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Monday, April 4, 2011
Rift blitz review
Rift marks the 3rd MMORPG I've tried, first being, of course, World of Warcraft. The second one, which I never mentioned here before, was LOTRO (Lord of the Rings Online), a few months before it went F2P (Free to Play). My conclusion back then was that LOTRO wasn't worth playing even for free.
Rift, on the other hand, seems to be on the right track. Let me get one thing out of the way: my limited time with this game left me with the powerful feeling that it is WoW with a different skin. I will try to elaborate on this farther on.
There is little doubt that Rift is a modern MMO. From what I've heard, it launched without major hitches, except perhaps a few balancing issues here and there. In my limited time with the game, I did not experience any bugs or other problems. The game feels solid but it has already had a few patches to fix glitches.
The feeling that this is an almost-carbon-copy clone of WoW was strong throughout my experience. Some things are different, of course. The way you create a character, for example. It's cool that you can play around with your new character's facial features and I especially appreciate that you can vary you avatar's height. Too bad you can't change their body type: fat-thin.
In WoW I don't like playing female characters but I thought I would give them a whirl in Rift. And I think I fell in love. These have got to be the sexiest looking females in any game I've ever seen. The models have a high polygon count and it shows! Call me a perv but for the first few levels I took off these ladies' clothes just so I can stare at their perfectly sculpted bodies. If a dwarf chick can look like this... then I want to be a dwarf!!
Seems like I got sidetracked there for a bit. Anyhoo, Rift's graphics in general don't seem that much better than WoW's but character and NPC models are more detailed. WoW has had incremental graphics updates over the years and it has aged very well, however, its visuals are more cartoonish, while Rift's are more... realistic. One thing that I can say for certain WoW does better is the water.
There are 2 opposing factions in Rift: Alliance and Hor... I mean Guardians and Defiants. I didn't pay attention to any of the story so I don't know what the deal is with these factions but they each have 3 races. The Guardians (good guys I believe) have humans (only they're called something else), elves and dwarves. The other guys have some other type of humans, some sort of dark elves and some sort of barbarian humanoids.
Each race has 2 racial abilities, one active, one passive. The passive ones are usually a resistance of some sort. The barbarian-type bad guys have an interesting active ability on a short cooldown which allows them to jump a fair distance so that makes it easier to move around until you get a mount.
There are only 4 main classes (only they're called "callings"): warrior, cleric, rogue and mage. Each of these classes can access up to 3 "souls" which are essentially skill trees. While the skill system is different than WoW's, I can see what they did here.
In WoW, say, you have a hunter which has 3 trees: beast mastery, marksmanship and survival. In Rift, you pick 1 tree to start off with, after a few quests you can pick another tree to add to your existing one and later you get a 3rd tree. In Rift, instead of WoW's 3 trees per class you get 8 + 1 (PvP). However, these 8 trees are what you would get in WoW if you pooled together several classes. For example, Rift's rogue class has similar trees that a hunter and a rogue would have in WoW. So you just mix and match them. You can be a marksman (using ranged weapons) and a saboteur (using explosive devices) and an assassin (using stealth), all at the same time.
While this may seem revolutionary and/or really cool, in practice I found it rather annoying because you end up spreading yourself too thin. This is compounded by the fact that the game doesn't allow you to allocate too many "talents" into a tree until you've leveled some more. So if you have leftover points, you will have to put them in a secondary tree.
In the end, the system is similar to WoW's, except that it's done backwards. I found that I wasn't using the active skills that came with a secondary tree. As a side note, as you allocate more "talents" into a particular tree, skills are automatically unlocked for that tree. So at 2 talents you get a new skill, at 6 another, at 8 another and so on.
There are so many similarities between Rift and WoW that it's hard to know where to begin. I think the best indication is when all the controls are so identical that it feels I'm playing WoW. Rift even has an authenticator and a launcher. The shortcuts are the same, the window elements are the same, even the emotes are the same!
If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? The makers of Rift have certainly got this because they have unashamedly mimicked many of WoW's best features, and even its control scheme, perhaps to attract some of the veteran MMO's clientele but also as a way to avoid re-inventing the wheel.
This can be both a blessing and a curse. WoW fans will get into Rift in no time at all. My learning curve was almost zero. On the other hand there's this persistent sense of deja-vu, which might cause some players to ask themselves whether they are still in WoW.
While the visuals are good, I can't say I was overly impressed. The Guardian starting zone looked like any other generic RPG zone, with green grass, hills and trees. The buildings do seem more polished than in WoW and so do the friendly NPCs. The enemies, however, weren't very impressive: just your garden variety goblins, dark elves, ghosts, skeletons, wolves, bears and so on. I must mention that I didn't tweak the graphics settings at all; I just let the game decide.
The quests are rather boring and most of them are of the usual "kill 10 rats" variety. In general, they require you to kill stuff, gather stuff, speak to an NPC, activate stuff in a certain area, loot stuff from bodies and so on. As a result, I didn't spend one second reading the quest text. Luckily, Rift has very nice quest tracking features, complete with way-points which guide you to the quest location.
Unfortunately the demo only allows you to reach level 15, which I attained in 8 hours. I played a marksman with ranger and saboteur sub-specs, which means I was a ranged damage dealer with a pet and also some explosives (which got neglected). Pets seem rather lackluster, in that you can't tame wild animals. Instead, your skills dictate what pet you get. This might change later but I didn't get the chance to test it.
One thing that Rift does better than WoW is that it allows you to learn 3 professions. On the other hand it doesn't have secondary professions but the advantage here is that you can learn all 3 gathering professions: essentially mining, herbalism and skinning. Herbalism is actually called "scavenging" (it also lets you gather wood) and skinning is called "butchering" (you can also collect various animal body parts).
I found it funny that things which are the same thing as WoW are called something else in Rift. For example vitality is called "endurance", agility is called "dexterity", instead of gold/silver/copper there's platinum/gold/silver, reputation is called "notoriety", battlegrounds are called "warfronts" and on and on. I'm surprised guilds aren't called something different.
Mounts are done in a slightly different way. It seems that there's really no minimum level for getting a basic mount (60% increased speed), and the only requirement is to have enough money. The cheapest one was around 2 platinum 50 gold, which took me all of 8 hours to acquire, thanks in no small part to the fact that trial accounts cannot sell stuff on the auction house. I had to make my money by vendoring everything I found and/or gathered or got from quests and monsters.
Rift's innovation is, of course, rifts. Rifts are tears in the fabric between dimensions which allow various elemental types to invade. They occur randomly throughout the world and players have the option of closing them when encountered, by defeating the monsters which pour out of them. There's a cool system in place which allows you to join a public group on the fly, once you get close enough to a rift. You just click a button called "Join public group" and bam, you're in a group.
Apart from rifts, there also seem to be random invasions of the various quest hubs and cities by large groups of monsters. I found it a lot of fun to join these groups of defenders on the fly and kick monster ass. There's also a type of public quest which becomes active when these invasions occur, though I haven't had time enough to figure out how they work.
I barely got a taste of Rift but I generally liked what I saw. This game felt leagues ahead of LOTRO and certainly more polished. Too bad there isn't an interesting story behind it. Or maybe there is and I didn't have time to look for it in the limited time I played. Rift made me curious to find out more about the other zones I haven't discovered yet, to get to max level and to explore what else it has to offer. I don't even know what the max level is (I assume it's 60), nor how dungeons work or how PvP is done. I don't have any interest in PvP anyway.
Finally, the question which begs asking is this: is Rift worth playing? If you're sick of WoW to the gills but want a game which is both familiar and new, and you don't mind paying the full retail price ($50) for the game client in addition to the $15 monthly subscription, then Rift is certainly a worthy proposition. In fact it is probably the best non-WoW MMORPG at the moment, at least until the Star Wars MMO comes out.
I am grateful for having had the opportunity to play this great new MMO. However, I still feel that WoW is the more mature game, with greater content and infinitely better lore and story. And I won't even mention everything that I have invested in WoW: all the high level characters, all the played time, all the gold. Starting a whole new complex MMO from scratch is a daunting task but not outside the realm of imagination. At some later date, when I am completely bored with WoW, when I have sufficient spare time and when the Rift client will be sold at a hefty discount, I may yet give it another try. And when that happens, I can already tell you that I will like it.
P.S. Here's some more sexy (hide the kids first)!
17 comments:
- Gyldenfeax said...
Give that poor elf some food. Preferably something fried.
Of late there seems to be a lot of talk about Rift on quite a few of the blogs I read. It hasn't really tempted me so far but I think it's good that a MMORPG has come along that offers a real alternative WoW, even if it's quite similar. Hopefully the WoW developers will take notice and improve their game as a result.
Due to moving house and longer hours at work I've been away from WoW for about 2 months and in that time I haven't missed it much. It was getting to be a bit of a grind so the break was pretty welcome. Lately I've been thinking about returning.
What I think WoW can learn from Rift is better character customization and more random events to shake up the constant grinds a bit. Most of the armor models available in WoW are good but each class ends up looking the same. I'd love to be able to keep level 85 gear and it's stats but look like I did in Burning Crusade or late Wrath pvp gear.
I know some people hated the scourge invasion at the beginning of wrath (or end of BC) but it really mixed things up a bit. Cities weren't safe anymore so it made getting around less predictable. If Blizzard could do something like that every now and again, even if it was limited to 1 area or city it would spice things up a bit.
Rift won't kill WoW, but it will hopefully create some rivalry and competition and make a better game as a result.
- April 5, 2011 at 4:54 AM
- Unknown said...
I'm just glad to see my trial didnt go to waste in my email inbox.
- April 5, 2011 at 7:33 AM
- Unknown said...
One thing I like about crafting is that you can Salvage Or Basically Disenchant any item you can craft or drops you find in the class you can make like weapons, armor or trinkets.
Yea, Rift is a wow knock off. I am enjoying it. There are several things that drove me from playing wow. The major thing was that I didn't like anything they did in BC. I actually stopped playing when BC came out and waited for LK to come out.
I don't care about lore in games. At all.
Cataclysm was a huge let down for me, I am just not impressed with any of the "new content". Wow has been reduced to a came of "buff pallys/nerf locks" or "buff hunters/nerf hunters next patch".
Even in LFG or most guild chats everything has been reduced to Gear score, If youa re not in a raiding guild or have a core group to get decent gear to get a good gear score you can forget about any endgame or raiding.
Again this is all my opinion. If you enjoy playing wow, by all means have at it! I had fun playing for a while but, I don't think I will go back. The only thing that will kill wow is wow or maybe blizzard pulling the plug some day..
- April 5, 2011 at 7:53 AM
- Unknown said...
Nice review man!
I'm not leaving WoW or stopping blogging about it either, but this article helped to answer some questions I had about Rift simple from a curiosity standpoint.
- April 5, 2011 at 9:29 AM
- Redbeard said...
I can agree with your assessment of Rift, especially the outsider status of the Defiant. The game was definitely created with WoW in mind, and a beginner to MMOs would have a much harder time of picking up the game. In that respect, LOTRO is better. Not as smooth, but better.
- April 5, 2011 at 10:06 AM
- Lugnut Daffodil said...
I played it for three weeks. Not too much game time.
The gameplay and mechanics they absolutely nailed. Instead of trying to waste time re-inventing the wheel, they took what works from WoW and improved on what didn't work. Brilliant move!
But man oh man I couldn't escape the fact that the game world/characters/story/monsters/environment was just made to order, and had no sense of style or character at all. At least, nothing that made it look unique. Maybe it was because for the first 15 levels (thats as far as I got) you're still stuck in the same dang zone, or maybe the world entire is generic looking, or maybe I'm just weird. But at any rate I lost interest and stopped playing....for now at least.
But again, they were absolutely on target with everything else! Rift is an awesome game and will be here for a good while to come, no doubt about it.
- April 5, 2011 at 5:58 PM
- Darth Solo said...
@Gyldenfeax lol, call me shallow but I prefer toned ladies. The ones in Rift are very nicely modeled. The dwarf in fact impressed me more than the others because she's not as wiry, though still toned.
The random events really are cool. And you have the option of not joining if you don't feel like it, or quitting at any point between the stages. I believe that these invasions are scaled in difficulty depending on how many players are around.
Rift is very good competition for WoW, I agree.
@Paul thanks again! I've said this before but Cataclysm, although it was the biggest expansion and brought the most changes so far, has become stale quickly.
To be honest, I'd play Rift for a few months if it wasn't for the fact that I don't really feel like playing another MMORPG for a while. Also, I'm hesitant to pay the $50.
@Cold thanks! If you can get an invite or a trial run, give it a try.
@Redbeard yeah, it really makes it easy for WoW players to get into. Strangely enough, even though LOTRO might be easier for players new to MMOs, to me it seemed that it had a steeper curve (not by much) compared to Rift.
@Lugnut Daffodil I think more games could benefit from observing how Rift did it. And yes, 15 levels in the same area is a little bit boring but unfortunately the trial didn't give me the chance to more on. On the other hand, there's plenty of content in that single starting area for more than 15 levels.
- April 5, 2011 at 7:10 PM
I switched to offline FPS and RTS games (I was a RTS lover back in time) and definitely abandoned MMORPGS in general. No matter who, how, when, where... a MMORPG is a time-sucking-machine.
It's not just a matter of self-controlling. You can do it, of course. But let me say that: the "social" aspect of MMO's is complete bull*hit.
If you want to "socialize" and "have friends" online, you just need messenger (or a similar tool) and *ANY* game will do fine.
I'm now playing a multiplayer game called HOARD (Steam, 10$, http://www.hoardgame.com) and I already got friends and new people to play with.
It's not a time sucker, you do not need to study, level, grind, invest time on it. You enter, play, have lot of fun and leave. Like a chess game, like any game should be.
MMOS are all but "social", in my opinion. They work because they lure you with achievements, gifts, pets, virtual gold, competition, leveling... You really think you are doing something important.
The truth is, you spend a lot of time doing repetitive and stupid stuff that -in my opinion- is the exact opposite of "fun". And even worst, quests and rewards are always the same over the course of years: kill XX mobs, gather YY items, deliver ZZ to someone.
For years.
- April 7, 2011 at 6:35 AM
- Darth Solo said...
Ah yes, Hoard, I just read a review about it the other day. Sounds like fun though the reviewers concluded that it can get repetitive. I'm obsessed with finding items and building a character so that's why I like RPGs so much. The next big thing for me is Diablo 3. In the meanwhile, WoW is losing its flavor.
- April 7, 2011 at 6:58 PM
Yes it's true, it can be repetitive if you play it intensively. But it goes fo 8.99$ on Steam, in my opinion it's worth the money. Just try the demo, it's free and can give you a nice 1st impression.
I can't wait to put my hands on Diablo III too, I really can't wait.... but -thanks God- that wont be a grinding game like WoW and will be fully enjoyable in single player.
- April 8, 2011 at 1:38 AM
- Darth Solo said...
What worries me about D3 is that they're putting too much emphasis on the online component, Battle.net and all that crap. I just want a single-player game that I can play off-line but apparently they will make it hard for you to do so. But we'll see.
- April 8, 2011 at 7:06 AM
Hey Solo, what was it about LOTRO that you felt made it not worth playing?
- April 8, 2011 at 10:37 PM
- Darth Solo said...
LOTRO just didn't "click" for me. It's hard to pinpoint and I don't remember much because I tried it last year but it just didn't appeal to me. I had a 10-day trial (that was before it became free) but I only managed to play for about 2 days before I got bored. I might give it another try though.
- April 9, 2011 at 7:04 PM
I think you have to be a fan of the Lord of the Rings story to like the game. That's the market they go for I am sure.
- April 9, 2011 at 11:31 PM
- Darth Solo said...
Oh boy, you just don't know how big a fan of LotR I am! Seriously, I've read the book 3 times, the Hobbit even more. I've seen the movies I don't know how many times. I think the movies are probably the best movies ever made. I cried when Gandalf "died" in the first book and at the end when they all get on the ship.
But the game didn't do it for me. However, time heals everything and I definitely plan to give the game another try.
- April 10, 2011 at 9:47 AM
I dropped my WoW account and bought Rifts after doing the beta. No doubt it has a WoW feel to it, but that's OK or so I thought. I also bought 6 months worth of time (for $60), but for some reason I just can't get myself to play all that much. It's a pretty good game, but I was burned out on WoW and I think this is just to similar, although I love the Rifts and public groups.
What I'd really like is to see something completely new come along that just turns MMOs on their head, but I don't know how likely that is.
- April 13, 2011 at 9:11 AM
- Darth Solo said...
~B I won't buy another multiple-month subscription ever. My biggest mistake was a few years ago when I bought a 6-month WoW subscription, only to quit WoW 1 month into it. Waste of money. From then on I went month-to-month.
IMO the WoW killer will be another game from Blizzard. Other companies just don't have the finances and knowledge that Bliz has accumulated.
- April 13, 2011 at 7:38 PM


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Brazil right-back Rafael made an eye-catching contribution to his side's opening match of the Men's Olympic Football Tournament London 2012, against Egypt in Cardiff. A Seleção's much-vaunted attacking quartet may have stolen the show, but the Manchester United player did what he had to do and more, defending solidly and getting forward at every opportunity, so much so that he even opened the scoring in Brazil's 3-2 win.
While the 22-year-old defender looked right at home on Thursday, he should feel even more comfortable come Sunday's game against Belarus, when he will be patrolling the right flank at Manchester United's Old Trafford, the place he has called home for the last five seasons.
"Well, I've been talking about that with the rest of the guys in the dressing room, telling them: "I'm going to play at home and you're not'," the ever-smiling Rafael told FIFA.com after his side's win over the Egyptians. "I've been there for five years now. I know everyone and I think a lot of the fans who'll be going to the stadium will know me well. I think the reception I'll get will be different."
The player's already lengthy stay at one of the biggest clubs in world football has gone a long way to making him an undisputed first choice for Brazil's Olympic team, the stepping stone he hopes for achieving his dream of a place in the side that will represent the country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.
"Playing for Manchester United gives me hope that I'll be there at the World Cup. I've always said that," added Rafael, who served his apprenticeship in Fluminense's youth set-up. "I know I'll have a lot of competition from some great players like Dani Alves, and I know how important it is to do a job for Mano [Menezes, the Brazil coach] whenever I'm playing for A Seleção. But I think I can do it."
If his performance against Egypt is anything to go by, Menezes has every reason to be delighted with his right-back. Given the presence of Real Madrid's adventurous full-back Marcelo on the other side of defence and the tendency of forwards Neymar and Hulk to drift out to the left, you could be forgiven for thinking that A Seleção have a preference for attacking down that flank.
With his continuous forays down the right, however, the Manchester United man brings balance to the side while also linking up intelligently with midfielder Oscar, who set up him up for his surprise goal against the Egyptians.
"Wow, did you see that? Oscar's just too much," exclaimed an appreciative Rafael, before jokingly lamenting the fact that his international team-mate will now be playing his trade for Chelsea, one of United's biggest rivals: "He's an incredible player. When I see him doing these amazing things it almost makes me feel sad to think that he's gone to one of our rivals."
Rafael is still adjusting the break-up of another and longer-standing partnership: the one he formed with his twin brother, left-back Fabio, who left Old Trafford in April to join Queens Park Rangers on loan. "In one way, it will be good for us to be apart," said Rafael. "Perhaps it will help us mature a little more."
The two had been together throughout their playing career, representing both Fluminense and Brazil at youth level prior to their joint move to Manchester in 2008.
"It could end up being a good thing for us," concluded the right-back. "It could give us a different outlook on things. After all, we've been together for 22 years now. Fabio is happy there and I'm happy here, with the national team at Old Trafford. I'm going to be thinking of him, that's for sure."

subset: commoncrawl


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Pit bull on mend after being shot several times in Westport
Authorities looking for shooter
Local authorities are trying to find the person responsible for shooting a pit bull multiple times in Westport.
A resident discovered the dog, now named Liam, in his garage on Thursday. Both the homeowner and Donna Lambert, the town's Animal Control Officer, had thought the 1-year-old stray had been struck by a car due to his poor condition.
"We found Liam lying in pain," Lambert said.
After taking Liam to the Acoaxet Veterinarian's Office, it was discovered that the dog had been shot multiple times.
"We thought he was chewed by a coyote or another dog," said veterinary assistant, Beth Miranda. "We found there were bullet fragments in his leg."
Lambert said she had been looking for the stray dog for a couple of weeks after hearing he had been on the loose around Route 195. It's unclear when he was shot because he was not injured the last time she saw him.
She said she can't fathom why anyone would hurt an animal.
"I would think if they did do it that they would report it, or if they had a problem with the dog in their yard, they would call an animal control officer," she said. "It's hard to tell what people do, and why they do it, what they're thinking."
Liam is expected to survive, but veterinarians may need to amputate his right leg. The surgery could cost a few thousand dollars.
Liam will be re-evaluated in about two weeks. Until then, he will be staying at the Cranston, R.I.-based organization "Handsome Dan's Rescue." The organization is looking for donations to help pay for his ongoing medical care.
Once Liam is fully recovered, the rescue team will be looking for a forever home for him.
"He loves to kiss, he loves to cuddle, sit on your lap," said Miranda. "(He) hasn't given us any problems, hasn't growled once since he's been here."
Westport police are working with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to find the shooter.


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Please Note: There are several recipes listed on this page. Please scroll down the page, to find the recipe you are seeking. Thank you!
Spaghetti and Wheatballs
Makes 3 to 4 servings (12 to 14 Wheatballs)
Spaghetti and Wheatballs
Makes 3 to 4 servings (12 to 14 wheatballs)
Easy enough to make for a special weeknight meal, but fancy enough to serve when hosting a casual dinner party, this dish will become a staple in your house.
1⅓ cups lightly packed, fresh, soft whole-grain bread crumbs (about 3 to 4 large slices - must be fresh!) (see note)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 cups chopped mushrooms
½ cup diced onion
¾ pound organic spaghetti (see note)
3 cups prepared vegan marinara sauce or your own homemade sauce
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a medium baking pan with unbleached parchment paper.
Put the bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt in a large bowl. Put the walnuts in a blender, and pulse to process into coarse crumbs. Add the walnuts to the bread crumbs and stir gently to incorporate.
Put the mushrooms and onion in a blender, and process to a chunky purée. Add the mushroom mixture to the walnut–bread crumb mixture and stir to incorporate. Spoon out about 1½ tablespoons of the mushroom mixture and roll it into a ball. Gently squeeze it together, to make sure it is compact and will hold together while baking. Continue in this way with the remaining mushroom mixture. Arrange the wheatballs on the lined baking pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Gently rotate each wheatball and bake for 12 to 20 minutes more, or until they are firm, crisp and golden.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but firm. Drain the spaghetti well.
Meanwhile, pour the marinara sauce in a medium sauce pan. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-low heat. Gently add the wheatballs to the sauce, one at a time, cover, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. (SEE NOTE)
To serve, put one-quarter of the spaghetti into each of four pasta bowls, and top with 3 (or 40 wheatballs. Ladle marinara sauce over the top and serve immediately.
Chef's Note: To make fresh bread crumbs, put 3 to 4 slices of wholegrain bread in a blender and process into coarse crumbs.
Chef's Note: The wheatballs are very soft, (depending upon the type of bread used) and tend to break apart slightly when placed IN the sauce. Alternately, arrange 3 wheatballs over top of each serving of pasta, then spoon the sauce over the wheatballs.
Caesar Salad, Jazzy-Style
Makes 4 to 6 servings
12 cups lightly packed romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and cut into bite-size pieces
5 to 6 slices very fresh whole-grain bread
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Caesar Salad Dressing, (see below)
1 tablespoon Cashew Parmesan (see below), plus more for serving (optional)
Cover and chill the prepared lettuce to allow it to crisp up.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper. Cut each slice of bread into nine equally sized pieces. Put the bread cubes, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning in a medium bowl and stir gently to evenly coat the bread cubes. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once, until the bread is golden and crisp. Put the baking sheet on a wire rack. Let the croutons cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
Place the dressing in a large bowl. Add lettuce and croutons. Toss well to thoroughly coat the lettuce and croutons with the dressing. Sprinkle with Cashew Parmesan (if using). Serve immediately with more optional Cashew Parmesan served on the side.
Caesar Salad Dressing
Makes 4 to 6 servings
8 ounces firm regular tofu, drained
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons capers, drained and rinsed
1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 medium clove garlic
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Put all of the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy. If the mixture seems too thick, add a bit of filtered or spring water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to achieve the desired consistency.
Cashew Parmesan
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or Himalayan pink salt, plus more as needed
Put the cashews and salt in a blender and process in brief pulses until the consistency of crumbled Parmesan cheese is achieved. Don't overprocess, or the mixture will turn into cashew butter. Taste and add more salt, if desired. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to two days.
VARIATION: Cashew Lemon Parmesan: Along with the cashews and salt, add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to the blender. Proceed as directed.
Pear, Apple, and Walnut Crostata
Makes 6 to 8 servings
2/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut
2 firm pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 large apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar, maple sugar, or sucanat
2 heaping tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a 9-inch pie plate.
Put the raisins, oats, 1/3 cup walnuts, and coconut in a high-performance blender or food processor and process until the mixture forms a dough. Press the oat mixture evenly into the bottom and part of the way up the sides of the pie plate.
Put the pear slices, apple slices, 1/3 cup walnuts, maple sugar, 1 heaping tablespoon of maple syrup, and ground cinnamon in a large bowl and stir gently until combined. Pour the filling into the crust and spread it in an even layer, smoothing the top as you go. Bake the pie for 25 minutes. Remove the pie, and brush the top with 1 heaping tablespoon maple syrup. Tent the pie with foil and bake 10 to 20 minutes, until the fruit is softened and edges of crust are slightly golden. Cool 20 minutes and serve warm. Alternatively, refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours and serve the pie chilled. Covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator, leftover pie will keep about two days.


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Madden NFL 11 Review
For as much work as goes into successfully accomplishing this overhaul, these required elements get chalked up as a price of entry, rarely causing much excitement. This year, though, the Madden team took something of a gamble when they got to improving the simulation. They took out the "turbo" button that gives the player being controlled a little extra oomph in their sprint. This simple change compliments the increased emphasis on accurately representing the physical abilities of the real players, new animations that better capture the way they move on the field, and better sense of their differing mass and momentum in the action. Working together, they help this year's Madden feel more like a "natural" game of football than a video game.
As I've grown accustomed to it, I think this represents a great example of addition by subtraction in video games. Sprint had become a sort of universal "make a play" button. Trying to get around the corner on a sweep? Sprint. Out of position covering a pass? Sprint. Bearing down on the QB for a sack? Sprint. Without it, all the other elements of the game matter the way they ought to and I find myself playing a much better -- and by virtue of it, more satisfying -- game of ball. Now on a run I focus better on reading the hole and setting up blocks; and on the other side of the ball I'm much more patient and practiced in hunting down the ball carrier and applying the hit.
An unexpected drawback to these improvements is that it makes the same old Madden problems more glaring than ever. Blocking sits at the top of the list. Yes, it's gotten better but there will still be a handful of plays per game where it fundamentally breaks. Two problems continue to plague the series: linemen won't "see" second-level blitzers every so often, particularly safeties, and will literally stand idly by and watch them blow up a play. And lead blockers will be in perfect position to pick up the free linebacker on a run only to run blindly past them. Play-action also continues to be a sucker-play more often than not with the defense all over the quarterback by the time he comes out of his fake handoff due to blockers not picking up their assignments.
Another contribution to the increased emphasis on the action comes from the new "GameFlow" play call system. Essentially a virtual offensive and defensive coordinator, when used it calls the plays based on situation, tendencies, play book, and game plan. Initially I completely disliked being removed from the thinking part of the game. Then I started customizing my game plan and the system began to grow on me. I found myself making adjustments based on what happened in games, like removing plays that weren't clicking and increasing the emphasis on those that were, just as I imagine real offensive coordinators would.
Now, using game flow feels like I'm running my own game plan. I come up to the line intent on execution, reading the defense and thinking about what will and won't work. On defense, though, it's less successful. The generalities used in setting up the situations leave too many vulnerabilities to be exploited, such as being caught in a base defense facing a multiple wide receiver set. Not knowing the personnel on the field coming out of the huddle makes it difficult to spot these mismatches in the limited pre-snap time. On the plus side, using GameFlow is a per-play decision, so it's easy to step in on a critical down and take the reins.
This flexibility comes in handy online against the unpredictability real people bring to the game. Not that a good game plan won't match up but when there's a big time, game-defining moment, I want to make that call. It also works out well in the new online team play mode for going back to plays your teammates run well. And obvious as it may be, hitting big plays working together with your friends brings a new sort of satisfaction to Madden. I can see myself playing a lot more online team play, especially ganging up to stomp on the computer.
No surprise; as an NFL fan I know I'll be playing a lot more Madden this season, period. It does surprise me some, though, that in a sport known for its high production values on TV broadcasts that Madden continues to be so inconsistent in presentation. The addition of energetic play-by-play man Gus Johnson yields only mixed results. His enthusiasm sounds wooden as often as not, and then absurdly over the top on sponsor messages. It also baffles me that no halftime show remains a better choice than what the team can do with the ESPN license. Then again, after seeing the barest of minimum stat recaps in "the Extra Point" weekly wrap-up show in franchise mode, maybe that's for the best.
Like the past few years, Madden NFL 11 shows the refinement from another year of development and promise for the future, but still plenty of room for improvement. On the strength of the more natural game of football it plays, and addition of GameFlow and online team play, though, this should be counted among the series' up years.
$39.99 free shipping for 360 version @ buy.com, hurry!
PS3 version back in stock!


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In between my visit yesterday afternoon with Checkfree and attending the Technology Summit, I stopped by the Matrix booth to visit with Chris Adsit about the company's cardio equipment. Chris was a bundle of energy. I could tell he was excited about what the company has to offer.
He explained that the company wants to innovate by taking an existing modality and making it better or by coming up with a new one that people will use. With that in mind, he showed me the company's hybrid bike, which features the benefits of both the upright and recumbent bikes. The seat is up higher for more fit people, but the seat also has a back support for less fit people. It also offers step-through capability for less fit users.
He then took me over to the Ascent Trainer, which I had tried at the Club Industry show in October. It offers an ellipse motion without the starting and stopping. It also takes up less room than an elliptical since people can step on it from the back (meaning the Ascents can be located without space between each, similar to how treadmills are placed).
This morning, I went by the Matrix booth again to get a look at the strength equipment. Michael Benso showed me the company's Functional Trainer, which he was getting feedback on at the show. The company will then make any necessary modifications and begin mass producing the product this summer, he said. On the Functional Trainer, a user can do more than 200 exercises using the cables, a golf club option, a baseball bat option, a wall climbing option and several others. One side of the equipment offers images of several exercises that could be performed on the equipment.
Michael said that functional training is becoming even more popular, and Matrix is making products to help club owners meet that demand. --Pam


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FAQ Series: Military commissary questions
You have questions, we have answers. This week we respond to your frequently asked questions about the commissary benefit.
Q: If commissary goods are sold at cost, why do I see an additional "surcharge" on my receipt?
A: Commissary shoppers buy goods "at cost" meaning the commissary does not generate a profit from sales. Shoppers pay a 5% surcharge. The surcharge is calculated on the total before coupons are deducted. The surcharge goes back into the stores to pay for new construction, renovations, repairs, and equipment. The surcharge does not decrease commissary savings because it is included in the savings calculations.
Q: How much should I tip the commissary baggers?
A: Baggers are not commissary or government employees and are paid solely by the tips they receive from commissary shoppers in exchange for bagging/carryout services. Baggers are self-employed, and work under a license agreement with an installation commander. The amount you tip is up to you. Some folks suggest twenty-five cents a bag; others tip a flat rate between $5 – $10.
Q: I am deploying and my children will stay with someone who does not have a military ID. Can the caregiver shop at the commissary for our children?
A: The caregiver will need an agent letter to shop at the commissary for the children. The caregiver does not have to be an authorized commissary shopper; however only the installation commander can authorize agent privileges. It is recommended that you contact the commissary store director near the caregiver's location and request contact information for the installation office that prepares agent authorization. It may be helpful to ask what documentation an agent needs to gain access to the installation. You can find a list of commissaries here.
Q: Do I really save more money by shopping at the commissary?
A: Shoppers save an average of more than 30 percent on their purchases compared to commercial prices – savings that amount to thousands of dollars annually when shopping regularly at a commissary. In addition to lower costs on products, the commissary also accepts coupons and uses a rewards card program to help increase your savings. While savings may vary from location to location, it's important to remember that profits made by commissaries contribute to family readiness and enhance the quality of life for service member's and their families. Those profits also cover the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones.
What interesting information have you learned about the Commissary? Share it in a comment!
Send your questions or comments to email@example.com and don't forget to follow our blog, Branching Out, for our next FAQ series.
Source: http://www.commissaries.com/documents/contact_deca/faq.cfm
By Katie Savant, Government Relations Information Manager
0 CommentsAdd yours
I feel while you save on some items at the commissary, you can do better overall at the local stores by watching their ads and using coupons. You also do not have to tip baggers or pay the surcharge on everything.
I agree with Sue. I don't think the prices are at cost. They are sometimes alot cheaper at local stores.
Timely piece , I was enlightened by the details ! Does anyone know where I could possibly get ahold of a sample DD 2560 copy to type on ?


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Indians Make a Series of Roster Moves; Gomes & Santos Promoted, Marson on DL
CLEVELAND, OH - The Cleveland Indians today announced the following roster moves relative to the Major League roster:
Placed CA LOU MARSON on the 15-Day Disabled List with a cervical neck strain
Recalled CA YAN GOMES from AAA Columbus
Selected the contract of CA OMIR SANTOS from AAA Columbus and added him to the Major League roster
Marson was injured in a collision at home plate on Saturday night in Tampa Bay and has been limited to one-inning of emergency duty since the 3rd inning on April 6. Today marks his first career stint on the Major League DL.
Gomes opened the year in Columbus after being optioned out of spring training on March 25 and has appeared in 4 games (.286, 4-14, 2 2B, 2RBI, 2BB, .804OPS). He hit .407 (11-27) this spring with 5 2B, 1HR & 7RBI in 15 games after being acquired along with Mike Aviles from Toronto in November.
Santos was a non-roster invitee to Major League camp after signing with Cleveland on February 5. He appeared in 17 games this spring, hitting .375 (9-24) with 4 doubles, 1 home run and 6RBI before being re-assigned to AAA Columbus on March 31. He has appeared in 2 games for the Clippers (0-3, RS, RBI) so far this year. Omir can be found on page 188 of the Indians Record & Information Book.
The 40-man roster move will be made prior to game time. Santos will wear #58.


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Counseling and Psychological Services
Fordham's Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) is a comprehensive mental health center that is dedicated to promoting the emotional and psychological health and wellness of our students. At CPS, we recognize that University life can be stressful due to academic, financial, family, and social pressures. These stressors can sometimes contribute to or exacerbate more significant psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, trauma, or difficulties with sleeping, eating, or attention.
CPS provides a range of services to help students address and cope more effectively with their stress and psychological concerns. No matter what challenges you are experiencing, our free and confidential services can help you better understand your difficulties, develop more self-awareness, and enhance your coping skills, academic performance, self-esteem, relationships, and overall well-being.


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Gift-wrapping is not available for this product.
Product Information:
Kimberly Clark MIC-KEY Low-Profile Gastrostomy Tube Kit - Model 01201812 : Features medical grade silicone construction, low-profile design, tapered distal tip, silicone internal retention balloon, distal tip recessed at 5 ml, proximal anti-reflux valve, SECUR-LOK extension set connector mechanism, radiopaque stripe, gamma sterilized. Kit includes a MIC-KEY low-profile feeding tube, a MIC-KEY extension set with a SECUR-LOK right angle connector and 2 port "Y" clamp, 12" length, a MIC-KEY bolus extension set with Blue Cath Tip, SECUR-LOK straight connector and clamp, 1mp, 12" length, 6 ml syringe, 35ml catheter tip syringe, gauze pads.
This item will be shipped from the manufacturer and is not one we carry in stock. Please contact us for availability, as we cannot always guarantee order fulfillment.
Medical Equipment & Supplies
Stethoscopes • Diagnostic Sets Blood Pressure Instruments & Disposables • EMS • Lab Equipment
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Diabetic Equipment • Massagers • First Aid Kits • Heating Pads • Blood Pressure Monitors
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Allergy & Immune System • Medical Foods • Cardiovascular Support • Weight Loss Supplements


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Our Rooms / Rates
French Connection
More Info
The historic Grady Building was originally built in the late 1880s to house J.E. Grady & Co., a family operated hardware and ship supply store along Apalachicola's bustling riverfront. A bank and storage for the hardware store filled the other half of the massive two story, 9,500 square foot building.The upper floors were shared by the Captain of the Port, a French Consulate, and a U.S. Customs office.
J.E. Grady & Co. specialized in supplying cargo ships and steamboats which tied up to the Water Street docks in front of the store. Shipping was a major business in Apalachicola during the 1800s. At least 130 steamboats were on the Apalachicola River between 1831 and 1928.
A devastating fire on May 25, 1900 destroyed much of downtown Apalachicola including the original Grady Building. Sparked by a kitchen fire three blocks away, the fire ravaged the town, destroying 71 buildings - among them several of the majestic three story cotton warehouses that once lined Water Street.
The present day Grady Building was reconstructed within six months and reopened in November 1900. J.E. Grady & Co. closed in the 1930s, a victim of the Depression and the death of Henry Grady, one of the two brothers that ran the store.
World War II brought the Apalachicola Tent and Awning Co., which manufactured canvas tents to supply the overseas troops. Although the war ended in 1945, the manufacture of canvas supplies continued with the Apalachicola Manufacturing Co. from 1951-1956. Restoration of the Grady Building began in 1995, taking approximately three years.
The Consulate Suites - 76 Water St - Apalachicola, FL 32320
(850) 653-1515 or toll free (877) 239-1159


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To me, an ideal facial scrub is one that thoroughly exfoliates, but in the most gentle way. With HollyBeth's Natural Luxury Grits & Honey Scrub, that's the exact balance you get — it has the perfect grittiness (thanks to the grits :)) with a calming and antibacterial base of sweet honey. This super natural scrub is literally good enough to eat! And don't worry, it's not messy or sticky. Your skin will feel noticeably smoother after just one use.
Other great products by HollyBeth:
Wildflower Dry Oil – so nourishing to the face and neck with a regenerative mix of oils and plant extracts.
Lavender Hand Cream (98% organic) – rich and relaxing with sweet almond oil as the #1 ingredient and of course, lavender.
Happy happy weekend everyone!


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Lippert and the Crimson will take to the court at TCU in search of their second straight win (Gil Talbot).
The Storyline
Coming off its 68-47 win at UMass, the Harvard women's basketball team is set to take on the Texas Christian Horned Frogs Saturday, Jan. 7 at 7:30 p.m. in Fort Worth, Texas. Saturday's matchup will be the second all-time meeting between Harvard and TCU, and will be the Crimson's final non-conference tune-up before Ivy League play begins.
Live video, audio and stats will be available on the Web through GoFrogs.com.
Last Time Out
Brogan Berry registered a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists to move into the Ivy League's all-time top 10 for career assists, as the Crimson cruised to a 68-47 victory over UMass Tuesday night in Amherst, Mass.
Berry's 10 helpers matched her career-high and give her 456 for her career, moving her from 11th to ninth in Ivy League history. The senior added 12 points to register the first double-double of her career, and now stands only nine points shy of moving into Harvard's all-time top 10 with 1,219 career points.
Christine Clark led the Crimson with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while Emma Golen notched 10 points and six rebounds. Harvard made a season-high nine three-pointers and combined to shoot 47.4 percent from the field, while playing smothering defense that limited UMass to 26.6 percent shooting.
Click here to watch highlights from the game.
History in the Making
Brogan Berry currently ranks ninth in Ivy Leauge history and fourth in Harvard history with 456 career assists, and is 11th in school annals with 1,219 points. Berry needs just six helpers to jump into seventh place in the Ancient Eight record books, and is nine points shy of breaking into the school's all-time top 10 for scoring. The sneior is also on pace to join Emily Tay '09 (1,263 pts., 514 ast.) as one of only two student-athletes in program history to score 1,200 points and dish out 500 assists.
Click here to visit the Media Center on GoCrimson.com to access Harvard's most up-to-date career records.
Career Scoring (Harvard)
1. Allison Feaster '98 2,312
10. Sarah Duncan '89 1,228
11. Brogan Berry '12 1,219
Career Assists (Harvard)
1. Jennifer Monti '02 558
3. Jessica Gelman '97 485
4. Brogan Berry '12 456
Career Assists (Ivy)
1. Jennifer Monti '02, Harvard 558
7. Angie Soriaga '06, Dartmouth 462
8. Karen Force '04, Cornell 459
9. Brogan Berry '12, Harvard 456
Career Free-Throw Percentage (Ivy)
1. Angela Soriaga '06, Dartmouth 89.9
6. Brogan Berry '12, Harvard 82.2
The Crimson held UMass to just 47 points on 26.6 percent shooting, both season lows for a Harvard opponent. The last time the Crimson held an opponent to under 50 points was in a 56-48 win at Penn on Feb. 4, 2011. Harvard most recently limited an opponent to under 30.0 percent shooting in a 67-36 win at Cornell Jan. 29, 2011.
Lending a Helping Hand
Harvard recorded a season-high 22 assists on 27 field goals at UMass, marking the first time the Crimson has dished out at least 20 assists since Jan. 9, 2011 when the team notched 25 assists on 30 baskets against NJIT. Five different Crimson were credited with an assist against the Minutewomen, led by Brogan Berry's 10. Berry owns two career 10-assist performances, and is the only active Ivy League student-athlete to have multiple 10-plus assist games.
Harvard's nine three-pointers at UMass marked a season-high and were the most for the team since hitting 14 shots from beyond the arc against NJIT on Jan. 9, 2011. Six different Crimson made at least one three pointer against the Minutewomen, with Victoria Lippert's 3-of-5 performance leading the way. Harvard's three-point percentage of 45.0 (9-20) was also the team's best since shooting 46.7 percent (7-15) from deep against Princeton on Feb. 4, 2011.
Team Effort
10 different Crimson scored against UMass, marking the second time this season at least nine student-athletes have scored in the same game. Harvard had at least nine student-athletes score at least one point 12 times last year, including a 96-63 win over New Hampshire in which 13 Crimson put points on the board.
Doubling Up
Brogan Berry and Emma Golen have each recorded double-doubles this season, with Berry scoring 12 points and dishing out 10 assists at UMass and Golen notching 10 points and 10 rebounds against Boston University. Golen's double-double, the first of the year for the Crimson, was the team's first since Emma Markley's '11 22-point, 11-rebound effort against Brown on Feb. 12, 2011. Miriam Rutzen, meanwhile, matched Golen on the glass with 10 boards against BU, making the two the first pair of Crimson student-athletes to notch at least 10 rebounds in the same game since Jackie Alemany '11 (13 rbs.) and Victoria Lippert (10 rbs.) did so at Cornell on Feb. 19, 2010.
Rollin' Golen
Junior Emma Golen has been on a tear over the last six games, averaging 10.9 ppg and 6.1 rpg while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and 51.9 percent from three. Golen has scored in double-digits six times during this stretch, the only six double-digit performances of her career, and has helped her team to a 5-2 record in the process.
Join the Club
Junior Victoria Lippert has scored 894 career points and needs just 106 more to become the 16th member of Harvard's 1,000 point club. Sophomore Christine Clark, meanwhile, is more than halfway there with 527 points in just 40 career games.
Brogan Berry and Emma Markley '11 both joined the club last year, becoming the second duo in program history to reach the 1,000 point plateau in the same season after Erin Maher '93 and Deb Flandermeyer '93 did so during the 1992-93 campaign. Berry, meanwhile, became just the fifth student-athlete in program history to reach 1,000 points in her junior season.
Nationally Known
Harvard entered the week ranked fifth in the NCAA in free-throw percentage (80.2) and was 34th with a +7.5 rebounding margin. The Crimson also ranked 10th in personal fouls (12.9) and 91st in field-goal percentage (41.0).
Individually, Brogan Berry owned the 38th best assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0) in the land while her 4.5 apg were good for 72nd.
They're on Fire
Harvard currently leads the Ivy League in field-goal percentage and free-throw percentage, connecting on 41.5 percent of its attempts from the floor and 80.3 percent at the line. The Crimson has led the league in free-throw percentage each of the last two seasons while finishing second in field-goal percentage over that same span.
Individually, Brogan Berry and Victoria Lippert are tied for eighth place in the conference in shooting percentage (41.7). Berry, meanwhile, is also third in free-throw percentage (87.5) while Christine Clark ranks fifth (86.3).
From Way Down Town
Emma Golen ranks second in the Ancient Eight in three-point percentage (41.5) while Victoria Lippert ranks fourth (37.1). Lippert's 1.9 three-point field goals per game, meanwhile, are good for second in the conference with Golen's 1.4 makes per game ranking her 10th. The two have combined to shoot 45.9 percent from three over the team's last seven games, with Golen hitting on 14-of-27 attempts and Lippert nailing 14-of-34.
Cleaning the Glass
The Crimson has outrounded its opponents in 11 of 12 games this season, including each of the last nine. Harvard had not outrebounded opponents in nine straight games since the 2006-07 season, when it went 15 straight games with a rebounding advantage. Harvard's 40.2 rpg rank second in the Ivy League while its +7.4 rebounding margin and 32.8 rebounds allowed are good for first.
Individually, Miriam Rutzen ranks sixth in the conference with 6.3 rpg.
Triple Threat
Returning All-Ivy selections Christine Clark, Brogan Berry and Victoria Lippert are each averaging over 10 ppg and are among the Ivy League's leading scorers. Clark has netted 15.8 ppg, which is good for third in the conference, while Berry ranks eighth with 12.3 ppg and Lippert ninth with 11.3 ppg.
Lavietes Love
The Crimson has enjoyed a distinct home-court advantage since the 2008-09 season, posting a 33-7 record at Lavietes Pavilion in that time including three-straight wins in home openers. Harvard is 3-1 at Lavietes this season and is averaging 65.5 ppg.
You Can Count on Clark
Christine Clark has scored in double-digits each game this season and in 15 straight dating back to last year. In 40 career games, Clark has scored at least 10 points 33 times and has been limited to under five points only once.
In the Clutch
Harvard has played several games this season which have been decided down the stretch, and two of the team's leading scorers have stood up to the challenge. Christine Clark is shooting 57.1 percent (4-7) with less than two minutes to play while going 17-of-20 from the line for a total of 25 points. Brogan Berry, meanwhile, has totaled 18 points on 62.5 percent shooting (5-8) while going a perfect 8-of-8 at the charity stripe.
A Tale of Two Halves
Harvard has thrived in the first half of games, averaging 33.8 points on 42.7 percent shooting while allowing 30.0 points on 41.9 percent shooting. In the second half, however, the Crimson is scoring 32.9 points on 40.2 percent shooting while allowing 35.7 points on 41.1 percent shooting. Additionally, Harvard has made 48-of-128 attempts from three before the break but just 21-of-108 after.
BIG Time Win
Harvard's 63-56 win over St. John's on Dec. 22 was the team's first over a BIG EAST opponent in exactly eight years, following a 73-59 win at Providence on Dec. 22, 2003. It was also Harvard's first win over a BIG EAST opponent at Lavietes Pavilion since a 79-76 triumph against Syracuse on Nov. 22, 2002, and its first over a BCS conference school since an 82-81 win over Boston College on Nov. 14, 2009.
Players of the Week
Senior co-captain Brogan Berry was named the Ivy League Player of the Week on Dec. 12 after averaging 15.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 5.3 apg over three games for the Crimson. Berry shot 42.5 percent from the floor for the week and an impressive 87.0 percent at the line. This was the 10th Ivy League weekly award of Berry's career.
Sophomore Christine Clark was named the Ivy League Player of the Week Nov. 28 after averaging 17.5 ppg and 7.0 rpg in a 1-1 campaign. This was the first player of the week award for Clark after having been named rookie of the week three times in 2010-11.
Christine Clark made 29 conseuctive free throws between Nov. 22 and Dec. 10. Clark's streak included a perfect 11-of-11 performance at the line at New Hampshire, making her the first Crimson student-athlete to finish a game with more than 10 attempts and zero misses since Reka Cserny '05 went 12-of-12 vs. Columbia on March 1, 2003. She is shooting 86.3 percent (63-73) at the line this season, good for fifth in the Ivy League, and has made at least seven free throws seven times.
And the Award Goes To...
Emma Golen was named the CollegeSportsMadness.com Ivy League Player of the Week Dec. 5 after posting her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Boston University. Harvard has been recognized twice this season by the Website, as Christine Clark was named player of the week following the Crimson's appearance in the Hawkeye Challenge to open the year.
Player to Watch
Senior co-captain Brogan Berry, who has posted 15.0 ppg and 4.7 apg season, was featured on Graham Hays' list of mid-major players to watch on ESPN.com.
"The 5-8 Ohio native averaged 4.6 assists per game as a junior and ranked ninth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. She's not all pass, holding onto the ball often enough to lead the Crimson by averaging 13.6 points per game and shoot 39 percent from the 3-point line."
Captaining the Ship
Seniors Brogan Berry and Lindsay Louie were chosen by their teammates as captains for the 2011-12 season. Berry is a three-year starter and two-time team MVP, while Louie earned the Harvard Pride Award following the 2009-10 season.
Catch the Crimson in 2011-12
Harvard fans can watch each of the team's 12 home games in 2011-12 live online through GoCrimson.com. A women's basketball pass costs just $59.95 and this year also includes audio broadcasts for the team's games at Providence, New Hampshire and Brown. Click here to sign up today.
Inside Ivy League Basketball
"Inside Ivy League Basketball," an online radio show dedicated to talking basketball in the Ancient Eight, launched Thursday, Nov. 10 on BlogTalkRadio.com. "Inside Ivy League Basketball" takes an in-depth look at all the news and notes surrounding Ivy men's and women's basketball on and off the courts. Click here to listen now.


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IMCI in-service training
Set of training modules, facilitator's guides and course director's guide
The set of seven training modules describe in details IMCI case management guidelines, include written exercises and provide necessary forms and instructions for group discussions, video demonstrations, and role plays.
The set is used in the generic 11 day course that combines classroom work with hands-on clinical experience. Under the guidance of course facilitators and a skilled clinical instructor, participants work in small groups (6-8 participants with 2 facilitators in a group). Each participant attends 10 clinical sessions, seeing 30 to 50 sick children in an outpatient clinic or inpatient ward. Clinical sessions allow participants to practise assessment, classification, treatment and counselling skills using the IMCI case management guidelines. Several clinical sessions, and practice with hospitalized children presenting signs of severe disease, help participants to learn the accurate assessment of all clinical signs covered by the course, including even the uncommon signs, which indicate a need for urgent referral.
The guidelines for facilitation of classroom work contain instructions on working with the set of seven training modules, including written exercises, individual feedback, group discussions, drills, presentations, demonstrations, short answer exercises, and role plays. Several exercises cover the identification of clinical signs using a booklet of photographs and a video, which demonstrates the assessment of sick children and presents several case studies.
The case management course materials need adaptation according to the national IMCI guidelines. The IMCI Adaptation Guide is provided for adapting these training materials to the country context.


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Mega Maldives sparkles with the launch of direct flights from Korea
MEGA Maldives Airlines, the international airline of the Republic of Maldives, has today successfully launched a direct route to the Maldives from Incheon Korea. Carrying 158 passengers, the flight landed at a specially arranged time at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) at 9 am, where the airport was in a festive mood in anticipation for this historical direct flight from Korea by a Maldivian airline.
The aircraft was greeted by a water cannon salute arranged specially for the occasion by GMR and Fire and Rescue Services of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport along with celebrations of traditional Maldivian "boduberu". A welcoming committee greeted the passengers as they exited the aircraft. Many passengers stopped to take pictures with the members of the committee, and in front of the aircraft.
MEGA Maldives Airlines currently flies to Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai and have now introduced Seoul, Korea as its fourth and newest market. All four of the airlines' routes are to markets with fast growing demand, but that previously had no direct flights. This is a reflection of MEGA Maldives Airlines' commitment to developing new markets and the overall growth of tourism in the Maldives.
Today's event was concluded by a joint press briefing by MEGA Maldives Airlines, MMPRC, GMR and was chaired by Minister of Transport and Communication, Adil Saleem, who reiterated the government's support for development of Maldivian Aviation. The Minister also used the opportunity to support the Civil Aviation Bill currently in the parliament, which is important to allow the country's aviation industry to grow in line with the market and the pressures on the regulator.
George Weinmann, CEO of MEGA Maldives Airlines said: "Korea is a natural extension of our Asian services and is reflective of the Asian growth in the Maldivian market. Korea is a great launching point for further operations in North East Asia including Japan and beyond. When MEGA Maldives Airlines enters a new market, we are not just advertising our flights, but the entire idea, the very feasibility and attractiveness of travel to the Maldives. Our slogan is "MEGA Maldives: Paradise In Reach..." Aside from the economic contribution we make to the Maldivian aviation industry and the economy as a whole, the de facto role an international airline plays as a marketing platform is one major reason why many governments around the world pay great attention to their hometown airline development. When we open up a new market it dramatically increases the media coverage and market awareness of the Maldives as a destination. Not to mention the convenience provided by a direct flight on a good schedule."
Mr. Weinmann further went on to add, "Korea has tremendous potential. It is one of the strongest economies in Asia and people there enjoy outbound travel a great deal. There are dozens of flights per week between Korea and Thailand and up to 5 flights per day between Korea and Hawaii. An interesting fact is that Hawaii is the same distance from Korea as the Maldives is from Korea - the overall holiday vacation price point is very similar. It will take time to develop the Korean market, but with proper cultivation by all parties, we believe Maldives can attract a substantially larger share of Korean traffic in the future."
Korea as an up and coming market to the Maldives, with Korean arrivals jumping from 16,000 to 24,000, from 2009 to 2010. That is a 54% increase in a single year. "We look forward to cooperating with our colleagues in Ministry of Transport and Communication, CAD, MMPRC, Tourism Ministry, MATI, MATATO, GMR and, of course, our Korean partners and agencies to develop this new opportunity" Weinmann said.
MEGA Maldives Airlines schedule, which offers an attractive early morning arrival and evening departure, has been carefully designed to offer travellers maximum leisure time at the sunny side of life. In fact, Korean travellers can take advantage of our overnight flights in both directions, offering them a full extra day in the Maldives.
Korea will be the first of a set of new routes MEGA Maldives will be expanding this fall and winter. The airline expects to add up to 5 additional new cities, bringing our total network up to 10 cities by year end. Mega Maldives Airlines is also in the process of bringing two additional wide body aircrafts into our fleet.
MEGA Maldives Airlines will operate a scheduled return service from Incheon (Seoul), Korea to Male', Maldives every 5 days using a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft , configured with 12 Business Class seats, 42 Premium Economy seats and 196 Economy Class seats in three sections. Departures from Incheon are late Saturday night (actually Sunday morning) at 00:05, arriving the same day at 5:20 AM and return flights from Male' are on Thursday evenings at 20:00, arriving the next morning at 8:50 AM.
As we expand our wings across new destinations, MEGA Maldives Airlines is proud to contribute to the development of the local aviation industry. As a Maldivian company, GMR operated Ibrahim Nasir International airport will be the heart of Mega Maldives Airlines' growing network.
For more information or to book a flight, explore cargo, trade and employment opportunities, visit http://www.megamaldivesair.com/ or contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com
Media Contacts:
Ali Faiz,
Marketing Director,
Mobile: +960-777-6422,
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Muzaffar Naeem,
Communications Officer,
Mobile: +960-754-1525,
Email: email@example.com
Mega Maldives Airlines
Office: +960-300-6670
Korea office address;
Unit B-1106 Woorim Blue9 B/D. #240-21,
Yeomchang-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, Korea
Tel; +82-70-7585-7311
Fax; +82-2-2658-3517
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Homepage: www.mgair.co.kr


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Annas and Emily
Last night at the Costume Designer's Guild Awards, Anna Paquin and Emily Blunt showed up dressed for cocktail. Look at those legs on Paquin. Sex.
This wasn't a major event like a premiere or a Golden Globe style awards show. There was a standard step and repeat carpet, no live cameras, nothing super high profile. So Paquin and Blunt chose appropriately. They are more seasoned than Anna Kendrick.
Because Anna Kendrick came with a train. Anna Kendrick pulled a Kate Beckinsale. Or, more likely, her stylist urged her to pull a Kate Beckinsale. Major overdress. Beckinsale blows her load early because she doesn't get an invitation to the big shows. Kendrick however is a nominee. She is headed for the Kodak in a week. She has something to build towards...
But last night it was like it was her final opportunity. In a delicate white Elie Saab. WITH A TRAIN. Shame. And it's not her fault, of course not. Throughout this awards season the selections have been suspect. Someone is doing her a disservice. Anna K deserves better. I'm just saying a Best Supporting Actress contender should merit some proper sartorial management.
Photos from Wenn.com and AXELLE/Bauergriffinonline.com


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WASHINGTON (AP) - Emails between Sen. Robert Menendez's office and the Homeland Security Department describe efforts by the New Jersey Democrat in January to thwart any U.S. donations of cargo-screening equipment to the government of the Dominican Republic. Donated equipment could have jeopardized a Dominican port security contract benefiting a close Menendez associate and fundraiser.
The emails came six months after Menendez raised concerns about the Dominican government's port security in a Senate hearing with senior officials from the State and Commerce departments. In the hearing and emails, Menendez and his staff did not name the private firm. But a company run by Dr. Salomon Melgen, Menendez's biggest donor, has pushed to secure a lucrative port security contract with the Dominican government.
The emails were disclosed Monday by the New York Times.