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The AIG Story
Publisher's Summary
A legendary CEO tells the inside story of building the world's largest insurance company—and the dramatic tale of its near-destruction after he left in early 2005, as successors transformed AIG and drove it to the center of the financial crisis of 2008.
In 1962, Maurice Greenberg was handed leadership of a small, failing insurance company. By 2004, American International Group (AIG) had become the world's eighteenth largest company. Then the financial crisis hit and "Hank" Greenberg's magnificent creation teetered on the brink. You've read other accounts of AIG. Now read the inside story.
In The AIG Story, Maurice Greenberg enlists Lawrence Cunningham to help chronicle the origins of the company and its relentless pioneering of open markets everywhere in the world. They regale readers with riveting vignettes of how AIG grew from a modest group of insurance enterprises in 1970 to the largest insurance company in world history. They help us understand AIG's distinctive entrepreneurial culture and how its outstanding employees worldwide helped pave the road to globalization.
A unique inside account of AIG by one of the iconic business leaders of the twentieth century who developed close relationships with many of the most important world leaders of the period and helped to open markets everywhere.
Offers new critical perspective on battles with N. Y. Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and the 2008 U.S. government seizure of AIG amid the financial crisis.
Enriched by the craftsmanship, research and extensive interviews of other players by corporate governance expert, law professor, and writer Lawrence Cunningham.
Shares considerable information not previously made public.
The AIG Story captures an impressive saga in business history—one of innovation, vision and leadership at a company that was nearly destroyed with a few strokes of governmental pens. The AIG Story is really Hank Greenberg's story, told from the very heart of events and carrying important lessons and implications for the U.S., especially its role in international affairs, its approach to business, its legal system and its handling of financial crises.
What members say
- Tim
- 27-10-13
Business with a Handshake
AIG is the thousand pound gorilla in insurance. I always wanted to know more about the insurance company. I know that they do a lot more other than insurance, but I don't have a MBA to fully understand all of the terms. It was most interesting to listen to "The AIG Story" from Mr. Greenberg's point of view and how he formed the group and hired his employee with a handshake, and the drama of getting him outcasted in his own firm. I've read my fair amount on finance, but "The AIG Story" is sub par among them all.
1 person found this helpful
- Philo
- 19-10-13
You might not agree with Mr. Greenberg ...
... on everything, but if you want to see, blow by blow, how a business and insurance genius built a world-beating company, have a look. This man's success is not hard to understand, in this light. There are several books out (on audible as well) on aspects of this topic, but nobody has told Mr. Greenberg's story, anything like this. It is filled with action, conversations, confrontations, all the dynamics on the way up. The way things unfolded for AIG in recent times was very unfortunate, and I'm not going to get into one side or another of the blame game. Whatever your conclusions may be about it, this is time well spent for anyone following the story, or aspiring to climb in the corporate world, or just for the avid business history fan. And I love that this book delves into the insurance themes, substantially (if lightly enough to keep moving). Many authors seem to think they can tell the AIG story (and perhaps sell books) as some sort of catchy human-drama-and-hubris story while omitting that. It is important to see what products Mr. Greenberg was innovating and selling, as a part of the description, to really get the story.
3 people found this helpful
- Dale Walker
- 05-08-13
Finally--the Other Side of the Picture
I have just finished reading both Hank Greenberg's The AIG Story, and Ron Shelp's Fallen Giant. Both books are required reading for anyone who has an open mind, wants to see both sides of a very troublesome and costly period in the economic history of the US. Most accounts in the press over the years since the resignation of Hank Greenberg as CEO of AIG in 2005, focus on alleged wrongdoings of Greenberg and of AIG after he left. The economic crisis beginning in 2007, arguably triggered by the government and the FED attempting to boost economic growth by driving interest rates down and thus stimulating home purchases and home building to "bubble" proportions, ultimately brought AIG almost to ruin. After Greenberg left, it turns out, the Financial Products (FP) unit was allowed to loosen its underwriting criteria and size limits, foregoing hedging in many cases, and participated in credit derivative swaps involving securitized tranches of sub-prime mortgages, which were the instruments first and of greatest proportion to fail. The creation of such instruments was not AIG's role—that was Goldman Sachs and other investment bankers, but AIG did back them financially.
I had the privilege of working as a profit center manager at AIG between 1995 and 1999. I had a good deal of contact with Hank Greenberg, because I managed a new venture and he had the uncanny ability to understand and be deeply involved in dozens of businesses, including mine. While I did experience his wrath at times, I left with great respect for this amazing executive—37 years at the helm of a business which grew to be the largest insurance company in the world, combining a demand for performance, along with an almost forgotten loyalty to old timers, whether they be elevator operators or executives. Many officers and employees deserve credit, as he often points out, but none remotely as much as he does.
So, I hope many will read these two books and understand that what happened was tragic. I join the few who feel certain the problems of 2007 and beyond would not have developed if he had not been ousted, and that his ouster was entirely inappropriate—a political campaign by an overzealous public officer (Eliot Spitzer) who, along with others later, cost the shareholders and the American public a very great deal. I feel confident that if any of our top 100 financial services companies had a zealous independent audit of the last 10 years of books, they would certainly find a number of "foot faults" of equal or greater impact than the small ones which were used to push Greenberg out. And, I believe we had alternatives in the resolution of the FP portfolio risks developed after his resignation, that cozy government relationships with investment banks like Goldman Sachs precluded—and this cost shareholders inappropriately.
This is a story, largely, of our government at fault.
2 people found this helpful
- R. Winchester
- 16-11-19
I'm (not) sorry, you can't write in the 3rd person and try to show it as an autobiography. It's hard to "believe" the story when it's got a pompous vibe. There are many truths in this book but the reality of what this company did can not be explained away by blaming everyone else
- Max Libman
- 15-12-16
Propaganda at its best
While interesting this is too one sided to be taken seriously. As an Aig employee I threw up in my mouth a few times while listening to this crap
- john t g rogers
- 10-08-16
Performance makes the book almost unlistenable
As said in the title, the over-the-top performance makes this book almost unlistenable and seriously detracts from the story.
- Steve
- 29-08-14
Worth Reading
Any additional comments?
Even though this book is Hank Greenberg's highly biased version of his successes (all his endeavors were successful in this book) and endeavors (in which he was somehow always right and prescient), it is worth reading to get his side of the story and an insight into his organized, methodical, analytical, egotistical and assertive mindset. In spite of the bias, I do believe Greenberg was a remarkable CEO and AIG would not have imploded if he had not been unjustly kicked out.
Unfortunately, the narration was very poor, with the narrator speaking in a sing-song voice and emphasizing the oddest words in the sentence. HIs voice imitations were sometimes LOL funny they were so ridiculous.
1 person found this helpful
- Norman Minh Tran
- 26-11-13
Dry and Boring
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
It needs what it takes to be such biography of Jack Welch, Ted Turner and Ed Whitacre
I would by any auto-biography i see but so far this is one of the worst.
1 person found this helpful
- frequent buyer
- 08-01-15
Great story of entrepreneurship and political risk
Great two part read.
One chronicles the masterwork of a true visionary building scores of incredible businesses the world over.
The second documents his being targeted by a corrupt ambitious politician, removed and the destruction and government looting of the company he built.
- bonde
- 20-03-18
good book
I was hoping for more on the economics of the insurance business but Maurice Greenberg's career story was still very educational
1 person found this helpful
- Ollie
- 04-02-17
Strange narration style
I can't comment on the story but I couldn't listen to more than 5 minutes because of the narration. The narrator has a really strange style where he emphasizes every word, which makes it very difficult to listen to. Maybe you'll be OK, but make sure to listen to a sample before you buy.


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TESTING 1-2-3: What if the bizarre rap song you wrote for your boyfriend wound up worldwide?
By Gabe Meline
Why Is My Sister Such a Dumbass?" is the most compelling 46-second sound recording since the turn of the century, and yet its creator, an adolescent boy, is nowhere to be found. It's safe to assume he never intended a beautifully meandering ramble about his sister's underwear, her "lesbian school" and her "awkwardness in a world that is undescribable" to be heard by anyone but himself. But through a phenomenon known as "mic in tracks," his stream-of-consciousness diatribe has been heard, and loved, by thousands.
Mic in tracks represent a unique time, 1999 to 2002, when many new PCs came packaged with software called MusicMatch Jukebox, allowing a user to record into the built-in microphone on the computer's sound card. If that person forgot to name the file, as many did, it was saved under the default name "mic in track," followed by a number. But if that person also happened to share his entire audio hard drive through widespread file-sharing programs like Napster, that small mp3 made in the privacy of one's own room went out for the whole world to hear.
Naturally, in 2001, most Napster users were too busy downloading Eminem songs to care about anything labeled "Mic_in_track_033." But to a select group of enthusiasts, including Cal Poly physics lecturer David Dixon, mic in tracks represented an incredible treasure trove of found art, a readymade curation of audio vérité both fascinating and funny. Dixon began rabidly hunting down mic in track files on file-sharing sites, and each one, he says from his home in San Luis Obispo, was like a little Christmas presents.
"Once I started collecting them, I just couldn't stop," he says. "You have no idea what to expect when you download the file and start listening to it. Most of the time, it's nothing, it's literally nothing. Sometimes it's just people taping things off the radio. But every once in a while, you hear something like what I have on the site."
The tracks Dixon has collected are unbelievable (www.stark-effect.com). A barbershop quartet sings a doo-wop version of Juvenile's "Back That Ass Up." A child bangs kitchen utensils against a mixing bowl and defends Willie Nelson to the tune of the Police's "Every Breath You Take." Two girls try to hold it together singing a Christian pop song while a barking dog keeps interrupting.
"Hi, this is Miriam Halstead talking," announces a depressed-sounding teenage girl. "I like bunny rabbits. I like Satan. I like cheese and milk."
"Some of them are just really sweet, little slices of life," Dixon says. "It's like you're peeking in through someone's window." But it's more than voyeurism that makes Dixon's finds so compelling; they present an actual psychological projection, as every track drips with empathy, placing the listener right there in front of the creator's computer, to imagine all sorts of context. What happened, for example, to the relationship so poignantly eulogized in "I Love You Holly"? What compelled Casey and Liz to laugh uncontrollably while dedicating a Backstreet Boys song to Steve? Why are kids so into Insane Clown Posse?
Dixon, who once recorded plays he wrote with his friends on a reel-to-reel recorder growing up in Waukesha, Wis., was sufficiently fascinated, and started recording songs based on mic in track samples under his studio name, Stark Effect. Some followed themes, such as the "kids screwing around" genre of "Stop! I'm Watching TV!" while others, like "That Darn Bovine," sampled key phrases matched up to drumbeats, à la Steve Reich's Different Trains. After they became hits on a fan forum for experimental sampling group Negativland, Dixon continued with his wealth of source material (he's got a full GB of mic in tracks on his home computer) and made an album, Mic In Track, available for free download on his site, along with 87 original mic in tracks.
"I have been criticized online in a few places for invading people's privacy by putting these things up," he says. "And I admit that I kinda am. But some of these things just need to be shared. It is a little bit troubling sometimes, especially with stuff like '14,'" referring to a vile harangue that Dixon says he was hesitant to put up online before deciding that people needed to hear how ruthless and cruel kids can be, "but I think the goods outweigh the evils in this case."
Dixon has never found any of the creators of his mic in tracks, nor have any wannabe rappers or off-key singers come forward to claim their glory. They remain, like the boy behind "Why Is My Sister Such a Dumbass?," an accidental celebrity, a nameless cross-section of American life. Is his sister really a dumbass? We'll probably never know.
David Dixon's Mic In Track project can be found at www.stark-effect.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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|Institution Type:
|Campus Setting:
|Southeast Large suburb
|Highest Degree Offered:
|Associate's degree
|Level of Institution:
|At least 2 but less than 4 years
I find Nunez Community College to be a great school. The staff is very friendly. Most try to reach all students regardless of what level they may be on when…
To say this is a community college, there are things you can get involved in. It is usually posted around campus. There are lectures and small festivals to enjoy. I mostly enjoy that there are always a decent amount of parking spots available (lol), unlike another campus I know.Read More


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Compact body with thin bill. Breeding adults have long yellow tuft behind red eye, black cheek, and rusty body. In winter, they are gray overall with a black cap and contrasting white cheek. Red eye visible at close range. Breeds on marshy ponds; often seen on large lakes and open ocean, far away from the shoreline and away from vegetation during winter and migration.
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The perils of live sideline reporting are such that even if you catch yourself calling a coach named Butch a bitch (as in, Jones of Cincinnati), a lot of people notice. And giggle. And take video of it and send it in to websites that may or may not post a six-second snippet of said slip.
Anyway, good recovery, Jenn.
Cincinnati pounding the Wolfpack, 24-7 at the half [News&Observer] (H/T Tre)


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Is there a reason why all the rovio downloads are gone? Are there legal reasons why they were taken down? I'm not finding the post that says "gone due to crash" or "we no longer host files" anywhere. If someone has all the files and would like to send them to me I will host for a short while. I've also been seaching here and there and now have the following files:
setup.zip (roviodirect)
Rovio_Recorder 1-2.1.zip
Rovio Manual
and a few others. Some I have working and others seem buggy or do not run. Rovio Installer 2.3 works, WebSee (activex control) locks up Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP - going to try in Vista and 7 soon. Ordered some batteries to try replacing the existing ones. Very inxpensive. $8 for 6 Sub-C 2700mAh Nimh - could be good, could be bad - will know after they arrive. The existing battery charges to 6volts and dies about 2-3 minutes off the base. I'll post a link if they work.
Thanks in advance


text: Hello Community, i want to extend my ispconfig 3 control panel, so that my customers can easily register a domain throught ispconfig. Firstly I want to check is the domain is already in use or not, but how do i accomplish this, since the ispconfig modules are made to insert and get information into the ispconfig database. My problem is not how to check if the domain is in use or not, but my problem is how to integrate this into ispconfig thanks, Germinator


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List of all current ISO statistical operations whose criteria are:
8 found results
Important information about cookies
This website uses its own and third party cookies in order to provide a better service. These cookies are not used to collect personal information. If you continue browsing you are considered to accept their use.


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Printing Instructions
Please follow these steps to ensure that your printer is ready.
Coupon print attempts are limited to two per person.
1) Check that your printer is powered on.
2) Check that your printer loaded with paper and ink.
NOTE: Coupon will print in color unless you change the setting to black and white before printing.


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Have you heard of the Sweat Shop Cafe?? I bet you have! Have you seen their book?? Oh so full of great ideas!
We have got a copy and will let you know more about it, but in the mean time we want to share two things from the lovely people at the Sweat Shop Cafe… what is that I hear you asking??? It's a sewing pattern and a cake recipe my dear friends.
These two things will set you up for Mother's day, what better a present than a handmade bag and a homemade cake?!?!?! They are all yours with the magic of a click thanks to the Sweat Shop Cafe (Please click here: Sissi's Chocolate Cake and Tote Bag Pattern)


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If you're a fan of exotic cars and have about $400,000 to blow on your next one, odds are the 2010 Lamborghini Murciélago will be on your short list. By the way, we'd also like to be your new best friend. As the flagship of one of the most outrageous car manufacturers in history, the Murciélago is as over-the-top a ride as you'll find today.
Even though the Murciélago is getting on in years — it's been around for almost a decade — its futuristic design and obscenely high performance capabilities have kept its aspirational aura fresh. Improvements over the years have also helped to keep its youthful vigor intact and this year, the Murciélago calls in the reinforcements with the introduction of two new special-edition models.
For 2010, Lamborghini rolled out a higher-performing Murciélago, dubbed the LP670-4 SuperVeloce ("LP" for longitudinale posteriore, which refers to the longitudinally mounted rear/midengine; "670" for the metric horsepower output; "4" to denote its all-wheel-drive layout and "SuperVeloce" translates to SuperFast). In the U.S., the power output figure is adjusted to 661 horsepower, which is about 30 hp more than the standard LP640. The LP670-4 is also about 200 pounds lighter thanks to numerous weight-saving elements.
Also new this year is the Murciélago LP650-4 Roadster, which makes only 9 hp more than the LP640. Like the SuperVeloce, the new LP650-4 makes only modest gains in terms of performance and minor cosmetic changes. These special-edition Lambos are really an opportunity for well-heeled buyers to play an expensive game of one-upsmanship. The Roadster will be limited to only 50 examples, while the SuperVeloce will have a run of 350 cars.
If you're lucky enough to have the wherewithal to actually afford a 2010 Lamborghini Murciélago, you'll likely be the center of attention in any setting. Outside of a priceless vintage car, the only other vehicle capable of upstaging the Murciélago would be the $1.7 million Bugatti Veyron. Other noteworthy alternatives within the Lamborghini's price range include the Ferrari 599 and Bentley Continental Supersports. Whichever choice you go with, your new pals at Edmunds will be waiting for your call.
Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2010 Lamborghini Murciélago is an exotic supercar that is available in two-seat coupe and convertible roadster body styles. The Murciélago LP640 represents the standard model and the LP670-4 SuperVeloce and LP650-4 Roadster are new limited-edition versions for 2010. Roadster models feature a soft-cloth targa-style roof.
Standard LP640 features include 18-inch wheels with 245/35ZR18 performance tires in front and 335/30ZR18s in back, an adjustable suspension that can raise the front to prevent curb or parking-block scraping, xenon headlights, power-folding exterior mirrors, automatically actuated side air intakes and rear spoiler, a tilt-and-telescoping steering column, leather upholstery and interior trim, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, automatic climate control and a CD/DVD/MP3 stereo.
Optional upgrades are extensive and expensive. They include carbon-ceramic brakes, a Kenwood touchscreen navigation system, iPod integration, a rearview camera, carbon-fiber or titanium trim packages and a glass engine cover. Should you want to give the car your own look, Lamborghini's Ad Personam program allows innumerable ways to customize the interior and exterior via unique colors and accent materials.
The over-the-top Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce gets a more powerful engine along with matte-black paint accents, slightly revised body elements, a transparent engine cover, the choice of a larger fixed rear wing and carbon-fiber and Alcantara interior trim. A stereo is not included, but is available as an option. The exclusive LP650-4 Roadster features a gray and orange paint scheme, a transparent engine cover, orange-painted brake calipers and a special Alcantara driver seat.
Powertrains and Performance
The 2010 Murciélago LP640 is powered by a 6.5-liter V12 that produces 631 hp and 487 pound-feet of torque. The LP650-4 Roadster receives a slight bump to 640 hp, while the LP670-4 SV's output is increased to 661 hp. All-wheel drive is standard, as are front, center and rear limited-slip differentials. A six-speed manual transmission with a gated metal shifter is standard, while the paddle-shifted "e-gear" automated-clutch manual is optional. The SuperVeloce comes standard with the e-gear transmission with a no-cost option to substitute the manual gearbox.
According to Lamborghini, the Murciélago LP640 accelerates up to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a spine-bending 3.4 seconds, with a top speed of 211 mph. The SuperVeloce is expected to accelerate a few tenths of a second quicker and tops out at 209 mph. Fuel mileage with the manual transmission is 8 mpg city/13 mpg highway and 10 mpg combined, while the e-gear transmission is estimated at 9/14/11 mpg — not that you'd really care, but it's nice to know, should someone ask.
The 2010 Lamborghini Murciélago comes with AWD, traction control and massive ventilated antilock brakes with six-piston brake calipers. The roadsters also come with automatically deploying rollover bars. Carbon-ceramic brakes are optional on the LP640 and LP650-4 and standard on the SuperVeloce, but neither side airbags nor stability control is available.
Interior Design and Special Features
With its trademark scissor doors and wedgelike exterior, the 2010 Murciélago won't be mistaken for anything other than a Lamborghini. However, parent company Audi's influence is obvious inside the cabin, with plenty of properly fitting leather and soft-touch materials. Unlike with its entry-level Gallardo stablemate, however, the stereo and climate controls are not borrowed from Audi, and look a little strange and out of place as a result.
The roomy cockpit features comfortable seating that, unlike with past Lambos, won't leave you looking for painkillers after a day's drive. Though not as flamboyant as the exterior, the interior styling is still befitting a vehicle that commands such a high price of admission. The roadster's convertible roof is more aptly described as a toupee perched atop the cockpit. The top is also difficult to put on, and due to its tenuous nature, Lamborghini warns that it not be used above 100 mph — which can be achieved in 2nd gear.
Driving Impressions
At a super-sized width of 81 inches, the 2010 Lamborghini Murciélago can be unwieldy around town and in parking lots. But then again, practicality ranks fairly low on its list of priorities. What is important, after all, is performance and thanks to prodigious power output and AWD, full-throttle acceleration is otherworldly, with a soundtrack to match.
Around corners, the Murciélago hardly feels like a precision instrument because of its girth, but it's capable nonetheless, with a flat cornering attitude. It should be noted, however, that the limits for this car are fairly high and not for the inexperienced to explore. Push it hard in the corners and the Murciélago will grip and grip and grip some more — but once you finally reach the limits of adhesion and the car slides, it's nearly impossible to recover.


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Electrifying Nervous System
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text: Enter Title All FieldsTitleAuthorKeyword in Author HeadingsSubjectKeyword in Subject HeadingsSeries TitleISBN Library Resources Montana Resources State Network Users In-Library Use The mission of the State Law Library is to provide access to legal information consistent with the research needs of Montana's judges and court personnel, members of the State Bar of Montana, state officers and employees, and members of the general public. We strive to provide legal information at the time and in the format requested. The library selects and maintains resources consistent with this mission. We develop and promote a quality program of resource sharing and alternative access in order to serve the needs of local and distant users and to support the cooperative efforts of libraries in general. State Law Library Staff 2016


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Press Release:
Anime Midwest Announces Comic Book Guests
Rosemont, IL – October 16, 2012 – Anime Midwest, a three-day two-night anime convention in Chicago, is happy to announce several comic book guests will be appearing at the 2013 convention. Russell Lissau, Alan Evans, Trevor Mueller, and Steve Horton will be appearing at the 2013 anime and comic convention.
By day, Russell Lissau is known as a mild-mannered newspaper reporter in suburban Chicago. By night, he battles against evil by writing comic books including THE BATMAN STRIKES!, THE 29 and SHREK. He broke into comics in 2005 with the lead story in BATMAN ALLIES SECRET FILES AND ORIGINS. (A lifelong Batman fan who dressed up as the Caped Crusader as a child, he can't believe his luck.) Never one to shy away from a crowd, Lissau also leads workshops at libraries throughout the Chicago area about writing comics.
Alan Evans is the artist and creator of the #1 wrestling webcomic, Rival Angels. Rival Angels, started in 2007, has become a hit with critics, fans and professionals having been nominated for such awards as Best Comic, Best Long Form and Best Character. In addition, he's done spot illustration work for several wrestling companies and flatting work for The Dreamer, DC, Hi-Fi Color Design, Digital Webbing and many other independent studios. He loves drawing backgrounds, likes riding his bike and is also a fan of characters with the name, "Alan." Visit Alan online to check out his latest work, including Rival Angels at RivalAngels.com.
Trevor Mueller works at an advertising agency by day and writes comics by night. He is the writer/artist/creator of several popular webcomic series including the fantasy epic THE TEMPLE OF A THOUSAND TEARS and the teen-rated gag strip @$$HOLE!, both of which are self-published and have been nominated for several web comic awards. In addition to self-published web comics, Trevor has also written and self-published several other works including the all-ages stories ALBERT THE ALIEN and JUNKYARD CHASE. His web comic work can be found on his website, www.trevoramueller.com, along with his near-daily updates of movie, video game, and comic reviews. Trevor resides in the city of Chicago, with his cat Waffles.
Steve Horton is a two-time Harvey-nominated writer of comics: Amala's Blade for DARK HORSE PRESENTS, soon to be a miniseries in 2013, One Giant Step for READING WITH PICTURES, Bizarro for SUPERMAN 80-PAGE GIANT and Captain Marvel for DC HOLIDAY SPECIAL.
All of Anime Midwest's comic convention guests will be participating in autograph signings and panels throughout the weekend. The complete guest list can be found at http://animemidwest.com/guests
Anime Midwest will be held July 5-7, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois. Attendees can register for only $30 in advance online athttp://animemidwest.com/
Rooms for the convention at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare Chicago are only $99 per night, and can be booked at http://animemidwest.com/


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Carseat Adapter - Double Viking LEFT (Britax BABY-SAFE plus SHR II)
Delivery: 2020.02.28
About this productEmmaljunga safety tests all prams in accordance with EN 1888:2012 and EN 1466:2014.
Emmaljunga also has its own test facilities where product life testing are carried out in a laboratory environment, enabling us to continually improve the durability of our products.
EnvironmentWe strongly believe that it is important to move towards a healthy and sustainable way of living.
Investing in green methods has made the heating of our factory completely fossil-free. We have our own recycling program and are environmentally certified according to ISO14001.
All materials are continuously tested by accredited laboratories to ensure that they meet the strictest EU environmental standards (REACH) and making it safer for you and your child.
choose color


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Beckwood to Supply a Deep-Draw Press to OCC
Orange County Choppers (OCC) will soon install, at its new production facility scheduled to open in February 2008 in Newburgh, NY, a new hydraulic deep-draw press supplied by Beckwood Press Co., St. Louis, MO. The press will be used to form motorcycle tanks, fenders and other parts currently outsourced by OCC.
Paul Teutul, Sr., founder of OCC, selected Beckwood to provide the latest in hydraulic press technology, integrated with components from suppliers including Rockwell Automation and Parker Hannifin. The four-post press will be designed to deliver flexibility and precision through a four-axis active leveling system for parallelism control during off-center loading.
It also will be equipped with a variable-frequency drive to optimize energy efficiency, and a dynamic-bed cushion to provide control through four travel zones.
See also: Beckwood Press Company
Related Enterprise Zones: Presses


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Product Variations
Availability: This item currently unavailable
Technical specifications
Item No: MR3738a-cto
Product Details
ICE XP fabric reflects UV rays to help manage heat absorption and reduce surface skin temperature. Anatomically built, this ICE-X Short Sleeve Top provides superior moisture management with high level antibacterial protection while the reflective trims ensure enhanced visibility.
Delivery & returns
Estimated Shipping Time is 2-4 business days within the UK and up to 8 business days across Europe.
Upon dispatch you will receive an email confirmation containing the Tracking details and estimated time of delivery of your order.
Garments can be returned or exchanged within 30 days of purchase, provided the garment is in sellable condition.
Click here to organise an exchange or return of an online purchase.
DPD Next Day Orders must be received by 3.30pm Monday 23rd December
DPD Saturday Delivery Orders must be received by 3.30pm Friday 20th December
Royal Mail Standard Delivery Orders must be received by 3.30pm Friday 20th December
Europe Orders must be received by 3.30pm Monday 16th December
Care instructions
To best care for 2XU garments:
- Machine wash in cold water with like colours.
- Do NOT Tumble dry.
- Hang to dry in a cool shady area away from sun.
- Do not use bleach, fabric softeners or dryer sheets.
- Do not iron.
For wetsuit care instructions: Click Here
Garment Features
- ICE XP fabric with Xylitol and IR blocking to inhibit penetration of UV rays to lower skin temperature by up to 3ºC / 5.4ºF.
- Minimal cling, zero chafe.
- Superior moisture management to keep you dry.
- Antibacterial to reduce odor.
- Reflective trims for enhanced visibility.
- Performance enhancing fit for unrestricted movement.


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Title of the print: La Perruche Ara, a bandeau rouge
Author: François Levaillant ( 1753-1824)
Francois Levaillant was a naturalist, the son of the French consul to Dutch Guyana. Intrepid traveller, pioneering naturalist and famous author – François Levaillant was a celebrity in his own lifetime. His sumptuous bird books, highly sought after collectors' items, were published in a golden age of French natural history book production. Art in Limted Editions bv is fortunate to have access to the original hand-colored prints. The plates are reproduced to the highest standards at actual size of the originals, on acid-free paper. The prints are of exceptional beauty and quality, and are a rare opportunity to obtain reproductions of Levaillant plates at an affordable price. Whilst the prints, if framed, would enhance any setting, they would be particularly appropriate for corporate projects.
Prints Artist: Jacques Barraband (1767-1809)
Barraband is considered the foremost ornithological artist in nineteenth-century France , admired for his ability to bring his subjects to life through conveying the texture of the feathers and the vivid coloration of the birds. Barraband was well-known for his work as an artist long before he came to work for famed French naturalist Francois Levaillant. From 1801-1805, these men collaborated on the world¹s best-known natural history work about parrots, Histoire Naturelle des Perroquets.
Jacques Barraband's rendering skills are unparalleled. His prints of birds remain among the most lifelike in natural history art. His luminously colored engravings, combined with Levaillant¹s exact ornithological depictions represent a high point in the history of ornithological art. In his work, the birds seem to glow on the paper, giving off an inner vitality that comes from a brilliant use of color, a near-perfect rendering of feathers, and a breathtaking mastery of the printing process. Barraband collaborated with Louis Bouquet and Langlois to create the engravings. The plates were then inked à la poupée (several of the same plates were inked with different colors carefully applied one over the other, as in modern color printing) then pulled from the press. Tonalities and shading were then added by hand.
Paper size: 51.5 x 33.5 cm / 20.3 x 13.2 inches, exactly as the original print.
Plate size: Exactly as the original plate.
Edition: The edition will be limited to 50 prints, numbered 1/50 to 50/50, signed and stamped with a blind embossing.
Source of the original : This Heritage Facsimile Edition print is made from an extremely well-preserved early museum original subscription which has been cared for in the hands of this one owner only – Teylers Museum (the oldest museum of the Netherlands).
Museum Quality: The proofs of our prints are carefully compared and corrected with the originals and the final prints always have the original size. As a result, the naked eye is unable to distinguish the originals from the facsimile prints when framed and glazed.
Durability: To ensure the durability, our facsimiles are printed on acid-free white-edged paper with archive inks. Each facsimile has it all: every incredibly fine line detail of every lithographic plate or engraving; every delicate brushstroke of every original.
We offer a true quality nobody has; and for a price nobody is offering you for a comparable quality. This print was photographed using the latest technology, colour matched to the original illustration and then reproduced at the original plate size. A Museum Quality Limited Edition print, original size, signed, numbered and blind stamped. Indistinguishable from the original when glazed and framed.


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Oscar Party at the 5 and Diamond tonight!!!!
Open bar, Games, Trivia, Hors D'ouvres,….And…..
cocktail creations named after every movie nominated for BEST PICTURE:
Why watch it at home when you can enjoy it with friends and Harlem neighbors in a great place like The 5 and Diamond. See you there!


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By Teachers, For Teachers
SAN JOSE, Calif. _ A plan to build a diverse supply of skilled programmers by ensuring that computer-science classes are available in every elementary and secondary school in the United States got a boost Monday when Silicon Valley and tech industry luminaries announced that they would back the effort with money and know-how.
Tech superstars such as Microsoft's Bill Gates, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Susan Wojcicki of Google, Jack Dorsey of Square, Reid Hoffman of LinkedIn, investors John Doerr and Ron Conway; and powerhouse companies, including Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Amazon and Salesforce.com have all signed on with Code.org, a nonprofit group that began last year as the dream of Iranian immigrants and tech investors Hadi and Ali Partovi.
"It's been amazing, collecting this group we've assembled," Hadi Partovi, a Seattle-based angel investor, said at a San Francisco news conference to launch the effort to expose more kids to a rapidly growing field that is fast becoming one of the most important in the U.S. economy. "This is incredible support from the tech industry."
Code.org would not say how much money it had raised from its benefactors.
Partovi issued a challenge for every school student to spend an hour coding during a week in December. He said he would donate enough laptops for an entire classroom to 50 participating schools. Another 50 classrooms will win a video conference call with a tech luminary, such as Gates, Dorsey or Wojcicki.
The hour of coding challenge, which Partovi hopes will result in 10 million students being exposed to programming, is something of a gimmick for the much larger goal. Code.org's plan, with the help of the deep pockets and big brains it has recruited, is to train at least one teacher in every school to be a computer-science instructor.
The idea is to give every student the opportunity to decide whether computer science is for him or her in the hopes of staving off a severe shortage of programmers, a worry of the tech industry for years. Hoffman said computer science education would prove valuable even for students who go into other careers.
"For one," Hoffman said, "it actually teaches problem solving and critical thinking, which is useful anywhere in terms of what you're doing in your life."
Moreover, social scientists and others have for decades pointed out the lack of diversity of those studying computer science and working in the field. While women make up a majority of those attending college and have nearly reached parity in the fields of medicine, law, math and some sciences, they account for only about 18 percent of those who received computer science degrees in 2010, according to figures from the National Science Foundation.
The numbers for blacks and Latinos are even worse. The Computer Research Association reported that in 2011, blacks earned 3.6 percent of computer science degrees. The association reported that the number for Hispanics was 5.4 percent.
Those who have studied the issue say one factor in low participation among women and some minorities is a lack of exposure to the field early in their academic careers. Computer science becomes a closed club, the argument goes, of white and Asian boys who took to computing early through the encouragement of teachers, parents and media stories of the successes of young men in the field. By the time women, blacks and Latinos are exposed to the subject some time in college, it is often too late to embrace computer science as a major.
Though no exact figures are available, Code.org estimates that only 10 percent of the nation's high schools offer computer-science classes. Smith said during the panel discussion that fewer than 3,000 of the country's 42,000 high schools are certified to offer advance placement computer science.
UCLA senior researcher Jane Margolis, who co-wrote "Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing" and who's studied the gender gap in computer science since the 1990s, says Code.org's push into schools is needed to diversify the ranks of computer scientists. Today high school computer science is largely limited to kids whose families can afford private instruction or who live in marquee school districts that offer advance placement computer science classes.
"What we're trying to do is make sure that it's not just the kids of preparatory privilege," said Margolis, who's working with the Los Angeles Unified School District on an effort to expand and diversify computer-science education there. "We want to make sure that all these other kids are learning this really important knowledge."


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Today's New York Times writes up the resignation of Yale football coach Tom Williams, caught in a resume-padding scandal after he claimed to have been a former Rhodes Scholarship finalist. A two-bylined investigation by the Times in November, as Yale quarterback Patrick Witt was dropping out of the Rhodes process so he wouldn't miss the Harvard game, found no evidence that Williams had applied for a Rhodes at all. That prompted an internal inquiry at Yale, which led to Williams stepping down.
The Times rehashed the Rhodes investigation today, and added that further reporting had also contradicted Williams's claim that he had briefly been a non-playing free-agent addition to the San Francisco 49ers roster. "Caught in lies," the headline said. The text likewise called Williams's Rhodes story a "lie." (For comparison, in 2004, while debunking the Bush Administration's case that Iraq had an active nuclear-weapons program, the Newspaper of Record called the administration's claims "largely one-sided" and wrote that officials had failed to "convey the depth of evidence" contradicting them. )
Then the Times dropped back to put the whole Williams scandal in context:
Witt's story gained attention just as the child sexual abuse scandal fully engulfed Penn State. Jerry Sandusky, a longtime top assistant to Joe Paterno, had been charged with molesting young boys over many years. Paterno, who had failed to act aggressively when alerted years ago that Sandusky had been seen assaulting a child on Penn State property, was soon fired.
The Penn State scandal, at the time, was only the latest and worst in a series of embarrassments for college football programs. The University of Miami was placed under investigation this fall after it was reported that a convicted swindler had deeply infiltrated the football team, with cash and favors. Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel lost his job, in part for failing to report and later lying about a scandal involving his players.
Padding your resume—a football tradition going back to Vince Lombardi, at least—is the same kind of thing as raping children. Giving athletes cash and favors? Also like raping children. Free tattoos? Child rape. In case you were wondering what we mean when we talk about the toy morality of the people who cover college sports, there you have it.


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Welcome to Morrison Insurance Solutions - an independent insurance broker with products that are made-to-measure.
Our innovative approach means we can tailor insurance to your unique circumstances. Just one reason why clients stay with us year after year.
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As specialists in reducing your risks, we can offer many cost effective solutions. Utilising risk management and a full understanding of your business insurance needs ensure that a bespoke portfolio of cover is put in place.
Whilst based in Warwickshire we have clients across the West Midlands and indeed from all parts of the UK. We see ourselves as specialists to many areas of business such as commercial property owners, professional businesses, cleaning contractors to name just a few. The key is to understand your business and the risks you potentially encounter as your business evolves.
We welcome a challenge and on a daily basis and solve the challenges put to us by clients both existing and new. As you select an Insurance Broker to entrust your insurance programme with, consider Morrison Insurance Solutions as the Chartered Insurance Professional to speak to.
You may ask yourself, what is the value of using an insurance broker? Click here to watch a video made by the British Insurance Brokers' Association to find out why.
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Primula membranifolia Franchet
|Yunnan: Dali Xian. E side of Diancang Shan mountain range. Vicinity of Yinglofeng. Disturbed shrub covered slopes and Pinus plantation. 25°42'0"N, 100°7'0"E; 2900-3050 m.
Flowers mauve with white centers.
|1984 Sino-Amer. Bot. Exped. (B. Bartholomew, D. E. Boufford, H. W. Li, C. G. Ma, D. H. Nicolson, T. S. Ying & S. W. Yu)
|10 July 1984


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Central Minnesota Legislative Race Election Results
Some new faces will join some veterans from Central Minnesota in the state legislature in January.
In the State Senate...
In Senate District 13, incumbent Republican Michelle Fischbach easily defeated DFLer Peggy Boeck in Senate District 13 by roughly a 2-to-1 margin.
In Senate District 14, voters returned John Pederson to office. The incumbent Republican beat DFLer Jerry McCarter by nearly a 10-point margin.
In the State House...
A shocker in District 14-B, where Republican King Banaian will be returning to the classroom. The incumbent lost to DFLer Zach Dorholt by more than 10-points.
The House seat in District 13-A that was vacated by DFLer Larry Hosch in St. Joseph will now be filled by Republican Jeff Howe of Rockville. He beat DFL challenger Richard Bohannon of Cold Spring.
In House District 13-B, incumbent Republican Tim O'Driscoll will return to the Capitol, easily fending-off a challenge by DFLer Shannon Schroeder.
In District 14-A, Republican incumbent Steve Gottwalt was re-elected, by defeating DFLer Anne Nolan.


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Luxury Freeze
Hana Banana Split
Platform t-strap heel
Pick up in store | Choose a Store
Chock-full of all of your favo(u)rite toppings, The Hana Banana Split is a calorie-free treat you'll actually enjoy. Made with love in Portugal from a combination of delectable contrast leathers, these platform t-strap heels feature a large, leather wrapped buckle and marble painted heel. Now that you're an adult, it's okay to skip dinner and go straight to dessert. Cool on a hot date.
- Made in Portugal
- Glossy and matte contrast leathers
- Leather wrapped round buckle
- Rubber soles
- Painted 4" ABS heel with a 1" rubber platform and a rubber heel lift
- Reheelable
My Just Desserts!
The bright colour of the soles is the most amazing accent as you walk! And the painted heels are so much prettier in person!
These were comfy for me right out of the box - which is remarkable for a heel like this!
My Vogs range between a 7 - 8.5 depending on the style, with 8 being my usual Vog size. I went down to a 7 in these and they fit perfectly!
I love them! I know we're going to have lots of fun together this summer!


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iPhone 5, 6, and 6+ video compatibility with car stereos
How will your iPhone work with a new car stereo?
Heads up!Welcome to this article from the Crutchfield archives. Have fun reading it, but be aware that the information may be outdated and links may be broken.
With their newest products, including the iPhone 5, 6, and 6+, Apple switched from their traditional 30-pin connector to an all-digital 8-pin "Lightning" connector. Similar to previous Apple devices, in-dash receivers compatible with the iPhone 5 can play music when connected via USB or wirelessly through Bluetooth® audio streaming. But when it comes to video playback, only select receivers will let you play video via USB. Many manufacturers are working hard to make their stereos compatible with video playback from newer iPhones, and we'll keep you posted as more information becomes available.
Video Transcript
We get a lot of questions every day about the new "Lightning" adapter for the iPhone 5s to go along with a lot of our new head units. So we came down to the lab today to test it out with you.
So some of the benefits of the new slimline adapter is that it's much smaller, it allows for a much thinner phone, and it can be plugged in either way so when you can't see it's much easier to plug in. The new "Lightning" adapter only has digital video out connections, which won't work with most receivers. Currently Pioneer is the only one that has a workaround available for the digital connection. Over the next year, you'll start to see manufacturers have more and more compatibility with the digital connection.
The good news is most receivers come with a USB connection just like the one that came on this cable with your iPhone so you'll be able to connect to the receivers, listen to your music, see the information displayed on the screen, and select anything that you want to hear and listen to your music all day long if you want to.
Let's not forget more and more head units have Bluetooth built in nowadays, so you'll be able to stream your audio wirelessly, take phone calls, and you'll be able to control some of the features on the head unit itself. Technically you don't even need this cable. You could just leave it at home.
So all is not lost, you're still gonna be able to connect to your head unit whether you use the cable or Bluetooth and listen to your music all day long if you'd like. As far as the video issues, they are working on a fix for that, and as we get more information, we'll be sure to pass it on to you. So please give us a call here at Crutchfield if you have any questions. We'd love to help you out.


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PR2 Beta Program: The Call for Proposals is Out!
Today we are unveiling our PR2 Beta robot! We are also announcing to research institutions around the world that you can apply to have one at no cost.
For the past couple of years, our researchers, developers and interns have used prototypes of the PR2 to build exciting new capabilities for robotics. The PR2 program kickstarted development of ROS, an open source robotics platform. It also helped drive new capabilities in the OpenCV computer vision library. One year ago, we accomplished our first Milestone: autonomous navigation with the PR2 robot for 2π kilometers. Six months ago, we accomplished our second Milestone: opening doors, plugging in, and 26.2 miles of autonomous navigation. We are now completing our third Milestone, which solidifies the ROS and OpenCV software platforms that form the basis of the PR2 software system.
These past several months, you may have followed along on this site as our production floor was busy assembling the PR2 Beta piece by piece. Now that the PR2 Beta production robots are coming off the line, we're announcing our PR2 Beta Program, which will enable complete, production PR2 robots to leave the doors of Willow Garage for the first time. The PR2 Beta Program will make available approximately ten PR2 Beta robots at no cost.
We invite research institutions to respond to our Call for Proposals, describing the open source and scientific contributions that they can make with a PR2. The Call for Proposals contains additional details on how we will select the top proposals and distribute PR2s.
We believe that the PR2 Beta Program will accelerate robotics research and drive open source robotics development. We're excited to work with research organizations around the world in moving the open source robotics community forward.
You can find out more about the CFP, including downloadable CFP materials, on our PR2 Beta Program: CFP page.
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Fairly small, stocky shorebird. Short, pointed bill. Distinctive plumage; in spring and summer, shows bold black-and-white face pattern, bright rufous-and-black wings, and orange legs. Duller brown in winter but still shows shadow of distinct facial pattern and dark breast. Interesting behavior of flipping over rocks, shells, and debris to nab invertebrates. Walks along beaches, jetties and piers.
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13 Reasons my Blog Hasn't Been Updated since July 8th
T, who let the time get away from me
13 Reasons my Blog Hasn't Been Updated since July 8th
T, who let the time get away from me
I can't believe it, but he did it! Kyle from One Red Paperclip was sitting at his desk over a year ago lamenting that he couldn't buy a house. He noticed a red paperclip on his desk and decided to trade for it, on the Internet. 14 trades later, he made it!Here is the story
I guess anything is possible if you have the ingenuity and creativity. Congratulations to Kyle McDonald, duuuuuuuuude, you are sooooooo money! I wonder how many others will try the same thing? Kyle's feat will definitely be the talk of offices throughout the U.S. come Monday!
Ok, now your turn....with what item would you start a trade, and what would you hope to end up with? I will post the answers in a future post, so don't be shy, let me know!
T, who says color me red, I didn't think he would pull it off!
13 Things About TLC's Car
T, who is thinking I could sweat away the pounds in my own personal "Sauna on Wheels"
The guest room has a new resident. Go and say hello to Becca, over at Hot House Momma, in my sidebar. She is a mom of 2, has been married for 3 short years (says me, since I have been married going on 17 years, I can say that). She just got back from Cabo San Lucas and I am envious!
Go and pop on over and send her a little TLC love. I bet she would even set out a margarita for you. She seems to be fond of them. Just don't speak Spanish to her, even though she is tan, she wouldn't understand. (ask her about that, if you don't get it).
Thanks to all who asked to rent...keep trying, and..I'll leave the light on for ya.
T, who loves guests
That's right, we are doing it Old School. I remember when I was just a kid, and Pong came out. How excited we were! Games! That you could play on your television! In the old days, we had black and white games and they were sticks that hit a ball, and we liked it!
We have been telling the kids about it, and how games now are so much better. This weekend we took the kids on a trip down memory lane. We pulled out our Sega Genesis and the games we have, as well. We also pulled out the Atari and wiped the dust off of it all. Can I just say, that the memory of Atari was not as sweet as it was when I was a kid? My children were unimpressed with the lack of graphics and how difficult the controls were. Honestly, the games were pretty lame. Adventure, which was literally just a square that could carry a key around mazes. Whoopee. Games like Centipede and Missle Command have not stood the test of time. And the kids are finding the games were difficult, as well. And, while Pitfall looks fun, it is incredibly frustrating to play.
The Sega Genesis, however, fared a bit better. Despite incredulous looks when we announced that you can't save the games which for difficult multi-level games like Toe Jam and Earl is just ridiculous they liked the graphics. My son was a bit frustrated at how hard the old Sonic the Hedgehog was...and it really is, even more so than I remember. Another favorite was Ecco the Dolphin, kind of the Tai Chi of the game cartridge market. At the time, I would play the game and just enjoy the music and the ability to move around as a dolphin. The game play itself was hard. But the game experience was beautiful.
I have been trolling eBay and I am amazed at just how many cartridges there are out there for the Sega Genesis! And they cost next-to-nothing! Guess we will have some inexpensive fun this summer. And my kids can go back to their Nintendo DS portables actually appreciating what they have. Hey, that would be a good fringe benefit!
T, who can't believe we gave in
this post was for yesterday, but was delayed due to technical problems...
In honor of the 4th of July, I wanted to present some food for thought. The Declaration of Independence I know, I know, you have read it before. Read it again...with fresh eyes.
Also, go and listen to this song: (Didn't Know I Was) Unamerican
And remember, it is our basic right to speak up when something isn't right.
In the words of our Founding Fathers:
When the government fears the people there is liberty; when the people fear the government there is tyranny. --Thomas Jefferson
"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." Thomas Jefferson
"What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?" --Thomas Jefferson
"Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech" -- Benjamin Franklin
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." --Benjamin Franklin
"Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud, is the only maxim which can ever preserve the liberties of any people." --John Quincy Adams
"But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever." --John Adams
"Fear is the foundation of most governments; but it is so sordid and brutal a passion, and renders men in whose breasts it predominates so stupid and miserable, that Americans will not be likely to approve of any political institution which is founded on it." --John Adams
"[H]owever weak our country may be, I hope we shall never sacrifice our liberties." --Alexander Hamilton
"An elective despotism was not the government we fought for; but one in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among the several bodies of magistracy as that no one could transcend their legal limits without being effectually checked and restrained by the others." --James Madison
"Where an excess of power prevails, property of no sort is duly respected. No man is safe in his opinions, his person, his faculties, or his possessions." --James Madison
"Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism." --George Washington
"No country upon earth ever had it more in its power to attain these blessings than United America. Wondrously strange, then, and much to be regretted indeed would it be, were we to neglect the means and to depart from the road which Providence has pointed us to so plainly; I cannot believe it will ever come to pass." --George Washington
"If you love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." --Samuel Adams
"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect every one who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined.... O sir, we should have fine times, indeed, if to punish tyrants, it were only sufficient to assemble the people!" --Patrick Henry
I love this country. It is not unamerican to believe we are headed in the wrong direction. Today, I prayed and participated in a parade with my children. I believe in change, for the better. And it starts with us. We have to want it. We have to want the government to do what is right and just. We have to want them to care for the interests of more than just the Almighty Dollar. We have to pull the power out of the hands of the few, those who would sacrifice us to the special interest groups. We have to fight those who would destroy our air, water and our very lives in order to grow richer! We have to be informed. We have to vote and not just turn on American Idol. Right now, the american idol is MONEY. Everything in this country is based upon the god of Capitalism. I weep for our future if those in power continue as they are going.
And finally, I leave you with my favorite quote, by a famous cultural anthropologist:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has" --Margaret Mead
God bless us, and God Bless the United States of America.
T, who believes we can be better than we are
I lost. Seriously, I ran, screaming from the room. But perhaps I should back up, since I am coming in in the middle of my story. I have this Thing "thing" here meaning: phobia with a capital AAAUGH!" I am so petrified by the thing I fear that its name must not be mentioned in our home. We refer only to this marauder as "the C word." Think: similar to the evil wizard in Harry Potter, "He who must not be named."
We have taken great steps to stay completely free of said invader. But we live in Southern California, and there are the rare times (last time was 4 years ago) when a wandering "C word" finds its way into an open door, squeezes under a screen... they are quite resourceful. To tell you how much I fear these loathsome things, you need to understand that I hate shoes. And it is very common for me to run out to the van to retrieve something without them on. But I do not do this after dark in the summer months. I am terrified that I may run into something I don't want to deal with. If I have to go outside, I wear closed-toe shoes, and I don't bring a flashlight. I run to the car, and run right back. It is similar when a kid has to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. They high-tail it to the bathroom, go and then run like the wind and jump back into bed, eyes squinched shut against the darkness.
So, now that you understand the depth of my fear (I may at some later date go into exactly why I have such terror in the face of these monsters, but not today) I am ready to tell you my story. You will have to use your imagination, because though I usually provide pictures in my posts, there is no way that I am googling for pictures of the vile creatures! In any case, here we go.
Del Taco here sells egg burritos after 11 p.m. So J decided to go and get us a couple. Del Taco is just down the street, the kids were sleeping, no problem. I decided to take a shower while he was gone. After all, what is better than a cool shower after a really hot day? Perfect way to end my evening. Or so I thought. if you are keeping track, here is where you insert the ominous music.
Things started out fine. I started the water, took off my glasses (proves to be pivotal in my story) washed my hair, enjoyed my shower. Lather, rinse, repeat. I conditioned my hair, and soaped up with my shower gel. I was facing the showerhead and happened to notice there was some cobweb on the ceiling. Hmm, I will have to clean that up. Getting ready to rinse my hair now... and I saw the dark spot of cobweb/dirt just above the tile, just at the edge about the same height as the showerhead. There, in the corner, what is that? It is higher than I am, so I wouldn't really notice it very well. It was about 2 inches long or so... What is that? I leaned a little bit closer, because I couldn't make out detalis. Remember, I wear glasses. And.. it moved. And that's when it hit me what it was! .
Let me just tell you, I move fast! Lance Armstrong on his bicycle couldn't have beat me out of that bathroom. I didn't even stop to turn off the shower. I high-tailed it out of there, stopping long enough to grab a towel..
When J came home, he found me, in the middle of the kitchen, standing on the stepstool. Clad in only a towel, I was wet and dripping, conditioner still in my hair, and the remnants of soap drying on my skin. I was shaking and sobbing. I know, it sounds funny now. Last night, it really wasn't. Wonderful man that he is, he immobilized the beast with a shot of shaving gel. Then he was able to get rid of it..
Trust me, I know I have nothing to fear. I know it is completely irrational. I am a big person. It is a small bug. BUT. My biggest fear has been that I would be somewhere I felt helpless and would be confronted with "the C word." And last night, that happened. And to think, I had my back turned, rinsing my hair, and it was there, all that time!! Makes me want to throw up..
I have learned the following things from this experience:
I mean really, admit it, you are laughing at my expense too, right? I would be laughing if I was you. So, go ahead and laugh. Eventually, I might also snicker a tiny bit. If I am holding a can of shaving gel. Just in case.
T, who swears if I see another one, I am moving out
Glad you're here! I'm a freelance writer, specializing in autism, special needs and education. I freelance for numerous national publications. This is where I let it all hang out, sans editor.


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Fire Emblem: Awakening seems like one of those games that's been on the horizon and out of reach forever. But it's finally out for the 3DS next week, promising a funny take on fantasy & strategy tropes.
Aside from that bit of portable JRPG goodness, this week's downloadable offerings include fluid physics puzzler Puddle, RPG/platformer Bloody Vampire and side-scrolling shooter Metal Slug 4. And, hey, Ice Climber! Popo's adventures scrambling up a giant mountain haven't aged a day since this classic came out in 1985. Scroll down for the full list of stuff hitting the eShop.


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Topic: Mac OS X Server
Mountain Lion updates for OS X Server, Xcode, Remote Desktop hit Mac App Store
07/25/2012, 11:07 am
Along with Wednesday's release of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, Apple released Mountain Lion Server as a $19.99 upgrade on the Mac App Store, while Xcode 4.4 was also provided to developers, and Apple Remote Desktop also received an update.
Xserve users report performance issues after Apple's Mac OS X 10.6.8 update
06/28/2011, 08:06 am
Though Mac OS X 10.6.8 brought a number of fixes and enhancements to Snow Leopard, owners of Apple's now-discontinued Xserve hardware have reported performance issues from the software update.
Apple offers new Mac Pro Server configuration to replace Xserve
11/05/2010, 09:11 am
Apple on Friday added a new server option to its Mac Pro lineup Friday, with a $2,999 system that is designed to replace the Xserve hardware which will be discontinued in early 2011.
Apple to discontinue Xserve after Jan. 31, 2011
11/05/2010, 07:11 am
Apple this week announced the discontinuation of Xserve, revealing it will support but no longer offer its rackmounted servers after Jan. 31, 2011.
First look: Apple's new unibody Mac mini
06/18/2010, 04:06 pm
Apple's new aluminum unibody Mac mini retains its role as the company's low price, compact PC and server while adding HDMI output and support for Secure Digital Extended Capacity flash memory cards with higher speeds and capacities (more than 32GB).
Apple's new Mac mini, server surprise with strong sales start
01/08/2010, 02:01 pm
While Apple's new iMac got all of the desktop-related attention when new hardware was announced in October, the new Mac mini and its debut Server companion have found early success.
Snow Leopard Golden Master seeded to Apple developer community
08/12/2009, 09:08 pm
Apple has supplied its broad developer community the presumed Golden Master build for Snow Leopard, going beyond the select group who previously had sole access, numerous sources tell AppleInsider.
Apple releases DNS security update for Mac OS X
08/12/2009, 04:08 pm
A new update from Apple for numerous versions of Mac OS X is designed to protect systems against remote attacks that could cause DNS servers to unexpectedly terminate.
Snow Leopard Server to ramp up scalability and performance
02/13/2009, 09:02 am
Building upon Mac OS X Snow Leopard's aim to improve overall performance for Mac desktop users, Snow Leopard Server will similarly seek to improve scalability and reliability for Mac server users. That is particularly evident in improvements to its email and directory services.
Apple previews Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server
06/10/2008, 11:06 am
Apple at its annual developers conference Monday revealed that Snow Leopard Server, the next generation of Mac OS X Server, will deliver new core software technologies and services designed to better connect businesses, unleash the power of modern hardware, and lay the foundation for a new wave of innovations over the next several years.
Nearly 100 fixes planned for Apple's second Leopard update
01/21/2008, 02:01 pm
Apple Inc. is in the latter development stages of what could possibly be its most significant 'dot release' of Mac OS X ever.
Parallels aims to virtualize Leopard Server and help sell Xserves
01/17/2008, 06:01 pm
Parallels, maker of the popular Parallels Workstation software that enables Intel Mac users to run Windows or Linux within a virtualized environment, introduced its new Parallels Server. The new product, intended to enter beta in the next couple months, is designed to virtualize and manage multiple server operating systems on any Intel-compatible hardware.
Apple unveils most powerful Xserve ever
01/08/2008, 09:01 am
Alongside new Mac Pros, Apple on Tuesday also introduced the new Xserve, a 1U rack-optimized server that the company claims is up to twice as fast as its predecessor and includes an unlimited client license for Mac OS X Server Leopard.


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On Monday, the Denver Broncos became the big winners of the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, landing one of the NFL's all-time great quarterbacks. And in the process, John Elway finally got his wish: In one fell swoop, he landed a "traditional" quarterback and killed off Tebowmania.
The issue of Manning's health -- he's had four next surgeries in the past year -- automatically make signing Manning a huge gamble for Elway. But it's also a calculated move, because Peyton Manning is one of the few people in the world who can replace Tim Tebow without Broncos fans setting the city on fire.
Elway's acted like he had Tebow's back for a long time. But Elway's true feelings on the former BCS champion are now pretty apparent: He doesn't want to play him. He never did. Everyone always believed that, but Elway couldn't say that, even if he could imply it through passive-aggressive non-support of Tebow.
It's hard to blame Elway. This is a guy who won two Super Bowls with the Broncos and he's one of the all-time great quarterbacks in NFL history. Do you think it pained Elway watching Tebow short-hop wounded ducks all over the field? Of course it did, even if the Broncos improbably limped their way into the playoffs.
Denver was going to regress in 2012. Tebow might've made progress over the next few months leading into the 2012 season, but he wasn't going to be what Elway wanted him to be. But Denver became so obsessed with Tebow during their playoff run that there was no chance Elway could bring in someone like Chad Henne or Josh Johnson or any other free agent and expect the city to understand if and when he sat Tebow for someone with a more traditional skill set.
But Peyton Manning? How can you say no to that? The answer is, you can't. Even members of Tebow's family have to understand that Manning, one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever suit up and play football, represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a franchise.
It's impossible to believe, too, that part of Manning's deal in coming to Denver didn't involve shipping Tebow elsewhere. Manning doesn't want the glare of Tebowmania looming over his shoulder or clouding his time in Denver. He doesn't want to have a three interception game and hear the cries for Tebow or read the speculative columns about the Broncos using Tebow in the offense more.
And he's Peyton Freaking Manning: You think he's going to give up offensive possessions to let Tebow run the wildcat? Absolutely not. The only thing more unfathomable is the idea of yanking Peyton out of the huddle when the team nears the red zone so Tebow can run a quarterback draw up the middle.
There are fewer than 10 quarterbacks in the NFL that can join a roster and justify discarding the cultural phenomenon that Tebow became in 2011. Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers and, of course, Peyton. (You can argue one or two more like Matthew Stafford or Cam Newton if you want, but you get the point.)
All-Pro quarterbacks don't hit the free-agent market. And Super-Bowl winning, Hall-of-Fame worthy quarterbacks never do. But Peyton did. And Denver did whatever was necessary to snag Manning, even if it included ditching the quarterback who enchanted a sports-watching nation for a entire season while selling millions of dollars worth of Broncos merchandise and making the playoffs.
So the Broncos shoved all their chips into the table. It's a big-time gamble for Elway. Maybe Denver will win the Super Bowl again. Maybe they'll even play against the Giants in New Orleans -- the birthplace of the Mannings, no less! -- in 2012.
There's a lot of questions that need to be answered before we can get that far. But for now there's one thing we know: when Elway swooped in to grab Manning from the top of the free-agent pile, he managed to put the two biggest stories from the 2011 NFL season on a collision course, and effectively end Tebowmania as we knew it.


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About Tanzania
- Contained by: Africa
- Time zone(s): UTC+3
- Events: East African Campaign
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( /ˌtænzəˈniːə/ Swahili: Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern border lies on the Indian Ocean. The country is divided into 26 regions, 5 on the semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar, and 21 on the mainland in the former Tanganyika. The head of state is President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, elected in 2005. Since 1996, the official capital of Tanzania has been Dodoma, where Parliament and some government offices are located. Between independence and 1996, the main coastal city of Dar es Salaam served as the country's political capital. Today, Dar es Salaam remains the principal commercial city of Tanzania and the de facto seat of most government institutions. It is the major seaport for the country and its landlocked neighbours. The name Tanzania derives from the names of the two states, Tanganyika and Zanzibar, that united in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which later the same year was renamed the


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At Blatt Beer & Table we strive to bring people together. We want to be a hub for the common folk - those who appreciate craft beer and curated pub food (that means you). Join us around the table. The beer is great and the company is even better.
© Visit Omaha
Omaha Visitors Center | 306 S 10th St. | Omaha, NE 68102
Phone: 402.444.7762
Admin Office: 402.444.4660
Toll Free: 866.937.6624


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This platinum print is printed by master printer Sal Lopes and bears the authorizing seal of the Paul Strand Archive. This print is sold in an archival paper folder with a text overlay.
Paul Strand (born in New York, 1890; died in Orgeval, France, 1976) is one of the great photographers of the twentieth century. As a youth, he studied under Lewis Hine at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, going on to draw acclaim from such illustrious sources as Alfred Stieglitz. After World War II, Strand traveled around the world—from New England to Ghana, France to the Outer Hebrides—to photograph, and in the process created a dynamic and significant body of work.
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Paul Strand$550.00
Paul Strand: Portfolio Three$18,000.00
Paul Strand: The Garden at Orgeval
Photographs by Paul Strand
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The annual Consumer Electronics Show extravaganza started off with a big announcement from AT&T: Customers of their wireless service can get around onerous caps on data usage if the company supplying, say, video, pays extra to AT&T for the privilege.
With one fell swoop, AT&T not only invalidated the whole concept of data caps as a necessary evil to control traffic, but also set the telecom policy world ablaze with an idea that would violate the concept of a neutral Internet, if such concepts applied in the wireless world. The Net Neutrality rules as they exist now, of course, grant freedom for such things in the wireless space.
As fascinating as the AT&T announcement is in isolation, it's also important to remember that this is only the latest step in something unique in American industry: a consistent, relentless Thirty Years' War that started when the old Bell System was broken up in 1984.
Ever since, those descendants of the million-employee company devoted themselves to putting the pieces of old Ma Bell back together while ridding themselves of all forms of government regulation. They accomplished the first, for the most part. Instead of one AT&T, we have the "new" AT&T (née Southwestern Bell) and Verizon (the combination of ex-Bell companies Nynex and Bell Atlantic, plus GTE), companies that are stronger than the old Bell System ever was due to the addition of their very profitable cellular businesses, of which they share 60 percent of the market. Now they are on the path to their biggest wins yet, with the so-called Sponsored Data plan as just another brick in the wall made up of proceedings and plans, big and little, subtle and more obvious. Even the Sponsored Data plan came nine years after Ed Whitacre, chairman of then-SBC (today's AT&T) started off a huge debate by declaring that companies like Google should not "use my pipes (i.e., the telephone network) for free."
They have done it by playing the long game, or long con, if you will. They can wait out delays and defeats. Even winning one or two issues isn't enough. They then change the objective and go for more. When AT&T's 2011 takeover of T-Mobile failed and the company had to cough up $4 billion in break-up fees plus more billions' worth of spectrum, the company didn't blink. No heads rolled, no strategies were changed. They just moved on.
The first goals were modest, as these things go, and were the most difficult to attain. When the 1984 breakup occurred, the seven Bell companies said they wanted to lift the line-of-business restrictions imposed by the court-ordered settlement. They couldn't offer long-distance service, manufacture equipment, or provide what were then called "information services," the precursor to today's Internet. Depending on the day of the week, lifting each one of those was crucial to the future of the country.
It took 12 years for the Bell companies to get their lobbying act together and for the memories of the antitrust violations to fade, but they got what they wanted, and more, in the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Bell companies, with lobbyists everywhere in the country, out-muscled the long-distance industry led by AT&T and MCI. Then the Clinton Justice Department allowed the mergers, and at one swoop, not only were the Bell companies mostly put back together, but by buying the long-distance companies, they eliminated the biggest political threats against their policies. They haven't faced much opposition since.
The thing is, technology is always changing, and in the Thirty Years' War, every change is an opportunity to gain a bit more ground. Consider two quotes, which push the need for deregulation in the face of changing technology:
It's time for the FCC to stand up to the plate and act. Two years ago, my mantra was 'old wires, old rules; new wires, new rules.' Some progress has been made, but clearly not enough.
The FCC's historic mission must be modernized to reflect the fundamental evolution in communications that IP technology and the Internet have wrought. If it doesn't, the agency will become irrelevant.
Sound the same, don't they? The first one came from Tom Tauke, former member of Congress and former Verizon senior vice president for public policy and external affairs. He made that quote in a December 2, 2003 news release, referring back to a statement he made in 2001.
He said that quote after the FCC had already done the telephone companies a huge favor by shifting emerging services connecting people to the Internet from Title II to Title I of the Communications Act, taking away the legal requirements that allowed competition and protected consumers.
The second came from a September 10, 2013 speech from James Cicconi, AT&T's senior executive vice president, External and Legislative Affairs, giving some advice to new FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler in the cause of the newest bright and shiny technology, "the IP transition," which of course is a broadband service and thus is yet another reason for further deregulation, or "reform."
Technology is always changing, but the principles of competition and responsibilities for consumer welfare should remain constant, whether the service is the IP transition or smoke signals. Sadly, those things tend to get lost in all the commotion.
With Wheeler already hailing the IP Transition as "the fourth network revolution," the chances are pretty good that the FCC will take some action. What is also certain is that whatever the Commission does, it won't be enough for the big telecom companies. The Thirty-Year War will go on. We know this also because the House Commerce Committee said it would spend this year and next working on a rewrite of the telecommunications laws and has already announced its first hearing. Stay tuned for the Forty-Year War.


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CHANEL has made it a top priority to impede and stop the sale of replica products.
CHANEL is taking action by continuously monitoring the web for shopping, auction and all other sites which serve to buy and sell replica Chanel merchandise, and by initiating legal proceedings against counterfeiters, including but not limited to civil claims, litigation and criminal complaints.
To those of you out there who may be aiming to buy replica items, it is important for you to realize that by purchasing a replica product helps to sustain criminal enterprises and their many associated crimes, and ask therefore that you avoid fake goods. If not careful, you might stumble into fake replica handbags at replica wholesale dealers, discount outlet stores, auction sites, Black Friday Sales, Cyber Monday Special Deals, or other places selling designer handbags for low prices.
To the counterfeiters, bear in mind that we are being watchful and we are not hesitant to take action.


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One giant recycled asset
Although a rather short game on the surface, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was the gift that kept on giving. New costumes, very challenging VR Missions, truckloads of collectibles, and extreme difficulties with arranged enemies awaited fans who spent the effort to get the most out of the game.
But for those of you who have saturated all you could in the past few months, a full story chapter for Raiden's rival Jetstream Sam is upon us.
It's...more Revengeance alright, in an all-too-familiar package.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance: Jetstream DLC (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [reviewed])
Developer: Platinum Games
Publisher: Konami
Released: April 9, 2013
MSRP: $9.99 (800 Microsoft Points)
You'll enter the DLC through a completely new menu option, which jump-starts Sam's giant, roughly two-hour-long chapter. Ol' Jetstream himself has a few unique tricks to differentiate himself from Raiden. Sam can double jump and he has an air dash. Although he can't run up walls, the raw verticality he exhibits helps with flying enemies, and adds a small new dynamic to platforming.
By holding Y/Triangle he can utilize a power attack that's similar to Ryu Hayabusa's in the new Ninja Gaiden games, and he can taunt with the up direction pad, which makes enemies more aggressive.
Sam also has a straight up conventional roll dodge (X+A/Square+X), and a cool defensive flying strike move when he's pushed into a wall. He takes some getting used to because the bread-and-butter attacks you're used to with Raiden are gone and he cannot utilize stealth kills, but it shouldn't take you that long to feel at home.
Now, Sam is different, but he's not that different. A lot more could have been done to make him feel more unique from a gameplay perspective, and since he cannot utilize any upgrades (outside of a few maximum-health- and fuel-increasing pickups), you don't really have an opportunity to get to know Sam all that well as a warrior. He has a very small selection of moves, and before you know it, you'll be yearning for your end-game Raiden again.
Moveset aside, Sam is well animated and feels unique from a visual standpoint, even as far as the way he sheathes and holds his sword. There are a few fleeting high-adrenaline action scenes with lots of style, and Sam is charming in every scene he's in.
Of course, Platinum somehow needs to give you a reason to play as Sam, and the one given in this $10 DLC is shaky at best. Essentially, it's the tale of the trials and tribulations of Sam's experience joining the Desperado clan -- the main antagonists of the core Rising storyline.
You'll get a few short sequences involving Senator Armstrong and Monsoon (including a philosophical argument over cherry blossoms I would have liked to see more of), you'll fight a few boss fights, join the Desperados, and that's really it. Other familiar faces, like Bladewolf units and Mastiffs will appear, utilizing the same strategies you've seen before. "Familiar" is the best way to describe this DLC.
To be blunt, the chapter is one giant retread. You'll start in the Sewers, enter a spliced area with the same freight elevator climb sequence, then head into the building you encountered Sundowner in, complete with the same rooftop helipad final encounter. Yep, the Jetstream DLC is one long amalgamation of a few levels in the core campaign.
There are a few cool side areas you can venture off to for challenge purposes (try getting to the top of the giant pagoda again) but for the most part it's extremely linear, even reusing the same soundtrack on the same boss fights.
Not one boss encounter is new (An alpha Bladewolf unit, Metal Gear Ray, and Armstrong), and for the most part, they all play out in the exact same manner, barring a more aggressive Bladewolf and a few less interesting scene changes in the final phase of the Armstrong fight. It's around two hours of content, presupposing you don't want to tackle the campaign over again on higher difficulties.
Thankfully, there is some challenge involved as you attempt to learn the ins and outs of Sam, and try to best some fairly aggressive enemies. I've been playing at the highest difficultly level since shortly after launch (Revengeance), and a few encounters gave me trouble -- especially towards the beginning.
There are five VR Missons, but they're massively disappointing. You'll have to unlock said missions in the same manner as the core campaign (by finding them), but sadly, four of the five tasks are as shallow "kill all enemies in a tiny arena." The fifth mission is a lot more interesting as it's essentially a 2D platformer, which makes for some compelling gameplay combined with Sam's double jump and air dash -- I just really wish there was more of that, and the ability to play as Sam for all of Raiden's missions would have been a great touch that's completely wasted here.
As an odd side note, Sam's VR missions are tied to the story and can't be selected individually from a menu, and items can be used in the challenges like they were directly part of his campaign -- which is really weird. It's not a huge deal, but it seems like an oversight, and the ability to use healing items in a VR Mission feels like cheating. Outside of that, there's five data collectibles to find, six new Achievements/Trophies, and the ability to play on higher difficulty levels.
At the end of the day, I would have preferred a full story of Sam's exploits in Brazil, actually showing me how he grew as a character with brand new environments (ending in a cool Raiden boss fight, perhaps?), then maybe this entirely reused section as a "Part Two" would be justified -- but that's not the case as is.
Hardcore fans will most likely want to experience Jetstream because it's more Revengeance, but if you were lukewarm with the core experience, more of the same probably won't wow you in any way. Platinum Games doesn't really do DLC all that often, and the studio really need to up its game if it wants to dive into add-ons in the future.
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Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance: Jetstream reviewed by Chris Carter
Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy it a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.
How we score: The Destructoid reviews guide


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We know what's needed to host a banquet, wedding or partying Hua Hin. Our resort in Khao Takiab features a range of meetings rooms, convenient technology and modern audio-visual equipment ensuring that all your needs are met. A dedicated team of professional planners are also on hand to help you with arrangements, decorative themes and catering options. Choose Amari for your next event in Hua Hin.
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