text:
Rely on rotisserie chicken, smoked spicy sausage, and frozen okra from the store to stack up flavors in our quick rendition of a classic Cajun stew. This takes about say, thirty minutes to prep and another thirty minutes to actually cook.
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1 package (10 ounces) frozen, cut okra
- 8 ounces smoked (precooked) andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1 inch thick
- 1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds), skin and bones removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
- Store-bought or homemade cornbread, for serving (optional)
- In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium. Add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in bell peppers, onion, garlic, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add 4 cups water; stir in okra and sausage. Bring to a boil. Stir in shredded chicken, and warm through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; if desired, serve with cornbread.
Eat well my friends and stay warm!


text:
A teachable moment.
That's what School of the Osage High School Principal Mike Williams said about Veterans Day ceremonies at OHS Monday morning, where veterans were saluted and honored for their service to the nation.
A teachable moment.
That's what School of the Osage High School Principal Mike Williams said about Veterans Day ceremonies at OHS Monday morning, where veterans were saluted and honored for their service to the nation.
Williams said each time he hears the Star Spangled Banner or the Pledge of Allegiance, he picks out three stars on the American flag to reflect upon the service and the sacrifices of three important veterans in his family ― his grandfather Gordon who served in the U.S. Army; his Uncle Ed who served in the U.S. Army; and his father who served in the U.S. Navy.
Williams encouraged high school students attending the annual Veterans Day ceremony at the high school, and the various guests, to do the same in honor of veterans who have served and who have given the ultimate sacrifice ― their lives ― to ensure the freedom that Americans enjoy.
Like the Osage Middle School, OHS uses Veterans Day not only to salute veterans, but also to teach students about the importance of the day and the sacrifices veterans have made. OHS and OMS craft their programs to be student-centered.
At OHS, senior Zach Perkins spoke of his long-time desire to join the Air Force; sophomore Skylar Webb recited an essay she wrote on the meaning of Veterans Day; the Welcome at OHS was given by Amanda Ottersen, the Student Body President and Austin Hansen led the Pledge of Allegiance.
At Osage Middle School and OHS, the Lake of the Ozarks 148 Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol Color Guard posted the colors.
At OMS, winning Veterans Day essays were presented by eighth graders Segrid Massie, Medeira Miller and Maryn Edwards; sixth grade students constructed a gigantic flag that was on display during ceremonies there; two members of the Student Council participated in a Poppy Field presentation on "In Flander's Field; and National Junior Honor Society students made a presentation to Raymond Bassett, guest speaker and supporter of the Central Missouri Honor Flight.
There were several other activities at both schools Monday morning that involved students.
Bassett said he is a huge proponent of the Honor Flights, which fly veterans from various conflicts to Washington, D.C., to view war memorials.
"I'm pleased to be here, especially on such a momentous day, Veterans Day," he told the OMS students, faculty and guests.
He said many Honor Flight attendees told him the flights and visits to the nation's capitol allowed them to open their lives to feelings they had not shared with even their families.
It was part of the healing process they needed before they die," Bassett explained.
Pete Leyva, retired Marine and current member of the Osage Beach Police Department, told the Osage High School assembly that he was a peacetime Marine, but "I'm just as proud as any man or woman who served in combat."
He said he was "so proud of those who volunteer to serve" knowing that when they get out of boot camp there's a good chance there will be bullets flying over their heads.
"Some people spend their lives wondering if they made a difference, and as a Marine I don't have that problem," he said.
One thing he regrets from his high school days was not being more involved in high school, urging OHS students to participate in as many activities as possible.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Earth : Europe : Turkey : Central Anatolia : Ankara
Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and the second largest city in the country after Istanbul. It is located at the heart of both Turkey and Central Anatolia. The city is an important commercial and industrial city, and it also houses the Turkish government, and all foreign embassies. The population is around 4.5 million.
The locals are generally helpful to tourists, and only a few people can communicate in English. Although most people will try to communicate with you somehow, it's a good idea to bring a Turkish phrasebook or dictionary. Ankara is the administrative center of Turkey and a huge university town such that most of its inhabitants consist of civil servants, students and academics.
Apart from the old town in and around the citadel near Ulus and unplanned shantytown neighbourhoods inhabited by people from rural areas in the last five decades, most of Ankara, which was a provincial town of 20,000 people in the early days of the Republic, is a purpose-built capital due to its strategic location at the heart of the country. The history of settlement in the area is millenia old.
The biggest claim to fame of the town used to be the long-haired local breed of goats named after former name of the city (Angora), out of which high quality mohair textiles were produced, today the only place where you can spot them in city is the lawns on the side of a clover-leaf interchange on the highway west—in the form of cute sculptures.
The "downtown" area of this large city is around Kızılay Square (Kızılay Meydanı) has a fair number of transportation links to almost anywhere in the city. To the north, Kızılay Square is connected by a wide avenue to Sıhhiye (with a Hittite-style sculpture of a deer) and Ulus Squares, which are second most central parts of the city, located near the train station and the old part of the town around the citadel on the hill.
Getting Around
Ankara is well connected by a good public transport network system. Private and public bus operators compete for your patronage and there are the 'dolmus' minibus transport providers that offer rapid tranfers and get you to your connection points. The underground subway 'Metro' is highly efficient which runs between outer suburbs and the interstate bus terminal 'ASTI'. Taxis are readily available and are probably the best way to get to your destination, relatively inexpensive for the time poor traveller.
As any other part of the Anatolian highland, the winters are cold and usually snowy. Temperature is regularly below the freezing point during this season, but it rarely drops below -15° C. Thanks to the low levels of relative humidity, the hot and dry summers are more comfortable than coastal regions of Turkey. Summer nights are cool, though, so be sure to bring at least a cardigan with you to wear outdoors. Spring and autumn are the wettest seasons, but with an annual rainfall amount of 415 mm (i.e., a semi-arid climate), you are unlikely to get much wet during your trip to Ankara, anyway.
Get in
By plane
Ankara Esenboğa International Airport (ESB) is located some 28 km northeast of the city. International flights are rather low in frequency and scope - apart from Turkish Airlines (THY), only Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and British Airways offer direct flights to their respective European hubs. Iran Air also has two weekly flights to Tehran. For other carriers flying into Turkey, a flight into Istanbul is necessary, followed by an air transfer to Ankara by Turkish Airlines or Anadolu Jet (a low cost brand of Turkish Airlines).
The brand-new airport was opened in 2007. It features many more gates, a more orderly parking system, and in general, better traffic flow. The road connecting Ankara's airport to the ring road has also been fully renovated.
Airport buses are operated by HAVAŞ through the city center reaching Ulus (the historical center of the city, close to the museums and baths), and AŞTİ (where the intercity buses depart from to almost all the cities in Turkey). The price is 10 TL. Also, Ankara municipality offers public bus transports to and from the airport. The bus number is 442 and it stops on multiple locations including Ulus, Kızılay, Aşti. The price is 5.25 TL for bus 442. Bus 442 runs in a loop. It is possible to take this bus from any of its stops back to the airport.
By train
Being in a central location in Turkey, Ankara is also the centre of the Turkish rail network and can be reached from many cities. The train trip from Istanbul to Ankara takes around 5 hours and 36 minutes and most (but not all) daytime services involve changing from one of the older express trains from Istanbul to Eskişehir onto the new high speed rail link to Ankara. Night trains, on the other hand, are direct from Istanbul with no transfers to high speed trains, however, these slightly older trains are still comfortable and up to Western European standards. Also, internet connection exists certain wagons of train. Tickets are cheaper than the bus and the journey is more comfortable.
The overnight train to and from Istanbul is surprisingly affordable and saves the cost of a night's lodging. Reserve a cabin in advance if you prefer sleeping in a bed to sleeping in a seat. (Sleeper trains Istanbul-Ankara are all cancelled during the engineering work blockade from 2012 to 2014.)
The train station is located north of Kızılay Square, which it is connected to by a wide number of public buses which stop at right in front of the station. About 10 minutes of walking away from the station, on the northern corner of Gençlik Park, is a metro station which has services to a number of central locations in the city in addition to Kızılay.
Some popular destinations include:
By bus
If you are traveling from places other than Istanbul, you will find buses fast, inexpensive, and modern. Watch out for the drivers spraying your hands with lemon cologne if you do not like it.
The buses terminate at the bus station (otogar) named AŞTİ (pronounced ush-tee and almost exclusively known as such locally; Ankara Şehirlerarası Terminal İşletmeleri) standing for "Ankara Intercity Terminal". Most of the cities in Turkey have direct buses to the capital of Turkey, and buses are much faster than trains in Turkey. From Istanbul to Ankara, the bus trip takes around 5 hours and one way fare is about 35 TL.
AŞTİ is connected to the Kızılay Square and a number of other central locations by a metro line. There are also free of charge shuttle buses to Kızılay (and a number of other locations) run by the AŞTİ administration. They depart from behind the main building.
Get around
The city has a dense public bus network, a two-line subway called Ankara Metrosu and a single line suburban railway called Ankara Banliyö Treni.
For tourists, Ankara's public transit system, particularly the public bus network, can be difficult to figure out, because maps are rare and all information is in Turkish. Nor is there any access provided for disabled travellers in any form of public transport. Buses and metros tend to be very crowded during rush hours, especially on Mondays and Fridays.
If you know the city well, public transportation, especially the metro, is an ideal, easy, quick and cheap way to get around particularly for longer distances. For shorter distances taxis are an easy, quick and cheap way to get around.
By bus
There are two types of public buses in Ankara; those run by the Ankara Municipality named Ankara Belediye Otobüsleri (EGO) and those run by a private corporation named Ankara Özel Halk Otobüsleri (ÖHO). You can differentiate these two types by their colors. EGO-run buses are white and blue while ÖHO-run buses are blue. Both types of these public buses use the same bus network and bus stops.
Ankara Municipal Buses
The Ankara Municipal Buses, named Ankara Belediye Otobüsleri (EGO), consists of an extensive and dense bus network, and is owned and operated by the Ankara Municipality.
Payment system for municipal buses is based on multi-use magnetic cards which is also used for the metro; starting from the smallest available which is the 1-unit card which costs 1.65 TL, 2-unit cards which cost 3.30 TL, 3-unit cards which cost 4.95 TL, 5-unit cards which cost 8.25 TL, 10-unit cards which cost 16.50 TL and 20-unit cards which cost 33.00 TL [13]. A free transfer with the magnetic cards is possible within a duration of 45 minutes between the bus lines and metro lines. The magnetic cards cannot be purchased in buses and have to be purchased beforehand at kiosks and metro stations.
Unfortunately, no stops and maps are displayed in the buses and bus stops nor announced by voice in the buses. However, there is a Turkish web site which can be used to plan bus trips ahead of time. The site can be partially translated using Google translator. The site is : [14]
Ankara Non-Municipal Public Buses
The Ankara Non-Municipal Public Buses, Ankara Özel Halk Otobüsleri (ÖHO), consists of an extensive and dense bus network, operated by a private corporation.
Payment system for non-municipal buses is with cash. The ticket, which is only a one-way ticket, is purchased in buses at a cost of 2.00 TL.
Unfortunately, no stops and maps are displayed in the buses and bus stops nor announced by voice in the buses.
By train
Ankara Metro
The Ankara Metro, named Ankara Metrosu, consists of two metro lines, which are called Ankaray and Ankara Metro which is owned and operated by the Ankara Municipality [15].
The west-east light-rail line named Ankaray and the north-south heavy-rail Ankara Metro line are both mostly underground lines and intersect at Kızılay station.
The Ankaray line runs between AŞTİ (Ankara Şehirlerarası Terminal İşletmesi - Ankara Intercity Bus Terminal) and Dikimevi. The line is 8.7 km long (8.0 underground and 0.7 km surface railway) and has 11 stations
The Ankara Metro line, runs between Kızılay, the city center, to Batıkent in the northwest. The line is 14.7 km long (6.5 km underground, 4.5 km surface, and 3.7 km elevated railway) and has 12 stations.
Payment for the subway is based on multi-use magnetic cards which is also used for the municipal buses; starting from the smallest available which is the 1-unit card which costs 1.65 TL, 2-unit cards which cost 3.30 TL, 3-unit cards which cost 4.95 TL, 5-unit cards which cost 8.25 TL, 10-unit cards which cost 16.50 TL and 20-unit cards which cost 33.00 TL [16]. A free transfer with the magnetic cards is possible within a duration of 45 minutes between the bus lines and metro lines. The magnetic cards can be purchased at kiosks and metro stations.
All stations are announced both on a display and by voice in the metros.
Ankara Suburban Railway
The Ankara Suburban Railway, named Ankara Banliyö Treni, consists of a single suburban line running on the national rail network which is owned and operated by the Turkish State Railways.
The suburban line, runs between Sincan in the west, through the city center, to Kayaş in the east. The line is 37.0 km long (all of which is surface and elevated railway) and has 26 stations.
Payment for the subway is done by cash at each train station for a one-way ticket which costs 1.70 TL and a return ticket which costs 3.00 TL [17].
By taxi
Taxis are numerous in Ankara and are recognizable by their yellow color and word Taksi on top of the car. All licensed taxis have the letter T in their license plates.
The fare shown on the meter reads according to distance traveled. The ride will start at 2.20 TL, and the rate is 1.90 TL per kilometer. The rates for day and night are same. Tipping is not done.
Occasionally, some taxi drivers will refuse to start the meter and try to negotiate a fixed price, especially with tourists. But most taxi drivers will start taximeters at all times. You should avoid these cabs and simply take another one as you will almost certainly end paying too much. Many taxi drivers, even though very few of them speak a foreign language, will understand your requested destination and instructions. Tell them then to put the taximeter on. Taxi drivers do normally work with the taximeter, so they will not be surprised at all when you ask them to put it on. Emphasize to the taxi driver that you will pay for the meter price before getting in.
Always try to stop a taxi that is passing by on the road or find a legitimate taxi stop.
If you are not familiar with the city and see that you are a tourist, the taxi driver may drive a detour in order to charge you more. Insist on going to the destination that you want, and have a map to show them your destination, to avoid a detour.
Also beware that all taxis are required to have the designated license plate with the letter T apart from their yellow coloring.
Be careful on what notes you hand them for payment; some taxi drivers have tried to pretend that the 50 lira note that was handed was just a 5 lira note. Occasionally taxi drivers may actually also rip notes you give them, and tell you it is no good, in order to make you hand them a 50 lira note. So, make sure the notes are not ripped, and is actually the right one before you hand them over. Do not buy their quick-sell tricks and also do not allow them to round the price up to the higher denomination.
Archaeological Remains and Landmarks
Ankara offers a good selection of cinemas both in Kavaklıdere and Çankaya and several concert halls for classical music and opera. Many universities promote concerts and spring festivals but these are sometimes open to their students only. Folk and traditional music is very alive, from small bars and restaurants to big concert halls where you can find local stars like Musa Eroğlu. Depending on your interests, you can find trekking in local parks and in the surroundings, visiting the museums or hunting for the Ottoman or Selçuk remains in the ancient castle. Upscale shopping centers like Armada along the Eskisehir road also offer cinemas and quality restaurants.
Ankara's Castle (Kale) has been a trade center for centuries, and its sellers of carpets, leather and antiquities are slowly moving upwards hoping to attract the tourist trade. It's still a delicious place for walking and browsing, and there are family firms where you can buy, for a price, excellent carpets and kilims. Walking down from the Castle you can walk through the covered market, an iron structure where you can buy very cheap and excellent produce. Ankara has a number of large shopping malls each of them offering fashion stores (including Zara, Mango, Harvey Nichols, Marks and Spencer ets.), technology retailers (like Media Markt, Electro World etc.) markets (like Carrefoursa, Tesco/Kipa etc.). Many of the new malls are located on the Eskişehir Yolu, including Armada, Cepa, Kentpark and Gordion.
Ankara is best known with its "döner kebap". In order to pick a good döner restaurant (there are many) you should take a look at the döner round. it should be rectangular and the cuts must be flat and separated.
Like many other capitals, Ankara is where you can eat the best and the freshest fish of the country all around the year (not the cheapest, though). Around Sakarya str., there are various types of fish restaurants, from fast food to stylish ones and it can be a good opportunity to also try rakı, which is known as a companion of fish. But fish restaurants abound in the city; in Cankaya there are at least two excellent ones, "Akdeniz Akdeniz" and "Lazoli" featuring the first Mediterranean and the second Black Sea cuisine. "Ege", located close to Tunali street, is another excellent choice for fish and raki. The restaurant has also a variety of wines. If you want to listen good Turkish Classical Music while you eat and drink raki, then "Sudem" should be seen. It is located on Olgunlar Street.
Besides many classic iskender kebab restaurants there are also many restaurant featuring the traditional cuisine of a specific city, catering to the community of more affluent immigrants: from the spicy Urfa to the variety of vegetables coming with Adana kebab. Uludag Kebabcisi on Denizciler Caddesi in Ulus has been around for about sixty years and is a top of the line restorant mainly serving Iskender kebap.
"Papsi" is a good choice to take a cold beer in a friendly atmosphere for years. It is located on Tunali Street. "Kitir" and newer "Random" are two other most popular bars, adjacent to Kugulu Park, also in Tunali. Corvus is on Bestekar Street offering Rock Music. There are many bars and places to drink on that street which is parallel to Bestekar. The Edge, Twister, Hayyami (wine bar) are nice places. Sakal on Kennedy Street is a unique place with electronic, reggae or retro (offering different kinds of music). On the same street Mono is pleasant place to drink. Tunus Street, parallel to Bestekar is another street where you may find many pubs like Retrox, Flat, James Cook and Zodiac. If Performance Hall, Manhattan, Overall and Siyah-Beyaz are places where you can drink and dance till 4 am with live rock music. There normally are rock cover bands and a huge crowd, especially on Friday and Saturday nights in these places.
"Sakarya" is full of the cheapest solutions. Among the best places in Sakarya, one should note "Net", which is a good choice not only take a glass of beer or raki, but also to eat. "Buyuk Ekspres" is also a nice old bar of the town. Also Eski-Yeni, Pasaj and Telwe are nice bars where you may find rock or alternative live music styles with cheaper drink prices compared to Tunali, Cankaya region.
"Park Avenue" -in Konutkent district- is the new street for classy bars, cafes and night clubs. You may also find second branch of Kitir, Random & Crossroads in "Park Avenue". Istanbul's fashionable night club Sortie has also opened in this avenue and is a nice place to drink any kind of drinks and listen to latest club mixes. Narquilla is a great place to have your nargile while drinking beer and enjoying nice food. Also, there are meyhanes (tavern) in which fixed menus are served with drinks and classic Turkish music played. There are bars and restaurants also in the historic core of Ankara, close to citadel. You definitely have to go and return by taxi though.
Don't expect a lively gay life of Istanbul in Ankara. No-one comes to Ankara for its amazing gay life, however you can still enjoy your time while you are here. It has only one gay bar-club (Sixties) and this is open only on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. It gets pretty crowded after 00:00 and plays Turkish and Western pop music. In addition to that, though it is not a gay bar, Eski-Yeni Bar in Sakarya Caddesi (street) seems to attract a gay-lesbian crowd especially in its bottom floor. Kaos GL and Pembe Hayat, the leading queer organizations in Ankara, hold activities throughout the year.
The Sheraton Hotel, located in the Kavaklıdere district, is the most visible and glitzy hotel in Ankara (and has the prices to prove it). Around the corner from the Sheraton lies the Hilton, which is a bit past its prime but still a very acceptable place to stay.
The Radisson (located in Ulus, near the train station), the Swissotel (located on an obscure back alley in in Çankaya) and the Ramada (in Kavaklıdere, on fashionable Tunalı Hilmi street) are recent entrants, and offer very new-looking rooms that are nevertheless a tad smaller than those at the Sheraton or Hilton.
Independent hotels of note include the King Hotel (behind the Parliament, near the American Embassy), and Hotel Midas and Hotel Gold (both north of Kavaklidere on Tunus Caddesi).
Angora House in the Citadel district is a charming boutique hotel in an Ottoman era house.
In terms of budget accommodation, there is one hostel in the city center name is Deeps Hostel.Prices start from 25 tl to 40 tl.Web site is www.deepshostelankara.com. And also a number of cheap hotels can be found along Sanayi Caddesi, just north of Ulus Meydan: a double (en suite) at such hotels lists for 40-80YTL per night. Note that rates are usually negotiable and may or may not include breakfast.
Stay safe
Ankara is probably one of the safest big cities you will ever visit. Most people, including single female travellers, would very rarely encounter problems walking along the streets alone at night. Street crime is extremely rare, even late at night. However, "little crime" does not mean "no crime", and common sense should still be applied as anywhere in the world. Petty crime such as pickpocketing can occur, however, especially in crowded areas. Therefore, one should always take care of one's belongings and keep bags closed.
The biggest danger for travellers is the road traffic, because there is little respect for pedestrians. Every road should be crossed carefully and very quickly. Even if pedestrian traffic lights show green, it is absolutely essential to have a watchful eye. At crosswalks definitely look out before crossing the street.
Another danger for pedestrians is the sidewalks because they are often in a very poor condition. Because of the poor or irregular renovation of sidewalks, many of them have loose paving stones and holes in the asphalt. The risk of tripping and hurting oneself should not be underestimated.
Ankara Police Department has a "tourism police" section with staff multilingual in English, German, French, and Arabic.
Get out


text:
GoalBy Tom Steinert-Threlkeld | Posted 2001-10-29 Print
For 115 years, Avon Products has been employing personalization--in the form of its ubiquitous Avon ladies--to sell everything from cosmetics and fragrances to sundresses and bug repellent. Yet when the Web, with its ability to let companies interact one-: Replace Paper With Electrons">
Goal: Replace Paper With Electrons
In the end, this is a story of trying to bite off more than one company should chew. From 1997 to 2000, Avon changed CIOs three times, and tried to launch multiple Web initiatives, retail initiatives and redesigns of a good chunk of its business processes, all at the same time. The company nearly had a "corporate nervous breakdown" in the process, current CIO Edelman acknowledges.
Avon traditionally has sold its products door to door through a network of reps, with paper forms keeping track of their progress; one channel, one way of doing business.
But in a matter of a couple of years, Avon tried to transform its paper processes to electronic ones; encourage reps not just to sell offline, but online as well; and move into multiple means of selling its products. Its reps would continue to sell in-person, but also on the Web.
As if all that weren't enough, the company would also start selling in retail stores. By now, Avon was supposed to be selling a new, pricier brand of cosmetics through both J.C. Penney and Sears stores. But Sears pulled out of the cosmetics business earlier this summer, leaving Penney as the only retail partner for the moment. And Avon is left trying to learn how to design, manufacture, distribute and market products in a whole new arena in which it has no experience. Even a seemingly minor changesuch as the redesign of Avon cosmetic packaging so that a bottle would sit properly in a retail-store displayhas to be thought through for the first time.
Even though Avon had neatly sidestepped the technological dislocation of its century-old representative-centric strategy, while simultaneously moving into the era of electronic selling, Avon's IT staff was still expected to provide tools that would effectively allow the reps to compete against Avon's own online and retail selling efforts.
"It was very stressful. Very, very stressful," says Edwards. "We finally all sat down and said, 'Hey, guys, we're trying to do too much too fast. We need to slow down a little bit.'"
It wasn't just on the Internet side of the house that Avon learned the hard way that it shouldn't tinker simultaneously with too many systems.
While it was undertaking a full-fledged overhaul of its Web-based order-taking processes, Avon also was attempting a wholesale upgrade of its largely mainframe-based order-management, campaign-management, financial reporting, manufacturing and supply-chain-management systems.
In 1993, Avon's corporate IT department, under the reign of then-CIO Ray Perry, instituted a program called Project FIRST (Fully Integrated Representative Sales Toolkit), which was slated to be a complete overhaul of Avon's existing homegrown order-management system. Avon's order management tracks representatives' orders through entry, processing and fulfillment at the company's distribution centers. Avon hired its auditor Coopers & Lybrandwhich also was in the business of providing information systems consultingto assist the company in deploying such a system.
After scrapping FIRST as too unwieldy, Avon toyed with the idea of trying to roll out globally an order-management system developed by its Argentinean subsidiary instead. But, according to former Avon IT executives, that plan also proved too complex, politically and technologically. So, Avon, in conjunction with Coopers & Lybrand, resurrected the FIRST project, this time under former CIO Ron Mastrogiovanni, a one-time Coopers & Lybrand executive.
But FIRST never materialized. The Securities and Exchange Commission currently is investigating the $15 million in costs that Avon wrote off as part of a special charge connected with FIRST. Avon decided in October to write off an additional $25 million it said it spent developing FIRSTwhich it had previously carried as an asset on its books.
Edelman declines to comment on FIRST, saying the company was not prepared to talk at all about the initiative. PricewaterhouseCoopers, which purchased Coopers & Lybrand, also declined comment, citing the SEC probe.
Says one former Avon IT executive who worked at the company during those years and requested anonymity: "It (Project FIRST) was a fiasco. It cost the company tens of millions of dollars."
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To paraphrase Rocky and Bullwinkle, whatsa(dark)matta'u. I need help in getting a handle on this dark matter/energy thing. Just a very interested lay person here, so be gentle. It's my first time.
Views: 574
…simple explanation of dark matter at about 2:14
Dark energy...
Okay Richard. Somewhat clearer. The dark energy was a actually easier to understand. Somewhat similiar to virtual particle pairs, right? From the point of causing expansion. Dark matter, a new elementary particle? Matter around us now? Unseen, not interacting with normal matter? Uh is that a neutrino? Boson? Like I said, a lay person. Just trying to understand. Thanks.
Tony, if you liked the short version of Lawrence Krauss's lecture, here's the full version of it. A bit long, but I really enjoyed it:
Right now, nobody actually knows what Dark Matter is. We know it is out there, by the way galaxies move. Orbital math can be used to calculate mass from speed or speed from mass, and we know the mass of what we can see of galaxies, and the speed they spin at, but they don'rt add up right. The speeds tell us that the galaxies are on average approximately ten times more massive than what we can see of them (the stars and dust and gas clouds). The missing mass, or invisible mass, is Dark Matter.
The way I have heard Dark Energy explained is that it is a force (again, we don't actually know what it is yet but we can indirectly tell it is there by its effects) that causes the "fabric" of space to stretch and expand.
The really interesting thig about Dark Energy is that General Relativity does not say that space can't move faster than light, in contrast to matter. In fact, the most popular/likely model of the early history of the universe requires that the universe did in fact expand faster than light can travel during the Inflationary Period. Space expanded faster than light, and carried the miasma of energy with it, forcing it to rapidly cool as its volume expanded and leading to the evetual formation of matter.
Which means, if Dark Energy is something we can learn to manipulate, it can provide a loophole in General Relativity that could make interstellar travel possible.
You're talking superluminal velocities, right?
Yeppers. If a spaceworthy craft could reduce the Dark Energy density in front of it, while increasing the Dark Energy density behind it, the section of space it was moving through would effectively move in the same direction, carrying the spacecraft along. Take it to a high enough extreme and you travel at superluminal velocity (and possibly get torn to little pieces if your warp bubble is less than perfectly balanced)...
So, you're surfing on a wave of energy?
More like on a stretching sheet of space.
So like, the sheet is stretching ahead of you, and bunching up behind you? Ow! I just burst an aneurysm. Mye earrrrs are bloooodinn! 4&*uto stu.....
Technically, the sheet would be stretching behind you and bunching up in front of you, thus pushing and pulling you along...
Okay. Anuerysm resolved. You know, as much as I love thinking of this stuff, and I truly do, sometimes my brain just melts. And I mean that in a good way. Thanks for trying to answer some of my questions. There will be more (hey! I heard those groans! now cut that out). Seriously all you guys, thanks. It does bring some light into the darkness. Peace. Going to work. Can't wait to get home tonight to see what else is on here. Until then, peace.
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text:
An open letter to the Amherst Community:
I write to you today with an enormous sense of sorrow. Yesterday, a website for the Good Men Project posted a suicide note written by a former Amherst student, Trey Malone, who took his own life in June 2012. Trey's death is a tragedy. My deepest sympathies are with his family members and friends, who have suffered the most painful imaginable loss.
Suicide could not be more heart-wrenching. It leaves those who remain not only with incomprehensible loss, but also with painful questions—about what more could have been done, what any or all of us may have missed, what could have caused such a sense of isolation and despair.
Out of respect for Trey's privacy and the privacy of his family, the College has not been public about what he experienced at Amherst. Trey's note, parts of which we read in the summer, causes us to pause and reflect on the insights and perspective he wished to offer. The lessons in his words have informed the on-going changes we are making at the College directly. When I learned of Trey's suicide this summer and after consultation with the Board of Trustees, I sought a review of the College's response, and, for the purpose of informing our community, I share the following from that review:
Trey was a first-year student at Amherst in the fall of 2009, and again in the fall of 2011. In September of 2011, Trey reported a sexual assault involving another student. The College responded immediately to the report, provided Trey with access to support and resources, and in October of 2011 the College resolved the report through our disciplinary system, resulting in a finding of responsibility for the respondent. Through the remainder of the Fall semester, the College provided on-going outreach and support to Trey. In December of 2011, Trey requested, and the College granted, an academic withdrawal. In the Spring of 2012, Trey was discussing academic options with the Office of Dean of Students for what he hoped would be a return to Amherst.
Since learning of his death early this summer, I have often thought about Trey. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to meet or get to know him. In our brief conversation in December 2011, related to an appeal process, I offered him my sympathy for what had happened to him, asked whether he was getting adequate help, and sought to confirm his views on sanctions for the student who was found responsible for sexual misconduct. I recall being struck by the kindness in Trey's voice.
While these facts can seem meaningless in the face of the loss of life, I am sharing information about our response, because I believe it relevant to our community's understanding of this tragedy and to the dialogue we have been engaged in this semester. In recent days, this campus has come together to have frank and candid conversations about the community and culture we want and the many barriers to realizing our goals at Amherst, as elsewhere. I expect that we will face this news with the same courage, open dialogue, and care for one another that has marked our best responses to what we already knew.
The pain and finality of Trey's suicide eclipse all other concerns, yet I call on us all to reflect on what we knew, accept that we cannot know everything, and learn from this horrible loss. The literature on suicide tells us that talking about suicidal thoughts or feelings helps to alleviate those feelings and, yet, the majority of students who contemplate suicide never tell anyone. Please make sure that you and those around you have the support you need. Pay close attention to your own feelings and behaviors as well as those of your friends and fellow students. I urge you to seek our help and ask you to encourage others to do the same.
As always, my door is open.
This seems to be a heartfelt and genuine letter.
Suicide leaves us with painful questions, as you point out, which may be unanswerable given its finality. Obviously, support for people at risk for suicide is critical, but not always successful.
Here's a question you may be able to answer: I'm wondering why this "open letter" was apparently emailed to faculty but not to staff or students.
Julie (biology dept)
What does "resulting in a finding of responsibility for the respondent" mean?
Great question
I also didn't understand that. Can we have a clarification?
Court records show Malone was arrested on Friday on charges of hosting an open house party, resisting and officer, and battery on a law enforcement officer, a felony.
just more victim discrediting at work here. he's dead now, so why are making presumptions about his character? this information shouldn't serve to absolve anyone from guilt at the way this was handled OR to push this matter aside.
I wish that our administration would get to the root of the problem, rather than engaging us in superficial lip service- i.e. the Day of Dialogue not addressing "grey rape," not covering myths about sexual assault, not making the connection between privilege and sexual assault NOR engaging students in an actual Q&A at the end as promised. People have resigned who can easily get jobs elsewhere without learning from the mistakes (perhaps an understatement) they made at the College and will just ruin more lives. Instead of conducting open investigations of the staff members in question, they are quietly leaving so that we will never know the extent to which they have wronged students. I appreciate that steps are being taken, but I feel that they are just scratching the surface, rather than getting to the root of the problem. This brings to mind the similar wave of sexual assault outrage that occurred in the 1990s but somehow died down, probably as a result of the similar "hand-washing" I am starting to see here.
For example, "I offered him my sympathy for what had happened to him, asked whether he was getting adequate help, and sought to confirm his views on sanctions for the student who was found responsible for sexual misconduct. I recall being struck by the kindness in Trey's voice."
The last sentence seems like a clear deflection from the actual questions that many students are asking about the school's handling of Trey's case.
Repeating the question: What does "resulting in a finding of responsibility for the respondent" mean?
I found this letter frustratingly unclear.
Why didn't Biddy Martin make an effort to personally meet Trey? I found this paragraph really frustrating:
"Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to meet or get to know him. In our brief conversation in December 2011, related to an appeal process, I offered him my sympathy for what had happened to him, asked whether he was getting adequate help, and sought to confirm his views on sanctions for the student who was found responsible for sexual misconduct. I recall being struck by the kindness in Trey's voice."
That is the outreach of the person who leads the Amherst community in a very serious case? You talked to him for a few minutes on the phone? You share your impression on his tone of voice, as a way to convey that you thought for more than a few minutes about his case?
What exactly is the role of the president, if it not to be personally involved in cases like this?
The phrase "resulting in a finding of responsibility for the respondent" means that the College disciplinary process resulted in a determination that the student charged with the sexual assault had committed the assault. The President says that she asked Trey Malone for his views on punishment. It's not ambiguous. It's just legalistic.
Actually, if you read the letter carefully, you find that the charge was sexual assault, yet the disciplinary determination was for sexual misconduct, certainly a more amorphous violation. Your statement that 'the process resulted in a determination that the student charged with the sexual assault had committed the assault' does not follow from the letter and is really a projection.
This letter sounds defensive rather than heartfelt. Do you really think you did all you could? Why are you purposefully avoiding talking about the fact that Trey said you had engaged in victim-blaming when he mentions the first thing you told him was "Have you handled your drinking problem?". I'm just trying to figure out what your role is here, are you with the students or are you more concerned with maintaining Amherst's status as an elite private institution? That distinction is real and I think as our President it is your duty to choose which side you're going to be on. Don't demonstrate this with pretty words, or cheap metaphors, but with real actions and effective policy change. I was very disappointed with the recent Day of Dialogue as it came off as nothing more than a chance to talk down to students without giving them a real voice. I saw a self-congratulatory spectacle capable of letting the campus and the press know "look how willing we are to enact real change, look how great we are for being at the forefront of these issues". When in reality what change really occurred through the morning speeches? Despite the productivity of the small group discussions that should not be the final step. One thing I would like to see is an honest examination of how both privileged students and the school benefit from Amherst's culture of silence. Though this may have happened in the past it can no longer be a path followed by Amherst if its students are to truly "bring light to the world" because what light can we spread if we continue to wrap victims in shadows through a systematic silencing and victim-blaming. Similarly, victims like Trey should not be ignored and left out of the dialogue because of a society that sees suicide as a selfish act or a student body who sees this subject as too sensitive to be engaged in active, productive discussion. Let's learn from Trey's words and continue to question not only Amherst's direction but society as a whole.
I give praise to all the students who are continuing the demands for change amongst the student body and the administration, but already there's a rise in apathetic feelings towards the subject and towards putting an end to Amherst's rape culture. There's been a life lost already, because we've avoided changing this culture for so long and now that there's been an opening all I see is an administration seeking to create the facade of action without striking at the root of Amherst's rape culture and fully engaging to put an end to it. Forgive me for being skeptical but I invite you to prove me wrong.
The extent to which the administration of this College refuses to take responsibility for its affect on the lives of students disgusts me. Trey Malone clearly states in his suicide note that he did not receive the support he needed from the College. His mother also wrote a public note stating that the administration failed to help her son. It was the administration's failures that led to the suicide of Trey Malone, and yet the president's sole response is to insist that the College did all it was supposed to do. Clearly, Biddy would like us to believe that Trey's suicide was unrelated to this administration's incompetency, and in so doing, makes Trey's last words a lie, and his suicide meaningless (or perhaps, as our some members of our society like to believe, a selfish act). This horrifying hand-washing makes obvious that the administration has no real plans to make long-term change to the existing (flawed) sexual assault policies, (lack of) mental health resources, and rape culture on campus. A student commits suicide, a handful of students drop out or transfer out, and countless others suffer in oppressed silence, but this administration will never admit that they are wrong as long as the College maintains its elite reputation and receives hefty alumni donations. This letter has confirmed my suspicion that the Day of Dialogue was nothing but a PR event created by the administration to allow for self-congratulation (let us not forget Gina Smith's meaningless, and frankly pathetic, speech). Biddy pretends to take action by hiring all sorts of external consultants who know nothing about the specific culture and student body here at Amherst. She initiates a few discussions with a handful of students and passively listens to our demands, then turns and continues on her own bureaucratic agenda that is completely divorced from the well-being of the students. I have never been more ashamed to be an Amherst College student.
Ok, according to wikipedia: "A respondent is a person who is called upon to issue a response to a communication made by another. In legal usage, this specifically refers to the defendant in a legal proceeding commenced by a petition, or to an appellee, or the opposing party, in an appeal of a decision by an initial fact-finder. "
Thus, Biddy seems to be saying that the rapist was found guilty. Nonetheless, further clarification would be still be nice.
The president of the college states that the matter went through the disciplinary system and resulted in a finding of responsibility for the respondent. And that's it. Colleges are notorious for sweeping sexual crimes under the rug to protect their own images and keep applications up. I see no mention of police involvement, nor any clarification on what that "finding of responsibility" entailed. Sexual assault is a criminal offense, this isn't just some frat prank gone wrong. How are they getting away with this?!
Colleges should not be allowed to handle rape cases. They should always go to the real police departments. Of course the colleges want the issues to go away. This is a lot like the chicken guarding the hen house. Hope the President loses her job over this one. Why do students lose their rights to real justice just because they are enrolled in a university?
If you read the other stories about Amherest and there response is always the same. The letters look very similar on there respone, looks like they just substitute the names. Too, all who are wondering about the letter, its just basically saying they took the proper measures on helping out Malone and they are not accountable for his actions. On the rape they are saying they took the steps required by law and they took there disciplinary actions on the person who raped him (hense a slap on the wrist). You did not see anything about an arrest or cops being called because that would mean them filling a report which means that would be public knowledge and bad for the school. Overall, Malone was correct nothing was really done for him. Sad to say but too many schools do not report to the cops because it reflects bad on the school, so assumed. Parents would love to see more action taken. When I see there are not too many reports I realize there is too much hush hush in the school and do not recommend it anymore.
I just read the dreadful letter issued by Amherst's president ~! President Martin ducks responsibility at every juncture in attempt to bury the college's culpability with an empty letter of condolence. If I were Trey Malone's family, I would be horrified but not surprised. I pray that somewhere high up in the college hierarchy there is someone who will insist on telling the truth in order to set things right. Trey deserves so much more than this awful letter. Those of us who know a young person who has been raped or attacked in some way sexually know that the ripples from such an event are great with respect to the potential for self doubt/self-loathing, rage, and an indelible sense of having been abandoned when the event is passed over in an effort to avoid bad press or the loss of a major funder. There is an award-winning film made as a result of the gang rape of a woman whose reputation as a drunk with a questionable reputation-based on a real life story--resulted in a precedent-setting verdict to remind us and the courts that rape is rape, regardless of the reputation of the victim. Needless to add, an individual who has had too much to drink is vulnerable and an easy mark for a sexual predator. Trey was the victim of a humiliating attack. One that he could not overcome without enormous support--the kind that is affirming and resolute. There is something terribly wrong when the victim is left struggling with and anguishing endlessly over what happened in ways that Trey shouldn't have. I hope Amherst rethinks its poor response to Trey's demise by taking this on in order to shed a bright light on the circumstances surrounding Trey's assault for the sake of Trey's friends, family, his credibility, and reputation.
It baffles me how President Martin can look at herself in the mirror knowing how responsible she is for the tragic suicide of this boy who was raped on the Amherst campus. Shame on you, Biddy Martin.
I am trying to understand this statement:
"I offered him my sympathy for what had happened to him, asked whether he was getting adequate help, and sought to confirm his views on sanctions for the student who was found responsible for sexual misconduct. I recall being struck by the kindness in Trey's voice."
It appears that President Martin was asking Trey what he thought about the sanctions for the perpetrator of the crime committed against him. So, what were the sanctions? Was this criminal allowed to return to school? Did he graduate? Was the president asking whether Trey thought this criminal should be allowed to return to school while his own return was still apparently in question? I would like to know whether donations to the school and such ultimately affect decisions regarding sanctions.
There was kindness in Trey's voice. What were Trey's views on the sanctions? How would Trey have felt about returning to the place where he was assaulted. How does it affect a victim to know that their attacker is still nearby? I can only imagine.
The words "sexual misconduct" only serve to diminish the violent crime of rape.
I believe there is much to read between the lines.
This is a shockingly inadequate response to such a tragic event, one where President Martin needs to admit her own responsibility in a deeper capacity. She makes her knowledge of the incident and her proximity to Trey during his time of need crystal clear, but treads quickly through a paragraph that vaguely alludes to her "brief" talk with Trey and her fleeting "sympathy." And I echo the above poster who asks the primary question that paragraph raises: why did she never meet him? Why did she not do more here? This is incredibly troubling and showcases President Martin's lack of sincerity.
I think this kind of insincerity characterizes President Martin. I remember sitting at a table in Valentine Dining Hall last fall as she walked through the room "chatting" with students and asking questions about technology on campus, along with other questions about social life, etc.. In a room of white students, I saw her excitedly notice our table full of ethnic minorities and say to the woman who accompanied her "THAT table!" She asked us questions about social cohesion on campus and feigned a strong interest in issues of diversity. Her interest would have been welcome if she hadn't shown it to be entirely insincere when she wrote down each of our email addresses and invited us to a dinner, but then NEVER followed up as she so excitedly promised. She is another insincere face of Amherst College, and if issues of sexual violence on campus are going to be solved, we need someone who's going to lead the administration in a more genuine and visionary way.
There's a reason why the police are not involved in these cases. The legal standards for "rape" are much higher than "rape" as it is interpreted on college campuses. In most college "rapes" the parties are known to each other. There is often alcohol involved. The victim has often intentionally place him/herself alone in a room with a bed with his "rapist" and has sometimes consented up to a certain point. Often the victim does not realize that or report that a rape has taken place for weeks or months afterward. The victim often has pre-existing substance abuse or mental health problems. Any one of these factors would preclude obtaining a conviction in the real legal system. Calling the police in such cases would result in less (no) punishment vs. the college disciplinary systems where at least some nominal punishment can be exacted.
Perhaps what is needed here is some middle ground - giving the perpetrators a slap on the wrist via the college disciplinary system seems like too little, but branding a drunken freshman as a rapist, sending him to jail to do hard time and ruining his entire life seems like too much.
Biddy has worked her way up from Provost at Cornell to now President of Amherst via U of Wisc where she was very unpopular. Maybe it is time for a new President of Amherst and perhaps Biddy should go back to teaching German.
One cannot prosecute a rape under the criminal justice system without the victim's testimony. There are some outlier cases that rely on physical evidence alone, but there is little physical evidence in most cases anyway. The school and the police cannot prosecute a case without the victim, so the police will not be involved unless the victim CHOOSES for them to be involved (and there are a multitude of a reasons why a person wouldn't want this).
"In our brief conversation in December 2011, related to an appeal process, I offered him my sympathy for what had happened to him, asked whether he was getting adequate help, and sought to confirm his views on sanctions for the student who was found responsible for sexual misconduct. I recall being struck by the kindness in Trey's voice."
At present we do not recall what we saw that gave us this emotional response but we strongly feel that you were callous and indifferent to what happened, and we cannot but say,
"These kinds of events that are occurring aren't accidents or just something someone did to someone else...
No this is a matter of power that is used against a powerless person just for the sake of relishing that persons agony and misery and suffering."
How could Trey have been raped when he was also arguably of physiological equivalence to his assaulter, presumably?
Was he drugged?
Was he tied down?
Was he beaten into submission?
How did this occur?
There is something very, very wrong and if it is not addressed and dealt with then all that we have labored to create, it will be lost in self-destructive behaviors."
And so I must then ask,
"Do you care? Or is this all just a long calculation about the survival of...who? Men? Women? Both?"
Amherst has an unbelievable responsibility as possibly one of the only institutions that controls such a thing as our repository of archival materials in the Bunker.
If the world ended today and Amherst was a point of renewal, what legacy did we leave behind?


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NWSB Writer Travis Koehler details Oregon's closed 2012 fall camp practices. Chip Kelly has made the decision for all practices to be closed to the media. Two a days started this last Saturday with players and coaches citing controlled hitting to limit or prevent injuries. Colt Lyerla, the projected TE starter going into this season , has been a no show to camp. Check out the state of the art social media center, the Quackcave.
Crazy Quacker's Oregon football update: Fall camp notes
August 14, 2012 By


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|2010-11-10, 12:06
|Link #61
Osana-Najimi Shipper
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Mt. Ordeals
If you want to have a decent shot at winning, it's good to have a main for each of the 'classes': tank, carry, burst caster, and support, in that order.
You can get away easily without the last two, but the first two is pretty essential. This is because a team of all squishies cant initiate properly, and a team with no ranged carry has big problems if the enemy all builds survivability. Burst caster is really there just so the enemy can't just stack armor against your carry, while support is a force multiplier. Meaning that it's only really good if you already got your other roles filled out, but if you do, adding a support does more to your team than a second or a third of the other classes.
Finally, if you care about playing ranked games, then you need to know how to use jungling heroes. This is because its pretty darn obvious that the team with the jungle has a major advantage against those who dont (they would have 2 level 6 heroes against only 1 for the enemy team). Also, having a 'sub' for each of the classes is pretty much mandatory, as you never know when your main is going to be banned or picked by the other team.
|2010-11-10, 14:13
|Link #63
~Official Slacker~
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Xanadu
Age: 24
|2010-11-10, 14:25
|Link #64
Senior Guest
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Athens (GMT+2)
Age: 30
^ You're welcome, that's only how I play Shen There's always lots of ways to play any character, I believe that their stats in the learning center represent how well they can adjust to the roles of physical attacks, health and magic; so characters with half life and magic can be mages that focus on survivability, even magic and power tends to be better off as hybrid, etc.
If you want to check out various guides, I'll second leaguecraft, that's where I got a first taste of core builds from.
|2010-11-10, 20:51
|Link #65
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Australia
Age: 35
Looks like Sona and Mordekaiser top the votes as most overpowered in the informed opinions of the LoL community. http://www.leagueoflegends.com/board...d.php?t=332106
EDIT: Search youtube for WCG2010 League of Legends matches. The ones involving US and now world champions, CLG(US) vs SK(Germany/Europe) in the grand finals are really interesting.
|2010-11-10, 21:17
|Link #66
Graphic Designer
Last edited by Izayoi; 2010-11-10 at 21:41.
|2010-11-11, 00:58
|Link #67
A Proud Lolicon
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: In front of my computer
Age: 31
Sona is only strong, not OP, really. People always think it's Sona who wreck their team, but they failed to realize that she only boost up the potential of her team, and nullify the poking game everyone is very fond of.
Against Sona's team, all you need is a good formation and a quick initiator.
|2010-11-11, 01:13
|Link #68
is not amused
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Naval Base
I mostly build Sona w/ Soul Shroud. But after several games with lots of poking before the initial fight, my mana runs out fast (even w/ seal of clarity). I switched to Innervating Locket (sigh, I missed the old one).
I always lane with my friend who uses Galio. Fun stuff happens.
Oh, and I just had 4 straight wins w/o deaths using her last night.
|2010-11-11, 01:23
|Link #69
A Proud Lolicon
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: In front of my computer
Age: 31
Get a Tear of Goddess. That will solve most of your mana issue. Upgrade it later, after you get your core items for a nice amount of AP.
As Sona, all you need to do is maintain your life and your position. Most of the time when Sona died, the whole team will fall apart, and the enemy knows that, so try to live as long as possible. Prolonging battle is one of Sona's advantage, and that's why I never like poking game against her. Don't forget that "Sona stance", where 3 of your fingers are on QWE and just mashing them .
I won 90% time I use Sona, so I feel like dropping her already. I like her appearance, and her skillset, but for some reason it doesn't feel good using her.
|2010-11-11, 01:58
|Link #70
is not amused
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Naval Base
I'm not sure about Tear to Archangel, was never a fan of those items.
Reason why I went for Locket is not only the passive but also the aura, though not as great as Shroud's. Not to mention that the stats are helpful. And of course, I'm more of an aura type Sona than AP.
|2010-11-11, 03:37
|Link #71
A Proud Lolicon
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: In front of my computer
Age: 31
Truthfully, the only AP item I got for my Sona is Archangel. Tear solve my mana problem with a mere 960 golds, after that I get boots and rushing Mejai's Soulstealer and Locket. A good Sona shouldn't die, and her assists must not below 60% of team kills.
Aegis is nice and all, but Sona shouldn't be the one who's getting it, and Shroud is kinda meh imo. I'd rather get Shurelya for that 15% CDR, and with my mastery, rune, I can reach 30%. After that just a blue pot and it's max CDR.
|2010-11-11, 04:52
|Link #72
Not an expert on things
Join Date: Jun 2007
|2010-11-11, 07:56
|Link #73
is not amused
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Naval Base
|2010-11-11, 10:27
|Link #74
A Proud Lolicon
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: In front of my computer
Age: 31
Not sure about Deathfire on Sona, though.
|2010-11-11, 13:23
|Link #75
Osana-Najimi Shipper
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Mt. Ordeals
Nah, Sona is OP. After a certain point, having the ENTIRE team have 20 ATK/AP/Armor/MR/Move speed all teamfight long is just stupid. It's like having a second Aegis of Legion that gives MS as well. She also has the same sustained amount of healing as Taric/Soraka, while all the while wins teamfights with her AoE stun ult.
And seriously, Sona is against the poke meta? When she has a really GOOD poke herself, and she boosts the entire teams speed to help her get back to safety? Ah, what?
My sona build goes...
Movement speed quints
Mpen red
flat CDR blues
mp5 per level yellows
Meki + 2 pots
Boots of Speed
(Up to 2 ruby crystals depending on how badly you are being focused)
Boots of Swiftness
(Aegis if no one in your team got it)
(If still going)
Guardian Angel
It's really easy to rack up Mejai stacks with Sona, as her E practically guarantees an assist most of the time, while her Q/W helps in those times E is on CD. And with her only really needing to stay in the backlines (unless you know its safe to poke), you're rarely ever targeted if you know what you're doing.
Archangel late because all it does is it gives you more AP. You're better off spending 1235g for Mejai than you are spending 1860g to upgrade your tear, considering how fast it is to get stacks and how easy it is to keep it with Sona.
I also build her this way because with Soulshroud + caster masteries + cdr runes + blue pot, you will reach the CDR cap. Which is essential when you want to keep your three auras up. And many times I don't even need the blue pot, as you can easily max her Soulstealer if you play safe.
|2010-11-11, 21:03
|Link #77
Graphic Designer
Don't worry, Sona is gonna get a nerf and Lux is gonna get a buff.
|2010-11-11, 22:37
|Link #78
A Proud Lolicon
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: In front of my computer
Age: 31
When I see Sona, I choose Poppy. Problem solved.
I'd love to see a Sona trying to poke, because she reveal herself from where she's supposed to be hiding.
Btw, I was not saying Sona is against poking meta. I said poking doesn't work against her.
|2010-11-11, 22:44
|Link #79
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Australia
Age: 35
A new champion approaches!
Bladesurge: Irelia dashes forward to strike her target. If it kills the target, Bladesurge's cooldown refreshes and half the mana cost is refunded.
Hiten Style: Irelia is skilled in the art of Hiten, passively giving her physical attacks health restoration. Activating Hiten Style adds true damage to her physical attacks for a short duration.
Equilibrium Strike: Irelia's attack balances the scales, dealing damage and slowing the target. However, if the target has a higher Health % than Irelia, then the blow stuns the target instead.
Transcendent Blades (Ultimate): Irelia summons four spirit blades which she can fling at her enemies. These blades deal magic damage to enemies that they pass through, siphoning life from them and healing Irelia.
Ionian Fervor (Passive): Each nearby enemy champion (to a maximum of three) reduces the effectiveness of Crowd Control on Irelia.
|league of legends, lol
|Thread Tools


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Members Of Slipknot + The Dillinger Escape Plan Join System Of A Down Onstage
In between their Soundwave Festival performances in February and March, System of a Down also played a few headlining shows in Australia.The recent show on Feb. 29 in Melbourne at the Rod Laver Arena turned into a star-studded event.
For the song 'Suite-Pee' Serj Tankian welcomed Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison to the stage to play. Jordison happened to be in Australia at the same time for the Soundwave Festival shows as well. System Of A Down drummer John Dolmayan took over back up vocals for the tune before diving into the crowd at the end for some up close and personal action.
During 'Aerials' the band was joined by special guest Ben Weinman of The Dillinger Escape Plan. View fan filmed footage of both guest appearances below.
System of a Down have one more Soundwave Festival show to go on March 5 in Perth, Australia. With any luck, these new shows will inspire the band to get to work on that long awaited new disc!


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I have recently tried using Mindjet's applications on a variety of devices in the hands of different people. It was a frustrating and disappointing experience. Some of this is due to my lack of knowledge of how the systems function. Some of it is due to Mindjet not meeting my expectation of a transparent and integrated collaborative working environment! Please feel free to add your tips in the comments. Here are my first ones:
- The iOS apps on iPad and iPhone are check in/check out editors. Mindjet Windows, Mac and Web do support simultaneous co-editing. The implications are that when an iOS app opens a map in Mindjet Files, all other users lose the right to edit the master map. They may continue editing local cached copies and think they are doing useful work. But actually you need to stop because your edits will be difficult to incorporate in the master map when it is checked in from the iOS device. You will be offered this latest version to overwrite your cached version. And you can do the reverse, overwrite the latest version from the iOS device with your cached version. This will annoy the guy who finished editing on the iPad because their edits will be lost.
- On the iOS app the number in the circle next to the refresh symbol indicates a change is waiting to be uploaded to the server. I have just stopped my iPhone because it was not synchronising, restarted and now the Synchronising indicator is in a wait loop. I have no idea which file has not been synchronised.
- At the moment neither of my iPad nor my iPhone can access the folder on Mindjet Files but Mindjet Windows is displaying and editing folders. I can move quickly through all the folders and files in Dropbox on the iOS devices and can load a map. Consider using Dropbox or similar if you do not need the simultaneous co-editing and you can agree a simple protocol with other collaborators for asynchronous editing of files. e.g. add their name to the file name whilst editing it and delete their name when finished.
What tips or questions do you have for collaborating with Mindjet's portfolio of applications?


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plateau in Abergwesyn valley
Published by
Rose Tinted Ramblings
I'm Bernice but unless I'm in trouble, it's Berni. I laugh heartily; love wholely and live completely. I write what I think. Sometimes its fun, sometimes its political, sometimes its frustration, or angst. Always its real and heartfelt. I now live in Mid Wales having found a home with my family (John, my parner and Jason, our son) here in Llanwrtyd Wells where everyday eccentricity is celebrated. a place in the UK that attracts those from outside the mainstream and has created an identity based on its quirkiness. A perfect home for someone like me who tends not to follow the crowd, doesn't have a quiet laugh, and tends to speak first, think later! Life has reached a juncture where I have become aware that when you live your life through rose-tinted spectacles, every experience becomes one including joy, laughter, friends, meetings, experiences and great memories. Having always fancied being a columnist I figured why not share my rose-tinted ramblings with anyone out there who might want to listen- and if no-ones out there, why not write them anyway - bit like a public diary - but hey I have no dirty little secrets that I'm not prepared to share....!!!! View all posts by Rose Tinted Ramblings


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Kalypso Media has revealed box art and a collection of new screenshots from the upcoming Tropico 5. The next instalment of the city-builder series is currently in development at Haemimont Studios and is slated for an early summer 2014 release. Kalypso will release Tropico 5 for a variety of platforms including Mac OS X.
Packed with a whole host of new gameplay features and all new artwork designed from scratch, Tropico 5 takes the series into a new and exciting direction dynasties! You, as El Presidente, will first take control of the infamous island of Tropico during early colonial times and then guide it through the centuries as the world changes and moves ever forward. You must tackle the changing needs of your people, as well as opposing governments and factions, and thus lay the foundations for your own dynasty. As you move through your years in office you can promote members of your extended family on the island to positions of power: such as ambassador, commanding general or even Supreme Ruler, to ensure your legacy thrives through the eras. As well as a wealth of other new features, including advanced trading mechanics, technology, scientific research trees and island exploration, Tropico 5 will add cooperative and competitive multiplayer for up to four players for the first time in the series history! Viva El Presidente!Features of Tropico 5The Eras - From the 19th century to the 21st, each era carries its own challenges and opportunities. Begin your reign during colonial times and advance your nation through the modern era and into the future!The Dynasty Each member of El Presidentes extended family is present on the island and may be appointed to key leadership positions, earning skills and experience in their assigned roles.Research and Renovate - Advance your nation by discovering new buildings, technologies and resources. Transform your old buildings into modernized, hyper-efficient designs worthy of an economic superpower!Advanced trade system and trade fleet - Amass a global trade fleet and use your ships to secure import/export trade routes to neighbouring islands and key nations.Explore your island - Discover what lies beyond the fog of war. Send prospectors to look for new mineral and ore deposits, but be wary of hostile animals and native tribes.All new art - All artwork is reworked to provide Tropico 5 with a distinct historic visual identity. Choose from over 100 unique buildings from each of the individual eras.Cooperative and competitive multiplayer Up to four players can build up their own cities and economies on any given island map. Players can share resources and citizens, or declare war on each other.
Features of Tropico 5
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It was my second session at Open World this year. It was full with 332 attendees with a whopping 277 attendees on wait list! the room capacity was 397. Of course, the room did have some fragmentation and not everyone could make it.
Here is the abstract:
There is a world outside the glittering marketing glitz surrounding Oracle 11g. In this session, a DBA and author of the popular 11g New Features series on OTN covers features that stand out in the real world and make your job easier, your actions more efficient and resilient, and so on. Learn the new features with working examples: how to use Database Replay and SQL Performance Analyzer to accurately predict the effect of changes and Recovery Manager (RMAN) Data Recovery Advisor to catch errors and corruption so new stats won't cause issues.
Thank you very much for those who decided to attend. I hope you found it useful. Here is the presentation. You can download it from the Open World site too. Please note, the companion site to see al working examples and a more detailed coverage is still my Oracle 11g New Features Series on Oracle Technology Network.
Confessions of an Oracle Database Junkie - Arup Nanda The opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. They may not necessarily reflect that of my employers and customers - both past or present. The comments left by the reviewers are theirs alone and may not reflect my opinion whether implied or not. None of the advice is warranted to be free of errors and ommision. Please use at your own risk and after thorough testing in your environment.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
OOW'08 Oracle 11g New Features for DBAs
Labels: 11g, ACE, Arup Nanda, DBA, New Features, Open World, openworld08, Oracle
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Zac Efron carries a cup of coffee while filming on the set of his upcoming movie Are We Officially Dating? on Friday (January 25) in New York City.
The 25-year-old actor was joined on set by his co-stars Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Zac Efron
Earlier in the week, Zac donned earmuffs while filming for the movie.
It was recently announced that James Badge Dale, Jackie Earle Haley, Colin Hanks, David Harbour, and Ron Livingston have joined the cast of Zac's upcoming film Parkland.
FYI: Miles is wearing Levi's jeans.


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Press Release
From: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Posted: Thursday, July 19, 2012
Saturn was playing the lightning storm blues. NASA's Cassini spacecraft has captured images of last year's storm on Saturn, the largest storm seen up- close at the planet, with bluish spots in the middle of swirling clouds. Those bluish spots indicate flashes of lightning and mark the first time scientists have detected lightning in visible wavelengths on the side of Saturn illuminated by the sun.
"We didn't think we'd see lightning on Saturn's day side - only its night side," said Ulyana Dyudina, a Cassini imaging team associate based at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. "The fact that Cassini was able to detect the lightning means that it was very intense."
Images can be found at http://www.nasa.gov/cassini , http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and http://ciclops.org .
The storm occurred last year. The lightning flashes appear brightest in the blue filter of Cassini's imaging camera on March 6, 2011. Scientists aggressively heightened the blue tint of the image to determine its size and location. Scientists are still analyzing why the blue filter catches the lightning. It might be that the lightning really is blue, or it might be that the short exposure of the camera in the blue filter makes the short-lived lightning easier to see.
What scientists do know is that the intensity of the flash is comparable to the strongest flashes on Earth. The visible energy alone is estimated to be about 3 billion watts lasting for one second. The flash is approximately 100 miles (200 kilometers) in diameter when it exits the tops of the clouds. From this, scientists deduce that the lightning bolts originate in the clouds deeper down in Saturn's atmosphere where water droplets freeze. This is analogous to where lightning is created in Earth's atmosphere.
In composite images that show the band of the storm wrapping all the way around Saturn, scientists have seen multiple flashes. In one composite image, they recorded five flashes, and in another, three flashes.
"As summer storm season descends upon Earth's northern latitudes, Cassini provides us a great opportunity to see how weather plays out at different places in our solar system," said Linda Spilker, Cassini project scientist, based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "Saturn's atmosphere has been changing over the eight years Cassini has been at Saturn, and we can't wait to see what happens next."
The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo.
// end //
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Using different perspectives- the unaided eye, a magnifying lens, and a satellite- provides different information. Children make observations of common objects- along with images of butterflies, the Mississippi River, a fire in the Colorado Black... (View More) Forest, and Mars- to learn how views from close up and views from far away change our understandings. This activity was designed for use in a library program. (View Less)
This is the first module in the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) Project Suite curriculum. Activities are self-directed by students or student teams using online videos and data from the SDO satellite to explore, research and build knowledge about... (View More) features of the Sun. Students build vocabulary, apply or demonstrate learning through real world connections, and creating resources to use in their investigations. Each activity comes with both a teacher and student guide with sequential instructions and embedded links to the needed videos and internet resources. Activity 1A: Structure of the Earth's Star takes students through the features and function of the Sun's structures using online videos, completing a "Sun Primer" data sheet using information from the videos, and creating a 3D origami model of the Sun. Students use a KWL chart to track what they have learned. Activity 1B: Observing the Sun has students capture real solar images from SDO data to find and record sunspots and track their movement across the surface of the Sun. Activity 1C has students create a pin-hole camera to use in calculating the actual diameter of the Sun, and then calculate scales to create a Earth-Sun scale model. Students reflect on their learning and results at the end of the module. An internet connection and access to computers are needed to complete this module. See related and supplementary resources for link to full curriculum. The appendix includes an alignment to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). (View Less)
Materials Cost: $1 - $5
This iOS app for iPhone, iPad and iTouch, allows families and educators to investigate and learn about the Sun at home, at school, or anywhere. It provides 13 free, easy to use, hands-on activities, plus live images of the Sun from NASA's SDO... (View More) satellite, videos of the Sun, and more. Each activity includes material lists, step-by-step instructions, and detailed explanations. Some of the activities and media pieces are also available on the project website. The activity materials are widely available and inexpensive. (View Less)
Each lesson or activity in this toolkit is related to NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). The toolkit is designed so that each lesson can be done independently, or combined and taught in a sequence. The Teacher Implementation Guide provides... (View More) recommendations for combining the lessons into three main strands: 1) Lunar Exploration - These lessons provide a basic introduction to Moon exploration. Note that this strand is also appropriate for use in social studies classes. 2) Mapping the Moon - These lessons provide a more in-depth understanding of Moon exploration through the use of scientific data and student inquiry. The lessons also include many connections to Earth science and geology. 3) Tools of Investigation - These higher-level lessons examine the role of technology, engineering and physics in collecting and analyzing data. (View Less)
Materials Cost: $1 - $5 per group of students
This is an activity about scale. Participants will arrange imagery of Earth and many other space objects in order of their size from smallest to largest, their distance from Earth's surface, their temperature from coolest to hottest, and/or their... (View More) age from youngest to oldest. By manipulating these images and discussing their ideas, children and adults represent and confront their own mental models of space and time. (View Less)
This is a poster about the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), an instrument onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Learners can find out what it does and how it works, then go online and start exploring the Red Planet... (View More) with real Mars data. (View Less)
Materials Cost: $1 - $5 per group of students
Students are introduced to planetary rocks, soils, and surfaces using images of the lunar samples collected by Apollo astronauts. Examining those images and participating in related activities will lead students to a deeper understanding of the... (View More) Moon, Earth and our Solar System. The 27-page student guide contains background information, images, instructions, questions and activities. The lesson models scientific inquiry using the 5E instructional model and also includes a teacher's guide, an alignment to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and connections to Common Core English Language standards. (View Less)
Materials Cost: $1 - $5 per group of students
This activity is designed to introduce students to planetary geologic features and processes. First, students will use NASA satellite images to identify geologic surface features on the "Blue Marble" (Earth), and will explore the connection between... (View More) those features and the geologic processes that created them. Using that information, students will then compare and discuss similar features on images from other planets. Included are the following materials: teacher's guide (with reference and resource information), student's guide (with activity sheets), and multiple cards of planetary images. Note that the range of targeted grade levels is quite broad; however, explicit adaptations for younger students are highlighted throughout the teacher's guide. (View Less)
Materials Cost: $1 - $5 per group of students
This educational wallsheet illustrates Newton's Third Law of Motion. The accompanying activity is an experiment in which students create a balloon and straw rocket. Students must figure out how to shoot the balloon from the back of the classroom and... (View More) hit the blackboard in the front of the room using a fishing line as a track for the balloon to follow. The activity provides teachers with background information, pre-activity reading, pre-activity discussion questions, an assessment, and post-activity discussions that tie the classroom activity back to the Swift satellite. This wallsheet is the third of four posters on Newton's Laws and a copy is available on this website. (View Less)
Materials Cost: $1 - $5 per group of students


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Angelina Jolie & Elle Fanning are Lovely in White at 'Maleficent' London Photo Call!
Angelina Jolie looks gorgeous in all white while attending a photo call for her highly anticipated film Maleficent held at the Corinthia Hotel on Friday (May 9) in London, England.
The 38-year-old actress was joined at the event by her co-star Elle Fanning as they also took part in a press conference for the flick, which hits theaters on May 28 in the UK.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Angelina Jolie
Earlier that morning, Elle was spotted making her way out of the ITV Studios following her guest appearance on Good Morning Britain.
FYI: Angelina is wearing Atelier Versace. Elle is wearing an Ellery top and skirt with Manolo Blahnik shoes.
15+ pictures inside of Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning at their Maleficent photo call…


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New York Historical Society Young Friends Host "An Evening at the SOCIETY: Recalling the Speakeasy Era"
Thursday, March 9th 2006, New York Historical Society President Louise Mirrer and the Young Friends Committee held "An Evening at the SOCIETY: Recalling the Speakeasy Era", a benefit to support educational programming, at the New York Historical Society located at 170 Central Park West (at 77th Street). Committee members included Elizabeth Beaman, Ellie Berlin, William C. Dick, Anson Frelinghyusen, Dan Garondick, Vincent Grimaldi, Peter Lehrman, Alix Knowlton Peck, Ashe Reardon, Carolina Richardson, Ted Roosevelt V, Samantha Topping, Caitlin Tashjian and Evan W. Uhlick among many others. MEDIA & PRESS: Marisa Wayne |RUBENSTEIN Strategic Communications and Public Relations|tel: 212-843-9216 |e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com PLEASE feel free to add names in the comment section. PHOTO CREDIT: All images copyright protected ©Manhattan Society.com 2006 by Christopher LondonRead More


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Royalty free music for videos ambient-tech electro track, with deep bass sequences and eerie synth melodies, a perfect background for numerous science-oriented projects, inspired by works of Cliff Martinez or Mac Quayle. This could work very well for a video illustration of the way a virus gets transmitted, an invisible danger, forever multiplying and mutating, spreading all over the globe at unstoppable rates, be it by a simple touch or via a fomite. It would also be useful for videos and projects related to scientific discoveries and research, the mood here being one of progression and development, but on a serious, solemn level, with hardly any hope.
This, as well as 3 other similar tracks, is also available in my Scientific Research Pack
If you purchase this track for your project, please send me a link through my Profile page or Twitter and I'll help you promote it. Thanks !


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Vinculin is a protein associated with focal adhesion and adherens junctions, which are membrane-associated complexes that serve as nucleation sites for actin filaments and as crosslinkers between the external medium, plasma membrane, and actin cytoskeleton. Recently, vinculin has become a central focus of a significant amount of scientific research, resulting in the development of a better understanding of its role in cellular adhesion, motility, and intercellular communication, which appears to vary depending upon alterations in the three-dimensional structure of the protein. Studies have shown, for instance, that by alternating between an active and inactive form, vinculin can regulate the mobility of cells. Indeed, vinculin may facilitate cell movement for wound healing and embryonic tissue development, but is more interesting to some researchers for its possible involvement in the metastasis of cancerous tumors.
The culture of Indian Muntjac deer skin fibroblast cells featured in the digital image above was immunofluorescently labeled with primary anti-vinculin mouse monoclonal antibodies followed by goat anti-mouse Fab heavy and light chain fragments conjugated to Cy3 (red fluorescence emission). In addition, the specimen was simultaneously stained for DNA with the ultraviolet-absorbing probe Hoechst 33258, and for the cytoskeletal filamentous actin network with Alexa Fluor 488 conjugated to phalloidin. Images were recorded in grayscale with a QImaging Retiga Fast-EXi camera system coupled to an Olympus BX-51 microscope equipped with bandpass emission fluorescence filter optical blocks provided by Omega Optical. During the processing stage, individual image channels were pseudocolored with RGB values corresponding to each of the fluorophore emission spectral profiles.
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The holiday season is usually a bountiful time of year for Broadway shows. Hordes of tourists bring about a bump in box-office receipts for musicals and plays across the board.
The most recent holiday period proved to be no exception. "Wicked," still going strong at close to 10 years, had an especially merry Christmas, grossing $2.9 million, which is the highest weekly figure of any Broadway production in history.
"Wicked" benefited at the box office from premium ticket pricing, which is the practice of jacking up prices for certain performances and sections of the house. The musical charged as much as $300 for a seat in the last week, with an average ticket price of $181 for the week.
The most expensive ticket on Broadway for the week was "The Book of Mormon," with priciest seats going for $477.
During the holiday week, "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" grossed $2.7 million and "The Lion King" earned slightly less than $2.7 million. "Mormon" grossed $2.2 million. Figures are provided by the Broadway League.
Producers of "Wicked" said that two national touring productions of the musical in St. Louis and Honolulu brought in an additional $4.3 million during the week.
"Wicked" will return to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa starting Feb. 20.
Tim Tebow visits 'Wicked' on Broadway
Broadway shows take a hit at the box office following Sandy
Hurricane Sandy forces closures for Broadway, concerts, museums
PHOTOS: Hollywood stars on stage CHEAT SHEET: Spring arts preview 2014 PHOTOS: Arts and culture in pictures
PHOTOS: Hollywood stars on stage
CHEAT SHEET: Spring arts preview 2014
PHOTOS: Arts and culture in pictures


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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The MIT men's heavyweight crew team faced Trinity College, Colgate University and the University of Rhode Island on a clear-skied Sunday morning on the Charles River. The Engineers entered two 8's and a varsity 4 boat in the 2k race.
MIT's varsity 8 A boat raced first, completing the course in second with a time of 6:19.1, just a few seconds behind Trinity with a 6:12. URI was not far behind the Engineers with its time of 6:20.2, while Colgate crossed the line in fourth place with a time of 6:24.2. The second varsity 8 race, which featured the Cardinal and Gray's JV boat, came in third place with a 6:25. Trinity, once again, was first, completing the event in 6:15.1 and URI was second with a 6:16.8.
To wrap up the day, the Engineers competed in the varsity 4 race, coming in second place out of the three teams. Trinity won its third race of the day with a 7:10.3, MIT was second with 7:16 and Colgate was third with a 7:17.3.
Next weekend, MIT will host its final home regatta of the season when it faces the University of Wisconsin and Dartmouth University on the Charles on Saturday, May 4 at 7:30 a.m.Varsity 8+ Cox Charles Hsu 8 Nate Colgan 7 Alexander Nelson 6 Matthew Miklasevich 5 David Ashpole 4 Matthew Connelly 3 Erik Pearson 2 Michael Klinker 1 Ben Potash JV 8+ Cox Alex Feldstein 8 Aaron Baumgarten 7 Nick Lima 6 Christian Vilanilam 5 Andrew Yang 4 Trevor Zinser 3 Bryan Chang 2 Matthew Hunter 1 James Krasner Varsity 4+ Cox Luo Qian 4 Connor McMahan 3 Eric Klinkhammer 2 Ryan Webb 1 Anthony McHugh


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Charlie Reichman with the 30A Tram Committee made his case Tuesday morning to bring tram traffic to the Walton County beaches.
"We're close to getting the approvals needed," he told those gathered inside the conference room at the Walton County Chamber of Commerce office.
A small group of seven listened to Reichman make his case with the help of a PowerPoint presentation. Kellie Jo Kilberg, president of the Chamber, was in attendance as well as Government Affairs Committee chairman West Ritchie.
"It seems like a good idea to me," Ritchie said. "I don't know why some people would be against it."
The opposition, Reichman said, could come from the fact that a similar project failed over 10 years ago.
"I think it just left a lingering, bad taste," he said.
The proposition Reichman made is for a tram system that runs along Scenic 30A to be offered, for free, to the public. The 23-passenger trams could help in reducing vehicular traffic, clear some coveted parking spaces as well as provide an alternative mode of transportation for impaired drivers.
"We estimate that for every two seats, you'll eliminate about one car," said Reichman, who has worked as a project consultant with Finch Transportation and Friends of Scenic 30-A.
Everyone in the room seemed to be in agreement that trams would be a great answer for tourist transportation.
"Everybody thinks it's a great idea, but nobody wants to stroke the $50,000 check," said Jim Bagby, a city of Destin councilmember and town manager for Rosemary Beach Property Owners Association, Inc.
Reichman and the committee did their research and estimate the initial year funding could cost $1.1 million. That would include operating costs such as labor, fuel, insurance, repair and maintenance and administrative support as well as initial capital expenditures.
"We're looking into grants," Reichman said, "Pensacola Beach got grants from the federal government. Florida Department of Transportation does have money that has not been allocated. They have about $5 million unallocated."
The question of how many trams are needed is situational.
"The idea is to have four or five vehicles running along 30A, especially during summer season," Reichman said. "This is just an example. None of this is written in stone."
"I'm seeing the need for four times as many trams," Ritchie responded.
The 30A Tram Committee is awaiting word from the Florida State Attorney General, Pam Bondi to see if they can legally use funding from the Tourist Development Council. The Board of County Commissioners requested an opionion at their Jan. 22 meeting.
"If it is going to be funded by TDC, we'll have to cover Scenic 98," Reichman said. "We'll have to cover everybody."
Taking tourists beyond 30A to stops such as the outlets and Destin Commons should also be considered suggested Bagby.
"Getting with the TDC and surveying the guests will be important," he said. "If the tram doesn't go where the tourists go, then this isn't going to work."
The tram committee has asked the Board of County Commissioners to conduct a feasibility study, which costs $25,000.
"The question isn't should we have trams," said Ritchie. "But why hasn't this been done successfully before?"


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Oct. 1, 2007
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The MIT women's volleyball team was crowned champion of the 2007 Tufts University Invitational on Saturday. Both the Engineers and Wellesley College finished the two-day tournament with 4-0 records, but MIT was awarded the title based on its 12-1 record in games played while the Blue posted a 12-5 ledger. Katie Rowe was named to Tournament MVP while Amanda Morris was selected to the All-Tournament Team.
The Engineers (19-1) began the weekend with a 30-20, 30-26, 30-12 victory over Bridgewater State College. For Morris, three was the magic number as she notched 33 assists, three aces, three blocks, and three digs. Barden Cleeland led the way with 12 kills on 19 attempts and one error for a .579 hitting percentage to go along with a team-high four blocks. Rowe tallied nine digs and four aces while Jenny Li contributed 11 kills and three aces. Rose Zhong anchored the defense with 14 digs, followed by 10 from Carrie Buchanan, as Lindsay Hunting chipped in three aces.
Rowe and Cleeland both recorded 13 kills, with hitting percentages of .667 and .550, respectively in MIT's win over SUNY Brockport (30-26, 30-22, 30-18). Katrina Ellison and Li each posted eight kills while Ellison tallied four blocks and Li notched four aces. Defensively, Buchanan paced the Engineers with 16 digs as Cleeland collected three blocks. Morris finished the night with 29 assists and eight digs.
In Saturday's opener with Elizabethtown College (30-23, 30-21, 30-25), Rowe rattled off 12 kills, five blocks, and a hitting percentage of .478. Zhong and Ellison each tallied eight kills with Zhong collecting a team-high 16 digs. Buchanan recorded 12 digs as Cleeland contributed four blocks and three aces. Morris posted her first double-double of the day on 40 assists and 10 digs in addition to four blocks.
Ellison had one of the best outings of her career as she registered 16 digs, 14 kills, a .303 hitting percentage, seven aces, and six blocks against Tufts (32-34, 30-25, 30-19, 30-19). Rowe chipped in 12 kills and six blocks while Li bolstered the front row's total with 12 kills. Buchanan led MIT's defense with 23 digs, followed by 18 from Zhong, as Cleeland collected nine blocks. Morris wrapped up the weekend with 44 assists, 15 digs, and six blocks.