text:
Litchfield Park is located in Arizona.
Litchfield Park, Arizona has a population of 5,533.
The median household income in Litchfield Park, Arizona is
The median household income for the surrounding county is $53,689
compared to the national median of $53,482.
The median age of people living in Litchfield Park is
46.7 years.
The average high temperature in July is 105.2
degrees, with an average low temperature in January of 41.9 degrees.
The average rainfall is approximately 9.1 inches
per year, with 0 inches of snow per year.
No weather information available.
Litchfield Park is a planned residential community boasting a small town feel and casual lifestyle. Recognized by "Phoenix Magazine" as "one of the 8 best places to live in Arizona," this scenic city was founded in 1916 when Paul Litchfield, vice president of Goodyear Tire and Rubber, bought farm land to grow Egyptian long-staple cotton to use in tire cords. Eventually, the Wigwam Resort was opened for visiting Goodyear executives. Today the Wigwam is a four-star resort and Litchfield Park is a popular vacation destination surrounded by a planned community. The multitude of trees bordering the many pathways has earned Litchfield Park the designation of Tree City, USA. Located 15 miles west of Phoenix. Litchfield Park is a self-sufficient community with a viable business district in the center of town.
Litchfield Park hosts an annual Festival of Arts featuring fine artists and craftsmen, a food court, wine tasting, live music, and children's activities. Other events throughout the year include Arts in the Park, an Outdoor Concert Series, Western Heritage Days Golf Tournament, and a Winter Trout Fishing Derby. The premier Wigwam Golf Resort offers three championship courses. There are several parks and winding trails for walking, biking and jogging throughout the community. Area attractions include White Tanks Regional Park, Estrella Mountain Regional Park and the Wildlife World Zoo, a natural habitat for many endangered species.
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Once the king of business smartphones, the BlackBerry has seen better days. The company making the handset, Research in Motion (RIM), is struggling to compete with devices powered by Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating system. The fight for the enterprise market is now between those two platforms – and for the moment, Apple is winning.
A report from Good Technology in April stated that 97.3 percent of tablet activations by its enterprise customers in the first quarter of 2012 were for iPads. Smartphone activations in the same report showed the same preference for Apple products, though not the same dominance: iPhones comprised 73.9 percent of all smartphone activations, while Android smartphones accounted for 26.1 percent.
Those numbers don't provide a complete picture of market share, since they only include Good Technology's customers and don't even count BlackBerry and Windows Phone devices. What they do show is a clear preference for iOS, which has a closed ecosystem that makes it generally less vulnerable to malware, over Android.
Samsung, the top vendor of Android smartphones, is trying to reverse that trend by introducing a designation called SAFE, or Samsung Approved For Enterprise. It's meant to assure IT managers that the phone is secure and will fit into a company's IT infrastructure harmoniously. Samsung said in a press release that a SAFE phone includes "support for 338 IT Policies," including Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and 256-bit AES encryption.
SAFE also attempts to address Android fragmentation, the phenomenon of multiple different versions of Android running on different devices. With SAFE branding, IT managers can look at a single specification and determine if a phone meets its requirements.
It's not the first attempt to place a layer of standardization between fragmented Android phones and the uniformity-loving enterprise world. In December 2010, RSA introduced the RSA SecurID Software Token for Android, which enabled authentication of Android devices for enterprise applications and resources.
The Samsung Galaxy S III will be the first phone to bear the SAFE label. Do you think it will make significant inroads into the enterprise market?
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text:
Saturday, December 13, 2008
The Day I Met a GangBanger.
I had a right to be here.. here at DFACS, land of welfare checks and food stamps. I have 2 lumps that still have yet to be finally cleared by the doctor. I need the Medicaid. (Of course they will be, like the 3 before them, but in the meantime I have yet to hit the lottery, and food banks don't have medical insurance.) I typically don't assume that people at DFACS are mooching off the system and just need to get jobs.. I know their stories personally.. and bad things happen to good people.
But this one? His uniform was new. That jacket must have cost a pretty penny.. but of course he probably bought it with drug money he got off someone he murdered. Yes, I'm biased. I have a right to be. You would feel the same way if you had been left widowed at 19 years of age with a baby due in 3 weeks… widowed because a gang had decided to murder the one person who stood up to them when they went around hitting girls at a party. Just trust me. You would.
When he followed me outside and stood next to me under the overhang, I was stuck. It was pouring rain, and I still had another 15 minutes until my ride arrived to take me home. I lit a cigarette, and waited. I knew what was coming, and he didn't disappoint me. All through his ebonics, which I personally cannot stand-it's simply bad English- and his hand gestures and slouchy posture, I waited. All through his 'Yo..check this out!'s, and 'Get your digits' I waited. Being hit on by ANY man aggravates me.. but being hit on by a punk kid dressed as a living reminder of one of the worst experiences of my life makes me furious.
I understand the sense of family. I understand that for many this might have been the only path left open to them. What I don't understand is the lack of concern and empathy towards others. All of my life experiences have guaranteed that if I was to come out unscathed, then at the very LEAST I was going to walk out of the fire with an understanding of how your actions affect others. And if I have empathy? Everyone should, too. It's just how I am. That's not going to change now.
Finally.. I looked at him and asked him firmly why he wasn't in school. He gave me the surprised look that by now I am quite accustomed to. ( I look younger than my years.. it's always fun at my daughter's school when the teachers tell me to get in class and I get to tell them 'I'm a Mom'.) I told him my age… I told him that I have a daughter around HIS age… who was at that moment in school, and had I mentioned that's where he should be?
And then.. then.. the whole world came sharply into focus. Lessons that God has been trying to pound into my head time after time..lessons that I keep swearing I have learned.. I hadn't really. I hadn't learned them at all.
The 'Yo's' became 'Ma'am's.
The posture became straight.
Good English replaced the horrific ebonics .
The gangbanger became a boy.. a boy that immediately apologized to me for assuming I was his age. And then the boy became Dwight.. a 19 year old who had been laid off his job and was there to try and receive some assistance so he could contribute to the household where he was staying with his 'homies' until he could find another job.
Did you know Dwight graduated from high school 2 years ago? Did you know that Dwight is forklift certified? Did you know that Dwight has a valid driver's license and can pass a drug test? I know, I know.. but.. I really think he can. I'm going to believe him, anyway. I'm going to have faith in Dwight, and I'm going to find Dwight a job. I'm not going to judge him. I'm not going to judge the clothes and the handshake and.. we'll work on the ebonics.
Do you know that as I am writing this I can't even remember if it was the Crips or the Bloods that killed Jason? I guess that part of it isn't important anymore.
What IS important is that I think I have FINALLY learned this lesson. I WAS STILL JUDGING. Not simply assumptions based on clothes.. deeper assumptions based on past life experiences that make you biased later in life. We DON'T have the right. I don't have that right.
I hated gangs.. and now.. now I'm looking at them as simply boys that have built up this hard exterior for whatever reason. The walls that we build to protect us emotionally when something bad happens? Well I happened to meet Dwight's mother when she walked up for HER appointment.. and I think he must have had to build walls very early in life. I can't imagine having a mother like that. That poor child.
So I was thinking.
I was thinking that all these boys are a great untapped resource. I was thinking that they would be GREAT to have help at the food bank… or at the church.. I know some elderly people that need their gutters cleaned.. And no, I'm not going to 'use' them for their muscle and youth. I will feed them, and I will introduce them to people, and maybe.. just maybe.. it will have some affect on their life.. You never know. I just feel compelled to stick my foot in their path right now. My gut tells me this could be the beginning of something great. Did I ever mention that I believe God is in my gut?
As for Dwight?
If anybody has a job opening, I have his digits. Yo.
15 comments:
- LISA B said...
Geez. I felt reading this as if I was standing in the rain, off to the side, listening to a conversation that should be heard. I would have pulled my sleeve down to cover my watch and made sure my purse was safely tucked under my arm.
You are something else, kiddo, and it makes me proud.
- December 13, 2008 at 2:21 PM
- MilesPerHour said...
God always puts us in places He wantrs us to be, sometimes for reasons unknown. It sounds lioke you were in one of those situations.
- December 15, 2008 at 8:11 AM
- Rachel said...
Yo Yo Yo check it right! LOL
What a great post. Most kids join gangs for the "brotherly/sisterly love". It's sad but most of these kids don't parents who tell them they love them and support them; so they join these gangs for acceptance.
I think your idea is great!
- December 15, 2008 at 8:47 AM
- hollytwo said...
i'm not going to lie, while I was reading this I just assumed he was going to rob you..
I guess that makes me an ass.
- December 15, 2008 at 12:52 PM
- mrs.cupcake said...
your story kinda scared me at the beginning, but the ending was so inspiring.
As for Wedding Dresses' my friends are planning a tea party when we have been all married for at least 5years.... with invites sent out a year in advance so we can loose the weight to get back into them :)
- December 15, 2008 at 7:47 PM
- Small Footprints said...
You once said to me that I could change the world ... but it's not me ... it's you and your caring compassion! You will change the world ... YOU WILL CHANGE THE WORLD ... and so many will be better for it! Nope ... haven't had too much caffeine ... just know when I see someone who makes the world a better place!
Thank you for sharing this!
Small Footprints
- December 17, 2008 at 4:35 PM
- sami*stardust said...
thanks so much for this. like you, i try not to judge, but we ALL do it and we should all be more aware that we DON'T know other's circumstances! what a blessing your post is. thank you again!
- December 18, 2008 at 7:38 PM
- underOvr (aka The U) said...
I was encouraged by reading this post; very insightful and reflective. It's easy to both make assumptions as well as allow ourselves to fit a certain patterned view or sterotype. It would be good if we all could let go of the chains that bind us.
Thanks for sharing and best wishes for a blessed 2009.
- December 29, 2008 at 8:47 PM
- Small Footprints said...
Hi! Just wanted to drop by and say "hello". I miss your posts ... hope everything is OK!
Take Care!
Small Footprints
- January 9, 2009 at 1:43 PM
- Small Footprints said...
Well ... I left you a response to your comment on Reduce Footprints but had to jump back over here and say:
I wish you and your guy the best of everything ALWAYS!! That's exciting news and thank you for sharing it with Me. :)
Take Care!
Small Footprints
- January 10, 2009 at 9:24 AM
- Small Footprints said...
Hi! Just thought I'd drop in and see how you are doing. I hope good! :)
BTW ... I hope you'll be celebrating Earth Hour 2009. :)
Small Footprints
- March 11, 2009 at 6:17 PM
Hi, I'm known as Moonlight most often.
I hope you don't mind but I put a link to your blog on my LJ.
You - inspire me.
Thank you so very much for sharing yourself!
- April 9, 2009 at 2:26 PM
- オテモヤン said...
- February 8, 2010 at 6:12 AM
- aa said...
- March 6, 2010 at 8:52 PM
- Small Footprints said...
Hi there ... I was thinking about you today and wondered how you are so ... thought I'd swing by. Hope everything in your life is grand! :)
Small Footprints
reducefootprints (at) gmail (dot) com
- May 27, 2010 at 5:46 PM


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text:
Monday, April 19, 2010
This day....
Breakfast = mama the short-order-cook. "I want a cream cheese bagel!" "I want cream cheese TOAST!" "I want rice cheerios!" "I want cheese toast!"
I only have 2 kids!
Then the outings came. I went to beautybrands to spend a birthday gift card on some much-needed beauty supplies, and after no more than 5 minutes, the kids were running wild. To check out, I had to make them SIT on the floor next to me because they would not stand. I realize that this is not atypical 2- and 5- year old behavior, but it is way out of normal for my kids. They are just not rowdy kids. I left with $40 left on my gift card because it was obvious we needed to leave.
The grocery store was uneventful (read: the shopping carts allow you to fasten your children into them,) but Isaac did manage to sneak a package of hamburger buns into the "car" part of the cart where he was sitting and stomp the heck out of them while I was trying to find a bread with less wheat than our current whitewheat bread that did not contain milk. Yes, I bought the buns.
When I got home, my husband and I had a brief conversation with a sidebar that went something like this:
Mama: Whew! Somebody is stinky!
Hubby: Guessing that's Isaac
Mama: Well, with the day we are having, I'm half expecting Natalie to poop in her pants.
Hey Internets! Guess what just happened! So...a couple of hours after that phone call, Isaac is napping and Natalie is having quiet time. I walk out of my room to get the next load of laundry and find Natalie standing at the toilet with poop all over her bum and a wad of flushable wipes in her undies trying to pull up her pants. Further inspection reveals a toilet absolutely full of more wipes.
Mama: Wha????
Nat: I didn't want to go poopie.
Mama: Wha?
Nat: I was playing and I didn't want to get up to go poopie.
Mama: (pointing at wipes wad in undies) Wha?
Nat: I thought I could get the poopie out of there with those.
Mama: Why didn't you call me for help?
Nat: (very thoughtful face) ummm....I didn't want you to get poopie on your hands or on your clothes...?
Mama: Wha?
Nat: Next time I'll come get you.
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
6 comments:
- Suz said...
You know you totally jinxed yourself.
- April 20, 2010 at 5:06 PM
- Kristine said...
That is DEFINITELY a day worth documenting.
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Our Church History
From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. (Today's New International Version)
~ Acts 17:26
The year 1770 marks the formation of both Botetourt County and Botetourt (Anglican) Parish. An acre of land in Fincastle, the County seat was designated to be used by the Established Church of England for a church building and a cemetery. The building erected was on Back Street, the site of the present Presbyterian Church.
The next few years were stormy ones for the small Anglican congregation. With the American Revolution came a loss of support for the Established Church. The church building and its land in Fincastle gradually came under Presbyterian influence.
Although the congregation lost its building, services were continued in the homes of its members. From about 1830, many of these services were conducted by visiting clergy at "Grove Hill," home of General James Breckinridge near Fincastle. The little group began to revive, and in 1837 the Vestry bought land on the west side of Roanoke Street in Fincastle for the sum of $175. (The original deed may be seen in the vestibule of St. Mark's.)
The brick building shows the Gothic influence in its pointed arches over the doorway and windows; however, the interior is traditionally colonial in style. There has been no basic change in the original structure. Various rearrangements of the pews have occured over the years, including at the time of central heating, and at the installment of the present baptismal font. Recently, several pews were repositioned to enlarge the choir area. The acorn hinges on the pew doors are the originals. The electrified lighting fixtures are probably also original to the building. The Georgian communion service dates from the early church and was preserved during the Civil War by the Breckinridge family.
Growth of the congregation over the years has led to the purchase of adjoining land and structures. The Parish Hall addition to the church was completed in 1966. A major development in 2004 was the purchase of property at the corner of Roanoke and Herndon Streets. Existing structures there have been remodeled to accomodate Sunday School and meeting rooms, offices and reception areas, a Youth Center, and St. Mark's outreach programs. The Botetourt County Food Pantry is now housed in the addition and served by volunteers from the congregation and from other Fincastle churches.
St. Mark's welcomes daytime visitors, and at all services during the Church year.
Read an interesting paper below (click the link) about the church's silver, written by Ellen Brown. Under that is a link to a video featuring Sidney Hunter talking about her rowboat trips to play bridge with her friends. And below that link is video number 1 of 4 of Fincastle's mayor Bobby Waid, who visited with the Episcopal Church Women on May 13th to give a talk about growing up in Fincastle and especially at St. Mark's. To see the 3 other videos, click here. This will take you to Ellen Brown's website where you can view the other 3 videos by clicking on the words "YouTube" at the top of her page.
The King.pdf (a brief account of our historic beginnings)


text:
Schmidt is the fox promising to help chickens
The posturing this week over dying newspaper business models has been entertaining. Unfortunately for the papers, it only confirms that most of the industry will be gone a decade from now.
On Tuesday, Google billionaire† (#40 on the Forbes 400) Eric Schmidt pretended (once again) that the Monster of Mountain View has the newspapers' interests at heart in a WSJ op-ed modestly titled "How Google Can Help Newspapers."
A mere 20 years late, Schmidt channelled John Sculley in his utopian vision:
It's the year 2015. The compact device in my hand delivers me the world, one news story at a time. I flip through my favorite papers and magazines, the images as crisp as in print, without a maddening wait for each page to load.Hmmm.. My hand holds an iPhone pretty well, and since day one the New York Times has been sold as one of its killer apps. But wait, there's more:
With dwindling revenue and diminished resources, frustrated newspaper executives are looking for someone to blame. Much of their anger is currently directed at Google, whom many executives view as getting all the benefit from the business relationship without giving much in return. The facts, I believe, suggest otherwise.Wow! Isn't that generous of Google?
Google is a great source of promotion. We send online news publishers a billion clicks a month from Google News and more than three billion extra visits from our other services, such as Web Search and iGoogle. That is 100,000 opportunities a minute to win loyal readers and generate revenue—for free.
It's not clear whether Schmidt had planned the op-ed for a long time, or if he was reacting to the report released Monday by a newspaper coalition showing Google makes more money than anyone else off of "unlicensed" use of newspaper content. The study said Google enabled 53% of the monetization of these articles.
The Fair Syndication Consortium summarized its findings:
Of course, there are some problems with the study, since under fair use provisions of copyright law, a "license" is not required. Fortunately, the Consortium is willing to let this continue "to start."
These results exclude any articles found on Google News.
- During a 30-day period (October 15 – November 15, 2009), 75,195 Web sites reused at least one U.S. newspaper article without a license.
- On these sites, 112,000 near-exact unlicensed copies of articles were found.
- Among the top 1,000 sites reusing the most articles, blogs represent less than 10 percent of the total.
- In addition to the 112,000 full article copies (defined as more than 80 percent of the original article and more than 125 words reused), an additional 163,173 excerpts were found (defined as less than 80 percent of original article and more than 125 words).
This week, Google also announced they would allow less free access to Google-indexed paid content, in an existing program called "First Click Free." This effort is intended to mollify the few publishers (WSJ, FT) who charge for content.
But in the end, Google's going to keep its core business model: organizing the world's information without having to pay for any of it, continuing to siphon off the revenues that once kept newspapers alive. Absent a gun to their head (e.g. in Europe), they're not going to share any significant amount of the billions they've accumulated from that information and the stickiness it creates on their sites.
Thursday, newspaper bible Editor & Publisher quoted yet another prediction that newspapers will try and fail to institute paywalls:
Fitch is fully expecting that many newspapers are going to try and charge for content next year, only to realize it was a mistake. A handful of properties, notably the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and smaller local papers will be able to or have pulled off an online pay strategy, according to Fitch, but don't expect a widespread trend.In other words, we know how this story will end. The national category killers will be able to charge, while small hyperlocal papers operating on a shoestring will make money either online or in print-only publications. The rest are toast.
Simonton and Rizzo explain that for the rest of the lot, the competition has become too fierce. Furthermore, that competition with free content only will pull in readers, thus gaining share and the attention of advertisers.
The end of the 20th century means the end of the traditional big-city newspaper, with the inevitable conversion to online-only meaning layoffs for more than 80% of the news staff. Bloggers will rule the day, supplemented by headlines from local TV stations.
So what we'll end up with is a world with more convenient, lower quality news — indexed free by Google but little of it gathered by professionals. Today's teenagers will say "so what?" while old codgers will lament the loss of intelligent discourse.
Personally, I shudder to think what the lack of (relatively unbiased) in-depth news coverage will mean for municipal elections — probably even greater success for machine politics, vote fraud and family dynasties.
† With my frequent posts on Total World Domination, I figure I have already made it on Schmidt's blacklist.


text:
Residents battle rising ND waters
Thousands evacuate homes as more sandbags are added to the levee
MINOT, N.D (UPI) | June 25, 2011
Workers in Minot, N.D., fought to build up dirt levees to keep out the rising Souris River, expected to crest after midnight Saturday, officials said.
But officials were worried the levees might not hold out a crest expected to last several days, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Levees had been built to about 6 feet above the Souris by Saturday morning beneath the Broadway Street Bridge, a main north and south artery.
Mayor Curt Zimbelman, looking at the rising water from the bridge, said, "I'm looking at these dikes right now and we're praying that we can hold at least this much water out."
The mayor said if the levees fail, thousands of more homes, several schools, a large nursing home and the bridge could be flooded, the Journal reported.
Some 12,000 people in the North Dakota city were displaced Saturday after the Souris River hit record flood levels a day earlier, officials said.
The Souris flows south of the border from Manitoba. The river was running 9 feet above normal levels, tying a record in 129 years of monitoring, KSFY-TV reported.
Friday, dikes and sandbags were breached and the Red Cross opened two emergency shelters. However, by Friday night, only 225 people checked in, the Minneapolis Star Tribune said.
"Family and friends, that is what has made the difference," Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., told a news conference. "You've got to salute the people of this community."
Gov. Jack Dalrymple issued a statement encouraging support for the community.
"All state employees are free to leave their state employment to assist in the flood fight in Minot," he said.
The Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald said several recreational vehicle parks had to relocate as ground water levels reached 6 feet.
The National Guard had 750 troops deployed in the town, most of whom were staying with residents who volunteered their homes, the reports said.
Copyright 2011 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.
Related Topics:
Churches respond to Father's Day flooding
UT city's water contaminated
Historic city flooded twice in 2 years
More links on Flooding
Find this article at:


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Retail is leading the way in the new customer-first economy. Consumers continue to demand more and they expect every experience to be seamless.
Digital disruption has been talked about for years; it's not new. However, the pace of adoption has meant that many customer-facing systems have often been built in silo.
At Niu Solutions we work with our customers to consolidate the view of their customer. We provide technology platforms that centralise their existing systems and applications – communication and seamless integration are key for a joined-up customer experience.
Consumer demands continue to change rapidly, standing still is not an option. Agility and flexibility are at the heart of our technology platforms. It's important to have the freedom to innovate, with the resilience to change direction quickly when needed.
Industry Expertise
We have a solid understanding of the market, we specialise in fashion, hospitality and high velocity food chains, providing the agility and flexibility to enable fast growth
Consultative Approach
We consult with our customers, providing strategic advice on implementing long term technology strategies, designed to enable their business strategy
Digital Innovation
We work as a long term partner, up to date with the latest technologies we ensure our customers drive and maintain competitive edge
Built for you
Whether it's private, public or hybrid cloud, we design the environment that's right for you. It's about stability, flexibility and scalability to meet your future demands. Agility and resilience to enable innovation. Security to protect your customers' data. We tailor it all to meet your business needs.
Securing your customer's data
As the amount of customer data collected continues to rise, so does the security risk. We deploy high security standards that pro-actively and re-actively ensure all your customer's data is secure. We safeguard your brand reputation.
Our security accreditations
LRQA accredited throughout our whole business
Certified services provider
Centre for Internet Security
Member for collaboration on security best practices
A truly omni-channel experience
In retail, customer experience is king. And more specifically omni-channel customer experience. Bringing together data from diverged systems to obtain a single view of your customer can be tricky. Our centralised technology platforms make this easier.
We de-risk your strategy
To keep up in the digital world, it's all about being able to move fast and change direction. We provide you with the resilience and support you need to adjust quickly. The freedom to innovate.
Fast speed to market
We know that speed to market is critical when opening a new store. That's why we've established our turn-key store solution where we standardise store requirements and co-ordinate with third parties for rapid deployment.
'Vintage' systems
The term 'legacy' is often viewed as a negative. That's why we prefer 'vintage'; just because something is old doesn't mean it's bad. We work with our customers to understand what's slowing them down and what's not – updating systems and integrating them with new applications to make the most of their digital estate.
Managing your critical applications
In the world of cloud, organisations typically buy rather than build. Creating differentiation through an aligned software strategy. We establish effective working relationships with your software partners, ensuring high availability and seamless integration of your most business critical applications.
Our approach
At Niu Solutions, we take the time to really understand you. We get to know your business drivers and importantly, your people. We want to know where you see your organisation in the future. We listen.
Understanding your challenges, objectives, and appetite to risk. We advise. We work collaboratively to take your business on a journey.
Using our enterprise-class technology, we combine our knowledge of you with our industry expertise to build the right environment for you. Creating an aligned technology strategy, taking into consideration your compliance requirements, security, systems upgrades, application integration, data management, and cloud adoption.
We provide you with a platform that gets you where you need to be today and in the future.
We believe that communication and visibility are key when managing your transition. That's why our qualified experts use industry recognised management processes to guarantee the highest quality outcomes.
We act as an extension of your IT team. If things do go wrong, we respond quickly, you can rely on us to treat you as a priority; you will never be just a number.
A technology partner for the future, we continue to consult and advise on the latest technology and industry trends. We ensure you maintain your competitive edge and differentiated customer experience in the rapidly moving digital world.
Our managed services
Cloud and Hybrid Services
Desktop Services & Workforce Mobility
Voice & Collaboration
Planning for peak
The most critical challenge in any retail CIO's calendar – how do you manage network provisioning in your cloud model to get you through the peak period?
Omni-channel: all hype or the future of retail?
As retailers move away from siloed shopping channels to deliver an integrated and seamless experience, many claim they offer omni-channel but how far is todays practice away from just being hype?


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It's Election Day, and lines to vote are LONG in Pittsburgh
Tweet us a photo from your polling place to @theinclinepgh.
It's Election Day in Pittsburgh, and some voters are reporting long lines at their polling places.
Other locations? Not so much. The Incline's Jasmine Goldband reports that, as of 8:15 a.m., there was no line to vote at the William Pitt student union.
What are you seeing? Send us a photo from your polling place to firstname.lastname@example.com, tweet it to at us @TheInclinePgh or tag us on Instagram, #TheInclinePgh.


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Genesis' Steve Hackett, Yes' Chris Squire at work on collaboration
Prog-rock veterans Steve Hackett of Genesis and Chris Squire of Yes are at work on a collaborative project, to be called (not making this up:) Squackett.
Prog-rock veterans Steve Hackett of Genesis and Chris Squire of Yes are at work on a collaborative project, to be called (not making this up:) Squackett.
A previously shelved album by wow-man rock artist Captain Beefheart is set for release on Jan. 15, 2012 by Zappa Records.
Live albums and reissue projects often do much to shape the broader idea we have about a musical legacy, and this year was no different — with impressive sets devoted to Ray Charles, the Beach Boys, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings and the Smiths
I first heard (and heard of) Lily Allen on "Saturday Night Live." It used to be that I'd watch that show just for the musical guests. In recent years, that part of the show (OK, the whole show) has been way more spotty. So out comes this Lily Allen. Flower print dress. High heels. Insanely catchy music. The tune wasRead More
One Alternative again bursts through convention with Air Sculpture, moving well outside the bounds of typical acoustic ensembles by incorporating not just classical music forms but also the boisterous attitude of roots rock and the improvisational intrigue of jazz.
I know what you're thinking – three basses … another Spinal Tap opus? Nope, sorry. If it's not Spinal Tap, then next to the drum solo, the bass solo is just about the most reviled thing at concerts
I would like to be all quiet and happy and wish everybody a beautiful holiday season but I'm just not feeling it. In fact, I'm pissed off, a little depressed, and ready to punch the next person I see.


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Has anyone compared results from different test kits with those from a pool store? If so, which do you choose as your "ground truth"?
I have used several test kits at home (ColorQ, Pentair78DPD) and at a local pool store (BioGuard/Alex) with pool samples drawn at the same time and under the same conditions, and gotten different results from each test. The results were different enough that when I crunch the numbers to determine amounts of chemicals to add to the pool, one kit would suggest I add 1/2 bottle of acid, while the other suggested I needed 4# of baking soda.
With the ColorQ, I emailed tech-support at LaMotte, and received much of the same advice with respect to the wait times between adding the drops and taking the readings, and with the temp of the water. I adjusted my testing protocol (to the point that the coolness-factor of the ColorQ was greatly minimized), and still got different results.
SO - I'm still on the market for a test kit I can use at home that will produce results consistent with those I get from the pool store. Of course, the pool store could be out-of-calibration, so I plan to compare different pool stores in the next few weeks.
Has anyone compared the TF-100 with a professional system (like BioGuard/Alex?) What do you as your baseline?
Thanks in advance for your advice and suggestions!


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Last Updated Mar 27, 2008 9:59 AM EDT
I wish he would've limited his post to 140 words (we won't force a blogger to use only 140 characters). That said, there's something to his idea that Twitter represents a powerful twist on communications. It's sort of like a digital, everyday Christmas card (such cards, after all, invented the one-to-many communique). That's absolutely powerful.
It's also absolutely tedious. Maybe a few Oscar Wilde think-alikes will thrive in it. But how many people will consistently have something great to say? And how long before our friends become spam? I've already turned off Twitter a couple of times because I was irritated by tweet number 20 halfway through my day. In fact, I keep my cell phone away from my office, so it won't bug me with tweets when I'm trying to get work done.
The other probable downside of the Tweetonomy: It will give us permission to tune out almost immediately in conversation. We'll talk in bursts -- an epigram or two, and on to the next person. Tweet ya later!
Facebook's status updates are very close to the same thing as tweets, and it's a natural thing to use there. It's obvious that twittering will become as much a feature on Web sites as RSS feeds. I suspect, though, that GIllmor is wrong that when he says "Suddenly people looked forward once more to dishwashing, exercise, long commutes, and the constant drumbeat of the mobile Twitter client."
Instead, we'll just have one more thing to tune out.
[poll id=4]


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Safe House - Film Trailer
A YOUNG CIA agent (Ryan Reynolds) is tasked with looking after a fugitive (Denzel Washington) in a safe house. But when the safe house is attacked, he finds himself on the run with his charge.
Daniel Espinosa (of Snabba Cash fame) directs a heavyweight cast, including Vera Farmiga, Joel Kinnaman, Brendan Gleeson, Liam Cunningham, Robert Patrick and Sam Shepard, in Safe House, which is due to hit cinemas next year.
A Universal Picture © 2012 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved
Watch the trailer:
Next trailer: The Descendents
Right Content
Related Links
- Website
- Read our review
- Denzel Washington interview
- Daniel Espinosa interview
- Safe House Photo Gallery
- Watch the trailer


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As Fox says goodbye to "American Idol," it will usher in a new reality series, "American Grit," on Thursdays starting in April.
The network announced Wednesday that the military-inspired competition series, starring WWE superstar John Cena, will bow April 14 at 9. It follows the spring premiere of "Bones," which hasn't aired an original episode since Dec. 10.
"American Grit" will bow one week after "American Idol" wraps its 15-season run on April 7, and is scheduled to complete its 10-episode run in the summer.
The new series follows 16 of the country's toughest men and women as they are split into four teams and face a variety of military-grade and survival-themed challenges set in the wilderness of Pack Forest in Eatonville, WA. Cena and an elite group of mentors from the nation's most exclusive milirary units — including Navy Seal Commander Rorke Denver, Army Sergeant Noah Galloway, Marine Gunnery Sergeant Tawanda "Tee" Hanible and Army Ranger Nick "The Repear" Irving — will push these fierce competitors beyond their limits.
"American Grit" is produced by Leftfield Pictures and executive-produced by Brent Montgomery, David George, Adam Sher, Will Nothacker and Jon Kroll. John Cena also serves as executive producer.
"Bones" picks up after its fall finale with an episode that finds Hodgins (TJ Thyne) eight weeks into his rehabilitation and forced to navigate life in a wheelchair. Meanwhile, Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and Booth (David Boreanaz) investigate the death of a public defender who had multiple defendants from previous cases with motives to kill her.


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The man who shot a 17-year-old boy to death Sunday in a gated community in Sanford was a member of Neighborhood Watch, police said Wednesday.
Trayvon Martin, a Miami high-school student, was visiting a relative when he got into an encounter that led to his death, police said Monday.
The shooter, who lives at Retreat at Twin Lakes town houses, told officers he shot the boy, said Sgt. David Morgenstern, a police spokesman. The man, who is in his 20s, was not arrested, but police continue to investigate.


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For Iceberg Slim and his contemporaries, this was a jivespeak term for a hustler who uses religion or prophecy to con his victims. Usually the marks are women. Rasputin was a classic mitt man.
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OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Blues Brothers made a special stop in Oklahoma City Tuesday morning.
Elwood Blues, played by Justin Clark, and Jake Blues, played by Bucky Heard, talk with NewsChannel 4's Kent Ogle about their upcoming show.
Clark and Heard are part of the Legends in Concert show in Branson.


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The Great Wide Open is a compilation of photographs that capture and celebrate the new desire for outdoor adventure. From Iceland to Mongolia, this book takes you on a visual journey to some of the Earth's most breathtaking places.
Lose yourself amidst endless horizons, within the depths of a forest, or on a mountain peak. An inspiring exploration of natural wonders, the book also includes a few stories from the people behind the lens—ordinary people who set out to do extra-ordinary things.
Never run out of your favorites! Select our replenishment service to automatically receive a new shipment of your favorite items in the preferred frequency. Frequency can be selected from the available drop-down on each product page. Replenishment Service is easy and convenient. We offer the following cycles:
Monthly – every 30 days*
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Your credit card will be charged for each order only when the item is shipped. You may cancel the service at any time by logging into your account.
*The number of days is calculated from the date of original order.
As a premier photo and video outlet, we are full line dealers for the entire range of photographic equipment and
supplies. Whether you are a leading professional or new to photography, our expert staff are always ready to
assist you in finding the perfect equipment at great prices.
Tel: (403) 234-9935
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Rand Paul Thinks There Are No Poor People In America
Kentucky Senator-elect Rand Paul told Wolf Blitzer, "There are no rich, there are no middle class, there is no poor…We all either work for rich people or sell stuff to rich people." Whatever happened to compassionate conservatives? (via Think Progress)
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Copyright 2010 Liberaland


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Today we entered all 62 subcribers into the random number generator and it drew the number 34 which means that the winner of our free album is......
I have messaged you Carol so that we can send your new album out to you - I hope you enjoy it!!
We will have another album to give away on here when we reach 75 followers so tell anyone who might be interested in winning - the sooner we reach our target, the sooner we will be able to give away another mini album for free!!


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A few quick thoughts about tonight's TV playlist:
You know the Obama campaign has to be counting on the youth demographic to once again "rock the vote," as they used to say, so the timing is curious for MTV's annual Video Music Awards extravaganza from L.A.'s Staples Center to encroach on the climactic night of the Democratic National Convention from Charlotte, where President Obama's speech is the main event.
Maybe there will be cutaways? At any rate, the VMA show starts early, at 8/7c, and is scheduled to wrap by 10 p.m./ET, well before the president speaks. But it's still going to be a big draw for the 18-34 crowd, including for the instant replay that starts immediately afterward. (Which means there's no Awkward this week, which is OK, because this whole juxtaposition is awkward enough.)
On the VMAs, look (or listen) for live performances from Rihanna, who opens the show, plus Taylor Swift, One Direction, Pink, Alicia Keys, Nicki Minaj, Frank Ocean (who's also Saturday Night Live's opening-night musical guest next weekend), Green Day and more. Among the presenters: from the Olympics, the gold-medal-winning U.S. women's gymnastics team. Kevin Hart is the host.
Meanwhile, let's hope no singers advance to the final round of NBC's America's Got Talent when the last three acts are announced tonight (8/7c). It's not like we won't be getting our fill of musical hopefuls very soon, with The Voice and The X Factor both premiering next week. ... Another sign that the summer season's just about over: the season finale of ABC hit Rookie Blue (9/8c), with many of the characters facing career and relationship crossroads, as tends to happen at cliffhanger time. Not to worry. They'll be back next summer. Blue has already been renewed for a fourth season. (Isn't it about time to stop calling them rookies?)


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Smartphone-based Immunodiagnostics could be the Future of the Global Immunoassay Instruments Market
Immunoassays are a diagnostic procedure carried out in a laboratory to assess the level of several biomolecules such as hormones and proteins, which are indicators of the presence of disorders or conditions such as HIV, autoimmune, diabetes, hepatitis, and thyroid disorders, among others. In the past few decades, there has been a tremendous development in immunodiagnostics. For instance, the use of smartphones for immunodiagnostics is likely to increase the reach of these testing methods to remote locations in several developing countries. Equipped with high-resolution cameras, GPRS, cloud computing technology, and advanced processors, telemedicine is set to be the future of immunodiagnostics. With billions of phone users around the world, the smartphone-based immunodiagnostics segment is expected to establish a firm foothold in the global immunoassay instruments market.
The global immunoassay instruments market is segmented on the basis of products, applications, and geography. The products in the global immunoassay instruments market are multiplexed assay systems, radioimmunoassay analyzers, enzyme linked fluorescent systems, immuno fluorescence (IFA) analyzers, enzyme immunoassay instruments, and chemiluminescence (CLI) analyzers. The application of immunoassay instruments is seen in areas such as cardiology, oncology, endocrinology, for treating infectious diseases, therapeutic drug monitoring, and drugs of abuse. Geographically, this market is spread over Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World.
Browse Market Research Report of Immunoassay Instruments Market: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/immunoassay-instruments-market.html
Chemiluminescence (CLI) Analyzers Segment to Lead Global Immunoassay Instruments Market
The global immunoassay instruments market has been growing at a rapid pace due to increasing technological innovations and the growing number of applications that are in dire need of improved performance. According to industrial analysts, the chemiluminescence (CLI) analyzers segment held the biggest market share in 2013, accounting for 27% of the global immunoassay instruments market. CLI analyzers are expected to continue their dominance in the coming few years as well. IFA and ELFA systems are also expected to show sturdy growth in the forecast period. The wide range of applications of immunoassay instruments is leading to a huge demand for immunoassay instruments, thereby creating a scope for the market's development.
Browse Market Research Press Release of Immunoassay Instruments Market: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/immunoassay-instruments-market.htm
North America and Europe to Emerge as Top Regions in the Global Immunoassay Market
In 2013, North America accounted for the biggest market share in the global immunoassay instruments market, with Europe following closely. This high growth rate and share can be attributed to the increasing adoption of these instruments in the advanced healthcare system of North America. In the light of statistics presented by the World of Health Organization that diabetes is likely to be the seventh leading cause of death by 2030, when the number of diabetics will reach 347 million, immunoassay procedures are expected to witness a huge demand. These instruments are especially required in several procedures that treat obesity, a predominant problem due to sedentary lifestyles.
The RoW and Asia Pacific immunoassay instruments markets are experiencing a lack of momentum due to lack of accessibility to healthcare facilities and poor per capita incomes. However, emerging economies such as Brazil, India, and China are expected to contribute to the growth of this market in the coming few years as these countries are investing in strong healthcare infrastructures.
The key players in the global immunoassay instruments market are Roche Diagnostics, Beckman Coulter, Abbott Laboratories, and bioMerieux. Their innovations and marketing strategies to reach out to a wider population base will be the pivotal factors determining the shape of this market in the coming few years.


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Life insurance is a lucrative business for insurance companies. But it also plays a vital role in protecting your family from financial devastation if something happens to you. One question that many people have is whether you still need the protection that life insurance gives -- and when the time comes that you no longer need your policy, what's the next step to make the most of the money you've already spent for your coverage?
This month's new issue of Rule Your Retirement includes some tricks of the trade when it comes to life insurance. Rather than simply running for the hills, you might end up with a financial windfall if you take a few minutes to check out the various options you have for your policy.
You can't take it with you
As Foolish retirement expert and financial planner Robert Brokamp discusses in the latest installment of his retirement newsletter, changing circumstances in your life also have an effect on your life insurance needs. For instance, when you start a family or have more children, then you may well need more insurance coverage to make sure your survivors have enough money to take care of their financial needs if you die. On the other hand, as your children grow up and start their own adult lives, then your insurance needs may fall or even go away entirely.
But dealing with life insurance can be complicated. For instance, if you're trying to get coverage, you typically have several different choices. Insurers including Aetna
In addition, navigating different types of insurance is tricky. Basic term life is cheap, but if you stop paying premiums, the coverage goes away entirely. Other types of insurance, such as whole life, cost more but include an investment component that is tax-favored -- but associated fees can be high.
Don't lose everything
You might think that dealing with the situation where you no longer need coverage would be easier. But here, the options are even more varied:
- You can stop paying premiums and surrender your policy. If it has any cash value, then you'll get a check.
- You can borrow money against your policy, with any outstanding balance deducted from your death benefit after you die.
- You can sell it to a third-party investor. It may seem morbid, but companies like Life Partners Holdings
make a business of buying and selling insurance policies, offering viatical settlements to critically ill policyholders. Moreover, with "death derivatives" perking up interest among Wall Street players Goldman Sachs (Nasdaq: LPHI) and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: GS) , life insurance policies become a counterbalance to longevity risk-based products. (NYSE: JPM)
- You can trade your policy for an annuity. Not every insurance company offers the types of annuities you might want -- Genworth Financial
, for instance, stopped selling variable annuities earlier this year. But the annuity you trade for can come from a different insurer, so if your insurance company has no offerings or sells only high-cost annuities, you can seek out alternatives from lower-cost providers. (NYSE: GNW)
All those options are worth considering, because each can help you end up with more money in certain situations. If you don't look into all the choices you have, you might ultimately make a costly mistake.
What's the right move?
Brokamp's quick look at insurance coverage issues gives a good primer, but the true value of the Rule Your Retirement service lies in its resources. With supporting information about annuities, long-term care insurance, getting income from your policy, and creating an insurance action plan, you'll have a to-do list to take care of your insurance needs in no time. Best of all, you can get it all with a free 30-day trial -- it includes current and past newsletter issues, as well as the full suite of resources to help you with every aspect of your retirement.
Protecting your loved ones financially is a big responsibility, but life insurance can give you a way to get that job done well. Just make sure you make smart moves with your policies, both when you buy them and when you no longer need them.
Get started today with a 30-day trial of Rule Your Retirement -- it's free and there's no obligation to subscribe.
Fool contributor Dan Caplinger believes in self-insurance wherever possible. He doesn't own shares of the companies mentioned in this article. The Motley Fool owns shares of Aflac and JPMorgan Chase. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Aflac. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Fool's disclosure policy protects you.


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Originally posted by die_another_day
I was going to vote for Obama almost tentatively, but when I was choosing, I mindlessly voted for McCain instead.
It just happened like that, I lost all of my logic at that point.
All I had in my mind was "No, Obama can't be president."
I have a theory that the reason Obama has so much support, is because white people want to vote for a Black candidate just to prove once and for all they are not racists. Like a badge of honor.
Originally posted by Blue_Jay33
reply to post by Res Ipsa
As for changing your mind on who to vote for, that's cool. For some people, until your looking at the screen with the names you won't know for sure 100%. I think they did stats once and it was about 15% that were decided but their vote choice was soft, and they could change their mind.
That's McCain only hope that Obama's last 15% support is soft.
But then I remembered that I could make a historic decision for utter change, the likes of which have not been seen during my entire life.
I am sorry but this site seems to be leaning Pro-McCain at least moderators sure seem to be leaning that way. I post the same things on other sites that aren't political and the MODS don't say a word.
Originally posted by Marcus Calpurnius
Most the posters here are far left, Republican hating conspiracy theorists and you think its a right leaning forum? Where do you guys get this stuff?
Originally posted by Marcus Calpurnius
reply to post by Buck Division
But then I remembered that I could make a historic decision for utter change, the likes of which have not been seen during my entire life.
So basically, you voted for him because hes black? What massive "change" are you talking about anyway?


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The OpenEyes™ Foundation is a not-for-profit charity set up to ensure that the future development of OpenEyes™ continues to meet the very highest clinical standards.
The OpenEyes™ Foundation oversees the development of OpenEyes™. The core activities of the OpenEyes™ Foundation include:
- Organisation of the OpenEyes™ community via charitable membership of the Foundation
- Commissioning OpenEyes™ development for the wider community
- Managing the OpenEyes™ public (GPL) and commercial licenses
- Managing and protecting OpenEyes™' intellectual property
Continuing this development under the guidance of a charitable, not for profit body is an essential part of our collaborative, public service ethos. OpenEyes cannot, in itself, be sold to a third party ensuring that users have security and can influence development.
One of the most important roles of the Foundation is to commission a principal commercial supplier for OpenEyes. While OpenEyes can be downloaded and used without charge, integration in modern hospital environments requires technical support and maintenance to ensure compliance with good clinical practice. The current supplier for OpenEyes is AB EHR Digital, a company based in the UK and Australia with a strong commitment to Open Source solutions in healthcare. The Foundation directs commercial enquiries regarding installation and support to AB EHR Digital and works with AB EHR Digital to ensure that the most cost effective solutions are applied. AB EHR Digital's role does not exclude the addition of code from outside suppliers or individuals.
The Foundation organises meetings to bring together developers and users to guide the development of the product. These take place twice a year and are by invitation to users of OpenEyes.
|The Foundation is run by its Trustees.
Professor James E Morgan: Foundation Chair
Bill Aylward: OpenEyes Founder, Chair Apperta Foundation
David Haider: CCIO Bolton Foundation Trust
Professor David Ingram: Chair and Founder, Open EHR
Andy Barker: IT Director of East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust
Peter Coates: NHS Digital Head of Ecosystems Development


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I belong to a small but really cute group of creative ladies… we are only four…and this Christmas I decided that I wanted to give them a little gift … so I made us all mug mats to use when we enjoy our "fika time"…?
Since I was sewing with only scraps at that time, I continued my mission to sew some of them up… found already cut 1" squares in my boxes and used up almost all of them…only needed to cut out some more from the yellow and green scrap bins. Looks like I have sewed less with those colours.
I first made the blue one …for The Lady Blue…?
and then a pink one for The Lady Pink… ?
and of course a yellow for The Lady Yellow…?
And at last for The Lady Green..she needed one too ? ( and surprisingly this one is mine…not the pink one ☺)
And scrappy on the front… how I love scraps!!
It was very fun sewing these… think I need to make some more to have at home…❤


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Watch how to make this recipe.
For the filling: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Whisk together the jam, cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water in a large bowl until well combined. Add the strawberries and toss gently to coat evenly. Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart baking or gratin dish, using a spatula or the back of a large spoon to gently pack the fruit into an even layer. Set aside.
For the topping: Pulse together the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 3/4 cup of the cream and the vanilla and pulse until the dough just starts to come together. Do not over mix.
Spread the dough evenly over the strawberries, drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons cream and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
Place the cobbler on a baking sheet and bake until the topping is lightly browned and the fruit is bubbling, about 1 hour. Let the cobbler cool completely before serving, 2 to 3 hours. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)
Copyright 2016 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.
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drama vlog »
Drama – Did Wrong (Prod. By LafDaDon) & "ROAD TO RICHES" Episode 3 (Video)
Since 2017 started, a few new artists have consistently been putting out new music and videos aswell as performing across the united states. One of the artists that has been heating up the streetsRead More »


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The Beginning
It was back in 1996 when I first discovered power lifting. If you read my "burning desire" article, then you already know what got me started. After seeing power lifters in person at the Arnold Classic back in 1997, I told my coach that I wanted to train for a meet. He told me one in Pickerington, Ohio (outside of Columbus) in May. So I trained hard for my first meet, but I didn't know what to expect until that day. But I made sure I hit every rep of every set on every workout to make sure I do well there. I loved the workouts my coach put me through, I was hurting when I left the gym which was great for me.
The day before the meet was the weigh-ins. I saw a few lifters that looked strong there and I was getting excited. However since my Coach was one of the guys putting on the meet, he had to be there so I hung around and met some of the lifters there. The more lifters I met, more excited I became. I didn't know there were people out there who loved power lifting like I did.
I couldn't remember the date of the meet without referring to the training log I had back then (yes, I still have to this day!!). I remember sleeping over at my coach's house. The night before, I was helping him get the equipment for the meet (i.e. benches, plates, scoreboards, etc.). I also remember pigging out on pizza and milk (my favorite combination) that night as well. I also got a look at my first World Gym in East Columbus which was very nice and very big. My coach was working there as a trainer.
My First Contest
Any ways, I awoke the next morning feeling extremely excited about competing in my first power lifting meet(which was a bench meet by the way). I was so nervous the night before, I tried to calm myself by reading comics and muscle mags that I had brought with me (yes. I still read comics!!). I went and brushed my teeth and everything, but I was even more excited than the night before. I always get so excited to a point where I can't eat.
My coach and I went to Burger King and had some breakfast there. I was still finding it hard to eat, but I did any ways because I wanted to be ready for the day's events. When we got there, I didn't see anyone there, but my Coach was on of the directors of the meet so he had to be there first. He told me it was chance see how things are setup. It was about an hour when people starting showing up. This was an high school bench meet, so high school teams started arriving from all over Columbus and around Central Ohio.
I wasn't sure on how many lifters there were, but it was a lot and believe it or not I didn't think about winning the meet, but I was nervous on the fact that my lifts may not be good enough to hang with anyone else.
The Rules
At 8 A.M., they started the rules meeting where they discussed what's legal and what's not and how they intend to do the placing. My coach had already went over this with me in the gym so I was ready for it. Once the rules meeting was over, it was time to start warming up and posting roster to see who goes first (it always the lighter guys going first!!). My coach told me that when my time came around, he would do a lift-off for me. He was one of the judges at the meet. So I warmed up with 135, 185, 205, and then 215 for my last one.
But I started warming up too soon because I was about 10 or so lifters out and I was getting too excited. I saw other guys warming up and it inspired me even more so. When I felt myself getting cold, I warmed up again, but that made me even more excited to tell you the truth. I was approached by a few guys who wanted to spot me on my warm-ups. I hadn't seen this type of camaraderie (1) in a long while and it was great to see it amongst power lifters. When it was time for my first attempt, my hands got very sweaty and my coach was waiting for me on the bench. I laid down and prepared to do 230. My coach was motivating me and was telling me not to get nervous and before your know it...I had done 230 pretty easily.
My coach told me that the first attempt should always be the easiest. Now after my attempt, I started taking notice of the other lifters. There were a lot of teens benching over 300 at this meet and few benching over 350. It was amazing but at the same time it was nerve-racking. I was benching 230 while others were doing 50-75 pounds more. So I said to myself, "hey, there will be more meets like this, so I'll just try for my PR (personal record). But nonetheless, I had nothing but respect and honor for all of the lifters there.
My second attempt came around and I was assisted by one of the other lifter who was also competing in his first meet. I did 240, but it was getting a little difficult, but without hesitation I told the judges I wanted 250. All of the nervousness left me when I did my second attempt. This was a very good meet because 75% of the lifters there hardly missed any attempts. Very few missed one attempt. I tried not to do anything until my last attempt.
I was pacing and pacing back and forth and than I sat down. I was surprised, I thought the nervousness had left me, but I guess it made sense that I was nervous...I was coming up on my last attempt for me. When it was time, I walked very fast do the bench. When I brought 250 down and press it stalled and then I heard people rooting me (people I didn't even know!!) and I continued to press as the small crowd and my coach rooted me on and finally locked out 250!! I was very proud of myself that I did that much (back then 250 was a lot for me!!). Finally, it was all over.
But the most amazing thing at the meet happened...a teenager from Utica (about 19) had performed the biggest bench at the meet...385!! I was amazed and this got me hooked on power lifting for life. After the last lift, the started with the award presentation. I still had a "small" hope for getting something, but the placing went up to 3rd. But my coach had handed me a metal for the hard work he had put me through and for doing the meet. I was proud of it, even though he told me I came in fifth, I was still proud. I stuck around for the other bench meet that followed.
Biggest Lift
By the way, the bench I did at this meet was touch-and-go and not rest-pause. The following meet was a "real" power lifting meet with the rest-pause. I helped with putting the plates on the bar and I witnessed a lot of good lifts. The biggest lift in this meet was 500, which was the most I've ever seen on a bench press. It was amazing.
Afterwards, it was like I didn't want to leave because I've seen so much and wanted to see more. I went out for hamburgers, fries, and some ice cream afterwards and then I went home.
I couldn't stop thinking about that meet so bad that I went to school that Monday and told all of my friends how I had a good time at the meet. I loved it and wanted to do more. To this day, I've done nine meets and there were all good(a few first places), but it was nothing compared to my first meet. For those of you out there reading this, if you've yet to compete in power lifting, your missing a rush. Later this year (might be this summer), I may do a bench press since thinking about my first meet got me motivated. I want to see if my max is in the range of 385-405. Well, I hope you all enjoyed reading about my first meet. If you have any comments or praises or just want to write, email me firstname.lastname@example.com. Well, until next time, stay big.
Dictionary Definition
(1) - ca·ma·ra·der·ie Pronunciation Key (käm-räd-r, km-rd-)
n. Goodwill and lighthearted rapport between or among friends; comradeship.
[French, from camarade, comrade, from Old French, roommate. See comrade.]


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by Sandra Johnson
Teaching returnees to Japan, those students who have lived abroad is not easy. They think they know how to speak English.However, they have picked up many bad habits on the whole, and most have not fully learned English, then they return to Japanbut think they know it all. They usually don`t.
As the parent or teacher, you may feel that your attempt to help the students learn proper English grammar is of no use and is just a waste of time.
Well, each and every attempt to improve grammar will be met with stiff resistance. The biggest problem involved here is that proper English grammar is never considered "cool and happening." On the other hand, any person who ignores proper grammar rules and speaks strangely becomes popular if students of opposite sex like the style.
Unfortunately movies and even TV commercials influence the English students will pick up - for better or worse. In Japan,we sometimes here or read, "I`m lovin` it!" Our studentshave picked up this English from the McDonald`s TV commercials.
At least they are learning. Unfortunately some of it is a waste.
What can you do to make sensible
English Grammar
rules more glamorous?
This is not something that you can do in a single day. You will have to be patient. Further, never try to defend the rules. Trying to focus on coolness will not work because you will be competing with the creativity of youngsters who are better at shredding grammar to bits.
Allow them to use some of the slang they have picked up, but explain that it won`t be correct on the TOEFL or TOEIC tests.It won`t be correct on the Eiken or (STEP) tests either.
They may well think that the English they learned in the moviesor in California is correct. Just be sure to point it outwhen it isn`t. They may well be surprised (dude!)
You have the option of both rejecting improper grammar and sticking to tried and tested methods of instruction or you can adopt a holistic approach and introduce your students to not just the language but its history as well.
When students realize that
proper English grammar
is not something that is simply taught but has evolved, they will appreciate its importance better.
Further, students will understand that evolution is a part and parcel of the process of the development of language. In such a scenario, they will realize that what they consider good grammar may have been slang in the past. In the same way, what they consider slang today may become a part of basic English grammar rules in the future.
You may not find this argument impressive but it will definitely impact a teenager who is more bothered about peer pressure and respect amongst friends as compared to all other things.
But by all means continue to allow them to use slang, it is part of the color and fun of a language. Just make sure theyknow it is slang.
At the end of the day, proper English grammar rules must be followed not because it is glamorous or is the right thing to do. Rather, it is the only way you can make use of the English language properly.
The only person who is given an exception and is permitted to ignore grammar rules is the poet. (or Kevin R. Burns LOL!) However most poets stick to grammar and prefer enriching the language by staying within its limits.
For students with a more practical bent of mind, you can explain that having proper English grammar is essential to become a good writer. Bad grammar makes it difficult to create a good impression with others.
Those who intend to apply for jobs or for interviews will automatically understand that proper English grammar use is a very convenient way of creating a good impression without any difficulty. And the sooner one gets into the habit of usingthe correct grammar, the more natuaral one will be during thejob interview.
If you prefer a more strict approach to teaching
You may wish to stamp out slang altogether in your classroom.Personally I think this is a mistake for reasons stated above.But if it is important to you, heed the following:
Do not make the mistake of thinking that you have succeeded if you have convinced one student to use proper English grammar rules for a day or two. Rather, you should attack the tendency to ignore grammar rules again and again until you are certain that the students will follow your instructions related to the language and not their own whims and fancies.
To Teach English in Japan - TESOL
To Teaching English in Japan - Amazing Experiences!
To Teach in Japan - Big Schools
To Grammar Practice
From Proper English Grammar to How to teach English in Japan (home)


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There are many games that children play at home like video games, play station, badminton, etc. These games provide physical exercise to the children. It also provides the opportunity to utilize extra time. There are some other games which increase the efficiency of child. These games are related with Mathematics. These games are very easy, if your basic concept of math is clear. These games help you to get a position in the class. There are many online cool math games for kids that are available on internet. They not only provide knowledge but also fun to kids.
There are two types of students in class. One who easily understands the lecture and the other who could not. They take time to understand the concept. Cool math games are helpful for those students because they provide beautiful opportunity to students to build the basic concepts of mathematics. Math is the only subject that enhances the mind of the student and provides more than one solution of the problem. These cool math games also provide mental exercise to the children. They can easily solve the sum while playing a game. Some cool math games also show cartoon on the screen that attracts many kids to these games. Web sites that offer such games have a colorful web designs. One can easily find the cartoon of one's choice in the math game. These games are helpful for kids in all the fields of life. Puzzle games are the best math games; it increases the level of child as compared to other children. Through these games children learns quickly and try to apply the logic's in other fields. These games also provide gadgets like calculator facility on the web site. Some games are simple but some games are complicated and allow many functions to be used by the user. Most of the math games are free to play on internet.
These cool math games also help you in every subject because math is the only subject that is applied in other subjects also. Math is the only subject that opens the mind of the kid. If you start understanding the math from your early age, you can succeed in every field of life. Parents can also influence their children to play cool math games rather than video and computer games. These games make the mind of kid sharper and sharper so these games must be played by the children.


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Emma's life
- by Emma bemma
- Rating:
- Published: 29 Oct 2012
- Updated: 31 Oct 2012
- Status: In Progress
Hello my name is Emma this will tell you about my life. I've just moved to jersey so Im trying to adjust my life
Join MovellasFind out what all the buzz is about. Join now to start sharing your creativity and passion
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The end of the year brings gifts of state grants to arts, cultural and heritage organizations in Central New York. They were among the recipients of the 2013 Regional Economic Development Council Awards given to businesses, nonprofits and local governments. The total amount for Central New York is $66.9 million for 79 projects.
In the Central New York region, the Near Westside Initiative received the largest grant - $1 million - of the arts-related projects. Everson Museum, the MOST, Onondaga Historical Association, Syracuse Poster Project, Syracuse University Office of Arts, CNY Arts and Smithfield Community Association also received grants.
The NWSI will put its grant toward a $1.88 million project to renovate 23,000 square feet of a 48,000 square-foot vacant warehouse at 110 Marcellus St. on Syracuse's Near Westside. The renovation will be on the third floor and create an open floor plan with room for artists to create and sell their work and exhibit and crafts spaces, said Marilyn Higgins, who is vice president of economic development and community engagement at Syracuse University. She directs the NWSI, an economic and neighborhood revitalization project. Syracuse University, Gifford Foundation and the Center of Excellence were involved in its startup.
The warehouse is the midsection of the Case Supply complex that includes WCNY Broadcast and Education Center on the western side and ProLiteracy on the east end. The renovation will upgrade the third floor, replace the roof, install an elevator, exterior windows and a water supply connection. Room also may be made for a number of apartments and a film post-production operation, said Higgins.
"It's really going to be a good strategy to shore up the center part of the building," said Higgins. She believes the combination of art and retail space and apartments is a good combination. "It fits into the theme of our neighborhood which has always been art, technology and design. The SALT District (of NWSI) is actually Syracuse Arts Literacy and Technology. We try to keep a good balance between the arts part of this and the neighborhood part of this," she said.
Higgins said additional funding is being sought for the total project cost. The NWSI bought the former Case Supply warehouse, a 220,000-square foot of timber-framed, turn-of-the-century complex of buildings in 2006. It is at the entry to the Near Westside neighborhood. "We couldn't ignore it. Only thing we could do is take it and refurbish it," said Higgins. WCNY purchased one section and NWSI rents ProLiteracy its space.
Among NWSI's other properties are the Lincoln Supply Building, SALT Quarters, artist
Juan Cruz's Patch-Up Studio, and the empty lot on Marcellus Street across from the Case complex.
Here are details on the grants for other arts, culture, history projects:
Milton J. Rubinstein Museum of Science & Technology, $280,000 for the "Energy: Powering Our Future" permanent interactive exhibit. The grant will allow Phase 2 to proceed with the purchase of the hands-on interactive components. MOST will need to raise an additional $320,000 to cover the $775,000 project cost. MOST President Larry Leatherman expects to open the exhibit by the end of 2014. "Energy" will look at alternative energy sources _ wind, solar, geothermal and other potential replacements. "We're looking at really trying to get kids interested in the new knowledge-based economy that will deal with alternative energy," said Leatherman. And, he said the MOST exhibit becomes another attraction for tourists.
CNY Arts, the regional arts council, $174,000 to continue projects promoting cultural tourism. CNY Arts received a $100,000 grant to carry out an action plan using the information gathered in the 2013 Engage CNY survey of the arts and cultural interests of residents, nonprofits and community leaders in Cortland, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga and Oswego counties. The grant will promote tourism and buy advertising. The $74,000 grant will be used to launch a smart phone, mobile platform giving handy access to its website and calendar of arts and cultural events. It will offer real-time information on events, activities within a 25-mile radius, said Stephen Butler, executive director of CNY Arts.
Everson Museum of Art, $150,000 to continue the restoration of the Gustav Stickley House, 438 Columbus Ave., in Syracuse. It is a $2.2 million restoration project of the one-time home of Stickley who was a designer, manufacturer of furniture and a leader in the American Arts and Crafts movement. In the next few months, the physical work will begin, said Steven Kern, museum executive director. This follows the research and documentation phase of the project. Local and national corporations and foundations have been approached for $10 million in funding to transform the house into a museum and staff its operation. No financial commitments have been made yet, said Kern. This latest grant "will leverage significant support from others, private sectors," said Kern. Everson previously received $550,000 in state money for the project.
Syracuse University Office of Arts/ SU Arts Engage, $62,012 to commission five choral compositions for performances along the Connective Corridor.
Onondaga Historical Association, $50,000 to begin the planning process for "repurposing" the building and grounds along Onondaga Lake Parkway for a Haudenosaunee heritage museum and recreational trails. It will be on the property of the Ska nohn Great Law of Peace Center (formerly Sainte Marie Among the Iroquois). Planning also will entail developing programs and exhibitions and compiling a list of artists to be consulted. Funding will be sought in the summer for any construction and the project completion would be in fall 2015, said Lynne Pascale, OHA director of development.
Smithfield Community Association for, $6,370 to hire two interns to assist in the operations of the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark and the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum.
Syracuse Poster Project, $4,480 for hiring interns to assist with design, promotion, fundraising of the poetry and poster displays throughout downtown Syracuse.


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from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- adj. Capable of being sustained.
- adj. Capable of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment: sustainable agriculture.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- adj. Able to be sustained.
- adj. Able to be sustained for an indefinite period without damaging the environment, or without depleting a resource; renewable.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- adj. Capable of being sustained or maintained.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Capable of being sustained or maintained: as, the action is not sustainable.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adj. capable of being sustained
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
So be careful with the term "sustainable consumption."
Everyone also likes the term "sustainable development," and they can even parrot back the Brundtland definition a United Nations commission, formed in 1983 and named for the Norwegian politician Gro Harlem Brundtland, said that development should meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
And as the crisis of the oceans becomes clearer, the term "sustainable farming" is gaining as much resonance for the sea as for land - and is just as difficult to achieve.
Critics, who charge that the NPPF is heavily skewed in favour of economic development over social or environmental concerns, have demanded a clear definition of the term "sustainable development".
I've been in over a dozen meetings now with organizations like the World Economic Forum and the U.N. Global Compact where people use the word "sustainable consumption."
Wouldn't it be great if in 5 years the term sustainable no longer exists because we will have accomplished just that - sustaining the planet.
"Go green" goes down -- send greenwashing with it | The Greenwash Brigade | Marketplace from American Public Media
With smarts, creativity and innovation, and before the term sustainable development was even widely used, CNT has been demonstrating its unique brand of sustainable development: development that is good for the economy and the environment; makes better use of existing resources and community assets; and improves the health of natural systems and the wealth of people—today and in the future.
Energy produced and used in ways that support human development over the long term, in all its social, economic, and environmental dimensions, is what is meant in this report by the term sustainable energy.
The term sustainable agriculture is widely used today to describe agriculture that has the goals of conserving the environment for the future and providing nutritious food for all people equitably (section 1.2).
The term sustainable means different things to different people.


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Open Thread: Friends and Family and Everyone Else
Here's a place to talk about the relationships in your life whenever you want.
Last week I had endless fun editing Hannah's piece explaining why Bryan Adams was the world's most perfectest boyfriend. It was a proper guffaw-fest, but it also made me realise that my expectations for potential man candy are really rather low.
Joking aside, Hannah really does describe the perfect boyfriend in her piece. He loves you even when you're being a dick, he takes care of you when you need it, and he's totally cool about being with you, even though he's definitely an 8, and you're a 7, 7.6 at a push.
Obviously rating people by a mark out of 10 is crap, naff and the sort of thing a LAD would do, but were I a LAD, I'd definitely describe myself as somewhere between 7 and 7.6 on a decent day. And I know, in the right light, I could bag myself an eight-out-of-ten hunk (ugh, I hate the word hunk) for fun, frollicks, and maybe mooooore.
But would he be as intelligent talented, thoughtful and nice as fake Bryan Adams? No, of course not. I can pull a hot guy, but only on the proviso that he's a total moron. Or a total wanker. Or worse, a moronic wanker.
I'm also more than capable of pulling someone intelligent, charismatic, funny and interesting, but he's probably not… quite as hot as the hot moron. Or… a bit ugly. I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but basically, I just won't fancy him.
And call me superficial, and tell me the love of your life should be your best friend all you like, I still think it's important to actually fancy the person you're with. I just do.
He might be a lolz-a-minute, and I'll fancy his personality, but that counts for nothing if he makes me wince and down a glass of wine every time he walks into the room.
The fing is, I really don't think you can have both – it's got to be a toss up between looks (or, at least finding someone hot) and personality. Am I the only person who thinks this? Do I have wildly low expectations for myself, or am I just a realist?
I don't subscribe to the theory that hot men never sleep with less hot women, or whatever. But I do think there are only a finite number of hot, interesting, clever, funny, nice men out there, and they've all been snapped up by women far more proactive and prone to regularly shaving their legs than I. Were I a LAD, I'd mention here that those women are probably somewhere between 8 on a bad day and 9.5, just FYI.
So which one do I go for? The clever ugly guy, or the hot moron? Throughout my adult life, I've gone out with both, and the dates definitely follow a pattern.
With the hot morons, the evening will start off well. When I see him, I'll get that 'hey, he's hot' flip in my stomach when he strides over (not meanders or wanders, hot men always stride). As an added bonus, he probably won't be wearing anything that makes me want to stab myself in the eye with a Biro.
And then he opens his mouth, or suggests we go to All Bar One (old man's pub, good; posh cocktail bar, good; chain wine bar, bad), or he'll order himself a Bacardi Breezer, and the night will go downhill from then on.
As nice as he might be to look at, the minute he starts talking, I will want to rip my own face of as a distraction. Because he's stupid, and dull, and only talks about himself. Much like I'm doing here, in fact.
The evening might end with me running away when we get to the Tube station, or lying and pretending I really need to get a bus, or starting a fake conversation with my mum on my mobile, gesturing that he should get on the Tube without me, as I'm going to be ages. Either way, I will never see that man again.
With the clever, charismatic, funny, not-hot guys, the night will start badly. I'll wince when he gambols over, because last time I saw them, I was drunk, and having a great time, and he definitely looks less hot now. But as I'm here, I might as well make the best of it and go for a drink (he'll suggest a great, little-known old man's pub round the corner, possibly with an open fire and an equally charismatic dog).
Then I'll have a few drinks and won't care that he's not hot, because I'm drunk, and we're having a nice time. I'll probably get drunk enough that we'll end up snogging in the pub, outside the pub, outside the Tube, on the Tube (yes, I'm THAT person). Sorry BoJo.
Then the next day, I'll wake up, accept his Facebook request, and realise that, in the cold, sober light of day, looking at his (presumably flattering) profile picture, I don't even slightly fancy him. He may have had a hot personality, but I really am that shallow.
I'll also never see that man again, but this time, it's even worse because I totally gave him the run-around with all the sauvignon-fuelled snogging on the Tube (at this point, I could have a conversation with him where I explain that I'm not feeling it, and ask if we could remain friends, but the thought doing that makes me want to rip my own face off even more than dumb hot guy, so I'll probably just ignore his calls for ten days until he gives up).
The third option, I presume, is to find someone who's totally medium, looks, personality and everything-else wise, and so neither repulses nor bores you.
I veer somewhere between feeling like that's probably quite a sensible middle ground, and thinking that if I'm going to go to all of the trouble of having a boyfriend, it might as well be for someone who's totally hot and amazing and brilliant and adores me, even though that person probably, almost-certainly doesn't exist, because I've totally made him up.
So you see my dilemma. Is my problem that my expectations are too low, or that my expectations are too high? Or is it that I'm clearly quite vacuous and self-centered? Will I ever get asked out on a date ever again after writing this?
Rebecca Holman is just as shallow and self-obsessed on Twitter @rebecca_hol.


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Apr 18, 2013
Developers continue on in their challenge to release one game per month as part of One Game Per Month, and of course there's more Android titles that are part of it. Here are some of March's most interesting #1GAM entries available for Android.
Twinvaders: Try to destroy not just one wave of invaders, but two waves, attacking from each side of the screen! Players have to use each thumb to slide up and down, adjusting their crosshairs at a 180 degree angle. The challenge eventually becomes in trying to manage each side of the screen and not letting the enemies become overwhelming. Download from Google Play.
Grid Chaser: This Pac-Man-inspired maze chase game doesn't just have players navigating mazes collecting certain items, but it adds in a pursuit element. While crystals appear randomly throughout, the only way to get a massive number of them to appear is to remain on the tail of the red ship traveling about. The longer players are on its tail, the quicker they need to react in order to stay on its path, though the player thankfully has a set of predictive path arrows to know where they will turn next. Try to collect 120 crystals as quickly as possible! Download from Google Play.
Rogueotron: I'll let developer Beercave Games supply a creative descripton for this one: "March's theme for One Game a Month was "rogue" – but your standard rogeulikes don't have nearly enough in the way of lasers and explosions for my tastes.
And so I ended up with Rogueotron – a procedurally generated Robotron/Berzerk alike." It's all glowing blocks and dual-sticks here, folks, with plenty of keys and level-ups along the way to victory or defeat. Whichever comes first. Check it out on Google Play.
Dynamite Jack: Phil Hassey, creator of Galcon, decided to port his stealth-action game with bombs to Android as his March 1GAM entry. We'll have a full review later, but this game is now available on Google Play after debuting in one of the Humble Bundles.
Ducking Hipster: The world's most accurate hipster simulation, move left and right to avoid the mainstream crowd. As you do better, your hipster outfit becomes more realized, with a scarf, hat, and glasses. Of course, the more hipster you become, the harder it becomes to stay as hip as you are, so the game becomes harder. Good luck. Download this one from Google Play.