text:
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Applied and Technical Studies
Construction Electrician certificate
Entry-level trades training
UFV's Construction Electrician program is designed to provide students with the
necessary theoretical knowledge and skills to begin an entry-level job in the
electrical field and pursue formal apprenticeship opportunities within the
electrical trade. The electrical program will provide a firm foundation for
further studies within this area if students choose to continue with
apprenticeship and become certified electricians.
Theory and shop procedures are set up to simulate job conditions, so
punctuality and good work habits are essential. This program exceeds the
provincial standards of Foundation and ELTT programs taught throughout B.C.
This program helps develop basic skills and knowledge used in electrical trades. The Construction Electrical program includes specifics such as code regulations, wiring methods, service load calculations, and safety procedures. Graduates of this program will be well prepared to enter the electrical trade as an apprentice.
Concurrent studies option
UFV allows high school students to complete this program through a concurrent studies model during their grade 12 year. For more information, contact your district/school career counsellor. You may also contact the UFV Trades & Technology Centre at 604-847-5448 or email email@example.com.
Employment opportunities
After successfully completing the program, students will be well prepared to
enter the electrical trades as apprentices. As electrical apprentices, graduates
will learn to install, maintain, and repair many types of electrical equipment
in residential, commercial, and industrial establishments in a manner that
complies with the Canadian electrical code.
Entrance requirements
1. B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent.
2. Successful completion of a math and reading comprehension entrance exam.
When to apply
Applications are accepted on a continuous basis throughout the year.
Qualified applicants are considered for the next intake in which there is space.
See Continuous application
process for more information.
How to apply
1. Submit a UFV application form, along with the $45 application fee, to the Office of the Registrar. You can apply online or download an application form at ufv.ca/admissions/admissions/apply. Application forms are also available from any OReg or Student Services office. Applicants currently in Grade 12 may apply during their Grade 12 year. A statement from the school counsellor or principal, indicating that you are likely to meet graduation requirements by June, must be presented at the time of entrance exam appointment.
2. Applicants will be notified of entrance exam dates by the Trades & Technology Centre. Applicants who have not been contacted within two weeks of submission of their applications should call 604-847-5448.
3. Read the program description and information carefully. If you require more information, please contact the Trades & Technology Centre at 604-847-5448 or email@example.com.
4. Prior to classes starting, applicants will be notified by telephone of the registration procedures. Applicants who cannot be reached by telephone after three attempts will be removed from the wait list.
Basis for admission decision
Applicants who meet the entrance requirements will be admitted in order of
their application date. This date is set when an application, all required
documentation, and the application fee have been submitted.
Fees and other expenses
See the Fees and Other Costs section.
Construction Electrician students should also budget approximately $700 for textbooks and $150 for clothing.
Note: A deposit (currently $200) must be paid at the time of registration, which typically takes place one or two months before the start of the program. The balance of fees must be paid by the second week of classes.
Medical requirement
A medical statement from a qualified physician may be required at any time before or during the program. Students will be notified by a UFV official if/when the statement is required.
The Construction Electrician program is offered at the Trades & Technology Centre at the
Canada Education Park in Chilliwack. The Reception Centre is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. Classes and shops can be scheduled between
8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Dates and attendance requirements
The Construction Electrician program is 24 weeks in duration.
The Construction Electrician program requires continuous attendance to successfully complete all requirements for the program. Students will be expected to attend classes five days per week for the duration of the entire program.
Students who fail to meet the attendance requirements as outlined in their individual program guides may be subject to a failing grade or academic warning.
See UFV's Academic Warning policy (79) and Attendance policy (62).
Program requirements
Students must complete all requirements with a minimum of 70% or better to receive a Credit (CR) grade in order to graduate.
Students who do not receive a Credit (CR) grade in all required areas by the
program end date, may apply to their instructor for re-entry into the program. Students who reapply may register as upgrading students and must complete all program requirements no later than
the program end date of the following year. See upgrading policy for more details.
Students must apply for graduation by completing a Request to Graduate form available at the Trades Centre.
Academic warnings
Applied and Technical Studies students who demonstrate unacceptable academic performance will be placed on Academic Warning. See UFV's Academic Warning policy (79).
Unacceptable academic performance may, at the discretion of the instructor, include poor attendance, slow progress in theory and practical tasks, and/or lack of satisfactory participation in class activities. See UFV's Attendance policy (62).
Applied and Technical Studies students are expected to conduct themselves in a mature and responsible manner, and will be held responsible for their actions, whether acting alone or in group. See UFV's Student Academic Misconduct policy (70) and Student Non-Academic Misconduct policy (204).
Withdrawal policy
Student-initiated withdrawal (discontinuing)
If a student wishes not to continue, he or she will need to initiate a withdrawal at the Office of the Registrar.
Required to withdraw (failed grades)
Failed grades may result in withdrawal from the program.
Required to withdraw (academic warning)
Students may be required to withdraw from a course or program for failing to comply with any of the following UFV policies: Academic Warning policy (79), Attendance policy (62), Student Academic Misconduct policy (70), Student Non-Academic Misconduct policy (204).
Upgrading policy
An upgrading student will be enrolled for no more than 13 weeks. Upgrading students will not displace anyone registered in the next intake.
The upgrading program allows those currently or recently employed in the industry to complete their certificate requirements or to become proficient in specific processes or techniques.
Upgrading students are expected to meet program prerequisites through previous enrolment or proof of industry experience approved by the program instructor.
Re-admission policy
Students who begin a trades program, but withdraw before completing the program, may contact the department to request re-entry to the program provided their absence is less than two years. Re-entry is subject to space availability.
If you are absent more than two years you will be required to apply for re-admission.
• An Application for admission form and Application fee will be required
• Applied and Technical Studies entrance exams will need to be retaken
Program outline
Students must show that they understand the theory by successfully completing a written test for each unit. They must then apply their knowledge to demonstrate an acceptable level of practical skills as assigned in that unit. The learning materials may include printed handouts, worksheets, video clips, display boards, lab manuals, and written instructions.
At regular stages students will be required to move to a shop or lab area to perform various tasks in order to develop their practical skills. As much as possible, study lab and shop instruction is patterned after "on-the-job" situations where a limited amount of direct supervision is required.
The training follows a modular system that begins by developing a wide variety of basic skills, and builds on these to develop intermediate and specialized skills required in this industry.
The Electrical Apprenticeship program is designed for people already working in the
electrical trade and registered with the Industry Training Authority (ITA). UFV offers all four levels of technical training. These
10-week sessions are necessary to achieve journeyperson certification along with the appropriate on-the-job training. For information call 604-847-5450 or email
Return to main Applied and Technical Studies page


text:
Submit News
Propellantless Space Drive Called "EmDrive" Made in China
Tiffany Kaiser
February 9, 2013 11:10 AM
Recipient E-mail
Sender E-mail
(Source: emdrive.com)
It's a a propellantless microwave thruster that defies Newton's laws of motion
Chinese scientists have taken on a heavily criticized space drive idea that could one day launch satellites, deep space probes and even flying cars.
The research team hails from Northwestern Polytechnic University in Xi'an, and was led by Yang Juan. What they developed was a propellantless microwave thruster called EmDrive, which is a controversial idea because it goes against Newton's laws of motion -- and many have claimed to create a "propellantless" thruster before and failed.
Newton's laws of motion are all based on the idea that firing propellant out of the back at a high speed will push a craft forward. While
solar cells offer infinite power
, thrust is limited by propellant. Many have tried to get around this, but several scams have made this particular field a joke in the scientific world.
While space drives tend to rely on Newton's laws of motion, the EmDrive is a closed, conical container that has a net thrust toward the wide end when filled with resonating microwaves. This goes against Newton, who said that no closed system could have a net thrust. However, EmDrive works because the microwaves have a group velocity (the speed of a collection of electromagnetic waves) that is greater in one direction than the other -- which is where Albert Einstein's theory of relativity comes in.
British engineer Robert Shaywer, who began looking at the concept of a propellantless thruster when he opened his own company called Satellite Propulsion Research in 2001, is the original creator of the EmDrive. He made demonstration thrusters to prove it could be done, and even made sure the test results were accurate (meaning, the results weren't affected by friction, ionization, air currents, electromagnetic effects or interference). The first, made in 2003, had a thrust of 16 mN. This was enough to show it could be done.
However, he received a ton of criticism for his idea and was ridiculed in his own country. But the Chinese team at Northwestern Polytechnic University believed in his research and took the project head on to author the latest study, "Net Thrust Measurement of Propellantless Microwave Thruster."
The Northwestern Polytechnic University team was able to create the EmDrive with 720 mN of thrust with a couple of kilowatts of power.
So what purpose does EmDrive have? It could halve launch costs of satellites because as much as half
the launch weight
of these objects are attributed to propellant.
Shawyer is even working on a superconducting thruster that could be ready as soon as 2016. It would boost the Q value of the cavity, which determines the amount of thrust produced. He said it could be boosted by a factor of several thousand, possibly equating to a tonne of thrust per kilowatt of power.
"Young lady, in this house we obey the laws of thermodynamics!" -- Homer Simpson
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subset: commoncrawl


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I always had the idea that dragons weren't really "discovered" - I think they were kind of just a given presence in ancient times (like dogs, only a lot more dangerous to have around). But as the population decreased they fell out of general knowledge, and after a few centuries they became the stuff of legend.
As for the uses of dragon's blood, I think all the general theories have been covered. I only have one to add - an element in the Sorcerer's Stone. It's an idea I got when I saw the movie version of SS (I know that's not really what I should be going off of) and observed that the stone was a dark red, like blood. I figure if blood was used in its making then it would probably be the blood of some powerfully magical creature, like a dragon. However, if this use is true, then Dumbledore wouldn't have been the one to discover it; it would have had to have been Nicholas Flamel.
Dragon keepers like Charlie Weasley would of course have to do the usual jobs of making sure the muggles don't see the dragons, and keeping enough animals around for the dragons to eat. But I feel like they would have to protect the dragons as well. There must be dragon poachers in the wizarding world, people who hunt dragons for their magical parts like blood, not to mention their hide. Bill Weasley is said to have been wearing boots made of dragon hide when Harry first meets him in GoF (this always struck me as odd - how could Bill wear bits of dead dragon in the presence of Charlie, who clearly cares a lot about dragons? Wouldn't Charlie get mad at his brother?), and he can't be the only one. And if dragons do get killed, some might leave behind eggs or young dragons, which the keepers would probably have to raise in captivity for at least a few months, until they could survive on their own.
Dragons in Harry Potter are most certainly vicious and not of human intelligence. I guess they had to be that way in order to suit JK's purpose in the first challenge in GoF, but I've always liked stories in which dragons are considered wise, like Eragon, or even evilly intelligent, like The Hobbit. And personally, I think it would have been pretty exciting if Harry had had to get the golden egg from a dragon that could shout threats and insults inbetween breathing fire.
Some very nice ideas. 5 points.


text:
This study is provided by Resource Center for Minority Data (RCMD).
Current Population Survey, August 2001: Veterans Supplement (ICPSR 4150)
Alternate Title: CPS, August 2001
Principal Investigator(s): United States Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census; United States Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics; United States Department of Veterans Affairs
This data collection is comprised of responses from two sets of survey questionnaires, the basic Current Population Survey (CPS) and a biennial survey on the topic of veterans in the United States, which was administered as a supplement to the August 2001 CPS questionnaire. The sponsors of the Veterans Supplement were the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), formerly the Veterans Administration, and the Department of Labor.
The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment. Data from the CPS are provided for the week prior to the survey.
All veterans aged 18 or older received questions from the Veterans Supplement, which provides estimates on the demographic and labor force characteristics of veterans who have a service-connected disability in comparison to all other veterans. The data also made distinctions between Gulf War era veterans and Vietnam theater veterans; the latter being veterans who served in Vietnam, Laos, or Cambodia. Estimates were also provided on the number of veterans with or without a service-connected disability and their labor force participation rate, occupational distributions, unemployment rates, periods of military service, and use of certain educational and job training programs. The Veterans Supplement portion of the study was designed to be a self-response survey and general interviewers were instructed to make up to two personal or telephone callbacks before accepting a proxy interview.
Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income.
Series: Current Population Survey Series
Access Notes
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions. Please log in so we can determine if you are with a member institution and have access to these data files.
WARNING: This study is over 150MB in size and may take several minutes to download on a typical internet connection.
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup Stata Setup
Study Description
United States Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census, United States Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Current Population Survey, August 2001: Veterans Supplement. ICPSR04150-v2. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2011-03-03. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR04150.v2
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR04150.v2
Export Citation:
- RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: census data, demographic characteristics, disabilities, employee benefits, employment, full-time employment, health insurance, Hispanic or Latino origins, households, income, industry, job change, job satisfaction, job training, labor (work), labor force, labor relations, military service, occupational status, occupations, part-time employment, Persian Gulf War, population characteristics, population estimates, retirees, unemployment, veterans, Vietnam War, work, work experience, work hours
Geographic Coverage: United States
- 2001-08
- 2001-08-19--2001-08-25
Unit of Observation: individuals within housing units
Universe: The CPS universe consists of all persons in the civilian noninstitutional population of the United States living in households. The August 2001 supplement universe represents the full CPS sample comprising all household members aged 18 years and older.
Users are strongly encouraged to refer the User Guide (produced by the Principal Investigators), which contains the questionnaire for the supplement, as well as additional detailed technical documentation regarding the study design, sampling frame used, and response rates.
The universe statements for each variable are defined in the basic and supplement record layouts found in Attachment 7 and 8, respectively, of the User Guide.
ICPSR removed all FILLER and PADDING variables from the data. As a result, the column locations in any ICPSR-released data product (e.g., codebook and setup files) will have column locations that are not consistent with locations described in the User Guide.
Sample: A multistage probability sample based on the 1990 decennial census, with coverage in all 50 states and the District of Columbia was selected to represent the universe of approximately 57,000 households.
The data contain seven weight variables:
- Household Weight -- HWHHWGT -- Used for tallying household characteristics.
- Family Weight -- PWFMWGT -- Used only for tallying family characteristics.
- Longitudinal Weight -- PWLGWGT -- Found only on adult records matched from month to month (used for gross flows analysis).
- Outgoing Rotation Weight -- PWORWGT -- Used for tallying information collected only in outgoing rotations.
- Final Weight -- PWSSWGT -- Used for most tabulations, controlled to independent estimates for (1) States; (2) Origin, Sex, and Age; and (3) Age, Race, and Sex. Used for tallying just labor force items.
- Veteran's Weight -- PWVETWGT -- Used to tally any estimates from the Veterans Supplement data whether or not basic labor force items were used. The veteran's weight should also be used to tally any estimates for veterans and non-veterans from the basic CPS.
- Composited Final Weight -- PWCMPWGT -- Used to create BLS's published labor force statistics.
Users are strongly encouraged to refer to the User Guide for detailed information on how to use the weights, as well as how they were derived.
Mode of Data Collection: computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI), computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI)
Original ICPSR Release: 2006-01-16
- 2011-03-03 The ASCII data for this collection have been completely replaced. The data collection has been updated to include SAS, SPSS, and Stata setup files for use with the new data. Also included in the update are a corresponding SAS transport (CPORT) file, SPSS system file, Stata system file, and a tab-delimited version of the new ASCII data.
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Export Study-level metadata (does not include variable-level metadata)
If you're looking for collection-level metadata rather than an individual metadata record, please visit our Metadata Records page.


text:
Have one to sell?
Aztec Elephant 3D-Printed ZLB533482 Brand New 3D Cover Case for Ipad 2,3,4 by Maris's Diary
Currently unavailable.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.
- Access all controls and features on your device - headphone jacks, charging ports, volume control and other buttons
- you can access to all functions and buttons be easy without removing the case.
- Integrated Stand feature makes watching Media easyIntegrated Stand feature makes watching Media easy
- Single piece faceplate
- Built-in stand feature for convenient viewing.
Product description
fashion and cute designed,this case is only fit for iphone 46674c
Customer reviews
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text:
Ellsbury plays field in Minor League contest
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury played in his second Minor League game in as many days on Wednesday, playing five innings in center field and reporting no issues.
Ellsbury played in a Class A game against a Pirates' squad at the Himes Complex in Tampa, Fla., going 1-for-4 with a walk. Ellsbury has not played in a Grapefruit League game since March 14 due to a sore right calf.
"I think it went very well," Ellsbury said. "Pleased with the results, pleased with how everything felt, couldn't ask for more. I did a little bit of everything."
Manager Joe Girardi said that it was "comforting" that Ellsbury was able to play the outfield. Ellsbury had only batted on Tuesday because of soggy conditions at the complex.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters that Ellsbury will play in another Minor League game on Thursday, and he could play for the big league squad on Friday against the Marlins at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
"I think he will be ready [for Opening Day], as long as he's feeling good and he's healthy," Cashman said.
Also in that Minor League game, Yankees closer David Robertson allowed a run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning, striking out two.
Jeter just beginning to shed rust from lost season
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The hits may not have been falling very often for Derek Jeter this spring, but with Opening Day right around the corner, the Yankees' captain believes he is clicking into form at just the right time.
Jeter went 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs in the Yankees' 10-6 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday, raising his spring average to .143 (7-for-49). He has said that it was taking longer than expected to knock rust off after being limited to 17 games last season.
"That's the goal, to get ready for Opening Day," Jeter said. "Sometimes you have to use more of the spring than others to get ready, but I feel good where I am right now. We have a couple more games left and then we'll start the year, so I'm happy with where I am."
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that he sees Jeter's timing improving every day. Jeter played back-to-back games at shortstop for the first time this spring on Tuesday and Wednesday; he is scheduled to have Thursday off, then will play on Saturday and Sunday.
"The big thing for me is he's healthy," Girardi said. "He's responding day after day, coming back, playing four out of five days. I think he's starting to swing the bat a little bit better. He's starting to get the ball in the air, line drives.
"I don't worry too much about Spring Training for veteran guys, especially a guy who really hasn't played in a year and a half. I don't worry about it. We've talked about his timing. He feels it's better and better. I think it will continue to improve and he'll be fine."
Jeter said that he has been on a normal spring schedule since camp started in February, but it has taken slightly longer to get in the rhythm of playing games. Jeter said that he finally started to feel comfortable a few days ago.
"For me, every spring it's pretty much the same thing," Jeter said. "This year may have taken a little bit longer, but first you want to make sure you're seeing the ball. Then it's you want to make sure you're swinging at good pitches, then it's contact.
"Driving balls in the air is usually the last thing that comes. It's usually been like that every spring. This year, maybe it's taken a little bit longer than other ones, but I think that's understandable considering I haven't played in quite some time."
Girardi said that he does not have any issues with Jeter's defensive play to date.
"He's consistent out there," Girardi said. "It's really nice to see him move without having to force it, like what we had to watch all last year. It was hard for everybody to watch, because it's not something that we were accustomed to.
"But he's went to his right, he's went to his left, he's come in. I don't remember a ball really going back, but he's looked pretty good."
Claiborne's struggles could factor for Girardi
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Preston Claiborne, who made 44 appearances in the big leagues for the Yankees last season, has had a rough spring and could begin the year with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The right-hander allowed six earned runs on four hits with a walk and did not record an out in Wednesday's appearance against the Blue Jays, part of Toronto's eight-run fifth inning. Claiborne also hit a batter with a pitch.
"The stuff has not been the same, for whatever reason," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "When we got him up last year he had been on a roll and he was throwing the ball very well. He has not been able to do that this spring, and it's something that we've looked at."
Claiborne, 26, was 0-2 with a 4.11 ERA with New York last season. His spring ERA rose from 4.76 to 14.29 with Wednesday's appearance, and Girardi has said that he was already facing difficult decisions to narrow down his bullpen choices.
David Robertson, Shawn Kelley and Matt Thornton were considered early locks, and Girardi has indicated that David Phelps, Adam Warren and Vidal Nuno will all be looked at to fill relief spots. Dellin Betances also pitched a scoreless inning on Wednesday, lowering his spring ERA to 0.79.
"I think we look at taking our best team when we leave," Girardi said. "In saying that, we have some tough decisions to make over the next three days, and it's really less than that because we leave in three days."
Primed to be backup, Cervelli a 'plus' for Yanks
TAMPA, Fla. -- Francisco Cervelli just has to make it to the plane. By optioning Austin Romine to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, the Yankees have essentially confirmed that Cervelli will be their backup catcher this season.
Cervelli has enjoyed a terrific spring, entering play on Wednesday batting .455 (15-for-33) with a team-leading four homers, but he has been fooled before. In 2012, Cervelli seemed to be a roster lock before the Yankees made a last-minute trade to acquire Chris Stewart from the Giants.
"If I get my locker in Houston, I'll be happy," Cervelli said.
Cervelli's name has popped up in recent trade rumors -- the Rangers could be one suitor, having lost Geovany Soto for at least 10 weeks to a torn meniscus -- but Girardi said Cervelli adds experience and depth behind the plate for the Yankees.
"I think Cervy can be an everyday catcher, I do," Girardi said. "When it comes to catching, we have a ton in our organization. I mean, there's kids that we sent down that I believe are Major League catchers right now. And it's a real plus for us."
Girardi said that he does not envision making Cervelli anyone's personal catcher; rather, the skipper said, the Yankees will play Brian McCann as often as possible, using Cervelli to spell McCann twice out of every eight or nine days.
"He's been around here," Girardi said. "He's pretty familiar with most of the guys. I'll just put him in when I feel the day is right."
Cervelli said that he has been pleased with his spring. He has been catching all of the Yanks' starters, even toying with learning Japanese so he can communicate with Hiroki Kuroda and Masahiro Tanaka, and he said that last year's troubled season helped him mature.
"Everything that happened last year -- injury, suspension -- I had a lot of time to think, sit down and think about what I have to change, what I have to improve, and how I can manage my life," Cervelli said.
Cervelli was being thought of as the Yankees' regular catcher last season, but wound up playing in just 17 games. He fractured his right hand on a foul tip in April, had a setback in his rehab and then was hit with a 50-game suspension stemming from Major League Baseball's investigation into the Biogenesis clinic.
"I think [I wanted to] prove to the fans that ... I'm healthy and last year was an embarrassing moment for me," Cervelli said. "It's a moment I'm going to carry forever. I come here to play baseball, give everything to the Yankees, and also for myself because I never stop the way I work. I always want to be better."
Bomber bits
• Alfonso Soriano received treatment after Tuesday's game for a sore right shoulder. Soriano was back in the Yankees' lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla., serving as the designated hitter.
"It's something that he's had," Girardi said. "Players have to work through things. He'll get [Thursday] off and then we'll see how he is."
• Girardi said that his choices for backup infielders and relief pitchers will probably go down to the end of camp, and that the organization is still discussing their options.
"We're going to have to make a decision pretty quick here, because they're going to have to pack," Girardi said.
Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
*gleefully munches samosa*
It's EID today, SPEWers! Haha, I know only Nadia and I celebrate it, but I think it's worth mentioning anyway I've enjoyed eating today so far, lolol. *tries to resurrect babble*
Firstly, WELL DONE SOPHIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE AND NADIAAAAAAAAAAAAA FOR YOUR RESULTS! You two are fabulous. You do know that, right?
If you were a fruit/vegetable, what would you be?
A potato, of course! Purely because I <3 them so much -- I mean, you can do so much with potatoes. You can fry them, boil them, put them in curry, all sorts.
Most hated Olympic sport?
Ummm, I don't think I watched teh Olympics enough to say...
Favorite founder that didn't found your house?
Helgaaaaaa because of my Rowena/Helga She's just so loyal and sweet, at least in my head canon.
If you weren't in Ravenclaw, what would you be in?
Slytherin! I am actually very ebil. In fact, my brother recently told me that I'm one of teh most evil people on the planet -- just because I laughed at a tramp getting the door slammed in his face by his daughter on a soap opera, lolol.
Most recent bruise and how?
I don't have bruises, but I do have a lot of spots atm >.< The ones on my nose hurt the most. Ugh.
If you were making a Next Gen movie, who would you cast as a) Albus Potter, b) James Potter II, c) Scorpius Malfoy?
Albus Potter is definitely Logan Lerman, lol. Ummm, not sure about James Potter II as I've never written him... an older version of him could be Hugh Dancy, maybe. And Scorpius is definitely Alex Pettyfer, though I picture an older version of him as Simon Baker xD
New one: Rose Weasley
It used to be Linzey Cocker. But now it's Christina Hendricks. She has that whole byotch look that rather suits my portrayal of her, hehehe. Though she's also very pretty.
I picture her as looking similar to Adele Adkins. My Lily has a lot of insecurities regarding her weight, and she is a little chubby, so someone super-skinny certainly wouldn't do. But I do think Adele is gorgeous too. I hate how so many people say she's fat >.<
Young Sirius, James I and Remus?
A young Sirius would probably be Ben Barnes, but a Sirius in his late teens/twenties I would imagine to be Aiden Turner. James I is definitely Sam Claflin, and Remus... hmm. I'm not entirely sure. Maybe Jesse Spencer? But not as good-looking, haha. OH an older version of Remus could be a scruffy, gorgeous Chris Hemsworth.
New TQs:
Where would your ideal wedding be?
Where would you like your honeymoon to be?
Any important days coming up? (I have results day on Thursday... eeep)
Any movies you're dying to watch? (Mine would be Dark Knight Rises, which I will hopefully be watching tomorrow with my brother and sister )


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The private-option plan was presented to legislators in two parts, with one part including language authorizing the plan and a second part setting up the funding. The funding element finally won its needed three-fourths vote in the House, though it still needs to be approved by the same margin in the Senate.
"I commend my colleagues who have just cast a difficult vote in favor of the 'private option,'" House Speaker Davy Carter said following the 77-23 vote. "With their support, Arkansas now leads the nation with a conservative alternative to the policy forced upon us by the federal government."
Some Republican leaders and Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe have been promoting the idea as an alternative to expanding Medicaid enrollment under the federal health care law. However, the program also hinges on approval from federal officials.
Beebe said he was pleased with the House vote and declined to predict the measure's fate in the Senate. He said the private option would help cut down on the costs of uncompensated care and help businesses to avoid penalties for not providing insurance to their workers.
The governor said he believed the private option was the best approach to implementing a federal health care law that he said most people in the state oppose.
"It takes that and shifts it in a way that makes it better for Arkansas, makes it better for Arkansans," Beebe said.
Senate President Michael Lamoureux predicted a close vote when the Senate votes on the private option Wednesday. The measure needs at least 27 votes in the 35-member chamber to win final approval.
"I don't think there's any circumstance where we get over that," said Lamoureux, R-Russellville.
The vote also moves lawmakers closer toward a resolution on several issues, including the state's budget and an expected package of $100 million in tax cuts. Lamoureux said he expected lawmakers to get a copy of the bill outlining the state's $4.9 billion budget later Tuesday.
House Majority Leader Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, opposed the private-option plan and had criticized Beebe for attempting to tie the debate to a discussion about tax cuts.
"It's not over till it's over," Westerman said after his chamber voted. "I'll go down and talk to the Senators and tell them they're our last hope to stand against this."
Rep. Sue Scott, a first-term Republican from Rogers who had voted against the bill Monday, told lawmakers she decided to support it after hearing from constituents worried about the impact of doing nothing.
"I had originally said I would not, but I've had too many phone calls from too many good hard working people, not lobbyists," Scott said.
Rep. Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, said voting against the private-option plan would indicate support for the "D.C. version of Obamacare."
"We have to make a choice today about what kind of health care we're going to have in Arkansas," he told his colleagues during a half-hour debate.
Arkansas is deciding whether to enact an alternative to the Medicaid expansion that once was required under the federal health care law but is now a choice left up to individual states after last year's Supreme Court ruling. Under the plan, Arkansas would use federal funds to subsidize private insurance coverage for 250,000 low-income residents making up to 138 percent of the poverty line, which amounts to $15,415 per year.
Aside from final legislative approval, the program's implementation also hinges on final authorization from federal officials, who have endorsed the concept but have stopped short of green-lighting Arkansas' specific plan.


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Reece Hogins, 92; Alan Cooper, 87; Ed Ellis, 88; and George Urbano, 86, were all members of the U.S. Navy who served together aboard the USS Anderson during the war.
Hogins, who lives in Pope County, was on board the Anderson before America joined the war.
"I was on it two years before the war started, until it was over," he said.
The shipmates have had regular reunions since 1980 and now meet annually. The men estimate about a dozen sailors they served with on the Anderson are still living, and only a handful are able to make it to the reunions. This year, Hogins is hosting the reunion in Russellville.
The sailors sit and talk, recounting memories at sea and telling stories of their shipmates' lives after returning home.
"You knew everybody that was on board the ship," Ellis said. "We were like brothers."
The men said despite their long months at sea, the sailors on board got along well and didn't fight among themselves. The men recounted only one instance of fighting during their time at sea — between two sailors who suddenly stood up and began exchanging blows during dinner.
Pictures were passed around from those younger days, including photos of sailors who were initiated as they crossed the equator.
"You don't become a sailor until you cross the line," Cooper said.
Also pictured was a Japanese admiral who came on board to sign a treaty, which was signed at a Japanese naval base.
The USS Anderson was a destroyer that saw a lot of action during World War II. The ship was part of 11 battles and was damaged twice in battle — once in a shore battery and once by a suicide plane.
During its commission, 24 officers and men gave their lives in action on the vessel.


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ATLANTA - Rapper 50 Cent sent his 16-year-old son Marquise a series of expletive text messages, asking for a blood test.
The messages, obtained by RadarOnline.com, show the rapper demanding a paternity test from his son.
Throughout the text conversation, 50 Cent tells his son to cut off all contact with him, even insisting he delete his phone number. The website reports that his anger was due to Marquise apparently not opening the door when he came to visit.
The text message exchange lasted over an hour. During that time Marquise appears to have attempted to fight back and claimed his dad hadn't been good to him.
The rant comes days after 50 Cent was arrested for domestic violence charges following an alleged incident with the mother of one of this children.
50 Cent's Text Conversation with His Son: (Text conversation contains expletives which have been edited by ClickOnDetroit.com)
50 Cent: Hey I'm outside the house at the front door.
50 Cent: I came to the front door then lights went off. What's up?
Marquise: U lying u outside?
Marquise: Lol.
Marquise: Lol u fronting.
50 Cent: I saw you looking out the window good luck in life. Your gonna need it.
Marquise: Lol u fronting hard body now, how u going to see me when I'm in the basement lmao
50 Cent: F*** you
50 Cent: You are your mother child
Marquise: Lol why would u lie about that lol
50 Cent: I need a blood test cause that... (Language in this text is too graphic for publishing on ClickOnDetroit.com)
50 Cent: I don't think your funny at all. I drove out here for nothing.
Marquise: Pops ur trippen now, why u won't been get one u had 16 years lol, I know u lying bc u didt even call me too go outside
50 Cent: Are you f***ing crazy I don't have time to play boy. I told you I would come see you. I came motherf***er start turning lights out and looking threw the blinds.
50 Cent: Are you f***ing stupid. You had me drive over there why do you think I needed a address sh*t head. I saw the lights go out then some one playing in the blinds and there no party going on. F*** you to
50 Cent: You your mother and your sister f*** all of yal.
Marquise: I might dumb, come thru then, no need to get upset
Marquise: Stop by and say hello too ur son
50 Cent: What the f*** are you taking about I'm not f***ing with you after this I leave Atlanta in the morning.
You may also like:
Read: Alleged victim of 50 Cent releases name
Copyright 2013 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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This is my first post. Hello fellow quilters. Hope to see the northern lights in Feb/Mar. Does anyone live over there, up that way and can give me ideas of things to do and best places to stay ect. Bombarded with info from the net and travel agent. I just want some plain and simple local knowledge please. Oh and some quilt shops worth a visit too of course. Can't go anywhere without buying fabric!
p.s I am in Australia. Many Thanks


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DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Burrell Ellis used his 2013 State of the County Address to business leaders as a call to set a course towards a future that reflects the best of the stakeholders of this great county.
Speaking to an audience of 500 business and civic leaders at the Thalia N. Carlos Hellenic Community Center in Atlanta, CEO Ellis said a frank discussion of the state of our county must include the struggle that accompanies success.
"Here in DeKalb County, we are in fact a great community. Yes, we have our struggles, but our struggles make us stronger. And we have what it takes to withstand challenges and continue forward, and that's why I am encouraged," said CEO Ellis. "Working together, we can survive any struggle. And that is the State of DeKalb County; a great community with a strong track record of success!"
CEO Ellis cited the 2013 budget process as an example of the spirit of partnership and collaboration. The Commissioners worked with staff and external stakeholders to develop a budget recommendation that is lean, responsible, and responsive to constituents' priorities. Strategic priorities in the recommendations include funding for 25 more police officers, streamlining the permits and licensing operations, building a new animal shelter and providing a 3% pay increase to the lowest paid county workers, earning less than a livable wage, as defined by national standards.
CEO Ellis also noted that collaboration with state lawmakers is needed to change the laws that govern the creation of new cities and annexation of existing cities.
"DeKalb County has been forced to take a defensive posture at the Georgia General Assembly. Efforts to incorporate or annex prime real estate have severely hurt our bottom line," said CEO Ellis. "But, unique state law on this issue has allowed revenue shifting from the County to city governments, and that hurts us all, whether we live in incorporated or unincorporated portions of the county."
"I ask each and every resident of DeKalb County to join us as we embark on a journey to build a greater DeKalb County. Join us in creating a model of excellence and governance," said CEO Ellis.
To read the full text of Ellis' speech click here.


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Tom Krohn will lead a frog talk on how to recognize the frogs and toads in this area Thursday at Lake Dardanelle State Park Visitor Center.
It will be a two-hour PowerPoint presentation with a break in the middle. Snacks will be served at that time. The presentation begins at 7 p.m. L.D.S.P. and the River Valley Arkansas Master Naturalists are hosting this program. If you are interested in the group and what they do, stay after the program and they will be glad to answer any questions you may have. You can check out http://www.aza.org/frogwatch/ before the meeting and be one step ahead.
Ambulance Board to meet today
The Pope County Ambulance Board will meet at 7 p.m. today in the Quorum Court room.
Main Street Russellville presents second show in concert series
Summer is known as the peak season for outdoor music events, and a new concert series has begun in the heart of our city. Music Downtown at Sundown presents the second in a series of three concerts at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Depot Park.
Adam Faucett and The Tall Grass is slated to headline on July 27 with their "Arkansas soul and swampy finger picking rock 'n roll."
Also included in the lineup is the Arkansas blues/Americana soul feel of Brick Fields. Jamie Lou and The Whiskey Too will kick off the evening with their "singer/songwriter meets pop folk with a mix of country influence."
Admission is free, but donations are accepted and appreciated. Food concessions will be provided by local vendor Kathy's Kabana, and water and soft drinks will be available for sale. All proceeds will help fund improvements to Depot Park.
Adult Softball Registration Deadline
The Russellville Recreation and Parks Department's deadline for registering teams for the Adult Fall Softball League is at 5 p.m. Friday. Teams that register must pay the entry fee and submit the entry form, and a team roster. All forms are available in the Russellville Recreation and Parks Department Office or online at www.russellvillearkansas.org.
Call (479) 968-1272 for more information.


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Mystics vs Fever Final: 69-67 - Recap
Washington earned a 69-67 victory over Indiana on Tuesday, getting 15 points from Kia Vaughn at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Bettors who backed the Mystics were also rewarded, as they covered the closing number as an underdog of 6 at sportsbooks. Over-Under bettors saw the total score go UNDER the closing total of 143.5.
Washington got 15 points from Ivory Latta and another 12 points from Tayler Hill. Ivory Latta contributed 4 assists, while Crystal Langhorne cleaned the glass with 10 rebounds.
Indiana got 16 points from Briann January in a losing cause and another 14 points from Shavonte Zellous. Briann January contributed 4 assists for the Fever, while Erlana Larkins had 9 rebounds.
Washington led at halftime, 40-37.
The rebound battle favored Washington as they grabbed 43 boards, while Indiana only had 32.
Next game, Washington takes its act home to face Connecticut looking for another win. For Indiana, they head home to face New York.


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The field is taking shape and the mowing is scheduled to be done Sunday night. The area is flat
and has terrific drainage; perfect for camping.
Phillip stakes out his choice of campsites. But folks there is so much choice camping that
everyone will get a primo spot in the shade.
The Yankee Beemer Toy Box arrives with its cargo of coffee urns. There will be plenty of
free GREEN MOUNTAIN GOURMET COFFEE. John Steele, Robert Bailey and
YB President Roy Bertallotto. Thanks Roy.
Presidents Roy and Debbie talk about coffee and the upcoming RA Rally in Heath, MA.
This is going to be one heck of a rally.


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DM of the Rings LXXXIX:
Killing Time
on Apr 18, 2007
DM of the Rings
how sad first lol
And that's why mass combat rules were invented. :)
Except when you actually use the full mass combat rules with formations and units of varying numbers and all that you get a set of rules more complicated than grapples and opportunity attacks. I played several huge battles but by the end of a few Dynasty Warriors looking battles we agreed that it was better to just have a battle going on behind the party and have us fight two or three enemies of a slightly higher caliber.
Truly, the strain of coming up with a description of the latest attack in any particular d&d battle can quickly become terrible. I always seem to fall into the rut of {hit for 30% of hp= Shoulder Wound} {hit for 50% of hp= bloody chest wound} {hit for 100% of hp= Decapitation} Oh how frighteningly long it takes before players tire of magic missile and beer mug decapitations.
Fallout 3, anyone? Beheading somebody with a high-velocity teddy-bear is beyond hilarious.
Heh. LOVE the contrast between Legolas' player and the other guys. Also, "I hate this campaign" is a great running gag. I love it whenever someone says that.
I wanna STAB HIM!!
Wait, isn't Legolas now making a called shot. He could actually miss!
Yes, but if it's a called shot, shouldn't Leggylass get a bonus?
Gosh, Legolas looks excited to shoot one in the eye!
Does surface area account for anything in a called shot, by the way? Because if they're trying to aim for an eye (or even a nostril) they might be in trouble if surface area is taken into account.
Sometimes, I'm like Aragorn. "I swing. I kill. Die." Rinse, lather, repeat. Now, with 20% more dice!
Their gear did change at Helm's Deep … so they must get -some- kind of loot from this fight!
-The Gneech
If Aragorn had taken Cleave, then the descriptions would be a little more interesting.
Must …not…post. Must …wait… for Steve…I am…loyal…
Another good one. The guy playing Legolas has such a good attitude about things.
LOL! Another good one! I think the shooting an orc in the eye thing is more based on how great an archer Legolas is. When he hits and does enough damage to kill the orc outright, it's always in the eye…just like the descriptions are always the same for the fighters. Anyway, love Lego's enthusiasm!
Thanks, Shamus!
I would so hate to have a player like Aragorn in my party… But then again, every time I run my Exalted game and a fight happens, and I give a ruling that is very Exalted specific and not-DnD specific he goes "*sigh* I like DnD"
It makes me sad. Well, I wanna play EXALTED, damnit!
Yay, someone else that plays Exalted! We're currently playing a pirate-themed Exalted game, with a bunch of Solars with compassion 1. It's a lot of fun. Really. :)
Heh heh! Good one Shamus. This is why Call of Cthulhu DMs have more fun.
"Okay, having only lost 3 SAN points and by some miracle not falling into a drooling heap at the mere sight of this whatever-it-is, I fire my shotgun. At point blank range."
"You hit! Max damage! Good Game! A large segment of the foul blasphemy explodes from its body. As you hurriedly shield your face from the foul gelatinous goop that sprays out of the wound you are assailed by a foul stench of such nauseous quality that your senses reel!"
"Whatever. Is that a SAN save or some other inconvenience?"
"I said SENSES didn't I? Constitution saves all round to avoid some sort of incapacitating reaction!"
"Yeahyeahyeah. All done. It can have the other barrel now."
"Your shotgun blasts out in vengeful fury!"
"Oh for the love of Azathoth. Did I kill it or not?"
"Stay tuned. The monstrous form lets out a howl that sends your mind reeling (NOW you get to roll SAN saves to avoid 1d3 sanity loss) and slumps to the floor in a heap!"
"1 SAN point down. BFD. Did the thing have any ite…"
"But what is this? Before you can move the squamous horror twitches then surges to its for-want-of-a-better-term feet, extrudes foul ichor-dripping claws and opens its maw revealing several rows of razor-edged teeth! As it's foul breath rolls over you it unrolls its tongue – which resembles the end of a squid's longer tentacles – and grabs you by the face!"
"WHAT? That's bogus! How could it move so fast after I jack-o-lanterned it?"
"Sorry, can't hear you. Your face is enwrapped in tentacle. WHo has the next strike rank?"
I figure a gurgling sound from the DM followed by the word "thud" ought to do it.
The look on Legolas' face in the last panel is absolutely priceless!
I was briefly and irrationally worried that this would be a code-based episode and therefore, like the preceding post, beyond my comprehension. Thankfully, I made my save.
Curses. I didn't get one of Steve's rings. I want one. It's mine, mine I say!
Anyone wanna come on a nice fishing expedition? I promise I won't knock you overboard accidentally, then throttle you when we get back to shore all soaked and excited to see the shiny thing we found…
Hey, at least the DM is letting them roll dice and occasionally pick their own tactics. I knew a guy years ago who was famous for running his games like all the player characters were his NPCs. He would take both sides of a conversation between two player characters while the players were sitting at the table with him!
I try to avoid playing cthulu, I always seem to wind up in games that are like "You open the door. You are dead." And dammit, I only "peeked" through that door! But the cultist with the machine gun was still able to get off a TWENTY (?!?) shot burst at me. I suppose it could have been worse, as only SEVENTEEN freaking bullets hit me (a d20 for # of hits…WTF?)
Although I did play live action cthulu at a con once, and that was pretty funny. Same thing, I opened the first door and died. Eaten by ghouls, don't ya know. So I screamed. Loud. Really REALLY Loud. Some of the LARPers in the next room just about peed themselves, and the ghouls were suitibly impressed. It was rumored that hotel security was called to investigate. And although the party I was in got massacred and didn't finish the scenario (shocking!) I still won a prize!
Now that is one PSYCHOTIC elf.
The way that Gimli and Aragorn are talking, it's like the DM wants to finish all 10,000 opponents. Looks like the players are getting fatigued instead of their characters.
Nicely done, Nam! That'll teach'em not to off your character so quickly!
The last panel is awesome. Always one person in the party will still want to shoot and kill more stuff even when the fight's done, and be happy while doing it.
Yeah, great job on that Legolas frame!
I was pretty leery of mass combat till we got to do it in L5R and Seventh Sea, and then it was actually fun.
Good stuff, man. Its kind of sad to realize that you're almost 2/3rds finished with this comic…
The facial expressions were perfect on this one!
I had a character in Dream Park once who was like Legolas. She was a totally awesome archer, and repeatedly went for killing blows, which was necessary, since, in Dream Park, successfully making a killing blow increases your damage by 2 categories. She usually took a bow that dealt Deadly damage, so her killing blows counted as Extremely Deadly, where the rest of the party was mostly delivering Very Deadly damage. If she had taken the English longbow (a Very Deadly weapon), her killing blows would have been Super-Deadly (or something like that) and the GM would have killed her straight away. However, since the rest of the party were delivering VD damage, and ordinary Deadly damage blow would have been feeble (since the armour level of the victims … er, I mean opponents is set at a level appropriate for what most of the party can do).
So she ended up being the party's artillery piece. Until she tried to take out a dragon – she had two shots before it toasted her and missed with both of them.
once again… funniest yet. In all honesty, I didn't really 'get' a lot of last week's comics… I guess I'm the wrong type of nerd for the gamer jokes… but this is hillarious and once again astutely points out one of the only frustrating parts of the movies… endless, endless running through of orcs that actually got boring by ROTK.
Love it
Another good one!
I still love the way Legolas is done :D
Lol, I'm just glad I don't have a player like that :D
And to do with the comic nearly being 2/3rds over,
My vote is for a Star Wars comic next :D
Luke Skywalker had some great facial expressions that would be perfect in still-shots.
xargon: Tou mean if he had used it cause he has it as shown two comics ago.
GOd this keeps going up… simplicity say i kill it… and last time i checked DnD did not have called shots… oh well…
I was amazed when Aragorn stole Legolass' frase "I hate this campaign", but it was totally hilarious, when Legolass came with his line. Seriously, this comic must be the best documentary of D&D playing.
Oh, and Legolass is my absolute favorite character because (s)he remains myself so much that it's getting scary.
Nice job with the second to last scene, Shamus. I was wondering why Anduril looked a little thick till I realized that the scene was actually the one where he was talking to that wretched long hair little child. Keep up good work.
"Nice job with the second to last scene, Shamus. I was wondering why Anduril looked a little thick till I realized that the scene was actually the one where he was talking to that wretched long hair little child. Keep up good work." – Bugsysservant
Good Eyes!!
BTW Shamus, Convinently placed text box on the left hand side of this frame!! ;)
In our current campaign, the DM almost never forces us to go through a combat with a huge number of low level enemies if it comes up in the modules he runs. It usually goes something like this:
DM: "The room is filled with 30-40 zombies and ghouls…do you cast a 9d6 widened fireball?"
Me: "Abso-f'n-lutely! Fire in the Hole!" (clatter of dice)
DM: "Right then, after that, clean-up is quick and easy. Moving on. There is a passage leading…"
Fights agains things like 11th level Wizard / Mindflayer are much more interesting.
"Good stuff, man. Its kind of sad to realize that you're almost 2/3rds finished with this comic…"
I wouldn't say that he's still got to do the Star Wars campaign with Frodo and Sam's Player (there are six films to play with there).
"I wouldn't say that he's still got to do the Star Wars campaign with Frodo and Sam's Player (there are six films to play with there)."
If Shamus doesn't whack Jar-Jar in the first post, I'm leaving…
Bah. I got so tied up in the comments that I forgot my post.
To heck with Leggo-Lass' frame. I like Aragormless going through the fight with his eyes closed…
Being a very large (and yet skinny) Star Wars fan, I like the idea. Hopefully Shamus likes it too.
About 'called shots' – They are offered as an option in the 'Fighters Handbook' [2nd ed AD&D] – and you can do them in 3rd, too
Best Cthulhu I ever reffed was at a convention where one guy insisted on buying 300′ of rope. He carried it wrapped around his body [so the other players called him 'the spool'] – then while exporing a pyramid he fell in oil and got lit on fire. Burning merrily, the other players then called him 'the wick'
[Great expressions in this one!]
Hahaha, brilliant!
I wanna shoot one in the eye too!
In all the talk about what's coming next, I'd like to cast my vote for the Serenity RPG. I know nothing about it, but surely our esteemed host could go buy it, read it, run through a campaign with Skeeve and the boys to get the feel for it, and produce a beautiful comic based on it with the 14 episode DVDs, the movie DVD, scans from the Those Left Behind comic book, still shots of Nathan Fillion and Jewel Stait from local area Shindigs, and video captures of the rest from Barney Miller, Independence Day, How I Met Your Mother, The Unit, and whatever else they've been in.
If you need help, Shamus, I'll lend you the ring that Steve gave me.
Yea, it's a problem when the DM runs out of thing to say at kills.
"Um…he died from the loss of nose?"
Love it man. I can appreciate this one from both sides of the table.
That's why fighter based characters are *boring*. All hack n slash. The class that DM of the Rings lacks is that of the great Rogue! Now that is a fun class to play.
I suppose Archers come fairly close.
You got to love the look on Legolas' face.
Chaosium Call of Cthulhu book keepers get to -really- have all the fun.
Players get to look forward to the following:
If you have to roll sanity, you're probably dead. If a machine gun is involved, you're probably dead. If you bring fire, you're going to die. If you go off alone, you're probably dead. If you go to sleep in any sort of strange surroundings, you're probably dead. If you read a book that isn't from the public library (And even some that are from there) you're probably going to go insane, kill your party, and then die.
And yet we almost always end up with someone who thinks they can play that game like Leggy does in the last panel. They're the guys who are told to have at least 3 extra characters ready to go at any given time.
So Darrett: what does not kill you in Call of Cthulhu?
Some of the sheep.
Brilliant and true. Get me through the horde of meaningless nearly-identical foes with as much expedience as possible please!
Oh, please, can we get out of the Battle of Helmsdeep already? It was interminable in the movie, and it's heading that way here.
(Love the comic, by the way, for all my whining. :->)
"Oh, please, can we get out of the Battle of Helmsdeep already? It was interminable in the movie, and it's heading that way here."-Stephanie
GAHHHH!!!! how can you say such blasphemous things!?!?!?!?!? The Battle of Helm's Deep was one of the few points in the movie where the tedium of the journey of those oh-so-lovable perepetual itinerants, Frodo and Sam, was broken! Much as I love hours of Elijah Wood, staring into space for hours, I still breathe a sigh of relief at the temporary respite granted by even the most drawn out battles.
But seriously, I love the movies, and watched The Two Towers just yesterday (though I had to pause it when I cracked up at Haldir's facial expression. Curse you Shamus, ruining the drama of such a beautifully acted movie!)
Oops, one to many "hours" there. Ah well… teach me to post hastily.
Is the DM using Rolemaster crit tables? XDDDD
Da Rogue: Hehe!
That's why fighter based characters are *boring*. All hack n slash. The class that DM of the Rings lacks is that of the great Rogue! Now that is a fun class to play.
I suppose Archers come fairly close.
This is not completely true i love being a fighter with cleave and going up against quite a few opponents. i love fighting when i'm outnumbered really gets the imagination going. Rogue is fun too but eh… too weak to do what i like to do, which is charge in and carve a bloody path ^_^ and archers are pretty fun to pick enemies from a distance or lure them into a choke point where the fighters are hiding behind a wall or something.
Three things to say today..
(1) I hate being in Australia, I'm almost never first to post :( Reading through 55 comments and a comic is great but time consuming..
(2) I have to disagree with Stephanie (Comment 51, Stephanie Says:
Oh, please, can we get out of the Battle of Helmsdeep already? It was interminable in the movie, and it's heading that way here.)
after Helm's deep it's all about walking, walking trees, walking through the halls of the dead, walking to minas tirth, walking to mordor.. walking walking walking walking (except, Gandalf who gets to ride a horse) so let's drag out this battle as much as possible.
(3) I hate to bring this up, STEVE, but i still have not recieved my shiny ring yet… is it in the mail?
oh sorry
(4) I love Legolassy look in the last shot too.. it's great.. reminds me of my archer character who loved making those called shots except mine were mostly… I shoot him in the back….hehehehe
Aww come on Stephanie! A lot of humor was IN the Battle of Helmsdeep itself! .. even in the movie.
Appreciate! ;)
"Oh, please, can we get out of the Battle of Helmsdeep already? It was interminable in the movie, and it's heading that way here."-Stephanie
Well, don't worry.
We're almost done, at a guess. The wall's been blown, and that means soon will be the retreat, and then Gandalf shows up. Whether we'll switch to Merry and Pippin before then, I don't know.
Oh, and they're finally going to get some levels. I'm surprised the player didn't drop to his knee and start praising God that he's finally going to get some EXP.
And after this, he'll soon get Anduril. The other players are probably going to hate him then.
You know that you don't get XP for monsters much lower level than you, right? ;)
Legolas pretty much uses the same vocabulary as I do at any fight! I allways shoot the opponent in the eye! (or at least I attempt to).
:D great comic once again
D&D 3.x has no called shots.
See Sean Reynold's article for a few reasons why:
You have all forgotten the rules of playing cuthulu.
1. never be the first in the room
2.Grab *ALL* of the books. don't ready or exam them until you have your psychologist ready.
3. You don't have to run faster then the Dybuka, just faster then your friends.
4. save the last bullet for your friends knee
The problem with Sean Reynolds article is the way armour is used in D&D and the wording "harder to hit". A good AC from armour means most of the blows a character takes in Combat will actually hit him, just not penetrate his armour, whereas a character who gets his AC from Dex dodges attacks and doesn't get hit at all. In theory though, when he does get hit, he should take more damage as he has nothing to protect him once a blow lands. Unfortuntely D&D doesn't work like that.
When the character whose AC comes from armour does get hit, chances are it was the more exposed area that took the blow. If Bronn's armour doesn't protect him (i.e. successful attack roll), there could be a percentage chance he took it in the face or his unarmoured legs. Perhaps armour coverage could be used to reduce or eliminate the effects of certain critical hits or something.
The armour AC doesn't work with hit locations as armour in D&D doesn't physically reduce damage from the blow. It either stops it totally or doesn't stop it at all. Bronns breastplate is not harder to hit than his legs, but it is harder to damage. To hit his breastplate hard enough to sunder it, you've got to bypass his weapon, hit it at the right angle and with enough power to break it. Bronn is probably also aware of the draft round his legs and has modified his fighting style to protect them.
A called shot should be particularly difficult during combat as instead of looking for any opening that appears you are waiting for a specific opening to appear.
Where called shots could be used would be in the role-playing section of the game rather than full battle mode. Kneeing a guard in the knackers to escape, throwing beer in the face of an opponent. Perhaps using some sort of saving throw or dex check.
This is one of the reasons I so love Earthdawn — armor reduces damage, and super-high hit rolls penetrate (ignore) armor. I believe GURPS may be similar, but it's just not as EPIC as Earthdawn.
There's a D&D variant rule that makes armour make a bit more sense by having some of it's AC bonus give DR instead.
Oh, and the "harder to hit" armour theory makes perfect sense considering what fighting in armour is like. You're aiming at the weak points at the joints. If you hit, you bypass the armour and deal full damage. If you miss, your attack glances away for no damage. With an unarmoured guy, it's much easier to just skewer him, but that shouldn't do any more damage than slipping your blade up the armpit of a guy in field plate, say.
This is, of course, based off of longsword versus plate. If you have a mace, you just bash clean through the plates. If the other guy is wearing maille, you just stab clean through it. Thus, the "armour as DR" rule is a good compromise, and a hell of a lot simpler than table upon table of weapon vs. armour modifiers.
I can't wait to see how you bring the other guys back into the story.
And I agree, Great selections for the panels. Especially Legolas.
"Da Rogue Says:That's why fighter based characters are *boring*. All hack n slash."
Oh come on! Only fighters can answer the great question: "What is best in life?" with "To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women. …
Hey, that's an idea! Maybe Frank will return to the game and want to play a barbarian. Then you can splice Conan shots in where faramir shots should be!
"The class that DM of the Rings lacks is that of the great Rogue!"
Well, now Shamus will have to bring Merry back; someone has to backstab the Lord of the Nazgul for a whole lotta damage!


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Fred wrote:I don't know, I just never could warm up to an rpm distro. I've tried but I never could get myself to like them.
I agree, as much as I respect Fedora and its community, just based on it being RPM I don't think I could ever use it as my primary OS. As you said, "Just can't warm up to them".


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Adult Introduction to Curling program (two sessions are held per year, starting in October and January).
These programs consist of eight - 2 hour sessions weekly held on Sunday late mornings. Our next program begins January 12, the cost is $80 per person, payment in advance required.
UK betting sites, view information for Sign Up Bonuses at bookmakers
Join now and claim william hill bonus - wbetting.co.uk


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DOJ Launches Crime Solutions Site
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs has launched a new website designed to provide credible resources to practitioners and policymakers about what works in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services.
The website, CrimeSolutions.gov includes information on more than 150 justice-related programs and assigns "evidence ratings" – effective, promising, or no effects – to indicate whether there is evidence from research that a program achieves its goals.
"We all have tight budgets today. CrimeSolutions.gov helps us take a 'smart on crime' approach that relies on data-driven, evidence-based analysis to identify and replicate justice-related programs that have shown real results in preventing and reducing crime and serving crime victims," said Assistant Attorney General Laurie O. Robinson.
CrimeSolutions.gov is a searchable online database of evidence-based programs covering a range of justice-related topics, including corrections, courts, crime prevention, substance abuse, juveniles, law enforcement, technology and forensics, and victims. The site is a tool to understand, access and integrate scientific evidence about programs into programmatic and policy decisions, according to OJP.
The new website is part of the Evidence Integration Initiative (E2I) launched by Assistant Attorney General Robinson in 2009. The Initiative aims to improve the quantity and quality of evidence that OJP generates; integrate evidence into program, practice and policy decisions within OJP and the field; and improve the translation of evidence into practice.
OJP, which Robinson oversees, provides federal leadership in developing the country's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims, according to the agency. OJP is composed of six units: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking.


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Keppinger was armed and ready for 16th
By Bill Chastain / MLB.com
"Yeah, that's what they said," Keppinger said. "They said Farnsworth's going to go one inning. I was coming up to lead off the next inning, so I don't know, maybe if we'd have gotten the lead they might have changed their mind and left Farnsworth in there. But they said I was going to get a chance to get in there and do what I have to do."
Keppinger actually went down to the bullpen and warmed up in anticipation of entering the game.
"I felt all right [warming up]," Keppinger said. "I was just trying to throw strikes, get the ball over the plate into the catcher's mitt."
Keppinger thinks the last time he pitched in a game came during his freshman year at the University of Georgia.
"I believe I got a save," Keppinger said.
Had Keppinger entered the game, he planned on doing some pitching.
"I was throwing everything I got," he said. "I wasn't just going to go in there and lay them in. I was going to compete."
When asked about his pitching repertoire, Keppinger noted: "I can't tell you. Then they're going to know if I get in there sometime."
Rays records struck down in 15-inning game
OAKLAND -- Monday night's marathon did not end the way the Rays would have liked, as they saw their two-game win streak snapped in a 4-3 loss to the Athletics.
The game also left a legacy for the Rays, who saw several records fall during the 15-inning affair.
For starters, it was the longest road game for the Rays in terms of time (5:09) and innings.
Rays pitchers set a club record by striking out the most hitters in one game with 21. This was the highest total of strikeouts in one game since the Athletics struck out 21 in a 9-7 win at Texas that went 13 innings. In addition, the combined total of strikeouts by both clubs (33) established a new mark for the Rays.
Rays pitchers struck out 29 hitters over their two games, which was the highest total in consecutive games.
In addition, the Rays added an odd note by becoming the fourth team since 1919 to have its pitchers strike out 20 or more batters in a game and walk 10 or more in the same game.
Entering the final game of July, the Rays have struck out a Major League-high 230 batters in the month, the most by an American League team since the 1964 Indians fanned 264 behind Sam McDowell's 44. Rays pitchers have struck out 10 or more batters in 11 of the last 16 games.
Conrad sent down, Lueke called up
OAKLAND -- The Rays optioned infielder Brooks Conrad to Triple-A Durham prior to Tuesday night's game against the Athletics and recalled right-hander Josh Lueke.
Conrad was hitting .172 with two home runs and seven RBIs in 24 games.
The Rays felt like they needed an extra reliever to help replenish the bullpen following Monday night's 15-inning contest.
"Right now, obviously after last night we're really concerned about the bullpen," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We've been in really good shape, and we're still in really good shape, but now is when you don't want to beat people up."
Maddon said when he talked with the front office everybody agreed that the Rays weren't "going to the dance without those guys being well and rested."
"The moment you start beating up the bullpen too badly, that's the part that's almost impossible to reproduce," Maddon said. "So, we thought we needed that extra arm to be protected."
Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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The Building Envelope
E S -071.-62Z/65Z, Call #????
Instructor: Steve Murphy
Fall '02, 1.0 Unit
De Anza College Distance Learning Center
Office Location: LCW-102
Phone: 408-864-8969 · FAX: 408-864-8245
Office Hours: M-Th, 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Fri: 8:30 -Noon
This new live video conference class is an overview of the building shell as the primary physical component of any facility which controls energy flow between interior an exterior of the building. The goal is to develop a quantitative and analytical understanding of the thermal performance of major building envelope components. Topics include walls, doors, glazing (windows), roofing and building skin as well as climatic responsive building design.
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A couple weeks ago, Broadway mama Marcia Gay Harden applauded fellow mom Kelly Ripa for the homemade cupcakes she brought to their school's bake sale. The two met again when both of their eldest babes graduated from sixth grade at a Manhattan school.
Marcia's daughter, Eulala Grace, proudly held her diploma for everyone to admire. The spitting image of her talented mama, the tween is blessed with thick wavy locks, a distinct smile, porcelain skin and her mum's exact nose. The darling daughter was dressed in black while mama rocked brilliant green and violet hues and held a bouquet of peachy keen roses for her celebrated lass.


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I found a good description [yale.edu] of PDD NOS since I hadn't heard that particular acronym before.
Good luck. As much as you've done for your family, I'm sure there's a special place in heaven for all of you.
Maybe we "different" folks should come up with some "disease" names for those people who socialize a lot forming a group-think, like they have "Tribal Bonding" syndrome, or something. That would explain politics and religion as a disease, possibly treatable. {grin}


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This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
British Social Attitudes Survey, 1983-1991: [Cumulative File] (ICPSR 3095)
Principal Investigator(s): Social and Community Planning Research
This survey is part of a continuing series designed to monitor trends in a wide range of social attitudes in Great Britain. The British Social Attitudes Survey (BSA) is similar to the General Social Survey carried out by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) in the United States. The BSA questionnaire has two parts, one administered by an interviewer and the other completed by the respondent. In the cumulative file, BSA data for the years 1983-1991, covering a range of social, economic, political, and moral issues, were merged. Demographic data included gender, age, education, occupation, income, marital status, and religious and political affiliations.
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Study Description
Social and Community Planning Research. BRITISH SOCIAL ATTITUDES SURVEY, 1983-1991: [CUMULATIVE FILE]. ICPSR03095-v2. Brentwood, Essex, England: Social and Community Planning Research [producer], 1996. Colchester, Essex, England: UK Data Archive/Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributors], 2008-01-23. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR03095.v2
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR03095.v2
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Subject Terms: attitudes, defense (military), economic conditions, economic issues, expectations, government programs, government spending, international relations, labor markets, morality, national economy, political issues, political participation, public confidence, social change, social issues, trends, values, voting behavior, welfare services
Geographic Coverage: Global, Great Britain
- 1983--1991
Universe: Adults aged 18 and older living in private households in Great Britain (excluding the 'crofting counties' north of the Caledonian Canal).
Under agreement with the UK Data Archive (UKDA), the data are disseminated as they were received, without additional processing by ICPSR. This agreement also provides that ICPSR will disseminate the data only for use within its member institutions. Persons from nonmember institutions may request these data directly from the UKDA.
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anyone have a stream? firstrow.tv doesnt have one and chanfeed cut off.
Giraffries is in and Douglas commits his second turnover. Here goes our early lead just as predicted.
Nice touch for Jared Jeffries, he's another big body who can play, WTF are they smoking?
Watch Jordan Hill kill us tonight..


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The PoliceOne Academy Receives Approval from Tennessee P.O.S.T.
SAN FRANCISCO – PoliceOne.com, the leading online resource for the law enforcement community, is proud to announce that the PoliceOne Academy, a comprehensive online training video library for law enforcement agencies, is now approved by the Tennessee P.O.S.T.
PoliceOne Academy courses will count for 24 hours of the 40 hour annual requirement outlined by the Tennessee Commission on Peace Officers' Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.). The Kingsport Police Department will serve as the flagship agency for the state by communicating directly with PoliceOne and the POST commission regarding any updates, changes and logistics. By utilizing PoliceOne Academy, Kingsport Police Department will effectively free up 2840 hours. An officer can then be assigned to patrol functions rather than out of service in a school. For more information visit the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission online at http://tennessee.gov/commerce/let/post/.
The PoliceOne Academy, which launched in January 2011, now serves more than 70 departments in 33 states and is in the process of securing more state certifications. It is operated in partnership with Calibre Press, the top provider of law enforcement training nationwide, including the Street Survival Seminar.
With more than 425 high-definition training videos from leading law enforcement experts, the PoliceOne Academy offers departments cost-effective access to top-quality police training for an annual subscription based on agency size. All 425 training videos are accompanied by detailed lesson plans, covering topics ranging from defensive tactics to leadership.
"We are excited to have this opportunity and look forward to leading the way with training and providing an example for others to follow," said Corporal Thomas Wayt Jr. of the Kingsport Police Department. "Our Training Division determined one of the most cost effective and strategic ways to deliver superior training was an on-line delivery system of up to date training topics available 24/7. After careful consideration, PoliceOne Academy was the outstanding choice."
Submit a request online or call (800) 323-0037 to get free preview access to the PoliceOne Academy for your department. To learn more about PoliceOne Academy, visit http://www.PoliceOneAcademy.com/.
To inquire about approval in your state, contact Nicole Forzano at (415) 962-8341.
About PoliceOne Academy
PoliceOne.com, the leading online resource for the law enforcement community, has teamed up with law enforcement training provider, Calibre Press, to bring officers PoliceOne Academy. PoliceOne Academy is the largest online training video library for law enforcement officers, and the first of its kind. With more than 400 videos in more than 50 categories, PoliceOne Academy gives departments' instant access to training that will advance officer's performance and help to keep them safe on the streets. PoliceOne Academy offers an advanced delivery system that ensures a high quality of streaming along with access to training materials 24/7.
Request more product info from PoliceOne Academy.
Thank You!


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Qatar mall fire evidence heartbreaking
The New Zealand parents of two-year-old triplets who were among 19 to die in a Qatar mall fire say it's heartbreaking the mall was allowed to operate when authorities knew parts of it were unsafe.
Two-year-old Kiwi triplets Lillie, Jackson and Willsher Weekes were among 13 children who died in the May 28 fire in the Gympanzee daycare centre in the Villaggio mall.
Gympanzee's co-owners, four mall officials and an employee of Qatar's Ministry of Business and Trade are facing charges over the fire.
The trial to determine criminal responsibility for the fire got under way on Thursday with witnesses, including civil defence officials, giving evidence.
One civil defence official told the court the mall had been fined several times for using a highly flammable paint in its decorations, which, when ignited, causes fire to spread quickly, Doha News reports.
The officials said the paint, coupled with cold air from the air conditioning, caused heavy smoke.
Sprinklers would have stopped the smoke, but they didn't appear to be working, an official said.
The triplets' father, Martin Weekes, said it was "negligence".
With a number of failures, he said "it's a real concern that the mall is still operating", he told 3 News.
His wife, Jane Weekes, said the fire shouldn't have happened.
"It's beyond heartbreaking to know that the authorities were aware that parts of the mall were unsafe, but continued to let it operate. That's horrific, it was such a needless thing to happen."
The trial will resume on January 3.
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Freshmen Challenged with Sustainability ProjectsSOCORRO, N.M. January 26, 2012 – The new Living/Learning Community program at New Mexico Tech is off to a flying start.
Specialist Susan Cordova said the pilot program with 39 students has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from the participants.
| The Living/Learning Community faculty team meets weekly to discuss integrating physics, math and engineering. From left are math professor Dr. Steve Schaffer, environmental engineering professor Dr. Frank Huang and physics professor Dr. Sharon Sessions.
The theme for this year's program is sustainability. During the first semester, the Learning Community students broke into teams and conducted audits of energy and water consumption in Brown Hall, South Hall and the Domenici Building (the NRAO).
"The students learned what information is needed to understand the efficiency of a building," said Dr. Frank Huang of the Environmental Engineering Department. "How energy efficient is Brown Hall? It's very inefficient. There are a lot of improvements that could be made to lower energy consumption and lower the bills."
The students surveyed buildings on campus to examine their energy efficiency and water use in the fall. During the current semester, the groups will build photovoltaic and wind turbine systems on the roof of MSEC and monitor their power generation.
"They have way more freedom than a freshman normally gets," Cordova said. "They're choosing from different types of solar panels and wind turbines, designing supports and determining where they should be placed on the roof. They're excited because they're doing real hands-on research. They have the freedom and the responsibility to take their success in their own hands by thinking through what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and how to do it. They're not following canned labs. They're learning to think critically, which is important for success at New Mexico Tech and in their future careers."
Cordova knows what it's like to be a new student at Tech. She earned two degrees at Tech – a bachelor's in psychology in 1995 and a master's in biology in 1998.
| Learning Community students pose with photovoltaic cells and a wind turbine during class Tuesday. Dr. Frank Huang passed out the components to student teams this week. From left are Marika Plugge, Vanessa McDaniel, Alex Mayer and Martin Listy.
The Learning Community students took three classes together during the fall semester: Math 103, Chemistry 109 and Environmental Engineering 189. In the spring, most of the Learning Community students are in another three classes together: Math 104, Environmental Engineering 189 and Physics 189. (Some students moved straight to Calculus I). Each course is linked with a research theme of sustainability.
Huang is leading the research project. He meets with math professor Dr. Steve Schaffer, chemistry professor Dr. Jeff Altig and physics professor Dr. Sharon Sessions to review the integration of science and math concepts into the practical application within the energy project.
"This is a research course, which is kind of unique because seldom do we have research courses for freshmen," Huang said. "We want to do a much better job in terms of integration of math, chemistry and physics early on."
This semester, Huang is teaching about photovoltaics, wind power and their practical uses on a residential scale. Students will select a system, then construct and install the system and monitor it for the second half of the semester.
"This is really exciting because I've wanted to do this for a long time," Huang said. "Look around campus and we don't use this energy at all – a few solar panels on campus and certainly no wind turbines."
Each of 10 teams of students will divvy up four wind turbines (vertical- and horizontal-axis) and six photovoltaic systems (monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film). The 10 groups will connect their energy-producing unit to a battery, which will power multiple 2-foot-by-3-foot greenhouses on the MSEC roof.
"They have to know quite a bit," Huang said. "In addition to the major equipment, they were given a budget. They have a choice to buy a tracker to track the sun, but that will deplete their budget and not allow them to do other things."
Additionally, each team will predict how much electricity they can produce and then design and build their energy-producing apparatuses. The winner will be the group that most accurately predicts the energy production of their design.
"The emphasis is hands-on," Huang said. "In our first class of the [spring] semester, I said, 'You were playing with toys last semester. Now we're playing with adult toys.' You can feel the excitement."
| Learning Community students spend much time together outside of class working on their mutual class projects. Above, Shawna Glover, Curtis Steele and Omar Hurab work on math recitations in Cramer Hall.
Cordova said the "toys" last semester included relatively inexpensive small HOBO sensors for light and temperature, and various instruments to measure the energy expenditure of plug-in appliances in the target buildings.
"Now they will be handling residential-size solar panels and wind turbines that are actually generating electricity," she said. "They impressed me last semester, and I think they can handle the responsibility and enjoy the experience and opportunity this semester. The added incentive that competition brings between groups adds even more excitement."
The Learning Community has another key component: a contingent of "Learning Coaches" – upperclassmen who sit in and aid the Learning Community classes and serve as tutors for the freshmen.
"These are successful upperclassmen who have several roles," Cordova said. "They're tutors in the evenings and they help with labs, but they also act as role models. They've gotten to know the freshmen and become friends and they've been mentors on how to succeed at Tech. Many of these freshmen have never had to study or do homework before. The rigors of the New Mexico Tech curriculum have been quite a shock to their systems."
Based on a survey of students, Cordova has learned that the freshmen consider the Learning Community to be an excellent way to meet friends and become acquainted with the campus community.
"They've found it extremely helpful to be right next door to each other," she said. "When they need help on a math problem, they don't have far to go for help."
The Title V grant funded the creation of a Learning Lounge in South Hall for LLC students. Cordova said the new space has been. The ease of finding help from fellow Living/Learning Community members and Learning Coaches have been critical components to the success of the LLC
"From my own experience as a Techie, I know how hard it is to ask for and accept help," Cordova said. "The LLC is meant to make this easier at the freshman level so that it will, in turn, be easier to ask for help at the sophomore level and beyond. That alone could increase retention and graduation rates."
The Learning Community program is funded by the Title V Undergraduate Grant from the U.S. Department of Education. That $3.4 million, five-year grant was awarded in 2009. Tech's goal is to create five Learning Communities, create five study labs and install 10 high-tech, interactive Smart Classrooms that will be available for all undergraduate programs, not just those within the Living/Learning Communities.
The 2012-2013 Learning Community program will be expanded to three cohorts. The sustainability theme will continue and two additional themes will be added: a computer science group and an Earth science group. The computer science students will create a new Android application specific to promoting learning productivity for all Tech students. The Earth science group will work with the theme of "Spaceship Earth," taking an interdisciplinary approach to studying how the planet works and how civilization depends on it.
Incoming freshman can apply to participate in the 2012-13 Living/Learning communities, regardless of major. Each LLC has a math requirement and the students must live in South Hall.
"We had our first official application for next year's Learning Community within 24 hours of posting the new information," Cordova said. "Word is spreading about the benefits of these types of student success programs, and this is very exciting.
"I've found that having been to Tech myself has been invaluable in relating to these freshman," she said. "It may have been 20 years ago, but I still remember how it felt. I wish Living/Learning Communities had been around back then."
By Thomas Guengerich/New Mexico Tech


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CelebStyle Giveaway: Win The L Word Look
CelebStyle Giveaway: Win The L Word Look The series finale was Sunday, March 8, and we're saying goodbye to the lovely ladies of The L Word. What better way to do it than with a giveaway? From now until Sunday, March 15, you can enter to win one of four designer dresses worn by one of your favorite actresses from The L Word. All you have to do is add a look of your own to any post on CelebStyle. Good luck!