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Chapter 14 : A New Perspective and Social Deficiencies
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"The shrieking shack is just up here" Ben informed me as we walked through busy Hogsmeade street. We had left the warm castle about half an hour ago and since then had been walking into freezing cold wind towards town.
"Ok, how about after this, we go get something warm to drink. Like a hot chocolate?" I smiled as I wrapped my arm -that Ben wasn't holding- around myself to try and keep warm. He let go of my hand briefly, removed his black leather jack, placed it around my shoulders and took my hand again after I had slid my arms through the warms sleeves. The jacket was warm and smelled like Bens cologne and I had to push the sleeves up as his arms were significantly longer than mine.
"Thanks but aren't you cold. I mean it's freezing today." As if to prove my point the sharp wind blew in a bitter gust down the path and my skirt flapped around my knees.
"No, I'm fine. I'm warm enough with my hoodie but you must be frozen." He chuckled, indicating to my thin apparel. When I woke up this morning the sun had been shinning but through the morning the wind had picked up without anyone noticing. I was wearing an autumn leave patterned shift dress that pulled in at the waist and cut just above the knee, flesh tights and beige ankle boots. I had debated wither to wear my read trench coat or my crop chocolate brown jacket that ended at my ribs and had stupidly gone with the jacket, leaving my stomach exposed to the harsh wind that cut through the thin fabric of my dress like a knife.
"I didn't know it was going to be this cold and plus, the last time I was on a date I was still in the states so I don't anything date worthy that is also weather appropriate for this climate." I laughed lightly as we stopped at the fence that surrounded the decrepit looking house. He didn't speak for a moment and when I looked up from the shack to see his face he had guarded expression.
"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder and turning him to look at me.
"Nothing. Just trying to think about how to tell you what happened with the whole Rose, Scorpius and me thing." He chucked weakly before continuing with the story and I listened intently.
She stared up at me innocently, her crystal blue eyes as round as orbs and her teeth lightly tugging on the corner of her bottom lip as she concentrated on what I was about to tell her. I knew that she wanted know what had happened but I just couldn't find a way to tell her. I fumbled with my word over the story, probably missing parts out and not do it justice but in the end I got it out.
It had happened over a year ago. Rose and I had been dating secretly for a while. Really it was just midnight snogging sessions when she was on prefect duty but I still called her my girlfriend. Flitwick had forced her into tutoring Malfoy which I was not happy about. I did not trust the bloke and all of us guys have always been protective over the girls. Needless to say Rose was livid. She hated him because her father had practically taught her to.
The first session didn't go well; Rose had stormed into the common room and I had ended up at the end of her anger. After that point things when downhill. As her relationship with Malfoy got stronger ours got weaker. She grew more reluctant to tell Albus about us and we fought a lot. I soon started to notice how she would defend Malfoy when Albus would say something about him and I became apparent to me that they were becoming closer that I first thought.
Malfoy was different too. His grades went up, he stopped acting like the arrogant arse hole he was and wasn't picking fights with us in the dorm any more. He was just happy and it freaked us all out. We thought that he was up to something. When I mentioned it to Rose she was furious, told me to leave him alone and that he wasn't a bad guy. When I confronted her about her feelings towards him she broke down. She admitted to me about her secret relationship with him and how she was sorry that they had snuck around behind my back. I thought I was devastated but I was actually mad. Mad; not because she had she had cheated but because she had choose a guy she use to hate over me. Rose begged me not to tell Albus and I because I thought that I loved I agreed to not say a word.
A few days later she told me that she was going to tell Albus everything because the guilt of keeping the secrets from him was just too much for her to bear. That's when I realised that she loved him and that I hadn't loved her like I thought that I had. I had only ever loved her as a friend and so I gave her my blessing, fully aware that Al would be furious at me and our friendship would never be the same.
After he found out he managed to get Malfoy into the shack to confront him away from the teacher's and any other gossip hungry students who would sell the story to the Daily Prophet. I wasn't there to witness it that day, so I don't know exactly what happened. Albus doesn't talk about it in detail and I've never asked Scorpius. All Albus ever told me was that something happened that proved to him that he could trust Malfoy and we should all do the same. The two were fast friends and I was right, Al and I were never as close. The rest of us very sceptical of Malfoy and didn't trust him for a while. Once we seen him with Rose and joke around with Al though, we couldn't deny that he had changed. That Rose had changed him and he wasn't the bad guy we all had thought he was. That's when he became Scorpius to me- when I knew I could trust him and that he had changed.
I looked up from watching my shoes to looking at her sheepishly. I didn't like to talk about it. It was a sore subject. I lost my two best friends because of it. Al, Rose and I were no longer as close and instead Scorpius had unintentionally taken my place. Sure we were all still friends but it wasn't the same. I suppose that was why I had asked out Alexis in the first place, to prove to myself and possibly Al that I could still call the shots. I would never tell her that though because truthfully I was starting to like her and lately I hadn't been faking kisses and lying to her. I knew she stil loved Al and I felt bad that I was being selfish with her- keeping her away form Al because it was what I wanted- and it wasn't fair. In truth I had only asked her because Al didn't want me to and Lexi could never find that out.
"I really didn't want to like him at first," He laughed briefly. "After everything with Rose, and I guess my ego got in the way a bit. She's happy though and he's good for her. I'm over it but it's still weird calling him Scorpius and not Malfoy." he chuckled briefly. "So there you have it the very long story of how it all happened." He finished his butterbeer and looked over at me with a measured expression. As he had told me the story we had made our way to the three broomsticks in desperate need of heat.
"So I've told you my most dramatic break up, tell me about yours." He said nervously as he shoved his hands deeply into his jeans pockets. My eyebrows rose slightly in shock before I shook myself slightly and sighed.
"His name was Ross Duncan and we dated for seven months in fourth year. I was young and naïve back then and I had convinced myself that I was going to marry him some day. I found out he had been sleeping with Molly Tyler- one of my best friends- behind my back the whole time we were together. I hexed him to have extreme incurable acne and everyone found out about what he did. He left school at the end of that year and didn't come back. Last I heard of him was that he went off to Durmstrang and I never talked to Molly again." I smiled lamely not knowing what else so do. (Remember when I said I could get extremely socially deficient on dates? Well your about to find out why.)
"What about Al? I know that you dated over the summer." He blurted out, before his face turned extremely red from embarrassment and I could tell he had wanted to ask me about this for a while.
"Dated, yes for like two weeks but I wouldn't call him my boyfriend. For lack of a better term I would have to call it more of a fling type thing, but even that doesn't seem to fit…" I trailed off awkwardly. I didn't want to be talking about Albus to Ben. This was dangerous territory.
"Tell me about it. How you met, why you broke up."
Only I could end up talking to my new boyfriend about the boy I still love while we're our first date.
"Why are you asking me this?" I whispered weakly. I knew that he already knew the answer to his question.
"I'm just curious. I like you Lexi but I feel like I don't know that much about you. I just spilled my heart out here telling you all about how my girlfriend cheated on me with my worst enemy who is now one of my best mates. I just don't understand how you can be so friendly after what was apparently quiet a bad break up. I know that beside Rose the only ex I've ever had can't even look at my without sneering at me." he said, not realising the difference between the two relationships. Ben and Rose never loved each other so just feel weird around each other but I loved Albus and he loved me and because of that neither of us could stay away. Drawn together like magnets and pushed apart by reality.
"Exactly, sounds like you and Rose had a bad breakup and you guys are still close." I said trying to distract him.
"Not as close as we used to be." he said informatively but there was an undertone of sadness laced throughout his voice.
"You really want to talk about this on our first proper date?" I asked reluctantly and he nodded. How do I get myself into these situations?
"Well, we met on the beach. Yeah I know that sounds clique. He hit me on the head with a ball, tried to blame it on James and then we got to talking. One thing led to another and he asked me out. We had fun for two weeks. Then his holiday ended and he went home." I said casually. Ben looked at me as if to say "come on, really?"
"Come on, you talk about it like it was nothing which I know it wasn't because when I first asked you out Al could hardly look at me. I know he loved you" He pushed and I flinched at his used of the pasted tense. He couldn't possibly know that Albus still loved me and how much I still loved him.
"And how would you know that?" I asked frustrated. I didn't want to be talking about Albus like this. It hurt too much and I was running the risk of letting slip to Ben that I still loved him.
"It took some convincing but I managed to squeeze it out of him last week when I confronted him on why he was so pissed at me lately. Albus told me everything." my face started to flame with embarrassment as I caught what he was insinuating when he said everything.
"Does he have to tell everyone we know about that? I mean I don't see what the big deal was, it's just sex." Ben chocked on his saliva and gawked at me.
"But it was you and Al's first time. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" he sputtered.
"Yeah it matters to me, but I don't see why everyone else cares. And besides, it wasn't my first time ever, just my first time with Albus." I said flippantly before realising what I had just said made me sound like a slut and I blushed furiously again. I really need to think before I speak. "Look, can we not talk about this right now. It's not exactly the most pleasant part of my past." I said and my eyebrows pulled together as I glanced at him with a pleading look. He nodded and stood up from the table.
"Come on, I'll take you to Honeydukes." He smiled and offered me his hand and we walked out of the pub together. The date went downhill from there. After our conversation in the pub I could get Albus off my mind. I kept feeling like I had made a horrible mistake in deciding to continue dating Ben. Albus was still single and had told me that he wanted to be with me. And I wanted to be with him. These thoughts kept swirling in my head and although I was with Ben as he dragged me through every shop Hogsmeade I wasn't conscious of what he was saying to me and I could bring myself to really pay attention to him.
"You're not into this are you?" he said glumly staring ahead towards the turrets of the castle- I hadn't even noticed that we had started walking back.
"What? Oh, sorry no, I guess I'm just distracted. I can be a bit "closed book" sometimes." I said quietly as I ducked my chin and moth into the collar of my jacket and shoved my hands into my pockets.
"No, that's not it. I can tell when someone doesn't like me like that Lexi. You're not into it, and that's fine." He smiled sadly but his portrayed something else that I didn't understand.
"Ben, I…" but he cut off any ridiculously lame excuse I could have come up with. I was so confused. In Hogsmeade I had wanted this to happen but now that was happening I couldn't help but feel sad and helpless and almost…rejected? I did like Ben a lot. He's sweet and kind and charming. I was conflicted between being happy that I could be with Albus and sad that it was over with Ben.
"It's fine Lexi." He suddenly smiled. A guarded and fake smile that I could tell he was putting on for my benefit but his eyes still gave him away. "Friends?" he extended his arms to me as we stood in the entrance hall and I walked into them automatically. Slow he ducked his head to my ear and whispered gently "Give me some time before you go back to him? I don't think my ego could take it if looked like you chose him over me." I stood there rooted to the spot and stared at him with wide eyes as he walked across the entrance hall and through the doubled door into the loud Great Hall.
Sorry, Sorry, Sorry!!!! I know that it has been like over 2 months since I updated this story. I know- I suck. I just couldn't bring myself to write this chapter. Everytime I was close to the end I would delete the whole thing because it was like a chapter of dialogue. I finally just decided to through in a little Ben POV to avoid that. I know its still mostly dialogue but trust me it could have been alot worse. Anyway I am finally happy that the story is starting to get back on track as it went kind of wonky there for a bit.
Anyway, thanks for coming back to read and i hoped you like it. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought or what you want to happen. I tend to right better when I know people are waiting for a chapter :) Hint hint, wink wink!!!
ChauldronCharm130 xx
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Visiting RHS Wisley with kids in Autumn
It's no secret that I love RHS Wisley. It's one of those places that you could visit every month and it would always look different, the whole 'planting for continuous colour' thing boggles my mind and Wisley has it down to a fine art.
Autumn is a time when we all rush out to the woods, lose our minds over the changing colours of leaves and enjoy crunching though piles of them with our children, but garden such as Wisley still have a lot to offer at this time of year.
There's so many greatspaces for kids to explore at Wisley, I've include just a few of our favourites in this post. Above you can see the bridge by the Rock Garden and below some photos from Clore Learning Garden, the Alice in Wonderland theme was a real hit with Kitty.
When we visit Wisley we tend to eat at the Glasshouse Cafe. They do a good deal on Children's lunch bags, any 4 items and a drink for £4.50. There's a selection of sandwiches, pots of cut up sausages, cakes, biscuits, fruit and veggies, yogurts and more for children to pick their 4 items from and they can help themselves to cutlery and carry it all to the checkout in a paper bag. Maybe a picnic would be marginally cheaper but at this time of year the option to sit indoors added to the selection and how much my kids LOVE the sandwiches there win me over. FYI the bread is made on site daily and according to Kitty 'they have the best crusts ever'.
The cafe is conveniently situated near to the toilets and Glasshouse and there's a large open space for children to roam and play should you be engrossed in grown up conversation and enjoying your coffee far too much.
Above: Can you spot Kitty running through the long grasses by the Glasshouse? The Glasshouse is always a hit with children, the waterfall especially.
Below: Over by the Orchard they spot a tree ripe to climb.
Not an obvious spot to visit at Wisley with kids but the Trails Field look lovely at this time of the year, the dahlias are out in force. And no, they didn't pluck those blooms, they found them in one of the many tubs of dead-headed dahlias - they loved collecting them and handing them out to people. And I loved taking photos of all the flowers -win win!

subset: commoncrawl


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It's 2,000 Guineas day!
Talking Horses will be live through the afternoon as we await the running of the first Classic of the year, the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket. Our tipster, Ron Cox, has lined up behind Delegator for reasons you can read about here, where you will also find our regular news and gossip columns, Horse Sense and Seen & Heard.
And the good news for anyone who's followed Ron is . . .
11.30am Delegator cleared to run!
Brian Meehan has walked up Newmarket's Rowley Mile this morning and decided the going is safe enough for his Delegator to take part in this afternoon's 2,000 Guineas. "The ground is quick but the groundstaff have done a good job and I would say that it is genuine good to firm ground," Meehan says on his website. "It is a little bit better the further down the track you go, but really it is pretty much as we expected and we are definitely going to run."
Meehan never really seemed to me like a man who was in serious doubt about running today, but his horse is not best suited by very fast ground. It was, therefore, perfectly sensible for him to put pressure on Newmarket to water the track, by making it clear that his horse, who has been well backed for three weeks now, would not show up if the going was too quick.
Delegator is just barely hanging on to his position as favourite on Betfair, at 4-1, with Rip Van Winkle a fifth of a point bigger.
12pm Money for Gan Amhras
There's been a fair bit of support for Gan Amhras this morning. Available with some firms at 14-1 initially, he is now no bigger than 10-1 with the bookies and a shade bigger on Betfair.
His trainer, Jim Bolger, has said this week that he thinks of this one as a Derby horse and his pedigree (by Galileo out of a Darshaan mare) certainly suggests that middle-distances will be more his bag than a mile. Gan Amhras started off at a mile as a two-year-old, which would normally make you think that, by this stage of his career, he'd need further. Bolger denies that, explaining that juvenile maidens in Ireland are so oversubscribed that you just run your horse when you can.
Still, this is a horse I see running on at the finish, quite possibly making the frame. He will be a very short price for Epsom if he can actually win today, as there seems little doubt that he'll come on for this first run of the year. He's currently 14-1 for the Derby on the leading exchange.
1pm It's not what you know, it's what you don't know
There are always plenty of imponderables before any Guineas but there seem more than ever this year. Chief among them is the question of whether Rip Van Winkle is really a better horse than his stablemate, Mastercraftsman - it could easily be that Johnny Murtagh has simply had to choose one of them but can't be sure he's on the right one.
There have been conflicting reports about the work this pair have done at home. According to Mark Winstanley in Monday's Racing Post, they galloped together and Rip Van Winkle was clearly the better horse. But James Willoughby claims in today's Post that, in separate gallops, Mastercraftsman returned a much better time.
Then there is the issue of setbacks. Rip Van Winkle was lame on Monday after suffering a stone bruise and missed work. Evasive has also had an interrupted preparation and was supposed to have run in a trial race - instead, this will be his first start since October. In both cases, the setbacks seem really offputting - surely you can't win a Guineas without a perfectly smooth preparation? But their trainers, Aidan O'Brien and Sir Michael Stoute, have clearly decided that their charges are ready to go, so do we just take their word for it and dismiss all concerns? Neither man is known for pitching half-fit horses into Group One races.
How much does trainer form matter? Ordinarily, I see it as a big factor in handicaps, whereas in level-weights races like this, you're looking for the best horse, or the horse best suited by conditions. Still, quite a few of these trainers are struggling for winners. So do we put a line through the runners sent out by O'Brien, Meehan, Roger Charlton, Marcus Tregoning?
1.10pm Climbing off the fence
Ron's gone for a perfectly sensible tip at a short price, so I'm going to offer some balance with a slightly wackier each-way option. Monitor Closely is a very fair 30-1 shot on Betfair (though he got as high as 69-1 overnight) and I'll have a few quid to place as well at 15-2.
A half-brother to Eclipse winner Mount Nelson, he was beaten a head on his seasonal reappearance in the Tattersalls Timeform Trophy here last month, the most valuable three-year-old race outside the Classics. The horse that beat him, Nehaam, came from the red-hot yard of John Gosden and is now being aimed at the Derby, so the form could be really good.
This is a step back in trip of two furlongs and Monitor Closely seems likely to be outpaced early on. But they will surely go a strong gallop and it's easy to see him running on into the frame, particularly with so many question-marks over the fancied horses.
1.45pm All eyes on Jamie
The 2,000 Guineas has not been kind to Jamie Spencer and now he finds himself on a favourite who doesn't want to hit the front too soon. Regular Spencer-watchers will probably have seen him run into traffic problems once or twice before - here's hoping it doesn't happen today.
Spencer has twice ridden the favourite in this race. He was on 6-4 shot Hawk Wing in 2002 and, though I've never been a fan of that horse, he was unlucky that day when running on into second. He was probably on the wrong side and had nothing to race against for the last furlong or so, just failing to catch his stablemate Rock Of Gibraltar, who led home the far-side bunch.
The Rock, of course, went on to win his next four starts, all Group Ones over a mile, so Hawk Wing's effort was pretty decent. I seem to remember Spencer being caught on Channel 4 as he crossed the line, his eyes closed in frustration, mouthing a very obvious curse to himself.
Spencer was also on One Cool Cat, the 15-8 favourite in 2004. He'd been a champion juvenile the previous year but hadn't trained on and got stuffed.
Will it be third time lucky for Spencer, or does another nightmare await?
2.05pm Flying start for Stoute/Moore
The opening nine-furlong handicap falls to Confront (8-1) trained by Sir Michael Stoute and ridden by Ryan Moore, who will team up later with Evasive in the Guineas. Stoute's yard is hitting top form and this one had been highly thought-of, having started favourite for the Greenham last year. He got beaten that day and on his only start since, in September, but he must have been well treated today, winning in spite of top weight.
Viva Vettori (28-1) and Kay Gee Be (20-1) followed him home. There were only 15 runners, so those of you who backed fourth-placed Flipando, ridden by Jamie Spencer, will go unpaid.
This was a gift for Spencer's critics, as Flipando was held up before running on well and could have been closer but for trouble in running. But the horse is always held up and often meets trouble in these big-field races. He hasn't won on turf for a couple of years but his winter form seems to show that he's well suited by a couple of the tight, Polytrack circuits.
2.38pm Spanish Moon a non-runner!
The Stoute/Moore runner refused to go in the stalls for the Group Two Jockey Club Stakes.
2.41pm Cannon blows Casual away
Spanish Moon's antics left only three runners, with Casual Conquest an odds-on shot. Dermot Weld's runner had been third in the Derby and second in the Irish Derby but hadn't been seen since June and appeared to get upset by Spanish Moon playing about before the start.
Drill Sergeant set the pace but couldn't go with the other pair in the final quarter-mile. Bronze Cannon took it up and ran on strongly up the hill to win tidily at 7-1 (but there's a Rule 4 deduction of 35p in the pound).
Casual Conquest seemed reluctant to respond to Pat Smullen's urgings, lugging in behind the winner. This was probably a fair way short of his best and he may not have liked the fast going.
2.55pm Greg Wood sorts out the big race
The immediate concern after seeing the first two races at Newmarket this afternoon must be the ground. Classic Conquest, beaten favourite in the Jockey Club Stakes, looked very reluctant to let himself down, and despite the water that has been applied in recent days, this looks like a surface that is riding a good deal quicker than the clerk of the course might have liked.
Delegator, the favourite, is just one of the horses in the Classic field whose trainer has expressed reservations about the possibility of fast ground in recent weeks. Mastercraftsman also went well with cut last year, while, for most of the Guineas runners, this is likely to be the least forgiving surface they have encountered.
With Rip Van Winkle having suffered a stone bruise earlier in the week, the conditions could be right for an upset this afternoon and, though Cityscape is another whose ability to act on the surface has to be taken on trust, he is an 18-1 shot and the risk is built into the price. I liked the way he quickened and stayed on in the Greenham after being one of the first off the bridle, and I think he'll improve significantly for that, as Roger Charlton would have left a great deal to work on.
Charlton himself is an enigma, a man who trained two Classic winners - both in Derbys, no less - in the space of four days in his first full year with a licence, but has failed to hit the target ever since. His ability to run up sequences in top handicaps with horses like Third Set and Fifteen Love, not to mention steering Patavellian from handicaps to a Group One victory, proves that he has the requisite talent. Perhaps he just needs a bit more luck, starting, hopefully, this afternoon.
3pm Gergahty breaks wrist
Barry Geraghty broke his wrist when falling from Zaarito at Punchestown yesterday, it has been revealed this afternoon. "He's in plaster and has cracked his wrist," his agent said. "An injury like that usually means he's likely to be out for between five to six weeks."
3.13pm Gan Amhras still being backed
Jim Bolger's runner is down to 9-1 on Betfair now. Both of Aidan O'Brien's entries are on the drift, with Rip Van Winkle out to 5-1.
3.17pm Sea The Stars (8-1) wins the Guineas
John Oxx's horse stayed on powerfully to beat Delegator (3-1), who travelled well and had every chance but got slightly outclassed there. He traded at a low of 3-10 in running. The Guineas has again been a bit cruel to Jamie Spencer, who did nothing wrong.
Gan Amhras has run a great Derby trial in third, though the winner may also head to Epsom. Rip Van Winkle ran on to be a close fourth, going past the tiring Evasive, who was joined by Mastercraftsman on the line.
Monitor Closely ran on behind those after getting outpaced in midrace. He also seemed to lose his balance in the dip.
The winner is out of Arc winner Urban Sea, making him a half-brother to Galileo, as well as two other top-class winners in Black Sam Bellamy and Mr Typhoon.
3.25pm A new Derby favourite
Sea The Stars is no bigger than 9-2 for Epsom, which Oxx won with Sinndar nine years ago. Gan Amhras is still 12-1 with Victor Chandler.
3.30pm How good is Arazan?
The winner wasn't even supposed to be John Oxx's first-string for this race. Arazan was better fancied until being withdrawn on Thursday because the going was likely to be too quick. He now goes to the Irish 2,000 Guineas and it'll be a brave man that takes him on.
4.15pm Year of the Oxx
Kudos to senior Irish handicapper Garry O'Gorman, who said some very positive things about John Oxx and Sea The Stars back in January, which we reported here.
Sea The Stars, O'Gorman noted, "is the eighth black type winner out of Urban Sea, and what is notable is that, of those seven previous black-type winners, only one of them was placed in a Group race as a two-year-old, so all those black-type honours were achieved at three years plus. So for Sea The Stars to win a Group Two as a two-year-old, with that pedigree and that conformation, I think he's a right prospect."
"John Oxx, coming to England, doesn't come lightly," O'Gorman added. "I think you'll see a lot of him in 2009."
4.50pm Philip Robinson ok after fall
Some of you may have been alarmed to see Philip Robinson suffer a horrible fall on Chief Editor in the Palace House Stakes earlier, when the horse had a fatal heart attack in mid-race. Robinson was initially feared to have had a head injury but, happily, that appears not to be the case - he is shaken and bruised but may well be able to ride again tomorrow.
Our commiserations to connections of Chief Editor, owned, like Delegator, by Pauline Good.
5.30pm Waiting for a Rainbow
Talking Horses will be back tomorrow with live coverage of 1,000 Guineas day at Newmarket. It's 11-10 Rainbow View and 15-2 bar. Is she a good thing? At the very least, there must be some each-way value on offer and we'll be back here, looking for it, from noon.
5.50pm Bit unlucky there, 15244
Cake got first run on you, but you were still 1-3 in running.
Click here for all the day's racecards, form, stats and results.
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.


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DTSDE Institute Agendas
The Diagnostic Tool for School and District Effectiveness Institute (DTSDE) will focus on the the new school and district review process. The Institute will help attendees understand the school and district review process using the DTSDE tool presented by skilled facilitators and leading experts in the field.
Agendas for the September DTSDE Institute will be posted as soon as they are available.
NOVEMBER 2013 AGENDAS - not yet available
Last Updated: December 29, 2015


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Horde Capturing the Unknown
Using your KTC Snapflash, capture images at the bouncing cameras of the three cave paintings and the pygmy altar.
- Cave Painting 1 Captured
- Cave Painting 2 Captured
- Cave Painting 3 Captured
- Pygmy Altar Captured
- KTC Snapflash (Provided)
Heya, <name>, there are strange cave paintings and other artifacts all over the cavern.
Do you think you could use your belt-mounted KTC Snapflash camera to capture images at the designated spots? Also, snap a pic of the altar in the back of the cavern.
I'm sure that Sassy will want the intel.
You will also receive:
- 250 reputation with Bilgewater Cartel


text: This property is located in central Patterson near major distribution centers such as Amazon.com, Walmart, Safeway, and across from Patterson High School. Only large parcel zoned Multi-Residential, there are two parcels consisting of a total of 12.67 acres. This fully entitled property has a tentative map approved for 154 residential units. Consisting of apartments, townhomes and duet mix. Unique opportunity for a developer or investor to build this project. This project lends itself for families looking to rent or to purchase. A complete due diligence package is available..


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ESCP Europe > Programas > Bachelor in Management > Bachelor in Management > Overview > Contact a Student Ambassador
There is no greater way to understand the benefit of something than to ask someone who has gone before you.
Our Bachelor in Management (BSc) Student Ambassadors are here to help. Whether you want to learn more about the programme, find out about the social life, have worries about accommodation or the challenges of moving countries – they are here to answer any questions you may have!
Read a little about each Student Ambassador in their profile below, then email them directly.
Meet Student Ambassador Virginia Benazzo
Languages Spoken: Italian, English, French (B1/B2), Spanish (A1/A2)
Meet Student Ambassador Allegra Bermond Des Ambrois
Languages Spoken: Italian, English, French (intermediate), German (intermediate)
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Languages Spoken: German, French, English, Spanish
Meet Student Ambassador Paulina Christa
Languages Spoken: English, Polish, German (intermediate), Russian (beginner)
Meet Student Ambassador Leon Ernst
Languages: English, German, French (Intermediate), Spanish (Intermediate)
Languages Spoken: English, Italian, Luxembourgish, French, German, Spanish (learning)


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This is a good game, the art is great! I wish there was better music though. The sound effects are good.
I would recommend on your next revision to hide the mouse cursor when the game is playing.
Also, it would be best if there were some way to tell your progress and how much left to get to the level boss... scrolling the background would help immensely.
Great job so far!
Getting better...
I played your original "Grape Galaxy" game, and this newer version is definitely an improvement to the overall gameplay:
Instead of having more and more enemies crowd up the screen, you added in boss fights, and transitioned the background each time the player reached a new area in the level.
The game also pauses quite nicely when the screen loses focus.
Having said all this, the game still needs work in several areas:
1. It would be awesome if the city background scrolled with the player parallax style. It was a bit odd for the backdrop to fade to a woman's face.
2. More enemies: The two main enemy types still have the same A.I.:
Move straight and shoot or move to the players y coordinate (whilst spinning) and shoot.
3. All projectiles have the same trajectory (straight).
(Maybe add in homing missles or magnetic mines....)
4. The boss battles are a little too predicatable, as they always use the same attack at regular intervals.
5. I see you have a cash system. While it's mainly for scoring, it would be cool if I could spend some of it on ship upgrades.
Rated: 3/5
Keep up the good work
I hope I've given you some helpful advice.
From a member of the:
[review request club]
(I suggest posting there to get more feedback)
P.s. I love the artwork, please tell me where you learnt how to draw like that.
I'd like to learn how to incorporate some decent isometric art into my own projects...
It's an interesting take on space shooters. The hit detection is awfully forgiving, though, especially with those blue-jellyfish-bullet-thingies.
About the game.
It looked like a pretty exiting game at first, but then you play it for 2 miniutes and it gets pretty boring.
It was okay
Nice backgrounds, a little strange to be shooting aliens in front of a girls face. Add some sort of upgrade system and a use for the Gold Zizzys and you'll have a fun shooter.


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Wide support for veterans
Published 4:29 pm, Wednesday, June 20, 2012
If ever a topic called for the bipartisan support that seems to be developing, it is the shameful situation involving the fleecing of vulnerable veterans by fiduciary agents appointed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to watch out for them.
Among the stunning findings of a Hearst Newspapers investigation published Sunday were that predatory fiduciaries -- gamblers, convicted criminals, the bankrupt and the mentally ill among them -- over the last 14 years have stolen roughly $14.7 million from their charges. Some 127,000 veterans, deemed incapable of making their own decisions, have VA-appointed fiduciaries, a person trusted to tend to their affairs.
The Hearst investigation, to be sure, was not the first to document shortcomings in the VA program.
Earlier this month, Rep. Bill Johnson, an Ohio Republican, introduced HR 5948, the Veterans Fiduciary Reform Act of 2012, a bill that contains a long list of fixes inspired partly by previous reports on VA fiduciary scams.
Among its other provisions, this bill would alert veterans within 14 days when a fiduciary is convicted of a crime, give veterans stronger rights to demand that the VA remove an unwanted fiduciary, would require the VA to explain why a non-family-paid fiduciary has been appointed rather than a family member and, perhaps most importantly in light of the Hearst investigation, check criminal backgrounds of old and new fiduciaries whenever they get a new client.
It's encouraging that Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House veterans panel, has expressed his support for the bill.
U.S. Sen Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been a vocal supporter of veterans' programs and expressed his outrage at the Hearst findings. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Blumenthal's colleague on the Senate committee, said he, too, was taken aback by the findings.
There should be no room on this issue for partisan disagreement. A public hearing and then passage of this bill in the House and Senate should proceed as smoothly as possible.


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Pinkney Binford Information
I am looking for information on a Pinkney S. G. Binford, born in Kentucky in 1838, the son of Robert and Mary Binford. He appears in the 1850 Fulton Co., Kentucky census and I know that he served briefly in Co.E, 12th Tennessee Infantry during the Civil War. He was a 1st Lieutenant, but resigned on 25 Aug.1861. I can find nothing on since that time. Where did he go and what did he do?? Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks Don
More Replies:
Re: Pinkney Binford Information
Helen 6/08/03


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This post is syndicated (?) from The Whisky Exchange - New Products & News
Pescador de Suenos Tobala / 70cl / 50.7%
This is made entirely from Tobalá agave, a species known for producing mezcals that balance fruit and spice.
On the nose there is barbeque meat and caramel; the palate is velvety with notes of basil and mint and some sweet spice. – Dawn Davies MW
Continue read this article at The Whisky Exchange - New Products & News


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CONGREGATIONS: Where Old and New
Communications Strategies Merge
Social and "Old" Media for the 21st Century
with instructor the Rev. Dr. Richard Stewart, Retired LTSP Associate Professor; Interim Pastor, Christ Lutheran Church, Upper Darby
Five consecutive Saturdays, March 8 to April 12,
live on the LTSP campus from 10 am to noon
and flexible* online - the choice is yours!
live on the LTSP campus from 10 am to noon
and flexible* online - the choice is yours!
Newletters, bulletins, bulletin boards, radio, newspapers, email, web sites, blogs, video, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Vimeo, RSS Feed, MySpace, etc. Welcome to communicating and connecting in the 21st Century!
On five successive Saturday mornings, we will explore how congregations can connect and communicate with the multiple generations that are being encountered in congregational life.
In some 20 odd years of teaching during the growth of the use of computers, Pr. Stewart has found that the adaptability of people in the pews varies not necessarily according to age but according to interest in – or ability to ignore – methods used by congregations to communicate. This course is valuable to all leaders in congregational life who are responsible to communicate, those who must "Speak" on multiple levels in order to reach all of the Children of God.
Before his retirement, Pr. Stewart was Associate Professor of Communications and Parish Administration at LTSP. His doctoral dissertation, "A History of the Use of Technology in Education at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia," was a study of the use of technology in the theological education setting. You can join Dr. Stewart in one of two ways:
- Live on the LTSP Campus over five consecutive Saturdays, March 8 to April 12, 2014, from 10 am to noon. Join Dr. Stewart live in the classroom to learn and share with class colleagues.
- Online for five weeks beginning March 3. View course videos, participate in discussions forums with class colleagues, and other activities.
- *Flexible means you can attend in whatever way works best for you. You can choose each week - in the classroom, online, a combination of both - for a single registration!
Videos will also be available separately for congregations that wish to use them for their own study programs.
The cost for the course is $200 for individuals enrolling for flexible classroom or online study - a single registration covers both. The cost for congregational groups of two or more will be $275 per group.
Register online here.For more information, contact Kathleen A. Afflerbach, Coordinator, 215.248.6324 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Presented in partnership with Adult Lutherans Organized for Action (ALOA).
What attendees have said about their adult learning experience at LTSP:
- "Please grow this type of learning opportunity!"
- "We all need to know more as we grow in faith."
- "It's great to be able to review the class online if you cannot attend. It also acts as a great review."
- "It was good to know that if I couldn't attend the class I coulod do the work [online]. Several people took advantage of online because of scheduling conflicts."


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The day was beautiful, the backdrop gorgeous, the company fabulous, and the pain tolerable. The Ironman 70.3 Hawai'i is behind me and I am thankful for the opportunity to compete. I keep forgetting I'm not as young as I used to be when I sign up for these things. My training wasn't where it needed to be to put my body through the expectations my psyche imposes. My inner Kathy doesn't know how to race at a leisure pace. It wants to push itself to the limit and beyond, leaving my body in a wake of sleepless pain the night after the race. Isn't this when you should sleep like a baby? Instead, I lay awake writing, reminiscing on the months that got me here, and that random day I said to my partner, Johnan, "Yes, I will do a road triathlon again in my life, but only if I actually had a tri-bike". When it appeared at my doorstep, I was committed.
I love the water, and am usually at the pool three days a week to train. It is in these quiet times when my thoughts are creative, while my head is buried listening to the sound of the bubbles passing by my ears as I exhale, flip-turn and then reach and roll onto each shoulder (admittedly, this is what Coach Tom wants me to do, and I haven't quite mastered it yet) as I stroke back to the opposite end, kicking hard (which I also don't do).
After swim, I usually race to beat the water aerobics women out of the pool and into the limited showers. I overhear chatter in the locker room from the high-school girls that are now getting ready because they swam just before our master's team. One says, "When I get old, I want to be like those women (water aerobic), and be able to go home and eat porridge and watch TV." I find this funny, as only a few days ago in the locker room, the song "She don't know she's beautiful" is playing on the locker room speakers overhead, and one of these 'water aerobics' women is dancing to the beat and mouthing the words as she dries her hair, probably thinking no one is watching. She has plenty of energy and probably does a lot more things at home than eating porridge and watching TV.
Our master's swim team is somewhere between these too age groups, but never the less, well on our way to being grown up. However, I still feel like a high school student when they say "Go" on the starting line, on in the case of the race today, "KA-BOOM" (the sound of the cannon scared me so bad it took me a few seconds to start my watch). I took off kicking and swimming like a wild banshee.
My swim buddy, Britt, lost her goggles just before the start, and as a frantic look overtakes her, a kind man on the beach finds them floating in the water. She has promised to stay in my draft, and touch my toes every so often.
Someone was touching my toes, but it wasn't Britt! I progressively lost my temper as her hands moved to my ankles and then began to start pushing my entire feet down toward the ocean floor with every stroke. I kicked viciously to get away from her (Coach Tom would have been proud). It worked temporarily, and then she found me again, touching my toes and then slowing swimming over me and pushing my legs under. I kicked hard again, getting away from her, then zig-zagged through the wave of swimmers who had started 4 minutes in front that we were beginning to catch. The 3rd time "this person" did it to me, I had had enough. We had just reached a turn buoy at the far end of the course. I stopped to fix my timing chip that she had also managed to almost pull off my ankle, and then swam to the far left of her until she gave up pursuit.
After this rage in the water, I came out of the water in 2nd place in my age group for the 1.2 mile ocean swim, and never looked back until half-way through the 56 mile bike when my "lack of enough training for this length of race" caught up to me. I hit a wall near the top of the 5-mile climb to Hawi on the big island of Hawaii at the turnaround point, and my body began to shut down. I couldn't push the same watts on the way back. It was depressing to not be able to enjoy a downhill!
I saw Johnan on the way back down the hill and she yelled encouragement as she was pedaling up, smiling, and having a great day, and reminding me why we are really here. My youthful psyche pushed on, and though I was deflated on the 2nd half of the ride, I focused more on the beauty of the ocean, and less on the pain I felt in my sit bones from the time trial position I had been in for the last 2 hours on my tri-bike. Also, there was the lack of taking on enough fluids, and the cramping twinges had already started in my quads and calves.
Once on the 13.1 mile run, I was able to take my salt tablets that I had stored in my transition bag. It worked, thank goodness, and I was able to survive and stay very close to my expected pace without being reduced to a walk. The run course was the most beautiful one I have done, and though many of the racers didn't care for running on the soft grass of the golf course, I thrived on it and the sponginess I felt as my joints took the impact with each step. We did make a few detours through some lava field roads that were less than desirable, one in particular toward the end, "The Highway to Hell" was justifiably named. But all in all, it was a spectacular course and full of the local flare.
It was a great day, and so nice to see my friends on the course on all the out and back sections and be able to cheer each other on. The aid stations were plentiful and well stocked, and without all those terrific volunteers out there helping us refuel and stay cool in the heat of the day, I don't know how any of the racers could have finished, including me. There was plenty of heat coming off the lava rock as Johnan and Britt finished their race with smiles on their faces.
And for the record, porridge is actually a great pre-race breakfast. I looked up a recipe and plan to make it for my next race. It is just an expanded version of basic oatmeal: It's sweet and custardy, and keeps you full 'till lunchtime or throughout your race! It includes eggs that get stirred in and honey to sweeten it. It is an appropriate food for even us Master Athletes. Maybe those high-school gals should try it for a swim meet, and then they wouldn't have to wait until they grow up to eat it.
Today however, a hearty all-you-can-eat buffet was in order, followed by a post-race walk with my friends on the beach!


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Kinetics Database Resources
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Title: Kinetics of the reaction of OH radicals with CH3OH and CD3OD studied by laser photolysis coupled to high repetition rate laser induced fluorescence
Journal: React. Kinet. Catal. Lett.
Volume: 96
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Year: 2009
Reference type: Journal article
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HELP!!! I'm one of those brides that is suffering from severe dress regret and am not sure if I bought the right dress....
I went dress shopping with my sister while my mom was away on vacation. We went to at least 6-8 stores tried on at least 30-50 dresses, narrowed it down to my top 3 and brought my mom back to see them. At one of the stores my mom pulls a completely different/new gown I hadn't tried on and was eventually convinced that it didn't fit the scene, the venue, the theme (*ruffles were more 'spanishy'), etc. since it was heavy and lace. Not to mention I wanted to do a TTD and I'd drown in the beading/lace!! After leaving that store, we went across to the next store to try on another dress from my top 3 - it was on sale and I ended up making the purchase...... yet I still can't stop looking and trying on dresses/gowns because I've LOST that 'wow feeling' of the one I bought.... what do you guys think? I don't know how to add a poll to a thread but I'd be interested in some opinions?
*MOH dress - JH5924 (


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ThereŌĆÖs something enigmatic about space. The darkest reaches of the void or the brightest glowing nebulas seem to balance a poetic but deadly grace. ItŌĆÖs because of this monolithic and mysterious backdrop that sci-fi role-playing games work. The genre has always tapped into the inexorable human desire for exploration, relying on future technologies that are fantastical, yet seemingly plausible. At the back of our minds we could envisage this actually happening sometime in the not too distant future. That grounds the sci-fi RPG experience in visceral space that other settings canŌĆÖt even come close to achieving.
Mass Effect 2 is intimately aware of this. It combines role playing elements with the action of a tactical third person shooter to create an experience that is novel-like in depth and cinematic in application.
The title is, unsurprisingly, situated after the events of its predecessor. To make the transition between the two games as seamless as possible Bioware has included an option to import your previously played character from Mass Effect. This nicely results in a large degree of immersive continuity between the two titles. If you havenŌĆÖt played Mass Effect, donŌĆÖt worry ŌĆō itŌĆÖs a standalone title in its own right, but youŌĆÖd be doing yourself a favour by reading up on it. ThereŌĆÖs a lot of storyline that Bioware has assumed you already know. For first time players this may be a little irksome.
The title starts by throwing you straight into the action. Commander Shepard once again is leading the famed Normandy spaceship, and is sent on a standard reconnaissance mission into the fringes of Alliance controlled space, to investigate attacks of outlying human colonies. From out of nowhere the Normandy is attacked and destroyed by an unidentified vessel. The following cut scene, interspersed by third person action, is alone worth the price of admission. The analogy to film is deliberate. This game has a definite cinematic feel. The opening action is thrilling, chaotic and strangely horrifying. Your author had some serious chills down his spine.
Without giving too much away, two years pass and Shepard finds himself in debt to the mysterious Cerebus Company ŌĆō an organisation hoping to further human objectives in the Galaxy. For first time players itŌĆÖs after this prologue that ShepardŌĆÖs appearance may be customized to your liking. Those familiar with other Bioware RPGs will feel at home in the interface. The options are wide ranging ŌĆō but thereŌĆÖs nothing uniquely special, which is a bit of a missed opportunity. It is here that you can choose which class to play as, and choose wisely. But donŌĆÖt get too stressed, its more than likely that players will enjoy re-rolling as a different class the second (or third) time around.
Once Shepard is customized, the game gets into gear. Now working for Cerebus, Shepard must put together a squad of skilled individuals from around the galaxy to investigate and fight the Collectors ŌĆō a fringe race whose existence is still very much in dispute. Selected characters from Mass Effect make reappearances and there are also some new characters to select from.
The game definitely has a novel-like narrative. There is a lot going on here, and even those who only wish to play through the main narrative are going to be impressed with the depth of story and characterization. This is achieved mostly through character dialogue and cut scenes. ItŌĆÖs a shame that the voice acting is such a mixed bag. There is the good; Seth Green (Joker) and Mark Meer/Jennifer Hale (Shepard) return with solid performances and the inclusion of Martin Sheen as the ŌĆ£illusive manŌĆØ is inspired. Then there is the bad; Yvonne Strahovski grates as Miranda, and Adam Lazarre-White could have done more with Jacob. This criticism is a little on the harsh side ŌĆō but for an RPG title that banks on sustained immersion, cringe-worthy Australian accents are a bit of a deal breaker.
Side missions provided by Cerebus or from your ship-mates offer another layer of gameplay beyond the main story. They serve as useful experience and resource gathering exercises, but also flesh out the storylines of individual characters. They are generally done well, and develop the role of Shepard beyond that of just a heroic grunt. There is a lot of fun to be had in investigating abandoned space stations and distress beacons from crashed starships. Bioware has found an outlet for your innermost curiosity, and within the space setting, it really works. But you donŌĆÖt need to strap yourself into a transport and fire down to a rim world to go a-questing. Like BiowareŌĆÖs recent title Dragon Age: Origins, romances are back. And there are un-lockable achievements for bedding the right people. ThatŌĆÖs sure to be errŌĆ" warmly receivedŌĆ" by some gamers.
If there is one criticism to be made of major narrative itŌĆÖs that once again gamers are forced into the standardized RPG formula. ItŌĆÖs the inept and corrupt Government versus the heroic military versus the idealistic rebels. For example, change the Council to the Landsmeet, the military to the Templar, and Cerebus to the Grey Wardens, and what do you have?
Dragon Age: Origins. ThatŌĆÖs what.
ItŌĆÖs a standard narrative formula because it works, and Mass Effect 2 does it very well. There is little doubt that the formula is an enjoyable one. But Mass Effect 2 missed an opportunity to be bold, and add some new spice to an old recipe.
However, there are some notable improvements in gameplay. Mass Effect 2 is an RPG/TPS hybrid, and as such there is a simplification of both elements. The paragon v renegade morality system is back from the original ŌĆō and this time has even more practical applicability. As well as unlocking new conversation choices you can now earn morality points through quick time events during cut scenes. This gives Shepard the ability to change the course of a cut scene by choosing positive or negative actions; from pushing mercenaries through windows, to stopping headstrong teenagers from signing up to certain death. These QTEs are quick; you have to have your finger on the trigger throughout all the cutscenes in case one appears, but it makes you feel like youŌĆÖve personally changed the action, which is engrossing and very rewarding.
Leveling up is also very simplistic, and thankfully you have the ability to undo choices each time you level if youŌĆÖve made a mistake. An upgrade from your research lab also allows you to completely redo ShepardŌĆÖs skill points and re-assign them, which further increases the variability of your gameplay. If you canŌĆÖt be bothered manually leveling your squad members (which is understandable, there are lots of them) then you can auto-level them.
Like any good RPG, the amount of places you can travel to is impressive and non-linear. The main quests are highlighted on various worlds, but you can do them in any order. The galactic map allows you to literally fly your ship around different solar systems or even through inter-stellar space to solar systemŌĆÖs close by. Inter-stellar travel sucks up fuel, so itŌĆÖs always advisable to stock up before going exploring. As per the original, mass relays provide the means to quickly travel between star clusters. This space-faring mini-game is almost as fun as the game proper. Bioware has done a masterful job of creating an enormous galaxy filled with individually named planets within their own solar systems ŌĆō each with personal back stories and lore. ItŌĆÖs simply stunning how much contextual information is provided to you in this title. Thankfully there is an encyclopedic codex to help you keep track of everything.
After entering the orbit of each planet (which is a little tricky, as your spaceship is slightly hard to maneuver over short distances) you can start scanning it for resources. By firing probes into the areas of high resources (as indicated by spikes on your scanner) your ship collects platinum, palladium, iridium and element zero. As well as resources, from time to time anomalies are detected on the surface ŌĆō such as distress beacons or lost operatives ŌĆō which you can choose to investigate. This mode is highly addictive, and your author spent literally hours trawling the planets of solar systems in order to completely pillage them of their mineral booty. It's classic RPG grinding, but Bioware has done a great job of convincing you itŌĆÖs not.
The resources you collect can be used to upgrade your ship, your armour or your weaponry in the tech-lab. Prototype heavy weapons are also available to research, and pack a serious punch in combat. Unfortunately the learning curve on exactly how to upgrade your items or what process to go through is largely unexplained. Not to mention the fact that you canŌĆÖt even start to upgrade anything until you have rescued a Salarian scientist and convinced him to join your crew. Unlike other RPG titles, whereby upgrades purchased at stores or found in combat can be instantly applied, Mass Effect 2 requires you to manually reconfigure your equipment back on board your vessel. This is onerous, but does serve to provide a bit of realism to the experience. ThereŌĆÖs no way someone could retrofit an assault rifle under screeds of fire. But at least once youŌĆÖve researched a new weapon, its available to your whole squad. A vast improvement on the original title.
But one thing is certain, once you are using those new weapons they look really, really great. Mass Effect 2 does a great job of visually presenting its game play to you. PC gamers are in for a real treat - lots of detail will be lost in the transfer to console. The game runs smoothly on default settings, and those with better rigs shouldnŌĆÖt be afraid of pushing their cards to take advantage of the titleŌĆÖs beautifully rendered environments. The different worlds and different combat environments have provided the creative team with a blank canvas to really go to town on. As a consequence there is great variability in the environments you can explore ŌĆō from the sanitised and clean chambers of the Citadel to the grimy, greasy and murky ship graveyards on Korlus. However, those using Nvidia cards should update to the latest drivers as there have been reports of stuttering and freezes on outdated software versions. The combat is visceral and at times intense, and is presented well, complete with great combat audio effects. In fact the entire soundtrack is good, even the soothingly ambient backing tracks of deep space.
Fans of the original will be pleased to know that the ability to tactically control your squad makes a return. Like the combat controls in general, it is simple and intuitive. Pressing the Q or E keys will direct your team mates to different directions, and the C key calls them back to you. ItŌĆÖs not complicated, but it works. Unfortunately it means that some more extreme tactical maneuvers such as suppression fire or flanking are a bit hit and miss, as you are relying on the AI to think like you do. The enemy AI is fairly standard, but the grunt troops donŌĆÖt show much strategic brilliance. However, fighting bosses does offer a decent challenge. The HUD has been simplified, and the game can still be paused mid fight in order to chain up mass effect powers or special abilities of your team mates.
Oddly Bioware has decided to do away with the weapon cool-down system of the original, preferring instead to introduce ŌĆśthermal clipsŌĆÖ ŌĆō clips that can be ejected from your weapon in order to cool it down immediately. This bemusingly seems to replicate ammo clips found in all other games, and it seems odd that Bioware made the decision to rename what is essentially the same thing. Sometimes you just need to call a spade a spade. Gamers arenŌĆÖt idiots. They could also probably handle some more challenging hacking mini-games than the two provided, which are refreshing and interesting bursts of fun, but are a little easy.
Unfortunately the combat sequences are still very linear. Obviously influenced by the crouch and cover style of combat now archetypical of console titles, Mass Effect 2 merely offers a series of maps filled with barriers and walls to crouch behind or around. Thankfully this is mitigated in part by your special abilities and the weapons you wield. For some classes these biotic special abilities are a little useless (it would be better if they did more damage and had longer cool down periods) but damn do they look good. If you ever wanted to fire a singularity at a bunch of droids, nowŌĆÖs your chance. ItŌĆÖs just a little frustrating they are simply held there and donŌĆÖt get sucked in the maelstrom. ItŌĆÖs a singularity, isnŌĆÖt death by gravitational suction whatŌĆÖs supposed to happen?
ItŌĆÖs a second frustration that Bioware has restricted certain weapons to certain classes. This is a game play element thatŌĆÖs an unfortunate hangover from the complicated RPGs of old, and doesnŌĆÖt seem to fit the narrative of Mass Effect 2 at all. Commander Shepard is in charge of the galaxy's most advanced spaceship. YouŌĆÖd think heŌĆÖd know his way around both sniper rifles and heavy pistols ŌĆō even if not all that well.
ThereŌĆÖs a reason this review is of monolithic proportions, and your author salutes you for making it this far. Good job solider, momma would be proud. That reason is the sheer depth of Mass Effect 2. You could literally spend days travelling the universe (in the metaphysical sense) that Bioware has developed for you. The attention to detail in this title is amazing, from the private messages sent to you from grateful NPCs to the ability to change the music in ShepardŌĆÖs cabin.
Bioware has produced an RPG hybrid that gels really well with its setting and series. Hardcore fans of Mass Effect or even the RPG genre will not be disappointed. But going beyond that, reviewing this title was hard. Not because itŌĆÖs a bad game - itŌĆÖs not. ItŌĆÖs a very, very good one. But because itŌĆÖs not a amazing one. ItŌĆÖs that attention to detail that is Mass Effect 2ŌĆÖs Achilles' heel. After a while the combat sequences (the necessary vehicle for the game's narrative), become less enjoyable, and thatŌĆÖs a problem. ItŌĆÖs not a fatal one by any stretch of the imagination, but it does highlight the title's largest flaw. ThereŌĆÖs just so much to do, and itŌĆÖs all presented with magisterial aplomb, but it comes at the expense of the bigger picture, and at the expense of some sorely needed innovation in the RPG genre.
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Lions don't need to spank
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: In my recliner.
Posts: 5,618
Kevin Smith Tells About His Plane Nightmares
Newsweek's online magazine had a short article last week from Kevin Smith about his famous (or infamous flight) where he got the boot. In this piece, he makes some interesting comments . . .
My Favorite Mistake: Kevin Smith Aug 28, 2011 10:00 AM EDT
(On the time he got kicked off a flight for being too fat.)
Quote from Kevin - A lot of people say, "You make jokes all the time and call yourself fat." Yes, as a defense mechanism. You call yourself fat before someone else can because its always more painful when somebody else does.
He also says that photographers were offered $10,000 for a picture of him sitting on a plane and eating a sandwich. (M2M's comment - I assume that the worse he looked the better.)
His final comment spoke highly of what we fat people go thru every day (altho it is strangely worded). I quote . . . " When the whole world calls you fat and you can stand there in the face of it and not open your wrists, my friend, you are tempered in the cosmos. Nothing can stop you at that point." K.S.
He also notes that the whole incident caused him nightmares. But in the end, he made a profit because it inadvertantly landed him a movie deal worth millions and gandered him free publicity.
(M2M - Is this what "It's all good means?)
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Jersey
Posts: 201
I remember going to his last two Q and A shows here in Jersey: "Too Fat to Fly" a few years ago, then "Too Fat for Forty" on his 40th birthday. He went into great detail about the whole situation, and how he took his sudden desire to avoid airlines and embrace ground travel and turned it into a great business idea for promoting what he's doing.
It's been cool to watch him make peace with his body over time. He's still trying to eat healthier and drop a few pounds, which is great too, but he's adopted a pretty cool "don't dwell on the haters" attitude in the past couple years.
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 202
Although M2M already referenced it, I really wanted to point out those last words of Smith's:
When the whole world calls you fat and you can stand there in the face of it and not open your wrists, my friend, you are tempered in the cosmos. Nothing can stop you at that point.
"Fat" can be seen as one of the worst labels to be thrown at someone and to go through that many people all spilling their vitriol from so many directions, it really says something that he sees it as situation he was able to use as a positive.
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TONIGHT on HBO! 9PM!
The Normal Heart (TV Movie 2014) - IMDb
The Normal Heart (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
After seeing a friend succumb to a new disease killing gay men at the offices of Dr. Emma Brookner (Julia Roberts), Ned Weeks (Mark Ruffalo) seeks to organize more action to combat it, even as his bluntness threatens to alienate people around him including his brother Ben (Alfred Molina), his lover Felix (Matt Bomer), and Bruce Niles (Taylor Kitsch), a closeted investment banker.


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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Real Madrid will not worry his side in their Champions League clash at Old Trafford.The English Premier League leaders scored a priceless away goal in Madrid to bring home a 1-1 draw, which means the Spanish side must at least score in England if they are to progress to the quarter-finals.
Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso has defended coach Jose Mourinho, but admits he is unhappy with his side's form this season.The Spanish champions have all but surrendered their domestic crown to Barcelona, while they face a tough challenge in progressing to the Champions League quarter-finals following their 1-1 draw with Manchester United in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Manchester United's Robin van Persie feels he wasted chances to hand his side a win in Wednesday's Champions League clash with Real Madrid.The Red Devils earned a 1-1 draw in the first-leg last-16 clash at the Bernabeu, but could have carved out a lead had Real goalkeeper Diego Lopez not regularly thwarted the Dutchman.
Cristiano Ronaldo is optimistic about Real Madrid's Champions League hopes after their 1-1 draw against Manchester United on Wednesday.An enthralling contest saw both sides score a goal apiece in the first half of the last-16 tie, though the Red Devils' away goal means that they hold a slender advantage in the second leg at Old Trafford.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho does not believe Manchester United hold an advantage in the sides' last-16 Champions League tie.The Red Devils grabbed a crucial away goal in a 1-1 first-leg draw at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes his side are on track to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals.The English Premier League leaders played out a 1-1 draw with Real Madrid in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo netted against former club Manchester United as Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw in their Champions League last-16 clash.Danny Welbeck opened the scoring for the Premier League leaders with a 20th-minute header to deliver United a crucial away goal in Wednesday's first leg in Madrid.
Former Manchester United star Gordon McQueen is backing Michael Carrick to star in their Champions League clash with Real Madrid.The midfielder has enjoyed arguably his best season in a United shirt in 2012/13 but there remain critics who insist that he has failed to deliver on the big stage, particularly in the Champions League.
Cristiano Ronaldo is nervous but excited ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash between Real Madrid and Manchester United.That's the view of Ronaldo's team-mate Michael Essien, who is looking forward to taking on the Premier League giants.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has talked down his chances of replacing Alex Ferguson as Manchester United's next manager.The former Inter Milan man has been heavily linked with replacing Ferguson when the 71-year-old finally decides to call time on his tenure at Old Trafford.
"It is always a privilege, not just when you win. We all want to play against big opponents, big coaches, big players, big teams and Man U
represents all of that."
Phil Jones and Jonny Evans are likely to be available for Manchester United's Champions League clash with Real Madrid.The defensive duo were doubts for the game against the Liga giants on Wednesday after being withdrawn during the 2-0 league win over Everton, with Alex Ferguson revealing after the game that the pair would need to be assessed.
Peter Schmeichel believes Jose Mourinho will not take over from Alex Ferguson at Manchester United due to the controversy he attracts.With Alex Ferguson approaching his 72nd birthday and Mourinho's position at the Santiago Bernabeu under scrutiny after a disappointing season in La Liga, speculation is mounting that the Portuguese is eyeing a role at Old Trafford in the near future.
Michael Carrick believes Manchester United may have to triple mark Cristiano Ronaldo against Real Madrid in the Champions League.The two European heavyweights face off in the round-of-16 first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, with Portugal international Ronaldo facing his former side for the first time since his 80 million-pound transfer from Old Trafford to the Spanish capital in 2009.
Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Higuain says his side want a clean sheet as well as a win against Manchester United in the Champions League.Real hosts United in the round of 16 tie at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs over two legs.
Defence looks set to decide Real Madrid's Champions League round-of-16 clash with Manchester United despite both team's attacking riches.While the focus for Wednesday's first leg in Madrid will be on Cristiano Ronaldo taking on his former club as well as the Portuguese forward going head-to-head with Manchester United's main marksman Robin van Persie, it is likely the game will actually be decided at the back.
Barcelona's Gerard Pique hopes Manchester United will reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League at the expense of Real Madrid.The Spain international played for United from 2004 until 2008, and he is hopeful his former team can beat Barca's arch-rivals in the round of 16, with the first leg of the tie scheduled to take place at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson believes winning the Champions League is Real Madrid's priority this season.The two sides are set to go head-to-head at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday.
Sergio Ramos says Real Madrid cannot afford to make a single mistake against Manchester United in the Champions League on Wednesday.The Spanish champions are in search of their 10th European title, with a round-of-16 first leg clash at home to United their next obstacle.
Real Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka said the Champions League is the club's top priority as they take on Manchester United on Tuesday.Karanka's side thumped Sevilla 4-1 on Saturday - powered by a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick - and he still insisted they would play to win in La Liga despite the 13-point gap to league-leaders Barcelona.
Sami Khedira says Real Madrid will give their all to win the Champions League, but has given up on retaining their La Liga crown.The Santiago Bernabeu side are trailing arch rivals Barcelona by 16 points at the moment, but Khedira is adamant they can still win silverware this season.
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo says he had a 'strong feeling' his side would face Manchester United in the Champions League.The Portuguese attacker spent six years at Old Trafford, helping Sir Alex Ferguson's men to three English Premier League titles before moving to the Spanish capital.
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini says he will support Manchester United 'with a red-and-white-flag' against Real Madrid.Mancini has taken the unusual support if it means the Premier League leaders have to navigate a congested fixture list.
Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas will miss up to six weeks after breaking his thumb in the 1-1 draw with Valencia on Wednesday.The keeper was forced to leave the pitch after 17 minutes of play at Mestalla, and the club have now announced that he has sustained the injury, meaning he will miss the Champions League tie with Manchester United next month.
Jose Mourinho is relishing the chance to lock horns with Sir Alex Ferguson when Real Madrid face Manchester United in the Champions League.United travel to Santiago Bernabeu on February 13 for the first leg of the their last-16 clash as the veteran managers meet for the 15th time.
Jose Mourinho says Real Madrid's Champions League clash with Manchester United is 'the match the world wants to see'.Real are in the midst of a disappointing La Liga campaign and currently sit third, with a seemingly unattainable gap of 18 points separating them from Barcelona.
|Ferguson unworried by Real Madrid
|Alonso hails Mourinho
|Van Persie rues uncharacteristic misses
|All to play for, says Ronaldo
|Tie evenly balanced in Mourinho´s eyes
|Ferguson likes United´s chances
|UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid 1 Manchester United 1
|McQueen tipping Carrick to shine
|Essien: Ronaldo is anxious ahead of United clash
|Mourinho shrugs off United link
|Jones, Evans fit to face Real
|Schmeichel doubts Mourinho´s United chances
|Carrick singles out Ronaldo threat
|Higuain wary of United threat
|Champions League preview: Real Madrid v Manchester United
|Pique wants United to progress
|Ferguson: Real targetting Europe
|Ramos calls for Real focus
|Karanka: Europe priority for Real
|Khedira sets sights on Champions League
|Ronaldo delighted to face United
|Mancini will back United against Real
|Casillas out of United clash
|Mourinho up for Ferguson duel
|Mourinho relishes United clash


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The Beans We Brew
Outstanding coffee can change our lives and the lives of those who pick our beans.
Union's coffee comes from local roasters, Eiland Coffee Roasters. Eiland was founded in 1998 by Clay Eiland. This roaster integrates old-school roasting equipment retrofitted with modern technology to specialize in roasting rare and unique coffees from around the world. Clay and his team roast single-origin coffees and create blends that will make you fall more in love with your coffee every sip you take.
"I have a confession to make. I've run a coffee shop for 3.5 years and I only became a coffee drinker about four months ago—when I was introduced to the quality coffee that Clay is able to produce," says Mike Baughman, Community Curator for Union. "Now, I can't get through my day without a Burundi pour over."
Here is a little more about the beans straight from Eiland...
"Eiland Coffee Roasters is passionate about roasting, training, and developing palates. We want to make consistently great coffee available in your shop or home for your customers and guests.
Roasting coffee for over a decade, plus numerous trips to coffee-producing countries across the world has fueled our passion for this craft. Every member of our team has been in the specialty coffee industry for at least a decade. All of the time spent honing our craft is made worthwhile if we can provide you with a great experience. As this industry grows and changes, we're striving to grow and adapt as well as provide the best for our customers." www.EilandCoffee.com
The beans that come from Eiland all tell their own story. These beans come from places such as Burundi, Brazil, Costa Rica and more.


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Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 22nd Feb 2011 22:44 UTC
"We are pleased to announce that the full SDK for Android 3.0 is now available to developers. The APIs are final, and you can now develop apps targeting this new platform and publish them to Android Market. The new API level is 11. For an overview of the new user and developer features, see the Android 3.0 Platform Highlights. Together with the new platform, we are releasing updates to our SDK Tools (r10) and ADT Plugin for Eclipse (10.0.0)."
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RE[2]: Wow, another version
by wocowboy on Wed 23rd Feb 2011 15:17 UTC in reply to "RE: Wow, another version"
RE[3]: Wow, another version
by _txf_ on Wed 23rd Feb 2011 16:22 in reply to "RE[2]: Wow, another version"
Well, developers can publish new apps to the Android Market that will run on 3.0. So let's take stock: there are now phones that run Android 2.1; some with 2.2; a very few with 2.3; Google has announced 2.4 to be a tablet-only OS, and 2.5, the phone version of 2.4. And now here we are with 3.0.
Google hasn't said what number the next version will be, only that it will be named "Ice Cream". Also they have said the next version (or the one after that) will unify the Tablet version with the phone version.
Why would they make 2.4 a tablet version if 3.0 is here already?
RE[3]: Wow, another version
by puelocesar on Wed 23rd Feb 2011 16:24 in reply to "RE[2]: Wow, another version"
There is no 2.4 and 2.5.
We have 2.3, for phones, and 3.0 for tablets only.
From what I read, the next version will be based on 3.0, but with support for phones.
So if you want to code an app just for tablets, using more screen state and such, use 3.0.
If you want to code an app for most phones out there, just use 2.1 and take care with multi-resolution issues.
And if you want to use new stuff like renderscript and fragments for apps that work on tablets and phones, you have to wait a little.
Not as terrible as you are pointing out...
RE[4]: Wow, another version
by wocowboy on Wed 23rd Feb 2011 17:16 in reply to "RE[3]: Wow, another version"
2.4 does/will exist: http://phandroid.com/2011/02/21/once-and-for-all-android-2-4-is-sti...


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"its is not haemmeroids or a fissure, there is no bleeding , and it is not just in the anus. I feel a fullness in my stomach due to gas and when the gas exits it is quite warm."
Are you sure you want to delete your ?
You will no longer be able to add new data to this tracker.


text: Dale Scheetz wrote: > > On Mon, 16 Jun 1997, Lawrence Chim wrote: > > > If a standard package depends a non-free package, it won't resolve it > > and I have to manually install the non-free package free before > > installing > > the standard package. > > > If a standard package depends on a non-free package it should be reported > as a bug. To my knowledge there are no such packages in 1.3.0. BTW, why not let dselect continue to install the package in contrib and non-free, then we can run the dselect again and the dependency is solved. Lawrence -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to email@example.com . Trouble? e-mail to email@example.com .


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With the Patent Act of 1790 the United States Patent Office was created. Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph headed the three-member Patent Commission. They established the requirement that a working model of each invention be produced in miniature.??The first US patent was granted in 1790 to Samuel Hopkins of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for an improvement in the "making of Pot Ash by a new apparatus & process."
The original Patent Law was revised. A simple registration system was implemented whereby anyone who applied and paid a $30 fee was granted a patent. The revision of the Law also eliminated the Patent Board. The act of granting patents fell to a clerk in the Department of State. James Madison, Secretary of State, created a separate Patent Office within the State Department. In May 1802, he appointed Dr. William Thornton its first superintendent.
The Patent Office moved from the Department of State to Blodgetts Hotel. For the first time many of the models were put on public display. It became a local custom on Sundays to stroll through the rooms and see what new models were there.
An attempt was made to record and keep a list of the then-existing models which totaled 1,819.
The Patent Act of July 4, 1836 reestablished the examination system of 1790. Models were once again required by the Commissioner. "The model, not more than 12 inches square, should be neatly made, the name of the inventor should be printed or engraved upon, or affixed to it, in a durable manner." The application fee was $30 for United States citizens, $500 for British subjects, and $300 for any other alien. ??On July 13, 1836, a numbering system for the patent models was instituted instead of the previous practice of using names. Patent number 1 was issued to Senator John Ruggles of Maine (head of the committee to draft the new patent law). ??On December 15, 1836, there was a fire in the Patent Office. The entire building burned to the ground. All records and most of the models were destroyed. Congress appropriated $100,000 for the restoration of 3,000 of the most important models.
New and original designs became patentable. The first design patent was granted to George Bruce of New York City for a typeface.
Congress abolished the legal requirement for models,however, the US Patent Office kept its requirement for models until 1880. Some models were still being submitted at the turn of the century.
The public was barred from seeing the models because of lack of space.
A second fire in the Patent Office on September 24, 1877 destroyed 76,000 models. Congress appropriated $45,000 for their restoration.
The model requirement was deemed impractical and the law was changed to permit models only when required by the Commissioner. 246,094 patents had been issued by 1880 and perhaps 200,000 were represented by models.
The models were moved out of the Patent Office and placed in storage.
Congress decided to sell all the models. An auction of some 3,000 models that had failed to receive patents sold at that time for $62.18. The remaining estimated 150,000 models were stored, finally ending up in an abandoned livery stable. It is estimated that from 1884 to 1925, $200,000 had been spent in moving and storing the models.
The one millionth patent was issued. The models were stored in barns and basements for almost 20 years until a sale was finally organized during Calvin Coolidge's presidency.
On February 13, 1925, not wanting to continue to pay the cost of storage, Congress appropriated $10,000 to do away with the models one way or another. The Smithsonian Institution received an additional 2,500 models. On December 3, 1925, the models were sold at an auction to philanthropist Sir Henry Wellcome. It is believed that he intended to establish a Patent Model Museum. His plans dissolved with the stock market crash of 1929. He died in 1936 at the age of 82 without realizing his ambition.
The trustees of Wellcome's estate sold the models for $50,000 to Broadway producer, Crosby Gaige. He in turn sold out to a group of businessmen for $75,000. This group formed American Patent Models, Inc.
American Patent Models, Inc. declared bankruptcy. In 1941 the models were acquired by O. Rundle Gilbert, an auctioneer, in a bankruptcy auction at Foley Square in New York City for $5,000 and moved to his home at Garrison-on-the-Hudson, New York. Gilbert held many auctions and thousands of the models were sold. On a number of occasions, Gilbert entered into various deals to sell the entire collection, but it wasn't until 1979 that a deal was actually completed.
Cliff Petersen, a designer and inventor within the aerospace industry, purchased from Gilbert his remaining 800 crates - some of which had not been opened since the original packing in 1926 - for $500,000. Petersen began collecting patent models from Gilbert in 1973.
Petersen donated 30,000 models and one million dollars to the United States Patent Model Foundation. He kept approximately 5,000 models that were in his personal collection.
Alan Rothschild created the Rothschild Petersen Patent Model Museum. A significant segment of the patent models represented in the Museum were purchased from the private collection of Cliff Petersen. In addition, Mr. Rothschild purchased all 82 models comprising the Patent Model Museum in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and added them to the Rothschild Petersen collection.
In July 2001, The Rothschild Petersen Patent Model Museum(RPPMM) received museum status in New York State and official designation as a 501-C-3 corporation. ??In October 2001, patent models from the RPPMM formed the basis for the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office's exhibit, "School Days."
The Patent Model Collection was featured in articles in The Boston Herald, the Journal of Antiques and the National Post of Toronto. In November 2001 the Collection was featured in a segment on Home and Garden Television.
Beginning in May 2001 and continuing to the present, an exhibit of 53 patent models from the Collection are on display at Disneyland Paris in Paris, France.
Patent models from the Rothschild Collection were featured in the following:
-International Wristwatch Magazine
-In February 2002, the patent models were the centerpiece in an exhibit at the USPTO, entitled, "Icons of Innovation." Also during this month the models from the Collection were included in an article in the New York Times. ?- In April 2002, the Patent Model Collection was featured in a segment on the television program, CBS News Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood.
-In June 2002, the Collection models were included in a story on the History Channel's program, Modern Marvels.
In August 2002, the RPPMM hosted the 7th Annual Independent Inventors Conference, ICON 2002. Cosponsored by the RPPMM, the USPTO, the United Inventors Assoociation, and Onondaga Community College, the conference attracted inventors and aspiring inventors from across the country and Canada. With a keynote address by the inventor of the medical respirator, Dr. Forrest Bird, the two day conference was a resounding success. An exhibit of over 200 patent models from the Central New York area served as a backdrop to the conference which was held at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, New York.
An exhibit of sixty five patent models from the Collection were on display at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston throughout 2004.
Models from the Collection were featured in articles in Forbes Magazine,The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles and Antiques and Auction News.
The Rothschild Collection Patent Models were the subject of articles in The Christian Science Monitor, the Robb Report, Chubb Collectors, Open Skies: The Inflight Magazine of Emirates, American Spirit: Daughters of the American Revolution, Steinway and Sons, and the American Profile supplement.
Patent models from the Rothschild Collection went on permanent display at the Bird Aviation Museum & Invention Center in Sandpoint, Idaho.
An article on Alan Rothschild, the museum and the patent models was featured in the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Postscripts Magazine.
After much planning, the Smith Kramer Fine Art Services Traveling Exhibit entitled, "The Curious World of Patent Models" and organized by The Rothschild Patent Model Collection began its tour. The first venue opened in February 2010 and travels to museums throughout the country through 2014. The exhibit was originally scheduled for three years, but because of widespread interest, a fourth year was added and then an additional fifth year was added to the schedule.


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PSV Coach Phillip Cocu warns Milan "anything could happen" ahead of their Champions League play-off.
The first leg ended 1-1 in Eindhoven [12] and the decider is at San Siro on Wednesday night at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).
English referee Mark Clattenburg has been assigned to the big game. Click here for Milan Coach Massimiliano Allegri's conference. [13]
"Playing at home is different to being away. We played a good game in Eindhoven and are confident we can also do well tomorrow in Milan's stadium," said Cocu in a Press conference.
"It is a wonderful moment for me as well as the team, as being able to measure yourself up against a side like Milan is great.
"This brings tension, but it is a positive tension, a sensation you need in football. My job is also to help my players to experience and use this pressure.
"We are prepared for anything. I don't know how Milan will approach the game, whether they will defend or attack. In such an important match with so much at stake, anything could happen."
Robinho and Mattia De Sciglio are fit again, so Cocu was asked whether he fears the Brazilian more than Stephan El Shaarawy.
"Milan have the luxury of being able to choose between great players. We have to step on to the field knowing we must control these players. Did we see Milan's defeat to Verona? Yes, we watched it."
Cocu also revealed Georginio Wijnaldum is not 100 per cent fit after picking up an injury at the weekend.
See the latest Serie A predictions and betting tips with Eurotips.co.uk [14]


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Researchers identify Stuxnet-like cyberespionage malware called 'Flame'
A new, highly sophisticated malware threat that was predominantly used in cyberespionage attacks against targets in the Middle East has been identified and analyzed by researchers from several security companies and organizations.
According to the Iranian Computer Emergency Response Team (MAHER), the new piece of malware is called Flamer and might be responsible for recent data loss incidents in Iran. There are also reasons to believe that the malware is related to the Stuxnet and Duqu cyberespionage threats, the organization said on Monday.
Malware researchers from antivirus firm Kaspersky Lab have also analyzed the malware and found that while it is similar to Stuxnet and Duqu in terms of the geographic propagation and targeting, it has different features and it is, in many ways, more complex than both of those threats.
Flame, as the Kaspersky researchers call it, is a very large attack toolkit with many individual modules. It can perform a variety of malicious actions, most of which are related to data theft and cyberespionage.
Among other things, it can use a computer's microphone to record conversations, take screenshots of particular applications when in use, record keystrokes, sniff network traffic and communicate with nearby Bluetooth devices.
One of the toolkit's first versions was likely created in 2010 and its functionality was later extended by leveraging its modular architecture, said Vitaly Kamluk, chief malware expert at Kaspersky Lab.
Flame is much bigger than both Duqu and Stuxnet, which at around 500KB in size were already considered large by security experts. The size of all Flame components combined adds up to over 20MB and one file in particular measures over 6MB alone, Kamluk said.
Another interesting aspect of the threat is that some parts of Flame were written in LUA, a programming language that's highly uncommon for malware development. LUA is often used in the computer gaming industry, but Kaspersky Lab hasn't seen any malware samples before Flame that were written in the language, Kamluk said.
Flame spreads to other computers by copying itself to portable USB devices and also by exploiting a now-patched Microsoft Windows printer vulnerability that was also leveraged by Stuxnet.
The Kaspersky researchers haven't found any evidence of an unknown (0-day) vulnerability being exploited by this malware, but Flame is known to have infected a fully patched Windows 7 computer, so they don't completely exclude the possibility, Kamluk said.
When infecting computers that are protected by antivirus programs, Flame avoids performing certain actions or executing malicious code that might trigger a proactive detection from those security applications. This is one of the reasons that the malware flew under the radar for so long, Kamluk said.
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text:
What does greenspace mean?
Definitions for greenspace
Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word greenspace.
An area of undeveloped landscape, such as park land left within a city during planning and zoning other areas for development.
Origin: green (in the environmental sense) + space
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of greenspace in Chaldean Numerology is: 4
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of greenspace in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3
Images & Illustrations of greenspace
Translations for greenspace
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- espacio verdeSpanish
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"greenspace." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2018. Web. 22 Mar. 2018. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/greenspace>.


text:
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- n. An instance of multiple people speaking to each other; a conversation or conference
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- n. A speaking or conversing together; conference; mutual discourse.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A speaking or conversing together; colloquy; dialogue.
Sorry, no etymologies found.
They all received the institution from the Pope, who announced it with an air of triumph to the college of Cardinals, in his collocution of the
(I) could care less Eric P. Hamp University of Chicago The Second Barnhart Dictionary of New English (1980), an excellently documented gain to our resources, carries a first-class entry for this troublesome collocution of care.


text:
The Visitation - Mary Departs from Elizabeth's Home
"And Mary abode with her [Elizabeth] about three months, and returned unto her house." Luke 1:56 ASV
Illustration of Mary and Elizabeth in the doorway of Elizabeth's dwelling. From its placement in the text, the illustration probably was intended to depict the departure of Mary from Elizabeth, rather than the more frequent scene of their initial greeting.
cousins, departure, Elisabeth, Mary Elizabeth, The Visitation, visitation
Martin Luther, translator Volks-Bilderbibel oder die ganze heilige Schrift des alten und neuen Testaments, nach der Ueberseßung Dr. Martin Luther's (Leipzig, Germany: Baumgärtners Buchhandlung, 1853) 76