putting the hat in her weak hand and poking around in the cabinet with her other arm.
The wand was indeed inside, tightly wrapped up and tied within a parchment scroll. She had to unknot the blue ribbon to get it free. She pulled out her prize, laughing again at the sheer luck of this find. Quickly, she looked around for some way to write a message, and something to write on. She glanced down at the parchment in her hand.
Your name is Jillian, read the parchment, in huge bold script at the top.
Her stomach dropped. She froze for a second, then looked frantically around the room. What was this, a trap? Had they been tracking her all along? Just toying with her? What...!
The room remained completely unchanged. Nothing moved but a few papers rustling in the perpetual cold draft. After a moment, she looked back down at the note in her hand and read the smaller lines beneath:
possibly Gillian or Jill, and you have a role to play for Fate. At the time that you conquer this city, Lady Wanda Firebaugh is in need of help. She has paid her debt, and must now move to the next phase of her journey. Your role is to assist her in transition. It is why you exist at all.
I have placed this hat where I Predict you will find it. You must use it now to contact Lady Firebaugh, and join with her. All delays and detours will cause you and those around you to suffer and perish. I know this well, for I and those I love are doomed by the Lady Firebaugh's decisions to resist her Fate. Do not repeat her mistake.
Lady Delphie Temple, Predictamancer of Goodminton
The note that Jillian put into the hat and sent read:
To: King Banhammer and Court of Faq
From: Princess Jillian Zamussels, Chief Warlord
I have escaped from Haffaton and been repatriated. I have found a suitable capital site for resettlement. As Chief Warlord, I order the following:
1. Immediately hire a Turnamancer from the Magic Kingdom. Use them to accelerate production for six turns.
2. For those six turns, Otoh and Kibo will pop gwiffons. The City of Faq will pop megalogwiffs.
3. At the start of the sixth turn, all casters, the King, the remaining available warlords, and whatever other units can fit aboard the flyers will then evacuate to the northwest. We will rendezvous at coordinates I will specify later.
The city I am sacking now will provide the necessary funds. Use Lookamancy, Predictamancy, and Foolamancy to move the armada without detection. These orders are final.
She did not think it was strictly necessary to add that the capital site she'd found was the city of Haffaton.
The note from the Predictamancer cheerily brightened the fireplace. Jillian warmed her hands before heading back down the tower.
^ 1. Chris Hansen was the host of the show "To Catch a Predator" which would chat with pedophiles and sexual predators online, then lure them to a house and expose them, starting with the phrase "Why don't you have a seat over there?" The monster she is saying this to is a bear on a bicycle: A pedal-bear.


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Cheng, Ming Zhao and Rawlinson, Simon C. F. and Pitsllides, Andrew A. and Zaman, Gul and Mohan, Subburaman and Baylink, David J. and Lanyon, Lance E. (2002) Human osteoblasts' proliferative responses to strain and 17-estradiol are mediated by the estrogen receptor and the receptor for insulin-like growth factor I. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 17 (4). pp. 593-602. ISSN 0884-0431

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Raking Light Projects: Fine Art & Collectible Prints
Artwork by Timothy Hoyer
Over the years, when interviewing renowned tattooists about the greatest influences on their work, the name Eddy Deutsche is constantly being dropped. As part of the first crew of artists at Ed Hardy's legendary Tattoo City and later working with Horitaku of the Horitoshi family, Eddy developed a style that has inspired other artists to go beyond traditional tattoo tenets and experiment in their compositions and techniques, to meld various artistic influences and create unique works of tattoo art.
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The first theme is "Liberation," interpreted by Guy Aitchison, Jondix, Timothy Hoyer, Bert Krak, Carlos Rodriguez and Derrick Snodgrass. It's fascinating to see the vastly different approaches to the theme. Andrew offers more on this:
The overall collection successfully showcases the diverse perspective and the true depth of talent found among a select group of working tattooists. Some art proudly reflects the expressive, bold elements long associated with the best tattoo work. Other work reveals alternative facets of creativity that are as uniquely suited to paper and canvas composition as they are distinct from ink on skin. The tattoo commonality among participating artists can be celebrated, critiqued or ignored because the body of work stands strongly on its own.
Andrew also explained more about the process:
A variety of traditional and digital printmaking techniques were utilized to create the prints. Each participating artist created original artwork that served as source material for a single edition of 20 or 25 prints. Once the prints were produced, the original artwork was destroyed or cancelled to preserve the underlying value of the edition and to ensure that the prints are objectively considered limited edition works of art. All prints are signed, numbered and include an artist-verified Certificate of Authenticity. Each artist was closely involved in the printmaking production process and their time, attention to detail and effort is proudly reflected in the resulting artwork.
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To view all available works, check the Raking Light gallery.
Tim Lehi laser etched wood print (above).
Mixed media print by Jondix.


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1. Re: DZ68BC - Deninition of PME#_LED status LED?steve_r98 Jan 30, 2012 11:35 AM (in response to AlanScott1)
Hi Alan,
I share your confusion – the descriptions in the Product Guide and Tech Spec documents differ, and are singularly unhelpful.
There's information on the PME signal (it's a PCI bus signal, as I suspect you are aware) here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Management_Event. I asked Intel phone support about it but they had no information. They were adamant that it was not related to my problem, which is detailed in the thread DZ68BC Spontaneously Reboots during Windows Installation
On my board the LED is off after a cold boot; when it comes on subsequently it is very "sticky"; I have to cycle power to turn it off. Incidentally there is a duplicate of this LED identified in the silkscreen near the buzzer, but it is not fitted to my board.
Hope this helps, My best guess is that if your board is otherwise working normally it's nothing to worry about.
Good luck!
2. Re: DZ68BC - Deninition of PME#_LED status LED?AlanScott1 Jan 30, 2012 12:57 PM (in response to steve_r98)
Hi Steve,
Thanks, yes I saw your post about the reboots and have read-up on the PME bus signal. Just can't figure out what the LED means. You'd think the "Technical Product Specification" would have, well, "Technical" information but all it does is give the name of the LED and nothing about what it's on/off states indicate.
I see the same thing you describe here regarding the light staying on through reboots/etc. The only thing that extinguishes it is to completely remove power for a while, but after booting it comes on again. But Windows 7 x64 loaded up just fine (using RAID mode, single Intel 510 120gb SSD for system, 2x WD Caviar in RAID1 for data).
I did try changing some Wakeup settings in the BIOS, but that had no effect on the PME#_LED. Even disabling all the wakeup settings didn't get rid of the light. So I put them all back to defaults. I have also tried different combinations of Wakeup settings in the Intel 82579V adapter's "Power Management" tab, but nothing there seemed to have an effect either so I put them back to defaults as well.
The only "problem" I had was when I tried out the "wake on LAN" functionality. It actually worked just fine -- I sent a wakeup packet, and the system came to life just as it should. But then when I subsequently shut down the system, it would not start up again. When I pushed the power switch, lights/fans cam on for about 1 second then immediately powered down again. Holding the power switch until the motherboard "beep" did the same thing; it just immediately shut down again. I removed power for a couple minutes, plugged it back in, and and the system started up normally.
So I wonder if the red PME#_LED indicates some kind of problem or error with the wakeup signal or PME monitoring. Other than the problem described above -- which really doesn't matter to me, because I don't need any wakeup functions -- the board is stable and working fine. But it would still be nice to know what the heck the PME#_LED indicates when ON vs OFF.
3. Re: DZ68BC - Deninition of PME#_LED status LED?cav_scout Feb 6, 2012 9:52 AM (in response to AlanScott1)
Mine came on red once.
No issues with the functions and not using wake on lan.
Powered down computer, unplugged, waited for Caps to drain.. plugged back in and been fine ever since.
I do not use WOL, so it has me scratching my head.
I hit the same roadblock as y'all. Docs say what it is , but not what causes it.
Will be curious to find out.
4. Re: DZ68BC - Deninition of PME#_LED status LED?cav_scout Feb 6, 2012 12:00 PM (in response to cav_scout)
I had a intel support tech tell me it was related to the intel ME.
Was told nothinig to worry about...............
5. Re: DZ68BC - Deninition of PME#_LED status LED?jgaluska Feb 16, 2012 6:14 PM (in response to AlanScott1)
I have discovered that 100% of the time that I put my DZ68BC in Win7 Sleep mode, the PME LED will light on upon waking up. Like every one else's observation, I have to pull the plug to get it to turn off.
This is very disappointing as I have a case with a window in it and I don't want to be de-sensitized by always having a red light on. I have already had my water cooled heat sink fail and noticed this event right away because of the red CPU overheat LED came on. The overheat LED happens to be located right next to the PME LED. There is a good chance that had I been de-sensitized to the red light in that location that I would have missed the overheat signal and would have let the CPU cook.
Sleep mode is a great feature that I never use because of this "Feature". It sure would be nice if this was fixed in some BIOS update (Hint, Hint).
6. Re: DZ68BC - Deninition of PME#_LED status LED?AlanScott1 Feb 16, 2012 9:17 PM (in response to jgaluska)
jgaluska -
I read your post with great interest -- because I not been able to figure out what causes the PME#_LED light to illuminate. I periodically notice it is on, but no idea what triggered it. Seeing your post, I thought you had found the answer with sleep mode.
But alas for my machine, it does not seem directly related to "sleep". My light was ON, so I shutdown and disconnected power until it went OFF. Powered on and booted to Win7, light still OFF. Put to sleep, light still OFF. Woke up (pressed key on keyboard), light still OFF.
Tried again, put to sleep and then woke up using power button. The PME#_LED is still OFF.
So for me, it isn't directly related to Win7 sleep. I periodically notice it is ON, but can't pin down what causes it to come on. I don't have a case window, so am able to more easily ignore it than you -- but it still bugs me. :-).
It sure would be nice if a friendly Intel engineer would stop by and let us all know what the ON/OFF states of this indicator actually mean!
7. Re: DZ68BC - Deninition of PME#_LED status LED?cowbawx Feb 17, 2012 7:22 AM (in response to AlanScott1)
I was advised by an Intel Tech that it's purpose is to advise of the sleep state of the motherboard itself. Interestingly enough, they do not have any information on what would cause this light to go red. Just that it is 'normal' if it does. Which is stupid, since what is normal when it is red?!
8. Re: DZ68BC - Deninition of PME#_LED status LED?jgaluska Feb 17, 2012 8:17 AM (in response to AlanScott1)
This is strange. I observed what I wrote about a week ago. It took me a week to write it up in this blog because Intel's automat had difficulty signing me up in this community (their automated system where they send you a password was down).
In any case I experimented with Win Sleep and know what I documented above was accurate. However, I could not repeat it this morning. I have placed my mother board in Win7 Sleep a dozen times and woke it up by using the mouse, hitting a key, and pressing the power button. The PME LED has not come on at all.
I have not updated the BIOS to a new version, so we can rule that out. I have, however, gone into the BIOS and make some set up changes. Is it possible that you have done the same? The only other thing that I can think of that has changed (other than adding now applications) is that I got a Microsoft update. Is your system up to date with all the Microsoft patches? Has your LED turned on recently?
9. Re: DZ68BC - Deninition of PME#_LED status LED?jgaluska Feb 17, 2012 8:20 AM (in response to cowbawx)
I realize that the light on doesn't impact my computer at all. I just don't like warning lights on when there is nothing wrong. Just like in my car, I depend on the instrumentation to tell me when something is wrong. Having a warning all the time trains me to ignore them. That's when I start missing real warnings.
10. Re: DZ68BC - Deninition of PME#_LED status LED?cowbawx Feb 17, 2012 8:23 AM (in response to jgaluska)
I agree 1000%.
11. Re: DZ68BC - Deninition of PME#_LED status LED?AlanScott1 Feb 17, 2012 9:49 AM (in response to jgaluska)
Jim -
Yes, I have made a bunch of updates that could have affected this. Unfortunately, I have come to ignore the light over the last couple weeks (no case window, so I have to go looking for it). That means I can't really say when I last saw it ON, or when it stopped being ON, in relation to those updates.
Since last noticing it ON a few days ago:
- There have been a bunch of windows updates. No driver-level updates though.
- I used "Intel Extreme Tuning Utility" to raise turbo multipliers (thus changing them in BIOS). No power management or voltage changes though.
- I swapped fans on the FRONT and AUX headers, and changed fan duty cycles. (Another story... I did this because, at least in bios 0027, the AUX duty cycle settings have no effect on the AUX fan. The AUX fan always follows the duty cycle set for the REAR fan. Changes to the AUX fan duty cycle are allowed and accepted, but completely ignored. Changes to the REAR duty cycle affect both the REAR and AUX fans.)
- Just yesterday, a couple hours BEFORE our discussion and checking the light, I removed "Intel Pro Network 16.8.0 1/2/12" and installed "Intel Pro Network 16.8.1 2/14/12". Normally I would put strong suspicion here, given all the PME functionality in the network drivers. However, I checked all the individual network driver file versions before and after the update, and all were identical (in fact, I can't find anything different between these two releases). Have you installed this? If not, we can rule it out.
Some motherboard engineer apparently thought it was important enough to include a PME#_LED light, and even chose an "alert color" (red) for it. That leads me to believe that the illuminated state *probably* indicates some kind of error condition related to PME functionality. It isn't causing me any grief -- but I would still like to know what condition that engineer thought was important enough to warrant a bright red light.
12. Re: DZ68BC - Deninition of PME#_LED status LED?jgaluska Feb 17, 2012 11:38 PM (in response to AlanScott1)
This is kind of weirding me out. Yes I know "weirding" isn't a proper word but it describes my situation perfectly. This morning I was able to put my computer to sleep many, many times without the PME Led illumining. I have come home from work, read your updates, and repeated EXACTLY what I have done this morning and I'm back to where I was a week ago. 100% of the time I put my computer to sleep, I get the PME LED to light bright red the instant I wake up my computer. I'm talking about the same millisecond I touch a key.
Let me be clear there… I have not entered the BIOS set up screen. I have not added any applications. I have not had any Microsoft updates. As far as I can tell, I have done the EXACT same thing separated by 18 hours of off time and have different results.
Please keep up this thread with any new observations; I'm sure there is something going on that we can figure out. I'm just at a loss at the moment.
13. Re: DZ68BC - Deninition of PME#_LED status LED?AlanScott1 Feb 18, 2012 12:52 AM (in response to jgaluska)
I did some more testing and have discovered a couple of interesting things.
First... My PME#_LED has been recently OFF, and nothing I did in the way of sleep / wake (via keyboard, mouse, switch) would turn it ON. I did some more sleep/wake and shutdown/restart cycles tonight, and it was still OFF.
So I decided to try a wakeup packet. Put the machine to sleep, light still OFF. Sent the wakeup packet and... Nothing. Machine still asleep (and PME#_LED still OFF).
Thought perhaps I had disabled wake-on-lan (didn't remember doing so). Checked network adapter properties and wake-on-lan was enabled. So I rebooted, F2'd into BIOS to check there. It was enabled there too, so I hit ESC and chose "exit without saving changes". BANG - The PME#_LED came on.
Once the machine was up & running, with light ON, I put it to sleep again. Light still ON. Sent it a wakeup packet -- and it woke up!
I repeated the entire sequence, with exactly same results. Specifically:
1. Shutdown and removed power until LED extinguished. Reconnected power.
2. Started system and booted to windows normally. LED still OFF.
3. Put to sleep. Sent wakeup packet. Nothing, did not wake up.
4. Woke up via keyboard, shutdown/restart and F2 into BIOS. Light still OFF.
5. Just "looked" at power settings in BIOS, made no changes, hit ESC and exited without saving. LED came ON.
6. Let system start and boot windows normally. Light still ON.
7. Put to sleep. Light still ON. Sent wakeup packet -- system came to life. Light still ON.
So I'm not sure what to make of all that... It could be that the PME#_LED is supposed to indicate readiness for a wakeup event. At least for me, when it is OFF a wakeup packet is ignored -- and when it is ON, a wakeup packet works. But it makes no sense to me that going into the BIOS, and making no changes (just exiting without saving) would change the state.
Can you give that sequence a try on your machine, and see if you have similar results?
14. Re: DZ68BC - Deninition of PME#_LED status LED?AlanScott1 Feb 18, 2012 1:38 AM (in response to AlanScott1)
Jim -
So I tried a few more things, starting where I left off in the previous posting...
(PME#_LED was still ON from last step)
8. Shutdown and disconnected power until LED extinguished.
9. Booted normally to windows. LED still OFF.
10. Opened NIC properties, disabled wake-on-lan. Shutdown. LED still OFF.
11. Power up, F2 into BIOS, disable wake-on-lan, "F10-Save and Exit". PME#_LED came ON.
12. Allowed windows to start. LED still ON.
13. Shutdown, reset LED by disconnecting power. LED now OFF.
14. Powered on -- LED immediately came ON -- allowed to boot into windows. LED still ON.
15. Opened NIC properties, enabled wake-on-lan.
16. Restart, F2 to BIOS, enable Wake-on-lan. "F10-Save and Exit". LED still ON.
17. Boot normally into windows. LED still ON.
18. Shutdown, disconnect power until LED extinguished.
19. Startup and boot to windows. LED still OFF.
20. Put to sleep. LED still OFF.
21. Woke up with keyboard. LED still OFF.
Doesn't make a lot of sense. The things that seem consistent through these tests:
A) With WOL enabled in BIOS and NIC, wakeup packet is ignored if PME#_LED is OFF.
B) If I go into the BIOS, look at power management (no changes), and Exit without saving -- the PME#_LED comes ON.
C) With WOL enabled in BIOS and NIC, wakeup packet is honored when PME#_LED is ON. (This assumes I went into BIOS, looked at power, and exited without saving -- thus turning the led ON as in step B).
D) Once the LED is ON, it stays ON until I remove power and wait for capacitors to drain.
E) If WOL is disabled in BIOS, the LED comes on as soon as system is powered up (and then stays ON until reset by disconnecting power).
I am starting to suspect that the LED is supposed to mean that PME/Wakeup functionality is either enabled or disabled -- but that there is some other error that is causing it to work inconsistently.


text:
ST.LOUIS, Mo. — Arkansas freshman Bobby Portis' busy day continued on Tuesday as he followed his pair of SEC postseason honors with a spot on the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-District VII team, based on voting from its national membership of 900-plus. Portis was the lone freshman on the All-District VII squad, extending Arkansas' streak to 11 straight years with a player honored by the USBWA. Portis and Kentucky's Julius Randle were the only two freshmen from the SEC to make any of the nine All-District teams.
Just a few hours prior, Portis was named to the All-SEC second team and the SEC All-Freshman team. Portis is just the sixth freshman in program history to earn All-SEC honors. During his standout rookie campaign, Portis also collected three SEC Player of the Week accolades, which equaled the record previously set by current Houston Rocket Patrick Beverley in 2007. One of Portis' weekly honors came on the heels of breaking the Arkansas freshman scoring record with 35 points against Alabama on Feb. 5 at Bud Walton Arena, dethroning current Director of Student-Athlete Development Scotty Thurman. The 35-point night was the most by a Razorback since 2002, and the third-most points scored by an SEC player this season. Portis accounted for 29 of the team's first 35 points, while also adding nine rebounds and a season-best six blocks. Portis enters the SEC Tournament averaging 12.4 points and 6.6 rebounds, ranking second and first on the team, respectively. The 6-foot-10 forward has reached double figures in 20 games with a team-best three doubles and is the only Razorback to start all 31 games. Portis ranks 10th in the SEC in rebounding and tied for fifth in blocks (1.6), while also showcasing his all-round skill with 46 assists and 35 steals. The first Arkansas signee since 2004, and the 13th overall, to play in the McDonald's All-American game, Portis has lived up to the hype and has a chance to become the first freshman in program history to lead the team in scoring and rebounding in the same season. Portis also needs just 12 rebounds to break the freshman record of 211 set by Marshawn Powell in 2010. Portis was joined on the USBWA All-District VII team by Jaye Crockett (Texas Tech), Jonathan Holmes (Texas), Cory Jefferson (Baylor), Shawn Long (Louisiana-Lafayette), Aaric Murray (Texas Southern), Nic Moore (SMU), Johnny O'Bryant (LSU), Jacob Parker (Stephen F. Austin) and Cameron Ridley (Texas). Fifth-seeded Arkansas (21-10) will begin play at the SEC Tournament on Thursday, taking on the winner of Auburn/South Carolina in a 2:30 p.m. CT game on SEC TV. The Razorbacks earned a first round bye and head to Atlanta with wins in eight of their last 10 games.


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|2012-09-19, 00:24
|Link #1
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: East Cupcake
One Piece - Chapter 682 [manga]
Welcome to the weekly manga discussion thread for One Piece.
Thread Guidelines
I assume that there will be spoilers released some time in the next 6 or so hours, so here is the new chapter discussion thread...
|2012-09-19, 02:22
|Link #3
Cool as a Cucumber
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Holland
Nice. Quite a lot of events unfolding. Action is picking up. I'm particulary pleased to see that Baby 5 and Buffalo will be sent as reinforcements. This even outs the odds somewhat since, as was mentioned in the other thread, we had somewhat of a lack of opponents for the strawhats.
|2012-09-19, 02:37
|Link #4
( ಠ_ಠ)
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep
Baby 5 has five weapons btw.
A sword, An axe, a rifle, and two scimitars.
She wears a maid outfit, smokes a cigarette, and calling her boss a bastard.
Dofla's chillin there with three hot babes around him, and that loli sitting next to him.
|2012-09-19, 04:46
|Link #6
Okuyasu the Bird
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alberta, Canada
Age: 27
Oh wow I'm pretty surprised. Caesar's been built up as the main antagonist of this whole arc and yet this chapter pretty much shows he's just a loyal henchman of Doflamingo. The fact Doflamingo considers Law a "brother" isn't too shocking though. Since they both have smiley jolly rogers there was a good possibility the two were connected.
Jeez though, Doflamingo just oozed badass pimp this whole chapter. Speaking over den den mushi whilst avoiding an enraged maid continuously attacking him with several different weapons. He really is a cool antagonist.~
And Kinemon's son was turned into a dragon? Doesn't that kind of make his mission to rescue him kind of pointless now? He seems to know what already happened based on his reaction towards the dragon he and Brook killed.
Anyway, I have a good feeling Dresrosa is where the Straw Hats will be heading next in pursuit of Caesar, Vergo and Monet after this fiasco on Punk Hazard is over.
On a side-note, the loli character has what looks like a monocle-eyepatch thing over her left eye. I wonder if this is the character Oda was talking about when he said there would be a character with an eyepatch? Way to play with expectations sir.
Last edited by SilverSyko; 2012-09-19 at 12:51.
|2012-09-19, 05:38
|Link #7
Rock beats scissors
Join Date: Jul 2004
Kinda disappointed that the big threat that's got the baddies so worked up still wasn't revealed, we just know it's called SAD now. At least some more people will be joining the fray, so the action will be more diverse.
Not sure if this will really lead to a clash with DoFlamingo yet, it seems a bit too early for that.
|2012-09-19, 06:53
|Link #11
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: NL
Why would a broken leg stop Sanji from ever fighting again?
Usopp almost turned into goo and he's only gotten stronger since.
It's just a normal strawhat pirates handicap:P.
This chapter definitely reminded me of the alabasta arc, however this time without a boss that underestimates them and a country to save.
The supposed killing of the dragon by Kin-emon is pretty brutal though especially if he knew it was his son.
Also he really does appear to have a mystic zoan type fruit based on the Kyuubi.
|2012-09-19, 07:23
|Link #12
Kana Hanazawa ♥
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: France
Age: 32
Doflamingo's crew is cool. A loli, two old farts, a crazy killer maid and some goofy looking dude in a swimsuit. There are also the three babes but I don't know if they're part of his crew or mere servants.
|2012-09-19, 07:27
|Link #13
lost ronin
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: in the recesses of my convoluted mind...
awesome chapter! doflamingo finally makes an appearance and it looks like he is the brains of this whole operation. ceasar clown is just a mere tool being used by the bird man. doflamingo's crew seems pretty interesting too. i'm starting to really like baby 5.
i find it intriguing that doflamingo said that luffy might be an even better vessel than law. a vessel for what? what is doflamingo after anyway?
i knew it! momonosuke is the dragon! i knew there had to be some significance to that dragon. oda kept showing it like it meant something. this reminds me of the time when eustace was turned into a dragon in chronicles of narnia: the voyage of the dawn treader.
and kinemon referring to nami and robin's abilities as ninjutsu is just hilarious! he really is a samurai!
i have a question for aohige-san, i'm not sure if this is just a translation error but vergo kept referring to doflamingo as doffy. i wonder if it has any other meaning to it like luffy's nickname for law, torao.
|2012-09-19, 07:51
|Link #14
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: East Cupcake
So Karibou (or whatever his name is) has ended up with Yarsugi, the Marine that is working for Caesar. You know what that means? Caribou will find his way to Punk Hazard...where he will have another chance to join the Strawhats . That's right, Oda brought back the speculation.
That being said, Kinemon and Brook were great together. The the DoFlamingo segment, while confusing, was a lot of fun (got to love Doffy's viciousness, especially as he forces Baby 5 to hold one of her guns to her head...).
|2012-09-19, 08:09
|Link #15
( ಠ_ಠ)
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep
Having a large plate/vessel in Japanese means having a great potential as a great human being.
By that, I mean personality and character, not physical strength or power. Like the character of a leader/king.
Simply, he speculates Luffy having a greater potential than Law. And thus, a bigger threat.
Although that speaks volumes about Vergo.
Everyone else called him "waka" (young master) in respect, except obviously for the pissed off maid.
Vergo calls him by a nick name.
Vergo just may be Doffy's right-hand man, or a first mate.
Smokey's gonna have a hell of a ride tackling this bad boy.
|2012-09-19, 08:56
|Link #16
lost ronin
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: in the recesses of my convoluted mind...
vergo might turn out to be doflamingo's childhood friend. they probably go way back judging from how comfortable they are with each other.
|2012-09-19, 08:59
|Link #17
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Damned awesome chapter (and thanks for the spoilers as always, Aohige!). We finally see more of Dofla's crew (I really, really hope that "Buffalo" is that dude in the mask and top hat, because he has my favorite design of Dofla's crewmates by far), we get more badassery from two of the three musketeers, and we finally learned what happened to Kinemon's son. Boy, what a roller coaster ride this is turning out to be.....
It also pretty much looks like those of us who guessed that "Doffy" would be the first major NW opponent Luffy and co. will face were right, after all. So I guess this means that "Dresrosa" will be the next major island that the Straw-Hats will visit next.....
|2012-09-19, 09:14
|Link #18
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
BTW, that loli kid that's snacking on candy kinda reminds me of Candy Banchou from Kongou Banchou. That particular character is pretty minor (she didn't really even get to fight since she got curbstomped by a superior opponent just a single chapter after she appeared), but she had an awesome power..... exploding candy bombs (and not to mention the group she belonged to had a bunch of badass designs as well). So I guess I'm kinda hoping that Dofla's loli has a similar power, even if that sounds more fitting for a member of Big Mama's crew.
Edit: Oh, and there's supposed to be a break next week, right? Maybe that should be added to the thread's OP.....
|2012-09-19, 09:50
|Link #19
Sawa-Chan <3 <3 <3
Join Date: Dec 2004
They are calling him Young master. Is that implying that there is another person above Doffy ?
Usually when in anime we have a younger master, there is usually a master* .
What you guys think ?
Maybe it's one of the Yonkos or some one in the government or maybe some one with just tons of influence, wealth and power.
|weekly spoiler discussion
|Thread Tools


text:
Albany is really Digging in this summer! Just look at the big Cats tearing up the road!
But don't let digging on Railroad Avenue keep you from visiting the library. We are easily accessible from Church Avenue off Eighth Avenue and from the Wobegon Trail.
You can "Dig into Reading" or find out what is "Beneath the Surface" with the Summer Reading Program. Join those who have already started and sign up. There is a lot of time left to read. We have a program for 0-3 year olds and 3-12 year olds, and also a teen program for grades 6 to 12. You pick your own reading material, keep track of how many minutes you read, and return your tracking sheets to the library for a treat and a chance to win the weekly and grand prize drawings.
This summer Battle of the Books returns. Whether or not you have participated in the program when you were younger you will enjoy the new Battle of the Books for ages 13-17. Come to the library to sign up and get the book list. The Battle of the Books trivia game is Monday, Aug. 5, from 6:30-7:30 p.m.


text:
Life Technologies Named #33 among Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations
San Diego-based Company One of the Greenest in the World
Jan 23, 2013, 02:47 ET
CARLSBAD, Calif., Jan. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) announced today it is #33 among the "Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations." The Global 100 2013 list was announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland earlier today.
The goal of the Global 100 is to highlight the 100 top-performing stocks worldwide on a range of sector-specific sustainability metrics in managing environmental, social and corporate governance issues. Of the 12 key performance indicators, Life Technologies rated highly in resource management – reducing its energy use, water consumption, waste generation and CO2 emissions as a percentage of revenue.
"In the past five years, we have radically transformed our company in the pursuit of a better sustainable business model – one that is more efficient, smarter, and with a lighter footprint," said Cristina Amorim, Chief Sustainability Officer for Life Technologies. "Being named to the Global 100 is recognition of the many changes – both large and small – made by the people of Life Technologies."
Life Technologies is the first life science company "moving off the grid" with a Bloom Energy fuel cell system. The system self-generates electricity for the company's manufacturing and distribution centers in Carlsbad, California, reducing carbon emissions by 30 percent and increasing energy reliability. By reducing both its carbon emissions and operational costs, the company is well positioned to thrive in a circular economy.
Last year the company took on Zero Waste, not only as a green initiative but also to stay ahead of regulatory requirements and cut operating costs. Manufacturing sites in Pleasanton, California; Kingsland Grange, UK; Regensburg, Germany and Bleiswijk, Netherlands have achieved Zero Waste status, meaning more than 90 percent of their non-hazardous waste now finds a home somewhere other than a landfill.
"From ideation to end of life, we challenge how we manage our raw materials, energy, water, packaging and product take-back to become ever more resource efficient," added Amorim.
The "Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations" list is produced by Corporate Knights, a Canadian media and investment research company dedicated to promoting "clean capitalism."
"The Global 100 are leading a resource productivity revolution, transforming waste into treasure and doing more with less," said Toby Heaps, Corporate Knights CEO. "They are steering our civilization away from ecological overshoot and back to a place of balance with our planet."
For full rankings and other details, please see: www.global100.org or www.corporateknights.com/global100.
About Life Technologies
Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) is a global biotechnology company with customers in more than 160 countries using its innovative solutions to solve some of today's most difficult scientific challenges. Quality and innovation are accessible to every lab with its reliable and easy-to-use solutions spanning the biological spectrum, with more than 50,000 products for agricultural biotechnology, translational research, molecular medicine and diagnostics, stem cell-based therapies, forensics, food safety and animal health. Its systems, reagents and consumables represent some of the most cited brands in scientific research including: Ion Torrent™, Applied Biosystems®, Invitrogen™, Gibco®, Ambion®, Molecular Probes® and Novex®. Life Technologies employs approximately 10,400 people and upholds its ongoing commitment to innovation with more than 4,000 patents and exclusive licenses. LIFE had sales of $3.7 billion in 2011. Visit us at our website: http://www.lifetechnologies.com.
Life Technologies' Safe Harbor Statement
This press release includes forward-looking statements about Life Technologies' anticipated results that involve risks and uncertainties. Some of the information contained in this press release, including, but not limited to, statements as to industry trends and Life Technologies' plans, objectives, expectations and strategy for its business, contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. When used, the words "believe," "plan," "intend," "anticipate," "target," "estimate," "expect" and the like, and/or future tense or conditional constructions ("will," "may," "could," "should," etc.), or similar expressions, identify certain of these forward-looking statements. Important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are detailed in filings made by Life Technologies with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Life Technologies undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110216/MM49339LOGO)
Life Technologies Contact
Patty Zamora
SOURCE Life Technologies Corporation


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It was tempting at first to congratulate the city of Durango on its sense of humor. Here it is, almost time for Snowdown, and the city was getting into the spirit of things with talk about spraying city parks with a mixture of kelp and molasses.
Kelp and molasses! With a punch line like that there has to be a joke (or a pony) in there somewhere.
The worry, of course, is that rather than the basis of a stand-up routine, it appears the city may be serious about this. It has reportedly spent $36,000 on a consultant, and officials are talking about trying to find another $100,000 to implement the plan.
It is a better fit for Snowdown. Durangos winter festival is known for alternating between being bawdy and silly. It deserves the rights to kelp and molasses.
About all that would be missing would be some way to work hemp into the mix. Or maybe patchouli oil. Or, incense and peppermints. And unicorns! (Their sharp little hooves could aerate the turf.) Rainbows and dolphins would surely follow.
Failing that, the city could go old-school and adorn each park with a pat of butter and a generous helping of Mrs. Butterworths. A good Follies act could do justice to that and more.
The trouble is, if the city really is intent on spending $100,000 on kelp and molasses, the Snowdown routine sours a bit. There is not much humor in diverting municipal money to such a questionable proposition
At a public meeting last Tuesday morning, a local lawn-care professional estimated that the capital costs and the consultants fee ... for the nine parks is going to be approximately four to five times as much as what it costs to do all the parks for a whole season. No one disputed his estimate.
And what does the city get for that? Supposedly the kelp and molasses mixture is cost-neutral. However, it needs to be applied by a motorized sprayer expected to cost $100,000.
(Even that part sounds familiar: Just pay separate shipping and handling.)
The question of the $100,000 led to a discussion of raising the money privately. At least one councilor thought there could be strong public support for what the city manager termed a molasses drive.
And there could be. But then again, perhaps there is not. It might behoove the city to answer that question before delving too much further into kelp or molasses.
The underlying problem is that the city is moving ahead with this effort in response to no demonstrated problem and toward no widely agreed upon goal. There is no evidence the city has been irresponsible with lawn-care chemicals, no evidence anyone has been in any way harmed, and no broader discussion of how this might affect golfers, soccer teams or city taxpayers.
Ask people in no particular context and with no mention of cost or other affects if they would like chemical-free parks (or any other happy-sounding phrase), and the answer will certainly be yes.Ask how much they would be willing to sacrifice for it, and the response might be different.
Nonetheless, the city caved in last year to a small special-interest groups threat to put a chemical-free parks measure on the ballot. Rather than risk the cost that could have resulted from its passage and rather than trust the electorate to understand the issue the council agreed to fund the consultant who then came up with the kelp and molasses plan.
That was bad enough, but actually contemplating spending even more money is worse. A better idea might be simply to drop this business and focus on more pressing city business. Snowdown can handle the jokes without hiring consultants.


text:
By: Deborah White, Category: Museullaneous, Date: 29 Nov 2012
Editor Deb White provides a checklist to help you as the interviewer or video producer to brief your interviewee and structure your video.
Interviews are more successful when the interviewee is prepared and the content for your video structured.
Video interviews used by the Museum are usually a maximum of 3 minutes in length. If they are any longer, your audience begins to lose interest. The ideal length is between 1.5 and 2 minutes.
Videos with talking heads are usually quite boring for the visitor. If your video is an interview with a content expert, break up the monotony of a talking head with images, footage or animation.
Think about the life of this video asset. How long will it be used for? What platforms will it be pushed out on? Do you need to consider copyright, licencing or branding issues?
Before the shoot
At the shoot
Brief your interviewee by informing them of the following:
Decide where you want the interviewee to look – at you, at an object or at the camera. Looking off camera is usually favoured by filmmakers.
Offer the interviewee notes or prompts placed somewhere out of shot.
Offer a practise run to the interviewee.
After the shoot
If this interviewee is going to be in further interviews, it is a good idea to let them see the interview on tape so they can become more aware of their use of gestures and intonation and remedy either if need be.


text:
The Problem of Evil, Alvin Plantinga & Victor Reppert
I saw through Plantinga's initial assumptions regarding his "solution" to the problem of evil twenty years ago while reading Plantinga's book that a Calvinist friend loaned me. I phoned Plantinga years later. He didn't answer my question.
Here's my question...
A free-willed
All powerful
All knowing
All good
All perfect
All blissful God
creates something SOLELY out of His own will, power, knowledge, goodness, perfection, and bliss...so what room is there for anything less?
...but out of infinite perfection comes a cosmos where everything dies, where bliss is fleeting, where minds and hearts grow confused, damaged, sometimes even shattered via the process of struggling to earn a living and/or raise a family, or whittled down via repressive labor, or bored to death. Where human development is difficult and perilous, where communication is difficult, even perilous, for both people and nations, where ignorance (inherent in each culture, family and individual) and stubborness about one's ignorance is rife (the latter perhaps due to increasing inflexibility of the brain/mind once it has assumed a "system"--or been "assumed by" a system--because we not only "have beliefs," but there is also evidence that "beliefs have us" as well). A cosmos where we cannot "see" what's "behind it," where "God" and "heaven" and the "afterlife" (or even the "before birth") remains "hidden" to the vast majority of the earth's inhabitants throughout time. A cosmos where consciousness does not appear to pop out fully grown all at once, but has to develop just as the brain/mind develops in the womb and during the time of infancy, childhood, adolescent impulsivness and finally adulthood. A cosmos where we continue to struggled against a world of nature that kills with cold, wind, fire, water, earth, desert heat, lava, predators, poisons, diseases, parasites. A cosmos where we strive to lessen the painful effects of, or eliminate, nature's dangers and pains that haunt not only us, but every other living organism on this planet. So we fighting the cold weather that kills to the desert heat that withers, and we strive to discern early warning signs of natural disasters and epidemics. A cosmos where we also strive to eliminate barriers of communication, or blow each other up trying.
Christian apologists like Plantinga ADD to the above mix of confusion and dangers their PRESUMPTION that this cosmos is all for the greater good, and PRESUME that besides all of the above confusion imperfection and dangers--from the death of everything we see--to insufferable boredom--to daily pains--passions--miscommunications--the ignorance inherent in each culture, family and individual--the inflexibility and intertia inherent in each brain/mind as it develops from youth--or degenerates with age--besides all that--Christian apologists insist everyone MUST believe in a particular holy book written by true believers (even in a particular INTERPRETATION of that holy book), or we will not only continue to suffer as on earth, but suffer relentlessly for eternity, without mercy.
And Plantinga presents it all like it's the most "rational" view possible.
Christian philosopher Victor Reppert at his blog, "C. S. Lewis's Dangerous Idea," seems at least doubtful that Plantinga's view is the most rational and suggests that it might made a bit more sense if people received "another chance" after they had died to "convert." I assume Vic believes that the ignorant limited brain/minds, and confused or debilitated characteristics of people's brain/minds from living in this imperfect cosmos will be healed following death (otherwise they might misperceive even the afterlife based on past limited experiences or imperfect brain/mind constitutions). So Vic suggests non-Christians will all be given another chance to "believe" after they have seen God and heaven and had time to investigate and ponder matters on the "other" side of this cosmos. But Vic also realizes I suppose that this is a rationalization on Vic's part. (What other of Vic's beliefs might not also be "rationalizations to believe" as he does, i.e., rather than "reasons to believe?") At the very least Vic does not appear to think that Plantinga has "solved" all the problems regarding this cosmos and the Christian view of salvation, since Vic recognizes the need to try and go "further" than Plantinga via Vic's "second chance" scenario/rationalization.
Victor Reppert remains uncomfortable, has more questions than most orthodox Christian apologists on the internet. (Welcome to my mind/brain world, Vic, filled with more questions than answers.)
I have rational difficulties conceiving of a perfectly good and perfectly powerful being squeezing out a cosmos such as this. Furthermore, the experience of this cosmos in which all things die (and stuggle not to) with such daily persistance is a shared experience of everyone on the planet.
I have even GREATER difficulty imagining that humanity (and every other organism on earth) have been placed in such a universally deadly situation in order that human beings might "hear the Word of the Christian God" and either choose to believe a book written by true believers, or die an everlasting death.
P.S., Since I'm agnostic, let me play around with a philosophical suggestion or two, a rationalization here, a guess there, concerning God. What if "God," being a perfect eternal being, got omni-bored and tried to surprise Himself/Herself/They/Itself by playing "hide and seek" with Him/Her/They/Itself in a panentheistic fashion? Not that I even know what "panentheism" is, except to say that some say it refers to a view of "God" as the flame of all reality with everything else being flamelets proceedings from the one great flame, a lot like pantheism, but with each flamelet having a slightly greater degree of individuality. (I won't argue whether such a conception of "degrees of individuality" is "true or not" in a philosophical sense, which will obviously get us no where, since how could one prove any of my assumptions above at all)? At any rate the "Hide and Seek" playing panehtheistic God who gets omnibored and then tries to generate "Surprise," might help explain a cosmos in which life arises yet everything dies, and it might help explain humanity as well, including the "hiddenness" of God. But again, I admit I'm only dealing with analogies from "fire," or from basic human emotions such as "boredom" and "surprise," and ways in which we understand such matters, and thus I am bending the wax nose of philosphical ideas and words in ways I cannot prove and that prove nothing. Though if someone wished to follow up on this little suggestion they could do worse than read Alan Watts's BOOK OF THE TABOO (Against Knowing Who You Really Are); or his Christian version of the same view in an earlier work he wrote while still an Anglican priest, BEHOLD THE SPIRIT. I am not however suggesting one must read anything of the sort.
Another guess concerns the views of universalist Christians who believe that God and time are the best teachers, hence they don't fear what comes next for anyone, and merely seek to blow on the spark of eternal salvation already lying inside us all, to inspire and uplift.
I'm not saying any philosophocal suggestion of mine, or Plantinga's, or Reppert's, is easy to maintain however, not if pains or diseases of body and/or mind grow excruciating. People suffering a "ringing in the ears" have been known to leap to their deaths because the ringing kept them up till they had gone nearly mad. Sleep deprivation, even just dream deprivation (waking up a person whenever they go into rapid eye movement (or REM) mode to prevent them from dreaming) can apparently kill a person faster than depriving them of food. During times of intense pain, disease, or deprivation neither philosophy nor theology seem to help the person who is being forced to suffer greatly. Even in the Bible, though Job didn't curse God, he sought answers. "WHY?" Even Jesus is portrayed as shouting out "WHY" in a despairing line from a psalm before his death, "My God, My God WHY have you forsaken me?" C.S.Lewis admitted a year before he died that he "dreaded most" the thought that he may have been "deceiving himself" concerning the kind of "God" who would give his wife cancer and then himself cancer. Or as in the case of a conversation Mother Teresa had (she didn't believe in pain killers) with a man suffering intense pain from cancer, "Jesus is kissing you," to which the man replied, "Then I wish he'd stop." That's the problem of pain in a nutshell. The "dread" of C.S. Lewis. The "Whys" of Job and Jesus. Not to mention Victor Reppert's "second chance."


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May 17, 2013
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A two-run first inning held up Friday night behind a career-high 7.1 innings of work by Luke Weaver as No. 8 Florida State (43-11, 19-10 ACC) defeated No. 19 Clemson (39-16, 18-11 ACC) 2-1 to even the series at a game apiece on Mike Martin Field inside Dick Howser Stadium.
With the win, the Seminoles moved back to the top of the ACC Atlantic Division standings maintaining a half-game lead on NC State (41-13, 18-10 ACC) and a full game lead on the Tigers. The winner of the Atlantic Division will secure the No. 2 seed in the upcoming ACC Baseball Championship at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C.
"You saw the same game that I did," said head coach Mike Martin. "It was just a heck of a baseball game. We really have to credit Luke Weaver. It was a well-pitched game. We had a chance twice to get him a couple more runs but we couldn't push them across. I thought Clemson's starter did an excellent job in the first inning after we scored two.
"We had some very solid defensive plays and I am very pleased with that side of it. I thought we were more aggressive tonight. Now we have an opportunity (to clinch the division) and we are looking forward to competing. Clemson is obviously a very good baseball team."
Marcus Davis provided all the offense Friday night bringing home both runs on an RBI single in the top of the first inning off Clemson starter Matthew Crownover (7-2).
"Usually you use your first at-bat to gauge what the pitcher is throwing," said Davis. "But in that kind of situation you want to do your best to drive in a run regardless of it's a sac-fly, groundout, whatever it is, you just don't want to leave the batter's box not having done anything."
The Tigers out hit the Seminoles in game two 7-5 as three of FSU's five hits came in the first inning. FSU's other two hits were leadoff doubles in the fourth and fifth innings by John Nogowski and John Sansone, respectively.
Weaver would make the two-run first inning hold up as the sophomore right hander held Clemson to just one run over his 7.1 innings of work. The Deland, Fla., product gave up seven hits and two walks while striking out eight on 112 pitches.
"The fastball was there," said Weaver. "The off-speed stuff came later in the game. I was kind of struggling at first with hitting those for strikes but I was able to throw pitches when I needed to; it was more of a grind out game."
"He is certainly not afraid," said Martin on Weaver. "He is certainly not worried about what might happen. He goes out there and pitches the best he can pitch and he doesn't dwell on the last pitch. He goes out there and pitches like Luke Weaver."
Billy Strode registered the final two outs in the eighth, while Robby Coles worked the ninth to pick up his ninth save of the season. Coles issued a one-out walk to Shane Kennedy, but got out of the inning on the very next pitch as Tyler Krieger lined into a game-ending double play at second.
Clemson looked to cut into the Seminole lead in the fourth but left two stranded. Steve Wilkerson and Steven Duggar opened the inning with back-to-back singles off Weaver but the Seminole starter came right back to record consecutive strikeouts and then got Krieger to fly out to left to end the threat.
The Tigers drew within one of the lead in the sixth when Wilkerson led off the inning with a single to center. The junior second baseman moved to third on a one-out double down the line in left and scored a batter later on a groundout to short by Kennedy to cut the Seminole lead to 2-1. Weaver escaped further damage as he got Krieger swinging on strikes to end the inning.
Clemson put the tying run on in the seventh and eighth innings but both were retired from the base paths as Stephen McGee threw out two trying to steal second. In the seventh, Jon McGibbon drew a walk off Weaver and then was thrown out at second thanks to a great scoop by Giovanny Alfonzo. In the eighth, Wilkerson laced a one-out single to center. After a pitching change brought Strode on, Wilkerson tried to move into scoring position but McGee made an outstanding throw to Alfonzo to throw out his second base stealer of the night.
"I was just trying to get it down there as fast as I could in the right place for Gio to make a play," said McGee. "It happened to work out for us tonight on two separate occasions. Gio made two great plays to get those outs for us tonight."
Florida State scored its only runs of the night in bottom of the first to take an early 2-0 lead. The first four Seminoles to the plate reached off Crownover as FSU registered three hits and a hit-by-pitch. Davis drove in both runs delivering a base hit through the right side with the bases loaded as Brett Knief and DJ Stewart scored on the play. Knief opened the inning with a single to right center and advanced to third on Stewart's double down the line in left. McGee was hit by a pitch, one of two on the evening, to load the bases for Davis.
The Seminoles opened the fourth and fifth innings with a leadoff double but could not add to their lead. Nogowski ripped a double down the line in left to start the bottom of the fourth and moved to third on a groundout to short by Jameis Winston. Crownover then recorded consecutive fly outs to end the inning. Sansone began the fifth with a double to the gap in left center but was stuck at second as the Tigers retired the next three Seminole batters.
Crownover suffered the loss on Friday night as the freshman southpaw gave up two runs on five hits in 4.1 innings. Clate Schmidt threw 3.2 innings of shutout baseball in relief.
The two teams will return to the diamond for the final game of series on Saturday, May 18 at 3:00 p.m. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. and will air live on ESPNU. Fans can listen to the game on the Seminoles.com All-Access player and locally on 100.7 FM. As always, Seminole fans can follow the Noles on twitter @FSU_Baseball and remember to like the Seminoles on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FSUBaseball). Live stats will be available via gametracker.


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Style # 215115
The perfect embodiment of effortless sophistication, this bebe blouse features silk contrast drape across the front and polished 3/4 sleeves. Work yours into your suiting pieces for a look that easily transitions into an evening look.
- 94% modal, 6% spandex
- Center back to hem: 23" (58 cm)
- Machine wash according to care label
- Imported
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size S
Contrast Drape Sleeve Top is rated out of 5 by 4.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Thequeengets from Elegant quality top I tried in store long ago but recently purchased in color black size XS, my regular size. I wish I could ge it in the other Sandshell color in XXS. Top is stretchy, the front is not silk but it looks like it, the rest is jersey but the softest one ever! I love it so much I hope bebe sells more in other colors. Top goes well with any bottom which is even better. Don't hesitate and get it soon before it goes out of stock, you won't regret.
Date published: 2013-09-12
Rated 5 out of 5 by FashionPassion18 from One of my new favorite tops! It was literally love at first sight! They had a mint color in stores but they didn't have it in my size so I was disappointed. Not long after I stumbled upon it on the website and had to get the sandshell color. It looks great on tan skin and I've received many compliments on this blouse. The fabric on the front is great quality, however the back of the shirt is on the bit thinner side.. So I wouldn't recommend wearing a dark color bra with it. The XS fits perfectly for me, I believe its true to size. I hope they make more colors of this classy shirt besides black, I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.
Date published: 2013-06-03
Rated 5 out of 5 by Bama from Very Luxurious Material This Top is super flattering. Emphasizes my curves. I am a size US 2 / 32D. Size XS fits me perfectly. Not sheer. Suitable for summer weather. The outer front material is like silk and the back is thin jersey material. You can pull the attached insert down if you want to show more cleavage. Expensive but it is obvious that it is made with quality workmanship and material. Looks like a milllion bucks!!
Date published: 2013-05-09
Rated 4 out of 5 by fashionista98 from Comfortable and Stylish I had to get both colors because they were comfortable and stylish looking.
Date published: 2013-04-29


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Enter Our Photo Contest »
It's time to show off your garden filled with American Meadows products!
Show meShowing plants & seeds that grow in my area:
A whole new group for your garden. Coral Bells, or the Heuchera are a group of small evergreen perennials commonly found as native plants in North American woodlands, and they've been ignored until recently. During the 1990s, some enterprising nurserymen in the southeast realized the Coral Bells were diamonds in the rough, and went to work. Their efforts have created a mini-sensation in the world of perennials, as more and more gardeners discover these great plants.
Some of the natives are alpines from our mountaintops, others are dwellers in lowland forests. But all have several wonderful things in common.
They have beautiful foliage, with large leaves in several colors that remind many of grape leaves, and the foliage lasts through the winter. With hybridization, some of the foliage colors have become truly spectacular, with rich shades and fascinating bi-colors.
Now there are new Heuchera hybrids almost every year, and the group gains popularity all the time. They take full sun or partial shade. And while most of these are grown for their handsome foliage, many also have lovely flowers, some spectacular. Best of all, the plants bloom for weeks and weeks. The flowers rise from a clump of leaves on elegant, thin stems which are lined with the small bell-like blooms.
|Common Name
|Coral Bells
|Botanical Name
|Heuchera villosa
|3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
|Light Requirements
|Full Sun, Half Sun / Half Shade
|Flower Color
|Mature Height
|14-16" tall
|Estimated Mature Spread
|18-24" wide
|Bloom Time
|Late spring to early summer
|Planting Depth
|Crown of plant should rest just at or above the soil surface after watering in.
|Ships As
|Potted Plant
|Dramatic color change from chartreuse green with rosy centers to a light silvery overlay in summer, then red in fall.
|Planting Time
|Spring / Summer
|Soil Type
|Sandy Soil, Loamy Soil
|Soil Moisture
|Average, Well Draining
|Easy to Grow, Cut Flowers, Containers, Native, Evergreen
|Yes - Learn More
|Ships to Hawaii, Alaska & Canada
Shipping begins in late March based on ground temperatures, warmest zones first.
As soon as your order is placed you will receive an order confirmation email that will include your shipping information. We ship perennials and spring-planted bulbs at the proper planting time for your hardiness zone. Perennials and spring-planted bulb orders will arrive separately from seeds. If your order requires more than one shipment, there is no additional shipping charge. See our shipping information page for approximate ship dates and more detailed information. If you need express shipping or have any questions, please call Customer Service toll-free at (877) 309-7333 or contact us by email.
You will receive a second email the day your order ships telling you how it has been sent. Your order is scheduled to arrive at your door, fresh and ready to plant, usually within 3-5 days of leaving our warehouse, depending on your shipping address. We pack our plants to withstand up to 10 days in transit, in the event transit is delayed. We cannot guarantee arrival on a specific day. Please make sure to open your package upon receipt and follow the instructions included.
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Comments about American Meadows Coral Bells Tiramisu:
Delivery condition could not be better. In excellent condition on arrival and adapted to my soil conditions perfectly. An added delight to my garden and other similar plants. Will be anxious to see the blooms next summer.
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The August 10 summit between newly inaugurated Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Venezuela's Hugo Chávez is a potentially positive step in the Americas. The summit lowered tensions that were recently heightened when officials of the outgoing Uribe government presented evidence showing that an estimated 1,5000 fighters of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) are using sanctuaries in Venezuela. Presentation of the evidence before a special session of the Organization of American States led to Chávez's rupture of diplomatic ties with Colombia on July 22.
Sworn in on August 7, Santos told Colombians that in matters pertaining to national security, the door to peace with FARC and ELN is open. Yet, Santos stipulated, negotiations can begin only when those groups cease armed violence, kidnapping, narcotics trafficking, extortion, and intimidation. Santos expressed a determination to end illegal warfare against the people of Colombia "either by reason or by force." In short, Santos' vision of a more prosperous, more equitable, and more neighborly Colombia is linked to ending the scourge of narco-terrorism and insurgency. It is a modification—not an abandonment—of the democratic security policy of President Uribe.
Positive but Modest Summit Results
The summit underscored a hope for more stable and productive bilateral relations. Santos spoke of turning over a new page in Colombia–Venezuela relations. Chávez concurred.
The parties committed to restoring ambassadors and to a high-level ministerial before the end of August. They also agreed to establish several joint commissions to review commercial ties, social and infrastructure development, and security. The promised creation of a joint security commission, which has the potential to serve as a positive, confidence-building measure.
Chávez vowed that his government does not support FARC, a statement contradicted by fact but one Santos accepted. He categorically promised that he "will not permit the presence of guerrillas or terrorists on Venezuelan soil."
There were multiple factors driving the summit. Behind-the-scenes diplomacy by Argentina's ex-President Nestor Kirchner and others appeared to influence both parties. In the future, Santos will try harder to work within the security framework created by the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). His more flexible style and diplomatic manner may help prod UNASUR to address the critical issues of terrorism and illegal armed groups and make it less of a sounding board for Chávez's paranoia.
Economics are another important force influencing the summit. Colombia has lost billions because of Venezuela's politically motivated economic embargo, but Venezuela had also suffered market dislocation and seen inflation and scarcity rise. Santos sees improved trade ties as a unifying element.
Chávez, meanwhile, is looking toward the September 26 legislative elections. Threats of war with Colombia may play well to his hardcore supporters, but they worry the average Venezuelan who may be inclined to vote against Chávez's party, the Unified Socialist Party of Venezuela.
As long as Chávez plays along, President Santos has opted for pragmatism and quiet diplomacy.
The Ball Is in Chavez's Court
At the summit, Chávez made two significant commitments. First, he proclaimed his Bolivarian Revolution to be peaceful and therefore no threat to Colombia. Second, he promised that his government does not support FARC, ELN, or other illegally armed groups.
Bogotá and Washington are far too familiar with Chávez's challenging rhetoric and duplicitous behavior to accept mere promises without action. The bottom line is not whether Chávez will or will not admit to aiding FARC. He will not. But will he do something tangible about FARC and ELN, as well as the drug trafficking that sustains these groups? Will he permit the establishment of an effective mechanism of mutual verification or retreat behind the protective carapace of national sovereignty? Will he willingly apply political pressure on FARC in order to compel it to end the armed struggle on terms acceptable to Santos and the Colombian people? Or will he simply provide a smokescreen while FARC reorganizes?
A few amicable hours cannot paper over profound differences between Santos's Colombia and Chávez's Venezuela. Colombia is a democratic, market state with genuine separation of powers. It has an active and free press, a skilled and increasingly professional military, and a working alliance with the U.S. Colombia is in the process of strengthening the rule of law and essential institutions of responsible governance.
Building on the Uribe legacy, Santos commands the confidence of the Colombian people.
Venezuela is in the middle of a process of revolutionary transformation toward a socialist/communist society, deeply polarized with an economy in apparent disarray, and increasingly governed by an autocrat whose mentor is Fidel Castro, whose operating code is militaristic, and whose worldview is profoundly anti-American. An arms buildup, close ties to Iran, and the Havana–Caracas axis rightfully worry Colombia and other nations. Criminality and lawless are on the upswing and domestic and international confidence in Chávez is plummeting.
Clearly, the future of Colombia–Venezuela will depend on how FARC and ELN play their hand. Their readiness to engage in a real search for peace is doubtful. The August 11 car bombing in Bogotá may be a negative reply to Santos's offer to talk peace.
Back Santos with Active U.S. Diplomacy
President Santos displayed statesmanship by meeting Chávez. He knows the Obama Administration harbors mixed emotions toward his country. While the Administration supports close cooperation in the counter-drug and security arenas and will—absent a major budgetary crisis—continue to back Plan Colombia, the White House is also largely subservient to domestic influences, particularly from organized labor and entrenched Democrats in Congress who continue to block ratification of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
The Obama Administration, moreover, lacks any appreciable strategy for applying pressure on Chávez to cease support for terrorism. It demonstrates no consistent public diplomacy strategy and largely minimizes the threat posed by Chávez's backing for terrorist groups.
The Obama Administration needs a proactive stance to back Santos's bold leap. It should:
- Act to win early ratification of the free trade agreement to back Santos's plan for "democratic prosperity";
- Continue vigorous support for Plan Colombia;
- Redouble diplomatic efforts to isolate FARC and end Colombian insurgency/narco-terrorism in the near term; and
- Send a clear signal to Chavez that failure to strengthen joint border security and remove FARC and terror groups from Venezuelan soil will result in Venezuela's placement on the state sponsors of terrorism list.
Santos Deserves U.S. Support
Colombia's new President Santos has made a bold although not risk-free effort to tackle the most pressing challenge to peace and security in South America. His effort merits U.S. and international support. It cannot be allowed to degenerate into yet another Chavista ruse.
Ray Walser, Ph.D., is Senior Policy Analyst for Latin America in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, a division of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies, at The Heritage Foundation.


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Perhaps you relish playing tourist in your own hometown or challenging yourself to find appealing settings for special occasions.
San Diego has a charming new entrant to its tour boat fleet. Forget the loud engines spewing diesel fumes, vessels filled with hundreds of passengers and running kids, even the sails hoisted on sailing cruises.
BayDreamin' Cruises, which operates from Sunroad Resort Marina at 955 Harbor Island Drive at the east end of Harbor Island, uses an 18-foot Duffy Electric Boat, offering a fresh, green approach to the San Diego Bay tour boat business.
Quiet as a kite, the California-designed and -built Duffy offers guests the experience of sitting low to the water in a protected blue scalloped surrey-topped clear glass-like enclosure, while enjoying the breezes and waves lapping against the hull.
Each narrated BayDreamin' cruise is limited to six passengers, preserving the intimacy of a personal tour around the bay. Guests can bring their own libations and treats to enjoy while under way.
BayDreamin' Cruises is the creation of captains Mike and Jackie McNabb. Both "liveaboards" on their own boats — Mike on a sailboat and Jackie on a powerboat — the two met as members at Southwestern Yacht Club, where Jackie kept her boat. They moved aboard Mike's sailboat, relocated to Southwestern and sold Jackie's powerboat.
"I didn't think that lightning could strike twice," said Jackie, a widow and former Temecula resident who also works part-time as a meeting planner.
They married two years ago under a Shelter Island tree overlooking San Diego Bay and Jackie had the inspiration of starting a tour company.
"I'd seen these Duffys around at Coronado Cays and was intrigued. I was missing my powerboat. I told Mike about my idea of putting together a tour company using Duffys," Jackie said.
Mike, who owned advertising and marketing agencies in Houston and Las Vegas before easing into consulting and retirement in San Diego, developed their business plan.
Both boaters since childhood, they attended the Maritime Institute in Point Loma for their certification training to become U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captains. As newlyweds enjoying each other's company, the McNabbs usually operate the tours together and alternate driving.
In addition to the quiet and exhaust-free ride, another factor distinguishing BayDreamin' from other tour boats is the Duffy's easy maneuverability.
"When we come into the Embarcadero, we can stop, turn the boat any way guests want and open up the windows. The big boats can't come in close to get their pictures," Mike said.
Many groups of family and friends fill the scheduled cruises and the McNabbs gladly tailor tours to passengers' interests. They also offer "boat limo" service around the bay and develop customized routes and tours by pre-arrangement. Already, they've attracted visitors from far and near and locals celebrating anniversaries, birthdays and other special occasions.
After a series of trial runs, BayDreamin' Cruises recently debuted its public tours, currently running three times daily at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and a sunset cruise throughout the year. Blankets are available on board for cooler weather.
Cruises run $35 per person for a one-and-a-half hour tour around the Embarcadero and harbor, $45 for a two-hour tour to Shelter Island and the yacht clubs and $50 for a two-hour sunset bay and harbor cruise.
Advance reservations are required,but as little as two hours' notice is sufficient.
For more information, visit www.baydreamincruises.com. For reservations, call (800) 979-3370 or (619) 701-3766.


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EZ-Robot Revolution Software Apps include assembly instructions for your robot. When you load a project, the EZ-Builder software will download the required EZ-Bits and ask if you would like to view the assembly instructions. In this lesson, we will explain how the assembly instructions work and teach you to become an expert robot builder! Click here to view the software tutorial.
*Note: When connecting servos to the EZ-B, pay attention to match the colors. Just like your home theater, the BLACK wire of the servo connects to the BLACK side of the EZ-B pins. Here is a video.
Keep a close eye on the EZ-Bit's physical features so you can identify the orientation. In this example, notice the direction of the servo with recognizable features of the real physical EZ-Bit in your hand. If you connect an EZ-Bit backward, your robot will behave funny and not work as expected - but might be worth the laugh!


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Q&A: Protein and Weight Loss
By G. Douglas Andersen, DC, DACBSP, CCN
Recently I was asked by the staff at DC Canada to referee some of their water-cooler discussions regarding nutrition. Topping their list was this one about protein and weight loss: "Why is protein important for weight loss and how much should I eat (to lose weight)?" Before I answer, I would like to share a few thoughts on weight loss in general.
Weight Loss: A Tricky Topic
I believe the topic of weight loss is much more confusing, contentious, complicated and controversial than it should be – for a number of reasons, including the following:
To lose weight, there must be caloric deficit, period. Caloric deficit is achieved by eating fewer calories, burning more calories or a combination of both. Now we are ready to address the question about protein and weight loss.
Why Is Protein Important for Weight Loss?
When people lose weight, it is a combination of lean mass (muscle) and body fat. When people say they want to lose weight, what they actually mean is that they want to lose fat. It is impossible to lose only fat, but:
Consuming enough protein can reduce muscle loss at the expense of fat loss in varying degrees, depending on the person. This can be amplified with exercise targeted at the muscles a person does not want to lose.
Protein can satisfy hunger with a greater degree of effectiveness than fats and carbs in many (but not all) people.
Dietary protein requires a higher percentage of the calories it provides to metabolize than carbohydrates and fats. It can raise a person's metabolic rate for as long as 10-12 hours. (See Table 1)
How Much Protein Should I Eat (to Lose Weight)?
There is no exact answer to this question because "just enough and not too much" is quite variable. The amount of protein a dieter should eat is the level that reduces the most body fat and least muscle in a way that best moderates the degree of hunger. This number depends on age, sex, genetics, activity, sleep, stress and more. Ask 10 weight-loss professionals this question and you'll get a variety of responses.
Finally, when a person asks me this question, I will ask them, "How much protein are you eating now and how much protein were you eating when you gained the weight?" In most cases they cannot answer either question, so giving them a number is meaningless until I determine their current intake and the results they are experiencing.
The Best Advice
Confused? Don't be. Just remember that to lose body fat, every step and every bite count every day. My rule of thumb for protein is this: If a person is losing weight and maintaining their exercise strength, endurance and recovery, they are getting enough protein. And that means, if you look at Table 2, they are getting no less than what is recommended for athletes, which is around double the RDA of 0.8 g/kg/bw/d. Next month, we will continue this discussion by examining a specific study on weight loss, exercise and different levels of protein.
Click here for more information about G. Douglas Andersen, DC, DACBSP, CCN.


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Bert Is Back! Yamaha Demo Day at Dolphin Music Huddersfield
Put the date on your diaries: Thursday 18th June - Bert Smorenburg, the world-famous Yamaha demonstrator and product guru will once again visit our Huddersfield shop, to showcase the award winning MOTIF XS synthesizers and a brand new, top secret product!
Last chance to reserve your free place at this very special event!" Ring 01484 427455 or email firstname.lastname@example.com NOW!
Bert is BACK! Click to enlarge
Yamaha Music Production present a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the award winning MOTIF XS synthesizers with world-famous demonstrator and product guru, Mr Bert Smorenburg.
Bert will not only take you through the MOTIF range and explain the latest features in the new version 1.5 os, but will also show the brand-new and top secret product that will be launched at to the world at the London International Music Show a couple of days before this event.
This will be one of the first showings of the new (top secret product) so come along and learn more about the product that Yamaha have tagged as 'The Perfect Performance'. All we can say at the moment is that it has massive waveROM, knobs, sliders and that Bert is the man to explain all!
Yamaha Product Specialists will also be on hand to answer any questions you may have so, put a date in your diary and come along to be entertained and to learn more about the latest products from Yamaha Music Production. Be one of the first in the world to experience the new instruments first hand.
To reserve your place at this special event email us at firstname.lastname@example.com or phone us at 01484 427455
Yamaha Demo Day with Bert Smorenburg
THURSDAY 18th June, from 7pm
Dolphin Music Huddersfield
11-15 Market Street
West Yorkshire