text:
If you have or know a solar project, please submit it to us for consideration as a featured project using Submit an Item. http://www.solaripedia.com/302/submit-an-item.html
Photovoltaic modules attract and convert solar energy to power, helping to reduce the building's electricity requirements. Sixteen RWE Schott Solar 300 watt poly-crystalline modules and two SMA Sunny Boy 2500 240VAC inverters provide 4.8 kilowatts DC peak capacity to this grid-tied system. In addition to the PVs on the roof, the Ballard Library in Seattle used the first application – in 2005 - of thin-film solar cells integrated into a portion of the south and west-facing glass units surrounding the adjacent Neighborhood Service Center. By intercepting the sun, these cells provide critical shading of the glass windows while allowing just enough light to penetrate and illuminate the space. An extensive sod roof provides roof insulation and helps retain rainwater to slow stormwater flows, using more than 18,000 low-water-use plants atop the sweeping roof. Also on the roof are scientific devices that measure wind speed and direction, sunlight and the sound of rain. The resulting weather data then becomes artwork in LED displays and an audio composition of Ballard-area sounds. Many other green architecture and environmentally friendly features abound in this green building such as low-VOC coatings, waterless urinals in restrooms and light wells in the parking garage that provide pools of natural light to help with way-finding and security.
Timber and Steel
In Ballard, a new branch Seattle Public Library is a showcase of eco-efficient architecture.
By Kirsten DeLara, April 2005, Seattle Weekly
A ship's bow, a periscope, an unruly crown of lawn—could it be a boneyard for boats? An innovative work of art? Actually, it's the new Ballard library, the 15th branch to be built or renovated under Seattle's "Libraries for All" bond measure. It boldly blends elements of Ballard's heritage with cutting-edge environmental technology. Opening Saturday, May 14, it might be the "greenest" building in town. It's certainly unique among the city's branch libraries. Consider it a gift for Earth Day, which is Friday, April 22.
The new Ballard Branch has a huge, upwardly arched roof supported by enormous wood rafters, which cantilever out to cover the building, an attached neighborhood center, and outdoor community space. At the northwest corner, there is a tall, curved structure covered in galvanized-steel shingles. It looks like a ship's bow; closer inspection reveals it is a meeting room.
The new (2005) building, on 22nd Avenue Northwest, a block north of Northwest Market Street, is the result of an ambitious effort by the Seattle Public Library, architects Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, and Ballard neighborhood residents to push the limits of green design and education. Some of the highlights include:
• An 18,000-square-foot sod roof, which provides thermal insulation, serves as bird habitat, and moderates rain runoff. Any water not used by plants is filtered through the soil and slowly released.
• Two types of solar collectors: standard roof-mounted panels and an innovative model that uses photovoltaic glazing inside vertical panes of glass. Both collect solar energy, which is fed back into the city's electricity grid, reducing the project's reliance on power supplied by Seattle City Light.
• Functional public art that monitors and displays data about the microclimate around the structure. Wind direction and speed, energy use, light, and rainfall are artistically presented along building spines.
• High air quality through use of recycled materials and by applying internal finishes outside the building, which will reduce interior "off-gassing" by building-material chemicals. Air intakes are positioned to exploit prevailing breezes.
• Conservation of old-growth trees. The 1-and-a-half-foot wood beams are actually smaller pieces of yellow pine glued together, enabling use of smaller lumber.
• Pedestrian-friendly touches. Twenty-Second Avenue was rezoned as a pedestrian-oriented street. Librarians will encourage ride sharing, public transportation, bicycling, and walking.
The project began in 1999 with the first of many community meetings. Residents discussed the merits and drawbacks of nine potential building sites and remained involved throughout the process. In 2000, at another meeting, residents helped evaluate architectural firms. In 2001, the Ballard Library Project Advisory Committee was formed, composed of local residents, architects, business owners, and artists. Later that year, residents attended a community meeting to communicate their concerns and educate the architects about Ballard. In 2003, residents viewed the design of the new branch and neighborhood service center prior to approval by the Seattle Design Commission. In February 2004, construction began.
When construction commenced, the builder, PCL Construction Services, faced a number of challenges incorporating some of the green technologies, one of which was the roof. Kyle Richardson, PCL's project manager, knows the numbers well: 644,000 pounds of dirt and 85,000 pounds of bark mulch under a coconut-fiber membrane. Inserted into that were 13,540 plants— 11 species. A plastic egg-crate retention system under the dirt will hold 1 and a half inches of water over the whole roof, ready for plant intake. And if it doesn't rain? A soaker-hose irrigation system was installed, in case of drought.
Another challenge on the roof was sloping. While sod roofs are normally flat, this one resembles a very relaxed "U." Along the highest part, a bank of solar panels was installed to take advantage of southern exposure. The unevenness of the roof creates some microclimates, with the higher slopes draining more quickly and the valleys exposed to divergent sun and wind conditions. Says David Kunselman, Ballard project manager for the Seattle Public Library: "In designing the roof and [installing] different species of plants, we wanted to let Darwin take over. If certain species want to go in another area, or if they wanted to take over some other species, go ahead." A periscope near the circulation desk gives patrons a way of keeping an eye on things up there.
The trickiest installation for PCL, however, was setting up the photovoltaic windows in the neighborhood service center, one of the first such installations in the U.S. Imported from Germany, the flat glass panes are mounted to form a curve, to take in the most sunlight possible throughout the day. As the sun moves, the panes will each generate a different level of energy. Voltage meters were mounted in the neighborhood center to display the output from each of the three-pane windows. The glazing on the panes eliminates the need for shades, creates privacy, and reduces overheating from direct sunlight. Says Kunselman, "We'll be generating a measurable amount of electricity, but the intention is to really let people know what can be done in the Northwest with solar technology. It's a great opportunity when you layer on these things, enough different items, grab people's attention, and make things right for the building and the environment. It's a rich environment for people to step into. They might not see it the first time, but then they come back and it's different—it's not a static environment."
This ambitiously green library is right in line with the High Performance Green Buildings Act signed by Gov. Christine Gregoire on April 8, 2005. Washington is the first state requiring new public buildings over 5,000 square feet in size to meet standards for water conservation and energy efficiency. The Ballard library branch is 15,000 square feet.
Because it's a public building, the Seattle Public Library used an expert design team and consultants to weigh the environmentally correct thing to do against protecting public investment and the longevity of the building. The only unproven element, officials say, is the solar-energy collecting windowpanes.
Seattle City Light's "green power" program paid for the rooftop solar panels and the film glazing between the glass panels, as well as provided technical support for the system's installation. The library project had to undergo an evaluation process to see if it met Seattle City Light's goals. Was it a demonstration project? Could it educate the public on the possibilities to generate green power? Concludes Kunselman: "We have every expectation that it will work well, but if it doesn't, we still have the nice shading in the windows."
So what was the extra cost of going green? Officials say there was none. The library was finished a bit early and on budget at $10.9 million. Costs would have been higher without the Seattle City Light program. But by choosing elements that serve multiple purposes—the glazing replaced the need for shades, for example—the architects were able to keep costs down.
Robert Miller, the project manager for Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, is proud of the design elements used to increase environmental awareness and energy sustainability. "This building has a lot of merit in its ability to teach people about the environment and some of the priorities we set for ourselves in the Pacific Northwest. . . . Things people can do to save energy, renewable energy sources like solar, how to use daylighting, airflow for natural ventilation, and nontoxic materials. Libraries are always depositories of knowledge, and we wanted this building to be more of a teaching tool, in addition to its normal function."
Vegetated Roof
Installed: 2005
Type of vegetated roof: Extensive, Test/Research
Size: 20,500 sq.ft.
Slope: 8 percent
Designers/Manufacturers of Record:
Architect: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Landscape Architect: Swift & Co.
Greenroof System: American Hydrotech
Hydrotech Applicators: Krueger Sheet Metal
General Contractor: PCL Construction Services
Vegetated roof system designer American Hydrotech reports that the vegetated roof was incorporated as part of an overall strategy to reduce and conserve energy costs where possible. Solar (photovoltaic) panels provided by the Seattle City Light Green Power Panel, installed on the northern edge of the roof, will monitor the amount of electricity captured and collected onsite. Energy generated from these panels is fed back in to the city's power grid, reducing the Library's energy bills. Additionally, various rooftop sensors measure wind speed, direction, sunlight, etc. The gently curving roof is visible from the periscope and observation deck and invites visitors to engage in the living roof's ecology above the street. The project presents the community with an example of benefits realized when sustainable design combines with extraordinary architecture. The Ballard Library won the 2006 Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Award of Excellence in the Extensive Institutional Category.
According to American Hydrotech, Because the site is in an urban setting, the challenge was to develop the site in a restorative manner. Formerly home to a bank and a parking lot, hardscape comprised 100% of the lot coverage. Today, combined with the green roof and planters at the building perimeter, the hardscape has been reduced to 20 percent of the lot coverage. The seamless waterproofing membrane used for the green roof project, Monolithic Membrane 6125®EV-FR (fabric reinforced, environmental grade, 25 percent recycled content), is a hot fluid-applied, rubberized asphalt that forms a long-lasting, tenacious bond to the substrate. MM6125EV-FR's unique formulation, which includes inert clay fillers, provides excellent resistance to acids and fertilizers.
Plant list:
Achillea tomentosa — Woolly yarrow
Armeria maritima — Sea pink, sea thrift
Carex inops (pensylvanica) — Long-stoloned sedge
Eriphyllum lanatum — Oregon sunshine
Festuca rubra —Red creeping fescue
Festuca idahoensis — Idaho fescue
Phlox subulata — Creeping phlox
Saxifrage cespitosa — Tufted saxifrage
Sedum oreganum — Oregon stonecrop
Sedum album — White stonecrop
Sedum spurium — Two-row stonecrop
Sisyrinchium idahoensis — Blue-eyed grass
Thymus serphyllum — Thyme
Triteleia hyacintha — Fool's onion
Visitors may view the green roof from a periscope in the Ballard Branch.
Construction Facts and Milestones
• Replace the 7,296-square-foot branch, which was built in 1963.
• The new branch has an updated collection, more seats, expanded reference areas, larger areas for children and young adults, more computers, a meeting room and underground parking.
• The building also includes the 3,100-square-foot Ballard Neighborhood Service Center
Quick facts
• Project type: Replace existing branch
• Completion date: 2005
• Budget for capital costs: $10.6 million
• Total library program area: 15,000 square feet (formerly 7,296 square feet)
• Computers: 37 (formerly 13)
• Artists: Donald Fels, Andrew Schloss, Dale Stammen
• Art budget: $57,672
• Library Board steward: Linda Larson
• Architect: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
• Contractor: PCL Construction Services Inc.
• May 2005: The new Ballard Branch of The Seattle Public Library and the Ballard Neighborhood Service Center opened at noon Saturday, May 14.
• April 2005: The old Ballard Branch at 5711 24th Ave. N.W. closed April 10, to allow the Library to move operations to the new branch.
• February 2004: Construction began on the new branch and the neighborhood service center.
• December 2003: The Seattle Design Commission commended the Library for design excellence and innovation for the building design.
• April 2003: The Seattle Design Commission approved design development plans and said the project did not need additional review.
• March 2003: Residents attended a public meeting to see the building design.
• October 2002: The Seattle Design Commission approved schematic design plans for the new building.
• July 2002: U.S. Bank decided not to participate in a mixed-use project that would have included the new library, the neighborhood service center and a bank branch. Instead, U.S. Bank will move its Ballard branch to a new location.
• May 2002: Residents attended a public meeting to see the first images of the new library and neighborhood service center. The Seattle Design Commission approved conceptual design plans for the project.
• September 2001: The Library signed an agreement with U.S. Bank to buy the bank's property at 22nd Avenue Northwest and Northwest 57th Street for the new library and neighborhood service center. The site also will accommodate a U.S. Bank branch.
• June 2001: Residents attended a "hopes and dreams" meeting to share ideas on design, collections, programs and artwork for the new branch and neighborhood service center.
• May 2001: The Seattle Public Library board of trustees selected Fall City artist Donald Fels to design artwork for the new branch.
• April 2001: As an outgrowth of Ballard's municipal center master planning process, residents and business owners, Library staff members and representatives of other city agencies formed the Ballard Library Project Advisory Committee to articulate the community's goals before design begins.
• September 2000: The Library Board identified a site currently occupied by U.S. Bank at 22nd Avenue Northwest and Northwest 57th Street as its first preference for the site of the new branch. The Library and U.S. Bank are exploring siting the bank, the library and a neighborhood service center on the property.
• March 2000: The Library Board selected the architectural firm of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson to design the new branch. Earlier in the month, about 150 community members met architect finalists at a reception.
• November 1999: The Library Board narrowed to three the list of potential sites for the new branch.
• October 1999: Residents discussed the opportunities and challenges of six sites at a community meeting to talk about where to build the new branch. The Library added to the list three more sites that residents proposed.
• November 1998: Seattle voters approved the $196.4 million "Libraries for All" bond measure. The bond money, which could be used only for construction of libraries, funded a new Central Library and new and improved branches.
Ballard Library Environmental Features (122 kb)
Ballard Library LIVE PV Energy Monitoring
Ballard Library AIA Case Study Top Ten Green 2006


text:
|OpenBSD Packages and Ports Installation and upgrading of packages and ports on OpenBSD.
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ntfs-3g: Device not configured
Hello everyone. I spent some time finding how to use OpenBSD for the first time. I come from a Linux environment so I didn't find it very difficult, but ntfs-3g is giving me a headache.
I'm using a clean OpenBSD 5.4 install, with 5.4 ports and 5.4 src.
Hello, and welcome.
Unfortunately, libfuse and ntfs-3g were not enabled at 5.4-release because they were in development and not yet fully functional, and therefore considered experimental. I tested libfuse and ntfs-3g in June, and I had to manually add the library and header files to my -current system build, and I needed a custom kernel that included fuse interfaces, in order to conduct those tests.
The OpenBSD Project added libfuse, ntfs-3g, and sshfs-fuse to the -current build on 1 November 2013, and these will be available to you at 5.5-release, expected on or about 1 May 2014.
The ntfs-3g port was in the tree at 5.4-release, but it was not in the build (no packages were made) as the underlying components of libfuse and other dependent services were not yet ready. Here is the most recent CVS log entry for ports/sysutils/ntfs-3g/Makefile applicable to the 5.4 ports tree:
revision 1.3 date: 2013/07/15 08:05:50; author: jca; state: Exp; lines: +3 -7 The uuid library from sysutils/e2fsprogs was renamed, so fix up WANTLIB. Note: not hooked to the build; likely the last port that needed fixup for the uuid naming change. Amit Kulkarni had the same diff, ok aja@ sthen@
Last edited by jggimi; 20th January 2014 at 02:05 AM. Reason: typos, clarity
Thank you for the reply. I didn't know it was enabled in 5.5 only. I thought there was a way to install it in 5.4 (because I compiled it from the 5.4 src and ports) . I'll have to install "current" then.
You could do what I did -- you are part way there already. You would need to build and use a custom kernel, as fuse kernel services are not part of your 5.4 GENERIC or GENERIC.MP kernel. Fuse kernel services were enabled for -current users 1 November.
That stated, I wouldn't recommend doing this. While you could certainly configure and build a 5.4-release kernel with fuse included -- custom kernels are unsupported, and you would be using code that was (at the time) experimental and incomplete.
In order to run -current, you must either re-install from a snapshot, or do a very careful upgrade with a snapshot. Very careful. Due to several changes to application binary interfaces between 5.4 and -current, a -current kernel is incompatible with 5.4 userland and port/package binaries.
That ABI incompatibility precludes you from running a "Frankensystem" with a blend of -release and -current components, if you were inclined to experiment.
Last edited by jggimi; 20th January 2014 at 02:30 AM. Reason: fixed incorrect/incomplete links, clarity.
I went back to OpenBSD after some time, installed 5.5 and this time it was very straight forward. I have ntfs-3g working from the 5.5 ports.
If it's in the official 5.5 ports, how stable can it be considered? Is it still "experimental"? (I get the part of "use at your own risk", but I just want to know if the devs still consider ir alpha. Beta is fine.
It's in the build, therefore the Project considers it operational and supported. As with any other supported components, you may report bugs and expect break/fix assistance with a sufficiently detailed report.
When we run experimental components, we should also report problems -- reports are welcome, but we should be cognizant that break/fix may not be possible, and we should mitigate risk: take measures to guard against data loss and production system failures. (Backup systems, avoid production implementations before testing production workloads, etc.)
Thank you. I was worried about my information, since I use ntfs in my external HD to share data with other PCs around the house (with different OSes, like linux and windows).
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Martha Stewart's Chow Chow, a two-year-old named Genghis Khan, won the best in breed competition on Monday at the Westminster Dog Show. Although Genghis Khan was eliminated before the final round—a lot of very special dogs were sadly eliminated—he's since had a busy schedule of television appearances, Central Park outings, and play dates with a certain divisive, prize-winning Pekingese. This morning VF.com spoke to Stewart on the phone about Genghis Khan's upkeep, diet, and the Plaza Hotel meal tweeted 'round the world.
Vanity Fair: Hello!
Martha Stewart: Hi, it's Martha.
Congratulations on Genghis Khan's win in the best of breed! That's so exciting.
Thank you he was lovely.
Was it his first time at Westminster?
It was, yes it was, he's only two.
Has he won any other titles?
No, no, no. Well, he's a champion, so he had shown at other regional shows. A show in Pennsylvania, a show in Baltimore, and a show in Massachusetts. So three shows, and he got his championship, so then he could show at Westminster.
Tell us about his grooming preparations.
Chows have a very beautiful coat and they do not shed. They have a two-layer coat: an undercoat and a longer coat with long guard hairs. So basically what they need is frequent brushing, backward brushing.
He loves being groomed, he loves being brushed. He gets brushed, or he gets checked, pretty much every day … His ears are checked, his face is washed, his teeth are scrubbed with a cloth, and his feet are always, coming in from outside, he is always put in a footbath.
How often does he get his hair cut?
Oh, never. You never never never never cut a Chow's hair.
Because that's their beauty. Their beauty is their coat.
What do judges look for in the ideal Chow Chow?
Black eyes, almond shaped, deep set. A black tongue, blue-black tongue that does not have any spots on it. The teeth have to be white and scissor closure, so the top, the canines, fit into the bottom teeth.
Can dogs get braces?
Can dogs get orthodontia?
Uh, I don't know the answer to that, but lots of dogs have other things done to them, I know that.
Has Genghis Khan had any work done?
Oh no, that's why I knew he was a champion. He has absolutely no physical problems or abnormalities at all. He is extremely finely bred. He has to have a broad chest, a broad head, he has to have triangular ears with rounded tips set nicely on his head, and he has to be one of five colors, he has to be a red, a cinnamon, a cream, a blue, or a black.
What's his personality like?
Totally fabulous. He's just friendly to everyone. He is aware of what's going on around him, but he is non-reactive. … Chows are kind of regal in bearing.
Does he get along with your other dogs, Francesca and Sharkey?
Oh, they love him. They jump all over him. And he plays with them and he runs like lightning. For a Chow—and I've had a lot of Chows—he is very, very fast.
So what else is special about him?
Well he gets along with pretty much everybody. I have never seen him mad, I have never seen him agitated; I have never seen him having a bad day.
What does he eat for regular meals?
I make his food. He eats either white or brown rice that's steamed with peas, carrots, string beans, and broccoli all chopped up in it. Boiled fish—I buy blue fish by the tens of pounds—and I boil the bluefish with the skin and bones until its falling off the bones, then I take it all off the bones then I freeze it in the liquid, then it's sort of gelatinous. They get that with every meal.
And when he goes to the Plaza what does he like to eat?
I brought his food. We don't serve him table food.
But I noticed he sat at the table and he was very well behaved.
Oh yes, he's like that. He's just so regal.
He seemed like an aristocratic human being.
He is! Very polite. And also, they don't want to poop in front of you. They'll pee in front of you, but they want to go private when they poop. They'll go behind a tree, under a bush—they're very private when they poop.
How does he feel about the Westminster outhouses?
Yeah, he's not happy in that kind of thing.
How did you celebrate his win?
Well, I haven't had time yet, because he's had to make appearances. Yesterday after his win he had to stay with the breeder and I took him back to my apartment late—we didn't get back to my apartment until 11 o'clock at night. And then he slept, and I took him out five times to Central Park. He was a little off-schedule. And then he had to make an appearance on The Today Show yesterday morning—he had to be there at 7:15 a.m. So then he went home to Bedford, [New York], and he came back in this morning. So we haven't had time to celebrate. This weekend we'll celebrate.
How will you celebrate?
Oh! Take a long walk.
So speaking of a lot of fur, I was wondering what you thought of the Pekingese that won Westminster?
I just had him on my show! Malachy! What a fabulous dog. He's retired now. He's so amazing.
What does his fur feel like?
It's stiff. Stiff but soft. He's very beautiful.
Did he meet Genghis Khan? How did they get along?
Oh just fine! They're two Asian dogs! They're Chinese!
What's next for Genghis Khan?
If he wants to go back to the Garden, he has to continue to show … he has a lot of stuff to do.
So what about Chow Chows in particular appeals to you?
He's friendly, he's not obsequious, he's not demanding, loveable but he's not, you know, in your face. He's easy to care for. … They're amazing dogs! Remember, there were 2,500 pairs of these dogs chained to those stone pillars in the imperial courtyard in Beijing in front of the imperial palace. And each pair of dogs had its own servant dressed in blue silk, which fed it and cleaned up after it, and they were out there in that courtyard all the time. Their job was to guard the palace, to guard the emperor.
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text:
A big crash sounded in the Fifth Street area as a huge dead tree just off the intersection of Fifth and Carson fell last night.
A big crash sounded in the Fifth Street area as a huge dead tree just off the intersection of Fifth and Carson fell last night. City crews were on the job quickly to remove the debris and clear the roadway, but the main body of the tree was still observable on Monday morning.
Pam Lopez, who lives at the intersection of Fourth and Belleview, was playing records in her backyard with her husband, Tony, when a whirling burst of wind cut across the yard diagonally from north east to southwest, lifting the phonograph into the air. Her husband caught it. Then, seconds later, they heard a loud crash. Pam saw the tree down Monday morning.
Going along Fifth Street to the site of the downed tree, the photographer stopped at a house on Fourth and Belleview, where Don McDonald, helped by granddaughter Destiny Urioste, was loading branches from his tree into the back of a pickup truck. He told about the tree on the next street. "It was across the street last night," he said. "I was going to have my tree trimmed, but the wind did it for me."
Lopez observed there are at least two more large dead trees in the general vicinity of the tree which came down Sunday night.
Sunday's storm brought high winds and steady rain. Other areas of the state experienced similar weather, with at least two tornadoes touching down.


text:
Branch manager Richard Ritchie initiated the student contest.
"We asked a teacher to have all the students draw some pictures, and then they selected the top 15 to be posted in the bank," said Ritchie. "Every time a customer comes in, we ask them to vote for the pictures. We have the names on the back so nobody knows who drew what."
The drawings will be on display throughout the month of December, at the end of which the winners will be announced.
"It's on a point system, we ask everybody to vote for three pictures," explained Ritchie. "First place is three points, second place is two points and third place is one point. At the end of the contest, we're going to tally up all the numbers and add up the points."
At that point, each of the winning students will receive prize money for their drawings, and the winners will remain on display to be enjoyed by the bank's clientele.
"We're going to put a ribbon on each picture that wins a prize and then we'll keep it displayed for another two weeks," Ritchie said. "We're going to give first place $100, second place $75, third place would be $50.
"What we need is a little help, because we don't want to have just 15 entries in the box," said Ritchie. "We'd like to get as many people into the branch to vote. Take a couple of minutes to vote for these kids."


text:
by Rev. William G. Most
In commenting on the judgment, we spoke of Purgatory and Hell. Now we consider Heaven.
The Second Epistle of Peter 1:4 says by grace we are "sharers in the divine
nature." We learn from John 1:1 that the Father speaks a Word. It is not a vibration
in the air, but it is substantial, it is the Second Divine Person, coming from the Father
by as it were an infinite stream of knowledge. Between Father and Son arises love, which
again is substantial, is the Third Person, the Holy Spirit, coming forth by a stream of
infinite love. Only a being that is part divine could as it were plug into these infinite
streams. Grace in this life gives us the basic ability to do that.
As we saw in speaking of hell, death breaks the bond between our spiritual intellect
and the material brain. Then the lights go on, and one knows God greatly even without
seeing Him. The soul, if properly purified, and if all debts to the objective order are
paid, will finally reach that vision, that seeing of God. We are all finite, limited
receptacles, trying to take in the Infinite. In this life our capacity for that can grow
indefinitely, with increases of sanctifying grace. In heaven, whatever capacity the soul
has will be completely filled, fully satisfied. Since the vision is infinite, it can never
become dull. Further, St. Augustine says (City of God 10:7) that the angels participate in
God's eternity. Eternity for God is timeless. Things do not just go on and on, He takes in
everything in one view, as it were. Similarly the soul in that vision does not just go on
and on: it simply is unbelievably fulfilled, happy, satisfied. St. Augustine said well
(Confessions 1:1): "You have made us for yourself, and restless are our hearts until
they rest in you."
When the glorified body at the resurrection is joined to the soul, it too will share in
its own way in the reward the person has earned. It will be as we said, on the pattern of
the glorified body of Christ.
The Blessed too will be united with others there, especially those close and dear to
them in this life. Thus, as a secondary source of blessedness they will have eternal
fellowship with Our Lady and all the saints.
Taken from The Basic Catholic Catechism
PART FIVE: The Apostles' Creed IX - XII
Twelfth Article of the Creed: "And life everlasting. Amen."
By William G. Most. (c)Copyright 1990 by William G. Most
Electronic text (c) Copyright EWTN 1997. All rights reserved.
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text:
One Fall Competition Ahead
NEW HAVEN, Conn.—Bolstered by the addition of three talented freshmen, the Yale women's fencing team is in good shape for the 2013-14 season ahead.
The season was originally scheduled to kick off with the Nov. 9-10 Penn State Garret Open in State College, Pa. But that tournament, where a trio of Yale fencers finished in the top 16 last year, has been cancelled. Now the Bulldogs will open competition at the Dec. 8 Brandeis Open in Waltham, Mass.
This year's team will be led by junior captain Lauren Miller, who finished in 13th and seventh place for foil at the past two NCAA National Championships. Miller finished in 10th place in foil competition at last year's Penn State Garret Open.
Alongside Miller, four seniors will help set the tenor of the team: Alison Barton in epee, and Laura Benoit and Brenda Seah in saber. This strong contingent will look to add to their already substantial contributions to the team throughout the course of the season. Juniors Rachel Hayes and Josephine Massey will also seek to set an example for their underclassmen peers in saber and foil, respectively.
Building on their experience on the team last year, Yale's five sophomores are well positioned to make their mark in competition. Jin Ai Yap, Katherine Miller and Katharine Spooner will compete in epee, Maria Martinez in saber, and Megan Murphy in foil. In her first tournament with the Bulldogs last year, Katherine Miller finished in 16th place at the Penn State Garret Open.
With their strong collection of past experiences and tournament performances, the team's three freshmen will hope to post a strong opening to their collegiate careers. Olivia Briffault, a New Yorker, fences epee and foil; Lillie Lainoff, from Washington, D.C., fences saber; and Joanna Lew, a native of Durham, N.C., also fences saber.
After the Brandeis Open the team will continue training over the winter and recommence competition with a home bout against Sacred Heart on Jan. 18.
Report filed by James Lu '14, Yale Sports Publicity.


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Spring cleaning for the heart – 5 helpful tips
April 13, 2016
By: Joy MacMichael, NP, Sentara Cardiology Specialists
Spring has sprung, and with the warmer weather it is the perfect time to give your heart a spring cleaning! Here are 5 helpful tips you can do at home to make your heart (and mind) healthier.
- Clean out your pantry. Get rid of snacks and food high in trans fats, sugar and sodium. Load up with whole grain cereals, almonds, whole wheat crackers, low-fat cheese, baby carrots and hummus. One pound of fat is equal to approximately 3500 calories so cutting 500 calories a day will result in 1 pound a week in weight loss!
- Clean up your fitness. Pull out those sneakers and get outside! Go for a walk, clean up the garden, go for a bike ride or take the kids to a park. While going to the gym can burn 300-400 calories, an active lifestyle can burn calories all day while you play.
- Clean up your menu. Spring is the time for lots of new fresh vegetables and fruits. Try some fresh artichokes on the grill, fresh cherries on a butter lettuce salad or baked pork loin with apricots. Clean eating unprocessed foods can lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar and increase energy levels.
- Clean out your medicine cabinet. Spring is a great time to throw out unused and left-over antibiotics, pain medications and old prescriptions. Make your home safe for spring visitors.
- Clean up your "to do" list. Set realistic goals and timeline to achieve them. Even small accomplishments can reduce stress and increase wellness. Lower stress levels are associated with healthier behaviors including nutritious food choices, stopping smoking and drinking less alcohol.


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Texas Prisons Are Overflowing With Prostitutes
Texas is spending way too much money on its prostitutes, and its not even getting any sexual favors in return.
There are currently over 350 prostitutes in state prisons, costing Texas much more than it should.
Texas state law allows prostitutes to be charged with a felony and sent to jail after three misdemeanor convictions. But while that gets these women off the streets, it does little to help them, and it ends up costing the taxpayer more in the longrun.
It costs at least $15,000 per year to house one convict, while rehabilitation programs are about $4,300 a year. The math seems simple enough.
Democratic Senator John Whitmore is one of the politicians advocating a change of law, calling the number of prostitutes in prison "nuts."
And just think how many of those poor jailbirds have Pretty Woman-esque hearts of gold.


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Fruit, sponge and a crunchy sugar topping – it doesn't take much to please me! You'll see in my footnote below that this was rather a last minute bake but that doesn't detract from just how tasty it was. It was certainly a crowd pleaser too, and disappeared in a blink of an eye!
Almond in the sponge gives this a Bakewell kind of vibe and I suppose you could leave off the sugar topping and make glace icing instead. But I would struggle to do that...I do like a sugar crust! Close up of sugar crust:
This recipe originally used plums and so I'll be making it again once my parent's damson tree burst forth with fruit. Any fruit would work with this basic batter of butter and almonds.
The cake is moist without being squidgy and is really comforting to eat; it's not fancy or glamorous but relies on good flavour and texture to get it noticed.
Footnote: I wasn't planning on making this cake; it was rather an eleventh hour raid-the-store-cupboard-for-ingredients affair. I had planned on making Bill Granger's blueberry butter cake but found the recipe to be a nightmare – there was far too much batter which ended up spewing Vesuvius-like all over my oven, and I only used half the topping as there was so much of it. I didn't use his book; the recipe was published in "Woman and Home" magazine. I wonder if the magazine had some typos in the ingredients listing. Has anyone made this cake? Did the recipe all fit in the tin? The ingredients weren't cheap and I was desperately disappointed.
200g (drained weight) cherries – I used tinned but fresh would be great too
100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
225g self raising flour
100g ground almonds
100g light muscovado sugar
100ml milk
2 eggs
For the topping: 2 tablespoons Demerara sugar
To serve: cream
Preheat the oven to 180˚C/fan oven 160˚C/350˚F/Gas mark 4.
Prepare a 20cm round springform tin by lining with baking paper.
Drain the cherries and leave to one side so they dry a little.
Place the butter and flour in a bowl and rub in the butter, using your fingertips until the mixture forms breadcrumbs.
Stir in the almonds and muscovado sugar.
Measure the milk out in a jug and break the eggs into it. Whisk until they are combined.
Stir the milk and eggs into the cake mixture.
Gently stir in the cherries; some may break down and colour the batter but don't worry – it looks rather good!
Spoon into the prepared tin and level the surface.
Sprinkle the Demerara sugar over the top.
Bake the cake for 40-5o minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Mine took 50 minutes.
Leave to cool, in the tin, on a wire rack until the tin is cool enough to remove. Leave to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Serve the cake at room temperature with thick cream.
Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have created.


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Make A Wish List
During a recent podcast, I spoke briefly about a Wish List I'd made at the age of 11.
I found it the other week while sorting out old boxes of memories and paperwork. Finding it really touched my heart: the hopes and dreams of a young girl with an incredible imagination. What amazed me even more is that only a few of the 10 items on my list remain to be 'done'!
Continue reading


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Our primary objective is to provide visitors with a custom tailored financial solution that is suited toward their specific financial profile, establish and maintain a budget, consolidate monthly bills into one affordable payment, provide credit relief programs that include combining financial education that enhances financial soundness and understanding. These programs are designed to organize your monthly bills and to get you out from under your burden fast! Use the form on the left to set up your free session with a certified financial specialist to learn the secret to getting out from under your financial difficulties and how one of these consolidation loan solutions can help you.
Consolidation loan options. We also understand the core of any person's financial well-being is the creation of a sound budget. Maintaining stability in your personal finances should be taken very seriously. Through our experience with consolidation loans, settlement services and or other consolidation programs, we realize that people do not intend on becoming over extended or falling past due on their payments. We strongly believe that the cornerstone of any thriving economy starts with the soundness of its most basic participant - the individual.
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You may not have realized it at the very first time you use a credit card you were in the clutches of the credit card companies and they had you right where they wanted you. The next step in their plan was to put you on a revolving credit card payment schedule that had you only paying the minimum monthly payment each and every month. Look at where that has gotten you, not very far has it? The reason for that is that the credit card issuing companies who were so nice and happy at first were that way only to get you hooked.
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Why investing in Gold is a great resource... learn more.
What you should know about Bitcoin as an investment... learn more.


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Biological Sciences
Research Highlights
December 2007
Dick Smith Named to Prestigious 2007 Scientific American 50 List
Researchers use proteomics to understand the human brain in health and disease
Congratulations to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Battelle Fellow and Chief Scientist Dr. Richard Smith, who has been named to the 2007 Scientific American 50. Smith and collaborator Dr. Desmond Smith, University of California at Los Angeles, share the honor for their work on understanding the human brain.
Assembled by Scientific American's Board of Editors, the list honors 50 outstanding people or teams for their achievements and leadership in shaping established and emerging technologies. Previous honorees include Nobel prize-winning neurobiologist Roderick MacKinnon, former World Health Organization Secretary General Gro Harlem Brundtland, and Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
The two scientists and their collaborators are developing analytical methods and technologies, including voxelation and gene expression tomography, to detect patterns in the transcriptome and proteome—the complete set of RNA that creates the chemical "blueprint" for producing proteins and the complete set of proteins produced—in the brain. Eventually, this research may help to identify patterns that indicate the early stages of brain impairment, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other neurological diseases. Many biomedical researchers believe that detecting disease states before symptoms occur is key to reversing many as-yet-incurable diseases.
The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and PNNL's Biomolecular Systems Initiative. Most of the work was conducted at the Department of Energy's W.R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a national scientific user facility located at PNNL.
The complete list of this year's winners for the SA 50 appears in the January 2008 issue of Scientific American. It can also be viewed on the magazine's website at http://www.sciam.com/.


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Winter is fast approaching, so now is the perfect time to stock up on all the tools you need to survive the season. Why not start with the ThermaCell Heated Insoles? Your feet are the only part of the body that's closest to the ground where all that snow's gonna be anyway.
With the ThermaCell Heated Insoles, the rechargeable shoe pads can warm your feet from the inside out, keeping your whole body warm starting at the base. The lithium polymer batteries are embedded in the insoles, and the wearer can control the temperature with an external remote to set the heat level at either 100 or 110 degrees Fahrenheit. By using rechargeable insoles, you also save a bit of money in the long run when you consider the cost of those disposable warming pads. Each charge also affords the wearer five hours of heat, and unlike the disposable pads, you can turn the soles off to conserve battery when you're indoors.
You can juice the ThermaCell Heated Insoles up to 500 times before needing replacement. It's also water resistent in case things get a little too warm in there, which is great for those who … well, you can imagine the kind of people who'll appreciate that. Now, any winter boot will be the best pair of shoes you've ever owned. Put this on the Christmas list for anyone who spends a lot of time commuting, working, or exercising outdoors.
While the ThermaCell Heated Insoles may resolve the issue of the literal kind of cold feet, you're on your own if you're dealing with the colloquial version. The warming insoles are available today at $130.


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Every year we are invited to a themed Halloween party that is put on by friends. Some years result in elaborate costumes that include props. As we were digging through our decorations this year, I found the "Wilson" that I had made for a "haunted island" theme party a few years back.
I'm not sure why I thought Castaway was a scary movie except that it is. From the plane crash (still one of the scariest crash scenes ever) to the nightmare of being alone on a deserted island to fend for your self against the elements, hunger and creeping insanity is about as scary anything I can imagine.
Plus it included one of the most interesting supporting actors ever played by a beat up volleyball. The one sided conversations that Tom Hanks' character has with Wilson gave him such a personality that I was literally sad when Wilson floated away.
I had my Fedex box with the angel all scuffed up too, which has long since been recycled, but I held on to Wilson. I struggled to age the plastic I found when cutting open what I thought was a leather ball and the red handprint was a little too red, but in retrospect, I still like it. Have a safe Halloween everyone, especially my East Coast friends recovering from Hurricane Sandy!


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Third Circuit Joins Majority on Time for Removal
From BNA's U.S. Law Week, Oct. 17, 20100:
The 30-day period under 28 U.S.C. § 1446(b) for filing of the notice of removal of a civil action begins to run separately for each defendant after service upon them of the initial pleading setting forth the claim, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held Oct. 12. The court, which had not previously addressed the issue in a precedential opinion, noted that Section 1446(b) specifies that the notice be filed "within thirty days after the receipt by the defendant, through service or otherwise, of a copy of the initial pleading setting for the claim for relief[.]" Although the Fourth and Fifth Circuits have adopted variations of the" first-served" defendant rule, under which removal by any defendant must occur within 30 days of service on the first-served defendant, the court aligned itself with the Sixth, Eighth, Ninth, and Eleventh circuits, which follow the "later-served" rule under which "each defendant individually has thirty days to file a notice of removal beginning when the particular defendant is served." Quoting Destfino v. Reiswig, 630 F.3d 952,(79 U.S.L.W. 1965 (9th Cir. 2011) the court favored the "later-served" rule "for reasons grounded in statutory construction, equity and common sense." Delalla v. Hanover Insurance, 3d Cir., No. 10-3933, 10/12/11.


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Available ebook formats: epub mobi pdf rtf lrf pdb txt html
MICHAEL J. PRESCOTT is an established author of hard-hitting erotica aimed at both genders.
He is best known for his alarmingly realistic descriptions and his ability to make his reader feel as if they are actually participating in the stories he writes.
As he mostly writes in first person, the reader sees and experiences whatever his main character does, which many readers find extremely captivating and highly erotic.
If his stories were movies, they would very definitely be Top Shelf productions and not intended for anyone under the age of 18, or possibly even 21+
Many of his stories cover sexual topics and desires that many men and women can only dream about, yet wish they could physically fulfill with their partners in the real world.
Rather than using the usual cliched story lines, Michael often creates simple scenarios wherein specific sexual fantasies are played out in fine detail and with realistic emotions.
His work, although very popular, is not recommended for those of a delicate nature or anyone who may be offended by the reality of what some consenting adults can and do get up to in the privacy of their bedrooms (and elsewhere!)


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Brewing Station Events Calendar
Please note that ALL shows and events that start after 9pm are 21+ ONLY.
Rick Agudelo
July 10 @ 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
One event on May 29, 2019 at 5:30 pm
An event every week that begins at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, repeating until August 31, 2019
One event on September 4, 2019 at 5:30 pm
One event on September 11, 2019 at 5:30 pm
One event on September 18, 2019 at 5:30 pm
One event on September 25, 2019 at 5:30 pm
Rick came to the Outer Banks in 2004 to start a new life and that's when he picked up a guitar and learned to play it and a few other instruments. The new life began. Sharing music and good cheer with his family by his side was his life now. And life is GOOD!! Come and enjoy the backyard at Outer Banks Brewing Station. Tropical Rock, Acoustic Soul, with a Latin twist, Trop-rock Party Music, island tunes, originals and covers, Weddings and special events. Tropical soul music. One of our favorite tropical rock bands in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Rick's influences include Darian Agudelo, Bob Marley, musica latino, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Jim Croce, Roger Waters, Cat Stevans, Harry Chopin, CCR, Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, Warren Haynes, Donna The Buffalo, Bella Flec.
Check out more on Rick Agudelo.
Related Events
Please note that ALL shows and events that start after 9pm are 21+ ONLY.
This is a North Carolina ALE law and there are no exceptions.
Per the NC ALE, we only accept the following forms of ID: A valid US driver's license, US military ID, a state of NC identification card, or a valid passport. We cannot accept out of state ID cards.


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Faculty Award winners (seated, from left) Dr. Carl Case, Dr. Gregory Privitera, Dr. Megan Walsh and Dr. Phillip Payne. Missing from the photo is Dr. Christopher Mackowski. In back (from left): Dr. Michael Fischer, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs; Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D., University President; and Raymond C. Dee, Chair of the Board of Trustees.
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — Five St. Bonaventure University faculty members were recognized for professional excellence at Sunday's Commencement Exercises.
Three were cited for Professional Excellence in Research and Publishing:
Two others were presented the Junior Faculty Award for Professional Excellence:
Professional Excellence in Research and Publishing honorees: Dr. Carl Case chairs the Department of Management and directs the Business Information Systems program and the university's China Studies program. He taught at other institutions for 16 years before joining St. Bonaventure's School of Business faculty in 1999.
Case is described by colleagues as a "prolific publisher." Dr. Pierre Balthazard, dean of the School of Business at St. Bonaventure, called Case's scholarly productivity level "amazing." Since 2008, he has published 28 refereed journal articles, presented 31 scholarly papers at national and international conferences, and was the principal investigator on a research grant. At least a dozen of those works earned "best paper," "distinguished research" or similar honors.
His research interests include fostering teamwork in information systems development and education, Internet use, and accounting information systems.
"This productivity level has proven to be remarkably consistent throughout his career," said Balthazard.
In addition, said the dean, "Dr. Case is an individual whose character and values best represent the principles of our great institution." He has long been involved with New York State Special Olympics and he is president of Forney Foundation in Olean, a group that seeks to improve the quality of life for the developmentally disabled.
Case earned his bachelor's degree in marketing and his MBA from St. Bonaventure, and his Ph.D. in business computer information systems from the University of North Texas at Denton. Dr. Christopher Mackowski, whose promotion to full professor of Journalism and Mass Communication is effective in September, has published extensively on a variety of subjects, primarily the American Civil War.
"Through his books, magazine articles and his blog, 'Emerging Civil War,' Chris has earned a national reputation as a Civil War scholar, and he remains a highly sought-after speaker for Civil War groups up and down the East Coast," said his dean, Dr. Pauline Hoffmann.
His work has appeared in the most widely read Civil War periodicals including Civil War Times, America's Civil War, and Blue & Gray, and he is co-founder of the blog Emerging Civil War, which has been developed into a book series by Savas Beatie, LLC. Mackowski serves as the series' developmental editor and has contributed four books in its first year. He has also volunteered as a seasonal historian for 10 years at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park.
He is a regular contributor to Scholars & Rogues, a progressive blog that focuses on politics, education and culture, and he has written two books related to community theater and other nonprofit arts groups. He also formed a student-writers group on campus and continues to mentor young writers.
Mackowski earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh; master's degrees in English from the University of Maine and in creative writing from Goddard College; and his Ph.D. in English/creative writing from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Dr. Phillip G. Payne, professor of history, is a distinguished author whose publishing record reflects "a remarkable breadth of scholarly interests," said fellow history professor Dr. Joel Horowitz.
Payne's written works include a book on President Warren G. Harding, "Dead Last: The Public Memory of Warren G. Harding's Scandalous Legacy," which The American Historical Association has called groundbreaking. He has also written about economic history and has even dipped into the world of popular culture with a scholarly discussion of comic books and an exploration of how popular culture is shaped by politics and vice versa.
A forthcoming book examines the bull market of the 1920s and how it helped lead to the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Payne's broad-based expertise is "a particularly attractive trait in a small university, such as ours, in which we teach a multitude of different topics in order to expose our students to them," said Horowitz.
Payne earned his bachelor's degree from Marshall University and his master's and Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. Junior Faculty Award for Professional Excellence honorees: Dr. Gregory Privitera, assistant professor of psychology whose promotion to tenured associate professor is effective in September, has an exemplary record of teaching, scholarship and service to the university, said Dr. Darryl Mayeaux, associate professor and chair of the Department of Psychology.
Privitera has published a textbook in statistics, which is in use at the university, and another textbook in research methods is in production. "He is approachable and energetic about teaching difficult material," and many of his courses are fully enrolled, said Mayeaux.
Privitera has published six peer-reviewed papers with eight current or recently graduated St. Bonaventure students, presenting a rare opportunity for undergraduate students to be published. "This level of mentorship of and engagement with students is invaluable to their intellectual development and to the university's reputation for quality educational experience," said Mayeaux.
An engaging speaker, Privitera has partnered with the university's Office of Marketing and Communications on a number of media relations initiatives, further enhancing the university's academic reputation.
After serving in the Marine Corps for four years, Privitera earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and his Ph.D. in psychology, behavioral neuroscience, also from U.B. Dr. Megan Walsh, assistant professor of English, has established an impressive record of accomplishment in teaching, scholarship and service in just her second year at the university, said Dr. Patrick Panzarella, chair of the Department of English.
Her course evaluations are peppered with terms such as "fantastic," "intelligent," "wonderful," and teaching observations by senior faculty members are just as glowing, describing her as "a truly outstanding teacher" who is "personable, engaged and committed."
Her record of scholarship is just as noteworthy. "In her brief time at St. Bonaventure, she has published four articles in the most prestigious books and journals in her discipline," and other works including a new edition of Frank J. Webb's novel "The Garies and Their Friends" (Broadview, 2014) have been accepted for publication, said Panzarella. Her research has won numerous national awards and grants, most recently from the Newberry Library, the University of Virginia, and the Library Company of Philadelphia. She is working on a book manuscript titled "A Nation in Sight: Book Illustration and Early American Literature."
In addition, Walsh has helped "transform" the Department of English by strengthening its university website and social media presence, improving the department's fact sheet, and creating eye-catching bulletin boards and course posters.
Walsh earned her B.A. in history and English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her master's and Ph.D. in English from Temple University.
About the University: Inspired for more than 150 years by the Catholic Franciscan values of individual dignity, community inclusiveness, and service, St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them.
Application forms, procedures and additional information
There are many ways to experience
St. Bonaventure for yourself
Learn more about the programs that interest you


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How To Measure A Door Jamb
There are many reasons you might need to know the measurements of your door jamb. Maybe your are putting up new trim, or if you need to replace a door, you will want a snug fit and will need to know the measurements of your door jamb. Knowing the correct measurements of your door jamb is important so that you are able to order the correct door and frame size for your replacement. You want to make sure that you get all of the dimensions needed, and you want these measurements to be as precise as possible.


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Regular sessions of the Legislature begin on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March and continue for 60 consecutive days, which may be extended by a three-fifths vote of each house. Special sessions may be called by the Governor, or may be convened by joint proclamation of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Special sessions may not exceed 20 days, unless extended by a three-fifths vote of each house.
Data from sessions prior to 2011 is available on the Florida Senate archive site.
Quick Links
In this Section
Legislative proposals may be in the form of bills, resolutions, concurrent resolutions, joint resolutions, or memorials. A bill is a proposed law, and it may be either a general bill or a local bill. A general bill would have a general impact within the state; a local bill would affect only a particular county, city, or town named in the bill. A majority vote is required to pass a bill, unless otherwise provided in the Constitution.
Calendars serve as official notification of legislative activities, such as sessions, committee meetings, bills to be considered, schedules, deadlines, and other significant information. The Secretary of the Senate is responsible for posting the calendar.
Each journal details the proceedings on the floor, committee reports, and related actions of the previous day. The Journal is only published when the Legislature is in Session.
The appropriations bill is one of the most important bills considered by the Legislature. This bill is the state's budget and it specifies the amount of money available to various state agencies during the next year. The appropriations bill follows the same course as other general bills, but because it is difficult to get both houses to agree on all items in the bill, a conference committee is usually appointed to resolve the differences.
A conference committee is created for the purpose of resolving the differences between the Chambers on a piece of legislation. This usually entails a joint meeting of two committees.
During session, several reports are provided which can be generated based on purpose. Reports include information about introducers/sponsors, governor's actions, bills with companions, passed bills, chapter number/effective dates, and committee progress, which are updated several times each day. When the Legislature is not in session, reports are available for sessions back to 2010.
Executive Appointments
Appointments to certain boards and offices that require Senate confirmation are tracked and maintained. Information is provided on what committees heard the appointment, how the Senate voted on the appointment and what other appointments an appointee may currently or historically have. In addition, appointments can be sorted by district for the current session year only.
Executive Suspensions
The Senate determines whether to remove or reinstate certain officers who have been suspended by Executive Order of the Governor.
Redistricting is the process of redrawing the boundaries of congressional and state legislative electoral districts to reflect population changes that result from the decennial census. Learn about the milestones, public hearings and the submitted plans for both the Senate and House.


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In his beautiful retro/modern gaming systems, Swedish designer and craftsman Love Hultén combines technology with classical artisan techniques. His wood encased computers and classic arcade games are both lovely and functional. Hand-crafted and refined, the technique, ornamentation and finish are traditionally Swedish.
"Hultén wants to resuscitate a fading culture and create curiosity towards the origin of video gaming, pushing gaming into a new context, making the arcade an artistic equivalent to the painting on your wall.
By working with materials that, without regular maintenance and daily care, grows a unique patina, the expiry date of a product is extended. The product will breathe through time, rather than get suffocated by it."
For the gaming units, vintage arcade favorites such as Pac Man and Asteroids are encased in solid wood. Joystick pads and controllers are made from walnut, and custom leather bags are available for some portable units. Hultén's works were recently shown in his first US show at the Holy Circuit exhibit at Austere in Los Angeles, California.


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We only list UK sizes. If you're not sure what your UK size is, please click on 'Size advisor' or review our size guides.
A beautiful layering piece for the season, our sparkle wrap adds a touch of shine to your every look, whether worn with jeans and a tee or over a maxi dress. Featuring a charming textured knit design, this glitter wrap gives a subtle yet chic glistening finish to any outfit, with tassel trim adding some playful character.
You may return unused products within 35 days of purchase with a valid parcel summary document. Your items don't need to be in the original box or bag as long as they're securely packaged.
It's easy to return items to us in the UK. No need to purchase postage stamps from the post office. Simply print the returns label, attach it to the top of your parcel and insert the returns note in the parcel. We will automatically deduct the cost of return from your refund.
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To print the returns label and return, simply click here.
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Justin Bieber Reportedly Detained at Los Angeles Airport
Justin Bieber has been detained by immigration officials upon his arrival to LAX today, April 24, E! News reports.
The Biebs, who flew into Los Angeles on an Air Singapore flight from Tokyo, Japan, has been questioned for "the last two hours," eyewitnesses tell E! as his entourage waits for him.
As this is breaking news, it is yet to be revealed as to why Bieber has been detained and is being questioned by immigration.
The singer had been in Japan over the past week, where he kept fans up-to-date by posting photos of his travels on Instagram. While he kicked up some controversy regarding his visit to a Japanese war shrine, he also visited an orphanage, where he was filmed in all smiles, adorably playing with the laughing children.
Of course, the Biebs has also been involved in many legal woes as of late. He is in two different cases involving his supposed violence to paparazzi and was arrested for a DUI in Miami earlier this year, a case that even prompted a petition to get the singer deported.
We wonder if now they might be getting their wish.


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Topic: Avoiding the Mechanics for Functional Play (Read 11140 times)
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Avoiding the Mechanics for Functional Play
October 14, 2010, 10:02:17 AM »
Over at this thread (
), Abkajud mentioned:
Oddly, I've noticed a parallel conceit regarding "traditional" design - there's a crowd that thinks game mechanics should be brutal and unmerciful, and there's a (perhaps younger) crowd that thinks it actually kind of sucks to have to go outside the rules to increase your chance of surviving the session. Y'know, that strategy of asking for enough details and plugging away with logic to avoid having to roll a save or enter combat.
I want to talk about that as being a "victim" of that sort of design.
My first experience with roleplaying was picking up the classic "Red Box" D&D when I was 12. Being 12, and seeing the cover depicting this guy taking on a sky-scraper sized dragon, I was completely saying, "AWESOME" and proceeded to devour the rules.
Now, in trying to run the game, from the book, for my friends, everyone kept getting killed by rats. I was certain there had to be something we were doing wrong, since the game is (as I perceived it) about awesome sword and sorcery heroics. We tried a lot of times and ultimately, my friends and family decided roleplaying was boring and not worth trying - "We spent 20 minutes picking out equipment and died in 5 minutes, what the fuck?"
See, the rules mention "ignore the rules" which, by itself without any guidance is useless for most people to translate into functional play. There also wasn't really anything about how "referee'ing" should trump rules except in "Be fair, but be tough" and similar useless pithy sayings.
It really wasn't until I saw the Quick Primer for Old School Gaming (
) that it really became clear to me that this was effectively the "missing text" or oral tradition a lot of people were playing by.
Games that push for players to avoid combat (or other mechanics) is fine, though for it to functionally work, it needs to be clearly stated HOW it works for both the GM and the players. Without an understanding of what your options are and how play is to work, people naturally fall back on the clear procedures- after all, that's how all -other- games work.
I don't think it's so much that people are "against" doing free-form solutions as much as that the expectation of doing free-form/Referee'd solutions is so rarely well communicated, and has led to so much history of snags in play, or, in my case, no play at all.
Has anyone else taught themselves roleplaying from a book or spoke with people who have and seen similar concerns?
Filip Luszczyk
Posts: 771
Re: Avoiding the Mechanics for Functional Play
Reply #1 on:
October 14, 2010, 11:32:24 AM »
My first game was the old introductory
Lord of the Rings Adventure Game
. The text was pretty much the condensed essence of 90s bullshit. The only other reference I had were a few issues of a Polish rpg magazine, which was more confusing than useful. There was nobody to teach me gaming, I was the first kid in the village who got interested in this sort of stuff.
The first time I tried to run the game, upon encountering GM's determination issues, my cousin said it's dumb.
It took several years of stumbling before I finally realized that it was dumb indeed.
Posts: 285
Re: Avoiding the Mechanics for Functional Play
Reply #2 on:
October 14, 2010, 01:11:47 PM »
My earliest RP experience was actually (to be generous) a home-brew - but the system was entirely derived from GM fiat. Entirely. We had character sheets with HP, MP, levels, spells, all that, but the entire game was like a sort of crystal ball experience: players say what they do, maybe ask questions and things, and the GM decides
that happens.
We played at recess, and we were in middle school, so it's probably normal that we didn't spontaneously derive some kind of diceless, flat-surface-less randomizer or whatever.
The game itself was called Quest: play consisted of over-the-top, anime-inspired battles, with lots of jumping around and throwing spheres of energy at each other. Character options, in 5th grade, were limited to knight, wizard, or swordsman (a mix of the two others). I was the first person to play it with Alex, the GM, and as other kids grew interested in it, Alex let them take over as various NPCs on the fly.
By 8th grade, we had a suite of character classes, lots of stolen/cribbed setting material from Warcraft 2, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 3, etc.
And yet, the system always consisted of GM-fiat only, and mean-spirited fiat at that - the GM would twist anything we said, if the mood struck, such that our characters were horribly mangled and disfigured, but managed to survive our unintentional injuries. A ninja p.c. once attempted to backflip off the back of an airship (upon landing, mind you), but "neglected" to be 100% clear that he was waiting until the ship had touched down. The GM "let" him go from free-falling to using a midair drill-attack, but then ruled that he didn't burrow safely into the landing strip - it was adamantium-enriched soil, and killed him on impact.
I think we somehow got the middle school D&D experience without even playing D&D until we were almost in high school - a malevolent, word-twisting GM; random, gruesome character death, etc. The plot was actually not too bad, and very player-driven (with a focus on traveling to new lands). I also recall that when we started AD&D 2nd Edition, we had no one to teach us the rules; I made the error of buying the DMG before the PHB, thinking "This first one here says you need it to run the game. Maybe that's all I need!"
Tips from InQuest magazine helped a lot, but this was before we used/were allowed to use the internet for much more than AOL-hosted online games, so whatever wealth of how-to-play info that may have been on the web at that point was beyond our reach.
White Wolf games were better-explained, but the opinion pieces (how to set theme in a game, what World of Darkness games are about, etc.) in the books seemed to flatly contradict the way combat rules were laid out, the huge charts of firearm info, etc. The dice pool system seemed fine, but there were, to us, "extra" rules - ones we had little intention of following or bothering to know. Given that I gamed with the same five or six people, mostly, from 4th grade til 12th, we had all cut our teeth on propless "freeform" RPing, and had little interest in mastering crunch once we realized how much *work* it was.
I'm finally making my way into the Old School Revolution, and I really, really enjoyed the Quick Primer for Old School Gaming. It revealed a lot to me about the play-culture centered on D&D that came (and largely went, imo) before my time, and revealed a TON about the mindset of many designers since - basically, take the Primer, play the telephone game for 20 years, and see what you get. Fillip's phrasing "the condensed essence of 90s bullshit" is pain I can share all too easily, and I think a lot of folks in the indie scene can too - indie gaming by way of really bad, unfulfilling experiences.
Mask of the Emperor
rules, admittedly a work in progress -
Mathew E. Reuther
Posts: 114
I came, I saw, I ordered the burrito . . .
Re: Avoiding the Mechanics for Functional Play
Reply #3 on:
October 14, 2010, 01:31:41 PM »
I learned when I was in 2nd grade in '81. "You just killed a god, so you become a god . . ." Yeah, that happened. :) Now for the record, I know a lot of people love the original D&D red box, and I did own it, . . . but I learned on the 1977 blue box one weekend at a sleepover. My halfling died so very quickly . . . I was hooked. ;)
Nearly three decades on, I'd say that my learning was never hampered by not having anyone to pass the rules down (to be fair, in the early 80's there was not this massive tradition yet anyway in my opinion) mainly perhaps because the people I played with were also young and very flexible. Characters died when we played, but we just accepted that it could happen and we moved on. We didn't waste a lot of time on "that's not fair" and instead moved on because of how many cool things were happening.
As an aside, it irritates me that you linked a product on Lulu that is listed as a free download and won't resolve . . . Lulu says "no access!" . . . I wanted to see what Matthew had to say. LOL. *rawr!*
Knee deep in the Change System's guts . . .
Posts: 280
Re: Avoiding the Mechanics for Functional Play
Reply #4 on:
October 14, 2010, 03:00:15 PM »
Hi Mathew,
but I learned on the 1977 blue box one weekend at a sleepover.
I'm not clear - did your initial experience come from playing the game or from reading the books?
Filip Luszczyk
Posts: 771
Re: Avoiding the Mechanics for Functional Play
Reply #5 on:
October 14, 2010, 03:27:19 PM »
My earliest RP experience was actually (to be generous) a home-brew - but the system was entirely derived from GM fiat. Entirely. We had character sheets with HP, MP, levels, spells, all that, but the entire game was like a sort of crystal ball experience: players say what they do, maybe ask questions and things, and the GM decides everything that happens.
Ah, scratch my previous post. A few months before I put my hands on LoTR adventure game, I tried my home-brew based on what I gleaned from a single issue of the rpg magazine and some crpg stuff. I recall it had a board and a few stats rated with adjectives (I used to play
a lot at the time). However, it didn't even occur to me I could write some mechanics to process player's decisions and all that stuff into concrete results. Or maybe I was just to lazy to design any? Either way, five minutes into the session, it was pure GM-fiat.
It was pretty fun when my cousin called the power of Greyskull to use his ninja magic. It wasn't really a game, though. We never tried this again, and I figured out I needed a commercial game. Then, I spent the next decade trying commercial product after commercial product hoping the next one would work better :)
Callan S.
Posts: 4268
Re: Avoiding the Mechanics for Functional Play
Reply #6 on:
October 14, 2010, 03:42:47 PM »
Games that push for players to avoid combat (or other mechanics) is fine, though for it to functionally work, it needs to be clearly stated HOW it works for both the GM and the players. Without an understanding of what your options are and how play is to work, people naturally fall back on the clear procedures- after all, that's how all -other- games work.
I don't think it's so much that people are "against" doing free-form solutions as much as that the expectation of doing free-form/Referee'd solutions is so rarely well communicated, and has led to so much history of snags in play, or, in my case, no play at all.
I've got this chilling sense that rather than you becoming able to overcome a problem in playing (like being killed by rats when the dude fights a dragon on the cover), you've instead simply become able to perpetuate the problem onto the next generation. Because now, as much as the guy who wrote the game where your killed by rats
how to play that game, now you
how to play the game. And yet because he
how to play it, you were left in the lurch for a large amount of time. And now you know, how many others will be left in the lurch for lengthy periods of time?
You have to realise the these books were smothered with the impression, the feeling, that it worked for someone. Quoting the hard look at D&D essay, in the cargo cults section
How did you know it worked? What did you do it for? All of it, from Social Contract right down to Stance, had to be created in the faith that it worked "out there" somewhere, and somehow, some way, it was supposed to work here
What if it like...didn't work? That even the original guy who wrote the book - really hadn't gotten the group activities he organised, to work. Perhaps just had a very strong social control of the group (if I remember a quote of Gygax, it's that he thought 3rd edition onward the GM had become an entertainer, not a master of the game)?
Assuming it works first, and then trying to figure out how - well, that can be a font of creativity. But it can also be a font of madness
if the original activity did not actually work at all.
You obviously cannot understand how to make something work, which never did work, ever. You can see that if someone really, strongly believes something works first, they could spend years trying to find out the how. Because they never question their base belief.
Blasphemy, I know, to suggest Gygax's activity might not have actually worked. But blasphemy aside, what if that were actually true? And what then of that text on lulu, that wont download for me either, that says it knows how play old D&D?
Or at the very least, what if the text on lulu actually left you no more informed than you were before reading it? And it just transmitted an enthusiasm to you?
Philosopher Gamer
My WIP browser game: Driftwurld
Posts: 280
Re: Avoiding the Mechanics for Functional Play
Reply #7 on:
October 14, 2010, 04:44:03 PM »
Hi Callan,
That seems like a worthwhile thread on it's own, especially if you have, or have spoken with people whom it never worked. That seems a little beyond the scope what I'm looking for in this thread, though.
I'm really interested in people who have had personal experience with learning from game texts especially with regard to games where not engaging the mechanics is an expected aspect of play.
Posts: 1429
Re: Avoiding the Mechanics for Functional Play
Reply #8 on:
October 14, 2010, 05:41:00 PM »
So, Chris, when I was 8 years old my mother bought Red Box D&D at Toys 'R' Us. She did this for two reasons. She'd heard all the horrible occult rumors about the game and thought that was just about the dumbest thing she'd ever heard. (This is the woman who used to "summon" fire and water spirits with her nieces and nephews as a kind of make-believe game much to her sister's ire). The second reason was because she had this odd philosophy that you kept an 8 year old boy happy by giving him monsters to play with. We had ZERO connection to the hobby as a wider cultural phenomenon.
I didn't have a lot of friends my age at the time so to play the game she roped all HER friends together. So from about 8 to 12 or so my D&D gaming was with my mother as GM and her 30-year oldish friends as my party members. We went through Blue Box and then on to AD&D and AD&D2e.
Here's the thing: My mother totally got it. I don't know HOW she got it but somehow she figured out that the GM was there to "make up the rules." We didn't really avoid or ignore the rules so much as she altered them to "make sense" for situations the rules didn't explicitly cover. We HAD a lot of just straight up combats. Pretty cool ones too.
Memorable Quirks of Our Game.
My mother LOVED maps. Man, she spent most of her day drawing maps and populating them with stuff. I'm pretty sure she had note books of adventures we never actually got around to playing. Charts as well, she made a lot of her own charts and tables and stuff or random stuff. If there was an Inn she had a unique list of what was sold there. She drew a city map that spanned *5* whole sheets of graph paper and there was an adventure hook in each every individual HOUSE.
A few times near the beginning we'd start adventures with her handing out scripts (no more than about 10 pages) that we'd read. Railroading? Probably but she had enough of a handle on what was fun about our characters that everybody got really into it. We only did that for a little while.
We had a special toast to open the game, she'd say, "To The Game!" And we'd all reply, "To The DEATH!" (Note on the rare occasions I play D&D, I still observe this ritual).
One time she got kind of fed up with not being able to wrangle the group for regular play. So what she did was make a rather large collection of random charts so that she and I could play together just the two of us, both as PCs with no real DM.
I guess my point is two fold. With regard to Callan's point, what we did worked in so much as we engaged in a successful social leisure activity we called D&D. But to the point of the thread my mother somehow figured it out. There must have been ENOUGH in that text for her to work it out because she more or less ran games right in the spirit of the OSR today.
Posts: 1429
Re: Avoiding the Mechanics for Functional Play
Reply #9 on:
October 14, 2010, 06:00:21 PM »
It occurred to me that what I posted above may not seem compatible with some of the posts where I give a some what more pain ridden account of my experiences with D&D. Those stories are about what happened when I started trying to read the rules and play the game by myself. I started trying to read the rules when I was 8 but real frustration set in around Jr. High/High School when I started trying to play and run the game for my friends all on my own.
Unlike, my mother, I didn't get it. I was convinced that what my mother was doing was fun and all but there must be a more accurate, correct, and consistent way to play. This was partially in response to me playing with teenagers who were fond of playing "gotcha" games with me as a GM.
Callan S.
Posts: 4268
Re: Avoiding the Mechanics for Functional Play
Reply #10 on:
October 14, 2010, 07:23:00 PM »
I hope it's not way off topic, but Jesse, you mentioned your mother having "summoned" fire and water spirits with her nieces and nephews. To me it sounds like she already had skills along the lines of running an activity centered around fiction, also skills at dramatic build up and human management skills. Perhaps alot more skills. She played the summoning game before any contact with a D&D text?
Philosopher Gamer
My WIP browser game: Driftwurld
C. Edwards
Posts: 589
savage / sublime
Re: Avoiding the Mechanics for Functional Play
Reply #11 on:
October 14, 2010, 07:59:04 PM »
I taught myself (and my friends) to play using the Moldvay Basic Set (pink box). It came with module B2 "The Keep on the Borderlands". We played it "by the rules", with the result that there was lots of PC death and mayhem. We loved it. I was 13 at the time.
We were also hardcore video game platformer players (these were the prime years for the NES), so I think that regularly having to have "do overs" just wasn't something that bothered us much. In basic D&D one character was much like the next and we were approaching the game from mostly a challenge mindset anyway. D&D was something unique and distinctly different from the video games we played and we enjoyed it for the freedom of action and cause/effect it allowed in contrast to video and board games.
The first difficulties I encountered in D&D play were entirely social. Maybe a year later I discovered that some other people I knew had an AD&D 1st Ed. game going (by this time I had purchased and devoured the 2nd Ed. core books). I tried playing with them a handful of times but there were some serious social games going on (passive aggressive PC behavior, as an example) that I just wanted nothing to do with. So I after a few attempts I didn't play with them again. I don't recall this effecting our relationships outside the game at all.
As far as the play itself and "free-form solutions", I think that if you don't grasp (intuitively or by extrapolation from the text) that the bulk of D&D play (at least of everything before 1e probably) has little to no intersection with rules or mechanics then you're going to be at a loss for figuring out how to actually play the game. As far as I can tell from snippets I've read from Gygax and Arneson, this open space is basically by design. Old School D&D is very much a game of "If this then that", narrative cause and effect where escalation in danger is synonomous with engaging the mechanics.
Mathew E. Reuther
Posts: 114
I came, I saw, I ordered the burrito . . .
Re: Avoiding the Mechanics for Functional Play
Reply #12 on:
October 15, 2010, 08:41:40 AM »
Quote from: Chris_Chinn on October 14, 2010, 03:00:15 PM
Hi Mathew,
but I learned on the 1977 blue box one weekend at a sleepover.
I'm not clear - did your initial experience come from playing the game or from reading the books?
My initial experience came from playing the game, but at the time the people I played with were not experienced. (Second grade, wasn't much experience to be had given we were about 6-7 years old.) I'm not 100% clear on who was involved even, it was so very long ago. It's possible that an older individual was in charge, but that could have been a sibling for all I know. I do know that another friend had gotten a hold of books from an older brother, and by the time I was 8 or 9 I was regularly getting my hands on the SJG mini boxes and TSR boxed sets.
By 11 or so my first experiences in heavy rules modification came about with a 0e clone called "Warball & Chain" that drew extremely heavily from LotR. (Our artifacts were almost all items of power from Tolkien's universe.)
The guys I gamed with throughout my childhood and adolescence moved on for the most part, but I do still have contact with some of my high school gaming buddies. With most of them up in Seattle, and me down here in San Diego we don't get a huge amount of time to game together. But every so often a game happens when I'm up north. :)
Plan is to eventually move back up (my partner in life and crime went to school up there as well and we both admitted to missing the city when we were up getting married a couple of months back) but that'll depend partly on how life unfolds . . . doesn't it always?
Hopefully that's a bit clearer on the how I kind of grew up with the evolving traditions in the earlier days of RPG gaming. I'm not first wave, that's the guys who were active in the mid 70's when I was born (I'm 36, but I am proud to share a birth year with D&D) but I came into the hobby before the time it had received any real major attention. Pre Saturday-Morning D&D, around the time the guys in ET say around gaming while an alien lurked in the fields outside. :)
Most of what I developed came from a combination of first-hand growth with other gamers, some liberal fantasy novel infusion, and as much fantasy in visual media possible.
Knee deep in the Change System's guts . . .
Posts: 392
Re: Avoiding the Mechanics for Functional Play
Reply #13 on:
October 18, 2010, 11:27:51 AM »
I played once (for about 2 hours) with an older group, friends of a friend, after that we learned the rules from the books and it was a hodge podge of books. The early D&D box sets mixed with the 1st edition rules as they came out. We didnt run into the problem of characters dieing all the time but I think I was pretty good at pulling punches right off the bat and one player in our group was very good at coming up with those excuses/playing the game beyond the mechanics to survive. I think we had the AD&D DMG guide fairly quickly and we used the your not dead until you hit -10 hit points rule quite often. Plus rarely ever using the wandering monster rules when resting in a dungeon and being generous with magic items made the game easily survivable. I dont think we cheated the rules too much but it definitely wasnt the game that people talk about like in the old school primer. We played entirely differently and we had fun.
David Berg
Posts: 997
Re: Avoiding the Mechanics for Functional Play
Reply #14 on:
October 18, 2010, 12:30:12 PM »
My friend Dan read an old D&D book and ran my first game for me when I was 9. My current take is that he subconsciously modeled the adventure after action stories from comics and TV, just using dungeons & monsters for color. We played by the rules, and occasionally something happened that wouldn't have made a good action story, and we'd argue and eventually rationalize a fudge ("Oh, but you're taller, so the rat gets a -1, so that killing stroke actually missed you.").
When I started GMing 2 years later, I avoided these moments by always fudging everything to produce good action scenes.
All my rule use derived from combat and from class- and level-based character abilities.
I think the book design of the AD&D2 PHB (which I bought just before running my first game) played a role in this. My 11-year-old attention span went straight to the cool pictures of monsters and weapons, and then to the clear tables of character stats. The rest of the book was long passages of bland text, so I skipped it.
here's my blog
, discussing Delve, my game in development
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