text:
Want Free Video? Watch These Ads
HitBliss offers ways to watch online video, by 'paying' viewers to watch ads, Katherine Boehret joins Digits to disuss. Photo: HitBliss
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... as such thing as a free lunch how can ... they free TV a ... special pass health care to read is about to explain in on Digits good afternoon and welcome I'm Simon Constable ... thank you for a joins us now from all things that will in Washington thank so the mechanic ... I and ... so we will not economists as a free once you've actually found that so if we TV viewing video viewing platform ... what's the quid pro quo ... yes so this company is called heckle s this is a new masthead at getting it free content ... and sad at having to watch ads that are interspersed with your free videos ... you have to do a little work before hand fell ... a guide to sex and the content for uncalled take a left turn ... and guarantee wives adds credence to what you want to see if that they are really into travel ... or fitness you could want ads related to those topics ... when Steve what's the ads ... view that get played stress planes from the company and then helps you improve by me that she can go back into the store okay Leslie at ... and use that to buy TV shows or maybe it's ... a letterpress like most of us when we're watching adds we don't pay attention very well and the company notes that ... anyone to make sure you're paying attention so they pop up these little promise of the screen ... that you have to click on great when you see that as you're watching the ads so that the advertising partners know that they have your eyeballs ... an email you're really paying attention you're not leaving them or am ... I if you knew the player it turns off automatically if you happen to differently gets a say in our browse the latter it will automatically turn off to a sound they've really had to know how to keep your attention here ... you can only get a seven minute long the onus of maximum amount you need a man wants and then spend that ... money right ... correct that you cannot remain at her only by up to seven titles that day that can be a combination of TV and movies ... that's yes that's your land and sets a Monday sat down didn't binge plots ... twenty four seasons at ... at down to Daddy for example you could do that you have to start came after the eighth episode that from people fat and furry baby as an eight day is not a bad deal ... how does this compare with something like that who ... when you know it's it's for a nominal fee would use to lower and income that a few days the an hour a day after a ... when you know will be on TV but you may have trouble adds that just what you would on TV ... right so this has a lot of current content their TV sets that they do have ... are all out right after the day after the show airs on TV which is a nice feature ... and it is our awesome friends but they certainly don't have that kind of catalogs that ignites and some are in the sun is Nvidia has ... and that's pretty natural for a company that's just starting out after work on these relationships with partner companies and build up this relationships but ... they cannot now might be satisfying for some people felt its outlets of what you like watching and that whether or not the finely alike but ... Lulu for example they just can't stand those best free video as well pop up ads ... and its payment for granting ... an but a lot of people there including me as they knew that the strain they do need now on the background may leave the Ram and they can solve this and went ... and sat up and they're seeing videos for ads that they don't really care about it I was saying that far adding they just bought a new car ... a few months ago or something that has nothing to do it that so it's here you can actually see ads that are a little bit more curtailed CEO was slow to pay the um ... weighing in on Pride YouTube go like Netflix ... streaming full less than ten dollars a month ... and this annuity have to work and it ... which is about up to you ... the second half to kind of catalogs that a lot of people are looking for a day to have the current time and I think that can be frustrating for people felt ... obviously I let see if that makes it different service is I don't just commit myself to once there this ID is ... Einsteins for something for Netflix rather things that ... I might regular Tebow was at home are at record pace or or what's that at times tense but I think this could be in a supplement for people if they go on and a search for program ... or entity in May sided year that might be willing to watch if you add so much for very ... great stuff for free is a very fair price than the thank you thank you very much Andy Brown and think


text:
The Graduate Program in Cell, Molecular and Structural Biology (CMSB) is a multidisciplinary, interdepartmental program of study and research leading to M.S. (with a thesis required) and Ph.D. degrees. The CMSB program brings together, from various departments at Miami University, faculty and students with broad interests in several areas of life sciences.
Dr. Carole Dabney-Smith
Chair, CMSB Admissions
132 Hughes Lab
Oxford, OH 45056
For more information on applying to the CMSB program,
please complete the Request for Information.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
>> What Does He Mean, Exactly?
Log in
What does he mean, exactly?
Goto page
Zwol.org Forum Index
Morning Improv
The Right Number - Discussion directory
i don't get it
Forum Member
Joined: 10 Aug 2001
Posts: 12
Location: Jycadia
Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2003 1:28 pm
Post subject:
What does he mean, exactly?
From Mr. McClouds latest blog;
On the Sam and Frodo question: Is it just me, or did anyone else find it funny that Sam went home to the family ("you can't always tear yourself in two, Sam") while Frodo sails with Ian McKellen off to THE LAND OF THE ELVES. I mean... Does that even qualify as "subtext" anymore?
Anyone know what he's getting at here?
Back to top
Kris Lachowski
Consistant Poster
Joined: 06 Oct 2003
Posts: 192
Location: Earth
Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2003 1:49 pm
Post subject:
I guess Ian McKellen is gay and he is taking a midet off with him to sail to fairy-land, oh and sam and fodo were lovers or something, but sam still wanted to marry rosey and have kids so Frodo left him so Sam wouldn't have to choose.
Of course maybe you were being sarcatic and I just said something really obvious, albeit somewhat incoherent.
Back to top
Forum Member
Joined: 10 Aug 2001
Posts: 12
Location: Jycadia
Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2003 1:58 pm
Post subject:
I see...
I guess I'm just naive. No, I wasn't being sarcastic; just sorry I asked!
Thanks for the interpretation, though.
Back to top
Frequent Poster
Joined: 07 Jul 2002
Posts: 74
Location: Germany
Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2003 2:28 pm
Post subject:
I think the holidays are leaving all of us a little confused.
zerofoks @ the Radical Artist Foundation
Back to top
Christopher Lundgren
Frequent Poster
Joined: 04 Apr 2002
Posts: 76
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2003 3:15 pm
Post subject:
Actually I'm glad somebody else asked, so's I didn't have to. I thought that might be what Scott was getting at, but... well I seem to have misplaced the end of that sentence somewhere.
Back to top
Rip Tanion
Reinvents understanding
Joined: 12 Apr 2002
Posts: 635
Location: The Riptania Sky-Palace in da beauuuuuutiful Bronx.
Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2003 4:15 pm
Post subject:
Yeah, ever since I saw the first one, I got the impression in Elijah Wood's acting, that
Frodo, at least, is secretly gay for Sam, his loyal man-servant. I read all the LOTR books back when I was in high school, and re-read them a fear years ago, in anticipation of the first movie. In niether case did I ever get the impression of a homo-erotic relationship between Sam and Frodo, nor Merry and Pippin for that matter.
Here's what I remember, according to the book.
1) Frodo, Merry and Pippin are all cousins. Merry and Pippin, are first cousins to each other. So this is a family, here, not some English sissy-boy club.
2) Sam is the son of the Gaffer, who was garderner to Frodo's uncle*, Bilbo. Sam and Frodo have known each other since childhood. After Bilbo leave's Bag End to Frodo, Sam inherits his father's position of garderner, and all-around valet. Remember, much more time passes between Bilbo leaving the Shire to settle in Rivendell, and Frodo leaving the Shire on his quest to destroy The Ring, than is indicated in the movie. In the book, it's about 17 years. Therefore, Sam and Frodo had a lot more time to develop a servant-master relationship. Before the movie, I always equated it the kind of relationship a dog has with it's owner, especially if it started out a puppy-child relationship.
3) At the end of the book, it is told that both Bilbo and Frodo never married. Niether did Merry. Pippin, however, does wed, and becomes a father. And, of course, Sam marries Rosie Cotton, and they have a brood of 14 little hobbits.
4) I have my suspicions about Elijah Wood.
Scott McCloud wrote:
Either way, a delightful 3 1/4 hours. Sky (age 10) has seen it twice already. I've seen it 1.85 times for reasons we will not go into just now.
Don't be embarrassed to say Mother nature was calling you. "When you gotta go..." Personally, I held my bladder for a good hour and a half because I didn't want to miss a minute of the action. I paid $11 to see this, and I ain't missing one damn minute of it. I'm going to see it again, when the crowds thin a bit. This time I'm gonna wear depends.
*technically Bilbo is a first cousin of Frodo's mother. In addition Bibo's father and Frodo's paternal grand-father were first cosuins as well. After Frodo's was orphaned, Bilbo eventually took him in and became his guardian.
"Park the beers, and grab the smiles. It's flight time." -
LtCdr. J. Robert "Bobby" Stone, USN (R.I.P.)
Back to top
Regular Poster
Joined: 09 Nov 2003
Posts: 27
Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2003 5:38 pm
Post subject:
I just intepreted all the male-on-male affection in the movies as your typical, if somewhat exaggerated, pre-Freudian stuff. Straight guys stopped touching each other in Western society only just this century, I think; you can still find a lot of older photographs of Victorian-era best buds hugging each other, or with their hands on each other's knees. No lie. A few other cultures still have this sort of thing; best male friends walking around with their pinkies hooked, for example.
Problem is, most American audiences still can't help but raise an eyebrow at guys touching... which is where the slashfic hags come in.
And the horror REALLY starts.
Back to top
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 10:04 am
Post subject:
The Truth...
Obviously, you've never read the Very Secret Diaries...
Back to top
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 11:26 am
Post subject:
a gollum question ( a little off topic i suppose)
the lord of the rings trilogy was great, but i haven't read the books (and have no desire to as i am not a big fan of fantasy literature; i did read some of tolkien's non-fiction in college), so i was wondering if, in the books, gollum was as big an insult to jewish people as he was in the movies. i can give examples if no one knows what i'm talking about, but come on people. wasn't it obvious?
Back to top
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 12:23 pm
Post subject:
No. No, It isn't.
Back to top
Christopher Lundgren
Frequent Poster
Joined: 04 Apr 2002
Posts: 76
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 1:02 pm
Post subject:
Okay, I'll bite. How is Gollum an insult to Jews?
This is the first time I've ever heard anyone say that, so it can't be
Back to top
Kris Lachowski
Consistant Poster
Joined: 06 Oct 2003
Posts: 192
Location: Earth
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 2:33 pm
Post subject:
okay I've read the Lord of the Rings like seven times and although I'm no expert on Jewish culture I think I have enough of an understanding to be able to pick up on some sort of insult to Jewish people via Gollum's actions and personality if there were any. So please enlighten me and the rest of the population on what you're talking about.
Back to top
Rip Tanion
Reinvents understanding
Joined: 12 Apr 2002
Posts: 635
Location: The Riptania Sky-Palace in da beauuuuuutiful Bronx.
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 5:14 pm
Post subject:
I've only read LOTR twice, but I am Jewish. Though I'm no Talmudic scholar, I've grown up around enough Jews, and have seen enough anti-Semitism to know when someone is doing a Jewish stereotype. I never picked up any indication that Gollum symbolizes Jews, in either the books or the movie.
Hey, I didn't see yarmulke on Gollum's head, nor was he wearing tzistzisth. And I'm pretty sure that a lot of that chazirye he was eating wasn't exactly Kosher, neither. Now if they gave him a big nose, and a voice like Jackie Mason (a la the Aardavark on the old Pink Panther show), I might agree with you, here.
Now excuse me, it's after sundown, and I have an electric menorah to plug in.
"Park the beers, and grab the smiles. It's flight time." -
LtCdr. J. Robert "Bobby" Stone, USN (R.I.P.)
Back to top
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 7:39 pm
Post subject:
a short, yet long answer
oaky, so i'm at work and i can't really use too much of my own thoughts but i know i have heard of tolkien anti-semitism before, so i did a quick google search and here is what i have found. (it's two threads from a marxist message board). i don't know if it confirms any point i was trying to make, and i certainly don't know if i had any point to make, but it seemed interesting at any rate:
> Finally, the 'gollum' character was something of an eyebrow-raiser for me.
> Not only is this an alternative spelling for the monster of Jewish legend,
> the creature's name Smeagol sounded somewhat Jewish to my ears, like
> Spiegel or Siegel, two common Jewish names. In Tolkien's tale, this abject,
> cringing but violently hostile character, is supposedly a lesson of how
> greed (for the ring specifically) ruins one's character. The fact that this
> character is also played by a Jewish actor might be entirely coincidental.
I too have wondered about the gollum/golem connection. Certainly there is no
link in the actual definition of "the Golem" and its role in Jewish
mythology, ie an artificial creature, created by rabbinical magic, to
protect Jews from harm.
On whether Gollum is supposed to be Jewish it's quite clearly stated in the
book and the film that Smeagol/Gollum used to be a hobbit, the hobbits
themselves based on English rural folk so rather than an allegory for Jewish
greed, Gollum seems to be a cautionary tale of what can happen to anyone
should they surrender to their baser nature. Indeed, Frodo himself, the hero
of the story, sees himself in Gollum and wishes to believe he is redeemable
so that Frodo himself has reason to hope.
I found an interesting (short) article exploring the topic of whether
Tolkien was anti-Semitic where it's revealed that in a 1971 interview the
author identified the dwarves with the Jews:
Lord of the Rings
Was J.R.R. Tolkien an Anti-Semite?
- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Craig A. Bird/Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
Jewsweek.com | "I imagine the fish out of water is the only fish to have an
inkling of water." ‹ J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien, the "discoverer" of Middle Earth and the source of the
imminent-blockbuster movie "The Fellowship of the Ring," (which opens in
theaters this week) was a lot of things. Many of them contradictory.
The erudite professor of philology and expert in Norse languages wrote books
about dragons and trolls and elves and wizards. The devout Roman Catholic
purged any mention of Christianity from the 500,000 pages of his epic, "The
Lord of the Rings," series.
The unrepentant monarchist ("Give me a king whose chief interest in life is
stamps, railways or race horses; and who has the power to sack his vizier if
he does not like the cut of his trousers") became an icon of the 1960s
counterculture, and his literary themes enlisted to encourage drug use and
free love.
The fiercely loyal Englishman who wasn?t sure the Americans were any better
than the Soviets is more popular ‹ and intellectually respected ‹ in the
United States than in his own country.
But as Peter Jackson?s cinematic trilogy based on The Lord of the Rings
unfurls over the next two years (the release of "The Fellowship of the Ring"
will be followed by "The Two Towers" in 2002 and "The Return of the King" in
2003) and adds significantly to the tens of millions of his existing fans,
some will ask: Was J.R.R. Tolkien anti-Semitic?
Since there are no religious designations or distinctions of any kind, not
just Christianity, in "The Lord of the Rings," the answer must come from
other sources. Most troubling for many is Tolkien?s love for, and use of,
the Norse pagan myths ‹ the same ones the Nazis (and many present-day white
supremacists) turned to for inspiration.
Also the Roman Catholic Church of his era (he was born in 1892), which he
loved so fiercely, was known to harbor many with anti-Jewish sentiments.
Then, in a 1971 BBC radio interview two years before he died, he was asked
if the different races in The Lord of the Rings represent specific
character-istics, "the elves wisdom, the dwarves craftsman-ship, men
husbandry and battle, and so forth?"
"I didn?t intend it, but when you?ve got these people on your hands you?ve
got to make them different, haven?t you?" he replied. "The dwarves of course
are quite obviously ‹ wouldn?t you say that in many ways they remind you of
the Jews? Their words are Semitic, obviously, constructed to be Semitic. The
Hobbits are just rustic English people."
That well may be his only recorded comment linking Jews with "Lord of the
Rings." The stereotype is there if one wants to use it. The dwarves? primary
weakness, as revealed in the saga ‹ to their own detriment as well as harm
to the quest of the Fellowship ‹ is a lust for gaining, protecting, and
hoarding jewels and gold and silver.
It is obvious that each of the races of Middle Earth are a combination of
strength and weaknesses, each contributes negatively and positively. In fact
it is the race of "men" who are the most given to evil.
The racial distrust and bigotry of Legolas, the elf, toward dwarves is
matched prejudice-by-prejudice by the feelings of Gimli, the dwarf, toward
elves. Yet, it is these two who struggle toward and eventually reach a
position of mutual respect and deepening friendship that models how
different cultures and races should be able to get along.
Andrew O?Hair, writing in Salon magazine last summer, agrees Tolkien "is the
product of his background and era, like most of our inescapable prejudices."
But he insists, "At the level of conscious intention he was not a racist or
Michael Martinez, a major authority on Tolkien on the Web at Suite101.com,
turns the idea that he?s guilty because he was a man of his times, inside
out by noting that Tolkien?s "time" included "living through two world wars
and the 1960s," when the scholar would have been attuned to the discussion
and dissection of the shallowness of anti-Semitism.
One would think that Tolkien, who expressed so much disapproval of his
fellow white Englishmen, would have expressed any phobia about Jews
somewhere, Martinez says. "Instead, in his letters, we are treated to
discussions of how the Orcs in the British army behave."
The best response comes from Tolkien himself. After Hitler came to power,
but prior to World War II, the German government officially requested,
through Tolkien?s publisher, that he establish his racial purity so they
could authorize a translation of The Hobbit (the prequel of "The Lord of the
The Oxford don, struggling financially to support his family, could have
used the income from Third Reich sales. Instead, though Tolkien is a
Germanic name, he took the opportunity to remind the Nazis of the ludicrous
pretension of racial purity.
"Thank you for your letter.... I regret that I am not clear as to what you
intend," he wrote. "I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-Iranian; as
far as I am aware none of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy or
any related dialects. But if I am to understand that you are inquiring
whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear
to have no ancestors of that gifted people...."
Back to top
Forum Member
Joined: 18 Dec 2003
Posts: 12
Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2003 10:16 am
Post subject:
vincent213 wrote:
what i'm talking about, but come on people. wasn't it obvious?
Hmm. You could have done the Google search before you spammed the board. Or at least put a
instead of the whole story.
Last edited by MotherInferior on Wed Dec 24, 2003 11:51 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
Greg Stephens
Forum Founder
Joined: 14 Apr 2001
Posts: 3861
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2003 11:03 am
Post subject:
Please let's be polite. That was hardly spamming.
Good morning! That's a nice tnetennba.
Back to top
Scott McCloud
The one and only
Joined: 23 May 2001
Posts: 299
Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2003 12:27 pm
Post subject:
Yeah, I don't mind long informative posts like vincent's at all.
Tolkien's letter to the Nazis was, I thought, particularly fascinating.
Back to top
Rip Tanion
Reinvents understanding
Joined: 12 Apr 2002
Posts: 635
Location: The Riptania Sky-Palace in da beauuuuuutiful Bronx.
Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2003 2:58 am
Post subject:
If the dwarves are jews, then why do Gimli's eyes light up when hears the words "salt pork"?
Hmm, dwarves do have beards, though, like the Orthodox do. And one could equate the braids with
(vat, you think ve work for nuttin'?). However, not once does Gimli say, "I can get it for you wholesale."
"Park the beers, and grab the smiles. It's flight time." -
LtCdr. J. Robert "Bobby" Stone, USN (R.I.P.)
Back to top
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2003 5:57 pm
Post subject:
The resemblance of Gollum?s nickname to the golem seems coincidental to me. Certainly Gollum bears no other resemblance to the legendary golem, a hulking figure made from clay and animated by kabalistic knowledge.
The Rohirrim reminded me a bit of Jews. For one thing, the ?-im? plural ending seems derived from Hebrew; for another, they keep blowing on those rams? horns.
Back to top
Regular Poster
Joined: 16 Apr 2001
Posts: 29
Location: Canada
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2003 7:08 pm
Post subject:
the big smooch
Finally got around to seeing RotK yesterday, and well sure there were a couple of points where it looked like Sam and Frodo were going to kiss! Particularly the last shot of them together... the framing, the vibe, if it was your regular hollywood flick, (and if they were of opposite sexes), that would have SO been the set up for a big fairwell smooch on the lips.
Back to top
Rip Tanion
Reinvents understanding
Joined: 12 Apr 2002
Posts: 635
Location: The Riptania Sky-Palace in da beauuuuuutiful Bronx.
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 5:32 pm
Post subject:
Avram wrote:
The Rohirrim reminded me a bit of Jews. For one thing, the ?-im? plural ending seems derived from Hebrew; for another, they keep blowing on those rams? horns.
Well, I was watching the extended version of the Two Towers on DVD, this past weekend, and I have some renewed thoughts on this whole subject.
Despite the semitic plurality of Rohirrim, the Riders of Rohan are more representive of the ancient Anglo-Saxons, and well as the old Norcemen. Names such as ?omer, ?owyn, and Th?oden have much more of an old-English ring to them. Also, the design of the buildings at Meduseld are very Nordic in nature. If you've ever seen examples of Viking architecture, you know what I mean.
Plus, the Rohirrim are an equestrian people. As Buddy Hackett used to say, "Jews don't ski, and we don't go horseback riding."
And it's Gimli who blows the giant "Schofar" at Helm's Deep. Plus, Gimli kvetches like a yiddisher alter-kaker, and he doesn't deal with horses well.
Hey, Jews can kid Jews.
As for Sam and Frodo, it seems, in the film at least, that Frodo has strong feelings for Sam. Frodo is very feminine in nature it sometimes seems. "Oh, Sam" and "My dear Sam" frequently cross Frodo's lips. But as I mentioned before, Sam's feelings towards Frodo are more of loyalty to a master, than any sort or romantic love. Sam mentions several times how he'd like to me married and have kids (with Rosie Cotton, not with Frodo - I don't think the latter is posible, even with Hobbits) Plus, Sam knows the burden The Ring has placed on Frodo, and he is very concerned for the welfare of his master. Knowing this, Sam tries to be as comforting to Frodo as possible.
Though Frodo may have romantic feeling towards Sam, I don't think the feeling is mutual.
Besides, I think Tolkien was trying to illustrate the commradery of men during war. Tolkien was a veteran of WWI, and saw it's horrors first hand when he was a young man. He lost many close friends in the trenches.
"Park the beers, and grab the smiles. It's flight time." -
LtCdr. J. Robert "Bobby" Stone, USN (R.I.P.)
Back to top
Random Dent
Forum Member
Joined: 07 Sep 2003
Posts: 18
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 6:35 pm
Post subject:
Well, the reason why Frodo didn't marry was because (before he went of) he was probably following, subconciously, in his Uncle's footsteps by not marring as to remain "unattached" and able to go on an adventure should one come his way and (after he came back) he was too screwed up to make anysort of romantic attachment.
But then again, Frodo does say at one point, while being rescued by Sam from the tower, "There was an orc with a whip, and then it turns into Sam! "
"One can not be a good dicator and design women's underclothings."
-Jeeves, The Code of the Woosters
Back to top
Frequent Poster
Joined: 05 Dec 2003
Posts: 65
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 10:08 pm
Post subject:
Re: The Truth...
Anonymous wrote:
Obviously, you've never read the Very Secret Diaries...
Hm...reminds me of a website titled "Elijah Wood Is Very Very Gay," at
"The way to a man's heart is through his ribcage"
Back to top
William G
Reinvents understanding
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 560
Location: South central...Korea. Word.
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 1:04 pm
Post subject:
Long before there was even talk of the movies, my and my nerdy pals would always claim that Sam vs Frodo was one of literature's great unwritten butt-sex scenes.
Not that we discussed man on man love frequently, mind you. We're all men's men... well... not too much of a man's man...
Her lips are devil red, she's the color of mocha...
Back to top
Display posts from previous:
All Posts
1 Day
7 Days
2 Weeks
1 Month
3 Months
6 Months
1 Year
Oldest First
Newest First
Zwol.org Forum Index
Morning Improv
All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page
Jump to:
Select a forum
Webcomics Discussions
Seeking Comics Artists/Writers
Forum Forum
Forum Forum
Retired Forums
Zwol forum
Morning Improv
(Web)Comics Theory: ART
Webcomics: COMMERCE
Comic Jams
post new topics in this forum
reply to topics in this forum
edit your posts in this forum
delete your posts in this forum
vote in polls in this forum
Powered by
© 2001, 2005 phpBB Group


text:
The business landscape has changed significantly in the past 25 years—not only in how we work but also with whom we work.
It's sometimes easy to forget that king of the hill isn't a permanent position, and companies that seem invincible might not be around forever in their current form—or, in some cases, any form.
Icons fall, and here are some of the names we took for granted in 1989 that have since faded away.
—By Chris Morris, Special to CNBC.com
Posted 29 April 2014
Updated 15 April 2015


text:
Liberty News
Men's track and field wins its fifth-straight Big South Championship
Liberty University's men's track and field team won its fifth consecutive team title at the 2011 Big South Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which concluded Saturday at VMI's Read Memorial Track. Meanwhile, the Lady Flames finished second to Coastal Carolina.
The Flames have now won 16 men's team crowns in the 18-year history of the Big South Outdoor Track & Field Championships. They also completed a Big South Triple Crown, which also includes the Flames' conference cross country and indoor track & field championships earlier this year.
The Lady Flames came in second place, behind Coastal Carolina.
For a recap of the event and men's and women's standings, go to www.libertyflames.com.


text:
Organisations the world over are currently challenged with a lack of women in leadership positions, and concerned with the competitive and financial toll this could mean for their organisations. Meanwhile they are also facing the challenges that come with vast numbers of millennial talent entering and reshaping the workforce.
Organisations looking to address the gender leadership gap must drive parallel efforts which tackle enhanced leadership diversity in conjunction with systemic change efforts targeting their workforce from day one. But to get this right, first organisations must better understand how to attract, develop, and retain female millennial talent.
In 2008, PwC began digging deeper into an observed shift in thinking among younger employees in "Millennials at work: Perspectives of a new generation". Subsequently, in 2011 we released our "Millennials at work: Reshaping the workforce" report, which provided insights into the minds of 4,364 millennials from across 75 countries. Most recently, in 2013 we released our "PwC's NextGen: A global generational study' report". This cross-generational study captured the views of more than 40,000 respondents in 18 global territories.
As our knowledge about this generation evolves we think it is time to put a laser focus on the female cohort of this generation.
Our Next Generation Diversity: Developing tomorrow's female leaders report aims to provide some insight into the minds of female millennials and how to position your organisation and talent strategies towards the attraction, retention and development of this significant talent pool.
· Are we passing the baton that we have received so graciously with love and wisdom to the younger generation in a manner that they are is excited about?
· If we are passing on the baton, are we 100% sure that it is being received.
Send comments and suggestions to firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
You are here
It's a brand new Audi A3 saloon!
This extremely cute Audi A3 saloon makes its debut in New York today, the smallest Audi on sale there. It's the third in what will be a four-model A3 line-up when the new convertible arrives and will be something like the 45th different Audi body-style available when it goes on sale sometime later this year.
But what might seem like yet another example of Audi ticking every box in its vast model-planning matrix is actually the over-fertile brand's first entry in to the world's biggest market segment - little saloons.
The sales of stuff like four door Civics and Corollas and Chevy Cruzes in the US, plus local market cars from GM and VW in China, prove that, as a planet, we are still a deeply conservative bunch. We like our family cars to look like how we drew them at nursery; little box for the engine, bigger box for mum and dad and the kids and another little box for the shopping.
Not that the A3 saloon is anything other than extremely dashing, especially in these pictures, which show the tricked-up S3 version complete with full-on LED lamps and what look like 19 inch wheels, which are available. Audi's design story on the A3 is something it calls 'The Tornado Line' - the heavy feature below the windows (and onwards and backwards) that throws an immediate shadow and consequent light flare on the bodyside below. With a lower roof and wider-arches than the Sportback, the feature works especially well on the saloon; it gives it something of the look of an old RS4.
Along with the Merc CLA, which manages to look so much better than the somewhat anonymous A-Class, the A3 saloon might just be the car to re-invigorate what has become a largely forgotten market in the UK, blighted by the big-bummed Fords and Vauxhalls of old. Call us old-fashioned, but we reckon you'd look a lot classier turning up in a CLA or a A3 saloon than you would in their five and three-door siblings.
Inside Audi has not messed with what's one of the best interiors around today. The minimal palette and simple theme ('slab with two bloody great circular vents') pioneered all those years ago on the first TT continues to evolve. The news on the saloon - like the three-door and Sportback - is the 'iPad' that elevates out of its slot in the middle of the dash. What you can do on it - and there are options that will allow you to do most everything including finding somewhere to park - depends, as before, on how much you are prepared to spend. Tricking-up the infotainment is to Gen Y-ers what wheels and tyres were to Gen X-ers.
There are three engines at launch, one diesel and two petrol FSIs with up to 180bhp at launch, with the four-wheel drive 300bhp S3 quattro coming along a few months later to do battle with the CLA AMG 45. Audi won't talk about prices, won't even say whether it will be more or less than equivalent Sportback models. On looks alone however, we reckon it could command a premium. But we suspect that will have a lot to do with what Mercedes does with the CLA...


text:
They were the darlings of 2012, but—despite boasting talent and good coaching—more than a few warning signs point to a regression in San Francisco
There's plenty of evidence that the Super Bowl hangover is real. Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, 28 of the 42 Super Bowl losers failed to win a playoff game the next season. The last Super Bowl loser to make it back the following year was the Buffalo Bills. (And the year before that, it was the Bills ... and the year before that, also the Bills.)
Who knows why Super Bowl losers fare poorly. Could have something to do with an emotional letdown. It could be subtle evidence of parity. Could be pure coincidence. Or maybe it has something to do with a shortened offseason. Playing in the Super Bowl extends the team's season by several weeks, leaving a lot of behind-the-scenes people behind schedule.
Whatever the reason for the hangover, we're going to analyze the football side of these Super Bowl-losing Niners. With vague signs of looming change on offense, there could be more than a few reasons that point to an imminent hangover.
Jim Harbaugh and coordinator Greg Roman form the best offensive coaching tandem in football right now. In an age of finesse spread passing systems, these two have led an old-school running team to an NFC Championship Game appearance and then a Super Bowl in their first two seasons. The Niners might be the only offense left that lines up and implicitly says, "Here's our run game; try to stop it." Last season, according to Football Outsiders, they used some combination of two-back or two-tight end sets on a league-high 48 percent of their snaps. They used sets containing both two backs and two tight ends 24.2 percent of the time, far and away the most in pro football. (This was actually the formation from which a lot of their downfield deep shots came.)
Though the Niners line up with obvious intentions to run, it's not always clear how they'll run. Harbaugh and Roman take a very intellectual approach to a lot of their ground designs (the Stanford influence?), focusing heavily on scheming advantageous angles for blockers and runners. (Roman likes to say, "Geometry doesn't have bad days.") Their unconventional designs constantly create unexpected running lanes out of unconventional formations or blocking patterns.
In building a ground-oriented offense, Harbaugh isn't just catering to the throwback values he learned from his old mentor, Bo Schembechler; he's also catering to his personnel. The Niners have a consummate workhorse back in Frank Gore. And they have perhaps the meatiest offensive line in the league. At right tackle is the steadily progressing Anthony Davis, who got a five-year, $37.3 million contract in the offseason (with a collective $7.25 million worth of annual de-escalators if he fails to complete workouts or make weight requirements). At right guard is Alex Boone, a 6-8, 300-pounder with improved lateral mobility in the run game. At center is a veteran stalwart, Jonathan Goodwin, backed up by 308-pound third-year pro Daniel Kilgore. And, of course, rounding out the front five is the best left side blocking duo in the NFC: Mike Iupati at guard and Joe Staley at tackle. Iupati, though still too inconsistent in pass protection, has an uncommon ability to maintain balance while delivering powerful jabs on the move. Staley, one of the game's smartest pass protectors, is an equally voracious run-blocker in space.
San Francisco's rushing attack is as deep as it is diverse. The line has acceptable depth with last year's developmental fourth-round guard, Joe Looney, and veteran Adam Snyder, who is capable of playing guard or tackle in a pinch. The backfield has outstanding depth, as Kendall Hunter, assuming he's fully recovered from last year's Achilles injury, offers more change-of-tempo juice than the surprisingly still-spry Gore. Hunter could push for 10 to 12 carries a game. Also in the mix is diminutive slasher LaMichael James, who has carved out a niche given that he's the only back with the speed to consistently turn the corner and operate from single-back sets. The Niners also have a short-yardage back, Anthony Dixon, though with a reliable fullback like Bruce Miller there's no reason Gore or Hunter couldn't move the chains in these situations, especially considering that both run low to the ground. Originally, Harbaugh installed a run-oriented system to not only highlight his team's strengths but also to mask the weakness at quarterback. As nice a guy as Alex Smith was, he had very distinct limitations as a dropback passer. That's why the decision to bench him for second-year wonder Colin Kaepernick really wasn't a hard one.
This is where San Francisco's identity dilemma comes into play. Harbaugh must decide how much he wants to tailor his system to Kaepernick. Theoretically, he could keep the same run-first approach. As we saw last year, Kaepernick's agility and long-striding speed actually add a potent dimension to the ground game. However, as we explored in the Redskins preview, the read-option could soon wane across the NFL. The Niners already saw firsthand in the Super Bowl how defenses are going to react to the novel tactic moving forward: constant, ferocious hits on the quarterback. Kaepernick, highly exposed with his upright running style, was lucky he did not get knocked out of that game.
What the Niners also must consider is that in keeping Kaepernick in a controlled, run-first system, they'd be leaving a lot of raw quarterbacking talent uncooked. Great as Kaepernick is as a runner, his lanky build and rubbery, quick-snapping arm make him an even more enticing passer.
There isn't a clear-cut decision for San Francisco to make here; a progression passer can still be a little bit of a runner. Currently, Kaepernick as a progression passer is still more than a little bit of a runner. That must change at some point.
As they did with Alex Smith, the Niners last year confined Kaepernick to a lot of simplified either/or reads. He generally had no more than two reads, and on most dropbacks, it was one. If the initial reads weren't open, he tucked and ran. Kaepernick thrived with this, in part because defenses had never seen him in person or on tape. He won't catch anyone by surprise this season. It stands to reason that the unpolished elements of his game—and there are several, including presnap awareness, huddle tempo, progression passing, route anticipation and a few minor glitches in his mechanics—will be more of a problem.
Of course, Kaepernick had time this offseason to work on his shortcomings. But even if he has made progress, he may not reap the benefits in 2013. With Randy Moss gone, tight end Delanie Walker now a Titan and Michael Crabtree out with a torn Achilles, the Niners are minus three enormous facets of their passing attack. Moss was close to washed up, but for whatever reason defenses still played a safety over the top against him. Roman gladly drew up route combinations that took full advantage of that. Walker had the capacity to line up anywhere and create matchup problems, either for himself or, more often, for teammates. This was critical because Roman loves to incorporate shifts and wrinkles in his formations. (And not to be overlooked was Walker's equally significant impact on the run-blocking designs.) Crabtree was the playmaker. He didn't have great speed, but his body control and route running were near perfect. By season's end he'd become one of the most clutch chain-movers in the NFL.
The Niners are hoping they've found replacements for all three of these weapons, but nothing is guaranteed. They did not originally plan for Anquan Boldin to be their new Crabtree—they traded a sixth-round pick for the 32-year-old receiver before Crabtree's injury—but that's how it will be. At tight end they drafted Vance McDonald in the second round with hopes that he can be the new Delanie Walker. At Rice, McDonald often seemed as if he was playing with oven mitts on. While he did line up at a litany of positions, it takes several years to develop the fine-tuned nuances that had come to make Walker's game unique.
As for replacing Moss, the hope was that last year's first-round pick, A.J. Jenkins, could fill the void. It didn't take long for that hope to evaporate. The man San Fran traded Jenkins for, Jon Baldwin, is more accomplished but by no means a deep threat. The former first-round Chief has circus catch ability but a disconcerting sluggishness in his downfield movement (think running in sand). In fact, Mario Manningham (coming off an ACL injury) may wind up being the No. 2 receiver if he can get healthy. Or even slot man Kyle Williams (also coming off an ACL). Or former Dolphin Marlon Moore. Or fourth-round rookie Quinton Patton, though he may have too limited of a route tree having only lined up on the right side at Louisiana Tech.
The only truly familiar outlet for Kaepernick is Vernon Davis, who is a sensational athlete but constricted route runner (it's pretty much the seams and maybe a deep cross or two; certainly no option routes for the eighth-year pro). Davis' heart as a run-blocker has turned him into an admirable all-around tight end, though there's been talk of playing him more at a true wide receiver spot this season.
Just how sweeping the passing game changes are may hinge on where the Niners feel Kaepernick is in his development as a progression passer. If there are limitations at receiver, it will be harder for Roman to generate easy completion opportunities through one-read designs.
Somewhat quietly (or as quietly as possible for a team in the Super Bowl spotlight), San Francisco's vaunted defense wore down at the end of last season. Perhaps this was a consequence of coordinator Vic Fangio's infrequent substitutions (practically the only sub-package he used was nickel, which had just one personnel change, cornerback Chris Culliver replacing nosetackle Isaac Sopoaga). Not coincidentally, the defense's late troubles coincided with the decline of its four-man rush.
After having 28 sacks over the first 11 weeks of the season, the Niners had a measly 14 in the last eight weeks (including the postseason). With less pressure generated up front, San Fran's back seven suddenly had trouble holding up in man-to-man, which is their coverage foundation.
Another non-coincidence is that the pass rush's slide coincided with defensive end Justin Smith's shoulder injury. It's been well-documented: Smith, in and of himself, is not a big-time pass rusher (three sacks last season; career high is 8.5), but his brilliance in drawing double-teams and destroying protection walls with crashes and stunts creates invaluable attack lanes and favorable one-on-one matchups for teammates, most often Aldon Smith.
The Niners have recognized that the soon-to-be 34-year-old Justin Smith is indeed mortal. The two-year contract he signed in June is intended to be the final one of his career (and he may not play out the final season). In April general manager Trent Baalke spent a second-round pick on Tank Carradine, who figures to be Smith's understudy. Before that, Baalke signed ex-Chief Glenn Dorsey, who could push for a long-term role. Ideally, Dorsey and Carradine won't have to play much in the meantime, as Smith, recovered from his triceps injury, and the feloniously underrated Ray McDonald can remain dominant every-down forces up front. They'll be especially critical on running downs, given that new starting nosetackle Ian Williams has played just 39 snaps in his two-year career. (It's worth noting that the Niners at least seem to be high on Williams, as they let free agent Sopoaga walk and, despite a wealth of picks, did not address his position in the draft until Quinton Dial in round five.)
Just going off skill set, starting outside linebackers Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks shouldn't be easily neutralized no matter how the defensive ends/tackles alongside them are playing. The supple Smith has freakishly long arms and frighteningly strong hands. Brooks is an explosive, unsuspectingly well-rounded athlete. Both have dynamic speed.
In 2012 the Niners carried only one scantly used backup outside 'backer on their roster (Clark Haggans, now out of the league). By season's end Smith and Brooks had both played around 1,200 total snaps and may have been dragging. There will be chances to keep them fresher this year, as there's newfound depth with third-round rookie Corey Lemonier coming aboard.
The Niners also took measures to improve their secondary. Chris Culliver was actually progressing nicely as the nickel outside corner. Aside from the big touchdown he surrendered to Jacoby Jones, the then-second-year pro had a very good Super Bowl (the Ravens just happened to make a few spectacular plays at his expense). Nevertheless, the temptation to sign Nnamdi Asomugha on the cheap was one Baalke couldn't resist. (The move proved extra beneficial after Culliver tore his ACL early in training camp.) Asomugha is no longer considered an upper-echelon corner after two disappointing years in Philadelphia. But in returning to the Bay Area (he spent his first eight seasons with Oakland) he is returning to the two-man base scheme that suits his press-boundary style. Asomugha won't beat out solid seventh-year pro Tarell Brown for a starting job, but he should get plenty of nickel work outside, with Carlos Rogers sliding to the slot. Also in the mix is Trumaine Brock, talented but troubled ex-Buc Eric Wright and incumbent backup Perrish Cox.
At safety, the departure of Dashon Goldson hurts, particularly in run defense, where he and Donte Whitner were like dual missiles firing down from the third level. Whitner is back at strong safety, while first-round rookie Eric Reid is being counted on at free safety. Unsure if they'd be able to draft the LSU playmaker (or risk-taker), the Niners had previously signed Craig Dahl in free agency. That leaves them with improved depth, as Dahl, though not as athletic or fast as blitzing specialist C.J. Spillman, has 42 games of starting experience in a variety of systems.
Saving the best for last, what allows this man-based defense to eschew complicated tactics and just focus on playing with speed and aggression is having a pair of superstars in the middle. Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman are the two best 3-4 inside linebackers in football (who is 1 and who is 1-A is a matter of personal preference). Both are sensational at shedding blocks. And, though not quite blankets, both can hold up in solo man coverage. (Willis generally takes the tight end, Bowman the running back.) That gives Fangio freedoms most coordinators don't have.
The Niners can only hope that their newly signed veteran kicker, Phil Dawson, works out better than the last one, David Akers. At punter, they have nothing to worry about; three-time All Pro Andy Lee remains one of the best. In the return game, LaMichael James can handle kicks. The team is hoping he can also handle punts, but if he can't, Kyle Williams—now more than 18 months removed from his 2011 NFC Championship debacle—would make the most sense on punts.


text:
Cruise Passengers Return Home, Feds Probe Fire [VIDEO]
Passengers of the Carnival Triumph are trying to put the memories of their nightmarish cruise adrift at sea behind them as they return home.
Many of the roughly 3,000 passengers were bused late Thursday and Friday to New Orleans to catch a flight home or to the ship's home port in Galveston, Texas. One of the buses broke down during the two-hour ride to New Orleans. Passengers on a different bus reported losing their luggage.
While some called the journey a horrible experience after the ship lost power and toilets stopped working, others spoke of bonding with fellow passengers during the long, exhaustive struggle to get home.
The National Transportation Safety Board, Coast Guard and the Bahamas Maritime Authority are investigating the cause of the fire and the emergency response.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


text:
Pet Patrol: Meet Rambo + Pesty
Meet Rambo and Pesty at the St. Cloud Tri-County Humane Society.
Rambo is a neutered 5 month old Border Collie and Black Lab mix with one-of-a-kind ears and an adorable face.
He knows the commands "off," "leave it," and "crawl," and is well on his way to being fully house-trained. He was originally surrendered because he didn't get along with the other dog in the home. Then he was adopted and returned because the small children were intimidated by his spirited and playful nature. It's time for this puppy to find his permanent home!
If you have the time to channel an intelligent Border Collie mix like Rambo's energy into "training made fun" with games and treats, you've got to meet Rambo. Puppy love is just around the corner!
Pesty is a handsome 3 year old neutered Himalayan Mix who was surrendered due to his owner needing to move.
In his previous home, Pesty lived with 2 other cats and a dog. He was easygoing with all his furry counterparts and especially enjoyed playing with children. We are told Pesty takes a few days to settle into his new surroundings, but once he does, he's insistent on getting plenty of attention and is very affectionate in return.
Pesty isn't fussy about toys as long as there's some available and you are willing to be a part of the playtime.
Check out all the animals available for adoption by going to the Tri-County Humane Society's website or Facebook page. Or visit them at 735 8th Street Northeast in St. Cloud. They're open Monday through Thursdays Noon to 6; Fridays noon to 8; Saturdays 11 to 5; and Sundays Noon to 5.


text:
NEW YORK — This should've provided a feel-good moment for the Lakers, ending their seven-game trip against a franchise perhaps even more dysfunctional than theirs.
But with the Lakers (16-28) visiting the New York Knicks (16-27) today at Madison Square Garden, that just brings up more uneasy memories. For Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni, that means reliving his four-year tenure with New York where he ended with a 121-167 record and zero playoff wins with an abrupt resignation.
"That means the last game of the road trip and I go back home Sunday night," D'Antoni said. "It doesn't mean anything. It's another team."
So much that D'Antoni even proclaimed ignorance about the Knicks, who rank 11th in a mediocre Eastern Conference.
"What are they? Second place in the East?" D'Antoni said sarcastically. "I don't watch. I'm watching the Lakers. That's more important."
It's not even guaranteed the Lakers could snap their three-game losing streak against the Knicks, particularly after Carmelo Anthony scored 62 points in a win Friday over Charlotte, breaking Kobe Bryant's Madison Square Garden scoring record of 61 points set in Feb. 2, 2009. Meanwhile, the Lakers rank 29th in the NBA out of 30 teams in total defense, allowing 105.8 points per game
"That's big time," Lakers forward Nick Young said. "They needed something like that to happen the way they've been losing. For a player, that will be a great spark."
The Lakers would appear to be a prime candidate for Anthony to unleash his deadly scoring arsenal against.
"You know Melo is going to get his points. Hopefully he doesn't get 60 against us," Lakers guard Kendall Marshall said. "The goal with him is to make him a volume shooter and then try to limit everybody else. If we can do that defensively, it will give us a better chance to win."
Good for Marshall to provide the scouting report.
Threading the needle
The Lakers are reeling with each passing moment they still have most of their point guards staying busy in the training room, including Steve Nash (nerve issues in back), Steve Blake (hyperextended right elbow) and Jordan Farmar (torn left hamstring). Also throw in Kobe Bryant (fractured left knee).
But in the 12 games he has started since moving up from the Development League, Marshall has averaged 12.1 points and 11.9 assists in 38.8 minutes. Marshall's assist totals during that stretch actually exceed that of Clippers guard Chris Paul, who averaged 11.2 assists per game before staying sidelined since Jan. 3 because of a separated right shoulder.
"It's hard to feel good about it because we're still losing," said Marshall, who has also averaged 3.3 turnovers in his starts. "Obviously I need to find more ways to help my team. I'm not doing enough offensively and I need to do more defensively. I'm turning the ball over and I need to cut that out. It's hard to focus on the positives right now when we're losing."
D'Antoni agrees.
"There's no use talking about the offense. We'll score enough points," D'Antoni said. "We have to talk about defense. Any question you ask me has to be about defense."


text:
T-Mobile Dials Up Unlimited Data Plans
Aug 22, 2012 12:02 PM PT
While AT&T and Verizon have been busy moving to tiered shared data plans, rival carriers T-Mobile and MetroPCS on Wednesday joined Sprint in offering so-called all-you-can-eat data plans. Beginning on Sept. 5, T-Mobile will offer a new Unlimited Nationwide 4G plan that has no data caps or speed limits.
Under the new plans, customers can use a subsidized phone with unlimited talk, text and data for US$89.99 per month, or $69.99 without the smartphone subsidies. Users will not be able to use the handset as a mobile hotspot, and data can't be shared with a tablet or laptop.
"In contrast to all of our competitors, only T-Mobile gives customers the freedom to enjoy an unlimited data experience on a nationwide 4G network," said Katie McFadzean, a T-Mobile spokesperson. "We know consumers want a high-performance network at an affordable price, and we believe T-Mobile is the clear winner across the industry when our 4G network speeds are paired with our new Unlimited Nationwide 4G Data plan."
One remaining issue is how T-Mobile might deal with so-called data hogs -- users that slurp up an unusually large amount of data through their no-limit plans. However, he company apparently is not concerned at the present time.
"We're confident our network can deliver a fast and dependable unlimited 4G experience for smartphone customers," added McFadzean. "We're investing heavily in our network, working to acquire and put to use additional spectrum needed to support future demand.
"We are also targeting this offer for data-hungry smartphone customers," she added. "Customers who want to use their smartphone to wirelessly connect other devices -- tethering -- will need to choose one of T-Mobile's existing 5 GB or 10 GB Classic or Value plans, which include the Smartphone Mobile HotSpot feature at no additional charge."
Against the Curve
T-Mobile's move seems to be against the curve that AT&T and Verizon are setting. However, as the company battles for third place, such a move may not be unwise.
"T-Mobile has come to parity to Sprint in offering unlimited data. Both are bucking the trend set by nation's number one and number two carriers," said Wayne Lam, senior analyst for wireless communications at IHS iSuppli. "The motivation there is obviously to differentiate and capture heavy data users that will likely migrate from AT&T and Verizon to either Sprint or T-Mobile."
The other equation in this is whether it could convince the larger carriers to move back to unlimited data offerings.
"This is likely a short-term trend," Lam told the E-Commerce Times. "Metered data will be the predominate service plan in the future because that's where the money is for carriers. Carriers know that data is the area of growth, and voice is pretty much stopped growing -- the only way to grow revenue moving forward is to charge 3G/4G in a metered manner."
Therefore, this could be seen as a somewhat risky move, but one that could draw in customers to the carrier -- at least for the short term.
"T-Mobile is simply reversing position, as one of the carriers to pioneer creating throttling, rolling users' speeds back to 3G and 2G after a certain data cap," said Chris Silva, industry analyst for mobile at the Altimeter Group. "Those initial, pre-cap '4G speeds,' it's worth noting, are based on an HSPA+ network, not true 'next-generation' technology like competitors' Long Term Evolution, or LTE, networks."
Future of Unlimited
Thus the future will likely see tiered plans, most probably ones that actually encourage users to share data on numerous devices, as it means they use more, pay more and make the carriers more money. And to understand the future in this, one only needs to look to the past.
"Wireless data was not unlimited before the smartphone revolution, which started five years ago with the iPhone and then Android," said telecommunications analyst Jeff Kagan. "To start the flow, carriers created their unlimited plans to really grease the skids. And it worked."
"T-Mobile needs to shake things up. They need to attract the attention of the marketplace and increase their business," he added. "So that's why they decided to take the unlimited route. This is a great idea for them and for their customers. This will attract some customers, but it is more of a tool to save existing customers."
However, the likely outcome is that those who want unlimited will likely have to look beyond the top carriers.
"The 'truly unlimited' ploy is one initially pioneered and heavily marketed by spectrum-rich - and increasingly customer-poor -- Sprint, who has been offering this at a higher price for some time now," Silva told the E-Commerce Times.
"While these new and sometimes byzantine offerings on contract from carriers promise to be 'unlimited,' pre-paid offerings from the likes of StraightTalk and Voyager Mobile offer similar plans without the hassle of contracts if users supply their own phones," Silva added. "To me, this is the real disruptor, especially since these MVNOs are simply re-selling the networks of AT&T, Verizon and others."


text:
BEIJING – A Chinese man who teaches monkeys martial arts for entertainment was taught his own lesson!
Lo Wung works in Enshi, in the Hubei province in China. He trains a set of moneys in taekwando, to entertain shoppers outside a shopping center.
However, one passerby happened to have his camera ready when the monkeys turned on Wung!
Said Hu Luang, "I saw one punch him in the eye – he grabbed another by the ear and it responded by grabbing his nose.
"They were leaping and jumping all over the place – it was better than a Bruce Lee film."
After swarming Wung, one of the monkeys even grabbed a stick and whacked Wung on the head with it!
Wung finally got the monkeys under control by throwing rope around them. Said Luang, "He was really furious, he made the monkeys kneel on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs to punish them and make them show remorse for their nasty attack."


text:
FIFA rejects Luis Suarez appeal
FIFA has rejected Luis Suarez's appeal against his lengthy ban for biting an opponent in a World Cup match.
Football's international governing body on Thursday said its appeals committee rejected the entire appeal by Suarez and the Uruguay football federation. Suarez can still appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The Uruguay international and Liverpool star was banned for nine international matches and four months from all football, and fined 100,000 Swiss francs ($112,000 U.S.) for biting the shoulder of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during a 1-0 win for his side in their group-stage game.
- FIFA bans Luis Suarez for four months
- PL chief: Suarez an accident waiting to happen
- No 'bite clause' in Suarez's Barca contract
- Toe Poke: Fan gets dodgy Suarez tattoo
- Thompson: Portrait of a serial winner
- Brewin: No sympathy for Luis Suarez
- Thompson: Uruguay comes to Suarez defence
- Marcotti: Suarez in another bite storm
A statement from FIFA read: "The FIFA Appeal Committee has decided to reject the appeals lodged by both the Uruguayan player Luis Suárez and the Uruguayan FA, and to confirm the decision rendered by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on 25 June 2014 in its entirety.
"The terms of the decision taken by the FIFA Appeal Committee were communicated to the player and the Uruguayan FA [on Thursday].
"The relevant decision is not yet final and binding, i.e. an appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) is still possible (cf. art. 67 par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes) by the player and/or the Uruguayan FA, subject to certain conditions."
Although Suarez apologised for his actions, the president of the Uruguayan Football Association, Wilmar Valdez, defended the player.
"I have seen more aggressive incidents recently," he said. "It is a severe punishment. I don't know exactly which arguments they used, but it is a tough punishment for Suarez."
Suarez has since been heavily linked with a move from Liverpool to Barcelona, with FIFA confirming a transfer would be allowed under the terms of his ban.
It is the third time Suarez has been banned for biting an opponent after similar incidents at both Ajax in the Dutch league and Liverpool in the English Premier League.
The incident was missed by match officials, and FIFA's disciplinary committee studied video evidence before charging the Uruguay forward.
The ruling to uphold the sanctions was expected, as FIFA's appeals panel seldom changes disciplinary verdicts.
Suarez can now ask the CAS to freeze his sanctions during his appeal process. If granted, Suarez would be allowed to train and play with his club until a final verdict is reached, likely in several months.
Should he transfer, Suarez would miss 18 fixtures at Barcelona.
The potential games he would miss if he were a Barcelona player include five friendlies on the team managed now by Luis Enrique from July 19-Aug. 18 (vs. Recreativo, Nice, Napoli, Helsinki and Mexican League side Leon) and 13 official matches with three Champions League dates, including one in the round of 16; one Copa del Rey fixture and nine La Liga matches (season start is Aug. 24). Suarez could miss one fewer encounter because the ninth La Liga date is Oct. 26, the exact date he completes his four-month suspension. His availability is contingent on FIFA's clarification as to whether he can return that day.
If he remains with Liverpool, Suarez would miss 18 matches as well, including the first nine Premier League dates beginning on Aug. 16 vs. Southampton at Anfield.
On the Liverpool bench, he would miss five preseason friendlies the Reds have set. He would also miss the first three fixtures of the Champions League group stage and one Capital One Cup match but could rejoin in time for encounters on the week of Oct. 27, depending upon the Capital One Cup match date. Otherwise, he would rejoin Liverpool on Nov. 1 vs. Newcastle United, thus missing a total of 19 fixtures.
Barcelona lawyer Juan Jose Pinto is in contact with Uruguay lawyer Alejandro Balbi, who is defending Suarez and could take the case to the CAS, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Use a Facebook account to add a comment, subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on ESPN's media platforms. Learn more.


text:
RadLex is freely available for download and use in clinical, research and educational applications. In addition, radiologists and developers of radiology reporting systems can incorporate RadLex terms into their diagnostic reports by adopting the RSNA reporting templates.Experts in radiology and medical informatics are invited to participate in the development and curation of RadLex. Comments on RadLex can be submitted to firstname.lastname@example.com. To express interest in volunteering for the RadLex committees, contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
The RadLex
project is led by a steering committee of experts in radiology informatics and
medical terminologies and overseen by the RSNA Radiology Informatics Committee.
In 2005, six RadLex organ system committees were formed in collaboration with
more than 30 radiology professional and standards organizations, including ACR,
DICOM, and IHE. In 2007, six additional committees were recruited, each
focusing on a specific imaging modality. These committees support the steering
committee in the ongoing development and curation of RadLex.
Daniel L. Rubin, MD, ChairmanStanford, CA
Frederick M. Behlen, PhDHomewood, IL
William W. Boonn, MDPhiladelphia, PA
David A. Clunie, MBBSBangor, PA
John Eng, MDCockeysville, MD
Bradley J. Erickson, MD, PhD Rochester, MN
Charles E. Kahn, Jr, MDMilwaukee, WI
Curtis P. Langlotz, MD, PhDMoorestown, NJ
Eliot L. Siegel, MDSeverna Park, MD
Chris L. Sistrom, MDGainesville, FL
Ronald L. Arenson, MD, Board LiaisonSan Francisco, CA
Steven T. Drew, Staff ContactOak Brook, IL
RadLex Committee
Committee Chair
Committee Members
Daniel L. Rubin, MD
See above list
Isaac R. Francis, MD
Teresita L. Angtuaco, MD
Bernard A. Burnbaum, MD
Jeffrey J. Brown, MD
Karen M. Horton, MD
Elizabeth G. McFarland, MD
Frank H. Miller, MD
Donald G. Mitchell, MD
Nicholas Papanicolaou, MD
Carl M. Sandler, MD
Mitchell Tublin, MD
Judy Yee, MD
Elizabeth S. Burnside, MD
Catherine Appleton, MD
Beverly Collins, PhD
Wendy DeMartini, MD
Sara Gavenonis, MD
Nola Hylton, PhD
Janie Lee, MD, MS
Jessica Leung, MD
Mike Linver, MD
Jafi Lipson, MD
Martha Mainiero, MD
Matt Morgan
Charlene Sennett, MD
E. Kent Yucel, MD, PhD
Andre J. G. Duerinckx, MD, PhD
Antoinette S. Gomes, MD
C. Carl Jaffe, MD
John A. Kaufman, MD
Warren J. Manning, MD
Barry Stein, MD
Lawrence Neil Tanenbaum, MD
Arthur Conrad Waltman, MD
William Weigold, MD
Pamela K. Woodard, MD
Donald P. Harrington, MD
David A. Rubin, MD
Mark W. Anderson, MD
Thomas H. Berquist, MD
John A. Carrino, MD, MPH
Giuseppe Guglielmi, MD
H. Hugh Hawkins, Jr., MD
Patrick T. Liu, MD
Theodore T. Miller, MD
Wilfred C. G. Peh, MD
Lynne S. Steinbach, MD
Mihra S. Taljanovic, MD
Jeffrey D. Towers, MD
Hilary R. Umans, MD
Lawrence M. White, MD
Adam E. Flanders, MD
John A. Carrino, MD, MPH
Bradley Erickson, MD, PhD
Jerry Jarvik, MD, MPH
Kelly Koeller, MD
Elias R. Melhem, MD
Kevin R. Moore, MD
Marvin D. Nelson, MD, MBA
Vijay Rao, MD
Howard A. Rowley, MD
Erin M. Simon, MD
Richard H. Wiggins, III, MD
Mary E. Jensen, MD
Jay Pillai, MD
Elna-Marie Larsson, MD, PhD
James S. Meyer, MD
Kimberly E. Applegate, MD, MS
J. Damien Grattan-Smith, MBBS
R. Paul Guillerman, MD
Diego Jaramillo, MD, MPH
Ann Johnson, MD
Neil D. Johnson, MD
Rajesh Krishnamurthy, MD
Frederick R. Long, MD
Marguerite T. Parisi, MD
Gilbert Vezina, MD
Edward Weinberger, MD
Theresa C. McLoud, MD
Ronald Arenson, MD
John Austin, MD
Phillip Boiselle, MD
Paul Friedman, MD
Alex Gottschalk, MD
David Hansell, MD
Donald P. Harrington, MD
Curtis P. Langlotz, MD, PhD
Carla Morrisey
Martine Remy-Jardin, MD, PhD
Irena Tocino, MD
Richard Webb, MD
Charles S. White, MD
Computed Tomography
Burdette, MD
Michael Callahan, MD
Georges El-Khoury, MD
Nancy Fefferman-Katz, MD
Mannudeep Kalra, MD
Jane Ko, MD
Thomas M. Link, MD
Cynthia H. McCollough, PhD
Chris Sistrom, MD
Lacey Washington, MD
William Weadock, MD
Max Wintermark, MD
Lifeng Yu, PhD
Interventional Radiology
Sanjoy Kundu, MD
Andy Adam, MB, BS
Curtis W. Bakal, MD, MPH
Julia Gates, MD
Debra Ann Gervais, MD
S. Nahum Goldberg, MD
George G. Hartnell, MD
Maxim Itkin, MD
John R. Kachura, MD
Venkataramu Krishnamurthy, MD
Donald L. Miller, MD
Wayne Monsky, MD, PhD
Tarun Sabharwal, MD
Kenneth W. Sniderman, MD
Michael J. Wallace, MD
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Donald G. Mitchell, MD
Matthew A. Bernstein, PhD
John A. Carrino, MD, MPH
Adam E. Flanders, MD
Gary D. Fullerton, PhD
R. Edward Hendrick, PhD
Emanuel Kanal, MD
Timothy John Mosher, MD
Vamsidhar Rao Narra, MD
Lawrence H. Schwartz, MD
Mark E. Schweitzer, MD
Evan S. Siegelman, MD
Claude B. Sirlin, MD
Jeffrey C. Weinreb, MD
Nuclear and Molecular Imaging
Bennett S. Greenspan, MD
Gary L. Dillehay, MD
Edward A. Eikman, MD
Lorraine M. Fig, MD
Leonie L. Gordon, MD
Charles Kahn, MD
Val J. Lowe, MD
David A. Mankoff, MD
Barry L. Shulkin, MD
Jack A. Ziffer, MD, PhD
Radiography and Fluoroscopy
David S. Channin, MD
Donald P. Harrington, MD
Paul G. Nagy, PhD
Benjamin Pierce
Charles Willis, PhD
Stephen C. Horii, MD
Richard Bellah, MD
Edward Bluth, MD
Peter Callen, MD
Emily Conant, MD
Brian S. Garra, MD
Charles Kahn, MD
Beth Kline-Fath, MD
Sherelle Laifer-Narin, MD
Deborah Levine-Jesurum, MD
Chris Sistrom, MD
Susan Weinstein, MD
David S. Channin, MD
Curtis P. Langlotz, MD, PhD
Alice N. Averbukh
Keith Dreyer, DO, PhD
Donald P. Harrington, MD
Charles E. Kahn, Jr., MD
Daniel L. Rubin, MD
Chris L. Sistrom, MD
Andre Coutinho Castilla, MD, PhDSão Paulo, Brazil
Dirk Marwede, MD, MScLeipzig, Germany
RadLex is overseen by
the RadLex Steering Committee chaired by Dr. Curtis Langlotz (2001-2007) and
Dr. Daniel Rubin (2007-present). Development work has been done by volunteer
Subspecialty Lexicon Development Committees composed of representatives from
numerous organizations across the radiologic and general physician community.
Some of these organizations have also contributed existing terminology
references. Contributors include:
American Society of Functional Neuroradiology
American Society of Head and Neck Radiology
American Society of Interventional & Therapeutic Neuroradiology
American Society of Neuroradiology
American Society of Pediatric Neuroradiology
American Society of Spine Radiology
Cardiovascular Radiology Council of the American Heart Association
College of American Pathologists and SNOMED CT®
European Society of Neuroradiology
International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
North American Society for Cardiac Imaging
North American Spine Society
Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
Society of Body Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance
Society of Gastrointestinal Radiology
Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound
Society of Skeletal Radiology
Society of Uroradiology


text:
PIMIENTA - Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was present for the launching of WFP's School Feeding Programme last Thursday in Pimienta, Cortes. It is estimated that more than one million four hundred thousand children regionally will benefit from the programme this year.
President Hernández together with WFP Representative to Honduras, Pasqualina Di Sirio, the Minister of Education, Marlon Escoto, Minister of Social Development, Lisandro Rosales, Minister of Health, Yolany Batres and other local authorities launched the 2014 WFP School Feeding Programme in the municipality of Pimienta located in the Department of Cortes. In this town alone the school feeding programmes will benefit some 3,226 children.
During the event, President Hernández reinforced his dedication to increase nutritional health and calorie intake amongst the youth during his term. This being the case, eggs and fortified tortillas has been added to school meals, accompanying the typically included beans, soybean flour, rice and vegetable oil.
The Minister of Development explained the importance of efficiency in the distribution of food for the school feeding programmes. And how purchasing supplies from local smallholders not only is efficient but also boosts and strengthens the local economy.
The newly added components to the school meals ensure that children are getting added protein, folic acid, and vitamins B1, B6 and B12 which aids in psychomotor development and provides energy.
Out of the 1,497 schools located in the Cortes Department, 1,215 of them are participating in WFP's School Feeding Programme. This translates into a total of 201, 271 student beneficiaries in this department alone.


text:
greytone needed a new button or icon design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 11 designs submitted by 5 freelance designers.
Cartoon style eggs that break with a hammer when the user clicks on them for use in flash game.
I am developing a flash game where the user clicks on a cartoon style egg and the egg then cracks slowly and then breaks open revealing something, or perhaps nothing inside. I am a programmer, and as such all my art looks like programmer art...
- Cartoony egg that cracks slowly and then falls apart when clicked.
- Egg should be white.
- Egg bits should NOT go flying and should come to a rest on an invisible ground line.
- Mouse cursor to turn into a hammer when hovering the egg.
- Hammer must swing when the user clicks.
- Size on screen should be aprox the size of a normal chicken egg.
- Deliverable should be the .fla flash source.
- Egg yoke, the egg should be otherwise hollow.


text:
Showing 1–15 of 21 results
Poll of the WeekEarn 10 Tillie Tokens for Voting!How many doll-related UFOs (unfinished objects) currently have your name on them?
Total Voters: 42
This poll is open to registered club members only. Please login to vote. (Not a member yet? You will automatically become a member with your first purchase!)
Username or Email
Remember Me
Lost your password?
By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. (Clicking "Accept" will remove this message from ClubMatilda.com for one year.) Read More Accept
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below, then you are consenting to this practice. Read our Privacy Policy here.


text:
On his codediesel.com blog today Sameer Borate has a quick post looking at URL manipulation with the help of the Net_URL2 PEAR package.
Whether you are dynamically creating urls or changing existing ones, manipulation of urls is a frequent coding requirement during development; doing the same on short urls is easy, but quickly becomes complex for urls which have larger query parameters.
He shows how to use the package to parse the current URL into its respective parts (host, port, path, etc) and how to automatically change certain parameters in the current URL and push the updated version back out the other side. There's also a bit there at the end on normalizing URLs.


text: SOCHI, Russia -- IOC President Thomas Bach accused world leaders Tuesday of using the Sochi Olympics as a political platform "on the backs of the athletes," and of snubbing the games without even being invited. Amari Cooper Jersey . Three days before the opening of Russias first Winter Games, Bach used a hard-hitting speech to call out politicians for using the Olympics to make an "ostentatious gesture" serving their own agendas. Without naming any individuals, Bachs comments appeared directed at President Barack Obama and European politicians who have taken stands against Russias law banning gay "propaganda" among minors. The Olympics, Bach said, should not be "used as a stage for political dissent or for trying to score points in internal or external political contests." "Have the courage to address your disagreements in a peaceful direct political dialogue and not on the backs of the athletes," he said at a ceremony attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin. "People have a very good understanding of what it really means to single out the Olympic Games to make an ostentatious gesture which allegedly costs nothing but produces international headlines. "In the extreme, we had to see a few politicians whose contributions to the fight for a good cause consisted of publicly declining invitations they had not even received." The buildup to the Olympics has been overshadowed by Western criticism of the anti-gay law and Russias record on human rights and other issues, making Sochi among the most politically charged games in years. Obama and key European leaders are shunning the Olympics. Obama, in a clear message against the anti-gay laws, has sent a delegation to Sochi made up of three openly gay athletes -- tennis great Billie Jean King, 2006 Olympic hockey medallist Caitlin Cahow and figure skater Brian Boitano. For the first time since 2000, the U.S. delegation to an Olympics will not include a president, vice-president or first lady. Former Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano leads the delegation. German President Joachim Gauck and French President Francois Hollande are also not coming to Sochi. Neither is British Prime Minister David Cameron. Bach reiterated again that Putin had given the IOC assurances that the Olympic Charter would be upheld during the games and that homosexuals would not be discriminated against. Bach said Olympic values stand against any form of discrimination, including on grounds of sexual orientation. But he stressed the IOC must be "politically neutral without being apolitical" and that athletes must not use the Olympic Village and venues for "political demonstrations." The IOC has come under criticism for not doing more to fight the anti-gay law, but Bach said the committee was a sports organization with limited responsibilities. "We are not a supra-national government," he said. "We are not a superior world-parliament. We do not have a mandate to impose measures on sovereign states." Bachs speech was delivered at a ceremony marking the opening of the IOCs three-day session, or general assembly, ahead of the games. The Germans sharp comments marked a strong contrast with the relatively anodyne, diplomatic speeches of his predecessor, Jacques Rogge. Bach, winner of a fencing gold medal at the 1972 Olympics, was elected in September to succeed Rogge, who served for 12 years. Bach acknowledged there had been "a lot of skepticism in and outside the IOC" when Sochi was awarded the Olympics in 2007. "Now, seven years later, we can see that Sochi, that Russia has delivered," he said. Putin lauded the IOCs decision to bring the games to the Black Sea resort. "We realize what a difficult decision this was to hold the games in a city that barely had 10 to 15 per cent of the necessary infrastructure," he said. "You believed in us, you believed in the Russian character which can overcome all difficulties." "In the space of five years," Putin added, "we built world-class sports venues and city infrastructure that normally takes decades to build." http://www.officialraidersgear.com/Raiders-Mario-Edwards-Jr-Draft-Jersey/ . Groves signed with Cleveland as an unrestricted free agent last year after a season with Arizona. He was in the linebacker rotation and had a sack in the season opener against Miami. Cory James Jersey .C. -- The Bobcats announced theyve signed centre Justin Hamilton to a 10-day contract.ALAMEDA, Calif. - Former All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha will retire after 11 years in the NFL. The Raiders said Asomugha will announce his retirement officially at a news conference at team headquarters Friday. Asomugha had his greatest success in the NFL with the Raiders after being drafted in the first round out of California in 2003. HHe earned three Pro Bowl selections in eight seasons in Oakland and was a first-team All-Pro in 2008 and 2010. http://www.officialraidersgear.com/Raiders-Rodney-Hudson-Draft-Jersey/. Asomugha struggled after joining Philadelphia as a high-profile free agent in 2011. After two seasons with the Eagles, Asomugha played three games with San Francisco this season before being cut last month. China Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Authentic Jerseys Jerseys From China Stitched NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale Throwback Jerseys Cheap NFL T-shirts Wholesale NFL White Jerseys Cheap NFL Gear Cheap NFL T-shirts Wholesale NFL White Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Throwback Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap Jerseys 2019 Jerseys NFL Cheap Wholesale NFL T-shirts Jerseys From China ' ' '


text:
We should have some pix of the Luke and Han coming in tonight. Han looks real nice, but Luke's got the damned bucktooth problem again (though he's not in finalized form yet, supposedly)...So check back later.
I had a chance to sit down and interview Tom Gilliland, the VP of Product Development and the Creative Director of Side Show Collectibles this afternoon down at SDCC. Mr. Gilliland was probably the friendliest, most knowledgeable, and most willing to talk (and talk about future plans, no less) Star Wars licensee at the entire show. It was a true pleasure to sit down and chat with him, and learn of the direction this line will likely take over the next three years. He seemed to have a definite feel for the pulse of the hobby, and about "collectors" and Star Wars in general. I think that should assure you potential Sideshow collectors that you'll indeed be in excellent hands with this particular Star Wars line. So without further ado, here's some juicy information as to what we can expect to see out of the future of this line...First 5 figures:Luke (seen at SDCC, in prototype form)Han (seen at SDCC, in prototype form)ANH Vader (dueling pose w/ saber up)Obi-Wan (dueling pose probably, which can interact with Vader to a degree, moveable hood)ANH LeiaThere will probably be some exclusives for their website later on, which will offer a slight twist to some of the above figures, such as probably having the same Han, but with a Stormtrooper belt and blaster included. They weren't quite sure what the Luke "variation" would be yet though.Highly probable figures after that: Boba Fett, Yoda/Dagobah Luke 2-pack, R2-D2/C-3PO 2-pack, Darth Maul, Qui-Gonn Jinn, X-Wing LukeOther tidbits:Production runs will likely be approximately 1,500 to 2,500, depending on how "main" the character is. Once the edition size is set, that's it - no more! Sideshow is considering doing some minor characters in the future as well (such as Bib Fortuna), which would likely have a lower production number.Price Point: $225 and up (higher for the more intricate maquettes, and 2-packs)They're experimenting with adding electronics right now, like to things such as the lightsabers.Finally, and this is the best part, these guys have an attention to detail like I've never seen or heard of before. Tom commented to me that they just recently noticed that a portion of Han's "real" belt had 3 notches, as opposed to the 2 notches that they originally thought, so they're fixing that right away. Expect these pieces to be HIGHLY detailed and damned near PERFECTLY accurate in every single way. JediDefender thanks Tom for his time, as do our readers, I'm sure. Tom did add a disclaimer to all of the aforementioned news, in that it's all subject to final approval, so nothing is set in stone just yet. You know the deal: "Products and colors may vary..." But at least this should give you an excellent idea as to the direction they plan to take with this line. Sounds like the Side Show line will be one of Star Wars' finest. Can't wait!
Uh, I think I might have done something really stupid: I ordered the Darth Vader statue from Sideshow.The only problem is how the hell do I justify this to my wife?
When's your 10th wedding anniversary? If you don't get her a big enough rock after dropping that much on a "toy", you'll find out how much is not enough instead of too much. Fair warning
Hey dumbass, this is a "collectible", not a toy. That TOTALLY justifies it.
Quote from: JesseVader08 on February 25, 2005, 10:30 PMHey dumbass, this is a "collectible", not a toy. That TOTALLY justifies it. Man Barbie.
Page created in 0.066 seconds with 19 queries.


text:
Magic Candle Company - Use the code DISNEYINFO to save 15% on your order!
Dismiss Notice
- Dismiss NoticeBook your 2020 Disney Cruise Line vacation with Dreams Unlimited Travel today!Dismiss Notice
Receive up to $1000 in shipboard credit when you book through Dreams Unlimited Travel!
Discussion in 'Royal Caribbean' started by mumsy1955, Jun 3, 2018.


text:
plebayo wrote:. He agreed she looks good and seems to be doing well even though her symptoms are back. She has a very healthy appetite and seems to be much more personable than she was before. I'm not sure if it's because I take her places more now, or simply that she's actually feeling better
THAT is the most important thing, isn't it??? Her quality of life seems to be excellent, considering what she's up against... you are doing an awesome job w/her.


text:
An Easy Square Puzzle
Henry E. Dudeney
Print out the five pieces shown above and then
cut them out. You can use the
Print 'n' Play PDF Version for doing this.
The object is to make a square of these five pieces. One of the pieces
may be cut in two, but the others must be used intact.
Step Through:


text:
Each McGuire Agent in every office is backed by an extraordinary team of listing, transaction, and CMA coordinators, an in-house marketing department with design, public relations, and social media specialists, all dedicated to achieving the highest success for our clients.
McGuire's dedicated full-time staff of more than 28 professionals takes care of the details so your real estate needs and transactional goals are always met.
Rental/Listing Coordinator
Accounting Manager
Listing Administrator
Art Director
Content Marketing Manager


text:
Lakeside Hills / Re: Course Conditions« on: August 22, 2014, 03:39:48 PM »
Yah less than a mile from me house! Thanks to Olathe P&R it's mowed weekly. And... thanks to master Bomb Tutler!
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
I bet if you are one of them Dirty Birds you probably know something. :-P
#15 at PC...it even had a red beacon light taped to it. light was out tho and huge piece of duct tape too..lol does this disc sound familiar to anyone??? DEANO??
Jack: It's not like there's an over abundance of talent in Adv. Masters. Maybe you'll win a tournament this year. :-P


text:
Second in Series of Reports Looks at First-Year Teachers from Teach for America, Troops to Teachers, and the New Teachers Project
Public Agenda and the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality today released research that raises questions about the support given to new teachers who come to teaching through alternate routes new teachers who are often placed in the most troubled schools. It gives voice to the concerns of these new teachers once they are on the job concerns about insufficient support from school administrators and insufficient advice and help from colleagues.
A comment from one first-year teacher illustrates the isolation that many of these 'alt-route' teachers feel, Teachers have to go it alone, especially in the city. You cannot send a student out of your room. You have to deal with the behavior problem, and fill out forms.... You're kind of like an independent contractor. You've got to just manage your little society in the classroom.
The second report of the Lessons Learned series, Issue No. 2: Working Without a Net focuses on new teachers in high-needs schools and compares the perspectives of those coming to the profession through traditional teacher education versus those from three alternate-route programs: Teach for America, Troops to Teachers and The New Teacher Project.
Based on this survey, our question is: Are we willing to create a system that gives new teachers the support that will help them succeed regardless of the route they take to teaching? These are three well-established, well-respected programs, so the results here points up an important challenge for the field, said Public Agenda Executive Vice President and Director of Education Insights Jean Johnson. The plight of new teachers wrestling with difficult assignments with limited guidance and minimal mentorship is more pronounced among the 'alt-routes,' but significant numbers of traditionally-trained teachers find themselves in the same boat especially those in high-needs schools.
Sabrina Laine, Director of NCCTQ, which commissioned and helped to design the research said, That new teachers in high-needs schools are feeling isolated and abandoned in their classrooms is a significant problem. School leaders need to make supporting this new generation of teachers a priority, no matter where these teachers teach and what route they took to the classroom. Administrators can start by listening and responding to these teachers' desires for more opportunities to collaborate in both instruction and classroom management.
Steve Cantrell, Director of REL-Midwest, who provided guidance on the design and analysis said The perfect recipe for increasing the achievement gap is to assign those students with the greatest needs to those teachers least equipped to address these needs. And if these highly mission-driven teachers feel like their efforts don't make a difference, they will find other ways than teaching to contribute to society. It's a vicious cycle that our educational system cannot afford to perpetuate.
According to the survey, the alternate route teachers from these three programs are especially motivated by the desire to help disadvantaged children but at the same time more disheartened by the conditions they find in their classrooms. Whether it is their belief that they are assigned the toughest classrooms or their perceptions about the level of support they get from administrators and other teachers, those who come to teaching through alternate routes are considerably more disheartened by their experiences than new traditionally-trained teachers who also serve in high-needs schools.
The differences between the two types of first-year teachers is striking: Significant differences emerged on many of the items on the survey, including reflections on the usefulness and relevance of their training and reactions to various proposals to improve teacher quality and effectiveness, among others. These differences persist even when controlling for a high-needs school environment. The study questions whether the contrast comes out of differences in the reception, training and support these alternate-route teachers receive on the job or whether they stem from different standards held by these new teachers (many of whom come out of selective colleges and universities or have served in the military) may bring to the job.
Idealism and High Expectations Going In
The new teachers from the alternate route programs studied here were especially likely to say that being able to help underprivileged children was their main reason for entering the profession. Among new teachers working in high needs schools:
Dashed on Day One
Large numbers of the alternate route teachers voice concerns about their first teaching assignments, and many see problems such as lack of support from administrators and discipline issues with students as the major drawbacks of teaching. Traditionally-trained teachers working in high-needs schools and at the secondary level report similar problems to some degree, but the issues are more pronounced among the alternate-route teachers in the survey.
For example, even among those teaching in high-needs schools, alt-route teachers are much more likely than traditionally trained teachers (64 percent versus 41 percent) to say that they have been assigned classes with some of the hardest-to-reach students in the school, while the more experienced teachers are assigned less challenging classes.
A Call for Help
More than half (54 percent) of new alt-route teachers in high-needs schools say lack of support from administrators is a major drawback to teaching, compared with just 1 in 5 (20 percent) new teachers who are traditionally trained. New alt-routes in high-needs schools are about twice as likely as the traditionally-trained group to give administrators fair or poor marks for instructional leadership (64 percent versus 32 percent), support on discipline problems (59 percent versus 29 percent) and providing resources like textbooks and well-equipped classes (49 percent versus 23 percent).
Another striking difference is the alt-routes' judgments about the kind of help and feedback they can count on from other, presumably more experienced teaching staff. Less than a quarter (22 percent) of alt-routes in high-needs schools said their cooperating teachers gave them excellent feedback on managing the classroom, compared to over half (56 percent) of traditionally-trained teachers in high-needs schools. Just over half of the alt-routes said their cooperating teacher was a positive role model, compared with 88 percent among the traditionally-trained teachers. In addition, 16 percent of the alt-routes said they did not spend any time at all with a cooperating teacher.
Less Satisfied With Their Preparation
The vast majority of new teachers feel comfortable with their subject matter, but there is a substantial difference between the alt-routes and the traditionally-trained when it comes to how they view their readiness for the classroom. Of those working in high-needs schools, 54 percent of the alt-route teachers surveyed by Public Agenda say they could have used more time working with a classroom teacher during their preparation period and an additional 16 percent said they spent no time with a teacher prior to their first year on the job.
Another Vote for Smaller Classes
The previous edition of the Lessons Learned series (They're Not Little Kids Anymore: The Special Challenges of New Teachers in High Schools and Middle Schools) reported that, for strong majorities of the new teachers regardless of their grade level, two items topped their list of recommendations for improving the profession overall. The first is reducing class sizes, and the second is giving teachers better preparation to individualize teaching in a diverse classroom. Public Agenda's surveys of teachers overall show a similar pattern even teachers with more experience rank reducing class size as their top priority for improving education.
Asked for their advice on how to improve teaching, both new alt-route teachers and new traditionally-trained teachers place smaller class size at the very top of their reform wish list, and there is substantial interest in beefing up preparation to teach in ethnically diverse schools and classrooms. For both groups, reducing certification requirements and relying more on alternative routes is near the bottom of the list.
The authors of Working Without a Net caution that, because the survey of teachers coming to the profession via alternative routes could not be fielded with a random sample, the findings should be considered within the context of their limitations. While the research was conducted as methodologically rigorously as possible and is perhaps the most in-depth survey of its kind, the report nonetheless calls the research exploratory and poses many of the findings as questions. There is currently no national database of teachers who entered the profession through alternate routes, and consequently there is no practical way to field a random-sample survey of the entire alternate route universe.
The report is based on two separate surveys using virtually identical questionnaires. The first is a national survey of 641 first-year teachers and the second a survey of 224 teachers pulled from lists of three specific alt-route programs (Teach for America, the New Teachers Project and Troops to Teachers [TTT]). Interviews were conducted between March 12 and April 23, 2007. It included 111 items covering issues related to teacher training, recruitment, professional development and retention. The study explored why new teachers come into the profession, what their expectations are and what factors contribute to their desire to either stay in teaching or leaving it. The margin of error is plus or minus four percentage points; it is higher when comparing percentages across subgroups. Selected survey results can be found at publicagenda.org.


text:
Phase One P40 Plus : Tests and Reviews
Phase One P40 Plus side by side comparisons
Phase One P40 Plus versus Phase One model
Phase One P40 Plus versus predecessor
Phase One P40 Plus versus Canon model
Phase One P40 Plus versus Nikon model
Phase One P40 Plus versus Sony model
Phase One P40 Plus versus rival model with similar score
Try our side-by-side camera comparison tool
Further readings for the Phase One P40 Plus
To provide photographers with a broader perspective about mobiles, lenses and cameras, here are links to articles, reviews, and analyses of photographic equipment produced by DxOMark, renown websites, magazines or blogs.
Pentax have launched the 645Z medium-format digital SLR, featuring a new 51.4Mp CMOS sensor. Priced at £7,699, including a 55mm f/2.8 lens, it doesn't cost much more than some pro 35mm DSLRs, but does it offer significant benefits? We preview the new Pentax 645Z and look back at Sensor Scores from its predecessor the 645D to help us decide.
Despite its success with its latest high-end camera models (the Nikon D3s and D3x), Nikon had yet to respond to the great success of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, whose superior resolution and numerous features (notably with respect to video) simply outclassed the aging Nikon D700.
Professional portrait and landscape photographers often use medium-format cameras because of their superb performance under controlled lighting conditions. However, as these cameras are definitely not designed for so-called "action photography" scenarios, they generally do not perform well with respect to DxO Labs' Low-Light ISO metric. Because of this inherent low-light limitation, medium-format cameras do not receive top marks on the DxOMark Sensor Overall Score, even though they may show outstanding performance with respect to Color Depth or Dynamic Range.