text:
31243, Hymns, Beautiful Zion, Built Above, no. 44
1. Beautiful Zion, built above;
Beautiful city that I love;
Beautiful gates of pearly white;
Beautiful temple-God its light;
He who was slain on Calvary
Opens those pearly gates for me.
Zion, Zion, lovely Zion;
Beautiful Zion;
Zion, city of our God!
2. Beautiful heav'n, where all is light;
Beautiful angels clothed in white;
Beautiful strains that never tire;
Beautiful harps thru all the choir;
There shall I join the chorus sweet,
Worshiping at the Savior's feet.
3. Beautiful crowns on ev'ry brow;
Beautiful palms the conq'rors show;
Beautiful robes the ransomed wear;
Beautiful all who enter there;
Thither I press with eager feet;
There shall my rest be long and sweet.
Text: George Gill, 1820-1880
Music: Joseph G. Fones, 1828-1906
Revelation 7:9-17
Revelation 21:2, 21-23

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|signature brews
|host your party
|our history
|join our mailing list
Capitol City Brewing Company is the first brewpub in Washington, DC since prohibition. With locations in Downtown and Arlington, visitors and tourists have plenty of award winning, hand-crafted beer options. Our brewpubs offer local brews that represent beer styles from around the world. Come in and try one of our four signature brews: Capitol Kolsch, Amber Waves Ale, Pale Rider Ale or Prohibition Porter.
Capitol City Brewing Company, Washington DC's # 1 restaurant and brewpub. Our dowtown location is metro accessible and located near the Verizon Centre. Our Arlington location is in The Village at Shirlington. Whether you are meeting for a business lunch, sightseeing or just want to relax at one of DC's best Happy hour spots; our award winning kid-friendly, family brew pub restaurant will fit the bill. Buffalo wings, succulent marinated steaks, wonderful seafood creations and hand tossed salads are just a few of the delicious choices on the Cap City menu. Come in and enjoy!
©2016 Capitol City Brewing Company


text:
Recipe for Low-Sugar Double Blueberry Yogurt Parfait
Mix the two kinds of yogurt together well, so there are no lumps.
Low-Sugar Double Blueberry Yogurt Parfait
(Makes 2 servings but can easily be doubled, recipe created by Kalyn)
1/2 – 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (thaw if frozen)
4 T blueberry agave nectar (or less if you'd like it a little less sweet; you could probably use plain agave nectar but it wouldn't be quite as pretty)
1 container (6 oz.) fat-free Greek yogurt
1 container (6 oz.) low-carb or low-sugar vanilla yogurt
This will keep for a few hours, but it's best served right away.
South Beach Suggestions:
More Dessert Ideas with Agave Nectar
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
Greek Yogurt with Agave Nectar and Pecans from Kalyn's Kitchen
Greek Yogurt Dessert with Hazelnut Agave and Shaved Dark Chocolate from Kalyn's Kitchen
Grilled Peaches with Balsamic and Granola from The Perfect Pantry
Agave-Sweetened Chocolate Ice Cream from David Lebovitz
Agave Frozen Yogurt from Mighty Foods
(Want even more recipes? I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.)
Full Disclosure:


text:
switchvideo needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 18 designs submitted by 8 freelance designers.
Switch Farm Marketing will be launch a new web marketing service for farmers including wordpress web site packages. We need three designs for these packages and our offering 3 x $300 prizes for the best three.
The design will be turned into a wordpress theme (we will do the coding.)
Please see full description for more details.
Happy Valley Farm or choose your own... these are stock design, not for a specific farm.
These themes will be used for a wordpress website. Please review the detailed specs below.
Final Design must include a layer psd for the following pages:
- Home Page (page that feature a small about us section, products, location, etc... similar idea to our homepage... http://switchmarketing.com/ (NO SIDEBAR)
- Blog Page - like most of the designs so far.
- Standard Content Page - like the blog page but with standard content, photo, etc
- Landing Page including email opt in box. no top navigation, perhaps no header, spot for video/image, text and opt-in box. similar to http://farmlinkontario.ca/ (NO SIDEBAR)Sidebar should be on the left and include the following sections:
- News Items (for listing 5 recent blog items.)
- Event Calendar (for listing 5 upcoming events.)
- Newsletter Sign up box
- 3 designs.
- these will mostly be smaller farms focusing on more niche market items.
- no rainbows.
- If you have questions, please ask them.


text:
May 23, 2018 11:00 am to May 23, 2018 12:00 pm Save to calendar
Categories: Bariatric, Support Groups
Connections: Post-Operative Bariatric Surgery Support Group is a monthly support group for patients who have undergone weight loss (bariatric) surgery and are at least three months post-surgery. The topic will be the same as the class held on Monday. (The Monday class meets the fourth Monday of the month from 6:30 to 7:30 pm at the 3M Education Center, Rooms A & B at St. Joseph's Hospital).
Go here to sign up for our monthly Bariatric Care newsletter and to get emails about upcoming classes.
You are currently using an outdated browser.
The new HealthEast web site was built using the latest technology for improved features and to allow mobile access. This requires a modern browser for the best experience in layout and functionality. The browsers at HealthEast are outdated because of requirements for clinical applications. You can still click вЂclose' and browse the site with an outdated browser, however, it will not display correctly or support all features. We recommend you either upgrade your browser at home, or view the site with a mobile device. We apologize for this inconvenience.on


text:
Othella, Natural Italian Earth (SC)
Vintage Watercolours by Wallace Seymour are a fine quality, hand-made watercolour paint available in 5ml & 20ml tubes. Using a mix of traditional, rare and hand sourced pigments, the Vintage Watercolour range offers a selection of unique colours. Hand milled to bring out the best from each individual pigment.


text:
Derek had already been painting for ten years when he introduced himself to Ed Pugh at Gen Con '97 and was assigned "The Druid's Stone" as his freelance audition. A few years ago, he metamorphosed into a "scainter" (sculptor/painter) and added design and sculpting to his list of services for Reaper. He has won awards for painting, including speed-painting, at ReaperCon, Gen Con (Milwaukee and Indy), KublaCon, GenghisCon, and various SF-Bay-Area conventions. His painted figures are often subtle but notable for their expressive faces, freehand, and simulations of light and material. read more
Jason first began sculpting for Reaper in 1999 and quickly carved a niche for himself as a premier monster and animal sculptor. Since that time, Jason has moved into the player character side of miniatures, where his dwarves are perennial favorites amongst painters and gamers. read more


text:
bunzi03 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 33 diseños de 14 diseñadores freelance.
Way Down Scuba
I am someone who's interested in diving, enough to want to have a blog site about diving in the Caribbean, and hopefully feature a number of great diving instructors on it.
The target audience would be people who like diving, but especially those persons in Europe and North America, who don't mind travelling many many miles to partake in the sport of deep sea diving.
The design of this website is to be used on wordpress' platform. It needs to be easy to navigate, and as vibrant as the waters the divers will be navigating.
The island that we will be talking a lot about is Tobago.
I like clean design, and I like icons wherever appropriate.
I will also need for you to incorporate the logo of the website in the design, which I will include in my downloads.
MOST IMPORTANT: I am very very interested in the use of strong fonts for my design (nevermind the fonts used in my logo may not be that strong). So please, shy away from this project if you know you are weak in the font area.
The navigation bar is going to say, Who We Are | Tobago Dive Sites | Dive Articles | Dive Packages | Our Blog | Amanda.
An events manager application will also be used, so that there might be a calendar on the homepage as well, if you choose. Instead of this calendar, you may want to put a link called, Upcoming Event, running down the right side of the page.
An example of this can be seen on http://www.viget.com/blog/. They have a Top Posts and an Upcoming Events section. I would like to include a Recent Comments from the Blog.
I have attached a file called, sample homepage, which indicates the information that I would like presented on the homepage. You can design it to look however you want it to look.
In it, you will see a link to "5 things you need to know before diving in Tobago". It is a link to pdf report of some kind, which, when clicked, the person will be taken to a page where he fills in his name and email address to get the report.
One of the pages is devoted to stuff about the diver I will be promoting. Her name is Amanda...this page should look fun and whimsical. Possibly photos that are not necessarily straight, with frayed edges, etc.
I would like my original blue logo to be incorporated into the design.
There should be more pictures to come, but this will do for now.
http://www.padi.com/scuba: love the grunge used on the site to indicate the water...really gives a good feel
I would love to re-create that kind of feeling like it's a free-spirited adventure.


text:
LED rear light guide
The streamlined shark fin design for maximum dynamic effect (Touring Sports).
Dark Grey roof rails
3-spoke leather steering wheel
Electrochromatic (auto dimming) rear-view mirror
Dual zone climate control
Colour 4.2" TFT multi-information display
The 1.6 litre direct injection, 4 cylinder, common rail diesel engine provides responsive power throughout the rev range. Its advanced design, high pressure fuel injection and precise timing combine to enhance combustion, which reduces emissions while also optimising output and torque for a superior driving performance and greater comfort.
The capable 2.0 litre D-4D diesel engine with common rail direct injection provides clean, responsive power. Environmentally friendly diesel technology injects fuel at high pressure for superior performance and a refined driving experience.
The 1.8 litre Valvematic petrol engine includes the next generation of Toyota's successful VVT-i system. Valvematic varies the timing and lift of the engine's valves to suit your driving requirements. The result is improved responsiveness, better fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions.
Toyota Safety Sense's Pre-Collision System uses a camera
and laser to detect other vehicles in the road ahead. When
the possibility of forward collision is detected (15-140km/h) the driver is alerted with audio and visual warnings and brake assistance is activated (30-80km/h). If the driver fails to brake in time the Autonomous Emergency Braking system activates (10-80km/h) to prevent or mitigate a collision

Technical name: Pre-Crash Safety System
Toyota Safety Sense's Automatic High Beam is designed
to optimise visibility during night driving for all road users.
A camera detects the lights of oncoming vehicles and leading
traffic whilst also monitoring the brightness of street lights.
It switches automatically between high and low beam for
safer night-time driving (approx. 40km/h upwards).

Toyota Safety Sense's Road Sign Assist monitors the road
signs ahead, displaying useful information such as the current
speed limit or overtaking restrictions in clear view on the
new colour TFT cockpit display. The system also provides
a visual and acoustic warning if you are not following the
road sign indication

Vehicle Stability Control Plus (VSC+)
Using a camera to detect the lane markings in the road ahead,
Toyota Safety Sense's Lane Departure Alert will alert the driver (50-200 km/h) with audible and visual warnings if the vehicle starts to deviate from its lane without the turn indicator being applied – the
driver can then take corrective action.

If you accelerate too hard and cause the drive wheels
to lose grip and begin spinning, TRC will automatically
reduce engine power and control brake force to help
restore traction.

The system features a sensor valve within each wheel to constantly monitor tyre air pressure. These sensors link with a dashboard indicator that illuminates to warn you if the pressure falls below the recommended level. By doing so, the system contributes to safer driving, better tyre wear and greater fuel efficiency.
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) airbags - 7 airbags


text:
5:00 pm
Ciao Italia "Shrimp and Gamberoni/Scampi E Gamberoni" Seafood distributor Chris Porter of Patriot Lobster and Shrimp Company brings the biggest prawns you've ever seen nella cucina, where he teaches Mary Ann the finer points of shellfish, and then they join forces to create three fantastic dishes; Pan-fried Prawns Antipasto served over breadcrumb-crusted tomato slices, Quinoa and Pan-cooked Shrimp, and topped off with Roasted Prawns Oregenata. D
5:30 pm
New Scandinavian Cooking "Northern Norway: Ice Cold Bounty" In this episode, host Andreas Viestad explores the rugged coastline of Vesteralen in Northern Norway, where he later prepares cod and Arctic char fresh from the North Sea. D
6:00 pm
Rick Steves' Europe "Eastern Turkey" Rick experiences a Mount Ararat sunrise, visits Abraham's 4,000-year-old home town and tours one of the world's biggest dams.G
6:30 pm
Grannies On Safari "Western Cape, South Africa & Botswana" They begin their adventure in glorious Cape Town with excursions to the Cape of Good Hope and the wine lands. The Grannies board "The Pride of Africa" on Rovos Rail - accommodated in a restored vintage car - for a two-day trip to Pretoria that includes a stop at the famous Kimberly Gold Mines. While in Botswana, the ladies visit the set of the popular television series "The Ladies #1 Detective Agency" and meet with the Oodi Weavers. D
7:00 pm
GardenSMART We needn't sing lullabies as we bed down our gardens for winter. There are other things to be done, though, while we enjoy the fall air. Join GardenSMART as we visit with an expert who explains what should be finished in time for the garden's winter sleep. D
7:30 pm
This Old House "Barrington Project, Part 4 of 10" With the exterior shingles going up on the house, builder Andy Tiplady shows host Kevin O'Connor why he's using red cedar instead of white, and how he is creating the signature flair on the building between the first and second floors. Inside, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows Kevin how he's heating and cooling the house using a hydronic system that is integrated with a solar hot water system on the roof. Solar contractor Kevin Price also helps with solar panels for electricity, now that the price of the panels has come down 50 percent in the last four years. D
8:00 pm
Rough Cut - Woodworking with Tommy Mac "Serving Cart" NULL
8:30 pm
Around The House with Matt and Shari "Kitchens" Today's show is a quick update on kitchens. We begin with the importance of accessories and how to quickly and inexpensively renovate a kitchen with simple updates. Then, we create new cabinets to fill in the space above older cabinets. D
9:00 pm
Sewing with Nancy "Column Quilts, Part 2" Learn to create a linear design using dimensional scrappy pieces or traditional blocks. Use leftover fabrics to make an easy to sew Scrappy Column Quilt with dimensional inserts. Folding and pressing are the secrets to making this fun quilt with interesting shapes. D
9:30 pm
Grand View "Great Basin National Park" NULL
10:00 pm
Simply Ming "Tofu & Parsley" Guest Chef: Tony Maws. Tofu, one of the most versatile ingredients in the Eastern world, is paired with the Western basic, parsley, to create three "All-In-One" dishes. In this episode, Ming prepares a healthy Layered Salad with Green Goddess Tofu Dressing and uses firm tofu for a Tofu Greek Salad. D
10:30 pm
Lidia's Italy In America "Baltimore: A Baltimore Classic - The Civic Club Sandwich" In this episode, Lidia heads to Baltimore, where she visits an institution of Italian food: Di Pasquale's market. Back in the kitchen, Lidia prepares Spiedini alla Romana, Minestrone, and the Italian-American Civic Club Sandwich. D
11:00 pm
Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish "La Carta (The Letter)" This episode outlines the lesson format and story plot that will be followed in the series with the narrator explaining the three types of Spanish that will be spoken in the series.G
11:30 pm
Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish "El Secreto (The Secret)" This episode continues to introduce basic words and sentences of the Spanish language.G


text:
Lehigh Hanson Canada (LHC) will provide the resources required to ensure a safe work environment and lead the health and safety program. Your manager will communicate with you to affirm our commitment to a safe workplace, through our Zero Harm Target policies and our Cardinal Safety Rules.
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring compliance with safety legislation, safety policies, safe work practices, and procedures.
Workers are responsible for taking all reasonable care to protect their own health and safety and that of their co-workers. In doing so, they have a right to refuse work that is deemed unsafe. Workers are expected to comply with applicable safety legislation, internal safety policies, safe work procedures, and practices.
Contractors and suppliers are responsible for the health and safety of their employees and must comply with all applicable safety legislation while performing work or services for Lehigh Hanson Canada.


text:
Sale Date Ended
Page Views : 496
Sachin Tendulkar earns the maximum (80%) NOT from Cricket but from Ads/Promotions. He is rich, yet he has chosen to create a Second source of Income.
What about YOU? Isn't time you thought of creating a Second Source of income? If you like the idea, read on...
Prosumer partners mentors ordinary people to become extraordinary achievers by helping them create sustainable wealth and achieve financial security and freedom through pursuit of ethical SECOND INCOME opportunities.
So come join us at the "How can professionals create SECOND INCOME ethically" business opportunity presentation at Vani Mahal, Chennai and NGO Hall, Bangalore this weekend to learn more on how you can create a regular second income ethically and safely and fulfil more of your dreams and wishes in life!!!
Presentation @ Chennai on this FRIDAY (7:30 pm – 9:00 pm)
Presentation @ Bangalore on this SUNDAY (6:00 pm – 7:30 pm)
Everyone is welcome, but there are limited seats and you can get in only by invitation only so Hurry and book your passes NOW!!
Creating Ethical SECOND INCOME opportunities


text:
Click here to register online for the July 13 Football Alumni Golf Classic
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Former Tennessee Tech football players are invited to gather on Saturday, July 13, for the team's annual Alumni Golf Classic at the Cookeville Golf Club. Last year's gathering was the largest ever for the event, and early indications point to another outstanding turnout so interested alumni should act quickly to reserve space in the tournament.
Prior to the golf outing on Saturday, the public is invited to join the festivities with a Friday night BBQ dinner. Tickets for the Friday night dinner are $20 each and can be purchased in advance or at the Cookeville Golf Club the day of the event. All proceeds from the dinner will directly benefit the Golden Eagle football program.
Former Golden Eagle Tom Pemberton is heading up this year's golf event, and is encouraging all former players to return for the day's activities.
"We are really excited about the response and comments we have been getting for the tournament," Pemberton said. "It's a chance for former players to come back and meet with the coaching staff, and gain a little insight into the 2013 season.
"It should be an outstanding event as this tournament continues to grow," Pemberton added. "Our goals are to raise money for the Robert Hill Johnson Scholarship Endowment and for the TTU football progam."
For alumni who can get to town early, former player Ottis Phillips (1969-72) is hosting a separate event to benefit the football program.
Miller Lite and Stone Steel will host a Friday evening dinner from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Cookeville Golf Club. The dinner will feature some of the South's best barbecue for what has become a legendary feast.
Pre-registration for the golf tournament is available until noon on Thursday, July 11. Pre-registration is available either in-person at the football office, by phone (931-372-3930). Participants can also register online by clicking here.
If space is available, registration will also be available at the golf event beginning at 10 a.m.
The four-man scramble format tournament will get underway at noon with a shotgun start.
The cost of the playing in the event is $100 per person, both during pre-registration and the day of the tournament but the field is limited to the first 120 golfers to sign up. All proceeds from the tournament go to the Tennessee Tech football program and the Robert Hill Johnson endowment.
For additional information or registration, call the football office at (931) 372-3930.


text:
Mattar Al Tayer
Dubai RTA plans four-fold rise in mobile services
Dubai, June 9, 2013
The Dubai Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) plans to beef up the number of services offered via smartphones as well as other handheld gadgets from the existing 17 to 72 by 2014, said its chairman.
The drive for migrating from e-Government to m-Government is set to gather pace to further broaden the service outreach in the first half of 2015, added Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of the RTA.
"The RTA currently provides 17 services compatible with the most common operating systems (iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows) highlighted by services oriented to public transport users such as the booking of taxis, inquiring about the balance of Nol cards, arrival time of buses & Dubai Metro, calculating the fare, inquiring about Nol card balance, displaying the locations of metro stations, bus stops, refueling stations, tourist points, hospitals and medical centers," said Al Tayer.
"Services targeting road users include the payment of parking fees (mParking), inquiring about traffic offences, online & open auction plates, and the possibility of replacing driver licenses in addition to displaying the locations of RTA customer service centers, and accessing Madinati service enabling customers to file reports and attach images along with the geo-ordinates of the site in question."
"The RTA has gone through various phases of improving the services rendered via mobile phones and issued the maiden edition of the strategy of delivering services via smart-phones in 2009 including the mParking in paid parking zones to save time and effort of users. In 2010 it launched the first electronic application: RTA Dubai which is compatible with Apple IOS enabling clients access to information about the metro stations, service timing and types of Nol cards," he explained.
"The RTA continued its drive and in 2011 it released its second application compatible with Apple IOS and Android systems, encompassing six services: taxi booking, calculating metro fare, locations of metro stations and service centers, bus stops and the mParking.
"In the first half of 2012, the RTA released the second edition of mobile services strategy based on the highest international standards, and will release the initial phase of the revamped RTA Application in Gitex 2013 featuring an enhanced configuration & layout, addition of Madinati service and supporting the Apple IOS and Google Android systems.
"This year, the RTA has launched a new version of RTA Application whereby the services are offered through RIM Black Berry system and also offered the service of inquiring after the arrival of buses and the Dubai Metro through text messages," elaborated Al Tayer.
"Services provided by the RTA through smart phones are set to pick up substantially in the near future with as much as 55 services in the making; including 9 services this year and 46 services as early as next year, to bring the total number of mobile services to 72 services," he added.
"The RTA will embark on a thorough study of all its service offering comprising 208 services of which 156 services are currently available online in order to analyze them and explore the possibility of providing them via mobile phones whether partially or fully.
"It will also review the best global practices in order to develop creative services that can be offered via smart phones. The selection of services is based on a number of parameters including that the service has to be provided online, and the service has to be procedural, interactive and informational in addition to that the service has to be oriented to individuals and the usage rate has to be high," Al Tayer said.
This month the RTA will launch the eWallet service offering companies and entities a safe means of payment and an easy-to-use tool for processing transactions related to the Licensing Agency such as the renewal of vehicle registration and payment of traffic fines.
The eWallet can be set up by submitting an application for opening an account in the RTA through electronic and manual means, and the customer will then deposit a certain amount in RTA account via bank transfer. Accordingly, the customer can use this eWallet to pay for fees and offences; which will pave the way for processing the required licensing transaction.
By launching the eWallet, there will be no need for companies to dispatch representatives to RTA customer service centers to processes routine transactions since all services they need have become available online round-the-clock. – TradeArabia News Service


text:
Empire Power Systems (EPS) has provided world-class commercial power generation systems to the Southwest for over 50 years. We supply critical emergency, backup and conditioning power systems to hospitals, data centers, broadcasting sites and high-tech factories. Our products also power high profile sporting and entertainment events. We're leaders of engine-driven electric power generation, power quality, compressed air and environmental conditioning products, and we also sell and service marine engines for commercial and pleasure boats.
commercial emergency power systems include reliable diesel and gas generator
sets from Caterpillar®,
as well as diesel and natural gas Cat engines. We also offer a wide selection
of used and rental emergency power systems that can provide a cost-effective
alternative to buying new.
Empire and Caterpillar backup and emergency power systems are highly visible in the marketplace, but EPS is a world-class company because of its people. EPS teams rank among the best in the commercial power systems industry; each member takes personal pride in making a real difference in the lives and business objectives of our clients.
Empire's ongoing investments in people, products and technology have helped to distinguish us among premier power systems providers in the U.S. These investments ensure consistent quality in the equipment and services that we deliver, and support our continuing pursuit of leading edge, proven power solutions. Contact us at 1-888-CAT POWER.


text: Aberdovey is a classic links golf course and certainly one of the finest seaside courses in the whole of Wales. The club was founded in 1892 and one of its then members was none other than Bernard Darwin, a top amateur golfer who played in the first Walker Cup match. Darwin even remembers the course comprising of nine flowerpots cut into the soil to act as holes! Former Masters champion Ian Woosnam has also been known to practice here during time off from his busy schedule.The course lies just outside the resort of Dovey and features the traditional links in-and-out formation, huge sand dunes and an ever present wind. New Clubhouse built in 1998 now compliments the Championship course. Excellent catering facilities and traditional beers.Voted Welsh Golf Club of the Year in 2008 and the UK's Most Welcoming Clubhouse.


text: We carry a wide range of Kindle car chargers and accessories for your cell phone and handheld devices and are adding more every few days. If you have a need for a special Kindle car charger that we do not have listed, use the contact us link on this page giving as much information as possible for what you are looking for. We will do our best to list it within 24 hours, after which we will let you know that you can now place your order.


text:
'Tacked-on' multiplayer has become, seemingly, one of the most disgusting attributes a game can affiliate itself with in today's gaming world. Regardless how popular its predecessor was or who's developing it, if an online component is added to the mix, a large portion of the community point their finger of doom and declare it a drain on resources that could, and probably will, ruin it for us all. The success of Call of Duty was something that no publisher could fail to ignore.
In many ways such a thought process makes sense too. If a studio, who are restricted by how many employees or how much cash they have at their disposal, have to focus on aspects that aren't part of the main game, then of course this strain on resources will weigh heavily on the final product. That's science*. What, then, happens to this argument if a third-party is brought in to the equation? The same blame banner is cast, even though you're, essentially, getting more value for your buck, even if that value is a multiplayer mode that wears thin after one match.
This goes further, too. No one, for example, yells at COD for including single-player even though by this stage it's most definitely the opener rather than the main event.
With all the above taken into account, mind, how are these games shaping up or actually playing out when released into the wild?
Batman: Arkham Origins
Campaign developed by: Warner Bros. Montreal
Multiplayer developed by: Splash Damage
The latest triple-A title to raise more than a few eyebrows because it has decided to include multiplayer has already angered many Bat-fans. Claiming it'll take away from the stellar single-player built up by Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, the simple fact is people don't think it's necessary.
Given that development has gone to Splash Damage, though, means all you're really getting is an extra mode that, even if you ignored, won't take away from the campaign. Admittedly that's taking Warner Bros. at its word, but surely the biggest worry with Origins is that a new developer won't live up to the foundations already laid by Rocksteady. It's hugely unlikely anything that could jeopardise replicating this quality would be allowed to take place. Expect multiplayer here to be a genuine attempt at expanding the franchise rather than diminishing it.
BioShock 2
Campaign developed by: 2K Marin
Multiplayer developed by: Digital Extremes
Falling into almost the exact same category as Batman, BioShock 2 faced the unenviable task of building on a game universally loved and doing so with a brand new developer at the helm. In hindsight opinion on the sequel is universally positive, a slow start giving way to a narrative that's, arguably, as good as the original, even if a little different.
It makes sense then that the multiplayer was farmed out to other pastures. Digital Extremes, well known for its help with the Unreal Tournament run of games, were no strangers to online shooters, so they were an intelligent choice - 2K Marin was left to do its own thing. Why BioShock 2 needed a team deathmatch mode is a whole other debate entirely.
There was still plenty to flesh out - as the campaign proved - and while the multiplayer had an excellent premise (if you can't wait for Infinite's DLC, you get a pretty good idea of Rapture pre-fall) it descended into madness when you realised there was a 'capture the sister' mode. A developer with a good sense of humour, or a studio just not thinking outside the box enough to make all the pieces fit? Although the lobbies have died down today, at the time there was certainly some interest.
There was an air of 'tacked-on' to it all, though, and now it's more or less deceased.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Campaign developed by: Naughty Dog
Multiplayer developed by: Naughty Dog
Whether or not Sony knew what it had with Uncharted is anyone's guess, but it damn sure knew how big the sequel could be. With Gears Of War proving to be a one-stop shop for 360 owners, it's feasible that Sony thought it needed something similar with the PS3. Sure, Killzone was flying the flag in that regard too, but given that Guerrilla's shooter always felt like a response to Halo, the PlayStation brand wasn't going to settle for a single competitor.
Created by Naughty Dog - usually the hard piece of evidence needed to prove resources were being stretched - the multiplayer component with Among Thieves felt like it had gone in the other direction: with the story-driven core complete, the developer did the best they could in a short period of time to construct a mechanic that worked. And to many extents it did. Feeling like a hybrid of the main game coupled with the likes of Max Payne (it was really 'floaty), this was far deeper than many of its rivals, even if it felt like an area Uncharted never needed to step.
Be it because who was in charge or the smart upgrade system, which did do a solid job in keeping you hooked, Naughty Dog almost had a free pass with 2: those who weren't so impressed had one of the best adventures of all-time to play and the rest never had to take the disc out of the console.
The fact its sequel carried on the trend, and saw quite a big player migration across to it, means Uncharted has somewhat bucked the trend.
Dead Space 2
Campaign developed by: Visceral Games
Multiplayer developed by: Visceral Games
Anyone else starting to notice a pattern? Release a new IP, find a serious amount of success and then ensure, almost immediately, that multiplayer is included in the sequel. The problem where Dead Space 2 was concerned is that the concept never lived up to its potential. What should've been Left 4 Dead in space - with one team controlling Isaac and friends, the other the necromorphs - fell into an odd shooting gallery where nothing ever really fit together as you assumed it would.
At the time, Visceral sold its idea as something that 'couldn't be found anywhere else', even going as far as to remind us all that you couldn't control a demon baby in Battlefield. Hmm... Despite such bold words, it felt far too similar to other games that prided themselves on their shooting mechanics. Dead Space couldn't compete going toe-to-toe in that sense - its approach to survival horror is what set it apart - meaning it wasn't unique enough to capture the imagination. Cue a quick community death and the removal of it in Dead Space 3.
Publisher-pressure may have been responsible for this one... RIP.
Spec Ops: The Line
Campaign developed by: Yager Development
Multiplayer developed by: Darkside Game Studios
There's a very good chance that 2K decided Spec Ops: The Line needed multiplayer. The argument that having two studios on-board lightens the load does carry some weight, but there's still only one pot of cash. If that doesn't get increased, sacrifices are always going to be made. Again, this is only speculation but when your lead designer, Cory Davis on this occasion, describes your online mode as a "low quality COD clone" and "a waste of money" alarm bells surely start to ring.
This is what happened with last year's Spec Ops, though, complete with Davis admitting the publisher insisted multiplayer featured. In turn, nobody played it and the servers became a ghost town within weeks.
The definition of 'tacked-on'.
Tomb Raider
Campaign developed by: Crystal Dynamics
Multiplayer developed by: Eidos Montreal
Did you even know Tomb Raider had multiplayer? The amount of people who have played the game to completion and responded with: "Wait... there's more?" is surely far higher than Square Enix would've liked, but this certainly seems to be the case.
Feeling like it was an attempt to go like-for-like in terms of options with Uncharted, online Lara was bland and made the horrible decision to take what had made the single-player so good and craft traditional modes around it. While deathmatch and objective-based matches are all well and good, they do nothing to improve upon the Tomb Riader template - it was as if they'd all stumbled somewhere they didn't belong.
An attempt at something different, or the need to tick a box that most games now do? The latter seems likely and nobody is talking about it now.
The Last Of Us
Campaign developed by: Naughty Dog
Multiplayer developed by: Naughty Dog
Although it may seem unfair to call out Naughty Dog twice there's a solid reason for it: The Last Of Us' multiplayer is one of the more intelligent examples of using your core gameplay to then go on and build a multiplayer that compliments it.
Every aspect of Naughty Dog's infected nightmare, like the single-player, focuses on how the game plays. It's a constant battle for survival that mimics what you've already been doing for 15 plus hours. There's even a meta-narrative of sorts that sees you trying to outlast your rival team throughout the 'zombie' apocalypse.
It may not have garnered as much attention as Joel and Ellie's adventure, but it's a prime of example of adding to a game's bread and butter rather than taking away from it. Yes, the treasure chest at Naughty Dog's disposal was probably more lucrative than most, but in terms of success, and avoiding the dreaded raised eyebrow of disapproval, it was really rather well done.
* It's not science


text:
It's that time of the year - bike to work month. For the past few years I've helped organize teams at work to compete in the Group Health Commute Challenge, run by the folks at Cascade.
This is a cool event and gets people out on their bikes - competing against each other, other departments at work, as well as other companies. The whole gig is a ploy to get people commuting by bike - what a concept.
Being close to a full time bike commuter myself - I get a big kick out of seeing people who've never commuted by bike, pull it off and get jazzed by it. A few have stuck with it, but most drop off after the month is up. It's still a valuable experience.
My 10 person team this year is a cool mix of people. I'm looking forward to the goofy emails and reports as the month progresses. Fitting in a social ride would be great also. We'll see how it goes.
Over the last few years I've seen the numbers of bike commuters increase. You can see it on the Burke-Gilman trail as well Seattle streets. During the bike to work month - and especially on bike to work day - a big increase. A bit of a glimpse of how things could be. If gas creeps back up to $5 a gallon again, that will jump start things a bit.
Bike commuting is not for everyone, but if it clicks for you - it's all good. I'm baffled at the huge numbers of recreational riders that don't commute. It's the perfect way to fit in two rides per day, save money on gas and other car expenses, get fitter everyday - plus the green aspect and mental health benefits of it all. It also adds a bit of adventure to your day. Something lacking in our climate controlled, over structured world - true?
I can't sell it enough. If you're into it - this is our biggest selling month.


text:
EvolutionizeIt necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 74 diseños de 17 diseñadores freelance.
cosi10 - Connecting Social Innovation 2010
We are producing a unique series of coordinated, locally hosted dynamic learning events for social entrepreneurs and social innovators all over the world, to take place over a 5 month period during the 2nd half of 2010.
Together, the events will co-create an historic global online archive of information designed to help social innovators in every country access the resources, knowledge and financing they need to accelerate projects that aim to improve the well-being of our planet and it's people.
We will be reaching out to social innovators in countries at all corners of the earth who are engaged in starting, managing and scaling up a mix of for-profit and non-profit "green" and/or social impact oriented initiatives. These are typically very creative and passionate individuals, who think outside of the box and are driven by a desire to find, develop and implement solutions to some of our world's most pressing challenges. Collaboration, co-creation and interconnectedness are key to the approaches that are currently driving this emerging sector forward.
We are looking for a logo that represents people, creative dynamism and connectedness, and that can easily co-exist in cross-cultural marketing materials with the logos of multiple partner organizations. Attached are examples of some of our partner logos.
***General note to all designers - I would love to see more effort to try to match (or at least not clash so dramatically) with the partner logos attached in the design brief. Feedback from the partners so far is that most of the logos submitted would clash too much. Please try using earthtones instead of bright bold colors http://www.colorschemer.com/schemes…th%20tones .***
The logo should be easily usable & recognizable as an avatar on social media media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.
Please stay away from images of the world and/or puzzle pieces, as these are already overly used in our sector.
An image we like very much (but which is not ours to use) is at http://internet4change.com/images/c…rtical.jpg
While we are open to fresh ideas, we would be interested to see variations on the above, possibly with the lower figure playing into the "i" of cosi, diverse shapes representing the people, and/or a different color scheme.
The typeface used should clearly distinguish the "i" and the "1" in cosi10. (All caps can be used only if this visual distinction remains very clear).
Additional information about the cosi10 event series is available at http://bit.ly/bBBVMF
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
Termanology (Feat. St. Da Squad) - Its The ST. [Unsigned Hype]
Video for single "Its The ST." (produced by Statik Selektah) off ST. DA SQUAD street album out now&IP=188.8.131.52
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
by Sue Ann Rybak
Fall is finally here. And if you're looking for a great way to spend a cool crisp autumn day, then you should head over to Militia Hill in Fort Washington State Park for its annual Militia Hill Hawk Watch, which takes place from September 1 to Oct. 31.
The Militia Hill event is in its 26th year, thanks to Oreland resident Marylea Perot Klauder, 75, a volunteer who founded the Hawk Watch as a way to get people engaged in the park.
Many of the volunteers describe Klauder as the heart and soul of the Hawk Watch. Although Klauder has retired from organizing the annual watch, she still visits almost every day.
"Mary is always quick to welcome folks," said Rich Conroy, 50, of Glenside, who coordinates the Hawk Watch with two other volunteers." She has a wonderful presence that makes people feel comfortable asking questions."
Conroy said it's one of the reasons the watch continues to grow every year.
Klauder said Militia Hill gets more hawks each year than Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton.
On Sunday, Sept. 15, Militia Hill broke the daily record for broad-winged hawks. Conroy said there were 18,055 broad-winged hawks counted out of a total of 18,101 recorded raptors. The original record was 13,079 broad-winged hawks on Sept. 18, 1995.
"Typically when hawks migrate they like to use ridge lines – both for geographic markers and the lift they get from thermals – updrafts of hot air," said Conroy, who has been birdwatching since he was a kid.
Laurie Goodrich, a senior monitoring biologist at the Acopian Center for Conservation Learning at the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, said Militia Hill is unique because it is not on a ridge or coastline and receives a large migration of broad-winged hawks. She added that it was an important site to monitor off-ridge migration in the region.
"We have learned a lot [about bird migration] but there is much we do not know," said Goodrich, of Orwigsburg.
She said hawks soar on thermal air currents during migration to conserve their energy. Broad-winged hawks are one of the most common hawks in North America. They are one of the few raptors that migrate in huge flocks called kettles.
"Migration is a dynamic behavior," Goodrich said. "Some birds are complete migrants, such as the broad-winged hawk, where 99 percent of the species vacates North America in the winter. Others, such as the red-tailed hawk, are partial migrants, where only part of the population migrates.
Andy Fayer, 47, of Whitemarsh, who also is a coordinator of the annual Hawk Watch, said that with an elevation of only 330 feet, and no large body of water, Militia Hill has no geographic features of great importance to migration. Despite this, he said all 16 species of East Coast raptors have been recorded at the Militia Hill Hawk Watch.
Volunteers at the Hawk Watch report the numbers to the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA), a nonprofit organization that coordinates hawk watch sites across North America and maintains long-term databases on hawk migration. Its mission is to conserve raptors through scientific study, enjoyment and appreciation of raptor migration.
Goodrich said monitoring hawk migration provides wildlife and conservation organizations and the public with information on the population of health and status of wildlife in the environment.
"It was declines in peregrine falcons and bald eagles and other birds that led to us to realize how detrimental DDT and its derivatives were to the environment," Goodrich said.
Fayer said visitors are always surprised at how many birds are at the park that they never noticed before.
"Once you know about raptor migration and songbird migration, you wonder how you ever missed 1,000 broad-winged hawks over your head or the dozens of orioles, tanagers and warblers coming through your area," Fayer said.
"Seeing a large kettle of broad-winged hawks is an amazing experience," he added. "Even now, when I find a large kettle in my binoculars my heart skips a beat. It takes a few moments to confirm that the specks in the distance are hawks. Once I am sure of what I am seeing, I get my bearings and let everyone on the deck know where I am seeing the birds.
"This past weekend [Sept. 15], when the birds were coming through in huge numbers, the oohs and the aahs and disbelief from people on the deck were the best part," Fayer said. "Even the veteran hawk watchers were dumbstruck. We counted over 18,000 birds – a new one-day record at Militia Hill."
Fayer said one of his most memorable moments birdwatching was seeing a lift-off of 10,000 plus broad-winged hawks.
"At one point, I counted the 14 large kettles along the ridge to the East. The kettle that came up out of the trees between the deck and the Roxborough Towers was so large that it was impossible to count. Once the birds moved off for the day, less than 10 birds were counted the rest of the day."
Conroy said he loves birdwatching because he never knows what he will see.
"Every year offers the chance for a new experience," Conroy said. "Sept. 15 was an awesome example of when weather, wind and broad-wings cooperate to put on a show at Militia Hill. This year, we hope to pass 300,000 raptors counted in the history of Militia Hill."
Conroy added that it was "an attainable goal this season" because the Hawk Watch was only about 3,000 birds away with six weeks still left in the season. Last year's Hawk Watch final count was 24,085.
As of Sunday, Sept. 22, the number of raptors counted at Militia Hill was 23,010. Readers can find out what the current hawk count is by going to www.hawkcount.org and selecting Militia Hill.
Hawk-watch sites are supported by volunteers and contributions from the public. People can support the network by becoming members of HMANA. For information, go to www.hmana.org for information.


text:
Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Speed: We do not fear England
Wales manager Gary Speed insists his side will run out against England at Wembley with "no fear" on Tuesday night.
Wales manager Gary Speed insists his side will run out against England at Wembley with "no fear" on Tuesday night.
Speed's side lifted the gloom of a dismal qualification campaign with an excellent win at home to second-placed Montenegro on Friday. And, while that result was music to table-topping England's ears, Speed hopes his charges can disrupt Fabio Capello's bid for Euro 2012 qualification.
"It's going to be difficult," he said. "But if we can perform as we did the other night and keep our shape defensively, we can give the Welsh fans something to sing about. There's no fear, we're looking forward to it. England have got fantastic players, we know it's going to be tough but what a great opportunity."
He added: "We're just concerned about ourselves. England are by far the best team in the group and will qualify comfortably, but hopefully for our sake it won't be tomorrow night."
England cruised to a 2-0 win at the Millennium Stadium in March after early goals from Darren Bent and Frank Lampard, but Speed saw positive signs in the second half - and also made light of a 34-year gap since Wales' last win in England.
"I don't think we've played there that often," he said of a mere three-game sequence, before adding: "I don't think we'd ever beaten a team from the former Yugoslavia until Friday night."
On the Cardiff clash, he added: "Last time around it was my first game and we were still putting things in place, trying to get the ball down and pass it.
"We maybe played too deep, and that played into England's hands, but I was looking long-term. The players have to know what you want, your ideas, but I was delighted with the way the players kept to the gameplan in the second half and we had a bit of success."


text:
Obama is scheduled to come Tuesday. The White House says the president will meet with law enforcement and community leaders to discuss the gun control package signed into law by Gov. John Hickenlooper.
Colorado has gone further than any state outside the northeast in passing new gun laws. The state now prohibits the sale of magazines that hold more than 15 bullets and requires background checks for all private gun sales. Democrats passed the laws over strong Republican objections. Democrats said they were reacting to massacres at an Aurora movie theater and a Connecticut elementary school. Obama has been unable to get similar measures through Congress.


text:
hi all
4 months ago i crashed my kite into a barbed wire fence+ a thorn tree and now it wont inflate properly.
it is a 3m no name brand. only the middle of the kite inflates and the rest flaps down.
my foil has not been doing this for a long time. there are tiny 1x1mm holes but thats all i pached those but this still happens.
(Any Suggestions?)


text:
wlechner needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 17 designs submitted by 7 freelance designers.
We are a group of small enterprises and individuals, who just gave birth to a new way of doing business in the world of IT-solutions for process management in virtually every organization.
We all have experienced the urgent need for capable IT solutions (it is actually the need of our clients) in the area of Business Process Management (BPM). Across industries and for all possible sizes of organisations.
The problem with most of the existing applications is they require a big IT budget and lots of time and thousands of lines of code programming. And still you run the risk that the result does not work properly in the end.
What we do differently - see Target Audience!
Our business provides small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and organizations across industries and countries with a spot-on IT-solution for the automation and management of virtually all their production and administration processes.
Our approach
- cuts our clients' investment for a BPM solution by roughly 60% - which the client only pays if satisfied(!)
- and reduces implementation time by approx. 40%
- gives them the opportunity to earn royalties, if they make "their" (standardized) processes available to other organizations.
Thus, the investment pays double - through these royalties and by increasing efficiency of operations.
We would like our website to represent exactly that:
- a high-tech company
- in the field of process management and related IT-solutions (B2B)
- doing things differently
- being very serious about customer satisfaction (I know, everybody claims that)
We would our website to show competency and professionalism, without being a "boring" website (e.g. as in many IT consultancies or public admin areas). Ideally, the design makes people want to visit the entire site because it is great to look at and offers playfulness without being "childish".
Homepage - must contain logo, main way to navigate trough the web (e.g. dynamic 3D concepts carrusel and direct links to the main sections (see below)), picture shots with customer's recommendations.
Main sections ("buttons"..) are: Who We Are; The Process Factory; Products;Becoming An Associate; Your Benefits.
Additional categories (general info at the bottom): Get In Touch; Legal Disclaimer; Data Protection; SiteMap;
Layout should be clear, not text information overload.
Orientation/Navigation should be intuitive, design can involve just anything, fotos, 3d graphics etc.
http://www.notool.at - this is an example for a different way of showing categories (instead of the usual tabs...)
businesswise - what we do is similar to http://www.metastorm.com...


text:
Is it impossible to get our greenhouse gas emissions to stop rising and begin rapidly declining within 5 years? If we don't, we're looking at catastrophe. A new study suggests that if we don't get our emissions controlled the runaway greenhouse effect will create a 12 degree C rise in temperature by 2,300.
Views: 619
It's pretty much impossible, yes. China and India will see to that.
Yes, it is most likely impossible, maybe improbable, perhaps ... if we want the preferable, we have to start here and now, and educate those who do not know.
Thank you Ruth, I am reposting.
Action plan:
Buy goods and services from closer to home.
Eat lower on the food chain.
Get off fossil fuel as fast as possible.
Recycle, repair.
Stop using plastic when paper, bamboo, hemp will do.
Other ideas?
I think collective action is our only hope. This means spreading the information. If you graduated from a college, write to the president and ask him or her to divest from fossil fuels. I need to figure out how to write to my retirement fund manager to urge divestment too. Today I joined Greenpeace. We should all belong to a few green groups.
If there are local green protests and you're healthy enough, participation may help.
Frankly I'm trying to think of more stuff to do. We already are all electric and signed up for wind and solar energy. Not every place has such options.
Monday we are looking into replacing my husband's old car with a Ford Fusion Hybrid 2013 model (preorder for when they come out in Jan). It hasn't got quite as good mpg as a Prius, but he needs the leg room.
Another thing I need to do is write to every college an university I attended urging them to divest from fossil fuels.
Gasoline-fueled hybrid cars are a compromise, but one I opted for myself. (I do fit into the driver's seat of a Prius.) With my traveling, I rely on the existing infrastructure of gas stations.
I know someone who has a bumper sticker on her first-generation-and-still-going-strong Prius, "MY OTHER CAR IS ELECTRIC". (The other car is an early plug-in electric, with a range of 30-40 miles on a charge if I remember correctly. Good for short commutes and errands... especially if you can choose a clean source for your electricity!)
I just sent this email to my retirement fund.
I urge you to divest from all fossil fuel related investments, even if it seems to represent an immediate loss of revenue. The latest climate science indicates that business as usual will have us 4°C higher than preindustrail temperatures as soon as 2050, which would be "Hell on Earth" and 6°C by 2100, which is the same temperature as the Permian Extinction. Runaway greenhouse effect is likely to start soon. By 2,300 the Earth would be 12°C higher and our extinction would be guaranteed. Even if you care nothing for the morality of destroying civilization, consider that the value of fossil fuel stock will plummet once the public grasps the reality of Climate Change acceleration due to feedback loops, which scientists know now.
Continued holding of a fossil fuel portfolio is deeply immoral, given our new understanding.
© 2019 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: The Nexus Group. Powered by


text:
Someone wants me to get them books for christmas. i can't read read, so know nothing about books. her favourite book is 1q84, any recommendations?
Someone wants me to get them books for christmas. i can't read read, so know nothing about books. her favourite book is 1q84, any recommendations?
I put a slipstream list in that definition of sci fi thread. Most of that stuff would work.
What does she like about IQ84?
ACKER, KATHY - Empire of the Senseless
ACKROYD, PETER - Hawksmoor; Chatterton
ALDISS, BRIAN - Life in the West
ALLENDE, ISABEL - Of Love and Shadows; House of
AMIS, KINGSLEY - The Alienation; The Green Man
AMIS, MARTIN - Other People; Einstein's Monsters
APPLE, MAX - Zap; The Oranging of America
ATWOOD, MARGARET - The Handmaids Tale
AUSTER, PAUL - City of Glass; In the Country of Last
BALLARD, J. G. - Day of Creation; Empire of the Sun
BANKS, IAIN - The Wasp Factory; The Bridge
BANVILLE, JOHN - Kepler; Dr. Copernicus
BARNES, JULIAN - Staring at the Sun
BARTH, JOHN - Giles Goat-Boy; Chimera
BARTHELME, DONALD - The Dead Father
BATCHELOR, JOHN CALVIN - Birth of the People s
Republic of Antarctica
BELL, MADISON SMARTT - Waiting for the End of the
BERGER, THOMAS - Arthur Rex
BONTLY, THOMAS - Celestial Chess
BOYLE, T. CORAGHESSAN - Worlds End; Water Music
BRANDAO, IGNACIO - And Still the Earth
BURROUGHS, WILLIAM - Place of Dead Roads; Naked Lunch;
Soft Machine; etc.
CARROLL, JONATHAN - Bones of the Moon; Land of Laughs
CARTER, ANGELA - Nights at the Circus; Heroes and
CARY, PETER - Illywhacker; Oscar and Lucinda
CHESBRO, GEORGE M. - An Affair of Sorcerers
COETZEE, J. M. - Life and rimes of Michael K.
COOVER, ROBERT - The Public Burning; Pricksongs &
CRACE, JIM - Continent
CROWLEY, JOHN - Little Big; Aegypt
DAVENPORT, GUY - Da Vincis Bicycle; The Jules Verne
Steam Balloon
DISCH, THOMAS M. - On Wings of Song
DODGE, JIM - Not Fade Away
DURRELL, LAWRENCE - Tunc; Nunquam
ELY, DAVID - Seconds
ERICKSON, STEVE - Days Between Stations; Rubicon Beach
FEDERMAN, RAYMOND - The Twofold Variations
FOWLES, JOHN - A Maggot
FRANZEN, JONATHAN - The Twenty-Seventh City
FRISCH, MAX - Homo Faber; Man in the Holocene
FUENTES, CARLOS - Terra Nostra
GADDIS, WILLIAM - JR; Carpenters Gothic
GARDNER, JOHN - Grendel; Freddy's Book
GEARY, PATRICIA - Strange Toys; Living in Ether
GOLDMAN, WILLIAM - The Princess Bride; The Color of
GRASS, GUNTER - The Tin Drum
GRAY, ALASDAIR - Lanark
GRIMWOOD, KEN - Replay
HARBINSON, W. A. - Genesis; Revelation; Otherworld
HILL, CAROLYN - The Eleven Million Mile High Dancer
HJVRTSBERG, WILLIAM - Gray Matters; Falling Angel
HOBAN, RUSSELL - Riddley Walker
HOYT, RICHARD - The Manna Enzyme
IRWIN, ROBERT - The Arabian Nightmares
ISKANDER, FAZIL - Sandro of Chegam; The Gospel
According to Sandro
JOHNSON, DENIS - Fiskadoro
JONES, ROBERT F. - Blood Sport; The Diamond Bogo
KINSELLA, W. P. - Shoeless Joe
KOSTER, R. M. - The Dissertation; Mandragon
KOTZWINKLE, WILLIAM - Elephant Bangs Train; Doctor
Rat, Fata Morgana
KRAMER, KATHRYN - A Handbook for Visitors From Outer
LANGE, OLIVER - Vandenberg
LEONARD, ELMORE - Touch
LESSING, DORIS - The Four-Gated City; The Fifth Child
of Satan
LEVEN, JEREMY - Satan
MAILER, NORMAN - Ancient Evenings
MARINIS, RICK - A Lovely Monster
MARQUEZ, GABRIEL GARCIA - Autumn of the Patriarch; One
Hundred Years of Solitude
MATHEWS, HARRY - The Sinking of the Odradek Stadium
McEWAN, IAN - The Comfort of Strangers; The Child in
McMAHON, THOMAS - Loving Little Egypt
MILLAR, MARTIN - Milk, Sulphate and Alby Starvation
MOONEY, TED - Easy Travel to Other Planets
MOORCOCK, MICHAEL - Laughter of Carthage; Byzantium
Endures; Mother London
MOORE, BRIAN - Cold Heaven
MORRELL, DAVID - The Totem
MORRISON, TONI - Beloved; The Song of Solomon
NUNN, KEN - Tapping the Source; Unassigned Territory
PERCY, WALKER - Love in the Ruins; The Thanatos
PIERCY, MARGE - Woman on the Edge of Time
PORTIS, CHARLES - Masters of Atlantis
PRIEST, CHRISTOPHER - The Glamour; The Affirmation
PROSE, FRANCINE - Bigfoot Dreams, Marie Laveau
PYNCHON, THOMAS - Gravity's Rainbow; V; The Crying of
Lot 49
REED, ISHMAEL - Mumbo Jumbo; The Terrible Twos
RICE, ANNE - The Vampire Lestat; Queen of the Damned
ROBBINS, TOM - Jitterbug Perfume; Another Roadside
ROTH, PHILIP - The Counterlife
RUSHDIE, SALMON - Midnight's Children; Grimus; The
Satanic Verses
SAINT, H. F. - Memoirs of an Invisible Man
SCHOLZ, CARTER & HARCOURT GLENN - Palimpsests
SHEPARD, LUCIUS - Life During Wartime
SIDDONS, ANNE RIVERS - The House Next Door
SPARK, MURIEL - The Hothouse by the East River
SPENCER, SCOTT - Last Night at the Brain Thieves Ball
SUKENICK, RONALD - Up; Down; Out
SUSKIND, PATRICK - Perfume
THEROUX, PAUL - O-Zone
THOMAS, D. M. - The White Hotel
THOMPSON, JOYCE - The Blue Chair; Conscience Place
THOMSON, RUPERT - Dreams of Leaving
THORNBERG, NEWTON - Valhalla
THORNTON, LAWRENCE - Imagining Argentina
UPDIKE, JOHN - Witches of Eastwick; Rogers Version
VLIET, R. G. - Scorpio Rising
VOLLMAN, WILLIAM T. - You Bright and Risen Angels
VONNEGUT, KURT - Galapagos; Slaughterhouse-Five
WALLACE, DAVID FOSTER - The Broom of the System
WEBB, DON - Uncle Ovid's Exercise Book
WHITTEMORE, EDWARD - Nile Shadows; Jerusalem Poker;
Sinai Tapestry
WILLARD, NANCY - Things Invisible to See
WOMACK, JACK - Ambient; Terraplane
WOOD, BARI - The Killing Gift
WRIGHT, STEPHEN - M31: A Family Romance
Try this, its good and not too Mitchell silly.
This is one of my perennial recommendations, but it may actually fit the bill. Quixotic and beautifully written, but doesn't have the intimacy of the Murakami.
Hmm... Ok, the first one then, but maybe something more literary might be better. Let me think.


text:
Who cares about how big your ego is at City Hall?
Keep that for Kanye West and sing it with him the next time you go to one of his concerts.
I don't, and I don't believe those waiting for needed services after investing their tax dollars care about your oversized egos.
After all, they hired you to work for them, not to let your importance get in the way of service delivery. You are the servant.
And what the bosses (Detroiters of every stripe) who hired you want is services — and they want it now.
So as I watch the drama unfold at City Hall and the imminent tug of war between Lansing and Detroit over the possible appointment of an emergency financial manager unfold, I wonder if, in fact, those who have been charged with demonstrating fiscal leadership over the finances of this city understand the magnitude of the crisis the city is in.
Perhaps they do. They are privy to information that I nor any other person will ever be. But maybe what is really keeping them from a sense of urgency is the fat checks they receive from taxpayers.
How about letting go of the fat checks for two months and let's see if they'd show a sense of urgency now that they would be hit in their pocketbooks and wallets?
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing does not own the city. The City Council does not own Detroit, and AFSCME Local 25 does not own the city either.
The city is owned by those who hired these leaders to go to City Hall and work on their behalf. In doing so they expect that they will put aside their egos, and work diligently for them as any employer would expect of their employees.
In any job, your relevance is tied to your level of production and the day you cease performing for those who hired you, you are out the door and the next person comes in.
No one is irreplaceable, and that includes those at City Hall.
In the last couple of weeks I have heard some leaders from City Hall say either the mayor has not reached out to them, or they are waiting to be called, or haven't decided yet when to meet with the mayor.
One labor leader was initially quoted in very casual terms as basically saying they expect to meet with the mayor. But his remarks carried no sense of urgency.
In pure political parlance, ring kissing is the name of the game that is being played. You have to acknowledge the power of those you need to be your allies. You have to show deference to how important they are, and in most cases say what they want to hear. But that's politics.
Detroit's fiscal crisis does not need political gamesmanship. Take the politics out of it. It needs leadership that is tenacious, honest and pragmatic in tackling the crucial issues facing the city.
City Council, check your ego at the door of the planning meeting and get to work with the understanding that you were sent there to do the people's business.
Don't wait for the mayor to be the first to reach out. If he doesn't reach out you are obliged on behalf of those who sent you to work for them to reach out to the mayor and address this financial tsunami that threatens to forever alter Detroit as we have known it.
If the mayor doesn't respond, then hold a press conference and tell the inform the citizenry of your effort to meet with the mayor.
The lives of so many thousands of families are on the line daily as political posturing, power playing and egocentrism take the place of real brainwork on the life and death issues in this city.
Thousands more continue to hang in the balance every time our leaders come out to announce they haven't hashed out a plan yet. This is even more painful in this holiday season when many families don't even know what to do, keeping their fingers crossed and bracing for that painful and dreaded news: "You are laid off."
I opposed the council plan of just laying off 2,500 employees, which means putting thousands of families in hardship and complicating their ability to deal with the foreclosure crisis, and more. I don't believe this plans makes sense. In fact, I doubt if the plan was clearly thought out. I believe the plan offered by council was just a way to counter what the mayor was offering and show for the record that council is not standing by idle.
Bing opposed laying off 2,500 employees because he believes it won't solve the budget crisis without opening up the labor agreements and having labor members make significant concessions to help save the city financially. I agree with the mayor. Adding 2,500 more people to the unemployment lines in an already precarious city is not the answer to the fiscal crisis.
There have many comparisons of the city to the auto industry crisis by those supporting the "cut, cut, cut" mantra. Some have argued that the automakers and the UAW have made many concessions to help the auto industry make a comback. That is true and, in fact, they had an equivalent of an emergency manager appointed by the Obama administration to oversee the restructuring of General Motors and Chrysler.
But let's also remember that both automakers also received billions of dollars in taxpayer loans to get back on track.
Detroit is not expected to receive a dime when it gets into the hands of an emergency manager. The analogy does not fit Detroit's current fiscal crisis because the Obama administration is not going bail Detroit out with a billion-dollar loan.
Egos aside, leaders at City Hall need to come together and look within the structural bureaucracy of city government, trim the fat and save money. The city's chief labor leader, Al Garrett, was present at the press conference last week as a show of solidarity. He talked a
bout being hopeful. Garrett understands that he holds most of the cards in this crucial time. History will judge how he handles these negotiations.
It's one thing to display the kind of fiery rhetoric we heard at the press conference. There is nothing wrong in reasserting the right to self-determination. That philosophy has always guided how different communities have operated to position themselves for forward mobility.
But beyond the rhetoric and the refrains lies the challenge of putting aside differences, political posturing and get down to business. The common agenda should be saving Detroit.
For once, let's show that Detroit's elected leadership has a united plan. Show us that you understand that this city's long and often troubled political history beckons you to step up and do something meaningful. The people have heard enough talk. They want action, immediately. The city's leadership should also be looking at ways to enhance revenue for the city and create jobs.
With the city's dwindling population and declining resources, we cannot be in denial about the grim socioeconomic realities. We either face up to the facts or we'll be run over.
Bankole Thompson is the editor of the Michigan Chronicle and the author of a six-part series on the Obama presidency including "Obama and Black Loyalty" published last year. His latest book is "Obama and Christian Loyalty" with an epilogue written by Bob Weiner, former White House spokesman. His upcoming books in 2012 are "Obama and Jewish Loyalty" and "Obama and Business Loyalty." Listen to him every Thursday, 11:30 a.m. on WDET 101.9 FM Detroit and every Sunday 9 to 10 p.m. "Obama Watch" program on WLIB 1190 AM-New York. E-mail email@example.com.


text:
Customer Reviews
All reviews are from people who have redeemed deals with this merchant.
What You'll Get
The Deal
- $19 for an online EMT certification course ($150 value)
The Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Certification is a crash course designed to prepare those who would like to work in the front lines of medical emergency response. It covers everything would-be EMTs need to know, including ensuring patient safety and wellness, lifting and moving procedures and techniques, and patient restraint. It also covers topics like medical, legal and ethical issues in the EMT practice, communication and documentation, medical terminology, special patient populations, and much more.
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires 90 days after purchase. Amount paid never expires. Limit 1 per person. May buy 2 additional as gifts. Online only. May be repurchased every 30 days. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About Skills on Projects
Skills on Projects offers professional online training courses so students gain valuable skills that can help them prepare to enter the workforce, advance in their current profession, or transition to a different career. Whether working in the fields of human resources, healthcare, accounting, or judging online courses, the programs arm folks with knowledge and certifications. Students have a full 12 months to complete, so they can complete the course at their own speed from their home, office, or house-zeppelin. And to ensure high-quality and relevant courses, Skills on Projects continuously works with industry experts and new technologies to develop, expand, and improve their educational offerings.


text:
QUESTION OF THE WEEK- When do you see the Rivanna River?
Patrick Critzer: "When I'm going to play soccer at Darden Towe, driving over Free Bridge."
Adaline Masah: "My sister plays soccer at Darden Towe, but I never see it."
William Spencer: "I see it every morning when I'm driving over Free Bridge to work at SNL."


text:
by Len Lear
Long-time Chestnut Hill residents Chuck Gupta and his wife Margot Rowley moved from their home at 8616 Seminole on Aug. 24 to Blue Bell, but their orange tabby cat named Curry, possibly upset by all the commotion from the moving man workers carrying out furniture, "refused to come with us and actually jumped out of Margot's arms when we were trying to take him in our car. We are heartbroken and still miss him immensely," Chuck said at the time.
The Guptas sent out an email to friends in the area which said: "Please look out for him. He has white fur below his mouth in the throat area. Also no collar. If you can get him to come inside your home, call me immediately, and we will come with his carrier and bring him to our new home. He has been sighted by some of our neighbors intermittently. Much obliged for your help."
While the Guptas were grieving, all of September and October came and went with no Curry, but finally on Nov. 10, the new owner of the Guptas' old house on Seminole Street wrote to the cat-deprived couple: "Curry just passed through the back yard and went into Sandy and Gail's yard (3:15 p.m.). He looked healthy and was zipping through at a quick pace."
On the following day, Chuck gleefully sent out the following email: "Curry has been found! Just received a phone call from Sandy (a former neighbor) a few minutes back to inform us that Curry is well and staying across the street from him on Rex Avenue at Joan Distel's home. Joan has another cat, so she has been feeding him and has kept a warm blanket for him.
"Since Joan is recovering from a cold, she wants us to wait for a few days. Sandy has offered to call us as soon as he can put Curry in his cat carrier, and we will pick him up hopefully by next weekend. What a relief indeed!! We are just so thrilled. Will let you know when he joins us in Blue Bell. Can't wait. We are so grateful to Michelle (the new owner of the Guptas' old residence) for alerting us yesterday, which triggered my email to Sandy. It takes a village to locate a lost pet."
The following day, Nov. 12, Chuck wrote to his network of email correspondents: "Sandy called us this morning as he had Curry in his cat carrier. We rushed to pick him up from his home on Rex Avenue. Curry is getting used to his old smells in our new home and seems very happy. He has lost some weight being in the wilds for the last 10 weeks but will regain his weight back on his old routine and TLC. All's well that ends well. Happy ending indeed!! Many thanks for your concerns and support while Curry was on the prowl."
Chuck told us last week that Curry now prefers to be indoors after being outdoors for 10 weeks, which included the period when Hurricane Sandy devastated some of the area. "It took all my neighbors including the new owners of our home to help me locate him," he said. It was simply a miracle!"
After the happy ending, a certain wiseguy local journalist who loves happy endings wrote to Chuck: "Get a collar with a name tag attached for Curry!!! In addition, get a computer chip implanted in Curry." In other words, we do not want to be running any stomach-upsetting stories about Curry in the future.


text:
Introduction and Design
We have our heads in the clouds. Once a dream, cloud computing is now common and used to support everything from file sharing to email. Here at PC Perspective, for example, we often make use of Dropbox. Storing certain files "in the cloud" is much easier than directly emailing them to and fro.
Google is one of the cloud's most ardent supporters. The Internet seems to be Google's answer to everything from emails to file sharing to document editing. All these tasks can be accomplished online through a browser with a Google utility.
When Google announced that it was going to develop an entire OS based off its Chrome web browser there was much shock, speculation and excitement. In hindsight, however, this development was probably inevitable given the company's love of everything online. Now, Google Chrome OS is a retail product. Let's find out if a cloud OS can compete with more traditional options.
Read on for our full review of the Acer AC700-1099 Chromebook!


text:
Advanced Search
Smart Classroom | Brief
Lantronix has launched the Print and Learn (PAL) program, an initiative designed to help educational institutions deploy tools to print directly from mobile devices to printers in the classroom.
"PAL is designed to help schools maximize their existing resources to provide students with the tools they need to be successful in the digital environment," according to a news release. "The program consists of product discounts, idea sharing on social media, professional services and a year-long photo contest."
"With the increasing adoption of tablets and other mobile devices in the classroom, it is clear that schools need a simple and cost-effective mobile printing solution," said Kurt Busch, Lantronix president and CEO, in a prepared statement. "Supporting our education institutions and promoting meaningful digital integration into the classroom is something we believe in, and we're happy that we can play a role to ease the transition to the digital classroom."
More information is available at the PAL Facebook page.
View More Webcasts
View More Whitepapers
Sign up for our newsletter.
I agree to this site's Privacy Policy.


text:
Barry Zito rescues the San Francisco Giants ….. again?
Game 1: Cardinals 6, Giants 4
Game 2: Giants 7, Cardinals 1
Game 3: Cardinals 3, Giants 1
Game 4: Cardinals 8, Giants 3
Game 5: Giants 5, Cardinals 0
Game 6: Cardinals (Carpenter) at Giants (Vogelsong), 4:45 p.m. Sunday
Game 7 (if necessary): Cardinals (Lohse) at Giants (Cain), 5:07 p.m. Monday
I didn't blog after the Giants' 8-3 loss to the Cardinals on Thursday — not entirely because I was depressed. I was actually busy with other things.
But if I had found the time to blog, this is what I was planning to write.
All hope was not lost, not even with the fact the Giants were behind 3-1 in the National League Championship series, needing once again to win three consecutive games to advance.
And not because Barry Zito was pitching.
Jayson Stark of ESPN said Wednesday that Game 3 was the game the Giants NEEDED to win, because Matt Cain was on the mound. After Cain came the enigmatic Tim Lincecum (he was right about that one) and then the equally puzzling Barry Zito.
But as someone who has blogged about the Giants all season, I kept thinking back to similar feelings I had about upcoming Zito starts this season.
The situation was this: the Giants were coming off a loss — sometimes a couple of losses — and, oh great, now Zito is pitching.
Then Zito turns in a pearl.
Seven of Zito's 15 wins this season — that's almost half — have come on days that followed a Giants' loss.
It started with his first win of the season way back on April 9. You remember? Zito was gawd-awful in the spring, stayed in Arizona to "work on some things," the Giants drop their first three games to the Diamondbacks, then they get Zito pitching in Colorado.
And what did he do? He pitched a shutout, being the Rockies 8-0.
He would do it six more times following a Giants' loss, including two more when he didn't allow the opponent to score:
- June 25 vs. Dodgers, Giants win 8-0
- July 6 at Pirates, Giants win 6-5
- August 7 at Cardinals, Giants win 4-2
- September 9 vs. Dodgers, Giants win 4-0
- October 2 at Dodgers, Giants win 4-3
Well, Zito did it again on Friday, when the stakes were far higher than they had ever been previously.
He held the Cardinals to no runs on six hits and one walk (which was an intentional walk) while striking out six in 7 2/3 innings, sending the Giants back to San Francisco with the hopes of a pennant still alive.
"I couldn't be happier for him," manager Bruce Bochy said. "I don't know how many times we needed to win this year, he found a way to get it done for us."
Afterwards, Zito knew what the victory meant to him and his team.
"This is definitely it for me," Zito said. "Coming here, really doing it in a Giants uniform. A lot of people were saying stuff about my A's days. And for me, the most important thing is doing everything for San Francisco right now."
And as they have so often this season, the Giants did something for Zito. They got him some runs.
For the second time in this NLCS, the Giants went hitless against Cardinals' starter Lance Lynn the first time through the lineup.
And for the second time in this NLCS, they jumped on him for a four-run fourth inning.
Marco Scutaro and Pablo Sandoval opened the inning with singles before Buster Posey struck out. Hunter Pence hit a high chopper back to Lynn, who fielded the ball, spun and threw to second. But the ball was low, shortstop Pete Kozma was late in covering, and the ball bounced off the bag and into the outfield, allowing Scutaro to score the game's first run.
After Brandon Belt popped out — failing to get a runner home from third with less than two out — Gregor Blanco walked. Then Brandon Crawford delivered in the clutch again, as he has before this postseason, smacking a single up the middle to score Sandoval and Pence.
Then Zito made the offensive play of the night for the Giants. After falling behind in the count, he saw David Freese playing deep at third and punched a bunt up the third base line, then hustling down to first for an infield single that scored Blanco with the fourth run.
The play stunned the Cardinals, and even some Giants, too.
"Shocked," third-base coach Tim Flannery said. "We work on it. We talk about it. But he did that all on his own. It was beautiful – brilliant."
Said Blanco: "I was thinking, maybe, ball in the dirt, I've got to be ready. But I wasn't expecting that. It was awesome, unbelievable. That's what I told him: 'Awesome! Awesome! You've got to do it again!' "
It wasn't all Zito after that. Pablo Sandoval added another home run, and the Giants' defense behind Zito was superb.
But the bottom line is that for the 13th consecutive game that Zito has started, the Giants came away winners.
Incredible. Amazing. Unbelievable.
Now the Giants return home where they will throw Ryan Vogelsong in Game 6, and hopefully Matt Cain in Game 7.
And here's another amazing thought. If the Giants can pull off another comeback and advance to the World Series, who do you think might get the call at AT&T Park next Wednesday against the Tigers?
Could it be Barry Zito?
Oh, and the last time Zito faced the Tigers, he delivered his only scoreless start of the 2011 season, pitching six scoreless in Detroit on July 2, 2011.
And the Giants scored runs for him, winning 15-3.


text:
Just 'cause this is a Discordian board doesn't mean we eat up dada bullshit
I am going to read your post later, but right now I can only think about juggalos.
I love your stories, Da6s...you know my dad owned some resort properties in Big Bear, and I cut my eyeteeth in the service industry working in them. I've done everything from maid service to host at a bed and breakfast (complete with cooking the damned breakfast!). Reading your encounters with guests brings it ALLLL back.


text:
csinclair needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 81 designs submitted by 31 freelance designers.
To design a sophisticated logo for a technologically advanced internal medicine practice.
North Atlanta Internal Medicine
North Atlanta Internal Medicine is a practice that focuses first on personalized care and attention as a basis for providing overall health and well-being for our patients. In order to ensure this, we strive for easy and clear communication with patients and families, as well as with other caregivers. We have instituted the latest in electronic medical record technology to help us achieve this goal. This technology allows us to efficiently focus both on preventative health and the latest treatments for existing disease concurrently so that we may provide an innovative and integrated medical health experience.
- Our practice name: North Atlanta Internal Medicine
- Colors: kelly to dark green, royal to navy blue, and black (maybe a little red also)
- Item 1...
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
Today we give you a first look at the second series of t-shirts from the Nike "Write The Future" campaign. Our favorite is of course the Homer Simpson x Ronaldo tee, the scene that was also featured in the "Write The Future" commercial.
The tees are now available at retailers. Take a look at the others after the jump.


text:
All trademarks and vehicle models (including their names and pictures) listed on this page are for reference only.
Our products are not original replacement parts but interchangeable with the original OEM parts.
Auto Cooling Parts Types:
Auto Cooling Parts Brands:
Auto Cooling Parts Advantage:
Our JAGUAR auto cooling parts including, radiator fan assy, A/C fan assy, condenser, evaporator and more. Our qualified JAGUAR Auto Cooling Parts are all reliable. Beside auto cooling parts, we can supply more than 125,000 auto parts including Auto body parts, Auto lamps, Auto mirrors, Auto brake parts, Auto suspension parts, Auto steering parts, Auto transmission parts, Auto engine parts, Auto electric parts. We have been exporting auto cooling parts to 60 countries on five continents over 30 years.


text:
jimmyjam needed a new stationery design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 100 designs submitted by 28 freelance designers.
Fortress Secure Payments
Fortress Secure Payments is a new competitor to PayPal and Google Checkout. PayPal focuses on simplicity. We focus on security. The message we want to send to our users is that we take their security seriously. Protecting and securing user data is our #1 priority.
Our target audience is an internet user who is making an online purchase. We need to keep the design as simple and conceptual as possible to make it very easy for people to understand what we do.
Create a business card with a custom logo for Fortress Secure Payments. The logo should be text-based, and very easy to read, even when the logo is very small.
Notice how the PayPal logo is text-based. This improves readability, and is a good thing.
The logo should immediately convey a sense of security, safety, simplicity and elegance. The logo should be simple and conceptual with very clean, bold lines. Nothing too complicated or intricate.
What to put on the business card:
1) Logo
2) Tagline: "The Most Secure Way to Pay Online" (underline the word "Most")
3) Name of employee: [James D. Adams]
4) Title of employee: [Founder & CEO]
5) Phone number: [(858) 412-76xx]
6) Email address: firstname.lastname@example.com
7) Address: [11575 Caminito La Bar, Unit 99, San Diego, CA 92126]
8) URL of website: [http://www.fortress.xyz]


text:
Ackley, officers trying to get along
New London - About a month into her tenure as police chief, Margaret Ackley made it clear that she was going to run the 89-officer department differently.
She informed officers on July 24, 2009, that she would no longer automatically choose the applicant who was first on a promotions list to fill a vacancy - a practice followed for at least the past 15 years.
Instead, she would choose an officer from a list of the top three candidates forwarded to her from the city's Personnel Department. The move prompted the police union to file a grievance in February.
During Ackley's first six months as the city's first female police chief, the union filed 27 grievances, according to documents provided by the city attorney in response to a Freedom of Information request from The Day.
The number of grievances filed in those six months was unprecedented in recent years. From 2004 to 2008, the union filed an average of 13 grievances yearly.
Members of the department didn't think Ackley was communicating well with them, according to the union president, and the union grieved issues that included promotions, military leave, discipline and supervision.
"There is a morale problem that can't be attributed to just the changes (made by Ackley)," said union President Darrin O'Mara. "Part of it was addressed in the grievances. Part of it is the relationship the chief has with the officers."
Ackley said the changes she has made are intended to improve the department and the way it serves the community.
Ackley said she is employing the "Rule of Three" when filling vacancies, where she picks from the top three candidates, because it gives her more options in selecting the right person for the position.
"The person who placed first on the test may not be the right person at this time for the job," she said. "You have to consider everything."
The matter is pending before the state Board of Mediation and Arbitration.
She said she has given more responsibilities to supervisors, who are asked to write a supervisor's observation report, or SOR, when an officer does something "good or bad."
The union filed a grievance against the SORs in September 2009. In April 2010, the two sides agreed that the SORs would not be viewed as discipline and would not become part of an officer's personnel file.
When a supervisor writes an SOR, he must go over it with the officer, and they both sign it.
"It forces a dialogue between the supervisor and officer," Ackley said. "It prevents bigger issues down the road."
'Building trust'
Ackley said she wants the department to focus more on community policing. Her mantra: "How we go about it matters."
And that is handled in simple ways, such as handing out candy on Halloween or responding to calls that are not police related.
In the past an officer might not have responded to a request to remove a trash can from the middle of the road, for example, but Ackley wants her officers doing things like that.
"It's about building trust, a relationship with the community," she said.
Ackley attends many community events and meetings.
"I hope it sends the message that we, the police department, care, and that we want to be involved with the community at all levels ...," she said.
"The higher the level of citizen involvement, the higher our success on preventing and solving crime. We count on our citizens to assist us in making New London a safe place to be," she added.
Ackley said she also expects her supervisors to "manage the resources," which she said saved the city about $758,800 from its $1.2 million overtime budget in the fiscal year that ended June 30.
She implemented monthly meetings with supervisors so they can plan ahead and see what resources will be needed on a particular day, especially if the city is hosting an event. Schedules can be changed so police coverage of the event does not result in overtime.
She also has supervisors submit a report that details the overtime from the previous day.
Ackley also introduced flex time. Flex-time officers, which includes positions such as school resource, K-9, evidence and records officers, are not supposed to work more than 80 hours during a two-week pay period. Under flex time, an officer who works 50 hours one week is expected to work 30 hours the next.
The union filed a Municipal Prohibitive Practice grievance with the state Board of Labor Relations against the practice of using flex time, which was settled last month.
The agreement clarified who were flex officers and how they were paid.
Ackley said the cost savings will not impact the community's safety.
"Of course, without a doubt, if more officers are needed to investigate a crime, we will give overtime," Ackley said. "I just want us to manage our resources more efficiently."
Two sides start to talk
O'Mara, the union president, said the relationship between Ackley and her officers has improved after a "rocky" beginning, and pointed out that more than half the grievances have been withdrawn or settled.
"There needs to be more communication, and it has gotten a little better. It still isn't perfect. We're starting to talk. It's a learning curve on both sides," he said.
He said Ackley hasn't clearly communicated her vision for the department to her officers.
"Where she wants to take the police department is not exactly clear to us," he said.
City Attorney Brian Estep said the high number of union grievances was not surprising considering the force had a new leader after serving under one chief for 15 years.
"Anytime there is a new department head, with a new outlook there is going to be a shakedown period," he said. "A new department head may have different priorities than that of the union. It takes times to feel each other out."
"She has made instrumental changes that people might not be happy with," Estep said.
Officers leaving at issue
In September, union members gathered at the Radisson Hotel to consider whether they should pursue a vote of no confidence in their chief.
O'Mara, however, said the union is no longer pursuing that option.
After the September meeting, some union members said morale problems were leading to high turnover in the department.
However, records obtained by The Day show that during Ackley's tenure, four officers have retired, two were terminated, two resigned during an internal investigation and two resigned to work for different state departments.
Ackley and O'Mara said they do not view the relationship as an adversarial one.
"I don't see this as us versus them," Ackley said. "We've got to do what's best for the people, the officers and community together. We have to try to evaluate issues from all sides."
High school referee Tony Gigliotti and NBA referee Josh Tiven
Full replay: New London vs. Wilbur Cross in CIAC Class LL girls' basketball semifinal
North Stonington's homespun school opens, state made it possible
The kids I write about, unwittingly, came to my rescue over the weekend
Trump: Social media sites discriminate against conservatives


text:
|Click Here to Login
« Mathilde's father, Count Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz, in a critical condition | Philippe, Mathilde and Family on Vacation in Egypt, Oct. 2008 »
Our communities encompass many different hobbies and interests, but each one is built on friendly, intelligent membership.
» More about our Communities
Our Marine websites focus on Cruising and Sailing Vessels, including forums and the largest cruising Wiki project on the web today.
» More about our Marine Communities


text:
Vergys necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 68 diseños de 17 diseñadores freelance.
There are literally thousands of small management consulting firms in and around DC. They each have decent professional looking sites. I need something more. I need something that will help me highlight my differences. Help me show that I am different. But it must be tasteful and professional because my primary client is the federal government.
Our company description and services can be found at http://www.vergys.com
I want a versatile template that can be used to develop an entire website. The template should be designed as the site's homepage. Primary sections of the website will be "Home", "Expertise", "Artifacts", and "Library" (currently called vWare). These sections should be included in the primary navigation.
Websites I like because of the interesting, yet professional layout.
Logo Location
- Utilize the logo colors but I am open to color schemes that compliment the logo
- Include the tagline: Enabling Breakthroughs
- Two column format ... one slightly larger to accommodate website content
- New Header and Navigational Bar. The navigational bar should include the four sections mentioned above (Home, Expertise, Artifacts, and Library). The design should allow flexibility to add/edit nav links as underlying content changes
- Prefer using CSS designs
- Screen Size must not rely on horizontal scrolling
- Fonts - clear and easy to read
- Header - Logo and somewhere in the header a search bar
- Footer - (c) Vergys LLC and Contact Us (contact us should be a link to email@example.com)
- Look and Feel: Clean and uncluttered
- Don't want photos of random people
- Original, no website clones


text:
ismgroup needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 37 designs submitted by 16 freelance designers.
We require a site design for our new co-registration affiliate network. The site will be located at http://www.coreg.com.au
We will provide co-registration offers to affiliates in countries around the world, with our main focus being on Australia.
The following are URLs that operate a similar model to which we are going to. They are provided purely to provide an understanding of what Coreg.com.au will do: