text:
New PSP Dual Pack bundles featuring two bundled games grabbed from the "Greatest Hits" and "Favorites" collections hits both retail and the PlayStation Network store this week.
The first three set to hit stores this week are: Secret Agent Clank and Daxter; Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow and Killzone Liberation; and Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo.
You can also download the packs from the PlayStation Store.
Introducing: New PSP Dual Packs Available for $US15 This Week [PlayStation Blog]


text:
Michael Foos
Product Manager - Optics and Light & lasers
Michael Foos is responsible for our comprehensive line of special light sources as well as the necessary accessories, such as mechanical and optical components, fiber optics and also monochromators.
He joined LOT-Oriel after finishing his studies of General Fine Mechanics at the University of Applied Sciences of Frankfurt in 1999.
Seeking a distributor?
If you are looking to partner with an experienced sales and service company to distribute your systems or components please contact Jürgen Schlütter.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Fire in Rocky Mountain National doubles in size
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK – A wildfire that burned at least one cabin and forced the evacuation of several areas in and near Rocky Mountain National Park has grown to more than 3,500 acres.
The Fern Lake Fire grew rapidly Saturday morning, more than doubling in size before calmer winds allowed firefighters to gain the upper hand. The blaze, which was reported Oct. 9, is 20 percent contained.
About 1,100 evacuation and pre-evacuation notifications were sent to phones in the area Saturday, but officials say some people have been allowed to return home. The fire has so far been confined to the park, and the nearby resort town of Estes Park is largely unaffected.
Fire spokeswoman Traci Weaver says the blaze was likely caused by an illegal campfire.
No injuries have been reported.
Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil.
If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.


text:
In memory of all the victims of 9/11. It makes me wanna cry when thinking about it as a middle eastern. I feel bad for anyone's bereavement of a family member , friend or a relative.
Views: 573
James, thank you for your rational reply concerning 9/11 conspiracy theories. As a flight attendant, the 9/11 event still evokes a deeply emotional response from me. The very first people murdered on that morning were co-workers from my airline. They were flight attendants who had their throats slashed with box cutters so that entry into the flight deck could be achieved; and so began the carnage.
I'm also sickened and disgusted by all the attempts to degrade their deaths by linking them with some vast and improbable (impossible!) government conspiracy. You're right, this website is the last place I expected to encounter touting of 9/11 conspiracy theories which have been thoroughly debunked for the past twelve years. Michael Shermer's book, The Believing Brain, explains in detail how false conspiracy theories are started and reenforced. Highly intelligent and educated people can even fall victim to conspiracy theories. Surprisingly, it's these people who can be the most adamant in their views because they can use their intellect, in a seemingly "educated" manner, to bolster and confirm their false beliefs. A big part of skepticism is, first of all, knowing the facts, but equally important is understanding how our brains process that information and also knowing that our brains naturally and continuously try to deceive us.
equally important is understanding how our brains process that information and also knowing that our brains naturally and continuously try to deceive us.
I love the idea of my brain sneaking along behind me and whispering a stream of deception into my ear.
Hearing whispering in your ear? That's a whole other topic. ;)
Seriously, Michael Shermer's book is a great read. Very insightful about how we form our beliefs first (whether right or wrong) and then search out information to back up and reenforce what we want to believe. It's our natural tendency to form our beliefs back-ass-wards. This is one of the reasons why we tenaciously cling to false beliefs despite mountains of evidence to the contrary.
I think our minds are one of the great final frontiers of exploration.
Sure ... I see 9/11 "truth" as a denial mechanism. 9/11 was a warning - Is it possible anymore to believe that the people who were responsible for 9/11 would not have, with even greater joy, exploded a nuclear bomb in a great American city?
This is a huge threat, and a large part of the population in the USA hides their heads in the sand with "truthism".
We desperately need to explore how we can create a world where people do care about each other, even others with different religious beliefs.
We need to explore why the United States is so hated and what we can do about it. I think if we (the United States) were energy independent so we had less need of forcing a military presence into a very sensitive Middle East situation, we'd be less hated; and we need to get over our very exaggerated fear of nuclear power to do this.
Anyone who really sees the world must be terrified of the future.
It's a great thing that people from all over the world can come together on this site and somewhat understand each other, unburdened from the divisiveness of religion.
@ Shawn: well, aside from The Flying Atheist's response, and the point that steel does not have to melt, it only has to soften, and the WTC buildings were not built of steel frames but trusses (conduct this experiment: take a kitchen match, and hold it under a copper pipe - which won't melt, and a piece of copper wire, which will soften and bend under its own weight).
J-100 commercial jet fuel has an auto-ignition temperature (the temperature at which a self-sustaining fire can burn) of 410 degrees F.
As for melting steel, the problem isn't one of pure temperature, it is one of HEAT CAPACITY and THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY.
"Heat capacity (usually denoted by a capital C, often with subscripts) is a measurable physical quantity that characterizes the ability of a body to store heat as it changes in temperature. It is defined as the rate of change of temperature as heat is added to a body at the given conditions and state of the body (foremost its temperature). In the International System of Units, heat capacity is expressed in units of joules per kelvin. It is termed an "extensive quantity" because it is sensitive to the size of the object (for example, a bathtub of water has a greater heat capacity than a cup of water). Dividing heat capacity by the body's mass yields a specific heat capacity (also called more properly "mass-specific heat capacity" or more loosely "specific heat"), which is an "intensive quantity," meaning it is no longer dependent on amount of material, and is now more dependent on the type of material, as well as the physical conditions of heating." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_capaci…
In physics, thermal conductivity, k, is the intensive property of a material that indicates its ability to conduct heat.
It is defined as the quantity of heat, Q, transmitted in time t through a thickness L, in a direction normal to a surface of area A, due to a temperature difference ΔT, under steady state conditions and when the heat transfer is dependent only on the temperature gradient.
Thermal conductivity = heat flow rate × distance / (area × temperature difference) "
So, the problem here is not strictly one of temperature, but how much heat was being pumped into the steel, versus how quickly it could conduct that heat to other areas to cool itself down. If the steel conducts heat away from the fire faster than it is being pumped into the steel, the steel remains rigid. If heat is pumped into the steel faster than it can be conducted away, the temperature of the steel RISES ABOVE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FIRE, eventually reaching the plastic deformation (softening) temperature. At that point, the steel girders deform, and the rest is purely momemtum (mass times velocity).
The WTC buildings were built from columns supporting steel truss (much like the copper wire in the example) supporting millions of tons of concrete. Now imagine hundreds of millions of tons sitting on steel about as thick as that wire by comparison and then falling when the truss bends on the next, equally-weakened floor with kinetic energy.
Or imagine having a second person set a bowling ball on your head. Your head will support it. Now drop the bowling ball from four feet. Your head will pancake, just like the WTC.
If they had real evidence, they would not be publishing it on YouTube. They would be publishing it in peer-reviewed journals or real news services. Unless of course all the peer-reviewed journals, the news media, and all their editors and writers are in on the conspiracy too.
Note how the conspiracy theorists only show the north side of WTC7 in their videos? Because they cherry-pick the videos. There are plenty of south-side videos of WTC7 showing the massive fires in that building, the massive damage to it, and all the debris raining down from WTC1 on it, but that doesn't support their fantasies, so they never show them in such movies as "Loose Change."
Consider what you ask us to believe with no evidence:
That the government was capable of conducting a conspiracy involving the military, possibly the owners of the building, the airlines, the FAA, the news media, all involving millions of people (including foreign services such as the BBC), all who would have to keep quiet over the full course of the conspiracy to pull it off, numbering in the millions of people. The government does not have enough payoff money for all that. Just to pay off a million people $100,000 each to keep quiet would be $100Billion dollars, and more people would be required than that to do this.
Compare that to the WMD issue over the Iraq War. This same nefarious government with such vast conspiratorial powers and unlimited money to keep them quiet could not plant a couple canisters of mustard gas in a country it occupied to bolster its claims of WMDs to parade before the press.
Occam's Razor shaves quite closely. And Hurricane Katrina is a HAARP project, and FEMA mounted such a successful relief effort for that hurricane. Or perhaps the GOP used HAARP to drive Issac away from the GOP convention in Tampa. (Florida's Panhandle will thank them for that.)
That is the thing about conspiracy theories - they are so easy to rationalise a vast evil government conspiracy, yet the same theorists don't attribute those same skills to planting a couple of artillery shells in an occupied country.
I'm done debunking religion. That is not why I came to this site.
© 2019 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: The Nexus Group. Powered by


text:
Color: White
Interior: Vinyl
Drive Train: 2WD
Transmission: Automatic
Vin: 1FT7W2A68BED04369
Engine: 6.2L V8 OHV 16V
Mileage: 137,375
Stock #: H3622
National Auto Sales
Garry Hill or Homer Bailey
1816 Northwest Broad St
I hereby consent to receive text messages from or on behalf of dealer at the mobile phone number I provided above. I understand that I am opting in to receive text messages from dealer or their employees. I include consent to receive phone calls at the mobile phone number I provided. I understand that message and data rates may apply.


text:
To the editor:
I appreciate the support my campaign received during the recent election. Thank you for re-electing me as State Representative.
Thank you to campaign donors and volunteers. Your efforts secured a wide-margin of victory on Election Day.
Congratulations to all candidates who were successful in their efforts and thanks to everyone who stepped forward to run for office. Thanks, Gabe, for a spirited, yet respectful, discussion of the issues. I wish you and your family the best. I look forward to our 'post-election dinner' and it's on me.
Again, I am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving as State Representative, this time in the new House District 29. I'm proud to represent my hometown, Newton, as well as Baxter, Mingo, Kellogg, Ira, Valeria, Lambs Grove, and Oakland Acres.
I'm especially excited to represent the new towns in my district; Colfax and Prairie City. To my former constituents in Lynnville, Sully, Reasnor, and Killduff, I've enjoyed the opportunity to represent and meet you.
I will continue to work for the benefit of the entire county, and I will build a good working-relationship with your new State Representative Greg Heartsill.
While the legislative session begins in January, serving in the Iowa House is a year-round job. Feel free to contact me anytime at (641) 521-9260 or firstname.lastname@example.com, or visit my website at www.electkelley.com.
Dan Kelley
State Representative


text:
Leslie Condon Survey
Posted by Martin Cordner on Sunday, March 9, 2014, In : BugleTweet
Hanging with the Canadians
Posted by Martin Cordner on Sunday, November 18, 2012, In : events & engagements
Blog Archive
- June 2018
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- March 2017
- November 2016
- October 2016
- May 2016
- January 2016
- October 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- February 2015
- November 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
10 emerging composers aaron vanderwheele abide with me africa alive alta vista amazing grace america americana amsterdam staff band andrew mackereth asb aurelia aus territorial youth band back to the bandroom balham balham 120 ball battle call battle lines belfast music school best ending birmingham citadel band blue marble boundless boundless spirit brantwood brass weekend brett baker brian bowen bright bristol easton band bruce broughton bugletweet bulla call of the gospel camp ladore canada canadian staff band cd celebrate & sing celebrate and sing chronicles citadel praise citadel tactics cmi come to jesus commissioning condon congo congress cornet duet cornet solo coventry city band curnow daniel rosenquist darren shaw david ayma david daws david edmonds dorothy nancekievill downie drc dudley bright duet eastbourne citadel easter emass emerging composers eminence endeavour enfield citadel band eric ball escape velocity fall festival fanfare & flourishes fantasia for cornet fearless film music fine city fire in the blood fired-up! first things first flashpoint fundraising fusion future future all stars general series glenn barlow gny youth band goffin gordon lovie gordon ward greg tuck gullidge harold burgmayer heaton hempstead citadel band herikstad himes hythe i will sing impact inspiration international staff band ipswich citadel isb iss james anderson john moore júbilo júbilo! ken waterworth kettering citadel band kinshasa larsson latin learn love and live leeds west hunslet len ballantine let everything praise let there be rock london 10k london central fellowship band lord of sea and sky marcus venables melbourne staff band mentoring micah parsons most popular ending msb music camp music ministries department music school netherlands new york new york staff band north york temple band norwich norwich citadel band novus vox nysb nytb ohne sorgen olaf ritman on high! over vale and hill pacific coast pendel phil laeger ponsford premiere profile night publication pulse quest redbridge brass regent hall regent hall band retreat richard carroll ritman robert redhead roel van kesteren roger trigg ruud vermeij salvation army music salvation brass score sample semper fidelis send the fire shout with joy! simon birkett site update skydance small world big god soldiers of christ song book council songs of ascent songs of the ages sound clip south shields celebration st denio variations stand strong star lake stats steadfast steadman-allen steef klepke stephen bulla stephen cobb study scores survey sweetest name sydenham symphony sounds synergy temple visions ten emerging composers territorial music school territorial youth band the adventurers the follower the garden the great rescue tms tour trinity brass trinity praise trombone twitter tyb um bongo quest unity series uppingham school usa usa western territorial band venables" we have a gospel wes carroll witnesses for christ woodbridge wordpress yola you are always there zeist "robert


text:
As a Sydney tradie you are so busy working, don't have time to work on your business? Your logo is the most important element to a business; it reflects the image you want to portray. It's the "face" of the business. It's your "first impression" and you only get to make that once! Why trust the most important aspect of your business to an amateur? You just want to get it done, start attracting more customers & smashing goals with super slick branding.
lets do it!
Logo for a Sydney tradie
Here at Design Capital you are guaranteed a professional service from a qualified graphic designer with over 17 years experience! I have designed over 100 logos for hobbyists, small business, large business, government and logos for products.


text:
The Soul Superstar
You've Never Heard Of
Between 1968 and 1977 Mingering Mike recorded over fifty albums, managed thirty-five of his own record labels, and produced, directed and starred in nine of his own motion pictures. In 1972 alone he released fifteen LPs and over twenty singles, and his traveling revue played for sold out crowds the world over. How is it that such a prolific musician has gone under the radar for more than forty years? The answer is that all took place in Mike's imagination, and in the vast collection of fake cardboard records and acapella home recordings that he made for himself as a teenager in Washington, D.C. in the late 1960s.
In 2003 two record diggers stumbled into the world of Mingering Mike at a flea market. There they discovered a collection of albums that were made solely of cardboard, each intricately crafted with gatefold interiors, extensive liner notes, and grooves drawn onto the "vinyl." The crates contained albums not only by Mingering Mike, but also other unheard of artists such as Joseph War, the Big "D," and Rambling Ralph, on labels such as Fake Records, Inc., Decision, Sex, and Mother Goose. There were even soundtracks to imaginary kung fu films and a benefit album for sickle cell anemia.
Hadar posted pictures of the albums on the popular record collecting forum Soulstrut and Mike instantly became a cult hero. He tracked Mike down and eventually Mike revealed his story of how as a lonesome teenager he dreamt of being a soul singer, songwriter and producer, and how he lived out his dream by creating an amazing imaginary career for himself.


text:
Grouchnikov points out:
In a traditional drop down menu you have a relatively small margin of error when you want to select a specific element; the direction is always the same, and the selection is controlled by how much you move the mouse and how is that translated to onscreen pixels. In a radial menu, however, the distance is the same, but the direction matters.
What's your take on it? I always enjoy seeing new UI or UX concepts and radial menus are on the top of my list.. Do you use radial menus or even different UI other than a standard drop down menu? With the push for tablets will programs soon having to deal with their context mentus in radial format? Does muscle memory even work with in a business context?
I think I might go fiddle with making a radial UI menu for .NET .. hmm.


text:
Gaming accounts for 10 per cent of time spent online in the United States - overtaking email - according to research by Nielsen, which doesn't sound like a lot but it is the second-leading reason, and one that's growing.
Social networking is first, accounting for 22 per cent of online time, surging above the 15.8 per cent share it held at the same time last year. Online games account for 10.2 per cent of American time spent online, up from 9.3 per cent at the same time last year, good for 10 per cent growth - one of only three sectors that showed growth. (Streaming videos and movies grew by 12 per cent but were in sixth place at 3.5 per cent of time spent online.)
"Despite the almost unlimited nature of what you can do on the web, 40 per cent of US online time is spent on just three activities – social networking, playing games and emailing leaving a whole lot of other sectors fighting for a declining share of the online pie," said Nielsen analyst Dave Martin.
In terms of time, gaming accounts for 407 million hours spent online in the US. More details through the link.
What Americans Do Online: Social Media And Games Dominate Activity [Nielsen via Game Politics]


text:
Downtime was a major problem for Twitter in its early years. What was remarkable about the information network's performance during Election Day in the US was how stable the service seemed.
Now, instead of the Fail Whale—the lighthearted icon Twitter displayed when the service was unavailable—it's wrestling with a very different animal. One that "roars" longer and louder, according to Mazen Rawashdeh, a Twitter vice president in charge of infrastructure.
In a blog post, Rawashdeh said that in contrast to previous peaks, Twitter saw a sustained surge of traffic, not the short-lived peaks Twitter has seen in the past. Twitter averaged just under 10,000 tweets per second for an entire hour from 8:11 to 9:11 Pacific Time on Tuesday night—the period shortly before and after the networks declared Barack Obama the winner of the presidential election—peaking at 15,107 tweets per second. (Those numbers are systemwide, not specific to the US or election-related tweets.)
But Rawashdeh says Twitter's engineers are seeing these longer, sustained traffic peaks more and more, and are reengineering its infrastructure to handle them—for example, by eliminating a layer of software that sits between Twitter's mobile clients and its back-end system.
By the way, why is Twitter sharing the technical tricks it's using to keep up with traffic?
We think it serves two main purposes for the company: Reassuring users that they can continue to rely on Twitter during big news events, and enticing potential engineering recruits with the kind of technology problems they might face working at Twitter.


text:
With heated debate about deficit reduction flying around Washington and in the blogosphere, AdvisorOne asks an obvious question: What needs to be cut? There's plenty spending to cut but we're looking specifically here at the 10 biggest government tax expenses, also known as expenditures. These are those cherished deductions and breaks enshrined in the tax code that save Americans billions of dollars in taxes.
Most Republicans say to cut only spending while most Democrats say cut spending, mostly, but also raise revenue. We use "revenue" because Democrats are not calling for tax increases solely but also for eliminating loopholes and tax deductions, which cut into government income, and therefore reduces what it has available to spend. Of course, spending could be sustained with a credit card, but the government would never do that.
For this slideshow, AdvisorOne used as a source an analysis by the office of Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, of the nonpartisan report by Congress' Joint Committee on Taxation, "Estimates Of Federal Tax Expenditures For Fiscal Years 2010-2014," released Dec. 21, 2010.
So, which of these 10 biggest government expenses would you cut to help reduce the deficit? Take a look and test your skills.
10) Deductions for Charitable Contributions
This is the tax benefit for donations to charities other than education and health care institutions, including donations to religious institutions. This charitable deduction represents 4% of all tax expenditures.
It's only the 10th biggest government expense, so cutting this should be easy. No one in America cares about churches and orphans—right?
9) Exclusion of Capital Gains at Death
If this one goes, death would be taxed twice. First, the decedent's estate might get hit with the estate tax. Then the decedent's heirs would be subject to tax again on the gain embedded in any inherited asset, should they decide to sell it. This also accounts for 4% of federal tax expenditures.
I thought the saying was "Death and taxes," not "Death and taxes … and taxes."
8) Pre-Tax Treatment for Contributions to a 401(k)
At 4% of tax expenditures, this is a significant incentive to families and individuals to save for retirement.
And since most surveys find that Americans don't save enough for retirement anyway, this deduction is a waste of taxpayer money. Besides, we all have Social Security to rely on.
7) Deduction for State and Local Taxes
This deduction would hit high-tax states, like Massachusetts, the hardest, driving up the marginal rate of taxpayers who take this deduction by as much as 35%. It represents 5% of all federal tax expenditures.
The easy solution here would be to throw this deduction out, then have everyone move to a low-tax state. Ahhh, summer in Texas.
6) Earned Income Tax Credit
Designed for low-income people, the Earned Income Tax Credit accounts for 5% of all tax expenditures, putting more cash in the pockets of people who need it the most.
What? Help the poor? Not with my tax dollars!
5) Pre-Tax Treatment of Defined Benefit Pension Plan Contributions
This is a tax benefit that reduces the cost for those workers (and companies) who save for retirement through a traditional pension plan. It represents 6% of tax expenditures. Yes, well, see Number 8.
4) Exclusion of Medicare Benefits
Accounting for 7% of tax expenditures, its elimination would increase taxes on older Americans' Medicare benefits.
You don't want to make Grandma angry, do you? And since seniors are one of the largest voting blocks, soon to be ballooned by Baby Boomers, good luck putting this on the chopping block.
3) Preferential Rates for Dividends & Capital Gains
Take away this tax expenditure, which accounts for 8% of tax expenses, and the rate on dividends will almost triple in less than 18 months, and the rate on capital gains will go up 59%, also in less than 18 months.
This is likely to discourage investment in stocks and bonds, generally not a good thing, but it mostly affects rich people and Wall Street fat cats—right?
2) Home Mortgage Interest Deduction
Having helped millions of Americans achieve home ownership, this deduction accounts for 9% of all tax expenditures.
Well, we could all live in tents while the housing market sorts this one out. By the way, Housing Market, how's that nationwide foreclosure situation going?
1) Exclusion for Employer-Provided Health Insurance
Representing 13% of tax expenditures, it's the single largest government tax expenditure. To do away with this would threaten access to health care for families and individuals that have health insurance through their employers.
This is an easy one to eliminate because we now have a brand new, government-run universal health care system that President Obama … oh, that's right, we don't. Well, good luck slashing the deficit.
More Top 10 lists from AdvisorOne:
Top 10 Worst Tax States for Retirees;
Top 10 Worst States for Business;
Top 10 Wealthiest U.S Cities


text:
Minaret Station
Explore the wilderness of the South Island with the friendly and experienced Minaret Station team through one of many Heli-Adventure options. Alternatively set off on a memorable Guided Fishing, Guided Hunting or Heli-Skiing excursion.
1 / 7
Acerca de
Minaret Station Heli-Adventures allow guests to experience the otherwise inaccessible breathtaking wilderness of the Southern Alps. The options are endless. From scenic flights to heli-biking, Minaret Station's wide range of Heli-Adventures means there is something for everyone. Minaret Station provides New Zealand's premier private heli-ski experience. Explore hundreds of square kilometers of untracked terrain on daily or multi-day Heli-Skiing excursions with Minaret Station's seasoned pilots and guides. As one of New Zealand's long established guided hunting businesses, Minaret Station offers a premium guided hunting experience. Minaret Station offers both freshwater and saltwater fishing opportunities within the remote South Island.
Dirección física
Minaret Station, Minaret Bay, Southern Alps, Wanaka town, Wanaka, New Zealand.


text:
You never know what you find when you start looking into the profound cultural effects of Wacky Packages. Not only did they begat Topps' Weird Wheels, but one card inspired real-life toy cars: Shot Wheels!
In 1973, there was the Shot Wheels Wacky Packages card, parodying our beloved Hot Wheels toys. Naturally, every kid back then- me included- would have killed for a real Shot Wheels car.
Matchbox fans weren't neglected by Topps, with Mashbox cars appearing soon after Shot Wheels. After nearly two decades of simmering in one artist's cranium, the concept became reality. Here's what this Hot Wheels site has to say:
Started in 1989 by J.P.S, a San Diego artist, who collected Hot Wheels and Matchbox.
The concept being a packaged version of the Wacky Package Sticker.
The first one created was the Lemlin, to match the car pictured on the sticker.
He also made Mashbox, having a similar wacky card with an actual trashed Matchbox car inside of it.
Some of these have been recreated by others over the years.
In 2006, J.P.S. begain re-issuing some of these as well as some new models. All on updated cards.


text:
SKF Drive-up mounting method helps paper maker achieve 510% ROI in one year
The challenge
The SKF solutionClearly the mill needed a solution that would help them mount and dismount bearings correctly - and reduce the risk of seat damage during mounting. SKF proposed the SKF Drive-up Method for accurate mounting.
The resultIn one year this technique enabled a significant decrease in the need for bearing replacement as well as a 75% reduction in mounting time. The end result has been a considerable reduction in downtime and costs.
Return on Investment (ROI) summary over a one year period:
- Increased production availability/less downtime: €16 060
- Reduced costs (mounting/dismounting bearings and repairs): €5 680
- Total benefits per year: €21 740
- Investment in SKF solution: - €3 560
- Benefits: €18 180
- Return on investment: 510%


text:
Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove was born in a canoe crossing the Kootenai River in Idaho. She was the daughter of Lucy Stukin, a Colville tribal member, and Joseph Quintasket, an Okanogan. The two tribes were closely related and both spoke the Salish language. Her grandfather was Seewhelhken, who had been the head chief of the Colville tribe for many years. Her mother died when Mourning Dove was 14, and she helped raise her younger siblings. Mourning Dove's formal education was limited to a few years at a mission boarding school, a few years in Indian schools, and a stint at a secretarial school. She learned to read from a young Irish orphan named Jimmy Ryan, whom her family adopted, and who taught her using "yellowback," or pulp, novels.
Beset by chronic illness and poverty her entire life, she worked as a housekeeper and fruit picker to support herself and eventually buy a typewriter. In 1912, she began her first novel.
In 1915 Mourning Dove met a white businessman, Lucullus Virgil McWhorter, who was an activist working to preserve Indian culture. He became her literary mentor, editing her works -- and thoroughly changing them, by some accounts -- and using his influence to get her first novel published. According to scholar Kathryn W. Shanley, McWhorter "decided to 'help her' with her novel, and what he did to it was turn it into something she didn't recognize … a kind of pulp fiction that had to do with the issues of half-blood/full-blood, and a romance."
McWhorter also encouraged her to interview her tribal elders and record their stories for the work that eventually became Coyote Stories (1933), a book Shanley says is "particularly important in her work in the sense that it's the most genuinely hers." Though she and her husband at the time earned their living as migrant workers, Mourning Dove managed to continue writing in the various tents or temporary houses where they were living.
As her writings made her well known, Mourning Dove became more active in Native American affairs. She also became increasingly ill. She died in 1936, at the age of 48, from what her death certificate lists as "exhaustion from manic depressive psychosis." In 1990, 54 years after her death, the University of Washington Press published her autobiography, Mourning Dove: A Salishan Autobiography. A personal memoir as well as a rich documentation of the Salish people and culture, the manuscript was found in the attic of a friend and collaborator.
Works by the Author
© Annenberg Foundation 2017. All rights reserved. Legal Policy


text:
Marc Hardy is a Belgian comic artist, who is best known for creating the comical gravedigger 'Pierre Tombal' with Raoul Cauvin. Born in Liège, he spent the first fifteen years of his life in Belgian Congo After an artistic education at the École Supérieure des Arts Saint-Luc in Liège, Marc Hardy learned the finer points of the comics profession while being the assistant of Mittéï and Pierre Seron. In addition, he illustrated a couple of stories in the series 'Les Belles Histoires de l'Oncle Paul' for Spirou.
Garonne et Guitare - La bruge-sous-les-flots (1977)
In 1972, he worked as an assistant with Édouard Aidans and Yves Duval on 'La Prodigieuse Épopée du Tour de France' and the series 'Franval', that were published in Tintin and Tintin Sélection. Hardy made his actual professional debut in Spirou in the 1974 with the series 'Badminton', that was written by Mittéï. A second story followed in 1975, and a third, written by Hardy himself, in 1980. 'Badminton' was followed by 'Garonne et Guitare', a series in cooperation with Mythic that ran between 1975 and 1978.
Arkel - Les 7 diables supérieurs (1984)
Hardy's first claim to fame was the comic about the archangel 'Arkel', that he started with Stephen Desberg in 1981. The nervous and scratchy drawing style that Hardy developed further while drawing 'Arkel', enhanced the moody atmosphere of the comic, that ran until 1986. In 2009, Hardy and Desberg revived 'Arkel' in the heroic fantasy series 'Ange & Diablesses' for Dupuis.
Hardy's typical dark style was most suitable for the subject of his next project with Raoul Cauvin, 'Pierre Tombal'. This series, about a gravedigger and his dead "customers," became one of the most popular humorous series in Spirou, and runs in the magazine since 1983. In addition to 'Pierre Tombal', Hardy teamed up with Yann to create the World War II comic 'La Patrouille des Libellules' (1984-1988) and the gag series about the hookers 'Lolo et Sucette' (1988), that both ran in Circus magazine by Glénat. 'Lolo et Sucette' was continued in the Humour Libre collection of Dupuis between 1997 and 2001.
Also with Yann, Hardy made two albums of 'Croqu'la Vie', another series dealing with death and corpses, published by Marsu-Productions in 1992 and 1994. Hardy assumed a more realistic drawing style to create 'Feux' for Dargaud with Tome in 2005.


text:
Cook gets it all wrong in 'Best Friend's Girl"
Thus does Hollywood hurl Cook, the most divisive comic since -- who? Andrew Dice Clay? Carrot Top? -- at the screen, time and again, hoping something will stick.
Cook remakes his "Good Luck Chuck" with "Best Friend's Girl," playing a guy so good at being obnoxious that he charges other guys to date their exes and send them screaming back into the arms of Mr. Cast Aside.
Kate Hudson remakes "Failure to Launch" as the woman who falls for Mr. Jerk-on-Purpose, right down to casting Lizzy Caplan as a Zooey Deschanel look-and-sound-alike as her sassy, sexy roomie/best friend.
Jason Biggs remakes every movie he's done since "American Pie," playing the poor, dull sap who can't get the girl because he's a dull sap.
And Howard Deutch ("Pretty in Pink") remakes his '80s oeuvre with an '80s pop-riddled romp about realizing that "I'm not the best she can do."
Think of this as an R-rated "Pretty in Pink," with Cook throwing himself at this character, Sherman "Tank" Turner, with a vulgar vengeance. He courts. He dances. He charms. He curses. He insults. He drinks. He smokes. He does a little gay bashing (OK, a LOT).
"You sound like Liberace's stylist's boyfriend."
Tank's the heavy artillery, dragging dates to strip clubs and health inspector-flunked restaurants, bombarding them with coarse come-ons. They call the ex, and Tank collects his pay. He doesn't want to help Dustin (Biggs) with his stuck-in-the-friend-zone problem with Alexis (Hudson) because he's like family. But he does.
But Alexis' "Tanking" doesn't take. Our boy's got a problem. And even the tree that this worm-ridden apple didn't fall far from (Alec Baldwin is the sleazeball college prof dad) can't help him. Tank's in love.
Alexis, meanwhile, isn't sure he's not the worst decision she's ever made -- "And I've eaten sushi in Tijuana!"
A funny bit: He takes a Christian school teacher to a hilariously sacrilegious pizza joint, Cheezus Crust, "Where pizza's a religion ... People worship it."
Another grin: Cook busting a move, old school, when Tank takes Alexis to "the prom" she missed in high school.
But isolated bits don't add up to much here. Deutch keeps trotting out that guitar solo to the Cars' title tune, "My Best Friend's Girl," as if that can make up the film and its star's charm deficit.
With his dyed hair, perma-stubble and too-fast, too-rehearsed patter, Cook sets himself up as a C-list Vince Vaughn. He's been in film and TV since the late '90s, and can count one good credit on his resume: "Dan in Real Life. "You don't have to be a Cook hater (Google him, it's an eye-opener) to realize that he's best used as a supporting player. He's a one-trick pony. And no matter how many times he trots out that trick, he's never going to get it right.
� Rated R (for strong language and sexual content throughout, including graphic dialogue and some nudity). Running time: 1 hour, 41 minutes.


text:
It turns out that being American is bad for your health, relatively speaking.
Anyone interested in health care ought to digest the findings of a massive new report from the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine, which compared Americans' health with that of people in other advanced countries. After spending 18 months examining statistics and studies, the panel reached a damning conclusion: The United States ranks below most advanced countries.
Consider. Life expectancy at birth is 78.2 years in the United States, lower than the 79.5-year average for the wealthy countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); Japan's life expectancy is 83. Among 17 advanced countries, the United States has the highest level of diabetes. For 21 diseases, U.S. death rates were higher in 15 (including heart and lung diseases) than the average for these same countries.
Here, in somewhat clunky language, is the report's sobering summary:
'The U.S. health disadvantage is more pronounced among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, but even advantaged Americans appear to fare worse than their counterparts in England and some other countries.'
What to make of this? The report's most important contribution is to show that much of the U.S. 'health disadvantage' doesn't reflect an inadequate health-care system but lifestyle choices, personal behaviors and social pathologies. The gap in life expectancy is concentrated in Americans under 50. Among men, nearly 60 percent of the gap results from more homicides (often gun-related), car accidents (often alcohol-related) and other accidents (often drug-related) than in comparable nations. For children under 5, car accidents, drowning and fire are the largest causes of death.
Teen pregnancy is another big problem. Among girls 15 to 19, the pregnancy rate is about 3.5 times the average of other advanced societies. 'Adolescent motherhood affects two generations, children and mothers,' the report notes. Adolescent mothers often don't finish high school. 'Their children face a greater risk of poor child care, weak maternal attachments poverty.' Similarly, the incidence of AIDS in America is nearly nine times the OECD average.
The health-care system can't cure these ills, which are social problems with health consequences. Those who expect the introduction of the main elements of the Affordable Care Act ('Obamacare') in 2014 to improve Americans' health dramatically are likely to be disappointed. The lack of insurance is a problem, but it is not the main health problem, in part because the uninsured already receive much uncompensated care.
To be fair: Some of these social problems show progress. America's slippage is mostly relative to better outcomes elsewhere. Since 1980, the U.S. murder rate has dropped by roughly half (but remains higher than in many peer countries); traffic deaths per miles traveled have fallen by more than half since 1975 (though decreases abroad are greater); teen birth rates have fallen to a seven-decade low (but are higher than in most wealthy nations); and U.S. life expectancy is rising (but more slowly than elsewhere).
Nor does the new report exonerate the U.S. health-care system from blame for the 'health disadvantage.' Despite enormous spending, the system is 'deeply fragmented across thousands of health systems and payers ... creating inefficiencies and coordination problems.'
Much specialized care is of high quality; recovery rates for hospitalized U.S. stroke and heart attack victims are higher than in many wealthy nations. Cancer treatment is superior. But primary care is weak. Only 12 percent of U.S. doctors are general practitioners compared with 18 percent in Germany, 30 percent in Britain and 49 percent in France. In 2009, Americans visited doctor's offices an average of 3.9 times; the OECD average is 6.5 times. Patients may not get needed care; one study found that Americans 'receive only 50 percent of recommended' treatments.
The report's authors searched in vain for an overarching explanation for the peculiar determinants of Americans' health. But it missed the most obvious possibility: This is America. The late sociologist Seymour Martin Lipset argued that American 'exceptionalism' is a double-edged sword.' Values we admire also inspire behaviors we deplore. The emphasis on individual autonomy and achievement may aid a dynamic economy - and also feed crime and drug use.
Similar tendencies affect health care. The love of freedom and disdain for authority may encourage teen pregnancy and bad diets. The competitive nature of society may spawn stress that hurts the health of even the well-to-do. The suspicion of concentrated power may foster a fragmented delivery system. Commendable ambitiousness may push doctors toward specialization with its higher income and status.
Ever optimistic, Americans deny conflicts and choices. We excel at self-delusion. Asked by pollsters to rate their own health, Americans say - despite much contrary evidence - that they're in better shape than almost anyone. We think we're No. 1 even if we aren't.
Robert J. Samuelson is a columnist for The Washington Post specializing in economic issues.


text:
It was fashionable (and desirable) until the mid-80s to question how well capitalism worked as a basis for running society. Then the social "greed is good" changes brought about by the Reagan/Thatcher revolution began to take hold of the Western (or at least the Anglo-Saxon) psyche, and it became a form of sacrilege to question the magic power of the free market to fix any problem, anywhere. That superstition gradually became established fact – until, of course, the system began to show its deep flaws in 2008.
Saturday's Guardian carries a comment article from Tim Montgomerie (editor at the ConservativeHome web site) titled Capitalism is amoral – we're our own worst enemy. The piece tries to make the case that the ills of recent years have been caused by "extraordinary government activism", not by out-of-control markets. However, the examples supplied are weak – the author seems to accept, for example, that the main problem with Obama's $787bn stimulus is that it was too small, given the scale of the crash. Another example given is the Iraq War, seeming to forget the huge profit motive of the oil, arms and reconstruction industries to make that senseless war happen.
But let's challenge the core assertion, one that is so often repeated without challenge: Montgomerie repeats the popular idea that "Capitalism is not immoral but amoral. It does what its users demand of it". Is that true? Does the profit motive always work for consumers? Montgomerie gives food and transport as examples, so let's examine these industries: amoral or immoral?
Food Industry
It's true that competition has given us more food choices that ever before. That applies to the wealthier parts of society, at least. In young markets, competition creates an explosion of choice, which is certainly a good thing. But once corporations became established in the food industry, strategies changed. Choice is just one way to attract a customer base, but there's an easier way: make your customer dependent on your product. This is where the needs of the market and the needs of the consumer diverge. Humans are designed to seek out rare ingredients that we need. Meat fat was such a rarity in pre-history (before hunting tools were developed) that we find it highly attractive and addictive. Refined sugar is an addictive drug, only discovered in recent centuries. Salt is a generally rare and necessary substance that, again, we have a natural addiction to. So in the amoral world of the market, it makes sense to add increasing amounts of these ingredients to food, not because users are demanding them, but because profitability naturally rises as a result.
So far, as suggested by Tim Montgomerie, this is amoral behaviour, not immoral. No harm is intended. The next stage is this: scientific researchers (state-funded usually) begin to notice that people are getting fatter; that tooth decay is increasing; that diabetes and other diseases are rocketing. This information starts to spread to the consumer. It's at this stage that markets lose their claim for amorality. The food industry now has three options:
Moral: listen to researchers and make food healthier, even if that hurts profits.
Amoral: continue to address the evolving desires of the market as consumer demand dictates. Of course, this does happen, but as the history of the food industry suggests, it's far cheaper (and thus more profitable) to use healthy-sounding language than it is to take addictive substances out of your products.
Immoral: begin propaganda operations to counteract scientific research that might hurt profits. Most markets end up here. Once you have a consumer base hooked on your product, the logic of profit is remorseless: attack anyone or anything that threatens your bottom line.
In a young market, amorality (following consumer needs) is the way to go; but in mature market, the immoral choice is often the most profitable. Rather than simply track consumer demands, it's more profitable to control them. Many examples can be found of immoral behaviour by the food industry in pursuit of profits: in the US, private corporations have often won contracts to supply schools with food and drink. The result is a fall in the quality of food eaten by children. Now they can get consumers addicted to junk ever younger, and resist the pressure to educate children about food and health, thus crushing future consumer demands for better food. In a perfect example of market immorality, in 1998 Oprah Winfrey ran a show exposing the appalling way the American beef industry was rearing cattle. The amoral response would have been to track any change in consumer attitudes, and change production techniques; but that would be hugely expensive. Far cheaper to shoot the messenger, as Oprah found to her cost. She immediately lost advertising and faced action, both legal and propaganda to discredit her. She backtracked quickly, providing a non-critical "interview" with a beef industry rep. to "set the record straight" (i.e. lie without interference). Examples like this are legion: the food industry will viciously attack anyone that questions the health of its products (remember McLibel?)
Transport Industry
We can apply the same approach to transport. Mass transit (when not starved of investment), offers the fastest, cheapest and most fuel-efficient way to carry large numbers of people and goods. From the 1940s, the car provided an alternative that was more glamorous but slow, expensive and fuel-hungry. Sure, people desired cars, but they wouldn't trash superior transport systems for an inferior one. Given that cities only had the space for a fraction of their population to use cars, would people destroy their environments just to own cars?
Enter the car mafia, comprising several industries: car manufacturers, tyre manufacturers, road builders, and of course, oil producers. Car transport requires far more resources than rail, trams and buses: huge, multi-lane highways which require vast amounts of space. More space still needed for parking (most private cars spend most of their lives wastefully parked). And most important of all, cars burn far more fuel than mass transit to move the same numbers of people. Would consumers abandon cheap, fast transport for slow, expensive transport? Of course not; but they were never given the choice.
The car mafia set about destroying mass transit, which they could never have competed against in a free market. Across the US, between 1936 and 1950, mass transit systems vanished as the car mafia went into action, destroying electric transport infrastructure. History tells us how happy post-war consumers jumped at the chance to own cars, and that's undoubtedly true; less is said about the abolition of transport choice. Free market fundamentalists claim markets create choice, but the opposite is often true.
In the UK, the world's greatest rail system was cut to pieces; between 1950 and 1975, the railways were slashed from 21,000 miles to 12,000. The most significant steps were taken in the 1960s by Dr Richard Beeching, Chairman of British Railways. Beaching was encouraged to cut the railways by Ernest Marples, the Conservative Transport Minister. Marples also happened to be a major shareholder in a construction company that made huge amounts of money from motorway construction. This story is an important part of modern British history, and the name Ernest Marples should be remembered as one of Britain's best known crooks. But the car mafia, and their tame media, have ensured the British people have forgotten what happened to our transport system
The transport market has failed; we make ever slower journeys for ever higher cost, and most people use the car not by choice, but because choice was taken away to increase profits.
And The Rest
Given the choice of being amoral and following consumer needs, or immoral and crushing competition, the car mafia did what any market does: follow profit at any cost to society. The consumer doesn't lead; he takes what corporations offer, which is often the most inefficient and expensive (and hence profitable) option. Markets do work, when they're young and genuinely competitive, but that is a temporary phase. Endless examples can be found of market immorality: the Iraq War was fought so that the US taxpayer could be fleeced of $trillions by US corporations; the millions spent on climate change denial have shored up billions in oil industry profits; the tobacco industry likewise denied the cancer link for decades after the evidence was available.
Markets are good at creating and incubating fresh ideas and new technology. They liberate individuals and societies from bureaucracy and make societies more creative. But this is always a temporary effect. Established markets will support literally anything – murder, slavery, war – to hold on to their privileged positions. So Tim Montgomerie and other "markets are amoral" fundamentalists are disingenuous, only telling half the story. Markets are immoral; only a strong, well-funded democratic state can hope to keep them in check.


text:
Top-seeded Italians Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci will face each other in the Italiacom Open final after winning their semifinals Saturday.
The No. 1-seeded Errani, who won this tournament in 2008 and 2012, rallied from 3-1 down in the second set to beat fourth-seeded Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4.
Vinci, Errani's doubles partner, beat Spaniard Estrella Cabeza Candela 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 to reach her first Palermo final.
The second-seeded Vinci recovered from a slow start to cruise through the second set.
In the fifth game of the final set, she broke at love after a double-fault from Candela. Vinci went on to win the following three games and the match.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at@AO Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports)


text:
Week 17 is here, as are the NFL.com Power Rankings. Or maybe I should just say, Merry Christmas, Broncos fandom ...
Considering the abuse this space took from those who felt Denver was being disrespected, it's amazing we're not pushing Tatum Bell Fatheads on the website in response. It should also be noted that having a team at fifth overall is now viewed as a slap in the face. You'd think they were undefeated, or had won nine in a row coming into last weekend. Oh ... wait.
@harrison_nfl might have to put denver closer to #1 in the power rankings. 10-0 doesn't lie. Packers need to bump up tooâ Emelio Estevez (@KDotThompson) December 24, 2012
Yes, Denver continues a more prodigious streak than the roll you were on with "Breakfast Club," "Young Guns" and "Men at Work." Frankly, "Emilio," I was a "Young Guns II" guy, myself.
Speaking of two, Denver sits at that lofty spot after stampeding the ailing Browns, pushing the winning run to 10 in a row and the overall record to 12-3. The Broncos sit behind only the red-hot Falcons, who are 13-2, with one of those victories coming courtesy of three Peyton Manning picks. Who would win now? Maybe we'll find out in New Orleans.
As for the rest of the league, let us know how we did in the rankings -- @Harrison_NFL is the dropbox.
Until then, Happy Holidays, and of course, let the dissension ride ...
(Note: Arrows reflect change in standings from last week's Power Rankings.)
PREVIOUS: Week 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1
Roddy White was due for a big outing. Three of his previous four games coming into the Saturday night special in Detroit had been disappointing, but he was on point at Ford Field, hauling in eight balls for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Speaking of on point, Matt Ryan played at such a high level that general faith in the Atlanta Falcons must have risen a tick.
Considering the level at which the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers are playing, is it possible that we could have a rematch of Super Bowl XXXII? If so, I would be forced to write just four words: "This one's ... for ... JAAHN!" (Make that four words, with a contraction.)
I think Aaron Rodgers is ready for the playoffs, but it's hard to tell. Maybe he should have thrown for 500 yards and eight touchdowns in a 95-7 win. Need to watch the game film.
The New England Patriots struggled for a good portion of their road game in Jacksonville, so they earned a slight demotion in the Power Rankings (especially since they were coming off a home loss, to boot). One thing that's paramount to this Patriots ballclub, though, is its ability to produce takeaways. Three more Sunday gives New England 36 -- most in the AFC (for the second consecutive season).
Holy cow. It's too bad the Seattle Seahawks don't have a slightly better record, because I'm not sure "The Greatest Show on Turf" could move the football without a few turnovers in Seattle. What a stick-it-to-ya win for Pete Carroll and his players. I wonder if Carroll and Jim Harbaugh will ever go sprinting together on the beach in a quest for the West title, a la Sly and Apollo in "Rocky III". Frenemies? Not likely.
The San Francisco 49ers will stay here until I see a healthy Justin Smith on the field. Seriously, though, how do you pick a top team in this league? For the third consecutive week, the No. 1 squad in the Power Rankings goes down in a heap. The Niners showed how vulnerable a top-shelf club can be when missing its top defensive player. That said, the Seahawks dominated. San Francisco is still a very good football team, and could beat the Seahawks at the 'Stick ( as they did back in October). Harbaugh's group better take care of bidness versus the Arizona Cardinals to ensure they'll play another game at the 'Stick.
Hard to be Positive Perry after such an awful performance by a punchless offense, but here's the deal: Beat the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, and you get a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. From the "In case you were wondering ..." department: The home team has won the last six AFC Championship Games.
The Cincinnati Bengals showed some grit, going into their house of horrors, eliminating the Pittsburgh Steelers from postseason contention and sewing up their second consecutive playoff berth.
Robert Griffin III played efficiently, but it was a team effort from the Washington Redskins on Sunday. Shoot, everybody contributed in Philadelphia. Five different guys ran the football, seven others caught passes. Four different defenders sacked Nick Foles. Heck, even Josh Morgan scored a touchdown -- and didn't throw the football at anybody! Team football -- love it, embrace it, respect it.
The Baltimore Ravens' offense in the first half on Sunday: 290 yards, 7.3 yards per play, 24 points, 6-for-8 on third down, no turnovers. The Ravens hadn't put up that much yardage in the first half since September of last year. Fans miss Cam Cameron. Except not at all.
The Chicago Bears rode the coattails of a defense that suddenly looks opportunistic again, scoring its eighth defensive touchdown of the 2012 season to get things started in Arizona. Two quarters later, the D added a ninth. ( Thank you, Charles Tillman.) "Peanut" and the rest of Lovie Smith's players still go as far as the offensive line will take them, in my eyes. It should be noted that despite all the abuse this Bears team has taken, it still owns a 9-6 mark. If Chicago wins at Detroit and Minnesota loses to/ties Green Bay, the Bears are playing January football.
Congratulations to everyone involved with the Indianapolis Colts. While this team didn't play its best ballgame at Arrowhead, there's no minimizing the 10-5 record and playoff berth achieved by a group that seemed destined for a 4-12 clunker back in March. The key now is to get better offensive-line play, both in the running game and in pass protection. Otherwise, it's one-and-done in New England, Baltimore or wherever they play their wild-card game.
Huge win for the Minnesota Vikings, and a mea culpa from this writer. I did not see the Vikes going on this late-season run, riding the crest of large road wins in St. Louis and Houston. Head coach Leslie Frazier deserves some Coach of the Year votes, yes? As for Adrian Peterson, would love to hear your thoughts on if he can gain 208 yards against the Packers on Sunday to break Eric Dickerson's rushing record. Hit me up @Harrison_NFL. Thinkin' he comes up short, but what a year for AD.
This space has documented the sorry case of the depleted Dallas Cowboys defense several times now. Add DeMarcus Ware's shoulder to that tally. Yet, we can't let this blurb go by without pointing out Tony Romo's remarkable surge this season. How does this suit you: Over his last eight games, Romo has thrown 17 touchdown passes and three interceptions, while totaling 2,612 yards. That's 326.5 yards per game. He's almost singlehandedly keeping the team in games, with some help from Dez.
Shades of 2006 and '09 in Pittsburgh, when decent teams couldn't do enough to get into the playoffs. This Steelers team dealt with many injuries along the offensive line, at running back, in the secondary, at linebacker, and of course, at quarterback. And yet, Pittsburgh has still outscored the opposition in 2012. Give this organization a ton of credit, as its "bad" years are of the 8-8 and 9-7 variety. Since 2004, Pittsburgh is 96-47 with two Super Bowl rings, another Super Bowl appearance, and a helluva lot of quality football in between. All this must be my Pittsburgh Coast bias.
The good news? The
New York Giants are still alive in the playoff race, despite
the awful defensive performance in Baltimore. The bad news? New York needs a minor miracle. First of all, Big Blue must
beat the Philadelphia Eagles. Then the
Redskins must beat or tie the
Cowboys. And did I mention that the
Bears and
Vikings have to lose, too? Yeah, bit of a tall order.
The defending Super Bowl champions have been the most inconsistent team in the NFL, bar none. Consider: They almost blew a 23-point lead in Dallas ... then lost two in a row ... blew out the Packers, 38-10 ... then lost ... hung a 52-burger on the Saints ... got shut out, 34-0 ... then lost big on Sunday. Who are these guys?
Drew Brees played out of his freaking mind Sunday at Jerryworld. As I figured he would, Brees attacked the Cowboys' inside linebackers and safeties to perfection. That's what a vet like No. 9 does, identifying the defense's weak spot and unleashing his best weapons in said area. In this case, that meant targeting Jimmy Graham, Darren Sproles and the other running backs to keep New Orleans out in front. It's crazy, but Brees throws for 446 yards with three touchdowns to zero picks, and nobody bats an eye anymore.
If Leslie Frazier deserves Coach of the Year votes, then you better believe Jeff Fisher deserves a chunk of those ballots, as well. This is a club that won two games last season, scored the fewest points in the league and gave up the sixth most points. Yet here the Rams are, 7-7-1, with some quality wins over the 49ers and Seahawks under their belt. If not for the Colts and Redskins -- and their rookie quarterbacks -- people would notice the St. Louis Rams.
The Miami Dolphins' slim playoff hopes went down the tubes this past weekend. Nonetheless, that doesn't negate a season in which the Fins won at least three more games than anyone expected them to. Remember "Hard Knocks," when we were treated to awkward Joe Philbin visits with players in an Ikea-filled office, wide receivers that had no moves and a quarterback battle that featured David Garrard and Matt Moore? How times have changed in this football city.
Week 17's Panthers-Saints game won't have a playoff spot riding on it. Nor will it feature two winning teams. Nonetheless, it could be the most exciting contest on the last day of the regular season. The Saints' offense has been unstoppable, while Cam Newton would present a difficult challenge to the 1975 Steelers and 2000 Ravens the way he's been using his legs of late. Oh, let's not depart this blurb without noting that the defense held the Oakland Raiders to 189 yards -- total.
We thought the 10-game losing streak in 2011 was tough to swallow. This season might be worse for
Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans.
Greg Schiano's team has gone from 6-4 to 6-9, while quarterback
Josh Freeman has struggled mightily, compiling a sub-70 passer rating during that streak. As he goes, the Bucs go ...
... But it's Christmas, and we're pointing out the bright spots. With this team, it has to start with Doug Martin, who won't win Offensive Rookie of the Year, but he sure as hell should get strong support. Martin has 1,766 yards from scrimmage this season with a game to play. A lot of league observers thought he could play, but no one anticipated Martin threatening 2,000 yards of offense.
A road win is a road win is a road win. Sure, some might snicker at beating the pilot-less Jets, given the fact that Greg McElroy got the nod on Sunday. But don't underestimate the effectiveness of the San Diego Chargers' defense, which notched 11 sacks on Sunday. Ranked 11th overall, San Diego's defense has only allowed 95.1 rushing yards per game (fourth) and has forced opposing offenses to go three-and-out 26.3 percent of the time -- the fourth highest percentage in the league. Pretty decent from a relatively star-less unit.
The Cleveland Browns have had their share of struggles the past two weeks, losing to Kirk Cousins and getting blown out on the road in Denver. The key in Cleveland is the large number of young players who have gotten a long look, thanks to a surplus of injuries on defense and a lack of proven commodities on offense. The number of young guys contributing is staggering. The Browns boast 12 starters with less than three full years in the league.
Go to the light, Carol Anne. Granted, sitting through another Chan Gailey campaign would be brutal for Buffalo Bills fans, who are tired of watching their team implode like the house in "Poltergeist." Staying in theme in these rankings, we're pulling the diamonds from the trash. C.J. Spiller is solidifying himself as one of the premier backs in football, tallying 138 more rushing yards in a losing effort at Miami. Meanwhile, little-known defensive tackle Alex Carrington has blocked an astounding four kicks this year, a single-season record for the franchise. Power Rankings side note: Carrington went to Arkansas State, home of the Red Wolves.
The encouraging signs emanating from New York are rather dim and out of focus coming off two bad losses, but one favorable piece of news is that Greg McElroy will start the season finale in Buffalo. Why? Because, if you're gonna look at a kid as an organization, then look at him. Start him two games, not two random series that don't fit into the flow of the game. Sound Tim-ilar to anything Jets fans have seen this season? The Jets are 6-9 and have nothing to lose by giving McElroy another shot.
Bears defense 14, Cardinals 13. Quarterback play was poor, again. At least the running game made up for it by averaging around none yards per carry. OK, here are a couple of reasons for optimism in Arizona: There will be a coaching change, and someone besides Ryan Lindley or Brian Hoyer will play quarterback in 2013. Oh, and Larry Fitzgerald is under contract. Doing my best here.
The losses just keep piling up, as does the frustration surrounding a 2011 playoff team that seemed to have turned it around. The margin of victory (or defeat) is so small in the NFL that there is no way these Detroit Lions are truly a 4-11 team. Unfortunately, they are. Kudos to Calvin Johnson, who can become the new CJ2K with 108 yards receiving versus Chicago.
The Philadelphia Eagles fought back against one of pro football's hottest teams in the Washington Redskins. But, as has often been the case in 2012, Philly fell short. Nick Foles contributed to the loss -- particularly with a big first-half fumble caused by Ryan Kerrigan -- but he also competed his tail off, completing 32 of 48 passes for 345 yards and a touchdown. Is Foles the answer in 2013? Maybe. You can't doubt that some of the traits he brings are superior to those of Michael Vick, starting with accuracy. Unfortunately, Foles has played his last game of the season, as a broken hand will keep him out of the finale.
We're trying to keep the positive vibes going. Hard to do at this point in the rankings. So I'm going to bail, and let Mike Munchak keep this blurb on the sunny side. "It's embarrassing to lose 50-something to seven ... thank God we have (another game) because I wouldn't want this to be our last game of the year." Yeah, so that's good.
Positives: Sebastian Janikowski has only missed three field goals. Shane Lechler has been solid. Ok, I'm not gonna blow smoke up your ... It's been an awful season in Oakland.
Here's what I like from Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Patriots: This Jacksonville Jaguars team fought. Every season, you hear some fans hoping out loud that their downtrodden team will lose for better draft position. Hogwash. Mel Tucker's defense stopped the Patriots on third down eight times, while giving Tom Brady just 5.6 yards per pass play. New England's ground attack averaged less than four yards per rush. The effort was there, even if the favorable outcome was not.
Similar to the Jags, the Kansas City Chiefs gave their fans something to cheer about Sunday, despite a loss. The defense shut down the Colts for the better part of the afternoon, giving Andrew Luck very little in the passing game (205 yards on 35 attempts). Once again, quarterback play was the problem. Still, if I'm a Chiefs fan, I'm encouraged by a group that refuses to quit on the season.
Elliot Harrison is an analyst on NFL Network's NFL Fantasy Live show, weekdays at 1 p.m. ET and Sundays at 11:30 a.m. ET. Follow him on Twitter @Harrison_NFL.


text:
LEBANON — A 34-year-old Sanford woman escaped injury on Tuesday when her car drifted off a road and flipped over into a river, rescue officials say.
The accident occurred around 7:22 a.m. on Little River Road at the old Grist Mill. Authorities say a woman who had stayed up all night the previous evening drove her sport utility vehicle off the road, breaking through a guardrail.
The car flipped over, and came to rest partially submerged in the river, authorities said.
"The driver was traveling north on Little River Road when she reportedly fell asleep from being up all night," Assistant Lebanon Rescue Chief Jason Cole said in an announcement. "She went off the roadway just prior to the bridge and slammed through the guardrail. Her vehicle then rolled over and fell into the water. When our crews arrived, the vehicle was upside down partially in the water."
The driver was wearing a seat belt and was not injured in the crash. She was able to crawl out of the vehicle on her own, and was evaluated by emergency crews at the scene.
"This is definitely a case where her seat belt saved her from serious injuries," Cole said in a written statement.
Staffers from the Maine Department of Environmental Services responded to the scene to assist, and crews used booms to contain any potential release of fluids from the vehicle, Cole said.
Temporary barricades have been erected at the scene to compensate for the destruction of "about 30 feet of guardrail," according to Cole. Rescue crews remained at the scene until about 9:30 a.m.
The accident is under investigation by Trooper Pappas of the Maine State Police, Cole said.


text:
How to Be Brave
Face down your fears and bring more satisfaction into your life by building up your strongest self.
Steps to Courage
It should have been an exciting moment. Instead, I was terrified—and having a major meltdown. What was I doing here in the middle of a rain forest, picking my way through rocky, mud-slick creek beds? Looking for a gutsy side of me that was an apparent no-show, that's what. I'd gone to Belize, a tiny tropical paradise in Central America, to see whether I could push myself to be bolder and braver. And now I'd hit a wall.
It took awhile, but eventually I decided it was okay to sit on a rock while the others went on for the cave swim that was the hike's ultimate destination. It didn't mean I was a wimp, just that I'd chosen to say "enough." But I still really, really wished I could have found the inner toughness to go the whole distance. So when I got home, I dug in to find where courage comes from and how I can keep pushing mine forward. Take a look at what I've learned.
Make a decision to be brave. We don't have to succumb to the unhelpful negative chatter in our minds. "Being courageous doesn't mean not having fear," says Judith Orloff, M.D., author of Positive Energy (Three Rivers Press). "It's just that the feeling doesn't control you. Establish a basic personal philosophy that fear is an opportunity to grow, not something you run from."
Accept your limitations. Nobody can do all things, all the time. If, like me, you want to be more physically adventurous, take steps to make your body stronger and come up with some healthy physical challenges—walk a little farther, try a new regimen. But tell yourself, "It's okay I can't do it all. I'm human."
Be grateful for your fear. People tend to try to push the feeling away, which doesn't work, at least for long. Instead, embrace and feel it. "Fear is a healthy survival response," says Neil Fiore, Ph.D., author of Awaken Your Strongest Self (McGraw-Hill). "You can't shut it off, but you can bring it under control." When you get the jolt telling you something's dangerous, that's your cue to evaluate the situation. Are you really in trouble or is your head playing tricks on you? Then you can decide where to go from there.
Build your mental strength. Think often about your important traits, goals, and values. "The neuropathways in the brain that are used the most are the most likely to fire," says Peter Ubel, M.D., author of You're Stronger Than You Think (McGraw-Hill). "If you remind yourself of your good traits, they're more likely to kick in when you need them." Make a list of your strengths and goals, in your mind or on paper.
Lean on other people. As I settled onto my boulder in the rain forest to wait for the others to come back down the trail, one of the guides offered to keep me company. Usually fiercely independent, I did the smart thing—I said yes. "Accepting help is not a sign of failure," says Ken Schuman, coauthor of The Michelangelo Method (McGraw-Hill). "We all could use help most of the time."
Soak up your power moments. Try to notice those times when you're feeling strong and competent. Pause and take a few slow, deep breaths and tell yourself, "This is who I am." The more you recognize when you're being strong, the more fearless you'll become.
Be aware of your trigger points. List your top five fears. Do you dread being abandoned? Worry you'll never find another good job? Get sick? "When you're aware of what sets you off, you can tell yourself, 'There it is again,'" says Dr. Orloff. "Then you can approach it as something to learn from." Or, knowing what people and situations press your buttons, you can avoid them.
Rely on your deepest beliefs. Do you have a specific religion? Your own private faith? Either way, keep it strong and use it all the time. "Awareness of a loving force that's greater than yourself can help you do what seems impossible," says Dr. Orloff. When trouble looms, she says, "send up a little flare prayer."
Avoid These Mistakes
- Thinking physical courage is the most important kind.
- Seeing only the negative.
- Inventing endless "what if" dramas in your head.
- Worrying about what other people think.
As soon as I got home from Belize the first thing I did was download my pictures. There I am, paddling a canoe on the lagoon at dawn. Climbing up the side of a Mayan temple. Dancing to the beat of the local drumming group. Snorkeling—briefly!—off a sailboat. Sitting up front in the tiny prop plane we used to island-hop. Balancing (with a little help) on an airboat, holding the 3-foot crocodile I helped capture and band.
"Not too shabby," I said to myself. Which prompted me to list some of the other brave things I've done in my life—from having three kids (all boys!), to taking a 500-mile bicycle trip, to speaking out at school board meetings, to learning to drive on crazy New Jersey highways. Courage, I decided, has more to do with acknowledging your strengths than stressing over your limitations.
I may not swim in caves, but, hey, I do have my moments.
Get Through the Scariest Times
No matter how tough you are, there'll be times when you just need to make it through the moment. Here's how:
- Exhale. Breathing out will immediately signal to your body that it's safe for you to relax. Within 30 seconds, says Neil Fiore, stress hormones subside and you're on your way back to feeling calm and in control again.
- Connect with your body. Feel the chair under you, your feet on the floor. "This puts you back to the present where the body must always be," says Fiore. "Anxiety comes when your mind gets stuck in the past or the future."
- Tell yourself you're safe. When you start to feel out of control say, "If I miss the exit, I'll just take the next one" or "I've always managed to handle this before. I can this time too."
- Evaluate your options. Think of consequences and make a cost/benefit analysis. Is it worth enduring the heart-pounding panic to speak at the town meeting? Keep in mind that you are in control of your decisions and actions.
Our Courageous Readers
Terre Ryan
Reno, NevadaWhat she did: Left a well-paid job so she could go back to school and follow her dream of becoming a writer and an English professor. How she stayed strong: "I recalled other difficult things I've accomplished. When I was younger I moved to France for two years without knowing the language or anyone there. If I could do that, I could do many other things."The payoff: "I quit postponing my goals. Despite my much leaner bank account, I'm much richer for having done this."
Donnalyn Carfi
New York, New YorkWhat she did: Took up horseback riding and stuck with it even though she often felt terrified.How she stayed strong: "I let myself feel the fear and made myself keep moving forward, even when I felt anxious. Every time I went for my lesson I'd tell myself that falling off was a possibility, not a probability."The payoff: "I had no idea taking up riding would change my life in such a big way. I'm much more confident. And my husband fell in love with horses too, which made our marriage stronger."
Amanda Larson
Yardley, PennsylvaniaWhat she did: When she couldn't find a publisher for her book, Healing from a Grandmother's Heart, a collection of life lessons from her father's mother, she spent $10,000 of her own money to have it designed and printed. How she stayed strong: "I decided that nothing was going to stand in the way of getting out my grandmother's important message."The payoff: "The book has sold almost 3,000 copies, and people write me all the time to tell me how it has inspired them. That's the best gift of all."
Jennifer Rodriguez
Land O' Lakes, FloridaWhat she did: Scaled down her life—including giving up a full-time job—so she could spend more time with her husband and kids, even though she'd been raised to believe a woman should never rely solely on a man's income.How she stayed strong: "I talked all the time to people who were supportive of my choice, not with people who didn't understand it."The payoff: "I saw that I don't need other people to tell me what's right for me and my family."
Lynda Ulrich
Fairfield, VermontWhat she did: Took her three kids for a trip to Northern Ireland, to areas once conflict-ridden and not usually visited by tourists. How she stayed strong: "While I'd never take my kids to an unsafe spot, I chose a place where they could meet people with a history of overcoming adversity. I'm preparing them to be citizens of the world." The payoff: "Travel like this gives me peace of mind about my kids' futures, that someday they'll help others based on what they learn now."
Be Strong for Others
Maybe your neighbor gets a bad diagnosis, your husband loses his job, or your kid flunks pre-calc—again. Now it's your turn to help someone else be brave. Remember these simple-but-important basics.
- Don't minimize. If you say or imply, "It's not that big a deal," you've added insult to injury. Instead, say, "I'm so sorry," or "This must be so hard for you."
- Don't make it about you. Hold off on the story about how you faced the same thing, only worse, or how helpless you feel to make things better. You don't want the other person to feel she has to comfort you.
- Do tell the emotional truth. Speak from the place in your gut where you really feel for the person. Your sincerity means more than the exact words.
Originally published in Family Circle magazine, August 2007.


text:
With Book Eleven: The Knife of Dreams coming out this fall I have a couple choices how to go into the newest Wheel of Time novel. I could re-read the other ten volumes in the series and spend the rest of my summer and fall reading Robert Jordan and probably be tired of the whole thing when the book comes out. I could read nothing and not remember a lot of plot threads. Or, I can find some recaps of the action that has gone before. I remember the big things (cleansing saidin), but not the little ones (Egwene's plan for Tar Valon).
But when I was poking around on Dragonmount, I found this recap. It gives general information of the actions and whereabouts of each of the characters leading into the new book. It is useful because I remember very little about Crossroads of Twilight except that for 4/5 of the book everyone was wondering what that odd source of power was which was Rand at the end of Winter's Heart. Urg.
There is also another timeline which is more of a chronology. There is a lot of info here.
This all should help me get ready for the new book without having to read another ten books just to know what's going on.
Now if Jordan will only wrap this series up...
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Recapping The Wheel of Time
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Posted by Joe on Wednesday, June 22, 2005
1 comments:
- Amanda said...
I don't want him to wrap it up! Because then it will be...well, over. =( I know what you mean though. All good things must end. I want to reread...but you are right about the being sick of it by the time the book comes out. I did that with book #9. Still might do it though. =P
- June 22, 2005 at 2:35 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Noam Sheizaf
One or two states? The status quo is Israel's rational choice
The secret to understanding Israeli political behavior lies in the widespread (and fundamentally evident) notion that any change to the status quo is likely to bring more harm than good. Even passionate advocates of Israeli policy wonder at times – often in private, but sometimes also in public – why the Israeli government doesn't show a bit more urgency in pursuing a way out of the West Bank. Israel, the saying goes, is faced with two options: A two-state solution and a one-state solution. The first option involves removing most of the settlements from the West Bank (but not necessarily…Read More... | 64 Comments


text:
|CURRENT Ku Klux Klan
Tuesday, January 26, 1999
A holy grail of sorts was obtained as a web site affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan was taken over. According to the text, the contents were also deleted, something that is a genuine rarity when pages are hacked. Shortly after this incident, the original site disappeared from the net.


text:
Description of 300 Cotton Hall Road, Yemassee, SC 29945
Tomotley Plantation is an iconic ACE Basin property that dates to the original Kings Grant circa 1698, when it was deeded to Landgrave Edmund Bellinger. It is best known for having two of the finest examples of Oak Avenues anywhere in the south, which were planted in 1820. As you travel through the massive tunnels of twisted oaks, Spanish Moss and dappled sunlight, you come upon manicured grounds, fenced pasture and a grand, one-story home of over 5,000 square feet with Craftsman styling and a beautiful view of the 14 acre brackish fishing pond. The original home was burned by federal troops in 1865, and the current one was built in 1910. This is a landmark property, composed of 1,010 acres that provide world class hunting and fishing opportunities in the classic lowcountry setting.
Property Features of 300 Cotton Hall Road, Yemassee, SC 29945
Single Family Detached
Out of Area
|Elementary school: Out of Area
|Middle school: Out of Area
|High school: Out of Area
|Heat pump
|Three car garage
|Cement plank exterior
|Lot acreage is: 1010.70
|Subdivision: None
|Metal roof


text:
Lesson Plans, Challenges, Games & Activities
Lesson Plans, Challenges, Games and Activities
Click on any page to see and print the pdf
STEM Anytime, Anyplace
This four page handout is packed with simple open ended challenges. Enough ideas for a full year.
Teaching Art with KEVA Planks
This four page handout is similar to the STEM handout but the challenges focus on design, patterns and artistic expression.
Lesson Plans for Multiple Subjects
This 81 page curriculum guide is filled with detailed lesson plans with sections for math, science, art, history, social sciences and reading. This guide will change the way you thought of using KEVA planks in your classroom. All lessons are correlated to national standards.
Use this guide to help justify your budget request to purchase KEVA planks. We used to sell this guide for $30. Now we provide it at no charge so you have all the tools you need.


text:
Where can i go to make digital copies of big canvas art? My standard coping/printing machine doesnt copy big canvas art. I mean like canvas that are bigger then 20 by 20. I see that some people on art sites have painted a traditional painting that was large and wondered how i could make a digital copy. Would kinkos have a big coping/printer machine for my needs?
market samurai ~ marketsamurai ~ marketsamurai.com


text:
d20 Modern
Basic Role Playing or Mongoose RQ
Savage Worlds
Omni System
Prose Descriptive Qualities
Something else (please explain)
I have to modify my results.
3) GURPS 4e
In that order.
Trentin C Bergeron (TreChriron)
Bard, Dreamer & RPG Enthusiast
October Northwest
Lost items found. Paranormal Investigations.
Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates.
No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.
So I just got done reading Cortex and at leased on paper I think it may be my favorite generic RPG. Not house rule free but closest thing I've seen to it since nWOD. For those who have not read it, its very similar to savage worlds only it changes the things I don't like about savage worlds.
Playing: Pathfinder
Running: infrequent VtM game
"I'm beautifully hideous!" - Sven the Nosferatu
Yeah, Cortex is pretty good. It's like Savage Worlds and Unisystem hooked up and had a baby. My only real gripe is the wonky and numerous probability curves which make it kind of hard to determine chance of your success before trying something. Some might consider that a plus, of course.
It doesn't have much of a magic system yet. I put together some quick and dirty rules for porting GURPS magic to it though, so it's all good. MWP put out a Free RPG Day "quick start" for the Castlemourn setting for Cortex, but it never got fleshed out. In my book a system it isn't truly generic until you at least have a decent magic system in place.
I'm not sure I like "complex actions". Seems a little slow and cumbersome and ultimately it's hard to tweak difficulty without dragging it out.
Cortex is nice, but overall I think I slightly prefer Unisystem. They're really close though.
Last edited by Harwel; 07-01-2009 at 11:45 AM.
GURPS is actually not bad to convert to Cortex though. http://cortexsystemrpg.org/index.php?topic=3013
Well, there isn't much in it. But that's because you're not supposed to be a true mage in that world, hunters are supposed to be normal people. Yeah, you're probably better off just making stuff up for Cortex, as none of their games have a magic emphasis.
I hold out hope that they'll actually do Castlemourn or another fantasy setting. After all, what kind of generic system doesn't handle fantasy, probably the single most popular genre for RPGs?
I love Hero System so much that I can't seem to justify playing other systems. Hero System is a toolkit now and has been one since Champions 4E/Hero System 4E published in 1989. Under 5E and later, the superheroes aspect has been shunted to a genre book called Champions with the main rulebook not focused on a single genre.
Have to second that last one, HERO system is the best (IMO) generic rule book.
So I would say my top 3 faves are:
1) HERO System 6th edition
2) Hero system 5th Edition Revised
3) Hero system...... 5th Edition
Last edited by Elderbree TM; 07-09-2010 at 09:12 PM.
If you Like (or wish to learn about) HERO system I created a group for us, so we can all know each other and help/teach one another
I have to throw in my two cents worth. My favourite generic rpg is Canis Publishing's One Brain Cell. Very rules light, very flexible and quite a bit of fun....
web site appears to be down. Can you give a brief summary? Is it anything like Risus?
---------- Post added at 09:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:41 PM ----------
BTW, I can't remember what I voted for originally (BRP?), but here are my current choices:
3) Basic Roleplaying
4) GURPS 4e
... more or less in that order, with honorable mentions for Mongoose's Traveller, Mongoose's RuneQuest II, Barbarians of Lemuria, and HeroQuest for specific genres and scales of play.
"On two occasions I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
- Charles Babbage (1791 - 1871)
None of the generics captured the kind of game I wanted all the way, so I have been refining my own for...years now.
Of the ones listed, though, I do LIKE Savage Worlds, but agree that its primarily a pulp-hero game. Can not to realistic/gritty very well. Cortex sounds very interesting! GURPS just never clicked with me mostly due to needing to roll low. Goes against my grain! That and the way negative traits are handled leads very easily to power gaming without a VERY aware GM.


text:
How to Make a Non-Profit Promo Video
Published Jan 30, 2013
Aspiring photographer or videographer? Starting or running your own NGO? Trying to figure out the best way to get the word out there and promote your cause? We have the video (and a set of tips) for you by renowned guerrilla filmmakers What Took You So Long!


text:
High speed video cameras from Digital West Imaging provide slow motion video and instant replay of events that are faster than the unaided eye can see. Prices starting under $4,000
What's your Application?
For more than a decade Digital West Imaging has provided high speed cameras and services to reveal hidden motion, uncover a flawed design, confirm assumptions, and record high speed video for commercial, industrial, medical, and military applications.
New sensors, electronics, and faster camera communications have resulted in smaller, faster cameras with greater durability and light sensitivity than ever before. These developments have resulted in lower prices for high speed cameras and lower production costs for creating high speed videos for slow motion replay. Many more producers, engineers, scientists, and people from every discipline are finding access to these cameras and the ability to record slow motion videos now within reach.
We can customize a high speed camera for your specific application. Our suppliers have included Kodak MASD, SVSI, NAC, Redlake, AOS Technologies, and more, providing us a wealth of knowledge and experience that may help you. Perhaps you are not ready to invest in a high speed camera purchase. Rentals and experienced camera operators are also available to record your slow motion video at a cost effective price. If you have any questions along the way, let us know. We provide prompt answers to your high speed camera questions.
Digital West Imaging


text:
Joseph Han necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 386 diseños de 77 diseñadores freelance.
job buzzs
We are a recruitment company.
Job buzzs is an innovative online procurement specialist system that revolutionizes the traditional way of contract hire by introducing collaboration as the new way of doing contract hire for both clients and vendors.
Name: Job buzzs
Slogan: Contract Hire Redefined
We have had a logo design from 99designs.com, thanks to Runo and other 78 designers for their contribution!
It has been a great experience to work with all designers and 99designs.
We'd like to invite everyone again to design a unique look and feel experience for job buzzs website.
1. Vendors (Very traditional recruitment agencies varies in size and experience. Most of them are not Internet savvy.)
2. Clients (Fortune 500 companies and corporate from different industries including IT, Health Care etc. Most likely from HR or Procurement Department. )
3. Consultants (Experienced Recruitment Consultants)
For the design of sub page "how it works".
We have upload to file "how it works.jpg" to show in steps how our system works for vendors and clients separately. You may change the design of the workflow and put them on separate tabs to view.
We also upload other file "Copyright-jobbuzzs.xlsx" to show the exact content for our subpages. You may take these as a reference. If you can open the atached excel file, please go to this link below:
For homepage menu, we'd like to have all the links stated in the subpage2 (Please refer to attached excel file) and subpage1 (how it works).
For tab menu, the link to "how it works" page is definitely a must have, we'd have other 3 to 4 links which you can pick any of the links from subpage2 at this time.
For the bottom menu, again we want all the links to subpage2 and homepage, how it works.
One thing to notice, since we are on a tight schedule, we'd make our decision on 6pm 1st Nov far-east time. Please consider.
We want one homepage and two sub-pages to be designed. You can work on the homepage design first. Only those who are rated with 4 star or above for homepage design must submit the rest of the two sub-pages for final selection.
These are the general requirements for our website design, please download the attach excel file for detailed requirements.
1. We want something "different". It is still a professional website so there may not be funny pictures but the coloring and layout can be distinguished and innovative.
2. We feel that the modern design of using words with big font to catch attention is a good practice, please implement.
3. Design must be simple and easy to understand for our non tech savvy users.
4. Please use the attached logo for website design, you can use different font but please keep the color as it is. We want the logo to be placed on the top left corner of the website.
5. We have provided a list of websites we like in the attached excel file for reference.
6. Design need to be submitted in .psd format with layers.
7. We are likely to increase the prize for outstanding designs.
8. No flash needed and the design should be able to convert to HTML and CSS template easily.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any question.