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With the BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup only three weeks away, we want to update you on what's happening with the Stoke City squad.
On June 28, Stoke City secured its first major signing of the 2013-14 season by acquiring Dutch international defender Erik Pieters.
Stoke technical director Mark Cartwright said the team got value for their money by signing Pieters to a four-year contract worth 3.1 million euros. "We would have loved to sign an England international, but we couldn't have signed anyone of that ilk for that price," Cartwright said.
TICKETS: Watch the Dynamo and Stoke City on July 24 at BBVA Compass Stadium
Stoke City also announced the signing of Spanish defender Marc Muniesa on July 2. The 21-year-old joins the Potters with a four-year contract after rising through the FC Barcelona system. He becomes the second new signing by new manager Mark Hughes this summer.
Hughes believes the highly-sought after Muniesa will be an excellent addition to the Potters. "I know he's very highly-regarded in Spain and was attracting interest from clubs in La Liga but he's an ambitious young man and wants to test himself in English football," said Hughes.
Here is a slideshow of Muniesa's career with FC Barcelona.
Hughes appointed Eddie Niedzwiecki as first-team coach in June and Niedzwiecki looks to please fans by making Britannia Stadium the noisy fortress it has been in the past. He also expects to play in a different style than former manager Tony Pullis. Niedzwiecki will get a look at the players for the first time when they report for training on July 8.
In their pre-season friendly, Stoke City will host Italian club Genoa at Britannia Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 10. Hughes wanted to play at Britannia to get new players comfortable with the stadium before the start of the season.
The expansion of Clayton Wood training ground is close to completion. The Potters put in 6 million euros worth of updates in the facility in order to meet Category One status within the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP). Some of the additions include changing rooms, a classroom, a two-lane sprint tack and much more. The updates are expected to be finished before the start of the regular season.
Stoke City travels to Houston to face the Dynamo on Wednesday, July 24 at 8 p.m. CT.


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Few players have yet to make history against MLS's expansion Montreal Impact. However, Crew striker Tommy Heinemann holds a special memory of playing against the French-Canadian side.
While playing for the Carolina Railhawks in 2010, the St. Louis native sent the then-NASL Impact packing in the semifinals of the USSF Division 2 playoffs with a series-winning strike in the 89th minute of the second leg to put the Railhawks ahead 2-1 on aggregate.
The Crew hopes some of Heinemann's magic can rub off on his teammates as the Crew welcome the Impact to Columbus for First Kick 2012.

subset: commoncrawl


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Beth Behrs Straight Formal Updo Hairstyle - Light Blonde (Golden) Hair Color
Description(Added: 11th December 2013 )
These glossy blonde locks are pulled up, twisted then pinned to the top of the crown to create this fabulous style best suited to balance out a round face. The long blunt cut bangs are smoothed down to frame the top of the face and completes the over-all do magnificently.
- Hair Category: Formal
- Hair Length: Updo Long
- Hair Elasticity: Straight
- Gender: Women
- Face Shape: Round, Oval, Heart, and Triangular
- Hair Density: Thin/Medium
- Hair Texture: Fine/Medium
- Age: 21 - 30, 31 - 40, and 41 - 50
- Height: Any
- Weight: Thin/Average/Large
- Glasses: Without glasses suits best
- Styling Time: 30+ minutes
- Styling Tip: Allow up to 2 hours styling time for hot roller setting, teasing, pinning and spraying. This long lasting style is great for all occasions and all weather conditions.


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Catalog Home
Web Links
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1/5/2010 11:15 a.m.
- 11/18/2014 11:45 a.m.
Read-To-Me Storytime
This storytime is planned for 4 and 5-year-olds. It meets in the conference room. Stories and lots of fun. (older children are welcome to attend)
Return to Calendar


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Discover a selection of top forums geeks collecting on the internet. Come to share your passion on forums geeks collecting and meet other fans of geeks collecting. Then, why don't you create your own forum of geeks collecting ?
A forum dedicated to pipe smoking and related hobbies.
Collecting antique razors
razorhunters, #collecting, antique, razors
This site is for our HATR FAMILY to come to and visit with other Friends and Family. We are all about enjoying the outdoors. Hunting Target Shooting, Gun Collecting
home, range, this, site, hatr, family, come, visit, with, other, friends, about, enjoying, outdoors, hunting, target, shooting
Finest Vintage & Antique Radio Forum, for collectors, Hobbyist's, information, tutorials, links, Help, schematics, test equipment, tools, books. Trading and selling, Training, radio parts.
radio, repairing, forum, antique, radios, analyzing, restoration, repairs, collectors, hobbyists, transistor, tubes, condensers, coils, capacitors, transformers, vint
The place for real NFL fans to share their passion for collecting jerseys.
jerseys, paradise, jersey, #collecting, ebay, game, worn, used, american, football
Free forum : Blargaria - nation of nerds, geeks, gamers, otaku and goofballs


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does anyone know if the Heat are getting screwed over by two points? They went with the arena score instead of the other score
i have 0 hope in winning this right now.
wtf is lowry doing
Attack attack attack! Enough jump shots
never thought I'd say this bring back Jose.... and I am calling Amir bi-polar lol
Can you smell overtime loss......?
I like how DD is attacking right now
Demar looking good in the 4th. Hope this gets him back on track.
they have to take out lucas... Fields was playing good D on LeBron earlier
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Games soon! Even if they don't count! Games!
Last year around this time, I was in Port St. Lucie, along with my fellow Girls of Spring, having the time of my life. Today, Matty Cerrone and CrazyMetGirl, two of last year's PSL buddies, are there, but I'll have to skip the trip this year. Which is so sad! I'll miss Duffy's! And Tradition Field! And Hurricane Wings! And more Duffy's (because really, that's just the highlight of the trip, and now featuring Kevin Burkhardt, whom we love).
BUT. I'm still feeling pretty giddy. Sure, the season hasn't started yet. But baseball has. I can DVR Sportsnite again, and read a million updates on Metsblog, and see new footage of my favorites–Johnny Maine! Johan! David and Jose!–every single day, and soon…oh, blessed soon…there will even be spring training games! With our GKR team! I was in the Blind Pig yesterday (anyone who's read this blog for any length of time knows that's my favorite Mets bar hangout), and they greeted me like a long lost friend. "Will you play spring training games?" I asked buoyantly, "You know it," I heard in response. Games!
In truth, spring training games are tough to watch in full, but they offer such rare little thrilling moments, and–more interesting to watch–moments you may never see during the regular season. Beyond getting a first glimpse at a hot prospect or possible future unexpected star, you get to witness the experiments. Jose batting third (huh?), Daniel Murphy trying out 2nd (I'm hoping, just to see what he can do), erm…Luis Castillo not sucking (we're all hoping on that one). It's these little moments–these lab rat experiments–that I'm going to be keeping a keen eye on for future blog reports. Well that…and anything that'll make us all laugh, of course. Because when the games don't count and the pressure's at its lowest, that's when our boys can have some pure baseball fun.
And you know what? With the news and CNN broadcasting such bleak reports, with headlines everywhere spelling world doom? Good grief, I'm going to be so friggin' relieved to flick that button on the remote and just turn on my Metsies. Mets, you're back!
Make sure to keep an eye on Matty's updates from PSL as he reports top notch play by play of the spring training experience. And I'll see if CrazyMetGirl will let me post some of her pics, which I'm sure she will!
Here are some awesome shots of how Mike Pelfrey spent his off season. Congrats, Mikey!
And yup, if you guessed Daniel Murphy for last post, you get a gold star!


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Arsenal end trophy drought with FA Cup win
Arsenal ended its nine-year trophy drought on Saturday, coming from two goals...
AJ McCarron threw for 264 yards and four touchdowns as No. 2 Alabama earned a dominant 42-14 victory over top-ranked Notre Dame to capture its second straight BCS National Championship.
With the win, McCarron became the first-ever quarterback to win back-to-back
National Championships. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban recorded his fourth
title overall and third in the last four seasons.
McCarron completed an efficient 20-of-28 passes, while Eddie Lacy added 140
yards and a touchdown on 20 carries for Alabama (13-1), which captured its
11th national title.
T.J. Yeldon followed with 108 yards and a score on 21 carries, and Amari
Cooper finished with 105 yards and a pair of touchdowns on six receptions in
the victory.
Everett Golson completed 21-of-36 passes for 270 yards with a touchdown and
an interception as the Fighting Irish (12-1) were denied their first
undefeated season since 1988.
Notre Dame entered the game averaging 202.5 rushing yards a game, but Theo
Riddick, Golson and Cierre Wood combined to pick up just 32 yards on the
ground against Alabama's stout defense.
DaVaris Daniels paced all receivers with 115 yards on six catches in defeat.


text: John C. Ogden and Sandra Vargo Chris Humphrey and Jeff Absten James C. Hendee Cathy Woodey 20100719 SEAKEYS - Sand Key 2009 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and has continued until the present. This program, now being supported through NOAA's South Florida Ecosystem Restoration, Prediction and Modeling Program (SFERPM), implements a framework for long-term monitoring and research along the 220 mile Florida coral reef tract and in Florida Bay at a geographical scale encompassing the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). The network consists of six instrument-enhanced Coastal-Marine Automated Network (C-MAN) stations, cooperatively managed with NOAA's National Data Buoy Center, plus a proposed new one in northwest Florida Bay. These stations measure the usual C-MAN meteorological parameters, such as wind speed, gusts and barometric pressure, but are enhanced with oceanographic instruments measuring salinity, sea temperature, fluorometry and turbidity. The impetus for such a framework was the perceived marked regional decline in coral reefs and the critical need to provide data and options for resource management. Wind speed is in knots; barometric pressure is in millibars; wind direction is in degrees of the compass; temperature is in Celsius; -9 in the data set indicates that the parameter is unavailable 20090101 20091231 ground condition In Work Unknown -81.88 -81.88 24.45 24.45 CRCP Project Integrated Coral Observing Network (ICON) Project 1101 Integrated Coral Observing Network (ICON) Project 20399 ISO 19115 Topic Category oceans 014 CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus Numeric Data Sets > Meteorology CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Sea Level Pressure EARTH SCIENCE > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Air Temperature EARTH SCIENCE > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Surface Winds EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Optics > Ultraviolet Radiation EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Optics > Photosynthetically Active Radiation None Coral Reef Remote Sensing Physical Oceanography Coral Reef SEAKEYS C-MAN CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > North Atlantic Ocean > Florida Reef Tract > Lower Florida Keys > Sand Key (24N081W0012) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Florida > Monroe County > Sand Key (24N081W0012) None Florida Keys Sand Key Florida Florida Reef Tract CoRIS Region Florida None none James C. Hendee Ocean Chemistry Division, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meterological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mailing and physical address 4301 Rickenbacker Causeway Miami Florida 33149-1026 USA (305) 361-4396 Data has been reviewed and edited in attempt to remove unreliable values. none Air Temperature, Wind Direction, Max Wind Speed, Wind Gust, Wind Speed, Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) at the surface, ultraviolet radiation B, and Barometric Pressure are the only parameters available. Sea Temperature data not available. Data have been manually screened and erroneous values due to instrument malfunction have been noted and/or removed 201007 coral reef Coral reefs are wave-resistant structures resulting from cementation processes and the skeletal construction of hermatypic corals, calcareous algae, and other calcium carbonate-secreting organisms. ReefBase. 1997. ReefBase: a global database on coral reefs and their resources. Ver. 2.0. CD-ROM, ICLARM, Manila, Philippines. James C. Hendee Ocean Chemistry Division, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meterological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mailing and physical address 4301 Rickenbacker Causeway Miami Florida 33149-1026 USA (305) 361-4396 Downloadable Data Disclaimer- While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the limits of the current state of the art, NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. ASCII http://ecoforecast.coral.noaa.gov/index/0/SANF1/station-data none 20170329 20101207 Derek Manzello Ocean Chemistry Division, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mailing and physical address 4301 Rickenbacker Causeway Miami Florida 3149-1026 USA 305-361-4389 FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata FGDC-STD-001-1998 20101207082918 None 20090101 20091231 https://www.coris.noaa.gov/metadata/records/html/seakeys_sand_key_2009.html 6088


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"He soars through a collection of show-stoppers with a verve fueled by stinging articulation
sharply profiled rhythms, (listen to the stunning syncopations in the d'Albert), and a clarity of fingerwork that will leave you dazed
. Not even the studio accounts of the three Hungarian Rhapsodies that Wild made about a year earlier have the moxie of these truly rhapsodic readings."Fanfare
"Reveals the pianist as the dazzling master of velocity, the consummate showman who has never failed to be inspired to great heights by the presence of a live audience. That 'dazzleocity' (to coin a new word) is most apparent in pieces like Carl Maria von Weber's Rondo Brillante, Eugen d'Albert's Scherzo, and Moritz Moszkowski's Étincelles (Sparks), to say nothing of Felix Mendelssohn's 'Spinning Song,' in which the pianist brings out the subtle melody underlying the rapidly whirling circular figures. But we see also Wild's mastery in Gabriel Fauré's Barcarolle, a lilting 6/8 piece in which the relaxed tunefulness contrasts with dramatic episodes that give the lie to the hoary myth that Fauré was not really interested in the piano (of course, his music has not always had an Earl Wild to champion it)."Atlanta Audio Society


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A Dozen Duets for Everyone Everywhere
(Vol. 2)arr. Leonard Van Camp - Fred Bock Music
A Dozen Duets for Everyone Everywhere
(Vol. 2)arr. Leonard Van Camp - Fred Bock Music
A long-overdue follow-up to the very successful first volume, this marvelous collection is the perfect choice for church performances, weddings, funerals, joint recitals, contests, or just for fun. Contents: O Answer Me (Schutz); Ave Maria (Rameau); Eloquence (Haydn); There We Will Join Our Hands, Dear (Mozart); The Praise Of God In Nature (Beethoven); The Sabbath (Abt); Before The Door (Brahms); Funiculi, Funicula (Denza); All Hail The Power Of Jesus' Name; Grandfather's Clock (Work); A Capital Ship; Because You're You (Herbert). Those works originally composed in German or Italian are shown with original texts as well as English.
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text:
National Geographic Video on how the Mercedes SLS is constructedNational Geographic has an interesting video on the construction of the SLS and just what goes into it. It is a very, very high tech build. If you weren't impressed by the SLS before you may be impressed by just how much effort it takes to produce one. The aluminum chassis build itself is just amazing and the paint process and detail that goes into takes 30 hours alone. Check out the video.
This article was originally published in forum thread: National Geographic Video on how the Mercedes SLS is constructed started by Sticky View original post


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Hi guys, im planning to upgrade my current GT 220 1GB video card to Palit GTX 650.. Do you think that would be a good idea? Also, im gonna play games.
Games i would like to play:
darksiders 1/2
Fifa 13
and any other games today that is good. Do you think that would be enough? For now, i got GT 220 1GB video card its like 1 year old. Do you think this upgrade is worth it for computer? since i play games alot. Thanks guys.
my system specs:
4GB ram
Intel Core i3 3.4 GHz
Asus P8 HLE 61-M
Screen resolution : 1024 x 768 (or i might upgrade this too soon.)
Please tell me if you need to know more about my specs.
--And can you give me a tip on how much can i sell my video card for now? I want to gain slightly small bucks from it. heehehehehehe


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Theressa McMorris, MS, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
34 Public Square, Ste 2, Watertown, New York
Hi there! Harvest House is a safe, warm and confidential place for healing. We are passionate about our work. We are not a clinic; we are a place that cares for each person by name - not number.
13627 is a zip code located in Lewis County and part of Deer River, New York.


text:
Across virtually every industry and level of government, "going paperless" is one of the top technology initiatives – with accounts payable as a leading target area for the paperless projects of many organizations. Whether a company is looking for financial savings through a reduction in labor costs or the avoidance of payment penalties, improved accuracy of information for compliance purposes, better management visibility providing "actionable intelligence" or a variety of other reasons, the trend is clear.
Join Alfresco Partner of the Year, Zia Consulting, to learn about their experience using Ephesoft for intelligent capture backed by Alfresco's content management repository to provide an enterprise solution for Paperless Accounts Payable, with features including:
- Ingestion from paper, fax, email, or other electronic forms
- Classification and extraction without the need for manual separation or identification
- Enterprise workflow for processing of invoices
- Integration with ERP / Accounting systems
- Document and records management with Alfresco
The webinar will include a demonstration of Ephesoft IDC, along with specific customer uses cases from Zia projects.


text: So I"m 1\3rd of the way through the Q Continuum Trilogy.. Holy crap. I'm a Trek fan buy my knowledge isnt any where near the sheer amount of references, one liners and inside jokes these books have. What does everyone think about this book? I just finished the first one and the only thing I've learned is that Lem Fal is crazy, Barclay's still a dolt, the Calamarain are protecting the Barrier, and Q has obviously locked 0 inside. That's a lot of padding for a trilogy. Hope things pick up with Book Two.


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I keep a bottle of Fog Tech in the tankbag to deal with fogging glasses in the winter. It works.
I keep a bottle of Fog Tech in the tankbag to deal with fogging glasses in the winter. It works.
Salty Fog Rally 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014 And DRAT! Missed the last one in 2015!
-Tom (KA1TOX)
I tried contacts and found they dried out my eyes and irritated them significantly. I went back to glasses happily. I also use transition lenses so that I don't need dark glasses in the day time. I've had surgery on my eyes before, the experiance was not pleasant either time and I'd just as soon reduce the possibility of trauma to the only set of eyes I'll ever have.
DEFINITION OF A VETERAN A Veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life."
Author Unknown
I'm quite happy with progressive lens glasses that change with the light (Transition). Ride Safe
I've had progressives (bi-focals) for a couple of years now and really like them. I just re lensed an old pair of Ray Ban Aviators, which work well under a helmet.
Contacts are an indivdual choice, not for everyone maybe, but if you want to see all around there is no comparison. I have worn hard and hard gas permeable lenses for 32 years. I have severe astigmatism, take a high degree of correction, have kerrotconus (sp) and now wear progressive bifocal lenses. I have never had problems with the dryness or redness that everyone talks about here. There is no comparison to the correction I would receive with glasses, to my vision with contacts. I haven't had glasses as a back up either for the 32 years. I wear my lenses from when I get up until I go to bed and have worn them for two days at a time when needed. I work for a utility and when a storm hits sometimes you have to stay until it's done. If you think you want to try them do. Let the decision on if you are a good canidate be between you and your eye specialist. If you can find a doctor who specializes in contacts do, I think they have much better results than the places that have you come in the door and out with the lenses in an hour. As you can tell I wouldn't trade my contacts for anything and they don't prevent me from doing anything either.
The wife was trying a system whereby you wear only one contact for near sightedness. Apparently the brain gets used to this and so one eye is good for long & one for short distances. Sounds kinda screwey but apparently it works well for many.
There are quite a few people who do this, actually: one eye for distance, one for close up.
Many good points are made in this thread. Their diversity reminds me a lot of discussions on the forum site about the most comfortable seat, the best performing tire, the most protective oil, the best beer ..... etc. If we were all the same and of like mind, we would be a boring lot indeed.
So many factors (which are unique to each individual) influence success or failure of contact lenses wear. Some of them include:
Corneal sensitivity and contour
Eyelid contour, function and health
Normal/Deficient tear production and function
Potential lens-related allergic reactions
Nature of refractive condition to be corrected with the lenses and the lens type
Motivation to use and to properly care for contact lenses
Having fit contact lenses for some 32 years in my ophthalmology practice, I would estimate that 90+% of prepresbyopic (no near vision problems) persons are able to satisfactorily wear lenses. This drops to 60-70% in the presbyopic age range. And yes, there is a higher corneal infection/ulcer rate with extended (continuous) wear. The decision for such needs to be tempered by personal need and accompanied by scrupulous lid hygiene and appropriate lens replacement.
I am one of those unfortunates who is uncomfortable with any contact lens style. It would be more convenient to deal with a helmet without glasses but have found that the use of a Slik headliner makes putting a full face articulated helmet on pretty easy. Keeping the helmet in the garage so it is cool in the morning also makes fogging less of a problem. The Nolan helmet has very good air movement as well, although occasionally it helps to crack it open a bit.
'05 R1150 RT (sold)
Try Cat Crap, an anti fogging solution. It's available in ski shops everywhere.
RainX used to make some stuff called FogX that worked pretty well, too.
Dave Swider
Marin County, CA
Some bikes. Some with motors, some without.
Salty Fog Rally 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014 And DRAT! Missed the last one in 2015!
-Tom (KA1TOX)
I know it's not the answer your looking for but have you considered Lasik surgery? I wore glasses over 40 yrs. and never without them could see the largest letter on a eye exam. Two years ago my wife talked me into having Lasik surg. I was just speechless! Had this done on a Fri., the next day drove myself to the eye doctor was tested and had 20/20 vision.
As far as I'm concerned it has made my riding that much safer.
Thanks for all the responses.
I went to the eye doctor today and things did not turn out as planned. I have such small eyes, he was not able to put the contacts in my eyes. He said he has never had this problem before with anyone. He said they could custom make contacts to fit my eyeballs but they are hard type of lens and could possibly bother me especially if I am not use to wearing contacts. He said that I could try it and see what happens. If it did not work, I could get my money back.
I opted out on the contacts after all the trouble he was having. It is probably for the best. I have stigmatism. I am also legally blind in one eye. He was only wanting me to wear the contact in one eye because my other eye useless. I did not like that idea either.
No one has talked to me about surgery for my eyes... I am not sure if that would be something I would want to do.
Right now, glasses it is. At least I now know contacts will never work for me.
One last thought. I wore contacts for 25+ years. Except for my eyes drying out with extended wear, they were OK. But on a bike, they would dry out fast.
Now that I'm retired, I stopped wearing contacts and stay with my glasses. I did have a pair of prescription sunglasses made though. With the slightly oversize lenses, they protect my eyes when the visor is up (which was really handy during a recent close encounter with a pair of bee's). I carry my regular glasses (with the transition lenses) and swap them for the sunglasses as needed.
Eye surgery... I remember feeling the clamps holding my eyelids back.
Contacts for 25 years, then lasik 4 years ago.
20/20 in both eyes (eye exam last weeK)
Absolutely thrilled with my decision although I know this procedure is not for everyone.
One has to get used to the reading glasses though (I am 51)
My solution for the helmet is below.
Makes reading the Zumo a pleasure
Ufda happens..........
Need your R11xx Hall sensor rewired? PM me.


text: How Do They Make Decaf Tea, Anyway? Elena Popec (0) Decaffeinated, which is also commonly referred to as decaf tea, is tea which has undergone a decaffeination process of one sort or another that has removed most of its caffeine. There are many different processes of decaffeinating tea. There are processes that are dangerous and have been made illegal, and ones that are completely safe without any health risks. The different processes in use have an impact on the tea, and can affect its flavor. There is also a process today that still uses a possible carcinogen, so it's important to learn about the processes of decaffeination which are used on the tea you are buying. Different decaffeination processes used on teaCarbon Dioxide Carbon dioxide or CO2 decaffeination is completely safe, and it's extremely effective at removing caffeine. It's also excellent at preserving the flavor. It's the safest process that maintains most of the flavor. It uses highly compressed CO2 in gas form, which becomes a fluid under pressure. The only negative to this process is the cost; it's expensive.Ethyl Acetate Ethyl acetate is a compound that occurs naturally. It is found in fruits and it does occur in tea leaves, though in very small amounts. This process is completely safe, but removes a little more of the flavor compared to other processes. However, the ethyl acetate process is inexpensive.Methylene Chloride / Dichloromethane Methylene chloride, or dichloromethane, is possibly carcinogenic and it is toxic in large concentrations. It is an effective process and does preserve the flavors, but it's risky. This decaffeination process is legal in the United States and is regulated by the Food & Drug Administration. The low concentration left in decaf tea probably does not pose a large health risk, but there have been analyses of teas in the past which have had levels above the legal limit. It's difficult to find out which teas come from companies which use this process, as they generally do not make it known due to the negative perception about this process.Benzene Benzene is a process that has been banned and has not been used for a long time. It is a dangerous carcinogenic chemical that can lead to many health problems and is not safe to be used in a decaffeination process.TrichloroethyleneThis is another chemical that has fortunately been banned and has been ceased to be used. It is unsafe for decaffeination, and was banned due to studies showing that it causes liver tumors in mice.In Summary: Carbon dioxide decaffeination is the most preferred method. It's safe and preserves the flavor, though it's a little more expensive. Ethyl acetate is safe, but doesn't preserve as much of the flavor. But its decaffeination process is less expensive. Methylene chloride is legal, though it is a little more risky to use. This decaffeination process is regulated by the FDA. Other processes which were used in the past are trichloroethylene and benzene, which have been banned due to the health risks, and are no longer used. facebook twitter google+ email


text:
Five things to know about Sunday, Day 9 of the London Olympics:
Guess whos back? Usain Bolt wins again in 100-meter dash.
Oscar Pistorius out of 400-meter final.
Encore for Britannia! Andy Murray, Ben Ainslie win golds.
Winning Fight: Womens boxing comes to Olympics.
McKayla Maroneys mistake costs her vault gold.
Bolt crossed the finish line and kept running. The worlds fastest man was ready to celebrate, and the guest list for the party included a delirious crowd at Olympic Stadium.
Bolt pulled away from a group of the worlds best sprinters and won the 100-meter dash in 9.63 seconds on Sunday night, joining Carl Lewis as the only men with consecutive gold medals in the marquee track and field event at the Summer Games.
World champion Yohan Blake, Bolts training partner and Jamaican countryman, won the silver in 9.75 seconds, and 2004 Olympic champion Justin Gatlin of the U.S. earned the bronze in 9.79 seconds. Everyone in the final broke 10 seconds except Asafa Powell of Jamaica, who pulled up with a groin injury.
I executed, and thats the key, Bolt said. I stopped worrying about the start. The end is whats important.
Bolt celebrated his Olympic-record time with a few high-fives for some front-row fans, a kiss for the track and even a somersault. Thousands in the crowd chanted Usain! Usain! Usain!
Also Sunday night, Oscar Pistorius was last in his 400-meter semifinal a day after the double-amputee made his Olympic debut. The South African finished in 46.54 seconds, way slower than his career best of 45.07 and nearly 2 seconds slower than the winner of his heat, world champion Kirani James of Grenada.
James immediately walked over to Pistorius after the race and asked to trade name bibs to keep as a souvenir. The pair shook hands and hugged.
Hes an inspiration for all of us. What he does ... takes a lot of courage, just a lot of confidence, James said. Hes very special to our sport.
The champions included American Sanya Richards-Ross (womens 400 meters), Ethiopias Tiki Gelana (womens marathon), Kazakhstans Olga Rypakova (womens triple jump), Hungarys Krisztian Pars (mens hammer throw) and Kenyas Ezekiel Kemboi (mens 3,000-meter steeplechase).
This has just been the experience of a lifetime, said Richard-Ross, who cried after a disappointing third-place finish in Beijing. Ive dreamt about this moment for 20 years.
Britain picked up two more gold medals after winning six events during a banner Saturday.
Andy Murray cruised past Roger Federer 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in the mens singles final at Wimbledon, then added a silver medal in mixed doubles. Ben Ainslie earned another gold in the Finn class to become the most successful sailor in Olympic history.
Murray avenged a loss to Federer in last months Wimbledon final while becoming the first British man to win the gold in singles since Josiah Ritchie in 1908.
Ive had a lot of tough losses in my career, he said. This is the best way to come back from the Wimbledon final. Ill never forget it.
After trailing the entire regatta, Ainslie was spot-on with his tactics in the medals race and got a little help from the front of the fleet. He won his fourth consecutive gold and fifth consecutive games medal overall, eclipsing Denmarks Paul Elvstrom, who won four consecutive gold medals from 1948-60.
That race was certainly one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of my life, but thankfully I came through, he said.
The Olympics year of the woman hit another milestone when womens boxing made its debut in the games Sunday. The tournament began with 12 entertaining bouts featuring uppercuts, haymakers and footwork that all measure up nicely to the mens amateur sport.
Russias Elena Savelyeva won the first fight with a busy jab and strong combinations. U.S. lightweight Queen Underwood lost a close bout with Britains Natasha Jonas.
The crowd roared for every fighter, clearly enjoying the tight competition and disciplined styles of the worlds top female boxers.
McKayla Maroney was all set to add the vault title to her team gymnastics gold with the U.S. when she made a costly mistake. She appeared to land her second vault on the backs of her heels. Her feet slid out from under her, and she plopped on the mat, a look of shock crossing her face.
I really didnt deserve to win a gold medal if I fall on my butt, Maroney said. I was still happy with a silver, but its still just sad.
Sandra Izbasa of Romania won the gold, and Russias Maria Paseka took the bronze.
Britains Louis Smith and Hungarys Krisztian Berki finished with identical 16.066 scores on the pommel horse, but Berki got the gold because his execution score of 9.166 was .10 points better. A tiebreaker also cost Smith in Beijing, when he dropped from second to bronze on the same event.
Also, Zou Kai won his fifth career gold medal, defending his title on floor exercise. He already had one gold from Chinas victory in the mens team competition last week and has three more from the Beijing Games.
The rest of the Olympic action Sunday:
Serena Williams added another Olympic title when she teamed with sister Venus to beat Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4 in the womens doubles final.
Serena also won the womens singles tournament and is tennis first double gold medalist at an Olympics since Venus won singles and doubles at the 2000 Sydney Games. The sisters also won the doubles gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Third-seeded Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova of Russia took the bronze by beating the top-seeded U.S. pair of Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Diana Taurasi had 22 points, and the U.S. women matched their Olympic scoring record in a 114-66 rout of China.
The Americans 38th consecutive victory in Olympic play gave them the top seed in the group for the quarterfinals. The U.S. will meet Canada on Tuesday.
Angel McCoughtry scored 16 as the women equaled the 114 points they scored against Spain in 1992 but fell well short of the womens Olympic mark of 128 points set by Brazil in 2004.
France finished undefeated in pool play, beating Russia 65-54, and will play the Czech Republic in the quarters. Turkey meets Russia, and Australia faces China in the other matchups in the next round.
Beach Volleyball
Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor beat Italy in straight sets in the quarterfinals to remain on track for a third consecutive Olympic gold medal.
The Americans earned a berth in the semifinals against Beijing bronze medalists Xue Chen and Zhang Xi. The Chinese team has beaten the two-time defending Olympic champions the last three times theyve met.
The No. 2 U.S. womens team of Jennifer Kessy and April Ross also advanced, beating the Czech Republic 25-23, 21-18. The Americans next play reigning world champions Juliana and Larissa of Brazil.
The undefeated U.S. womens team lost captain and three-time Olympian Lindsey Berg to a left ankle injury during a straight-set victory over Turkey.
The Americans breezed through the second set and took a 9-5 lead in the third before Berg limped off the court. The setter removed her shoe, and a trainer wrapped the ankle in ice.
Berg said she didnt think the injury was serious, and she should be ready to play in Tuesdays quarterfinal.
Destinee Hooker scored 19 points in the 27-25, 25-16, 25-19 victory for the U.S., which had clinched the top seed in its pool.
China and Russia each posted five-set victories. Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Japan also won.
Water Polo
The United States will face Australia in a matchup of gold-medal contenders in the semifinals of the womens tournament.
The Americans beat European champion Italy 9-6 to reach the last four, and Australia moved on with a dramatic 20-18 win over China.
Melissa Seidemann scored three goals, and captain Brenda Villa added two more as the U.S. recovered from a 2-0 deficit.
Hungary plays Spain in the other semifinal on Tuesday.
Chinas Wu Minxia won the womens 3-meter springboard for her first individual gold and record-tying sixth career medal.
Wu led all but one round of the five-dive final, totaling 414.00 points. She tied retired countrywoman Guo Jingjing with six medals. Wu and partner He Zi also won the 3-meter synchronized title in London.
He took the silver with 379.20, giving China its sixth diving medal of the games, including five gold after sweeping the synchro events.
Laura Sanchez Soto of Mexico earned the bronze at 362.40.
Lasse Norman Hansen of Denmark won the gold medal in the mens omnium following a crash in one of the six races of the event.
Hansen hit the wooden boards in a curve after connecting with the rear wheel of Briton Edward Clancy in the scratch race but was uninjured and got back on the track.
He managed to rejoin the peloton after regaining a lap and finished sixth at the line. Hansen then produced a big effort in the 1-kilometer time trial to win the inaugural Olympic title in the multidiscipline event with a total of 27 points.
Bryan Coquard of France took the silver medal, and Clancy was third.
Lin Dan led the way as China swept all five badminton gold medals at the Olympics, defending his title by beating Malaysian rival Lee Chong Wei 15-21, 21-10, 21-19 in mens singles.
When Chong Weis final shot landed long, Lin sprinted around Wembley Arena until he was tackled by his coaches.
A short time later, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng won the mens doubles final to complete Chinas golden sweep. They defeated Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen of Denmark 21-16, 21-15.
Saudi Arabia leads the standings at the equestrian team show jumping competition after a first day dominated by a veterinarians decision to disqualify a Canadian horse.
The Saudis had just one penalty point and were followed closely by the Netherlands, Britain, Sweden and Switzerland, all with four penalty points and tied for second.
Canadian horse Victor, ridden by Tiffany Foster, was disqualified by competition veterinarians for hypersensitivity in the left front leg. This left Canada without a drop score in the competition where the best three scores out of four riders count.
Greco-Roman Wrestling
Hamid Soryan was the first Iranian to win a gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling, taking the mens 55-kilogram division.
The five-time world champion beat Rovshan Bayramov of Azerbaijan 2-0, 1-0 in the final. Peter Modos of Hungary and Mingiyan Semenov of Russia won bronze medals.
Russias Roman Vlasov, who hails from the same Siberian town that produced wrestling great Aleksandr Karelin, beat Armenias Arsen Julfalakyan 1-0, 1-0 in the final of the mens 74-kilogram category.
Lithuanias Aleksandr Kazakevic and Azerbaijans Emin Ahmadov won bronze medals.
Field Hockey
Teun de Nooijer marked his 450th match for the Netherlands by scoring in the 36th minute to help the Dutch mens team to a 3-1 win over Germany.
Bob de Voogd and Mink van der Weerden scored the other Dutch goals as the Netherlands became the first team to qualify for the medal round.
Britain staged a thrilling comeback to draw 3-3 with No. 1 Australia, scoring three second-half goals. Belgium and New Zealand drew 1-1, meaning neither team will advance to the knockout round.
Pakistan beat South Africa 5-4, and South Korea defeated India 4-1 with three late goals.
Montenegro squeezed into the quarterfinals of the womens handball tournament when it tied Russia 25-25.
Katarina Bulatovic scored seven goals for Montenegro, which advanced thanks to Angolas 29-26 loss to Brazil.
Brazil already had secured a spot in the quarterfinals from Group A, while Angola was eliminated.
Croatia defeated host Britain 37-14, and Ryu Eun-hee scored 10 goals for South Korea in its 32-28 victory over Sweden. Britain finished the tournament without a victory.
Spain and France also won.


text:
Basic Information
Name: Sasuke Uchiha
Nickname: [email protected],Sauce or Uke(By haters) Lord Sasuke(By some Fans)
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Looks: Sasuke is a fair-skinned ninja who has onyx eyes and black chin-length hair. His hair is spiky in the back with bangs that lengthen as the story progresses. As a young child, his bangs hung above his eyes. Later, they would hang on both sides of his face to roughly frame his cheeks and later again return to their original style. Sasuke is considered quite handsome as most girls near his age become very infatuated with him. He wears a white long-sleeved shirt, similar in appearance to the lavender long-sleeved shirt worn by*Kimimaro*and which was open at the torso, with a smaller version of the Uchiha crest on his collar. He wore dark blue pants with a blue cloth hanging from halfway up his stomach to his knees. He also wore black arm-guards that covered his forearms and stretched up to reach his upper biceps. He also wore a purple rope belt around his waist, tied in a bow, in which he carries his sword.
Personality: Constantly, he remains composed and unconcerned with the situation at hand. Even when pressured by enemies like Orochimaru or Deidara, he showed no emotional build up; ironically, acting much like his older brother and only getting worked up when it involved Itachi. Despite getting stronger, Sasuke seemed unwilling to needlessly kill in his quest for revenge displaying that he still had some morals left.*Sasuke, however, retained his habit of underestimating his opponents
Village Info.
Village of Birth: Konoha
Village of Alliance: N/A
Rank//Chakra Info.
Ninja Rank: S-Class Ninja
Elements: Fire(Up to C rank),Wind(up to C rank),Water(Up to D rank)
Your ninjutsu:
Cloak of invisibility Technique
Chakara Cost:5
Damage Points:N/A
This technique allows a ninja to take a cloak or a piece of cloth and blend into an object, making them invisible.
Body Replacement Technique
Chakara Cost:5
Damage Points:N/A
This jutsu lets the user quickly switch places with another nearby object, such as a plant (normally a section of a log), an animal, or even another person within reach, the moment an attack hits.
Clone technique
Chakara Cost:5
Damage Points:N/A
This technique creates intangible copies of the user. The clones are simply illusions and will dissipate when they come into contact with something.
Rope Escape Technique
Chakara Cost:5
Damage Points:N/A
Description:A basic jutsu taught at the Ninja Academy, this jutsu allows a ninja to free themselves if they have been tied up.
Transformation Technique
Chakara Cost:5
Damage Points:N/A
Description:This jutsu allows the user to transform either themselves or another object into the appearance of another person, animal, or object.
Sexy Technique
Chakara Cost:5
Damage Points:N/A
Description:The Sexy Technique is simply a Transformation Technique used to transform the user into a beautiful, nude woman in a very seductive posture with either mists of smoke covering her chest and groin, or in a bathing suit.
Background Info.
History:Sasuke is the second and youngest son of the*Konoha Military Police Forcecaptain and Uchiha clan head:*Fugaku Uchiha, and his wife*Mikoto. Mikoto named him after the*father*of the*Third Hokage*in hopes that he would grow up to be a great ninja like his namesake.[4]As a child, Sasuke grew up in the shadow of his older brother,*Itachi Uchiha*who was an acknowledged prodigy viewed by the Uchiha clan as a genius, and whose work would further strengthen the bonds between the village and the clan. Sasuke's father in particular took an active interest in Itachi. Itachi, on the other hand, was rather ambivalent and full of oddly conflicting undercurrents, acknowledging Sasuke by taking interest in his progress as a ninja and spending time playing with him when even their father did not. Even after Sasuke enrolled in the*Academy, he was still unable to escape Itachi's shadow.[5]*Despite consistently scoring at the top of every class, Sasuke failed to receive any recognition from his father, who defined Sasuke's success only in terms of his older brother.[6]*Itachi acknowledged the rivalry Sasuke felt telling him: "We are brothers. I am the wall you must climb over, so you and I will continue to exist together." Nevertheless Itachi deeply cared for his younger brother and Sasuke looked up to Itachi, wanting to be more like him. On one fateful night, Itachi*slew every member of the Uchiha clan, sparing only Sasuke, saying that he was not even worth killing. In addition, Itachi told him, "You've always wanted to surpass me. That's why I'm going to let you live… if you wish to kill me, then hate me, despise me… and by all means flee, cling to your wretched life." Itachi also revealed to Sasuke where the*secret meeting place of the Uchiha*was hidden, and suggested that Sasuke go there to learn what the true history and purpose of the*Sharingan*was. He told him that "to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan," he "had to kill the person he was closest to", and that "when we battle, we should have the same eyes". Sasuke thought he had fainted after this, but later remembered that he had managed to stand back up, awaken his Sharingan, and pursued Itachi. When Sasuke first met*Naruto Uzumakiin the Academy, they were matched tospar*against each other. Naruto was excited at the opportunity to defeat Sasuke and become popular like him, but he was easily beaten. By looking at Sasuke's eyes, Naruto realised that they were so filled with hatred that it seemed that he wasn't even looking at Naruto. When*Iruka*told them to make the reconciliation seal, they both refused.Up until his graduation from the Academy, Sasuke remained a loner and never acknowledged Naruto's attempts to defeat him, considering him a hopeless dead-last and as such, someone not worth his time or energy.
Theme Song and Background Music:
Won: All
Lost: None
This is to replace Juugo. Sorry buddy.


text:
front page
List of Americans Abroad
Friedel is sent off from Villa's 5-0 rout at hands of Liverpool.
Howard, Everton are on the upswing in English Premier League.
Bradley helps Gladbach mount effort to escape relegation.
Donovan to wrap up Munich tenure and rejoin Galaxy in MLS.
Healthy after long recovery, Spector is recording playing time with West Ham.
Foul tackle leaves Beasley bruised, but apparently not sidelined.
Bradley scores tying goal in Gladbach's 1-1 draw at Bremen.
McBride, Beasley stay put as transfer window closes.
McBride could return to Fulham of EPL, Altidore moves.
Friedel posts two shutouts for Aston Villa which defeats Portsmouth, ties Doncaster.
Beasley, Edu struggle for playing time for Glasgow Rangers.
Donovan scores, looks strong in pair of Bayern Munich exhibition wins.
Altidore's effort at Villareal has Everton eyeing a loan deal.
Rovers' loss is gain for Aston Villa as Friedel leads upward EPL surge.
Onyewu's future with Standard is up in the air as club ponders transfer.
Dempsey finds net twice, late header for Fulham stuns Chelsea in 2-2 draw.
U.S. under-20s Bernardo, Nazzani refine their trade in Italy.
Adu gets first start for Monaco in Cup loss to PSG.
With Friedel in net, Aston Villa couples UEFA Cup advancement with EPL success.
Howard, Onyewu face off: Standard, Everton draw in UEFA Cup.
U.S. players have seen their numbers dwindle in English Premier League.
Beasley helps Rangers get off to good start.
Americans Abroad
(Wednesday, April 08, 2009) -- Maurice Edu scored his first Scottish Premier League goal and his United States midfield teammate DaMarcus Beasley was injured in Glasgow Rangers' 2-1 road victory tonight over St. Mirren.
In the 19th minute, Edu rose above everyone else in the penalty area, out-jumping defender Stephen McGinn to head home a corner kick for a 2-0 Rangers lead, his first tally for Rangers.
Andy Dorman, a Welsh midfielder who played four seasons (2004-07) for Major League Soccer's New England Revolution, scored in the 56th minute to get St. Mirrin close, but Rangers held on for the much needed victory
It was a difficult night for Beasley, who was carried off on a stretcher off in the 10th minute after a heavy collision. He returned to the field, but left for good in the 16th minute and was taken to the hospital to evaluate a rib injury.
Edu and Beasley got to start because of the absence of suspended Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor, plus Lee McCulloch, injured on Sunday. Ferguson and McGregor were sat down after being suspended from their national team.
On Sunday, Edu entered in the 76th minute of Rangers' 1-0 win at Falkirk. Beasley did not play.
Rangers are in second place at 20-4-7 with 67 points, three points behind Glasgow Celtic (21-3-7).
It was back to the bench for striker Jozy Altidore in Spain after a sensational stay with the U.S. men in which he scored four goals in two games, including three in last Wednesday's 3-0 World Cup qualifying triumph over Trinidad and Tobago in Nashville.
Altidore returned to Xerez of Spain's Segunda Division where he has yet to play for the first team of the second-tier club since arriving in January. Altidore was not dressed for Xerez's 2-1 Sunday victory at Real Murcia.
Villarreal, of Spain's Primera Division, signed Altidore from MLS's New York Red Bulls for a reported $10 million before the Spanish season and, subsequently loaned him to Xerez. According to Spanish media reports, Villareal wanted to move Altidore to Levante, another Segunda Division team, but a deal did not materialize.
According to the media reports, even though the Spanish transfer window has closed, it might have been possible to move Altidore to Levante with Xerez's permission, but La Liga de Fútbol Profesional, the Spanish professional federation, denied permission for the unusual transaction.
Xerez (16-6-9, 57 points), which is in first place in the tight standings and thus in strong contention for promotion to the Prmiera Division, is deep in the front line, keeping Altidore on the sideline. Levante, meanwhile, has been hit by a string of injuries and badly needs help up top.
Levante coach Luis Garcia has seen Altidore and might try to obtain him in the offseason.
In Denmark's Superligaen, former Wake Forest University striker Marcus Tracy has become a starter for Aalborg and is making the most of his opportunity.
He did not play Sunday in a 2-1 road win at AGF Aarhus, but in the previous match, he scored his first professional goal in Aalborg's 3-2 victory over FC Midtjylland.
Tracy, who spurned MLS to sign with Aalborg, nailed the decisive tally in the 67th minute, just a minute after a Midtjylland player was sent off with a red card. Tracy's sharply-hit header from the middle of the box went in at the right post, just beyond the reach of diving goalkeeper Lasse Heinze.
American striker Jeremiah White went the distance for full 90 minutes for Aarhus against Aalborg. American midfielder Benny Feilhaber didn't play for Aarhus.
Two weeks earlier, White went 86 minutes in a 1-0 loss at Esbjerg.
American defender Michael Parkhurst regularly plays 90 minutes for Nordsjaelland. On Saturday, he went the distance in a 3-0 loss to Copenhagen, two weeks after he played 90 in a 3-1 victory at Sonderjyske.
American defender Danny Califf returned from international duty to play 90 minutes in Midtjylland's 3-1 decision over Horsenssat. He sat out Midtjylland's loss at Aalborg.
In the Germany Bundesliga, U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley and Borussia Mönchengladbach managed only a tie and loss in its last two outings and thus failed to make a move to escape the relegation zone.
On Sunday, Bradley played 90 minutes in a 0-0 draw at Karlsruher SC.
In the previous match, Mönchengladbach fell 1-0 at home to VfL Bochum. Gladbach dominated the action. but just couldn't score despite outshooting its opponent by a wide margin. Bradley was issued a yellow card, his fourth of the season, in the 76th minute.
U.S. defender Steve Cherundolo is still recovering from a hip injury and did not dress for Hannover 96's 2-2 draw at Hoffenheim or a 4-1 loss at Werder Bremen Sunday. American attacker Sal Zizzo also did not dress for either match..
In the 2.Bundesliga, U.S. defender Heath Pearce came on at the end of Hansa Rostock's 2-0 win Sunday over FSV Frankfurt. In the previous outing, Pearce started his second consecutive game for new coach Andreas Zachhuber in a 1-1 draw with TuS Koblenz.
American keeper David Yelldell went the distance for Koblenz in what was a defensive battle for most of the afternoon.
American forward Matt Taylor played a half in TuS Koblenz's 2-0 loss at FC Nürnberg. Yelldell went 90 minutes in goal.
U.S. defender Gregg Berhalter was released from his contract at 1860 Munich and was signed by MLS's Los Angeles Galaxy.
American goalkeeper Luis Robles was ill and did not dress for Kaiserslautern's 1-0 win at Ahlen or a 1-1 draw with Oberhausen .
In France, U.S. defender Carlos Bocanegra has been playing a lot of matches, both in league and with the U.S men. This weekend, the wear and tear caught up with Bocanegra, who came out in the 62nd minute of Rennes' 3-0 loss at Sochaux.
In the week before the playing twice for the U.S., he went 90 minutes in a 0-0 tie at Valenciennes. Both teams ended the physical match with 10 men with Valenciennes maintaining its eight-match unbeaten string. Three days earlier, Bocanegra also went the distance in a 2-0 French Cup quarterfinal victory over Rodez.
U.S. midfielder Freddy Adu was on the bench for Monaco's 1-0 away win at Nancy and its 1-0 loss to Le Havre.
In Belgium this weekend, U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu, still nursing a sore knee, went 88 minutes in Standard de Liège's 3-1 decision over Germinal Beerschotwent. Before playing two games for the U.S., he went the distance in a 1-0 loss at Charleroi.
In Norway's Tippeligaen, Troy Perkins went 90 minutes in goal for Valerenga in a 4-2 loss Tuesday to Tromso. A week earlier, he was in net in a 1-1 tie with Aalesunds.
Two Americans were on the field for Start in a 1-1 draw with Lyn Oslo. Defender Clarence Goodson opened the scoring for Start in the 23rd minute. Hunter Freeman also went 90 minutes on Start's back-line. This past weekend, the pair went the distance in Start's 1-0 decision at Viking.
In Italian Serie A reserve action, American striker Vincenzo Bernardo played in the second half of Napoli's 5-0 romp over Ancona, scoring one goal and assisting on another.
Do you have a comment on this story or something to say about soccer in general? Send us a letter.


text: It's a really good film and in terms of spectacle, you can't ask for much better. That said, I did enjoy Batman Begins a bit more. No doubt Dark Knight went in for the heavier themes, but I found the structure of the first film a bit tighter, which made it the more enjoyable experience for me. Overall, I'm a Tim Burton man, but I'm very happy for Nolan to be handling the franchise for now.


text:
A short season and the magnitude of the Dwight Howard season will likely result in a quiet trade deadline.
While Howard still wants to be traded, the Magic appear to prefer to keep him through the March 15th trade deadline.
"I'd be surprised if we see a lot of deals," one Western Conference executive said. "In a short season, you can survive another 30 games and start talking trade to teams during the draft lottery."
Said an East exec: "A playoff or playoff-hopeful team might do something to get them over the hump. But even if you have a problem guy, you don't have to wait that long for the season to be over. It's always hard to predict."


text: Hello, I am very excited about this new blog. I have been quilting for about 13 yrs. Our winters are spent @ are home in San Tan Valley, AZ. & our summers are @ Eagle Lake, CA. I belong to 2 quilt groups & absolutely love it. A friend of mine introduced me to quilting board. I will be anxious to display some of my quilts as well.


text:
I am designing a merge module in Visual Studio Installer. I am using a merge module to share a component with multiple programs I have created. The component is an automatic update dll. The merge module contains only the dll and a registry entry.
I created a 1.0 and 1.1 version of the merge module. I then put the 1.0 merge module into msi installer A. I put 1.1 merge module in msi installer B. If I install B, then install A, the dll from version 1.0 overwrites the newer dll in version 1.1. Does anyone know why this might be happening and how I can fix it to ensure that it does not overwrite a newer version?
I was also wondering if there was any way to install the new version of the merge module without having to update installation A or B. I can create an installation C that only installs the merge module component, but is there anyway I can make that the only thing the MSI does (doesn't create a program directory, does not make an entry in add/remove program files)? Basically I can install msi C and uninstall it, and the updated version should remain (because it is a shared component), but any trace of the program should be gone (that's my understanding). Is this right? And can I create the msi in a way that I get the same effect without requiring the uninstall?
Thank you for any help you can give.
Note: I have used Orca before for MSI editting if any solution to the problems requires that.


text:
I want to compile a opengl cpp code I got from a NeHe tutorial. I haven't ever used borlands free compiler for anything but dos programs and the normal way I compile my code doesn't work: bcc32 mycode.cpp - Lots of errors (Window Functions)
What should I change, How should I compile it now. I need to inlcude the .lib files opengl32.lib, GLu32.lib and GLaux.lib to compile it. Can somebody please give me an example of how its suposed to be done?


text: Students at Ocean City Elementary School in Robyn Rincavage's third grade class share their three dimensional snowmen after learning about geometric solids. Kneeling, from left, are Alyvia Ciurca, Maxx Spicer, Abby Jager, Hannah Johnson, Kevin Beck and Marley Auker. Standing, from left, are Alexis Black, Barry Ford, Laura Ortega, Victor Vick, Calvin Brandenberg, Dylan Bossalina and Collin Terlizzi.


text:
Tekin RSX Gen2 Sensored Brushless ESC/Motor Combo (8.5T)
|Low Price:
Power, control and reliability remain the foundation of this RS-based ESC. Built with a custom high-efficiency aluminum heatsink housing and full on-board programming, the RSX provides the tools for the win! Armed with features, the RSX was designed for modified racing. The aluminum housing and detachable fan shroud system maximize cooling for extreme racing conditions. Capabilities such as datalogging and HotWire EZ Port communication allow you to unlock the full potential of the RSX with extensive tuning and datalog feedback. The high-voltage BEC puts out the power you need for fast, precise steering servo operation. If you're looking for the ultimate ESC in modified racing, the RSX is there for the job.
The Gen2 modified series motors feature significant changes compared to the previous generation and are tuned specifically for modified racing. The 8.5 motors come standard with a 13mm rotor, providing the horsepower needed for mod class racing.
ESC Features:
- Billet Aluminum Heatsink Housing
- Optional Fan Shroud System and High Speed Fan for Maximum Cooling
- Ultra-smooth and Precise Throttle and Braking Control
- Compatible with Sensored/Sensorless Brushless and Brushed Motors
- Easily Access Programming, Anywhere, Anytime
- Datalogging Capability
- High Voltage Programmable BEC
- EZ Access HotWire Programming Port
- HotWire PC Interface for Advanced Programming and Updating
- D2: Dual Drive Mode Technology
- On-Board Temperature Indicator
- HDAC: High Density Copper PCB's
- Sensor Plug for Precise Commutation with all Motors
- Gold-plated Solder Posts for Easy Wire Replacement
- Self Test Diagnostics and Factory Reset
- Pit Tune Mode
- DGF2: Digital Glitch Filtering V2
- QuickTune Programming
- One-Touch Radio Calibration High Voltage BEC (6.0v/7.4v)*
ESC Programming Features:
- Drag Brake (13 steps)
- Brake / Reverse Strength (13 steps)
- Current Limiter (none + 12 steps)
- Neutral Width (13 steps)
- Timing Profiles (5 preset - 2 custom*)
- Adjustable Throttle and Brake Minimums
- Custom Throttle Curves
- Motor/Reverse Type: Brushless, Brushed, No Rev, Rev Delay
- Voltage Cutoffs (none, 2S, 3S, Custom)
- Timing Boost and Turbo when used with Hotwire
- ROAR Race Spec "Blinky" Mode
- Save, Load and Share custom ESC setup files*
- Save, Load and Share Data Log files*
- Extensive Tuning via Tekin HotWire PC Interface
*NOTE: Requires HotWire USB Interface (TEKTT1450) - Sold Separately
Motor Features:
- 13mm Rotor
- CNC Machined T 6061 Billet Aluminum Heatsink Can
- Neodymium Sintered Magnet
- Precision Engineered for Maximum Energy Conversion
- High Purity Copper Windings Maximize Conductivity
- Low Resistance, High Power Solder Tabs
- Dual-Plug Sensor Wire Harness for all Sensored and Sensorless systems
- Anodized Endbell plates maximize corrosion and wear resistance
- High RPM precision bearings
- Rebuildable Design
- Solderless Sensor PCB replacement
- Adjustable Timing
ESC Specifications:
Controls: Forward/Brake/Reverse
Input Voltage: 4-9 Cells, 2S-3S Lipo
BEC: 6.0v / 7.4v 5.5amps
Motor Limit Brushless Mode 2S: 2.5 Turn 2-pole, 4lb chassis
Motor Limit Brushless Mode 3S: 8.5 Turn 2-pole, 4lb chassis
Motor Limit Brushed 2S: 6 Turn, 36mm Can
Motor Limit Brushed 3S: 12 Turn, 36mm Can
Max Current: 180 Amps per phase
Timing Profiles: 7 choices (on board)
Brushed Modes: Fwd Only, Fwd/Rev, Rev Delay
Brushless Modes: Fwd Only, Fwd/Rev, Rev Delay
Dimensions: 1.21x1.43x.82in (25.4x33x12.9mm)
Weight: 1.5oz / 42g
Motor Specifications:
Turn: 8.5
kV: 5350
Rotor: 13mm
Weight: 6.3oz (180g)
Shaft Dimensions: 3.2x15.3mm
Motor Diameter: 35.85mm/1.40"
Motor Length: 51.8mm/2.03"
Bearing Dimensions:
Front: 4x13x5mm
Rear: 1/8x3/8x5/32"
This product was added to our catalog on February 12, 2014.


text:
E3 2002 – First Look
E.Z. Wheeler is a major in the U.S.
Army in the year 2103. He is also an astronaut. Space was where the accident
occurred that left him with a few bionic parts, and turned him from an excellent
soldier into a deadly weapon.
RTX Red Rock is an action-adventure
game with a science fiction background. Yep, it is big on action, has its share
of puzzles, multiple environments and 10 single player (four multiplayer)
LucasArts demonstrated a pre-alpha
build of the program at E3 2002 in Los Angeles, and it is clear that the company
has big plans for this character.
The storyline has it that Mars,
colonized by humans, has been attacked by deadly aliens who plan to use it as a
stepping stone in an attack on Earth. Wheeler is sent in to find survivors and …
well, take out a few aliens in the process.
According to LucasArts, everything
within the game is NASA inspired, and a new graphics engine has been used to
enhance the game's texturing. The game promises to be 60 percent combat, 20
percent puzzling and 20 percent control of robots and vehicles.
Of course, Wheeler doesn't undertake
such a mission alone. He has his trusty digital assistant named IRIS, a female
voice that tantalizes, teases, seems to have a crush on Wheeler, but who can
also give him guidance and direct, as well as take over, control of peripheral
The game is designed to have players
not just jump in and blast away, but to focus on strategy and intelligence.
Not only will Wheeler have to navigate
his way around in the usual manner, but he may have to take advantage of air or
electrical ducts to circumnavigate doors that won't yield to any manipulation.
And not only are there the invading aliens to worry about, but other little
nasties that may jump out and attach themselves to the back of the head while
gnawing furiously on your life force.
The game's graphics still have a ways
to go, but from what was demonstrated, there is great potential here. Real-life
physics were being employed, and the animation was solid. Effects were also very
good for the pre-alpha demo.
This is a game that will be worth
following the progress of. As mentioned, LucasArts has preliminary plans for an
E.Z. Wheeler game franchise, and as this is the first step, it is an important
one. Doubtless this game will be done right.
This game is set for a spring 2003
release on the PS2 and GameCube.


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text: i really like my garmin because i'm an investigator and have to find specific addresses. I just put it in and the prompts get me right where I need to go. I have mounts in both my car and on the bike and use sound suppressing ear buds on the bike. I have loaded most of the NE United States onto a card I can add to the unit which gives me every street in PA, VA, DC Maryland, WVA, Delaware, NY and MA. I also have an mp3 player on the unit which allows me to download music from my computer, it also serves as an address book, and note pad. The only drawback us that the IQ 3600 is not waterproof so i don't use it on the bike in the rain. This doesn't mean I still don't like maps, I do as well as just wondering around lost on purpose.


text:
This week, the designers get all Neon Noodle on their models!
NOTE: There is another 30-minute "After the Runway" show following the episode.
Please keep all discussion in here until 10PM PT / 1AM ET.
Enjoy the show!
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This week, the designers get all Neon Noodle on their models!
NOTE: There is another 30-minute "After the Runway" show following the episode.
Please keep all discussion in here until 10PM PT / 1AM ET.
Enjoy the show!
Counting on spoilers as I may not be able to watch tonight!! Dish, baby, dish! ;-)
Jerrell gets the boot - FINALLY!!!!!!!!
interesting challenge tonight with all the lights...something different
All in all, a better group of designs than the past couple of weeks. But the personality mix between the remaining designers and the faux host/judges is just a drag. This season is screaming for a cameo appearance by Heidi, Tim, Nina and Michael.
I'm glad Austin won -- his was the most "gasp-worthy" for me when it came out (in a good way). I would have been happy with Jerell or Michael leaving. In fact, why don't they just let everyone else go and have a Mondo/Austin showdown for the finale? :lol
I like the fact that we have had some unusual challenges this season its not the same ole boring stuff...I would say I was sad to see Jerrell go but I would be lying..lol
I have to say that I liked Jerrell's over Michael's this week... HOWEVER Jerrell made a fatal mistake IMHO with the black pencil skirt. Michael's design - as much as it pains me to say this, pulled a similar contestant in Face Off's effect and just lucked out this week because of another's poor choice. (and mind you I like Michael's but overall he's had more lower ranked designs and been in the bottom two more).
Out of the top three, I thought all were deserving, but Austin did earn the win because his was etheral like they said. I wish that the lights were interspersed under as well as over the skirt to look like they were sewn in instead of draped, but it still was quite nice. Kenley's I think just missed it because even with the update in design there still was a basic skirt aspect that she's always done. Mondo's was quite nice and yes Avante Garde even if not the extreme as Austin's. I thought they were all ranked properly.
The final two should be for sure Austin and Mondo. I personally would prefer Kenley over Michael only because she's had more top looks and hasn't been in the bottom two the past two weeks, but if it's the reverse then it's OK too.
I just think out of the whole season, Mondo and Austin are the top two.
That said, and I"m putting this in spoilers because it's not the show itself but the after the runway:
Click to see Spoiler:did anyone else find it odd that none had to answer a question about what it would take for Austin to be in the final three? I think they have either just ousted him as the next to go - which would be sad though he'd had to REALLY bomb to get ousted now, or he's the winner afterall? If the latter, and Mondo is second, at least he will have lost to a better designer overall than Gretchen.
Wow, I just saw the runway portion of this show. I missed the beginning of this one. This has to be one of the most interesting challenges ever! I hope to see the rest of the show soon. The designers all did a very good job even though Jerrell and Michael clearly fell short on this one. I was not as crazy about Kenley's design as they were. It must have looked much better in person as the top thing (jacket?) looked like a huge blur and I have a fairly good TV. I just didn't get the shape of her ensemble. I liked Mondo's the best, but may have missed the point of this challenge since I came in late to this one. Austin's reaction to winning was great. He was so touched by being told he was a star :star
Sounds like I missed a good one. :mmm I think I'll need to go in search of pictures before I catch a rerun. I like Jerrell but he's really put out some head-scratching stuff so I can see it being his time to go.
I liked Kenley's the best and wanted her to win. I liked that Issac agreed.
Most of these looked like costumes from a sci fi flick and would have worked on Face Off. Since I find this season lacking it is hard for me to get excited about anything or care who wins. I don't think the contestants are all that attatched to winning either.
All of them have experienced a degree of accomplishment and most have a line, sell their clothes or are asked to design something for a client. So the host, who is she, talks to them about how she has watched them improve blah blah blah. They all sat with a frozen grin on their faces. Austin has even had a TV show of his own. What was production thinking asking her to give them this condescending rap?!


text:
|View Poll Results: Vote for your choice.
|Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
|The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
|The Voyage of the Minotaur by Wesley Allison
|Kraken by China Mieville
|The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany
|The Winds of Khalakovo by Bradley Beaulieu
|Nation by Terry Pratchett
|Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
|The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
|Oath of Swords by David Weber
|Voters: 59. You may not vote on this poll
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Bah, humbug!
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May 2012 Mobile Read Book Club First Vote
May 2012 Mobile Read Book Club Vote
Help us choose a book as the May 2012 eBook for the Mobile Read Book Club. The poll will be open for 4 days, followed by a 3 day run-off poll between the two* top vote getters. The vote this month will be viewable**.
We will start the discussion thread for this book on May 20th. Select from the following Official Choices with three nominations each:
1) Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
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Description: Neverwhere 's protagonist, Richard Mayhew, learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished. He ceases to exist in the ordinary world of London Above, and joins a quest through the dark and dangerous London Below, a shadow city of lost and forgotten people, places, and times. His companions are Door, who is trying to find out who hired the assassins who murdered her family and why; the Marquis of Carabas, a trickster who trades services for very big favors; and Hunter, a mysterious lady who guards bodies and hunts only the biggest game. London Below is a wonderfully realized shadow world, and the story plunges through it like an express passing local stations, with plenty of action and a satisfying conclusion. The story is reminiscent of Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy , but Neil Gaiman's humor is much darker and his images sometimes truly horrific. Puns and allusions to everything from Paradise Lost to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz abound, but you can enjoy the book without getting all of them. Gaiman is definitely not just for graphic-novel fans anymore. --Nona Vero Starred Review. Gaiman assumes the role of narrator for his latest book, offering an intimate reading that steals one's attention almost immediately and keeps the listener involved throughout. As the story is based in the United Kingdom, Gaiman is a quintessential raconteur for the tale, with his charming Scottish brogue instilling life and spirit into the central character of Richard Mayhew. Pitch perfect, with clear pronunciation, Gaiman invites listeners into his living room for a fireside chat, offering a private and personal experience that transcends the limitations of traditional narration. The author knows his story through and through, capturing the desired emotion and audience reaction in each and every scene. His characters are unique, with diverse personalities and narrative approaches, and Gaiman offers a variety of dialects and tones. The reading sounds more like a private conversation among friends with Gaiman providing the convincing and likable performance the writing deserves. A Harper Perennial paperback (Reviews, May 19, 1997). (Nov.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (from Amazon.com)
2) The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
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Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school...again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves. With cover art from the major motion picture, this first installment of Rick Riordan's best-selling series is a non-stop thrill-ride and a classic of mythic proportions.
3) The Voyage of the Minotaur by Wesley Allison
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Description: In a world of steam power and rifles, where magic has not yet been forgotten, an expedition sets out to establish a colony in a lost world. The Voyage of the Minotaur is a story of adventure and magic, religion and prejudice, steam engines and dinosaurs, angels and lizardmen, machine guns and wizards, sorceresses, bustles and corsets, steam-powered computers, hot air balloons, and dragons. (from Smashwords)
4) Kraken by China Mieville
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Deep in the research wing of the Natural History Museum is a prize specimen, something that comes along much less often than once in a lifetime: a perfect, and perfectly preserved, giant squid. But what does it mean when the creature suddenly and impossibly disappears? For curator Billy Harrow it's the start of a headlong pitch into a London of warring cults, surreal magic, apostates and assassins. It might just be that the creature he's been preserving is more than a biological rarity: there are those who are sure it's a god. A god that someone is hoping will end the world.
5) The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany
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Come with me now for awhile, for we have worlds of magic to explore, and the Land of Dreams is close at hand.
If you're tired of fat, cheesy fantasy novels that really do stink, and you want to experience what Fantasy writing once was and could have been, before a few lame-brained idiot writers took Fantasy down a dark alley and stabbed it in the back, then you should read Lord Dunsany's beautiful prose.
This is writing that sings to the heart.
From http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9626.phtml
"A proper fantasy story would, of course, devote nine or so books to traveling very slowly through the elfish countryside, slowly accumulating plot tokens in order to complete the quest. Dunsany spends one chapter on this journey, then gets to the real point of his story, which is what happens when a girl from Elfland is forced to live in the mortal world, and what happens when the two worlds collide. It's 1924, and already the good baron is overthrowing tired and worn out fantasy cliches. Lord Dunsany's story has more in it of culture shock and the price of novelty than magic mcguffin hunting and evil overlord overthrowing.
"The prose itself is some of the finest and most magical in all of fantasy literature. It is like Tolkien without the idle sentiment, or like Lovecraft with a greater gift for language and more synonyms for "odd". A brief sample should suffice:
"'Near the Castle of Erl there lived a lonely witch, on high land near the thunder, which used to roll in Summer along the hills. There she dwelt by herself in a narrow cottage of thatch and roamed the high fields alone to gather the thunderbolts. Of these thunderbolts, that had no earthly forging, were made, with suitable runes, such weapons as had to parry unearthly dangers.'
"Lord Dunsany's prose can fairly be described as "oft-imitated". It is the sound of fantasy. Rarely has it been surpassed."
This critic says this:
"Much of what we call modern fantasy is a pale, predictable mesh of cliches. It is a bookshelf filled with stories that bear far too much in common with one another. Sometimes indeed it feels that originality, which ought to be the cornerstone of fantasy seems to be all but evaporated. Lord Dunsay is - different. He is one of those illusive pre-Tolkien fantasy writers and you will be shocked at how much of modern fantasy derives from him. And then doubly shocked to find he still did it better. Lord Dunsay writes beautiful and elaborate prose. He weaves stories in which magic is not some work-a-day technology but rather a brooding, powerful and very nearly living force."
There is no better prose stylist who touched both the heart of Fantasy and the heart of the Reader.
Like all the books I assemble on MobileRead, this too was assembled to reflect human intervention and artistic judgment.
I hope you enjoy it.
Don [MobileRead's own Dr. Drib]
6) The Winds of Khalakovo by Bradley Beaulieu
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From Publishers Weekly
Debut novelist Beaulieu paints a detailed and realistic portrayal of individual fates bound up in social responsibilities as well-grounded cultures clash. Prince Nikandr Khalakovo, facing an arranged marriage, also suffers from a wasting disease plaguing the Anuskaya islands. When the rebellious Maharraht loose a fire elemental and kill the visiting Grand Duke Stasa Bolgravya, civil war erupts, and all factions seek to capture a mysterious autistic boy who straddles both the spirit and the material worlds. Beaulieu skillfully juggles elements borrowed from familiar cultures (primarily Russian and Bedouin) as well as telepathy, airborne ships, and magical gems. Viewpoint shifts are occasionally confusing, but the prose is often poetic—airborne skiffs under attack "dropped like kingfishers" and "twisted in the air like maple seeds"—and the characters have welcome depth.
The Winds of Khalokovo is filled with clean prose, intelligent language, and brilliant imagination. Reading this fantasy was like sinking my teeth into a rich and exotic dessert. --Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show
Elegantly crafted, refreshingly creative. --C.S. Friedman, Bestselling author of The Coldfire Trilogy
Well worth exploring... --Glen Cook, Bestselling author of The Black Company
The boldly imagined new world and sharply drawn characters will pull you into The Winds of Khalakovo and won't let you go until the last page. --Michael A. Stackpole, New York Times bestselling author of I, Jedi
Exactly the kind of fantasy I like to read. --Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of The Saga of the Seven Suns
7) Nation by Terry Pratchett
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Description: Starred Review. Grade 7–10—In this first novel for young people set outside of Discworld, Pratchett again shows his humor and humanity. Worlds are destroyed and cultures collide when a tsunami hits islands in a vast ocean much like the Pacific. Mau, a boy on his way back home from his initiation period and ready for the ritual that will make him a man, is the only one of his people, the Nation, to survive. Ermintrude, a girl from somewhere like Britain in a time like the 19th century, is on her way to meet her father, the governor of the Mothering Sunday islands. She is the sole survivor of her ship (or so she thinks), which is wrecked on Mau's island. She reinvents herself as Daphne, and uses her wits and practical sense to help the straggling refugees from nearby islands who start arriving. When raiders land on the island, they are led by a mutineer from the wrecked ship, and Mau must use all of his ingenuity to outsmart him. Then, just as readers are settling in to thinking that all will be well in the new world that Daphne and Mau are helping to build, Pratchett turns the story on its head. The main characters are engaging and interesting, and are the perfect medium for the author's sly humor. Daphne is a close literary cousin of Tiffany Aching in her common sense and keen intelligence wedded to courage. A rich and thought-provoking read.— Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Critics praised Nation as a hybrid, deeply philosophical book aimed at young adults, but one likely to appeal to adults as well, much like Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy or J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. With echoes of William Defoe and William Golding, Nation takes the form of a "classic Robinsonade ," notes the Washington Post —that is, a book in which characters on a desert island recreate civilization. As his characters grapple with questions of leadership, humanity, and survival, Pratchett explores fundamental ideas about religion and culture. This might all sound rather heavy, but there is plenty of originality and humor—and cannibals, spirits, and secret treasures—to go around. In the end, Pratchett offers a vision of a deeply humane world. "In some part of the multiverse there is probably a civilisation based on the thinking of Terry Pratchett," writes the Guardian , "and what a civilised civilisation that will be." Copyright 2008 Bookmarks Publishing LLC (from Amazon.com)
8) Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
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Brandon Sanderson, fantasy's newest master tale spinner, author of the acclaimed debut Elantris, dares to turn a genre on its head by asking a simple question: What if the hero of prophecy fails? What kind of world results when the Dark Lord is in charge? The answer will be found in the Mistborn Trilogy, a saga of surprises and magical martial-arts action that begins in Mistborn.
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.
Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.
But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.
9) The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
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Description: Starred Review. Convoluted without being dense, Jemisin's engaging debut grabs readers right from the start. Yeine desires nothing more than a normal life in her barbarian homeland of Darr. But her mother was of the powerful Arameri family, and when Yeine is summoned to the capital city of Sky a month after her mother's murder, she cannot refuse. Dakarta, her grandfather and the Arameri patriarch, pits her against her two cousins as a potential heir to the throne. In an increasingly deep Zelaznyesque series of political maneuverings, Yeine, nearly powerless but fiercely determined, finds potential allies among her relatives and the gods who are forced to live in Sky as servants after losing an ancient war. Multifaceted characters struggle with their individual burdens and desires, creating a complex, edge-of-your-seat story with plenty of funny, scary, and bittersweet twists. (Mar.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Yeine Darr, mourning the murder of her mother, is summoned to the magnificent and beautiful city of Sky by the king, her grandfather. He names her his heir but has already assigned that role to both his niece and his nephew, so what he's now done is set up a competitive and thorny three-way power struggle. Yeine, looking more like her Darre father than her Arameri mother, may be a baroness in the Arameri world, but in the matriarchal North she is a chieftain of her people. She is also terrified and fascinated by the gods who roam Sky, including the nocturnally monstrous Nahadoth and the childlike Sieh. In just a few days, Yeine discovers that every action has consequences when she inadvertently sets up Darre to be attacked and realizes that her role in the succession to the throne may be that of a human sacrifice. This complex tale of politics, assassination, racism, and gods too intimately involved in the lives of humans is a challenging read and a notable authorial debut. --Diana Tixier Herald (from Amazon.com)
10) Oath of Swords by David Weber
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Whom the gods would recruit, they first tick off . . . Our Hero: The unlikely Paladin, Bahzell Bahnakson of the Horse Stealer Hradani. He's no knight in shining armor. He's a hradani, a race known for their uncontrollable rages, bloodthirsty tendencies, and inability to maintain civilized conduct. None of the other Five Races of man like the hradani. Besides his ethnic burden, Bahzell has problems of his own to deal with: a violated hostage bond, a vengeful prince, a price on his head. He doesn't want to mess with anybody else's problems, let alone a god's. Let alone the War God's! So how does he end up a thousand leagues from home, neck-deep in political intrigue, assassins, demons, psionicists, evil sorcery, white sorcery, dark gods, good gods, bad poets, greedy landlords, and most of Bortalik Bay Well, it's all the War God's fault. . . . (from Baen WebScriptions)
The fine print:
* Should the first vote produce a 3-way or more tie for first place, or 2-way or more tie for second, the second poll will have more than two choices.
** Yes, I realize that this was suppose to be a hidden month, but since I messed up last month, this will get us back on schedule.
Last edited by WT Sharpe; 04-21-2012 at 06:47 PM.
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I'm going with Nation. It looks very interesting and I'm considering reading it whether or not it wins.
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I've voted for Neverwhere, as I want to read this, but would be happy for Nation to win, as I'm a big Pratchett fan, but haven't read this one.
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I'll stay with my own nomination but I'm sure I'll enjoy whatever is chosen. It's a fine selection.
Bah, humbug!
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Somewhere down the road I'd like to read The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany. Don's description makes it seem really enticing. But since I'm nowhere near somewhere yet, I'll probably vote for the Gaiman or the Pratchett.
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Of all the books in the list to be voted on, the one I would not vote for is Nation. I've started reading it and it didn't really catch my fancy. I have read two other books of Gaiman's and I found them pretty good.
Bah, humbug!
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I think I'm leaning toward Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, but Nation by Terry Pratchett sounds interesting, also. The idea of Pratchett using survivors on a remote island to exploring cultural and religious viewpoints appeals to me. Still, there's that line in the book's description about Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere being reminiscent of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker series but darker that really makes me lean in that direction. I'm a huge fan of that five book trilogy.
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Interesting to see that even though Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman has jumped to such a lead the votes are still being spread widely. The runoff should tell all.
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I wouldn't really equate Neverwhere with Hitchhikers. There's one aspect that is sort of similar, but not really. I enjoyed Neverwhere a lot, but I voted for Nation. I could probably still participate in the discussion since I read Neverwhere this year.
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The Lightning Thief has an average 4.13 star rating out of five stars and 188,444 ratings. That has to say that this is a good book worth reading and worth voting for.
The King of Elfland's Daughter only has an average 3.92 star rating out of 1,279 ratings. So overall, not as good.
Neverwhere has an average 4.11 star rating out of 68,700 ratings.
So based on all of that, the best book is The Lightning Thief.
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Leave it alone, please.
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I voted for what I want to read based on my own perceptions, not ratings from others. I will admit that, for me, one consideration is cost. Given equally interesting books, I will vote for one that's free or available from the library.
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Remember, if the book you want is NOT a book from the price fix six, then you can use one of the various coupons to by it fairly cheap.
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