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Special things people with cancer need to think about
In deciding whether to go with Medicare Part D and, if so, which Part D plan to join, cancer patients have some special things to think about.
As noted before, most prescription drugs are covered through the Medicare Part D benefit. This includes drugs used to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, depression, and other health conditions. These medicines can be pills or liquids taken by mouth, suppositories, inhaled drugs (like those used to treat asthma), and drugs that are injected by patients (like insulin for people with diabetes). A general rule is that Part D covers medicines prescribed by your doctor that you get at your local pharmacy.
Many cancer drugs will still be covered under Part B, not Part D
Medicare Part B covers doctor visits and outpatient hospital services. Part B also covers the drugs that are infused (given in a vein through an IV) or injected (given as a shot) in a doctor's office or treatment center. Many chemotherapy (chemo) drugs and the anti-nausea drugs used along with chemo are given by IV infusion in a doctor's office or clinic. This means they are still covered under Part B.
The difference in coverage for cancer drugs under Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D is blurred when it comes to chemo drugs given by mouth and anti-nausea drugs given by mouth (these are often called oral drugs). Some of these drugs are covered under Part B, but others are covered under Part D.
Cancer treatment drugs taken by mouth
Some cancer drugs are taken by mouth as part of chemo. For the most part, these drugs are covered under Part B if they are used instead of the same drug that could be given through an IV in your doctor's office. In other words, if your doctor has a choice between giving you drug by mouth or the same drug as an IV, the oral drug is covered under Part B.
In contrast, oral cancer drugs that cannot be given by IV are covered under Part D.
Anti-nausea drugs taken by mouth
Anti-nausea drugs are often used as part of chemo. The rule for anti-nausea drugs taken by mouth is much the same. If your doctor has a choice between giving you an anti-nausea drug by mouth or through an IV and the drug is given within 48 hours of chemo, then the oral drug is covered under Part B.
Oral anti-nausea drugs that cannot be given through an IV are covered under Part D, not Part B. (If an anti-nausea drug is prescribed for a patient who is not known to have cancer, the drug is covered under Part D, not Part B.)
Sorting out Medicare Part B and Part D
Many people find the rules for the difference between Medicare coverage under Part B and Part D hard to understand. For people with cancer, the rules can be even more confusing because some cancer drugs are already covered under Part B.
As a general rule, drugs that patients can inject on their own without help from a doctor or nurse, or that are not taken as part of chemo are covered under Part D.
If you have more questions, your doctor and his and her office staff should be able to help you sort through the coverage rules. They can help you figure out whether a drug is covered under Medicare Part B or Medicare Part D.
Why do I need to know if a drug is covered under Part B or Part D?
It's important to understand the difference between drug coverage under Part B and coverage under Part D because your out-of-pocket costs will vary depending on which part covers each drug.
For services covered under Medicare Part B, patients must first pay the annual deductible that is set by Medicare each year. After that, Medicare pays 80% of all costs. This means that under Part B, patients must pay 20% of the drug's cost no matter how high their total medical bills run. (Many people with Medicare have supplemental or Medigap insurance to cover their out-of-pocket costs under Part B.)
Part D is different. After you pay a certain deductible for your drugs, you must pay a set copay, or a percentage of your drug costs for the rest of the year, or until you reach the donut hole. Again, this deductible amount is set each year.
Because some cancer drugs are clearly covered under Part B, like those given through an IV in your doctor's office, you might not be able to find all of your cancer treatment drugs on a Part D plan's formulary. (The list of drugs that are covered under a plan is called a formulary; see the Formularies and Drug Coverage for more on this.) If you are deciding whether to enroll in a drug plan and you don't see a drug you need on a plan's formulary, call the plan. You'll want to ask if they might cover the drug and how you can go about getting it covered.
What about off-label drugs and Part D?
What is off-label drug use?
When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a new drug, it means the federal government has found the drug to be safe and effective for a certain disease or condition. The label information printed in the official prescribing information and in the package insert explains the use for which the FDA has approved the drug. It describes the approved dose and way the drug should be given (as a pill, injection, infusion, etc.) But in some cases, doctors – based on their knowledge and new information – may prescribe a drug for a use that is not approved by the FDA. The use of a drug for a disease the FDA did not approve it for, or in a dose or by a route that is not listed on the label, is called "off-label" use of the drug.
Off-label drug use is legal in the United States and in many other countries. But drugs used off label are only covered under Part D if the use is cited in one of the reference standards for prescription drugs (called a compendium) named in the Medicare law. Part B may cover off-label use of cancer drugs, but Part D drug plans cannot cover any use not listed in one of the approved reference standards.
Why is this important to a cancer patient?
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network estimates that about half of all uses of drugs in cancer care in the United States are off label. If you would like to learn more about this, please see Off-label Drug Use.
Medicare Part D: Things People With Cancer May Want to Know
- Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage
- Special things people with cancer need to think about
- Who should enroll in Medicare Part D?
- Making a Part D plan decision
- Getting help to pay Medicare Part A and/or Part B premiums (the Medicare Savings Programs)
- Formularies and drug coverage
- Where can I use my Part D drug coverage to fill my prescriptions?
- How much will the Part D drug plan cost?
- Things to know once you've chosen a Part D drug plan
- Switching drug plans in the future
- Frequently asked questions
- Where can I get more help?
- Are you ready to get started?
- References
Last Medical Review: March 8, 2014 Last Revised: March 8, 2017
American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.


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MELBOURNE, Australia — Has Serena Williams lost her nerve?
As her peers struggled with shaky forehands, jangled emotions and tortured tosses in big matches, Williams could always be counted on to finish the deal.
She was the closer, the woman who didn't hesitate to come up with the untouchable serve, dig out the desperate (and increasingly audible) winner, or happily keep her foot on the air hose until her opponent gasped.
DAY 10 ROUNDUP: Stephens ousts Serena
But oddly, a period in which the 31-year-old American has reasserted herself as a dominant force — Williams is the reigning Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Olympic champion and hadn't lost since August — the sport's best competitor has dabbled with uncharacteristic bouts of competitive self-doubt.
SMASHED: Serena destroys a racket
Exhibit A: her stunning defeat to 19-year-old Sloane Stephens in the Australian Open quarterfinals Wednesday.
FITNESS: In today's tennis, recovery is key
Hobbled by back spasms in the second set, Williams nonetheless allowed the adrenaline to kick in and put herself in a winning position. The 15-time Grand Slam champion led Stephens, who had never reached this stage of a major, by a break deep in the final set.
Williams then dropped the last three games to lose 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
The power on her serve and backhand were diminished. But it was obvious from Williams' facial contortions, self-exhortations and one impressive racket demolition in the third set that she was struggling with more than her body.
"Absolutely, she was battling herself in third set," said U.S. Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Fernandez, who called the match for ESPN. "There's no question about it."
Williams has been there before — and more than most might imagine in the last few months.
Williams was two points from victory nine times but couldn't wrap it up in a shocking first-round exit at Roland Garros to 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano.
At Wimbledon, she was cruising past Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland but had to fight off her nerves and regroup in a tight 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 championship match victory.
In the U.S. Open final, she mowed through the first set but needed a late, four-game surge to defeat Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 2-6, 7-5.
"Everyone can see sometimes I'm uptight and not relaxing, which leads me not to perform my best," Williams said in an interview with USA TODAY Sports late last year.
"I feel like I got uptight at Wimbledon for sure," she added. "I don't really feel I got uptight at the U.S. Open. I mentally left."
On Wednesday following her loss to Stephens, Williams said her mentality in the third set was to lock down and play as if she were fine.
"At that point you just have to pretend like nothing's wrong," she said.
Sasha Bajin, Williams' long-term hitting partner, said the emotional management issues were minor, though he felt that Williams should have closed out Razzano in Paris.
"The French Open — she just wants it too much a little bit," said Bajin of the only major Williams has won once. "And that shows that she's just human. It happens."
Fernandez suggested a confluence of events — being the heavy favorite to win the tournament, competing against a young American that had recently played her close, feeling she should blow away any competition — conspired to unnerve her Wednesday.
"Even though she was up I felt she was stressed in the match the whole time," Fernandez said. "I felt she came out swinging but even though she was ahead she backed away from it. She got really cautious."
Added Fernandez: "When she's at her best she knows it. She's a level above everyone else. She's not used to often playing people that get close to her."
Chasing history can weigh on a player, too, and some have struggled with nerves as they aged.
Credit, too, must go to 29th-seeded Stephens.
Stephens, the daughter of NFL player John Stephens (now dead), will soon reside in the top 20 and is the first American teen into a Slam semifinal since 2001. She faces No. 1 Azarenka on Thursday.
"You have to give her credit for closing it out," Bajin said.
If the killer instinct that has defined her success at times betrayed her last year, the good news is that Williams also showed an ability to manage her nerves, hang on, and take control when her opponents wavered.
"It's really important for me to stay calm and do the right things," she said.
And when she's on, she can still blow away the field, as she did in crushing all comers at the Olympics.
"Champions always manage to find a way, whether they are playing their best, whether they are stressed or not," Fernandez said. "Not every day, but most of the time they do."
The question for Williams is whether she can learn to live with a career window closing and a perpetual crop of young players snorting down her neck.
News, notes and highlights from Day 10 of the Australian Open, featuring Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Sloane Stephens and more!

subset: commoncrawl


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The total market in Belgium has been slowly growing again since 2010, but differently in Flanders than in Wallonia.
In Flanders (65% of the market), a subsidy system (550€/m² or a maximum of 2.750€) stimulated the use of small systems. In Wallonia (30% of the market), the subsidy system is only present for large systems. Wallonia ended the subsidies for small systems in 2012.
In 2012 more than 60.000 m² of solar thermal collectors where installed. Totally till 2012, the market size represents 0,043 m²/hab.
The main application is domestic hot water; the systems are mainly pumped systems.
For example from January to December 2012, with 4.6 m² of solar collectors, a tank of 300 l, a family of 4 persons, with a daily need of 140 l at 50°C, the complete autonomy was reach during 18 weeks; with a daily need of 80 l, the complete autonomy was reach during 33 weeks.
The main market drivers are the building regulation for new buildings: the regulation requires a certain performance level and solar water heaters help to reach the requirement. But the main sales in existing buildings are with owners who specifically chose a solar water heater for environment reasons.
Currently, the solar hot water systems are in competition with PV systems coupled with a heat pump.
Estimates from the trade associations, for the total renewable energy sector, comes to 21000 jobs in 2011, which represents 2640 M € of business.
The focus in Belgium is a very low-energy buildings, passive buildings and zero energy buildings. The obligation to reach the passive standard for new buildings will be an obligation in Brussels in 2015 and in the Walloon region in 2017.
There is no national R&D programme for energy in general and for solar thermal energy in particular: the R&d programmes are developed by the Regions.


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CBS released a list of the 200 most common fantasy baseball team names; they're generally about as uncreative and unfunny as you'd expect. Here are some ground rules to make sure you're not the laughingstock of your laughingstock fantasy league.
•Don't be too proud of your pop culture knowledge. So you like the Simpsons? Great, so do the other thousands of people who named their team the "Springfield Isotopes," the second most popular name. Don't pick a baseball movie, either: "Chico's Bail Bonds," "The Naturals," and the "Durham Bulls" all make appearances. Instead, go with a reference from a movie or TV show that's not about baseball, but could be. "Little Lebowski's Urban Achievers?" Gold. "Vandelay Industries?" Seinfeld's always gold.
•Puns can be your friend. "Honey Nut Ichiros" and "Jeters Never Prosper" are the only player-based puns to crack the top 200. That means you've got free rein to play Chris Berman, as long as you're clever. Bring on "Cameron Maybin RFD," "Lee Harvey Oswalt," "Remember the Alomar" and "Andre Dawson's Creek." Even better, combine it with some pop culture references. Examples: "I'm Bill James, Bitch!" or "Who Wants To Sex El Guapo?"
•Avoid current events. Sure it may seem funny and topical to make a joke based on what's in the newspaper. But come September, are people still going to laugh at your team named "Eyjafjallajökull?" It happens every season. Pope John Paul II died days before Opening Day in 2005. That year, in various leagues, I must have played against four different teamed named the "Zombie Popes." I'm guilty as well, with my own entry, "Weekend At Bernie Mac's." Okay, maybe that one's still funny.
•Don't name your team after a real MLB team. So you want to trumpet your real life fandom. If you're in a league with friends, they already know. If you're in a league with strangers, they don't really care. "Yankees," "Red Sox" and "Cubs" all make the top 10 most popular fantasy team names, and only the Twins, A's, Pirates and D-Backs don't make appearances in the top 200. The Expos and Senators do, however.
•But even MLB team names are preferable to your school's mascot. Why else would the list be populated by boring names like Bulldogs, Wildcats, Mustangs, Dragons, Gators, Rebels, Stallions, et cetera, et cetera. You know what naming your team "The Warriors" says to your fellow fantasy players? It says you're going to be a carcass who won't add any enjoyment to the league.
So there you go. Just a few helpful pointers to get you started. I'm sure our commenters will have more to add. Godspeed, you giant fantasy nerds.


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I have always been drawn to philosophies and spiritual teachings that emphasize the importance of balance in our lives. Striving for personal equanimity makes perfect sense to me. We should be industrious, but also know when to relax. We should exercise our bodies as well as our minds. We should seek balance between art and science, giving and taking, our heads and our hearts. The Aristotelian ideal of finding the golden mean – the desirable middle between two extremes – is enormously compelling to me.
Because I'm lousy at it.
I can swing between moments of euphoria and total despondency within seconds. Just like my eight-year-old, Murphy. One minute he's declaring that his new light-up YoYo is "the best invention ever" and the next he's crumpled on the floor, the broken toy in his hand, howling, "Why? Why? Why?"
Yes, apparently I have the emotional maturity of an eight-year-old. A couple of Christmases ago, my father asked the whole family to close our eyes and hold hands around the table while we listened to a gorgeous aria that he loved. After a minute or two of reverent, head bowing around the pot roast, I got antsy and felt trapped. I started to giggle and then to sputter and cough when I tried to rein it in. Afterwards, in the kitchen, my mother said through a clenched jaw that she wasn't surprised at my behavior: "We all know what you're like Brett." And she was right. Everyone who knows me knows how hopeless I am at marshalling my emotions.
So how is it that someone like me has made it through the last couple of years?
After the economic crash, my husband's and my income has dwindled down to a quarter of what it was. Which meant that we had to drain all of our accounts. We are in the process of declaring bankruptcy, losing our health insurance, and struggling daily to create a sense of normalcy for our two sons. Last summer when the IRS put a lien on our checking account, freezing any remaining money we had, I screamed at my husband that I hated him and I wanted a divorce.
Our economic woes, by the way, are not solely his fault. We both have under-earned and mismanaged our money. But I don't want to talk about economic foolishness right now. Even though I can. I'm an expert. What I want to talk about is helplessness – that feeling that we cannot control anything, not even the basics, and that we cannot prevent a catastrophe from slamming us into oblivion. How do you prevail over the debilitating feeling of helplessness? And if you're someone like me, who gets knocked around by their own emotions on a regular day, how do you uncurl yourself from the metaphoric ball you have pulled yourself into under the covers?
First, you start at the bottom. Since you are there anyway. You remind yourself of what actually DOES work in your life. You're not going to divorce your husband because despite the stress of the past few years, he still makes you laugh, is a good kisser, and loves you even though he, like your mother, "knows what you're like." Your kids are healthy and happy. You enjoy your work (in this case, you're a writer) and your friends still like you even though they, too, know what you're like.
Once you've remembered that some of your life has worked out pretty damned nicely, you start to make choices. Because I have come to believe that the road from feeling helpless to resourceful, even happy, is made one choice at a time.
When I found myself at my lowest point, I first had to choose to choose. You see, feeling helpless can be very comforting, even luxurious. After all, no one requires anything from someone who is truly helpless. No one asks a newborn to make dinner. There is an abdication of responsibility in adult helplessness that I found deeply attractive and kind of sexy. At times, I had felt like the French Lieutenant's woman, staring out to sea – the wind flapping my long cape around -- waiting patiently, sexily, for someone to save me. Most of the time, however, feeling helpless was simply boring.
So, for me, there was a point when it became untenable. Unsustainable. And I didn't have a long cape. What I did have were children who needed me and a marriage that required tending. So the first choice I made was to actually start making choices – which lead to choosing to eat better, exercise, and get more sleep. That made me feel a little more capable, but not that much more. Because nothing had fundamentally shifted. My financial situation certainly hadn't. The only difference I could point to was being able to fit back into my skinny jeans.
It was clear that what needed to change was my mindset. Surely, if I were a happier, I would be more adept at handling life's challenges. So I started small and simply. I decided to consciously fill my life with things that I enjoyed and I endeavored to let go of things that made me miserable. Knowing that on a pragmatic level, I couldn't just let go of paying bills, for example. Which definitely made me miserable. But you get the point.
When I thought about what made me happy, the list was quite long and very doable. "Breathing" was at the top. I really like to breathe and so I decided to do a lot of breathing in pretty places. In fact, I decided to slow down in a number of ways. Which may sound like helplessness, but is quite the opposite. This was not inertia, but focus. It was attention.
What, I wonder, are the little joys that you could double up on? Or triple up on?
As long as it's not vodka. It might be worth considering.
During this period of time, I also thought about joyful activities that had somehow dropped away when I was pulled into the tide of helplessness. One of those had been reading novels. Somewhere along the line, I had forgotten to read.
I also reclaimed the joy of crying. In my darkest days, I started to believe that if I cried, I might never stop. But you do stop. In fact, in my experience, you stop much faster if you fully invest. Once I started crying again, I felt better. More connected and, strangely enough, more able to feel joy. Sounds a lot like balance. (If you need more crying in your life, I highly recommend seeing bad romantic comedies in the middle of the day. Almost no one is in the theater and you can bawl your eyes out. Anything starring Drew Barrymore or Sarah Jessica Parker will do the trick.)
And while you're in the business of choosing to fill up on activities that make you happy, you might choose to let go of some stuff too. I let go of a couple of unsupportive friendships, which was painful but necessary. But I also tried to let go of complaining and blaming. That was even harder. Because complaining can be fun and it's a group sport.
And blaming had to go because blaming is the battle song of helplessness.
Let me pause here to say that there were days when I was more successful at making these choices than others. But on the days when I slipped up, choosing to forgive myself was awfully powerful.
And here is an almost counterintuitive choice that I made in the midst of making all kinds of choices: When I felt at my worst. When I was spent and felt that I had nothing left to give. I decided to give more.
A friend of mine is a runner and he once told me that when he feels tired and is convinced that he can't go on, he runs harder. He runs faster. And it gives him more energy to finish his run.
I believe that it's the same with giving. When you've got nothing, give more. It feels good. It connects you to the world. And you find that you have more than you thought you did. Call a friend who is having a hard time. Volunteer. Help someone carry their groceries up the steps. Giving made me feel resourceful. Which is the opposite of helpless.
Your choices might be very different than mine. I know that mine don't tend to be pragmatic in a worldly sense. And, to that end, my outward circumstances haven't shifted that dramatically. But I don't feel helpless anymore. In fact, I feel quite capable. And I certainly feel more balanced than I have in the past – either in good times or in bad. Because making active choices means consciousness. It means refusing to wait passively for fate or an intemperate god to put up a roadblock or toss you a bone.
And what I have discovered is that all of my choices fall under the umbrella of the big question I ask myself every morning when I wake up.
Which is, "Am I going to keep lying here or am I going to get up and participate?"
Mary Oliver ends one of her famous poems like this:
When it is over, I don't want to wonder
If I have made of my life something particular, and real
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened
Or full of argument.
I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.
So for me, the choice – the big choice – is always whether to continue lying on that bed or to get up and walk out the door. To be a part of the world and not just a visitor.
So far, the decision has been easy. Easier than I would have thought.


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The Last Scene of 'Captain Phillips' Should Have Earned Tom Hanks an Oscar Nom
One of this year's most glaring Oscar omissions comes in the form of Tom Hanks being passed over for his work as that titular character in Captain Phillips. I'm not sure why Academy voters decided that Hanks' work in Paul Greengrass' adaptation of a real-life ocean hijacking wasn't worthy of a nomination, but I like to just assume it's because 2014 had a lot of potential nominees.
I think everyone nominated this year turned in fine work, too – so it's not like someone undeserving made the cut and stole Hanks' (or Robert Redford's, for that matter) spot, but after watching the end of Captain Phillips, it's hard to rationalize how Hanks was passed over. It's almost as hard as it is to rationalize that the guy who was once the star of Bosom Buddies and Bachelor Party morphed into one of our finest actors.
The final scene of Captain Phillips finds Hanks elevating the entire picture – which has already been impressively rife with tension and excellent acting – and taking it from being a really good movie and making it great. It's even more impressive because Hanks essentially did it as improv, showing that the actor still has it even as he works into the latter stages of his career.
Don't just take my word for it, though – have a look at the scene for yourself and see if you don't agree. Naturally, the clip is a huge SPOILER for the movie, but it's really an impressive piece of acting – watching Hanks, who's so together as the horrible events transpire, finally realize what he's been through and fall to pieces is both haunting and mesmerizing. Seeing it again only reaffirms my belief that not giving the actor a nod was a pretty big oversight on the Academy's part.
[via IndieWire]
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A few apricots escaped the frosts (& escaped detection early in their development–big green apricot leaves do a good job at concealing little green apricots), & are at the market today. We also have the earliest of our sweet, juicy peaches, our own bell peppers (first picking), zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, summer plums (Methley, Early Magic, Early Golden), tart cherries, & Honeycrisp while they last, and local blueberries. We hope to start harvesting our fresh sweet corn on Saturday.
Tags: apricots, cherries, Honeycrisp, peaches, plums, sweet corn


text: United Way and Exelon partnership entering sixth year improves grades and attendance ratesStudents who participated in an innovative after-school program last year had a 96 percent graduation rate, well above the 54.3 percent average for Chicago Public Schools (CPS)*. These results were reported in an annual report card issued last week for the Exelon-United Way Stay in School Initiative, which was created by Exelon and the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. The results were announced Oct. 24 at the Field Museum, where the program kicked off its sixth year. The kick-off featured ABC 7 anchor, Karen Jordan and her husband NBC 5 reporter, Christian Farr who spoke to the students about the importance of staying in school. Click here for more photos. The Stay in School program is focused on improving graduation rates and stemming truancy in three Chicago communities with some of the highest dropout and truancy rates in the city. According to CPS statistics, dropout rates in the Austin, Bronzeville/Grand Boulevard and Humboldt Park/West Town communities are well above the CPS average. In addition to yielding higher graduation rates, the Stay in School program promotes higher grades, higher attendance rates and pro-social behaviors. This year's report card findings reinforce that at-risk students can achieve academic success with the right mix of attention and activities. The report card captures data from the 316 students who participated most intensively in Stay in School programs and services during the 2008-2009 school year. • 96 percent of Stay in School seniors graduated from high school or obtained a GED, compared to the CPS graduation rate of 54.3 percent, in 2008. • 86 percent of Stay in School students were promoted to the next grade level. In 2008, only 59 percent of CPS freshmen were on track for graduation. • 76 percent of Stay in School students had at least a 90 percent school attendance rate. Attendance is a major challenge for schools in these communities, with schools experiencing average daily attendance rates as low as 68 percent. • 74 percent of Stay in School students improved at least one grade in core courses, such as math, science and English. Almost all students with a B average or better at the end of their freshman year graduate, compared to only a quarter of those with a D average. (Source: What Matters for Staying On-Track and Graduating in Chicago Public Schools 2007) • 71 percent of Stay in School students increased their pro-social behaviors, such as participation in out-of-school and leadership activities, involvement in the community and non-violent conflict resolution. United Way and Exelon launched the Stay in School program in 2004 to serve students in 10 schools with enhanced after-school programs. At that time, statistics showed the citywide dropout rate had reached critical levels, especially for young males of color/belonging to minority groups: 61 percent for African-American males and 49 percent for Latino males. The Stay in School Initiative has served more than 7,500 students, ages 10-20, since its inception. During this school year, another 2,000 students will participate. Click here to view the full report. The partnership has created a holistic menu of programming that includes tutoring, college readiness, life skills and violence-prevention workshops, parent and family activities and a reward-and-recognition program for achieving students. Exelon also created a companion job skills development workshop series that provides up to eight paid internships each year. "This program has forever transformed my sense of self-esteem and my commitment to academics," said Tierra Clark, a former Stay in School student from Fredick Douglass High School in Austin and now attending Northern Illinois University. "Our mentors from Exelon help us understand what we need to do in order to be better prepared for our futures." Since 2004, Exelon has contributed $1.7 million to fund the Exelon-United Way Stay in School. Education is a signature focus of Exelon's corporate citizenship program. The company and its 1,500 employee volunteers believe that educational achievement is the dividing line between economic isolation and opportunity. Education is also a key focus of United Way, which provides the leadership and resources students need to grow into independent adults. "These report card results indicate that we continue to make an impact in addressing the problem of student dropout rates in these communities," said Steve Solomon, director of corporate relations at Exelon. "We look forward to constantly evolving this partnership and keeping it fresh so that we are delivering the services that are most needed to support the academic success of the students." "The commitment from the volunteer mentors at Exelon has provided the Stay in School students with positive role models who stick with them over time," said CJ Jones, director of outreach and diversity for United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. "This partnership is a prime example of corporate leadership reaching out to community experts for meaningful change." About United Way United Way of Metropolitan Chicago improves lives by mobilizing caring people to invest in the community where their resources are needed most. Spanning 238 communities across five counties, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago is the largest non-governmental funder of health and human service programs in the region. Every United Way funded program must demonstrate measurable results to ensure that each contribution makes the greatest impact for those who need it most. About Exelon Exelon Corporation is one of the nation's largest electric utilities with nearly $19 billion in annual revenues. The company has one of the industry's largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Exelon distributes electricity to approximately 5.4 million customers in northern Illinois and southeastern Pennsylvania and natural gas to 485,000 customers in the Philadelphia area. Exelon is headquartered in Chicago and trades on the NYSE under the ticker EXC. *CPS Office of Research, Evaluation and Accountability


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First of all, best wishes for this new year 2010 for everyone.
Just wanted to inform you about some discussions I had recently with Dino Dini. Here on his blog, you will find a mail I wrote to him, his answer and some comments he made on it. Later I wrote him an email to clarify my point of view.
I just read you blog and understood the way you got my request. It seems that you have been a kind, let say, offended/upset by the way I made it. I'm sorry about that.
And I just wanted to clarify my thinking. I don't want to spoil you ! For me, redo a game like Kickoff in java is a time to time hobby and a way to have fun.
In a way, trying to redo what has been done by the master, you Dino Dini , is a kind of game for me. Honestly, I am appreciative of game ideas and concepts, which in his time, I sincerely believe, were a little revolution of its kind. I could not complete my game, because, and you know it like me, coding, especially alone, is time consuming, and I have plenty other higher priority tasks to do.
Since years, I have followed all the stories about you, your KOA fans's relationship, the little war with this journalist about Kickoff and sensible soccer, your fight with wikipedia and so on and so on. I do not know you personally but I have the feeling to understand some traits of you.
So, I completely agree that you do not want to share your 'source code' if you are living from games and expecting create new games. I understand that.
Moreover, if you decide to create a new football game, I will support you in this task. When I say I will support, of course it does not means I will spent all my time to do it, but sometimes to help you, yes, why not. It would be so funny, if one day, I could play on current console games a game like Kickoff with my children. /-)
Well, Dino, I just wanted you to know that I remain a fan for what you had managed to do at the time. I do not blame you for having answered negatively and I wish you good luck for the future.
If one time you are interested, I can even gives you the work I made for trying to redo a java open kickoff.
Hope we will still stay in touch by mail, twitter or facebook (waiting for your request! ).
Do not forget that English (I'm french) is not my mother tongue and It's always harder to express precisely his way of thinking in an other language.
But the point here is that Dino Dini wants to make a football game and needs to know how many people support him in his project.
So If any of you reading this think helping Dino get a new football game developed and published sounds like a good idea, sign up on Dino Dini facebook fan page
Tell him on his wall that you are coming from KOA and on behalf of SebOnAir


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Hi Darcy! I used to play pretty well, but it has been a while and I am rusty. I am looking for someone to pay with on Sundays so I can get back into the game. I think with a little practice I could actually be a decent player again. Let me know if you are interested. :)
Hi Randy, Thanks for the reply, I am looking to play tomorrow or next weekend.
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There's little doubt that Vanessa Hudgens is best known for her star-making performance in the High School Musical trilogy, which spawned hit albums and top-grossing tours. Vanessa Hudgens also released her debut album V in 2006 and a second album in '08.
There's little doubt that Vanessa Hudgens is best known for her star-making performance in the High School Musical trilogy, which spawned hit albums and top-grossing tours. Vanessa Hudgens also released her debut album V in 2006 and a second album in '08.
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Add a rose gold finish to anything and it instantly becomes chicer and sleeker. Like this double-sided stainless steel step can, which allows for regular trash and recycling, with a liner pocket for easy bag storage. See our full kitchen trash cans guide.
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With their slim stature and velvety coating, these non-slip hangers will grip your clothes tightly and save space in your closet. You'll wonder why you lived with cheap, mismatched hangers for so long.
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A splurge-worthy blanket that is soft and cozy, but lightweight enough to use year-round. It reverses to white so you can quickly change up your bed's look on a whim.
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The Turkish towel trend is still going strong and we're on board. Lightweight, fast-drying, absorbent and softer with each wash, we love them for the bathroom, beach and beyond. While there's something to be said for neutrals, we're all in on these bright colors (seven choices).
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Scent is often overlooked as a feel-good component of a home. Weighing in at just over a pound, this stylish, compact diffuser comes in four colors and uses ultrasonic technology to transform water and essential oils into a fragrant mist that can last for up to 18 hours between fillings.
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Everything in your kitchen should help you function better. So a drying rack that fits over the sink, rolls up to be stored away when not in use, is heat-resistant and can act as a trivet equals a big win. (And even more so in a small home.)
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22 November 2013
On Friday 22 November at 13:02 CET (12:02 GMT) the three European SWARM satellites were lifted into orbit from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia by a Rockot launch vehicle.
Teamwork: the flight constellation and high-precision instruments of three identical satellites allows for highly accurate measurements of Earth's magnetic field. They orbit the Earth in near polar orbits. Two of the satellites have an east-west separation of 1 to 1.4 degrees, and the third satellite, which completes the constellation, is about 100 kilometres above them. This formation allows for the magnetic field to be recorded simultaneously in several positions.
ATG Medialab/ESA.
The three identical SWARM satellites waiting to be mounted on the Rockot launch vehicle at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.
Miriam Langhans coordinates scientific and technical use of the SWARM results by German companies and research institutions, via the DLR Project Office at the German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam.
GFZ Potsdam.
On Friday 22 November at 13:02 CET (12:02 GMT) the three European SWARM satellites were lifted into orbit from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia by a Rockot launch vehicle. The mission will take high accuracy measurements of Earth's magnetic field, expanding our knowledge of the processes at work in Earth's interior as well as in near-Earth space. SWARM is the fourth Earth exploration mission in the European Space Agency's 'Living Planet' programme. With a share of about 25 percent, Germany is a leading contributor to the programme. The SWARM project office, funded by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) Space Administration, will coordinate German researchers and data usage to optimise the scientific return.
Earth 'under attack'
Our planet is constantly being bombarded by energetic particles from the Sun and outer space. Fortunately, Earth's magnetic field protects us from this dangerous radiation. But measurements taken over the last few decades have shown that it is weakening and – as has often happened in the past – is preparing to reverse its polarity. The three identical satellites, all equipped with highly sensitive instruments, were carried into space by a single launcher. Two of them will fly 'side-by-side' in a common orbit at an altitude of 460 kilometres, while the third one will orbit Earth at 530 kilometres. They will circle Earth in formation like a 'swarm' and map the magnetic field in three dimensions with unprecedented accuracy during their four-year mission.
Although Earth's magnetic field has been measured and researched for about 150 years, there are still gaps in our knowledge of it. The German predecessor to the SWARM mission, CHAMP, has already delivered important results and significantly extended our understanding of the magnetic field while simultaneously raising new questions. Despite the protective 'bubble', showers of particles occasionally enter the atmosphere. The consequences of these particl invasions can vary – power grids fail, computer systems produce errors and navigation networks are disrupted. It is clear that complex, elusive processes involving external influences and changes to Earth's magnetic field are still hidden from us. Recently, it has been recognised that the situation is much more complicated than suspected, because every part of the overall system is connected to everything else. Using the data acquired with SWARM, geoscientists now want to determine the exact interrelationships.
Contribution to climate and environmental research
Thanks to the advanced instruments carried by SWARM, it should be possible to investigate large-scale ocean currents. The movement of electrically conductive salt water contributes to Earth's magnetic field. However, this effect is almost five orders of magnitude smaller than the static magnetic field. SWARM will be able to make an important contribution to climate research, since the dynamics of currents and tides in the oceans significantly affect the climate.
Through continuous observations, the three identical satellites will also support European research activities involving the overall Earth system, climate and environment, and provide important reference data with regard to Earth's magnetic field, its ionosphere and thermosphere, space weather, geodesy and geosciences.
German contribution to data utilisation
The DLR Space Administration SWARM Project Office, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie; BMWi) will organise, on the German side, the user community, advise scientists and coordinate research projects. It is also developing usage concepts and carrying out public relations activities. Through its work, the project office is establishing national and international programmes for scientific interpretation of SWARM data, and is available outside the scientific community as an information and contact point for other users. Thus, it will contribute significantly to the scientific output of this 'Explorer' mission.
Currently, preparations are underway to validate the SWARM data, an important contribution to quality assurance. For this work, ESA has appointed an international science team under the leadership of the SWARM Project Office. In Germany, the team comprises the German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam (Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum; GFZ), the Leibnitz Institute of Atmospheric Physics (Leibniz-Institut für Atmosphärenphysik; IAP) in Kühlungsborn, Jacobs University (JUB) in Bremen and the Institute for Astronomical and Physical Geodesy (Institut für Astronomische und Physikalische Geodäsie; IAPG) at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich.
Earth system research with 'Living Planet'
SWARM is the fourth mission of the ESA programme 'Living Planet', which provides targeted contributions to important issues of Earth system science using the selected satellite missions. The previous 'Earth Explorer' missions were the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE), launched at the beginning of 2009, the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity mission (SMOS), launched in November 2009, and CryoSat, which launched in April 2010.
The German division of Astrium was responsible for manufacturing the satellites; other participating German companies include, among others, IABG (Industrieanlagen-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH), ZARM Technik AG, Altran and Xperion. The operating company for the Rockot launcher is Eurockot Launch Services GmbH. The rocket was launched from Plesetsk, 800 kilometres north of Moscow. The launch, separation from the launcher, orbit injection and ongoing flight operations are being monitored by the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt.
Last modified:22/11/2013 14:40:43


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Facebook and Publicis Strike Multi-Year Ad Deal
Advertising holding company Publicis Groupe and social networking service Facebook have struck a major multi-year partnership, Publicis announced Monday. The deal is worth "hundreds of millions of dollars," people familiar with the situation said.
According to Publicis the relationship is designed to give it increased access to Facebook's ad inventory and data, but also to help it better leverage opportunities in video and on the social network's Instagram property.
"This is a new breed of partnership between agency networks and publishers," said Laura Desmond, CEO at Publicis Groupe's Starcom MediaVest Group, which led the negotiation of the deal on behalf of the holding company. Publicis clients include Procter & Gamble, Verizon, and Coca-Cola.
"The deal didn't start from a standpoint of ad pricing or inventory. It started from standpoint of three big pillars that clients, ourselves and Facebook are working on now," Ms. Desmond added, referring to data and targeting, visual storytelling, and video advertising.
Specifics of the deal are somewhat vague, making it difficult to discern exactly what's changing hands. But Facebook hinted the partnership is, at least in part, designed to help it figure out how it can better work with marketers.
"Agencies, brands, and Facebook all have one common goal: to make great ads and put them in front of the right people. Our work with Publicis will center on bringing clients closer to our products, and creating new planning and measurement tools to make buying easier, more efficient, and ultimately prove out ROI [return on investment]," said a statement from Patrick Harris, Director, Global Agency Development at Facebook.
Data is central to the partnership, it appears. Facebook's information will be closely integrated with Publicis' systems for ad targeting, optimization and planning purposes. "You can boil it down to integration and data. We're the first agency network that will have this comprehensive level of data and access," Ms. Desmond said.
The deal took months to assemble. Conversations between Starcom MediaVest Group and Facebook executives began back in November, Ms. Desmond said, before Publicis Groupe's planned $35 billion merger with Omnicom fell apart earlier this month.
Starcom MediaVest Group struck a similar partnership with Facebook's social media rival Twitter in April last year. That deal was worth at least $200 million over at least two years.
Ms. Desmond said the Facebook relationship is also designed to be a long-term one, in order to give it time to yield results. "Once we start to see outcomes, this will lead us to want to co create other solutions or products that will unlock more value for clients and for Facebook and for all of us," she concluded.


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Sebastian Bergmann has a new post today about this year's PHP Vikinger event:
The PHP Vikinger is a community-driven PHP event that will be held in Skien, Norway on June 24th an 25th. Like the famous Foo Camp and Bar Camp, PHP Vikinger is driven by its attendees. The people who come choose and present the sessions at the event.
Attendance for the event is made up of those that were invited to event (speakers and the like, 50 in all) and registrations made. Cost for attendance is only 20 Euro and food/lodging are included. Registration for the event opens May 1st.


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Date Validation Using the .NET Globalization ClassesWelcome to this week's installment of .NET Tips & Techniques! Each week, award-winning Architect and Lead Programmer Tom Archer from the Archer Consulting Group demonstrates how to perform a practical .NET programming task.
Most times the easiest means of validating a user-entered date is by providing a masked edit control that forces the user to enter valid numbers into the month/day/year parts of the field. However, a system you maintain many times won't have a masked edit. It instead allows the user to enter the date value in a "free form" edit control, which necessitates a manual validation of the entered date.
One obvious way to address this problem is to check each set of digits (representing the day, month, and year) similar to the following:
static bool ManuallyValidate(String date) { // check month in mmddyy or mmddyyyy format if (Convert.ToInt32(date.Substring(0, 2)) <= 12 && Convert.ToInt32(date.Substring(0, 2)) >= 1) ... // Continue checking other digits return true; else return false; }
static bool ValidateDate(String date, String format) { try { System.Globalization.DateTimeFormatInfo dtfi = new System.Globalization.DateTimeFormatInfo(); dtfi.ShortDatePattern = format; DateTime dt = DateTime.ParseExact(date, "d", dtfi); } catch(Exception) { return false; } return true; }
As you can see, the ValidateDate method takes a String that represents the date to be validated and a String that represents the format to be checked, such as yymm or MMdd. The client would then call this function as follows:
BOOL success; success = ValidateDate("3403", "MMmm"); // false as 34 is not a valid month success = ValidateDate("3403", "yymm"); // true success = ValidateDate("1212", "MMdd"); // true
Obviously, you could extend this example further, but this article should serve as a good introduction to some of what the Globalization namespace can do and how easy it is to use. For a list of the various patterns that you can use, simply look up the topic DateTimeFormatInfo in on-line help, as well as the ShortDatePattern vs. LongDatePattern topic.
Download the Code
To download the accompanying source code for this tip, click here.
About the Author
The founder of the Archer Consulting Group (ACG), Tom Archer has been the project lead on three award-winning applications and is a best-selling author of 10 programming books as well as countless magazine and online articles.
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- wp content upload 2018 06 annualreport tyler pdf
Search results
Hazard Communication Program and Globally Harmonized System (GHS)
Safety Data Sheets (SDS). Resources: OSU Hazard Communication Plan Template (PDF) OSU Hazard ... Communication Plan Template (Word Doc) CFAES HazComm Chemical Inventory List Template (PDF) CFAES HazComm ... on this link- https://ehs.osu.edu/training 2) Cick on the Occupational Health & Safety content ...
Employee Safety Resources
& Spanish versions) OSHA Farm Safety Fact Sheet (pdf) OSHA Youth in Agriculture Dept of Labor: ... Agricultural Employer's Pocket Guide on Youth Employment OSHA Emergency Preparedness for Farmworkers (pdf ... (pdf) ASHCA Facts 2015- Be Safe, Be Profitable Safety Resouce Links Ohio BWC- Public Employee Risk ...
Preventing Slips and Falls during Icy Conditions
Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2014, there were 42,480 workplace slip-and-fall injuries in the workplace, ...
Hand and Portable Power Tool Safety
Tool Injuries- training (.pdf) Training: The College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental ... https://ehs.osu.edu/training 2) Cick on the Occupational Health & Safety content area. 3) Scroll down to locate the Hand ...
Are you Prepared?
seniors, kids, commuters, pet owners), videos, social media content, graphics, and numerous links. Make ...
CFAES Skid Loader Safety Policy and Employee Training
Training Program CFAES Skid Loader Operator Training (.pdf) CFAES Skid Loader Training Test (.pdf) CFAES ... Skid Loader Operator Evaluation (.pdf) CFAES Skid Loader Safety Training Certification Form OSU Ag ... Safety- Skid Loader Safety Poster (.pdf) OSU Employee Training The College of Food, Agricultural and ...
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https://ehs.osu.edu/training 2) Cick on the Research / Biosafety content areas. 3) Scroll down to locate the "Lab ...
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Industrial Truck Safety Program OSU Forklift and Powered Industrial Truck Safety Program (.pdf written ... Occupational Health & Safety content area. 3) Scroll down to locate the Forklift Safety Program training ...
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equipment and machine hazards. Resources: CFAES Agricultural Equipment Hazards Safety Training (.pdf ... ) CFAES Agricultural Equipment Training Test (.pdf) OSU Ag Safety- Farm Equipment Hazards Poster Safe ... Implement Hitching (.pdf) Ohio Farmer Article: Ag Safety Labels OSU Employee Training The College of Food, ...


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Dancing, playing guitar, piloting a ship through alien gunfire, etc. Sometimes you just need to put a little faith into rhythm if you want to succeed.
I have a love for both shoot-em-ups and rhythm games. While they occupy different spectra of a player's skill set, both genres share some things in common. Once you lock into the pattern presented to you, it's easy to get lost in the rhythm of combat or the more literal rhythm of a beat.
Retro/Grade is an ingenious rhythm game that blurs the line between these two genres, demanding players to rely on their sight as much as their sense of rhythm. As long as you have one, you can get by without the other, but you're going to need both if you want to place high on the leaderboards in this original debut from 24 Caret Games.
Retro/Grade (PlayStation Network)
Developer: 24 Caret Games
Publisher: 24 Caret Games
Released: August 21, 2012
Retro/Grade may be a slight and brief rhythm title, but it's a very clever one that will leave you smiling as you make your way through its ten levels. The game starts with the obligatory tutorial sequence, but this familiar scenario is oddly paired with the game's end credits. After pilot/slacker Rick Rocket defeats the game's final boss, a space anomaly reverses the flow of time. The following 90 minutes is a long trek back to the start of Rick's journey, and along the way, he needs to absorb every bullet he fired and once again dodge every enemy.
Mind-bending -- that's the word that best summarizes Retro/Grade. It's at its best when you stop thinking about what you are doing and just give in to the rhythm. Forgoing the stilted presentation of most other rhythm games, the visuals are always busy and unique to the stage, as are the music tracks that sound like a cross between '80s Depeche Mode and audio from Amiga games. It's not a soundtrack I'd listen to on my iPod -- in fact, I got so sick of it that I was turned off from replaying stages -- but it has its charms and pairs wonderfully with the retro sci-fi aesthetic and backgrounds that complement the songs.
As eye-catching as the backdrops are, you'll be too busy trying to survive to fully appreciate them. There is a lot going on in Retro/Grade, but it thankfully takes its time unveiling new enemy types. Like Rock Band and so many other rhythm games, you play notes (read: absorb laser fire) on tracks that you navigate through via your ship. You can even play with a guitar peripheral -- I haven't tried this out, but I imagine your ship must automatically shift tracks as you play the notes. Depending on what difficulty you play, you will have two to five lanes to switch between.
The laser fire always lines up with the beat, but you'll also have to rely on your hand-eye coordination when it comes to dodging walls of bullets and enemy mines from behind. Tapping the button to fire is simple enough, but you'll eventually have to rapidly press to absorb missiles, dodge black holes, and trace long lasers across multiple tracks. If you do well, you'll be rewarded with score multipliers and an oscillator that makes your score go up while turning the background into a psychedelic field that's easy to get lost in. If you don't do well, you can use fuel which reverses time, though you are penalized for his when you receive your "new low score" at the end of the stage.
Once you beat the main mode, you can play again on Extreme difficulty or jump into Challenge mode. Extreme difficulty is just not fun. I love a challenge but only when it's a well designed one. Instead of testing your ability to keep up with complex rhythms and timing, this difficulty keeps you busy by forcing you to constantly change tracks, and I do mean constantly!
Challenge mode, on the other hand, is just too damn easy to be all that engaging. It takes place on a Star Fox-like mission grid, where you progress forward by beating levels from the main mode in altered form. Some missions will present the stage at 120% speed while others present mirrored versions. It's an interesting idea, but given the length of these stages and the repetitive music, it gets old fast. It also takes a long time to get challenging, since you start on Easy and work your way up. The mode may be worth it for some players, since you unlock ships (including a Minecraft-inspired one) and artwork.
If you are a rhythm game fanatic, you owe it to yourself to check out Retro/Grade. It doesn't have the charm of PaRappa, the hummable tracklist of Gitaroo Man, or the addictive quality of Elite Beat Agents, but it's a nice shot in the arm for a genre that has grown stagnant. 24 Caret Games tried its best to give the game some longevity, but that's never been what this genre is about. It's about becoming transfixed and lost somewhere between the music and game, and Retro/Grade does a fine job of achieving this.
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Retrograde reviewed by Allistair Pinsof
Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
How we score: The Destructoid reviews guide


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Valentine's Adventures in Paris
Paris is the perfect city for celebrating la vie en deux, with all of the requisite clichés covered:
Five Sexy Couples' Hotels in Paris from the upcoming second edition of Naughty Paris.
10 Romantic (and Sexy) Things to Do In Paris with photos and intro by David Lebovitz.
La Vie Parisienne for a fun and sexy alternative show to the Moulin Rouge (en français).
Pinup Attitude for burlesque strip-tease classes with Sugar DaMoore.
Valentine's Bellies on Foot themed food tour with La Cuisine.
Valentine's Day on the Eiffel Tower with dinner, wine & cheese, or chocolate & Champagne.
And if you're already sick of red hearts and chocolates, get your tickets for the Paris Rollergirls vs Royal Windsor Rollergirls on February 16th. Because what's more Anti-Valentine's Day than a women's rollerderby match?


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Sales Associate - Washingtn/King-Alex
- Employer
- Gap Inc.
- Location
- Alexandria, VA
- Posted
- Jul 06, 2018
- Closes
- Jul 20, 2018
- Function
- Sales
- Industry
- Retail
- Career Level
- Experienced (Non-Manager)
- Hours
- Full Time
Sales Associate - Washingtn/King-Alex **622 KING STREET** **Alexandria, Virginia** **22314** **Job#: 239125** **Date Posted:Jun. 13, 2018** **Job Status: Part-time** In 1969, Don and Doris Fisher opened the first Gap store on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco. They wanted to make it easier to find a great pair of jeans, and they did. Their denim and records store was a hit, and today we're the world's most iconic American brand. We're represented in more than 1400 stores in over 40 countries, and online. Our unique aesthetic is optimistic cool, elevated American style. We believe in staying true to our heritage while creating what's next. Don and Doris Fisher always wanted to "do more than sell clothes," and today we're leaders in employee volunteering and social impact. If you're full of ideas, if you want to work with phenomenal people, and if you think we should leave the world better than we found it, we'd love to meet you. **GENERAL SUMMARY:** The Sales Associate generates sales and cultivates customer loyalty by ensuring customer relationships are created and maintained while ensuring a neat, clean and organized store. Sales Associates are responsible for creating an exceptional Brand experience in the store and are expected to perform a variety of cross-functional tasks as assigned by the Leader on Duty or as needed. **ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:** + Displays a "customer is the priority" mindset at all times + Consistently treats all Gap customers and employees with respect and contributes to a positive work environment + Accountable to contribute to the achievement of store goals and results + Upholds the commitments to the company's processes, values and Code of Business Conduct + Collaborates with store team to develop innovative solutions to business needs + May flex between customer or support roles as needed by the business + Meets or exceeds Company expectations of customer service throughout the store: genuine/authentic interactions, offering solutions or ideas to customers, providing guidance on product fit and style, fitting room experience, loyalty programs, communication and execution of customer promotions / incentives, etc. + Executes Omni-Channel processes to ensure customer needs are met (ie, SFS, RIS) + Promotes customer loyalty by educating customers about our" loyalty" programs + Communicates customer feedback and opportunities with the management team to improve the overall customer experience + Offers current style advice and is knowledgeable on trends as well as the products we offer + Performs various product placement, replenishment and recovery tasks to maintain a visually appealing, easy shopping experience for our customers + Perform cash register functions **QUALIFICATIONS:** + High School Diploma or equivalent experience preferred + Ability to maneuver around sales floor, stock room, work with and around cleaning chemicals, and lift/carry up to 30lbs. + Ability to work a flexible schedule to meet the needs of the business, including holiday, evening, overnight and weekend shift. **Join us if you:** + Want to be part of one of the world's most iconic retailers + Are confident and motivated by the opportunity to interact with customers while helping them bring their individual styles to life + Have strong communication, influencing and time management skills + Enjoy being part of a team environment + Preferably have previous retail and/or customer service experience + Have availability and flexibility to work nights, weekends, store openings and closings, to meet the needs of the business + Can safely lift 30 lbs. and can maneuver throughout the sales floor and stockroom This job description intends to describe the general nature and level of work people assigned to this job perform. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities. The order in which duties are listed is not significant. **KEY BENEFITS:** + Merchandise discount for our brands: 50% off regular-priced merchandise at Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy, 30% off at Outlet and 25% off at Athleta. + One of the most competitive Paid Time Off plans in the industry.* + Employees can take up to five "on the clock" hours each month to volunteer at a charity of their choice.* + Extensive 401(k) plan with company matching for contributions up to four percent of an employee's base pay.* + Employee stock purchase plan.* + Employees receive medical, dental, vision and life insurance.* + Employees can apply for tuition reimbursement.* + Family care programs. + Commuter benefits. + Pet Discount Program. *For eligible employees Gap Inc. is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. We are committed to recruiting, hiring, training and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds, and make all employment decisions without regard to any protected status. In 2016, Gap Inc. was named one of the Best Places to Work by the Human Rights Campaign for the thirteenth consecutive year and was the sole winner of the Catalyst award for equality at atalyst.org/knowledge/gap-inc-women-and-opportunity in the workplace in 2016. Gap Inc. is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. We are committed to recruiting, hiring, training and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds, and make all employment decisions without regard to any protected status.