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NEW YORK CITY — With the sidewalks and subway platforms set to feel like ovens this week during the city's latest heat wave, finding places to cool down when you're outside can take some creativity.
Temperatures on Tuesday are expected to reach 95 degrees, with high humidity and a heat advisory in effect. The city has cooling centers available, but DNAinfo.com New York has come up with some additional ideas for where to chill during these dog days of summer.
Climate Control
Public atriums provide space to cool down while watching everybody else heat up outside.
The Winter Garden Plaza at the World Financial Center is appropriately named for summer. The plaza boasts more than 20,000 square-feet of climate controlled space with a vaulted glass ceiling and views of the Hudson River.
The plaza also has a semi-circular marble staircase that leads up to views of the World Trade Center. There are eateries and cafes such as Starbucks next to the plaza, so you can grab an iced coffee to aid in the cooling process.
The atrium, which is open from 6 a.m. to midnight daily, is located at 220 Vesey Street across the pedestrian bridge the crosses over West Street.
The New York City Department of City Planning has a map of all privately own public spaces in the city, including air conditioned enclosed spaces.
Winter Sports
Ice-skating in the city doesn't need to be something relegated just to the winter. The Chelsea Piers Sky Rink provides time for public skating four days a week through the summer.
Prices for general skating in the summer are greatly reduced with an all ages pass going for $10 and skate rentals for $5. During weekends the rink is open from noon to 3:50 p.m. On Monday and Friday, it's open from 12:30 p.m. to 2:20 p.m. There is no public skating Tuesday through Thursday.
Chelsea Piers is located at Pier 61 at 23rd Street and the Hudson River.
Chilled Markets
Fairway Market offers free demonstrations and food tastings with their lead merchants and chefs showing off the food purveyor's best choices in foods like cheese and shrimp salad.
The demonstrations are held on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and rotate between the market's six locations around the city. Check out its website for the monthly schedule.
If you need some immediate heat relief you can head to its Harlem location and into the cold room, which is a 10,000 square-foot space with a full-service butcher shop, seafood counter and large beer selection. If the room is too cold, the store provides insulated jackets for perusing goods in the chilly space.
The Harlem location is located at Riverside Drive between 132nd and 133rd streets.
Movie Houses
Before air conditioning became affordable enough to be in most suburban homes, people would flock to the movies for some entertainment and cool air.
Movies in the city now cost nearly as much as a cocktail at a chi-chi lounge, but there are still some affordable options.
Kew Gardens Cinema in Queens offers bargain Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tickets for both day and night movies cost just $7. All shows during the week before 5 p.m. are also $7 as well as the first shows on weekends before 2 p.m.
The theater shows first-run big budget movies as well as indie flicks, and is located at 81-05 Lefferts Boulevard between Audley and Austin streets.
If you want to create your own, fully air conditioned mini-film festival, seek out a double feature anywhere in the city using the site Double Feature Finder to see what movies are playing back-to-back at all city theaters.
Cool Runnings
You can no longer booze it up on the Long Island Rail Road during weekend nights, but that still leaves plenty of daylight hours to enjoy a cold beer in an air-conditioned car.
The MTA offers a package deal to Long Beach, Long Island, which give you a round-trip ticket and beach pass for $21, from Penn Station, Manhattan, or Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn. If you're leaving from Jamaica, Queens, it's only $18.
The trip from Penn Station to Long Beach is 51 minutes, giving you plenty of time to sip on suds before dipping your toes into the cool Atlantic Ocean.
Fresh Literature
The New York Public Library Children's Center provides some free, cool space for your overheated kids. The center has beloved children's books, CDs, video games and DVDs and readings by librarians.
Thursday through Monday the center, located in Room 84 on the main floor of the NYPL's building on 42nd Street, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, it's open from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The library will be closed on Sundays during July and August.
The library's website has a daily schedule of readings and other events.
Cold Apples
Apple stores are packed with sleek electronic consumables in their air-conditioned, minimalist retail outlets.
But instead of just browsing, why not take advantage of classes to learn how to better use your new gadget?
The Upper West Side location at Broadway and 67th Street has free workshops such as learning how to use your new iPhone 4S, using iCloud and editing with iMovie.
The training sessions, which generally last between an hour to an hour and a half, are popular and free, so make sure you reserve a seat on Apple's website.
Museum Mild
Walking through Midtown can feel about 10 degrees warmer with the skyscrapers and pavement trapping heat. Why not rise above it all in some open space?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's rooftop offers an area above the sweltering streets where you can catch a breeze cutting across Central Park. The rooftop's cafe and Martini Bar stays open until 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and has a selection of frozen cocktails and sandwiches.
If you'd like to get some culture while you're above all that famous art below check out the museum's rooftop exhibit "Cloud City." The 28-foot-high interactive sculpture is made up of 16 interconnected metallic modules you can climb through.
Visitors can spend up to 20 minutes climbing through the structure overlooking Central Park. Tickets are free with museum admission but, since the installation is "weather permitting", visitors are advised to call 212-396-5300 to check the schedule.


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CRESTVIEW � An exhibition of American Indian masks and artifacts at the Crestview Public Library through April 30 is a glimpse into the regional indigenous people�s creativity and artistry.
CRESTVIEW � An exhibition of American Indian masks and artifacts at the Crestview Public Library is a glimpse into the regional indigenous people�s creativity and artistry.
The display features historic pottery and contemporary reproductions by Crestview resident Romaneth Blackwood, a Blackfoot Indian and retired archeologist who rescued many of the pieces from development sites.
"I made it a point to rescue as much as possible before it was destroyed," he said, noting that pieces were collected with property owners� permission.
Blackwood recreated the centerpiece warrior masks, some of which featured more than 300 pieces. The self-taught artist dug and refined the clay before working and firing the artworks.
The public will never see some of Blackwood's most striking works because the delicate firing process destroyed them, he said.
"You have to get it near the fire and dry it out or it will explode in your face," he said. "I had many, many beautiful pieces just blow up."
Several masks on display are reproductions that Blackwell created.
"All the masks are copies of individuals who were dog warriors," Blackwood said. "They were the warriors who would stay behind and fight to their death while the rest of the tribe got away."
Some of the artifacts, including sitting or squatting effigies, represent Creek Indian history. Blackwood's extensive collection traces all eras of the nation, beginning around 300 A.D.
The library exhibit marks only the third time in 20 years that Blackwood has displayed pieces from his collection, which contains more than 100,000 original and recreated artifacts.
Want to go?
Romaneth Blackwood�s American Indian pottery, arrowheads and masks are on exhibit until April 30 at the Crestview Public Library.
Contact News Bulletin Arts & Entertainment Editor Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

subset: commoncrawl


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Banana Splits Show # 3Banana Splits Show # 3 (1968) Season 1 Episode K-03- The Banana Splits Adventure Hour Cartoon Episode Guide
This page has been viewed 5 times this month, and 1300 times total.
- The Banana Splits Adventure Hour Cartoon Episode GuideEpisode GuideTelevisionSeriesCartoon
- Traditional Animation
- Hanna-Barbera Studios
- Cartoon Characters: Fleegle, Drooper, Bingo, Snorky, Sour Grapes.
- Voice Actors: Paul Winchell, Allan Melvin, Daws Butler, Henry Corden, Teddy Eccles, Paul Frees, Frank Gerstle, Jonathan Harris, Tommy Cook, Patsy Garrett; Full Voice Cast ...
- Directed By Richard Donner, Charles Nichols.
- Produced By Edward J. Rosen, Joseph Barbera, William Hanna, Alex Lovy, Lew Marshall, Art Scott.
- Animated By Vicente Bassols, Rudy Cataldi, Oliver E. Callahan, Charles Downs, Zdenko Gasparovic, Robert Goe, Alan Green, Harry Holt, Maria Jursic, Bill Kelly, Ed Love, George Nicholas; more Animators ...
- Written By Jack Hanrahan, Phil Hahn, Ellis Kadison, Anthony Spinner.
- Music: Ted Nichols, David Mook, Jack Eskew, Ritchie Adams, Mark Barkan.
- Editor: Larry Cowan, Roger Donley, Lloyd Friedgen, Wayne Hughes, Bill Lewis, David Lurie; more Editors ...
- First Aired on September 21, 1968.
- Originally Aired on NBC-TV (USA).
- Running Time: 60 minutes.
- Episode Number: K-03
- Season: 1
Cartoon Summary:
Introducing Mildred the Magic Robot, who grants the Banana Splits every wish-however peculiarly. Songs: "I'm Gonna Find A Cave" and "It's A Good Day."
Cartoon Production Information:
Few shows are remembered as fondly as The Banana Splits. Combining live action, costumed hijinks, classical animation, and rock music with pre-teen psychedelic imagery at a break-neck pace, this show spoke to a new generation of TV babies, and... (more)
Cartoon Video:
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Do you have anything to add to this page? Have we made any mistakes... or do you have any additional information about Banana Splits Show # 3? If so, we would love to hear from you. Please send us a quick note with your additions or corrections to this page, and we will make the corrections as soon as possible!
Cartoon Comments:
Do you love Banana Splits Show # 3, or do you think it is the worst cartoon ever? Let us know what you think! Surely you have an opinion... so share what you think. Take a minute and post your own comments about this cartoon here.


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If you're having trouble logging in or accessing your listing, please try resetting your password or use this form to contact the webmaster.
We'll do our best to help immediately. Thank you!
This directory of on-the-job learning opportunities in sustainable and organic agriculture has been published since 1989 as a tool to help farmers and apprentices connect with each other. It is available for farms in the U.S and its territories. (there are a few in Canada and the Caribbean as well)
Anyone can browse the listings for free. As a subscriber, you can maintain a personalized listing to connect with internship seekers. The listed farms are primarily seeking interns/apprentices from North America.
Have you found a great intern and want us to deactivate your listing? Please let us know. Thank you!
Subscribe Now to List Your InternshipIf you already have a subscription or day-pass, simply sign in.
We also offer a $5.00 Internship Database Listing Day Pass, giving you 24 hour access to add or update your personalized listing.
Take care! There are some very important things to consider before listing or accepting a farm internship.
Important Note: All listings are submitted to this site by employers. The National Center for Appropriate Technology makes no claims of any kind about content, accuracy, suitability, intent, comprehensiveness, or availability of positions. NCAT makes no representations or guarantees about positions listed on its Web site and is not responsible for safety, wages, working conditions, or other aspects of employment. It is the responsibility of prospective interns to take all necessary precautions when interviewing for or accepting positions, and he/she is solely responsible for obtaining necessary information concerning the employers, using caution and common sense. It is the responsibility of host farms to be aware of federal and state labor laws related to hiring interns or apprentices. NCAT provides the listing only as a public service, and the listings do not imply any recommendation by NCAT, its ATTRA project, or USDA.
Everyone. Please make sure you ask for references! Interns; research the farm, better yet go there before agreeing to anything. Get something in writing; a clear written agreement of what is expected for each party will go a long way if things get dicey. Check the living arrangements. NCAT/ATTRA just lists the internships, we won't moderate or get involved in any disagreements. So take care.


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Vanpool Information
A vanpool is a group of six to 15 people who commute together in a van on a regular basis. The coordinator usually drives and maintains the van while riders pay a monthly fare. In most vanpools, the driver/coordinator rides for free.
SACOG is currently offering a vanpool incentive program to help new vanpools get established. To find a carpool or vanpool partner, sign up online at the Sacramento Region Commuter Club.
Vanpooling works best for commuters who:
- Commute at least 20 miles each way
- Work a similar schedule
- Work consistent, regular hours
Arrange to meet with your potential commuting partners over coffee or lunch to determine whether you're suited to ride together. Use this time to work out the details of commuting together. The more you discuss in advance, the fewer problems you'll have later on. Some ground to cover might include:
- Who drives, and when?
- How often you'll ride together. Daily? Once a week?
- Meeting locations (a park-and-ride lot, child care center, at home?)
- Setting a time limit for waiting to prevent being late for work
- How to get home in an emergency
- (Check on the Emergency Ride Home Program through your Transportation Management Association.)
- Preferences such as smoking, music, seating
- Side trips, if any
- Driver's duties, such as filling the gas tank beforehand
- A specific trial period for the carpool
- Any other concerns
Passengers can save hundreds of dollars each year over the cost of driving to work alone. Some employers (including the State of California) even provide subsidies to employees who drive or ride in vanpools. Check with your Employee Transportation Coordinator, or local Transportation Management Association for more information.
For more information, please contact:
Jana Greenberg
(916) 340-6228


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- UCAR Home
- About Us
- News
- Research+Resources
- Education
- For Staff
April 1, 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C.—For the first time in its 53-year history, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) has opened a full-time office in Washington. The new office, which begins operations today, will advocate on behalf of its 104 member universities that study the atmosphere and work to improve weather forecasting.
It will also pursue business development opportunities with private sector businesses and foundations that have an interest in atmospheric research.
"UCAR will advocate for the nation's entire weather enterprise out of this office," says UCAR president Thomas Bogdan. "Having representation in Washington, where decision makers and most of our funders are located, is critical as we work toward improving the nation's forecasting capabilities."
UCAR, based in Boulder, Colorado, is a consortium of 104 universities, most of which grant doctoral degrees in the atmospheric sciences. It helps set priorities for the nation's research into weather, climate change, air quality, and other topics in the atmospheric sciences. UCAR also manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research, a leading laboratory sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
The new office, at 1201 New York Avenue NW, is co-located with the Consortium for Ocean Leadership. UCAR will coordinate with the consortium, as well as with other leading science organizations such as the American Geophysical Union, to educate policy makers about the nation's research priorities.
Michael Henry will oversee government relations in the office. He previously advanced UCAR's government affairs agenda as a legislative specialist in the organization's Boulder headquarters for four years. Before that, he worked in the Washington office of Sen. Benjamin Cardin of Maryland, focusing on energy and environmental issues.
"I'm looking forward to using my Washington experience and contacts to make sure that UCAR interests are well represented," Henry says. "This is a great opportunity for the atmospheric sciences community to ensure that weather and climate are high on the nation's agenda."
Ari Gerstman will join the office on April 8 to lead UCAR's business development program. An expert in creating new opportunities with a wide range of companies, Gerstman focused on business development at Earth Resources Technology.
"I am thrilled to be joining the UCAR team in Washington, leveraging my network in the private sector to enhance UCAR's research capabilities," Gerstman says.
Bogdan adds, "It's essential to have this level of business expertise in the nation's capital as we explore new funding streams."
*Media & nonprofit use of images: Except where otherwise indicated, media and nonprofit use permitted with credit as indicated above and compliance with UCAR's terms of use. Find more images in the NCAR|UCAR Multimedia & Image Gallery.
The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research under sponsorship by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.


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Want to Sell Your House? Price it Right!
April 25, 2014
The housing market is recovering nicely. Prices have increased nationally by double digits over the last twelve months. Competition from the shadow inventory of lower priced distressed properties (foreclosures and short sales) is diminishing rapidly. Now may be the perfect time to sell your home and move to the dream house or beautiful location your family has always talked about.
The one suggestion we would definitely offer: DON'T OVERPRICE IT!!
Even though prices have increased by more than 10% over the last year, the acceleration of appreciation has slowed dramatically over the last few months. As an example, in their April Home Price Index Report, CoreLogic revealed that home prices actually depreciated by .08% this month as compared to last month's report. What concerns us is that Trulia just reported that asking prices are still continuing to increase.
Because investor purchases are declining and there are more listings coming onto the market, we believe that sellers should be very cautious when they price their house. The alternative might be that you could lose money by overpricing your home at the start as explained in a research study on the matter.
Bottom Line
Though it is a great time to sell your house, pricing it right is crucial. Get guidance from a real estate professional in your marketplace to ensure you get the best deal possible.
Article provided courtesy of KeepingCurrentMatters.com.
Real Estate Market Articles
Home Buyers, Sellers: Act Now To Strategize The Market
Mortgage Interest Rates Have Begun to Level Off
The Cost of Waiting: Interest Rates Edition
What's Happening in Downtown Tucson
5 Reasons Homeownership Makes 'Cents'
How to Get the Most Money from the Sale of Your Home
Here are five reasons listing your home for sale this fall makes sense
5 Reasons Why You Should Not For Sale by Owner
Do Your Carpets Need to be Refreshed?
Top Reasons You Should Sell This Summer
Protect Yourself From Consumer Wire Fraud
The Truth About Home Mortgage Rates and Downpayments
April 2017 Federal Reserve Interest Rate Update
The Great News About Rising Prices for Homeowners
The #1 Reason to Sell Now... Not Next Spring
How Historically Low Interest Rates Increase Your Purchasing Power
The Real Estate Market Is Getting Stronger
How Scary is the Housing Affordability Index?
Do Homeowners Realize Their Equity Position Has Changed?
Put Your Housing Cost To Work For You!
How To Get The Most Money When Selling Your House
5 Great Ways to Save on Moving Costs
Important Things You Need to Know To Be Ready for the Changes in Mortgage Laws
Homeownership as an Investment: The Role of Price Appreciation
Why Tax Planning for Real Estate Has Become More Important
February Sees an Uptick in Real Estate Activity
New York Times: Homeownership is Best Way To Build Wealth
Harvard's 5 Financial Reasons to Buy a Home
Balance Returns to Arizona Housing
Want to Sell Your House? Price it Right!
It's a Price Sensitive Market, Again
Is Housing Returning to a Balanced Market?
Housing Market Trends through 2013
Mortgage Interest Rates: Where Are They Headed?
Tips for Home Shopping in a Seller's Market
FHA Will Increase it's Annual Mortgage Insurance Premium
State of the Tucson Housing Market
Arizona Housing Not So Distressed Any More
Tucson Housing Deflating or Recovering? Get the Real Story
In Real Estate it's also Price, Price, Price
A Message To Homeowners - Things Have Changed…
A Shortage of Housing Inventory?
Signs of an Arizona Housing Recovery
The Arizona Luxury Market Breathing Life
Tucson Home Prices Up 7% in March
Is the Tide of Distressed Home Sales in Arizona Changing?
The Start of the Housing Upturn
What's Up With the Arizona Housing Market?


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How can I become more tolerant?
My evolution of personal free thought has run what I consider to be a normal evolution. I've gone from argumentative and forceful when confronted by persons of "faith" to almost not willing to argue with someone whom I consider to be incapable of critical thought.
But through this process I have not been able to give up my feeling of superiority in that I've reached the "right" conclusion regarding issues of theologies' failure and defeat by science. In fact I consider those that are religious but tolerant as lazy and those that are strongly religious as ignorant. Even taking science out of the equation I find it very hard to understand how modern people can "believe" that religion and in my region "Christianity" is the way to go. How can they buy into something so obviously attributed to ancient backwards thinking?
I like to consider myself tolerant and empathetic but in this area I just cannot. How can I achieve this without giving up my own desire to question and seek out truths?
I've just recently have been experiencing the same feeling of intolerance. I wonder if it is similar to the different stages of grief?
If you figure out a solution let me know.
I'm sure there are stages to this process as any other. I doubt there's been any exacting study but I've been through the confrontational phase and reached the point where I've come to realize that there is no changing the mindset of most of the people whom feel it necessary to share their belief system or attempt to force you into church because they want a new merit badge to wear in front of their friends.
I find most so hypocritical that I want to scream. "Why can't you get your head out and see the silliness of your beliefs?"
Bin Laden's death for example. All the Christians are celebrating the death of a human being. This is contrary to at least the teaching of the New Testament and their savior. I, on the other hand can be relieved and happy about the conclusion to this part of our history because I'm no Christian and base my morals on what I consider to be a good thing for society.
To loosely quote Bill Maher, "If you pick and choose which part of the words of Jesus you want to live by then you're not a Christian. Follow the Bible. It's that book you hold up when you scream at gay people."
Good luck and let me know if you find something I'm missing. Or should we further interpret the "acceptance" stage and let them have their silly ways of not thinking for themselves without it affecting us?
I think it is a grave mistake to adopt a positon of tolerance and indeed superiority. But this could be of course a natural trait in human beings. One must not forget the state of un-affectedness should, by definition, not have to resort to labels/language such as tolerance and superiority to describe ones position, beliefs, sentiments, etc. Indeed, when engaging in discourse with people of any persuasion especially an expteme one, then the language one uses in order to at least establish a meeting point, should not be confrontational or provocative in nature.
In answer to your question, then, abandon the idea of tolerance, because the religious are there and not about to go away overnight, and indeed, no doubt, are tolerating us like a does of salts. Just as we don't necessarilly tolerate Britney Spears because Beethoven is far better musically, it doesn't even become an issue, so the same can said of the above. Now I know that Sam Harris, Richard Dawkings, Patricia Churchland, Steven Hawkins, and the like, have nailed their colours firmly to the mast of Science and Reason, and beleive me, like you, I'm on their side, but I do feel they have approahed the subject rather like the ubiquitous bull in the china shop. It's all very well deconstructing, or destroying, but we had better be damn clear as to what it is we're perporting to put in its place.
I do believe the position of un-affectedness(being certain about uncertaintity) is as strong and longlasting as any other position out there i.e. religion but we have to market ours a bit better and as I said be very, very, clear about what it is we are trying to sell, rather then what we don't want to buy.
I hope this is of some use to be getting on with. How exactly to do this I need a confirmation of ideas/approaches.
I like the idea of framing a response with a "replacement". I'll have to find a way to put that into words. I do feel like having a grasp of the truth as opposed to a religious speculation is a much better way to live and that it allows one to live with less fear and more acceptance. My mental well being is much better since I turned to reality and it's easier to deal with tragedy and death when you give up the illusion that the Man in the Sky is watching and pulling all the strings. I want to share that but the environment in which I live makes that difficult with so much prevailing delusionary thinking.
I have a colleague who describes his situation as an intellectual wasteland, but for a very different reason. Clearly some situations are more extreme than others, and naturally humans will seek out like minded people. However, where this is difficult for whatever reasons, in our efforts to convey our way or a way of thinking or even attempting the daunting task of creating at least an understanding in another, one is at the mercy of words/language. But this may not be the end of the story, because there are other ways/tools(art, literature, film) that help us avoid the pitfalls that we are all familiar with when it comes to language. So when conceiving of a strategy remember you have more tools to use then you think.
Good luck
In my area its social taboo and the fear of labeling that keep people in line. Just a few short years ago when I was younger it wasn't so cool to be the forceful Christian. Many went to church but few approached you inviting you to church or checking that you were "right" with Cheeses.
Now, if you aren't loudly professing your Christian nature or how great your church family or gawd is then people become suspicious of you. Yes, there are still large numbers of what I call "hypochristians" who sneak around doing worldly things but they usually hide out for these activities in a location away from home.
It seems to me the social environment doesn't reflect the makeup of the people within and that's got to change. The dual nature of most and the fact that they can't possibly be so obtuse is probably why I feel so frustrated.
The picture you paint makes me realise how extraordinarily privalaged I am to both live the life I'm leading and to have such a diversity of friends and coleagues one of whom is about to become a priest, one is philosopher, another believes in spritualism another in mystissim. However, these are not issues when it comes to going about our daily lives and indeed, if any importance is to be attatched to these individuals ways of thinking it is that none of them are uttered in an attempt to convert, convince, or cajole the others. In others words, each of us are happy to be where we are within ouselves.
You stated earlier that your well being had improved since you embraced certain ideas etc; so psychologically one can assume a contentment if not happiness/well being that A.enables us to overcome Fraud's commom human unhappiness and B. to find the courage, strength, will, whatever lable you want to attatch to standing alone on the island of "I".
The social environment that you find yourself in that does not reflect the makeup of the people within it, indicates that there are of course more of one kind of people who think/act in a certain way or another than there are people like yourself. The change you seek has already began, because you are that change in that environment. Small steps.
The social taboo and the fear of labeling you speak of are extremely powerful forces. One cannot underestimate thier power in controling human actions and indeed steering humanity in a any direction. If I may call these forces, attitudes, then their powerful reputation/appearence may well be reduced somewhat, if it hasn't already done so by virture of changing the language. So is something really taboo or are we dealing with an attitude towards something, do we/they fear a label because we don't want to rock the boat too much. Small steps.
The religious ideology isn't really the appeal of religion, or even its focus. In the more fundagelical type churches it's a lot more important, but even there the main appeal of religion is the read-made community into which a practitioner (or petitioner) can pretty easily and seamlessly slip. Religious communities are generally very accommodating, though also generally more demanding the further out on the fundagelical end of the spectrum.
The heart is a lonely hunter, and the mind's jouney is often a solo, lonely flight. People grasp ideas and become enlightened or become benighted at different points in time. None of us is on the same time continuum. Imagine how the French existentialists felt in the last century, e.g. Albert Camus, in a country as rabidly Catholic as France. I have reached a point where I really do not care what the right-wing, Bible thumpers really think about what I think. But I become fully engaged when their policies and agenda fail to allow my fellow humans to flourish and thrive. The GOP is doing business with religion, and we need to be aware of its machinations at all times. I can become politically active when religion does its evil thing, but otherwise I am happy to be me, to focus on my profession, and to live life to its fullest.
Speaking just for myself I don't think we should be more tolerant. And that is because the demands that "being tolerant" of religion entails are rather steep.
Religion requires not just the right to believe as they see fit but also respect for those beliefs no matter how absurd they are.
And I also see the tendency of playing that card very often in debate. The religious like to play the card that "many questions can't be answered and you have your beliefs and we have ours." But I see that as an attempt to put irrational beliefs on the same footing as rational ones.
I typically point out that there is a fundamental difference between rational belief and irrational belief and they do not deserve the same level of respect.
I believe in science for many completely tangible reasons. I know that my cell phone works. And I know that it is the product of a lot of science all the way back to the atomists and even Ben Franklin with a key on a kite string. I know that the research in genetics and DNA sequencing work because of the progress in cancer treatments. And the list is of course nearly infinite and completely tangible and verifiable. The religious REQUIRE more than tolerance.
It would be like requiring that I completely respect a neighbor who routinely conducts animal sacrifice in his yard or conducts seances in his basement.
I simply refuse to accept that in order to be a nice person I have to accept any such lunacy without the right to express derision and even ridicule.
I really think we NEED to do this and it is a big part of why I now identify as an Atheist. I truly believe in moving the bar from it's current state of acceptance to one of a "freedom to disrespect".
If the religious have a problem with that then I say" earn my respect for your beliefs through rational discourse or do not mention them in my presence."
You're not alone. I also struggle to hold my tongue when faced with people espousing silly faith-based pablum. I just posted a thread on a recent discussion I had on the subject of prayer and hospitals with a Catholic who should receive a gold medal in incoherence. The problem with arguing with true believers is that they use "faith" as an all-purpose trump card. Something makes no sense? It does if you have faith. The existence of god cannot be and never has been proven? With faith you need no such proof. And so it goes. Faith truly is the get-out-of-jail-free card for the irrational.
My idea of tolerance? Don't get into arguments over anodyne religious practices—going to services, burning incense, observing Easter, kissing an icon. But if someone wants to debate he meaning of life and death from a religious perspective, I don't hesitate to tear their beliefs to shreds.
There is value in avoiding the us vs them mentality. Keep reminding yourself that all people are people. Try to avoid dehumanizing people and seeing them as the other.
Try to see them as a crazy uncle or something. Yeah they may have issues, but they are your family and you must love them and wish them well.
Also, keep in mind that humanity's progress will probably go from bad religion through good religion to no religion. Different people are in different places and they may need different things to make the next step. Help them.
Haven't read the rest of the posts except only the original.
My take is that the reason people still believe in God is because God is a non falsifiable entity. This empowers many to believe "it" is behind things like the Krebs Cycle, reproduction, photosynthesis and planetary alignment. Since most do not explore the fallacy that stems from believing any one non falsifiable entity is "real", the cycle continues.
"God" for me is the explanation behind all the mysteries I do not understand. Whatever it is, I believe it is bigger than me and deserves my reverence. Do I worship it? I experience awe and wonderment, but would never fly a plane into a building or go to war defending it or trying to convert anyone to believing in it.
In the end, it really is a Faith thing. Some people are capable of that, some are not willing, others are incapable.
Should we be more tolerant?
Tolerance has cost many lives over the years. So has religious fervor. I think we should defend what we know to be true and that no person or country should ever force their religion onto others. I think that forced religion is repugnant.
I believe we should be allowed to think for ourselves within our own personal space as long as no one else is harmed psychologically or physically.
I believe others should be allowed to think for themselves within their own personal space as long as no one else is harmed psychologically or physically.
In the event that people become harmed, swift action should be taken to halt the harming.


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I'm an acupuncturist now!
Wow, hello! It's been awhile, hasn't it?
The last 3 1/2 years I have been busy, and incredibly absent from the blog. On Saturday, December 19, 2015, I graduated summa cum laude with my Masters of Oriental Medicine from Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minnesota. I took my national board examinations, passed with flying colors, and am certified as a Diplomate of Oriental Medicine by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. I filled out all the necessary paperwork, and now I am a Licensed Acupuncturist in the state of Minnesota.
Hooray, I achieved my dream of becoming a licensed acupuncturist! So I decided to start my own business.
I harnessed my entrepreneurial energies and I created Constellation Acupuncture & Healing Arts. I have a wonderful clinic space in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and am thrilled to be working with patients. As a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, I work with patients to develop personalized treatment plans using acupuncture, herbal medicine, dietary therapy, East Asian bodywork, and energy medicine to address their unique needs and achieve their wellness goals. I want to empower people to invest in their health and wellbeing, help them feel in control of your body, mind, and spirit, and walk with them toward the lives they want to lead.
I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to pursue this path. Although I learned much during the years of my own healing process and while in school, I know this is just the beginning of my journey as a practitioner. There is a lifetime of learning ahead, I am so excited to see where this path takes me!


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IBM and European Union Launch Joint Research Initiative for Cloud Computing
Expanding its cloud computing initiative, IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that it is leading a joint research initiative of 13 European partners to develop technologies that help automate the fluctuating demand for IT resources in a cloud computing environment.
The 17M Euro EU-funded initiative, called RESERVOIR -- Resources and Services Virtualization without Barriers -- will explore the deployment and management of IT services across different administrative domains, IT platforms and geographies. This cloud computing project aims to develop technologies to support a service-based online economy, where resources and services are transparently provisioned and managed.
Cloud computing is an emerging approach to shared infrastructure in which large pools of systems are linked together to provide IT services. The need for such environments is fueled by dramatic growth in connected devices, real-time data streams, and the adoption of service oriented architectures and Web 2.0 applications, such as mashups, open collaboration, social networking and mobile commerce. Continuing advances in the performance of digital components has resulted in a massive increase in the scale of IT environments, driving the need to manage them as a unified cloud.
IBM, which has been researching technologies related to cloud computing for more than a decade, kicked off a companywide cloud computing initiative in 2007 across its server, software, services, and R&D units. In November, IBM unveiled plans for Blue Cloud, a series of cloud computing offerings that will allow corporate data centers to operate more like the Internet through improved organization and simplicity.
You can think of cloud computing as the Internet operating system for business and RESERVOIR as pioneering technologies that will enable people to access the cloud of services in an efficient and cost effective way, said Dr. Yaron Wolfsthal, senior manager of System Technologies at the IBM Research Lab in Haifa, Israel.
With demand for IT resources hard to predict, service providers usually over-provision resources in order to support peak demands and ensure continuous service availability and quality, while other systems run at lower capacity, said Dr. Wolfsthal. But with RESERVOIR, our aim is to provide cloud-computing-based technologies that will enable the borderless delivery of IT services based on actual demands to keep costs competitive.
To support the seamless delivery of services to consumers regardless of demand or available computing resources, RESERVOIR will investigate new capabilities for the deployment of commercial service scenarios that cannot currently be supported. These capabilities will be made possible by developing new virtualization and grid technologies.
For example, RESERVOIR could be used to simplify the delivery of online entertainment.
As the distribution of television shows, movies and other videos are moving to the Web, the RESERVOIR project would work to enable a network of service providers to host the different media. Using cloud computing technology, the broadcasters can join forces to reach a service cooperation contract that enables them to tap into advanced services including content distribution, load balancing, and overlay networking across different platforms in different countries.
Any time additional services or infrastructure are needed, they could be rapidly supplied through the cloud by one of the various RESERVOIR-powered sites. For example, if there is large demand for a show hosted by a particular site, it could dynamically hire additional servers and services from other sites that are not being used.
The IBM Haifa Research Lab will lead this computing project and the consortium of partners from academia and industry to pursue this effort. Research partners on this initiative from across academia and industry include Elsag Datamat, CETIC, OGF.eeig standards organization, SAP Research, Sun Microsystems, Telefónica Investigación y Desarrollo, Thales, Umea University, University College of London, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, University of Lugano and University of Messina.
RESERVOIR will be built on open standards to create a scalable, flexible and dependable framework for delivering services in this cloud computing model. The technologies developed by this project are expected to serve IBM, partners and customers in the development of modern data centers with quantified and significant improvements in service delivery productivity, quality, availability and cost.
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Signs of ants
Know what to look for
Call us for a free quote at 1-800-837-5520 or contact us
As the majority of ant species prefer sunny climates, our environment is perfect for ants to thrive. Ants are ubiquitous. Out of around 15,000 ant species and subspecies worldwide, North America has close to 1,000 known species. The most familiar ant species in the U.S. are:
Ants can be a particular nuisance when they get into your home. Garden or black house ants aren't thought to carry diseases, but the trouble is you don't know where they've been foraging outside, so you won't want them marching through your food cupboards. Ants will travel in a wide range searching for food, following trails they have established and clustering around the source of food, becoming a nuisance in homes, organizations and businesses.
Call Ehrlich at 1-800-837-5520 to talk to an expert about ant control or contact us online.
If you have a larger problem that your usual do-it-yourself product cannot resolve, you can rely on our expert pest controllers to clear it up.
Ehrlich can solve your ant problem quickly and, needless to say, our solutions are perfectly safe for your family and pets.
Ehrlich offers methods of ant control that are targeted to specific species.
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are among the largest and most difficult to control ants that commonly invade properties. The fast-spreading ants are often found traveling via structural guidelines such as water hoses, downspouts and anything on the building's exterior that has corners or edges.
The ant control process begins with the technician identifying all carpenter ant satellite colonies and nests.
Although various baits and bait formulations are available, the primary methods for carpenter ant control are nest and barrier treatments.
Perimeter treatments are also often commonly applied to the exterior of the structure.
Odorous House Ants
If an infestation of odorous house ants is identified in a property, the technician will track the ants by their distractive trails to the nest. Odorous house ant nests are almost always located outdoors. These tiny insects will travel great distances indoors to find food and water for the colony.
A treatment will then be applied to the ant colony's trails and nest. To ensure that no new trails are established after the initial treatment, a follow-up appointment will be scheduled 7-10 days later. Odorous house ants are very common and found throughout the United States.
Red Imported Fire Ants
Since it was first introduced to the United States around 1933, the red imported fire ant has been a nuisance to homeowners in southern states like Florida and South Carolina. This species of ant is native to South America and are known to readily sting humans in large numbers.
Fire ants build large mounds on top of the soil. When these mounds are disturbed, ants will emerge en masse and will begin to crawl over anyone or anything unlucky enough to be nearby. You may also notice the red-colored ants swarming around the mounds.
The most common solution for red imported fire ants is a treatment application near the mounds. The ants will feed on the bait and return it to the colony. Once the bait kills the queen fire ant, the colony will collapse.
We recommend that red imported fire ant treatments are conducted early on in the spring to decrease the likelihood of major infestations.
There are many different types of ant species, but here are some you are more likely to find in the U.S.
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Pure Sophistry takes a look at the art and culture of gaming- specifically the nuances of avatars as masks-
"Online games have a kind of power that is rarely found in the day to day world; These platforms allow you to be someone else. While more than a few people see this as a massive problem with the internet, I can't help but think that this is one of the reasons internet forums, MMO's and any game you can play online are so popular. People crave masks. Using a pseudonym or avatar to represent yourself allows you to do things you'd never be able to in real life, or act in a slightly different way than you'd choose to from day to day."
I dont scream at all.
If I mess up, I just continue playing.
Barely any reaction
"Why do you scream at your TV?"
I do not do it when I am gaming but always do it when I am watching football and the ref makes a bad call against my Patriots.


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Hippolyte-Camille Delpy
French, 1841–1910
Paysage le soir, c. 1860
oil on panel
28.4 x 53.4 cm
Permanent loan to the Winnipeg Art Gallery from the City of Winnipeg, A.A. Heaps Collection
Delpy studied with two masters of the landscape tradition, Charles François Daubigny and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. He became a devoted landscape painter and was inspired to create luminous and often romanticized visions from nature. A painter of colour and light, Delpy worked and exhibited regularly with Monet, Sisley, and Renoir. During the 1860s, he visited Corot in Ville d'Avray, a short distance from Paris, where he likely painted this evening landscape. The nostalgic and timeless sunset view features a vast marshland inhabited by two peasant workers and an ox minutely rendered along the shore of the lake.
Gallery Hours
- Tuesday 11am-5pm
- Wednesday 11am-5pm
- Thursday 11am-5pm
- Friday 11am-9pm
- Saturday 11am-5pm
- Sunday 11am-5pm
- Closed Monday


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My Ghoul Friday
Check back often!
Recent Moans from the Minions...
While scrolling through my reader, I came across an image of The Baker Burglar-Proof Metallic Grave Vault which promised protection for those who couldn't afford a mausoleum but still want to be buried like a king (a king safe from grave robbers).
It caught my interest because - besides the obvious reasons - I've been reading Dissection: Photographs of a Rite of Passage in American Medicine 1880-1930, a book described by Publisher's Weekly as "a startling window into the education of American doctors in the late 19th and early 20th centuries-on both a visceral level and for its revealing cultural record. Cringe-worthy shots of medical students-bare-handed gentlemen and a few ladies in street clothes show off their scalpels, saws and textbooks-while their cadavers, mostly poor and black, are awkwardly posed, and exposed."
The book's beginning talks of how early North American medical schools acquired their first subjects for dissection during a time when the concept was taboo to say the least (while in Europe the practice was more accepted).
We've all seen movies with Igor helping his master to gather fresh corpses for his Frankenstein Monster, or grave robbers digging up the dead for valuables, or mad doctors paying for corpses. For some reason, I had believed it was only in these rare situations that someone would steal a body.
Splitting time between decorating for Halloween and trying to get ready for my next show this month. I recently finished the Peasant Pumpkin but still have 6 more figures I'm hoping to have completed in time.
If you're in Toronto on October 21st, come to the Bazaar of the Bizarre a marketplace for all things exotic, whimsical and macabre! Local artists - indie, goth, lowbrow and the Halloween inspired - will gather for the annual event (and belly dancers!).
When: Sunday October 21st 2012
Where: Pia Bowman ballet school, 6 Noble St Toronto (just north from Queen St, west of Dufferin)
Time: 11am - 8pm
FREE to attend! Child and costume friendly.
It's one of my favourite events of the season. Be sure to come by my table and say hello!
spider projection from Friedrich van Schoor on Vimeo.
Two-for-one Monday! This came down the line on twitter (via @MorbiusKromwell & @JulianSimpson1) a moment ago and I JUST had to share it. It shows how, using a real spider and some technological creativity, you can make the creepiest projection display ever.
Happy October 1st, everyone. And so it begins, another Countdown to Halloween where a large group of folk pledge to try and bring you Halloween-related goodies daily for the month of October.
To kick off my first post, let me draw your attention to Mad Lab Productions, an animation company who have created fun zombie shorts in the past like Rise of the Zombie Corpse and Springtime Zombie.
Now they have a new animated mini-series (cute and kid-friendly) called Vampire Instructionals.
"The premise: a kid vampire takes it upon himself (itself?) to create little instructional animations to school OTHER kid vampires on key aspects of vampire life (unlife?)"
The first is a 30 second tutorial on how to become a bat (which, using kid logic, is actually very simple). They will be releasing a new tutorial every Monday until they feel vampire children have all the basic skills they will need as they work towards becoming better vampires.
If you've ever watched Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, it reminds me of when Grover and Kermit interview children to figure out how Santa comes down the chimney.
Be sure to check out their YouTube video listings to get your Halloween quick fix.
And to everyone participating in this year's countdown, get posting. Pumpkin flavoured coffee is on me.
My VCR died.
Joke and laugh about my retro entertainment means, but when you have a solid collection of favourite films on VHS and a limited budget, one tends not to be in a rush to convert an entire catalogue of film to DVD.
I still have one working VCR/TV combo, but I know it's only a matter of time before that fails me as well.
I didn't realize how often I dip into my VHS collection (especially between September and December when I'm working on holiday items) until my recent loss. I knew I used it, but I used it a lot. And while my modest DVD collection is made up of films I like to watch over and over, I don't want to do so within a week.
For my viewing pleasure, I have acquired some new films for the Halloween season. Starting from right to left in the photo, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with Spencer Tracy (which I had never seen), House of Wax with Vincent Price (which I've always wanted to own), as well as Freaks and The Haunting (both of which I already own on VHS). I burned through that as soon as the package arrived. I do love an inexpensive 4 movie collection of what I consider to be some of the best classics.
Got an email tipping me off to a Halloween giveaway from Something wicKED This Way Comes.
The contest is running until October 7th.
The prize packs are actually a lot of fun and varied - books, dvds and more.
Be sure to enter. We all like free stuff, and since the neighbours won't like it if you trick or treat as an adult, this is the closest many of us are going to get.
While you're on the site, check out their haunt pictures from last year.
Came across a blog that had posted some of Johnny Love's Halloween labels without giving credit to him.
To balance the internet universe, I've decided to remind people of the beautiful work he's done. You can see them all here and use them to add some class to your own display this year.
Johnny has also uploaded pictures from last year's haunt. Take some time to go through his gorgeous photography of decor, food and drink.
His main website is under construction, but his blog is up and running.
In other news, Misgivings Day Weekend was spent working on my own Halloween items for this year's theme. Actually, most of it was spent running around and getting what art supplies I need for this year's theme. That still counts, doesn't it?
To fuel the hectic pace, I consumed pumpkin coffee, pumpkin loaf, and candy.
I've been working on casting a form from a mannequin (don't we all have mannequins hanging around?) using paper mache. It's the first prop for my Halloween theme this year, and probably the one that will take the most time.
Thought I would share the process so far.
Miss Mannequin gets covered in tinfoil. To help keep the tinfoil in place without actually attaching it to the form, I've put tack adhesive putty on spots around her body (especially around the facial features). I want it to stay in place, but I want to be able to remove the tinfoil and paper mache form fairly easily when I'm done.
Covered Miss M with a layer of newspaper using watered-down white glue. Basically, I rip newspapers into strip, coat them in the glue/water mix, and smooth them over the tinfoil. For a more detailed explanation of my technique, check out my tutorial.
Since she is so large, for the first layer I used fairly big pieces of newspaper for the torso. After it was completely dry, I added a second layer of more traditionally small pieces. The smaller pieces tend to give a smoother finish and allow you to work around angles.
Cool breeze, blue sky. Feels like fall. And it should, becaaaauuuuuuse....
It's that time of year again! Two years ago it was decided there needed to be a holiday weekend to mark the approach of Halloween. It is to Halloween what Thanksgiving is to Christmas.
"It takes place the 7th Sunday before Halloween, which means this coming weekend is Misgivings Day Weekend!
How to celebrate? Well that's easy. Eat as much fall fare (like pumpkin ale, trick or treat candy which is now on sale at the stores, pies both savoury and sweet) as humanly possible. Work on Halloween props, decor and projects. Watch horror movies and break out Halloween cartoons.
I said "Contact!"....CONTACT! *hits enter repeatedly*
Turns out my contact form on the site has been broken.
Yes, people could send me emails and even get a copy for themselves. But they were the only ones getting a copy.
It's fixed now, but I wanted to apologize to anyone who has tried to contact me via the webform and got no response.
Who knows how long it's been a bust. Did I miss a letter from a long lost relative who can travel through time? An art show opportunity in Japan? A letter from a man in Africa who can get me ten million dollars if I send him a thousand now?
The best place to find current art and WIPs is Instagram
I'm also on Twitter but be prepared for political commentary
My self-published book is still available!
Craving more Halloween goodness?
Here are some sites to satisfy the hunger.
All content copyright © 2007-2017 GhoulFriday.com (unless otherwise noted). And remember, safety first! Please read and understand our full disclaimer.


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What to CookAmanda & Merrill
Chicken Under a Brick with Pickled Peppers
- Amanda
Poor chicken. It gets treated as a means to an end. The protein that supports the so-called interesting flavors in a dish. It's the food that will offend no one (well, no one who eats meat). And the main course that's gluten-free and dairy free, but a prisoner of its practicality.
But if you give chicken a chance to shine on its own, you'll be surprised by how well it pays you for your efforts.
Italians like to cook chicken under a brick -- a real brick, though often wrapped less evocatively in foil -- to get extra crisp skin. When I worked at Albergo del Sole in Lombardy, and an order would come in for the brick chicken, my job was to run to the garden to clip some rosemary and get it in the pan with the chicken and some oil. The moments-from-harvest rosemary and the chicken pressed against the pan by the hefty brick made for a rewarding dinner.
For the cook, it's equally rewarding -- with the chicken turned skin-side-down in the pan for most of the cooking, you have to tinker with the heat so the skin browns and crisps just as the chicken finishes cooking through. Too much peeking and the brick won't get a chance to work its magic. You have to trust your instincts. Don't expect to get it right the first time around. Perfecting this is the fun part.
I've made a few changes to the recipe I learned in Italy. I season the chicken 30 to 60 minutes in advance, and pat it dry before frying. My Brooklyn apartment kitchen doesn't afford storage space for a brick so I just use a heavy pan to set on top of the chicken (which doubles well for making the sauce, since you can't make a wine-based sauce in a cast-iron pan). And in addition to the herbs, I've added sliced peppadew peppers -- although any lightly spicy pickled pepper will fly.
Are you going to give me a hard time for offering up a recipe that only serves two? No. No, you're not.
Can you double it? No. Sometimes recipes are made for two and only two. This is one of those recipes. Stay home with your spouse/partner/pal. Open a bottle of wine ... for two!
Can you make it in a non-stick pan? Yes, but I'd rather you give your cast iron skillet some love.
Chicken Under a Brick with Pickled Peppers
Serves 2
- 2 chicken thighs and drumsticks, still attached
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 sprigs marjoram, thyme or rosemary
- 2 sprigs sage
- 1 garlic clove, smashed, skin left on
- 1/4 cup rose or white wine
- 1/2 lemon
- 5 peppadew or other small pickled hot peppers, thinly sliced


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I gave this talk at cfObjective() 2013 using an application built with no MVC framework. In "Better UI Means Better UX", I rebuilt the Kung Foo Gallery application using the ColdBox MVC framework. I was able to get a bit more in depth during this presentation (and all of my examples worked).
Better UI Means Better UX at ColdBox Developers Week 2013
On June 20, 2013 at 3pm CST, I'll be presenting a ColdBox version of my KungFoo Gallery application during ColdBox Developers Week. This online conference runs from June 17-21, 2013. 5 days & 19 sessions on ColdBox, ContentBox, WireBox, PhoneGap, REST, ORM and more.
Slides and Code from my cfObjective() 2013 Presentation
Slides and code are available via DropBox and Github. I've posted links on my Twitter account @iKnowKungFoo already, but here they are for those not following me (and why aren't you?). :)
Ditching ColdFusion's UI Controls at cfObjective
Saturday at 3pm, I'm presenting at cfObjective(). The title in the schedule says, "Building Modern ColdFusion Applications", but I should have asked them to update it to say, "Ditch ColdFusion's UI Controls". In this session, I'll cover why and how you can replace the native UI controls with HTML5 and some modern JavaScript and CSS libraries. I'm also running a Birds of a Feather session about Coding Standards and will be giving a Lightning Talk on my multi-monitor standing desk.
Installing ColdFusion 10 on OSX 10.8 Mountain Lion
While setting up my Macbook Pro for web development, I was flummoxed by the issues reported by many people trying to setup ColdFusion 10 on OSX 10.8 Mountain Lion, as well as Window 8. Adobe even has a pre-release program to test new installers for both. I can understand having problems with Windows 8, but installing on OSX 10.8 couldn't have been easier.


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It is traditionally believed that for technology to rest towards the forefront of a chief executive officer's (CEO's) mind is a very, very bad thing because it means the budget has blown out and the board is riding him (or her) like Media Puzzle on Melbourne Cup day.
MIS was surprised to discover that this is no longer the case, or at least, not entirely. When researching this article, we still happened across one company spokesperson who offered this gratuitous advice: "I think you'd get a more hands-on approach from a CEO of a smaller resources company - I doubt whether IT issues make it to our CEO or chairman's desks very often."
When asked what they wanted from IT investments, the five CEOs we interviewed this month demanded more that just smooth sailing. In the past, CEOs would have been happy to get IT projects delivered on time and on budget. Now it's about how they can use IT to strategic advantage.
It is interesting to note that the maturity of various industry sectors depends on a system of keeping up with the Joneses. When a competitor makes an advance in the retail space, for example, its peers are forced to do the same to remain in the game. In this respect, obtaining new technology is not the difficulty, it is keeping pace that poses the challenge.
"Once a competitor does their analysis on a technology you have and deems it good, they only need to throw some money at it and can have that technology too. But by the time my competitors catch up, which they will, I'll be looking at the next solution. Every time we stay in front - whether it's a month or a year or six months - we're in a better position," says Ray Mundy, managing director of John Sands, the country's largest greetings card manufacturer.
The research undertaken here is not comprehensive enough to say definitively that CEOs who prioritise their information strategies are stronger leaders of better performing organisations. But they do appear able to squeeze more from their resources and have a better measure of performance throughout the business.
NICK DRAZIC: General Manager, Moraitis Group Fresh fruit and vegetable supplier Moraitis Group's stance on technology application has made it the envy of its peers and general manager Nick Drazic knows it.
When Woolworths, which accounts for 45 per cent of Moraitis' sales, indicated its move last year towards e-trading with supply partners, the fresh produce group was ready and able to oblige, commiting to over A$1 million worth of IT projects to boost its communications and supply systems.
This puts Moraitis two to three years ahead of its competitors, according to Drazic - a position the company's board members understand and like the look of. And Drazic was instrumental in pushing for a substantial investment in IT. "The major successes we're achieving with the elite supermarket chains and fast food outlets has to do with the fact that we've pre-empted their direction," he says.
"Knowing what their requirements were going to be moving forward, particularly in relation to electronic ordering, it was up to me to demonstrate [to the board] that what Moraitis had in place was not going to sustain us for the long-term, or even the medium-term."
Flushed with success
Moraitis was awarded Woolworths' supplier of the year for its efforts. Says Drazic, "It's difficult to put a percentage to just how much the new information systems have contributed to growth (company revenue has increased 35 per cent over four years) but there's no risk in saying that it has given our customers the confidence to form strategic alliances with us."
Flushed with this success, it's fair to say that what Moraitis' board wants from their IT investment is more of the same. The company's founder and CEO, Nick Moraitis, still avows that he doesn't know how to turn on a computer.
This isn't quite truthful but, walking through the business, what he does recognise is that accounting functions have been centralised, ordering, dispatch and picking have been streamlined and basic sales figures that previously took two days to extract from the system are now available at the press of a button.
Remarkably, four years ago Moraitis was a greenfield site, almost totally bereft of IT. In a company of 500 employees there was one email address, shared by five people. Today, 250 staff are hooked into Lotus Notes email across the company. More recently, it embarked on a A$1m supply chain project.
"The nature of fresh fruit and veg makes it a very hands-on business even at the board level. You're talking about supply and demand - you've got to know what products are available to you because that determines price, availability, quality and a whole host of other things," explains Drazic.
"Technology allows us to look at the supply chain from the paddock to the plate, as well as the way we trade. We can clearly identify costs.
Fast access to accurate information means we can engage with major customers [to achieve] serious, fruitful outcomes in terms of eliminating or reducing costs within the supply chain. Now there is something easily measurable by the board: they can see we've reduced our freight component or cost of packaging.
What's more, if I can get quality information quicker and more reliably than my competitor, I'll eventually win."
Students and strategy
CHRIS WHITAKER: Vice-Chancellor, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) On the eve of handing over the vice-chancellery of RMIT to Margaret Gardner, Chris Whitaker is proud as punch. Not only has RMIT, one of Melbourne's largest universities, recovered from the disastrous PeopleSoft project that marred its IT implementation record for so long, its 2004 financial results are much better than expected.
RMIT is also the first Australian university to turn on a system that is fully compliant to Higher Education Support Act (HESA) regulations as mandated by the Federal Government. It's a tidy list of triumphs to reflect upon on one's last day.
"I think until recently CEOs would have been happy if their IT investments came in on time and on budget, but to be honest that is just the starting point," says Whitaker, whose prior posts include MD of the Port of Melbourne and director general of transport for Western Australia, where he poured squillions into IT.
"Investment in IT has got to deliver you competitive advantage. That can come in different forms - taking cost out of doing business, that's important, but there are many instances where investment in IT should offer a service advantage. In a university this makes abundant sense. In terms of our services to students, why shouldn't RMIT be the best university to do business with? And much of that is facilitated through IT."
To view IT, as many CEOs do, as an invisible tool that underpins the business is, in Whitaker's opinion, almost a minimalist approach. "It has to underpin strategy. I can't imagine an industry where you can't use IT for competitive advantage, either for taking costs out or for improving the quality of customer service or your agility in responding to market changes.
I guess that comes from an even higher-level statement that says IT has got to be aligned with strategy and IT strategy can only be developed once you know what the strategy of the organisation is. That to me is supremely important but so often missed."
Exquisite I.T. The modern CEO has two key reports, quite apart from any product divisions, according to Whitaker. One is the CFO and the other is the CIO. "Information is an enormously strategic asset for any organisation, it's part of what they've got and that needs to be around the corporate table.
If for no other reason than to lock in a very deep understanding of what you're trying to achieve in the long- or short-term with the person who's ultimately leading all the technology.
It's a must-have, otherwise you're just going to have a system that runs and people grumble about occasionally, so you throw some more money at it, rather than one that's delivering you strategic advantage."
As long as student requirements remain front of mind at RMIT, Whitaker says IT will remain pervasive in the VC's list of priorities.
"Students these days expect and want to use technology to find information, to do research, to do their assignments, to access the library, to access periodicals, to access their lecturer.
They expect it to be there - to reach through a portal and get whatever they need. We are a university of technology too, so other things being equal they would expect quite exquisitely effective services in that regard"
Building efficiency
GREG PARAMOR: Managing Director, Mirvac Group Mirvac managing director Greg Paramor believes the true test of information technology is one of no complaints.
"If no one is coming to me with a computing issue that means things are going well and the tech team is doing their job. The first signs of strain on the system are people saying it's crashing and they can't get into this or that," says the freshly installed boss of Mirvac's property development and investment empire, which is also the fourth-largest ASX-listed property group, representing 5.4 per cent of the index according to the Australian Financial Review.
Efficiency is Paramor's main game when it comes to IT investment and he seeks precious little else. "Most important is a failsafe system that number one doesn't let you down, provides the necessary tools to do what you want and the staff don't complain about."
Paramor recognises the importance of technology in a company's bid to stay ahead of the game. "You have to accept IT is very much a part of the fabric of a business and a legitimate cost of the business," he says. "Going back 10 to 20 years, people used to whinge and complain but didn't probably understand how important it was to get this bit right. The biggest problem I had back then was how the hell do you measure it? These days it's still very intuitive and probably works on how many complaints you don't get, but I think we're getting better at measuring the impact of IT on our business and outcomes."
Gut feeling Paramor doesn't have, and hasn't seen, any benchmarks to indicate whether his tech spend per head, or per dollar of revenue, is the same as, better than, or worse than his peers.
His gut tells him a certain percentage of overall administration is spent on IT but he can't specify a figure because Mirvac's business is dynamic. Its information systems range from interactive investment and architectural applications, to normal intranet and email, to hotel and building management systems.
"Our business is so dynamic - it's project-oriented for starters. It's not like you have a stable platform punching out 10,000 widgets a year, and if you get a better computer system you might save one cent per widget."
Paramor also admits that IT is currently way down his list of priorities, primarily because it's working well.
Since Mirvac purchased Paramor's property investment business, James Fielding Group (JFG), last October for a whopping A$478 million, he has gone from managing 200 employees to 3,600, as well as a balance sheet 10 times that of JFG.
Handpicked as the successor to Mirvac's founder, Bob Hamilton, there is enormous pressure on Paramor to meet shareholders' expectations.
"At a point I'll get involved and say, 'OK, I've gone through everything else, what about IT?'. I'll get the IT people in to discuss their issues and talk to everyone else about their IT issues, but I have a lot of other things to learn first."
Many happy returns
RAY MUNDY: Managing director, John Sands
For the next couple of years, the bulk of John Sands' capital expenditure will be pumped into improving its information systems, as it has been since 2002.
"That's were our money is going and where we're getting the greatest bang for our buck," says Ray Mundy, managing director of Australia's largest greeting card company.
Mundy thinks of information systems on three levels - productivity, survival and cost control.
The company is putting the finishing touches on what it claims is the biggest mobility rollout in Australia and New Zealand, a Dexterra project that covers 1,000-odd sales reps and merchandisers and will allow John Sands to reduce its physical footprint while increasing its sales capacity.
When it's finished, John Sands will own a real-time wireless field sales system. In May it kicks off a major overhaul of its distribution centre and logistics.
According to Mundy, productivity gains always act as an underpinning to IT investments but in the retail environment the key concern is survival. Sophisticated information systems have become a necessity for partnering with major retailers.
"Woolworths and Coles Myer are ripping billions of dollars of supply chain infrastructure costs out of their business. They're not asking, they're insisting we improve the efficiencies of our business communication, typically our payments and the ability to look at our performance through point of sale," he says.
Life in the card game John Sands is moving rapidly towards item-level barcoding for all its products with far greater ferocity than any of its competitors. This seems slightly contradictory considering Mundy believes there is little to be gained from technology in a competitive sense. "You can have a competitor that hasn't even thought of [an IT solution]. As soon as it becomes obvious, they do their analysis and determine it's good. From there they only need to throw some money at it and they can have that technology too," he says.
Still, by his own admission, Mundy has selected the most progressive mobility solution for John Sands, with a high degree of risk. Why? "To make money, to save money, to stay in business and because by the time my competitors catch up, which they will, I'll be looking at the next solution.
Every time we stay in front - whether it's a month or a year or six months - we're in a better position. Hopefully our margins are better and therefore we're more competitive. We're not about to complete this project and pat ourselves on the back. There's a whole team internally looking for the next paradigm shift."
John Sands' progressive stance has allowed it to shake the competitive monkey from its back just a fraction. Hallmark is its most formidable competitor locally and even more so on a worldwide scale. "They have enormous resources, " says Mundy. "We used to think about that a bit but we don't anymore because it's not a financial resources issue, it's an intellectual resources issue and that's where we think we have the step ahead."


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Does it really have two small white patches at the front of the abdomen or is that a reflection?
Anyway, it's an adult male and I suspect it's one of the larger money spiders (Linyphiidae). I would say Neriene clathrata is one possibility but there may be others. See -
Message was edited by: jaguarondi, to add link
Many thanks jaguarondi for identifying my spider. I looked at the photos on your link and it certainly does look like Neriene clathrata according to this link.
I have lots of spiders in the house, but have not seen this kind before.
I assumed that the white patches on the abdomen were highlights caused by reflections from my camera flash, but having now seen on various websites that Nereine clathrata often has white markings on its abdomen, I am now not so sure. Unfortunately the spider has since moved on, so I can't check this.
With thanks again,
Some further information re my small red-legged spider. A second spider landed on the kitchen table a few days ago, and I managed to get clearer pictures of it. The new photos clearly show white markings along the edges of the abdomen. Does this confirm the spider as Nereine clathrata/
No, your latest spider is a Philodromus, P. dispar I think. They're fairly common at this time of year - I saw one in my house a few days ago. It's not the same species as your first spider - different body shape.
Many thanks jaguarondi. I see now that the front bit is round and the abdomen long and thin. I missed it because although I provide board and lodging for a lot of spiders, I know almost nothing about them.
Now that I'm looking more carefully, it seems from my photo that the legs are more hairy than Neriene, and the last segment of the legs not so pointed. It looks as if the white edges of the abdomen extend underneath the abdomen of Philodromus, so that seen from below it might appear white. Is this the case in fact?
Do you know where Philodromus usually lives? I have a lot of conifers and brambles, and old leaves and twigs around the house. Would the spider have come in from there or does this spider generally live indoors?
Many thanks again,
Hi Mary, I don't think of the Philodromus species as having hairy legs - are you sure that's not because the photo is a bit fuzzy. But yes, the shape of the cephalothorax (the front body segment) is much rounder than in Neriene for example. I don't have a specimen preserved so I don't know about them looking white underneath but from yourn photos and this one I'd say you're probably right -
No, no Philodromus species are predominantly house spiders, although dispar is often found close to houses. It just gets in accidentally from time to time and probably wandered in off the brambles
Hi jaguarondi, Many thanks for your reply, and for your very helpful info. I do think it has hairy legs however! I've enlarged my photo a bit more and put arrows onto it showing where I think there are distinct hairs. In addition to this I have found a photo of a Philodromus dispar taken by Stephen Plant, at srs.britishspiders.org.uk , which shows similar hairs on the spider's legs.
Many thanks again,
Hi Mary, oh dear you're going to think I'm really pedantic but what you've highlighted are spines. Spiders legs have spines, hairs and trichobothria. Spines are long and are the thickest. Trichobothria can be as long as spines but are much thinner. Hairs are shorter than spines although, in some species, not much shorter. (On money spiders the position and number of spines and trichobothria are useful in identification).
On the second picture of Philodromus dispar here you can see spines and hairs and I accept it is hairy in the sense that it has lots of hairs. However, they're fairly short in comparison to some other spiders.
Hope that hasn't bored you too much
Hi jaguarondi,
Many thanks for your most helpful reply. No I do not think you are pedantic! The information you have given is most helpful in explaining what I see in my photograph, and in providing information re spiders in general.
Very many thanks!


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It was a rough day for Danny Duffy. Fortunately for the Kansas City Royals, Will Smith was terrific.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — It was a rough day for Danny Duffy. Fortunately for the Kansas City Royals, Will Smith was terrific.
Smith replaced Duffy in the fourth inning and had a career-high eight strikeouts in a dominant relief performance, helping Kansas City beat the Seattle Mariners 3-1 on Monday.
Smith (2-1) allowed one hit in 4 1-3 innings. He finished with the most strikeouts by a Royals reliever since Tom Gordon struck out eight over 4 2-3 innings against Detroit on July 9, 1993.
"Will was phenomenal, outstanding, great," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Man, what a job he did. It was evident from some of the swings they were taking they just had a real hard time picking up the ball. His pitches had action, deception and location."
While Smith shined, Seattle ace Felix Hernandez lost his fourth consecutive start. The ace right-hander allowed three runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings.
Hernandez departed after his back cramped up while he was pitching to Alex Gordon.
"The second pitch to Gordon I felt it cramping," Hernandez said. "It's just a cramp. It'll be OK."
Mariners manager Eric Wedge said trainer Rick Griffin told him he did not think it was serious.
Five of Smith's strikeouts took only three pitches. Kyle Seager, who had three of the Mariners' seven hits, doubled off Smith with two out in the seventh, but it was a fly ball that center fielder Jarrod Dyson lost in the sun.
"The slider was working and the curveball, too," Smith said. "It's one of those days where everything was clicking. I just kept putting zeros up."
Greg Holland pitched a one-hit ninth for his 37th save in 39 opportunities.
The Royals scored two runs in the fifth to open a 3-1 lead. Dyson led off with an infield single and advanced to third on Alcides Escobar's hit-and-run single to right. Dyson scored on a wild pitch, and Escobar came home Emilio Bonifacio's sacrifice fly.
"Speed can do a lot," Dyson said.
Hernandez (12-9), who has a 7.84 ERA in his losing streak, struck out Mike Moustakas in the sixth to reach 200 strikeouts for the fifth straight season.
Duffy, who had elbow surgery last year, departed after 3 2-3 innings and 91 pitches. He was charged with one run and five hits with four walks and four strikeouts.
"I didn't have it today," Duffy said.
Seattle got its run when Brad Miller drove in Abraham Almonte with a two-out triple in the fourth.
The Royals tied it on consecutive singles by Eric Hosmer, Billy Butler and Moustakas in the bottom half.
"It was tough luck," Hernandez said. "A lot of ground balls to the outfield, it happens. I commanded the fastball better."
Duffy threw 68 pitches in the first three innings and stranded six runners. He struck out Kendrys Morales and Justin Smoak swinging to end the first with two runners on.
Michael Saunders led off the second with a bunt single and Duffy walked Mike Zunino on nine pitches before retiring the next three batters.
The Mariners went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners.
NOTES: Zunino was activated from the disabled list after five rehab games with Triple-A Tacoma. He went on the disabled list July 26 with a broken left wrist. ... Carlos Pena, whom the Royals signed to a minor league contract last week, went 3 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs as Triple-A Omaha beat Round Rock to clinch the Pacific Coast League North Division championship. ... RHP Erasmo Ramirez will be added to the Mariners' roster Tuesday and start against the Royals. This will be his 10th Seattle start this season and 17th career start.


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Nicki Minaj: 'Freedom' Music Video - Watch Now!
Nicki Minaj keeps it chic in a bikini while promoting newly released music video for her new single "Freedom" on BET's 106 & Park on Monday (November 19) in New York City.
The 29-year-old rapper tweeted, "Watch 106&Park Today!!!!!!! I'll b there along with the #FreedomVideo mmmmuuuuaaaahhhh!!!!!!!!"
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Nicki Minaj
Nicki released the "Freedom" music video on the same day that her new album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up dropped. If you haven't already, you can buy Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up on iTunes now!
In case you missed it, Nicki recently performed "Freedom" during the 2012 American Music Music Awards, where she won Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album for Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.
Nicki Minaj – 'Freedom' Music Video
15+ pictures inside of Nicki Minaj promoting "Freedom"…


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by Howard: It is my determination to follow THE TRUTH, which is simply to Love and respect all as I wish to be loved and respected, and to live in freedom. Part of that freedom is the mastery of the dreaming/energy body, which eventually leads to complete, or absolute, freedom.
If you are not familiar with it read The Art of Dreaming by Carlos Castaneda
Yes Howard, that is how I feel, and I wish we were many more. The Art of Dreaming is in my opinion a great book for earnest seekers of the truth. To my Religious Background: I know I am a particle of the universe and very happy with that.


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PHILADELPHIA - November 11, 2013 --Las Vegas entrepreneur Steve Wynn will no longer seek a casino license in Philadelphia, now that gambling is on its way to New York.
Wynn had made an elaborate pitch this year to build a casino along the Philadelphia waterfront.
Wynn Resorts says Monday it will drop its bid because of the looming competition in New York, where voters last week approved a measure to license seven casinos.
Wynn also cites concerns about recent industry results in Philadelphia. The city has one casino up and running.
A second license is up for grabs after a Foxwoods project fell through. Wynn had been one of six applicants for that license.
The Wynn company says it will focus on other business opportunities.


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Worked in the tech field for over 15 years. Started out learning basic on an Apple IIe then on a TRS-80. Been interested in computer hardware and software my entire life. Consider myself lucky that my hobby as a kid/adult is what I get to do everyday earning a living.
Stolen from @Mokubai:
First, please put down the chocolate-covered banana and step away from the European currency systems.
You may consider how to ask a question.
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Curtiss E. Hager, 86
Curtiss E. Hager, 86, of St. Marys, formerly of Spencerville, died at 3:54 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013, at the St. Marys Living Center, with family at his side.
He had lived there since October 2012.
He was born on Jan. 27, 1926, in Logan Township, Auglaize County, the son of Earl and Elma (Walther) Hager, who preceded him in death.
On June 4, 1949, he married Ruthela Wagner, and she survives in St. Marys.
Other survivors include two children, Dianna (Joe) Wenger of Elkhart, Ind. and Jay (Rhonda) Hager of Spencerville; five grandchildren, Jennifer Wenger, Matt (Jamele) Wenger, Ben (Jessica) Wenger, Andrea Hager and Steve Hager; eight great-grandchildren, Joshua, Meghan, Caleb, Marissa, Aiden, Ethan, Olivia, and Elliana Wenger; two brothers, Don (Claudette) Hager of Lima and Wilbur (Merlene) Hager of Wapakoneta; a sister, Dorothy (Jim) Morgan of Lima.
He was preceded in death by three children, Karen, Hal, and Tommy Hager; a brother, Howard.
Curtiss was a 1944 graduate of Buckland High School. He was a lifelong member of the Bethlehem Christian Union Church, near Buckland, where he taught Sunday school and served on the church board. He enjoyed visiting with his family, and watching Ohio State University basketball and the Cincinnati Reds.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Thomas E. Bayliff Funeral Home in Spencerville, with his son-in-law, the Rev. Joe Wenger, and the Rev. Kent Place, officiating.
Burial is to follow in the Spencerville Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and one hour prior to the service Saturday at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the Bethlehem Christian Union Church.


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6 Most Common Lawn Equipment Maintenance Mistakes
It's spring time again - and time to pull your lawn equipment out of hibernation. Regular maintenance and proper storage techniques are crucial to keep lawn equipment in optimal condition. When you tune-up your engines for spring and carry out routine maintenance throughout the season, be sure to avoid the most common mistakes of lawn equipment maintenance.
1. Using dull blades. Dull blades are very dangerous and can snag on tougher items like tree branches or even fly loose when the mower is in operation. A dull blade can also cause grass tips to turn brown, and weakened grass blades are prone to pests and disease. By inspecting your blades each season and replacing with Genuine Parts', you'll get a clean, even cut, giving your lawn a professional look. Read your operator's manual carefully when reinstalling the blades and be sure not to reinstall them upside down.
2. Using old fuel. When winter rolls around, it's very tempting to simply roll the mower into the garage and retire it for the season without emptying the fuel tank and the carburetor bowl. As the fuel sits, it turns stale and becomes viscous. The bad fuel can then cause the engine to sputter, cough or prevent it from turning over all together. To help maintain the engine, drain the old fuel before the down season and fill it with Sta-Bil® Stabilizer and Ethanol treatment. This will prevent any moisture from collecting in the engine and will help avoid any corrosion of metal and plastic parts. When spring comes, be sure to refill the tank with fresh fuel and Sta-Bil® Stabilzer according to your operator's manual.
3. Changing oil infrequently. It's a best practice to change your oil every 5-8 hours of using your equipment. Running a mower or other yard equipment on low or dirty oil can decrease compression and possibly burn out the engine. Too much oil, however, can weaken seals. To replace the oil, remove the oil plug and let the old oil flow out. Refer to your operator's manual for the proper oil type and oil amount you should use to refill the engine.
4. Using old spark plugs. Old spark plugs should never be cleaned or reused because they will start to corrode. Spark plugs should generally be replaced at least once a season. Also, always remember to remove the spark plug lead before starting any repairs on your mower.
5. Tipping equipment on its side. Placing your equipment at an angle or tipping it on its side can coat the spark plug with oil, which ruins the plug and prevents it from sparking. Tipping a mower can also allow oil to leak and clog the air filter or to mix in with the fuel. If this happens, replace the oil, install a new spark plug and clean the air filter. If you have a paper air filter, just replace it.
6. Refusing professional help. Some equipment owners are very skilled at solving mechanical issues. Those who are not, however, can sometimes damage their equipment further by trying to repair it themselves. Consider visiting a Troy-Bilt Authorized Service Center or an equipment dealer when dealing with more complex mechanical issues. Professionals can maximize your time by repairing your equipment quickly and efficiently.
You can overcome many technical mishaps by avoiding the mistakes above, but always refer to your operator's manual for details about proper equipment maintenance to ensure top performance.
The Dirt from Troy-Bilt®, March/April 2014


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Slitherlink by Nikoli
The Ranking
|Overall Rank: n/a
3DS Rank: n/a
2012 Games Rank: n/a
2012 3DS Rank: n/a
Score based on 1 review
With the Nikoli puzzle series, you can enjoy high-quality "Slitherlink" puzzles, created by Nikoli, who gave the world-famous puzzle "Sudoku" name. The Nintendo 3DS allows for the realization of simple and easy to play operability. "Slitherlink" is a puzzle in which you connect dots with a line according to the rules. The greatest attraction is the fact that there exist an unlimited number of set sequences known as "theorems". With this puzzle, you can actually feel your own skill level rising with each theorem you learn. To ensure your long-term enjoyment, we're prepared both a "Stage Clear" mode and a "Random" mode. In "Stage Clear" mode, you progress by clearing puzzles one by one, and in "Random" mode puzzles are generated at random. Please enjoy this high-quality "Slitherlink" game. 50 Slitherlink questions are collected. In this - one of Nikoli's most awesome original puzzles - you connect the dots to make a single ring.
Release Date: June 21, 2012
Latest Reviews
|Nintendo Life
|5 out of 10


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O's end Astros win streak
Baltimore tops Houston 4-1 on Tuesday
O's end Astros win streak
Baltimore tops Houston 4-1 on Tuesday
Danny Valencia homered, Chris Tillman threw seven solid innings and the Baltimore Orioles ended Houston's six-game winning streak with a 4-1 win over the Astros on Tuesday night.
Brandon Barnes had a solo homer in the sixth for the Astros, who entered the game with the longest winning streak in the majors. Tillman (5-3) allowed four hits and a run and tied a career-high with eight strikeouts in seven innings. He bounced back from his last start where he was tagged for a career-worst four home runs against the Nationals. Jim Johnson struck out two in a scoreless ninth for his 19th save.
Houston starter Lucas Harrell (4-7) yielded five hits and two runs - one earned - with a season-high six strikeouts in seven innings.


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Researchers release study on Chicago police corruption
Researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago are releasing a study that cites 300 cases of Chicago police officers convicted in the last 50 years of serious crimes ranging from murder to running a ring of jewel thieves.
The study catalogues some of the most infamous incidents that have contributed to a reputation for misconduct, brutality and cover-ups that's dogged the department for decades.
The report was released Thursday, hours before the city council approved settlements in two police misconduct lawsuits for a total of $33 million. The authors recommend a new, elected police board and more ethics training for officers.
Police officials say the department already has made significant changes leading to better oversight of officers and that there have been far fewer cases in recent years.