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ADP Live From Disney World
Posted 03 August 2009 - 08:07 AM
We are headed out the door to EPCOT this morning. We want to stroll around World Showcase later today and take another whirl on the Kim Possible adventure.
Tonight we are going to the Polynesian beach to meet with fellow Polynesian enthusiasts. We plan on having Dole Whips. I'm sure it will remind me a lot of our May experience before the podcast cruise.
Last night we had our dinner at Boma. I must say, it was very good. The food, as you would expect, was very spicey. Kim and Anna loved the Mac & Cheese served at the restaurant. Quite honestly, so did I. Don't get me wrong, the other food was very good as well.
After we left Steve, Tara, Darby, and Kai (our friends) we headed for the Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom had evening Extra Magic Hours last night. They were open until 2:00AM, but we only made it until Midnight.
I took a couple pictures of Cinderella Castle last night. They are a little dark.
They did turn out rather spooky though.
One of the things we did last night was visit the character tent. Anna wanted to see the Princesses. We decided since the parade was going on we would see how long the wait would be. We only waited about 5 minutes. Since so many people were watching the Spectromagic parade we were able to breeze right through the line. If you ever want to experience an attraction with a long wait time just do it during a parade or fireworks. The lines are much, much shorter.
We may not be back to the resort this afternoon considering today's schedule. I'll have pictures and more from EPCOT and the Polynesian beach tonight.
Posted 03 August 2009 - 08:08 AM
queenofthehouse, on Aug 2 2009, 08:18 PM, said:
That's perfectly fine Maureen. Feel free to use any of them.
Posted 03 August 2009 - 10:55 AM
Posted 03 August 2009 - 10:22 PM
QuickGold, on Aug 3 2009, 11:55 AM, said:
It was good seeing you guys Matt. My chicken salad wasn't too bad. There were a lot of chicken strips in it. It was a very good portion. When I go back I'll probably get it again.
Posted 03 August 2009 - 10:38 PM
Hi Everyone,
We are back from a very long day at EPCOT and the Polynesian resort. It was a great day despite some rain we encountered later in the afternoon.
The crowds at EPCOT were moderate today for early August. By 1:00PM the heat and humidity started to reer it's ugly head. Typically, we would have headed back to our resort for an afternoon break, but because we had an informal meet planned at the Polynesian we wanted to just head over there after we left EPCOT.
We started our day in the club lounge where we enjoyed our breakfast. I got a few photos of the club lounge. I'll post the food offerings later this week.
After breakfast we took the bus from AKV to EPCOT. We arrived around 9:45 and immediately went to get fastpasses for Soarin. The return time was already at 1:25PM. No problem though, since we were going to be around EPCOT most of the day.
As I mentioned earlier, I felt the crowds at EPCOT were pretty moderate for this time of year. Here were a few of the posted wait times around Noon. The 100 minute wait time for Test Track is rather high.
While we were in the Land pavillion today I took notice of the hot air balloons at the top center of the pavillion. Have you ever noticed how they represent each season of the year Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. A very nice detail.
After we rode Soarin, Figment, and Nemo and got cooled off we headed to World Showcase to play Kim Possible. Our mission started in China. We did 3 missions in 3 different countires; China, Germany, and France. I thought Germany had the best mission of all the missions we've done in the past. I won't spoil it for you, so don't ask.
Here's where we picked up our Kimunnicator in the Norway pavillion.
On our way around World Showcase I had to stop in the France bakery for a Napoleon. It tasted just as good as the last time I had one in May.
This dessert is the bomb. I love them.
It started to rain so we decided to head for the front of the park. On our way past the International Gateway I snapped this photo of the landscaped spider near the back entrance of EPCOT.
We needed to catch the monorail from EPCOT to the TTC and transfer to the Magic Kingdom resort monorail. This was our way to the Polynesian. We love the monorail ride from EPCOT to the TTC. It's one of the best rides in all of Disney World.
When we arrived at the Polynesian we grabbed a quick bite to eat. We relaxed in the Great Ceremonial House until 8:00PM when our informal gathering would start behind the Hawaii longhouse on the Polynesian beach. The gathering was for fans of Disney's Polynesian resort called Tikifest hosted by Steve Seifert. We enjoyed having dinner with Steve and his family at Boma last night. It was one of the highlights of our trip. This Thursday night we will have an Illuminations dessert party at EPCOT. Tonight there were several give-a-ways and we got to meet several friends and new people.
The Polynesian is my favorite resort on Disney property. Despite the rain earlier today the clouds started to part and made way for a beautiful sunset from the Polynesian beach.
I was very fortunate tonight. I won one of the grand prizes. A hand carved wooden tiki almost half the size of me. It was carved by the same person who carved many of the tikis you'll find at the Polynesian Resort. It's something I'll treasure forever. Everytime I look at it I'll be reminded of Steve's family, Tikifest, and our 2009 trip to Walt Disney World. Thanks a million Steve!
Now...How do I get it home?
Today was a long and exciting day. Tomorrow we plan on taking it easy and staying close to the resort. Our plan is to sleep in, go over to the Kidani Village fitness center and workout, and then spend some time at the pool. Tomorrow night we are going over to the Boardwalk to eat, shop and take in some of the free entertainment along the way. It should be a relaxing day.
I hope to do a lot of this.
Next Up:
The Kidani Village fitness center
Photos of the Kilimanjaro Club food offerings
Disney's Boardwalk
Posted 04 August 2009 - 04:00 PM
We are back from our day. We took the walking path from Jambo House to Kidani Village. We used the fitness center, locker rooms, and spent a good chunk of the afternoon at the Kidani Village pool complex. The weather was pretty good today. The sun was in and out most of the afternoon, but we still got a lot of sun.
We slept in and then walked down to the club lounge for some breakfast. Afterwards we came back to our room, changed for the fitness center, and packed our pool bags.
We took the walking path between the two AKV resorts. Something new I noticed the other day during my run was new signage directing you to Kidani Village and Jambo House. On the signs there are questions about animals. When you get to the next sign you will find the answer. Pretty cool!
We arrived at the fitness center at around 11:30AM. The center has quite a few lifting machines and a decent amount of cardio equipment. There's also rows of barbells which we used to do some free weight lifting. The one thing we really enjoyed about the fitness center was the floor to near ceiling windows most of the way around the room.
Here are some photos of the fitness center
The locker rooms are located across from the fitness center. They are very nice; however, there's only 1 very large shower in each room.
After we finsihed our workout we changed and headed down to the pool area. We really enjoy this pool. It was crowded today. Kidani Village is only half open. I'm afraid when the entire resort opens this pool is going to be crowded all the time. There may not be enough personal space in the actual pool for everyone.
Water play area
At 2:00PM pool activities start. Some pretty nice prizes are awarded. Activities included hula hooping, chicken dancing, and bingo.
We left the pool around 3:45. We walked back to Jambo House. We are headed down to the club lounge for a quick bite to eat. Afterwards we are going to the Boardwalk. We'll probably stop over at Beaches and Cream for some ice cream later provided the weather cooperates.
More to come!
Posted 04 August 2009 - 09:59 PM
We had a change of plans tonight. Instead of heading to the Boardwalk Kim and Anna decided they wanted to see G-Force. So we headed to Downtown Disney. I had my eyes on a few things I needed to pick-up for our Labor Day meet in Indy. I picked up what I needed in the Marketplace.
Before we left for Downtown Disney we ate in the club lounge. The food offerings change each night, but are on a 7 day schedule. Here are some photos of the hot and cold food offerings served between 5:00 and 7:00PM.
Beer, pop, and milk are available in a small refrigerator around the corner. There is Bud Light, 2 African beer selections, and Heiniken.
One of the benefits of staying club level is daily maid service and evening turndown service. Even though DVC members are not supposed to get daily maid service and evening turndown service you get these benefits when you stay club level at AKV as a DVC member on points.
Here's our view from the 6th floor club lounge overlooking the AKL lobby.
I actually walked over to the West Side tonight. I had not been over there for a few years. It's changed a bit. During my walk from the Marketplace through Pleasure Island I saw a close-up of the new Characters in Flight balloon.
After the movie we caught the AKL bus from the Pleasure Island bus depot. When we got back to our room a package we had delivered from EPCOT yesterday was waiting for us. It was the poster we had made for Anna in the Kodak Imagination Labs.
Tomorrow morning we are headed over to the Animal Kingdom. We want to watch the Finding Nemo stage show and take a ride on Kilimanjaro Safaris. Tomorrow night Kim and I are headed to Narcoosees for dinner. Anna will be in the AKL kids club.
More to come!
Up Next:
Animal Kingdom
Photos in and around the Animal Kingdom Lodge
Dinner at Narcoosees
Posted 05 August 2009 - 07:49 AM
We are headed out the door for the Animal Kingdom. We hope to catch the Nemo show, ride the safari, and catch a ride on Expedition Everest.
I'll be back later with more.
Posted 05 August 2009 - 11:20 AM
Posted 05 August 2009 - 03:32 PM
Hi Everyone,
We are back from our morning/afternoon at the Animal Kingdom. We were able to travel to Rafiki's Planet Watch, ride on Kilimanjaro Safari, and experience the Finding Nemo show.
Our day started in the AKL club lounge. We enjoyed our breakfast in the lounge. The offerings include oatmeal, Quinoa, fruit, pastries, bagels, cereal, and drinks. Here are some photos of the food offerings for breakfast.
We arrived at the Animal Kingdom around 9:30AM. The crowds weren't too bad, but you could tell things would get crowded quickly.
We tried out the new centralized fastpass system. It's located next to the entrance to "It's Tough to be a Bug". We got fastpasses for Kilimanjaro Safari at the new fastpass station. Currently, you can only get Expedition Everest, Dinosaur, and Kilimanjaro Safari at the new fastpass station. There are signs telling you which attaction goes to which fastpass machine.
Matt, you guys should consider doing a WDW Today show about the new centralized fastpass system. It seems to have it's pluses and minuses. I wonder if Disney has some other reason for trying to implement a system like this.
Here's a photo of the new centralized fastpass station.
After we got our fastpasses we headed back to Africa where we caught the train to Rafiki's Planet Watch. Anna wanted to see some characters and experience the petting zoo. One of the things you will see while on the train to Rafiki's is a lot of the backstage area of the animal holding areas.
We caught up with the characters at Conservation Station. Rafiki, Jimminy Cricket, and Poccohontis were out.
We made our way outside to the petting zoo where we saw something kind of strange, but amazing at the same time. Some of the goats had hidden Mickey's and Minnie's cut out of their fur.
Hidden Mickey
Hidden Minnie
We left Rafiki's and it was time to use our fastpasses for Kilimanjaro Safari. Our wait was only 5 minutes.
During our safari we got very close to a few giraffes.
After the safari we walked over to the Theater in the Wild where the Finding Nemo show takes place. This show is worth the price of admission into the Animal Kingdom. It's very well done and very creative.
On our way over to the theater I snapped a photo of Expedition Everest in the distance.
After the Finding Nemo show it began to rain. We were planning on leaving the park anyway so we high-tailed it back to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We made our way over to the club lounge where I was surprised to see how extensive the afternoon snack offerings were in the lounge. There were 2 kinds of warm cookies, rice krispy treats, potato chips, trail mix, goldfish crackers, dried fruit, and drinks. The lounge also offers something called an African Smoothie; which I must tell you is very, very, very sweet. It's so sweet I can't even drink it. If you want a quick sugar rush go have a glass, otherwise avoid it all together.
Here's a photo of the afternoon offerings at the club lounge.
We are now back in our room. Tonight Kim and I are headed to the Grand Floridian for dinner at Narcoosees. This will be the first time we've ever dined there. We are really looking forward to it. Anna is going to be spending this time in the Animal Kingdom Lodge kid's club called Simba's Clubhouse. I'll have more about our experience later.
More to come!
Posted 05 August 2009 - 09:58 PM
(Lowell's Mom)
Mad, Mad, Mad about Disney!
May 21-28, 2013
Wilderness Lodge
Posted 05 August 2009 - 10:20 PM
We are back from our evening at Narcoosees. We had an incredible evening. Let me just say there are certain things that can happen at Walt Disney World that you will never forget, and for us tonight was one of them.
We dropped Anna off at Simba's Clubhouse around 5:45PM. We headed for the AKL bus depot and took the bus to the Magic Kingdom. We decided it was such a nice night we would take the boat over to the Grand Floridian. While waiting for the boat I snapped this picture of the Grand Floridian from afar.
We took the boat over to the Grand Floridian where it dropped us off right by Narcoosees. Actually, it was Kim's idea to take the boat. It was a great idea and saved us a lot of time. We checked in 5 minutes before our ADR time and we were seated within 3 minutes. We had a seat right by the window with a beautiful view of the Contemporary, BLT, and the Magic Kingdom.
We both ordered a glass of house white Chardonay. We started with an appetizer of fried calamari. Narcoosees specializes in fish selections so the calamari didn't disappoint. It was delicious!
For our main dishes Kim ordered the free range chicken with mashed potatoes and spinach greens on the side. I ordered the filet mignon with scalloped potatoes and green beans.
Here's a photo of my entree.
After we finished our entree we decided we would split a dessert. We both agreed the strawberry shortcake sounded refreshing so we gave it a try.
We finished our dessert and received our bill. The total bill with the 20% Tables in Wonderland discount and 18% grauity came to $107. I felt the meal was worth the price; especially the company.
As we left Narcoosees Kim suggested we take the walking path from the Grand Floridian to the Polynesian. So we took a leisurly stroll along the walking path. Some of you may know along this walking path is Disney's Wedding Pavillion. We decided to stop along the way and look at the pavillion from the outside. We were surprised to see the gate was open so we decided to go inside the gate. We looked inside the main entrance and unbelievably the front door was open and the lights were on in the chapel. No one was there and the theme song to Beauty and the Beast was playing through the speakers. I was literally overwhelmed. Here we were inside Disney's wedding pavillion with no one there and great music in the background. We shared some words inside the pavillion I'll never say on these boards, but they were very special to us. It was something I'll never forget for the rest of my life.
Here are some photos from inside the wedding pavillion.
After we left the wedding pavillion we finished our walk to the Polynesian. We took the resort monorail to the Magic Kingdom where we caught the bus back to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We had a great night. I couldn't imagine a better setting for our evening.
Anna had a great time at Simba's Clubhouse. The best compliment I can make for Simba's Clubhouse is Anna wants to go back tomorrow. I don't think that will happen, but it was nice to hear she had such a good time.
Tomorrow we plan to head back to EPCOT later in the day. Tomorrow night we have an Illuminations Dessert party planned in the Italy pavillion. We are looking forward to seeing many of our friends there.
More to come!
Up Next:
Illumnations Dessert Party
Posted 06 August 2009 - 11:37 AM
We are about ready to head out the door for today. We are going to EPCOT for the day. Tonight we are going to experience an Illuminations dessert party of the Italy pavillion. We are going to have a great viewing spot.
Tomorrow we are checking out of AKL and checking in over at Bay Lake Tower. Tomorrow night we are going to try the dessert party at the Magic Kingdom. Between the desserts tonight and tomorrow night we should be on a sugar high come Saturday. :lmao:
Our hope is to take our time walking around World Showcase today.
More to come!
Posted 07 August 2009 - 08:59 AM
Hi Everyone,
We got back late last night so I'm writing yesterday's experiences this morning. We stayed at EPCOT for EMH until 11:30AM.
Before we left yesterday to head to EPCOT we walked around AKL to see some of the animals and African art. AKL has the most extensive African art collection in North America. The centerpiece of the art collection is the head dress or mask. It's the largest in the world.
AKL also does a lot with story. Here's one example.
One of the centerpieces of activitiy at AKL is this firepit located out back. African storytelling can be found here each night with an African guide.
We left for EPCOT around 1:30PM. When we arrived we made a stop in the Art of Disney. I noticed a new experience guests can take advantage of in the store. You can have an artist sketch your favorite character and add a photopass picture next to it, have it framed, and matted. The frame and mat is $80 and the sketch is $35.
Here is the artist sketching Tow Mater.
Here's a look at the finished product from a different order.
Later in the day we decided to try and get into Chef's De France to see Remy and have dinner. When we walked up to the check-in desk at Chef's De France around 3:00PM they said they were booked for the day. No more ADRs were available. I decided to call Disney Dining. I was able to get the reservation we wanted for 5:10PM for a party of 3.
Here are some pictures from Chef's De France.
I had 2 appetizers. One was the french onion soup and a bleu cheese salad.
Kim had a baked macaroni and cheese dish
At 5:20PM Remy came around to greet guests dining at the restaurant. He is fully animatronic. He interacts with guests and is very cool.
Our meal was very good. I really enjoyed the french onion soup. Our total bill with the 20% discount and 18% gratuity came to $52. Not bad for dinner. We left Chef's De France very satisfied.
After dinner we walked around World Showcase and headed for Test Track. We had fastpasses to use. We also brought a change of clothes with for the evening dessert party and Illuminations viewing. The dessert party was very good. It was nice to see so many friends we haven't seen in a year or so. The desserts were very good. Unfortunately, because it rainied a bit earlier in the evening the dessert party was moved inside on the second floor in Norway. We ate dessert for about 45 minutes and walked to the Italy pavillion later to view illuminations.\
Sorry, this picture came out a bit blurry.
We stayed at EPCOT until 11:30PM. We did get to catch up with friends and take another spin on Test Track.
This morning we are checking out of AKL and moving over to Bay Lake Tower for 2 nights. We can't wait to check out the resort. This evening we are meeting a group of friends to have a Dole Whip at the Magic Kingdom.
More to come!
Up Next:
Checking into Bay Lake Tower
Magic Kingdom
Dole Whip Meet
Posted 07 August 2009 - 03:52 PM
Hi Everyone,
We've checked into Bay Lake Tower. This place is pretty nice. There are certain aspects of it I don't like, but to each their own.
They did a really nice job with the pool area; although I believe the actual pool is too small for a resort of this size. The other pool amenities are very nice.
We walked around the resort earlier and took some photos.
Here is a shot of our room. We are in a studio, and unfortunately ended up on the 1st floor with a view of Bay Lake.
I love the Mickey art over the bed.
We made a stop in Community Hall. It's a small Community Hall, but it has some nice things to do for kids and adults.
We made a stop at the founders fountain outside the back of the resort near the pool. Founding members are listed on the fountain base.
The pool area is very nice; especially the water slide.
The Cove Pool Bar
Water play area for kids
Finally, here is a shot from the 5th floor walkway leading to the Contemporary resort.
We are headed out the door for the Magic Kingdom. We are going to grab a bite to eat, have our Dole Whip meet with several friends. Later on tonight we are attending the Wishes dessert party over at the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station. I'll pictures of our evening later.
More to come!
Posted 08 August 2009 - 12:21 AM
We are back from our evening at the Magic Kingdom. We met our friends at Aloha Isle for a Dole Whip. We hung out for a good 2 hours catching up with our lives. It was great seeing everyone again.
When we arrived at the Magic Kingdom we were a little hungry so we stopped at Pecos Bills. We noticed the new chairs inside the restaurant without the backs. The only good I saw from the new chairs were they take up less space and the tops of the chairs have cushions so at least your bottom is comfortable. By the way, the fixings bar at Pecos Bills is still as good as ever.
We left Pecos Bills and met up with our friends at Aloha Isle. Kim, Anna and I were so happy to see everyone again. Kathy, Alicia, Jen, Kim, Shelly, and Liz thanks for coming out and seeing us.
Liz (Iwishfordisney) was missing from the picture. I took the photo after she had left. Sorry Liz.
We left Aloha Isle at 8:15 and headed for the Tomorrland Terrace where our Wishes dessert party would take place. This is a great spot to watch the fireworks; however, I think charging people for a premium spot maybe wrong. I know you get dessert, but it just seems Disney is manufacturing experiences based on location.
When we arrived the line was already about 30 people deep. We were given a wristband and section letter while we waited in line by a cast member. We were section A. They started letting people into the dessert area at 9:00PM. When we walked in our table was waiting for us with our name on a tag. We had 1 hour to enjoy our desserts. Once Wishes started at 10:00PM they pulled the desserts, but left the drinks out for guests to enjoy.
I thought the desserts were fantastic. There was a huge assortmant of desserts. Coffee, lemonade, iced tea, and milk were served with dessert. The party was totally worth it in my opinion. Good food and we didn't have to fight for a viewing spot of Wishes. We really didn't want to watch the Spectromagic parade because we were too busy eating dessert during the parade. Hearing the music was nice though.
Here are a couple photos from the dessert party.
The dessert table
The drink station
Here is what the Spectromagic parade looked like from our vantage point.
The view of Wishes was specutacular as you would imagine from the Tomorrowland Terrace.
We stayed at the Magic Kingdom until 12:30. It was very nice knowing we had a short walk or monorail ride back to our resort at Bay Lake Tower. We decided to take the resort monorail, get off at the Contemporary and walk across the sky bridge. A very nice way to get back. It took us about 15 to 20 minutes to get to our room.
Another great day in the books. Tomorrow we don't have much planned. We're hoping to enjoy our resort most of the day and possibly head to Hollywood Studios. We also plan on going up to the Top of the World Lounge tomorrow night. I'll have pictures from the 15th floor and the lounge tomorrow night.
More to come!
Next Up:
Our day at Bay Lake Tower
Hollywood Studios
Top of the World Lounge
Posted 08 August 2009 - 03:00 PM
Hi Everyone,
We are back from the pool. We were pretty wiped out this morning so we decided to sleep in. When we finally got up we walked over to the Contemporary for a bite to eat at the Contempo Grab and Go. We then headed out to the pool and spent some time in Community Hall.
Anna showed me a thing or two on the foozball table.
One thing about the room we have at BLT. The shower has tremendous water pressure. It's too much pressure really. If you ever saw the Seinfeld episode where the Super replaces the shower heads in Jerry and Kramer's apartment building with low flow shower heads you know what I mean. Jerry and Kramer go out and buy a black market shower head used in the circus to wash elephants. The shower head in our room is very similar to their circus shower head. :lmao:
Here is a photo of the bathroom in our studio.
One other small quirk about our villa is the bathroom sink is located outside the bathroom around the corner near the kitchen area. You need to leave the bathroom in order to wash your hands or brush your teeth. all of that is done near the kitchenette.
Here's a photo of the kitchen/sink area.
Tonight we plan on heading up to the Top of the World Lounge. We're hopeful to see Wishes from the observation deck and enjoy some of the food offerings.
More to come!
Posted 08 August 2009 - 11:28 PM
We are back from our evening. We decided to walk up to Chef Mickey's and try and dine there. Although we waited longer than we wanted we were glad we did it. Chef Mickey's was good as usual. We got to see several characters and enjoyed the festive atmosphere the restaurant offers. The food was above average; although we were pretty hungry so everything probably would have tasted good.
After we dined at Chef Mickey's we headed straight for the 1st floor of Bay Lake tower where we needed to check-in to be escorted up to the Top of the World Lounge. It's located on the 16th floor of Bay Lake Tower. They serve light appetizers and have a full bar.
Let me just preface what I'm about to say by telling you this place is pretty exclusive and has an upscale feel to it. There are 2 observation decks; one on the Magic Kingdom side which is pretty large and the other on the Bay Lake side which is not so large. You get a great view of Bay Lake and the pool from the smaller deck.
We arrived at the lounge around 9:45, 15 minutes before the start of Wishes. The lounge was suprisingly not crowded at all. I was shocked to see only 30 or so people viewing the fireworks from the observation deck. We felt pretty fortunate to be up there with so few people. I'm not sure why more people were not up there, but maybe not enough people know about it since the resort is only 1 week old.
Here are some photos of the lounge. It is very elegant, exclusive, and has an upscale feel to it.
The center chandelier is very unique and different
The bar area. The background of the bar has a beautiful monorail mural that you can't see in this picture, but during the day it is lit up by the daylight.
There is a private space for a large party to sit and relax with great pieces of Tomorrowland art on the wall
More seating areas
As I said we had the opportunity to view wishes from the observation deck. The view is incredible as you would imagine. Music for the fireworks is pumped in from the Magic Kingdom. Here are photos and video from our perspective of Wishes tonight. It was very special and very incredible!
Here are a couple videos of tonight's Wishes show from the observation deck.
I don't have the best camera for capturing video, but you'll get the idea of the view when you see these videos.
Tomorrow is our last day in Orlando. We've had such a great and memorable time. We are amazed how everytime we come here we seem to experience so many different and new things. This time there were so many special moments for us. I'll reflect on some of them in my final post, but for now we still have tomorrow. We plan on possibly hitting 1900 Park Fare for breakfast and then going over to the Magic Kingdom for a few last minute attractions.
Here is one last photo tonight of the chandelier as you walk off the elevator on the 16th floor of Bay Lake Tower. Another great piece that makes this resort special.
More to come!
Posted 10 August 2009 - 10:14 AM
I just wanted to let you know we are back home safe and sound. I haven't posted the final day of our trip yet, but will soon. Right now I'm getting caught up with work, sleep and life back home.
More to come!
Posted 11 August 2009 - 08:37 PM
Hi Everyone,
Sorry this is a bit late, but it was our last day so we wanted to get as much in as possible before our Magical Express bus pulled away from the Contemporary Resort.
Our bus was scheduled to depart at 4:30PM from the Contemporary so we still had the day in front of us. We decided to end our trip at 1900 Park Fare for breakfast. This is a character breakfast with Alice in Wonderland characters, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and Mary Poppins located on the 1st floor lobby of the Grand Floridian resort.
The Grand Floridian lobby
The loudest Mad Hatter I've ever heard!
The food on the buffet was very good. There was a station for made to order omlettes. My only complaint was there are apparent cutbacks in the food offerings. There was nothing to put on top of our scrambled eggs like cheese, and veggies.
The restaurant is very noisey; especially with the Mad Hatter running around yelling. The ceilings are very high so it seem to echo pretty heavily.
Our total bill with the 20% discount and 18% gratuity was $54 for 2 adults and 1 child. A little expensive for breakfast. Our service was ok, but this was the one time I regretted telling our server we had a Tables in Wonderland card. I really felt our service was affected when the server knew she would get the 18% gratuity.
We paid our bill and decided to head over to the Magic Kingdom. We arrived around 11:00AM and the crowds were starting to file in. The Magic Kingdom was crowded. Sundays seem to be a busier day in the week. On our way to Adventureland we saw the piano player (I forget his name) getting his piano ready to play near the entrance to Casey's Corner.
During our time at the Magic Kingdom we experienced Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Buzz Lightyear, the Laugh Floor, and our final ride of our trip was Splash Mountain. I was glad we got to experience it because we didn't get the chance the entire trip. It was a great way to end our vacation.
As we were exiting the park we discovered we had a little more time so we stopped for some soft serve ice cream. We tried the orange dole whip. It is very good, but the bottom line is it's orange soft serve ice cream. Maybe eating it at the Magic Kingdom makes it taste better. I'm not sure, but it tasted very good on a hot day.
Here's the menu at Aloha Isle. The orange soft serve is not listed specifically. You need to ask for it as orange soft serve.
We headed back to the Contemporary and caught our Magical Express bus out front at 4:30. Surprisingly we ran into another Kim when the Magical Express bus picked up guests at the Polynesian. She was on the same bus as us, so we were able to catch up on our trip as we rode to the airport.
As usual we had a great time. I can handle 2 weeks of Orlando theme parks anytime. The only problem now is getting back to real life. The last 2 days have been hard. I was getting so used to the parks I think I saw Captain Jack Sparrow in our break room at work.
I'll have some final thoughts about our trip in my final entry. Let me leave you with a few pictures we took during our trip I haven't posted yet.
Anna with a Morrocan fez hat
Doing the Chicken Dance at the Kidani Village pool
And finally, I say it's ok to exercise while on vacation! Core exercises.
More to come!


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, April 24, 2009, 12:00 AM
Town Square
Original post made on Apr 24, 2009
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, April 24, 2009, 12:00 AM
Comments (4)
a resident of Downtown
on Apr 24, 2009 at 10:15 am
The council majority (Hosterman, Thorne, Cook) who are approving child-based businesses outside of retail areas are driving downtown Pleasanton into the ground. And they are driving manufacturing/industrial businesses out of the area by approving these kid businesses in industrial areas.
I just saw where G.R. Doodlebug is closing its doors on Main Street. With all these approved children's businesses in industrially zoned Valley Business Park (aka "Romper Room" Alley) and Hacienda Business Park, no wonder Main Street is no longer viable and there are so many vacancies.
America can't survive if it can't produce anything anymore. No wonder businesses are outsourcing overseas when local officials are approving children's businesses in industrial zoning areas by calling them "trade schools." Give me a break! No wonder America no longer has a viable economy.
Sounds like McGovern, Sullivan and Fox are the only ones that realize the damage that these local decisions are doing to our economy.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Apr 24, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Stacey is a registered user.
Hrm, I somehow doubt that zoning laws cause consumers to stop spending.
I wonder if the City and Council has considered local currency as a way to help local businesses. We could get Claudette to help design it.
a resident of Ridgeview Commons
on Apr 25, 2017 at 1:02 am
Due to repeated violations of our Terms of Use, comments from this poster are automatically removed. Why?
a resident of Ridgeview Commons
on Jun 4, 2017 at 5:11 pm
Due to repeated violations of our Terms of Use, comments from this poster are automatically removed. Why?
Salami, Salami … Baloney
By Tom Cushing | 29 comments | 835 views
Holiday Fund raises $70,000 for 12 Tri-Valley nonprofits
By Jeb Bing | 0 comments | 146 views

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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.
Israeli Election Study, 2006 (ICPSR 20221)
Principal Investigator(s): Arian, Asher, Haifa University; Shamir, Michal, Tel-Aviv University
This study is one in a series of election studies conducted since 1969 by Arian and Shamir, investigating voting patterns, public opinion, and political participation in Israel. This study in particular was conducted during February-April 2006, prior to the elections of the 17th Knesset. Respondents provided their opinions on the general condition of Israel, handling of national issues, and the main problem facing the Israeli government. Views were also elicited from respondents in regard to the development of a peace agreement with the Palestinians to end the Arab-Israeli conflict, evaluation of Arab aspirations, and values in the possible development of the State of Israel. Respondents answered a set of questions regarding their support for the Kadima Party, the Labor Party, the Likud Party, and other political parties, their support for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz, Likud Party Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu, and other political leaders, and several combinations of political coalitions. They also gave their views on issues such as Jerusalem, terrorism, economics including their personal situation, social policy, foreign and security matters, state-religion relations, the positions of political parties, attributes of political parties and leaders, and factors that would affect voting decisions. Respondents were asked about media access, their participation in political discussion, their ability to influence government policy, their voting intention, their prediction of the results of the upcoming elections among political parties and coalitions, to provide an account of their past electoral behavior, and to answer knowledge questions about the government. Demographic questions asked of respondents included gender, age, self-definition of identity, religion, birthplace, immigration, residence, education, employment, monthly family expenditures, household characteristics, and left-right political self-placement.
Series: Israeli Election Study 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.
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup Stata Setup
Study Description
Arian, Asher, and Michal Shamir. ISRAELI ELECTION STUDY, 2006. ICPSR20221-v1. Tel-Aviv, Israel: Mashov Institute [producer], 2006. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2007-08-01. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR20221.v1
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR20221.v1
Export Citation:
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Scope of Study
Subject Terms: Arab Israeli conflict, attitudes, candidates, election forecasting, government, government performance, Israeli Knesset, Israeli Palestinian conflict, land ownership, mass media, national elections, Netanyahu, Benjamin, Olmert, Ehud, peace negotiations, political attitudes, political issues, political leaders, political parties, public opinion, religion, terrorism, voting behavior
Smallest Geographic Unit: state
Geographic Coverage: Israel, Global
- 2006-02--2006-04
- 2006-02-28--2006-03-23 (Pre-election survey)
- 2006-03-30--2003-04-23 (Post-election survey)
Unit of Observation: individual
Universe: A representative sample of the Israeli electorate residing in Israel.
(1) The fieldwork was carried out by the Mahshov Institute. (2) The data for this study are also available at the Israel Social Sciences Data Center Web site. (3) The pre-election survey was divided into two waves, as defined by the variable SEVEV in the data, where each wave consists of an independent representative sample of the electorate. The first wave (code '1') was interviewed between February 28 and March 14, 2006, and the second wave (code '2') was interviewed between March 13-23, 2006. (4) The post-election survey returned to 1,411 of the 1,919 respondents interviewed before the election. In the data, variables D5 through D40 comprise the post-election survey.
Sample: A stratified sample of Jews, Arabs, and former Soviet Union immigrants by geographical areas was used, and random sampling was done in each of the strata.
telephone interview
Extent of Processing: ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
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Original ICPSR Release: 2007-08-01
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text:
Prices, promotions, styles, and availability may vary. Our local stores do not honor online pricing. Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Lowe's reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted.
Thornless Boysenberry Small Fruit (L4598)
Item # 116856 Model # NURSERY
Image shown of mature plant; shop your local Lowe's for plants specific to your growing zone
Product Information
- Elongated, wine-red to black fruit
- Good cooked, frozen, or fresh
- Heat and drought tolerant
- Easy to grow and maintain
|Common Name
|Thornless Boysenberry
|Botanical Name
|Rubus 'Boysen'
|Light Requirements
|Full sun
|Plant Type
|Small fruit
|Cold Hardiness
|Zone 5 (-10 to -20 degrees F)
|Growth Rate
|Minimum Spacing (Inches)
|Plant Code
|Grow Together Code


text:
Palisades > Columbine Peak > Climber's Log
Columbine Peak Climber's Log
[ Sign the Climber's Log ]
|NE Ridge
Date Climbed: Sep 4, 2001
|Nice hike with L. Benkard.
|Posted Jul 15, 2016 1:25 am
|via Northeast Ridge
Date Climbed: Oct 24, 2015
|Great scramble, great rock, no scree. Camped at the lake southwest of lake 11388. Deviated from the ridge to the south near the top so as to keep the route class 3. Incredible view of the Palisades...
|Posted Oct 27, 2015 12:48 am
|Up SW Ridge, Down NE Ridge
Date Climbed: Jul 25, 2015
|Climbed mainly for a nice sunset view of the Palisades from the summit:
Up from Knapsack Pass (class 3 along ridgeline, looked like some class 2 down on the north slope, but probably still some mandatory 3), then down the NE Ridge after sunset (had to drop off to the south side of the ridge a couple times to avoid what looked to me, in the waning light, like class 4-5).
|Posted Aug 11, 2015 1:51 am
|NW Ridge
Date Climbed: Jul 15, 2015
|Agreed--this is Class 3, with possible 4th class lines on the edge.
|Posted Jul 18, 2015 6:45 pm
|NE Ridge
Date Climbed: Sep 6, 1987
|With Suzi & Dave Syracuse. Morning summit from Dusy Basin camp, before hiking back out to South Lake. Great view of the Palisades.
|Posted Nov 17, 2012 12:38 am
|NE Ridge - Class 3
Date Climbed: Jul 6, 1985
|Got stormed off of Isosceles Peak. By the time we got down to the saddle the weather had cleared. We continued on up the class 3 NE ridge of Columbine to the summit. Nice scramble.
|Posted Oct 6, 2012 11:30 pm
|Sarah Simon
|From Knapsack Pass
Date Climbed: Aug 16, 2012
|Grabbed this one on our way out of Palisade Basin camp. While some old guide book calls this class two, I don't see how that is possible. Totally enjoyable and sustained class three. LOVED the views, the diving board summit block and the 1962 summit register hidden below the summit "board" in an antique, metal Kodak can.
|Posted Aug 17, 2012 3:01 am
|Isosceles Saddle
Date Climbed: Sep 10, 1996
|On the way to T-Bolt with Duane.
|Posted Feb 27, 2012 12:51 am
|Northeast Ridge
Date Climbed: Aug 6, 2011
|Kept close to the crest and turned it into class 4 for part of the way. Beautiful day and fun scramble.
|Posted Aug 10, 2011 2:55 pm
Date Climbed: Jul 26, 2011
|Wandered up near Knapsack Pass, then traversed over to Isosceles, only to chicken out on the last "4th class" notch to the summit. Trip report
|Posted Jul 27, 2011 1:42 am
Date Climbed: Jul 21, 2007
|with Vendulka, up NE ridge, down SW ridge (screwed up the descent a bit), back to our camp in Dusy. Wonderful views.
|Posted Jul 25, 2007 2:18 am
Date Climbed: Jul 17, 2007
|Quick solo trip from Dusy Basin. Northeast Ridge (from Isosceles saddle) up and Southwest Ridge (to Knapsack Pass) down. I stayed true to the ridge as much as possible. It was a highly enjoyable Class 3-4 scramble; way better than anticipated. Unfortunately, the views were obscured by really bad haze that day.
|Posted Jul 23, 2007 3:08 pm
|David Senesac
Date Climbed: Sep 1, 1986
|Four of us up the erete from Knapsack Ppass. Much fun. Liked the huge talus blocks at the top. Also same day I took the pic that is the marquee image for nearby Isosceles Peak.
|Posted Feb 15, 2007 6:18 am
|Route Climbed: Northeast ridge. Date Climbed: July 24, 1986
|Great views and a fun climb.
|Posted Oct 6, 2005 4:36 pm
|Michael Graupe
|Route Climbed: Traverse from Isosceles Date Climbed: August 10, 2005
|Climbed with Matthew, Bob and Evan. Stayed on the more Class 2/3 side of the ridge. Still lots of fun with great views.
|Posted Sep 27, 2005 5:13 pm
|Bob Burd
|Route Climbed: Traverse from Isosceles Peak Date Climbed: Aug 10, 2005
|What Matthew said. Trip Report
|Posted Sep 16, 2005 12:48 pm
|Matthew Holliman
|Route Climbed: Traverse from Isosceles Peak Date Climbed: Aug 10, 2005
|Day 6 of the Sierra Challenge. Bob and I kept to the ridge--enjoyable fourth class in places, with tons of bail-out options to the class 2 terrain 20 feet to the left (one of which we had to take when the ridge finally became grainy, exposed fifth class for a bit near the top). This was more fun than Isosceles Peak, with some really good views too. Dusy Basin is beautiful.
|Posted Aug 17, 2005 1:34 pm
|scared climber
|Route Climbed: East Ridge (from Isoceles Pass) Date Climbed: 10-11-02
|A relatively easy scramble up from the saddle between Columbine and Isoceles. Great views, no wind, spent half an hour taking in the ambience with my brother and a good friend.
|Posted Oct 15, 2002 7:56 am


text:
Arthur lays out what is at stake for the organization this offseason. A snippet:
Or and this currently seems like the most likely scenario, though different people are anticipating different things Colangelos one-year option is picked up, and he does not fire Casey, and the whole can is kicked just a little further down what has become an obscure and lonely stretch of road. It would essentially be an admission that nobody had a better idea, the hell of half-measures. It is probably the worst available option, or very near the top.
And thats the question here, really. Why wouldnt you change? Why wouldnt you hand the keys to somebody else? Colangelos moves have felt increasingly squirrelly, from letting his heretofore secret advanced stats guy show the goods to Grantland.com to the Gay extension talk; he is doubling down, projecting confidence, engaging in PR.


text:
I don't know for the people in this forum. But, for me, I'm a figure skater and I begin to hate figure skating even if it was the sport that I like the most to do.
I think the new scoring system ensures that skaters do not take any risks and make all things easier. For example, women no longer try the triple lutz and replaced by triple toe / triple toe.
Also, I think it becomes redundant, the skater spins with the new system are not at all original, everyone does the same positions to get levels 4.
Really figure skating has lost its beauty, in the past, spins were much more perform to give style and elegance at the choice of music, today's skaters are no longer spins to properly interpret music . Skaters are spins to earn points even if the positions are ugly and they do not fit with the music.
The footwork are also much less interesting. Why skaters can not interpret their music as they want and can not put it the turn and the step like they want to.
For example this kind of skating is missing for me
You can really see that in the debut of the new scoring and in the past with the 6,0 system, that the skater was more free and skate more fabulous program because they try the difficulty and the footwork sequence and spin was simply art and beauty for being with the music.
It's sad because, I tell myself that if I begin to not like the sport, guess how the people who knew nothing about skating, how can they love our sport? Nowadays, the element in the program are completely redundant ... What are your thought? Do you think like me that the new system kill figure skating and is the reason why figure skating is less popular year by year?


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
I think the parts of the forum dedicated to home pizza making are great, but there are other areas which are designated for professionals--that's why I posted my original comment in "Shop Talk." I think one great thing about this forum is that some of the major contributors to the home pizza making areas have crossed over into become professionals. Look at Jeff Varasano, one of the early major home pizza making contributors to this forum who now is the owner of Varasano's Pizzeria in Atlanta. Look at Peter Taylor, also a significant contributor to the home pizza making areas of this forum and a great guy who I consider a friend, who is now opening his second pizzeria in the Atlanta area. These guys who started out as contributors to the non-professional parts of the forum are now professionals. I would hate to lose their insights just because they may have topics to discuss that apply more to professionals than to home pizza makers. Why not let the forum continue to grow and evolve? There will always be a major very important part of it dedicated to home pizza makers. I don't think that has to take anything away from a professional segment. In fact, the forum could charge professionals for posting ads for pizza makers and help fund the forum. That would only help the forum as a whole. I think this is an important topic for the forum. The growth of wood burning pizza in the US continues to explode. Some site in the internet will become the de facto source for pizza makers and restaurant owners to come together. Why not bring that energy here and benefit from it, while still promoting growing and robust non-professional parts of the forum?
There are a lot of people who join here(16,835 to date) but a great majority of them have never posted once and the others usually post couple times get an answer for something they were looking for and never come back which is lame. The reality is that there are probably 200-300 active members(most likely less) and out of that there are probably 50 that are constantly contributing(those are the ones with no lives :-Dj/k). Peter would be able to give a better number on the active members thing though.


text:
Believing that Kit's a boy, Cain offers the grubby rapscallion a job in his stable. But he has no idea what he's in for, and it's not long before the hero of Missionary Ridge discovers the truth. His scamp of a stable boy is a strong-willed, violet-eyed beauty who's hell-bent on driving him crazy.
Two hard-headed, passionate people, two stubborn opponents with tender souls - sometimes wars of the heart can only be won through the sweetest of surrenders.
©2001 Susan Elizabeth Philips; (P)2006 Recorded Books LLC
"Skillfully weaving issues of politics, power, slavery, poverty, and social class into the plot, this historical may not be what readers expect from Phillips, but her strong characters, lively humor, and excellent pacing are all there." (Library Journal)
There are no listener reviews for this title yet.
"Susan Elizabeth's great formula"
If you are a fan of SEP, you'll like this one too. I steered clear of this one for a while, since the historical romance thing turned me off, but when I eventually ran out of other SEP books, I downloaded this. It did not disappoint. Strong heroine who butts heads with an intense leading man -- all you would want from a SEP book. Sad that Anna Fields didn't narrate, but this reader sounded very similar and made the man's voice sexy -- tough to do. I highly recommend. It's nothing new, nothing particularly deep, but a tremendously good time.
"Not her best"
I did not care for this book. I only got it because it was the only one of Phillips I hadn't read. I wish I hadn't. I didn't like the characters, especially Kit, a spoiled brat. And I didn't like the setting--Post-Civil War America. It was too predictable.
"Gone with the Wind...NOT"
this seems to be an attempt to rewrite a "Gone with the Wind" type story - but it doesn't quite get there. A shame as the author actually writes well - but the characters are so tormented and angry all the time that you want to smack them. it drags on a lot about the main characters' relationship being strained - a lot of North South rivalry stuff - could have been a great tale, but I was so annoyed at the constant "misinterpretations" and unsaid thoughts and misunderstood actions, that by the end, which is predictable, I just said, "UGH! finally!"
the narrator did do a good job though, and that was probably why I stuck with it.
"It's great just not the greatest"
I disagree with most of the other reviewers of this book. I am a HUGE SEP fan, and this novel is one of the lasts of her novels I bought because of what the reviews say. As one of SEP's older novels it isn't exactly what you would expect, but it is still great! "Just Imagine" is a bit darker and has a little less humor than the other novels, the relationship between Kit and Barron much more conflicting and harsher than what we are accustomed to, but I found that the bad made the good so much sweeter! If you are familiar with SEP's books than listening/reading to "Just Imagine" you can see how it is the matriarch, the seed, that other novels and characters came from; Kit could be the great great grandmother of Blue from "Natural Born Charmer" and the plot line close to a combination of "Dream A Little Dream" and "Fantsy Pants". I have more appreciation for this novel having the sense that is was the start of so many other great things. "Just Imagine" will manage to make you feel every emotion...you will laugh, get mad, cry, and smile from ear to ear and is less predictable than most romances so you'll find it hard to turn it off. All in All, if you're already an SEP fan but are weary I'm telling u it's worth the credit, if your are new to SEP use your credits towards another one of her novels so you'll be sure to fall in love then come back to "Just Imagine".
"Good Story, Decent Narration"
I quite enjoyed the plot and the characters. The overall story was very good. I'm happy that I bought it, and happy to have read it. I enjoyed the narrator, and her accents overall were pretty good. My only complaint about the book is that it's riddled with historical inaccuracy. Not "literary license", but just small goofs here and there. For instance, in one part an older Southern Lady mentions "The Battle of Bull Run". No southern lady of that time would call it that. To Southerners, both during and after the Civil War, it was referred to as the "Battle of Manassas". It's a small thing, but there were several small things of that nature, and being a history buff, it annoyed me. Still, the story was tight, the characters were engaging (even the secondary characters) and the ending was satisfying.
"Liked it ALOT"
Just Imagine surprised me by being very entertaining. It is different than most of SEPs work, but the character development was very good and the narrator did a beautiful job. I wasn't going to download it because it was set post civil war, but I'm a fan of SEP's writing. Not sorry I purchased it. There were some surprises in it and I liked the secondary romance in this between Sephonia and Magnuss. If you are a SEP fan you won't want to miss this one!
"Another good one from SEP"
Not every book written about the North & the South has to be compared to "Gone with the Wind". I found this book to be an excellent tale of two people from opposite sides after such a terrible war. It has well written characters and holds true to the time era it was set in. I think SEP did a wonderful job. Of course, if you don't like books written about the N & S civil war, then maybe you should stay away from this tale.
"Big SEP fan... but this didn't work for me"
I have listened to almost all the SEP books that audible has to offer... and this one, set in the Jane Austen era just didn't work for me. sorry! big fan -- but don't waste your credits on this one.
There are so many great moments in this book. It took me several tries to get through the 1st chapter. I'd turn it on at night, then fall asleep after 5 minutes. Then I'd try again and couldn't stay focused on the story. This happened over and over. Why did I keep on trying? Because of other reviewers plus I've never read an SEP book that I didn't like. Finally, while on a walk I listened to the audio for 45 minutes without any interruptions. After that I was hooked. I really loved this book. I think it rates as SEP's best.
Kit was great. She was strong willed, strong tempered and determined throughout the whole book. She was a force!
This is credit worthy and an audio book I will be listening to again. I've recommended this read/listen to several friends looking for a vacation worthy listen. It is a super interesting, well written historical romance. There is enough in this book to keep you intrigued. There is lots of chemistry between the main characters as they develop and change and I'm so glad I listened to it!
"Very enjoyable..."
Historical romance at it's best. Narrator one of the best i listen to books everyday.. You can't go wrong with an SEP novel!
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text:
Rebuilt pitching staff foundation for improvement
Offseason focus on veteran hurlers expected to stabilize North Siders
By Mike Bauman / MLB.com
MESA, Ariz. -- Saying that the Chicago Cubs should be better than they were last season is something like saying that next month should be April.
But in the case of the Cubs, what is needed is something resembling that sort of March-becomes-April certainty. They are in Year II of a complete reconstruction. In order to rebuild they first had to deconstruct. That is what 2012 was about and the 101 losses were a painful result of the process.
The Cubs had some serious pitching deficiencies last season. They were 14th in the National League in team earned run average at 4.51. They were far from that bad at the start, but eventually they traded stable veteran starters Ryan Dempster and Paul Maholm, lost Matt Garza to an injury, then shut down Jeff Samardzija to limit his innings. Suitable replacements were not on hand in sufficient numbers.
In the offseason, the Cubs added some proven starting pitching, in Scott Baker, Scott Feldman and Edwin Jackson. They also added Carlos Villanueva, who has had success in both starting and relief.
Garza is out at the moment with a strained lat. Baker is coming back from Tommy John surgery. Cubs manager Dale Sveum said Wednesday that he expected Baker to be pitching for the Cubs by mid-April, and Garza to return by late April or early May. In the meantime, the Cubs can move Villanueva and Travis Wood into the rotation.
One way or another, this should represent considerable improvement for the Cubs rotation over what it was at the end of the 2012 season. The Cubs have also added reliever Kyuji Fujikawa, whose numbers in Japan became the stuff of legend.
When Sveum was asked if the Cubs pitching had improved "substantially" he responded: "Substantially, who knows until it's all done? But the one thing we're going to be able to do is we've got guys with track records, guys with stuff in the media guide, we've got guys who throw strikes. Last year, we had trouble with all those things.
"The youth we had to put out there, and guys not throwing strikes was a big thorn. Now we should have a bullpen that should throw strikes. Obviously, the rotation, they've all been there before, they've done it, we don't have to worry about the deer-in-headlights factors. We don't have to deal with that this year like we had to last year."
The Cubs made the largest commitment to Jackson, $52 million over four years. He worked five solid innings Wednesday, giving up just one run, in what became a 2-0 Cubs loss to the Rockies.
"It's definitely a start where you take it in a positive direction," Jackson said. "We have a couple weeks [of Spring Training] left. This is the time when people pick up the tempo and become a little more aggressive."
Jackson went on to describe the clubhouse atmosphere as "loose," said his new teammates were an easy group to get along with and predicted "a fun year" with everybody performing up to his potential.
The pitching moves are not the only improvement the Cubs have made, although the pitching improvements are typically the ones that can have the largest and quickest impact. A year of experience for stars in the making such as first baseman Anthony Rizzo and shortstop Starlin Castro, is a plus all by itself. The Cubs have added some quality and some left-handed balance to their lineup.
"On paper, we've filled some holes offensively, and we've got guys who have another year under their belt," Sveum said. "We're going to have four lefties in the lineup ... five possibly if [catcher Dioner] Navarro's in there, to where we can keep the line moving and get pitch counts up because you've got left-handers in the lineup. It won't be as easy of a lineup to pitch to."
There was more good news Thursday when Castro returned, briefly but successfully, from a tight left hamstring that had kept him out of action since Feb. 27. Castro repeatedly made the point that he wanted to play.
"I don't want to be in the training room my whole life," he said.
Castro may still be a work in progress, but at least the potential for his progress is truly significant.
It may be difficult to measure the intangible gains that have been made by the Cubs under the Theo Epstein/Jed Hoyer administration. It may very well be true that the Cubs are conducting themselves with more professionalism and playing with more accountability under Sveum's leadership. But that kind of thing tends to be obscured when the pitching doesn't hold up and the club goes 18-42 from Aug. 1 to the bitter end.
This is why the Cubs could use tangible improvement in their record. With the offseason moves they have made, improvement is likely. How that translates into more victories is never known before the fact.
If franchise management decides that progress isn't significant and goes back to trading established talent in return for a larger share of the future, then Cubs fans will once again have to immerse themselves in the concept of delayed gratification. These fans, already all too familiar with this concept, are looking for that joyous time when the better future suddenly becomes the present.
Mike Bauman is a national columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Johnson at peace with stepping away from game
By Corey Brock and Will Laws / MLB.com
SAN DIEGO -- Former Major League catcher Rob Johnson, who played for four teams over seven seasons, knew his attempt to get back to the big leagues as a pitcher would be a long shot.
"I really felt there were three things that could happen," Johnson said by phone Friday from his home in Austin, Texas. "I would do really well and get back to the big leagues. I wouldn't do well and get released or I'd get injured."
As it turns out, Johnson, 31 was right about the latter.
On Friday, he spoke for the first time since being told late last month that he'd torn the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow earlier this spring, thus effectively ending his career after he signed a Minor League deal with the Padres.
"I'm at complete peace with it," said Johnson, who played for the Padres in 2011. "I'm enjoying being at home with the kids."
This is the first summer Johnson has had off since the Mariners drafted him in the fourth round of the 2004 Draft out of the University of Houston.
Known for his superior game-calling ability, Johnson played four seasons for the Mariners (2007-10), one for the Padres, 2012 with the Mets and last season with the Cardinals.
He suffered elbow pain in Spring Training He rested and rehabilitated the elbow for three weeks before resuming throwing. Johnson was close to heading out to an affiliate, but felt pain again during a throwing session.
Shortly thereafter, Johnson was diagnosed with the torn ligament. He will eventually need Tommy John surgery, especially to play catch with his three children, ages 5, 3 and 2. He's also looking forward to spending more time with his wife, Kristan.
Johnson said the biggest thing he'll miss is the daily friendships he had with teammates.
"I'll miss the camaraderie of the guys. It's such a very small world in baseball," he said. "As a player, you go through a lot of pressures, pressures of the game, leaving your family to go play.
"But when you're playing in front of 30,000 or 40,000, and it's you against the other guy, each trying to put your best foot forward, that's a lot of fun."
Headley gets epidural to alleviate back pain
SAN DIEGO -- Third baseman Chase Headley had an epidural injection for his back Friday to help alleviate pain from a herniated disc, general manager Josh Byrnes said.
Headley was in the Padres' original lineup Friday against the Dodgers but was scratched four hours before first pitch.
"Chase has been bothered by a sore back. He's been playing through it. He's able to play. From the first day of Spring Training players get banged up," said Padres manager Bud Black. "We'll see where this goes the next couple of days. It's been affecting a little bit of his lower half as well."
Black indicated that he didn't think Headley would need a stint on the disabled list, which was a positive sign for a team that has first baseman Yonder Alonso (right wrist tendinitis) and second baseman Jedd Gyorko (plantar fasciitis, left foot) already on the disabled list.
Headley has started 27 of the Padres last 28 games and has two hits in his last 18 at-bats. Overall, he's hitting .200 with six home runs and 23 RBIs this season.
Alexi Amarista moved from second base to third base and rookie Jace Peterson got the start at second base in the first game of a three-game series at Petco Park.
Alonso admits he played in pain for a while
SAN DIEGO - First baseman Yonder Alonso spoke to the media for the first time Friday after being placed on the disabled list with right hand tendinitis.
After playing in every game since April 30, he had missed the team's games against Seattle on Tuesday and Wednesday before the move was made official Thursday.
"It's something I've been dealing with for a while," Alonso said. "I really can't tell you [how much], but it's been affecting me and I kept playing with it."
On Friday, he was wearing a small protective cast on his hand, which he also injured last year. He estimated he likely wouldn't resume hitting in the cage for at least a week.
"Just for right now, just to calm down I want to rest it as much as possible so I can come back strong," Alonso said.
Alonso is hitting .210 with five home runs, 15 doubles and 22 RBIs in 229 at-bats this season. While he's out, newly called up Jake Goebbert and Tommy Medica are expected to split time at first base.
San Diego manager Bud Black said the lefty-hitting Goebbert will make his big league starting debut on Saturday or Sunday against the Dodgers.
Short hops
• Pitcher Casey Kelly, working his way back from Tommy John surgery in 2013, is still at the team's facility in Arizona dealing with general soreness in his right elbow. The good news is that Kelly's ligament is sound, according to the organization. Kelly appeared in two Minor League rehab games, the last coming on May 19, before being shut down for a time.
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. Keep track of @FollowThePadres on Twitter. Will Laws is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Saltus Technology now offering digiTICKET
Electronic ticketing system designed to save time, promote safety
By Duane Wolfe
PoliceOne Contributor
Saltus Technology recently formed a new company after leaving MacroSolve and is marketing their digiTICKET technology for police applications. The system allows the officer to scan in the driver's license information, which is then automatically put into the ticket.
Offenses are selected from a drop down menu reducing the time needed to look up the offense on an old style "cheat sheet."
The system has a key pad to enter any other additional information that might be needed for the citation. Once the citation is finished the offender provides their signature which is captured by the device. The signature serves as an indication of the offender's receipt of the citation from the officer. The device then prints off a paper ticket which is given to the driver.
The ticket information is stored electronically resulting in a savings in paper and storage of a hard copy ticket.
The device also can take photographs for accident scene investigation and it has GPS recording capabilities.
One of the biggest advantages is the savings in time by officers on traffic stops. Police Chief John Bolduc of the Brainerd, Minn. Police Department stated that his officers are averaging a savings of around five minutes per stop using electronic ticketing versus the old pen-and-ticket book method.
That time savings benefits the officer as well as the offender. Bolduc also stated that with the use of the driver's license reader and key board there is no longer a problem with tickets being unreadable which results in a reduction of confusion and time lost down the line in the recordings keeping system.
Another advantage of digiTICKET is the time reduction in the traffic stop itself. With officers spending less time parked on the roadside the likelihood of an accident is reduced. The faster method of filling out the ticket allows officers to keep their heads up allowing them to concentrate on their surroundings and not focus on a time-consuming paper and pen ticket.
Saltus Technologies is dedicated to developing and marketing mobile electronic ticketing solutions to law enforcement, government agencies and private industry. You can find them on the Web at http://www.saltustechnologies.com/.
Duane Wolfe has been a Minnesota Peace Officer since 1988, serving as patrolman, sergeant, S.R.T., Use of Force and Firearms Instructor, and is currently employed by the Parkers Prairie Police Department. He is also a full time instructor in the Law Enforcement Program at Alexandria Technical College, Alexandria, Minnesota. Duane has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Bemidji State University, and a Masters Degree in Education from Southwest State University. Duance has previously published articles on Calibre Press and IALEFI and served on the Advisory Board for Lt. Col. Dave Grossmans book, On Combat. Contact Duane Wolfe.
Request product info from top Police Report Writing Software companies
Thank You!


text:
I'll be attending my first MOA rally in Salem, riding up from San Francisco. While I've ridden between Albuquerque and Seattle a number of times via scenic routes (usually up through the Rockies to Montana then heading west), I've not ridden a route from Oregon back to Abq. Any suggestions for non-freeway routes would be much appreciated.
(I'm a newbie on this forum but have been active on our LOEBMW & advrider forums for 6 years, and was club sec'y for a couple years until recently.)


text: Hello from another East Texas lady. I started quilting when I retired, so only about 8 years ago but I'm trying hard to make up for lost time. Moved from La Porte, Texas and the Painted Pony was one of my favorite quilt shops. Still go back and visit whenever I return to the old homestead. I'm mother of two, grandmother of lots of grandchildren and great grandmother of 3 beautiful grand children.


text:
DENVER – Colorado Parks and Wildlife is seeking input on the structure of the big game hunting seasons for 2015 through 2019.
Major issues that are considered during the big game season structure process include the number of seasons for each species, the overlap among different seasons, breaks between seasons and the beginning and ending dates of hunting seasons. The hunting preference point system and limited elk hunting units will also be discussed as part of this process.
"The five-year season structure is designed to provide sportsmen, hunting-related businesses, landowners and communities an opportunity to plan ahead for the upcoming seasons," said Craig McLaughlin, Terrestrial Section Manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Every five years, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission sets the big game season structure. This review process allows the Parks and Wildlife Commission to consider public input along with information from wildlife biologists and managers to shape the structure of big-game seasons for the next five years.
During the second half of February, Colorado Parks and Wildlife will hold 16 public meetings around the state. The closest meeting will be Feb. 26 at the La Plata County Fairgrounds Extension Building, 2500 Main Ave. Durango from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.


text:
Best Sasha vid evar!
Wow, it must be nice to be an older black guy with a huge dick that gets to fuck hot teen girls in hotel rooms.
Deeper meen
PERFECT!!! Nothing better than an 18 year old white girl fucking bbc!!!
Wow she is turning into a Jenna Haze now......
Does anyone know what movie this is from?
i would love to fuck sasha real hard..
i would love to hit that
17:01 that was very funny
She loves fat dick. More chicks need to get like her.
she definitely needs a big cock in her mouth just to shut her the fuck up...
she wuz on tyra and she said that the only reason she does porn is cuz iht feel gudd...iht could feel gudd but yuh dnt have 2 do iht on dha cam
Can anyone put this on in anything other than FLV as I can not watch these and I truley love this chick she is dirty and everything a man needs when needing to shoot his load!
she takes an absolute beating, and I loved every second of it
Wish should would shut the fuck up.
shes such a slut love her
Wish Sasha would fuck my cock!!
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text: And after IBM built it they tried very hard to keep Compaq, et al out from this Open Architecture. > Miller Ross wrote: >> <...> >> >> That said, we as an industry do owe Microsoft one significant debt. >> The standardization of Microcomputer hardware. > I am not so sure. Microsoft deals (at least dealt) with software, not > hardware. > I am not completely sure if there is someone who shall get the credit or > if it was just a coincidence that the PC the is the "winner". If someone > must get some credit, that shall be given to IBM and Donald Estridge. > Donald was responsible for building the PC based on an open architecture > and to use components (software and hardware) from outside of IBM. Open > architecture and off-the-shelf components made the IBM PC architecture > becoming the de-facto standard. > > I believe that these are the same fundaments of beowulf, why the PC grew > so much during this period, and a good example of how open standards > promote innovation. > > Ariel > >> Up until DOS the world was so fragmented it was impossible to launch >> anything in the software, or even specialized hardware arena using >> economies of scale. With the world standardizing on the PC platform >> with DOS stability and real desktop productivity gains became >> possible. Alan Greenspan addressed congress in 1997. Having watched >> the address I was personally impressed with his statement that the US. >> per-capita GDP was dramatically higher than any other nation at that >> time, because the US had a PC on pretty much every worker's desk that >> needed access to a PC. Microsoft brought the US that standardization, >> and those productivity gains. >> >> To the best of my recollection it went. >> >> U.S. 1.0 (normalized) >> Japan .92 >> Germany .87 >> UK same range >> and it went WAY down from there. >> >> That same low cost microcomputer is what we base our Beowulf clusters >> on today, essentially a more reliable beefier version of a desktop >> PC. Just as we don't want Beowulf to be overridden by 'adopt, >> assimilate, and expand', we should give the credit where credit is due >> that we are not using Commodore 64's, TI's, Atari's, or DEC- Rainbows >> as cluster nodes. >> >> Ross >> > > _______________________________________________ > Beowulf mailing list, Beowulf at beowulf.org > To change your subscription (digest mode or unsubscribe) visit > http://www.beowulf.org/mailman/listinfo/beowulf > Robin Harker Workstations UK Ltd DDI: 01494 787710 Tel: 01494 724498 _______________________________________________ Beowulf mailing list, Beowulf at beowulf.org To change your subscription (digest mode or unsubscribe) visit http://www.beowulf.org/mailman/listinfo/beowulf !DSPAM:461c1b3d19651246014193!


text:
Trim in New House
Over the last year, since Dec 20011, my wife and I have worked to complete all of the interior cabinetry and woodwork on the first floor of our new home. This has included ALL of the cherry cabinetry (including the raised panel doors), the house interior doors themselves, window and door jambs and trim, raised panel wainscot paneling, the boxed beams and hand rail. All designs are our own. The cherry wood for the cabinets we harvested from two dying trees on our prior property in Florida. The remainder of the woodwork is a mix of roughsawn and smooth pine to create contrast and a cabin-look for our country home.
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text:
Robbers Cave State Park
Wilburton, OK 74578
Robbers Cave State Park is located in the scenic, hilly woodlands of the Sans Bois Mountains of southeast Oklahoma. This...Learn More
Robbers Cave State Park is located in the scenic, hilly woodlands of the Sans Bois Mountains of southeast Oklahoma. This...Learn More
Roman Nose State Park, named after a Cheyenne chief, is one of the original seven Oklahoma state parks. Set amidst...Learn More
The Roman Nose State Park Golf Course is an 18-hole, par 70 course that offers sloping bent grass greens, Bermuda grass...Learn More
Roman Nose State Park features 11 cabins and Roman Nose Lodge features 22 guest rooms. The 22-room lodge,...Learn More
Sequoyah Bay State Park is a paradise for water sports and camping. It is located on the shores of Fort Gibson...Learn More
Sequoyah State Park, located in eastern Oklahoma on the shores of Fort Gibson Lake, is a haven for water lovers and...Learn More
This Floyd Farley designed 18-hole, par 70, 5,860 yard golf course offers Ultradwarf Bermuda grass greens, tees and...Learn More
The Snowdale Area at Grand Lake State Park is located on the shore of Lake Hudson and is a popular destination for...Learn More
Nestled on the western end of Spavinaw Lake, the Spavinaw Area at Grand Lake State Park offers a quiet, beautiful...Learn More
Talimena State Park marks the Oklahoma entrance to the Talimena National Scenic Byway, a winding road through the...Learn More
Tenkiller State Park is known as Oklahoma's "heaven in the hills." The sparkling blue waters of Lake...Learn More
The Twin Bridges Area at Grand Lake State Park is known for its quiet country atmosphere and excellent fishing for...Learn More


text: Given the scene in the last movie where Kirk's first name was arrived upon, umm exactly who was mommy's "love instructor" again? Icky That there could have been a rare occurrence Vulcan/Human "mule" in the form of Spock is one thing, that a wide variety of species could have children together is kind of loopy. Well they could drop their income below a certain point and tie into the social service system, there by effectively paying no taxes. Consider Sonak, while I do pay taxes, my government doesn't mandate what legal means I under take to earn that money. I am not assigned a job, nor required to live in a certain area to be reasonably adjacent to that job. Public transportation. No seat belts. Coercion isn't the deal-breaker, having to live in a socialist system would be. Hopefully the future Federation is free society, and not a socialist one. Okay, but it is matter of degree. At some point the level of "coercion" becomes unacceptable. My society forcing my activities and occupation would be far beyond that point, and a clear indication that the societies involvement needs to be drastically reduced. Better still, never allowed to reach that point in the first place..


text:
Rihanna is apparently too sick to sing again.
Live Nation announced that Monday night's show in Houston will not go on "as a result of illness," but the concert promoter stated that people should hang on to their tickets so that they can be honored at a later date.
Rihanna previously missed two dates on her Diamonds World Tour in March due to laryngitis.
PHOTO: Rihanna strikes a pose backstage with Amber Rose
There's been no explanation from Ri-Ri yet, the only tweeted missive today being a happy birthday message to her brother Rajad.
She reportedly attended a pal's birthday party at Marquee in Las Vegas on Friday, along with opening act A$AP Rocky and Snoop Lion.
Rihanna's tour is supposed to touch down in Dallas tomorrow.


text:
Fenland councillors scupper Lithuanian culture, arts and social centre following concerns over smoking and noise
PUBLISHED: 17:35 06 February 2014 | UPDATED: 17:35 06 February 2014
A Lithuanian teacher's plan to run a centre in March for festivals, children's workshops, drama, quiz and comedy nights and karaoke is in tatters after councillors rejected his planning application.
Rytis Gramantas has carried out the conversion work at Marcam House in Station Road, March, in the hope of winning permission but councillors went against their officers' recommendation and refused it.
One of the determining factors was a report prepared on behalf of Cambridgeshire Police which questioned where people using the centre would smoke.
"There has not been designated a smoking area for the premises within any information submitted with this application," said George Sykes, architectural liaison officer from the crime prevention design team at Cambs police.
"If this is likely to be the front of the premises on Station Road (i.e. the public highway) then this will cause a significant obstruction. It could also cause conflict with persons waiting to enter the premises or with members of the public traversing the footpath.
"If the smoking area is likely to be on the fire escape at the rear then noise may have to be considered in relation to adjacent residential premises."
His report, which also questioned crime and disorder prevention in the area and detailed crime in Station Road in the past year – 53 offences of which 17 happened during hours of darkness- was a deciding factor in councillors rejecting the application.
Although officers had recommended the application for approval – with a number of conditions - Fenland Council Planning Committee voted to turn it down.
However Mr Gramantas has been advised that smoking is a licensing not planning matter and may either resubmit the application or lodge an appeal.
March Town Council objected on the grounds that the balcony of Marcam House overlooked private housing and they also expressed concerns with respect to noise and drinking.
The committee also heard the council had received 18 letters of objections from residents concerned about late opening hours (till 2am on Friday and Saturday).
The new centre would have occupied the first floor of Marcam House above an amusement arcade, newsagents, barber's and betting shop.
Chief planning officer Graham Nourse told councillors: "The scheme would provide opportunities for meetings between members of the community who might not otherwise come into contact with each other."
He insisted the club would not have an "unacceptably adverse impact on neighbouring amenity, the vitality or viability of March town centre or the setting of the adjacent March conservation area."


text:
Title says it all. It's ok that these browsers on Nokia decrypt HTTPS, because they need to for proxy-proxy... but I mean, then inform your users about it.
I don't understand the technical side of all this, but what really bothers me is that these parties can decrypt data sent over https. Doesn't that mean that https is not secure and that it's a waste of time?
No. The decryption is necessary if you want proxy-compression of HTTPS requests. Opera Mini is a proxy browser: everything you request goes through one of their servers (meaning, they know your every request and could read all of it) so those servers can do some compression and save you bandwidth. Sometimes only HTTP will get compressed, but here Nokia's browser will compress everything for you, including HTTPS. The issue isn't so much that they do it, but that this is a default browser and doesn't say this very obviously to users.
If you trust that proxy, then you'd be as secure as before, though I suppose every time you add a party to a communication line, you increase security risks.
The next question would be, how secure are their servers and how long before they are hacked and passwords, credit card numbers etc, are hijacked?
Exactly. I suppose any proxy browser has this extra security issue. Also of course how much you trust the proxy machine owners themselves.
As I'm sure we each understand, this practice is never secure. Most proxies have decent security but not total security. If their proxy services are breaking down HTTPS data then all of this data is insecure. I will not use opera to do anything secure, nor will I use skyfire. If I can shut the compression off for fast browsing I'll have to look into if the HTTPS data is kept intact.
This is troubling.
Some proxy browsers only do HTTP, while others do both HTTP and HTTPS. You could choose which one you want.
It's not all Operas, it's specifically Mini. Plus any other Operas where you've chosen to turn on Turbo.
Not that Opera matters anymore, seeings how they are gone gone gone. They are webkit now. The monoculture is now almost complete.
Combining compression with encryption: offtopic but interesting https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=779413
This is referring to the HTTP "replacement" SPDY, developed by two dudes at teh googles. HTTP2 guys are now looking at something else for solving the compression problem because of these discovered these vulnerabilities.
Thanks... Then I'll be sure to turn off Turbo. Pisses me off though :eek: I wish they weren't gone, gone, gone as I liked them, but don't rely on them much any more
@Stomme_poes ; thanks for this interesting [ot] as it is interesting how one can exploit these vulnerabilities. Not so hard to exploit really!
No, it's neat how it's just a wee bit of python!


text:
"A signal achievement, a set of beguiling originals abounding with hooks, humanity and endearing quirks
. Spektor's fetching eccentricities aside, there's at least a handful of radio-ready singles here
. 'The Party' is just what it says, and then some. 'May I propose a little toast for all of the ones who hurt the most / For all the friends that we have lost,' Spektor urges over a stately brass arrangement. Rich in empathy, her sentiment is anything but cheap, despite the vantage point invoked in her album's title."Washington Post
"From the opening moment
Spektor enchants. On the first song, 'Small Town Moon,' her beautiful vocal range is buoyed by rock-heavy interludes and coupled with uplifting lyrics that give the song a surprising amount of depth
. 'Firewood' is a piano-based, love-soaked ballad where Regina really shows her strength, pulling at the heartstrings."Sian Watson, Associated Press


text:
This is supposed to generate and print a tic tac toe program which is seeded by the user's input. It generates the tic tac toe board by using a variable which is assigned to randomly generate either a 1 or a 2, which is prints as X and Y. My problems currently are getting the function "validBoard" to work properly.
validBoard is supposed to check whether or not the board is valid by checking the sum of the 1s and 2s. If the sum is out of the range 15 to 12 then it is invalid. When I run, it says every board is invalid, even when they aren't.
Code:<code removed>


text:
Anger Therapist
Cindy Kightlinger, CADC, LPC, LCSW
Christian Counseling-Mercy House of Meadville, Inc.
13180 Leslie Road, Ste. 2, Meadville, Pennsylvania
We have one staff member who has over 15 years in anger management resolution. Her approach is a 5 lesson treatment protocol to help a person understand the inner and intra-workings of anger. Cinda Bilinski, LPC uses a client-centered approach and employs comprehensive and evidenced based counseling material to help clients resolve anger and learn how to appropriately and healthily express anger without harm to themselves or others.
14724 is a zip code located in Chautauqua County and part of Clymer, New York. It has a land area of 74.304 square miles.  The population of 14724 is 2,540 people.


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 5:35 PM
Town Square
City installs Google search on Web site
Original post made on Dec 12, 2007
Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 5:35 PM
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Dec 12, 2007 at 6:07 pm
A Google search yesterday provided links into the Palo Alto web site, which had not happened in the recent past. Figured that something had changed, but given how uncommunicative the city was when the original web site was launched, trying to talk to anyone at City Hall about it proved difficult.
The fact that the Civica software was incompatible with Google's "crawlers" certainly should have been determined by the city prior to signing any contracts.
Guess the old adage "live and learn" applies here. (This is if the city actually learned anything.)
a resident of College Terrace
on Dec 12, 2007 at 6:51 pm
"Civica software was incompatible with Google's "crawlers"
And pundits are saying that Palo Alto should not sue Civica? Can someone tell me what enterprise - public or private - is served by not being able to be accessed by Google?
This is an egregious contract breach. Civica should be sent a demand letter.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Dec 12, 2007 at 7:28 pm
> This is an egregious contract breach. Civica should
> be sent a demand letter.
This is the City's fault, or at least, its lack of technical expertise is/was showing.
Even if the City had a claim, the legal fees alone would not make this worth the effort.
However, by removing the Civica code, the access to the other modules which Civica offered makes any future expansion of this site problematic without a lot of work.
a resident of Midtown
on Dec 12, 2007 at 8:34 pm
There's not much satisfaction in saying, "We told you so," when all the money has already been paid to Civica.
And yes, it is the city's fault. Civica provides plenty of information about its "capabilities" on its site, along with examples of cities using its software. If we had any web-savvy staffers, this would never have happened.
a resident of Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Dec 12, 2007 at 10:41 pm
Maybe we would have had some web-savvy staffers if certain citizens weren't always trying to nickel and dime city operations in a way that is penny wise, and pound foolish
a resident of Crescent Park
on Dec 13, 2007 at 2:55 am
I give them credit for making some progress. I searched for "my" heritage tree, and it showed up easily in the listings, plus, unlike the first edition of the web site, they now have the tree report and photos up.
Also I searched for creek monitor, and that showed up as the second result (google itself popped it up in first place.)
Lots more work to do, but they have done something. I suspect the reason they got no positive feedback is that people gave up on the site and haven't been visiting it.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Dec 13, 2007 at 8:55 am
Another 30 THOUSAND to fix this?? We're still being duped.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Dec 13, 2007 at 9:18 am
> Maybe we would have had some web-savvy staffers
> if certain citizens weren't always trying to nickel
> and dime city operations in a way that is penny wise,
> and pound foolish
City financing doesn't work that way. The City has a lot of money and IT people are well paid. This is a management issue that goes to the top of the management chain.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Dec 13, 2007 at 10:04 am
I would have done the whole thing for 25k. Nice work PA.
a resident of Adobe-Meadow
on Dec 13, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Palo Alto isn't learning a thing. Someone made out like a bandit. Maybe there is a connection between a decision maker in Palo Alto and the web design firm?
Who in their crazy mind would pay $500k for a stupid website? Even paying $25k is a waste. It is a website for a city, not a business. Files aren't being uploaded and downloaded by users, supply chains are not reacting to user data. Spending 5 figures for a website is crazy enough...but $500k?
The fact that no heads rolled or jobs were terminated at Palo Alto is a testament to apathy of Palo Alto residents. In Menlo Park (I'm on the border), we supported a recall of some Council members for buying into real estate and into a private business. While that is outright criminal, paying $500k for monkey work coding of a website is just insane.
I don't think we have any right to criticize those idiots in City Hall. We let them get away with it. There is no outcry. There is no angry letter writing campaign. You just gave them a blank check for another stupid project. Sorry for being harsh, but you know we deserve it for sitting on our hands.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Dec 13, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Search has hugely improved. Not only does the search take less than 10 seconds, it actually provides links. The old search used to return blank pages on the same keywords.
Now if the city would only replace the rest of the Civica CMS and use a non-proprietary content management system so they could rebid the website contract.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Dec 15, 2007 at 7:01 pm
It is interesting how naive the comments are in this blog. People want to focus only on things that don't work or mistakes City staffers make, but what about all the other things that work? Did your property value not stay up in the top in the current downturn? Yes, the school district has much to do with it, but it is not the only thing. What about all the community services offers? go search the beautiful websites of other cities and tell me which city offers a $22 million budget for such services. If you don't like what you get.......move!!!
a resident of Midtown
on Dec 15, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Maslow, perhaps you can start a thread to list items the government deserves praise for. That would be more constructive than suggesting your neighbors move rather than object to things they don't like.
Personally I doubt that "city services" are a huge factor in maintaining housing values in PA. But maybe I'm wrong. Which community services do you think are so stellar that they drive housing values?
a resident of Southgate
on Dec 16, 2007 at 1:36 pm
The search has vastly improved, sure. But it brings up quantities of irrelevant matter, unlike Google itself which usually has the most pertinent items right on top.
Look for something happening this week and you get 2004, 2002 etc.
The organization of the material is screwy. Usually not in time order.
And the introductory material was written for strangers or children. You have to page down through lots of useless text again and again to find something you specifically searched for.
And you can't find things that aren't posted. Whose job is that? The city calendar is useless unless you are looking for children's stuff.
For what audience was this thing designed?
a resident of Southgate
on Dec 16, 2007 at 11:50 pm
I was just searching for a meeting and the text says (several times) that the meeting will be televised on Channel 16. Is anything televised on 16? I assume they meant Channel 26.


text:
Documentarist Filmmaker Photographer — Editor of New Products & Services at American Cinematographer — Los Angeles — email@example.com — davidalexanderwillis.com
David Alexander Willis, Portfolio
David Alexander Willis, Photography
David Alexander Willis, Photography, Portfolio
Art / Design, Los Angeles
Art / Design, Los Angeles, Opening / Closing, Photo Gallery
Art / Design, Los Angeles, Opening / Closing
Music, Videos
Art / Design, Opening / Closing, Photography
Art / Design, David Alexander Willis, Opening / Closing, Photography, Portfolio
Los Angeles, Opening / Closing, Photography
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