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Trump vs. Clinton? Try Claytie vs. Ann Richards
Stop me if you've heard this one: Republicans nominate a brash multimillionaire prone to gaffes and verbal acrobatics. His personal attacks against a veteran female politician divide voters, spiking the gender gap. He blames the media and claims to not play by traditional political rules.
Trump for president in 2016? Try Claytie for Texas governor in 1990.
Cut from the same cloth as Trump, 1990 Texas Republican gubernatorial nominee Clayton "Claytie" Williams parlayed his Texas A&M degree in animal husbandry to a multimillion dollar fortune in oil and gas, real estate and telecommunications. He got the political bug starring in television commercials for his phone company, where he used his cowboy charisma to rope his way onto Forbes' wealthiest Americans list. Williams had an expansive grin, huge drooping ears and a west-Texas wildcatter's drawl. Molly Ivins described him as the "perfect representative of a vanishing Texas": white, macho and rich — a character plucked right from Giant.
Trump and Williams are remarkably similar: larger-than-life figures, self-made men, bucolic, mostly self-funded campaigns and television personalities. Trump, like Williams, has attacked the media for bad coverage when his campaign went awry. Both candidates faced a sharp-elbowed female candidate with considerate political experience, keen political instincts and a reputation for getting things done.
If Williams' 1990 race for governor in Texas is any guide, the 2016 presidential campaign will get even nastier. Williams' Democratic opponent was Ann Richards, at that point a former Travis County commissioner and the sitting state treasurer, a seasoned and well-connected politician of a liberal stripe. She entered the general election after a bruising primary where she won 54 percent of the vote against Attorney General Jim Mattox.
Williams entered the race with a 27-point lead and immediately landed in hot water. Sitting informally with reporters on his ranch, he compared bad weather to rape: "If it's inevitable, just relax and enjoy it." Williams also bragged about how, as a student at A&M, he would travel to Boy's Town in Mexico or the famed Chicken Ranch brothel in La Grange to "get serviced" by prostitutes.
The campaign also quickly turned personal against Richards. Williams said he wasn't comfortable running against a woman and had only battled a woman once, "way back when I had a divorce and I lost." Asked about his campaign strategy against Richards, Williams reported, "I'll head and hoof her and drag her through the dirt." Responding to a claim from the Richards campaign that they were up in the polls, he chortled of Richards, a recovering alcoholic, "I hope she didn't go back to drinking again." He also suggested that Richards was an "honorary lesbian" for her support of gay groups.
And he was still 12 points up.
But the last straw came when he refused shake her hand. The Richards campaign had run a scathing ad accusing Williams' Midland bank of laundering drug money. This volley was strategically crafted to strike at the heart of Williams' core campaign issue: cracking down on drugs. At the Greater Dallas Crime Commission lunch, where Richards was to appear before Williams, he confronted her on the stage. Richards rose to leave and put out her hand to shake his, and as he moved past her, he belted out, "I'm not going to shake hands with you. I won't shake hands with a liar."
While this was a seemingly small slight in comparison to Williams' escalating crassness toward Richards, the lack of gentlemanly manners sunk him. Williams' excuse was that he was frustrated by the conventions of the political scene, especially dealing with the media whom he claimed treated him unfairly, and that any mistakes he made happened only because he was new to politics.
Like today, the release of tax returns took on significance. The Richards campaign pressed Williams to release his tax returns, which he had long refused to do. Williams responded that over the years he "paid millions of dollars in taxes ... except in 1986." Although a crash in oil prices in 1986 crippled the whole Texas economy and bankrupted many in the oil and gas business, the issue highlighted the breaks the wealthy got, even though his losses far exceeded his income that year. The Williams campaign berated the media for what they considered one-sided coverage, but polls showed that after the handshake that wasn't and his admission that he didn't pay taxes in 1986, his 12-point lead reversed to a four-point deficit.
Richards ultimately won the election by 2 percent — just over 99,000 votes — fueled by the wide gender gap between the two. On election night, supporters shouted for him to run again. He responded, "I'm an Aggie, but I'm not crazy."
How does 1990 inform 2016? Like Clinton has done to Trump, Richards turned Williams' own words against him: Her campaign ads included direct quotes from Williams, enough to turn off many voters. Richards shifted to turn out her base, especially women, and campaigned in areas of strength. Clinton will do much the same, especially in emerging battlegrounds like New Mexico and Colorado.
The Richards campaign painted Williams as a wheeler-dealer with little substance, as Clinton has done of Trump. Richards also deflected criticism of her battles with addiction and reframed them into a strength while exploiting the gender gap — the campaign portrayed her as a tough protector of the family that had "been through hell and back" and was still fighting. Clinton may combat her legal troubles in much the same way.
Even with Williams' coarse and insensitive statements and Richards' adept exploitation of the material he gave her, the 1990 election in Texas was close. In 2016, Clinton also cannot depend on Trump's tasteless comments alone to defeat him. The question becomes whether Trump will finally go too far and have his own "handshake" moment that gives his campaign the fatal blow.
Disclosure: The University of Houston has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.


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Good morning … Eight days to go until Affordable Care Act enrollment begins. (I'm counting today.)
CHIP may not get done until December
Federal funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program ran out at the end of last month, and several states have already said they need stopgap funding. But there's a good chance Congress won't be able to get a bill to President Trump's desk before December.
Bottom line: Only a handful of states will exhaust their funds this year, but 27 more are on track to run out of money in the first quarter of 2018.
What's happening:
- CHIP could slip to December, a congressional aide told me, because the House is still fighting over the substance of its bill and floor time in the Senate is limited.
- Rep. Frank Pallone laid out a similar timeline yesterday, saying it could take until the end of the year for the House and Senate to conference their respective bills, if the House moves ahead with a vote soon.
- If CHIP ends up waiting until the end of the year anyway, Congress could throw it into the pile of must-pass bills already stacking up for December — which also could include the Senate's bill to stabilize the ACA's insurance markets.
Why it matters: CHIP covers roughly 9 million kids nationwide.
- When Congress let CHIP funding expire in September, lawmakers were quick to point out that the states still had money in the bank. Which was true — but those funds will begin to run out later this year.
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is reaching into old CHIP accounts to provide states with some bridge funding as they need it. So far, nine states have collected more than $230 million from those short-term cash infusions.
- A CMS spokesman didn't respond when asked how much money CMS has to give out, but said it wouldn't be enough to cover all states' shortfalls for fiscal 2018.
- A spokeswoman for Arizona's health department, which has gotten roughly $22 million from CMS, said that money would last through November and maybe into December, and that it will enable the state to keep operating its program just as it had been before federal funding ran out.
CSR ruling expected today
A federal judge said he's expecting to decide today whether the Trump administration has to keep making the ACA's cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments while the courts figure out whether it was legal for him to cut off that funding unilaterally.
Eighteen states have challenged President Trump's decision to stop paying the CSRs, and argued before U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria yesterday that the payments should continue while that lawsuit proceeds. Chhabria did not seem convinced, according to Reuters, pointing to steps that allowed insurers to compensate for the loss of the CSR payments by raising their premiums. He questioned whether the states would really suffer the grave injuries they claimed.
Iowa withdraws its waiver request
Iowa pulled the plug yesterday on its request for a state innovation waiver, after CMS warned last week that the state would likely have to help pay for its new system if the waiver were approved.
What it had requested: Iowa's proposal was the furthest-reaching that any state has come up with: It would have substantially redirected federal funding and altered regulations to create an insurance market that looked a lot like the ones Republicans envisioned in their repeal-and-replace legislation.
Be smart: Iowa's application got a lot of attention after The Washington Post reported that Trump had told CMS to reject it, because he wanted states' insurance markets to implode. Whatever Trump's input, though, Iowa's proposal had already stretched the bounds of what the ACA allows in this waiver process.
- "They might have tried harder with more support from the administration, but the decision was really based on the way innovation waivers work," said Timothy Jost, a Washington & Lee law professor and a fan of the ACA.
The latest on Alexander-Murray
Couple of quick updates on the ACA stabilization bill in Congress::
- A Congressional Budget Office score could come as early as today, Sen. Lamar Alexander said last night. The big thing to watch is whether restoring the ACA's cost-sharing subsidies now scores as costing the government money, in the wake of Trump's decision to end those payments.
- Save Our Care is releasing a new round of digital ads today targeted at the Republicans who haven't cosponsored the stabilization bill.
- The White House made its demands but that doesn't seem to have reopened negotiations in the Senate, my colleague Caitlin Owens reports.
The newest Medicare startup
Keep this on your radar: my colleague Bob Herman reports Devoted Health, a new insurance company that will only sell Medicare Advantage plans, just raised $62 million, according a new financial disclosure. The startup will start selling Medicare Advantage plans in 2019.
The players: Some big names are backing Devoted Health: Former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist are on the board. Todd and Ed Park, brothers who both worked at electronic health record and billing company athenahealth, are the co-founders; they also recruited Venrock's Bob Kocher as chief medical officer.
Get smart: Medicare Advantage is where the big money is. The ACA marketplaces grab a lot of headlines, but they are a blip on the radar when compared with the hundreds of billions of dollars tied up in private Medicare plans and care for seniors.
We don't know our own pregnancy mortality rate
This isn't good: The U.S. has no official tally of how many women die each year from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth, according to ProPublica. It's widely assumed to be somewhere between 700 and 900, but estimates vary widely depending on who's counting.
Why it matters: Because we don't have good records on deaths from pregnancy and childbirth, we also don't know how many of those deaths were preventable, or how the U.S. mortality rate is changing. "Doubts about U.S. data on maternal deaths are so profound that some experts have questioned if the rise in U.S. rates over the last 25 years is a mirage," ProPublica reports.
What we're watching today:
- Trump heads to Capitol Hill to lunch with Senate Republicans.
- House Energy and Commerce oversight subcommittee hearing on HHS' "public health preparedness and response to the 2017 hurricane season" (10am, details here).
- House Veterans Affairs Committee marks up a bill to expand the "Veterans Choice" program, which covers certain procedures for certain veterans at private, non-VA facilities. (10am, details here).
- Centene earnings call at 8:30am
What we're watching this week:
- Wednesday: Senate Aging Committee hearing on "working and aging with disabilities." House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on federal efforts to combat the opioid crisis.
- Friday: National Institute for Health Care Management briefing on Capitol Hill.
What's on your mind? I welcome your tips and feedback: email@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Cold War by Pawel Pawlikowski
In "Cold War," a hot romance is doomed from the start. Writer-director Pawel Pawlikowski, whose 2013 film "Ida" won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, stages a love story that crosses political boundaries, but is universal in its volatility.
Tomasz Kot is Wiktor Warski, a musician scouting talent in post-WWII Poland. Joanna Kulig electrifies as Zuzanna "Zula" Lichoń, a much younger singer who catches his eye from a crowded field. The two pair up and their affair shoots sparks, though both parties know the flame is burning quickly and isn't meant to last.
They fall out and reconvene years later in France, and follow this pattern for years. Political forces keep them apart. But so do their personal issues, and their inability to shelve the other matters in their lives and make each other a priority. They take up other lovers, knowing they'll eventually come back to one another. But the passion between them runs so deep that they're always ready to explode, walk away and repeat the cycle all over again. A scene where Zula tears up a dance floor to "Rock Around the Clock" while he looks on speaks volumes.
The political metaphors are thick, but not so much that they overshadow the humanity of the love story at the film's center. Kot and Kulig scorch the screen when they're together, and Pawlikowski (working with cinematographer Łukasz Żal) shoots in luxe black and white that adds to the stark economy of the film. (It comes in at a lithe 88 minutes.)
The ending comes as a stunner, but is the only logical conclusion for Wiktor and Zula. "Cold War" captivates and transcends barriers of language and culture. It's a gorgeous tale as rocky as it is romantic.
Adam Graham Detroit News Film firstname.lastname@example.com
Published 9:25 AM EST Feb 1, 2019
What makes us human?
Evolutionary biology and scientific evidence tell us that all humans originated from and evolved from ape-like ancestors over 6 million years ago in Africa. From knowledge gained from the discovery of early human fossils and archaeological remains, it appears that there were probably 15-20 different species of early humans that existed, some beginning as early as several million years ago. These species of humans, called "hominins," migrated into Asia about 2 million years ago, then into Europe, and the rest of the world much later. While different branches of humans died out, the branch leading to the modern human, Homo sapiens, continued to evolve.
Have you ever?
1. felt dismayed when somebody, in response to, 'Hi, how are
you?', doesn't answer, 'Fine, thanks', but starts to tell you
about their health?
2. had a tricky conversation with someone whose name you've
forgotten when they clearly know who you are? Should you
ask their name?
3. discovered to your embarrassment that you've been walking
along, talking to yourself because your friend stopped a
while ago to look in a shop window?
4. said you're pleased with your hair in a hairdresser's, despite
hating it, and can't wait to leave the shop and comb it out?
5. spent a meal debating with yourself whether to tell the person
you're eating with that there is some food on their face?
6. asked someone in a supermarket where something is, only
to learn that the person is another customer like yourself?
Or worse, have you had the reverse happen to you?
7. wished that you'd bought some of the things in the trolley
of the person ahead of you in the supermarket queue?
8. found it difficult to keep your smile and patience, after a third
failed attempt when someone is taking a group photograph?
9. felt awkward because after saying a long and affectionate
goodbye to someone you both set off in the same direction?
10. said, 'We really must meet up again sometime', when
you really meant 'Not a chance!'?
What is the difference between human being and being human?
There is a very distinct difference between Being Human and Human Being. The dictionary describes Being human as simply understanding that others are human too. … describes Human Beings as a person, especially as distinguished from other animals or as representing the human species.
Our Mind: Imagination, Creativity, and Forethought: A Blessing and a Curse
The human brain and the activity of its countless neurons and synaptic possibilities contribute to the human mind. The human mind is different from the brain: the brain is the tangible, visible part of the physical body; the mind consists of the intangible realm of thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and consciousness.
Thomas Suddendorf says in his book, "The Gap":
"Mind is a tricky concept. I think I know what a mind is because I have one — or because I am one. You might feel the same. But the minds of others are not directly observable. We assume that others have minds somewhat like ours — filled with beliefs and desires — but we can only infer those mental states. We cannot see, feel, or touch them. We largely rely on language to inform each other about what is on our minds." (p. 39)
Thanks to our unique memory, acquisition of language skills, and ability to write, humans around the world, from the very young to the very old, have been communicating and transmitting their ideas through stories for thousands of years, and storytelling remains integral to being human and to human culture.
The Future
No matter how you look at it, humans are unique, and paradoxical. While we are the most advanced species intellectually, technologically, and emotionally, extending our lifespans, creating artificial intelligence, traveling to outer space, showing great acts of heroism, altruism and compassion, we also continue to engage in primitive, violent, cruel, and self-destructive behavior.
As beings with awesome intelligence and the ability to control and alter our environment, though, we also have a commensurate responsibility to care for our planet, its resources, and all the other sentient beings who inhabit it and depend on us for their survival. We are still evolving as a species and we need to continue to learn from our past, imagine better futures, and create new and better ways of being together for the sake of ourselves, other animals, and our planet.
Resources and Further Reading
- Chimps vs Humans: How are We Different?, LiveScience, https://www.livescience.com/15297-chimps-humans.html
- Our Distant Ancestors, Book Review of The Gap:The Science of What Separates Us from Other Animals, The Human Journey, http://www.humanjourney.us/gap.html
- From Grunting to Gabbing: Why Humans Can Talk, NPR, WGBH Radio, The Human Edge, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129083762
- How Are Humans Unique? Closer to Truth, https://www.closertotruth.com/series/how-are-humans-unique
- The Moral of the Story, New York Times Book Review, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/books/review/the-storytelling-animal-by-jonathan-gottschall.html?mcubz=0
Welcome to Halina's Conversational English online course
Let's speak English.
Welcome to Halina's Conversational English online course
By Halina Ostańkowicz- Bazan
I have been teaching languages for over 40 years.I taught Polish as foreign languages in traditional settings at the Wroclaw University of Technology for about 41 years.
In 2010, I started my online adventure mainly on WizIQ. Since that time I have been using technology in my classes.I have been teaching English to speakers of other languages for over 25 years. I have been coaching both face-to-face and in blended learning arrangements.
- Are you unsatisfied with your level of English?
- Do you want to become a forward-thinking speaker and reach to a great extent fluency?
- If so, my course is for you!
Throughout my online course, participants will be able to ask questions before (in the course-ware), during the Virtual Class (in the chat box), and after (in the course-ware).
For the duration of the ten…
View original post 753 more words


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Blocky BEASTMODE Football APK Download by Full Fat - Free Sport game for Android
Blocky BEASTMODE Football is a 3D online sports game. You will experience Rush Mobility, and explore exciting driving styles. You will experience an exciting football style in this running game! You will run along, and tear the football field. You have to run continuously, and solve the defense problems. You will gain a lot of fun and humor. You need to score high in the NFL Running Back Marshawn Lynch match. The game possesses retro arcade graphics, and you can compete with friends.
Blocky BEASTMODE Football Features:
- Free download
- Easy to play but it's very hard to win.
- Many exciting tasks
- Different upgrades and bonuses
- HD and 3D graphics with great sound effects
- Dynamic and great lighting effects
- Worldwide Leaderboards
- Regular updates with new features
- Connect with friends worldwide
- Join the team to fight with friends
- Experience football matches at small sizes
- Overcome the defensive challenge in BeastMode®
- Collect, and Explore the various interesting characters.


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Dorchester & District Angling Society
West Dorset District Council
Environment Agency
Back of the landing net
Adult up to 12 hours - £10, up to 24 hours - £20
Junior (under 16) up to 12 hours £6, up to 24 hours - £12
Evening tickets (after 5pm) Adult - £5 and Junior £3
Wally's Lake is over 1.5 acres and is situated in a wooded valley and
is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy the beauty of the area.
The lake is approached through the riding stables and by following the
track down the hill. On arriving there are a variety of swims, the south
side providing the deeper part of the lake whilst the island end providing
shallower water ideal for surface fishing.
The lake provides coarse angling for all levels. Whether it's your first time fishing for Roach or you are a keen carper looking for your first 20 lb fish. Naturally stocked with specimen Carp to nearly 30 lb, specimen Bream over 13 lb, Roach and Skimmer Bream.
When fishing for Carp a 36" landing net and unhooking mat are required and we would suggest a minimum of 12 lb line. Best baits have proven to be tiger nut boillies and halibut pellets for the Carp, sweetcorn and worm for the Bream and sweetcorn and maggots for the Roach and Skimmers.
LATEST NEWS - 29.5lb Common caught - a new lake record


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When our girls took the fiesd on senior night, there seemed to be a little extra about the team. We were focused, ready, determined and willing to lay everything on the line for a shot to host a district playoff match! The entire team had a hand in our final game of the TAPPS regular season. Senior night kicked of with the introductions of our seniors; Jamie B, Gabrielle B, Melanie D, Rebekkah H, Katerina H, Odemuno O, and Nina R.
After the ceremony, the National Anthem sung by Rithika S was jaw dropping! The Village girls took the field lead by six starting seniors. We got off to a fast start scoring two goals in the first half. The first goal was by Aniek V and the second by Gabrielle B. During halftime, the girls knew that the had an opportunity to put the game away or be in an uncomfortable position for 40 minutes against and tough, well-coached St. Pius team. Ainara R. scored the third goal for the Vikings followed by a St. Pius goal late in the game.
With this win, The Village Lady Vikings soccer team will be hosting a district playoff game against St. Pius on Tuesday at 6:30!


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I read Iain Pears' An Instance of the Fingerpost and loved it. It was four intertwining tales in England in 1663. What one tale would reveal, the others would build on. The story just kept getting deeper and more involved. So it was with high hopes that I saw Pears had a new book out.
This time, there's three main stories set in London of 1909, Paris of 1890, and Venice of 1867. An industrialist falls from the window of his study, and his will reveals he had a son no one knew of. The industrialist's wife hires a reporter to search for the son. The story goes from there.
Stone's Fall is different from An Instance of the Fingerpost. In Stone's Fall, there didn't seem to be a terrible amount of action. Mostly, it's the protagonist (who changes in each of the three stores) meeting with people and talking with them. Or , that's what the first hundred or so pages were because it did seem to get better. Stone's Fall wasn't nearly as complex as an Instance of the Fingerpost, whose complexity I truly enjoyed. But that's okay, Stone's Fall still told a good story of financial manipulation and gambling, and its impact on world events. It wasn't as much as I'd hoped, but still stood on its own and was fun to dig into.
Tags: Book


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Holidaying with Your Dog
With Spring now showing signs of coming, flowers trying to bloom and the weather marginally warmer, its time to start planning those 2018 holidays and getaways. Why not scrap the two week all inclusive in the glorious sun and swap it for a lovely break or two in good old Royal Britannia? There are now Read More


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There's nothing dreamier than chocolate and strawberries, don't you think? We'll okay, maybe a trip to Fiji or Tahiti would fit that bill too, but as far as desserts go, chocolate and strawberries are the bomb! So in honor of strawberry season which is now upon us, I want to share one of my very favorite dessert recipes.
The recipe is adapted from my book Vegan Diner, and has been a favorite for many years. It can easily be made GF by using gluten-free cookies. But, I'm also offering an even easier twist for you. As you can see in the photo, the base is chocolate brownie. So you can either make a cookie crust, or you can bake up chocolate brownies in your pie plate. Then you top the cooled brownies with chocolate ganache, pile it with fresh strawberries, and then, if desired, drizzle it with some melted chocolate. It is epic and awesome, and makes a very impressive dessert!
When I make it with a brownie bottom, I use a box of my fudge brownie mix (Julie's Original), but you can use your favorite mix or recipe (one that yields an 8-inch pan).
- 3/4 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup vanilla soy or almond milk
- 1 tablespoon strawberry or raspberry liqueur, or sub rum
- 4 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and patted dry
- 1/2 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon vanilla soy or almond milk
- 1 tablespoon strawberry or raspberry liqueur, or rum
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch glass pie plate with shortening.
- For the crust: In a food processor, pulse cookies until you've got crumbs. Add the melted margarine and pulse again until incorporated and mixed well. Press crumbs into the prepared pie plate. Place the crust in the oven and bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove crust from the oven and let completely on a rack.
- For the filling: In a small microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl, combine the chocolate chips, soymilk, and liqueur. Heat for 30 seconds. Stir and heat for another 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir as needed until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. If necessary, heat chocolate chips for another 20 seconds or as needed. Alternately, melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
- Spread the smooth chocolate mixture into the bottom of the chocolate crust. Top with sliced strawberries. Gently press the strawberries into the chocolate crust, with a very light touch.
- For the topping: In a small microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl, combine the remaining chocolate chips, soymilk, and liqueur. Heat for 20 seconds. Stir and heat for another 20 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir as needed until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and shiny. Alternately, melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
- Refrigerate the pie for one hour, or until the chocolate is firm. Tip: This pie is best served the day it is made. Look for fresh seasonal strawberries for this dessert, as frozen strawberries won't work here. Recipe adapted from VEGAN DINER, by Julie Hasson, 2011, Running Press
We hope you love this recipe! If you make any of our stuff, please share and tag us so we can see! #julieandkittee.
Get posts via email. | Follow with Bloglovin'. | Join our Facebook community group.
Disclosure: some of the links in the above post may be Amazon Affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase items on Amazon, we'll receive a small affiliate commission. Regardless, we only recommend products we personally love and believe will add value to our readers. Thank you for your support! ♥♥
xo Julie & Kittee
- 2Shares


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Qantas Launches E-Business Initiative
Sydney, 05 February 2002
Qantas has launched an e-Business initiative designed to transform the way the airline conducts its business by reducing complexity and increasing productivity and efficiency.
Chief Information Officer Fiona Balfour said the program, named, eQ, involved a comprehensive series of projects that encapsulated a vision for the technology-based working environment at Qantas. She said highlights of eQ included:
- streamlining corporate Human Resources, Payroll and Financial systems, providing a single web-based interface;- creating an internet-based e-procurement and inventory management system; and- developing new customer and loyalty based applications.
"Each of these systems will integrate with the other to provide a common standard, making processes and functions easier and more efficient," Ms Balfour said.
"Other initiatives will include web-based e-mail for all employees and an enterprise-wide portal which will allow employees to access key corporate and operational systems via the internet from any location worldwide."
Ms Balfour said eQ was a significant investment for Qantas and given the difficult times for the aviation industry, the airline did not take lightly the decision to invest.
"For Qantas to meet the challenges it faces and to remain competitive in a constantly changing environment, we need to find new and better ways of conducting business with our partners, suppliers and customers.
"At the same time, we need to build a workforce that is equipped to meet the demands and requirements of the new electronic age.
"e-Business is increasingly the way in which business is conducted in the world economy and it is important that Qantas recognises and capitalises on the opportunities e-Business presents," Ms Balfour said.
Issued by Qantas Corporate Communication (2613)
Email: email@example.com


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Greg Burns is a 2015 graduate of Purdue University. While there, he studied Mechanical Engineering and upon graduation, Greg decided to apply for a program called Orr Fellowship. This was appealing to Greg because while he enjoyed engineering, he also had an interest in entrepreneurship and business. Within the Fellowship, Orr Fellows are encouraged to see every side of the business. At the end of the two year Orr Fellowship commitment, Fellows have the option to stay at their host company if it is determined the Fellow is a good fit, go back to graduate school or begin a new job at a different company.
After completing the Orr Fellowship recruitment process, Greg was accepted to the Orr Fellowship and was hired by DuraMark Technologies. Greg has had the opportunity to work in engineering, with the ERP system and tracking inventory, spent time learning about finance and has also worked in production. Recently, Greg accepted the position as Production Manager to continue after the end of his Fellowship in June.
Throughout his time during the Fellowship, Greg has enjoyed being part of a like minded group that is focused on entrepreneurship. The opportunity to bounce ideas off of other Fellows and what they are doing in their company has been a valuable resource, especially being new to the work world. Access to additional workshops and training within the Fellowship allow the resources that would be available in a large corporation while gaining many new experiences working in a start up.
DuraMark is lucky to have Greg on board and looks forward to keeping him on the team after the Fellowship!
Interested in a career at DuraMark? Click the button below to learn more!
16450 Southpark Drive Westfield, IN 46074Call us: 317.867.5700


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macrumors 603
Original poster
- Aug 15, 2006
- 6,240
- 0
It maybe a good idea to have something to be able to validate users for selling in the market place. Although 100 posts seems quite a good way to validate regular sellers I myself do not get a lot of time to post and mainly read through threads quite quickly so it is taking a while to build up 100posts and my item I wish to sell is still sitting.
Just something to maybe think about. Cheers.
Just something to maybe think about. Cheers.


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Laura, over at The Piano Studio posted a blog entry to let us know about a fun famous musicians wall chart that's free for download. I saved it and printed it out, and look forward to using it with my composer studies. (More on that another day!)
Debra of NotebookingPages.Com has some awesome Valentines Day lined pages and cards, as well as some neat artist and composer notebooking pages. I'm storing my Valentines pages for next year - I've got some cute ideas (think: making a book or wall of things students love about music lessons, composers they love or pieces of music they love) but I don't have quite enough time to carry them out this year!
Amazon.com is offering I Love the 80s, Vol. 1 (1880s) as well as The Orange Mountain Music Philip Glass Sampler Vol.I and Eternal Baroque. I love growing my iTunes library, especially with free samplers!
And finally, the last freebie comes from me. Nothing too exciting, just some piano key flashcards that I remembered while searching through my teaching files this morning. I figured I might as well share in case somebody could use them.


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My Big-Screen Debut
Tom explores what it was like to see his review for Super Meat Boy in Indie Game: The Movie.
I watched a woman cry because of my words Tuesday night.
Indie Game: The Movie is a documentary that follows the development of three video games: Braid, Fez, and Super Meat Boy. During the tail end of the movie, Super Meat Boy developer Edmund McMillien is shown alongside his wife Danielle as they watch my review of the game that they both sacrificed so much for to see through to completion. My voice plays in the background, reading from a script I wrote more than 18 months ago. I mentioned the precise controls and the way the game skirted frustration while Edmund and Danielle sit on a couch listening to my words. When the review concludes, Danielle ducks behind her laptop, overcome with emotion. "They get it," She said. "They understood what you were doing."
Watching people react to my review made me feel like a dirty voyeur peering behind a curtain. Ever since I got hired by GameSpot almost four years ago, I have actively tried to shield myself from anything that could potentially taint my opinion of a game before I sit down to review it. Avoiding previews has been one such tactic because they have a tendency to build unrealistic expectations that cloud my thoughts. Talking to developers is even more problematic. Though conducting interviews is occasionally part of my job, I go to great lengths to keep things distant and impersonal, so I never dive below the surface of the work to reveal the person beneath it.
My entire philosophy of hiding from anything that could influence my evaluation was shattered Tuesday night. Now, I am fully aware of how people might react to my words. Livelihoods--even futures--are determined based on the success or failure of a given game, and reviews can shift the buying public's feelings.
I almost wished I hadn't watched Indie Game: The Movie at all.
It was sobering to see the raw emotional reaction to my words displayed on the big screen.But that's a silly notion. I always knew in the back of my mind that my reviews can have an impact. I've heard that certain companies determine bonuses based on the Metacritic average of a game, and I've seen forum members passionately argue about review scores for games they haven't even played. I've always known the power of reviews; it was just sobering to see the raw emotional reaction to my words displayed on the big screen. So that's something I have to accept and overcome. Developers are real people who are affected by reviews. But their reactions won't change how I approach my work, so I shouldn't let Danielle's tears get to me.
So what do I take from that scene? Honestly, I feel pride in my review. Not every review of mine is up to the high standards I hold for myself, and there are some that I wish I could write again. But Super Meat Boy was a review that I slaved over, and I felt even at the time that I was getting to the heart of what makes the experience so incredible. To see Danielle and Edmund say that I understood what made the game so special felt empowering. Their reaction solidified my belief that with hard work I can separate the special quality every game carries.
I still remember the reaction when I sent my review around the office to be read before it was published. We have an extensive QA process for every review at GameSpot where we read each other's work and suggest ways to possibly improve it. Usually, these changes boil down to sentence structure and other grammatical quibbles. But sometimes, opinions are challenged. Super Meat Boy was just a simple-looking 2D platformer, and I was the only one who had spent extensive time with it. Of course people were going to question my preposterously high score (9.5!) and bold claims (Frustration free? But it's so difficult!).
But I defended my review with as much passion as anything I can remember in my professional life. Super Meat Boy was a game I fully believed in, and I needed to explain that it really was everything I had said it was. It's rare for a game to come along that conjures the strong emotional response Super Meat Boy tapped into, and trying to get across just how much of a leap it offered from comparable games was not an easy task. I fought to have certain statements and ideas make it through, and it was a relief to see the developers back up the claims of my strong assertions.
I realize how self-indulgent this editorial has become. And I do apologize for focusing so much on myself and my review process. But this is the one time in my short career that I have really seen how much of an impact my reviews can have, and it certainly hit me extremely hard. My words and opinions have unpredictable ramifications once I publish them. I just have to accept this idea and then move on before I freeze from the terrifying pressure of outside forces.
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Summer Internships
Dear Students,
Candidates may apply for an internship within the Office of the State Treasurer as well as the seven Divisions listed below, based on background and areas of interest; however, interns may work with other Divisions to gain additional experience.
The work and commitment of interns is essential to the Department. In all Divisions, interns assist in the facilitation and organization of projects within their respective programs and are offered many learning opportunities throughout their involvement with the Department of State Treasurer (DST).
The Department encompasses seven Divisions:
DST seeks interns who:
DST expects its interns to:
The Summer Internship Program will run from May 27, 2019 to August 05, 2019. The deadline for applications is March 29, 2019.
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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. PVH, +0.68% said late Tuesday that its first-quarter profit fell to $24.7 million, or 48 cents a share, from $46.8 million, or 90 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Excluding one-time items, the company would have reported earnings of 53 cents a share. Revenue fell to $557.4 million from $625.7 million last year. Analysts surveyed by FactSet Research estimated a quarterly profit of 48 cents a share on revenue of $517.3 million. The company said it sees 2009 adjusted earnings of $2.05 to $2.30 a share on revenue of $2.3 billion to $2.33 billion. Analysts expect $2.19 a share on revenue $2.23 billion.
Phillips-Van Heusen first-quarter profit falls
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+0.68 +0.68%


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Current Courses & Advising at American University & University of Canterbury
GAME-620 Making Meaningful Games
Offered through the American University Game Lab
Description: The focus of this course is the construction and evaluation of effective argument through play. Students apply foundations of game design and effective arguments construction. Students identify audience, medium, distribution, and production as they design and develop two games of rhetoric. Usually Offered: fall. Grading: A-F only. Prerequisite: GAME-610. Restriction: Game Design (MA), Games and Interactive Media (MFA), Film and Media Production (MA), Film and Media Arts (MFA), or Game Design (Graduate Certificate). Class 3, Credits 3. (F)
Selected Courses & Advising while at the Rochester Institute of Technology
While at RIT Professor Phelps taught and advised undergraduate and graduate students in Game Design & Development (GCCIS), Motion Picture Sciences (CIAS), 3D Digital Design (CIAS), Film & Animation (CIAS), New Media (CIAS & GCCIS), and through the School of Individualized Studies. His game production class is pictured below the year they worked on Splattershmup: A Game of Art & Motion, in which undergraduate producer Katie Tigue presents to guest visitor (and alum of Phelps' first games course) Anna Sweet, who at the time was a senior manager and producer with Valve.
(Above: Student Kathleen Tigue presents her work as producer on Splattershmup: A Game of Art & Motion in Phelps' game production class, 2015)
IGME-589 RESEACH STUDIO and IGME-580 PRODUCTION STUDIO
(Offered through RIT School of Interactive Games & Media in collaboration with the RIT MAGIC Center and MAGIC Spell Studios)
This course will allow students to work as domain specialists on teams completing one or more large projects over the course of the semester. The projects will be relevant to experiences of the Interactive Games and Media programs, but will require expertise in a variety of sub-domains, including web design and development, social computing, computer game development, multi-user media, human-computer interaction and streaming media. Students will learn to apply concepts of project management and scheduling, production roles and responsibilities, and their domain skill sets to multidisciplinary projects. Students will complete design documents, progress reports and final assessments of themselves and their teammates in addition to completing their assigned responsibilities on the main projects. (Third Year Standing) Class 3, Credit 3 (F, S)
(Offered through RIT School of Interactive Games & Media)
Description: Students will explore the use of an advanced graphics API to access hardware-accelerated graphics in a real-time graphics engine context. The course will involve discussion of scene graphs, optimizations, and integration with the API object structure, as well as input schemes, content pipelines, and 2D and 3D rendering techniques. Students will also explore the advanced use of the API calls in production code to construct environments capable of real-time performance. Students will construct from scratch a fully functional graphics engine, with library construction for game development. (Pre-requisites: IGME-309 Data Structures & Algorithms for Games & Simulations II) Class 3, Credit 3 (F)
(Offered through RIT School of Interactive Games & Media
Description: Students will explore the use of an advanced graphics API to access hardware-accelerated graphics in a real-time graphics engine context. The course will involve discussion of scene graphs, optimizations, and integration with the API object structure, as well as input schemes, content pipelines, and 2D and 3D rendering techniques. Students will also explore the advanced use of the API calls in production code to construct environments capable of real-time performance. Students will construct from scratch a fully functional graphics engine, with library construction for game development. Advanced topics will be explored, including real-time special effects, custom shading pipelines, and advanced deferred rendering techniques. (IGME-601 Game Development Processes and IGME-603 Gameplay and Prototyping) Class 3, Credit 3 (S)
(Offered through RIT School of Interactive Games & Media)
Browser based 3D technologies are a recently emerging trend that is impacted by the larger movement towards media-rich delivery via standards-based web technologies. With the development of web browsers capable of utilizing 3D hardware and traditional graphics APIs, coupled with recent advances in script engine performance, it is now possible to create deep and complex 3D experiences without the need for custom plug-ins or separate engines outside of the browser environment. However, the development of content of this type is highly customized to these new environments, and traditional techniques are being re-examined in light of new workflows, processes, and strategies that are emerging in response to these shifts in the underlying delivery model. In this course, students will explore these emerging technologies and software trends through the implementation of a rich-media game experience utilizing these tools and techniques. The construction of individual and group projects and accompanying documentation is required. Prerequisites: 4080-309 and (4080-434 or 4080-502 or 4080-387 or 4080-431)
Curriculum Design & Development
Phelps was the lead curriculum designer of both the undergraduate and graduate programs in Game Design & Development, now offered by the School of Interactive Games & Media that he later founded. The graduate degree was approved by the NY State Department of Education and accepted enrolled students in 2006, followed by the undergraduate degree a year later. Since 2009, they have been ranked in the top 10 nationally by the Princeton Review, every year since the rankings began and until Phelps left RIT in 2019. Alumni from the programs are found through the industry, as well as numerous other careers, graduate programs, and opportunities as detailed throughout this site. Below are a collection of materials designed by Phelps and colleagues.
In addition to his role in designing the curriculum, Phelps also led the other co-authors and faculty collaborators in this effort, shepherded these degrees through approval at department, college, and institute curriculum committees, presented the degrees before the Academic Senate and the Board of Trustees, and authored the NY State Department of Education documentation. Throughout this process he worked closely with the Office of the Provost, various deans and department heads, enrollment management, finance and administration, and other campus groups and liaisons.
Below are several of the documents he prepared as a part of the degree proposal process, with financial and enrollment information redacted. While serving as Director of Interactive Games & Media Phelps revised these degrees in collaboration with Dr. Christopher Egert (Associate Director) and IGM faculty in preparation for semester conversion in 2013.
Masters of Science in Game Design & Development (MSGDD) Full Proposal (Blue Cover). [PDF 285M]
MSGDD Summary for Academic Senate (Orange Cover). [PDF 863K]
MSGDD Graduate Capstone FAQ (Purple Cover) [PDF 879K]
MSGDD Implementation Details (Red Cover) [PDF 942K]
MSGDD Overview Presentation (Red Cover). [PDF 6.7M]
In addition to the graduate documentation above, the full undergraduate proposal is available (left), and the abbreviated report presented to the full RIT Academic Senate is also available (right). These are some of the most successful degrees on the entire campus, having grown to a combined student body of over 700. This in turn has attracted numerous additional faculty, research opportunities, collaborative proposals, minors, and drastically altered the facilities footprint of the entire campus. The impact of these programs on RIT as a campus cannot be overstated: they are a crown jewel of the Institute.
From 2012-2013 RIT transitioned from a quarter-based system to a semester-based system. This necessitated every degree at the university to be rewritten (the number of courses, offerings, and schedule all changes). Phelps oversaw this process as Director for IGM, and was responsible for numerous details large and small throughout this time period. The final converted degrees that he prepared along with Christopher Egert, Associate Director of IGM, are presented here as historical data. These materials were currently on file as of 2013 and were presented (and approved) to both Academic Senate and the NY State Board of Education. NOTE: These files technically replace those listed above, although they are based heavily off of the initial program designs therein. Given the demands of this conversion process, he is especially proud of having led this effort for the School, and is pictured below with the IGM Curriculum committee in their 'IGM team jerseys' from the semester conversion experience. (Phelps is back row, towards the right).
BACHELORS of SCIENCE in GAME DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT (zip file 932K)
BACHELORS of SCIENCE in NEW MEDIA INTERACTIVE DEVELOPMENT (zip file 924K)
BS/MS in GAME DESIGN and DEVELOPMENT (zip file 1.4M)
MS in GAME DESIGN and DEVELOPMENT (zip file 1.2M)
Course Design & Development
In 2012-2013 RIT transitioned from a quarter system (3 marking periods per years excluding summer) to a semester-based system (two marking periods per year excluding summer). As a part of this process, Professor Phelps, acting as Director of IGM, along with Christopher Egert, acting as Associate Director, shepherded the process to rewrite and condense the entire curriculum offered by the school, across 3 degrees (2 undergraduate and 1 graduate). As a portion of this work, Phelps was intimately involved in the creation of first drafts of every course in the school, which were then provided as templates to the faculty to build from, and he was then engaged in reviewing the courses, ensuring they met the curricular and program mappings, presenting the courses to the Dean and Associate provost, and presenting the new degrees to the RIT Academic Senate and preparing the materials for the NY State Board of Education. The following are a list of the courses prepared by Phelps and Egert, with those courses in bold being those that Phelps was most engaged in. (NOTE: The curriculum of the school, like any such effort, continues to grow and change, and these are not to be considered 'current' with respect to students now enrolled.)
GCCIS IGME 101 New Media Interactive Design & Algorithmic Problem Solving I
GCCIS IGME 102 New Media Interactive Design & Algorithmic Problem Solving II
GCCIS IGME 105 Game Development & Algorithmic Problem Solving I
GCCIS IGME 106 Game Development & Algorithmic Problem Solving II
GCCIS IGME 101 Introduction to Interactive Media
GCCIS IGME 119 2D & 3D Animation And Asset Production
GCCIS IGME 201 New Media Interactive Design & Algorithmic Problem Solving III
GCCIS IGME 202 Interactive Media Development
GCCIS IGME 209 Data Structures & Algorithms for Games & Simlations I
GCCIS IGME 219 Advanced Animation & Asset Production
GCCIS IGME 220 Game Design & Development I
GCCIS IGME 230 Website Design & Implementation
GCCIS IGME 236 Interaction, Immersion and the Media Interface
GCCIS IGME 309 Data Structures & Algorithms for Games & Simulations II
GCCIS IGME 320 Game Design & Development II
GCCIS IGME 330 Rich Media Web Applications Development I
GCCIS IGME 430 Rich Media Web Applications Development II
GCCIS IGME 431 Digital Video for the Web
GCCIS IGME 440 Online Virtual Worlds & Simulations
GCCIS IGME 450 Casual Game Development
GCCIS IGME 451 Systems Concepts for Games & Media
GCCIS IGME 470 Physical Computing & Alternative Interfaces
GCCIS IGME 470 Physical Computing & Alternative Interfaces
GCCIS IGME 499 Undergraduate Co-Op
GCCIS IGME 529 Foundations of Interactive Narrative
GCCIS IGME 540 Foundations of Game Graphics Programming
GCCIS IGME 550 Foundations of Game Engine Design & Development
GCCIS IGME 560 Artificial Intelligence for Game Environments
GCCIS IGME 570 Digital Audio Production
GCCIS IGME 571 Interactive Game Audio
GCCIS IGME 580 IGM Production Studio
GCCIS IGME 599 Independent Study
GCCIS IGME 601 Game Development Processes
GCCIS IGME 602 Game Design
GCCIS IGME 603 Gameplay & Prototyping
GCCIS IGME 609 Programming for Designers
IGME 670 Digital Audio Production
IGME 671 Interactive Game Audio
IGME 680 IGM Production Studio
IGME 681 Innovation & Invention
IGME 695 Colloquium In Game Design & Development
IGME 699 Graduate Co-Op
IGME 720 Social & Persuasive Game Design
IGME 730 Game Design & Development for Casual & Mobile Platforms
IGME 740 Game Graphics Programming
IGME 750 Game Engine Design & Development
IGME 760 Artificial Intelligence for Gameplay
IGME 788 Capstone Design
IGME 789 Capstone Development
IGME 790 Graduate Seminar in IGM
IGME 795 Game Industry Themes & Perspectives
IGME 796 Advanced Topics in Game Design
IGME 797 Advanced Topics in Game Development
IGME 799 Independent Study
Personal Statement of Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy can be essentially summarized in the slogan I established at the MAGIC Center: "We Learn by Making Things". What this means to me is a deeply contextualized form of constructionism and constructivism – a general approach that I began to adhere to in graduate school studying work like Seymour Papert and Randy Pausch, and later a host of other researchers and designers. I believe it is at the core of the 'maker movement', and essentially any design field, and I have been very fortunate over the past two decades to be able to engage students directly in learning to build the very thing that captures their interest: video games and interactive experiences. I think probably the best way to describe how I approach teaching is to explain a little bit about the curriculum I designed: the values and norms I hold are (I hope) self-evident in the goals and objectives of the program.
(President William Destler and Dr. Rebecca Johnson visit Phelps' class with undergraduate student Joe Coppola and play Hack, Slash & Backstab, 2016)
The undergraduate degrees that I founded and helped design and nurture at RIT are based on a fairly simple principle, which is a broad core of study for undergraduates that asks them to do, essentially, a 'little bit of everything' and then specialize in years 3-5 (it is a cooperative education program spread out over 5 years with planned absences for work experience). The idea here was not only that students would gain core skills in computing, animation, art, design, math, physics, technology, language, psychology, writing, etc., but also that they would experience things outside their comfort zone, and learn a little bit about the various roles and communities that comprise a multidisciplinary, design-centric, high-tech field like games. The important thing to me in this context wasn't just core skills to advance, but that right from the beginning students were forced to learn a little bit of everything – the gifted programmer had to draw, the gifted artist had to code. I didn't expect they would all be good at everything, even at an introductory level – I was hoping that they would learn a little bit about each others roles. The other core components of the program was that students would start building things right away: that the curriculum would meet students directly at their passion in a very immediate way.
Later that transitions to specialized roles on multidisciplinary teams, building games at ever increasing scale, in ways that test professionalism, communications, and integration. Formalized structures of reporting, clearly identified roles, discrete task-based assignments towards long, open-ended projects, group decision making and individual leadership, use of professional tools in context – these are the hallmarks of my upper division game studio courses. We focus on production, and apply skills and knowledge in context. This can vary across content and form: art games, serious games, health games, pure entertainment games, etc. One of my personal passions is what I would term 'experiential learning games' where I'm looking to explore a particular subject or feeling in a way where merely playing the game itself conveys the concept. Splattershmup is an attempt at this – a way to explore line, motion, space, and context merely by playing, relating a familiar thing with an unfamiliar style.
At the graduate level I've worked to incorporate those same principles of applied production, multidisciplinary collaboration, and specialized roles and marry them with an applied research focus and pursuit of fundamentally new processes and concepts. This can take many forms, across all of Boyer's various classifications of scholarship and discovery, but the fundamental shift is a move away from an undergraduate focus on innovation and invention, into a more structured research methodology and analysis. But this can and does need to operate in harmony with a production focused, product-centric approach.
When I look at the students I've had the pleasure of teaching, the thing I am most proud of is not just their accomplishments, their contribution to the medium, or even their successes beyond their careers in families and living and citizenry and making the world a better place. I think every educator has to have the passion for those things, the ability to want for their students a better world and to want to help them succeed beyond measure.
The thing I am most proud of is that for so many of my students they explore the intersection of computing and the arts, and come out on the other side of that with a newfound appreciation for both. I've worked my entire career to help students bridge this divide, to construct curriculum that flows back and forth across these fields, and to design experiences that engage students in situated learning directly through construction and production. The thing I am passionate about is helping student learn, directly, to respect both technology and the arts, and most importantly their intersection. I am passionate about helping them make the things they are driven to make. Because in the end, we learn by making things.
Andrew Phelps, 2018
Other Things At Andyworld


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With many busy binge watching "Iron Fist" on Netflix this weekend, we thought the time was right to give you a little insight into Marvel's best martial artists in the comics. With popular superheroes like Daredevil, Iron Fist and Shang Chi each having supporting casts and rogues galleries full of powerful and disciplined combatants, this list could have easily been twice as long and still missed some outstanding fighters.
RELATED: Iron Fist: 15 Greatest Comic Book Stories
For most of our selections, a mix of training and special abilities makes them the Marvel Universe's most dangerous warriors. Many of our picks have fought each other before, which definitely has a baring on their position but, is not the deciding factor. From ancient senseis to mystic guardians to feared assassins to a woman who was born a tiger, this list has got it all.
Wong debuted in the very same issue as Doctor Strange, "Strange Tales" #110 (1963), however, his name wasn't revealed until "Strange Tales" #147 (1966). He was brought into existence by titans of the industry Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. The story goes that he was from a lineage of those that protect and serve the Sorcerer Supreme, which for the last ten generations has been The Ancient One.
He has trained in the mystic and martial arts of Kamar-Taj his whole life to protect the Sorcerer Supreme. When the title passed to Strange, Wong followed him back to New York to fulfill his duty. He has fought at Stephen's side countless times but has also fought off serious threats like The Hood all by his lonesome. In the "Dr. Strange: Season One" graphic novel (2012) he was shown to be able to physically strike spectral entities and even wield powerful mystical artifacts that corrupt most.
Wing is one of the top martial artists in the Marvel Universe. Colleen is the creation of veteran writer Doug Moench and iconic artists Larry Hama and Neal Adams. She arrived on the scene in "Marvel Premiere" #19 (1974), which was an Iron Fist story.
Colleen was mainly raised by her grandfather, Kenji Ozawa, in Northern Japan. His family was descended are from a long line of samurai. Ozawa conditioned her in the mountains of Honshu from a young age and when she turned 12 years-old, he started her kendo training. Wing is considered a top-tier Kenjutsu swordswoman and has a third-dan black belt in karate. At one point, a sorcerer by the name of Master Khan kidnapped Colleen and, with the help of his lackey Angar the Screamer, brainwashed her into hating her ally Iron Fist. When he came to rescue her, he had to use his chi powers to mind meld with Wing and then break her deep programming. This left the martial artist with much of Danny's K'un-L'un training, making her even more formidable.
Anybody claiming to have mastered Tiger Style when this character is around might want to check themselves. See, many have mastered the animal mimicry techniques of kung-fu but White Tiger is an actual tiger evolved into humanoid form. She was thought up by writers Roger Stern and John Oustrander with artist Pascual Ferry for their 1997 "Heroes For Hire" run, and made her first appearance in the debut issue of the series.
Tiger started her life as a white Bengal tiger in an unspecified rainforest in Asia. However, she was eventually snatched up by The High Evolutionary, who mutagenically modified her and trained her to be his assassin. This feline warrior's single target was another of the High Evolutionary's creations, the mutinous Man-Beast. Tiger was a naturally gifted martial artist whose elongated claws could cut through most metals. We know many will argue that a wearer of the Tiger Amulet deserved this spot but we thought including one of the High Evolutionary's New Men (and women) was a little more fun.
Yes, we could have included Bullseye on this list, but Lady Bullseye has been shown to be faster and was trained by the same person who taught Daredevil's teacher. She first crouched atop a rooftop in "Daredevil" #111 (2012) and is the brainchild of acclaimed writer Ed Brubaker and top artists Marko Djurdjevic and Clay Mann. Her real name is Maki Matsumoto of Japan. She was kidnapped as a child and forced into prostitution by the yakuza. When Bullseye was sent to eliminate this den of gangsters, Maki is not only amazed by his skills, but also uses the opportunity to escape. She becomes a high level assassin of The Hand's and an essential part in their plan to have Daredevil assume leadership of their clan.
Maki is a lethal martial artist having trained with The Hand and even more impressively, with the ancient Master Izo, founder and original leader of The Chaste. Daredevil has noted that Lady Bullseye is completely calm in the heat of battle, experiencing no adrenaline rush. This assassin has been known to utilize a katana, a bladed fan, shuriken and even playing cards like her namesake.
This mirror image of Matt Murdock is the work of scribe Mark Waid and artist Chris Samnee. The characters debuted in the duo's monumental "Daredevil" run. Ikari first appeared in "Daredevil" #24 (2013) but wasn't revealed until the next issue. He details how his benefactor has plotted revenge against Daredevil by creating a warrior every bit as skilled and with the same radar sense but not hindered by loss of vision. His boss turns out to be the once-thought-dead Bullseye and, in order to produce his own Daredevil, he recreated the conditions that gave Matt his super senses. He tested a wide variety of chemical combinations on human test subjects and, when he found the right mixture, Lester used it on his hand-chosen assassin.
Ikari has bested Matt twice and on one of those times he even beat him within an inch of his life. That alone gets him a spot on this list. Ikari is deadly with his bare hands, but is never seen without his twin kusurigama blades. He was apparently killed when The Shroud impaled him and hurled him from a rooftop.
Since Season 2 of "Daredevil," most everybody knows Elektra is a ninja who had an on-again/off-again romantic relationship with Matt Murdock. So, let's get into a little of her history and why she belongs on this list. Elektra Natchios was the daughter of a wealthy Greek businessman. The death of her mother when she was young traumatized her in a way that no amount of therapy could ease. However, she proved to be a talented martial artist when her father had her train to try to deal with her issues.
Her father was assassinated when he became the Greek Ambassador to the U.S. His passing drove her to find The Chaste ninja clan and train with them. When she couldn't control her emotions, Elektra was dismissed. She went undercover with their rivals The Hand to try to prove herself by taking them down from within. This plan backfired and she was assimilated. Like quite a few characters on this list, this red-clad assassin has mastered her body to the point of being able to disregard pain and even slow bleeding. She is an expert in many martial arts including karate, aikido and kendo. Elektra also developed mind powers with The Hand.
Psylocke has one of those super-convoluted X-Men histories. She has had multiple superhero identities, been an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s UK sister agency, S.T.R.I.K.E. and has experienced such weirdness as body modification and soul swapping. Her real name is Betsy Braddock and she is the twin sister of Brian Braddock a.k.a. Captain Britain. Betsy first appeared in "Captain Britain" #8 (1976) but she didn't appear as Psylocke until 10 years later in "New Mutants Annual" #2 (1986).
Psylocke not only has combat training from S.T.R.I.K.E. but she also gained all the skills of a female Hand ninja when their souls were swapped. She is an exceptional martial artist who often fights hand-to-hand even though she is one of the Marvel Universe's most powerful telepaths. When Betsy was with the Exiles, she also trained with a parallel universe version of Wolverine's sensei, Ogun. Her psionic abilities are second-to-none and she regularly wields a telekinetic katana.
When Marvel launched their Mangaverse in the early '00s, we got cool Japanese iterations of most of the publisher's popular characters. While Spider-Man of Earth-616 developed his own signature martial art with Shang Chi called Way of the Spider, in this parallel universe, Peter Parker is actually from a ninja clan. This spin on Spider-Man's story was brought to life by current fan-favorites Kaare Andrews and Skottie Young. The reality that he is from has been designated Earth-2301 and in it, Venom is Spidey's older cousin (or brother, depending which comic you read)…and also Uncle Ben's murderer. Dun dun dun.
The Spider Clan's rivals are Kuji Kuri, who are led by the Kingpin (who has the look of a mammoth sumo wrestler in this reality). This ninja take on Peter wears clawed gloves and employs bolos with extendable blades. Though only a boy, he has been shown to have the strength and skill to defeat dozens of opponents at once.
Daredevil's origin is pretty well documented, so we'll concentrate on his martial arts prowess. He was taught by Stick, one of the foremost senseis in the world. This teacher was part of a secret order of ninjas called The Chaste, who were in an ancient feud against the demon-led clan, The Hand. Since Stick was also blind and (conveniently) had something very similar to Matt's radar sense, he was the ideal mentor.
Daredevil learned numerous fighting styles including kung-fu and karate, but Stick focused his education in ninjutsu. However, Matt had already picked up boxing techniques from watching and helping train his father, Battlin' Jack Murdock. DD has fought most of the best fighters in the Marvel Universe and either beat them or at least stalemated. The Chaste studied more than just standard martial arts, as their members have exhibited abilities such as pyrokinesis, the capability to drain other's life-force and telepathic communication. While Matt has yet to pull off any of the above, he was trained in how to defend himself from psychic attacks.
When you're known as the Master of Kung-Fu, you have to get a top spot on this list. If the next couple of entries didn't have super powers or enhancements, Shang would rank even higher. Having said that, his mastery of chi could be considered a super power, as it makes him faster, stronger and more durable. He was created by legends Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin, and made his debut in "Special Marvel Edition" #15 (1973).
Shang was trained from a young age to be an assassin for his father, crime boss (and rather racially insensitive caricature) Fu Manchu. However, when he realized who his father was and his intentions for him, the expert martial artist escaped his dear ol' dad and chose instead to travel the hero's path. Like a handful of other characters on this list, Shang Chi has trained others. In "The Amazing Spider-Man" Free Comic Book Day 2011 one-shot, Chi helped Spider-Man develop a style of martial arts to suit his strength, speed and agility. Much like our #4 entry, the Inhuman Karnak, Shang's style focuses on pin-pointing and exploiting his opponent's weaknesses. His signature move is a devastating kick that villains across the Marvel Universe fear.
This is the new Guardian James Gunn has added in the upcoming "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." She comes from the minds of Steve Englehart and Don Heck, and was introduced in "Avengers" #112 (1973). Mantis starts as the Swordsman's girlfriend who has a plan to get him into the Avengers line-up. She succeeds and is also invited to become a member. On their adventures she meets her father and it is revealed she doesn't remember her past. He tells her that her mother was murdered and that he left her to be raised at a temple in Vietnam. Turns out the holy men there were Kree exiles called the Priests of Pama and that they believed Mantis was the Celestial Madonna of prophecy.
Through her training with the Priests, she gained complete control of her body, to the point where she can will herself to heal. Mantis learned martial arts that were developed over thousands of years. She has demonstrated that she even has knowledge of mysticism from her studies in these arts. On top of all that, this former Guardian is both a powerful telepath and empath.
With the "Inhumans" about to hit both the big and small screens in the Fall, it's a good time to bone up on some Karnak info. The character was forged by the creative minds of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first made his presence felt in "Fantastic Four" #45 (1965). However, the recent "Karnak" miniseries by Warren Ellis and Gerardo Zaffino has really redefined and developed The Shatterer.
Karnak's parents wouldn't let him undergo Terrigenesis after the radical transformation of his brother Triton. His father was a priest and had his young son become a student at his seminary, the Tower of Wisdom. Here, the Inhuman studied a plethora of physical and mental arts. His gift and his curse is that he sees the flaw in all things. In terms of the physical, that means being able to find the weak point of a person or object and break them/it. As for the ability's implication when it comes to the philosophical and metaphysical, you'll have to ask Ellis. Like all Inhumans, Karnak is stronger, faster and more durable than any human...even one enhanced to the peak of human perfection like Captain America.
As many have learned when they tried to don the mask and carry the shield, it's not only the Super-Soldier Serum (or even his heart) that make Steve Rogers such a force, it's also the intensive training. While not always associated with the martial arts, Rogers has mastered many fighting systems that were popular in his day.
Steve is a world-class pugilist and a master of Judo, as well as having WWII era military combat training. He has also taught others fighting techniques, including Rick Jones, Tony Stark and Ian Zola. In "Captain America" #375 (1990) the exceptionally skilled Daredevil states that Cap is one of the world's greatest combatants, right before getting his butt handed to him by the Steve. Fun fact: Chris Evans said in an interview that he and the Russo Brothers both loved how Cap moved in the 2011 video game "Captain America: Super Soldier" and that it ended up influencing Rogers' fighting style in "Captain America: Winter Soldier" (2014).
When Frank Miller introduced Daredevil's blind martial arts master named Stick in the '80s, fans ate it up. As we learned more and more about this curmudgeonly, disheveled sensei, the more we wanted to know about The Chaste and their hidden war with The Hand. So you know readers were intrigued when it was revealed that Stick trained under a teacher named Master Izo, who was the founder of The Chaste. He was properly explored in Ed Brubaker's late-'00s "Daredevil" run. It turns out that he was one of the founders of The Hand as well and that he only left when his master died and the order headed down a darker path.
When Danny Rand meets Izo, he tells Daredevil that the old man has a mention in the "Book of the Iron Fist" from hundreds of years ago. He later notes that, "Master Izo in motion is something to behold," and that the ancient text says as much. This long-lived practitioner of the martial arts effortlessly bested Black Tarantula and kills Hand ninjas like he's swatting flies. Izo has also trained many of the Marvel Universe's premier martial artists.
Danny Rand is the Iron Fist, the champion of K'un-Lun, which is one of the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven. His diligence and talent afforded him the chance to become the latest Iron Fist by fighting a dragon named Shou-Lao the Undying. When he beat the dragon, he claimed some of its power. Each of the Capital Cities of Heaven have an Immortal Weapon, but only the Iron Fist is powered by a dragon's heart.
Like any of the characters on our list, Danny has undergone rigorous training and is a master of multiple martial arts. The Hand has noted that he has an amazing depth of awareness. However, it's his healing and restorative abilities that set him apart. Danny has used his chi (or qi) powers to meld minds with Colleen Wing when she was brainwashed and break her programming. He once focused his chi on Dakota North's injured arm and sped up the natural healing process. He even used a chi punch in "Shadowland" #5 (2011) to get the evil spirit out of Daredevil when he was possessed by The Beast.
Which martial artist do you think is Marvel's strongest? Let us know in the comments!


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While surfing wikihow today i came across this very interesting article… Knowledge is power!
How to Flirt in Church
Meeting a crush in school and flirting is easy. When you have a crush that you see at Church, it is not as easy to flirt with them when sitting in separate pews, and listening to a sermon. There are tricks to connect with a crush at school, and also in Church. This explains how to get in the right position between you and your flirt partner.
1) Make sure you at least some-what like each other. That will make it easier on you, and the flirt partner. You will not be as pressured and nervous.
2) Right before service, sit with your crush. Once they are sitting they will not be able to change pews.
3) Whisper or grab a pencil and paper before service and pass notes. This usually works, but keep them hidden!
4) Make contact with them after the service, you are both walking out of the pew. Smile and wave goodbye.
5) Speak softly and tell him you will see him next week.
6) Try this for a few weeks, until you get the courage to tell them you would like to meet them outside of Church. Hand them a piece of paper with your phone number. If they take it and call, then you know you have connected. If they just walk away without accepting the paper, look around to flirt with someone else.
* Grab pencil and paper before the service.
* Make sure they like you (even if its just a little bit).
* Make sure notes are hidden from others eyes.
When sitting at the pew that your crush is sitting at, remember to whisper. This is a church and not a playground, and people need to mediate and listen to the sermon.
Source : wikihow.com


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Organising an event for the RUH can be simple, fun and rewarding. It is a great way to involve colleagues from across your company, as well as your customers and suppliers.
There are so many different activities you could choose to organise – from a simple dress down day , a cake sale with your colleagues, or take part in the Three Peaks Challenge. Alternatively, why not part in one of our annual Walk of Life or Bath Half Corporate Challenges as a team building exercise.
Whatever it is, we will support you with lots of ideas and provide everything you need to plan your event and make it a great success. Please call our Corporate Officer on 01225 825392 or email.


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Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah Teori dan Terapan (JESTT) was published by the Department of Islamic Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Airlangga to disseminate research results of undergraduate students of Islamic Economics in Indonesia in the fields of Islamic economics, Islamic business and Islamic finance to academics, practitioners and students as well as interested parties.
JESTT accepts article submissions written in Indonesian and in English. Determination of articles published in JESTT is through a review process by best partner of JESTT by considering, among others: fulfillment of the standard requirements of journal publications, research methods used, significance, and contribution to the results of research on professional development and education in Islamic Economics.
Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah Teori dan Terapan (JESTT) has been certificated as an accreditated Scientific Journal by The Indonesian Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education (RISTEKDIKTI) since July 9th, 2018. Update Accreditation Number: NOMOR 21/E/KPT/2018 valid until July 9th, 2023.


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Yes, this year's winter in Chicago (and many other cities across the U.S.) has been uncharacteristically brutal. Maybe it's a sign of changing weather patterns & a glimpse into similarly tough winters coming our way, or maybe we were due for a rough winter after the past few years of relatively mild winters. I'm hopeful of the latter, but either way, this winter has reminded me of a few "lessons" in fitness.
Know Your Limits
I think it is safe to say that this winter's weather has tested the patience & resolve of even the most dedicated fitness enthusiasts. We all have a limit of how cold/slushy/snowy/icy it can be before we'd feel safer, enjoy ourselves more & get more out of our workout by staying indoors. Everyone's limit is different; know yours. And don't beat yourself up if you see other people still "braving" the outdoors when you're getting your sweat on indoors. Work hard, keep smiling & move on.
Be Flexible
It's 6 am, you're dressed & ready to head to the gym to hit that swim workout. But, you find your car snowed in & your scraper got lost in the last snowstorm. There are endless variations of this story. Things aren't going your way. Before you throw away your workout or lose time & end up cutting it too short, maybe you can be flexible. There's a gym in your building with cardio & weights, but no pool? This could be a perfect opportunity to get in some of the strength training that tends to fall by the wayside when we've got swim/bike/run to fit in. Or maybe you can run today & swim another day. Or get to work early via public transportation and swim after work. Again, there are numerous options. Life happens, be flexible & make the most of your days/workouts, even if it's not EXACTLY what you had planned. Work hard, keep smiling & move on.
Try Something New
Personally, I hate running outdoors in extreme cold and/or cold and wet conditions. In the past, I've forced myself to do it anyway, but the result was not good. I dreaded workouts, I was miserable during the workout, I didn't perform well, and then I wouldn't feel well – physically or mentally – afterward. It was definitely not a win-win situation for my physical fitness or mental health; arguably, it was lose-lose. I learned to know (& accept) my limits, and I learned to be flexible (ie – moving workouts indoors or switching days around). And this winter, with no major race on the calendar in the Spring, I have had the most fun trying new things. I visited DePaul's Ray Meyer Fitness Center when a client invited me as a guest. We did an easy run on the indoor track & caught up. I checked out the new performance center at East Bank Club with another client. I went to FlyWheel with a friend, tried a fly yoga class, and a few classes at Shred415.
Is my fitness the same as if I had been focused on run training all winter? No. It's also not the same as when I focused mostly on strength training last winter. However, no matter what you do, fitness is never the same. It is always changing. Sometimes better, sometimes worse, and sometimes not "better" or "worse", but different. The new things I tried this winter will probably never replace running's "place" in my life, but it has been so much fun! I miss running outside, but I know I will have that again soon. In the meantime, work hard, keeping smiling & move on, right?!
At the end of the day, staying fit is about being consistently active doing things we enjoy. No matter the season, we should all be having FUN with our fitness. Work hard, keep smiling & move on. We just might need to get a bit more creative with it in the winter.


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15th Annual Soups for Shelter 2017
Wednesday, March 22nd, 2017
4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
St. Mary School Beitel Commons
66 East William St., Delaware, OH
Soup's On!
Enjoy a hot bowl of homemade soup, warm bread, and a delicious dessert!
Collect an artistic bowl, crafted by students, made especially for Soups for Shelter!
Take a chance and be a winner – 50/50 Raffle!
Your support of this event will contribute to the building of a home in partnership with The Hoover Family.
To learn about this family: The Hoover Family
Thank You!
Soups to Go
Carry-Out Orders are Available!
If you are experiencing a busy, on-the-go type of evening, just stop by the "Soups to Go" window, and voila, Dinner is Served!
Silent Auction
Bid on many of the donated packages and leave with something spectacular! Items this year range from Ohio State and Columbus Blue Jackets memorabilia to Gift Certificates to local restaurants, and tickets to Crew Games and the upcoming Tim McGraw & Faith Hill concert, just to name a few!
Join Our Mailing List!
Habitat for Humanity of Delaware & Union Counties
305 Curtis Street
Delaware, Ohio 43015


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LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Allied Capital Corporation ALD, -0.01% said that it has invested $127 million to finance a management-led recapitalization of Meineke Car Care Centers Inc. Allied Capital's investment took the form of senior debt, second lien debt, subordinated notes and non-voting common equity. Management re-invested a significant portion of its equity ownership in the transaction, Allied Capital said.
Allied Capital funds Meineke Car recapitalization
Quote References
-0.02 -0.01%


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The bad news is it doesn't matter how you feel. That's also the good news! Why? Because your marriage commitment goes beyond feelings. Here's how to know when to give up on your marriage instead of trying to make it work – these tips are inspired by a reader who asked for help deciding if she should stay or go.
If you want to save your marriage, read Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires, The Respect He Desperately Needs by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. He describes how husbands and wives communicate, and shares that unconditional respect is as powerful for husbands as unconditional love is for wives. He also reveals the power of unconditional love and unconditional respect – as well as how husbands and wives can reap the benefits of marriage.
But how do you know if your marriage will offer benefits – or if it's worth saving? Here's what one reader said: "I've been married 13 years and I keep thinking it's time to give up on marriage. I would say my husband is a good father but he always flirts with his coworker in front of me. He doesn't include me in conversations when we're in public and it makes me not trust him. Nor feel close to him. When I talk to him he said I was over reacting and he wasn't flirting and he loves me. I really feel cannot trust him. When I try to have a conversation he get angry and always with he's cellphone and he don't even let the kids use it. I'm very concerned I don't know if I should give up on this relationship or keep trying to save my marriage." – from How the Power of Love Can Save Your Marriage.
I can't tell you if you should give up on your marriage. Only you can decide if you should keep trying, or decide to let go.
This article was inspired by a comment from one of my readers, on 7 Signs Your Marriage is Over. She says, "I found out my husband has been having lunches and dinners with another woman from his work, for almost a year. I decided to forgive him and stay in the marriage, to give him a chance to work our relationship out because I know it's worth it. But I've been very physically and emotionally insecure after since. He claims he's over her. But he doesn't let me look at his phone, and says I'll get paranoid if he tells me who he's having lunches and dinners with. I don't trust him and want to give up on this marriage. What do you think?"
You Might Give Up on Your Marriage If…
The most important sign that it's better to give up on your marriage is your own gut feeling…and I think this reader's gut is telling her that she can't make it work with her husband because he isn't meeting her halfway. She has good reason not to trust him – he's giving her reasons not to trust him.
You and your husband have different life goals
One of my friends wants to have children – she's 39, and feeling like it's now or never. But, her 37 year old husband doesn't want kids. They've broken up and gotten back together several times because she wants kids and he doesn't…and they keep trying to work things out. Neither one will budge on their goals, but they love each other too much to split up.
If she doesn't want to give up on her marriage, then she needs to make peace with never having children. It really is as simple as that. If you want to save your marriage, you need to compromise and accept your husband for who he is…because he won't change.
You keep hoping things will get better – but they never do
On my article about how to cope when you're unhappily married, a reader said she knows deep down that she should give up on her marriage, but she keeps hoping things will improve. Many women (and men!) stay in loveless marriages or unhealthy relationships for years or even decades, hoping things will get better.
If you've been unhappy for several years, then maybe it's better to give up on your marriage.
Your husband doesn't care about trying to work things out
Do you feel alone in your marriage? Does it seem like your husband doesn't love or respect you – much less want to work on your marriage? Are you the only one who wants to learn how to save your marriage? That's another common complain women have about their partners: they just don't seem to care enough to say "I love you", much less build a strong, healthy marriage.
If your husband doesn't want to do his part in working things out, then you need to give up. You can't create a healthy marriage all by yourself.
Your intuition (gut feeling) knows what's best
Why is it crucial to listen to your gut when you're trying to decide if you should give up or make your marriage work?
Because your gut is picking up on signs and signals that your conscious mind isn't aware of. Malcolm Gladwell's book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking does an excellent job describing how our subconscious picks up on external cues and clues. That's how your gut works: it picks up on things in your marriage that you're not even aware of.
In my reader's case, I believe she's picking up on signals from her husband that show who he really is. I don't think she can trust a man who cheated on her for a year. Her gut is telling her the same thing. But it's not her insecurities that are telling her she should give up on this marriage. It's him. Her husband is telling her he's doesn't want to try to make it work (he isn't showing her his phone, and he's accusing her of being paranoid and insecure). Sometimes you have to listen to your gut about when to give up on a marriage.
Anything good is worth fighting and working for. Marriage is good, but it requires your time, energy, discipline, and commitment. They forgot to put that in the wedding vows, didn't they?
I welcome your comments on the "should I give up on marriage?" question. I can't offer advice or counseling, but it may help you to share your experience.
Is your relationship in trouble? Get 7 Steps to Fixing Your Marriage from relationship coach Mort Fertel. It's free and helpful, no strings attached.
Need encouragement? Sign up for my weekly "Echoes of Joy" email - it's free, short, and energizing. Like me!


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28 September 2008
Project Sunday
As if I don't watch enough TV, I'm back to being hooked on Project Runway. While living in New York, watching PR at my sister and brother-in-law's apartment with a box of Sugar Sweet Sunshine cupcakes sort of became a tradition. I miss that. But I'm in Houston now, and they're in Brussels.
Earlier today something possessed me to search for PR online, and I easily found full episodes on YouTube. I'm almost through episode 4, "Rings of Glory," where the designers are asked to create an outfit for the US female athlete to wear in the Summer Olympics opening ceremony. In other words, it's been PR marathon up in here. So far I haven't been wowed by anyone's designs. The most exciting thing thus far has been Natalie Portman's surprise appearance. And can we throw out the biker chick already? If I have to look at her skull face and listen to her bitch about anything-that-isn't-leather one more time… shh, don't tell me! Episode 12, "Nature Calls," airs Wednesday.
Turns out there was no Mad Men last Sunday. An advisory would have been nice.
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